22 



MAMMALOGY. 



Aud. Quad, of N. A. Plate LII ; oct. ed. II, Plate LIT. 



Noticed hy the naturalists of the Expedition as occurring in Oregon. 



Mr. Peale observes : 



" At Fort Vancouver, on the Columbia River, Ave saw the skins of 

 this animal which were there considered uncommon. Further south 

 on our journey to California, we had several opportunities of seeing 

 it. The burrows of this species are always in the prairies and never 

 in the forest or ' brush,' like those of the preceding or Gray Fox." 



3. VULPES MAGELLANICUS {Gray). 

 Can is magellanicus, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1836, p. 88. 

 Voy. Beagle, Zool. Mamm. Plate V. 



This large species, though but recently known to naturalists, is 

 peculiar to the southern and western countries of South America, and 

 is remarkable not only for its larger size than is usually met with in 

 this genus, but for its apparent fearlessness of man. It is stated by 

 Molina, in Nat. Hist, of Chili, that it will run boldly towards a man, 

 stopping within a short distance and surveying him leisurely. Speci- 

 mens from Tierra del Fuego are in the collection of the Expedition ; 

 and others from Chili are also in the National Museum, collected by 

 Lieutenant Gilliss, during the stay in that country of the United 

 States Astronomical Expedition, under his command. Dr. Pickering 

 mentions this animal at Tierra del Fuego, in February, 1839 : 



" This fox is not uncommon. One was seen by myself, and others 

 by several members of our party. Several specimens have been 

 obtained ; one of which showed considerable boldness, in attacking a 

 seaman of the crew of the Vincennes, as he was carrying wood. This 

 animal looks something like the figures of the Prairie Wolf, and 

 appears to present somewhat more of the habits of the wolves than 

 of the foxes." 



