WOLVES IN FRANCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6489, 14 December 1881, Page 3

WOLVES IN FRANCE.

Soma parts of France are still infested by wolves. An exchange says;—*' Every now and then in French journals there are paragraphs inserted telling of wolves not only killing stock, but attacking people, and French sporting prints abound with such wolfish items. A recent report on wolves, issued by the French authorities, estimates the number of these predaceous animals contained within the French frontiers to be 5000, and that every year they infiict a damage of not less than 50,000,000 francs. These wolves are concentrated in a few districts—Lorraine, Danphine, and the Pyrenees, During last winter German Lorraine had its wolves, and the authorities paid a handsome sum for their heads. But a hundred years ago in Franco wolves were counted by the thousands, and even in 1798 as many as 6478 wolves were killed in the twelvemonth. One of the curious reasons why wolves have not been exterminated years ago in France was because the killing of them devolved on a privileged class designated as lomretier*. This office of wolf- hunter dated as far back as the time of Charlemagne, and in time the post of louretiers was sold at a high price, so that daring the reign of Charles VI. it was forbidden that anyone not a gentleman should kill a wolf. There wolf-slayers had certain privileges, and could quarter themselves on a village, exact food _ and lodgings from the people, and even insist on the peasants taking part in the battue without pay. In 1775 Louis XIV. had lourelitrt, but abolished rewards for killing wolves. During the revolution wolf-killing as a privilege was abolished, and 300 francs was paid for a ahe-wolf with young, 200 francs for a male, and 100 francs for a cub. Napoleon, however, desirous of a return to the manners of the old regime, revived the louveterie. During the last empire wolf-killing became a fashionable sport, but it really did seem as if in certain portions of France these animals were preserved by the gentlemen sportsmen, just as in India, it is stated, tigers are more or less cared for for the pleasure of killing them. To-day the commission on wolves abolish the louveterie, acd once more rewards for wolf-killing, and under exceptional circumstances the Mayor of a village has the right to organise a battue and call on trackers. Perhaps next year some of our own people, tired of the Maine woods and the Adirondacks, might tako their Winchesters or Sharps and distinguish themselves at wolf-hunting in Lorraine or m the Pyrenees.