348 Zoological Society. 



a genus of the cursorial or struthious order ; and that in deviating 

 from the type of this order it manifests a tendency in one direction, 

 as in the feet, to the gallinaceous order ; and in another, as in the 

 beak, to the Grallde ; but that it cannot, without violation of its na- 

 tural affinities, be classed with either." 



A living specimen of the Gymnotus electricus, from the Amazon, 

 was exhibited by Mr. Porter. 



September 11 th, 1838. — Lieut. Col. Sykes, in the Chair. 



Some notes were read by the Chairman upon three skins of digi- 

 tigrade carnivora, which were on the table for exhibition : one of 

 these was a beautiful skin of the Aguara Guazu of Azara, (Canis 

 juhatus, Desm.) and the other two, those of the Felis Pardina, Temm., 

 in an adult and nonadult state. Respecting the first of these Gol. 

 Sykes offered the following observations : 



" Azara in his preliminary notices of the two species of Canis, C. ju- 

 hatus and C. Azara, says, I prefer for the family the Spanish names 

 of Zorro or Fox to the Guaranese name Aguara, which also means 

 fox ; and he accordingly heads the notices with the words * Zorros 

 or Foxes.' The C. juhatus, measuring 5 feet to the tail, and the tail 

 of which is 19 inches, is certainly a Brobdignag Fox. I mention 

 this circumstance in illustration of the fact, that Azara, in his classi- 

 fication, appears to have overlooked analogies. And this remissness 

 I hope will authorize me, without the imputation of presumption, in 

 venturing upon the remarks I am about to make. 



" The skin I put before the Society is that of Azar?is Canis juhatus, 

 and as it and a fellow skin in my possession are the only specimens of 

 the kind in England (indeed I believe there are only two other speci- 

 mens in Europe, one in Paris, the other in Cadiz), and as it will most 

 probably have been seen but by few of the gentlemen'present, I shall 

 be happy to find that its exhibition is acceptable. Azara states that 

 the Canis juhatus has 6 incisors in the upper jaw, then on either 

 side of a vacant space follow 2 canines and 6 molar teeth, three of 

 which, however, look more like incisors than molars ; the lower jaw 

 is in all respects similar to the upper, except that the interval is 

 wanting between the canine teeth and the incisors, and there is one 

 additional molar tooth ; in other respects the form and general cha- 

 racter of these animals are those of the Dog ; they diflfer, however, 

 chiefly in being unsociahle and nocturnal. The tail is much thicker 

 and more hushy, and they never raise or curl it ; the hody and neck 

 are shorter and covered with longer fur ; the neck is also thicker ; the 

 hair too is thicker ; the eye is smaller, the face flatter ; the head 



