Feb., 1912. Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 315 



Remarks — Young pups of this species have the muzzle blackish at 

 birth, fading in a few weeks to grayish; head grayish, in decided 

 contrast to the black of the back, nose and ears; ears black at tip, 

 fading to grayish in a few weeks; tail black, fading to gray, the 

 tip black. 



There is much \^ariation in the color of Wolves from the same 

 locality,* and from lack of specimens from large areas for comparison 

 the distribution of the various supposed species cannot be definitely 

 determined at the present time. It is by no means improbable that if 

 a sufficiently large series could be assembled, those which occur in the 

 United States might ultimately be considered geographical races of 

 one species, i. e., Canis mexicanus Linn. From the material examined 

 I aiTi unable to decide whether or not the Wolf which occurs in Wiscon- 

 sin is separable from the Nebraska form. The skulls which I have seen 

 from Nebraska are somewhat larger than any from Wisconsin or Michi- 

 gan and have the postorbital processes of the frontal bone longer and 

 less abruptly decurved, and the zygomatic breadth is relatively and 

 actually greater. On the other hand a specimen from Kansas agrees, 

 very well with those from Wisconsin and it is not unlikely these cranial 

 differences may be due to age or sex. For the present at least it would 

 seem best to consider the form which occurs within our limits to be 

 Canis nubilns. 



CRANIAL MEASUREMENTS. 



(In millimeters) 

 Langlade ^trant^t K^"^^^' Ritw ^^""^y Kearney 



™SS. Ill "LT- " i^.'- SI'nS: ffttt 



N-30. "iifX- No.ui,,. ^M-3^ ^Mu._^ ^M„.^ 



Greatest length of skull 250 254 245 254 240 240 



Basal length 221 222 230 223 214 217 



Basilar length of Hensel .... 218 215 222 218 205 210 



Palatilar length 120 115 118 114 113 120 



Zygomatic breadth 127 129 122 137 133 137 



Mastoid breadth 81 78 77.5 80 78 80 



Greatest breadth of brain 



case 68 68 62 66 66 65 



Narrowest breadth of 



rostrum 45 42 45 45 46 45 



Interorbital breadth 43 49 43 52 46 46 



Breadth between ends of 



postorbital processes 53 68 53 70 60.4 65 



Length of crown of upper 



carnassial 25 23 25 23 24 25 



* While the majority of Florida Wolves (C. ater) were probably black, according- 

 to statements of my Indian friends, gray and brownish individuals were not un- 

 common. Robert Osceola killed a black Wolf with two black pups in the Big Cypress 

 near the Everglades and another black Wolf with three pups, two of which were 

 gray and one black, in the same locality. 



