WILD DOG OF THE HIMALAYA. 



231 



organs. But having already described with sufficient particularity the body 

 and legs of the Biidnsu, I shall confine myself here to the feet, tail and head. 



The feet are large and somewhat spread, pentadactylous before, four- 

 toed behind. The fifth toe before is short and elevated, as usual; and at the 

 back of the wrists is the ordinary callosity. The nails are strong and trun- 

 cated by attrition ; and the soles of the feet are provided with the common 

 number of balls or rests. These balls are made, as usual ; but every part 

 of the inferior surfaces of the feet beyond the strict confines of the balls 

 themselves, together with the interstices of the digits, is furnished with 

 long, soft, loose, hair, projecting beyond the feet in every direction, and 

 giving them an appearance of extreme size. I know no domesticated 

 dog, but the Kabul greyhound which is similarly provided : and as both 

 live in mountainous countries where their feet are apt to be cut by sharp 

 edged stones and rocks, the purpose of these socks or sandals (so to 

 speak) is probably to protect the feet from such injuries; since pro- 

 tection from cold can be no object in such temperate regions. The 

 tail is of very moderate length, but extremely thick and bushy. The 

 length is that of the jackal's tail, extending only just below the heel 

 properly so called — the fullness considerably greater than in the jackal, 

 but otherwise similar. In action, the tail is carried sub-horizontally; at 

 rest, pendulously and always straight. 



The head, with its integuments, is moderately elongated, broad, flat 

 crowned, and low ; the real breadth of the posterior part much increased 

 in apparent size by the quantity and outward set of the hair on the 

 cheeks : the face more seemingly than really sharpened — broad and short 

 by comparison of that of the jackal— the eye, oblicpic and narrow, but less 

 so decidedly than in tho jackal ; iis pupil rouiul : tlic ears, twice as large 

 as in the jackal, broad, erect, suhpointcd, tiio posterior margin furiiished at 

 its base with the ordinary fissui-c : exlcrnaily, covered with j>u1"l short hair, 



