Buck, from Jack London's 1903 novel, The Call of the Wild, is described as half St. Bernard and half 'Scotch shepherd dog', but was rendered as full St. Bernard in at least one of the six movie versions. The coat can be either smooth or rough; the smooth coat being close and flat while the rough is dense, flat, and more profuse around the neck and legs. The colour is typically a red shade with white, or a mahogany brindle with white. Black shading is usually found on the face and ears. There was apparently at least one dog that really did carry brandy. In The Percy Anecdotes, by Thomas Byerley, published in 1823, the following anecdote appears, and was often quoted in other books in the 19th century:
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