Art. LXXI.—Observations on Mr. T. White's Paper “On the Native Dog of New Zealand” — Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, Vol. xxiv., Art. 51.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 25, 1892, Page 495

Art. LXXI.—Observations on Mr. T. White's Paper “On the Native Dog of New Zealand” — Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, Vol. xxiv., Art. 51. By W. Colenso, F.R.S., F.L.S. (Lond.), &c. [Read before the Hawke's Bay Philosophical Institute, 28th November, 1892.] Every kind of evidence is made to tell by writers who have a theory to defend. Max Müller: “The Gifford Lectures,” 1891, p. 428. As headstrong as an allegory on the banks of the Nile. (Mrs. Malaprop.) Sheridan: “The Rivals.” I Regret to see a long paper by Mr. Taylor White in the last volume (xxiv.) of Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, ostensibly on the native dog of New Zealand; but, as far as concerns the genuine native dog of New Zealand, it is full of error. And as he has mentioned my name in his paper, and so some of his correspondents (though scarcely fairly), I feel constrained to write a little more additional on that subject. Moreover, I am the more inclined to do this through having very recently obtained some further valuable authentic information on the ancient and long-extinct New Zealand dog. Not, however, that any such was wanted by the seeker after real facts to complete what we already knew concerning it. Mr. White's paper is pretty nearly wholly a compilation, and that from newspapers and correspondents—men of to-day. Much, however, of what they have written is correct (and I could furnish similar statements long known to me, from before this country became a colony, respecting both wild and tame imported dogs in New Zealand), but it has nothing whatever to do with the subject in question. Had Mr. White really cared to know the truth—the indisputable and genuine

historical facts—concerning the ancient New Zealand dog he would have followed the intimation I had volunteered to give him concerning it in a letter I wrote to him in December, 1890, in reply to his inquiry.* He copies, indeed, a small portion of my note, on an entirely different subject (paper, p. 542). For had he done so I venture to think he would not have written another paper on that subject. Of course, in my so saying, I suppose he had not seen my paper on the New Zealand dog, therein so exhaustively brought forward by me; if he had, however, done so, then he seems to have wilfully ignored all the certain knowledge concerning it, in his redundant zeal to establish a “fad” of his own. Professor Max Müller very justly and eloquently observes in his late lectures at Glasgow (which is highly applicable here), “What is of immense importance in all scientific discussions is the spirit of truth. To make light of a fact that has been established, to ignore intentionally an argument which we cannot refute, to throw out guesses which we know we cannot prove—nay, which we do not even attempt to prove—is simply wrong, and poisons the air in which true science can breathe and live.” (“The Gifford Lectures,” 1891, p. 81.) And, as I happen to have taken a copy of my note to Mr. White (referred to above), I give it here verbatim, from which it will be seen how I had put him on his guard, as well as kindly indicated the right direction:— “Napier, 25th December, 1890.