THE ALCO. 
329 
that this diaphanous peculiarity was not a specific 
character, but a mere adventitious deviation from 
normal condition. 
THE ALCO. 
When I had the pleasure of visiting Mr. Hill at 
Spanish-town I made the acquaintance of a beautiful 
little inmate in his family, a white silky Lap-dog, with 
large melting black eyes. The interest which attached 
to this Dog was greatly enhanced, when I was in- 
formed that it was a specimen of the Mexican Mopsy, 
the white woolly variety of the Alco, or native Dog, 
found both in the islands and on the continent at the 
time of the discovery. To gratify my wishes for all 
the details that he could give me of the history of 
this interesting breed of dogs, my friend kindly drew 
up the following memoir, which he afterwards com- 
municated to me.'^ 
In an accompanying note my friend thus alludes to the intro- 
duction of his illustrative reminiscences : I doubt not my readers will 
agree with me in thinking that they greatly embellish the subject by 
their graphic pictorial power, and need no apology. 
“ You will perceive that I have introduced an extract from my 
MS. notes of travels in Haiti. The Alco was so much a part of the 
domestic life of the aboriginal Indians, and this passage was so much 
an illustration of that life, that I thought it not inappropriate to the 
subject. In mentioning the fruits, I have set down the Indian and 
Spanish names generally. The Aguacate is the Persea gratissima ; 
Avogada Pear is a corruption. The Guanabana is the Anona muri- 
cata, our Sour Sop. The Maranon I have indicated by Ariacardium, 
the Cashew. The Ciruclas are the Spondias, our Plums. The 
Maimon, as well as I can remember, is the largest of the MammeasP 
