The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-05-27
Prof. Huxley on Dogs.

e In his second lecture on dogs at the
Royal Institution in London, Prof.
Huxley considered the problem of the
origin of the domestic dog. He thought
they could see their way to solving IL if
they began upon solid basis, of fact.
Such basis of fact was supplied by
what they knew of the origin of dogs in
North America. The Indians of the
Northwestern parts of America were all
in possession of half-tame cur-like dogs,
living in the same way as the dogs in
Egypt--in asemi-independent condition.
In the sams country there existed wild
animal-tie CAMS iatrans, or prairie
woif. ItEas impossible to p. int out any
distinction between thess prairie wolves
and the comes icated dog of the Ind ans.
1t was somewhat difficult to understand
how these wild and fierce animals could
be tanned; and yet, when one knew their
wolves and iackals, although predacious
and herce, were endowed with singular
curiosity; that curiosity directed them
toward nan and his doings. There was
not one of these animals which, if
caught Joung-whether jackal or small
wolf-ceuId not be tanned and made as
attached and devoted to man as any or
dinary dog. 1t was not difficult to tn
derstand therefore, how these animals
became acquainted with man, how they
became irained, and how from them
sprang arace of domesticatei animals
which cuiously enough, were far more
attached to their masters and the ami
mails with VIII ch they are brought up
than to members of their own family.
Il they could depend upon the fact that
this one domestic dog originated IN, the
tanning OF an Indigenous, wild animal,
4hen the general problem If the origin
IF domestic dogs would take this form
could they find in all parts of the
world i'm which dom site dogs were
known wild stock so similar to the exist
ing race of dogs that there was nothing
unnatural in supposing that they had
the same origin as the Indian dogs.
They might trace d g-like animals fur
ther and further west, until, in Northern
Africa, they had whofe series of kinds
of dog-like anima's, usually known as
the lackals. He believed that these
wild stocks were the source from which,
| in each case, the sayages who originally
began to tame dogs had derived their
stock. This view was confirmed By
archaeological researches. They had
preserved to them, on the monuments
of Ancient Egypt. great variety OF
forms Z f dogs, and it was significant
that the further back they were the
fewer were the varit ties, until, at the
time of the third and fourth dynasties-
that is about {. 600 years ago-there were
only two well marked forms of dogs.
One of them was comparatively small
cur-like dog, similar to that which wai
seen in the streets Of Cairo at the pres.
ent day, and the other was like grey.
hound. The cur was, no doubt, a tame
species of the wild Jackal, aud was still
] to, be found in the same country; and
with respect to the greyhound, there was
in Abyssinia a very longheaded dog
which was very much of the same foru
as the greyhound, and which, it could
hardly be doubted. was the source from
which it sprang. Assuming that there
was no doubt that the origin of dogs
could be traced to these sources, the
more modified forms of the domestic
animal were simply the result of the Sc
lected breeding, which had given rise tt
the same modification in dogs as it hac
done in tha eaaa of p.oonps