TTTLPES PITSILLrS. 133 



The Hill Fox. 



Descr. — General color pale fulvous, deeper on the sides, and whitish on 

 shoulders ; middle of the back dark, inclining to rufous ; haunches and tail 

 more gray ; ears externally deep velvety black ; head mixed with white ; a 

 faint eye streak, the cheeks and jowl white ; moustaches black ; limbs 

 pale fulvous ; tail very bushy, white-tipped. 



Length, head and body 30 inches ; tail 19 ; height 135-14. 



This is a very handsome animal when in full fur, very like the English 

 fox, but less rufous, paler and more hoary. The fur is exceedingly rich, 

 dense and fine, the longer hairs 2 inches long, the inner fur also long and 

 woolly. It is found throughout the Himalayas, from Nepal at all events 

 to Kashmir, in the central region chiefly. I did not hear of it in Daijeel- 

 ing, but it may occur in the interior of Sikim, where the climate is drier. 

 In the neighbourhood of Simla it is very common, especially in winter, 

 coming close to houses in search of poultry, and even offal, it is said ; and 

 I have seen it at Fagu carry off a fowl in broad daylight. It is also des- 

 tructive to game, pheasants, partridges, &c. In Kashmir it is very abun- 

 dant, affecting the cultivated districts in the neighbourhood of hills, and 

 doing much damage to poultry. In 1865, the 7th Hussars had a pack of 

 foxhounds in Kashmir, and killed many of these foxes. 



It is stated to breed in April and May, the female having usually three 

 or four cubs. 



141. Vulpes pusillus. 



Blyth, Cat. 133.— F. flavesceris, apud Blyth, olim. 

 The Pdnjab Fox. 



Descr. — Similar in color to V. montanus, but much smaller, being only 

 a little larger tkan Bengalensis. From the Punjab Salt Range. This may 

 perhaps be only a dwarfed race of the last, caused by a warmer climate, but 

 I have at present foUpwed Blyth in keeping them distinct. The type 

 specimen in the Asiatic Society's Museum, has quite the aspect of F. 

 montanus. Dr. Adams suggested that it might be a variety of F. leucopus, 

 but it is very distinct from that. 



Hodgson in the new edition of his British Museum Collection, has named 

 another species Vulpes fuliginosus the " Tliech^,"" probably from Tibet or 



