VLaPEs. 155 



birds and small mammals, feeds upon insects of vai'ious kinds, on 

 the combs and honey of wild bees, ou eggs, and on fruits and 

 berries, and is especially fond of grapes. Occasionally it eats 

 carrion. In winter, Captain llutton says, when the snow is on 

 the ground, these animals are very numerous about Simla, and 

 come close to the houses in search of offal and other food. 



Eo.xes genei'ally live and breed in burrows, but sometimes in 

 holes amongst rocks. The breeding-time is at the end of winter ; 

 the period of gestation 9 weeks ; the young, usually five to seven 

 in number (in the Himalayas, it is stated by Hutton, only three or 

 four), are produced about the end of March or in April ; they are 

 boru blind, and remain so for a fortnight. They are full-grown in 

 the autumn, and sometimes breed again the first year. Foxes live 

 thirteen or fourteen years. , 



In Kashmir Jerdon mentions that in 1865 the 7th Hussars had 

 a pack of hounds and killed many foxes. There are, however, but 

 few localities where the Himalayan fox can be hunted. 



76. Vulpes ferrilatus. The small Tibetan Fox. 



Vulpes ferrilatus, llodij&on, J. A. S. B. xi, p. 278, pi. 

 Cynalopex ferrilatus, Blyth, Cat. Mam. p. -41. 



lyur^ Tibetan. 



Size considerably less than that of V. alopex. Ears short ; 

 brush well developed ; fur long, especially on the legs and feet. 



Colour. On the back ochraceous, finely speckled with white, the 

 general tint being a pale yellowish rusty ; face and outside of ears 

 similar, but rather greyer and less yellow ; sides of the neck, 

 breast, and body, and the greater part of the tail nearly pure grey, 

 mixed black and white ; tip of the tail white ; outside of the limbs 

 yellowish rufous ; lower parts white, the middle of the breast con- 

 spicuously white and distinct from the dark grey sides. Dorsal 

 fur light grey at the base, then pale rufous, becoming darker near 

 the end, the tips of the longer hairs white, black tips being inter- 

 mixed, rarely on the back but abundantly on the sides, and espe- 

 cially on the tail except towards tlie tip. Vibrissa* black. 



Dimensions. None are available from fresh specimens. In a 

 skin the head and body measure 24| inches, tail without the ter- 

 minal hairs 9|, with the hairs 11, ear outside 2 inches. According 

 to Hodgson, a skull not mature was 4^ inches long and 2| broad. 



Distribution. Tibet, around Lhassa. Stoliczka (J. A. S. 13. xxxvii, 

 pt. 2, p. 5) includes this fox among the animals found in the Upper 

 Sutlej valley, but the species does not appear hitherto to have 

 been observed elsewhere within British limits. Its habits are 

 unknown. 



