314 HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 



related by the celebrated Dr. Hunter, there is no 

 longer any room to doubt, that the Wolf and the 

 Dog will copulate together, and produce an inter- 

 mediate species, capable of subsequent propagation. 



The appetite of the Wolf, for every kind of 

 animal food, is excessively voracious ; and although 

 Nature has furnished it with every requisite for 

 pursuing and conquering its prey, it is frequently 

 reduced to the last extremity, and sometimes 

 perishes for want of food. So great is the general 

 detestation of this destructive creature, that all the 

 wild animals endeavour to avoid it, and most com- 

 monly escape by their superior swiftness. 



When pressed with hunger from repeated disap- 

 pointments, the Wolf becomes courageous from 

 necessity. It then braves every danger, and even 

 attacks those animals that are under the protection 

 of man. Sometimes whole droves of them join in 

 the cruel work of general devastation, roam through 

 the villages, and attack the sheepfolds: they dig 

 the earth under the doors, enter with dreadful 

 ferocity, and put every living creature to death 

 before they depart. The -Horse is the only tame 

 animal that can defend itself against them : all the 

 weaker animals become their prey: even man him- 

 self, upon these occasions, frequently falls a victim 

 to their rapacity; and it is said, that when once 

 they have tasted human blood, they always give it 

 the preference. Hence many superstitious stories 

 have been told of the Wolf. The old Saxons be- 

 lieved that it was possessed by some evil spirit, and 

 called it the Were- Wulf; and the French peasants, 

 from the same reason, called it the Lottp-garou. 



The language of the poet is beautifully descrip- 

 tive of this creature's insatiable fury: 



