White. — On the Wild Dogs of New Zealand. 329 



small, helpless animal, only used as food oi- to catch ground- 

 birds near at hand. One of his reasons is based on the fact 

 that Captain Cook's party compare them in size to a shepherd's 

 cur, which Mr. Colenso considers to be a cross-bred dog of 

 small size, between a sheep-dog and terrier, or such small 

 breed. Now, I feel sure that if you refer to Buffon you 

 will find he speaks of the sheep-dog as a cur. In those da\"s 

 all dogs other than hunting or fighting dogs were designated 

 curs ; and so it became a term of reproach to speak of a person 

 as a cur, meaning as without pluck or go. It did not indicate 

 that the sheep-dog was of small size. Seeing the English sheep- 

 dog was free from tax, but other dogs taxed, the shepherd 

 would have no object in owning a sheep-dog other than true- 

 bred. A dog of pure descent would be the most useful and 

 trustworthy. From this it would seem Cook's voyagers really 

 alluded to the genuine sheep-dog, which was a dog of con- 

 siderable size, and active also. 



Mr. Colenso quotes from the writings of George Foster, 

 "A good many dogs were observed in their canoes, which 

 they seemed very fond of, and kept tied with a string round 

 their middle. They were of a rough, long-haired sort, with 

 pricked ears, and much resembled the common shepherd's 

 cur. They are of different colours, some spotted, some quite 

 black, others perfectly white." The tying in canoe was, of 

 course, to jirevent them upsetting it. At Tolago Bay Cook 

 says, " The dogs were very small and ugly." 



Why should there not have been also toy-breeds ? The 

 Maori of the present day always keeps hunting-dogs, and also 

 little deformed toys, which the women carry about in their 

 arms when travelling, even long journeys on horseback. 

 These small dogs are white, with long curly hair, and black 

 nose. 



Quoting from Mr. John White : * ' The canoe Mangarara 

 (dry twigj brought reptiles, insects, also dogs of the mohorangi 

 breed (untamed of Heaven)." This is a good name for a 

 breed of dogs. " Now, Tamure had one of the ancient Maori 

 dogs with him on this journey. Chanting the incantations over 

 the dog, he sent him on before him. The dog passed over the 

 path unharmed, and Tamure followed him."='' Again, " Eua- 

 putahanga said to herself, ' How shall I pass this place ? ' but 

 her dog climbed up the cliff while she watched him, and she 

 said to herself, ' Here is a place up this cliff where I may 

 ascend.' " " The dog first discovered the road over Ta-piri- 

 moko." These yarns would credit the dog with intelligence 

 and activity. " Mahiti — mats made of the white hair of dogs' 

 tails." 



* White's " Ancient Maori History," vol. iv., p. 92. 



