DOMESTIC DOGS 



523 



fout a rather broader head, with a slight fall to the tips of the small ears. The build 

 of the body is rather light and elegant ; and the hair with which it is clothed is long 

 .and woolly, and stands out evenly on all sides so as to form an efficient protection 

 from the extremes of climate to which the animal is exposed in its native hills. The 

 ruff on the neck is more developed than in the sheep-dog, and indeed than in any 

 other breed. The tail is very bushy, and is carried with the tip elevated, so as to 

 ieep its long hairs free from the ground. In the pure-bred animal there is a thick 

 under-fur beneath the long hairs, and the hind-legs should be quite free from any 

 fringe of hair, although the fore-legs may have a little fringe. The color may be 

 either black and tan, or either of these tints alone, with a larger or smaller admix- 

 ture of white ; but the black and tan appears to be the most admired. The black 

 is seldom very intense in tone, and the tan has no tinge of the mahogany red of the 

 setter. The collie has been introduced into England as a pet dog, and is often 

 crossed with the black and tan setter, so as to produce a breed which differs consid- 

 erably from the original form notably in the silky hair, without under-fur, and 

 the long fringes on both fore and hind-legs. In some parts of the Scottish High- 

 lands, and likewise in the north of England, there is a smaller and more slender 

 variety known as the smooth collie. This breed is characterized by the smooth coat 

 of short and stiff hairs, which are generally of a mottled-gray color, more or less 

 mixed with white, but may be black and tan, or even tan and white. 



All the breeds of sheep-dogs display their affinity to the wolf in their elongated 

 and narrow skulls, with very long muzzles, and the profile of the face only display- 

 ing a slight degree of concavity. The premolar teeth are separated from one another 

 by distinct intervals ; and there is no tendency for the lower incisor teeth to project 

 beyond the line of those of the upper jaw. 



The drover's dog varies considerably in different districts of Eng- 



land, and is generally a cross between the sheep-dog and some other 

 breed. The size of these dogs is likewise very variable ; and both this and the gen- 

 eral form appear to be modified by breeders according to the special needs of the 

 districts for which the animals are required. Drovers' dogs generally have their 

 tails cut short. Their especial duty is to conduct flocks and herds from one locality 

 to another, and they are remarkably adept in separating the members of the herd 

 under their own charge from those of any other herd which they may meet during 

 their journey. 



A brief allusion may be made here to those nondescript dogs found 



in troops in the towns and villages of Eastern Europe, Asia, and 

 Africa, and commonly designated pariah dogs. These animals vary greatly in dif- 

 ferent districts, but many present a very wolfish appearance, and it is probable that 

 they often interbreed with the wolves and jackals of their respective countries, 

 while in India they may perhaps also cross with wild dogs. Originally, however, 

 these pariah dogs were undoubtedly domesticated breeds, which, from neglect, have 

 reverted to a greater or 'lesser extent toward a wild state. The pariah dogs of 

 Egypt appear to belong to a single race, and are of about the size of a sheep-dog, 

 but of a stouter build, with a broader head ; the tail being long and generally bushy, 

 and carried close to the ground. The general color of their coarse rough hair is 



