NATURAL HISTORY OF THE DOG. 1.5 



The artificial history of the dog may with propriety commence 

 with the synopsis of the varieties into which he is branched out. 

 In the other species of the genus to which he belongs, this would 

 rather belong to their natural history ; but it must be considered, 

 that by far the greater number of the varieties of the dog have 

 been the result of circumstances not contemplated by nature : on 

 the contrary, many of them, we know, have arisen from the 

 direct agency of man himself, and the greater proportion are 

 wholly domesticated with him. The synoptical view of this 

 subject, taken by that eminent zoologist M. Frederic Cuvier 

 (a younger brother of the Baron), being now very generally fol- 

 lowed by our best naturalists, will furnish me with an order of 

 description slightly varying from that pursued in former editions, 

 but not, I believe, less demonstrative or interesting. Founded 

 on the construction of the various organs of the body, internal 

 as well as external, these illustrious brothers have reared their 

 systems on the most solid base ; employing principles which must 

 produce the best effects on zoology, by rescuing it from fabled re- 

 presentation, traditionary account, or purposed exaggeration. The 

 shape of the head, and the length of the jaws and muzzle, have 

 furnished him, as he conceives, with facilities in arranging the dog 

 varieties in the order of their approach to the parent stock, which 

 he does in three several groups: 1. Matins^; 2. Spaniels^; 3. 

 Dogues. 



2 As regards the matins, considerable contradiction exists in the descrip- 

 tion of them by various authors ; much of which arises from considering this 

 dog as the fac- simile of our mastiff. On the contrary, it much more nearly 

 resembles the Australasian dog, except that it is taller and altogether more 

 lengthy in its limbs, and less coated. It is a dog of great speed, vast strength, 

 and is without doubt the same which Strabo notices as being so long and so 

 successfully used by the Iberian and Albanian people in their huntings. " It 

 may be remarked, that although a threefold division of canes venatisi was ac- 

 knowledged by the classic authors during the imperial government of Rome, 

 yet that, in Xenophon and the earlier Greek writers, we only trace a twofold 

 division into pugnaces, or dogs of force and strength, and sagaces, or dogs which 

 possessed some strength, some quickness, and much cunning ; such, for in- 



