Chapter II: The Varieties of the Dog (1)

FIRST DIVISION.

The head more or less elongated, the parietal bones widest at the base
and gradually approaching to each other as they ascend, and the
condyls of the lover jaw being on the same line with the upper molar
teeth.

To this division belong the greater number of the

WILD DOGS.

The wild dog, as existing in considerable numbers or communities, seems to be nearly extirpated in the southern parts of Europe; but there are several cases on record, of dogs having assumed native independence. A black greyhound bitch, belonging to a gentleman in Scarisbrick, in Lancashire, though she had apparently been well broken in, and always well used, ran away from the habitation of her master, and betook herself to the woods. She killed a great number of hares and made free with the sheep, and became an intolerable nuisance to the neighbourhood. She was occasionally seen, and the depredations that were committed were brought home to her. Many were the attempts made to entrap or destroy her, but in vain: for more than six months she eluded the vigilance of her pursuers. At length she was observed to creep into a hole in an old barn. She was caught as she came out, and the barn being searched three whelps were found, which, very foolishly, were destroyed.

The bitch evinced the utmost ferocity, and, although well secured, attempted to seize every one who approached her. She was, however, dragged home and treated with kindness. By degrees her ferocity abated. In the course of two months, she became perfectly reconciled to her original abode, and, a twelve-month afterwards (1822), she ran successfully several courses. There was still a degree of wildness in her appearance; but, although at perfect liberty, she seemed to be altogether reconciled to a domestic life.

In 1784 a dog was left by a smuggling vessel on the coast of Northumberland. He soon began to worry the sheep for his subsistence, and did so much mischief that he caused very considerable alarm. He was frequently pursued by hounds and greyhounds; but when the dogs came up he lay upon his back as if supplicating for mercy, and in that position they would never hurt him. He therefore lay quietly until the hunters approached, when he made off without being followed by the hounds until they were again excited to the pursuit. He one day led them 30 miles in this way. It was more than three months before he was caught and was then shot [1].

A dog with every character of the wild one has occasionally been seen in some of the forests of Germany, and among the Pyrenean mountains; but he has rarely been found gregarious there. In the country on the eastern side of the Gulf of Venice wild dogs are more frequent. They increase in the Austrian and Turkish dominions, and are found on almost every part of the coast of the Black Sea, but even there they rarely gather in flocks: they do not howl in concert, as the wolf; nor are they the precursors of other and larger beasts, like the jackal. Most of these dogs have the muzzle and head elongated, the ears erect, triangular, and small, the body and neck large and muscular, and the tail short, but with a brush of crisped hair. In many parts of Arabia the wild dog--or 'dakhun'--is occasionally found. In Persia, they are most decidedly congregated together, and still more so in almost every part of India [2].

Mr. Hodgson has favoured the Zoological Society with an account of

THE WILD DOG OF NEPAL,

the 'búánsú', and, finding it more or less prevailing through the whole of Northern India, and even southward of the coast of Coromandel, he thought that he had discovered the primitive race of the dog. This is a point that can never be decided.

"These dogs hunt their prey by night, as well as by day, in packs of
from six to ten individuals, maintaining the chase more by the scent
than by the eye, and generally succeeding by dint of strength and
perseverance. While hunting, they bark like the hound, yet the bark is
peculiar, and equally unlike that of the cultivated breeds of dogs,
and the cries of the jackal and the fox."

Bishop Heber gives the following account of them.

"They are larger and stronger than a fox, which in the circumstances
of form and fur they much resemble. They hunt, however, in packs, give
tongue like dogs, and possess an exquisite scent. They make of course
tremendous havoc among the game in these hills; but that mischief they
are said amply to repay by destroying wild beasts, and even tigers."
[3]

Wild dogs are susceptible of certain social combinations. In Egypt, Constantinople, and throughout the whole of the East, there are in every village troops of wandering dogs who belong to no particular person. Each troop has its own quarter of the place; and if any wander into a quarter which does not belong to him, its inhabitants unite together and chase him out. At the Cape of Good Hope there are many dogs half-starved. On going from home the natives induce two or more of these animals to accompany them, warn them of the approach of any ferocious animal, and if any of the jackals approach the walls during the night, they utter the most piercing cries, and at this signal every dog sallies out, and, uniting together, put the jackals to speedy flight. [4]

The wild Nepal dogs caught when at an adult age make no approach towards domestification; but a young one, which Mr. Hodgson obtained when it was not more than a month old, became sensible to caresses, and manifested as much intelligence as any sporting dog of the same age. [5]

Captain T. Williamson gives an interesting account of the ferocious character of some of these wild dogs.

"They have considerable resemblance to the jackal in form. They are
remarkably savage, and frequently will approach none but their
'doonahs' or keepers, not allowing their own masters to come near
them. Some of them are very fleet; but they are not to be depended
upon in coursing; for they are apt suddenly to give up the chase when
it is a severe one, and, indeed, they will too often prefer a sheep or
a goat to a hare. In hog-hunting they are more valuable. It seems to
suit their temper, and they appear to enjoy the snapping and the
snarling, incident to that species of sports."

