genus Vulpes.” He adds, “ that it most resembles the C. corsac; the number of teeth and their form are precisely the same as those of the fox, which it also greatly resembles in its feet, number of toes, and form of tail. The principal difference between the fox and the Zerda consists in the great length of the ears of the latter and its very small size.” The singular controversy, not even yet decided, that has arisen respecting this little animal, has induced us to preface our description of the individual before us, by this sketch of its history. F e n n e c u s . Dentiumformula.— Denies primores f z f , laniarii «£& mo- lares ? Fi supra rufescenti-albus, subtus pallidior; maculà suboculari rufâ ; caudoe maculd sub-basali nigresccnti-brunnea, apice nigro» Dimensions. . iTn cht'es. Length of the head from the extremity of the nose to the occiput, &§- Breadth between the eyes, - - , - _ * qX Length of ears, - - . _ , ^ Breadth of do. at the widest part, - - _ - 2 Breadth of the cranium between the ears, - - . ja Length from the occiput to the insertion of the tail, - ol Tad, - - . . .. . . / •Height before, from the ground to the top of the back, above the shoulder, - . . . . _ * Height behind, to the top of the back above the Inms, . 71 Breadth of the extremity of the nose, - . . q-SLength of the middle claws of the fore feet, - . 0j1 Exterior do. do. m Middle and exterior claws of the hind feet, - . ¿a The general colour is white, slightly inclining to straw-yellow; above, from the occiput to the insertion of the tail it is light rufous brown, delicately pencilled with fine black lines, from thinly scattered hairs tipped with ¡black ; the exterior of the thighs is lighter rufous brown; the chin, throat, * Taken as the stuffed specimen stands. belly, and interior of the thighs and legs are white, or cream colour. The nose is pointèd, and black at -the extremity ; above, it is covered with very short, whitish hair inclining to rufous, with a small irregular rufous spot on each side beneath the eyes ; the whiskers are black, rather short and scanty ; the back of the head is pale rufous brown. The ears are very large, erect, and pointed, and covered externally with short, pale, rufous-brown hair ; internally, they are thickly fringed on the margins with long greyish-white hairs, especially in front ; the rest of the ears, internally, is bare ; externally, they are folded or plaited at the base. The tail is very full, cylindrical, of a rufous-brown colour, and pencilled with fine' black lines like the back ; its colour is rather deeper above than on the under part, and there is a small dark'brown* spot, at about an inch below its insertion on the upper side.; the ends of the hairs at the extremity of the tail are black, forming a black tip about three quarters of an inch long. The anterior feet are pentadac- tylous, the posterior tetradactylous, and both are covered to the claws with moderately long whitish hairs, slightly inclining to straw-yellow ; the claws are of a yellowish-white, or light horn-colour, moderately hooked, very much compressed, and very sharp ; those on the hinder toes are most compressed, longest, and least arched. The fur is very sòfl and fine ; that on the back, from the forehead to the insertion of the tail, as well as that on the upper part of the shoulder before, and nearly the whole of the hinder thigh, is formed of tri-coloured hairs, the base of which is of a dark lead colour, the middle white, and the extremity light rufous brown. The teeth of our animal are much worn, apparently by age ; the incisors in thè upper jaw are nearly even, the second pair rather broader than the rest ; of those in the lower jaw, the outer pair are considerably the largest. The imperfect state of the teeth, and the difficulty of examining them accurately without having the skull detached, forbids us to be confident as to the number of grinders in either jaw. From the most careful inspection, however, that we could make in the actual state of the specimen, we are inclined to believe that the system of dentition closely, if not exactly, resembles that of the dog. In the present state of uncertainty, whilst opinions of the highest authority are so discordant as to the genus to which this animal should be referred, we do not feel ourselves at liberty to disturb the arrangement adopted by Lacépède, Illiger, and Desmarest, but leave the ultimate
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