EASTERN DOGS IN EARLY TIMES 



there was plenty of time for the race which first made 

 progress in the domestication of the dog to take advantage of 

 its discovery, which in those days was of a relative value far 

 more important than all the discoveries of modern science, 

 and possibly constituted a determining factor in early success- 

 ful migrations, perhaps even in the migration of the Neo- 

 lithics into Europe. C. palustris of the lake dwellings of the 

 Neolithic period seems, according to Elliott, to be a slightly 



It 



ENGRAVING OF A DOG ENGRAVING OF A WOLF 



(FROM MAO SHIH) (FROM MAO SHIH) 



From "Chinese Pottery of the Han Dynasty." By Beithold Laufer. 



modified form of C. mikii. These partially domestic dogs 

 of the neolithics would, no doubt, occasionally cross with the 

 local wild dogs and wolves. " Prince Poutiatini discovered 

 near Lake Bologoia in Russia a deposit of early Post-Glacial 

 age which included a very dog-like wolf, which has been 

 called after him C. poutiatini. The interesting point about it 

 is the great elevation and width of the skull as compared with 

 modern or extinct wolves. It is closely allied to the dingo 

 of Australia and to the half-wild dog of Java (C. tenger- 

 ranus). Others suppose that an Indian wild-dog was the 

 chief dog ancestor. Dogs of an Abyssinian species, of Egypt 

 and of Majorca, are very like it. A curious point with regard 

 to the further history of C. poutiatini under domestication is 



3 



