THE ANTARCTIC WOLF 9 1 



mentioned ; the late Dr. Mivart, however, did not 

 associate it very closely with the Magellanic "fox," 

 though inclined to consider the South American 

 Canidse as forming a natural succession of true 

 species, a living link between culpeo and Antarctic 

 wolf. Huxley went a step further, for, having 

 separated the Cajiidce into two sections according to 

 their anatomical characters, he showed that the 

 teeth and skull of the Falkland animal indicated 

 considerable affinity with the true wolves. In 

 accordance therefore with this view the Cams 

 aiitarcticus ranks as a form separate from though 

 related to its congeners.^ 



Pennant may not have been so far wrong when he 

 said of the C. antarctiais, " it may be a wolf degen- 

 erated by climate," though he doubtless referred to 

 the wolves of the Old World as possible ancestors. 

 The naturalist, in substituting the term "modified" 

 for "degenerated," will in spirit subscribe to the 

 sug-orestion of Pennant. The antarcticus is indeed 

 remarkably like a small coyote or prairie wolf; 

 perhaps some may be inclined to rank it as an 

 insular race of that species. The prairie wolf 

 inhabits Central as well as North America, so that 

 if the antarcticus was really introduced by the 

 Spaniards they might easily have obtained it from 



1 It may here be mentioned that tlie culpeo sliow.s much external 

 resemblance to Azara's doji;. A dark-coloured specimen of each is to 

 be seen in the Natural History Museum at Soutli Kensington. Being 

 placed side by side the resemblance is striking. The antarcticus in the 

 collection is not at all like the culpeo in the same series. 



