The Living Animals of the World 



Pkoto by L. Medland, F.Z.S.} [North FinclUey. 



INDIAN WOLF. 



This photograph shows the Indian wolf alarmed. It has a 

 reputation for stealing children as well as killing cattle. 



Some years ago experiments were made at 

 the Eegent'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 instru- 

 ment, 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 

 instrument was first played behind the den of an 

 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 

 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 de- 

 veloping 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 par- 

 ticular individual. An 

 extraordinary instance of this 

 was lately given in Country 



Pkoto ly Ottomar AnsMtz] [Berlin. j^f ^^ & photograph Q f the 



WOLF S HEAD. ft 



tox. It was taken when a 



A very fine etudy of the bead, jaws, and teeth of a female wolf. The head of the male is 



much larger. cub. and brought up at a large 



