Photo iy scholastic Photo. Co.] [Parson's Green. live entirely with the sheep. They are suckled PKAIRIE-WOLF, OR COYOTE. when puppies by the ewes instead of by their own

This is the small, grey, thickly furred species found on the prairies. mothers, and become as it Were a part of the flock.

The Dog Family

Colonel Theodore Roosevelt gives an interesting account of wolf-coursing in Russia, in an article contributed to " The Encyclopaedia of Sport " (Lawrence & Bullen). " In Russia the sport is a science," he writes. "The princes and great landowners who take part in it have their hunting-equipages equipped perfectly to the smallest detail. Not only do they follow wolves in the open, but they capture them and let them out before dogs, like hares in a closed coursing-meeting. The huntsman follows his hounds on horseback. (These hounds are the Borzoi, white giant greyhounds, now often seen in England.) Those in Russia show signs oi reversion to the type of the Irish wolf-hound, dogs weighing something like 100 Ibs., of remarkable power, and of reckless and savage temper. Now three or four dogs are run together. They are not expected to kill the wolf, but merely to hold him.... The Borzois can readily

Photo by Ottomar Anschutz] [Berlin.]

"THE WOLF WITH PRIVY PAW."

The photograph shows admirably the slinking gait and long stride of the wolf.

overtake and master partly grown wolves, but a full-grown dog-wolf, in good trim, will usually gallop away from them." to course A number of these Borzoi dogs have been imported into America, and are used wolves in the Western States. But there professional wolf-hunters are employed to kill off the creatures near the ranches. One such hunter lives near Colonel Roosevelt's ranche on the Little Missouri. His pack of large dogs will tear in pieces the biggest wolf without aid from for the: " We generally startedthe hunter. Of his own efforts in wolf-coursing he writes hunting-ground very early, riding across the open country in a widely spread line of dogs and men. If we put up a wolf, we simply went at him as hard as we knew how. Young wolves, or those which had not attained their full strength, were readily overtaken, and the or even a full-grown and powerfulpack would handle a she-wolf quite readily. A big dog-wolf, she-wolf, offered an altogether different problem. Frequently we came upon one after it had

the World88 The Living Animals of

gorged itself on a colt or a calf. Under such conditions, if the dogs had a good start, they ran into the wolf and held him.... Packs composed of nothing but specially bred and trained greyhounds of great size and power made a better showing. Under favourable circumstances three or four of these dogs readily overtook and killed the ... Their dash- largest wolf. ing courage and ferocious fighting capacity were marvellous, and in this respect I was never able to see much difference between the smooth and rough the Scotch deerhound or the greyhound type." Photo ly J. W. Mclellan] Wolf cubs are born in

RUSSIAN WOLF.

is April or May. The litter This is a. most characteristic photograph of one of the so-called "greyhound wolves" of the Bussian forests. from four to nine. There was one of six a few years ago at the Zoological Gardens at the Hague, pretty little creatures like collie puppies, but quarrelsome and rough even in their play. When born, they were covered with reddish-white down; later the coat became woolly and dark. is by steady pursuit. Its The European wolf's method of hunting when in chase of deer is nospeed is such and its endurance so great that it can overtake any animal. But there doubt that the favourite food of the wolf is mutton, which it can always obtain without risk on the wild mountains of the Near East, if once the guardian dogs are avoided. M. Tschudi, the naturalist of the Alps, gives a curious account of the assemblage of wolves in Switzerland in 1799. They had, as is mentioned above, followed the armies from Eussia. Having tasted human flesh, they preferred it to all other, and even dug up the corpses. The Austrian, French, and Russian troops penetrated in 1799 into the highest mountain valleys of Switzerland, and fought sanguinary battles there. Hundreds of corpses were left on the mountains and in the forests, which acted as bait to the wolves, which were not destroyed for some years.

Wolves will interbreed with dogs readily, which the red fox will not. The progeny do not bark, but howl. The Eskimo cross their dogs with wolves to give them strength.

THE COYOTE, OR PKAIRIE-WOLF.

Besides the large grey wolf, a smaller and less formidable animal is common on the prairies and mountains of the northern half of the continent of America. This is the COYOTE. It takes the place of the hyaena as a scavenger, but has some of the habits of the fox. It catches birds and buck-rabbits, and feeds on insects, as well as small rodents like prairie-dogs it is theand mice. Its melancholy howls make night hideous on the northern prairies, and steady foe of all young creatures, such as the fawns of prong-horned antelope and deer. Its skin, like that of most northern carnivora, is thick and valuable for fur wraps. The coyotes assemble in packs like jackals.

