FOX. 63 



lion avails himself of the scent, and joins in the chace. 

 It is about the size of the fox, and seems an intermediate 

 line of separation between the dog and the wolf kinds. 

 Its colour is a bright yellow, whence Linnaeus has called it 

 canis aureus (or the golden dog). 



The jackall is common in Asia ; and in Barbary, and 

 other countries of Africa, as far south as the Cape of Good 

 Hope. Packs of forty or fifty will proceed to the chace, 

 uttering a loud noise ; and thus united they are a match 

 for the boldest inhabitants of the forest : they will face 

 the strongest, and yet satisfy their appetite on the meanest 

 animals. They seem to have no great apprehensions even 

 of man himself, and will pursue their game to his very 

 dwellings. 



These animals, being gregarious, always assist each 

 other on their predacious excursions, whether of the chace 

 or of disinterment ; for the dead and the living are equally 

 liable to their attacks. By day they lurk in separate 

 holes ; but at the approach of night they collect in num- 

 bers, and thus rush out to kill and to destroy. 



Between the jackall and the dog there is an irreconcile- 

 able animosity, and they never meet without a combat. 

 The natives of the countries where they abound, hunt 

 them as the Europeans hunt foxes. Dallon tells us that 

 this animal is capable of being tamed ; and there is little 

 doubt that it would breed with the dog kind in a domes- 

 tic state. 



THE FOX. 



This animal is so well known, that to describe its figure 

 might appear superfluous ; I shall therefore confine myself 

 to some of its most striking habits and manners. It is a 

 crafty, lively, and salacious creature ; and will breed with 

 the dog, which it exactly resembles in its internal conform- 

 ation. It differs, however, in emitting a strong peculiar 

 smell, and in many of its leading propensities. 



The artifices of the fox have in all ages been proverbial. 

 An immoderate regard to self-preservation seems to be its 



