THE DOG. 51 



The fox is an animal resembling the dog both 

 externally and internally, and too common in this 

 country to need a separate and particular description 

 Buffon tried the same experiment with foxes with no 

 better success ; and yet there are numbers of animals 

 at present in England, the reputed offspring of a dog 

 and a fox. Buffon, however, seems to think that 

 their natures are too opposite ever to provoke genial 

 desire, 



Mr. Thornhill, in his Shooting Directory, asserts, 

 that the wolf and the dog (as well as the fox) uill 

 engender together, and seems very anxious to con- 

 trovert the authority of Buffon. This gentleman, 

 however, only brings forward hearsay, or second- 

 hand evidence; and therefore we must regard what 

 he says accordingly. 



A dealer in dogs once showed the author a 

 mongrel animal, which he assured him was the off- 

 spring of such a conjunction. It is true, it bore a 

 great resemblance to the wolf: its eye ran slantingly 

 upwards, something resembling that of the last-men- 

 tioned animal, the colour was similar, and the visage 

 altogether manifested much of that malignant, savage 

 disposition so conspicuous in the countenance of 

 a wolf: notwithstanding this, I am inclined to 

 doubt the dog-dealer's assertions, who, I make no 

 doubt, if he thought it would enhance the price of 

 the animal, would not hesitate to assert, that it was 

 the offspring of a dog and a tiger. 



With respect to the fox and the dog, I have to 



