THE PEDIGREE OF THE DOG 
THE number of breeds and varieties of the domesticated 
dog is so great that it is at first rather hard to believe 
that all are descended from a few wild types. Neverthe- 
less, the differences between these are not greater than 
those met with among domesticated pigeons and fowls, 
which are known to be respectively descended from the 
wild pigeons of Europe and the jungle-fowls of Asia. A 
peculiarity of most domesticated dogs is their power of 
barking, which seems to be entirely unknown among all 
wild members of the family Cazidae, even the semi-domes- 
ticated dogs of the Eskimo being unable to bark, as are 
the dingos of Australia. But if kept among barking dogs, 
both these breeds, and apparently also wolves and jackals, 
will soon learn to bark in a more or less thorough manner. 
Barking is, therefore, evidently an acquired habit; but that 
it affords no argument against the derivation of the domes- 
ticated breeds from the wild races is evident not only from 
the above instance, but also from the circumstance that the 
Asiatic jungle-fowl are unable to crow in the manner 
characteristic of their domesticated descendants. Several 
traits—such as turning round several times on a hearthrug 
in order to make a hole before lying down, and scratching 
up earth with their fore-feet and throwing it backwards 
with the hind pair, common to wolves and jackals—are 
inherited by even the most domesticated of domestic 
dogs ; and these are evidently of great value in helping to 
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