Wolf-Hunting in Russia 



liminaries of an anarchistic strike. The cho- 

 ruses of wolves and the special training of the 

 young for them are interesting characteristics. 

 Upon these choruses depends the decision of 

 the hunter whether or not to make his final 

 attack upon the stronghold of the wolves; by 

 them he can tell with great precision the num- 

 ber in the family and the ages of the different 

 members. They are to wolf-hunters what tracks 

 are to moose- and bear-hunters — they serve to 

 locate the game. When the family is at home 

 they occur with great regularity at twilight, 

 midnight and dawn. 



In camp near Billings, Montana, in the fall 

 of 1882, we heard nightly about 12 o'clock the 

 howling of a small pack of coyotes ; but we 

 supposed that it was simply a "howling pro- 

 test" against the railway train, passing our 

 camp at midnight, that had just reached that 

 part of the world. Possibly our coyotes have 

 also howling choruses at regular intervals, like 

 the Russian wolves. 



There was such a fascination in listening to 

 the wolves that we went out several times 

 solely for that purpose. The weirdness of the 

 sound and the desolateness of the surroundings 

 produced peculiar sensations upon the listener. 



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