WOLF-LIKE FOX. 249 



offspring. Of" the latter I now possess a specimen, 

 and it is marked about the head differently from 

 the French specific description. This circum- 

 stance shows how cautious naturalists should be in 

 making species ; for even Cuvier, on looking at the 

 skull of one of these rabbits, thought it was proba- 

 bly distinct ! 



The only quadruped native to the island* is a 

 large wolf-like fox (Canis antarcticus), which is 

 common to both East and West Falkland. I have 

 no doubt it is a peculiar species, and confined to 

 this archipelago ; because many sealers, Gauchos, 

 and Indians, who have visited these islands, all main- 

 tain that no such animal is found in any part of 

 South America. INIolina, from a similarity in hab- 

 its, thought that this was the same with his " cul- 

 peu;"t but I have seen both, and they are quite 

 distinct. These wolves ai-e well known, from 

 Byron's account of their tameness and curiosity, 

 which the sailors, who ran into the water to avoid 

 tfiem, mistook for fierceness. To this day their 

 manners remain the same. They have been ob- 

 served to enter a tent, and actually pull some meat 

 from beneath the head of a sleeping seaman. The 

 Gauchos also have frequently in the evening killed 

 them, by holding out a piece of meat in one hand, 

 and in the other a knife ready to stick them. As 

 far as I am aware, there is no other instance in any 

 part of the world of so small a mass of broken 

 land, distant from a continent, possessing so large 

 an aboriginal quadruped peculiar to itself. Their 



* I have reason, however, to suspect that there is a field-mouse. 

 The common European rat and mouse have roamed far from the 

 habitations of the settlers. The common hog has also run wild 

 on one islet : all are of a black colour : the boars are very fierce, 

 and liave great tusks. 



t The " culpeu" is the Canis Magellanicus brought home by 

 Captain King from the Strait of Magellan. It is common in Chile. 



