16 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE DOG. 



man, and one who would remain his friend after the unhappy 

 FALL should have deprived him of the services or society of 

 other animals ? This, however, is too much like mere decla. 

 mation ; let us proceed to something more like proof of my 

 positions. 



In discussing subjects such as the origin of the dog, it will 

 be evident that direct proof is unattainable ; I must, therefore, 

 be satisfied if I confute the arguments on which my opponents 

 base their theories ; and then it will be more easy to deduce, 

 first, the greater probability, and secondly, the greater plausi 

 bility, of my own views. 



With the supposed Lupine or Vulpine origin of this animal 

 may be classed the theory which derives him from a feral or 

 wild, yet apparently genuine dog. ' Mr. Hodgson,* for in- 

 stance, thinks that he has discovered a wild dog the buansu 

 to have been the primitive type of the whole canine race. 

 Professor Kreischner describes a sort of jackal, preserved in 

 the Frankfort museum, and puts it forward as the type of the 

 dogs of ancient Egypt ; with many other theorists and savants, 

 to all of whom the reasoning which I hope to adduce will, I 

 think, apply, as well as to those who uphold the theory of the 

 Lupine or Vulpine origin. 



Perhaps the most concise view of the side of the question 

 from which I dissent, is given by Mr. Bell in his " British 

 Quadrupeds." He says : " It is necessary to ascertain to 

 what type the animal approaches most nearly, after having, 

 for many generations, existed in a wild state, removed from 

 the influence of domestication and association with mankind. 

 Now, we find there are several instances of the existence of 

 dogs in such a state of wildness as to have lost even that 

 common character of domestication, variety of color and 

 marking. Of these, two very remarkable ones are the dhole 

 of India, and the dingo of Australia. There is, besides, a 

 half-reclaimed race among the Indians of North America, and 

 another partially tamed in South America, which deserve pe- 

 culiar attention and it is found that these races in different 

 degrees, and in a greater degree as they are more wild, ex- 

 hibit the lank and gaunt form, the lengthened limbs, the long 

 and slender muzzle, and the great comparative strength, 

 which characterize the wolf; and that the tail of the Austra- 

 lian dog, which may be considered as the most remote from a 

 state of domestication, assumes the slightly bushy form of 



* Letters from Africa 



