VULPES BENGALENSIS. 149 



Gen. VuLPES Auctorum, Foxes. 



C%ar. — Muzzle lengthened and very acute ; head round ; ears large, 

 erect ; pupil elliptic, or linear by day ; upper incisors less sloping than 

 in dogs and wolves ; body long ; limbs short ; tail thick, long, and 

 bushy, otherwise as in Canis. 



Foxes have a gland at the base of the tail, above, which secretes a 

 strongly odorous substance. This is called by German huntsmen the 

 viole. The female has six teats. Species are found over all the world 

 except in Australia. 



There are two types of Foxes in India ; the first the foxes of the 

 desert or plains. These are not typical in their characters, having 

 longer ears, longer and more slender limbs, and they have been separated 

 by Hamilton Smith as Cynalopex. This is adopted by Blyth in his 

 Catalogue, but I shall only mark it as sectional. The type is Canis 

 corsac of Central Asia, They inhabit bare open plains, in which they 

 burrow ; are less carnivorous in their habits than true foxes, feeding 

 much on fruit, insects, crabs, &c. 



138. Vulpes bengalensis. 



Shaw. — Blyth, Cat. 126. — Elliot, Cat. 19. — Habdwicke, 111. Ind. 

 Zool. II., pi. 2. — C. rufescens, Gray. — C. kokree, Sykes. — G. corsac of 

 India, Auctorum. — C. chrysurus and C. xantJmrus, Gray. — Lomri or 

 Lumri, H. ; also Lokri in some parts. — Lokeria in Central India. — 

 Kokri, Mahr. — Khekar and Khikir in Behar. — Khek sial, Bengal. — Konh^ 

 Can. — Konka nakka, or Gunta nakka, Tel. — Kemp-nari and Chandak- 

 nari, Can. — Poti-nara, Tel. at Hydrabad (Buch. Ham.). 



The Indian Fox. 



Descr. — Reddish -gray, rufous on the legs and muzzle, reddish- white 

 beneath j ears long, dark-brown externally ; tail long, bushy, with a broad 

 black tip ; muzzle very acute ; chin and throat whitish. 



Length, head and body, 21 to 22 inches ; tail 12 to 14; weight of a 

 male about 7 lb. 



This pretty little fox varies a good deal in the shades of colour in 

 different localities, and according to season. The fur just after it has 

 assumed its winter coat is very beautiful, a purer gray on the body con- 

 trasting with the rufous limbs. The legs are remarkably slender. The 

 tail is very bushy. Tt is usually carried trailing when the fox is going 



