CASSELL'S POPULAR NATURAL HISTORY. 



mi-inn* instance f the sagacity of the Arctic fox. Conscious that I was aiming at him, lie tucked his 

 Uil under his legs, cocked up his ears, and endeavoured to look as like a hare as possible (which 

 i- an animal comparatively worthless). Another fact of this kind occurred to me while being detained 

 at a |iiirticiilar plarr, where our favourite amusement was trapping wild animals. Our modi- of doing 

 this was with a spring-gun connected with a bait, which, when touched, produced the explosion. One 

 instance showed us that a fox, either from observation of a companion's fate, or from hard-earned 

 e\|N>rience, had gone up to the gun, bit off the cord connected with the bait, and, the danger being 

 averted, went and ate the meat in undisturbed comfort. And it is a common occurrence for the fox to 

 make a trench up to the bait, seize it, and permit the charge to pass over his head." 



THE BLUE FOX> 



THE Blue, or Sooty Fox a variety of the one just described is of a deep ash colour, and is often 

 white in winter. It has the under parts of the feet garnished with hair. It inhabits the north of 

 the European and Asiatic Continents, biJt is found especially in Norway and Siberia. Its fur is highly 

 esteemed. 



THE FENNEC.f 



THK skull, the teeth, and the feet of this animal at once declare that it belongs to the canine group. 



It frequents the saudy desert tracks of Nubia, and other districts of Northern Africa, dwelling in 



burrows of its own excavation. 



It is small, and slightly made, with slender limbs. The length of the head and body is about 



thirteen inches ; that of the tail, eight. The head is 

 narrow, the muzzle pointed ; the pupil of the eye large 

 and black, the iris deep blue ; the whiskers are long 

 and thick ; the ears are extremely large, as long as the 

 head, broad at the base, erect, and pointed. The fur 

 of the body is rather, short, but full and silky. The 

 colour is uniform pale fawn, or cream-colour, passing 

 into white beneath ; the inside of the ear is fringed 

 with long white hairs ; the whiskers are white. In 

 the districts of Benni Mezzab and Werglah, where the 

 date grows, the fennecs are hunted for their skins, for 

 wiiich, according to Bruce, who first made us ac- 

 quainted with this elegant animal, there is a market 

 at Mecca, whence they are exported to India, 

 A feiinec in his possession, while he was at Algiers, was fond of dates, or any sweet fruit, and 

 |tt partial to eggs. He would eat bread when hungry, especially when sweetened with honey 



r sugar. Tli. sight of a bird aroused him to eager watchfulness as long as it was present. He 



would endeavour to hide from a cat, and never showed a disposition to resist or defend himself. He 

 imposed to sleep by day, but as night came on was excessively restless. He was never heard to 



utter any sound. 



Bruce says that the animal is described in many Arabian books under the name of El Fennec, 



whirh appellation, he states, it is known all over Africa; and he conceives that the word is 



lion, the (i,v,.k,{ for a palm or date-tree, adding that the animal builds its nest on trees, 



<t burrow in the earth. The latter assertion is disputed by M. Ruppell, who has described 



mice, together with six other species of Canis. Three specimens, perfectly alike in markings, 



and dill, Tin- little from eaeh other in size, were found in the neighbourhood of Anileukal, ami in 



Brt of Koni, where they inhabit holes made by themselves. 



II I. Ill 01 01,1. YON. 



* Cams fuli^inuaus. 



t Vulpes zaari'>i*is. Mi^ilotis Kennccus. 



"torn? 



