288 HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 



they increafed to fuch a degree, as to become an object 

 of royal attention ; and great rewards were given for de- 

 ftroying them. Camden informs us, that certain perfons 

 held their lands on condition of hunting and deftroying 

 the Wolves that infefted the country ; whence they were 



called the Wo foe-hunt. In the reign of Athelftan, 



Wolves abounded fo much in Yorklhire, that a retreat 

 was built at Flixton to defend palTengers from their at- 

 tacks. As the ravages of thefe animals were greateft 



during winter, particularly in January, when the cold 

 was fevereft, our Saxon anceftors diftinguifhed that 

 month by the title of Wolf-moneth. They alfo called an 

 outlaw Wolfjhed) as being out of the protection of the 

 law, and as liable to be killed as that deftruttive beaft. — 

 They infefted Ireland many centuries after their extinc- 

 tion in England ; the laft prefentment for killing Wolves 

 being made in the county of Cork about the year 1710. 



Thefe animals abound in the immenfe forefts of Ger- 

 many, where the following methods are taken to deftroy 

 them : — In fome very fequeftered part of the foreft, they 

 hang up a large piece of carrion to the branch of a tree, 

 having previoufly made a train of fome miles long, leav- 

 ing fmall pieces of putrid flem here and there to allure 

 the Wolves to the fpot : They then wait till it is dark, 

 and approach the place with great circumfpe&ion where 

 they fometimes find two or three Wolves affembled, leap- 

 ing up, and {training themfelves to catch the bait, which 

 is placed juft within their reach; and while the animals 

 are bufily employed in this way, the hunters, being pro- 

 vided with fire-arms, feldom fail to difpatch them. — In a 

 convenient place, at the foot of a declivity, they make a 

 fmall inclofure of ftrong pales, fo high, that the Wolf 

 having once entered, cannot return again. An opening 



