CANIS VULPES. 63 



thick and long ; body above reddish, brown ; lips, lower 

 jaw, fore part of the neck, abdomen, and inside of the 

 thighs white ; back of the ears blackish brown ; a streak 

 of the same colour from the corner of each eye to the nose ; 

 tip of tail white. Varies sometimes in size and colour. 



Length of head and body, 2 feet 3 inches ; head, 6 inches ; 

 ears, 4 inches ; tail, 1 foot 4 inches. 



Feeds on poultry, rabbits, and burrows in the ground. 

 Brings forth three to six young at a birth. 



Common all over the British Islands, and throughout 

 Northern, "Western, and Central Europe. The Prince of 

 Musignano implies that this species of Fox is not known 

 to him in Italy further south than Piedmont and Lombardy. 

 Foxes, probably of more than one species, says Cook, are 

 in great numbers all over Spain. 



The vax. A. Canis alopeoc of Schreber and Desmarest, 

 I. c, le Benard Charbonnier, has the fur thicker, and of a 

 brighter red, than C. Vulpes ; the feet darker, and the tail 

 black at the tip. Is found with the Common Fox, but 

 seems to prefer mountain districts. This is the most 

 common race of Bavaria and Switzerland. 



Var. B. — Canis crucigera, le Benard croise d'Europe, of 

 Desmarest, Crossed Fox of Lloyd's ' Scandinavian Adven- 

 tures,' has the fur darker than in the Common Fox, with a 

 black or very dark line along the back, across the shoulders, 

 and down the fore-legs. Is often met with in Sweden, 

 where it is distinguished from the Common Fox by its 

 larger size, greater breadth of skull, larger eyes, thicker 

 legs, and more bushy tail. 



Yar. C. ? — The Black Fox. It would seem from Lloyd's 

 account, I. c, to be entirely black, and to be not uncommon 

 in Scandinavia. Thought by Mlsson to be an accidental 

 variety only of the O. Vulpes. 



