THE ANTARCTIC WOLF 85 



with a wide distributional area and in little danger of 

 extermination ; in view of its relationship to the 

 C. antarcticus its sheep - killing propensities are 

 very interesting. 



Post cineres zloria sera venit. In view of its utter 

 extinction, now beyond a doubt accomplished, all 

 specimens of the Antarctic wolf have a melancholy 

 post morte77t interest. The following examples have 

 been obtained : — 



1. Young individual (sex unknown) taken in 1690 

 by Strong's men. Had this animal been preserved 

 it would have been interesting as the " type " speci- 

 men.^ Unfortunately, being terrified several months 

 afterwards at the firing of the vessel's big guns 

 (discharged for the first time since its capture), it 

 jumped overboard and was lost. 



2, 3. Two examples, examined by Buffon, probably 

 brought home by Bougainville in 1769. Buffon did 

 not recognise the value of the specimens, dismissing 

 them as reddish examples of the common fox : but 

 Bougainville seems to have noted their wolf-like 

 appearance, for he well styled the species *' loup- 

 renard." 



4. Specimen brought home by Commodore Byron 

 and described in 1792 by Pennant in his "History 

 of Quadrupeds." 



1 It niij^'ht, for example, have been preserved in tlie Asliniolean 

 Museum tlien maintained at Oxford : the British Museum of course was 

 not founded till 1753. 



