Polynesian Dog — Luomala 
211 
dog begins with Dieffenbach’s long paragraph cites F. Cuvier’s description of a specimen taken 
quoted above. Yet despite Dieffenbach’s flat to France by F. Peron. Desrnarest is also quoted 
denials that the dingo and the native New Zea- on the dingo by William Youatt (1846: 41- 
land dog are the same, Gray ( Dieff enbach, 1843, 43), who also writes of the Polynesian dog but 
II: 184) identifies the New Zealand dog as "The without linking it to the dingo. Youatt refers to 
New Holland Dog. — Canis familiaris Australis, the Polynesian dog as "Canis Australis-kararehe, 
Desm.; Canis Dingo, Blumenb.” Without giv- New Zealand dog," terms which, with other 
ing his source he adds that the dog is said to general statements, point to Polack as his un- 
have been introduced from Australia. His dis- acknowledged source. 
satisfaction with his identification is hinted in The question of the relationship of the dingo 
his comment that "It would be interesting to and the New Zealand dog is also raised by the 
institute an accurate comparison between these contemporaries of Gray and Dieffenbach in New 
animals [Maori] and an Australian specimen." Zealand. By the nineteenth century the popular 
Gray also quotes Polack about the dog having identification of any dog, wild or domesticated, 
been in New Zealand for two or three centuries. in Polynesia with any native dog, either of 
Contrary to the impression given by Gray, Polynesia or of any other Pacific area like Aus- 
A.-G. Desrnarest (Gray abbreviates his name as tralia, was guesswork. Nonetheless, arguments 
Desm.) does not describe the Polynesian dog or were common (and are easily started even now) 
equate the dingo with it. He writes (1816, VI: as to whether any native dogs unmixed with 
454-435) about the "New Holland dog” and European dogs survived, what native dogs 
Fig. 16. Stuffed dog (B. 3527, Dominion Museum, Wellington, New Zealand) sometimes regarded as 
representative of the Maori native dog. Photo by Dominion Museum. 
