146 



THE DOG TRIBE. 



young- lambs, llamas, and vicunas, and ap- 

 pears to be quite as cunning as our European 

 species. With this it also agrees in the nu- 

 merous varieties of colour in the fur, which 

 may be brownish -black, rusty red, gray, or 

 even white. Since young ones of different 

 colours are born at the same time, it is clear 

 that no importance can be attached to these 

 variations. The pupil is somewhat narrower 

 than in the former species, and the legs are 



somewhat longer than those of the fox. In 

 spite of the hatred to which the aguarachay 

 is subject on account of the severe ravages it 

 commits in the poultry-yard, it is often tamed 

 in Paraguay and even employed in hunting, 

 in which occupation the keenness of its scent 

 enables it to act as a setter with great effi- 

 ciency. 



Our Fox [Canis vulpes), of which a whole 

 family is represented in fig. 64, may serve as 



Fig. 63. — The Aguarachay (Canis Azara:). page 145 



the type of a sub-group, distinguished by a 

 slit-like pupil, short legs, bushy tail, and long 

 slender recurved canines. This animal, which 

 is met with throughout the temperate and 

 even in the frigid zones of both hemispheres, 

 varies considerably in respect both of the 

 colour and the value of the fur. In general 

 those skins are most highly esteemed which 

 are derived from animals inhabiting cold 

 regions and killed in winter. The colour of 

 the fur likewise has a great influence on its 

 commercial value. The very young animals 

 are almost Ijlack ; the yellow colour increases 

 with age; and the pale yellowish red, fre- 

 quently with a dark stripe along the back, 

 prevails in adult animals. Ptut the utmost 

 variety of shades, from black to white, from 

 red to gray, and from brown to yellow, may 

 occur according to the country, the season, 

 and other still unknown circumstances. 



The fox never lives in troops. It hunts 

 alone or at most by families. It digs holes for 

 itself underground, and these are often very 

 skilfully planned according to the locality, 

 and always possess several means of exit or 

 entry. The animal sleeps by day in a central 

 chamber, in which also the female tends her 

 young ones for a considerable period after 

 birth. The fox, however, is very much 

 addicted to taking possession by force or 

 fraud of the holes dug by other animals, as, 

 for example, by the badger or even by the 

 rabl)it among us, or by the bobak in the 

 steppes of Russia. If it cannot drive out the 

 legitimate owner, it appears to come to an 

 understanding; with him. That he does not 

 seriously try to cope with the badger need 

 e.\cite no surprise, since the strength of the 

 latter is much greater than his own. But it 

 is much more difficult to believe those who 



