5IO CARNIVORES. 



carry it on his shoulders, a luxury of which it is very fond. The dingo will follow 

 nobody else but its owner." 



In writing on the origin of the dingo, Prof. M'Coy observes that its fossil 

 remains are found, in certain of the superficial and cavern deposits of Australia, 

 in association with those of a number of extinct species more or less closely allied 

 to the Marsupials still inhabiting the country. The introduction of the dingo if 

 introduced it really was is thus carried back to the Pleistocene division of the 

 Tertiary period ; but we believe we are right in saying that in some at least of the 

 deposits in which its remains occur there is also evidence of the contemporary 

 presence of man. If*, indeed, in all the deposits in which dingo bones occur there 

 were also indications of human presence, the introduction of the animal by human 

 agency would present no difficulty ; but it does not appear that such is the case. 



DOMESTIC DOGS (Canis familiaris). 



Although many different views have been and still are entertained as to the 

 mutual relationship and origin of the various breeds of domestic dogs, authorities 

 are agreed that primitively the whole of them were derived either from wolves 

 or jackals, or from both together. Whether, however, the origin has been a single 

 one, that is to say, whether all domestic clogs were derived from one particular 

 species of wolf or from a single species of jackal, or whether they are a product 

 of the crossing of two or more distinct races, independently derived from as many 

 wild stocks, is still an open question, and one indeed which is likely to remain 

 undecided. Our own opinion inclines, however, towards the view of the multiple 

 origin of the domestic dog; but even if its origin be single there can be little 

 doubt that such an original domesticated breed has subsequently received extensive 

 crossing with wild species other than the one from which it originally sprang. 



That domestic dogs trace their origin to wolves or jackals, or both together, 

 and not to foxes, is evident from the structure of their skulls; and that the 

 domesticated races are not descended from the wild dogs of Asia, is evident from 

 the latter having one molar tooth less in the lower jaw than is the case with the 

 other members of the genus. Additional testimony that the foxes have nothing 

 to do with the origin of the domestic dogs is afforded by Mr. Bartlett, who writes 

 that he has never met with a well-authenticated instance of a hybrid between a 

 fox and a dog, notwithstanding numerous specimens of supposed hybrids of this 

 sort, which from time to time have been brought to his notice. Since this was 

 written there has, however, been some evidence published in Land and Water, to 

 the effect that these animals may occasionally cross. 



The different breeds of domestic dogs present variations far greater, both as 

 regards size and form, than those between any wild members of the canine family. 

 Great as these differences undoubtedly are, they are to some extent paralleled 

 among the various breeds of domestic pigeons and fowls, the former of which are 

 definitely known to have originated from a single wild stock. But, since dogs of 

 very different breeds freely cross with one another, and the resulting progeny is 

 perfectly fertile, there can be no difficulty in regarding all the domesticated races 

 as now constituting a single species. The fact that at the earliest historical 



