THE "WILD DOO. 35 



CHAPTER II. 



THE WILD DOG THE NATIVE BEAR THE WOMBAT. 



THE Wild Dog, warrigal, or dingo, is met with in all 

 the thick forests, deeply-scrubbed gullies, in belts of 

 timber boi'dering on the large plains, and in patches of 

 tea-tree on the plains themselves, throughout the whole 

 country, of course commonest in the most unfrequented 

 districts, and is the only large wild animal of prey at 

 present known in Australia. Shy and retired in its 

 habits, the wild dog is rarely seen by day, unless dis- 

 turbed, lying up generally in thick patches of tea-tree 

 scrub till evening sets in, when, like the wolf and fox of 

 the old world, they roam abroad in search of prey. In 

 habits the wild dog appears to resemble the European 

 fox much more than the wolf. Its shape, colour, and 

 general appearance, is that of a fox, although much thicker 

 and larger, and the colour is generally brighter red ; but 

 the pricked ears, sharp nose, bright eye, and thick brush, 

 all strongly remind us of " old reynard." It is, however, 

 taller and heavier, and altogether a much bolder and 

 finer-looking animal. The colour is usually light red, 

 but there is a beautiful variety nearly black, which is, 

 however, rare, and, like the black fox of northern Europe, 

 only occasionally found in a litter of red cubs. The cry 

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