Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 2 (1898).djvu/364

332 usual success. Two litters have been born, the first with Hypatia as the mother, consisting of one male and three females, and the second with Portia as the mother, consisting of one male and two females. Unfortunately all these cubs died shortly after birth.

"The Cape Hunting Dogs (Lycaon pictus) may now be said to be thoroughly acclimatized. They live all the year round in the most perfect health in an open-air den, and they breed regularly once a year, and apparently always at the same time. The first litter was born on Jan. 6th, 1896; the second litter appeared on Jan. 3rd, 1897, and at the present moment we look forward to the arrival of a third litter. If our calculations are correct, this interesting event should take place at precisely the same period of the year as on the other two occasions. All the cubs of the first litter died. Very special precautions were taken on the occasion of the second birth, but out of a litter of five only one was reared. A foster-mother, in the form of an Irish Terrier, having become available, the temptation to remove some of the puppies and place them under her care proved too strong to be resisted. Accordingly two puppies were selected for this purpose. The following day one of the three puppies left with the mother was found dead in a remote part of the den. Evidently the keeper's hand had touched it, and the mother had in consequence repudiated it, and thrust it out into the cold. This caused alarm for the safety of the remaining two, and it was determined to place a third with the foster-mother. One cub only was left with the mother, but on the next day it had totally disappeared. Evidently the mother had devoured it. Of the three puppies that were placed with the foster-mother, two died, one from natural causes, and the other from an accident. The survivor was difficult to rear, and required constant care on the part of the keepers. In the course of time, however, it gradually grew out of its early weakness, and when five months old it was presented by the Council to the Zoological Society of London. So far as we have been able to learn, this is the first Cape Hunting Dog which has been reared in Europe." During its growth several interesting points were noted. As early as six weeks after its birth it began to show its untractable disposition by snapping at anyone who touched it. When nearly four months old a curious coincidence occurred, which brought out very forcibly the innate savagery of the animal. A small terrier puppy was placed in the same cage, and in a short time the two little dogs became very good friends. Unfortunately, however, in their play the terrier scratched with its sharp teeth the foot of its companion, and the moment the Cape Hunting Puppy saw the blood it attacked its own foot with the greatest fury. Before the keeper could interfere it had torn off a toe and lacerated its foot to a very considerable extent. Fortunately the wound healed well, and in the course of time the animal was very little the worse of its extraordinary attack upon itself.