330 Transactions. — Zoology. 



Mr. Colenso quotes from Parkinson, "In one canoe 

 a handsome man, clad in many garments, upper garment 

 made of black-and-white dogskin." " An old man sat in the 

 stern of the canoe ; had on a garment of some black skm, with 

 long hair, dark-brown and white border." 



My dogs were all short-haired excepting the dun-coloured 

 one, which will not match with the others. I cannot re- 

 member exactly about the tails, but, as I never kept one as a 

 trophy, they most likely were nothing unusual. I have never 

 seen dogs of these colours among either Maoris or Europeans, 

 and am particular not to use the term "liver-coloured," as not 

 describing the bright j'ellow on these dogs. I had a cover for 

 my telescope made of the yellow-and- white skin, but lost both 

 in a flood when driving sheep. 



The food of these dogs was chiefly rats, of which there 

 \vere great numbers, also the native quail and weka. From 

 the droppings of feathers, I think that an occasional pigeon was 

 caught, and also the ground-lark. The pigeon might be 

 caught when feeding on the Maori cabbage. In those days, on 

 Craigieburn there were acres of this cabbage growing thick in 

 certain places, and the pigeons came long distances to feed 

 on it. Maoris were never met with in these localities, and sa 

 I was ignorant on the subject of their dogs till within the last 

 ten years or so. 



1 think I have given strong evidence in proof of these dogs 

 l)eing the indigenous dog of New Zealand. The fact of tlie 

 hair from the dog's tail being especially valued by the Maori 

 would point the inference that the body-hair was short in 

 length. I append a newspaper-cutting referring to wild dogs- 

 which would seem similar in colour to No. 3 : — 



"The question as to whether there are in New Zealand 

 aboriginal dogs — that is to say, dogs wdiich are descend- 

 ants of canines which ^vere here anterior to the advent 

 of the European — has often been discussed (says the 

 Bangitikei Advocate), and the verdict has generally been 

 in the negative. Mr. Bruce, M.H.E., Mr. Vv^illiam Cameron, 

 and other Paraekaretu settlers, however, say that they 

 have often seen dogs which are in the strict sense of 

 the term ' native dogs.' These animals are of a perfectly 

 distinct type. They are big and strong, and in appearance 

 they exhibit a combination of the wolf and the fox. Their 

 colour is fawn. A couple of these dogs have recently been 

 visiting the Paraekaretu flocks of sheep, Mr. Bruce's amongst 

 others. One of their characteristics is their fondness for 

 lambs. They always go for the lambs first." 