He says that many persons affect to treat the idea of degeneration in quadrupeds with ridicule; but all who have been any considerable time resident in India must be satisfied that dogs of European breed become, after every successive generation, more and more similar to the pariah, or indigenous dog of that country. The hounds are the most rapid in their decline, and, except in the form of their ears, they are very much like many of the village curs. Greyhounds and pointers also rapidly decline, although with occasional exceptions. Spaniels and terriers deteriorate less, and spaniels of eight or nine generations, and without a cross from Europe, are not only as good as, but far more beautiful than, their ancestors. The climate is too severe for mastiffs, and they do not possess sufficient stamina; but, crossed by the East Indian greyhound, they are invaluable in hunting the hog [6].

Colonel Sykes, at one of the meetings of the Zoological Society, produced a specimen of

THE WILD DOG OF DAKHUN

or Deccan, a part of India far to the south of Nepâl, and gave the following description of this supposed primitive dog:

"Its head is compressed and elongated, but its muzzle not very sharp.
The eyes are oblique, the pupils round, and the 'irides' light-brown.
The expression of the countenance is that of a coarse ill-natured
Persian greyhound, without any resemblance to the jackal, the fox, or
the wolf. The ears are long, erect, and somewhat rounded at the top.
The limbs remarkably large and strong in relation to the bulk of the
animal. The size is intermediate between the wolf and the jackal. The
neck long, the body elongated, and the entire dog of a red-brown
colour. None of the domesticated dogs of Dakhun are common in Europe,
but those of Dakhun and Nepâl are very similar in all their
characters. There is also a dog in Dakhun with hair so short as to
make him appear naked. It is called the 'polugar' dog."

THE WILD DOG OF THE MAHRATTAS

possesses a similar conformation; and the fact is, that the East Indian wild dog is essentially the same in every part of that immense extent of country. There is no more reason, however, for concluding that it was the primitive dog, than for conferring on the Indian cattle the same honour among the ruminants. The truth of the matter is that we have no guide what was the original breed in any country. The lapse of 4000 years would effect strange alterations in the breeds. The common name of this dog, in the track lying between South Bahar and the Mahratta frontier towards Maghore, is

DHOLE,

the 'Chryseus Scylex' of Hamilton Smith.

Captain Williamson, in his Oriental Field Sports, gives the following account of the Dholes:

"They are to be found chiefly, or only, in the country from Midnapore
to Chamu, and even there are not often to be met with. They are of the
size of a small greyhound. Their countenance is enlivened by unusually
brilliant eyes. Their body, which is slender and deep-chested, is
thinly covered by a coat of hair of a reddish-brown or bay colour. The
tail is dark towards its extremity. The limbs are light, compact, and
strong, and equally calculated for speed and power. They resemble many
of the common pariah dogs in form, but the singularity of their colour
and marks at once demonstrates an evident distinction.

"These dogs are said to be perfectly harmless if unmolested. They do
not willingly approach persons; but, if they chance to meet any in
their course, they do not show any particular anxiety to escape. They
view the human race rather objects of curiosity, than either of
apprehension or enmity. The natives who reside near the Ranochitty and
Katcunsandy passes, in which vicinity the 'dholes' may frequently be
seen, describe them as confining their attacks entirely to wild
animals, and assert that they will not prey on sheep, goats, &c.; but
others, in the country extending southward from Jelinah and
Mechungunge, maintain that cattle are frequently lost by their
depredations. I am inclined to believe that the 'dhole' is not
particularly ceremonious, but will, when opportunity offers, and a
meal is wanting, obtain it at the expense of the neighbouring village.

"The peasants likewise state that the 'dhole' is eager in proportion
to the size and powers of the animal he hunts, preferring the elk to
every other kind of deer, and particularly seeking the royal tiger. It
is probable that the 'dhole' is the principal check on the
multiplication of the tiger; and, although incapable individually, or
perhaps in small numbers, to effect the destruction of so large and
ferocious an animal, may, from their custom of hunting in packs,
easily overcome any smaller beast found in the wilds of India.

"They run mute, except that they sometimes utter a whimpering kind of
note, similar to that sometimes expressed by dogs when approaching
their prey. This may be expressive of their own gratification, or
anxiety, or may serve as a guide to other 'dholes' to join in the
chase. The speed of the 'dhole' is so strongly marked in his form as
to render it probable no animal in the catalogue of game could escape
him for any distance. Many of the 'dholes' are destroyed in these
contests; for the tiger, the elk, and the boar, and even many of the
smaller classes of game are capable of making a most obstinate
defence. Hence the breed of the 'dholes' is much circumscribed."

THE THIBET DOG.

Mr. Bennett, in his scientific and amusing description of the Zoological Gardens, gave the best account we have of this noble dog, and our portrait is a most faithful likeness of him. He is bred in the table-land of the Himalaya mountains bordering on Thibet. The Bhoteas, by whom many of them are carefully reared, come down to the low countries at certain seasons of the year to sell their borax and musk. The women remain at home, and they and the flocks are most sedulously guarded by these dogs. They are the defenders of almost every considerable mansion in Thibet. In an account of an embassy to the court of the Teshoo Llama in Thibet, the author says, that he had to pass by a row of wooden cages containing a number of large dogs, fierce, strong, and noisy. They were natives of Thibet, and, whether savage by nature or soured by confinement, they were so impetuously furious that it was unsafe even to approach their dens. Every writer who describes these dogs, speaks of their noble size, and their ferocity, and antipathy to strangers.

