THE EDINBURGH 



JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



AND OF 



THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. 



DECEMBER, 1839- 



BRITISH QUADRUPEDS THE COMMON FOX. 



The next animal that comes under consideration is the Fox, of which 

 several varieties occur in Britain, although only one species is found there. 

 The Foxes are characterized by their compressed body, moderately long 

 and slender limbs, elongated bushy tail ; narrow muzzle, large, erect, 

 and pointed ears and elliptical pupil. They have six grinders above, 

 ind seven below, on each side. 



The Common Fox, C. (Vulpes) vulgaris Most of the varieties of this 



species agree in being yellowish-red above, white beneath, with the ears 

 black behind, the tail dusky towards the end, its tip usually white, and 

 the feet black. In its general form it approaches to that of the shepherd's 

 Dog. The head is of ordinary size, with a slender muzzle, the neck of 

 moderate length, the body rather long, compact, and compressed, the 

 limbs rather slender, with five toes on the fore feet, and four on those be- 

 hind, the tail long and bushy. The fur is rather soft, moderately long, 

 of two kinds, fine woolly hairs, and long hairs of a stiffer quality. On the 

 race and limbs it is shortish and firmer, and the soles are covered with 

 jair, unless on the prominent parts. The general colour is yellowish-red, 

 nixed with white hairs ; the snout and lips blackish, the outer part of the 

 •ars black, the tail pale red, with tips of the long hairs black, and the ex- 

 remity white. Ttie lower part of the cheeks, the neck in front, the 

 ireast and abdomen, with the inner part of the thighs, a narrow line down 

 he fore part of the hind legs, and the hind and inner parts of the fore- 

 egs, white. The fore part of the feet is black, the hair on the soles deep 

 ted. But several remarkable varieties occur in Scotland. The largest 

 .ind, or that found in most parts of the Highlands, has the fur of a stronger 

 exture, and of a lighter tint, there being more white hairs on the back 

 ind hind quarter, and at least two inches of the end of the tail white. 

 In the Low Country, the Foxes are considerably smaller, more slender, 

 Df a lighter colour, with the tail also white at the end. Individuals of a 

 still smaller size, with the fur of a darker red, the lower parts dusky, or 

 lull brownish-white, and with little or no white on the tip of the tail, oc- 

 cur in the hilly parts of the southern division. The Fox resides in bur- 

 ows which it excavates for itself in sequestered places, remaining con- 

 cealed all day, and coming forth in quest of food towards evening. It 

 preys on sm;dl quadrupeds, birds, and reptiles, frequently seizes poultry, 

 and is very destructive to game, especially Pheasants, Grouse, and Par- 

 tridges. The Highland Foxes often devour Lambs, and sometimes attack 

 even Sheep. On the other hand, crabs, mollusca, insects, and worms, 

 are occasionally had recourse to, when nothing better can be obtained. 

 The cunning of the Fox is proverbial, and, although its sagacity has been 

 greatly exaggerated, there can be no doubt that its intellectual faculties 

 are of a higher order than any other of our native Quadrupeds. When 

 obtained young, it may be domesticated in some degree, but never shows 

 an approximation to the confidence of the Dog. It lives in pairs, and 

 the female produces from three to five cubs in the end of spring. 



ANECDOTES ILLUSTRATING THE HABITS, &C OF ANIMALS. 



In our Number for September last, we commenced a series of papers on 

 the Mammiferous animals which occur in Britain, and have given a short 

 description of those found in the divisions Mustela, Martes and Lutra. 

 With these we would now connect a few anecdotes calculated alike to 

 enliven and illustrate the classical details. 



Weasels attacking Man In a late Number, (see p. 29,) we re- 

 mark, " None of our native animals appears to possess the courage of the 

 Weasel, which, when its nest is plundered, has been known to spring up- 

 10 



on the dogs, and even to attack men ;" and in conformity with this is 

 the remark in a late Volume of the Naturalist's Library, (Mam. vii. 164.) 

 " The stories which have been told of troops of Weasels attacking men 

 and women seem to require confirmation." The following narratives may 

 so far be considered as supplying the desideratum. We extract the fol- 

 lowing from the Dumfries Courier: A young woman was walking from 

 the town of Kirkcudbright to her father's house, a few miles distant, and 

 after travelling for some time, she struck off the publie road, and took a 

 ' near cut,' and while crossing a boggy piece of low lying land, at a dis- 

 tance from any house, her attention was attracted to certain shrill shrieks 

 proceeding from the bottom of a dyke over which she was climbing. Be- 

 ing a little alarmed at this, she hastened a few steps forward, and upon 

 looking back, she observed two Weasels running after her, while imme- 

 diately afterwards upwards of a dozen more issued from the bottom of the 

 dyke, joining the others in pursuit. Being greatly agitated, she set offat full 

 speed to reach another dyke, over which she jumped, hoping thereby to 

 find a barrier between herself and pursuers, but to her great surprise, they 

 came bolting through the holes of the second dyke also, chasing her ap- 

 parently with the most determined fury. Upon this the poor girl ran on, 

 until, to use her own words, ■ her heart was like to burst, and her legs 

 to fall under her.' For upwards of a quarter of a mile the furious crea- 

 tures continued close behind, and it was not till she reached a piece of 

 rising ground, on the other side of the bog, that she fairly outstript them. 

 There can be no doubt that had she fallen or fainted from fright, the con- 

 sequences might have been of the most serious nature. The young wo- 

 man reached home safely, deeply thankful for her escape. Several years 

 ago, in another district, a farmer, while riding on horseback through boggy 

 land, over which he could make but little speed, roused by accident up- 

 wards of twenty Weasels, also from an old dyke, in which they had bur- 

 rowed. They sprang up upon the horse's legs, and the boots of the rider, 

 and though he defended himself dexterously with his whip, what with the 

 jumping about of the terrified animal he rode, and the agility of his assail- 

 ants, he declared " he fought as for his life to beat them off." 



Account of a tame Marten In June 1836, says St K. Von Sie- 



muszova Pietruski, I obtained a very young Pine Marten, which, in a 

 short space of time, became so domestic that he attracted the admiration 

 of all who saw it. It went freely through all the rooms in the house, 

 without doing harm to any one, played in the court-yard with my Danish 

 dogs, often sprang upon their backs, and rode frequently on these patient 

 animals after the manner of monkeys for a good while, and in a very co- 

 mical style. The dogs, too, were very fond of the Marten, and never 

 showed the slightest signs of animosity towards it. In time it became so 

 much attached to my person that it followed me everywhere, even into 

 the neighbouring villages as a dog would do. In these walks it was very 

 interesting to observe how he was able to overcome his natural propen- 

 sity to climb trees ; for it very frequently happened that the desire seized 

 him, but as soon as he had perceived that I had gone on, it hasted after 

 me immediately. Even upon long excursions to the old forests of the 

 Carpathian mountains, at a distance of twelve or eighteen miles, the Mar- 

 ten was my faithful companion ; he swam through rivers and brooks with 

 perfect ease like an otter. The most remarkable circumstance was, that 

 he never went far from me ; the following occasion, however, I well re- 

 member. In the month of August he had followed me into Potoninen, a 

 part of the Carpathians. I was then busied in collecting the beautiful 

 Carabus Sacheri, and quite forgot my Marten, which had been busied in 

 devouring a nest of voung blackbirds. I then wished to climb a lofty hill 



