MAMMALIA. 71 
Hood, in Captain’ Franklin’s Narrative, records an instance in which a Black 
Wolf was shot, and three black whelps taken from her den. 
The Black Wolves differ in external appearance from the gray ones only in 
colour, and their haunts and habits are'precisely the same. Buffon, in his descrip- 
tion of a young Black Wolf from Canada, remarks that the ears were wider, further 
apart, and more pointed, than those of the European Wolf; the eyes smaller, and 
also further apart. The comparatively broad forehead, indicated by the greater 
distance between the ears and eyes, is, as I have already stated, common tovall 
the varieties of the Wolf of the northern parts of America. The French naturalist’s 
description of the behaviour of this Wolf, when turned out against a bull, is so 
characteristic, not only of the American Wolf, but also of the Indian dogs, when 
under the influence of fear, that I cannot resist quoting it at length :—“ Cet 
animal,” dit il, “avoit été pris fort jeane en Canada, et apporté en France 
par un Officier de Marine, qui le garda dans sa maison pendant quelque tems ; 
mais l’animal étant devenu féroce en grandissant, il fut mis au combat de taureau 
a Paris, ot il ne montra-pas beaucoup de courage lorsqu’on le fit entrer en lice 
mais dés que l’on approchoit de la loge ot: on le gardoit, il entroit en fureur, se 
jetoit brusquement en avant de toute la longueur de sa chaine, montroit les dents et 
aboyoit, non pas comme les chiens, mais seulement par des cris successifs et inter- 
rompus qu’il ne repetoit qu’aprés d’assez longs intervales.”’ 
I have frequently observed an Indian dog, after being worsted in combat, retreat 
into a corner, and how] at intervals for an hour together. They also how! piteously 
when apprehensive of punishment, and throw themselves into attitudes strongly 
resembling those exhibited by a wolf when caught ina trap. The plate given by 
Buffon is but an indifferent representation of the Black Wolf. The individual 
was not only young, but its fur, as is customary with animals in captivity, seems to 
have been in a bad state*. A most excellent etching, by Landseer, of a Black 
Wolf, kept in the Tower, has appeared in Griffith’s translation of Cuvier’s Régne 
Animal. ‘Though it may be remarked, that even in this the fur is not represented 
in the fine condition which the animal exhibits during the winter in its native 
climate. 
Linnzus has described the Black Wolf of Europe under the appellation of Canis 
Lycaon ; and Baron Cuvier and other naturalists have followed his example in 
speaking of it as a distinct species; but authors have not clearly pointed out any 
* The small size of this specimen, by the way, may have given rise to Gmelin’s mistake in confounding it with the 
black fox under the name of Canis Lycaon. 
