NOTES ON THE DOG TRIBE. 



167 



could a wild dog hunt for food in company, with 

 any chance of sufficient profit to itself? Fancy a 

 pack of them, in full cry, after a zebra in Africa. 

 The zebra is overpowered by them, and down it 

 falls. First come, first served. The strongest 

 and the fleetest get all ; — all is consumed before 

 the slow and the weak members of the pack can 

 get up. There is nothing for them that day ; — 

 preity encouragement, forsooth, in a new hunting 

 expedition on the morrow. 



But, where is the sojourn of ever barking, growl- 

 ing, and carnivorous dogs in the forest? Will 

 antelopes and kine, and wild asses, remain in a 

 neighbourhood infested by such an assemblage o£ 

 quarrelling quadrupeds ? No doubt, they would 

 retire far away, for self-preservation ; and the 

 farther thay retired, the longer would the dogs 

 be in finding something for their own craving 

 stomachs. When at a great distance from their 

 supposed retreat, what master -dog will take upon 

 himself to organise the pack ? — and when the hard 

 day's hunting is over, how will he dispose of his 

 confederates? Are the females, which remained 

 behind on the hunting morning, in order to take 

 care of their newly-whelped pups, supposed to wait 

 in anxious expectation, that some generous hound 

 will return w r ith a neck of goat in his mouth, 



