THE MASTIFF TYPE. 31 



large breed of dog and the wolf. That such a union is possible 

 has been proved in several instances beyond doubt or dispute, 

 and Buffon in his dissertation on mules (under the Ass) 

 mentions an instance of a cross between a mongrel mastiff and 

 the wolf. Virgil iii. line 18, mentions Latrante Lycisca and 

 from Claudian we learn that Francia possessed dogs produced 

 from crossing the dog with the wolf, and without extending 

 these remarks, it is palpable that the molossus was a dog of 

 wolfish type. 



Classical writers carelessly or for convenience called any 

 and all dogs approaching anything like the dogs of Epirus in 

 size or character by the common term molossus. The Rev. 

 \Yatkins in some well written and interesting notes on the 

 British dogs, published in the Antiquary, shows the molossus 

 was a word soon used in a much wider sense than its primitive 

 meaning warranted, i.e., a dog belonging to the Molossi. And 

 although Virgil in his Georgics, Lib. iii. line 404, distinguishes 

 between the swift Spartan and fierce Molossian, later writers 

 classed all large dogs under this heading. 



It is recorded by /Elian that the Molossi wept over their 

 dogs slain in war, and the effigy of one, slain at the battle of 

 Marathon, was placed over his master's tomb. M. A. Plautus, 

 the comic poet, who died about 184 B.C., -informs us that the 

 Molossian dogs were house dogs, and opposed and indifferent 

 to hunting. " Molossi canes parasiti quibus opponantur venatici" 

 Plant, s.c. i. A.I. The word "parasiti" being used in a 

 satirical sense. In the Dictionary of Ambrosius of Celephini 

 (the 1663 orgth Edition) is a curious collection of Greek notices 

 of the molossus some of which derive them from the brazen 

 dog made by Vnlcan. My late friend J. W. Thompson (of 

 mastiff notoriety) nearly led me into a very absurd and 



