102 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



Greeks; though, at a later period, the Roman 

 ladies were very partial to the Melitean, or Maltese 

 breed. 



Thus we find the early Greeks acquainted, at 

 first, with only two races of foreign origin, clearly 

 made out; the greyhound, and a shepherd, or 

 rather drover's dog, which answered also for hunting 

 and watching property. They had, besides, one or 

 two of indigenous derivation, which were inter- 

 mixed with those hunting by scent, and believed 

 to be of Vulpine extraction. At a later period the 

 true mastiifs became known, and the lapdog of 

 Malta was imported. In proof, that neither they 

 nor the Romans had any notion of such packs of 

 hounds as we have at present, we have only to 

 refer to Ovid's description of the death of Actason, 

 to be satisfied, that his hounds (no doubt the pic- 

 ture of a complete set in the age of Augustus) were, 

 nevertheless, a mixture of dogs, with very different 

 qualities and characters in scent, sight, velocity, 

 voice, size, colours, and nature of hair, &c. In- 

 deed, the mixture of matches of hounds, greyhounds, 

 bull-dogs, and watch-dogs, was still usual on the 

 continent, until the beginning of the last century, 

 whenever a great hunting expedition was under- 

 taken ; and, in Turkey, the grandees, even at the 

 present time, collect the watch-dogs, &c. of the 

 shepherd tribes of all nations within their reach, 

 and imite them with their own greyhounds, when 

 an important day's sport is expected. 



The ancients were admirers of breeds of dogs of 



