104 DIVISION I. VERTICDHAL ANBIALS. — CLASS I. MAMMALIA. 



ncss of its senses, tliosc of smell and hearing in particular. Its members 

 arc exceedingly pliant, the tail flexible, so that it can lie rolleil ronnd the 

 nose. ^A'hen overcome it simulates death, like the jackal. 



Foxes are tbnnd in all parts of the world, and though the general color 

 is fid\ous, sj)ecies are known varying from clear white to coal black. Tiiey 

 feed on small game, oysters, fish, carrion, grapes and other fruits. They 

 grow to the second year, and live thirteen ov fourteen. These animals are 

 renowned fir their sagacity, which, it is said, makes them more than a 

 match for twenty of the best trained dogs. Many anecdotes arc related 

 ilustrative of this, two or three of which we introduce here. 



A fox finding himself hard run liy the hounds, at a hunt in Ireland, ran 

 up a stone wall, from whicli he sprang on the roof of an adjoining cabin, 

 and mounted up to the chimney top. From that I'lcvated station he looked 

 all .around him, as if reconnoitring the coming enemy. A wily old hound 

 approaching, and having gained the roof, was preparing to seize the fox, 

 when he dropped suddenly down the chimney. The dog looked wistfully 

 down the dark opening, but dared not pursue the fugitive. J\Ican^vhile the 

 fox, hair enrobed in sont, h.ad fallen into the lap of an old woman, who, 

 surrounded Ijy a number of children, was gravely smoking her pipe, not 

 at all expecting the entrance of this abrupt visitor. " l-Jiiiihidli drrnll ! " 

 said the alfrighted female, as slu' tlnvw from her tiie red ami black quadru- 

 jied. The fox grinned, growled, and showed his limgs ; and ^^ hen the 

 huntsmen, who had secured the door, entered, they found him in quiet 

 possession of the kitchen, the old woman and cliildren lia\ing I'ctired, in 

 tei ror of the invader, to an oliscurc corner of the room. The fox was taken 

 ali\e without nuich ditHculty. 



The following cxhiliits the same characteristics : — 



Two gentlemen in New .ba-sey went out to hunt raliliits. In a low, 

 bushy swamp the dogs started a fox, and off they went in swift pursuit. 

 After a chase of two miles he entered a very dense thicket, and, making a 

 circuit of the place, returned to the pointwhence he first started. The dogs 

 closely pursuing the fix, he again started for the thic'kct, when one of the 

 sportsmen shot at him, and he fell, apjiarently dead, at his feet. As lie 

 stooped to pii-k him up, ho\ve\er, he rose U[)on his legs and escaped. For 

 two hours and a half the thicket was the scene of his wiles ; but at last he 

 was taken, and Ijcing carried home by the men, was tlu'own, ap[)arcntly 

 quite dead, into the corner of the room. The familv sat down to supper. 

 Finding them all busily engaged, ho -Nentureil to reconnoitre, and bad cau- 

 tiously raised himself on his fore legs for the purpose, but, on finding him- 

 self observed, resumed his quiescent state. One of the party, to ascertain 

 whether the fox was aliye or not, passed a piece of lighted paper under his 



