WOLF. . 291 



while the whole form of it is longer: 'the tail also, 

 which in the Dog is pretty uniformly turned a 

 little towards one side (generally the left), in the 

 Wolf has an inward direction; it is rather long and 

 bushy: the rictus or opening of the mouth seems 

 somewhat shorter in proportion than that of the 

 dog, yet the jaws are far stronger, and the teeth 

 larger: the eyes are also more obliquely placed 

 than in the Dog. 



The Wolf is a native of almost all the tempe- 

 rate and cold regions of the globe. It is found 

 in most countries of Europe, but has been totally 

 extirpated from our own island, as well as from 

 Ireland. How numerous these pernicious ani- 

 mals must have once been in Britain, may be 

 guessed from the celebrated laws of King Edgar, 

 who attempted the extirpation of these animals 

 by commuting the punishments for certain crimes 

 into the acceptance of a number of Wolves* 

 tongues from each criminal: in Wales by con- 

 verting the tax of gold and silver into an annual 

 tribute of three hundred Wolves' heads. In suc- 

 ceeding reigns, their destruction was promoted 

 by proper rewards; and -the lands of certain per- 

 sons were held, according to our historian Camb- 

 den, on condition of destroying the wolves which 

 infested those parts of the kingdom. 



The general colour of the Wolf is a pale grey, 

 with*a cast of yellowish, but it varies much as to 

 the shades or gradations of colour in different 

 parts of the world. Those of Africa are said to 

 be larger than those of Europe; while, on the 



