INTKODUCTIOX. iii 



to divide them amongst, more tlian five, and for even those five geneva 

 only small distinctive characters can be assigned. 



The whole of the Cauida are either much like the Common Wol f or 



the Connnon Fox, though with much divergence as to size. The legs 



may be somewhat lo n ger or shorter, and the tail may be shorter tlia n 

 tlic_AYol f's, though it is never longer than is the Fox's " brush." The 

 cars are occasionally very large, though always erect in undomesti - 

 catcd Forms. The coloration genera lly varies f rom^ grey to yellowis h or 

 re ddish brown. T he ])nck, the u pper surface of the head, and som e 

 parts of the limljs arc mostly darker than the flanks. The underparts 

 arc almost alwayspaler o r even white, and the tips and inner margin s 

 of t he ears are also o ften whifp, ^vhilfi ^'^^ pvtpmnl nspprt. o f thft ears i s 

 somet i mes characteristic ally nolourRd. Jrcqncntly a dark mark occu rs 

 between the eye and the tip of the nose, and on th e dorsum of the tail not 

 farfromlts root-;- wli ile the en d otJJie taiTis often either wh i te or black. 

 But stripes or patches of dark or light colour are mostly rather ill- 

 detinLd, though they may be distinctly marked. With the single 

 exception, however, of the Hytcna Dog {Li/caon pictus) no canine species 

 presents varied markings comparable with those found amongst the Cats 

 {FeliJce) or Civets ( Viverridee). 



The coloration of each species i s subj ect to much individual variation , 

 eyenjiparLjVoni tho se seasonal changes which seem to commonly oc cur. 

 The hairy coat is longer and more abundant in th e winter, and in ind i- 

 vuTiaaTs whichin habit cold nlQuntain-heightsT It is also generally pale r 

 in winter than in sum mer, and in one species, the A rcti c Fox (C. laff O: 

 pus), habituall y turns white durmg the coldest part of the year. Oc ca- 

 sionally other species (the Wolf and the Fox) have been found quite 

 white ; ^hile an opposite tendency to blackness ("melanism") a ftects 

 various individ uals, and black __wolyea havR been fou nd in both hemi- 

 sphcres. 



Tncoiistancy of hue is favoured by the varied coloration of thcjndi- 



vidual hairs whicTriiTagcirp l7ie~coatrand which ditter in dd'erent^arT s 



of tl ic bodyjmdTn different s^ons of the year. There may or ma y 



not also be a soft woolly undcrfurbenea th and amongst the long hairs 



which make up the externally visible coat. 



" b2 



