276 APPENDIX. 



Nemesian. Sednon Spartanos tantucn, tantumve Molossos 



Cyneg. vs. 123. Pascendum catulos : divisa Britannia mittit 



Veloces,' uostrisque orbis venatibus aptos ; 



— by the latter, in the conclusion of his first cynegetic, vs. 467, here- 

 after cited. Of Nemesian's " veloces," probably not of the saga- 

 cious class, I shall, in the sequel, speak. In the absence of any 

 assigned habitat for the Petronius, may we not consider him indi- 

 genous of Britain 1~ Our happy isle has ever been famous for excel- 

 lent breeds of hunting-dogs, for skilful sportsmen, and horses both 

 fleet and patient of the chase. All the Celtic nations indeed, and 

 our ancestors among the rest, were passionately addicted to the 

 diversions of the field, considering the prosecution of such laborious 

 callings a kind of apprenticeship and initiation for war. Thence the 

 superiority of the Celtic breeds of sporting-dogs, and more especially 

 of the Britannus sagax and Britannus bellicosus. With the latter, 

 perhaps, the former may have been sent to Italy by the resident 

 Procurator Cynegii, as worthy of admission into Roman kennels ; 

 for at this early period I believe there were only these two native 

 varieties of the canine race in Britain. In the field of battle, in 

 public spectacles, and in the wolf and boar-chases, the bellicosus, 

 the rival of the truculent Epirote, stood pre-eminent : and in the 

 ordinary hunting of timid and fugacious quarry, the hound *' naribus 



1. It is mj opinion that these veloces were greyhounds, — which iiaving been ex- 

 ported from Gaul, their native soil, into Britain, were thence again sent to Italy ; — 

 and therefore I have notliing to say ahout them here. The passage is not of easy 

 apphcation — some commentators interpreting it as having reference to one variety 

 of hound, and some to another : — 



Ovid. Metam. pars invetiit utraque causas. 



L, III. vs. 255. 



See some further remarks under the Vertragus of Class III. 



2. Of what country were the Canes Petronii indigenous? — Vlitius claims them, 

 without proof, for Belgium — denies all knowledge of them to Italy, beyond mere re- 

 port — unceremoniously dissalluws the pretensions of Gaul — and, for reasons equally 

 inade<iuale, those of Britain. But the latter, in my opinion, has as well-founded a 

 claim to the breed as Belgium. 



