248 



APPENDIX. 



ancient MS. of Gratius, where the more usual reading is Verlraha — 

 (Veltracha.) 



Viewing the " canes gravioribus aptee morsibus" of Britain to 

 contain only two principal indigenous sub-varieties, the bull-dog 

 may be adduced as an animal of the most ferociously brutal aspect, 

 and most invincible courage in the creation. i The mastiff surpasses 

 his congener as much in size, as he is inferior to him in ferocity.- 

 See Caius de Canibus Britannicis. 



To these truculent dogs, eixpvels irpos Kvyrjyeatas, according to 

 Strabo (L. iv.), as well as resolute in war, our rude ancestors were 

 beholden for the destruction or expulsion of beasts of prey from these 



Cuvier Regn. 

 Animal. 



Description of 



Biitaine. 

 B. III. c. 13. 



Pegge in 



Arcliffiolog. 



vs. X. p. 156. 



iMagetfr of 



c. XVIII. fol. 09. 



1. It has been observed by an eminent living naturalist, that the cerebral capacity of 

 the bull-dog is sensibly smaller than of any other race : and it is doubtless to the 

 decrease of the encephalon tliat we must attribute his inferiority to all others, in 

 every thing relating to intelligence. He is scarcely capable of any education, and is 

 fitted for nothing but ferocious comba). In the ancient translation of Caius's 

 libellus by Holinshed, this savage brute is sketched to the life, as "an huge dogge 

 stubbome, ougly, eagre, hurthenous of body (and therefore but of little swiftnesse,) 

 terrible and feareful to behold, and more fearse and fell then any Archadien curre." 

 Nor is our estimate of Ids might in conflict weakened by Raphael's statement that 

 " alone and wythoutanye help at al, he pulled downe first an huge beare, then a 

 parde, and last of al a lyon, each after other, before the Frenche King in one day." 



2. Amongst the coins of Cunobelin is a representation of a dog, probably of this 

 native variety, tall enough, according to Pegge, and of sufficient strength " to carry 

 a lady." And in Thoresby's Museum is a British coin " exhibiting a dog under a 

 man on horseback." (p. 338. 



The mastiff is at present principally used in this country as a watch-dog ; and such 

 appears to have been his vocation of old. "His office is for to kepe his maistre's 

 beestis," says Duke Edmund, " and his maistre's hous. and it is a good nature of 

 houndis for thei kepen and defenden at her power al her maister goodes. thei byn of 

 cherlich nater and of fuule shap &c." — " ther byn many good for men that huntea 

 for profit of housold as for to gete fflesh. Also of maystifs and of alauntis ther byn 

 many good for the wilde boor;" — but " it is of no greet maistrie ne of grete redynes 

 the huntyng that thei do for here nature ys not tendre nosed in harde nor in sandy 

 nor in dusty grounde." For the etymology of the term mastiff, the reader is referred 

 to Dr. Caius, Winsheii, Skinner, and Holinshed — and for that of ban-dog, a variety 

 of the same, to Skinner in voce. The Mandaiarius, Sarcinariufi, Difensor, &c. of 

 Caius, the custos curlis, imstoraiis, porcarUius, ttrsaritius, caieiialus, &c. of Spel- 

 man and others, are all probably Caaes Mastivi. 



