WOLF— MINK 393 



Norwegian specimens are nearly as large as leopards, and attain a weight of 

 100 lbs. 



Of the members of the do<r tribe, the European fox ranges as far 



Wolf 



as the limit of trees, but beyond that is i-eplaced by the Arctic fox, 

 which inhabits a small part of Europe. A third European representative of the 

 family, the wolf (Canis lupus), does not appear to be an indigenous north 

 European animal. Surviving in many countries, it is extinct in Denmark, 

 Holland, and Great Britain. It is still to be met with in the more secluded 

 localities of the forest of Argonne and the Ardennes, as well as in the Yosges and 

 Jura, in southern France and Spain, Italy, the Balkan peninsula, the countries 

 of the lower Danube, Hungary, the Polish and Russian forests, Finland, and 

 Scandinavia. It surrounds, so to speak, Germany in a circle, and now and then 

 crosses its boundaries. Beyond this it ranges over the greater part of Asia 

 from the Himalaya northwards, as far east as Japan, and nearly over all North 

 America, the Japanese and American wolves forming distinct races. Inhabiting 

 open plains as well as forests, the wolf generally lives in pairs or singly, but 

 collects in large packs in winter. It wanders about by night and day, but is 

 generally cowardly ; hunger and the company of many of its fellows alone giving 

 it courage. In winter it steals domesticated animals, and even attacks travellers. 



The pairing-time occurs between December and April; and about thirteen 

 weeks later the female produces a litter of from six to ten cubs, which are blind 

 for the first nine or fourteen days. They are born in rocky caves, in hollow trees, 

 beneath the roots of a fallen stem, or sometimes in holes in the ground or in a 

 thicket. At the approach of danger they are carried into safety by their parents. 

 They generally remain with the mother until November or December, and become 

 fully grown in the third year: they may live to the age of twelve or fifteen years. 

 Young wolves are tamable, and become accustomed to associate with man like dogs. 



The European wolf is about 3 feet 6 inches in length, its tail measuring 



18 inches, and the shoulder-height being 33i inches. The wolf has a short and 



sharp muzzle, erect, pointed, and broad ears, fairly long legs, and a coat of yellowish 



grey, mixed with grey above and white below, with black bars on the fore-legs. 



It is, however, subject to great local variation of colour. It may, for instance, be 



more reddish or greyish, or paler, or even almost or entirely black. As already 



said, in different parts of its area it is represented by different races, as in North 



America and Japan; but the wolf of peninsular India (C. pallipes) is a totally 



distinct species, approaching to some extent the jackals. 



The weasel family is represented in northern Europe by the 

 European Mink. . , 1 .... . 



pine-marten ; the beech-marten being also within the area, but not 



ranging so far north. The ermine lives even in the highest north, but the weasel 



and polecat are not met with beyond the zone of trees. To this zone belongs 



another species of the group now very rare in central Europe, the European 



mink (Mustda lutreola). Much less known than the other European members of 



its family, this species at the present day is a characteristic north-east European 



form, inhabiting especially Finland, Russia, Poland, and Lithuania, ranging from 



the Baltic to the Urals, and from the Dwina to the Black Sea, and also occurring 



in Bessarabia, although not at the present clay in the Crimea, or east of the Urals. 



