128 THE WOODLANDS. 



animals the beaver should also be mentioned. Giral- 

 dus Cambrensis, in his itinerary through Wales in 

 1 1 88, says that in his time they were only found in 

 the river Teivi. Pennant saw two of their supposed 

 haunts, " one in the stream that runs through Nant 

 Frankon, the other in the Conway, a few miles 

 above Llanrwst." 



These records of the last of a savage race bring to 

 mind many a romantic story and interesting legend 

 in which they performed a part. Such stories linger 

 .about Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, more than Eng- 

 land. The traveller in Wales will not fail to hear 

 the narrative of Llewellyn and his dog, and the wolf 

 still flourishes in the legends of Scotland. The last 

 English wild boar's head smoked on the baron's 

 Christmas table many centuries ago, and the last 

 wolf was decapitated in times now remote, yet we are 

 ever and anon reminded of them in our Christmas 

 customs and nursery tales. 



The largest of our indigenous wild animals, which 

 frequent woodlands, is the Fox, and the protection 

 which this creature has enjoyed for the sake of sport, 

 has had much to do with its preservation. All other 

 -circumstances taken into consideration, exclusive of 

 this, and "Reynard " would have been extirpated long 

 ago. Its distribution is very variable in different 

 counties ; in some it is very rare, in others equally 

 common, in proportion to the protection it enjoys. 

 This well-known animal lives in woods and thickets, 

 keeping itself concealed during the day, and sallies 

 forth at night in search of prey. Its favourite food is 

 partridges, grouse, rabbits, and leverets; the farmer 



