THE PEDIGREE OF THE DOG 



THE number of breeds and varieties of the domesticated 

 dog is so great that it is at first rather hard to believe 

 that all are descended from a few wild types. Neverthe- 

 less, the differences between these are not greater than 

 those met with among domesticated pigeons and fowls, 

 which are known to be respectively descended from the 

 wild pigeons of Europe and the jungle-fowls of Asia. A 

 peculiarity of most domesticated dogs is their power of 

 barking, which seems to be entirely unknown among all 

 wild members of the family Canidae, even the semi-domes- 

 ticated dogs of the Eskimo being unable to bark, as are 

 the dingos of Australia. But if kept among barking dogs, 

 both these breeds, and apparently also wolves and jackals, 

 will soon learn to bark in a more or less thorough manner. 

 Barking is, therefore, evidently an acquired habit ; but that 

 it affords no argument against the derivation of the domes- 

 ticated breeds from the wild races is evident not only from 

 the above instance, but also from the circumstance that the 

 Asiatic jungle-fowl are unable to crow in the manner 

 characteristic of their domesticated descendants. Several 

 traits such as turning round several times on a hearthrug 

 in order to make a hole before lying down, and scratching 

 up earth with their fore-feet and throwing it backwards 

 with the hind pair, common to wolves and jackals are 

 inherited by even the most domesticated of domestic 

 dogs ; and these are evidently of great value in helping to 



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