xiii HISTORY OF THE WOLF 421 



Dartmoor and in the Forest of Dean. In the New Forest they 

 were hunted in the twelfth century. It would seem that the 

 last English Wolf was slain some time during the reign of Henry 

 VII. In Scotland, however, they persisted very much longer. 

 So recently as 1743 was the last killed. But before this period 

 they had begun to get exceedingly scarce, for the price of a skin 

 in 1620 is quoted at 6:13:4. In Ireland Wolves lingered yet 

 longer; about 1770 is believed to be the date of their final 

 extinction in that island. The Wolf nowadays is distributed 

 over the greater part of Europe, Northern Asia, and North 

 America, the American form not being considered to be distinct 

 from its European ally. Much legend has collected round this 

 fierce Carnivore. Aristotle, usually accurate in the main, still 

 " states more of wolves than experience warranted." Pliny, 

 unable to sift truth from falsehood, was in this matter " an eager 

 listener to all old women's tales." Aelian added to his marvels 

 and asserted that the Wolf cannot bend its head back ; if it 

 should happen to tread on the flower of the squill it at once 

 becomes torpid. So the wily fox, fearing his more powerful 

 enemy, takes care to strew his path with squills ! The conversion 

 of men into Wolves was a well-known superstition, dating from 

 Grecian and Roman times ; it formed the basis of much of the 

 witchcraft persecutions of the Middle Ages and onwards, and has 

 left its mark in folklore, e.g. the Wolf in " Red Riding Hood." 



The Indian Wolves, C. pcdlipes, C. chanco, and C. laniger, are 

 hardly, if at all, different from C. lupus. Professor Huxley has 

 remarked upon the likeness of C. pcdlipes to a Jackal, thus bridging 

 over the very inconsiderable gap that may be held to divide 

 Jackals and Wolves. 



The Dingo, Canis dingo, is an interesting and somewhat 

 mysterious species of Dog or Wolf. As is well known, it is an 

 Australian species ; but it does not seem to be certain whether it 

 was tamed and brought over to Australia by the native races, or 

 is a true and indigenous Australian species. 



The colour of this species varies, but is usually of a reddish 

 brown ; it is, however, often grey and indeed almost black. 

 Whether indigenous or introduced, the Dingo is a plague to 

 Australian settlers, devouring Sheep, which it generally destroys 

 by tearing out the paunch. It does not as a rule hunt in packs. 

 The Dingo is stated to feign death with so much persistence that 



