ORIENTAL GREYHOUNDS. 



475 



around, the life remains the same as in 

 bvgone ages. There has been no need to 

 alter the standard to suit the varying 

 fashions in sport. It is the fact that these 

 beautiful dogs of to-day are the same as 

 those of thousands of years ago which adds 

 such a special importance to the breed. 



The Slughi (Tazi) is to be found in .\rabia 

 (including the Hedjaz), Syria, Mesopotamia, 

 Valleys of the Euphrates 



and Tigris, Kurdistan, 



Persia, Turkestan, Sinai ' j 

 Peninsula, Egypt, the 

 Nile Valley, .\byssinia, 

 and Northern Africa. 

 By examining the extent 

 and position of the 

 deserts inhabited by the 

 great nomadic Arab 

 tribes connected by 

 pilgrim ways and cara- 

 van routes, the distri- 

 bution of the Gazelle 

 Hound can easily be 

 followed. 



The different t^-pes of 

 the Slughi are known 

 by the distinctive names 

 of the Shami, Yamani, 

 Omani, and Nejdi. The 

 Shami has silky hair on 

 its ears, and long feathery 

 hair on its tail. The 

 Yemen and Oman breeds 

 have not much feathering on ears or tail. 

 The Nejdi has shorter hair than any of the 

 above varieties. Native experts can tell them 

 apart. In some districts the smooth and in 

 others the feathered varieties predominate. 



The feathered type of Slughi having been 

 kept throughout Persia from the earliest 

 times by the sporting Khans, has led Euro- 

 peans to apply the name " Persian " Grey- 

 hound to this variety, and thence also to 

 infer that it came from Persia southwards, 

 though the word "Tazi" (Arabian) and 

 the distinctive name " Shami " (Syrian) 

 denote the contrary. It is also stated that 

 after two or three generations in Persia 

 Greyhounds become much bigger and heavier 

 and have longer hair ; sportsmen are there- 



fore constantly importing fresh stock from 

 the south. In some districts in Persia, how- 

 ever, the smooth-coated varietypredominates. 

 As with his famous horses and camels, 

 the Bedawi attaches much importance to 

 the pedigree of his Slughi. Though different 

 types are found in the same localities, 

 natives are very careful not to mix the 

 breeds. Some families of the Gazelle Hound 



■■'^ 



~*^ \ 



A TYPICAL SLUGHI 

 BRED IN ENGLAND 

 Photograph by T. Fall. 



(SHAMI). 

 BY The HON. FLORENCE AMHERST. 



are especially renowned. A celebrated dog 

 was looted as a puppy from south of Mecca. 

 His descendants are now famous among 

 the tribes on the north of the Persian Gulf. 

 The Slughi or " hound " is highly valued, 

 and not treated like the despised " dog " or 

 " kelb " of the East. The Arab speaks 

 of him as " el hor " the " noble," and he is 

 held to be as the " Gre " hound was of old 

 in England, " the dogge of high degree," as 

 referred to by Gains. He has the thoughtful 

 care of his master, and, unlike the other 

 dogs which are kept outside the encamp- 

 ment, is allowed to stretch himself at ease 

 on the carpet of his master's tent. The 

 children play with him, and he is decorated 

 with shells, beads, and talismans. On the 



