154 THE DINGO. 



the Zoological Society, gives, we think, a fair representation of the most 

 usual aspect of the animal. 



So far as we know, the first indication of the existence of the Dingo 

 is given by Capt. William Dampier * in his account of his voyage round 

 the world, speaking of the continent of Australia, as visited by him in 

 1688 : " We saw no sort of animal, nor any Track of Beast, but once ; 

 and that seemed to be the Tread of a Beast as big as a great Mastiff- 

 Dog." 



The creature itself may have been seen by some of his men, for he 

 tells us f : " My men saw two or three Beasts like hungry Wolves, 

 lean like so many skeletons, being nothing but skin and bones." He 

 adds : " 'Tis probable that it was the Foot of one of those Beasts that 

 I mentioned as seen by us in N. Holland." In the account of Governor 

 Phillip's voyage in 1788 J, however, we have a description and figure of 

 an animal of the kind which is declared to have been then living at 

 Hatfield House, in the possession of the Marchioness of Salisbury. 



F. Cuvier has given a good figure of one which was living in the 

 Gardens at Paris in 1806. One of its most remarkable characteristics 

 was its readiness to attack other large and formidable animals without 

 hesitation. It would fly at dogs of much larger size and also at the 

 bars of cages containing lions and bears. It was very exclusive in its 

 affection, only manifesting it to the one who most frequently set it at 

 liberty from time to time. 



Mr. George Bennett, who was so many years in Australia, relates 

 various instances of wild Dingoes pretending to be dead when no other 

 means of escape seemed practicable. Mr. Gould believed the Dingo to 

 have been introduced from the north, and had never heard of its being 

 found in Tasmania " in the wild or semi-wild state in which it occurs 

 on the Australian continent." He adds : " From what I saw of the 

 animal in a state of nature, I could not but regard it in the light of a 

 variety to which the course of ages had given a wildness of air and 



* See ' A Collection of Voyages,' vol. i. p. 463 (London : James and John Knapton, 

 1729). 



t Vol. iii. p. 106. 



J See ' The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay.' 



