186 ARSLAN, THE TURKISH WOLF-DOG. 



" He is accustomed to cold, and prefers it to 

 heat, as his coat shows. His ears are cut in order 

 not to get them lacerated when fighting wolves, 

 hyenas, the panther or black leopard," &c. 



My experience with this dog can be found in 

 my Curiosities of Natural History : Bentley, 1873. 



Arslan killed so many dogs that I was obliged to 

 intrust him to the care of my friend Austen, who 

 wrote the following description of him. F. B. : 



" He is a rich reddish tawny colour on the 

 greater part of the body, deepening into black on 

 the neck and muzzle ; there is a white patch 

 on the chest and the long hair of the tail is 

 of a lighter hue than the prevailing tint of the 

 body. The fur consists of a soft woolly undercoat 

 (sufficiently thick and dense in texture to preserve 

 the animal from the ill effects arising from the 

 damp and cold), and of a quantity of longer hairs 

 which are capable of being erected at will, and 

 attain their greatest length on the neck and flanks. 

 The dentition is more powerful than that of most 

 domestic dogs, and the bony occipital crest is very 

 strongly developed for the attachment of the 

 powerful muscles that move the jaws. The limbs 

 are peculiarly muscular, and the whole form indica- 

 tive of immense strength combined with perfect 

 symmetry and grace. 