It is said, however, that the Thibet dog rapidly degenerates when removed from its native country, and certainly the specimens which have reached the Zoological Gardens exhibited nothing of ferocity. The one that was in that menagerie had a noble and commanding appearance; but he never attempted to do any injury.

The colour of the Thibet dog is of a deep black, slightly clouded on the sides, his feet alone and a spot over each eye being of a full tawny or bright brown hue. He has the broad short truncated muzzle of the mastiff, and the lips are still more deeply pendulous. There is also a singular general looseness of the skin on every part of him.

THE PARIAH.

There are several varieties of this dog. There is a wild breed very numerous in the jungles and in some of the lower ranges of the Himalaya mountains. They usually hunt in packs, and it is not often that their prey escapes them. They generally are very thin, and of a reddish-brown colour, with sharp-pointed ears, deep chest, and tucked-up flanks. Many persons hunt with these dogs singly, and they are very useful. They bring the hog to bay, or indicate the course that he has taken, or distract his attention when the sportsman is at hand.

There is also in every inhabited part of the country the poor desolate pariah,--unowned by any one,--daring to enter into no house, but wandering about, and picking up a living in any way that he can. He is, however, of a superior race to the wild dog, and belongs to the second class of the dog, although mentioned here in order that we may altogether quit the dog of India. They are neglected by the Hindoos; but the Mohammedans of India, and other strangers, consider it an act of charity to throw out occasionally a morsel of food to them. They are most of them mongrels; but the benevolent Bishop Heber does them no more than justice when he says that he

"was forcibly struck at finding the same dog-like and amiable
qualities in these neglected animals as in their more fortunate
brethren in Europe."

Colonel Sykes says of these outcasts that among the pariahs is frequently found the turnspit-dog. There is also a small petted variety of the pariah, usually of a white colour, and with long silky hair. This animal is taught to carry flambeaux and lanterns.

According to Captain Williamson, in some of the ditches of the Carnatic forts, alligators are purposely kept, and all the pariah dogs found in the forts are thrown into the ditches as provision for these monsters. Some persons who have kept tigers in cages have adopted the same means of supply for their royal captives, putting the poor pariah through an aperture made for the purpose in the cage; and they justify themselves by asserting that they thus get rid of a troublesome breed of curs, most of which are unappropriated, and which being numerous are very troublesome to passengers, often wantonly biting them, and raising a yelling noise at night, that sets all attempts to rest at defiance.

It did not always happen that the tiger killed the pariah put into his cage.

"I knew an instance," says Captain Williamson, "of one that was
destined for the tiger's daily meal, standing on the defensive in a
manner that completely astonished both the tiger and the spectator. He
crept into a corner, and whenever the tiger approached seized him by
the lip or the neck, making him roar most piteously. The tiger,
however, impelled by hunger,--for all supply of food was purposely
withheld,--would renew the attack. The result was ever the same. At
length the tiger began to treat the dog with more deference, and not
only allowed him to partake of the mess of rice and milk furnished
daily for his subsistence, but even refrained from any attempt lo
disturb him. The two animals at length became reconciled to each
other, and a strong attachment was formed between them. The dog was
then allowed ingress and egress through the aperture; and, considering
the cage as his own, he left it and returned to it just as he thought
proper. When the tiger died he moaned the loss of his companion for a
considerable period."

A wild variety exists in Sumatra. It is described by Cuvier as

"possessing the countenance of a fox, the eyes oblique, the ears
rounded and hairy, the muzzle of a foxy-brown colour, the tail bushy
and pendulous, very lively, running with the head lifted high, and the
ears straight."

This animal can scarcely be rendered tractable, and even when he is apparently tamed can rarely be depended upon.

As we proceed through the Indian Archipelago, towards Australasia, we skirt the coast of Java. Every Javanese of rank has large packs of dogs with which he hunts the muntjak, the deer of that country. The dogs are led in strings by the attendants until they scent the prey: they are then unloosed, while the sportsmen follow, but not at the speed which would distinguish the British sportsman. The animal is generally found at bay. The male muntjak usually exhibits considerable courage, and probably several of the dogs have been wounded by his tusks. As soon as they come up every gun is discharged, and the animal almost immediately drops. At other times the mounted sportsmen attack them with a spear or sword. Generally, the muntjak does not go off like the stag in any direct track, but takes a circular course, and soon returns to the spot whence it was started. It perhaps makes several of these circles, and at length entangles itself in a thicket, where it is secured.

These dogs are the indigenous breed of the island, the body lank, the ears erect, ferocious in their disposition, and with very little attachment to their masters. Such is the account given of them by Dr. Horsfield.

THE DINGO, AUSTRALASIAN, OR NEW HOLLAND DOG.

The newly discovered southern continent was, and some of it still continues to be, overrun by the native wild dogs. Dampier describes them, at the close of the last century, as

"beasts like the hungry wolves, lean like so many skeletons, and being
nothing but skin and bone."

