CHAPTER XVII 



THE IRISH WOLFHOUND 



As wolves became extinct in Ireland in tKe early 

 part of the eighteenth century, it is no matter for 

 surprise that there is a considerable break between 

 the history of our present -day dog and the original 

 one used for the chase. It is not at all certain 

 that the present type resembles that of two hundred 

 years ago. This much we know, that the old animal 

 must have been of a gigantic stature, and some 

 authorities hold that he more nearly resembled the 

 Great Dane than the Scottish Deerhound. Great 

 allowance must be made for the inexactitude of old 

 writers, the most vivid imagination scarcely crediting 

 the assertion that one attained the height of four 

 feet I Goldsmith, who was not particularly noted 

 for his accuracy, spoke of seeing one as large as 

 a yearling calf. A writer in the Sporting Magazine 

 of 1837 said that his grandfather had an Irish Wolf- 

 dog which saved his mother's life from a wolf as 

 she was paying a visit attended by this faithful 

 follower. Captain Graham, to whom belongs the 

 credit of resuscitating this noble variety, was con- 

 vinced that in the Deerhound we had the modern 

 representative of the old Irish dog;, though smaller 



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