Game Animals of India, etc. 



some degree intermediate between true wolves and 

 jackals. In point of size it is larger than the Indian 

 jackal {Can is aureus), but in this respect very similar 

 to the large Egyptian jackal (Canis lup aster). Between 

 the skulls of the latter and that of the Indian wolf 

 there is in fact no practical difference in point of size, 

 although the Indian animal is distinguishable by its 

 larger and heavier teeth, the difference being especially 

 noticeable in the case of the upper carnassial, or flesh- 

 tooth. 



In addition to being smaller than the European 

 species, the Indian wolf is also slighter in build, with 

 little or no woolly under-fur. In length the head and 

 body are about 3 feet, against 3^ feet in the European 

 species. The general colour of the fur is greyish 

 fulvous, usually showing a more or less distinct tinge 

 of brown, and in some instances mingled with black on 

 the back. Although it has been stated that rufous- 

 coloured skins have been seen, all the specimens in 

 the British Museum are browner than those of the 

 European wolf, and of an earthy-grey colour, and it is 

 not improbable that the rufous-coloured skins assigned 

 to the present species were really referable to the latter 

 animal. On the back the tips of all the hairs are black, 

 and near the skin coarser white hairs are mingled with 

 the ordinary fine brown fur. As a rule, the hairs on 

 the tail are black-tipped, and the fur of the under 

 surface of the body is dirty white. Cubs are sooty 

 brown in colour, with a conspicuous spot of white in 

 the centre of the chest, which disappears in the course 

 of a few weeks, when a dark gorget, which like- 

 wise vanishes before the attainment of maturity, is 

 developed. 



The typical locality for the Indian wolf is the plateau 

 of the Deccan, from which locality it was first described 

 by Colonel Sykes in 1831. From the Deccan it ranges 

 over a considerable portion of the Indian Peninsula, 

 although not extending into the foot -ranges of the 



358 



