THE AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER
ORIGINS By Mariano Peinado
What always it has been an absolute
priority for all the breeders of authentic American Pit Bull Terrier, since
this breed dog was originated 500 years ago, the selection went from A. P. B. T.
with good disposition toward the human being, eliminating radically of
the breeding to all those animals that showed the most minimum gesture of
aggressive without any reason to the people. Always the selection of
breeding of this breed dog to our days, has been
directed toward the equilibrium in all its senses.
Different theories
about the American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) origins exist, of which the Mariano Peinado (FIAPBT & IADCRO) theory, is one of the most
based internationally with higher weight.
The own Peinado says; “The absolute
truth was lost at night of the times and what here I expose, it is my humble
deduced opinion of the investigations that I began since 1985 about this subject”.
With the theory of the APBT origins, it happens of equal way that with
other breed dogs, and other animal species, where its origin is not known for
sure, but by the studies and investigations realised, yes can indicate to us
somehow approximate, as they could happen.
According to the Mariano Peinado theory, the
landlord that gave rise to the origin the American Pit Bull Terrier, was based
on already extinct a Spanish breed, the Spanish Alaunt. In the down place, you would find some notes of
interest reflected in some old books, referring to the Alaunt.
Spanish Alano in the middle of century XIX,
moments before a bullfight of bulls in
This theory is directed by two parallel ways but in different places:
1º- The first way
in which the American Pit Bull Terrier began to originate itself, was outlined
500 years ago, when the Spanish conquerors in the America colonization, bring
in their boats several dogs of the Spanish Alaunt
breed, so that they were facilitating them open way in
the fight with the natives of the American South and Center.
With the course of the time, already established the colonists of Spain
with his Alaunt in land of the American South and Center, these were to stud with dogs that lived there and
without defined breed, originating a new and interesting variety of strong and
powerful dogs, which contributed diverse benefits to owned those who them.

Later, the spanish colonists in their
continuous advance and conquering eagerness, also fought against Indian tribes
of North America, who offered major resistance and disadvantages that the South
indigenous tribes. Tribes like for example; The Sioux, Cheyennes,
Comanches, Cherokee, the feared Apache and especially
those tribes who belonged to the Iroquesa
Confederation in the United States Northeast, since were rather better
coordinated and prepared to each other, to confront a fight common and in addition
were better strategists, doing all the tribes as if a single it was. This
Confederation was also well-known with the name of Haudenosaunee
or Hodinonhsioni. Its capital was located
where today is the Siracusa city in New
York State. The Confederation was formed originally by five tribes; The
Seneca, Cayuga,
Little by little the spaniards, to get be the
first european owners of
almost all the American South and Center. The spaniards also were the first european
owners, of a good part than at present is made up the United States of America;
Florida, Louisiana, California, Mississippi, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas,
Nebraska, Nevada, Arkansas, South Dakota , Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, etc. until
these places were adjudged to Mexico, when Mexico became independent from Spain
in 1822. The spanish
influence of long ago at present, is even felt of diverse ways in these places
after so many years, not only with the dogs.
Like peculiar note to say, that the dogmen of
the three last mentioned States, Arizona, Oklahoma and Texas, they were to a great
extent the people in charge of the evolution more important than it is the
American Pit Bull Terrier of the present time. Not in vain, the three better
breeders (known) for all times of this wonderful and noble breed dog, lived in
each on those States; Maurice Carver in San
Antonio, Texas, Earl Tudor in Oklahoma and the Reverend Howard Heinzl in Phoenix, Arizona.
By North America territories, the spanish
colonists also had to fight against the British colonists, which and
peculiarly, in view of the wonderful results that contributed the dogs to the spanish colonists, copied taking with himself native dogs
of them of prey of their country (mainly of white color),
so that they also helped them in his fights
against the Indians, Spaniards and French.

War dogs in the American
Civil War. Year 1875.
Passed the years and for diverse reasons, the spanish
Alaunt with the british
dogs were mixed and these as well, also were to stud with the mixed crossings
of Alaunt with the dogs that already lived in America
before arriving the spaniards. As a result of this
combination, a new variety of dogs was generated extraordinary and incredible,
impelled positively and effectively by the denominated the hybrid vigor or heterosis
that provided the spanish Alaunt.
Of that one diversity of cross was outlined a new breed dog, which, we
called in nowadays American Pit Bull Terrier, although at those moments
logically, even needed
them to evolve in its fusion with the second parallel way that also made
originated the breed happened in Great Britain, for to define its phenotype and
genotype that them own in the nowadays. This new breed dog, with time got to
surpass in qualities and virtues to the powerful spanish Alaunt.

