INTRODUCTION. 83 
many plants are found in a wild state that man 
appears to have carried with him in his devious 
migrations ; and wild animals still exist, that may 
perhaps justly claim to be of the typical species first 
brought under human subjection; in that remote 
region, a wild dog, the Buanser (Canis primevus), 
is pointed out by him as the primitive species of 
the whole canine race. Another writer (Professor 
Kretschmer), in describing the most interesting 
mammalia of the Frankfort museum, chiefly col- 
lected by the indefatigable Ruppel, notices a jackal 
(Canis anthus, F. Cuv.) as the type of the dogs of 
ancient Egypt; and referring to the antique carved 
and painted figures in the temples, and a skull taken 
from the catacombs of Lycopolis, shows the resem- 
blance to be so great, that their identity cannot well 
be denied. 
More recently Mr Bell, in his History of British 
Quadrupeds, is inclined to conclude that the wolf is 
the original stock whence domesticated dogs are 
derived: for this purpose, that gentleman observes, 
“ It is necessary to ascertain to what type the ani- 
mal approaches most nearly, after having for many 
successive generations existed in a wild state, re- 
moved from the influence of domestication and 
association with mankind. Now we find that there 
are several different instances of the existence of 
dogs in such a state of wildness as to have lost even 
that common character of domestication, variety of 
colour and marking; of these, two very remark- 
able ones are the Dhole of India and the Dingo of 
