( 2o; ) 



but a kind of howling ; in every other circtimftanee 

 they are, fays M. Sarrafin, ex genere felino^ of the 

 cat kind. Thefe are natural hunters, living only 

 on the animals they catch, and which they purfue 

 to the top of the talleft trees. Their flefh is white 

 and very good eating ; their fur and fkin are both well 

 known in France this is one of the finefl furs in 

 the whole country, and one of the mod confider- 

 able articles in its commerce. That of a certain fpe- 

 cies of black foxes, which live in the northern 

 mountains, is ftill more efteemed. I have, however 

 heard, that the black fox of Mufcovy, and of the 

 northern parts of Europe is flill more highly va- - 

 lued. They are, moreover, exceeding rare here, 

 probably on account of the difficulty of catching 

 them. 



There is a more common fort, the hair of which f 

 is black or grey, mixed with white others of them 

 are quite grey, and others again of a tawny red. 

 They are found in the Upper MifiifTippi, of infi- 

 nite beauty, and with a fur of an argentine or fil- 

 ver grey. We find here like wife tygers and wolves 

 of a fmaller fort than ours. The foxes hunt the 

 water- fowl after a very ingenious manner : they ad- 

 vance a little into the water, and afterwards retire", 

 playing a thou land an tick tricks on the banks, 

 The ducks, buftards, and other fuch birds, tickled 

 with the fport, approach the fox ; when he fees 

 them within reach, he keeps very quiet for a while 

 at firlt, ' that he may not frighten them, moving 

 only his tail, as if on p'urpoie to draw them flil! 

 nearer, and the foolifh creatures are fuch dupes to 

 his craftinefs, as to come and peck at his tail 5 

 the fox immediately fprings upon them, and fel- 

 dom mines his aim. Dogs have been bred to the 



fame 



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