Argentine fox, 19th century

Argentine fox, 19th-century illustration. This wolf-like canid, from the pampas region of Argentina, is here classified as Canis azaroe. Modern classifications place this animal in the genus Lycalopex, with two species in this range: the South American gray fox (Lycalopex griseus) and the pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus). This illustration is Plate 7 from the 1839 volume on mammals ('Part II: Mammalia') that forms part of the multi-volume work 'The Zoology of the Voyage of HMS Beagle'. This work described the animals collected and observed by the British naturalist Charles Darwin during the survey voyage of HMS Beagle during the years 1832 to 1836. This expedition established Darwin's reputation as a naturalist. 'The Zoology of the Voyage of HMS Beagle' was edited by Darwin and published between 1838 and 1843. The volume on mammals was written by British naturalist George Robert Waterhouse.