NATURAL HISTORY OF THE DOG. 69 



with the head shaped like the wire-haired terrier ; large light- 

 brown eyes ; small ears, pointed and only slightly bent down 

 at the tips ; the neck long and full ; the chest very deep ; 

 the croup slightly arched ; the limbs muscular, but light ; 

 and the tail, not reaching to the tarsus, scantily furnished 

 with long dark hair ; the muzzle was black, as well as the eye- 

 lids, lips, and the whole hide ; but his color was a uniform pale- 

 blue ash, the hair being short, scanty, coarse, and apparently 

 without a woolly fur beneath. On the lips, inside of the ears, 

 and above the eyes, there was some whitish gray ; and the 

 back of the ears was dark slate-color. The look and motions 

 of this animal at once told consciousness of superiority. As 

 he passed down the streets, all the house curs slunk away. 

 When within our lodging the family dog had disappeared, al- 

 though he had neither growled nor barked. His master said 

 he was inoffensive, but requested he might not be touched." 

 These seem to be the St. Domingo greyhounds mentioned 

 by Buffon. 



THE CATTLE-DOG OF CUBA. 



I describe this animal here although his place is, perhaps, 

 more properly with the Newfoundland races because he 

 appears to be an offshoot from the variety I have just been 

 describing, and is frequently improperly called the Cuba 

 bloodhound. 



The head of this dog is coarser, broader at the temples, 

 and does not taper so much at the muzzle as that of the pre- 

 ceding variety ; the back is natter : the hair longer and 

 coarser ; and the dog altogether further removed from the 

 greyhound. This dog sometimes attains great size. I had 

 one, whose measurements I shall give as follow : 



Ft. In. 



From the top of head to ground . .36 



Height from ground to foreshoulder . .28 

 Length from nose to tail . . .61 



Girth round chest behind foreleg . .34 



Girth of foreleg 10 



Length from occiput to muzzle . . .12 

 Girth of head over the ears . . .21 



This dog was remarkably fierce and treacherous. On 

 one occasion he attacked myself, and I was so dreadfully 

 torn in the conflict, that I was laid up for many weeks, 



