The dingo is the wild dog of Australia and may have been one of the ancestors of our domestic breeds. There is still some doubt about this, however, as it is not quite certain whether the animal originated in Australia or whether it is descended from the dogs of Asia and was introduced by man at some very remote time. In any case, it is a true dog and is easily tamed.

The native name for the animal is "warrigal," "dingo" being the name given by the natives to any domesticated dog of the settlers. The dingos I have seen were tawny brown in color and about the size of a smooth-coated collie, but of more stocky build and more powerful jaws. I once had a dingo puppy, a lovable ball of soft rich brown fur, but alas! he died before I had a chance to study him.

In the wild state dingos hunt in packs, and formerly were so destructive to sheep that the stockmen began a war of ex-termination, aided by a government bounty of five shillings for every dingo killed. Strychnine was the principal weapon used, and it was so effective that the ranks of the wild dog were thinned to a point where they were no longer a menace.