CHAPTER VII. 



THE DOG FAMILY. THE DOMESTIC DOG.* 



Section Cynoidea Geographical Distribution Skull of Dog Teeth Legs Walk Claws Internal Anatomy The Caecum, 

 or " Cul de sac " of the Intestine Size THE DOMESTIC DOG Its Fidelity and Love Differences between the Domes- 

 ticated and Natural Species of the Family Barking a Civilised Habit Antiquity of the Dog The Dog among the 

 Hebrews and Egyptians The Dog in the Bible " Dog " as a Term of Reproach Venerated by many Ancient Nations 

 The Dog among the Greeks and Romans Pre-historic Dogs Dogs in the New World Peruvian Dogs Superstitions 

 about the Dog The Dog as an article of Diet Origin of the Dog Identity of Structure of Wild and Domestic 

 Dogs The independent Training of Wild Canidce by Savages in many parts of the World Voice Results of the 

 whole question as to Origin Anecdotes about Instinct, Reason, Docility Muscles of Dog's Head Consociation of 

 Dogs Anecdotes of Sense of Right, Wrong, Duty, Conscience, Sensitiveness, Honesty, Theft, Cunning, Quarrelsome- 

 ness, Magnanimity, the reverse, Revenge, Hatred Conjugal Affection Devotion to Man Fickleness Despair 

 Rabies and Hydrophobia Wonderful Variety of Breed. 



WE now come to the first and only family of the section Cynoidea, the most compact of the 

 three divisions of split-footed flesh-eaters, and the one which contains the smallest number of forms. 

 Only four genera, in fact, are contained in the group, namely, the Dogs, Wolves, and Foxes (Canis), 

 the Long-eared Fox (Megalotis), the Racoon-dog (Nycter&utes), and the curious Hysena-like Lycaon. 



But the group is none the less interesting for the small number of forms included in it ; for con- 

 taining, as it does, the Dog, the animal of all others entitled to the name domestic, it yields in impor- 

 tance to neither of the larger groups, notwithstanding the varied series of creatures enclosed within 

 their pale. Members of the Dog family are found in nearly all parts of the world, being absent only in 

 the West Indian Islands, Madagascar, the eastern islands of the Malayan Archipelago, New Zealand, 

 and the Polynesian Islands. When we say that the Dog is absent from those places, we mean, of 

 course, as a true native. Wherever civilised man has penetrated, there his four-footed friend is sure 

 to be found ; but in the places just mentioned no Dog, Wolf, or Fox occurs as a true aboriginal. Very 

 probably, the gigantic island of Australia should be added to the above list, as it is by no means certain 

 that the Dingo, or wild Dog found there, has not been introduced by man. 



The Dogs form a sort of connecting link between the Cat-like species on the one hand, and the 

 Bear-like group on the other. In the matter of being digitigrade, they agree with ihe Cats ; the 

 number of their teeth agrees with that of the Bears; in the character of the skull they come 

 just half-way between the two. 



On the under surface of the Dog's skull there is found, in a corresponding position to the ear- 

 drum swelling of the Cat (see p. 11), a similar rounded swelling, which, however, is smaller in pro- 

 portion to the size of the skull, rougher in tex- 

 ture, and not so regular in shape, but sloping 

 towards its outer aperture. Moreover, 

 the margins of its outer aperture, round 

 which the external ear is fixed, are pro- 

 duced outwards into a short tube or spout, 

 thus making a small bony ear-passage 

 beyond or external to the rim to which the 

 drum membrane is attached. In the Cat, 

 it will be remembered, there was no bony 

 tube of this sort, but the drum parchment 

 was flush with the margins of the opening 

 of the drum cavity. Then the partition, 

 which was so large in the Cat, dividing the 

 cavity into two compartments, is here re- 



SIDE-VIEW OF WOLF 8 SKULL. ' 



The letters have the same significance as in the figure of the Lion's skull 

 on p. 11. 



duced to quite a low wall. Lastly, the bony 

 clamp, which we mentioned in the Cat as 

 being fixed quite closely against the hinder 



face of the bulla, is here separated from it by a small valley. These skull characters are very char- 

 acteristic of the Cynoidea, and are therefore of great importance in the grouping of the Carnivora. 



* Canidce. 



