114 
U. S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS-ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
in its entire osteological characteristics, or rather may he said to replace the jackals of the old 
world. 
In size, the prairie wolf, or coyote, considerably exceeds the North American foxes ; although 
not much larger than the Canis magellanicus of Chile. The muzzle, as stated, is as long, 
sharp pointed, and slender as in the red fox ; the eyes moderately approximated. The ears are 
very large, triangular, erect, and coated with hair, except around the meatus, where they are 
nearly naked. The feet are moderately long and rather slender ; the pads on their under 
surfaces large, naked, and black ; five in number ; beneath the carpal joint is another projecting 
naked callosity. There are hut four digits to each foot; there is, however, a sharp claw, about 
two inches above the sole of the fore foot, placed on the inside, and attached to the rudiment of 
the thumb. The tail is less than half the length of the head and body; quite bushy, hut 
tapering to a rather attenuated tip. 
The hair on the body is coarse and not very dense ; there is an under fur, overlaid by straight 
stiff hairs. 
The prevailing colors of this species are a dull, yellowish grey on the back and sides, with a 
clouding of black, caused by the tips of the hairs being of this color. The under fur is light 
plumbeous at the base, the terminal and larger portion being pale rufous, lightest on the sides 
and the anterior of the hack. The long hairs themselves are whitish at the base, then black, 
then yellowish white, and then again black; the first annulus of black being longest, the 
others of about the same length. The under parts generally, with the insides of the thighs and 
axillm are dirty white. The central upper line of the muzzle is somewhat like the hack, except 
towards the end, where it is dull rusty, as are the sides of the muzzle anterior to the eye. The 
convexity of the ear and its basal region behind are yellowish rufous, somewhat mixed with 
black points ; the exterior of the limbs strongly tinged with light rufous, sometimes being very 
decidedly so ; there is, however, an occasional mixture of black hairs, which, on the inner por¬ 
tion of the anterior face, on the fore arm and thigh, are condensed into an obsolete line or 
stripe. 
The tail resembles the corresponding regions of the hack very much ; the base of the fur is, 
however, darker, the tips less rufous, the long hairs less abruptly and distinctly annulated. 
There is a larger proportion of black on the terminal hairs, producing a decided tip of this 
color. A few entirely white hairs in the tips represent the white tuft of the foxes. 
The specimen just described (667) is from Bodega, California, and was killed in February ; 
it agrees essentially with another, (No. 1389,) from San Francisco. A summer specimen from 
Texas has a considerable proportion of yellowish rusty on the top of the head, and the whole of 
the legs are uniformly of this color except on the inner surfaces, which are rusty white. The 
anterior edge of the thigh lacks the dark line described, although that on the fore leg is quite 
distinct. The ears are decidedly smaller. 
Dimensions of No. 667, {shin.) 
Inches. 
Nose to base of tail_ 
38 
Tail to end of vertebrae ______ 
15 
Tail to end of hairs_ 
in 
3* 
Height of ears behind___ 
