72 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 



disclosed a beautiful and interesting picture, for a 

 young cow, with, her calf almost between her legs, 

 stood determinedly facing several wolves. The baby 

 was evidently sick, and the instinct of the party of 

 prowlers told them so, and so far the attached mother 

 had kept them off, My sympathies, of course, were 

 not with the aggressors, and, the better to prove it, 

 I picked out the apparent ringleaders, doubling one 

 up with the first barrel, and accelerating the retreat of 

 another with the second ; for although he did not 

 drop, an ominous "thud" gave him a hint that the. 

 neighbourhood was dangerous, and that he had better 

 leave it while he had the power. 



In September the rutting season commences, and 

 furious encounters between the bulls take place ; their 

 actions on these occasions remind the spectators very 

 much of domestic cattle. The combatants at first stand 

 apart, eyeing each other with flashing orbs, while they 

 paw up the soil with their feet, throwing it frequently 

 higher than their withers ; their short tails lash their 

 sides, and occasionally they bellow in a low guttural 

 voice, working themselves into a fury ; their horns are 

 dug into the soil, arid the vegetation scattered to the 

 winds. At length they rush at each other ; the shock 

 sometimes brings one or both to their knees ; this 

 is repeated again and again : for over thirty minutes 



