104 Can-id^.-- — MAMMALIA.— Canidas. 
THE EENNEC {Vul]}es Zerc?a)— Plate 7, fig. 25- 
is more closelj' allied to the foxes and true dogs, with 
which, indeed, its dentition entirely coincides. It 
resembles the foregoing species chiefly in respect of its 
ears, which are extremely long, and in the circum- 
stance of its slight build and small body. The tail is 
well developed, and dark-coloured at the root and tip ; 
but in other respects it partakes of the general colour and 
character of the fur, which is of a whitish, fulvous, or 
light Isabel tint throughout, being almost white beneath 
the belly. Its texture is fine and woollj% The Fennec 
is an inhabitant of the sandy plains of Nubia, where it 
excavates burrows. It also ascends trees with facility. 
A specimen in possession of Mr. Brande, the Swedish 
consul at Algiers, was particularly partial to dates and 
other sweet fruits, and also to eggs. The sight of a 
bird, however, was sufficient to produce violent excite- 
ment. The Fennec does not nestle in trees as the tra- 
veller Bruce supposed. 
THE COMMON FOX ( Vulpes vulgaris ) — Plate 7, fig. 
26. — If the “Museum of Natural History” were exclu- 
sively devoted to the consideration of those animals 
which afford sport, in the ordinary acceptation of the 
term, our readers would in this place probably expect 
a brilliant record of daring leaps and other adventures, 
which are the ordinary accompaniments of the chase 
after a fox. Due regard, however, being paid to the 
habits of the more rare and important quadimpeds of 
foreign countries, we must necessarily limit our details 
respecting such natural history and sporting data as 
the records of the fox-hunter furnish ; moreover, special 
works are devoted to this subject, as well as to other 
matters of interest connected with it. Who is not 
familiar with the common fox, with its rufous brown 
fur and bushy tail — or “brush,” as it is termed by 
hunters — tipped with white ? The sharp muzzle, the 
shrewd look, the penetrating eye with its elliptically 
contracted pupil, the triangular pointed ears, the fetid 
odour, and the cunning step — these, and many other 
w'ell-known features, are characters by which Reynard 
may be easily distinguished. Associated with this 
aspect and attitude, we may also be reminded of its 
burrowing propensities, its power of eluding pursuit, its 
skill as a poacher, its swiftness of flight, its sagacity in 
detecting traps, its wily instinct in securing food, &c. — 
peculiarities which have over and over again been 
celebrated in story-books from the earliest times; 
neither need any doubt be entertained of the general 
correctness of those serious charges which have from 
time to time been laid at its door, or, as a hunter would 
say, at the entrance of its “ earth.” Notwithstanding 
all this, Reynard has many friends among English 
gentry, although it cannot be urged that this friendship 
is in any degree disinterested. On the contrary, Rey- 
nard is esteemed only for the sport he creates. How- 
ever destructive he may prove among the occupants of 
a farmyard, woe betide the tenant-farmer who ventures 
to destroy him, and so possibly abridge his landlord’s 
pastime. Let Reynard devour hares, rabbits, pheasants, 
partridges, ducks, geese, chickens, and whatever else 
he may please to lay his claws upon ; but kill him not, 
lest the tread of the noble fox-hunter’s steed be obli- 
terated from the upturned soil ! Through this barrier 
of hunting etiquette, however, a breach is sometimes 
made;'*and not long ago the author of the present 
section of this work was visiting a gentleman at Attle- 
borough in Norfolk, who, when out shooting on a 
nobleman’s estate in the same county, deliberately — 
with his host’s consent and approbation — rolled over a 
pair of foxes, one with the right-hand barrel, and the 
other with the left! As may be supposed, such a 
clever feat of arms gave considerable offence to the 
fox-hunting gentry of the district, while the farmers 
and lovers of partridge-shooting only offered their 
congratulations. The common fox is widely distri- 
buted over Europe, and is also found, according to 
several authorities, in Egypt and other parts of North- 
ern Africa. 
THE AMERICAN RED FOX (Vulpes fulvus) has 
been considered by many as a mere variety of the 
common species above described ; there is, however, 
good ground for believing this view to be erroneous. 
According to Mr. Sabine’s description, this animal 
exhibits “ a general bright ferruginous colour on the 
head, back, and sides, less brilliant towards the tail ; 
under the chin white; the throat and neck a dark- 
grey ; and this colour is continued along the first part 
of the belly in a stripe of less width than on the breast ; 
the under parts, towards the tail, are very pale red ; 
the fronts of the fore-legs and the feet are black, and 
the fronts of the lower part of the hind-legs are also 
black ; the tail is very bushy, but less ferruginous than 
the body, the hairs mostly terminated with hlack, and 
more so towards the extremity than near the root, 
giving the whole a dark appearance ; a few of the hairs 
at the end are lighter, but it is not tipped with white.” 
We can testify to the accuracy of this description of 
the fur, having ourselves not only carefully examined 
several examples, but having also dissected a spe'cimen. 
Speaking of its habits, Sir John Richardson states that 
the American Red fox is not so swift as its English 
congener. It runs rapidly for a short distance, “ but 
its strength is exhausted in the first hurst, and it is 
soon overtaken by a wolf or a mounted huntsman. 
Its flesh is ill-tasted, and is eaten only through neces- 
sity.” The female produces four young at a birth, 
the cubs having a soft downy fur of a yellowish-grey 
colour. The Red fox is very abundant in the well- 
wooded districts of North America, many thousand 
skins being annually imported into England by the 
Hudson’s Bay Company. 
THE KIT-FOX ( Vulpes cinereo-argentahis) is also a 
North American species, extending from the plains of 
the Saskatchewan territory to those of Columbia. It 
is a very small species, measuring about twenty-two 
inches in length, exclusive of the tail, which would give 
us nearly another foot. Its face and muzzle are com- 
paratively short and broad. On the upper part of the 
body the fur presents a peculiar colour, “ produced by 
an intermixture of hairs tipped with brown, black, and 
white.” Underneath the neck and belly it is of a dull 
rufous orange colour, the hairs in this situation being 
also longer. The lower parts of the face about the 
mouth are whitish, and more or less tinged with 
blackish-brown at tbe margins. The whiskers are 
strongly developed and dark-coloured. The tail is 
