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XXIX. 
NOTES ON THE HISTOEY OE THE lEISH WOLE-DOG. 
Ey PEorEssou J. P. O'EEILLY. 
[Read January 13, 1890.] 
So much has been written in relation to the Irish wolf-dog, as well 
from the historical as from the zoological point of view, that it would 
seem difficult to bring forward any new matter directly bearing on 
this question, unless fresh sources of information be drawn on, or that 
those already in existence be made to yield new or additional data on 
points which still remain obscure or unexplored. The notes which I 
venture to submit to the Academy relative to the matter are more 
properly of the latter class, being simply the outcome of the reading 
of a work now more than 114 years old, but not much known in this 
country, nor, at first sight, likely to furnish any data whatsoever in 
connexion with this interesting subject. I refer to the work of Don 
Guillermo liowles, "■ Introduccion a la Historia Natural, y a Geografia 
fisica de Espana." The first edition was published in Madrid in the 
year 1775, and the third edition, from which the present notes are 
taken, appeared there in 1789. As a prologue to this are given three 
letters from Don Joseph Nicholas de Azara, relative to the manner in 
which the work had been received at home and abroad, and had been 
drawn upon by writers of travels in Spain. In the third of these 
letters, is fortunately given a short biography of the author, which, 
containing seemingly all that was known about him, and being very 
short, may, without disadvantage, be transcribed here, not only 
because of its historic interest, but also in order to afford a standard 
by which to appreciate his statements, since the value of the author's 
observations must be measured by the amount of scientific knowledge 
he possessed, as also by his experience and training as an observer of 
natural phenomena. 
EoME, 7th November^ 1782. 
"Bowies' book, the second edition of which, it seems, is now 
nearly exhausted, has met with a favourable reception in Spain, as 
also abroad; and as there are naturally many readers desirous of 
learning who this traveller was, who so seldom speaks of himself, and 
never of things of which he had not a knowledge, nor of adventures 
