NATURAL HISTORY OF THE DOG. 39 



xnowledgment as was calculated to mislead the reader. I 

 now lay claim to my own property, and finally embody it in 

 .he following pages, with many additions, the result of subse- 

 quent investigation.* 



Pliny relates a combat in which the dogs of Epirus bore a 

 part. He describes them as much taller than mastiffs, and 

 of greyhound form ; detailing an account of their contests 

 with a lion and an elephant. This, I should think, suffices 

 to establish the identity of the Irish wolf-dog with the far- 

 famed dogs of Epirus. 



Strabo describes a gigantic greyhound as having been in 

 use among the Celtic and Pictish nations ; and as being held 

 in such high esteem, as to have been imported into Gaul 

 for the purposes of the chase. 



Silius describes a large and powerful greyhound as having 

 imported into Ireland by the Belgae ; thus identifying 

 the Irish wolf-dog with the celebrated Belgic dog of antiquity, 

 which we read of in so many places as having been brought 

 to Rome for the combats of the amphitheatre. 



Hollinshed says of tho Irish " They are not without wolves, 

 and greyhounds to hunt them, bigger of bone and lirnb than 

 a colt." Campion also speaks of him as a "greyhound of 

 great bone and limb." 



Evelyn, describing the savage sports of the bear-garden, 

 says " The bull-dogs did exceeding well, but the Irish wolf- 

 dog exceeded, which was a tall greylwund, a stately creature, 

 and did beat a cruel mastiff." Here we have an actual com- 

 parison of powers, which marks the dojr to have been a grey- 

 hound, and quite distinct from a mastiff 



In the second edition of Smith's " History of Waterford," 

 the Irish wolf-dog is described as much taller than a mastiff, 

 and as being of the greyhound form, unequalled in size and 

 strength. Mr. Smith writes: "Roderick, King of Con- 

 naught, was obliged to furnish hawks and greyhounds to Hen- 

 ry II. Sir Thomas Rue obtained great favor from the Great 

 Mogul, in 1615, for a brace of Irish greyhounds presented by 

 him. Henry VIII. presented the Marquis of Dessarages, a 

 Spanish grandee, with two goshawks, and four Irish grey- 

 hounds." 



In the reign of Richard II., lands were still held under the 

 crown, and amongst other families, by that of Eugaine, on 



* In justice, I must here state that the account in question was only 

 subscribed with my initials, H. D. R. 



