ALLEN : mammalia: canid^. 159 



which Gray's brief description very satisfactorily characterizes. Besides 

 this, I have directly compared some of the Patagonian specimens with 

 Gray's type (55-12-24-239)1 in the British Museum and find there is no 

 question of their identity with C griseus. 



The following field notes, by Messrs. Hatcher and Brown, give much 

 new and interesting information respecting the habits and distribution of 

 this attractive animal. Mr. Brown's notes have not been heretofore pub- 

 lished ; Mr. Hatcher's are from his recently published "Narrative" of 

 the Princeton University Patagonian Expeditions. Mr. Brown says : 



" Ne.xt to the guanaco the small fox, Cains azarcr, is most numerous 

 of the larger mammals, ranging from the Straits of Magellan northward. 

 I have seen them throughout Patagonia to 46° N., although they are most 

 numerous near settlements in the southern part, where they feed on dead 

 sheep and young lambs. Owing to their small size and lack of ferocity 

 they never attack grown sheep. 



"They burrow under the calafata and incensce bushes and live under 

 the rocks along the rivers and sea coast, where it is not uncommon to see 

 a litter of five or six young ones. 



"The stealthiness with which they creep into a camp and attempt to 

 satisfy their insatiable curiosity is wonderful, and however small a piece of 

 tanned leather they may find it is packed off and chewed into small frag- 

 ments. When journeying over the pampas it is necessary to cover saddle, 

 bridle, harness and boots with canvass or put them out of reach of these 

 prowlers. 



"They are very fond of ostrich eggs, and as the shell is too hard for 

 them to break with their teeth the method employed in breaking the shell 

 is ingenious. An t<gg is pushed with the nose till it rolls down a bank, 

 and if, in striking a rock, it breaks, the fox has a feast. I have seen sev- 

 eral nests of eggs scattered at the foot of an incline, some broken by roll- 

 ing against stones, and although I did not see the operation, it is vouched 

 for by many different persons." (Barnum Brown, MSS. notes.) 



At Cape Fairweather, says Mr. Hatcher: "The many cracks and 

 crevices in the surface of the landslide were frequented by a host of small 

 rodents, while the beautiful little gray fox or wild dog, Caiiis azarce, was 

 also plentiful here, as everywhere throughout the Patagonian plains. 



' The type is a young female skin with the skull inside, with milk dentition. It was formerly 

 mounted and has thus become somewhat faded by exposure to light as an exhibition specimen. 



