22 Gleanings from the 



cylinders, and one kind of dog is of this fame 

 greyhound type, while the other, known as the 

 Indian dog, refembled our maftiff. 1 The excellence 

 of the Spartan hound is often celebrated by the 

 ancients, while the Molofli in Epirus pofTefled a 

 breed of large dogs which was, if poflible, ftill 

 more renowned. Mr. Hughes, in his travels 

 through Albania, found thefe dogs as numerous 

 and fierce as they were in old 'days. The breed, 

 he thought, had in no refpect degenerated. He 

 defcribes them as "varying in colour, through 

 different fhades from a dark brown to a bright 

 dun, their long fur being very foft, and thick, and 

 glofly. In fize, they are about equal to an Englifh 

 maftiff; they have a long nofe, delicate ears finely 

 pointed, magnificent tail, legs of a moderate 

 length, with a body nicely rounded and compact" 2 

 Ariftotle,, fpe_aking of thefe dogs, fays that a dif- 

 ference of qualities is obfervable in the males and 

 females, the latter being more gentle and traceable, 

 and more eafily taught. Therefore the females 

 are more prized among the Spartan hounds as 

 being of a nobler nature than males. The 

 Moloflians, he obferves, are not better hunting 

 dogs than others, but form excellent fheep-dogs, 

 from their fize and courage in attacking wild 

 beafts. 3 In another place he gives an excellent 

 life-hiftory of dogs, their generation, birth, den- 

 tition, and the like ; " moft dggs," he adds, " live 



1 Rawlinfon's "Ancient Empires," ii., p. 494. 



2 Arnold's "Rome," ii., p. 438. 

 8 "Hift. An.," ix. I. 



