OCR Text |
Show 1868.] DR. j. E. G R A Y O N T H E CANIDAE. 509 2. CANIS CEYLANICUS, Shaw, Zool. i. 312. Chien sauvage indien, Vossmar, Descript. 1775, t. Ceylon Dog, Penn. IIab. Ceylon. 3. CANIS TETRADACTYLA, Fischer, Syn. 292. Chien sauvage de Cayenne, Actes de la Soc. d'H. N. de Paris, i. 115 ; Meyer, Zool. Am. i. 134. 1Canis familiaris cayanensis, Blainv. Osteogr. t. 7* (skull). Hab. Cayenne. 4. CANIS DINGO. Ears erect. Tail elongate. Tubercular grinders |.-Blainville. Canis dingo, Blumenb. Handb. 103 ; Gray, List of Mamm. B. M. 57 ; Gerrard, Cat. of Bones of Mamm. 84. C. familiaris australasice, Desm. Mamm. 190; Blainv. Osteogr. t. 8 (skull). Dingo or Australasian Dog, Shaw, Gen. Zool. i. 277, f. 76. Hab. Australia. Var. sumatrensis. Skull short; face short, broad. Tubercular grinders -, well developed. Canis familiaris sumatrensis. Hab. Sumatra. The Domestic Dog has been bred into various well-marked varieties, some of which have existed from the earliest historical period, and are to be found everywhere the companions of man. New varieties are very rarely if ever produced ; and some of the old or well-known varieties have a great tendency to die out, at least for a time. Indeed all varieties are only to be retained by careful breeding and weeding-that is, by the destruction, or at least exclusion from breeding, of the examples that do not come up to the standard. If this is not done, they soon deteriorate into the common Cur or the Pariah Dog of India. Most varieties occur of very different sizes-from very large to large, middle-sized, small, or very small. The varieties always present the same general external appearance, and often have a peculiar colour. For example, the Poodles always have curly hair. Other varieties occur with long or short smooth hair, with bristling or rough hair, curly hair, or with a nearly naked skin; the latter generally also have imperfect teeth, or teeth that early decay or drop out. Some varieties are malformations, as the Bull-Dog and the Pug Dog have a short, imperfect upper jaw and a broken nose; but this malformation occurs as a subvariety among Spaniels, as in the Japanese Sleeve-Dog ; and other Dogs (continued by breeding) have the lips, on the sides of the mouth, very large and pendulous, as the Mastiff. Several varieties also occur presenting short-legged long-bodied breeds-as the Turnspit, the Scotch Terrier, and the Muff- Dogs or Short-legged Spaniels. |