212 ()<< the Mammalia of the 



The progeny of pure blood-dogs imported into the colony soon 

 degenerate into the usual type witnessed here ; the broad, 

 short, and square nose becoming elongated, narrow, and 

 pointed ; the ears gradually acquiring more erectness, and the 

 tail becoming wiry if bushy, and curly and hairy if smooth 

 and straight. The shaggy coat of the imported Skye terrier 

 or spaniel, in the individual itself ere long becomes smooth 

 and shorter, and the hair straight; and the next breed are 

 more altered still. Nothing but fresh blood from England, 

 or elsewhere, can keep up good breeds of any kinds of house- 

 hold or hunting dogs, and they are found always much supe- 

 rior to their progeny born in the country. Well-bred dogs 

 are much thinned in numbers by the distemper, which attacks 

 them more virulently than it does more common breeds, and 

 with more fatal effect. This disease bears strong characters 

 of a congestive bilious fever, the liver and lungs become 

 loaded with blood, and the white of the eyes becomes yellow, 

 and torpidity and total loss of appetite ensue. The most effi- 

 cacious remedies would appear to be emetics and calomel 

 purges, followed by antimony and calomel powders. I cannot 

 call to mind any instance of canine madness in this country, 

 or any cases of hydrophobia. Whether this exemption is 

 due to the uncontrolled liberty here given to dogs, which 

 are seldom or ever chained up, allowing them free ac- 

 cess to water wherever it lies, or to the unrestrained compa- 

 nionship of the bitch, I am unable to say. Certain it is, 

 dogs are here uncommonly salacious. The observation in the 

 tendency to degeneracy of well-bred dogs would argue the 

 influence of the climate in reducing the varieties all down to 

 the common characteristics of the native dog of the country, 

 the Canis venatica. The common standard of Cape Horse 

 remains the same, though good blood has been infused into 

 the race from other parts ; yet the native-born progeny some- 

 times naturally decline to the lower native standard — the 

 horizontal or t neck, the straight perpendicular shoulder, and 

 the heavy under jaw and narrow chest. The same law 

 would seem to occur in the Ox and Sheep, the straight back 

 and short horns soon in a generation or two lapse into the 

 hanging neck and hollow back, and long ponderous horns, 