In the National Park in the Yellowstone Valley grey wolves and coyotes are the only animals which it is absolutely necessary to destroy. As the deer and antelope and other game

The Dog Family

increased under State protection, the wolves and coyotes drew towards a quarter where there were no hunters and a good supply of food. It was soon found that the increase of the game was checked. The coyotes used to watch the hinds when about to drop their calves, and usually succeeded in killing them. The large grey wolves killed the hinds themselves, and generally made life most unpleasant for the dwellers in this paradise. Orders were issued to kill off all the wrolves by any means. Poison was found to be the best remedy; but in so much freshthe winter, when all the game descended into the valleys, the wolves found food in the carcases of the animals they killed for themselves that they would not eat very eagerly of the poisoned baits. The coyotes were killed off fairly closely, as they are less able to obtain living prey; but the grey wolves are constantly reinforced from the mountains, and are a permanent enemy to be coped with.

A curious instance of change of habit in wolves on the American prairies was recently noted in the Spectator. Formerly they followed the caravans; now they come down to the great transcontinental railways, and haunt the line to obtain food. Each train which crosses the prairie is, like a ship, full of provisions. Three meals a day take place regularly, and these are not stinted. The black cooks throw all the waste portions beef-bones, other bones, stale bread, and trimmings overboard. The wolves have learnt that the passing of a train means food, and when they hear one they gallop down to the line, and wait like expectant dogs sit like terriers,in the hope of picking up a trifle. The coyotes come close to the metals, and with their sharp noses pricked up. The big grey wolves also appear in the early morning, standing on the snow, over which the chill wind of winter blows, gaunt and hungry images of winter and famine.

[Berlin* Fhoto by Ottomar Anscltiitz]

A WOLF OF THE CARPATHIANS.

This wolf Is a shorter and more heavily built specimen than the Russian wolf on the previous page.

Some years ago experiments were made at the Regent’s Park Zoological Gardens to ascertain if there were any foundation for the old legends that wolves feared the sound of stringed instruments such as the violin. Every one will remember the story of the fiddler pursued by wolves. It is said that as the pack overtook him he: broke a string of his instrument, and that the sudden noise of the parting cord caused the pack to stand still for a minute, and so enabled him to reach a tree, which he climbed. Further, that when he improved on the hint so given, and played his fiddle, the wolves all sat still; when he left off, they leapt up and tried to reach him.. Experiments with the Zoo wolves showed that there was no doubt whatever that the low minor chords played on a violin cause the greatest fear and agitation in wolves, both European and Indian. The This photograph shows tho Indian’ wolf alarmed. Tt hasa instrument was first played behind the den of an reputation for stealing children as well as killing cattle, Indian wolf, and out of sight. At the first sound the ;. wolf began to tremble, erected its fur, dropped its tail. between its legs, and crept: uneasily across its den. As the sounds grew louder and more intense, the wolf trembled so violently, and showed such physical evidence of being dominated by excessive fright, that the keeper begged that the experiment might be discontinued, or the creature would have a fit. A large European wolf is described in “Life at the Zoo” as having exhibited its dislike of the music in a different j ’ way. It set up all its fur till it looked much larger than its ; ordinary size, and drew back its lips until all the white teeth protruding from the red gums were shown. It kept silent till-the violin-player approached it; then it flew at him with a ferocious growl, and tried to seize him. There are instances of wolves having been quite successfully tamed, and developing great affection for their owners. They are certainly more dog-like than any fox; yet even the fox has been tamed so far as to become a domesticated animal ? for the lifetime of one particular individual. An extraordinary instance of this ; 2 id was lately given in Country Bite IC HOR Annee) gen: aE Life, with a photograph of the

WOLFS HEAD.

fox. It was taken when a A very fine etudy of the head, jaws, and teeth of a female wolf, The head of the niale is much larger. cub, and brought up at a large Photo by L. Medland, F.2Z.8.] [North Finchley.

INDIAN WOLF.

The Dog Family

country house with a number of dogs. Among these were three terriers, with which it made friends. There were plenty of wild foxes near, some of which occasionally laid up in the laurels in a shrubbery not far from the house. These laurels were, in fact, a fairly safe find for a fox. It was the particular sport of the terriers to be taken to " draw " this bit of cover, and to chase out any fox in it. On these expeditions the tame fox invariably accompanied them, and took an active part in the chase, pursuing the wild fox as far as the terriers were able to maintain the hunt.

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