492 DR. J. E. GRAY ON THE CANID^. [JunC 25, 



Mr. Flower informs me that in the Museum of the College of 

 Surgeons there are several foetuses of Indian Elephants ; the smallest 

 is about double the size of the one here figured. In the same col- 

 lection is the foetus of a Rhinoceros oswel/ii of Africa, presented by 

 Messrs. Chapman and Bains, about 6 inches long. 



8. Notes on the Skulls of the Species of Dogs, Wolves, and 

 Foxes {Canidce) iu the Collection of the British Museum, 

 By Dr. J. E. Gkay, F.ll.S., V.P.Z.S., F.L.S., &c. 



The Dogs form a very natural group ; and it was early divided by 

 the community and naturalists into Dogs and Foxes, according to the 

 length of the tail and the sharpness of the face. More lately, as 

 more or less anomalous species have been discovered, as the Ilytena- 

 like Dog of Africa, the Raccoon Dog of China and Japan, the 

 Weasel-like Dog of Brazil, they and some other species have been 

 separated into genera. 



The Canidse have been separated by general consent into three 

 natural groups, according to the length and form of the tail, — the 

 Wolves having a short and straight tail, the Dogs a more or less 

 elongated tail bent to the left and more or less curled, the Foxes an 

 elongated bushy tail. In South America there is found a group 

 with skulls like Wolves but with long slender tail, which may be 

 called long-tailed Wolves. There is no doubt that the form of the 

 tail affords very permanent characters and has considerable influence 

 on the habits of the animal. 



Dr. Burmeister has studied the skulls of the group ; and he 

 divides the family, according to the form of the postorbital process, 

 into two tribes, thus : — 



I. LxjpiNvE. Postorbital process of the frontal bone very convex, 

 and curved downwards, without any depression in the upper surface. 

 To this group he refers Canis with a short, Li/calopex aud Pseuda- 

 lopex with an elongated tail. The skull in this group is generally 

 thick and solid. 



II. Vulpine. Postorbital process of the frontal bone spread out, 

 bent a little forward, the front edge turned up, with a longitudinal 

 shallow pit or indentation on the upper surface at the base. This 

 division includes the genera Vulpes and Urocyon. The skulls of this 

 section are elongated, slender, thin, and light. The habit of the ani- 

 mal is generally nocturnal, and the pupil of the eye cllijttical erect. 



The form of the contracted pupil of the eye has yet to be ob- 

 served in a large number of the species. 



Mr. Bartlett, in reply to my inquiry, states that " the females of 

 the Long- eared Fox, the Arctic, and the Common Fox have oblong 

 erect pupils, the Black-backed and Common Jackals have rouud 

 pupils like the Wolf and Dog."— March 28, 18()8. 



Mr. Bryan Hodgson, in his collection of Drawings of Ne])alese 



