280 
THE WOLF. 
below, four canine teeth, two above and two 
below, and six molars above and seven be¬ 
low on each side,—making forty-two in all. 
Of these the canines are very large, strong 
and pointed, and those of the lower jaw, as 
it were, clasp the others, thus giving mutual 
support in the act of tearing flesh and 
breaking bones. In some canines, as the 
domestic dog, the pupil of the eye is round : 
in the hyena it is elliptical above and circu¬ 
lar below; while in the fox it contracts ver¬ 
tically, like that of the cat.” 
“ I did not know that the fox belonged to 
the dog family,” observed Kate. 
“ Yes, he is Sport’s cousin, though not so 
nearly related as the wolf and jackal. The 
genus Canis comprehends the wolf, the do¬ 
mestic dogs in all their varieties, the wild 
dogs, dholes or dingos, the jackals, the 
foxes, and the hyenas. All these animals 
live more or less exclusively upon flesh, 
which they seem often to prefer in a putrid 
state; and most of them are somewhat social 
in their habits, collecting together for the 
purposes of hunting and defence. We will, 
if you please, begin with the wolf and take 
up the others in regular succession. 
