240 FOREST LANDS OF NORTHERN RUSSIA. 



wolves, coming to a village, placing themselves in ambuscade, 

 send a she-wolf of the herd yelping through the village, 

 running at full speed, and returning again with like speed 

 and yelping still. The dogs of the village are roused, give 

 chase, and when beyond the ambuscade are attacked by 

 the herd, killed, and devoured. In the case referred to, 

 my son-in-law was informed by a peasant that he had 

 heard the yelping, and on going to the village he saw the 

 footprints of the dogs and the wolves. The ambuscade 

 appeared from the footsteps to have been at the back of 

 the first house in the village; thence they could trace 

 by blood drops on the snow the route by which the wolves 

 had carried off their prey ; and on reaching their rendez- 

 vous they found shreds of the skins of the dogs lying 

 about like hides in a tan-yard. 



In Western Siberia are reared large herds of horses. To 

 these the wolves are very hurtful. In travelling there in 

 the summer there may be seen large herds of mares with 

 their foals grazing, accompanied by a stallion, who acts as 

 paterfamilias; should a wolf make his appearance he 

 drives the mares into a circle, with the foals in the centre, 

 and the mares looking towards them ; and while he rages 

 and defies the wolf, they are ready to receive him as a 

 square of infantry receives a charge of cavalry, should he 

 venture within reach of their hoofs. 



A statistical report lately addressed to the Minister of 

 the Interior estimates the damage done by wolves in 45 

 European Governments of Russia during the year 1873 at 

 7J millions of roubles. The Government of Samara was 

 set down as the greatest sufferer to the extent of 650,000 

 roubles ; next came Vologda at 560,000 roubles, and so 

 on. The Polish and Baltic provinces and Archangel came 

 off best. But competent judges consider this estimate of 

 wolfish mischief as much too low. It is calculated on the 

 basis of a low average value for all Russia, as if the price 

 of an ox or a sheep was about the same everywhere 

 throughout the Empire. It also sets the absolute amount 



