138 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE.

would not permit him to do; but, in consideration of the
alarm of the women, he consented to leave with them a
large mastiff dog. In the night the women were disturbed
by the uneasiness of the dog, and heard a noise apparently
like an attempt to force an entrance into the premises, upon
which they escaped by the back-door, and ran to a neigh-
bouring house, which happened to be a blacksmith’s shop.
- They knocked ‘at the door, and were answered from within
by the smith’s wife. She said her husband was absent, but
that she was willing to accompany the terrified women to
their home. On reaching the house, they heard a savage
but half-stifled growling from the dog. On entering they saw
the body of a man hanging half in and half out of their
little window, whom the dog had seized by the throat, and
was still worrying. On examination, the man proved to be
their neighbour the blacksmith, dreadfully torn about the throat,
and quite dead.”
fhe Bull- The Bull-dog (Canis Anglicus), is said to be
Dog. an original English breed, and Colonel Smith
suggests that this dog rather than the mastiff was the one
which flourished in England in Roman times. Not indeed
the breed as it at present exists, but “one little inferior to
the mastiff,” “but with the peculiar features of the bull form
more strongly marked.” “The bull-dog,” says Colonel Smith,
“difters from all others, even from the mastiff, in giving no
warning of his attack by his barking, he grapples his oppo-
nents without in the least estimating their comparative weight
and powers. We have seen one pinning an American Bison
and holding his nose down till the animal gradually brought
forward its hind feet and crushing the dog to death tore his
muzzle out of the fangs, most dreadfully mangled. We have
known another halloced on to attack a disabled eagle; the
bird unable to escape, threw himself on the back, and as the
dog sprang at his throat, struck him with his claws, one of
which penetrating the skull, killed him instantly, and caused