MAMMALIA — DOG. 



139 



with white ; the other more sprightly in appearance, with a shorter body, 

 and the color reddish brown or black. It has a most acute sense of smell- 

 ing, and an inveterate enmity to all kinds of vermin. Nor is it excelled by 

 any dog in the quality of courage. It will encounter e-en the badger with 

 the utmost bravery, though it often receives severe wounds in the contesf, 

 which, however, it bears with unshrinking fortitude. As it is very expert 

 in forcing foxes and other game out of their coverts, and is particularly 

 hostile to the fox, it is generally an attendant on every pack of hounds ; in 

 which case the choice of the huntsman is not directed by the size of the 

 animal, but by its strength and power of endurance. 



THE AUSTRALIAN DOG.* 



This dog, which is also called the Australasian and New Holland dog, 

 and by the natives, the dingo, is about equal in size, and similar in its pro- 

 portions, to the common house dog, or lurcher. It is two feet five inches in 

 length, muscular legged, agile, and courageous, with a bushy tail, and long, 

 straight hair, of a deep fawn color on the upper parts, and almost white on 

 the under surface. He is exceedingly voracious and fierce. One of them 

 has been known to leap on the back of an ass, which was not saved from it 

 without considerable difficulty. 



THE BULL-DOG. 2 



Though much less in size than the mastiff, the bull-dog is nearly equal to 

 him in strength, and superior to him in fierceness. Those of the brindled 

 kind are accounted the best. No natural antipathy can exceed that of this 

 animal against the bull. Without barking, he will naturally fly at and 

 seize the fiercest bull ; running directly at his head, and sometimes catching 

 hold of his nose, he will pin the bull to the ground ; nor can he, without 



1 C.f. Australasia. 



s C. Molossus. 



