BEiTisH MASTiFj?.] THE DOG, AND ITS YAEIBTIES; [cubak mastii-f. 



bony ridge passing down the median line of the 

 skull. The expression of the eves is lowering 

 and ferocious ; the jaws are very strong ; the 

 lips pendulous ; the general form is thick-set 

 and robust ; and the limbs are muscular. 



This group comprehends the mastiff, the 

 bulldog, and their allies. In sagacity and in- 

 telligence these dogs are not to be compared 

 to the Newfoundland, the spaniel, or the 

 shepherd's dog. They surpass all, however, in 

 determined courage and prowess in combat, 



THE BRITISH MASTIFF. 



This is the dogue of Bufibu, who considers it 

 an offset from the bulldog ; but this opinion, in 

 the judgment of Mr. Blaine, is erroneous. In 

 early times the English mastiff was celebrated 

 for his strength and resolution, characteristics 

 which did not fail to attract the attention of 

 the Romans when this island formed a part of 

 their widely- s[read empire. To a people in 

 whom a partiality for scenes of bloodshed and 

 slaughter, and in whom the sanguinary games 

 of the amphitheatre was a ruling passion, dogs 

 so fitted to gratify their taste were peculiarly 

 acceptable ; ai:d accordingly we find that they 

 were bred and reared by officers specially ap- 

 pointed, who selected such as were distin- 

 guished for combative qualities, and sent them 

 to Eome for the service of the amphitheatres, 

 where they were matched in fight with various 

 beasts of prey. Dr. Caius, a naturalist of the 

 time of Elizabeth, states that three were 

 reckoned a match for a bca-, and four for a 

 lion. 



Though the mastiff has by no means the 

 keen sense of smell which the hound possesses, 

 he seems to be either an offset from that branch, 

 or a cognate branch from the same root. Tlie 

 mastifi", however, has a finer scent than persons 

 are generally aware of, and his hearing is very 

 acute. A dog of tliis breed, chained to his 

 kennel, and never suffered to wander about the 

 pi'cmises, nor treated as a friend and companion, 

 aflbrds but a poor example of what the animal 

 really is. Confinement spoils his temper, and 

 cramps the development of his better qualities. 



The mastiff has a very wide geographical 

 distribution ; and wherever he is found he pre- 

 sents nearly a similarity of outline in his 

 make, and evinces the same qualities whether 

 in Sweden, the Alps, Poland, Spain, Italy, 

 468 



or the Levant. As he approaches warmer 

 climates, however, his strength degenerates. 

 He becomes more slender, and rather resembles 

 the old Spanish pointer than the fall-bodied 

 European animal. This dog is considered by 

 Grotius as one of the indirjenal of Britain ; but 

 in this he has not been satisfactorily corrobo- 

 rated. 



Mr. Eichardson attributes his origin to a 

 mixture of the bulldog of ancient Britain with 

 the old Talbot hound, and gives us the following 

 characteristic anecdotes: — 



" The disposition of the mastiff is character- 

 ised by courage, generosity, and forbearance: 

 even the midnight marauder will be held by 

 him uninjured until human aid arrives, provided 

 he refrain from struggle or resistance. The 

 attacks of puny antagonists are despised ; but 

 if they become intolerable, the noble mastiff" is 

 satisfied with showing his contempt, or inflict- 

 ing chastisement of rather a humiliating than 

 a painful nature. The story of the mastiff 

 which, when greatly annoyed by the incessant 

 barking of a little cur, took him by the back 

 of the neck, and dropped him over a quay wall 

 into the river, is well known ; but I recollect 

 an instance of this nature, when the mastiff, 

 standing for a moment contemplating the 

 straggles of his late tormentor, and perceiving 

 that the current was likely to carry him away, 

 actually sprang into the water, and rescued 

 him from his dangerous position." 



Henry VII. ordered a mastiff to be hanged^ 

 because he had siii(/Ii/ coped lo'ith and overcome 

 a lion ! And in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, 

 when Lord Buckhurst was ambassador at the 

 court of Charles IX., a mastiff" is said, 

 alone and unassisted, to have successively en- 

 gaged a bear, a leopard, and a lion, and pulled 

 them all down. Stow relates an engagement 

 which took place, in the reign of James I., be- 

 tween three mastiffs and a lion. One of the 

 dogs being put into the den, was soon disabled 

 by the lion, which took him by the head and 

 neck, and dragged him about. Another dog 

 was next let loose, which shared tiie same fat : 

 but the third, on being put in, immediate y 

 seized the lion, and subdued him. 



THE CUBAN MASTIFF. 

 AVe have said that the mastiff is allied to 

 the hound: the Cuban mastiff, is, indeed, often 



