2i8 VARRO ON FARMING [bk. 



with teats of equal size. One must also see that they 

 come of a good breed, and so they, too, are called 

 after the districts whence they come, Laconian,^ 

 Epirot, Sallentine." Be careful not to buy dogs 

 either from hunters or butchers, for butchers' dogs 

 are too lazy to follow the flock, while hunting dogs, 

 if they see a hare or a stag, will follow it instead of 

 the sheep. Hence the best is one bought from 

 shepherds, that has been trained to follow sheep, or 

 has had no training at all. For a dog acquires a 

 habit more readily than other animals, and the 

 attachment to shepherds resulting from familiar in- 

 tercourse with them, is stronger than that which he 

 feels for sheep. 

 6 Publius Aufidius Pontianus, of Amiternum, had 

 bought some flocks of sheep in furthest Umbria,^ 



1 Lacones, etc. Vergil mentions the Laconian and the 

 Epirot (Molossus), Georg., iii, 404: 



Nee tihi cura canumfuerit postrema, sed una 

 Veloces Spartae catulos acremque Molossum 

 Pasce sero ping'uiy numquam custodihus illis^ etc., 

 where Servius In Laconicis velocitas in Molossis {Molossia — 

 civitas Epiri) fortitudo laudatur. The Laconian hound was 

 used for hunting, and Columella says a farmer has no business 

 to keep one, ' ' for it takes him from his proper work and makes 

 him lazy in it." 



" The Salentini Campi in the north-west part of lapygia. 

 What Schneider means by calling these dogs Umbrlan I 

 cannot guess ! Sextus Pompeius {suh Salentinos) says that the 

 Illyrians were called Salentiniy from Salum. The Sallentine 

 may possibly have been an Illyrlan breed. 



^ In Umhria. The Umbrlan dogs were famous for their 

 keen scent. Umhernare sag-ax (Sil. Ital., ill. 294). 



