DHE WOLF. 13's 
The learned Dr. Kay* acquiesced in the vulgar 
opinion of the extinction of Wolves in England by 
King Edgar, and in his work on “British Dogs,” pub- 
lished in 1570, treating of the sheep-dog (Pastoralis) 
he says: “ Suné qui seribunt Ludwallum Cambric 
principem pendisse annuatim Edgaro regt 300 luporum 
tributi nomine, atque ita annis quatuor omnem Cambria, 
atgue adeo omnem Angliam, orbasse lupts.” 
 Regnavit autem Edgarus circiter annum 959, a quo 
\ 
tempore non legimus nativum in Anglia visum lupum.” 
The worthy doctor seems to have been little aware 
that even at the date at which he wrote wolves still 
existed in the British Islands. Dr. John Walker 
was almost as much at fault when he wrote: “ Canis 
lupus. Habitavit olim in Britannia. Quondam incola 
sylvee caledoniw. In Scotia seculo av. extinctus, et 
postremo in regione Navernie.” 
Pennant, referring to the received opinion that a 
great part of the kingdom was freed from Wolves 
through the exertions of King Edgar, says :-—‘“ In 
England he attempted to effect it by commuting the 
punishments for certain crimes into the acceptance 
of a number of Wolves’ tongues from each criminal ; 
in Wales by converting a tax of gold and silver into 
an annual tribute of 300 Wolves’ heads. Notwith- 
standing his endeavours, however, and the assertions 
* “ Joannis Caiti Britanni ‘de Canibus Britannicis.’”’ Liber unus. 
Londini, per Gulielmum Seresium. 8vo, 1570. There is a transla- 
tion of this work in the British Museum, entitled, “ Of Englishe 
Dogges, newly drawn into English.” By Abraham Fleming, Student. 
London. 4to, 1576. A reprint of this has been recently published. 
+ ‘Mammalia Scotica, in “Hssays on Nat. Hist. and Rural 
Economy,” 1814, p. 480. 
K 
