^76 DOG. 
same circumstance has been known to take place 
between the Horse and the Ass; the Mules of 
wdiich have sometimes proved fertile ; and the same 
may be said of the Goldfinch and the Canary- 
bird ; but surely we are not justified in supposing 
the species to be the same. We can only con- 
clude from such experiments, that animals of spe- 
cies extremely nearly allied to each other, though 
really different^ may sometimes intermix, and 
produce a fertile progeny; but the genuine spe- 
cies still remains intemerated. If, however^ the 
origin of the Dog must be traced to some other 
animal, the Jackall perhaps seems a more proba- 
ble origin than the Wolf. 
It is generally believed that the Dog was un- 
known in America on the arrival of the Euro- 
peans 
Dogs, indeed, in a wild state, are said to be 
frequently found in South America, but these are 
supposed to be the descendants of such as were 
introduced by the Europeans on the first disco- 
very of America. When taken young they are 
said to be readily tamed, and to acquire the ha- 
bits of the domestic Dog. They resemble Grey- 
hounds in appearance. Linna3us observes, that 
the American dog does not bark ; but this relates 
to the wild dogs of North America only; which, 
it is contended, derive their origin from the Wolf, 
and which, instead of barking, utter only a kind 
* Yet the Peruvians had, accordmg to Acosta, a little animal 
like a dog, of which they were very fond, and kept by way of a 
lap-dog. 
