76 



THE SMALL-TOOTHED DOG. 



CAN18 PARYIDENS. 



Canis parvidens , Mivart, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1890, p. 108. 



Canis vetulus, Burmeister, Fauna Brasiliens, p. 37, plates 23, 28, & 29 



(1843); id. Uebersicht d. Thiere Brasil. p. 99 (1854); id. 



Reise d. d. La Plata, p. 407 (1861). 

 Canis fulvicaudus, Burmeister, Fauna Brasiliens, p. 40, plates 24, 28, & 



29; id. Reise d. d. La Plata, p. 407. 



BURMEISTER, in his work first above cited, describes a specimen in his 

 possession which he regards as identical with the C. vetulus of Lund, 

 which species (as we have before observed) he also identifies with the 

 C. azarts of Wied. But his description and his plates show that an 

 important distinction exists between what he calls C. vetulus and that 

 of Lund ; for its fourth upper premolar is extremely small, while its 

 two upper molars are relatively very large. ?if is to M> 1 + M - 2 as 100 

 is to 155. In Lund's C. vetulus the fourth upper premolar is large. 



Now although the proportions of the teeth in the Canidce are not 

 perfectly constant, they yet afford the best distinctive characters we 

 have, and much better ones than can be derived from differences in the 

 tints of the furry coat. 



Similar reasons render it impossible for the C. vetulus of Burmeister 

 to be the C. azara of Wied, and therefore the species requires a new 

 denomination. 



In the British Museum there are two skins and three skulls * from 



* Nos. 821 A, 821 B, and 821 c. The first skull (here figured) was extracted from 

 the skin No. 44. 3. 7. 3. 



