PEAIEIE WOLVES. 171 



animals and invariably live in burrows, while the larger 

 race, although found in the open country, is partial to 

 forest, and generally sleeps in a nest or den upon the 

 surface of the soil, or in a crevice of the rocks. The 

 prairie wolves and cayottes are timid little fellows, living 

 and hunting in communities, and if captured young are 

 easily tamed, becoming much attached to their owner, and 

 when in that state not unfrequently display sagacity worthy 

 of the dog; while the larger wolf becomes sullen and 

 treacherous with age, ever evincing an unconquerable dis- 

 like to his domesticated relation, the dog, and if at any 

 time able to recover his liberty will at once return to the 

 modes of life of his ancestry. 



In courage the grey wolf of America materially differs 

 from the old world race, it being of very rare occurrence for 

 them to attack human beings still that has happened, 

 but never I believe in the powerful bands trooped together, 

 that scour the Steppes of Western Siberia and Eastern 

 European Kussia. It may be that game being more 

 abundant in North America the animals do not get reduced 

 to the same straits from hunger, but this I doubt, for 

 travellers of authority generally advance the opinion that 

 finer hunting grounds than those that margin the Ural 

 range are nowhere to be found. No ; the ferocity of those 

 of the old world is in my belief attributable to this : 

 Europe and Asia have ever been the scenes of intestine 

 wars, dead and wounded have been deserted and left to 

 perish naturally, the wild animals have preyed upon them, 

 and thus become so familiar with our race as to know 

 their helplessness and want of powers of resistance. Of 



