100 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 



several races of dogs to the Greek catalogue. They 

 notice the Celtic breed, which was regarded as 

 descended from wolves.* 



The Spanish Iberian is equivocally praised by 

 Nemesianus. " Nee quorum proles de sanguine 

 manat origo." It is thence, however, we have ob- 

 tained dogs of a very fine scent ; and Oppian like- 

 wise mentions the IBEPES ; but the question 

 remains, Whether Asiatic Iberia is not meant by 

 both ? It was from that vicinity that they obtained 

 their Phasiania, supposed to be used in fowling. 

 The Petronian^ so called on account of their hard 

 feet, were a breed introduced from the Sicambri, 

 beyond the Rhine, and also believed to have been 

 adapted to the same purpose ; but the Althamanian., 

 from the vicinity of Pindus, in Macedonia, are 

 only praised for a circumventing sagacity, as men- 

 tioned by Gratius Faliscus. " Comparat his ver- 

 suta suas Athamania fraudes." 



In Italy Proper, the Etruscan and Umbrian 

 breeds alone seem to have been valued ; the first, 

 according to Nemesianus, was a shaggy harrier, and 

 may have been introduced from Spain by the Iberian 

 colony which forced its way into Liguria. The se- 

 cond, a dog nearly allied to our later blood-hound, 



names of Cato and Catullus, through the Sabine Catu, the 

 most ancient Italian name for a dog. 



* " Hoe idem e lupis Galli, quorum greges suima cuisque 

 ductoram e canibus Lyciscam liabuit." — Pliny. But Strabo 

 thinks they came from Britain. See Alcon. p. 17. 



