THE MASTIFF TYPE. 19 



title of Canis Familiaris Linn, the pariah as the only dog 'of 

 the lower and central regions. The Thibetian mastiff, he 

 states is limited to Kachar (Cachar) into which it was 

 introduced from its native country, but in which it degenerates 

 rapidly: there are he observes several varieties of it. 



Some years ago there were specimens of these Thibetian 

 dogs in our Zoological Gardens, they are described as having 

 been larger than any of our English mastiffs, their colour 

 black, slightly clouded on the sides with tan, their paws and 

 a spot over each eye, being also of the latter colour these had 

 the broad short muzzle of the mastiff, their lips more pendulous 

 than in the European mastiff, and they appeared to have 

 generally a greater amount of loose skin. These fine animals 

 died soon after their arrival, but there is an excellent engraving 

 of one of them in Youatt on the dog, also in the 1849 edition 

 of Stonehenge. 



Dr. Wallich stated that these Thihetian mastiffs were the 

 watch dogs of the table lands of the Himalaya mountains 

 about Thibet, and they were thought to be the only specimens 

 of the kind that had reached Europe. Elaine however states 

 that he saw one in the possession of the Ccuntess Minden, an 

 exact counterpart of those that were in the Zoological Gardens, 

 and that the Countess informed him that she had met \\ith 

 hers in German}'. 



Captain Razer mentions the Thibet mastiff, statirg that one 

 of them, a fine animal, was as large as a gocd sized Newfound- 

 land dog, with very long hair, and a head resembling a mastiff, 

 his tail was of an extraordinary length, like the brush of a fox, 

 and curled half over his back. He was so fierce that he 

 would allow no stranger to approach him. This comparison 

 to a Newfoundland is worthy of notice, as other travellers 

 have made a like similitude. 



