190 
UnpoustEpLy the most curious of all the 
felme tribe, and the rarest 
also, are the curious looking 
creatures represented in the 
accompanying photograph, lent us by 
Mr. H. C. Brooke, to whom their owner, 
Mr. Shinick, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, 
gave the following description :—“ These 
cats were obtained from Indians a few miles 
from here. The old Jesuit Fathers say 
Mexican 
Hairless Cats. 
they are the last of the Aztec race and 
They are 
known only in New Mexico. 
marked exactly alike, with mouse-coloured 
backs, the neck, stomach and legs a delicate 
flesh tint; their bodies are always warm 
and soft. In the winter they have a light 
fuzz on the back and ridge of tail which 
falls off in the warm weather. They stand 
the cold as well as other cats; their skin 
is very loose. ‘Nellie’ (the female) has a 
very small head, large amber eyes, and 
long whiskers and eyebrows; her voice now 
is a good baritone, when young it sounded 
MEXICAN HAIRLESS CATS. 
Animal Life 
exactly like a child’s. ‘Nellie’ weighs about 
8 lb. and ‘Dick’ 10 lb.” Later, Mr. Shinick 
wrote :—‘‘ Dick was a very powerful cat, and 
could whip any dog alone; his courage no 
doubt was the cause of his death. He was 
a sly rascal and would steal out, and one 
night he got out and several dogs killed him. 
His loss was very great, and I may never 
replace him. The Chicago Cat Club valued 
him at 1,000 dollars. I have sent all over 
the country and endeavoured to get a mate 
for ‘Nellie,’ but I fear the breed is extinct.” 
SIDE by side with the hairless cats it will be 
interesting to compare the hair- 
less dogs from the same country. 
These animals are found not 
only in Mexico, but also in China and Japan. 
“ Paderewski, Junior,” whose portrait (by 
kind permission of its owner, Mrs. H. C. 
Brooke) we give, is, with the exception of a 
very few straggling hairs on his head, perfectly 
hairless; other specimens have a more or less 
thick crest or top-knot; others, again, have a 
Mexican 
Hairless Dog. 
