WOL 
• Wolves infefted Ireland many centuries after 
they were; extirpated in England: for mention is 
made of one being killed as late as the year 17 10. 
The laft Wolf known in Scotland, was flain in 
1680 by the celebrated Sir Ewen Cameron, ac- 
cording to the tradition of the country; neverthe- 
lefs, BiifFon fays that he has been affu red there are 
ftillfome Wolves in Scotland. ' " 
The colour of thefe animals varies according 
to the different climate's where they are bred ; and 
often changes even iti the fame country. Befides 
the common Wolves, which are found in France 
and Germany, there are others with thicker hair, 
inclining to yellow: thefc are lefs favage and nox- 
ious than the former, neither approaching the 
flocks, nor the habitations of men, and living ra- 
ther by the chacethan jby rapine. In the northern 
climates there are fome entirely black, and others 
equally white. The former are larger and ftronger 
than any other .variety.' 
The fpecies is much dilfufed over evefy. part of 
the world; being found in Afia, Africa, and Ame- 
rica, as well as Europe. Thei Wolves, of Senegal 
re fembl e thofe of 'Frarjce,: except that they are 
larger and; more fierce. Thofe of Egypt are 
fmaller than the European kinds. ' In the Eaft, 
Wolves are trained up for {hew, being taught to 
dance and {3lay tricks; and one of thofe: animals, 
when properly educated, has fometiraes been fold 
for four or five hundred-crowns. 3 ' 
The North American Wolves are blacker, and 
much fmailer than thofe of other parts of the 
world; and in fhape approach nearer to the dog 
than thofe of th.e ordinary kind. They are -alfo 
faid to have been ufed by tlie favages for every 
purpofe to which we apply the dog,, before the 
Europeans introduced tlie latter animal; .but of 
this we are very ddubtfuli Certain it islthat the 
European Wolf is a very.;npxious animal:..fcar.cely ' 
any thing appertaining to; "-him, except his flcin, 
is ufeful ; and of it furriers make a covering, which 
is warm and durable, thoMgl^'caarfe and inelegant. 
His fielli is defpifed_byr^ll other animils,. no other 
creatures being known io-'eat. hisi fflefh except ' 
Wolves thenlfelves; forj when one of thefe ani- 
mals receives a defperate wound, the reft follow : 
him, and prefently difpatch and devour, him. 
The Wolf breaitljes a moft foetid vapour from 
his jaws, anjd is in ev^ery -refpeft'offenfive'andjdif- i 
gulling: a fayage afpetfl, a frightful howl,, an in- 
fupportable odour, 'lierce habits,, and a 'perverfe j 
difpofition, are iqualities inherent in his nature; ; 
qualities which render him dreaded and detefted 
. while living, and ufelefs when dead. ., 
• ; Wolf, IVlExiGAfii;,- the Canis Mexicanus of. 
Linnaeus. This aniitiaV, which Pennantfebnfiders 
. as- a. dijltinft fpecies, has a yery large)(headV i/'ide , 
• jaws; vaft teeth;; and very, ftrong b'HIlles on!th'e • 
. ,iipper lips, re;0e<5lxd backwardsi. and not Inaptly , 
reprefenting the fofter fpines of the porcupine. : 
. The ears are large, ereftj, and cinereous.; the' in- ; 
; terATjSdiate fpace is marked with broad tawny 
(potsiitiie head ,i&,al2a- coloured, ftripedtrahfverfely •■ 
with, "bending' dufky liiiesj .the neck is fat and! 
thick, covered with a loofe flcrn, marked with a 
ftrong tawny ftroke; and on the breaft appears 
another ,Qf - the faniie kind;. ;The body is afh-co- 
lorired, fpotted v\^i.th '. black ; and. the fides , are 
flriped, from the back down^vards, with the fame 
colour, : Thp b^llyjjs cinereous; the tail is of the 
famq colour^,ejii:cept in the middle, where it as 
WOL 
tinged with tawny; and the legs and feet are 
ftriped with black and afli-colour. 
