Several South American wild dogs and foxes are included in the series with the wolves and jackals. Among these are AZARA'S DOG and the RACCOON-DOG. These are commonly called foxes, though they have wolf-like skulls.
[Illustration: _Photo by A. S. Rudland & Sons._
This animal hunts in packs. It is very active and most destructive to large game of many kinds.]
The only non-marsupial animal of Australia when the continent was discovered was the WILD DOG, or DINGO. Its origin is not known; but as soon as the settlers' flocks and herds began to increase its ravages were most serious, though doubtless some of the havoc with which it was accredited was due in a great measure to runaways from domestication. Anyhow, in the dingo the settlers found the most formidable enemy with which they had to contend, and vigorous measures were taken to reduce their numbers and minimise their ravages, so that by now they are nearly exterminated in Van Diemen's Land and rare on the mainland of Australia.
It is a fine, bold dog, of considerable size, generally long-coated, of a light tan colour, and with pricked-up ears. It is easily tamed, and some of those kept in this country have made affectionate pets. Puppies are regularly bred and sold at the Zoological Gardens. The animal has an elongated, flat head which is carried high; the fur is soft, and the tail bushy. In the wild state it is very muscular and fierce.
[Illustration: _Photo by Ottomar Anschütz, Berlin._
This photograph shows the most active climber of the two Himalayan bears.]
FOXES form a very well-marked group. They have very pointed muzzles, strong though slightly built bodies, very fine thick fur, often beautifully coloured and very valuable, bushy tails, pricked-up ears, and eyes with pupils which contract by day into a mere slit. They are quite distinct from dogs (although wolves are not), and will not interbreed, though stories are told to the contrary. The smell of a fox is disgusting to a dog, and quite sufficient to distinguish it.
[Illustration: _Photo by C. Reid_] [_Wishaw, N.B._
Fox cubs are born from March 25 till three weeks later, the time when young rabbits, their best food, are most numerous.]
If the present writer takes a simpler view of the kinds and species of foxes than that adopted by many naturalists, he must plead to a study of the subject on slightly different lines than those usually followed. The skins of all foxes are valuable, some more than others. But they are sent in hundreds of thousands, and from all parts of the northern hemisphere, to London to the great fur-sales. There these differences can be studied as they can be studied nowhere else. As the habits and structure of foxes are much alike, allowing for differences of climate, and the discrepancies in size, not more than can be accounted for by abundance or scarcity of food, it seems pretty certain that these animals are some of the few, almost alone among mammals, showing almost every variety of colouring, from black to white, from splendid chameleon-red to salmon-pink, and many exquisite shades of brown, grey, and silver. At the Hudson Bay Company's sales you may see them all, and trace the differences and gradations over whole continents. The most important are those of North America. There the RED CANADIAN FOX, of a ruddier hue than brown, shades off into the yellow and grey CROSS FOX of farther north. But of these there are many varieties. Then farther north still comes an area where red foxes, cross foxes, and black foxes are found. The black fox, when the fur is slightly sprinkled with white, is the famous SILVER FOX. This and the black fox are also found in North Siberia and Manchuria. Farthest north we find the little stunted ARCTIC FOXES. In the Caucasus and Central Asia large yellowish-red foxes live, and in Japan and China a very bright red variety. A small grey fox lives in Virginia, and is hunted with hounds descended from packs taken out before the American Revolution. India has its small DESERT-FOXES ("the little foxes that eat the grapes") and the BENGAL FOX.