] 1 7(3 Report of Curator, Zoological Department . [Nov 



Report of Curator, Zoological Department, for Septamber 1847. 



The following specimens have been received since the last meeting of the 

 Society. 



1. From Lieut. Strachey, 66th N. I. A package containing three skins 

 of Tibetan animals, that had been long overdue, having been lying for some 

 months in the premises of a mercantile firm in Calcutta. Under such 

 circumstances, it is rare that skins of animals escape becoming utterly ruined 

 by insects ; but the present instance affords an exception to this very general 

 rule, as the specimens are as free from injury as when they were packed. 

 They are as follow : — 



An imperfect skin of a blackish or melanoicl variety of the Tibetan Wolf, 

 designated Lupus laniger by Mr. Hodgson. Together with it, and in illus- 

 tration, I exhibit an equally black Jackal, presented to the Society some time 

 ago by W. Seton Carr, Esq. ; and we have another common Jackal of a light 

 rufous sandy colour, which variety is not very rare in the neighbourhood of 

 Calcutta, upon the opposite side of the river only. The dark Wolf-skin has 

 the head imperfect, and is mutilated of the paws and brush ; but the muzzle 

 and ears are present, sufficing to remove any doubt that might have arisen 

 otherwise respecting the identification of the skin as that of a Wolf. It is 

 a particularly beautiful specimen, or would have been so if perfect. The 

 melanism consists in the much greater admixture of black than usual in the 

 fur, giving the predominant tone of colour ; the whitish being most apparent 

 on the sides of the body. The ears are wholly black ; the face and limbs 

 chiefly so, or suffused throughout with fuscous, having a few whitish hairs 

 intermixed ; and there is a conspicuous ridge of lengthened black hair along 

 the spine, much developed posterior to the shoulders, — the same hair as is 

 found in all other Wolves, but appearing in them whitish with black tips 

 only. A corresponding dark variety of the European Wolf was denominated 

 Canis lycaon by Linnaeus : and such variation of colour is less unusual in the 

 Wolves of Arctic America. 



For comparison, I also exhibit three fine stuffed specimens of Tibetan 

 Wolves in their normal colouring, and a particularly fine stuffed specimen of 

 a European Wolf, from Norway. An Indian Wolf I have never yet been 

 fortunate enough to procure for the Society, though so common on the 

 plains of Hindustan. According to Mr. Hodgson, the Tibetan race " has 

 the general form of the European Wolf ; but its colour is very different, and 

 it has more elevated brows, larger ears, and a much fuller brush. Its pelage 

 is also dissimilar and unique/' On comparison of the Society's specimens, 

 it will be seen that the brush of the European Wolf is fully as fine as (if not 



