208 



DOMESTICATED ANIMALS AND PLANTS 



coyote of the prairie and often with a dash of blood of the 

 timber wolf to give energy and ferocity (see Fig. 3). 



A very doglike wild animal is the fox, which, however, 

 is not commonly regarded as one of the immediate progeni- 

 tors of the common dog on account of structural differences 

 in the skull and the more significant fact that the pupil of 



Fig. 35. The dingo, or wild dog of Australia; nearer the domestic dog than 

 any other existing wild species 



his eye is elliptical, whereas it is round in the wolf, the jackal, 

 and the dog. 



These slight structural differences, however, are counting for 

 less than formerly in tracing relationships, and the fact that cer- 

 tain South American wolves are very foxlike, as are some of our 

 dogs, leads us to be careful in denying the fox even remote 

 connection with our domesticated races. 



