Manchester Memoirs, Vol. xlviii. (1904), No. 1^3. 45 



also at Darwin. Once when taking shelter behind a 

 massive rock, near Stanley, from a passing hailstorm, 

 towards the end of March, I certainly observed a species 

 of Martin fly past me. This was the only occasion I ever 

 saw one of this family on these islands. 



MAMMALIA. 



When I left Stanley for the West Falklands, I felt 

 fairly confident that although I should not see a living 

 specimen of that unique mammal the Falkland Island 

 Wolf {Canis antarcticiis), at least I might be able to 

 examine some of its burrows, and perhaps be lucky 

 enough to procure a more or less complete skeleton. 

 Shortly after my arrival at Roy Cove, I found to my 

 regret that this quadruped was not only extinct, but not 

 even a trace of its burrows or skeletons could be found 

 anywhere ; so I had to content myself with collecting all 

 the information possible concerning its habits from those 

 who had succeeded only too well in eradicating so 

 interesting a creature. In general the description of this 

 species, as given by the earlier voyagers, from Dom 

 Pernetty to Darwin, appears to have been fairly accurate. 

 These animals seem to have been ' about ' twice the size 

 of our English fox and to resemble it in general appear- 

 ance ; and although very fierce looking, they were 

 singularly inoffensive, but most inquisitive. The state- 

 ment made by Darwin {loc. cit.) that according to 

 Mr. Lowe ..." all the foxes from the western island 

 were smaller and of a redder colour than those 

 from the Eastern, ..." is explained by my 

 friend Mr. William Stickney in the following manner : — 

 " This difference in the colour of the foxes is simply 

 due to age. The old foxes were invariably of a 



