FOXES. 



557 



omnivorous in its food, is easily killed by means of strychnine. The fish which 

 forms its favourite diet in winter is a kind of carp ; while in summer the chief food 

 consists of mice, which are pursued either in small companies or family parties. 

 Fruit also forms a portion of its diet. It does little or no damage to poultry ; and 

 in Japan has been known to make its -n-inter lair beneath the walls of a house. 

 Both its fur aud its flesh are held in high estimation by the Japanese. 



The Foxes {Canis wipes, etc.). 



One of the characteristics by whicli the skulls of the wolves and the other 

 members of the dog family desci'ibed above may be distinguished from those of 

 the foxes has been mentioned on p. 496. To this it maj^ be added that the frontal 

 bones of the skulls of the former gi-oup are inflated by internal air-chambei-s, which 

 are wanting in those of the latter. Moreovei-, the pupil of the eye, when contracted, 

 is circular in the wolves, jackals, and domestic dogs, whereas in the foxes it is 

 elliptical. Some of the fox-like South American species of the former resemble, 

 however, foxes in this respect, as they do in external form to a more or less 

 marked degree. On account of these intermediate forms, we cannot agree with 

 those who refer the foxes to a distinct genus, although they difler from all other 

 members of the family in having but six teats. Foxes are characterised by their 

 slight build, their long bushy tails, which are nearly always considerably more 

 than half the length of the head and body, and short limbs; while they generally 

 have large ears. All the membei-s of the group are chiefly nocturnal in their 

 habits, hiding in holes or burrows made by them.selves, or in ravines, or auiongst 

 grass or bushes during the day. They are, as a rule, solitary, and rarelj- if ever 

 associate in numbers as other Canidw do. All the species are more or less 

 insectivorous and 

 f rugivorous ; but the 

 more tropical forms 

 appear to live on 

 insects more than 

 do those which in- 

 habit temperate 

 climates. All are 

 highly intelligent 

 and famous for cun- 

 ning. The gi-oup 

 is distributed over 

 North America, Asia, 

 Europe, and Africa, 



but is unknown in South America. The smaller African species are distinguished 

 by the inordinate length of their ears. 



Probably every Englishman thinks he knows the conniion fox 

 sufficiently well to run no risk of confounding it with any other 

 animal : and if our observations were confined to the ordinary foxes of Europe we 

 should have no great cHfliculty in deciding that they might be included under one 



SKELETON OP FOX. 



Common Fox. 



