CHAr I. THEIR PARENTAGE. 19. 



dog was succeeded in Denmark during the Bronze period by 

 a larger kind, presenting certain differences, and this again 

 during the Iron period, by a still larger kind. In Switzer- 

 land, we hear from Prof. Riitimeyer, 9 that during the Neo- 

 lithic period a domesticated dog of middle size existed, which 

 in its skull was about equally remote from the wolf and jackal, 

 and partook of the characters of our hounds and setters or 

 spaniels (Jagdhund und Wachtelhund). Riitimeyer insists 

 strongly on the constancy of form during a very long period 

 of time of this the most ancient known dog. During the 

 Bronze period a larger dog appeared, and this closely re- 

 sembled in its jaw a dog of the same age in Denmark. 

 Remains of two notably distinct varieties of the dog were 

 found by Schmerling in a cave ; 10 but their age cannot be 

 positively determined. 



The existence of a single race, remarkably constant in form 

 during the whole Neolithic period, is an interesting fact in 

 contrast with what we see of the changes which the races 

 underwent during the period of the successive Egyptian 

 monuments, and in contrast with our existing dogs. The 

 character of this animal during the Neolithic period, as given 

 by Riitimeyer, supports De Blainville's view that our varieties 

 have descended from an unknown and extinct form. But we 

 should not forget that we know nothing with respect to the 

 antiquity of man in the warmer parts of the world. The 

 succession of the different kinds of dogs in Switzerland and 

 Denmark is thought to be due to the immigration of conquer- 

 ing tribes bringing with them their dogs; and this view 

 accords with the belief that different wild canine animals 

 were domesticated in different regions. Independently of 

 the immigration of new races of man, we know from the 

 wide-spread presence of bronze, composed of an alloy of tin, 

 how much commerce there must have been throughout 

 Europe at an extremely remote period, and dogs would then 

 probably have been bartered. At the present time, amongst 

 the savages of the interior of Guiana, the Taruma Indians 



9 'Die Fauna der Pfahlbauten,' 1861, s. 117, 162. 



10 De Blainville, ' Osteographie, Canidae.' 



