1842.] Asiatic Society. 591 



The wild Canidce of India may, I suspect, be reduced to the following species : — 



Subgenus Cuon, Hodgson, vel Chryseus, H. Smith, perhaps comprising a plurality 

 of species, though actual comparison of specimens is necessary to establish these. 



" Upon the Himalaya," writes Mr. Ogilby, "the common Wild Dog, called simply 

 Junglee Coota in the plains, and Buansu in Nepal, [Colsun or] C. Dukhunensis of 

 Sykes, and C. primavesus of Hodgson), is only found in the lower regions, but is 

 replaced further up by two other wild species, likewise called Junglee Coota by 

 English sportsmen. Lieutenant Smith informs me, that one of these is larger and 

 the other smaller than the Junglee Coota of the plains, from which they both differ in 

 having shorter tails and a lighter or more ashy colour : both species ascend the hills 

 even to the snow-line ; they hunt in packs, and inhabit ravines, and rocky dells ; but 

 being excessively shy, are not very often seen. The Junglee Coota of the plains, in 

 other respects, does not appear to me to differ from the C. Sumatrensis of Hard- 

 wicke."* Zoological Appendix to Royle's Illustrations. 



Mr. Hodgson merely informs us, that ' ' the breed of Tibet is large, and of a pale Wolf- 

 like colour," but he only possessed skins of "very young animals;" and this would 

 seem to be the race observed by Moorcroft in his journey to Ladakh (Travels, I, 13), 

 and by him styled " Wolves." One of his party, in advance, disturbed a pack of them 

 in the act of pulling down a Surrow, and having put them to flight, and secured their 

 victim, "the Wolves kept prowling about us, and were not finally dispersed until 

 several shots had been fired at them. They were of a reddish colour, with long, lank 

 bodies, and bushy tails. The natives call them Khoa," spelt Qyo by Dr. Spry and 

 others, and Quihoein Johnson's < Indian Field Sports,' referring to the animal of Central 



fulvous ; of the sides whitish ; lead coloured at the base of the hairs. Cheeks, chin, throat, and 

 belly, white. Sides of the chest, inner sides of the legs, yellowish white. Upper part of the legs, 

 and anal region, bright reddish-fulvous. Tail cylindrical, reaching nearly to the ground, pale 

 yellow, with a dark brown tip, and a large tuft of rather rigid hairs (placed over a large gland 

 at its upper part near the base. Ears rather large acute, grey, and edged with black externally ; 

 internally, whitish. Length 23| inches, tail 10 inches. Specimen in British Museum." 



From the particular mention of the caudal gland, in addition to the hue of the tail, I am 

 really induced to suspect that this is, after all, no other than the Vulpes xanthura above referred 

 to ; for of the latter it is mentioned that " in describing this species, Mr. Gray remarked, that it 

 had a large gland, covered with rigid brown hair, on the upper part of the base of its tail, very 

 distinctly marked, and that on looking at the tail of the several other species of this genus, as 

 V. Bengalensis [Corsac], vulgaris, fulvus, and some others, a similar gland was easily recognisable, 

 though it appeared to have been hitherto overlooked." The same may be seen on the tail of a 

 Wolf or Jackal, as must, I should think, be familiar to most observers. 



Mr. Gray also described, on the same occasion, a " Canis procyonides (Raccoon-faced Dog). 

 Grey-brown, varied with black tips to the hairs. Cheeks and legs dark chocolate-brown. Tail 

 short, thick, pale brown, with white tips to the hairs. Ears rounded, hairy. Length of head 

 5£ inches ; body 17 inches ; tail 5 inches. Inhabits China. Specimen in British Museum." This 

 animal is figured in the " Illustrations of Indian Zoology" of Messrs. Hardwicke and Gray, where 

 undoubtedly it is made to look marvellously Raccoon-like. 



In the same work is also figured a " Dooab Fox" (V. rufescens), but, so far as can be judged 

 from the plates, it would not differ from the ordinary Corsul, unless in the total want of annula- 

 tion to the fur, which is not very probable. 



I republish these notices to aid the investigations of enquirers in this part of the world, and 

 in hope of preventing, as much as possible, a needless multiplication of synonyms. 



* In the latter author's description of the Sumatran wild Dog (Lin. Trans. XIII, 236), it is 

 remarked that "the resemblance between this animal and the wild Dog of the Ramghur hills, 

 called Quao, is strikingly close ; the colour of both is the same, the black bushy tail the same, 

 as also the form of the nose ; but the ears of the Sumatran Dog are more rounded." 



