1890.] SOUTH-AMERICAN CANIDjE. 99 



Mr. Oldfield Thomas) have very strongly impressed me with the 

 necessity which there is of examining a series of specimens of any 

 asserted species in order to arrive at any certainty as to its specific 

 distinctness. 



The species I propose to refer to here are those which are more 

 or less allied to or identical with the form named by Prince Wied 

 Cams azarce. 



(1) As to Canis azarce itself, the original description of Wied 

 (Beitriige, vol. ii. p. 338, 1826) describes it as a yellowish-grey 

 animal, with the back and upper parts blackish and a blackish stripe 

 in front of the belly ; the margins of the lips white ; dark greyish 

 brown under the jaws ; shoulders and thighs rather grey ; sides of 

 the neck and outside of the legs light reddish yellow, outside of the 

 ears yellowish grey-brown. 



In the Prince's volume of plates there is a fairly good, coloured 

 figure of the animal. 



The specimen brought back by Mr. Darwin was described by 

 Mr. "Waterhouse (Zoology of H.M.S. ' Beagle,' p. 14, plate vii.), 

 and determined to be the true G. azarcB of Wied. He says in a note, 

 " I am indebted to Mr. Ogilby, who visited the Prince's collection, 

 for a description from the specimens of C. azarce therein preserved." 

 The figures given by Waterhouse and Wied are much alike. I think 

 we may regard the determination of our careful and accurate compatriot 

 as a probably correct one. 



The specimen thus determined is now in the British Museum 

 (No. 5.5. 12. 24. 238) and came from Chile. Its skull is still within 

 the skin. There are, however, five other skulls, one of which (817 6) 

 is from a stuffed specimen in the collection. They are remarkably 

 similar as to dentition. I find that the mean length of P- 4 in these 

 is 1-22, while that of M.l+M.2is 1-38, or as 100: 113. 



The sagittal ridge varies much as to development and the form, 

 the breadth, and the length of the raised flattened portion between the 

 temporal ridges. 



The length of the fourth upper premolar and the two molars 

 behind it are as follows in the five skulls : — 



(2) Canis fulvipes reposes on a description (P. Z. S. 1837, p. 1 1) 

 by my deceased friend Mr. Martin. He describes it as " hoarv 

 mixed with black, the latter being more decided down the top of the 

 back ; the head fulvous, grizzled with hoary ; edges of lips white 

 ears chestnut-brown ; outside of limbs dusky black, freckled with 

 lulvous ; a dark mark above tarsal joint ; tarsi and toes fulvous 

 rown ; underparts dirty white," &c. 



