246 



APPENDIX. 



But we are going beyond our prescribed bounds, and must return 

 to our text-book, the Cynegetieon of the Faliscian ; viho next intro- 

 duces to notice the Canes bellicosi of the British isles, a parent stock 

 of native growth. We have no information of any source from 

 whence these could have been imported into Britain, and, as Strabo 

 states that they were exported from thence into Gaul, it is inferred 

 that they were indigena. Whether the Canis bellicosus Anglicus 

 of Aldrovandus, or the Canis Mastivus, omnium maximus, animosus 

 Hist. Animal, ^i pugnax of Ray, be alluded to in the following lines of Gratius, 

 is doubtful. Possibly the poet may include both breeds, as the ani- 

 mal combats of the Roman amphitheatre were supplied by the Pro- 

 curator Cynegii with the finest specimens of our war-dogs, without 

 reference to minute distinctions ; 



De Quad. 

 Digit. Vivip. 

 L. III. c. via 



Gratii C^'neg. 

 vs. 174. 



Quid freta si Morinum, dubio refluentia ponto. 

 Veneris, atque ipsos iibeat penetrare Britannos ? 

 O quanta est merces, et quantum inipendia supra ! 

 Si non ad speciem, mentiturosque decores 

 Protinus ; (haec una est catulis jactura Britannis.) 

 At magnum cum venit opus, promendaque virtus, 

 Et vocat extreme prajceps certamine Mavors, 

 Non tunc egregios tantum admirere Molossos ! 



Their hardihood in seizing the bull is celebrated by Claudian in 

 the well-known verse, 



De Laudibus Magnaque taurorum fracture colla Britanns. 



Stilic. L. III. 



In the early authentic record of the Canes Venatici of Britain 



by the royal sportsman, Edmund de Langley, three sub-varieties of 



our Canis bellicosus are enrolled, in addition to the mastiff: 



iMagstrr of << Alaunt is a maner and natre of houndes and the good Alauntz 



(ffiamr. , ^ , •, ^ , , , , 



c. XVI. fol. G7. ben tlie which men clepyn Alauntz gentil. Other there byn that 



men clepyn Alauntz ventreres. Other byn Alauntz of the bo- 



cherie.^ 



constricta Romana amicitia, si ad hffic tuenda nihil canino latratu ac morsu valentius 

 duxit?" 



1. The duke considers alauntz primarily derived from Spain, not natives of 



