File:Wild scenes and wild hunters of the world (1852) (14782396035).jpg

Identifier: wildsceneswildhu00webb (find matches)
Title: Wild scenes and wild hunters of the world
Year: 1852 (1850s)
Authors: Webber, Charles W. (Charles Wilkins), 1819-1856
Subjects: Boone, Daniel, 1734-1820 Smith, William, fl. 1790 Hunting
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Bradley
Contributing Library: University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Digitizing Sponsor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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nursery, Reynard the Fox, forwhat their antique pens would have expressed! . But it must be confessed that your philosopher is a pro-digious leveller. No antiquity is so remote that he will notbrush off the green rime of ages, to count the wrinkles on itsfront; no fame so awful or overshadowing, that he will not,with familiar hands, stroke the mane of darkness till itsmiles, and renders up the secrets of its glory. It is only from this point of view that we account for un-conscious and remarkable coolness, with which astute Natu-ralists have seized Master Reynard by the nape of the neck,to drag him forth from beneath the misty obscurations oftime, and hold him in the common light of day before theeyes of the astonished world. Seeing that they have doneso, in spite of all savage growlings of his outraged histori-cal dignity, even I can take courage, though with humility,to give him now an additional shake. I shall accordinglyproceed to beat out his fui, mathematically, so long as I248
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FOX HUNTING IN AMERICA. 249 can hold a sober face in dealing with a proverbially slipperyand facetious customer. There are about twelve well known species belonging tothis genera, four of which are native to North America.There are many disputes among Naturalists with regard tothe varieties of this animal. Instead of twelve, the numberof species has been extended to sixteen. Mr. Audubon, inhis new work, the Quadrupeds of America, has discoveredthat many of those animals which have been named and setdown as distinct species, are only varieties. As for instance,the Cross Fox, the Black or Silver Fox, and the Red Fox,have each been classed as a separate species heretofore; buthe has shown, I think, conclusively, that the two first aremere varieties of the last. He found all three together in one litter. This fact initself, is very strong proof that he is right, for the Gray Foxis never known to breed with either of these varieties; andthe same is true of the Swift Fox and the Arctic Fox.

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