A 1'1'F. N l)l\. 



273 



Aviduiiujue fernc) nudu cautus 

 Propriore liga. Vcniot tempiis 

 Cum latratu cava saxa sonent : 

 Nunc demissi nare eagaci 

 Captent auras, lustraque presso 

 Quarant rostro.' 



1. The Canis ductor, or lime-hound of the middle ages, the ffxfii^aar^s and ynivv- 

 t))j of ancient glossaries, " qui odorisequa nare spelaja ferarum, et diverticula depre- 

 Lendit," was strongly allied to, if not identical with, the Sleut-hound of Scotland, 

 the blood-hound, lyme-dog, or limer (from the lyam or leash with which he was led) 

 of authors, employed in the pursuit of animals of chase, and the discovery of murders 

 and ambuscades. See the Glossaries of Spelman and Ducange, in voce. 



Skinner defines the Limmer " Hybris, i. e. canis vilior ex cane sagace venalico 

 cum Molosso copulato prognatus," — and such probably was the parent stock of this 

 much-famed dog. Tiie Lorarius of Caius must have been a more nimble cmimal 

 than the Sleut-hound — " propter velocitatem et gravius feram urget, et citius capit." 

 The Lymer is fully treated of in De Langley's curious manuscript intitled iJHagSlcr 

 of ©aiUC, c. XX. et seqq. Much also will be found relative to him in the Book of 

 St. Alban's, Fouilloux, Turberville, and Blome : and he is particularly described by 

 the Latin poet of Caen, under the title of " Canis armillaris." 



The following portrait by the poet of Barga is worthy of exhibition : 



Ille qiiidem multa virtute insignis, et usu 

 Vcnaudi, saltum si quando ingressus apertum est, 

 Evinctus loro dominum trahit. Atque ubi signa 

 Invenit, aut auras acer persentit odoras, 

 Pergit iter, rostrum et pressa vix tollit ab herb^. 

 Hue illuc volvens oculos, et singula solers 

 Scrutatur : donee subter virgulta latentem 

 Conspexit leporem, et constrata cubilia fronde. 

 Turn vero gressum caudi blanditus, et ore 

 Accelerat, montemque omnem latratibus implet. 



Etymolog. 

 Ling. Anglic. 



De Canibus 



Britannicis 



Libellus. 



Vcnatioius 



Cervina; Leges 



L. H. 



P. A. Bargjei 

 Cyneg. L. v. 



He is the " Praevius it loro catulus devinctus " of Vaniere's Praediura Rusticuni, 

 L. XVI. Great, however, as was his celebrity in the sporting field of the classic and 

 middle ages, and even till a century and a half ago, — 



syrchand to and fra. 

 To hunt the harte, the bare, the da, the ra, — 



the Limier, in a state of pure blood, is considered almost extinct. 



2 M 



G. Douglas's 

 Palace of 

 Honour. 



