54: Mr. Children on the Esquimaux Dog, 



Art. III. On the Esquimaux Dog. By J. G. Children, 

 Esq. F.R.S. L.8fE. KL.S. Sfc. 



M. M. Geoffuoy Saint-Hilaire and Frederic Cuvi^r, have 

 given in their superb work, L'Histoire Naturelle des Mammifires^ 

 Li-craison XII. a description and plate of a Dog, under the deno- 

 mination of Chien des Esquimaux de la Bate de Baj[p.n^ the mother 

 of which they inform us, was obtained through the kindness of 

 Dr, Leach. " Nous devous ces precieux animaux a M. le Docteur 

 Leach, qui, en ayant obtenu une femelle pleine, au retour de 

 I'expedition du Capitaine Ross, a bien voulu nous I'envoyer. Cette 

 femelle a mis bas trois petits, un male et deux femelles, qui suffi- 

 ront sans doute pour nous conserver une race dont I'intelligence 

 et la force, appliquees a nos besoins domestiques, pourront nous 

 reudre d'utiles services. Aucune de nos races de Chiens, qui se 

 rapporte a celle-ci, ne sont aussi belles et aussi fortes." 



The figure is that of the young male whelped at Paris. 



The learned authors of the Mammiferesj evidently consider this 

 animal as representing the genuine Esquimaux Dog ; but it ap- 

 pears from Captain Sabine's remarks in his Supplement to the 

 Appendix of Captain Parry's Voyage in 1819 — 20, that the pup- 

 pies which were born at Paris, were the spurious issue of a male 

 Newfoundland Dog and the female of the true Esquimaux race, 

 presented to the French naturalists by Dr. Leach. " By an 

 omission, doubtless of inadvertency, the keepers of the menagerie 

 ■were not apprised that the female in question was with young by a 

 Newfoundland Dog belonging to an officer of the Isabella ; and it 

 has unfortunately happened, that the plate of the ' Chien des 

 Esquimaux de la Bale de Baffin,' as well as the minute measure- 

 ments and description in the letter-press, are taken, not from the 

 mother, but from one of the young, after it had attained its full 

 growth; and it is not therefore a representation of a genuine 

 Esquimaux Dog, as the authors designed." App. Mammalia^ 

 Art 4. Ca7iis Lupus, p. 186. 



Under these circumstances we have gladly embraced the op- 



