DOGS OF EPIRUS. 347 



of dogs has been known in this country for many centuries, 

 and for a greater period of time than any other sort ; in- 

 deed, it is the opinion of most naturalists, and, among 

 others, of Buffon, that they are an original race, and 

 natives of Britain. On this subject he has the following 

 remarks : " The Irish greyhounds are of a very ancient 

 race, and still exist (though their number is small) in their 

 original climate : they were called by the ancients, dogs of 

 Epirus, and Albanian dogs. Pliny has narrated, in the 

 most elegant and energetic terms, a combat between one 

 of these dogs, first with a lion, and then with an elephant : 

 they are much larger than the mastiff. In France they 

 are so rare, that I never saw above one of them, which 

 appeared when sitting to be about five feet high, and 

 resembled in figure the Danish dog, but greatly exceeded 

 him in stature. He was totally white, and of a mild and 

 peaceable disposition." 



In corroboration of Buffon's theory, that the dogs of 

 Epirus and Albania are the same with the Highland deer- 

 hound, it may be remarked as not a little singular, that 

 the dogs at present in use on the mountains of Macedonia, 

 for the purpose of deer coursing, are similar in figure, 

 colour, disposition, and in the texture of their hair, to those 

 used in this country. They are only to be found in the 

 possession of the nobility, and are with them also exceed- 

 ingly rare.* 



* My friend, Mr. Skene, is possessed of an ancient and curious map 

 of the world, in which the ert, or elk, is represented as characterising 

 the Transylvanian Forest ; and near it is a representation of " Canes 

 fortiores," or the great Albanian dog, which these northern tribes are 

 reported to have used to drag their carriages, as well as to hunt the 

 bear, wolf, and elk. The animal given as the elk, in the map, is 



