91 



As their only means of escape, when hunted by wolves, deer make 

 for the nearest water. Should the river or lake be narrow, the deer 

 generally swim either up or down. Seldom straight across ; and fre- 

 quently after making a detour of some distance, land again on the same 

 side from which they had entered the water. By this ruse the wolves 

 are puzzled and put off the scent. 



If there are weeds or thick brush growing along the shore, a hunted 

 deer will sometimes sink himself under water in a thick clump, so that 

 no part of his body can be seen above the surface but his head, by which 

 his pursuers are baffled. On glare ice the wolf soon ends the chase. 

 When frightened, the deer falls flat at every bound and is quickly over- 

 taken and killed. Should a deer get into a strong rapid and the wolves 

 attempt to follow, they are generally swept off their feet and carried 

 away. If one should approach close enough, a large buck will often 

 kill his foe with one blow from his sharp hoof. Dogs of the courageous 

 kind are sometimes killed in the same manner. 



The great and merciless slaughter of deer, however, occurs in the 

 latter part of winter, when the snow is deep and covered by a crust 

 strong enough to bear wolves or dogs, and not sufficiently so to support 

 a deer. Then it is that the wild wolves of the forest, as well as the 

 human wolves of a yet imperfect civilization, relentlessly murder the 

 poor animals in hundreds. 



I have now told you nearly all I know about the wolf, and also 

 much of what I have learned from the valuable writings of standard 

 naturalists concerning the life, habits and habitat of this widely dis- 

 tributed member of the great and interesting family of our north Amer- 

 ican carnivora. 



From personal experience, and careful comparison, I have no hesi- 

 tation in assigning to the wolf of the Ottawa "Valley, if not a pre-emi- 

 nence in size and weight, at least an equality in magnitude, as well as 

 in all the other amiable characteristics distinguishing the genus lupus 

 in any other land. 



If I have been fortunate enough to add one original fact to the 

 voluminous records of natural history, if I have imparted one instructive 

 idea, if I have succeeded in amusing or entertaining my critical audience, 

 if I have thrown but a single ray of new light upon the wolf, I shall con- 

 sider myself specially favoured in having achieved more than I ex- 

 pected to accomplish. 





