THE DOG FAMILY. 



isr 



conclusively that even Hyaenas are capable of warm 

 attachment. 



THE AARD-WOLF. 



The Aard-Wolf {Proteles lalandii) forms the sec- 

 ond genus of the Hyaena family. In its external 

 appearance this animal, which as yet has been stud- 

 ied but very little, strikingly resembles the Striped 

 Hyaena, and like it, has a blunt snout, long fore- 

 paws, a sloping back, a mane on its spine, and a 

 bushy tail ; but its ears are larger and the fore-paws 

 are furni&ljred' with a short thumb, after the mantjef, 

 of some Dogs. So far the Aard-Wolf is the only 

 known variety of the species. Its length is forty- 

 four inches, twelve of this going to the tail. The 

 fur is of a pale yellow color, brindled on the sides 

 with black stripes. The head is black with an ad- 

 mixture of yellow; the under surface has a yellowish 

 white color, and the second half of the tail is black. 



The Aard-Wolf is a native of southern Africa, 

 especially of its western portion. From all accounts 



it would seem that this animal has nocturnal habits 

 and hides in burrows resembling those of a Fox, but 

 more extensive and affording shelter to several indi- 

 viduals. Verreaux saw three Aard- Wolves killed by 

 members of his party, all of them driven out of the 

 same burrow by Dogs, although they issued from 

 separate exits. When they made their appearance 

 the mane or crest on the back was erect with angry 

 excitement, while the ears and tail were pendent. 

 They tried to run away with great celerity, and 

 one of them attempted to dig a hole to hide itself, 

 displaying a remarkable dexterity in the act. In- 

 vestigation of the burrow showed that all 'the con- 

 duits communicated with each other and led into a 

 spacious chamber, which probably was temporarily 

 inhabited by all of them. The same observer states 

 that these animals mainly feed on Lambs, but from 

 time to time also kill full-grown Sheep, from which 

 they usually eat only the fat tail. If this be correct 

 they do not need very strong teeth. In all other 

 respects the life of the Aard-Wolf is quite unknown. 



^be Dog jFamil^* 



FIFTH FAMILY: Canid^. 



The fifth family of the Carnivora comprises the 

 Dogs, and its limits are more or less clearly defined. 

 We have already stated that the Dogs do not differ 

 so widely in their bodily structure from the Cats as 

 a cursory glance would lead one to believe. As 

 marked as their peculiarities are in the external and 

 internal structure, in their mode of life and their 

 habits the two families still have many traits in com- 

 mon. In point of size Dogs are all inferior to the 

 large species of the Cat tribe, and therefore are 

 deprived of the fear-inspiring strength of those most 

 perfect Beasts of Prey. The body is lean, the head 

 small, the snout pointed ; the Uunt nose is promi- 

 nent, the neck rather weak. The body rests on thin 

 or long legs provided with small paws, and is re- 

 tracted in the flanks ; the tail is generally short and 

 frequently bushy. The fore paws usually show five 

 toes, the hind paws are always limited to four, bear- 

 ing strong but not retractile claws. The eyes are 

 large and better adapted for bright light than those 

 of the Cat; the ears are usually larger and more 

 pointed; the lacteal nipples are more numerous. The 

 teeth are strong and from thirty-six to forty-eight in 

 number; the incisors, especially the upper ones, are 

 proportionately large, the outer ones being enlarged 

 so as to resemble the canine teeth; the canines or 

 fang-teeth are slender and slightly .purved, the pre- 

 molars are "less sharply indented than the Cat's; the 

 molars are rather blunt, adapted to th,orpughly grind- 

 ing the food. The skull, and especially the jaws, are 

 of an elongated shape. The vertebral column is 

 formed by twenty dorsal and lumbar, three sacral 

 and from eighteen to twenty-two caudal vertebrae. 

 The visceral cavity exhibits thirteen pairs of ribs, 

 nine true and four false. The clavicle is stunted, 

 the shoulder narrow, the pelvis strong. The digest- 

 ive apparatus is distinguished by a roundish stom- 

 ach; the smaller intestines attain from four to seven 

 times the length of the body. 



General Charac- Dogs show in their entire structure 

 teristics of that they are not exclusively animal 



the Dog Family, feeders, and therefore admit of the 

 inference that they are of a less sanguinary nature 

 than the Felidse. This is, indeed, one of the princi- 

 pal distinguishing features between the two. They 

 are unquestionably inferior to the Cats so far as sav- 

 age, bloodthirsty instincts go, and all show more or 

 less pronounced good-nature. The expression of a 

 Dog's face is as a rule friendly, and never shows 

 much resemblance to the defiant self-reliance and 

 savage disposition expressed by a feline face. 



Dogs were widely spread in former periods of the 

 world; it is unquestioned that they made their appear- 

 ance on earth in very early ages. They now extend 

 all over the globe, and are common nearly every- 

 where. Their favorite haunts are solitary, quiet 

 regions and the wilderness, be it mountainous or 

 level; gloomy, extensive forests, thickets, plains and 

 deserts. Some prowl around continuously and stay 

 in one locality only as long as a dependent little 

 family keeps them there ; others burrow habitations 

 in the earth or use ready made subterranean retreats 

 as a permanent abode. Some are of purely noctur- 

 nal habits, others are half-nocturnal, and some are 

 on excellent terms with daylight. The former con- 

 ceal themselves during the day in their burrows or 

 lonely, secluded hiding places, in bushes, reeds, or 

 fields grown with high cereals, between deserted 

 dark rocks, and prowl around during the night either 

 singly or in packs. Sometimes they cover miles in 

 their wanderings, hunting during these expeditions, 

 visiting even larger villages and cities and retiring 

 at dawn to the first - convenient hiding place they 

 come across; these species are hardly less active in 

 the day than at night. Few animals of this family live 

 singly or in couples; for even those species of which 

 the male and female keep temporarily together, 

 sometimes unite into more numerous packs; and it 



