S43 



tj-two inches. The shape of its ears, the po- 

 sition of its eyes, its teeih;, miu iLe u' position 

 of its toes, are precisely like those of the fox ; 

 like that animal it a!so burrows in the fields. 

 Its cry is feeble, and resembles the barking of a 

 little dog; and it preys upon small animals. 

 Whenever the culpeu perceives a, man, it comes 

 straight towards him, and at the distance of live 

 or six paces stops and looks attentiv ly at him. 

 If the person does not move, the animal remains 

 for some minutes in this situation, and without 

 attempting to do him any injury retires. This 

 singular curiosity of tlie culpeu is so well known 

 to the inhabitants, that, no one is afraid of it, and 

 I have myself several times met with it in the 

 woods, when it has uniformly acted in the same 

 manner. The name appears to be derived from 

 the Chilian word culpnii, which signifies mad- 

 ness or folly, and is Sbtrikingly applicable to the 

 conduct of this animal, which constantly ex- 

 poses it to be shot by the hunters, and is probably 

 the reason why it is less common in Chili than 

 the fox, though it is equally prolific. It is men- 

 tioned by Commodore Byron, who sav/ it in the 

 Falkland islands, and suppo'-ed it at first some 

 ferocious wild beast, from the manner of its ap- 

 proaching his men. Although the cilpcu does 

 not appear to be stronger linn the fox, it is with 

 much difficuliy that a dog can overcome it. 

 The u^ulnna (felis guigna) and the colocolG 



