THE WOLVES. 145 



ring to Oppian,* whose information on the subject 

 is by far the most distinct, that he enumerates no 

 less than five wild canines under the name of wolves. 



The first of these was the ro^offTris {Jaculator)^ 

 the darting wolf, a fleet animal, with a small body, 

 strong limbs, large head, of a rufous colour, with 

 round white spots on tlie belly, and flaming eyes. 

 He howled terribly, and was constantly roaming 

 about the shepherds' flocks. 



The second species translators have designated 

 by the epithets of harpagus^ accipiter^ and circtis : 

 because the animal practised a mode of circumvent- 

 ing its prey. This variety was the largest in body 

 and limbs, and also the fleetest of the whole. In 

 colour it was silvery white, with a splendid tail, 

 and it came forth in the dusk. During winter, 

 when snows lay deep on the mountains, it de- 

 scended to the plains and preyed on the goats and 

 flocks of husbandmen. 



The third was the aureus or golden w^olf, the 

 most beautiful of the species, clothed in a fur of 

 reddish golden yellow, and armed with powerful 

 teeth. This race resided in the mountains of Cili- 

 cian Taurus and Amanus, but was impatient of heat, 

 and therefore lay in its rocky retreats during the 

 canicular period. 



* Oppian, lib. iii. Messieurs de I'Academie of Paris, in 

 their Memoirs, Part I., have toiled hard to show that some 

 wolves of the ancients were lynxes ; and then named a lynx 

 they dissected loup cervier^ with an erudition and confusion of 

 purpose apparently inherent in learned bodies. 



