THE GROUP OF THE FOXES. 



145 



The pupil becomes more oval, and its 

 transverse diameter diminishes only gradu- 

 ally. We likewise have species with pretty 

 long legs or but slightly bushy tail. The 

 ears present all grades of intermediate forms, 

 between small pointed ears like those of the 

 jackals, and the monstrous ear-flaps of the 

 elegant fenneks of Sahara. 



The habits and mode of life vary in accor- 

 dance with these characters. The species 

 with slit -like vertical pupils are altogether 

 nocturnal. Those with large ears are prin- 

 cipally guided by impressions transmitted by 

 the sense of hearing, and are not so good as 

 dogs at following tracks by the scent. The 

 short-legged species do not capture their prey 





Fig. 62. The Black-backed Jackal (Cants mesomelas). 



by their speed, but surprise them by cunning ; 

 and the weakness of their whole structure 

 induces many forms to provide secure retreats 

 for themselves by burrowing. But all these 

 modifications are slow and gradual, and the 

 connecting line between the extremes can be 

 indicated by numerous intermediate forms. 



The Black-backed Jackal (Cants mesomelas], 

 fig. 62, of South Africa belongs to the num- 

 ber of these intermediate forms. Of the same 

 size as the jackal, it nevertheless approaches 

 the fox in its very sharp snout and rather 

 short legs. The ears are tolerably large, the 

 pupils broadly oval. In colour it resembles 

 a fox, covered with a black shabrack, con- 

 trasting strongly with the golden red of the 



sides. Fond of carrion, this bold and yet 

 wily so-called jackal is given to breaking 

 into villages and camps by night, and makes 

 itself detested by its plunderings in farm- 

 yards. It is even accused of eating off the 

 fat tails of the sheep reared in South Africa. 



A fox not less detested by the natives is 

 the Aguarachay (Cants Azures), fig. 63, which 

 is distributed over the whole of South America 

 and ascends the Cordilleras to the height of 

 about 10,000 feet. It does not, like our fox, 

 inhabit holes made by itself, but often estab- 

 lishes itself in the burrows dug by the arma- 

 dillos, and manages to find other suitable 

 places of concealment. It lives chiefly on 

 small mammals and birds, but also attacks 



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