CARNIVORA. 
Old ^sop, the amusing companion of our youths 
and instructive moralist of our riper years, has re» 
presented the trickery of wily men so frequently 
under the crafty, subtle character of the fox, that 
poor Renard has ever been viewed through the me» 
dium of a certain degree of prejudice. It is, how- 
ever, doubtless very adroit in its vocation ; and 
barks not when it would steal the lamb.’’ When 
it attacks a poultry-yard, it generally kills all it finds, 
and carries off successively to its retreat as many as 
it can before daylight and danger warn it to desist. 
Eggs, milk, fruit, especially grapes, and honey, are 
all acceptable to it, as well as the smaller quadrupeds, 
and fishes. 
A variety of the fox is found,* principally in Alsace 
and Burgundy, which has been frequently described 
as distinct, under the name of alo'peoc. It is of a 
something deeper red colour, and the fur is thicker 
than in the ordinary fox, which latter peculiarity 
gives it a more thick and squat appearance. Some, 
also, are found, which have more black hair than 
common along the dorsal line, and across the shoul- 
ders, and these have been called the European cross 
fox. The cross disposition of black stripes is met 
with in three or four species or varieties of the fox \ 
but the distinctive epithet is applicable, properly, 
only to a South American species, very distinguish- 
able by this peculiarity. 
The Egyptian fox is treated as distinct by Geoffroy, 
under the name of cams Niloticus* It differs in a very 
slight degree from the common species. 
