ADVANTAGES OF DOMESTICATION. 49 



downy hair, and the eye, which is large and full, gives the 

 physiognomy an intelligent look, which would induce the 

 belief that no great difficulty would occur to prevent their 

 domestication. If such could be effected, great benefit 

 might result from the introduction of their wool into our 

 markets, as from its length, elasticity, and fineness, it 

 <?ould be manufactured into the most superior class of 

 cloths. 



Their rutting season occurs at the breaking up of the 

 autumn, when the cold and fitful winds of October com- 

 mence to warn us that warmth is gone, and snow and ice 

 are coming. The male, who generally is very inoffensive, 

 unless he chance to receive a wound incapacitating him 

 from escape, becomes now most quarrelsome and vindictive, 

 attacking with the greatest fury whatever provokes his 

 displeasure ; and woe be to the white man or Indian who 

 then meets him, if away from a place of escape or unpro- 

 vided with fire-arms. At this time furious engagements 

 take place among the males, which sometimes continue till 

 one or both of the contestants are so much exhausted that 

 they fall an easy prey to the Indian's arrows or the tusks 

 of the large northern grey wolf. 



In May the female produces a single lamb, over whose 

 welfare the mother shows great solicitude. The young, 

 until three or four weeks old, are unable to follow the 

 parent, but are hid away in the manner usual with deer ; 

 the old lady, however, on such occasions never wanders far 

 from her offspring's hiding-place, and on the least suspicion 

 of danger rushes to her offspring, prepared to do battle with 

 all intruders, whatever may be their size or appearance. 



4 



