516 THE BOOK OF THE DOG, 



the air when the grass is long, endeavouring to sight what they know from experience is 

 somewhere in the direction the man is pointing. As soon as they catch sight they are off 

 exactly like Greyhounds when let slip. 



"An old male kangaroo (called in the Colonies an 'old man') very seldom runs far before he 

 'bail; up' (Anglice, stops to show fight), which, by means of his long powerful hind legs, he 

 is quite capable of doing. I have seen a kangaroo seize a dog with its fore-paws (which are 

 almost like hands) and with one stroke of its hind-leg (upon which there is an immense centre 

 claw) cut five ribs as clean as if it had been done with a knife. I may mention that we sewed 

 the wound up, and by taking great care to keep the dog quiet for about a month, made a 

 most successful cure, and killed many a kangaroo with his assistance afterwards. On the other 

 hand, a young female kangaroo (which goes by the name of a flying doe) can go like the wind, 

 and if the ground is at all down-hill it takes a really good dog to come on biting terms with her. 



" Dogs vary very much in their style of killing ; some, in fact, will not kill at all only 

 chase, and leave the important work of killing to either the other dog or perhaps to its master. 

 The most approved style of killing, because the safest, is this. The dog runs up alongside 

 the kangaroo, and generally makes a grab at his throat. I prefer a dog to go for the flank, 

 as he only wants to trip the kangaroo up, as you may say, not to hold him. If he succeeds, the 

 kangaroo generally falls, or, at any rate, staggers enough to give the dog a chance of getting 

 him by the throat, and by turning his rump away from the kangaroo prevents any use of the 

 hind legs, and then a few drags at the throat usually settle matters, as the kangaroo is not 

 a very tough animal in the upper part of his body. A really good killer is not to be found 

 every day, and is prized and talked about for many a mile round his owner's domicile. 

 In the old times, especially in the broken country I mean country heavily-timbered and cut 

 up by gullies, ravines, and ranges one often was unable to keep in sight of the chase, and, as 

 of course the dogs did not give tongue, if you once lost sight of your dog you could not tell 

 which way they might go. By-and-by you would very likely see the dog or dogs coming 

 back to you with blood on them, showing that they had killed, but of course you could not tell 

 where, and might hunt for weeks without finding your quarry. Of course this would not do, 

 and so a dog was not considered really good that would not in such a case, when told to ' go 

 back and show,' retrace his steps quietly in front of you until he came to the place where he 

 had killed the kangaroo. 



" The Kangaroo Dog is a capital companion, always ready to go any distance with you, and 

 makes an excellent watch-dog ; but they are not, I think, very amiable tempered not exactly 

 quarrelsome, but snappish and they can give a most severe bite. They are rather fond of sheep 

 worrying, too, however well-fed they may be ; but I must say this for them, they very seldom 

 do it at home. I have known them go twenty-five and thirty miles from the station and kill 

 sheep when there were plenty close at home. They are certainly now a distinct breed.'and certain 

 strains are very famous, though of course no written record is kept of the different kennels, at 

 least not to my knowledge. In the colonial dog shows they have of course a class for 

 Kangaroo Dogs, and, I think, any one would say a noble-looking lot they are." 



All we desire to add to the above interesting description of the Kangaroo Dog is, that it is 

 from the pen of a thorough sportsman, and a genuine lover and judge of dogs, who has spent 

 several years in the bush, and of whose practical knowledge we have not the slightest doubt. We 

 therefore take this opportunity of expressing our obligations to Mr. Beaver for the valuable in- 

 formation he has afforded our readers and ourselves concerning the Kangaroo Dog and the Dingo. 



