114 U. S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS ZOOLOGY GENERAL REPORT. 



in its entire osteological characteristics, or rather may be said to replace the jackals of the old 

 world. 



In size, the prairie wolf, or coyote, considerably exceeds the North American foxes ; although 

 not much larger than the Canis magettanicus of Chile. The muzzle, as stated, is as long, 

 sharp pointed, and slender as in the red fox ; the eyes moderately approximated. The ears are 

 very large, triangular, erect, and coated with hair, except around the ineatus, where they are 

 nearly naked. The feet are moderately long and rather slender ; the pads on their under 

 surfaces large, naked, and black ; five in number ; beneath the carpal joint is another projecting 

 naked callosity. There are but four digits to each foot ; there is, however, a sharp claw, about 

 two inches above the sole of the fore foot, placed on the inside, and attached to the rudiment of 

 the thumb. The tail is less than half the length of the head and body ; quite bushy, but 

 tapering to a rather attenuated tip. 



The hair on the body is coarse and not very dense ; there is an under fur, overlaid by straight 

 stiff hairs. 



The prevailing colors of this species are a dull, yellowish grey on the back and-sides, with a 

 clouding of black, caused by the tips of the hairs being of this color. The under fur is light 

 plumbeous at the base, the terminal and larger portion being pale rufous, lightest on the sides 

 and the anterior of the back. The long hairs themselves are whitish at the base, then black, 

 then yellowish white, and then again black ; the first annulus of black being longest, the 

 others of about the same length. The under parts generally, with the insides of the thighs and 

 axilla- are dirty white. The central upper line of the muzzle is somewhat like the back, except 

 towards the end, where it is dull rusty, as are the sides of the muzzle anterior to the eye. The 

 convexity of the ear and its basal region behind are yellowish rufous, somewhat mixed with 

 black points ; the exterior of the limbs strongly tinged with light rufous, sometimes being very 

 decidedly so ; there is, however, an occasional mixture of black hairs, which, on the inner por 

 tion of the anterior face, on the fore arm and thigh, are condensed into an obsolete line or 

 stripe. 



The tail resembles the corresponding regions of the back very much ; the base of the fur is, 

 however, darker, the tips less rufous, the long hairs less abruptly and distinctly annulated. 

 There is a larger proportion of black on the terminal hairs, producing a decided tip of this 

 color. A few entirely white hairs in the tips represent the white tuft of the foxes. 



The specimen just described (667) is from Bodega, California, and was killed in February ; 

 it agrees essentially with another, (No. 1389,) from San Francisco. A summer specimen from 

 Texas has a considerable proportion of yellowish rusty on the top of the head, and the whole of 

 the legs are uniformly of this color except on the inner surfaces, which are rusty white. The 

 anterior edge of the thigh lacks the dark line described, although that on the fore leg is quite 

 distinct. The ears are decidedly smaller. 



Dimensions of No. 667, (skin.) 



