696 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxviir. 



Avas his fulling' to the oTound in a tit, soon followed by a rushing 

 about in a Frantic manner as if wholly deprived of all sense of feel- 

 ing. On some occasions one would rush into the water and get 

 drowned. At other times a few would wander awa}' from the ship 

 and be seen no more. Sometimes their sutfering's would terminate in 

 death. Several appeared to suffer so very much that they were shot 

 to relievo the poor things from their pain." Markham also remarks 

 "that nearly all arctic expeditions have experienced the same kind of 

 disease and mortality among their dogs, and for which there has hith- 

 erto been no remedy. Hydrophobia is unknown among the Eskimo 

 or Indian dogs, as no one ))itten by a diseased animal has ever suffered 

 permanent injury therefrom." 



Most of the true breed of P^skimo dog are more or less woltish in 

 appearance, while others faciall}" resemble the common fox. Many 

 of them are very playful and affectionate, but some others are bad 

 tempered, sulky, and vicious in disposition. McClintock mentions 

 one or two notable characteristics, "•(yhununie," the favorite dog in 

 Commander Hol)son\s p]skimo team, while on the J^o,r in her cele- 

 ))rated pack-ice drift, disappeared and was supposed to be lost; l)ut 

 "after an absence of six daj's he returned decidedly hungry, although 

 he could not have been without food all the time, and evinced great 

 delight at getting Imck. He devoted his first attention to a hearty 

 meal, then rubl)ed himself up against his own particular associates, 

 after which he sought out and attacked the weakest of his enemies, 

 and, soothed l)y their angry bowlings, la}' down and coiled himself up 

 for a long sleep." 



Like domestic and Indian dogs, the female of the species under 

 review reproduces at various seasons, but as a rule most frequenth' 

 during the warmer months of the year. The litter of pups seldom 

 exceeds live in numl)er, sometimes less and occasionally more, and there 

 is no apparent difference in other relative dog characteristics. The 

 full-grown female, however, is generally' smaller in size than the male. 



Arctic explorei's and other voyagers of experience have written much 

 and spoken highly of tiie capacity, the fortitude, and the endurance 

 of tlie North American hauling dog. After half a century's residence 

 in northwestern Canada the writer of these notes Avould be able to till 

 many pages with dog loi'e, l)ut he has no desire to thus tax the patience 

 of those who may peruse them. At the same time he thinks that a 

 few readers might possibly take a little interest in certain ti-aits, as 

 well as in the performances of a small and rather short-legged dog of 

 P^skimo l)re(Hl, born tailless, which formed one of the train or team of a 

 Hudson l)ay sIihI of dogs conducted l)v himself on a winter journey 

 of fully 2, ()(»(> miles, from Fort Simpson on the Mackenzie to Oak 

 Point near the southern end of Lake Manit()))a. We left the former 

 point on November P>0. isr»9, and iHMiched the latter place on Febru- 



