ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG NATURALIST. 121 



stances, opinions were divided. A fox, which appeared within 

 gunshot, interrupted our discussion. I fired, and the animal 

 fell. It was a magnificent specimen, and exactly like his 

 European confrere. By a singular chance, at the very moment 

 it was expiring, a crow just above our heads uttered a loud 

 croaking. 



" There ! the crow is thanking us for having rid him of his 

 enemy, the fox," said Sumichrast to Lucien. 



The boy laughed heartily at this joke. In spite of our advice, 

 I'Encuerado would insist upon skinning the animal, whose pelt 

 he wished to preserve. Fortunately, he was very quick at such 

 an operation, and the beautiful fur was soon hanging over his 

 arm, ready to be stretched outside his basket to dry. 



" I hope,'' said Sumichrast to Lucien, " that you have already 

 recognised the fox's relationship." 



"Oh, yes ! in its colour and shape it is like the cayotte." 



"You are quite right, but the cayotte and the fox are both 

 Gringalet's cousins." 



" I can scarcely believe that, for Gringalet has short hair, is 

 spotted with black and white, has gray eyes" ■ 



" Those are only secondary characteristics," interrupted Sumi- 

 chrast. " Gringalet belongs to the carnivorous type, called by 

 naturalists Digitigrades." 



" Is Gringalet a digitigrade ? " asked Lucien, smiling. 



"Yes, certainly ; that is to say, he walks on his toes, and not 

 on the sole of his feet, exactly like the fox, whose teeth, also, are 

 perfectly similar to those of Gringalet. The principal difference 

 between them is, that the fox has eyes which are formed so as to 

 enable it to see in the dark, a quality which Gringalet does not 

 possess in the same degree." 



" Are there such things as wild dogs ? " 



" Yes, although the point has been much disputed. But the 

 dog, the faithful companion of man, has been so long domesti- 

 cated, that little similarity of appearance exists between them. 

 However, the cayotte, the fox, and the wolf may be called wild 

 dogs." 



We had once more got into the midst of a thicket without 



