1836.] Miscellaneous. 313 



XIV. — Miscellaneous. 



1. — On the Canis Vulpes montana, or Hill Fox. By J. T. Pearson, 

 Asst. Surg., Cur. Mus. As. Soc. 

 [Reprinted from the Bengal Sporting Magazine, Jan. 1836.] 

 CI. Mammalia, Cuv. Gen. Canis, Auctorum. 



Ord. Camassiers, Cuv. Sub-gen. Vulpes, Auctorum 



Fam. Carnivora, Cuv. Sp. Canis Vulpes montana, mihi. 



Rufous grey fox, with black throat, and tail white-tipped. 



Description. — Size, length from tip of the nose to the insertion of the 

 tail, 2 ft. 6 in. ; length of tail, 1 ft. 7 in. ; height at the shoulders, 1 ft. 

 11 in. 



Colour : — -general colour, rufous on the upper and fore parts of the 

 body ; becoming grisly behind, at the sides, and at the sides of the tail ; 

 behind the ears, rich velvetty black, edged at the outer middle third with 

 short velvetty fur of a light fawn colour, and at the inner upper third, with 

 light rufous ; tip of the nose, as is usual in the genus, black and naked : 

 upper lip white, with a few black bristles, and a narrow band of white 

 extending along just above the margin, which is brown, to the corner of 

 the mouth, where it widens and unites with a somewhat similar but fainter 

 band from the angle of the lower jaw, from which junction the white 

 proceeds along the side of the throat as far as the shoulder, forming a 

 boundary between the black of the throat and the pale fawn colour of the 

 side of the neck. A greyish black irregular spot, upon which the whiskers 

 are set, is situated at the side of the muzzle from near the nose to the eye, 

 and extending behind in the form of a line to the root of the ear, where 

 it takes an abrupt course downwards, and is lost under the chin ; middle 

 of the nose and crown of the head, greyish rufous ; inside the ears, side 

 of the neck, and half the side behind the shoulder, (mid- way between the 

 shoulder and hip) and the flank, light fawn colour, with a dark rufous 

 band extending from between the ears to the middle of the back, where 

 it becomes less distinct, and is continued along the upper side of the tail 

 as far as the white tip. This longitudinal band is crossed hy another 

 over the shoulders, forming a well defined cross ; shoulders, outer sides 

 of the hind legs, and sides of the tail, dark grisly grey, partaking at the 

 edges of rufous ; outer, and back part of the paws, tan, with toes of min- 

 gled rufous and black, ; throat, chest, fore part of the belly and inner 

 side of the thighs, dusky black, having a few white hairs, interspered 

 under the throat, a white triangular spot on the chest, an approach to a 

 rufous tint on the belly, and being bounded by a white line in front of the 

 thighs and hind legs. The remaining under surface, hinder part of the 

 fore-legs, and under side of the root of the tail, is of a light fawn, ap- 

 proaching in some parts to an Isabella colour. Tail, dark rufous, waved 

 with black above, grisly grey at the sides, fawn colour, gradually becom- 

 ing waved, with black, underneath, and furnished for about the length of 

 three inches with a white tip. 



The general ground colour of the fur is a dingy back, or dirty white, 

 according to the shade of the part. It is long, thick, soft, and very warm, 

 mixed with a few strong hairs ; it varies in length from an inch to one 

 inch and half upon the neck, sides, and back. Upon the muzzle, shoulder, 

 and outer side of the thighs, under the chin, and on the limbs, it lies close, 

 and is short ; while behind the ears, it is very short, and has the gloss and 

 softness of velvet. The tail is exceedingly bushy, some of the fur being 

 full two inches in length, and at the tip, more than three. 



The hill fox appears to approach the marking of the C. Decussatus 



(cross fox) in the dark colour of a portion of the under parts, and in the 



cross over the back and shoulders ; but the cross is not black in this 



species, as it is described in that. It is of a bright rufous colour in this, 



2 s 



