THE WILD FAUNA OF THE EMPIBE 41 



THE WILD DOG. 



The wild hunting dog of Africa {Lycaon piclns) is, of course, 

 Well known by sight to all sportsmen who have hunted in that 

 Country ; but not being an animal offering much temptation to the 

 hunter, and therefore being but seldom especially sought for, the 

 sportsman and traveller passing through a district usually sees but 

 *lttle of him. 



I am personally only acquainted with the wild dog common to 

 "he southern portions of the Continent, and only know of one 

 s Pocies there ; — the genuine Lycaon pictus — which, judging by 

 Comparison with set-up specimens and heads of the same animal 

 Killed in British East Africa, would appear to be a considerably 

 larger and heavier animal than the latter. 



One sometimes hears the wild dog spoken of as a ' nasty 

 ^angy beast,' but at all events, so far as the parts of the country 

 Which I am acquainted with are concerned, I am not at all 

 lr iclined to agree with this sweeping diatribe. Out of a consider- 

 able number I have seen killed at different times, I have never 

 Seen a coat which was not in excellent condition, the irregular 

 Patches of black, white, and khaki in some cases standing out 

 nearly as distinctly as the markings on a tortoiseshell cat. The 

 ears, owing to the attentions of ticks, have often a bare and scabby 

 appearance, but so would those of any domestic dog under similar 

 C1 rcurnstances. That the natural odour of the animals is strong 

 and unique is undeniable, but I would not say that it is offensive 

 jQ any way ; it is certainly no stronger than, though different to, 

 'hat of a fox, and one can sometimes wind them under certain 

 conditions of atmosphere very much as one does the latter. 



, Although, partly owing to the dense bush which they affect, 

 Wild dogs are difficult to come across casually, when they are 

 happened upon they will generally allow a man to approach 

 Within forty or fifty yards before rising from their lair, and will 

 *&6B stand uttering their hoarse and rather sinister growls of 

 Wftrna for quite an appreciable time. They then usually make off 

 at a loping canter for perhaps a hundred yards, when they almost 



^variably stop for another stare, afterwards, if not too openly 

 Pursued, retreating at a hound's jog, which the sportsman, by 



&*ing short cuts and hurrying his pace, can usually keep up 