This animal inhabits the hotted parts of Mex- 
ico. In it's manners it agrees vjhh the European 
Wolf; attacking cattle, and fomet,mes men. 
Wolf, Golden, See Jackall. 
Wolf, Marine. An appellation by which 
fome v,'riters exprefs the hyaena. 
Wolf is alfo a name given by fom.e authors to 
a fpecies of in fe6l which infefts granaries; and is 
extremely mifchievous, by eating it's way into 
wheat, and other kinds of grain. 
WOLF FISH; the Anartrichas Lupus of 
Linnaeus. This Hfn appears to be wholly con- 
fined to the hyperborean feas, having never been 
difcovercd by ichthyologifts to thelbuth of the 
Britifh Channel. Lt is very ravenous and fierce; 
and, when captured, fallens on any thing within 
it's reach. Fiilicrmen, who dread it's bite, en- 
deavour, as foon as. pofiible, to beat out it's forcr 
teeth; and then kill it, by ftriking: it on the neck. 
The Wolf Fiih feeds almoft entirely on crufta- 
ceous animals and fhell-filh ;. and thefe it grinds 
to pieces with it's teeth, which .-are fo excenivelv 
ftrong, a.s to leave an imprefiion on iron. It has 
fuch a hideous and difgullin'g appearance, that 
fev/. can be tempted to cat of it's flelh, except the 
fifhermen ; though v/e are told,, that it is by no 
means impropei food, when flcmned and properly 
drefl:ed. , nJ i'l jjicHv n-. : ; 
This fifli fometimes grows -to ftV length offoiii' 
feet; and, according to Dr. Gronovius, it has 
been caught meafuring upv/ards of feven feet. 
The head is a little flatted on the top ; the nofe is 
obtufe ; the eyes are fmail, and placed near the ex- 
tremity ofthefnout; ahd the iridesai e pale:yeiiow. 
The fore-teeth are flrong and conical,* diverging 
a little from each other, and prbjed far out 
the jaws ; and they are fupportcd in the infide bv 
a row of lefl^er teeth. The dentes molares of the 
under jaw .are higher on the exterior than the in- 
terior edges ; and they join to the canine teeth in 
that jaw, but in the upper, they 'are feparate from 
them. ■ In the, centre there are tv/o rows of 'flat 
fi:rong teeth, fixed on an oblong bans on the 
bones of the palate and the nofe. The two bones 
which compofe the. under jaw are, united before 
by a loofe cartilage ; and this mechanifm admit- 
ting of a motion from fide to fide, evidently con- 
-trib.utes to afllft the filh in k'realdng, srindino-, 
arid comminuting it's teftaceoua and cruilaceous 
fockl. The body is long, and flightly comprefi:ed 
fideways ; and the flcin k fmooth" and flippery. 
There is no lateral line. The, pedoral fins, which 
Gonfift of eighteen rays, are five inches long, and 
upwards of feven broad; theMorlil fin extends 
froiTi the , hind part of the head almoft to the tail j 
the. anal fin extends as far as the dorfal ; and the 
/tail is.rounded.. The back, fides, and fins, are 
of a livid lead colour j the two firft are longitu- 
■ dingily m^irked with irregular, ob'fcure, dufky 
lines; but thef^, in different . filhes, have various 
appearances. • 
WOLVERENE; the Urfus Lufcus of Linns- 
us._ This animal, 'called alfo the Glutton or 
Quickhatch, has .a 'black fliarp pointed vifage, 
and ftiort round ears, almoft loft in ^he hain The 
h^ad, back,, arid helly^^.tre lovered. with redd ifh 
hair tipt with" black-; the fides are of ..^ yeliowifti 
brown hues oh the throat there is a wh)te fpot ; 
on the breaft:^ , white crefcent and the legs are of 
a deep black colour, thick, fhort, and ftrong. 
Thi'j 