2º- The second
parallel way in which the American Pit Bull Terrier began to originate itself,
happened in
For the great admiration that the British dogmen felt by the spanish Alaunt more than 400
years ago, by the vitality, fierceness, chaste and strength which they
demonstrated in the different fights and huntings
where they were used, concerned to its country a great amount of them, who,
went away settling down in different points from the United Kingdom accomplish
a stallion mission (stud), for this way, to introduce new genes in their native
dogs of prey without defined breed (predominated white color in them) and open blood, to try to improve in
which to quality of his dogs.
American Pit Bull Terrier when were denominated like
Old English Bulldog.
The project was obtained successful, thanks to the fort positive and
effective impulse of equally denominated hybrid vigor
or heterosis that provided the spanish Alaunt
to the British dogs. The merit and the credits of the spanish
Alaunt to improve the quality of the British native
dogs of prey, were silenced and buried by most of the British dogmen by obvious reasons to keep the competitor secret,
but more especially even by political discords reasons between the United
Kingdom and Spain. Therefore, at present ignorance in this
subject, a pity.
Other
American Pit Bull Terrier of the time. Picture by Howitt in 1798.
Of those combinations in the
The official name of American Pit Bull Terrier
occurred for him in 1898, by American Mr. C.Z. Bennet,
when on that same year he founded the Official Organism United Kennel Club
(UKC), recognizing the American Pit Bull Terrier like pure breed dog and
registering them in his lists and granting pedigree to them with his
genealogical trees, like a any other breed dog, realising this way a memorable work and great zootechnical
rigor of that time in favour of the American Pit Bull Terrier.
In this engraving of
Abraham Cooper of 1817, they appear “Crib” and “Rose”, a pair of American Pit
Bull Terrier own of that time.
Previously to year 1898, to the American Pit Bull
Terrier was denominated to him with different names, depending
the country. In
The creation of the American Pit Bull Terrier,
as much in America as in Great Britain, had to the search by the dogmen of long ago in find a complete work dog, that
adapted perfectly at the time of developing any type of work, by very hard
which they were the circumstances to elaborate it and that the conventional
dogs could not exert. http://www.fiapbt.net/5.html
The Butcher and his APBT. He APBT have
always been associated so much with butchers. This dates back to when they were
used to control animals in market stalls. A strong, determined dog was needed
to grip and hold unruly animals about to be butchered.

The APBT were bred and
prized for their grip and courage (Gameness). Porcelain
more than 100 years ago. Three APBT hunting Wild boar.
![[Landseer - Fighting Dogs]](origins_archivos/image070.jpg)
Fighting APBT. Fighting Dogs Catching
their Breath painting by Sir Edwin Henry Landseer in
1839.
As I said previously, the APBT origin was like work dog and not for to
fight with those of its same specie, although it is true that the dog fights,
it went an activity to consider within the history of the breed. Nowadays, this
activity logically is illegal.
With the ban in
In order to secure to the downsizing, the selection it did not consist
to crossing his dogs with others smaller and different breed dogs, no, since to
do it thus, would suppose lost safe of the qualities and the virtues that
already the APBT owned from their beginning of breed dog, more than 200 years
back of hard selection. The downsizing consisted, in crossing to the best
smaller dogs (all of them pure APBT) so that this way, were geting more agility and quicker that required the fighting
dogs, so dogs with greater functionality and resistance but without losing
“Gameness” that already brought since their origin, quality that
differentiated to them from the rest of breed dogs and that with much time and
effort had cost to the breeders, to obtain it and to fix it to the genes of his
dogs. In addition this downsizing, supposed to the breeders and fans a greater
comfort of mobility and maintenance of his dogs
For the APBT breeders in the selection of his respective breedings, the “Gameness” was the fundamental thing
to conserve in his dogs of them and they were not arranged to lose it in
exchange for a reduction of the size. Nevertheless these breeders, secured
their intention to reduce the size of their dogs without resorting to other
breed dogs, fixing the phenotype of the APBT practically which we know at
present and without lost the “Gameness”, characteristic that continues
being unique and exclusive of this breed dog.


