150 TURKMEN WATCII-DOG. 



dogs, were at least partially of the present group. 

 Such were also those of the Cymbers, and, in gene- 

 ral, of the colonizing nations during their movement 

 towards the west. Hence, we find, that in several 

 European languages, this tribe is confounded with 

 the mastiff called Alan and Alano, because that 

 people may have reared a remarkable breed of 

 them. The dogs of this group are possessed of 

 less sagacity than the former ; 'they are much less 

 docile, have considerable courage, are watcliful and 

 noisy, and therefore are chiefly intrusted with the 

 care of cattle, the property of the farms and of the 

 Iiumbler classes, and thence are so greatly crossed 

 by all kinds of races, that they are the chief parents 

 of the mongrel dogs of the west. Beginning with 

 those that appear to approximate most closely to 

 the original type, we find the 



Turkmen Watch-dog. This is a large, rugged, 

 and fierce race, equalling the wolf in stature, shaped 

 like the Irish greyhound, and with equally power- 

 ful jaws ; the ears are erect, the tail rather hairy, 

 their colour a deep yellowish-red, and so like a Nato- 

 lian wolf, that a friend being present, in Asia Minor, 

 at a wolf hunt, allowed one to pass out of a brake, 

 because he mistook him for one of the Turkmen 

 dogs, and his Greek guide called out Lyke ! when 

 it was too late to fire. There are among them a few 

 white and black, evidently crossed-dogs from ano- 

 ther origin. This race extends wherever the Turk- 

 men, or Toorkee people reside, from central high 

 Asia to the Bosphorus, and is everywhere employed 



