THE MASTIFFS. 219 



In the last paragraph of our description of 

 Chryseus scylax, we have noticed a canine which 

 might be the representative of the original bull-dog, 

 and as the animal is very little known in India, and 

 when seen was more towards the west, it may be 

 that the real and fall sized type is still to be sought 

 in the mountains of the Caufirs and the Douraunee 

 territory : for the present mastiffs of Tibet are clearly 

 the same as the dogs of the ancient Indi and Seri, and 

 nearly the same as those of Hyrcania. The absurdi- 

 ties regarding the Cynocephali, the Cynomolgi, and 

 the Dardai of Ctezias, &c., were lately explained 

 into intelligible, and not improbable relations, by 

 a Sanscrit scholar* of eminence; and they show 

 undeniably, that long before the era of Alexander's 

 march to the Indus, the mountain nations to the 

 north of it were in possession of a race of dogs 

 mainly instrumental in their well-being. From 

 some authors, we learn that the Macedonian con- 

 querors received presents of dogs of huge size and 

 prodigious powers, which, since we are acquainted 

 with the mastiffs of Tibet, leave no doubt respecting 

 the race they were of: but, from other sources, 

 there is evidence that the fiercest dogs of the north- 

 east were considered to be cross breeds with a tiger, 

 or spotted animal, of considerable size and strength. 

 Among these Nearchus is quoted to have remarked, 

 that Thoas, the species in question, were pied, or 



* Wilson. Indica of Ctezias, where the wonders of that 

 author, of Megasthenes, and their copyers, are satisfactorily 

 reviewed, or commented on with equal acuteness and learning. 



