iGi THE A L C O. 



and Ihouiders. 'The back is arched, and cover- 

 ed with yellow hair. The tail is white, fhorr, 

 and pendulous, and defcends no lower than the 

 thighs. The belly is large, tenle, and marked 

 with black fpots. It has fix conipicuous paps. 

 The legs and feet are white; and the toes, like 

 thole of the dog, are armed with long fharp 

 claws *. Fabri, who gives this defcription, con- 

 cludes, after a long differtation, that this animal 

 is the fame with the alco ; and I believe his con- 

 clufion is well founded. But this appellation 

 muft not be regarded as exclufive ; for there is 

 another race of dogs in America to which it ap- 

 plies with equal propriety. Befide the dogs, 

 Fernandes remarks, which the Spaniards tranf- 

 ported from Europe to America, there are three 

 other fpecies, which are pretty fimilar to ours, 

 both in their nature and difpofitions ; neither is 

 their figure altogether different. The firll and 

 largeft of thefe American dogs is called Xoloizt- 

 cuintli. He is often three cubits long ; and, 

 ■what is remarkable, he is totally deftitute oi 

 hair, and only covered with a foft clofe fkin, 

 marked with yellov/ and blue fpots. The fe- 

 cond is covered with hair, and of the fize of 

 our fmall Maltefe dogs. He is marked with 



• white, 



• Ytzcuinte porzotli. Canis Meiicana Ad unguem 



animal quod hie proftat, nanum, pingne, et manfuetum effigi- [ 

 atum mihi videtur illud elTe quod Araericani nomine com- 

 muni Alco vocabantj Hernand. Hifl. Mex. p. ^65. ct 478. 



fig. /.. 466. 