The APBT exterminated plagues of rats.
The APBT were used in long ago in the mines extracting the coal pulling
trucks on rails.
When the immigrants of the United Kingdom especially from Ireland, began
to arrive with their dogs at North America since 1800, is when the two parallel
ways that gave rise to the breed began to fusion in a single way, already of
one more defined way with regard to the phenotype and genotype that own the
American Pit Bull Terrier of nowadays.
Certainty of the names of several British breeders is had that moved to
North America with their dogs, like for example; Charles Lloyd began to concern
english dogs to America from year 1840. Also from
England the also breeders arrived to USA, Con Feeley, Frank G. Henry, Richmond, Delihant,
Farmer, Earl Tudor, Joe Corvino among others.
Charles Lloyd
with “Lloyd´s “Paddy” Earl Tudor with Tudor's "JACK II" Joe Corvino with Corvino's "GIMP"
From the
John P. Colby (1875 - 1941) and
his son Louis with Colby's "GOLDY" . October
1922.
From Ireland they arrived at the USA; W.S. Semmens,
William
J. Lightner, Jim Corcovan (this it went to the USA to dispute the heavy weights world Championship
title against Sullivan and later was stayed as Police in Boston), Mc Hammock, Bob Hemphill, Bob Wallace,
Johnny McDonald (Gas House), John Noonan and other many.
William J. Lightner Bob Wallace Bob Hemphill Jim
Corcoran with Corcoran's "BIDDY"
The dogs arrived from
The dogs of the breeders previously mentioned, were American Pit Bull
Terrier been born in
Same of the best old timers. Left
to right and up; Leo Kinard,
Maurice Carver, Bert Clouse in the back
of Earl Tudor, Bob Hemphill, Bob Wallace, George Saddler. Down; Floyd Boudreaux, Rob Lewis, Don Maloney and
Scotty Nelson. Photo taken
The popular breeder Charles Lloyd, transferred
around the 1880 from
To
put to the breed the name of American Pit Bull
Terrier, in my opinion was the more suitable name than it was
possible to be given. Deserving of the term of
“American”, for be America one of
both places where the breed was originated, especially for be the place where
later it was defined as far as which we know it at present, when the two
parallel varieties or ways fused in only one. In addition, was in
The terms “Pit Bull” were
additions to recall the place where the American Pit Bull Terrier faced or
harassed to the bull. That work was very useful for the butchers and of
great importance for the hard selection of the own breed. The term “Terrier” did not given to the breed to have
mixed with some class of Terrier no, rather was addition for being a breed that
was used to work under earth (Terrier = Earth), hunting inside the caves and burrows, extracting the coal of the mines of long
ago, etc.
The new name of American Pit Bull
Terrier for the breed, later also was given by the British dogmen
to his dogs, being finally to the passage of time in that country like Pit Bull
Terrier, obvious without the American. These dogs were being tried like the
same breed, by their great similarity of phenotype and genotype with the
American APBT. This similarity was due, to the dominant genetic contribution
that passed on the spanish Alaunt by the two parallel routes of the origin already
described.
Logically, when were located in
Great Britain the people not called them like APBT, they were continued calling
them with other names like Bull and Terrier, Old English Bulldog or Pit Dog.
When I talk about to the British dogs with the name of APBT, is for
facilitating the understanding to the readers and so that they really were the
same dogs but with different names. Passed the years,
after to be Officially baptized like APBT in 1898 in the USA, the British
breeders also they finished unifying the name of his dogs by Pit Bull Terrier,
but without the American ahead for obvious reasons.
After that, in 1909, will be founded the
American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA) and by his good doing in the
conservation of the original APBT, it obtained that nowadays will be the APBT
Canine Mother Internationally, recognized it by
to the FIAPBT
in the year 2000, by not to have yielded with the
course of the years not one step backwards, than he is the authentic, genuine,
pure was based and original APBT. The FIAPBT
give its recognition
by it, is thanked for it and animates to them to continue doing the same good
work.
In 1935, the K.C of

“Jim
the Dandy”, of 33 l., was the APBT that was used to make the standard from the
Staffordshire Bull Terrier.


