74 BULLETIN NO. VII. 



The adult female is about three feet long. The following 

 measurements may be accepted as characteristic: 



Length, 3 ft. ; head and body, 2 ft. 6 in. ; tail, 6 in. ; fore foot 

 to callosity, 3.75; hind foot, 6.75; nose to corner of eye, 1.50; 

 nose to ear opening, 4.50; nose to occiput,5.37; breadth of head, 

 425. 



The base of the fur is tawny black, the middle buffy yellow, 

 terminal portion white, or white followed by longer or shorter 

 black band. Ear tips black, pencil well developed. Below the 

 terminal white portion is long, concealing the others. Thighs 

 externally spotted and lighter, obscurely barred within. The 

 upper arm is slightly barred externally, while internally there 

 are several wide black bars. In the middle of the back the 

 whole base of fur is black, the tips only being white. The tail 

 is tipped with white. The ruff is moderately long and is com- 

 posed of rather stiff harsh hairs. The above description ap- 

 plies to the winter pelage. As early as February the whole 

 skin takes on the rufous tint before nearly confined to the 

 flanks. In spring specimens, the base of the fur was pale Van- 

 dyke brown. In the yearling the head is of nearly the same 

 size as the adult. The color seems independent of sex. 



During severe weather the wild cat is often forced to feed 

 upon the porcupine, and it is of no infrequent occurrence that 

 she pays for her timerity with her life . I have several times 

 secured them with the head and throat filled with the spines, 

 rendering the animals helpless. Such specimens were invari- 

 ably very poor and emaciated. 



FAMILY CANID^. 



The dog family, although brought into closer relations with 

 the cat group, through the hyenas, is remarkable for rigid ad- 

 herence to one type of structure and general habitus. The 

 group, although a closed one, shows the most intimate connec- 

 tion between most, if not all, of its species. 



Six genera are recognized, of which the largest is Canis or 

 that containing the dogs and wolves, the latter forming the 

 subgenus Lupus, while the foxes constitute the genus Vulpes 

 The domestic dog furnishes a familiar and sufficient illustration 

 of the external characters of the family. 



The body varies in form, but is neither adapted to aquatic 

 nor arboreal life, and the rather long, straight legs show the 

 method of progression to be running simply. The head is 



