ALLEN: DOGS OF THE AMERICAN ABORIGINES. 49^^ 



Descriptions. — The best account of the Fuegian Dog is that given 

 l)y d'Herculais (1884) of two Yahgan Dogs brought back to France 

 by Dr. Hyades of the Mission scientifique au Cap Horn (expedition 

 de la Romanche), in 1883. These were obtained as puppies from 

 the Yahgans at Orange Bay and grew up to be tame and affectionate 

 dogs. They are described as small but well-proportioned, remarkable 

 for their large pointed and erect ears, and very sharp slender muzzles. 

 The color-pattern is very variable, often a uniform grayish tan recall- 

 ing the jackal; again, the body is marbled with extensive black or tan 

 areas on a white ground. The feet are plainly webbed. The two 

 dogs above referred to, were said to measure, the male and female 

 respectively: — height at shoulder, 49 and 44 cm.; length from tip of 

 nose to root of tail, 80 and 72 cm. ; length of tail, 2G and 23 cm. 



External Measurements. — Dechambre (1891) in a note on these 

 same dogs, gives the following dimensions, evidently of a female: — 



Scapuloischial length 52 cm. 



Height at shoulder 41 " 



Height at rump 39 " 



Height at axilla 25 " 



Thoracic perimeter 58 " 



Distance between ears 9 " 



" " inner corners of eyes 4.5 " 



outer " " " 8.5 " 



Breadth of forehead 11 " 



Length of head 22 " 



" " muzzle 9 " 



Interorbital width at outer corner of eye 9.5 " 



The further description by Dechambre supplements that of d'Her- 

 culais based on the same individual. He describes its fox-like head 

 with pointed muzzle, broad forehead, its erect and high-set ears, 

 usually directed forward, very mobile; eyes slightly oblique. The 

 body is large, limbs slender, the neck short and powerful, the 

 shoulders slightly higher than the rump; tail bushy and carried 

 high. Pelage with a short imder fur, pied black and white, passing 

 to slaty at the throat, clouded with tan ; over each eyebrow a white 

 spot with a few fulvous hairs. The coat has the appearance of a 

 domesticated animal in its pattern. 



Captain Fitzroy of the Beagle, in a letter to Hamilton Smith (1840, 

 p. 214) describes these dogs of the 'Canoe Indians' as resembling 

 " terriers, or rather a mixture of fox, shepherd's dog, and terrier. All 