A year later, on
In this picture we can see the
great American Pit Bull Terrier called Colby´s
“primo”, at 36l., whose breeds name was later changed
and whose pattern was used to establish the standard of the new breed AST.
Even if now the names and standard of the APBT
bred in
To emphasize, the most important
policy in the breeding selection of the American Pit Bull Terrier since its origin
to nowadays, is to reproduce American Pit Bull Terrier
with an exceptional disposition in the relation with the people, rejecting in
the breeding the units that showed the minimum gesture of aggressiveness
without reasons. After that, the more fundamental
genetic characters that fix inside the breed were and in the present continue
being: Intelligence, class, chaste, value, tenacity, balance, attitude -
positive personality, ability, resistance, powerful prey, a provided functional
phenotype that allows him to combine agility-power and with a good bony
constitution. By this, the APBT is the breed dog of work by excellence, with
great desire to please to its owner.
THE REAL
NATURE OF THE APBT PHOTOGRAPHED THROUGHOUT OF THE HISTORY. IS
BETTER A IMAGE THAM THOUSAND WORDS.
Notes of interest in
some books referring to the Spanish Alaunt
The existence of Alaunts
in
Diverse theories exist about their
origin. One of them aims at a possible Iberian origin, defending its
introduction in the
Also its character was clear defined
around its function of dog of takes hold; " not
taking by hunger nor by prize, but by right nature that God gave him”;
(disposition to realise prey).
The first event in the line of
bull-baiting historically accepted, goes back to the
1209. Historian of Stamford, explains that a good day the Lord of the city
taking a walk by the walls of his castle to enjoy the primaveral
sun, had the occasion to see in a meadow two bulls fighting by the same female,
until the dogs of a local butcher sent themselves against one of the bulls and
they gave death him, after a ferocious fight. The vision of such spectacle
liked so much to Lord that gave to the union of butchers the meadow where the
fight had taken place, with the condition of which every year the spectacle was
repeated.
This type of spectacle enjoyed a
remarkable diffusion and success in all Europe, throughout six centuries
between the years 1200 and the 1800, the fights between animal at least
comprised of the habitual diversions of all the social classes, from the
dominant classes to the lowest layers of the population.
Between years 1387-1388, in the
¨Hunting Book¨, Gastón Fébus
speaks about dogs ¨Alaunts
able to cross other bloods, to which it cuts the ears to them to the evenness
to avoid to them wounded in the fight”.
Gastón Fébus
Statue III (1331 – 1391)
Than doubt does not fit is that these
dogs were very extended, like proves its appearance in
works of the great painters, authentic writers of the reality of the time.
Thus, for example, the dogs are Alaunts that
Velazquez in the hunting of the hole shapes, that is in the National Gallery of
London; those that Goya in his capture of a bull reflects; or those that appear
in an engraving of the romantic Blanchard French, or in works of Cervantes and
Lope de Vega.
English, Germans and French people,
astonished by the aspect and the functions at the Spanish Alaunt,
also called " Bulldog" and " Preydog"
, they concerned to his countries, as they demonstrate writings to it of the
time, being outlined therefore the Bulldog types (dog for the bull), Bullenbeiszer (takes hold bulls) and Bulldog of Bordeaux,
respectively. Breeds dogs that would make be born others, in the British
Islands (old Base of mastif and bullmastif),
in Germany (old Base of the Bóxer and German Dogo), in France (Base of the old Bulldogs of Bordeaux), in
Italy (known Base of Napolitan Mastiff and Cane Corso), etc. all these present nations and their breed dogs
come as well from the same common, coincident trunk with the Spanish Alaunt.
In
In America the denominations of Prey
dogs or Dogs for the bull in Mexico, Brave dog in Colombia, Bulldog of Cuba in
the Caribbean, Cordovan Dog of Fight and Argentine Bulldog in Argentina or Fila Brasileiro in Brazil, are
not more than the symbols of different original varieties all from the Spanish Alaunt who took initially in the American colonization.
The Spanish Alaunts that the conquerors took to
In the stories of the writers of the
time, it was spoken of the Alaunts that the Spanish
explorers took to cross the virgin forests or to watch the campings.
There was some of these stories, in which they
narrated infinity of anecdotes with respect to intelligence, bravery and
fidelity that owned the Alaunts.
The

