HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



241 



of them has fuch an accident happened to dogs. Neither 

 among the European authors who have obferved and 

 noted the peculiarities of America, nor among the many 

 Americans lately arrived from the countries of Spanifli 

 America, have we found one to confirm this anecdote 

 from Mr. de Paw. That, however, which we know 

 both from feveral writers of America, and many per- 

 fons acquainted with thofe countries, is, that dogs never 

 run mad either in Peru, Quito, or in other countries of 

 the new world. Mr. de Paw perhaps read, that in fome 

 countries of America there were dogs which did not 

 bark, and this was enough for him to publifh that Euro- 

 pean dogs when tranfported to America foon loft their 

 voice. In like manner it might be faid, that figs when 

 tranfplanted from Europe to America become immediate- 

 ly thorny, becaufe the nochtli or tuna has thorns, and 

 from fome refemblance to the fig was called by the Spa- 

 niards Indian fig, in the fame way as they called the „ 

 techichi, the little dog of Mexico, becaufe it refembled 

 a little dog ; but neither is this quadruped a real dog, 

 nor that fruit a true fig. It is eafy to be betrayed into 

 fuch errors when the ideas of men wander in fpeculation, 

 and the pafiions help their going aftray. The count de 

 Buffon, on the contrary affirms (o) that European dogs 

 have profpered in the hot as well as the cold countries of 

 the new world : in which affirmation he grants certainly 

 a great fuperiority to the clime of America over that of 

 the old world. 



Vol. III. I i CATS 



(o) Hiftoire Nat. torn. x. 



