HAIRLI^SS DUIICER AND DOG, AXD BULLDOG-HEADED CALF. 241 



of hair that was present was normal in colour, and the black 

 pigment was mostly confined to the epidermis. 



From the point of view of the development, origin and 

 function of the pigment there is probably little difference 

 whether it is mostly passed into the hair to form a black 

 pelage, or retained in the epidermis to form a black skin. 



A quite similar condition was noticed in a specimen of the 

 Indian water buffalo (Bos bub a lis Linn.). A cow imported 

 into ISTatal from India for breeding purposes was observed to 

 be nearly hairless, except on the head and face, and the skin 

 was deeply pigmented. It is usual in this species for the 

 hair-covering to become very thin in adult life. I have had 

 no opportunity to examine other specimens, but it is possible 

 that as an animal increases in age and the hair becomes 

 scanty, so the skin itself becomes more pigmented. 



It will be of interest to supplement this account with a 

 description of another example of the sudden production of 

 hairless black offspring. It is the case of a black hairless 

 fox-terrier which was one of a litter of six or seven, the 

 remainder being quite normal. 



The dog is a healthy and intelligent animal, and is owned 

 by Miss Margaret L. Murchie of Durban, to whom I am 

 greatly indebted for the following details of his life-history. 



The mother was an ordinary black and white fox-terrier 

 with a black or tan patch on the head, and one in front of 

 each shoulder, and was obtained in Zululand as a pup 

 (PL XI, fig. 1). She was attached to a regiment at the 

 time of the birth of the pups. The litter was born in Dundee, 

 Natal, about Christmas, 1900. The male parent was unknown ; 

 but it was certainly not a hairless dog, as such would have 

 been noticed and commented on in a limited community like 

 that of a very small town. 



The bitch was about twelve months old, and the litter was 

 her first. She was afterwards lost when out with a patrol 

 party of the regiment. 



Of the six or seven pups the normal ones were black and 

 white, and quite similar to the mother. The abnormal pup 



