AFllICAX AND AMERICAN DOGS. 19 



THE NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICAN DOGS. 



A great variety of tlie dog tribe is to be met with throughout 

 the continent of America, resembling in type the dingo of Aus- 

 tralia, but appearing to be crossed with some of the different kinds 

 introduced by Europeans. One of the most remarkable of the 

 South- American dogs is the Alco, which has pendulous ears, with 

 a short tail and hog-back, and is supjoosed to be descended from 

 the native dog found by Columbus ; but, even allowing this to be 

 the case, it is of course much intermixed with foreign breeds. The 

 North- American dogs are very closely allied to the dingo in all 

 respects, but are generally smaller in size, and are also much 

 crossed with European breeds. In some districts they burrow in 

 the ground, but the march of civilisation is yearly diminishing 

 their numbers throughout the continent of America. 



OTHER WILD DOGS. 



Many other varieties of the wild dog are described by travellers, 

 but they all resemble one or other of the above kinds, and are of 

 little interest to the general reader. 



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