Page:Charles Catton, Animals (1788).pdf/39



animal bears a trong reemblance to the dog; it has a long head, a harp noe, pointed and erect ears, a buhy tail, hanging more between his legs than a dog’s generally does, long legs, and large harp teeth.

This animal abounds in every quarter of the earth, it inhabits large extenive forets, frequently making incurions on the campaign country in earch of prey; its food is uch animals as its uperior trength can vanquih; lambs, calves, and heep, which he carries off with eae and agility; the mucles of his neck are o trong, that in running off with a large heep, it hall not trail on the ground. This animal is remarked for great cruelty; whenever he gets among a flock, he detroys with a wanton pleaure all that come in his way, before he ecures his particular prey. It is reported, if a Wolf once tates human fleh, he ever after prefers it, and will eek it with great avidity and reolution, and ometimes attack the hepherd in preference to the flock. Troops of this detructive animal have been known to attend the march of an army, and with eager appetite devour the lain in battle, or uch as were uperficially interred:—in general, this animal purues his prey alone, but when any great buines is to be achieved, uch as to attack an ox, deer, or other large animal, they will aemble in numbers, and commit their depredations in comfort; but when the buines is finihed, the aembly breaks up, and each retires to his hiding place. The cent of this animal is remarkably good, as he will wind his game at many miles ditance. To hunt the wolf is eteemed good port; dogs of great courage and peed are requiite, as they utain a long chae. When preed with hunger, which he long utains, if well upplied with water, this animal exercies great courage and cunning: The detructive properties of this animal make him every where obnoxious; two or three will caue a long and contant alarm to a whole country; enmity therefore between him and man is perpetual. England abounded with this courge of rural life, till king Edgar repited the punihment of a criminal for a certain number of wolves’ tongues, and changed the tax of gold and ilver paid by the Welch into an annual tribute of three-hundred wolves’ heads. King Edward I. entirely to extirpate them, appointed a uperintendant to ait in their detruction; which was not effected in Scotland till about the middle of the lat century. The agacity of the wolf is o active, that, Scheffer reports, he will not attempt an animal, if a cord, or halter is round its neck, upecting a trap. The wolf is about the ize of a large dog, or three feet and a half long, and two feet and a half high; colour a light brown, with a mixture of black and grey; has a penetrating eye of a grey colour, which adds a wild appearance to the ferocity of his countenance.