THE GROUP OF THE FOXES. 



15 



i pretty broad and almost spherical, the 

 ; narrow, pointed, and furnished with 

 whiskers. The body is slender, the tail 



the limbs short and very thin but well 

 1, the eyes large with oval pupils. But 

 chiefly distinguishes the fennek from 

 animals of its kind are the very large 

 1 the form of paper-cornets, these ears 

 in fact longer than the head, inter- 

 :overed with long silky hairs and 

 ; constantly in motion, 

 e all inhabitants of the desert the 

 : has the colour of the ground of 

 naked wastes: it is grayish-yellow 



back, rather lighter below. The 

 hick, fine, silky fur is made still 

 r in winter by the addition of a 

 covering^ of down. 

 ; fennek is nocturnal in its habits. 

 3 very artistic holes for itself, and 

 it prefers to form among the tufts 

 -grass. When pursued it cscajaes 

 ight by burrowing in the sand with 

 ng-like rapidity. Its hearing and 

 ell are alike keen; the slightest 

 arrests its attention, and when it 

 ce found a scent it does not easily 

 t. Its food consists chiefly of 

 which it surprises in their roosts 

 ;ssly and with admirable skill. 

 2^eous and fierce, this little crea- 

 Lttacks even the tufted fowls of the 

 If it finds nothing better it tries to 

 even the agile and wary jerboas, and 

 £S neither lizards nor the larger beetles 

 ;usts. The dates fallen from the palm- 

 re a dainty greatly relished. It appears 



care about carrion, and since it keeps 

 from settled places and the encamp- 



of the nomads it is scarcely pursued 

 The Arabs who come in contact with 

 eans are well aware of the value which 

 :ter place upon these amiable, gentle, 

 egant little creatures. In Biskra, for 

 le, fenneks are always offered to trav- 

 for sale, and thev readilv become at- 



tached to their masters and eagerly respond 

 to their caresses after they have undergone 

 hard treatment and all sorts of privations at 

 the hands of the Arabs. The fennek is fttd 

 just like a little dog; but it can scarcely 

 stand the climate of Central Europe, always 

 suftering from frost. Its plainti\'e sighing 

 voice is like that of a little child. 



Tlie \ neni Dog 01 I \nuki ( \ xtttnutLS Ltzti rintis) 



A member of the Canida very difi'erent 

 in form is the Viverra Dog i^Nyctereutcs 

 vivcrrinus), fig. 68, the Tanuki of the Japanese, 

 which inhabits the whole of eastern and 

 middle Asia. The thick body supported by 

 short legs, the very short rounded ears, and 

 the pointed snout give the animal a good 

 deal of resemblance to the Viverrida; while 

 the short rounded tail and the fur covered 

 with long disordered hairs remind us ot the 

 badger. The general colour is dark brown, 

 the head and sides of the neck brighter, 

 yellowish, the parts round the eyes and the 

 ridfje of the nose almost white. The den- 

 tition is altoo-ether like that of the doo-s; the 



