MAMMALIA. 81 
affectionate and playful disposition of the Hare Indian variety. It is used at 
certain seasons in the chase, and by some tribes as a beast of burthen or draught ; 
but it has all the sneaking habits of the wolf, with less courage, and without the 
intelligence of that animal. It unites with its companions to assail a stranger on 
his approach to the hut of its master; retreats on the least show of resistance, 
or endeavours to get behind him, and silently snaps at his legs. When opposed 
to another dog, it curls the upper lip very much, shews the whole of its teeth, 
and snarls for a long time, before it ventures to bite. A little Scotch terrier, 
that accompanied us on the last expedition, disconcerted the largest of them by the 
smartness of his attack, and used to send an animal, more than four times his own 
size, howling away, although the density of tts woolly covering prevented his short 
teeth from wounding the skin. When they fight among themselves, the dog that 
is vanquished, is not unfrequently torn in pieces by the rest of the pack. They 
hunt the larger domestic animals in packs, snapping at their heels and harassing 
them until worn out, but scarcely ever venture to seize them by the throat. All 
the dogs of a camp assemble at night to howl in unison, particularly when the 
moon shines bright. 
The fur of the North American Dog is similar to that of the Esquimaux breed, 
and of the wolves. The prevailing colours are black and gray, mixed with white. 
Some of them are entirely black. ‘Their thick woolly coat forms an admirable 
protection against the cold, and when they are fat they can lie all night on the snow 
without inconvenience during the most intense cold. In the summer time they are 
fond of making deep holes in sandy ground ; and this habit is retained by the mon- 
grel breed which the Canadian voyagers rear for draught. These often burrow 
completely underneath the out-buildings of a fort, and will in a single night make 
their way beneath the door of a store-house, if the precaution has not been taken of 
flooring it with wood. ‘The flesh of these Dogs is esteemed before that of almost 
any other animal by the Canadian voyagers, and is eaten by some of the Indian 
tribes on the Saskatchewan and shores of the Great Lakes; but the Chepewyan 
tribes hold the practice in abhorrence, because they consider themselves to be 
descendants of a dog. I quote Theodat’s account of this variety of dog, written in 
the year 1630, because it applies pretty correctly to the North American dogs of 
the present day, and shews that at that early period, and perhaps even before the 
arrival of Europeans, they formed an esteemed article of the food of the natives :— 
** Les chiens du Canada sont un peu differens des nostres, sinon au naturel et au 
sentiment, qui ne leur est point mauvais. Is hurlent plustost qu’ils n’abayent, et 
ont tous les oreilles droictes comme renards, mais au reste tout semblables au matins 
de mediocre grandeur de nos villageois; ils arrestent l’eslan et descouvurent la 
M 
