AMERICAN WOLF. 69 



very considerable size, especially those from the 

 Churchill and Esquimaux Bay districts of the Hudson's 

 Bay Company ; from the first-named districts the white 

 variety, and those with the hair almost white, are most 

 abundant : the exposed situation and extreme tempera- 

 ture undoubtedly produces these effects, and corresponds 

 with the colour produced in the Arctic Fox. A similar 

 conclusion is to be drawn from the blue or dusky variety 

 of the Wolf, which is most abundant in the E. B. dis- 

 trict. Black and pied animals are also found, but the 

 grey is the prevailing colour of this animal. Fawn- 

 coloured specimens are extremely rare. 



The large White Wolves which a few years ago were 

 abundant in the States, going about in troops of 50 

 to 60, seem to have disappeared with the Buffalo. 



The fur of the Wolf from the Northern ports is long 

 and rather silky ; skins from these parts are of good 

 quality, and consequently very valuable. The blue and 

 white skins are exceptionally handsome ; the hair 

 between the shoulders is longer and coarser. 



The ears of the American Wolf are about 4 inches long, 

 and dark in colour, and usually protected by the dense 

 fur with which they are surrounded. The legs of grey 

 animals are white and grey, with short stubbly hair ; the 

 tail is full, about 18 to 24 inches long, and tipped with 

 black hair ; the whiskers are sparse, and usually black. 



The fur of the Alaska animal is coarse. According to 

 Elliott, the Wolf is not found farther in the Aleutian 

 Islands than Oomniak. 



Dr. Kichardson, p. 62 " Northern Zoology," says : 

 " I do not mean to assert that the differences existing 

 between it and its European congener are sufficiently 

 permanent to constitute them, in the eye of the natur- 

 alist, distinct species. The same kind of differences 



