4 On Indian Dogs. 



cliuacan, the rnoft wefterly part of the old empire of Ana- 

 huac. Tilt natives of Michuacan called it abora, or ahorc. 

 It is faid, bv Clavigero, to be almoft wholly extini't*. 



The !tzcui7itepotxotli bears no refemblance whatever to the 

 wolf> from which it is not probable that it was derived. It 

 has much more the afpecl of fome of the domeftlcated dogs; 

 and Hcrndndc?, informs us, that it refcmbled them in nature 

 and'in manners. That it was a fpecies of canis is very pro- 

 bable ; but that it was a rnc'e variety of the common dog is 

 much more uncertain. I rather fufpeft it was not. We arc 

 not, indeed, permitted to decide this matter with certainty. 

 One effenlial difference between the two animals we are able 

 to colleft : the Mexican (.log is faid to have fix teats, whereas 

 jhe common dog has ten. 



BufTon, Pennant, and Gmelin, have confounded this ani- 

 mal with the a!co. Hernandez, however, plainly fpeaks of 

 them as two diliinct animals f: as does alio the abbe Cla- 

 vigero |. It is probable, however, that they were confidera- 

 blv allied to each other. 



Either this fpecies or the iechichi, perhaps both, were 

 brought to the market of the city of Islcxico, along with 

 deer, rabbits, and many other animals, before the conqueil 

 of the Spaniards. Gage fays thefe animals were fold either 

 ** by quarters or whole." It would appear from the fame 

 writer, that thefe dogs were fometimes caftratcd for food §. 

 Thefe fiiiiplc tafls are calculated, with many others, to fliow 

 that the Mexicans, at the time they were dil'covered, had 

 aAually advanced, in many reipefts, towards the attainment 

 of that police, thofe arts and pratlices, which are never ob- 

 fcrved among- people in the lavage forms of fociety. Another 

 centurv, but for tlie difcovery of Columbus, would have ton- 

 dufted thefe unfortunate Americans much nearer to the con- 

 dition of their conquerors ; but it is to be feared that many 

 centuries would have been requKite to have weaned them from 

 their hideous religion, 'which was the foundation of their 

 favage practices and manners. The hillorv of mankind ex- 

 hibits abundant proofs of this pofition, that the arts which 

 they practife, and the police which they obferve, are no cer- 

 tain evidences of a truly civilized ftate. A mild religion ap- 

 pears to be abfolutely neeeflary to. the attaiument and the 

 prefervalion of this happy (late of man. 



• The Hiftory of Mexico, vol. i. p.4,4. 

 t Hiftoria" Animalium, &c# Liber Unicus, p. 7. 

 X The Hiftory of Mexico, vol, ii. p. 38* and p- 323. 

 § A Nev.' butvey, &c p. in. 



Wolf 



