496 



CARNIVORES. 



known to need more than passing mention. It belongs to a group which includes 

 the other wolves, the jackals, and the domestic dogs ; all the wild species of which 

 are characterised by their powerful teeth, the moderate brush formed by the tail 

 (in which the hair is longer than that of the body), and by the pu2>il of the eye 

 being round. Moreover, in the skull of all these animals the bony projection 

 forming the hinder boi'der of the socket of the eye is regularly curved downwards 

 and has a convex upper surface ; whereas in a fox the same j^rocess is hollow above, 

 and has a more or less marked tendency to curve upwards behind. 



THE WOLF (J uat. size). 



With the exception of the Antarctic wolf of the Falkland Islands, true wolves 

 are restricted to the northern hemisphere, being unknown both in Africa and South 

 America. The European wolf measures about 3i feet in length, exclusive of the 

 tail, and is characterised by having a woollj- under-fur of a slaty -brown colour. 

 The prevailing hue of the fur is tj-pically of a nifous or yellowish-grey above, 

 which may be more or less mingled with black ; while the under-parts are whitisL 

 The tail, which is considerably less than half the length of the head and body, may 

 be tipped with black. From this ordinary type of coloration there ma}- be varia- 



