1845.] Rough Notes on the Zoology of Candahar. 345 



No. 11. Vulpes bengalensis. Is common in Cutchee, where, pre- 

 vious to the advance of our army from Shikarpore, I have coursed 

 them with my friend Major Leech, late Political Agent at Candahar. 

 It does not appear to pass the mountains into Afghanistan, or at least 

 I neither saw nor heard of it. " Loomree" of India. 12 



No. 12. Canis lupus. — Wolves are common in the lower part of 

 the Bhawulpore country, and likewise around Candahar. The dimen- 

 sions of one from the latter place are thus: — Length, over all, four feet 

 eight inches; height at the shoulder two feet three inches. The female 

 is still larger. It appears to be the common Wolf of India. A pair 

 of these animals crossed my path one morning in Scindh : they were 

 going along at a smart hand-gallop, the largest, or female, leading. 

 " Bheyriah" of India. 13 



No. 13. Hycena vulgaris. — This animal is common in Afghanistan. 

 Length to insertion of tail three feet three inches and a half ; tail fif- 

 teen inches, equalling four feet eight inches and a half. This was a 

 female, and apparently not full grown. I had an opportunity of com- 

 paring this specimen with a male from Neemuch, which my friend 

 Dr. Baddeley reared from a cub, and took with him to Candahar. 

 There was no perceptible difference except in size, the Neemuch spe- 

 cimen being the largest. Dr. Baddeley and one native servant were 



vescent, with dark patch before each eye : and the tail very bushy, a little fulves- 

 cent, and white-tipped. In summer dress, the long hairs have more or less disappear- 

 ed ; and, in a male before me, the inner fur is considerably deeper-coloured than in 

 Capt. Button's female. A third specimen was received from Almorah, but the skin 

 had doubtless been carried to the great Hurdwar fair. As a species, it is very distinct 

 from the Himalayan Fox, and also from another, nearly allied to the latter, from Chi- 

 nese Tartary, described in J. A. S. XI, 589.— Cur. As. Soc. 



12. Mr. Elliot remarks of the Foxes of the Southern Mahratta country, that — " It is 

 remarkable that though the brush is generally tipt with black, a white one is occa- 

 sionally found, while in other parts of India, as in Cutch, the tip is always white." In 

 Bengal it is invariably black. This animal is identified by Mr. Ogilby with the Canis 

 corsac, Pallas, and certainly it agrees with the description of the latter, despite the 

 great difference of habitat.— Cur. As. Soc. 



13. I believe Mr. Elliot to be right in identifying the Indian Wolf, Canis pallipes 

 of Sykes, with the true C. lupus, which certainly runs into varieties in the wild state, 

 not only according to climate, but even in the same locality. Those of Chinese Tartary 

 are very pale fulvescent, and are densely clad with matted wool during the winter: — 

 absolutely Wolves in Sheep's clothing. Two specimens of the latter are in the So- 

 ciety's collection. — Cur, As. Soc. 



3 c 



