112 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



as quantities of the queer little short-tailed mice called Lemmings, 

 which are preserved by the frozen subsoil. The Fox also follows 

 the Polar Bear in the hope of dining off his leavings, and now and 

 then gets a welcome windfall in the shape of unfortunate Razor-bills 

 (A 'lea torda}. These diving-birds, wintering in the high north, often fall 

 exhausted on the ice when they cannot discover open water after long 

 flights, and the Fox naturally does not waste such an opportunity of 

 adding to the larder. 



He himself is regarded as a welcome addition to the commissariat 

 of our Arctic explorers, and is eaten with relish whenever he can be 

 obtained. 



THE FENNEC 



(Canis cerdo} 



THIS is a beautiful little Fox inhabiting the deserts of North Africa. 

 It is very small, only about as large as a Cat, and thus the smallest of 

 the Dog family. The ears are, however, very large, being big enough 

 for an ordinary Fox. The coat is of a pale sandy, almost cream colour, 

 and the eyes dark. The Fennec feeds' mostly on small creatures like 

 the Jerboas, which share its dry and lonely home, and, like them, hides 

 in burrows during the day. It is also very fond of fruit. 



As might be expected, this pretty miniature Fox makes a charm- 

 ing pet, but unfortunately it is not very common in captivity. 



