5I4 CARNIVORES. 



state. This would lead to the production of the many breeds and varieties that 

 have been developed, and these varieties may have been perpetuated by the mixing 

 and crossing of breeds originally obtained from distinct wild animals." 



With the extraordinary diversity existing among the different breeds of dogs, 

 it is impossible to give any general characters by which they can be collectively 

 distinguished from the wild species, with the exception of the habit of barking, 

 which is common to most, although not all, of the former, and is unknown, naturally r 

 in the latter. This characteristic will, however, distinguish other domesticated 

 breeds from the Eskimo dog, and also from the dingo. Very generally domestic 

 dogs have the habit of carrying the tail curled over the back, and thus markedly 

 different from the manner in which the straight " brush " of a wolf or a jackal is- 

 borne. Then, again, the acquisition by some domestic breeds of drooping ears is a 

 decided difference from all their wild relatives. And an equally well-marked 

 characteristic of many domestic breeds is the distribution of more or less brilliant 

 colours in patches, in which respect they are widely different from their wild ancestors. 



" Domestic dogs," observes Mr. Bartlett, " exhibit many of the habits of wolves 

 and jackals, such as the scratching up of earth with the front-feet, and the pushing 

 back of it with the hind-feet, in order to cover up the droppings. Again, when 

 about to rest, the turning round two or three times with the object of forming a 

 hole in which to repose may be noticed in pet dogs about to lie down upon the 

 hearth-rug, which is a habit evidently acquired by inheritance from their wild 

 ancestors." 



That the dog was one of the earliest animals domesticated by man rests upon 

 abundant evidence. Summing up the evidence on this point, Darwin observes that 

 during the Roman classical period hounds, house-dogs, lap-dogs, and other breeds 

 were already well established, although it is in most cases impossible with any 

 certainty to recognise the greater number from their portraits. A fresco repre- 

 senting two greyhound puppies is, however, quite distinctive; and it appears 

 that the ancient Romans were accustomed to class their different breeds into 

 house-dogs, sheep-dogs, and sporting dogs, the latter being again subdivided into- 

 fighting dogs, hounds hunting by scent, and hounds hunting by sight (greyhounds). 

 An Assyrian monument with an assigned date of about B.C. 640 shows the figure 

 of a large mastiff; and Egyptian monuments, ranging from about B.C. 3400 to 

 2100, exhibit numerous figures of dogs, most of which approach the greyhound 

 type. On one monument of the later of these two dates there is a dog resembling 

 a hound, with drooping ears, but with a longer back and more pointed muzzle 

 than those of modern hounds. There is also a short and crooked-legged dog with a 

 long body, which Darwin compares to a turnspit, although thinking it improbable 

 that this ancient race was the parent of the modern breed. The oldest dog 

 represented on the Egyptian monuments is, however, one of the most peculiar, 

 resembling a greyhound in general form, but with long pointed ears, and a short 

 curled tail, a somewhat similar race of dogs still existing in Northern Africa. The 

 ancient Egyptians had also a dog like the Indian pariah. " We thus see," observes 

 Darwin, " that at a period between four and five thousand years ago, various breeds, 

 viz., pariah doga, greyhounds, common hounds, mastiffs, house-dogs, lap-dogs, and 

 turnspits existed, more or less closely resembling our present breeds. But there is 



