vulpes pusillus. 153 



The Hill Fox. 



Descr. — General colour pale-fulvous, deeper on the sides, and whitish 

 on shoulders ; middle of the back dark, inclining to rufous ; haunches and 

 tail more gray ; ears externally deep velvety-black ; head mixed with 

 white ; a faint eye-streak ; the cheeks and jowl white ; moustaches black ; 

 limbs pale-fulvous ; tail very bushy, white-tipped. 



Length, head and body, 30 inches ; tail 19 ; height 13|-14. 



This is a very handsome animal when in full fur, very like the English 

 fox, but less rufous, paler and more hoary. The fur is exceedingly rich, 

 dense and fine, the longer hairs 2 inches long, the inner fur also long and 

 woolly. It is found throughout the Himalayas, from Nepal at all events 

 to Kashmir, in the central region chiefly. I did not hear of it in Dar- 

 jeeling, but it may occur in the interior of Sikim, where the climate is 

 drier. In the neighbourhood of Simla it is very common, especially in 

 winter, coming close to houses in search of poultry, and even ofi^al, it is 

 said ; and I have seen it at Fagu carry off a fowl in broad daylight. It 

 is also destructive to game, pheasants, partridges, &c. In Kashmir it is 

 very abundant, affecting the cultivated districts in the neighbourhood 

 of hills, and doing much damage to poultry. In 1865, the 7th Hussars 

 had a pack of foxhounds in Kashmir, and killed many of these foxes. 



It is stated to breed in April and May, the female having usually three 

 or four cubs. 



141. Vulpes pusillus. 



Blyth, Cat. 133. — V. Jlavescens, apud Blyth, olim. 



The Punjab Fox. 



JJescr. — Similar in colour to V. montanus, but much smaller, being 

 only a little larger than Bemjalensis. From the Punjab Salt Range. This 

 may perhaps be only a dwarfish race of the last, caused by a warmer 

 climate, but I have at present followed Blyth in keeping them distinct. 

 The type specimen in the Asiatic Society's Museum has quite the 

 aspect of V. montanus. Dr. Adams suggested that it might be a variety 

 of V. leucoj)us, but it is very distinct from that. 



Hodgson in the new edition of his British Museum Collection, has 

 named another species FM^2^es/?(%mosMs, the " TAec^e," probably from 



