CANIS AUREUS. 37 



If they be separated, then another question arises as to whether the 

 European Jackal is altogether distinct, or, if not distinct, whether it is 

 to be classed with the Indian or with the North-African Jackal. 



The specimen represented by our artist (Plate X.) came from 

 Northern India to the British Museum through Colonel Cobbe. 



Certainly the differences of coloration which exist between these 

 forms is not nearly so great as those which are to be found to occur 

 between the different local varieties of C. lupus. 



We are nevertheless inclined, for reasons which will be stated shortly, 

 to keep the North- African and Indian Jackals distinct ; but we only do 

 so provisionally, and freely recognize the full right of other naturalists 

 to take the opposite view. It is a mere question of probability, and a 

 very obscure one. The reasons why we prefer to keep them provision- 

 ally distinct is that though the difference between the two forms 

 (African and Indian) is slight as regards coloration, yet it appears to 

 be a very constant one. Out of seventeen skins of the Indian form, we 

 have only found one which is wanting in the main characteristic as to 

 difference of hue. The ears also are relatively shorter than in the 

 North-African form. 



But there is another character to which we attach greater weight. 

 However much the different races of Wolves differ in size, we have 

 not succeeded in finding any constant distinctive characters in the 

 form of the skull or the proportions of the lobes of any of the teeth. 

 So far as we have been able to observe, such differences do exist 

 between the Indian and the North-African Jackals, Should further 

 observations do away with this distinction as may very probably turn 

 out to be the case then, of course, the North- African form must be 

 united in one species with the Indian one, as we have already united 

 the Indian and American Wolves in one species with the European 

 Wolf. 



Having so determined, the next question i&, in which category shall 

 we rank the European Jackal ? 



The European form is found in Greece and Turkey r and as far west 

 as Dalmatia, nor can we doubt but that the Jackal of the Caucasus and 

 of Asia Minor is of the same species as that of European Turkey. 



