1842.] Asiatic Society. 589 



fur, apparent between this and our specimen of the common Himalayan Fox, upon which 

 Dr. Pearson founded his description of V. montanus, vel (subsequently) V. Hima- 

 laicus, Ogilby, I cannot, after full consideration, regard them as specifically distinct, 

 but consider this to be a variety merely, from a colder habitat, or perhaps a winter- 

 killed individual, though I am unaware that any of the Canidce renew their coat more 

 than once in the year. Certainly, with regard to the name Nipalensis, Mr. Hodgson, 

 who has so long pursued his zoological researches in that province, would seem to be 

 unaware of any Nepalese species additional to V. montanus and V. cor sac; a circum- 

 stance which also tends to cast a doubt upon the V. Hodgsonii, likewise insufficiently 

 described by Mr. Gray, loc. cit. The specimen now exhibited may, indeed, be toler- 

 ably well referred to either of the half -descriptions indicated.* 



Length thirty inches from nose to base of tail, the tail with hair sixteen inches; 

 from nose to base of ear five inches and a half, and ears (measured posteriorly, and 

 making some allowance for their having shrunk,) four inches; height of the back 

 fifteen inches. Fur exceedingly rich, dense, soft and fine, the longer sort measuring 

 fully two inches upon the back, and the inner everywhere of considerable length and 

 woolly character. General colour pale fulvous, scarcely more than fulvous-white 

 over the shoulder-blades, and but little deeper on the sides, the haunches and tail 

 appearing greyish, while the middle of the back is much deeper and more rufous 

 fulvous than the rest, widening upon the croup, and passing there into the greyish 

 appearance of the haunches; outside of the ears deep black to near their base (as in 

 ordinary montanus) ; and the under-parts mingled white and faint nigrescent, the 

 latter being the general hue of the inner fur at base, and more or less developed on 

 different parts. Head light fulvous mixed with white, and marked as in other Foxes; 

 the darkish streak from the eye to the moustachial bristles faint, the latter black, and 

 cheeks and jowl white as usual. Limbs about the same pale fulvous as the head, the 

 ordinary mark in front of the fore-limbs inconspicuous, though indicated by grizzled 

 black and white-tipped hairs : tail bushy and white-tipped, with also a white mark 

 across its upper surface near the base, above which the colour is the same rufous- 

 fulvous as the croup, while ascending on each side of the buttocks is some whitish, 

 which is divided by a narrow rufous stripe at the mesial line; the rest of the tail 

 being pale dull fulvous with the hairs slightly black-tipped. 



Captain Hutton states («/. A. S. VI, 934,) of V. montanus, that " the males are larg- 

 er and much darker than the females." The very pale specimen, however, here des- 

 cribed is a male : and should my specific identification of it be correct, the V. mon- 



* " Vulpes Nipalensis. Fur soft, silky, long ; above, bright fulvous-yellow. 



" Inhabits Northern India, Nepal. — Gen. Hardwicke. 



"Like the common European, and American fulvous, Foxes; but the fur is much softer and 

 brighter coloured. 



" V. Hodgsonii. Fur rather woolly; above, bluish grey. Forehead, nape, and middle of the 

 back, yellowish-brown. Tail-end, black. Chin and beneath, white. 



" Inhabits North India, Nepal. — Hardwicke." 



With respect to "tail-end black," I suspect that Col. H. Smith's observation will be found to 

 apply, that " of the hundreds of [English] Foxes and skins examined by us, although there be 

 many with the end of the tail apparently black, we have not found one where there was not a 

 white tip within the black ; although most Foxes occasionally pull out the hairs at the end of the 

 tail." Dr. McClelland writes, of the Fox of Kemaon, "he has grey legs, becoming darker to the 

 feet; dark sharp nose ; bushy tail, that of the male having a white tip ; the upper surface of the ears 

 velvet-black, inner surface cream yellow." ' Geology, &c. of Kemaon,' p. 220. 



