e destruction of the last wolf
in Ireland. The current tradition in the place from whence it came
was, that some years after it was supposed that the race of wolves was
extinct, the flocks in the county of Leitrim were attacked by a wild
animal, which turned out to be a wolf; that thereupon the chieftains
of Leitrim applied to O'Dowd, the chieftain of Tireragh (who possessed
a celebrated dog of the breed of the ancient Irish wolf-dog), to come
and hunt the wolf. This application having been complied with by
O'Dowd, there ensued a chase, which forms the subject of an ancient
Irish legend, detailing the various districts through which it was
pursued, until at length the wolf was overtaken and killed in a small
wood of pine-trees, at the foot of one of the mountains of Tireragh.
The quarter of land on which the wolf was killed is to this day called
_Carrow na Madhoo_, which means "the dog's quarter." In commemoration
of the event, O'Dowd had a representation of it carved on stone, and
placed in the wall of his baronial residence. It is difficult to form
an opinion of the shape of a dog from so rude a representation, except
that it appears to have had a wide forehead and pricked ears.

A gentleman, who in his youth saw one of these dogs, informs me that
it was smooth, strong, and partaking somewhat of the character and
appearance of a powerful Danish dog. This agrees with the account
given of it by some writers, especially in "The Sportsman's Cabinet,"
a work more remarkable for the truth and fineness of its engravings,
than for the matter contained in it. Buffon also forms much the same
opinion. That great strength must be necessary to enable a dog to
compete with a wolf, cannot be doubted, and perhaps there is no breed
of the rough greyhound now known capable of competing with a wolf
single-handed. Her Majesty has now in her possession one of the finest
specimens of the Highland deer-hound. He has great strength and
height, is rough-coated, wide across the loins, and altogether a noble
animal. Powerful, however as he is, it may be questioned whether such
a dog would be a match for a wolf, which the Irish hounds undoubtedly
were. This circumstance alone would lead us to suppose, that we must
look to a different breed than that of greyhounds as the antagonists
of the wolf.

But it is time to turn to the other side of the question.

In a very agreeable, well-written article in the "Irish Penny Journal"
of May, 1841, the a