440 hii.lktin: miskim ok compauvtivk zoology. 



Jim-it l);i\i' liroiiiiht their iloj^'s with thein, pivsinnahlx t'roin Asia, and 

 this pn)l);il)I.\ at a culture sta«i;e prior to the domestication of other 

 animals, at least in tiie North, since no other domestic animal is com- 

 mon to the peoples of hoth hemispheres. The Asiatic orij^in of Ameri- 

 can dojjs has ])re\iously heeii su,i;:.iieste(l liy Mercer (1S07, p. 12()) and 

 Wissler [UUT). 



The probability therefore is, that the Domestic I)ot>; originated in 

 Asia and was carried hy primitive man both east and west into all 

 parts of the inhabited world. That this }nigration began in late 

 l^leistocene times seems highly probable. 



In the Western Hemisplu^re three types of dogs may in a very 

 general way be distinguished: — (1) the large Molf-like Flskimo Dog 

 of the Arctic countries, strong, powerfully built, Avith broad muzzle, 

 erect ears, and large bushy tail curled forward o\er the hip; (2) a 

 smaller type. \ arying more or less in size and proportions, with erect 

 ears but a drooping tail; and (3) a much smaller type, the size of a 

 terrier, heavy of bone, usually with shortened rostrum as seen among 

 the tribes of the Southwest or again, apparently more slender both in 

 limb and skull as in southern INIexico or parts of South America. 

 South of tile Eskimo country, the two latter types of dogs are char- 

 acteristic, and seem to haAC occurred together over much of their 

 range, so that travellers often mentioned a "wolf-like" and a "fox- 

 like " dog among the Indians of both North and South America. 

 In this connection, it is interesting to recall Kohler's (1890) statement 

 that in eastern Asia, between the pro\inces of Gansing and IJssuri, 

 the (Chinese have small fox-like dogs, a comparison of which with the 

 small American dogs would be of interest. The smaller x\merican 

 dogs of the slender type (Techichi) seem not Aery different from the 

 Old World ('. palus-fri.f, and maA' be not remotely related. The more 

 heavily built small dogs Avith shortened faces and shorter, stouter 

 limb-bones, are perhaps derived from the more slender type, and 

 possibly owe certain of their peculiarities to cross-breeding w^ith the 

 larger dogs, though this is at present Avholly conjectural. 



Breeds of Amkkk ax Aboriginal Dogs. 



While in a very general Ava\- it may be said, that excluding the 

 Eskimo Dog, the American Indians had domestic dogs of tw:o chief 

 types, a larger and a smaller, there Avere apparently sundry local breeds 

 of these, probably conforming in distribution Avith the general areas 



