The Dog | Page 5

with impatient
cries; after which, rushing on his master, he licked his face with every
mark of joy, menacing his keepers, towards whom he had just before
been exhibiting fondness. A third separation occurred, and he became
gloomy and melancholy. He suffered the caresses of none but his
keepers, and towards them he often manifested the original ferocity of
his species.
These stories, however, go only a little way to prove that the dog and
the wolf have one common origin. [There are some naturalists that even
go so far as to state that the different varieties of dogs are sprung from,
or compounded of, various animals, as the hyaena, jackal, wolf, and fox.
The philosophic John Hunter commenced a series of experiments upon
this interesting subject, and was forced to acknowledge that "the dog
may be the wolf tamed, and the jackal may probably be the dog
returned to his wild state."
The ancient Cynegetical writers were not only acquainted with the
cross between the wolf and dog, but also boasted the possession of
breeds of animals, supposed to have been derived from a connection
with the lion and tiger. The Hyrcanian dog, although savage and
powerful beast, was rendered much more formidable in battle, or in
conflict with other animals, by his fabled cross with the tiger. In
corroboration of this singular, but not less fabulous belief, Pliny states
that the inhabitants of India take pleasure in having dog bitches lined
by the wild tigers, and to facilitate this union, they are in the habit of
tieing them when in heat out in the woods, so that the male tigers may
visit them. (See L. 8, c. xl.)
There is, however, but little doubt that the wolf and dog are varieties of
the same family, as they can he bred together, and their offspring
continuing the cross thus formed, will produce a race quite distinct
from the original. French writers do not hesitate at all upon this point,

but even assert that it is very difficult to take a she-wolf with male dogs
during the period of oestrum, parceque la veulent saillir et covrir
comme une chienne.
Baudrillart, in the "dictionaire des chasses," further remarks that the
mongrels produced by this connection are very viciously disposed and
inclined to bite.
The period of utero-gestation, and the particular mode of copulation in
the wolf, is the same as that of the canine family, which two
circumstances are certainly very strong presumptive evidences of the
similarity of the species. The dogs used by our northern Indians
resemble very much, in their general appearance, the wolves of that
region, and do not seem very far removed from that race of animals,
notwithstanding they have been in a state of captivity, or domestication,
beyond the traditionary chronicles of this rude people.
Another strong circumstance in favour of the common origin of these
two quadrupeds, is the existence in our own country of the Canis
Latrans, or prairie wolf, who whines and barks in a manner so similar
to the smaller varieties of dogs, that it is almost impossible to
distinguish his notes from those of the terrier.
Major Long remarks that "this animal which does not seem to be
known to naturalists, unless it should prove to be the Mexicanus, is
most probably the original of the domestic dog, so common in the
villages of the Indians of this region, some of the varieties of which still
remain much of the habit and manners of this species." (Vol. i, page
174.)
If further proof be necessary to establish the identity of the dog and
wolf, the circumstances related by Captain Parry in his first voyage of
discovery, ought to be sufficient to convince every mind that the wolf,
even in its wild state, will seek to form an alliance or connection with
one of our domestic dogs.
"About this time it had been remarked that a white setter dog,
belonging to Mr. Beverly, had left the Griper for several nights past at

the same time, and had regularly returned after some hours absence. As
the daylight increased we had frequent opportunities of seeing him in
company with a she-wolf, with whom he kept up an almost daily
intercourse for several weeks, till at length he returned no more to the
ships; having either lost his way by rambling to too great a distance, or
what is more likely, perhaps, been destroyed by the male wolves. Some
time after a large dog of mine, which was also getting into the habit of
occasionally remaining absent for some time, returned on board a good
deal lacerated and covered with blood, having, no doubt, maintained a
severe encounter with a male wolf, whom we traced to a considerable
distance by the tracks on the snow. An old