1880.] DENTAL CHARACTERS OF THE CANID^. 273 



considerable range of variation, though probably less than a larger 

 series would show \ But, as they are, I must confess myself unable 

 to find any important break in the series of gradations of cranial and 

 dental structure between Oanis latrans and C. antarcticus, on the 

 one hand (see Table XIII.), and 0. latrans and C. occidentalis (Table 

 XV., VIII., IX., X.) on the other. Moreover, considering that only 

 two sets of measurements of C magellanicus are given, it is not 

 unreasonable to expect that, with a larger series of this form, all 

 the American Thooids, so far as their dental and cranial characters 

 are concerned, would be susceptible of arrangement in a continuous 

 series of almost imperceptible modifications. I may further remark 

 that I can discern no diiferencc of the slightest importance between 

 skulls of C latrans and those of some of our domestic Dogs'. 



Of the three skulls of Canis occidentalis (Table XV. Nos. viii., 

 IX., X.), No. X. is a very large typical Wolf-skull, nowise distiu- 

 e;uishable from the most characteristic examples of the Old-World 

 Wolves. Nos. VII. and viii., on the other hand, have teeth not at 

 all, or but little, larger than those of some specimens of 0. latrans, 

 from which they differ chiefly in the greater width of the palate and 

 total length of the skull. Moreover, in these skulls the facial line, 

 instead of being nearly straight or even slightly convex, as is usual 

 in Wolves, Jackals, and domestic Dogs of the Greyhound type, is as 

 concave as in the skulls of many Newfoundland Dogs and Mastiffs, 

 to which they present striking resemblances. 



If we now leave the New World for the Old, travelling westward, 

 it is a very interesting fact that in Japan, in the Amur basin, and 

 in North China we meet with a form of canine animal which has 

 been made the type of a distinct genus, Nyctereutes, but which is 

 essentially a low Thooid of the South-American type. This is the 

 Cains procTjonoides^, of the external characters, the skeleton, and 

 dentition of which a full account has been given by Schrenck 

 ('Eeisen und Forschuugen im Amurlaude,' Band i. 1858). 



Tabi^e XVI. — Cranial and Dental Measurements q/" Canis pro- 



cyonoides. 



I. n. III. IV. 



Totallength 11.5 107 96 



Length of palate 57 55 49 54 



Breadth „ 34 33-5 38 34 



^ BaircVs observations ('Eeport,' under Canis) point to an estraordiuary 

 amount of local variation in C. occidetitalis and C. latrans. 



^ The close resemblance of C. latrans to certain domestic Dogs of the Old 

 World has ah-eady been noted by Jeitteles and Cones. See the former writer's 

 excellent essay ' Die Stammvater unserer Hunde-Eassen,' 1877. 



^ The specific name appears to me to be as little applicable as the generic 

 distinction of "Nyctereutes" is justifiable. Beyond a superficial external re- 

 semblance, there is nothing of the Eaocoon about this animal. 



18* 