It was not until the publication of Governor Phillip's voyage to Botany Bay, that any accurate description or figure of this dog could be obtained. He approaches in appearance to the largest kind of shepherd's dog. The head is elongated, the forehead flat, and the ears short and erect, or with a slight direction forwards. The body is thickly covered with hair of two kinds--the one woolly and gray, the other silky and of a deep yellow or fawn colour. The limbs are muscular, and, were it not for the suspicious yet ferocious glare of the eye, he might pass for a handsome dog. The Australasian dog, according to M. Desmarest, resembles in form and in the proportion of his limbs the common shepherd's dog. He is very active and courageous, covered in some parts with thick hair woolly and gray, in other parts becoming of a yellowish-red colour, and under the belly having a whitish hue. When he is running, the head is lifted more than usual in dogs, and the tail is carried horizontally. He seldom barks. Mr. Bennett observes that

"dogs in a state of nature never bark. They simply whine, howl, or
growl. The explosive noise of the bark is only found among those that
are domesticated."

Sonini speaks of the shepherds' dogs in the wilds of Egypt as not having this faculty; and Columbus found the dogs which he had previously carried to America, almost to have lost their propensity to bark.

He does, however, occasionally bark, and has the same kind of snarling voice which the larger dogs generally have. The Australasian dogs that have been brought to Europe have usually been of a savage and untractable disposition.

There are several of the Australasian dogs in the gardens of the Zoological Society of London. One of them has been an inmate of that establishment nine years, others more than five years; but not an individual has acquired the bark of the other dogs by which they are surrounded. When a stranger makes his appearance, or when the hour of feeding arrives, the howl of the Australasian is the first sound that is heard, and it is louder than all the rest.

If some of them have thrown off a portion of their native ferocity, others retain it undiminished. A bitch and two of her whelps, nearly half grown--a male and female--had inhabited the same cage from the time that the young ones were born. Some cause of quarrel occurred on a certain night, and the two bitches fell upon the dog and perfectly destroyed him. There was not a limb left whole. A stronger instance of the innate ferocity of this breed could scarcely be given. Even in their native country all attempts perfectly to domesticate them have failed; for they never lose an opportunity to devour the poultry or attack the sheep. Every domesticated dog coming within their reach was immediately destroyed. One that was brought to England broke his chain--scoured the surrounding country--and, before dawn, had destroyed several sheep; and another attacked, and would have destroyed, an ass, if he had not been prevented.

Mr. Oxley, Surveyor-General of New South Wales, however, gives an interesting account of the mutual attachment between two of the native and wild New Holland dingos.

"About a week ago we killed a native dog, and threw his body on a
small bush. On returning past the same spot to-day, we found the body
removed three or four yards from the bush, and the female in a
dying-state lying close beside it: she had apparently been there from
the day the dog was killed. Being now so weakened and emaciated as to
be unable to move on our approach, it was deemed a mercy to despatch
her."

When Van Diemen Land began to be colonized by Europeans, the losses sustained by the settlers by the ravages of the wild dogs were almost incredible. The districts infested by these animals were principally those appropriated to sheep, and there was scarcely a flock that did not suffer. It was in vain to double the number of shepherds, to watch by night and by day, or to have fires at every quarter of the fold; for these animals would accomplish their object by stratagem or by force. One colony lost no fewer than 1200 sheep and lambs in three months; another colony lost 700.

The ravagers were either the native wild dogs of the island, or those that had escaped from their owners. They seemed to have apportioned the country into different districts, each troop having its allotted range. At length the evil became so great that a general meeting of the colonists was convened. The concluding sentences of the speech of Lieutenant Hill forcibly express the extent of the evil.

"The country is free from bush-rangers: we are no longer surrounded
and threatened by the natives. We have only one enemy left in the
field; but that enemy strikes at the very root of our welfare, and
through him the stream of our prosperity is tainted at its very
source."

The colonists were then few, but they cordially united in the endeavour to extirpate this formidable enemy; and, although the wild dog is still found in the interior of the island, he is comparatively seldom seen, and his ravages have nearly ceased.

THE CANIS AUSTRALIS--KARÁRAHÉ, NEW ZEALAND DOG.

A tradition exists in New Zealand of this dog having been given to the natives two or three centuries ago by a number of divinities who made their descent on these shores, probably Juan Fernandez and his companions. The sagacious animal has, however, dwindled down to the lowest rank of his family, but ill usage has not altogether destroyed his worth. In New Zealand he is the safeguard of every village. Should the slightest alarm exist, he is the first to ascertain the cause of it, and many families have saved themselves by flight, or have taken arms in self-defence against the incursions of predatory bands. The New Zealanders are therefore kind in their treatment of the dog, except that they occasionally destroy him for his hide.

The name formerly given to the New Zealand dog was 'pero', which in some measure substantiates the supposition of Juan Fernandez having visited the country--'perro', in the Spanish language, being the name of a dog.

We will now turn to the northern parts of America. The races of wild dogs are there considerably limited, both in number and the districts which they occupy.

In the elevated sandy country north of the source of the Missouri, inhabited by the "Stone" and the "Black Foot" Indians, is a doubtful species of dogs--wolves they used to be called--who hunt in large packs and are exceedingly swift; whose bark is similar to that of the domestic dog, but who burrow in the ground, and eagerly run to their holes, when the gun of the hunter is heard.

