C. suprà albo nigroque variegatus; lateribus fulvescente fuscoque lavatis; capite fusco-flavo et albescente adsperso; rostro supernè obscuriore; auribus, artubusque extùs flavescenti-rufis; corpore subtùs sordidè flavescenti-albo; pectore fulvo lavato; mento fuscescente; caudâ fulvescenti-fuscâ, pilis ad apicem nigris, subtùs pallidiore; plagâ supernè prope basin caudæ, hujusque apice nigris.

Description.—This species is considerably larger than the European fox; its form is more bulky, the limbs are shorter and stouter in proportion, the ears are smaller and the tail is more bushy. The fur is long, thick, and loose. The under fur is very long, abundant, and of a woolly texture. The back is mottled with black and white, the former of these colours being predominant; the hairs on this part are gray at the base, there is then a considerable space of a pale, or whitish brown colour; next follows a broad white ring, beyond which the hairs are black. On the sides of the body the hairs are coloured in the same way, excepting that the white portion is more extended, and is followed by a rich yellow-brown, shaded into black as it approaches the apex of each hair. Hence the general hue of the sides of the body is paler than that of the back, the brown and white tints being the more conspicuous. The hairs of the head are annulated with white, and fulvous, and are black at the tip; the two former colours are most conspicuous. The chin is brownish. The lower part of the cheeks, the throat, and the under parts of the body, are of a dirty yellowish white colour, inclining to buff in certain parts, especially on the lower part of the neck and chest. The limbs are of a rich deep fulvous, or yellowish rust colour externally; the feet and inner sides of the legs are of a paler hue. On the hinder legs externally, above the heel, is a patch of bright rust colour; such is also the colour of the ears externally, and likewise of that portion of the neck behind the ears. Internally the ears are furnished with long yellowish white hairs. The tail is long and very bushy; at its base the hairs are rusty white, towards the middle they are of a paleish rust colour, and at the apex they are black; there is also a black patch on the upper part towards the base. The hairs of the tail beneath are almost entirely of an uniform rusty white colour, those on the upper side are all tipped with black.

In.Lines.
Lengthfrom nose to root of tail310
to base of ear69
of tail (hair included)170
of ear20
Heightof body at the shoulders146

Habitat, Chile. (June.)

“This animal was first brought to Europe by Captain Philip P. King, who obtained it at Port Famine in Tierra del Fuego, where it is common. My specimen was obtained in the valley of Copiapó in the northern part of Chile. The Magellanic fox, therefore, has a range on the western coast of at least 1600 miles, from the humid and entangled forests of Tierra del Fuego, to the almost absolutely desert country of northern Chile. In La Plata, on the Atlantic side of the continent, I believe it is not found.[[7]] It is mentioned by Molina in his account of the animals of Chile,[[8]] under the name of Culpeu, which he supposes to be derived from the Indian word “culpem,” signifying madness; for this animal, when it sees a man, runs towards him, and standing at the distance of a few yards, looks at him attentively. He adds, although great numbers are killed, they do not leave off this habit. Molina states that he has repeatedly been a witness of this, and I received nearly similar accounts from several of the inhabitants of Chile: yet I must observe, that the people of the farm-house, where my specimen was killed (after it, together with its female, had destroyed nearly two hundred fowls) bitterly complained of its craftiness. From this bold curiosity in the disposition of the Culpeu, Molina thought that it was the same animal as that described by Byron at the Falkland Islands, but we now know that they are different. The Culpeu burrows holes under ground, often wanders about by day, is very strong and fleet. When riding one day in the valley of Copiapó, accompanied by a half-bred greyhound, I happened to come across one of these foxes; and although the ground was, in the first part of the chase, level, it soon entirely distanced its pursuer. Whilst running, it barked so like a dog, that until it had run some way a-head of the greyhound, I could not tell from which animal the noise proceeded. After the Culpeu had reached the mountains, it made a sudden bend from its course, and returned in a nearly parallel line, but at the base of a steep cliff of rock; it then quietly seated itself on its haunches, and seemed to listen with much satisfaction to the dog, which was running the scent on the mountain side, above its head.”—D.

3. Canis fulvipes.
Plate VI.

Canis fulvipes, Martin, Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1837, p. 11.

C. suprà niger, albo adspersus, capite lateribusque fuscis, sordidè albo nigroque adspersis; rostro superiore, mentoque fusco-nigricantibus; gulâ, labiis superioribus, femoribusque ad partem anteriorem, sordidè albis; pectore abdomineque fuscescentibus; auribus externè rufo-castaneis; brachiis internè, tarsis, digitisque fuscescenti-fulvis; artubus posticis extùs supra calcem fusco-nigrescentibus; caudæ colore ad basin ut in corpore, apice nigro.

Description.—This species is considerably less than the common European fox, (Canis Vulpes, Auct.) its weight probably would scarcely exceed half that of the latter animal. The form of the body is stout, the limbs are short and rather slender; the head is also short, and the muzzle is pointed; the ears are of moderate size. The tail is about equal to half the whole length of the body, head included; and compared with that of ordinary foxes, is much less bushy, especially at the base. The general hue of this animal is very dark; the fur is rather short, and harsh to the touch; the under fur is abundant, and of a woolly texture. On the back, all the hairs are of a deep brown colour, annulated with white near the apex, and black at the apex. When the fur is in its ordinary position, the brown colour is not seen, and the black and white produce a grizzled appearance; the black colour, however, predominates. On the sides of the body each hair is grayish at the base, then pale brown, near the apex annulated with white, and at the apex black: the three last mentioned colours are exhibited in about equal proportions (the fur being in its natural position) over the haunches and shoulders, but between these two parts, the brown and white colours are the more conspicuous. The hairs of the head are coloured in the same way as those of the sides of the body, excepting that the brown portion of each hair, is replaced by rusty brown, which gives a rufous hue to this part. The muzzle and chin are of a sooty brown colour. A dirty white patch is observable on each side of the muzzle at the apex, and this colour is extended along the margin of the upper lip on to the lower part of the cheeks, and over the whole of the throat; all the hairs in these parts (with the exception of those on the lips) being of a deep brownish gray colour, with their apical portions only, white. The ears are covered internally with long yellowish white hairs; towards, and on the margin of the ears externally, the hairs are of a buff colour, on the remaining portion of the ears, and on the sides of the neck, they are of a reddish chestnut hue. The hairs of the under parts of the body are brown, those near the hinder legs, and between them, are of a dirty white colour at the apex; towards the rump they are of a yellowish brown colour. The hairs of the tail are brown, black at the apex, and annulated with white near the apex; on the apical portion the hairs are black, and brown at the base. The fore legs are of a brown colour externally, internally they are of a brownish fulvous hue; such is also the colour of the feet. The fore part of the posterior legs is whitish, and there is a large blackish patch on the outer side, and extending around the posterior part, above the heel.

In.Lines.
Lengthfrom nose to root of tail240
to base of ear04¾
of tail (hair included)100
of ear23½
Heightof body at the shoulders106