494 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



are indoor dogs, and they seem born to lie, 

 as did their ancestors, in graceful attitudes 

 on drawing-room sofas. 



The Phu Quoc Dog. — A very curious 

 member of the canine race is tlie dog of 

 Fu Oc, or Phu-Ouoc. It is indigenous to 

 the island of that name in the Indo-China 

 sea. No specimen has ever been seen in 

 England, and the Marquis de Barthelemy, 

 who holds a concession in the island from 

 the French government, states that owing 

 to the want of care in keeping the breed 

 pure it is rapidly becoming extinct. The 



THE PHU-QUOC BITCH CAN-LE'. 

 IMPORTED BY THE MARQUIS DE BARTHELEMY. 



Marquis had, with difficulty, brought three 

 specimens to Europe, and there was also 

 a couple in the Jardin d' Acclimitation. 

 Unhappily one bitch belonging to the 

 Marquis died of exhaustion in trying to rear 

 a litter of thirteen pups. The Comte Henri 

 de Bylandt on one occasion judged the breed 

 at Antwerp, and 'Sir. Brooke, who has seen 

 several, describes the dog as '" rather dark 

 brown in colour, well-built and active look- 

 ing, with powerful jaws. The type," he 

 adds, " is that of all wild or semi-wild dogs 

 of the Far East, somewhat resembling a 

 leggy, smooth Chow." What distinguishes 

 the pure Phu-Quoc is the curious growth of 

 coat along the back, near the shoulders, 



the hairs pointing forward towards the head. 

 Comte H. de Bylandt describes the dog as 

 follows, but I doubt if he is rght in caUing 

 it a Greyhound. It is not technically a 

 hound. 



1. General Appearance. — A heavy kind of Grey- 

 hound. 



2. Head. — Long ; skull slightly domed and 

 the skin wrinkled, muzzle rather broad, in length 

 the half of the entire head ; jaws long and power- 

 ful ; lips and tongue black ; teeth well developed 

 and meeting evenly. 



3. Eyes. — Reddish, with a savage expression. 



4. Nose. — Black ; nostrils rather developed. 



5. Ears. — Erect, shell 

 shaped, not too pointed, 

 inside almost hairless. 



6. Body. — Somewhat 

 coarse ; neck very long and 

 flexible ; shoulders sloping •' 

 belly drawn up ; loins broad 

 and strong. 



7. Legs. — Straight and 

 lean ; stifles rather straight ; 

 thighs muscular. 



8. Feet. — Longish ; toes 

 slightly arched ; pads hard. 



9. Tail. — Short, very 

 supple, carried curled over 

 the back. 



10. Coat. — On the whole 

 body and legs very short 

 and dense ; on the back the 

 hair is growing the wrong 

 way, towards the head, 

 and is much longer and 

 harder. 



11. Colour. — Reddish-fawn, with black muzzle ; 

 the coat on the back is darker. 



12. Height at Shoulder. — 21 J inches. Weight 

 about 40 lb. 



A Parisian Dogue de Bordeaux fancier 

 who had li\'ed some years in the island 

 records that though these dogs are intract- 

 able, they can be trained for hunting. He 

 regarded them as intelligent, and instanced 

 the case of one that, being pestered by 

 a European dog, dragged it to a pond of 

 water, and held it under until it was 

 drowned. 



For the use of the portrait of the Marquis 

 de Barthelemy's bitch Can Le' I am in- 

 debted to Mr. H. C. Brooke. 



