328 Transactions. — Zoology. 



short absence. But I have a strong impression that none 

 of these dogs barked after the manner of the domesticated 

 animal. 



No. 4 : White, freckled with black ; dog. No. 5 : White, 

 freckled -with black; slut. At the head-waters of the 

 Oreti, Lake W^akatipu, Otago. These were a pair. Once my 

 sheep-dog strayed away for a day or so, probably to visit 

 them. He came home in a great hurry, and presently I heard 

 a noise which reminded me of a noise from a kennel of hounds 

 (which mostly consists of howling), when the two came in 

 view running the scent. They saw me just as I was making 

 for a hiding-place, gun in hand, so would not come very close 

 up. I hit No. 5 in the neck with a charge of shot, my two 

 sheep-dogs disappearing into the bush after the other. I made 

 after her w4th my single-barrelled gun, empty, of course ; but 

 as we raced she began to recover, and distanced me after a 

 long run. 



No. 6 : White, black spots, and freckled with black ; dog. 

 No. 7 : White, light-gamboge colour in patches ; slut. No. 8 : 

 White, light-gamboge colour patches ; pup. These were a 

 family party. I and my brother were riding home one very 

 liot day when our dogs suddenly seemed to hear something 

 which was inaudible to us, and started off at a great pace. 

 We galloped after. On rising a terrace, there were the tame 

 dogs holding the wild dog, the mother and pup standing 

 near. On finding we only had a penknife, the dog was ham- 

 strung, so that we might get the others also ; but they had 

 disappeared, and the heat was so gi'eat that our dogs would 

 not take up the scent. So we returned, and killed the one 

 caught. 



No. 9 : White, freckled with black ; young dog. Eidden 

 down and killed with stirrup-iron by John White, alone, with- 

 out a dog. 



These dogs, so peculiar in colour and markings, were 

 of medium size, about that of an ordinary collie, neat head, 

 sharp nose, without jowls or hanging lip ; in shape like a 

 Chinese hunting-dog. Those in Canterbury were seen in 1856, 

 and several skulls were found, as if formerly plentiful, between 

 the Poulter and Esk Eivers, branches of the Waimakariri. 



In Otago during 1861 it is w'orthy of remark that those 

 having large yellow patches were not freckled with yellow after 

 the pattern of those marked with black and freckled with 

 black. What I mean by "freckled" is a small collection of 

 black hairs, here and there, on a white ground, wide apart, 

 only sufficient to be visible, and not appearing as spots. No. 3 

 is remarkable as differing entirely from the others. Nos. 1 , 

 7, 8, very handsome beautiful dogs. 



Mr. Colenso holds the opinion that the Maori dog was a 