Some Alaunts
deserved by their services that assigned one pays to them. Fernandez de Oviedo
speaks to us of a Alaunt
called “Becerrillo", which always accompanied to
the conqueror Diego de Salazar. One said that ten soldiers with “Becerrillo", were made fear more than one hundred
soldiers without the dog. For that reason it had its part in booties, and
received one pays like the one soldier.
It had several scars of slings, like
a veteran, but its deserved good fame of gained brave
it without being bloodthirsty nor to show no mercy with the won one, a dog
just. The end of “Becerrillo" was like of its son " Leoncillo" , to die crossed to slings in fight with
the Indians.
" Leoncillo" it was the
dog of Núñez de Balboa, and therefore it was the
first European dog that saw the

The Alaunt
called “Amadís”, towards the 1570 accompanied to the spanish colonists in its campaigns
against the Chimilas indians.
The life of “Amadís” was not long, died to Indians
arrow.
Thanks to the Alaunts
that the Spanish colonists took, they could discover footpaths without knowing
the land. In the fight with the natives, the Alaunts
caused to as much astonishment and terror between the Indians like the
firearms.
In the book “the True History of Conquest
of the New Spain” of Mr. Bernal Diaz of the Castle, we can observe in the first
chapters as mentions on the expeditions of Mr. Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba,
who when they arrived at the coasts than at the moment it is Champoton, Logwood, the Indians of this zone fought strong
to them and in this expedition he bring with himself several Alaunts males and females, and for to save his lives they
fled of that place quickly, leaving in that place the Alaunts
that they had for the offensive.

After all this wine the second
expedition by Captain Juan de Grijalva, and says the
author of the book (that this only
does like commentary), that when they arrived with the
fleets at the coast from champoton, entered an
expedition inland to explore the land. The explorers (including the author of the book),
found the Alaunts and with them to its descendants,
the author said that these were smaller but more fierce that the originals Alaunts. The author in another commentary says that those
descendants of the Alaunts who had left years back,
they were crossed witn dogs of this place and the
result they were those dogs. The author of this book, was
a soldier who survived the three expeditions.
THE
TRUTH OF THE SPANISH ALAUNT LIKE DIRECT PARENT OF THE APBT http://www.fiapbt.net/alaunt.html


