CANIS LUPUS. 13 



very pale variety from the far North. Along the middle of the back 

 this specimen has its long light hairs dark towards their roots. 



Thus in both luniisi)hercs we may meet with red, or grey, or black, 

 or white wolves, as well as wolves of very sturdy, or of slender build, 

 and either with long and woolly, or very short fur. Moreover, a great 

 number of intermediate varieties exist, so that species must be greatly 

 multiplied, without any really distinctive characters ; or else all these 

 forms must be taken to be (as we take them to be) but local or climatic 

 varieties of one and the same species. On this account we have, in 

 our list of synonyms, united under the one head, Canis lupus, the 

 great number of different names therein cited. 



The American AVolf ranges from Mexico to the North of Canada, 

 and to Greenland *. 



There now remains but one form to consider, which is the variety, 

 or species, named by Tennninck Canis hodophylax, which he tells us is 

 called " Jamainu " by the natives. It is said to inhabit woody and 

 mountainous parts of Japan, where it liunts in small troops or families. 

 and is greatly dreaded by the Japanese, who even consider its flesh 

 unwholesome to eat. 



As to its specific distinctness, Temminck admits that it is very like 

 the Common Wolf, but asserts it to differ therefrom not only by its 

 smaller size, but also, and above all, by the shortness of its legs. 

 Nevertheless, we have seen undoubted specimens of C. (iipiis with legs 

 as short as. those of the animal represented in Temminck's plate. 



Prof. D. Braunsf, however, considers the variety a distinct species, 

 and his figure, which we here reproduce (fig. 17, p. 14), does show 

 limbs which are relatively short, but the tail is hardly so, although he 

 makes its shortness a distinctive character as well as the greater 

 eloncration of the muzzle. But he remarks : " There can be no doubt 

 as to the existence of only one kind of wolf in Japan." 



* See a letter from Dr. Kobert Erown in the Arm. of ^'at. Hist. 4th series, vol. vii. 

 (1871), p. 05. 



t See ' The Chrysanthemum,' vol. i. (18S1), p. 66. 



