140 
IN FORBIDDEN SEAS 
the young official. Needless to say, the real Ainu 
skeletons had been shipped away, and now occupy 
nooks in a certain museum in Europe. Whilst 
“ reminiscencing ” about Hakodate, I may as well 
relate the following which came under my ken. 
Formerly, owing to the Buddhistic reluctance to 
take life, ownerless dogs were numerous in nearly 
all Japanese towns. They were, perhaps, of some 
little use as scavengers, but often more of a nuisance. 
It is not so many years ago that some children, while 
wandering over unoccupied ground in the vicinity 
of the railway between Yokohama and Kanagawa, 
were killed and devoured by half-wild ownerless 
dogs. This led to the wholesale destruction of these 
pests, and very few stray dogs are now to be seen. 
Formerly, however, Hakodate was no exception to 
the dog nuisance, though they were probably more 
useful there as scavengers of the quantity of fish- 
refuse left about. The dogs were assisted by the 
crows, which were exceedingly numerous and bold. 
It was amusing to watch a number of crows en¬ 
deavouring to outwit a dog in possession of a bone 
or other morsel of contention. Usually three of 
them would undertake the job of stealing the dog’s 
find. One crow would take up a position on some 
roof or other elevation as near the dog as possible. 
Two, from different directions on his rear, would 
approach, and, if necessary, give him a peck on the 
hind-quarters. He would turn on his tormentors, 
but not go out of reach of his bone. They would 
attack him again and again, until he at last got 
angry and made a savage dash at them ; then the 
third crow on watch would swoop down and seize 
the food, and fly with it to a neighbouring roof, 