[Our author evidently, in the above remarks, confounds the Louisiana marmot, Arctomys Ludovicianus or Prairie dog, with the Canis Latrans of Say, as he certainly would not make us believe that such harmless animals as the marmot should associate themselves in packs to hunt the deer or other quadrupeds; neither would he tell us that so different an animal as the Canis Latrans could burrow in the ground and retreat to their holes when surprised by the hunter. The Louisiana Marmot, improperly called Prairie dog, is about sixteen inches long, and lives in extended villages or excavations surmounted by mounds. These communities often comprise several thousand inhabitants, whose sole food consists in the scanty herbage surrounding the settlement, as they seldom extend their excursions beyond a half-mile from their burrows for fear of the wolves, and many other enemies.

The Canis Latrans, on the other hand, is quite a large and savage animal, and frequently unites in bands to run down deer or buffalo calves, but as for living under ground in burrows, it is quite out of reason to suppose such a thing possible with this quadruped, who secretes himself in the depths of the forest, and appears on the open plain only when in pursuit of game.--L.] The habit of selecting large, open, sandy plains, and burrowing there, extends to the greater part of the American wild dogs.

[We have been credibly informed by several gentlemen, familiar with the country of Mexico, that there is a diminutive species of dog running wild, and burrowing in the ground as rabbits, in the neighbourhood of Santa Fe and Chihuahua. A gentleman who has seen these animals, states that there is no doubt as to their identity, having met with them in a state of domestication, when they exhibited all the actions and manners of a French lap dog, such as come from Cuba or other West India Islands.

They are of every variety of hue, and resort to their burrows whenever disturbed in their natural haunts. What they subsist on it is difficult to say, as they are too harmless and insignificant to attack any other animal beyond a mouse or a snail. They are represented as being very difficult to tame, but when domesticated show no disposition to return to their former mode of life. The lady of the Mexican Minister, when in this city, had one of these dogs as a boudoir pet; it was lively and barked quite fiercely. We have not been able to ascertain whether they bark in their natural state. The breed of dog cultivated in China for food alone, are fed entirely upon rice meal and other farinaceous articles, having no relish whatever for flesh or other strong aliment.--L.]

In some parts of North America whole troops of horses are guarded and kept together by dogs. If any of the troop attempt to steal away, the dog will immediately fly after the horse, head him, and bring him back to his companions.

[To show the necessity of having dogs for this purpose, as well as to guard the flocks of sheep, we need only mention that it is no uncommon thing for a Mexican to own several thousand horses, besides an immense number of cattle.

Mr. Kendall, in his Santa Fé expedition, states that the proprietress of one hacienda, a widow, and comparatively poor when the wonderful wealth of her ancestors is considered, now owns fifty thousand horses and mules, beside herds of cattle and sheep, and that the pasture ground extended for fifty miles on either side of the road.

One of the former owners of this immense estate, a short time previous to the revolution, sent as a present to a Spanish colonel, just arrived with his regiment of dragoons, a thousand white horses, nearly all of the same age, and every one raised on this prolific hacienda.--L.]

The wild dogs abound in many parts of South America. In some of the forests on the banks of the Oronoko they multiply to an annoying degree. The Cayotte of Mexico, described by some as a wolf, and bearing no slight resemblance to that animal, belongs to the South American wild dogs, as do also the Aguara dogs of every kind. These wanderers of the woods are, however, diminished in numbers in every part of that continent, and are replaced by other kinds, many of which have been imported from Europe and domesticated.

[There is no country in the world more cursed with worthless curs than that of Mexico and the other southern republics; the cities and villages actually swarm with these animals, and produce no little vexation to travellers, who speak of their eternal yelping and barking in the most indignant terms.

Mr. Kendall, on entering San Antonio, says,

"From every house some half dozen Mexican curs would jump forth and
greet us with a chorus of yelps and barks, and before we had fairly
entered the town the canine hue and cry was general. Those who have
for the first time entered a Mexican town or city must have been
struck with the unusual number of dogs, and annoyed by their incessant
barking; but the stranger soon learns that they spend all their
courage in barks--they seldom bite."--L.]

Many of the Indian tribes have succeeded in reclaiming the dog of the woods, and have made him a useful although not a perfectly attached servant.

The dogs of the Falkland Islands, and the Indian North American dogs generally, are brown or gray-coloured varieties of the wild dog; but as they are nearly exterminated, will occupy little space. It has already been stated that in Egypt and in Nubia we have the first records of the dog. Many superstitious notions were connected with him, and divine honours were paid to him. Those times are passed away, and he is regarded with aversion by the Moslem of the present day. He is an outcast. He obtains a scanty living by the offal which he gathers in the towns, or he is become a perfect wild dog, and scours the country for his prey. His modern name is the 'deab'. He is of considerable size, with a round muzzle, large head, small erect ears, and long and hairy tail, spotted with black, white, and yellow, and having a fierce wolfish aspect. These dogs are not, however, numerous; but the mischief which they do is often great, whether in pairs they burrow in the earth, or associate with others and hunt in troops. [7]

In Nubia is a smaller dog of the same kind, which never burrows. It lives on small animals and birds, and rarely enters any of the towns. A similar dog, according to Colonel Hamilton Smith, inhabits the neighbourhood of the Cape, and particularly the Karroo or Wilderness. It is smaller than either of the others, and lives among bushes or under prominent rocks. Others, although not identified with the jackal, yet associating with him, inhabit the Uplands of Gambia and Senegal.

