DOG KIND. 39 



The wolf has great strength, particularly in his 

 fore parts, in the muscles of his neck and jaws. 

 He carries off a sheep in his mouth without let- 

 ting it touch the ground, and runs with it much 

 swifter than the shepherds who pursue him ; so 

 that nothing but the dogs can overtake and oblige 

 him to quit his prey. He bites cruelly, and al- 

 ways with greater vehemence in proportion as 

 he is least resisted ; for he uses precautions with 

 such animals as attempt to stand upon the defen- 

 sive. He is ever cowardly, and never fights but 

 when under a necessity of satisfying hunger, or 

 making good his retreat. When he is wounded 

 by a bullet, he is heard to cry out; and yet, 

 when surrounded by the peasants, and attacked 

 with clubs, he never howls as the dog under cor- 

 rection, but defends himself in silence, and dies 

 as hard as he lived. 



His nature is, in fact, more savage than that of 

 the dog ; he has less sensibility and greater 

 strength. He travels, runs, and keeps plunder- 

 ing for whole days and nights together. He is 

 in a manner indefatigable ; and perhaps, of all 

 animals, he is the most difficult to be hunted 

 down. The dog is good-natured and courage- 

 ous ; the wolf, though savage, is ever fearful. 

 If he happens to be caught in a pit-fall, he is for 

 some time so frightened and astonished, that he 

 may be killed without offering to resist, or taken 

 alive without much danger. At that instant, one 

 may clap a collar round his neck, muzzle him, and 

 drag him along, without his ever giving the least 

 signs of anger or resentment. At all other times 



