TTJLPES BENGALEHSIS. 149 



Gen. VuLPEs Auctoruin, Foxes. 



Char. — ^Muzzle lengthened and very acute ; head round ; ears large, 

 erect ; pupil elliptic, or linear by day ; upper incisors less sloping than in 

 dogs and wolves ; body long ; limbs short ; tail thick long and bushy j 

 otherwise as in Cams. 



Foxes have a gland at the base of the tail above, which secretes a 

 strongly odorous substance. This is called by German huntsmen the 

 viole. The female has six teats. Species are found over all the world 

 except in Australia. 



There are two types of Foxes in India ; the first the foxes of the 

 desert or plains. These are not typical in their characters, having longer 

 ears, longer and more slender limbs, and they have been separated by 

 Hamilton Smith as Oynalopex. This is adopted by Blyth in his Catalogue, 

 but I shall only mark it as sectional. The type is Cards corsac of Cen- 

 tral Asia. They inhabit bare open plains, in which they burrow ; are less 

 carnivorous in their habits than true foxes, feeding much on fruit, insects, 

 crabs, &c. 



138. Vulpes bengalensis. 



Shaw. — Blyth, Cat. 126. — Elliot, Cat. 19. — Habdwioke, 111. Ind. 

 Zool. 2, pi. 2. — C. rufescens, Geay. — C. koTcree, Sykbs. — G. corsac of 

 India, Auctorum. — C. chrymrus and C. xanthurus, Gbay. — Lomri or 

 Jj&mri, H. ; also Lohri in some parts. — Loheria in Central India. — 

 Kokri, Mahr. — Khehar and Khihir in Behar. — Khek stal, Bengal. — Kon&, 

 Can. — Konha naJcha, or G4nta nahha, Tel. — Kemp-nari and Chandah- 

 tuiri, Can. — Poti-nara, Tel. at Hydrabad (Buch. Ham.) 



The Indun Fox. 



Descr. — Eeddish-gray, rufous on the legs and muzzle, reddish-white 

 beneath ; ears long, dark brown externally ; tail long, bushy with a broad 

 black tip ; muzzle very acute ; chin and throat whitish. 



Length, head and body, 21 to 22 inches ; tail 12 to 14 ; weight of a 

 male about 7 ffis. 



This pretty little fox varies a good deal in the shades of color in different 

 localities, and according to season. Uie fur just after it has assumed its 

 winter coat is very beautiful, a purer gray on the body contrasting with the 

 rufous limbs. The legs are remarkably slender. The tail is very bushy. 

 It is usually carried trailing when the fox is going slowly or hunting for 



