ORDER OF CARNIVORA. 
395 
its habits. It prefers naked hills to woods, and makes its burrow 
on their southern slope. It is not afraid of water, and fre- 
quently swims rivers and arms of the sea to surprise aquatic 
birds, or obtain their eggs. 
A trait which is particularly characteristic of the Blue Fox, 
because it is exceptional in the order of Carnivora, is its custom of 
migrating in crowds when game fails in a country it has hitherto 
occupied. After remaining absent three or four years it again 
returns. 
The female Arctic Fox brings forth seven or eight young 
towards the month of May. It is a lucky chance for a hunter 
when he can capture some of these cubs, as he rears them 
and sells their fur as soon as it has reached the period of its 
greatest beauty. Travellers relate that it is not unusual to meet 
in Scandinavia poor women who share their milk and care between 
their child and several Blue Foxes. 
Yarious other species of Foxes inhabit Asia and Africa. "We 
may particularly cite the Fennec, the smallest of its kind ; to its 
enormous ears it owes its extreme acuteness of hearing. It is 
found in the Algerian Sahara, Egypt, Nubia, Abyssinia, and 
Dongola. 
Among the Foxes of the New World the two principal 
noticeable species are the Grey and Cross or Kit Foxes. The 
first inhabits North America. Its fur, although less esteemed 
than that of the Arctic Fox, is nevertheless valuable. The second 
variety is distributed over the United States and Paraguay. It is 
a venturesome, courageous little animal ; during the night it will 
approach the bivouacs of travellers and gnaw their leather trap- 
pings, or steal anything edible lying around the encampment. 
Dog Genus . — All the Carnivora of the Dog kind have the pupil 
round, and not slit vertically, as with the Foxes. They are sociable, 
and collect in numerous troops to attack their prey, or defend 
their lives against more powerful animals. In a domestic state 
they all, without exception, bark ; in a wild state, on the con- 
trary, they howl, — though during the moments when they are 
rapidly pursuing their prey they give vent to their feelings in 
quick successive barks, designated by sportsmen “ giving tongue.” 
Three distinct divisions are found in this family : these are the 
Jackal, the Wolf, and the Dog properly so-called. 
