FOXES 



worthy people, yet in no one instance has the fullest, most 

 complete, and minutest investigation revealed any proof 

 that the statement, respecting the parentage of the animal, 

 was based upon facts. 



The most foxy-looking of the specimens was considered 

 by its owner to be undoubtedly a cross between a dog-fox 

 and a small terrier bitch ; in size it was less than a fox, 

 being shorter in body and legs, and of a bright, sandy red ; 

 with ears erect and tail drooping, its little sharp muzzle 

 at first reminded one of a fox, but upon the most careful 

 comparison the result given below will be seen — in fact, 

 only in size did this little dog differ from the dingo of 

 Australia ; it was nothing more nor less than a dwarf or 

 bantam dingo in every particular. However much in 

 appearance the supposed fox-dog may resemble the fox, 

 yet when placed by the side of a veritable fox and ex- 

 ternally compared, all the points advanced previously in 

 its favour fall off one by one in the following order : — Eyes 

 (pupil of) : Dog — circular ; fux — vertical. Nose and muzzle : 

 Dog — rounded, and the lips thick and few whiskers ; fox 

 — sharp, and the lips thin, but the whiskers well developed. 

 Mouth : Dog — canine teeth stout, strong, rather short, not 

 much curved ; fox — canine teeth long, slender, sharp, and 

 much curved. No dog unless larger than a fox Las the 

 canine teeth so much developed, and the gape of the fox 

 is wider than in the dog of about the same size. Ears : 

 Dog — colour outside the same as the neck and back, inside 

 thinly edged with short hair ; fox — colour outside black, 

 inside thickly fringed or coated with long and rather stiff 

 hair, in fact the ears appear full of hair. Coat : Dog — 

 hair somewhat stiff', harsh, short or only moderately long, 

 and of an uniform colour to the base of the hair ; no woolly 

 undercoat ; fox — hair long, points harsh, lower half soft 

 and the base dark-coloured, a fine wool forming a thick 



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