The wild dog is the Cum rutilans of natural ists. They are to be found in packs throughout Ceylon, British India, and Malayana, the Himalaya and Tibet, and each of the races has a name for it, mostly meaning wild dog. Wild dogs do not bark,—they only whine, howl, and growl. The Himalayan wild dog, when taken young, is easily tamed ; and this rule would seem to hold good with the wild races of other countries ; in deed, although not generally acknowledged, the wolf, jackal, and hyna get much attached to man, if carefully reared and treated with kindness. The semi-domesticated dogs, in common with the wild species, have erect ears, and this would seem to become more pronounced the Dearer they assimi late to the latter. This circumstance has been noted in respect to domesticated sheep, goats, etc., when left more or less to shift for themselves, as is apparent on the Himalayas and Alps.
In the Nepal hills, the dhole or wild dog are found in packs, varying from 50 to 200, and the havoc committed by them -among the flocks of sheep and bill cattle is incredible. Their destruc tion of deer also is immense, and their mode of hunting may be worthy of mention. In size the wild dog is little larger than the common jackal of India, but longer in the body, and possessing much greater power, with a very formidable set of jaws. Colour, a rich reddish-brown, with scenting qualities of the highest order. Soon after nightfall the pack assemble at a given cry, when they disperse in threes and fours in search of game. The first party that hit off the trail, open, 'when the whole pack rush to them, and when all are assembled, fasten to the trail and off they go. The deer soon become alarmed and double, when the pack irnmediately tell off in parties, each one rushing to the different passes for which deer are known to make ; and on tbe deer attempting to pass either, it is immediately seized by the party, who utter a simultaneous cry, and the whole pack then rush in, and the deer is at once devoured. Fresh game is next sought, and in the same way destroyed ; and this species of hunting is continued according to the size of the pack, till all their appetites are appeased, when they retire to their almost inaccessible fastnesses in the rocks, and remain for three or four days, until hunger again drives them forth on another excursion. From their destructive qualities, the wild dogs hardly ever remain longer than month in the same locality, having in that time effectu ally scared away all the deer for miles round.
Captain Smith never knew them to attack man, and even when severely wounded, they will only snap after the manner of a wounded jackal. When deer are not procurable, they will attack even bears. Wild dogs differ slightly in appearance. They are the most determined enemies of the tiger, hunting him whenever they meet with him." I hav.e been assured,' remarks Lieutenant Rice, by Bbils, that they have soinetimes seen a, tiger kept prisoner up a large tree, with a pack of these dogs hanging around him, when on no other occasion would a tiger attempt to save himself by climbing trees. On the approach of the men the wild dogs dispersed, when the tiger jumped down and gladly made his escape. This I firmly believe to be a fact, for the story arose out of a casual remark which one Bhil made to another in my hearing, as we were passing a certain large tree (with a straight stump about five yards MO before the branches began, up which a tiger had jumped). Perhaps these dog,s hunt the tiger for poaching on their deer ; or it may be only the old antipathy between cat and dog on a large scale.' Mr. Arthur Grote, C.S., sent to the Bengal Asiatic Society from Chaibasa, Central India, the skins and skeletons of a mature female and inalc half-grown, of the ordinary wild dog, so called, of British India. These animals are specifically identical with a particularly fine living adult male sent down from Upper Assam ; and this appears to be the ordinary species alike of the Himalaya and of Central and S. India, Canis Dukhuuensis, Sykes, and C. primmvus, Hodgson ; and a Malayan specimen in that museum, which was supposed to be C. Sumatrensis, Hardwieke, differed only in the considerably deeper tint of its rufous colouring.
The Vakhan Dog is a breed from Chitral. It bears a strong resemblance to the Scotch collie. They have long ears, a bushy tail, and a body more calculated for swiftness than strength. The colours are black, reddish-brown, or mottled.
The Hill Dogs are covered with blaek wool, which forms an article of traffic. They arc large, and ferocious to strangers, but are useful as sheep dogs, and are provided with an irou collar to secure the dog from a leopard's teeth.
The Tibetan Mastiff is large, strong, with a shaggy coat. It is very fierce, well adapted to defend flocks against robbers or beasts of prey ; it is subject to hydrophobia. It has a tan-coloured supra-orbital stripe.