THE WOLF. 65 



Maternal attentions Tame wolves. 



forth, she searches carefully for some concealed 

 place in the inmost recesses of the forests. Having 

 fixed on a spot, she makes it perfectly smooth 

 for a considerable space, by tearing up with her 

 teeth all the brambles and brushwood. She then 

 prepares a bed of moss, in which she brings forth 

 five or six young. These she suckles for some 

 weeks ; and soon teaches them to eat flesh, which 

 she prepares by tearing it into small pieces. She 

 then brings them field-mice, young leverets, par- 

 tridges, and living fowls ; which they at first play 

 with, and then kill; when this is done, she tears 

 them to pieces, and gives a portion to each of 

 her young. In about six weeks they leave their 

 den, under the guidance of the mother, who 

 leads them to some neighbouring pool to drink, 

 conducts them back again, or teaches them to 

 conceal themselves when any danger is appre- 

 hended. When they are attacked, she defends 

 them with intrepidity; losing every sense of dan- 

 ger, and becoming perfectly infuriate. She never 

 abandons them till their education is finished, 

 and they have acquired talents fit for a life of 

 rapine. 



Notwithstanding the savage nature of these 

 animals, they are still capable, when taken young, 

 of being tamed. A singular instance of this was 

 exhibited in a wolf belonging to the late Sir 

 Ashton Lever ; which, by proper education, was 

 entirely divested of its ferocious character and 

 manner. In Persia, and other Oriental countries, 



NO. II, 1 



