THE FENNEC FOX. 



" A Fox, very hungry, chanced to come into a 

 vine-yard, where there hung branches of charming 

 ripe grapes : but nailed up to a trellis so high, 

 that he leaped till he quite tired himself without 

 being able to reach one of them. At last, " Let 

 who will take them ! " says he : they are but 

 green and sour : so I will even let them alone. " 



The above venerable fable has doubtless been 

 employed on innumerable occasions to point a 

 moral or adorn a tale during the long centuries 

 which have elapsed since ^Esop first related it : 

 and it is to be hoped that much profit has accrued 

 to those who have duly meditated on the applica- 

 tion thereof. It is interesting to reflect that this 

 fable has an attraction for the naturalist, as it has 

 been considered possible that the fox mentioned 

 by ALsop was not the common fox of Europe, 

 but the fennec fox of Northern Africa. Be this 

 as it may, the fennec is well known to be very 

 partial to sweet fruit, such as dates, and may well 

 be included amongst " the little foxes that spoil 

 the vines." This diminutive species, apart from 

 any literary associations, is in itself so remarkable 

 and interesting that it is well worth studying for 

 its own sake. 



