WOLF-l^OO.] 



F u -M o u N r A I X, F 1 1: r, d, and i • \ i ; m . 



WOI.F-DOa. 



" As it was not full daylight when we reached 



the vicitiity of tlu' ring, wo lialted, ami got up 

 a good tire. This the poor dog sooiiuhI most 

 thorouglily to enjoy ; to ourselves, likewise, it 

 was far from uiicomfortahlo. Here we took some 

 rorroslimeat, w hii-h we neodi'd, as we had break- 

 lasted very slenderly prior to leaving Xas." 



Other instances of the impossibility of 

 acclimatising animals in such temperatures as 

 are widi'ly dilleront from those to which their 

 nature is congenial, might be adduced ; but it 

 is unnecessary here. 



Till': IKISII WOM'-DOG. 

 As in several other sciences, tliose who pur- 

 sue the study of natural history, do not, in all 

 points, agree in their opinions. Whilst the 

 classification of the difterent varieties of species 

 was founded by the great Cuvier upon tlieir 

 osteological structure, and crancological de- 

 velopment ; other naturalists, either from a 

 natural desire of novelty, or from the equally 

 natural wish to be original, and to show to the 

 world that they have opinions of their own, 

 have adopted other indications to decide what 

 ought to be the standard of, or guide to 

 canine classification. Colonel Smith seems to 

 tliink that colour is the most proper guide to 

 be adopted ; whilst Mr. Martin thinks the 

 ear, considered in relation to its size and form, 

 is the best mark by which the variety may be 

 determined. For us to enter upon the con- 

 sideration of a subject of this kind, would only 

 be to perplex what has already been said upon 

 it, with, perhaps, novel ideas ; but with such 

 an amount of success as would give to our- 

 selves little satisfaction, and, perhaps, less to 

 our readers. All that we will say is, that we 

 think Colonel Smith's theory is not likely to 

 be adopted by the scientific naturalist; and 

 that ]Mr. Martin's is somethin": like iudjiiiiof of 

 the character of a man's mind by the form 

 and dimensions of his auricular organ. Cu- 

 vier's system is the least likely to lead to error, 

 and, therefore, the more likely to be the most 

 uuivcrsally adopted. In reference to this sys- 

 tem, in so far as the dog is concerned — and it is 

 to no further extent that we refer— Mr. Rich- 

 ardson has given his assent, considering that 

 the arrangement of the Frenchman has made 

 all the varieties of the domestic dog easily to 

 be divided into three classes. 



In tr.itii- .if tho Irish wolf-dog, Mr. 

 Richardson has separated it from botii tho 

 Iligliland deer-hound ami tho Scottish grey- 

 hound ; but this he has done from no convic- 

 tion of its being right, but simply in deference 

 to general opinion, which, ho considers, in- 

 correct, as " these three dogs, tliough originally 

 identical, are now, unquestionably, distinct in 

 many particulars." We sliall treat them indis- 

 criminately, as the distinctions between them, 

 originally, would seem to have been very little. 



"Silius describes a large and powerful grey- 

 hound as having been imported into Ireland 

 by the Belgae; thus identifying tho Irish wolf- 

 dog with the celebrated Belgic dog of anti- 

 quity, which we read of in so many places, as 

 having been brought to Rome for the combats 

 of the amphitheatre." 



Hollinshed says of the Irish—" They are not 

 without wolves, and greyhounds to hunt them, 

 bigger of bone and limb than a colt." Cam- 

 pion also speaks of him as a "greyhound of 

 great bone and limb." Evelyn, describing the 

 savage sports of the bear-garden, says — " The 

 bulldogs did exceedingly well ; but the Irish 

 toolf-dog exceeded, which was a tall greyliound, 

 a stately creature, and did beat a cruel mas- 

 tiftV Here we have au actual comparison of 

 powers, which marks the dog to have been a 

 greyhound, and quite distinct from a mastiff. 



In the second edition of Smith's History of 

 Waterford, the Irish wolf-dog is described as 

 much taller than a mastiff, and as being of the 

 greyliound form, unequalled in size and 

 strength. Mr. Smith writes — " Roderick, 

 King of Connaught, was obliged to furnish 

 hawks and greyhounds to Henry II." 



In the Antiquities of Ireland, by Sir James 

 "Ware, the wolf-dog is prominently spoken of : — 

 " I must here take notice," he says, " of those 

 hounds, which, from their hunting of wolves, 

 are commonly called wolf-dogs, being creatures 

 of great strength and size, and of a fine shape,, 

 I cannot but think that these are tho dogs 

 which Symraachus mentions in au epistle to 

 his brother Flavianus. 'I thank you,' says 

 he, 'for tho present you made me of somo 

 Canes Scotici, which were shown at tho Circen- 

 siau games, to the great astonishment of the 

 people, who could not judge it possible to 

 bring them to Rome otherwise than in iron 

 cages.' I am sensible Mr. Burton (Itinerary 



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