As they traveled south through the Sudan, in April of this year, toward the "Basenji country," Miss Veronica Tudor-Williams and her fellow-researchers, Col. John Rybot and Michael Hughes-Hall observed, in ever increasing numbers, dogs with pricked ears and curly tails, obviously with Basenji in their ancestry. Later they were also aware of a dog that finally became so ubiquitous that they nicknamed it "the little red dog of Africa."

The name of this little red dog is legion, for it not only turns up in many other parts of Africa but ranges across sub-continental Asia to the Far East. It has been the friend of GIs stationed in Africa and has even accompanied some of them back to the United States. Travelers generally dismiss it as "the native cur," but some cynologists have theorized that this was the camp follower of ancient man and was the dog from which most other varieties evolved.

"To a Basenji expert," Miss Tudor-Williams wrote:

"It is just a dog but to the uninitiated it might resemble a bad Basenji, for it is red in color, usually with white feet. It is of varying size, slim and long-backed with an almost straight tail, a somewhat domed head, little or no wrinkle and rather large erect ears."

As the safari continued into southwestern Sudan, the true Basenji-type became more and more manifest. There were, of course, "poor specimens with sickle tails, then good ones fit for the show ring and, finally, some beauties of exquisite type really better than any that we have in England.

"The majority of heads were good with little cheekiness and short muzzles. Eyes, though, were often rather large and too wide-set. Easily the most attractive were the small wedge-shaped heads with small triangular ears set on top. Eyes were mostly dark; noses, black. Wrinkle was rather disappointing. It was there, but usually not nearly so defined as in most English-bred dogs, though some native specimens had beautifully fine wrinkles. Tails were generally high-set with usually a single curl, though we saw a number of wonderful tails, curled tightly in a double twist and carried closely to one side of the hip. Naturally we also saw a number of the less attractive center curls. Feet were small and oval, but I was surprised to see such long nails on hunting dogs. I do not remember seeing a single cow-hocked Basenji and, contrary to what we had expected, we did not once see a dog with the 'characteristic' umbilical hernia.

"Colors, to be sure, were of the utmost interest to us. The usual shade was a poorish chestnut, probably bleached by the sun, though a fair number were a glorious bright red. Many were bountifully marked with white: blaze, legs, and collar. I estimate that one-quarter were typical tri-colors of black, tan and white. We did find one black and white dog without any tan, proving that reports of the black and white Basenji were no rumor. We came upon only two dogs, an adult and a puppy of the unattractive coloring that we in England call 'shaded red,' 'blanketed tri-color' or, incorrectly, 'brindled' (i.e., a mixture of red and tri-color, black hairs being sprinkled through the red). Again we murmured how unpleasant this was to the eye. We observed but one 'cream.' This was in a town and, upon closer inspection, we concluded that it was not pure-bred because of the long coarse hair on its back.

"Our most sensational discovery was the presence of true tiger-striped brindles and in considerable numbers, bright red with black stripes. This is a variation I had not known to exist. In fact, in one locality there were only tiger-striped Basenjis.

"Size varied from dogs much smaller than our home-breds to dogs as tall as any that we have in England. The chief and most impressive difference between the native dogs and the English specimens is not so much of size as of slim grace and fine bone. The native dogs look truly like gazelles, with long legs, narrow fronts, slender bodies without much spring of rib, elegant waists, narrow hindquarters, very long slim second thighs and little bend of stifle. I feel that this is a comparison that should be called most emphatically to the attention of all Basenji-breeders."

Since Miss Tudor-Williams considers that her party has accomplished the merest spade-work, she and Mr. Hughes-Hall plan to return to Africa in 1960. They intend to enlarge the scope of their research and to define the range of the Basenji and its variations geographically, compiling comparative statistics on sizes, colors, breeding seasons and other characteristics, by regions. Some of us in the Basenji Club of America trust that Miss Tudor-Williams, who is one of our fellow members, will receive the full support of the Basenji fancy to enable her to devote the time necessary, and to extend her travels sufficiently beyond the Sudan, for the purpose of completing an authoritative, comprehensive study of the prototype of our Basenji. Walter Philo, NY, New York