e a 
pulled off our night-caps, and dole our gloves from un¬ 
der our heads, with the beaver coverings, &c. In confe- 
quence of which we always flept with clubs in our hands, 
that, if they fhould wake us, we might drive them away, 
cr knock them down. 
When we made a halt to reft by the way, they gathered 
around us and played a thouland tricks in our view ; and, 
When we fat (fill, they approached us fo near that they 
gnawed the thongs of our Shoes. If we lay down, as if 
intending to lleep, they came and fmelled our nofes to try 
Whether we were dead or alive ; if we held our breath, 
they gave fucli a tug to tlie nofe as if they would bite it 
off. "On our firft arrival they bit off the nofes, fingers, 
and toes, of our dead while we were preparing the grave ; 
and thronged in fuch a manner about the infirm and fick, 
that it was with difficulty we could keep them off. Every 
morning we faw thefe audacious animdls patrolling about 
among fea-lions and fea-bears lying on the firand, fmell- 
ing at fuch as were alleep to difcover whether fome of 
them might not be dead ; if that.happened to be the cafe, 
they proceeded to diftedt him immediately, and prefently 
after all were at work in dragging the parts away. Be- 
caufe the lea-lions at night, in their deep, frequently 
overlay their young, they examine, as if conicious of that 
circurnftance, every morning, the whole herd of them one 
by one, and immediately drag away the dead cubs from 
their dams. They were indeed fo ravenous, that, with one 
hand, if we held to them a piece of flelh, they would 
come to it, although we might have a ftick or ax in the 
Other to knock them on the head. From all thefe circum- 
ftances it was clear to usj that they had very little com¬ 
munication with human beings, and that the dread of man 
is not innate in brutes, but muft be grounded on long ex¬ 
perience. 
In October and November they, like the other foxes, 
were the moft ilcek and full of hair : in January and Fe¬ 
bruary the growth of it is too thick : in April and May 
they begin to Hied their coats : in June and July they had 
only wool on them, and looked as if they went in waift- 
coats. In June they drop their cubs, nine or ten in a brood, 
in holes aftd cliffs of the rocks. They are fo fond of their 
young, that, to fcare us away, they would bark and yelp 
like dogs, and thereby betrayed their coverts. Thismdde 
of preferving their young, probably, has procured them 
the name of ice or rock foxes. No fooner do they perceive 
that their retreat is difeovered, than they drag away the 
young in their mouths, and hide them in a more fecret 
place. On killing the young, the dam follows the fiayer 
with grievous bowlings, day and night, and never ceafes 
until file has played her enemy fome trick, or is killed by 
him. When they couple, they feream like cats. In 
ftormy and heavy falls of fnow, they bury themfelves in 
the fnow, and lie flill as long as it lafts. They fwim 
acrofsrivers with great agility ; will feize the fea-fowl by 
night on the cliffs when they have fettled to deep ; but are 
themfelves frequently victims to the birds of prey. Thefe 
'animals, which are no,w in fuch inexprefiible numbers on 
the illand, were moft probably conveyed there (Since there 
is no other land animal in it) from the continent on the 
drift ice, and have been nourished by the great quan¬ 
tity of animal fubftances thrown up by the fea.” 
There arc two other varieties of the ardtic fox ; one 
with a duSkv fur on every part, nearly the fame Size as the 
former ; and they inhabit Iceland in great numbers. The 
other is of a footy brown, the ears found and white with¬ 
in ; the lower part of the throat, the belly, and infide of 
the haunches, is alfo white ; the tail half white and half 
black ; and a white fpot under each eye. This is a fmail 
I’pecies found-principaliy in Greenland. 
Canis vulpes Australis, or Antarctic Fox : 
inhabits America and Falkland’s islands. This variety is 
about a third larger than the common fox, and has much 
the habits of the wolf, in the ears, tail, and Strength of 
limbs. It lives near the Shores in Falkland’s islands, in 
kennels like foxes,kind has. regular paths from one part of 
* ■ ■ 
N I S. ?2f 
the Shore to another for furprifitig the fea-fovv], on which 
it chiefly feeds. It is very tame, barks like a dog, and 
fmells very fetid. The head and body are covered with 
woolly hair of a cinereous brown colokir; the legs are dalli¬ 
ed with ruft colour; the tail is dulky, and tipt with white ;• 
the in Sides of the ears are lined with white hair. 
