Guide to the galleries of mammals in the Department of Zoology of the British Museum.

  • British Museum (Natural History). Department of Zoology.
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Guide to the galleries of mammals in the Department of Zoology of the British Museum. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    58/146 page 44
    In case 21^ are the Wolves. The species and races repre- sented include the European Wolf, C. lupus (517), the American Wolf, C. lupus nuUlus (510), and the great Alaskan Black A\ ol£, C. 1. pamhasileus (512), the latter represented by a specimen presented by Mr. F. C. Selous. The Prairie-Wolf or Coyote, C. latrans (513), of North America, and the very difterent Red or Maned Wolf, C. juhatus (514), of South America, are also shown. The Jackals of Africa and India (in the same case) are smaller in size, well-known species being C'. aureus (523), C. adustus (525), and C. mesomelas (524). Among the Foxes {^UlI2>es) maybe noticed the (,/ommonFox, I . alopex or V. indices (543), the Cross-Fox of North America, V. V. fulca (541), and others. The white phase of the Arctic Fox, V, Iapo]ius (540), one of the most important fur- bearing animals, changes the colour of its coat according to the season, like many other Arctic animals ; but the blue phase retains its dark colour all the year round. The beautiful large-eared Fennecs (case 22) of Africa are closely allied to the Foxes. With these is placed a specimen of the Long-eared Fox of South and East Africa, Otocyon megalotis (535), noticeable for its very numerous teeth and sharp-pointed and long ears. The African Hunting-Dog, Lycaon pictus (518), so remarkable for its external similarity^ to a small Spotted Hy?eua, forms a genus by itself, readily characterized by having but four toes to each foot (case 21^). Another peculiar genus is represented only by the Bush-Dog, Speothus venaticus (548), of Guiana and Brazil, and an allied South American species ; an example of the first is exhibited in case 22. Its molar teeth are quite unlike those of other members of the family. The Wild Dogs or Dholes of Asia (case 21*) resemble, in some respects, the Hunting-Dog, but since they have five front toes, fewer teeth, and other characteristic points of difference, they are regarded as representing a separate genus, under the name of Cyon, the species represented being the Central Asian C. alpinus (519) and the Indian C, deccaiiensis (521). J With the Raccoon tribe, or Procyonidce (case 25), we come to the first of three families of Land-Carnivora, which differ from
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