DOGS OF CHINA AND JAPAN 



pletely changed twice yearly. This change begins in March 

 with the shedding of the long winter coat. The short summer 

 coat is changed towards August. The shedding of the winter 

 coat is more sudden and complete than in Europe on account 

 of the more abrupt change from extreme cold to the hot 

 summer. Consequently, the Chinese dog is apt to shed its 

 coat in patches, like the camel, and the coat never attains the 

 luxuriance found in Europe. Some fanciers used to send 

 their dogs to the hills during the hot weather in order to 

 avoid this abrupt shedding of some of the coat, for heavy 

 feathering of the tail, a good ruff, " shirt-front," and fringe 

 behind the legs and on the feet are fully appreciated. Some 

 fanciers give their dogs linseed oil in small doses with a view 

 to securing brilliancy of coat. 



Of self colours, the Chinese consider three to be important : 

 the apricot, the liver, and the black. The Chinese apricot 

 fruit varies from a golden-yellow on the sunless side to a 

 rich orange red shading into yellow on the sunny side. It is 

 possible that this colour came into fashion on account of the 

 famous specimen owned by the Tao Kuang Empress. Among 

 self-colours this is undoubtedly the most highly prized : and 

 if it is accompanied by a golden silky gloss, the Chinese will 

 make far greater allowance than the European for weakness in 

 other points. So great has been the appreciation of this 

 combination, that it has been embodied in a numerical couplet, 

 ' Chin Ssu Ha-pah," * which is proverbial and commonly 

 used in Peking in the drinking game of Noria, which con- 

 sists in guessing the number of ringers extended by the two 

 opponents. This couplet stands for the number eight, and 

 the golden-coated " hah-pah " dog is caused to compare in 

 rarity with the rank " t'ou ping t'ing t'ai," the chief button of 



* This name dates from the Yuen or Sung Dynasty. Dogs of this colour are 

 believed to have been extinct in China for the last sixty years. 



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