Canis vulpes Chilensis, or Chilian Fox : has a 
Straight tail, covered with Short hair, like the domeftic 
dog; tlie colour deep brown ; in all refpedts of form re- , 
fembles the common fox, but larger; length of the tail 
two feet and a half. It inhabits the open countries of 
Chili, in which it forms its burrows. Its voice is feeble, 
but has fome refemblanre of barking. If it fees a man at 
a diSlance, will march Straight towards him; (lop a fmail 
fpace off, and regard him attentively. It the man makes 
no movement, will remain long in the fame Situation, but 
without doing him any harm, and then retires the fame 
way it came. This Molina often had uccafion to remark ; 
for it never fails doing the fame thing. This fubjecfs it 
to the Shot of the fportfmen. The Chilians call it cu/pcu , 
from culpem, which fignifies ‘folly.’ There is another va¬ 
riety, with its neck and Sides tawny ; ears tawny within, 
tipt with black ; crown and back mixed with grey, black, 
and white ; throat, breaft, and belly, white ; artd lefs than 
the common fox. It inhabits North America, and ispof- 
fibly the young of the preceding. 
The fox is frequently taken in gins or traps; but great 
caution muft be ufed to deceive hint. The trap muft be 
placed in the midft of a field, where there is neither hedge 
nor path near it, and fo nicely covered with mould, that 
not the lead veftige can be feen where it lies: about the 
trap, and at a fmail distance from it, in different places, a 
few pieces of cheefe, or other ftrongly-fcented food, muft 
be carelefsly fcattered : then, with a ftieep’s paunch, or' 
fome other animal fubftance, a trail is made, about a mile 
in length, to the diiferent places where the bait is laid, 
and from thence to the trap : the flioes of the perfonwho 
carries the trail muft be likewife well rubbed with the 
paunch, that the fox may not difcover his feent. He then 
approaches with more confidence ; and, if the design be 
well condudted, feldom fails of being caught. 
CANIS CERDO, or ZERDA , 
This is a Angular and very beautiful animal, an inhabi¬ 
tant of the vaft defert of Sahara or Zaara in Africa. It 
has a very pointed vifage, long whiskers, large bright 
black eyes, very large ears, of a bright rofe-colour, lined 
with long iiair, and having' their orifice fo Small as not to 
be vifible, probably covered with a valve or membrane 5 
its legs and feet are like thofe of a dog; its tail taper. Its 
colour is between a ftraw and a pale brown. Its length, 
from the noli? to the tail, ten inches ; its ears three and a 
half; its tail fix ; its-height not five. It burrows in the 
fandy ground; is fo exceiTively fwift,. that it is very rarely 
ttiken alive; feeds on infedts, efpecially locufts; fitson its 
rump, and is very vigilant. It barks like a dog, but 
much Shriller, and that chiefly in the night : it has never 
been obferved to be fportive. Dr. Sparman fufpedts that 
he faw it during his travels in Caffraria. 
CA'NIS MAJOR ; the Great Dog , a conftellation of the 
-font hern hemisphere, below-the feet of Orion, and one of 
the oid forty-eight constellations. The Greeks, a.s ulual, 
have many Sables of their own about t.he exaltation of the 
dog into the (kies; but the origin of'this conftellation, .as 
well as its other^ name Sirius, lies more probably among 
the Egyptians, who carefully watched the rising, of t It is 
ftar, and by it judged of the ('welling- of the Nile, calling 
the ftar the Sentinel and watch of the year ; and hence, ac— 
- cording to their manner of hieroglyphic writing, represent¬ 
ed it under the figure of a dog. They alfo called the Nile 
Sirts-'i and hence.their Ofiris. T.he Stars in this conftella¬ 
tion, Ptolemy makes 29 ; Tycho however obferved only' 
13 ; and He'velius 21 ; but in Flamfteed’s catalogue they 
are 31. 
CA'NIS MINOR,.a conftellation of the-northern hemi- 
fphere a . 
