314 



FOX. 



Canis Vulpes. C. cauda recta, ajn.ce albo. Lin. Syst. Nat. 



P'59- 

 Dog with strait tail tipped with white. 



Vulpes. Gcsn. Quadr. 966. AMr. dig. 195. Jonst. Quadr. 82. 

 Renard. Bvf. j.p. 75. pi. 6. 



THE Fox, like the Wolf, appears to be pretty 

 generally diffused throughout all the northern 

 and temperate parts of the globe ; occurring with 

 numerous varieties, as to shades of colour and 

 gradations of size, in most parts of Europe, the 

 north of Asia, and America. The general colour 

 of the Fox is yellowish-brown, or ferruginous 

 above and whitish beneath : the tip of the tail is 

 also white ; and this circumstance forms the prin- 

 cipal part of the Linnaean specific character of 

 the animal, and though it appears rather too 

 slight to be fixed upon as a criterion of the spe- 

 cies, yet, perhaps, it would not be very easy to 

 form one that would be more decisive. Accord- 

 ing to Mr. Pennant (in his British Zoology), the 

 variety called the Cur Fox, which is said to be 

 somewhat smaller than the general run of Foxes 

 in England, and more addicted to lurk about 

 hedges, outhouses, &c. has the tip of the tail 

 black instead of white ; if, however, this supposed 

 variety be the Canis Alopex of Linnaeus, it is con- 

 sidered in the Systema Natura? as a distinct spe- 

 cies. Sometimes, though very rarely, the Fox 

 has been found entirely white; an instance of 

 which occurs in the works of Ridinger. 



