Corzxso.— Notes on the ancient Dog of the New Zealanders. 141 
emblems of silliness. In New Zealand they are fed upon fish, in the 
tropical isles on vegetables, and both these diets may have served to alter 
their disposition. Education may perhaps likewise graft new instincts; the 
New Zealand dogs are fed on the remains of their masters' meals; piss eat 
the bones of other dogs, and the puppies become true cannibals from their 
bi We had a young New Zealand puppy on board, which had certainly 
- had.no opportunity of tasting anything but the mother's milk before we 
purchased it; however, it eagerly devoured a portion of the flesh and bones 
of the dog on which we dined to-day ; while several others of the European 
breed, taken on board at the Cape, turned from it without touching it." 
A little further on, he says:—'* On the 4th August a young bitch of the 
terrier breed, taken on board at the Cape of Good Hope, brought ten young 
ones—one of which was dead. The New Zealand dog, mentioned above, 
which devoured the bones of the roasted dog, now fell upon the dead puppy, 
and ate of it with a ravenous appetite. This is a proof how far education 
may go in producing and propagating new instinets in animals. European 
dogs are never fed on the meat of their own species, but rather seem to 
abhorit. The New Zealand dogs, in all likelihood, are trained up from 
their earliest age to eat the remains of their masters' meals; they are 
therefore used to feed upon fish, their own species, and perhaps human 
flesh ; and what was only owing to habit at first may have become instinct 
by length of time. This was remarkable in our cannibal-dog, for he came on 
board so young that he could not have been weaned long enough to acquire a 
habit of devouring his own species, and much less of eating human flesh; 
however, one of our seamen having cut his finger, held it out to the dog, 
who fell too greedily, licked it, and then began to bite into it.” 
About a month after this, at Huahine, he says :—“ We collected upwards 
of twenty hogs this day for large spike nails, and about a dozen of dogs, 
which seemed to be the most stupid animals of their kind, but were reckoned 
most excellent provision by the natives.” At this island dogs were in great 
plenty. Forster says :—“ Dr. Sparrman and myself in our walk saw great 
numbers of hogs, dogs, and fowls. The last roamed about at pleasure 
through the woods, and roosted on fruit trees; the hogs were likewise 
allowed to run about, but received regular portions of food, which were 
commonly distributed by old women. We observed one of them feeding a 
little pig with the sour fermented bread-fruit paste, called mahei. She held 
the pig with one hand, and offered it a tough pork-skin, but as soon as it 
opened the mouth to snap at it, she contrived to throw a handful of the 
sour paste in, which the little animal would not take without this stratagem. 
The dogs, in spite of their stupidity, were in high favour with all the 
women, who could not have nursed them with a more ridiculous affection if 