On the Gold Coast, the dog is used and prized as an article of food. He is fattened and driven to market as the European drives his sheep and hogs. The dog is even more valued than the sheep for human subsistence, and is deemed the greatest luxury that can be placed even on the royal table.

In Loango, or Lower Guinea, is a town from which the African wild dogs derive their name--the 'dingo'. They hunt in large packs. They fearlessly attack even the elephant, and generally destroy him. In the neighbourhood of the Cape, the country is nearly cleared of wild beasts; but in Cape Town there are a great number of lean and miserable dogs, who howl about the streets at night, quitting their dens and lurking-places, in quest of offal. No great while ago, the wolves and hyaenas used to descend and dispute the spoil with the dogs, while the town resounded with their hideous howlings all the night long.

This will be a proper place to refer to the numerous accounts that are given both in ancient and modern times of the immolation of dogs, and of their being used for food. They were sacrificed at certain periods by the Greeks and Romans to almost all their deities, and particularly to Mars, Pluto, and Pan, to Minerva, Proserpine, and Lucina, and also to the moon, because the dog by his barking disturbed all charms and spells, and frightened away all spectres and apparitions. The Greeks immolated many dogs in honour of Hecate, because by their baying the phantoms of the lower world were disturbed. A great number of dogs were also destroyed in Samothrace in honour of the same goddess. Dogs were periodically sacrificed in February, and also in April and in May; also to the goddess Rubigo, who presided over the corn, and the Bona Dea, whose mysterious rites were performed on Mount Aventine. The dog Cerberus was supposed to be watching at the feet of Pluto, and a dog and a youth were periodically sacrificed to that deity. The night when the Capitol had nearly been destroyed was annually celebrated by the cruel scourging of a dog in the principal public places, even to the death of the animal.

[As on a certain occasion, the dogs who had the Capitol in custody, did not bark and give warning when the Gauls attempted to scale the wails, there is a custom annually observed at Rome, to transfix certain dogs to forks, and thus crucified, hang them on an elder tree as examples of justice. (Book 29, chap. IV. Pliny.)-L.]

Many of the Greek and Roman epicures were strangely fond of the flesh of the dog, and those who ought to have known much better encouraged the use of this food. Galen speaks of it in the strongest terms of praise. Hippocrates says that the meat of old dogs is of a warm and dry quality, giving strength to the eater. Ananias, the poet, speaks of dog's flesh served up with that of the hare and fox. Virgil recommends that the fatted dog should be served up with whey or butter; and Dioscorides, the physician, says that they should be fed on the whey that remains after the making of cheese.

[Independent of the many useful and interesting qualities that necessarily endeared this animal to the ancients, he had yet stronger claims upon them, in the prophylactic properties of different portions of his body. Pliny, Hippocrates, Aristotle and others, speak of various preparations made of his flesh, for the cure of many distempers. The first-mentioned writer observes, that the ashes of burnt dogs, made into a liniment, with oil, will make an excellent application to the eye-brows, to turn them black. We doubt not that an analogous compound, if proved to be really efficacious, might he introduced to the notice of the belles of our own time, or meet with extensive sale for dyeing the pagoties and mustachios of the modern dandy. This quaint philosopher also recommends the same substance as a healing salve, for malignant wounds, and the internal use of the same article as a preventive or cure of hydrophobia and other distempers. (Book 28, chap, XI. and X.)--L.]

Before Christianity was established among the Danes, on every ninth year at the winter solstice, a monstrous sacrifice of 99 dogs was effected. In Sweden the sacrifice was still worse. On each of 9 successive days, 99 dogs were destroyed. This sacrifice of the dog, however, gave way to one as numerous and as horrible. On every 9th year, 99 human victims were immolated, and the sons of the reigning tyrant among the rest, in order that the life of the monarch might be prolonged. [8]

On the other hand, the dog was frequently the executioner; and, from an early period, whether in the course of war or the mock administration of justice, thousands of poor wretches were torn to pieces by animals trained to that horrible purpose.

Many of the Indians of North America, and almost of the present day, are fond of the flesh of the dog.

Captain Carver, in his Travels in North America in 1766, 1767, and 1768, describes the admission of an Indian into one of the horrible societies of that country.

"The dishes being brought near to me," says he, "I perceived that they
consisted of dog's flesh, and I was informed that at all their grand
feasts they never made use of any other food. The new candidate
provides fat dogs for the festival, if they can be procured at any
price. They ate the flesh; but the head and the tongue were left
sticking on a pole with the front towards the east. When any noxious
disease appeared among them, a dog was killed, the intestines were
wound between two poles, and every man was compelled to pass between
them."

The Nandowepia Indians also eat dog's flesh as an article of luxury, and not from any want or scarcity of other animal food; for they have the bear, buffalo, elk, deer, beaver, and racoon.

