of the Mackenzie River District, 13 



of natural history upon which these notices treat. I should also 

 wish to point out a few errors into which previous writers on these 

 animals have fallen, as well as to submit to the philosophical 

 world some of the results of my experiments and investigations in 

 this branch of animated natnre. 



The Esquimaux dog var. Borealis is found, as its name implies 

 among the Huskey tribes of the Arctic coast. It is of considerable 

 size, muscular and well-proportioned. The ears are small and 

 pointed, and with a good breadth of skull between them, the 

 muzzle is long and sharp, the eyes are placed at angles, not hori- 

 zontally, the fur is deep and thick, the tail bushy, the feet broad 

 and well covered, and the colour is generally pure white, though 

 other shades are not uncommon. 



It is said, with what correctness I cannot venture to say, that 

 the voice of the Esquimaux dog in its native wilds is not a bark 

 but a long melancholy howl. I have had several in my possession 

 all of which barked lustily, but they may have learnt this accom- 

 plishment from the dogs of the fort. The similarity of appear* 

 ance between this dog and the barren ground wolf is very great. 

 It is a hardy animal capable of enduring great extremes of cold 

 and hunger, but in the latter case it becomes very ferocious 

 and instances have occurred of children being devoured by it. 



There is no want of sagacity in the Esquimaux dog, its whole 

 look tells of its wisdom and cunning. It is very sociable and fond 

 of its master. When two of this breed of dogs begin fighting, the 

 whole band light on one of the pair and if not prevented will tear 

 him in pieces. 



The Hare Indian dog, var. Lagopus^ is the race domesticated 

 among the Indians of the Mackenzie River District. It is charac- 

 terised by a narrow, elongated and pointed muzzle, by erect sharp 

 ears, and by a bushy tail not carried erect but only slightly curved 

 upwards, as well as by a fine silky hair mixed with thick under 

 fur. Its colour is tolerably varied in the shades of brown, grey, 

 black, and white. Of these tints the darkest are the most rare. 

 A white or greyish white being the most usual shade. Some 

 writers have supposed this animal to be a domesticated white fox 

 but the thing is highly improbable. The Indian dog, though 

 there are great differences in its size, has on an average more 

 than treble the proportions of this species of fox, moreover it 

 will not have connection with this or any other branch of the sub- 



