“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.
Length from nose to root of tail 24 0
to base of ear 0 4¾
of tail (hair included) 10 0
of ear 2 3½
Height of body at the shoulders 10 6