THE GROUP OF THE WOLVES. 



•43 



ings of Switzerland of the stone period and 

 that of the jackal, none between the skull of 

 a dog of the bronze period and that of an 

 Indian wolf [Cants pallipes). Several forms 

 of large domestic dogs represented on the 

 Egyptian monuments bear a remarkable 

 resemblance to the African wolf {Cants 



lupaster); and the small races with straight 

 pointed ears are probably descended from 

 the jackal. The wolf-hounds so valuable to 

 our ancestors had a wonderful resemblance 

 to the wolves which they were employed to 

 hunt. The hatred which the domestic races 

 manifest towards their wild kindred, and they 



I'ig. 6i. — I'lie Dingo [Canis dingo), page 144. 



to them, is a trait of character which is always 

 repeated in like cases. 



Notwithstanding their wildness, all species 

 of wild dogs attach themselves readily to 

 man, especially when young, and more or 

 less easily renounce their independence in 

 favour of the master who has brought them 

 under his yoke. This surrender of their 

 independence can most easily be recognized 

 in domestic dogs by the mode in which the 

 ears are held, these being always erect in the 

 wild species, while in many of the domesticated 

 races, on the other hand, they become more 

 or less pendent. 



It appears accordingly from the investiga- 

 tions of the present day, among which those 



carried on with rare perseverance by Prof. 

 Jeitteles of Vienna deserve specially to be 

 mentioned, that all species of wild dogs with 

 round pupils are capable of domestication, and 

 that many of them, some of which are figured 

 and described in this work, have become the 

 ancestors of our domestic breeds. The readi- 

 ness with which these different breeds sprung 

 from various stocks unite with one another 

 to produce fruitful offspring, has exercised an 

 unmistakable influence on the formation of 

 new races and the perfecting of the old. 



These conclusions are strengthened by the 

 fact, that in many countries the neglected 

 dogs which have regained their freedom have 

 acquired characters adapted to the land which 