THE
AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER, A BREED DOG
The American Pit Bull Terrier is a breed dog
whose components, present common characters that distinguish
them of other representatives of its specie and that they are genetically
transmissible.
The Mr. Pr. Triquet´s
definition than is a breed dog, is indeed and exactly the exposed thing
previously defining to the American Pit Bull Terrier like breed dog, but the
peculiar thing of this subject, is that the FCI adopt in 1984 the Mr. Pr. Triquet´s definition to define the meaning of breed dog.
There some people that says
that the APBT is not a breed dog, because is selected by his function and not
by his standard and that the selection by his Official
standard, is what it would determine to the APBT like breed dog.
As I said in the beginning of
this section, the absolute truth does not have nobody, but this commentary has
easy answer to understand that indeed the American Pit Bull Terrier yes is a
breed dog and besides oldest and pure than exists in nowadays, from
her descend other quite popular breed dogs nowadays, in which at present time
nobody dares to put in doubt which they are not pure breed dogs.
To the
APBT is selected by his International official standard, under the directives
of the ADBA and in addition, also the APBT is selected by his function to
realise several types of work and sports, for his great versatility are able to
realise any class of work that realise the other breed dogs and in addition is
enabled to surpass and to improve it. By this same the APBT is the Breed Dog of Work for Excellence, surpassing by
much in this sense to the other breed dogs. The Official standard of the APBT,
is more studied and verified so that the APBT that are within, are very well
equipped physical functionality to develop the work which it is, by very hard
that is the circumstances.
Those
that put in evidence their disinformation, I must indicate to them that the
APBT yes it is a pure breed dog, since having his International Official
standard, his International Official Pedigree and International Official
Organisms which they endorse to the 100% to the APBT like pure breed dog, like
for example; UNITED KENNEL CLUB (UKC) since 1898, INTERCONTINENTAL KENNEL CLUB
since 1976, the INTERNATIONAL APBT FEDERATION (FIAPBT) since 1985 and
especially the AMERICAN DOG BREEDERS ASSOCIATION (ADBA) (International Canine
Mother of the APBT) since 1909, it is what does that the American Pit Bull
Terrier although it hurts to some people, is a pure breed dog in all sense and
older and pure than the majority of the breed dogs that we know at the present
time.
These
anti APBT also justify their affirmation, of which the APBT is not a breed dog,
by the mere do of which to some units of APBT not were used to work and yes for
fight with other dogs of his same breed. A thing does not have to do with the
other, so that if we took it to like a justification not to consider to the
APBT like a breed dog, we could not affirm that the APBT is not a breed dog for
the simple reason, that the immense majority of the APBT never fought and
passed through the anonymity carrying out daily works that to them their owners
entrusted.
By
this same rule of three, we would not to consider breed dogs to all those breed
dogs that also made fight, like for example: to the American Staffordshire
Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Sharpei, Dogo Argentine, Presa Canary, Tosa Inu and an endless of breed
dogs that also were used for these illegal aims nowadays. The simple one is a
great barbarism to contemplate this hypothesis, the one of not recognizing like
breed dogs those breeds that were used some of their
components for the fights between dogs. In my opinion, who has boldness to
affirm that they are not breed dogs, those breeds that were used some of their
components for the fights of dogs, are not making another thing that to
dynamite the foundations of his own breeds.
Is not
of justice, that there people that wants to make believe to the Governmental
Institutions, that to all the APBT were selected only for the fights of dogs
and that only be given this “utility”, for this way if they prick the hook,
being able to damage and harming this wonderful and noble breed dog. The
governors of some countries, have prohibited to the APBT for believe very much
lies and calumnies of some "Experts" of breeds.
The
fights of dogs like a “supposed hobby” for somebody, were clearly registered in
several books, daily magazines of that time, registries, etc., etc. and works
(Greater hunting, mining dogs extracting the coal in carts on rails, dogs to
exterminate plagues of rats, dogs of the butchers, etc. etc.) logically no.
This last
one, is similar to which it happens with a sportsman and a worker of the human
species; The work of the football player alias “Pele”,
by hundreds of years that pass, will be always remembered by the notes of
history, like one of the best football players of all times. Nevertheless, the
best carpenter of the same time of “Pele”, nowadays
nobody remember him and much less pass hundreds of years by not to have been
clear their work in any registry, book, magazines, etc., etc. but that do not
mean, that carpenter had the same or better level working the wood that “Pele” playing soccer.
Returning
to the selection of the APBT, is possible to emphasize that the standard of the
APBT is somewhat more flexible than the other breed dogs, but having his limits
very marked as far as weight, height, proportions and angulations, among others
physical aspects. So why this flexibility of the standard of the APBT, be due
simply and by the different selections on the part of the breeders, since
depending the type of work to which one goes away to him to entrust the future
to APBT, it would be selected to him with one or the other appearance, but
respecting the breeders the Official standard, being ALWAYS within it.
The
fights of dogs, are part of the history of our breed
dog to consider and I do not deny it, but we understand that belongs to the
pass times and in the present times these practice already no longer have
capacity for the breed nor for his fans.
In
order to guarantee the future of the American Pit Bull Terrier, in view of the
negative present circumstances around, is good thing to understand and to be
informed of his past time. Some of these anti APBT, do not know or rather they
do not want to know, that this breed dog, the APBT, began to originate 500
years ago with the intention of later realising all type of works for benefit
of the society and up to 330 or 340 years, is when was introduced to some of
his components for fights between dogs.
Then, Why as much eagerness to affirm that the APBT were created to fight
and only for that activity? This is very easy to
understand, so by this way, lying, they will have easier to secure to the
destruction and therefore the extinction of the APBT, leaving them to them the
open doors and without competition for to sell better the breed dogs than they
breed, The reason? The money.
This type of people, cannot nor wants to accept the great qualities and
virtues that our breed dog owns and that the APBT, are those that gave origin
to their respective breeds, the breeds that they are enjoying nowadays.
Thankful they would have to be to the American Pit Bull Terrier.
For more details on this subject,
you can visit the section of work with
the American Pit Bull Terrier in the FIAPBT Web site.
&