OCR Text |
Show 1899.] THE CANIDCE OF AFRICA. 515 elbow downwards ; reddish on the back of the thighs, above the tarsal joint. Most of the hairs of the tail are tipped with black, markedly so towards the extremity, the hairs at the end of the brush almost entirely black ; there is a very distinct black patch on the tail over the gland. The fur is not so long or woolly and the tail is not so thick and bushy as in most small Foxes, and never has a white tag like G. famelicus. Skull of Canis pallidus, ?- nat. size. (B.M. 93.6.7.3.) The name given by Schinz to a small Fox brought from Dongola by Eiippell has generally been referred, with doubt, to G. famelicus ; but I feel no hesitation in assigning it to the species under discussion. The description in no way agrees with C. famelicus. while the colour in every way fits this species : '* Eiicken und Schenkel von aussen gelbgrau; die Haare sind nehmlich brandgelb, mit Schwarz gemischt," &c. In fact, the tail, colour of the head,likeness to C. zerda, but with coarser fur, so exactly represent this animal, that I feel tem pted to adopt this most appropriate term, seeing that it perpetuates the name of so good a naturalist; and whether we apply it to this form or to C. famelicus, we must deprive Cretzschmar of one original description. But as there is a doubt, and as Dr. Mivart has called C. famelicus by the unfortunate English name of EiippelPs Fennec, I shall leave it alone ; m y sole object in writing being to point out the most salient points of distinction between the species, and so to assist in arrivino- at a uniform naming, by which one may always know what form is intended when a certain name is mentioned. The uniform tawny colouring, almost like a pale-coloured lioness, distinguishes this little Fox from all others, the black dash on the upperside of the tail and the black tip being the only conspicuous marks. The ears are about 65 millim. long:. The skull cannot be confused with that of any other Fox ; the line of the forehead is carried forward considerably in front of the orbits, giving it the appearance of having a bump on the bridge of its nose ; the teeth are very small and neat, the premolars with clear spaces between each ; the flesh-teeth are actually smaller than those of the Fennec (C. fennecus), a much smaller animal. |