480 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



the extremities and under the body are paler 

 than the rest of the coat ; under the tail especially, 

 sometimes too white, giving, in the golden dogs 

 almost the appearance of a deer. Golden dogs 

 have sometimes a touch or two of black on the 

 ears, and over the eyes, and on the back and 

 tail. White and cream, with a little sandy or 

 dark on the ears and face, is very usual. Whole 

 coloured dogs with shading should be preferred. 



15. Measurements. The length is a little more 

 than the height. The dog should practically 

 stand in a square. 



AVERAGE HEIGHT, 

 male 23 inches, female 



21 inches. CHEST: 



(GIRTH) 26 inches for 



the male, 24 inches 



for the female. HEAD : 



The length from occi- 

 put to tip of nose is 



for the male 8| inches, 



SLUGHI OF NORTHERN AFRICA. CH. KALBI. 

 PROPERTY OF HERR MICHEL LA FONTIJN. 



female 7! inches. 



16. Weight. Male 

 42 lb., female 38 Ib. 



II. Ahk-Taz-eet, 

 or Kirghiz Grey- 

 hound.* - - Grey- 

 hounds of the 

 " Shami " type are 

 kept by the Kirghiz, 

 on the steppes of 

 Central and South- 

 ern Siberia and Turkestan (40 to 50 

 N. lat., 125 to 60 E. long.). These 

 Mohamedan nomads obtain some of their 

 breeds of camels and horses from the 

 Arabs, and evidently their race of Tazi also. 

 These dogs are larger, but have the same 

 characteristics as the Tazi of further south, 

 the feathered legs, drooping silky ears, and 

 beautifully feathered tail, which latter, 

 according to the Kirghiz standard, should 

 form a complete little circle at the tip when 

 carried naturally. The legs should have 

 more feathering on the elbows and stifle 

 joints. The weight of these Greyhounds 

 varies much namely, from 60 lb. to 90 lb., 

 the average being 70 lb. As a rule, the 

 heavier the build the rougher the coat. The 

 larger and bigger-boned dogs are those 

 generally used to hunt wolves, and the smaller 

 ones for hares and foxes, etc. These Kirghiz 

 hounds are invariably white or pale cream, 



* Imported into England by Mr. H. C. Brooke, 

 and bred in this country by Captain J. P. T. Allen. 



and any markings are considered a blemish, 

 No doubt, like the Arabs, who prefer their 

 hounds to be the colour of the sand over 

 which they travel the Kirghiz, for winter 

 sport, like them to resemble the snow. 

 They are called by the Kirghiz the Ahk- 

 Taz-eet, which means " white Tazi dog." 

 The owners do not record their pedigrees ; 

 but families take special pains to keep their 



particular s t r a i ns 

 pure some priding 

 themselves on pos- 

 sessing the fierce 

 wolf - killing ones ; 

 others, the very 

 swift, lighter made 

 dogs, or a good 



dog to hunt the 

 " big - horned 

 sheep." When a 

 hunting party 

 starts, a well- 

 trained Tazi stands 

 balanced on the 

 horses' crupper, 

 while the horse goes 

 at an ambling jog. 

 The Kirghiz never 



use Greyhounds when flying the hawk or 

 the hunting eagle, a favourite sport on the 

 steppes. 



It has been suggested that the Kirghiz 

 Greyhound and Borzoi might be in some 

 way allied, but the Borzoi is never seen 

 on the steppes, and Russians out there 

 consider the two breeds to be entirely 

 distinct. 



III. The North African Slughi, or Slug hi 

 of the Sahara.* The Slughi in North Africa 

 is of the same type as the smooth Slughi of 

 further east, and is said to be of the same 

 Arabian origin, though it now forms a dis- 

 tinct variety. These Greyhounds are highly 

 valued by the sporting Beys of Algiers, 

 Tunis, and elsewhere, and the Bedawin of 

 the Sahara, and the best ones come from 

 the Tell and Sidi Cheikh. 



They are handsome dogs, strong and 



* Imported and bred in Holland by Herr Michel 

 La Fontijn, Herr August Le Gras, Herr Job. 

 Knoops, and others. 