Professor Keating, in his interesting work on the expedition to Peter's River, states that he and a party of American officers were regaled in a large pavilion on buffalo meat, and 'tepsia', a vegetable boiled in buffalo grease, and the flesh of three dogs kept for the occasion, and without any salt. They partook of the flesh of the dogs with a mixture of curiosity and reluctance, and found it to be remarkably fat, sweet, and palatable, divested of any strong taste, and resembling the finest Welsh mutton, but of a darker colour. So strongly rooted, however, are the prejudices of education, that few of them could be induced to eat much of it.

The feast being over, great care was taken to replace the bones in their proper places in the dish, after which they were carefully washed and buried, as a token of respect to the animals generally, and because there was the belief among them that at some future time they would return again to life. Well-fattened puppies are frequently sold; and an invitation to a feast of dog's meat is the greatest distinction that can be offered to a stranger by any of the Indian nations east of the Rocky Mountains.

[Notwithstanding the Indians occasionally eat their dogs either through necessity or when they wish to pay a marked tribute of respect to their gods, or prepare a feast of friendship with strangers, they value them very highly, and do not by any means consider their flesh superior to that of the buffaloes or other animals of the chase. Mr. Catlin remarks, that "the dog, amongst all Indian tribes, is more esteemed and more valued than amongst any part of the civilized world: the Indian, who has more time to devote to his company, and whose untutored mind more nearly assimilates to that of his faithful domestic, keeps him closer company and draws him nearer his heart: they hunt together and are equal sharers in the chase--their bed is one; and on the rocks and on their coats of arms they carve his image as the symbol of fidelity." (Vol. I., p. 230.)

On visiting the Sioux, they prepared for this gentleman as a token of regard a dog feast, previous to partaking of which they addressed him in a manner that plainly exhibits the veneration in which they held these faithful animals, at the same time forcibly demonstrating the peculiar circumstances under which they alone are willing to destroy them:

"My father, I hope you will have pity upon us; we are very poor. We offer you to-day not the best we have got; for we have a plenty of good buffalo hump and marrow; but we give you our hearts in this feast, we have killed our faithful dogs to feed you, and the Great Spirit will seal our friendship. I have no more to say." (Vol. I., p. 229.)--L.]

As a counterpart to much of this, the ancient Hyrcanians may be mentioned, who lived near the Caspian Sea, and who deemed it one of the strongest expressions of respect to leave the corpse of their deceased friends to be torn and devoured by dogs. Every man was provided with a certain number of these animals, as a living tomb for himself at some future period, and these dogs were remarkable for their fierceness.

[Not only the Hyrcanians but most of the people dwelling on or near the Caspian sea, preserved this race or a similarly formidable one, more particularly to devour their dead; it being considered more propitiatory to the Gods, and more flattering to the spirits of the deceased, to make this disposition of the corpse, than consigning it to the gloomy grave or funeral pile.

This custom is noticed by Theodoret as being pursued by the inhabitants of those parts, and was not abolished till after their adherence to Christianity.--L.]

DOMESTICATED DOGS OF THE FIRST DIVISION

Some of the readers of this work may possibly recollect three beautiful dogs of this species in the gardens of the Zoological Society of London, which afforded a perfect illustration of the elongated head of the dogs belonging to Cuvier's first section. Mr. Bennett, the Secretary of the Society, gave an interesting account of them in 1835, derived from the observation of Sir John Franklin and Dr. Richardson.

The elongation and sharpness of the muzzle, and the small capacity of the skull, first attract attention. The dog was doubtless fitted for its situation, where its duty is to hunt by sight after the moose or rein-deer, but would have been comparatively worthless if he was to be guided by the scent. Its erect ears, widened at the base and pointed at the top, gave it an appearance of vivacity and spirit. Its depth of chest, and tucked-up flank, and muscular quarters, marked it as a dog of speed, while its light frame, and the length of the toes, and wideness of web between them, seem to depict the kind of surface over which it was to bound. It is not designed to seize and to hold any animal of considerable bulk; it bounds over the snow without sinking, if the slightest crust is formed upon it, and eagerly overtakes and keeps at bay the moose or the rein-deer until the hunters arrive. This animal furnishes a beautiful illustration of adaptation for a particular purpose.

The hair of these dogs is white, with patches of grayish-black and brown. They are known only in the neighbourhood of the Mackenzie River and of the Great Bear Lake in North America They appear to be good-tempered and easily manageable, and soon become familiar even with strangers. They are most valuable to the Indians, who live almost entirely on the produce of the chase. In their native country they never bark, but utter a whine and howl resembling that of the Esquimaux dog; yet one of the three, who was born a few days after its parents arrived at the gardens, while it whined and howled occasionally with its parents, at other times uttered the perfect bark of its companions of various breeds around it.

[It is the general belief among the Indians and others who are familiar with this dog, that his origin is connected, in some way, with the Arctic Fox, Canis Lagopus, as he so much resembles this animal in his general appearance and habits.

This fox when taken is easily tamed, a few days of captivity being often sufficient to render him quite docile, and ample opportunities have thus been afforded for studying his peculiarities.

Although the cross between the wolf and dog may be considered established beyond controversy, the testimony is not so very conclusive as regards the fox. The most authentic instances on record are perhaps those mentioned by Mr. Daniel, who states that Mr. Tattersall had a terrier bitch, who bred by a fox, and the produce again had whelps by dogs, also that the woodman of Mongewell manor had a bitch, the offspring of a tame dog-fox, by a shepherd's cur, and she again had puppies by a dog; he does not state, however, that he knew these facts personally; but concludes from these two instances, that the fox species may be fairly added to the other supposed original stocks of dogs. (Daniel's Rural Sports, vol. 1. p. 15.)

