APPENDIX 217 



was not to be kept by any person inferior to a gentleman 

 (" Greyhounds," by a Sportsman, p. 28 ; and Dalziel, 

 vol. i. p. 25). 



Canis Gallicus was the name used by the Gauls for their 

 coursing dogs, which were most probably greyhounds, 

 and Arian says they were called Vertragia^ from a Celtic 

 word denoting swiftness. In Gallo-Latin the name for 

 a large greyhound was Feltrahus or veltris (De Noir., ii. 

 295). They were also called Veltres leporaril (Blane, 

 p. 46). There is some difference of opinion as to the 

 derivation of our word greyhound. In the early Anglo- 

 Norman days they retained their French name of lévrier^ 

 or Latin leporarius. When our MS. was penned the 

 English word grei^ gre^ or grewhound was in general use ; 

 it is thought by some to be derived from Grew hound or 

 Greek hound, as they were supposed to have been origi- 

 nally brought from Greece. Others, again, consider that 

 the name was simply taken from the prevalent colour of 

 the common greyhound. Jesse gives the most likely 

 origin of the name. " Originally it was most likely 

 grehundy and meant the noble, great, choice, or prize 

 hound" (Jesse, ii. 71 ; and Dalziel, i. 23). Probably 

 the Celtic denomination for a dog, grech or greg^ stands 

 in close connection with our word greyhound (Cupples, 

 p. 230). White seems to have been the favourite colour, 

 and to say one had i lévrier plus blanc quejlors de lis {Heruis 

 de Mes^ 107a, 44 ; Bangert, p. 172) would be the greatest 

 tribute to the beauty of one's hound. Co si sunt deus 

 leveres nurit en ma meisun^ cume cisne sunt hlauns (Horn, 



613 f.). 



When Froissart went home from Scotland he is de- 

 picted as riding a grey horse and leading un blanc lévrier^ 

 perhaps one of the four he took from these isles and pre- 

 sented to the Comte de Foix at Orthéz, whose names 

 have been preserved to us as Tristan, Hector, Brun, and 

 Rolland (La Curne de la Palaye). 



Greyhounds were used, as has already been mentioned, 

 for all kind of hunting and every kind of game, in con- 



