DOGS OF CHINA AND JAPAN 



powers of scent for birds is indicated must remain a matter 

 for conjecture, and the dogs are somewhat roughly drawn. 



On the right are two pedestrians carrying bird-nets of the 

 size now used in taking quail in China. Before them are two 

 hounds having rather bushy tails, erect ears, and long muzzles, 

 galloping in pursuit of two hares, identified by their short 

 tails and long ears. On the left another hunter holds a grey- 

 hound in leash. Above the hares is depicted a dog, appar- 

 ently in quest, but conceivably at point. Above the grey- 

 hound is a bird, probably a hawk, hovering. 



The taking of quail with nets of exactly the shape repre- 

 sented, and with dogs of " chow " type, having rudimentary 

 scent and point, may be seen in use by native hunters in many 

 parts of China to-day. Pheasants also are captured in the 

 same way, a hawk being sometimes used to prevent the quarry 

 from rising or running. Hares are captured in similar fashion. 



The following is the Chinese description of a hawking- 

 party carried out by one of the Manchu nobles in recent 

 times. Such parties were common in the district to the 

 north-west of Tientsin about 1895 : 



The assistants were eight in number. Two rangers led 

 the party from a distance. Their special function was 

 discovery of the " form " of the hare. Six men in charge 

 of hawks and dogs were spread out fan-wise behind, their 

 masters following the party on horseback or on foot, carry- 

 ing their long-barrelled guns. Of the six men in charge of 

 the dogs and hawks two held the hounds, rather thicker- 

 built than the foreign greyhound, in leash. Two, one on 

 either side, carried large hawks (t'u hu-lit. " hare falcon " ; 

 the name is sometimes applied to the goshawk) at their 

 wrists, and two at either extremity of the line carried sparrow- 

 hawks (yao, female of accipiter nisus ; the name is also 

 applied to accipiter gularis). On discovering a hare the 

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