American Varieties of the Dog. 41 



the principal difference. The offspring of the wolf and In- 

 dian dog are prolific, and are prized by the voyagers as 

 beasts of draught, being stronger than the ordinary dog." 



The origin of the ordinary Indian dog of North America 

 is obscure, but Richardson, who names it Cards, familiaris, 

 var. C. canadensis, North American dog, throws much light 

 on its origin : — 



"By the above title I wish to designate the kind of dog 

 which is most generally cultivated by the native tribes of 

 Canada, and 'the Hudson Bay countries. It is intermediate 

 in size and form between the two preceding varieties, and, 

 by those who consider the domestic races of dog to be de- 

 rived from wild animals, this might be termed the offspring 

 of a cross between the prairie and gray wolves. . . . 

 The fur of the North American dog is similar to that of the 

 Esquimaux breed, and of the wolves. The prevailing colors 

 are black and gray, mixed with white. Some of them are 

 entirely black. . . . " He quotes from Theodot's " Can- 

 ada," written in 1630, to show that in the early period, and 

 " perhaps even before the arrival of Europeans, they formed 

 an esteemed article of food of the natives." Confirmatory 

 of the theory of the Pre-Columbian origin of the Indian dog 

 may be cited the following extract from " Hakluyt's Voy- 

 ages" regarding the Indian dogs seen on Cape Breton island, 

 p. 1593 :— 



" Here divers of our men went on land upon the very 

 cape, where, at their arivall they found the spittes of Oke 

 of the savages which had roasted meate a little before. And 

 as they viewed the countrey they sawe divers beastes and 

 foules, as blacke foxes, deere, otters, great foules with red 

 legges, pengwyns, and certain others. . . . Thereupon 

 nine or tenne of his fellows, running right vp over the 

 bushes with great agilitie and swiftness, came towards vs 

 with white staues in their hands like halfe pikes, and their 

 dogges of colour blacke not so bigge as a grayhounde fol- 

 lowed them at the heeles ; but wee retired vnto our boate 

 without any hurt at all received." (The Yoyage of the Ship 

 called the "Marigold " of M. Hill of Bedrise vnto Cape 

 Breton and beyond to the latitude of 44 degrees and an half, 



