1838] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



395 



peculiar manner in which the animals were bit- 

 ten, and the number injurcii. showed that the 

 dog was actuated more byastranijR and malij^- 

 nant propensity to mischief, than I'rom the mere 

 desire of Ibod". Instead of Killinir them inmuuh- 

 ntely, he appeared to have attached them merely 

 for the purpose of teasinir them ; and the impres- 

 sions of his teeth were barely visible, on their 

 ears and laces, and not imfreqiientiy on their legs. 

 In every case, however, he succeeded in bringintr 

 blood; most of the female sheep were in their 

 last stage of pregnancy, and so trilling was the 

 injury tiiey sustained, that they bore their lambs 

 as us'ual, without exception ; and belbre the lapse 

 of a (brinight, their wounds were entirely healed. 

 About this period hydrophobia first made its ap- 

 pearance. Two of the flock were found sick, 

 and unable to stand, belbre they were known to 

 be affected. In a Cew days the disease was ob- 

 served in several others, and in this manner three 

 or four in each week, disclosed the symptoms, 

 and six weeks had elapsed before the whole num- 

 ber bitten had been affected. 



There was a peculiarity attending the early 

 symptoms, which soon marked the individual 

 destmed shortly to become a victim to the dread- 

 ful malady. It first attracted attention by pursu- 

 ing and tormenting its associates, by alinost in- 

 cessant libidinous actions. The diseased were 

 all females, and several with lambs at their sides ; 

 yet their venereal inclinations were so powerful, 

 that they exhibited in a most astonishing degree, 

 the manners and actions of the other sex. In 

 this manner did some of them, with persevering 

 industry, tease and torment a companion, for 

 twentv or thirty minutes, until the fugitive would 

 find shelter by mingling with the flock — a second 

 would then be attacked in the same manner, and 

 liave to run the same vexatious round; some- 

 times .the fiigitive would turn upon its pursuer, 

 and by an effectual resistance obtain relief. This 

 paroxysm would intermit occasionally, and the 

 infected sheep, would feed peaceably with the 

 others, if not disturbed ; but upon approaching 

 the flock, it could readily be recognized by its 

 bold countenance, stating or glassy eyes, and an 

 advance to make battle. In this state of the dis- 

 ease they would attack a man with much resolu- 

 tion, and beat him with their heads. In some in- 

 stances I recollect seeing them advance from fifty 

 to one hundred yards, from the flock, and attack 

 persons so furiously, that they were obliged to de- 

 fend themselves with sticks. After discovering 

 more than common strength and vigor for a short 

 time, an instantaneous debility ajipeared to come 

 on, and their limbs refused to do their office. I 

 have seen them, in the very act of advancing vi- 

 gorously to battle, fall as suddenly, as if shot by 

 a ball from a gun. In a few minutes their strength 

 would return, and they would rise again to renew 

 the combat. This I think might generally have 

 been considered the second stage of the disease; 

 yet in this situation their amorous propensities 

 continued, for 1 have seen them full, while pursu- 

 ing other sheep of the flock. These paroxysms, 

 or falling fits, at last became more and more fre- 

 quent — the animal refused to take food, and be- 

 came too feeble to fbllovv the flock. But even in this 

 state of excessive debility, and while apparently 

 suffering the most excruciating pain, the inclina- 

 tions which predominated throughou* the disease 



would still manifest themselves, until a complete 

 exhaustion would terminate the struggle. The 

 lanil)s which h;ul continued to suck during the 

 lives of their dams, were now led by hand, and if 

 I recollect aright were without an exception 

 raised. The wool was invariably saved alter the 

 iletith of the sheep, without any inconvenience 

 whatever; indeed, as a proof that the blood of 

 the infected animal caimot be injurious, unless com- 

 mingled with that flowing in the veins of the liv- 

 inir; the skins were taken from several hogs, which 

 died of hydrophobia, the same time, and the bo- 

 dies frequently eaten by the others, with entire 

 impunity. It was a remarkable circumstance, 

 that with the inducted animals, putrefaction en- 

 sued almost immediately after death. 

 Very respectlijlly, 



William M. Barton. 



For tlie Farmers' Register, 

 WOLVES IN FAUQUIER. 



Fauquier Springs, ^ug. 22, 1838. 

 While viewing, from an eminence at the extre- 

 mity of Warrenton, the extensive and beautiful 

 prospect ol' fertile valley and mountain lands 

 stretching to the Blue Ridge, Mr. direct- 

 ed my attention to the Leathercoat mountain, 

 which is in flill view, about eight miles distant in 

 a direct line. There was, near to, but below its 

 summit, the appearance of a line of white huts, 

 or some other kind of artificial structures of hum- 

 ble size, spread over a considerable extent of 

 ground. He explained, however, that they were 

 naked rocks — of which it is rare to see much of 

 any of the mountain sides in Virginia composed, 

 and still more rare of the lijrtile South-West Moun- 

 tains, to which range this one belongs. I was 

 much surprised to learn, that among these rocks, 

 and in the dens which they formed, there were 

 wolves still sheltered, which had been residents of" 

 the Leathercoat, and the adjoining Bull-run 

 mountain, for the four last years^ No wolves had 

 been heard of before, during the lives of any of 

 the present inhabitants of Fauquier, nearer than 

 the rarely visited and scarcely accessible rocky 

 clifl's and precipices of the Alleghany mountains, 

 perhaps one hundred miles distant; and it is a 

 strange and unaccountable circumstance, that thia 

 colony should have been settled so recently, so far 

 to the eastward. The stealthy and hidden man- 

 ner of their emigration is as remarkable, as the 

 motive for it is inscrutable. The hungry band of 

 prowlers must have passed over, in their journey, 

 a very wide extent ot fertile valleys, filled with 

 flocks and herds, and also of higher mountains, 

 furnishing as good places lor concealment, belbre 

 reaching their chosen Itistness and abode, fi'oni 

 which they have not since been driven. For a 

 long time the actual presence of these cunning 

 and ferocious depredators was not suspected by 

 the people of the neighborhood, though they 

 were killing their sheep by hundreds. The losses 

 were ascribed to dogs; though such extensive and 

 long-continued destruction, without discovery of 

 the particular actors, had never been heard of 

 previously. Before the midnight and bloody Ibrays 

 of the wolves were eflectually checked, they had 

 been extended as lar as twenty miles from their 



