Quadrupeds. 7777 



observing their actions and movements. When the bitch fox went in 

 heat in the spring she had connection with her mate ; and wishing to 

 decide upon the extent of the affinity existing between the fox and 

 the dog I shut up a small terrier with her : there was no courtship ; 

 the parties were mutually indifferent. I tried Indian, half-Indian and 

 our own hauling dogs, but with no success ; they evidently would not 

 enter into a matrimonial speculation, though they were friendly 

 enough. This experiment may perhaps be allowed to decide the case 

 in point. 



Wild dogs are known to exist in many countries. The Ajuara of 

 South America, the Dhol of India, and the Dingo of Australia, for 

 instance, all bear a close resemblance to each other and to the Arctic 

 American dogs, in the most essential particulars. Therefore, seeing 

 that wild dogs, as distinct from wolves, exist, it is to some such animal 

 that I am inclined to attribute the origin of the dog. From the earliest 

 ages the dog and wolf have been distinguished from each other, and 

 the varieties to which this article is devoted may have derived their 

 certainly very wolfish appearance from crosses in the breed. 



Whatever be the origin of these animals they are of the greatest 

 service — in fact, a necessity — to the aboriginal dwellers in these dreary 

 and barbarous wilds. They are the only beasts of burthen, and although 

 they have not the strength of the fort dogs, still a train or team of three 

 good ones will haul a load of upwards of three hundred pounds, five 

 hundred being considered a good load for the others. Their life is a 

 hard one, far worse than that of a tinker's jackass ; a blow or a kick is 

 the usual caress bestowed upon them by their master. Their food is 

 mostly the excrement and offal of the camp — hare-skins and paws, and 

 any other trash too wretched for the far-from-nice stomach of a Chip- 

 pewayan Indian. I have seldom or ever seen a fat dog among the 

 natives. They make very good hounds to follow deer or moose on the 

 crust of the snow in spring; for, though they have not sufficient 

 strength to bring down these animals themselves, they retard their 

 progress sufficiently to allow the approach of the hunter. I have seen 

 some tolerable retrievers among them also. 



I wi41 now conclude this article by offering a just tribute to the 

 affectionate disposition and kindly habits of this poor and ill-used 

 "friend of man." Scanty fare, harsh treatment and want seem to 

 make little difference in his love; and these miserable starvelings 

 show as much, if not more, affection for their hard-hearted and 

 tyrannical master than do the pampered and petted favourites of 

 European old maidenhood: 



VOL. XIX. 3 Q 



