DOGS OF CHINA AND JAPAN 



similarity to lions is recorded before the time of Kublai 

 Khan. The first Chinese mention of a " lion-dog " in 1371 

 (Southern Sung Dynasty) probably dealt with the long- 

 coated variety almost invariably referred to by the Chinese 

 when they use the term " shih-tzu," and was a dog of fair size, 

 for it followed and attacked a murderer. 



As the Chinese Imperial breed has ancestors which came 

 from Byzantium and were very possibly connected with the 

 Maltese of the period, it is of interest to add a few notes 

 summarizing what is known of that breed in Europe. 



On the final division of the Roman dominions in A.D. 395, 

 Malta was assigned to the Empire of Constantinople. The 

 Hon. Mrs. Lytton, in her book on " Toy Dogs and their 

 Ancestors," points out that there were two " Melitas " (Malta 

 and Zapuntello*) famous for their dogs among the ancients, 

 and that they had two breeds, both small, one somewhat re- 

 sembling the modern " Maltese " and the other " Pomeranian " 

 in type. Without entering too deeply into the relationships 

 of the old type of Maltese dogs, it is of interest to quote one or 

 two references from The Hon. Mrs. Lytton's careful collec- 

 tion. The dogs of Melita were very famous as pets, and were 

 bred by the men and women of both Rome and Greece. 

 There are numerous references to the breed, both in poetry 

 and prose. Difficulties of transport and absence of shows, 

 no doubt, caused the breeds to have considerably less type 

 than modern breeds of dogs, but early references are almost 

 unanimous in describing the specimens as being very small. 

 Aristotle describes the marten as being about the size of a 

 Maltese dog of the little, tiny sort. Athenodorus remarks 

 that the Sybarites cared for nothing but Maltese puppy dogs 

 and effeminate men. Acterius, Bishop of Amacia (about 



* This town in Italy has been connected through history with the breed, possibly 

 from a reference given by the unreliable naturalist Pliny. 



144 



