T H E D O G K I N D. - 57 



the fat-ne night. The woman loft her fenfes with the fright, the friar his 

 reputation, and the wolf his life. 



King Edgar is faid to be the firft who attennpted to rid this kingdom 

 of fuch difagreeable inmates, by commuting the punifhment for certain 

 crimes into the acceptance of a number of wolf's tongues or heads fronm 

 each criminal. However, fome centuries after, thefe animals were 

 again increafed to fuch a degree, as to become a public nuifance. Ed- 

 ward the Firft iffucd out his mandate to Peter Corbet to fuperintend and 

 afiift in their deftruftion. They are faid to have infefted Ireland long 

 after they were extirpated in England. 



Befide the common wolves in France and Germany, there are others 

 with thicker hair, inclining to yellow. Thefe are more favage and lels 

 noxious, neither approaching the flocks nor habitations, and living 

 rather by the chace than rapine. In the northern climates are found 

 fome quite black, and fome white all over. The former are larger and 

 ftronger than thofe of any other kinds. 



The fpecics is very much diffufed in every part of the world, being 

 found in Afia, Africa, and in America, as well as Europe. The wolves 

 of Senegal refcmble thofe of France, except that they are larger and 

 nuich fiercer than thofe of Europe. They prey in company with the 

 lion. Thofe of Egypt are fmaller than thofe of Greece. In the Eaft, 

 the wolf is trained up for a fhew, being taught to dance and play tricks; 

 one thus educated often fells for four or five hundred crowns. It is faid, 

 that in Lapland the wolf will never attack a rein-deer that is haltered ; 

 the wary animal, being well acquainted with the nature of a trap, fuA 

 pefts one wherever he perceives a rope. Hov/ever, when he fees the 

 deer at liberty, he feldom fails to dcftroy it. 



The wolf of North- America is blacker and m.uch lefs than others^ 

 and approaches nearer to the dog. In facl, they were ufed gs fuch by 

 the natives, till the Europeans introduced others; and even now, on the 

 remoter fhores, or the more inland parts, they ufe thefe animals in 

 hunting. They are tame and gentle ; and the wild ones of this kind 

 neither fo large nor fierce as an European wolf, nor do they attack 

 mankind. They go in large packs by night to hunt the deer, which 

 they do as well as any dogs in England ; and it is confidently alferted 

 that one of them can run down a deer ; do not bark, but ufe a kind of 

 howl. Catefby fays^ they have engendered with the European dogs, 

 and that their breed has become prolific ; which proves them to be of 

 the fame fpecies. Similar fads have occurred in London. 



La The 



