BUSH-DOG. 573 



Probably a sight like this cannot at the present day be witnessed, although 

 hunting-dogs are still numerous in the Kilima-njaro district. Of scarcely less 

 interest than these large assemblies must, however, be the spectacle of two or 

 more of these animals in full pursuit of an antelope. Such a hunt was witnessed 

 by Mr. Selous in Bechuanaland, the pursued being a male sable antelope, and the 

 pursuer a single hunting-dog. This hunter and his comrades had been for some 

 time watching the antelope, when suddenly it started off full in their direction. 

 On looking round for the cause of this sudden movement, " we saw," writes Mr. 

 Selous, " that an animal was running on its track, and, although still distant, was 

 overhauling it fast, for the sable antelope not being pressed was not yet doing its 

 best, so that when it was about two hundred yards from us, its pursuer, which we 

 now saw was a wild dog, was not more than fifty yards behind us. The noble- 

 looking antelope must just then have seen us, for it halted, looked towards us, and 

 then turning its head glanced at its insignificant pursuer. That glance, however, 

 at the open-mouthed dog thirsting for its life-blood must have called unpleasant 

 reminiscences, for instead of showing fight, as I should have expected it to have 

 done, it threw out its limbs convulsively, and came dashing past us at its utmost 

 speed. It was, however, to no purpose, for the wild dog lying flat to the ground 

 as a greyhound, its bushy tail stretched straight behind it, covered two yards to 

 its one, and came up to it in no time. It just gave the antelope one bite in the 

 flank, and letting go its hold instantly fell a few yards behind; at the bite the 

 sable antelope swerved towards us, and upon receiving a second in exactly the same 

 place, turned still more, so that, taking the point on which we stood as centre, both 

 pursuer and pursued had described about half a circle round us, always within two 

 hundred yards, since the sable antelope had first halted. As the wild dog w r as just 

 going up the third time it got our wind, and instead of again inflicting a bite 

 stopped dead and looked toward us, whilst about a hundred yards from it the sable 

 antelope also came to a stand. The baffled hound then turned round, and made off 

 one way, while the sable antelope, delivered from its tormentor, cantered off in 

 another." Mr. Selous adds that this is the only instance known to him of a 

 hunting-dog pursuing an animal by itself. 



In the form of the last premolar tooth of the lower jaw the skull of the 

 hunting-dog presents a peculiarity by which it can be distinguished from that of 

 the wolves ; and it is remarkable that a lower jaw from a cave of Glamorganshire 

 shows the same peculiarity in the tooth in question, thus indicating that during 

 the mammoth age a hunting-dog, nearly allied to the living African species, pursued 

 its prey on the Mendips. 



THE BUSH-DOG (Icticyon venations). 



The bush-dog of Brazil and British Guiana is an animal of or about the size 

 of a fox, differing from all the other members of the family in external appearance, 

 although it is not on this ground that it is separated from Canis. It is a short- 

 eared, short-legged, and long-bodied animal, with a very deep and rather elongated 

 neck, and of a general dark brown colour. The head, neck, and shoulders, differ 

 from the general body-colour in being grey, while the hind-quarters, tail, and 



