1899.] 



THE CANID.5: or AFRICA. 



545 



elbow downwards ; reddish on the back of the thighs, above 

 the tarsal joint. Most of the hairs of the tail are tipped with 

 black, markedly so towards the extremity, the hairs at the end 

 of the brush almost entirely black ; there is a very distinct black 

 patch on the tail over the gland. The fnr is not so long or woolly 

 and the tail is not so thick and bushy as in most small Foxes, and 

 never has a white tag like C. famelicus. 



Skull of Canis palUdus, ? nat. size. (B.M. 93.6.7.3.) 



The name given by Schinz to a small Fox brought from Dongola 

 by Eiippell has generally been referred, with doubt, to C. famelicus ; 

 but I feel no hesitation in assigning it to tbe species under dis- 

 cussion. The description in no way agrees with C. famelicus. while 

 the colour in every way fits this species : " Eiicken und Schenkel 

 von aussen gelbgrau ; die Haare sind nehmlich brandgelb, mit 

 vSchwarz gemischt," &c. In fact, the tail, colour of the head,lik-'ness 

 to C. zerda, but with coarser fur, so exactly represent this animal, 

 that I feel tem pted to adopt this most appropriate term, seeing 

 that it perpetuates the name of so good a naturalist ; and whether 

 we apply it to this form or to C. famelicus, we must deprive 

 Cretzschmar of one original description. But as there is a doubt, 

 and as Dr. Mivart has called C. famelicus by the unfortunate 

 English name of Eiippell's Fennec, I shall leave it alone ; my sole 

 object in writing being to point out the most salient points of 

 distinction between the species, and so to assist in arriving at a 

 uniform naming, by which oue may always know what form is 

 intended v^ hen a certain name is mentioned. 



The uniform tawny colouring, almost like a pale-coh)nred lioness, 

 distinguishes this little Fox from all others, the black dash on the 

 upperside of the tail and the black tip being the only conspicuous 

 marks. The ears are about 65 millim. long. 



The skull cannot be confused with that of any other Fox ; the 

 line of the forehead is carried forward considerably in front of the 

 orbits, giving it the appearance of having a bump on the bridge of 

 its nose ; the teeth are very small and neat, the premolars with 

 clear spaces bet\Aeen each ; the flesh -teeth are actually smaller 

 than those of the Fennec (C. fennecus), a much smaller animal. 



