36 NATURAL HISTOEY SKETCHES. 



of the wild dog at night is a long dismal howl, very much 

 resembling the horrid cry of the Swedish wolf, echoing 

 through the forests, making" night hideous ;" and some- 

 times a small pack would come sweeping by our camp- 

 fire at night after kangaroo, and the chorus was then 

 very fine, when all else was still. The wild bitch brings 

 forth from four to six cubs, like the domestic bitch, 

 generally in a large hollow log or old tree-root. Unlike 

 the wolf, they rarely hunt in large packs, and if, by 

 chance, four or five are seen together, I fancy it is an old 

 bitch and her cubs : I have, however, heard stock-riders 

 say that they have sometimes seen a large drove congre- 

 gated over a dead carcass on the plains up country. They 

 appeared to be much more common in our forests during 

 the winter than in the summer, and this is also the case 

 with the northern wolf: we had no lack of them on the 

 kangaroo-ground, attracted, doubtless, by the carcasses 

 that strewed the forests; and if ever we left a dead 

 kangaroo out at night, it was pretty sure to be half 

 eaten by morning. I believe the wild dog was never 

 known to attack man, nor will they molest horned cattle, 

 unless it be a cow in the act of parturition, when they 

 will sometimes eat away the calf. Their chief food appears 

 to be kangaroo, sheep, all bush animals, and ofi'al, and 

 birds ; and when kept on the chain, they are " death 

 upon " any fowls which come within their reach. They 

 are a fearful scourge to the settlers on the large sheep- 

 runs up the country ; for, strictly as the fold may be 

 guarded at night, a wild dog or two will occasionally 



