232 



DESCRIPTION OF THE 



which prevails likewise all round the edge of the ears within ; rest of the 

 internal surface, naked, but protected by long silky hair proceeding from 

 the base and anterior margin, and extending nearly to the tips : cartila- 

 ginous part of the nose, longish, somewhat acuminated ; the muzzle and 

 nostrils, sharper and smaller than in most tame dogs — blunter and larger 

 than in the jackal. If the face of Biidnsu be characterised justly as 

 elongated, with reference to all domestic dogs but greyhounds, this is 

 to be attributed to the length of the cartilaginous — not of the bony — part 

 of the nose. 



The skull, or head tvithout its integuments, is such as, with reference 

 to the whole of its characters, and especially that most important one the 

 ample swell of the parietes, to point out this animal's place in the Second 

 Section of Cuviek. 



It being admitted that the intelligence of dogs varies exactly as the 

 size of the encephalon, the fact that this entirely savage race has the 

 brain as finely developed as in the most sensible of our cultivated breeds, 

 and much more so than in the majority of them, offers a curious subject for 

 speculation ; the more especially as, so far as I have seen and heard, the 

 inference from the size of the cranium is justified by the sagacity of the 

 animal. Are, then, all our pains bestowed or vainly or mischievously 

 upon this favourite object of our care ? and is nature, after all, too much 

 for art ? I confess it seems to me probable that the stern necessities of 

 the savage life may more effectually elicit the intelligence of the Dog 

 than all our factitious devices. Man, with his peculiar gifts of speech and 

 reason, is the true object of education : and it is very possible that, in 

 respect to all other animals, the " noble savage running wild in woods" 

 has more sagacity, properly so called, than any tame individual of his 

 species, however long and carefully nursed and trained. The nasal bones 

 are shorter than in the spaniel — much shorter than in the jackal; and 



