130 THE WOLVES. 



In stature and strength the wolves of Europe 

 vary but slightly, and equal or surpass the largest 

 and most powerful dogs. Their laniary and carni- 

 vorous teeth are proportionably larger and stronger, 

 the incisors distinctly trilobate, grooved vn>hin, and 

 in general more irregular and projecting than in do- 

 mestic canines. The eyes are placed more obliquely; 

 they are smaller, more distant, and apparently higher 

 in the head; the forehead is broader and lower; 

 the ears are pointed, smaller, and more open than in 

 dogs ; they have the body deeper, the belly fuller, 

 and less drawn up ; the neck is more thickly fur- 

 nished with a bristly sort of mane, which produces 

 a turgid appearance about it ; the shoulder is higher, 

 the back sloping, the after extremities more crouch- 

 ing and lower, and the hind-legs more bent under 

 the body. The tail, hanging close between them, 

 wants the flexibility of that of foxes, and the re- 

 curved attitude of that of dogs : they walk more on 

 the ball of the feet than dogs, the fur is coarser, 

 and their odoiir is very offensive. Their whole aspect 

 indicating vigilant malignity, fear, and cruelty, dis- 

 tinguishes them from the familiar species, even 

 when in size and similarity of fur they approximate 

 most closely. The muzzle, contracted below the 

 eyes, is pointed ; the edge of the lips black. On 

 the cheek there are two or more hairy warts, and 

 the bristles of the whiskers on the lips are short. 

 Wolves howl more frequently when the weather is 

 about to change to wet. They grovel with the nose 

 in the earth, instead of digging with their paws. 



