THE DINGO, OR AUSTRALIAN DOG. 
53 
cognised as belonging to the canine species, by some 
of the earlier navigators who touched upon the coast 
of New Holland. In the narrative of his Voyage round 
the World, under the date of 1688, Dampier speaks of 
" the tread of a Beast as big as a great MastitF-Dog,^' 
as the only visible symptom of the existence of any 
quadruped in the part of the country which he then 
visited. In the account of his subsequent Voyage to 
New Holland, performed in 1699, he refers to his former 
statement, and adds that his " Men saw two or three 
Beasts like hungry Wolves, lean like so many Skele- 
tons, being nothing but Skin and Bones." But though 
the animal was thus early noticed, no particular account 
of it was given to the world until the publication of 
Governor Phillip's Voyage to Botany Bay, which 
contained a tolerably accurate figure and description, 
taken from a living specimen in the possession of the 
Marchioness of Salisbury. It was again represented 
in Shaw's General Zoology ; and another original figure, 
together with minute details of its organization, and in 
particular of its skeleton, derived from the examination 
of an individual which had lived for some time in the 
Paris Menagerie, has since been published by M. F. 
Cuvier. To the work of the latter gentleman we would 
particularly refer such of our readers as are desirous 
of becoming acquainted with the more strictly technical 
peculiarities of this remarkable breed. 
In size the New Holland Dog is about equal to the 
common House Dog or Lurcher, which it also resembles 
in its proportions. Its body is moderately thick ; its 
legs strong and muscular ; its head broad behind and 
tapering into a short pointed muzzle ; its ears short, 
pricked, and generally directed forwards ; and its tail 
rather long, bushy, and most commonly pendulous. 
Its hair is long, straight, and close ; of a deep fawn- 
