OEDEE OF CAENIVOEA. 395 



its habits. It prefers naked hills to woods, and makes its burrow 

 on their southern slope. It is not afraid of water, and fre- 

 quently swims rivers and arms of the sea to surprise aquatic 

 birds, or obtain their eggs., 



A trait which is particularly characteristic of the Blue Fox, 

 because it is exceptional in the order of Carnivora, is its custom of 

 migrating in crowds when game fails in a country it has hitherto 

 occupied. After remaining absent three or four years it again 

 returns. 



The female Arctic Fox brings forth seven or eight young 

 towards the month of May. It is a lucky chance for a hunter 

 when he can capture some of these cubs, as he rears them 

 and sells their fur as soon as it has reached the period of its 

 greatest beauty. Travellers relate that it is not unusual to meet 

 in Scandinavia poor women who share their milk and care between 

 their child and several Blue Foxes. 



Various other species of Foxes inhabit Asia and Africa. We 

 may particularly cite the Fennec, the smallest of its kind ; to its 

 enormous ears it owes its extreme acuteness of hearing. It is 

 foimd in the Algerian Sahara, Egypt, Nubia, Abyssinia, and 

 Dongola. 



Among the Foxes of the New World the two principal 

 noticeable species are the Grey and Cross or Kit Foxes. The 

 first inhabits North America. Its fur, although less esteemed 

 than that of the Arctic Fox, is nevertheless valuable. The second 

 variety is distributed over the United States and Paraguay. It is 

 a venturesome, courageous little animal ; during the night it will 

 approach the bivouacs of travellers and gnaw their leather trap- 

 pings, or steal anything edible lying around the encampment. 



Dog Genus. — All the Carnivora of the Dog kind have the pupil 

 round, and not slit vertically, as with the Foxes. They are sociable, 

 and collect in numerous troops to attack their prey, or defend 

 their lives against more powerful animals. In a domestic state 

 they all, without exception, bark ; in a wild state, on the con- 

 trary, they howl, — though during the moments when they are 

 rapidly pursuing their prey they give vent to their feelings in 

 quick successive barks, designated by sportsmen " giving tongue." 



Three distinct divisions are found in this family : these are the 

 Jackal, the Wolf, and the Dog properly so-called. 



