CoLENSO. — Notes on the ancient Dog of the Neiv Zealanders. 141 



emblems of silliness. In New Zealand they are fed upon fisli, 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; they eat 

 the bones of other dogs, and the puppies become true cannibals from their 

 bu'th. 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 instincts in animals. European 

 dogs are never fed on the meat of their own species, but rather seem to 

 abhor it. The New Zealand dogs, in all likeliliood, 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 tlieii- 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 fi'uit trees ; the hogs were likewise 

 allowed to run about, but received regular portions of food, which were 

 commonly distributed by old women. W^e 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 afiection if 



