288 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA 



This red breed of pariahs is certainly the indigenous 

 one of these parts, whether or not, as I suspect, descended 

 from the wild species which frequent these jungles. The 

 large parti-coloured animals, seen about Hindu villages 

 in the open valley, were probably imported along with 

 their masters. The wild dogs live in packs of fifteen or 

 twenty, and prey exclusively on game, running doAvn all 

 sorts of deer like a pack of hounds. Where a pack has ' 

 been hunting for any time, most of the game naturally 

 disappears. This applies to the tiger even, which they 

 are said to attack wherever they meet him. Tigers would 

 naturally follow the herds of deer on which they prey, if 

 they were moved by the wild dogs; but there is such a 

 consensus of native opinion as to the wild pack actually 

 hunting, and even sometimes kiUing tigers, that it is 

 difficult altogether to discredit it. I do not believe that 

 any number of the dogs could overcome a tiger in fair 

 fight; but I think it quite possible that they might stick 

 to him, and wear him out by keeping him from his natural 

 food. Many stories are related of tigers climbing into 

 trees (which of course is quite against their nature) to 

 escape from them; and I once saw the bones of a tiger 

 lying on a ledge of rock, where more than one person assured 

 me that they had seen him lying surrounded by a large 

 pack of the wild dogs. 



The wild dog of this part of India^ is about the size of 

 a small setter, and the colour of the old " mustard " breed 

 of terriers. In shape, however, he is more vulpine than 

 any European breed of dogs, with a long, sharp face, erect 

 but not very long or pointed ears, and slouching tail never 

 raised higher than the hne of the back. In these respects 

 he very much resembles the red pariahs above mentioned, 

 the most noticeable distinction being that the latter raise 

 their tails at times a good deal higher, with something of 

 a curl. Very often, however, and particularly when moving 

 fast, the pariahs carry their tails just like the wild dog ; and 

 so close is sometimes the resemblance between them, that 

 I remember on one occasion, near Mandla, I allowed what 

 afterwards proved to be really a wild dog to escape from 

 before my rifle, as he trotted across the road before me, 



^ Cuon rviilans. 



