FOXES. 



561 



scent of the fox is secreted by a gland situated beneath the tail. The cunning 

 displayed by English foxes in escaping from hounds has been so often described, 

 that we shall make no further allusion to it here, beyond saying that it has 

 probably attained its present development as the result of the inherited experience 

 of many genei-ations. 



That the fox is an ancient inhabitant of the British Islands is proved by the 

 occurrence of its fossilised remains in caverns in company with those of the 

 mammoth and other extinct animals. This, however, is not all, for a skull, in- 

 distinguishable from that of a large English fox, has been dug up from tlie sands 

 lying at the top of the Red Cray of Sutiblk, which are vastly older than the 

 mammoth period. 



A very diflei'ent animal from the red American variety of the 

 common fox is the grey fox (C virginiamis) of North America, 

 which is regarded by Professor Mivart as exhibiting some approximation to the 



Grey Fox. 



THE GREI FOX (J Dat. size). 



fox-like South American species described above. It is a considerablj'- smaller 

 animal than the average European fox ; and is characterised by the grizzled grey 

 colour of the top of the head and the upper part of the body ; in marked contrast 

 to which is the rufous tint of the fur of the sides of the throat and body and the 

 limbs. The upper-surface of the tail is dusky, while below it is chestnut ; its 

 extremity being dark, and there being also a dark patch near its root, connected 

 with a dark mark running along the back. The chin is black, as is a spot on each 

 side between the nose and the eye ; the outer surfaces of the ears are rusty red ; 

 the middle of the throat is nearly or quite white; while the under-parts of the 

 body are yellowish white. The grey or, as it is often called, the Virginian fox, is 

 found from the United States to Central America. 



VOL. I. — 36 