Mr. Collinson also states, that it is certain that the Siberian dog not only copulates with the wolf, but with the fox also. Notwithstanding this assertion, he is not able to cite a single instance, but on the other hand is forced to acknowledge, that he never met with any person who had seen the coupling of these two animals. The peasants of that country have a small dog, which, from their foxy appearance, they term fox-dogs. Our Indian dogs, also, resemble somewhat the wolves and foxes, the original inhabitants of this continent, while the canine family throughout the east is strongly marked with the jackal, the wild aborigines of that portion of the world.

These dogs, when fighting, do not shake their antagonists, like the perfectly domesticated dog; their teeth are extremely sharp, and when snarling, the skin is drawn from the mouth; their bite is more severe, and they show but little disposition to attack the wolves, although quite eager in the pursuit of all other game. The Indians had no dogs previous to the coming of the whites, but depended in a great measure, when hunting, upon the presence of the wolves, who, by their howlings, indicated the position of the herds of buffalo or deer, knowing full well that after the general carnage, they would come in for a full share of the garbage of these animals.

Harlan, in his Fauna Americana, says,

"we have very little doubt that the various species of domestic dogs
are mere varieties of prolific hybrids, produced by the union of the
wolf with the fox or jackal. A prolific hybrid of this kind once
produced, the progeny would more readily unite with the congeners of
either parent, and with each other, and in this manner give rise to
the innumerable varieties which at the present day are found scattered
over the face of the earth." (Page 77.)

It is somewhat strange, that no naturalist has, as yet, succeeded in causing a union between the fox and dog, if the thing be possible. We ourselves are cognizant of an instance, where every effort was made to produce an offspring from such a connexion, but to no purpose, although the terrier bitch was thrice in heat while confined with the fox, and lived on the most amicable terms with him. We agree with Doct. Godman, that if a litter has ever been generated by these two animals, they were hybrids, as nothing to the contrary of an authentic character has been brought forward, whereas it is well known that the fox always exhibits a great antipathy and instinctive repugnance to such an union. It is also reasonable to suppose that if prolific hybrids had at any time been produced, the breed, from its singular character, would have been propagated by the fortunate possessor, either from curiosity or utility. The intestines of the fox are shorter than those of the dog or wolf--L.]

THE ALBANIAN DOG

can be traced to a very remote period of history. Some of the old authors speak of it as the dog which in the times of ancient mythology Diana presented to Procris. Pliny describes in enthusiastic terms the combat of one of them with a lion, and afterwards with an elephant. A dog very much resembling the ancient stories is yet found in Albania, and most of the districts of Greece. He is almost as large as a mastiff, with long and silky hair, the legs being shorter and stronger than those of the greyhound. He is gentle and tractable with those whom he knows, and when there is no point of duty at stake; but no bribe can seduce him from his post when any trust is committed to him.

[This dog, it is very probable, was highly impregnated with molossian blood, and like that animal, was trained both for war and the chase. It is rather doubtful, whether the dogs presented to Alexander the Great by the king of Albania, were those of his own country or some that he had obtained from other parts. We are inclined to believe that they were imported dogs, for Pliny distinctly states, that these two were all that the generous monarch possessed, and if destroyed could not be replaced. From this circumstance it is natural to suppose that, if these dogs had been native Albanians, the king would have been able to supply any reasonable quantity of them, and, therefore, not necessitated to send this message to Alexander. On the other hand, if these dogs had been of the pure molossian type, such as were raised in Epirus, it is probable that their huge dimensions would not have surprised this monarch so much, as it is reasonable to believe that Alexander would certainly have seen, if not heard, of dogs so remarkable, belonging to a kingdom in immediate contiguity with his own. We are, therefore, forced to look to some other source, from whence came these proud dogs, who alone deigned to contend with the lion and elephant, and must yield to Strabo, who states that these animals were of the Indian breed.--L. 15.]

THE GREAT DANISH DOG, CALLED ALSO THE DALMATIAN OR SPOTTED DOG.

The difference between these two breeds consists principally in the size, the Dalmatian being much smaller than the Danish. The body is generally white, marked with numerous small round black or reddish-brown spots. The Dalmatian is said to be used in his native country for the chase, to be easily broken, and stanch to his work. He has never been thus employed in England, but is chiefly distinguished by his fondness for horses, and as being the frequent attendant on the carriages of the wealthy. To that its office seems to be confined; for it rarely develops sufficient sense or sagacity to be useful in any of the ordinary offices of the dog.

[This dog is, perhaps, the tallest of the canine species in existence; the smaller Dane, or "le braque de Bengal," of the French writers, is perhaps a cross of this animal with the pointer or hound, or the original dog degenerated by removal from his native soil. Although these dogs generally display little or no intelligence, and are, in fact, denounced by many writers as being incapable of acquiring sufficient knowledge to make them in any way serviceable for hunting, still we are led to believe that these latent qualities might be developed in this breed as well as any other of his particular physical construction.