DOGS OF CHINA AND JAPAN 



from that of the others (" ku ti'erh "). A hind-leg marking 

 which is appreciated, especially if paired, is that in which the 

 lower part of the leg is of a distinctive colour with a narrow 

 ridge of another colour above it, giving an impression of the 

 Chinese trouser (" t'ao k'u "). 



Tiger-stripes on the coat after the manner of a tabby cat 

 are much appreciated. These, however, and the " prince " 

 character written in wrinkles upon the forehead, are attri- 

 butes rather of the short-coated or Pug type than of the 

 ' Pekingese." Similarly, an elastic skin enabling the dog 

 to be picked up by the scruff without pain, though existing 

 to a more pronounced extent in the short-coated type, is 

 looked upon with favour. 



Within recent years, the Imperial breed of dogs has been 

 made the sport of Chinese fashion. The Chinese occasionally 

 cross the breeds of the three races of dogs the lion, the pug, 

 and the Pekingese and it seems likely that the stock has 

 from time to time been much varied by importation of new 

 blood from various parts of the vast Chinese Empire a 

 fortunate circumstance, for the breed would, no doubt, be 

 wanting in gameness and fail to possess the spirited and fear- 

 less carriage which are among the most important factors 

 in its strong individuality, had there been no cross-breeding 

 from a remote past, in the restricted environment of the 

 Peking palace. It is found that throw-backs to a long- 

 haired type, or to a short-haired pug ancestor, occur occasion- 

 ally even among " Pekingese " in Europe in the absence of 

 contamination for several generations. It appears not im- 

 probable that many of the dogs presented to the Emperors 

 by officials and eunuchs in the Palace were obtained by cross- 

 breeding. It must be explained that although at the end of 

 the Manchu regime there must have been many hundreds of 

 dogs in the Palace, only a few were under the eye of their 

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