THE DOG. 65 



offer a most interesting field for study to every 

 one who possesses a dog, and a taste for re- 

 search in this direction. 



In concluding, it may be well to notice briefly 

 the chief points of dissimilarity between the wild 

 and tame Canidae. In the first place, there is 

 a general difference of aspect and bearing which 

 it is difficult to describe exactly. The wild animal 

 has an alert independent look which the tame one 

 has lost, chiefly owing to its long-continued habit 

 of dependence upon man. Although, of course, 

 all breeds of tame do^s have been at some time 

 or other deliberately adapted by training and 

 selection for special purposes, yet there seem to 

 be certain characteristics which have risen spon- 

 taneously, or because the parts in which they 

 are manifest are correlated with some others 

 where an intentional change has been brought 

 about. Darwin elves an instance of this in the 

 hairless clogs, which at the same time are deficient 

 in teeth. This question of correlation is one of 

 the most interesting and obscure problems of 

 natural history, and perhaps we are at present 

 a little too ready (with our hereditary tendency 

 to take refuge in an imposing mystery whenever 

 our reasoning powers fail us) to ascribe to it 



E 



