81 



THE STRIPED-TAILED DOG. 



CJNIS UROSTICTUS. 



Canis tirosticius, Mivart, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1890, p. 113. 



In the British Museum there is a skin from Brazil, and also the skull 

 extracted from it*. We deem this form so romarkahle from its dentition 

 as to need a distinct notice. It most nearly approaches C.jjarvidt'ns, but 

 not only the hue of its pelage differs greatly from the latter, but it has a 

 very distinct mark in the form of a deep black stripe along the middle 

 two fifths of the dorsum of its tail. Nothing is known about the sex 

 of the specimen or the exact locality where it was derived, but it was 

 obtained in 1S44. This type we have had figured in Plate XIX., and 

 its skull f in our woodcuts figs. 31 -.'33. 



The general colour is rufous-ochre, washed with black and white. 

 The hairs of the back are dusky at the base, then ochre, and then 

 white, becoming black towards the tips. The sides of the head and 

 the outsides of the ears are more rufous than the back. The limbs, 

 especially towards the heels, are rufous, and there is a dark mark in 

 front of each wrist. The underp.irts and the inner sides of the thighs 

 arc also rufous, but rather lighter, while the throat is whitish, the 

 under surface of the lower jaw being blackish ; a darker shade inter- 

 poses between the whitish throat and the light rufous of the ventral 

 part of the body. The lips are not white, and no distinct mark is 

 visible between the eye and the nose. The inner sides of the fore 

 limbs have a slight rufous tinge. The hairs of the head are like 

 those of the back, but shorter. The hairs of the tail are mostly 

 dusky towards the root, and then of an ochre colour. Towards 



• Skin No. 44. 3. 7. 4. t No. of skull 1033 e. 



M 



