46 THE ALAN OR ALAUNT. 



of Slavonic origin and perhaps Phoenician introduction) 

 furnishing indirectly one of those landmarks in history that 

 so often crop up. As the Alan is not I believe mentioned 

 anywhere among the early dogs of France and Germany, we 

 may fairly conclude that it is not of Galic or Teutonic source. 

 The Spanish (who may be meant by Arrian under the name 

 of Iberians) still have the word in use under the Spanish 

 form Alano, and curiously enough showing the close relation- 

 ship between the two breeds, apply it to denote either a mastiff 

 or bulldog. 



It has been presumed without any decided proof that the 

 Spanish bulldog was originally imported from England, but 

 the truth of this is far from certain, and having inspected 

 some of the most noted Spanish bulldogs and Cuban bull 

 mastiffs, that have been imported to this country, I have 

 come to the conclusion that although the Spanish bulldog is 

 or was a remnant of the true Pugnaces, yet it differs consid- 

 erably to the British bulldog of modern ages, in more 

 characteristics than its greater size. Col. H. Smith in 

 Naturalists Library, states that he was informed in the \Yest 

 Indies by some cattle dealers, who cultivated the breed, that 

 the Cuban mastift was introduced from England about 1560, 

 and that they were first kept at a monastry in the ancient 

 capital of St. Jago, acording to accounts received from a 

 priest by the cattle dealers who informed Col. II. Smith. 



It may not be unadvisable here to mention, that the 

 imported pedigreeless Couchez, (whose blood runs in nearly 

 every modern mastiff) bore all the trace of having a large 

 percentage of Spanish bulldog blood in him, and although 

 imported as a smooth St. Bernard I have little doubt that in 



