XIII HISTORY OF THE WOLF 42 I 



Dartmoor and in tlie Forest of Dean. In tlie jSTevv Forest they 

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

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

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

 So recently as 1743 was the last killed. r)Ut before this period 

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

 in 1620 is quoted at £6:13 : -1. In Ireland Wolves lingered yet 

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

 extinction in that island. Tlie 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 Eoman 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 " Eed Eiding Hood." 



The Indian Wolves, C. palli'pes, C. chanco, and C. laniger, are 

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

 remarked upon tlie likeness of C. jMlMjyes to a Jackal, thus bridging 

 over the very inconsiderable gap that may be held to divide 

 Jackals and Wolves. 



The Dingo, Cants 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 Ije 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 

 l»rown ; 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 

 l)y tearing out the paunch. It does not as a rule hvmt in packs. 

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



