10 On the Fur-hearing Animals 



among wolves, than tlie silver is among Foxes. In its full winter 

 pelage it is a magnificent animal. The color is a dark silver grey, 

 with a rather browner tint than that of the silver Fox, under the 

 belly a blueish black, the nose and paws black. The size of an old 

 specimen is enormous, the skin being as large, when stretched and 

 dried, as that of a barren ground reindeer. 



The northern wolf is a very knowing animal, quite as much 

 so as the fox ; out of an immense number which I have heard, 

 I will relate a few well authenticated anecdotes about it, most of 

 which have fallen under my own observation. In the month of 

 May, when the holes cut in the ice do not freeze up, the fisher- 

 man at Fort Resolution on visiting his trout lines, set at some dis- 

 tance from the fort, discovered that several had been visited, the 

 lines and hooks were lying on the ice, as well as the remains of 

 a partly eaten trout, and a wolfs track was observed about the 

 place. The fact was that the wolf had hauled up the lines and 

 helped himself to what fish he required. This occurred again and 

 then ceased, the animal having been probably driven away by 

 the dogs of the post. I have never heard of a wolf attacking 

 man, though a dog has been carried off from the winter encamp- 

 ment now and then. "When there is but a single wolf, one of 

 our hauling dogs, which are a powerful cross between the pointer 

 and native dog, will make a good fight and often beat off" his op- 

 ponent. The wolf, when taken young, is easily domesticated. It 

 is aff'ectionate and docile to its master, but snappish with strangers 

 and rather quarrelsome with the dogs. A cross between a male 

 wolf and a domestic bitch makes an excellent breed. The off"- 

 spring are hardy, docile and strong, easily fed, and capable of 

 enduring great fatigue. These hybrids will, contrary to the ge- 

 neral rule, have young ones. When there are not too many dogs to 

 drive him off", a male wolf will sometimes have connection with a 

 bitch belonging to the fort, but I am doubtful if a female wolf 

 would permit the attentions of a domestic dog. In the copulating 

 season wolves become rabid, at which time their bite is generally 

 fatal to dogs and other animals. Fearful of expatiating at too great 

 a length upon the subject, I will conclude this anecdotary para- 

 graph by a testimony to the sociability of the wolf, even in a wild 

 state. A full grown wolf remained during the months of July 

 and August IBS'? quite domesticated at Fort Resolution. Though 

 rather shy of the people, it lived in great harmony with the dogs, 

 playing and sleeping with them, and sharing their food. Around 



