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Show 1890.] SOUTH-AMERICAN CANID-E. 99 Mr. Oldfield Thomas) have very strongly impressed me with the necessity which there is of examining a series of specimens of any asserted species in order to arrive at any certainty as to its specific distinctness. The species I propose to refer to here are those which are more or less allied to or identical with the form named by Prince "Wied Canis azarce. (1) As to Canis azarce itself, the original description of Wied (Beitrage, vol. ii. p. 338, 1826) describes it as a yellowish-grey animal, with the back and upper parts blackish and a blackish stripe in front of the belly; the margins of the lips white ; dark greyish brown under the jaws ; shoulders and thighs rather grey ; sides of the neck and outside of the legs light reddish yellow, outside of the ears yellowish grey-brown. In the Prince's volume of plates there is a fairly good, coloured figure of the animal. The specimen brought back by Mr. Darwin was described by Mr. Waterhouse (Zoology of H.M.S. 'Beagle,' p. 14, plate vii.), and determined to be the true C. azarce of Wied. He says in a note, " I am indebted to Mr. Ogilby, who visited the Prince's collection, for a description from the specimens of C. azarce therein preserved." The figures given by Waterhouse and Wied are much alike. I think we may regard the determination of our careful and accurate compatriot as a probably correct one. The specimen thus determined is now in the British Museum (No. 55. 12. 24. 238) and came from Chile. Its skull is still within the skin. There are, however, five other skulls, one of which (817 6) is from a stuffed specimen in the collection. They are remarkably similar as to dentition. I find that the mean length of P-j* in these is 1-22, while that of M.1+M.2 js 1-38, or as 100: 113. The sagittal ridge varies much as to development and the form, the breadth, and the length of the raised flattened portion between the temporal ridges. The length of the fourth upper premolar and the two molars behind it are as follows in the five skulls:- P. 4. 1-30 1-15 1-20 1-15 1-30 M . 1+M.2. 1-55 1-25 1-35 1-28 1-50 (2) Canis fulvipes reposes on a description (P. Z. S. 1837, p. 11) by my deceased friend Mr. Martin. He describes it as " hoary mixed with black, the latter being more decided down the top of the back ; the head fulvous, grizzled with hoary ; edges of lipa white ears chestnut-brown ; outside of limbs dusky black, freckled with fulvous ; a dark mark above tarsal joint; tarsi and toes fulvous brown ; underparts dirty white," &c. |
