BRITISH DOGS 



when suitably mated he never had any difficulty. He also refers to 

 the fact that the Esquimaux frequently allows his dogs to breed with 

 wolves in order to maintain strength, endurance, and courage. He 

 also relates, what is most interesting, that, he never met with a well 

 authenticated instance of a hybrid between a fox and a dog. 



In habits the wolves and the jackals present so much in common 

 that Mr. Bartlett is unable to point out any marked differences 

 between them. Domestic dogs, he says, "exhibit many of the 

 habits of wolves and jackals, such as the scratching up of earth with 

 the front feet, and the pushing of it back with the hind feet, in 

 order to hide the droppings. Again, when about to rest, the 

 turning round two or three times with the object of forming a hole 

 may be noticed in pet dogs about to lie down a habit evidently 

 inherited from their wild ancestors." 



As to the whining, howling, and growling of wolves, jackals, and 

 dogs, these are so much alike, Mr. Bartlett considers, as to be indistin- 

 guishable ; but barking, he says, is undoubtedly an acquired habit, 

 and doubtless due to domestication. Wolves, jackals, Esquimaux, 

 and Dingoes in a state of nature never bark ; but if either be asso- 

 ciated with barking dogs, these in many instances acquire the habit. 



The above constitute in brief some of the more important 

 suggestions of latter-day naturalists with regard to the very vexed 

 question of the origin of the Domestic dog. Whatever grounds there 

 may be for widely divergent opinions as to this, there cannot be 

 two opinions with regard to the dog's early association with man. 

 In fact, it may be said with certainty that in every age of which we 

 have history, and even in prehistoric times, man had, if riot as his 

 best friend, at least probably as a most useful auxiliary, the dog. 



FIG. i. ANUBIS.GODOF FlG 2 ._ EA RLY EGYPTIAN DOG. 



THE SETTING SUN. 



So far as historic dogs are concerned, it is hoped to be able to 

 show the various changes in type that have taken place, by means 

 of illustrations from monuments and other records, from the time 

 when a dog (or, more correctly, a jackal) was sacred to Anubis, 

 the God of the Setting Sun (Fig. i). The earlier presentments of 



