Quadrupeds. 1159 



them, on being touched, emit a sound, something between a squeak and a hiss, a cry, 

 no doubt, of astonishment or defiance. And I have no doubt they have a power among 

 themselves of expressing their approbation of a cabbage or their horror of a gardener, 

 by sounds, imperceptible to human ears, but clear and distinct to the senses of the 

 snail. Why then is Mr. W. so anxious to assign one meaning, and one only, to the 

 cry of the noctule ? May it not, by cadence and intonation unperceived by us, have 

 each of the meanings assigned to it by Mr. W. ? Yes, and many more, with the ex- 

 ception, I should say, of perceiving its position by the " echo," in which case its cry 

 would be heard only when flying low, and not only when flying high, as supposed by 

 Mr. Wolley, when, there being nothing to impede its flight, it would require no such 

 warning. To imagine different notes in a sound which to us appears the same, is, I 

 allow, more difficult than to imagine a sound which to us is perfectly inaudible, yet 

 when we know to exist in some ears an obtuseness so great as I have mentioned, we 

 may easily imagine it increased until the cadence is lost altogether, and the sense of 

 sound alone remains. — Frederick Manby ; 12, Damford St., Plymouth. 



On the Dingo, as a variety of the common Dog, fyc. {see Zool. 1097). Perhaps you 

 would excuse my troubling you with a few notes on Dr. Hodgkin's essay on the dog. 

 There seems to be a family likeness between the dingo and the class of dogs called 

 Spitz. There is the same wolf-like head and close woolly fur. They can hardly be 

 classed positively under the same type, as the difference in the carriage of the tail will 

 distinguish them, but they seem to be nearly allied ; besides, there is a similarity of 

 scent. Dr. Hodgkin mentions the attraction of a dingo bitch for foxes ; I have heard 

 of a Chinese dog (one of the Spitzes) being chased by foxhounds. Dr. Hodgkin does 

 not suggest the original stock of the spaniel. Perhaps the breed is derived from such 

 a type as the Yarmouth dog, a remarkably well distinguished variety, crossed with the 

 various hounds, to give greater power of scent, in which the Yarmouth dogs are defi- 

 cient. The true pointer I take to be more nearly allied to the bull-dog, as the Spanish 

 pointer, which is the original stock, has been crossed with the various hounds to pro- 

 duce the dogs most usually employed, which would give them the connexion with the 

 hound which Dr. Hodgkin remarks, while the original stock, in the shape of the head, 

 the fineness of the coat and tail, approaches more nearly to the bull-dog, as well as in 

 the temper. Surely the more northern breeds of shepherds' dog have something of the 

 Spitz breed ; witness their wild-looking head, their woolly coat and occasionally curled 

 tail : perhaps they are the connexion between this and the greyhound type. Between 

 the greyhound and the bulldog there seem to be many resemblances, especially in the 

 tucked-up shape of the waist ; but with regard to the colour, the brindled greyhounds 

 are said to be derived from Lord Rivers' stock, which were crossed with the bulldog, 

 while I never remember seeing a blue bulldog, which is not an uncommon colour with 

 greyhounds. Their tempers are very different : while the bulldog is usually sulky, the 

 greyhound is perhaps more than any other dog fond of being caressed and fondled ; 

 this may be partly owing to the difference in education. Dr. Hodgkin derives the 

 Skye terrier from the admixture of the Spitz and some small terrier ; very likely ; but 

 what is the small terrier from which it is descended ? Is it from the English terrier ? 

 Would the cross between a breed with close harsh hair like this, and the wool of the 

 Spitz, produce a wiry coat like that of the Scotch terriers ? In this case, the usual 

 breed of Scotch terriers would be more nearly allied to the English dog than the Skye, 

 whose coat is more like that of the Spitz. In conclusion, I am sure all will feel grate- 

 ful to Dr. Hodgkinfor breaking into a subject so intricate and little understood as the 



