766 ON THE CECUM OF THE RED "WOLF. [Dec. 16, 



1. On the Csecum of the Red Wolf (Canis jubatas, Desm.). 

 By W. H. Flower, LL.D., F.R.S., P.Z.S. 



[Eeceived November 11, 1879.] 



A simple cylindrical caecum, closely folded several times upon 

 itself, was formerly supposed to be a characteristic of the Canidae, 

 as all the species which had been dissected up to 1873 agreed 

 generally in the form of this organ. The numerous opportunities 

 of dissecting members of the group which have occurred at the 

 Society's Gardens, have, however, afforded our late Prosector the 

 means of demonstrating that the generalization had been made upon 

 too narrow a basis. 



Csecura of the Red Wolf {Canis juba(us); half the size of nature. 

 Cm. Caecum. C. Colon, i. Ilium. 



The first exception discovered was the South-American Canis 

 cancrivorus (P.Z.S. 18/3, p. 748), which has a comparatively 

 short caecum with only a slight curve ; and in communicating the 

 observation, Mr. Garrod remarked that it would be interesting to 

 know whether the other South- American Canidae agree with C. can- 

 crivorus in the simplicity and shortness of their caeca. 



In a subsequent communication (P. Z. S. 1878, p. 373) Mr. Garrod 

 reverted to the subject, and showed that, of the various species he 

 had dissected, Nyctereutes procyonides (from North-east Asia) alone 

 agreed with Canis cancrivorus in having a nearly straight caecum, 

 while C. laniyer, C. lagopvs, C. anthus, C.fuhus, C. antarcticus, C. 

 azarce, Otocyon lalandi, aud Lycaon pictus conform with the type 

 of Canis familiaris, and C. aureus and C. famelicus have the organ 



