THE DUOLB.] 



FOK r^lOUNTATX, FIELD, AND FARM, [amebican doqs. 



his surprise waa much rxcitoil by sci-iiii; tho 

 Dingo rise, shake himself, anil niareli into tlie 

 bush, evading all pursuit. One, supposed dead, 

 was brought into a hut, for tho purpose of un- 

 dergoing deoortieation : at the eomnienoement 

 of tho skinning process upon tlie face, the only 

 perceptible movement was a slight quivering of 

 the lips, whieh was regarded at the time as 

 merely muscular irritability. The man, after 

 skinuing a very small portion, left tho hut to 

 sharpen his knife, and, on returning, found the 

 animal sitting up, with the flayed integument 

 hanging over on one side of the face." 



In New Zealand there has been found an 

 apparently feral dog, called by tho natives 

 " Kaearahe." Eegarding this animal there 

 is a tradition, which says, that he was given to 

 them some centuries ago by certain divinities 

 who visited their shores. In appearance, this 

 dog closely resembles the " Dingo," but he 

 seems to have been partially domesticated. 



There is a small dog domesticated on the 

 banks of the Niger, very nearly resembling the 

 Dingo in form, but on a much more diminutive 

 and lighter scale, and with a longer muzzle in 

 proportion. Its general colour is reddish. 



THE DHOLE.— CANIS PRIM^EVUS. 



The Dhole is a native of India, over which 

 peninsula it extends in great numbers, and 

 bears different names in different parts. It 

 was originally described by Mr. Hodgson as 

 the Buausu. and by him given the title of 

 Canis primcevus — original, or primeval dog — 

 as, in his opinion, it was the origin of the 

 domestic dog. The locality of the dog to 

 which we have already alluded, was Nepaul, 

 the eastern and western limits of its range 

 being the Sutlej and the Burhampootra. 



In 1831, Colonel Sykes described a wild 

 do^ from the Mahrattas, which he calls the 

 wild dog of the Deccan ; to which we have also 

 already alluded, and which would seem to be 

 identical with Mr. Hodgson's dog. 



The Dhule, Buansii, or Kolsun — for these 

 names are synonymous — is about the size of a 

 small wolf, but is much more powerfully built; 

 its limbs, in particular, being remarkably large- 

 boned and muscular, in proportion to its size. 

 Its ears are large, and rounded at the tips ; 

 the muzzle moderately pointed ; the tail very 

 bushy ; and its colour a sandy red, or bull". 



3£ 



" In linbits, thcao dogs present ail tho 

 characteristics of ferocious beasts of prey. 

 They prowl by night and by day indiscrimi- 

 nately, and hunt in packs of from ten to sLxty. 

 While in pursuit they utter a peculiar yelp ; 

 and it is on scent, and not on sight, that they 

 mainly depend for success. Their speed, how- 

 ever, is considerable, and their savage courage 

 and endurance render them a terror to tho 

 most formidable rangers of the wilds. Bishop 

 lleber says of this dog — ' They are larger and 

 stronger than the fox, which in form and fur 

 they resemble. They hunt in packs, give 

 tongue like dogs, and possess an exquisite 

 scent. They make, of course, tremendous 

 havoc among the game in these raids; but the 

 mischief is said to be repaired by destroying 

 wild beasts.' The panther, the wild bull, the 

 tiger, the elephant, fall an easy prey before a 

 pack of dholes. On they sweep, coming upon 

 their game with the force of an avalanche, 

 and overwhelming their victim in a living 

 torrent. The hunted animal may, indeed, kill 

 many of his enemies, but he has little timo 

 afforded him for exertion or display of prowess ; 

 for the dead or wounded are hardly missed ere 

 others have rushed into their places. — Tho 

 wild dog of China has a great resemblance to 

 the Dhole ; but is usually less in size, and its 

 ears are smaller and more pointed ; its colour 

 ia that of a lively bay." 



THE DEEB OF EGYPT. 

 The Deeb of Egypt chiefly inhabits 

 Abyssinia and Nubia, and is a very ancient 

 dog. Some naturalists have considered it as 

 the original type; but this of course is a 

 point which it is impossible to settle. It has 

 erect ears; semi-pendulous lips; muzzle 

 rather blunt at the point ; tail hairy and 

 short ; and its colour is that of a dirty white, 

 intermixed with black and buff; its height is 

 about eighteen inches. 



SOUTH AMERIC.\N RACES. 

 Among the wild races of dogs, or rather of 

 doffs become wild, to which Buflbu alludes, are 

 those of South America and the West Indian 

 Islands, confessedly sprung from a European 

 stock, left or lost by tho early settlers in the 

 vast plains. These have given origin to an un- 

 reclaimed race. Azara states that these dogs aro 



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