280 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA [No. 55 



PLAINS INDIAN DOG 



Canis familiaris canadensis Richardson, Fauna Boreali-Amer., v. 1, p. 80, 1829. 



Wolflike dogs, with erect, pointed ears, drooping tails, and yellow- 

 ish gray, black, white, or spotted coats, were kept in great num- 

 bers by most of the Plains Indians and reported among the Indians 

 at The Dalles in 1854 by Suckley and Gibbs. These animals were 

 generally considered to be a mixture of dog and coyote. This opinion, 

 however, seems to have been based on general appearance, size, and 

 on the well-known fact that they were often crossed with wild 

 coyotes. 



These dogs were generally used by the Indians for hunting and 

 packing and over much of the West were an important source of food 

 for the natives. Suckley and Gibbs, however, state positively that 

 none of the Oregon Indians ate their dogs, but that they used them 

 for driving elk and deer. 



SHORT-LEGGED INDIAN DOG; CARRIES INDIAN DOG 



Canis familiaris novacalidoniae Richardson, Fauna Boreali-Amer., v. 1, p. 82, 

 1829. 



A small, long-bodied, short-legged dog of the Turnspit kind, with 

 large head, erect ears, fur short and sleek, longer on tail, was reported 

 by Richardson from British Columbia, and by Suckley and Gibbs 

 from The Dalles, Oreg., and Eel River, Calif. Usually white or 

 spotted with black and white or liver color and white, these were 

 kept by the Indians as playmates for the children and pets for the 

 women. But even in the 1850's Suckley says that throughout Oregon 

 the native dogs were intermingled largely with imported dogs. Some 

 of the purebred original stock may still be found among certain 

 Indians, but skulls from caves and old burial places and shell heaps 

 will probably prove more satisfactory for study. 



KLAMATH INDIAN DOG 



Canis familiaris klamathensis, New name. 

 Suckley (I860, p. 112} says : 



"On the Klamath is a dog of good size, with a short tail. This is not more 

 than 6 or 7 inches long and is bushy, or rather broad, it being as wide as a 

 man's hand. I was assured they were not cut and I never noticed longer tails 

 on the pups. They have the usual erect ears and sharp muzzle of Indian dogs 

 but are (what is unusual with Indian dogs) often brindled gray'' 



This seems to be the only mention of such a dog among any In- 

 dians, and unfortunately there are no specimens from which to 

 amplify this meager description. Some day, when the numerous 

 lava caves of the Klamath country are carefully explored, there will 

 undoubtedly be brought to light considerable numbers of skulls of 

 dogs of unquestionable aboriginal origin, and these should be pre- 

 served with the greatest care. 



CLALLTJM INDIAN DOG 

 Canis laniaer Hamilton Smith, Jardine's Nat. Library, v. 10, p. 134, 1840. 



Described as a medium-sized dog with erect, pointed ears, sharp 

 nose, and bushy tail, hair thick and woolly, white, or perhaps brown 



