104 



-MAMMALIA.- 



THE FENNEC (Vulpes Zerda) Plate 7, fig. 25 

 is more closely allied to the foxes and true dogs, with 

 which, indeed, its dentition entirely coincides. It 

 resembles the foregoing species chiefly in respect of its 

 ears, which are extremely long, and in the circum- 

 stance of its slight build and small body. The tail is 

 well developed, and dark-coloured at the root and tip ; 

 but in other respects it partakes of the general colour and 

 character of the fur, which is of a whitish, fulvous, or 

 light isabel tint throughout, being almost white beneath 

 the belly. Its texture is tine and woolly. The Fennec 

 is an inhabitant of the sandy plains of Nubia, where it 

 excavates burrows. It also ascends trees with facility. 

 A specimen in possession of Mr. Brande, the Swedish 

 consul at Algiers, was particularly partial to dates and 

 other sweet fruits, and also to eggs. The sight of a 

 bird, however, was sufficient to produce violent excite- 

 ment. The Fennec does not nestle in trees as the tra- 

 veller Bruce supposed. 



THE COMMON FOX ( Vulpes vulgaris) Plate 7, fig. 

 26. If the "Museum of Natural History" were exclu- 

 sively devoted to the consideration of those animals 

 which afford sport, in the ordinary acceptation of the 

 term, our readers would in this place probably expect 

 a brilliant record of daring leaps and other adventures, 

 which are the ordinary accompaniments of the chase 

 after a fox. Due regard, however, being paid to the 

 habits of the more rare and important quadrupeds of 

 foreign countries, we must necessarily limit our details 

 respecting such natural history and sporting data as 

 the records of the fox-hunter furnish ; moreover, special 

 works are devoted to this subject, as well as to other 

 matters of interest connected with it. Who is not 

 familiar with the common fox, with its rufous brown 

 fur and bushy tail or "brush," as it is termed by 

 hunters tipped with white ? The sharp muzzle, the 

 shrewd look, the penetrating eye with its elliptically 

 contracted pupil, the triangular pointed ears, the fetid 

 odour, and the cunning step these, and many other 

 well-known features, are characters by which Reynard 

 may be easily distinguished. Associated with this 

 aspect and attitude, we may also be reminded of its 

 burrowing propensities, its power of eluding pursuit, its 

 skill as a poacher, its swiftness of flight, its sagacity in 

 detecting traps, its wily instinct in securing food, &c. 

 peculiarities which have over and over again been 

 celebrated in story-books from the earliest times; 

 neither need any doubt be entertained of the general 

 correctness of those serious charges which have from 

 time to time been laid at its door, or, as a hunter would 

 say, at the entrance of its " earth." Notwithstanding 

 all this, Reynard has many friends among English 

 gentry, although it cannot be urged that this friendship 

 is in any degree disinterested. On the contrary, Rey- 

 nard is esteemed only for the sport he creates. How- 

 ever destructive he may prove among the occupants of 

 a farmyard, woe betide the tenant-farmer who ventures 

 to destroy him, and so possibly abridge his landlord's 

 pastime. Let Reynard devour hares, rabbits, pheasants, 

 partridgeSj^fcicks, geese, chickens, and whatever else 

 lie may please to lay his claws upon ; but kill him not, 

 lest the tread of the noble fox-hunter's steed be obli- 

 terated from the upturned soil ! Through this barrier 



of hunting etiquette, however, a breach is sometimes 

 made; and not long ago the author of the present 

 section of this work was visiting a gentleman at Attle- 

 borough in Norfolk, who, when out shooting on a 

 nobleman's estate in the same county, deliberately 

 with his host's consent and approbation rolled over a 

 pair of foxes, one with the right-hand barrel, and the 

 other with the left! As may be supposed, such a 

 clever feat of arms gave considerable offence to the 

 fox-hunting gentry of the district, while the farmers 

 and lovers of partridge-shooting only offered their 

 congratulations. The common fox is widely distri- 

 buted over Europe, and is also found, according to 

 several authorities, in Egypt and other parts of North- 

 ern Africa. 



THE AMERICAN BED FOX (T 'ulpcs fuhus} has 

 been considered by many as a mere variety of the 

 common species above described; there is, however, 

 good ground for believing this view to be erroneous. 

 According to Mr. Sabine's description, this animal 

 exhibits " a general bright ferruginous colour on the 

 head, back, and sides, less brilliant towards the tail ; 

 under the chin white; the throat and neck a dark- 

 grey ; and this colour is continued along the first part 

 of the belly in a stripe of less width than on the breast ; 

 the under parts, towards the tail, are very pale red ; 

 the fronts of the fore-legs and the feet are black, and 

 the fronts of the lower part of the hind-legs are also 

 black; the tail is very bushy, but less ferruginous than 

 the body, the hairs mostly terminated with black, and 

 more so towards the extremity than near the root, 

 giving the whole a dark appearance ; a few of the hairs 

 at the end are lighter, but it is not tipped with white." 

 We can testify to the accuracy of this description of 

 the fur, having ourselves not only carefully examined 

 several examples, but having also dissected a specimen. 

 Speaking of its habits, Sir John Richardson states that 

 the American Red fox is not so swift as its English 

 congener. It runs rapidly for a short distance, " but 

 its strength is exhausted in the first burst, and it is 

 soon overtaken by a wolf or a mounted huntsman. 

 Its flesh is ill-tasted, and is eaten only through neces- 

 sity." The female produces four young at a birth, 

 the cubs having a soft downy fur of a yellowish -grey 

 colour. The Red fox is very abundant in the well- 

 wooded districts of North America, many thousand 

 skins being annually imported into England by the 

 Hudson's Bay Company. 



THE KIT-FOX ( Vulpes cinereo-argentatus) is also a 

 North American species, extending from the plains of 

 the Saskatchewan territory to those of Columbia. It 

 is a very small species, measuring about twenty-two 

 inches in length, exclusive of the tail, which would give 

 us nearly another foot. Its face and muzzle are com- 

 paratively short and broad. On the upper part of the 

 body the fur presents a peculiar colour, " produced by 

 an intermixture of hairs tipped with brown, black, and 

 white." Underneath the neck and belly it is of a dull 

 rufous orange colour, the hairs in this situation being 

 also longer. The lower parts of the face about the 

 mouth are whitish, and more or less tinged with 

 blackish-brown at the margins. The whiskers are 

 strongly developed and dark-coloured. The tail is 



