227 



THE BULL-DOG. 



Canis Anglicus. 



PLATE XX. 



It may be doubted whetber there were in Britain 

 two races of broad-mouthed dogs during the Roman 

 era ; it seems to us there was but one, and in that 

 case the bull-dog was the animal in question. One, 

 indeed, far superior in size to the present breeds, 

 little inferior to the mastiff, and probably very like 

 the Cuba race before mentioned, but with the pe- 

 culiar features of the bull form more strongly 

 marked ; " the distorted blear eyes, cheeks and 

 lips sordid and hanging loose, looking like mon- 

 sters, and the more repulsive in aspect the better in 

 qualities.* 



The celebrated verses of Gratius Faliscus have 

 been so often repeated, that we point out only the 

 last lines, to remark how superior the British bull- 

 dog was in courage to the Molossian of Greece, also 

 how inferior in size. 



Hsee una est catulis jactura Britannis. 

 Ad magnum cum venit opus, promendaque virtus, 

 Et vocat extremo praeeeps diserimine mavors 

 Non tune egregios tantum admirere Molossos. 



* Joanes Ulizius. Oeculis ita lippis et detortis, labris et 

 malis adeo sordidis et pene dentibus apparent ; ut advenes 

 raera monstra videantur : at quanto deformiores eo fere me- 

 liores estimantur. 



