210 Natural History of the TVoI/l 



The under parts are dull white. 



Nostrils black ; from the nose towards the eyes, reddish yellow. Th& 

 outer surface of the ears, and ontsides of hind legs, from the hip to the knee- 

 Joint, are also reddish yellow. The whiskers are black. 



Dimensions. 



Feet. Inches^ 



TiCngth from point of nose to root of tail 4 



Length of tail, (vertebrse) 1 1 



Length of tail to end of hair 1 5 



Heidit of ear 4 



Breadth of ear 3 



From nose to end of slmll ll}^ 



From the eye to point of nose 5 



Shoulder to longest nail 2 4 



Longest upper canine tooth If^ 



Length of the hair on the back, 3 to 4 inches." ■* 



The above are the dimensions and description of a Grey "Wolf, and so 

 iar as form and dimensions are concerned, they apply nearly to the other- 

 varieties. The wolves of America are classified as follows : — 



1. Cams [lupus,) griseus. — The Grey ^\''olf, characters as above. 



2. Canis [lupus,] ater. — The Black American Wolf, size and shape of 

 grey wolf, but black. 



3. Ca7iis [lupus,) albums. — The "Wliite American Wolf, size and shape- 

 of the grey wolf, fur over the whole body of a yellowish white colour, with a 

 slight tinge of grey on the nose. 



4. Canis [lupus,) rufus. — The Eed Texan Wolf, shape of the common 

 gtey wolf, but color varied with red and black above, lighter beneath ; end 

 of tail black. Most common in Texas. 



5. Canis latrans. — ^The Barking or Prarie Wolf, intermediate m size 

 between the grey wolf and the common fox ; greyish, varied with black, with 

 a sti-aight bushy tail. Inhabits the western prarie&. 



The last is considered, we believe, decidedly a distinct species, but the 

 other four are thought, to be all only varieties of the same. The genus 

 ( Canis) is remarkable for the endless differences in size and form of the 

 animals classified within it, as may be witnessed in the domestic species. — 

 (Canis familiaris,) which a&ords permanent races of every size, from three 

 inches in height and four inches long, to four feet in height and six feet long. 

 Neither does this difference consist in size alone, but in the form and propor- 

 tion of the parts. There is more difierence in form between the head of a 

 bulWog and a grey-hound, than there is between that of the bull-dog and 

 lien. Yet all the domesticated dogs are at present regarded by many good 

 naturalists as descended from the same stock. The variety of characters 

 among the wild dogs are also great in the same species, but not so great a& 

 among those subjected by man. 



* Audubon & Baclunan, rol, 2, page 2S0, 



