THE MASTIFF TYPE. 25 



Paintings, etc.," from a sculpture in the British- Museum. 

 This is a noble example of the breed, reminding me strongly 

 of Taurus 2nd 9339, for some time my property, and one of 

 the very best specimens of his day taking all points into 

 consideration. 



In the British Museum is a sculpture showing the use that 

 the Assyrian kings made of these mastiffs. It represents a 

 lion hunt or artificial battue of lions, in an enclosed park, of 

 Assur ban-i-pal, King of Assyria, who flourished some 640 

 years B.C. The dogs are held back by men with a rope, one 

 dog before the lion is at a dead stand, evidently barking, the 

 others showing evident signs of impatience to get at the royal 

 game. In another part of the museum are models of these 

 hunting dogs of the same monarch, found behind the slabs at 

 Nineveh, so we see this king was fortunate in possessing both 

 modeller and sculptor, although the artist's names have not 

 been handed down to us. 



Darwin in his Animals and Plants under domestication, 

 states that on the tomb of Esarhaddon is figured one of these 

 Assyrian mastiffs. Esarhaddon (2 Kings xix-37) son and 

 successor of Sennacherib died according to George Smith's 

 Assyria 668 B.C. In his reign the wandering tribes of 

 Cimmerians migrated across the Caucasus ; and Esarhaddon 

 also attacked and subdued the Medes, and this powerful 

 monarch probably introduced the mastiff from these countries 

 after his conquests. Although he died 668 B.C. his tomb 

 would not be ornamented until the reign of his son Assurbanipal, 

 who we find in possession of many of these mastiffs. 



In the " Excelsior Helps in Progress in Religion. Science, 

 and Literature, vol. v, is some mention of these Babylonish 

 dogs. Colonel Rawlinson (the merits of whose opinion as a 



D 



