86 



A R R I A N 



Chap. VI. The colour of greyhounds is not of any importance; ^ nor 



im°ortaace° ^^^^ ^^ matter if they are perfectly black, red, or white ; nor 



De Venat. 



C. HI. 



23. Bad-footed hounds, however high-couraged, are uuable to bear work, accord- 

 ing to Xenophon, on account of the pain they endure in running, Stct rh &\yos t«»' 

 itoSwv. No cynegelicon omits the essential feature of a well-formed foot; which, in 

 Illustrations of Wase's words, should be " round, high-knuckled, and well-clawed, with a dry hard 

 Gratius. goal." 



Gratii Cyneg. 

 27G. 



Effuge qui lata pandit vestigia planta, 

 Mollis in officio, siccis ego dura lacertis 

 Crura velim, et solidos haec in certamina calces. 



Fracastorius, 



Alcon. 



Iina pedum parva signent vestigia planta. 



De Venatione, Tardif explains the cat-like foot, " pedes parvi, digitis duris, et apte conjunctis, ne 

 quid terrae aut luti in vi^ admittant :" and Savary of Caen, 



Album Dianae 



Leporicidae. 



L. II. 



brevemque pedes glomerentur in orbem 



Parvaque compactis digitis vestigia ferment. 



1. Compare Xenophon de V^enat. c. iv. Arrian very rationally combats the no- 

 tion of a greyhound's excellence being at all dependent on so variable a distinction 

 as colour. Oppian, more credulous on this point, reprobates white and black dogs, 

 as impatient of heat and cold, and gives a preference to such as are red, russet, or 

 fawn : 



Oppian. Cyneg. Kfiuoi S^ eu irdvTfacriv aptarevovcri Kiveffan, 



'• rots "iKeXoi nop^al fidXa drjpecriv wixi)(rrfj(ri, 



IJ,7iKo<p6vouri KvKOis, i) riypecnv rivefiOiffcrais, 

 tj Koi aXuveKeeafft, Ooalal tc iropSaXieffaiv, 

 ^ oTrSffoi S^jUTjTpt iravelKeKov elSos exoutrt 

 ffiT6xpooi' ixaXa ydp re Bool Kparepol re ireXovrui. 



Sect. IV. p. 262. The Cynosophium recommends such as are ■itapair\T](noi Keovai, irdpZois, xIkois : and 

 adds to its Materia Medica (p. 275.) amongst other ridiculous nostrums, a formula by 

 which the colour of the hair may be changed from white to black — credat Judceus! 



In accordance with the general prejudice which bestowed superior virtue on parti- 

 coloured, (for such was Xenophon's opinion,) Pan confers on the Goddess of the 

 Chase pie-bald and mottled hounds : 



