Gmelin with the North American Otter, probably correctly, though that animal has
usually been considered only an inhabitant of the warmer parts of the New Continent.
Canis Lupus. Wolf.
There is so much diversity, both in the size and colour of the Wolves found in the
interior of North America, that it is but reasonable to doubt, whether some may not
belong to species distinct from that which is well known as the Common Wolf, Canis
Lupus, of the northern portion of the globe; the usual colour of which is reddish
brown varying occasionally to black. Besides the two animals which fell into the hands
of the Expedition, and which will be successively particularly noticed, Dr. Richardson
mentions a Wolf smaller than the Fox, which was not uncommon in the plains in
the southern parts of the country visited by Captain Franklin ; and neither of these
accord with the Wolves seen at Melville Island, and which are much smaller than the
White Wolf taken by Captain Franklin’s party at Fort Enterprise. Thus we appear
to have knowledge of four kinds, all to be met with in the districts visited by the
Expedition. During the stay of the travellers at Cumberland-House in the first
winter of the journey, very satisfactory information was obtained, confirming the
observations made during Captain Parry’s residence on Melville Island, of the
readiness which Wolves shewed to have intercourse with domestic Dogs. This
circumstance was fully known to the settlers, as well as that the produce of such
intercourse possessed all the character of perfect animals, and was not considered as
the production of two species. If such confirmation of what was before known had
been required, the present information would fully establish the point of the specific
identity of the Wolf and Dog, and does away the possibility of specific differences
between the kind of Wolves, which thus are known to connect themselves with
the domestic Dogs. A few skins of Wolves are annually included in the importation
of the Hudson’s Bay Company.
Canis Lupus—Griseus. Grey Wolf.
Grey Wolves are common in the neighbourhood of Cumberland-House; a magnificent
specimen of one was caught in a trap, during the residence of the Expedition at that
place in January 1820. The skin was preserved and reached England safe. It is
very dissimilar in colour to the usual state of the Wolf, and is of much greater size.
Its dimensions are as follows: length to the setting on of the tail, four feet; tail
fourteen inches ; height to the top of the shoulders two feet. The teeth are remarkably
strong and large ; the ears sharp and erect, thickly clothed with dark-brown
hair tipped with grey ; above and below on the neck, the hair is thick and bushy ;
the whole of the body is covered with a mixture of long, grey, and thick hairs, having
some few white ones intermixed on the back; the sides and belly are dark greys the
tail is bushy, grey tipped with brown; the legs are strong, covered with dark-brown
hair ; nails of both fore and back feet strong, short, and arched.
Canis Lupus—Albus.' White Wolf.
However great the dimensions of the preceding animal may appear, they are surpassed
by that of a Wolf entirely white, which was killed at Fort Enterprise during the second
winter that the Expedition remained in the interior. A plate of it has been engraved to
accompany the narrative. Its length was four feet four inches, its height two feet ten
inches, and the length of the tail was nineteen inches. The specimen was preserved,
but proving too bulky was left behind. It was previously known that white Wolves
existed in the vicinity of the Arctic Seas, and it is probable that the loss of colour is
effected by the severity of the winter season ; though this change does not appear to
occur in all cases, because the Wolves, seen at Melville Island during the winter of
1819-20,' though lighter than usual, were not white, nor were they of such large size
as that killed at Fort Enterprise:
Canis Vulpes. Fox.
Foxes are met with over the whole wooded part of the country. The different
kinds, which are well known to and distinguished by the huntsmen, are all objects of
commerce, above 8000 skins having been imported by the Hudson’s Bay Company in
1822. The different Foxes (with the exception of the Arctic) which have been known
to exist in the northern parts of North America, have until lately been referred by
naturalists to the speeies at the head of this article, and were considered as varieties
of i t : the same opinion seems to have existed amongst the inhabitants of that
country, for both the Indians as well as European Americans have traditions that they
originated from Europe. The former suppose them to have passed from the Old
World over the Arctic ice; the latter, that they were imported for the purpose of
affording amusement to hunters. The former opinion is correct, so far, as that the same
animals appear to be found in the northern parts of Europe and Asia ; but it is more
probable that the whole of the Arctic region may be considered as their natural
habitat, than that any one portion of it has supplied the others with the animal. The
opinion of the specific identity with the common European Fox (Canis Yulpes) appears
now with propriety to be abandoned ; whether there are sufficient grounds to separate
the whole from each other may be doubted, but as they have, all been lately described
as distinct species by M. Desmerest, his arrangement has been adopted, as affording
more perspicuity in the elucidation of their differences. The skins of these .animals,
received by the Hudson’s Bay Company, are well known in trade as those of the
red, cross, silver, blue, kitt, and white foxes ; and the animals from whence these are
obtained, all, in some degree, fell under the observation of the Expedition.