148 ' [Feb. 



light upon a point in the Natural History of the wolves of North America, which has 

 heretofoie been involved in obscurity. Before the description of the Lupus Gigas 

 of North America, by Dr. Townsend, all the varieties of wolves in this country 

 were referred by naturalists to two species, the Lupus occidentalis or common wolf, 

 and the Lupus latrans, or prairie wolf. Sir John Richardson was the first who un- 

 equivocally described the wolves of North America, as distinct from the European 

 or Pyrenean wolf. The great majority of naturalists who have noticed the wolves 

 of this continent, ineluding Grey, Agassiz, De Kay, &c., agree with him in con- 

 sidering them as entirely distinct species from the wolves of the Eastern Conti- 

 nent.* With the exception of the " large brown wolf," of Lewis and Clarke, 

 they all refer the American wolves of every variety to the two species named 

 Lupus occidentalis, and Lupus latrans. It was scarcely possible to reconcile 

 the various descriptions of the diH'erent wolves classed under the last of these. 

 Lupus latrans, as belonging to the same animal. The Lupus latrans of Say, 

 found on the Lpper Missouri and the Saskechawan,is classed by Richardsonf with 

 the Californian Ochropus, and the Mexican nigrirostis, (known also as the 

 Coyote.) He has given a figure of the Lupus latrans, which agrees exactly with 

 a specimen in the possession of the Aca(^en)y. 



The figure given by Audubon in his Quadrupeds of North America, Plate 71st, 

 does 7iot agree with Richardson's, or with the specimen above referred to, but does 

 agree very closely with the Canis frustror, in color, shape, &c. It is an excel- 

 lent drawing of the last mentioned animal. The Coyote of Mexico and Califor- 

 nia, has been, we believe, uniformly referred by naturalists to the Lupus latrans, 

 and the drawing of Audubon appears to have been made from it, considered as an 

 undoubted Prairie wolf. The figure of the Hare Indian dog of Richardsouj the 

 Canis familiaris lagopus, bears a very striking resemblance to the Lupus 

 latrans of Audubon, and the Canis frustror of Woodhouse. We are inclined 

 from the figure, measurements and description of the voice, to consider this dog 

 as the analogue among our domestic animals of the Canis frustror or Coyote, if 

 it be not the same animal merely domesticated. From the Canis frustror hunt- 

 ing so uniformly in packs of considerable numbers, as well as its size, it is more 

 nearly allied to the Jackal than the wolf. It is decidedly gregarious in its habits. 

 We hope that the Academy will soon possess good specimens of all the wolves 

 of this continent, so that a more strict comparison may be made, and this ques- 

 tion of species be definitely settled. At present we may consider the following 

 species as clearly established, viz: Lupus gigas. Lupus occidentalis, Lupus 

 latrans, and Canis frustror. 



On leave granted Mr. Vaux, as Treasurer of the Publication Com- 

 mittee, presented the Annual Report, which was adopted. 



February llth. 



Dr, Morton, President, in the Chair. 



A letter was read from Dr. N. S. Jarvis, addressed to Dr. Morton, 

 dated Fort Brown, Texas, Jan. 10, 1851, in answer to some enquiries by 



* Report of the British Association for 1836. 

 f Fauna Boreali Americana. 



