IO4 ECONOMIC MAMMALOGY 



been considerable hydrophobia among wild animals of the western 

 states. A mountain lion in Venezuela started toward a man with every 

 apparent intention of an attack, but was shot before he actually made 

 the attack. 10 



There were many casualties among the hunters of the American 

 bison when they were still roaming the plains in great herds, but those 

 attacks were plainly due to the fact that the bison were being pursued 

 and shot at. They were fighting in self defense. The African buffalo 

 is said to be much more dangerous than the American bison. Domestic 

 bulls injure and kill more people in North America than do all the 

 beasts of prey. Occasionally a child is killed by a dog. The domestic 

 horse has been called "the most dangerous animal." When horses were 

 in more general use than now, there were annually many deaths and 

 serious injuries to human beings caused by runaway and kicking horses. 

 The high mortality rate was not due to the viciousness of horses in 

 general, and seldom due to real viciousness of the particular animals 

 that did the damage. It was due to the great number of horses being 

 constantly handled by people, many of whom were careless or incom- 

 petent, and many horses are nervous and easily frightened by unusual 

 sounds or sights that they cannot understand. 



The members of the deer family, including the reindeer, are inclined 

 to be vicious during the breeding season, and in captivity they have been 

 known to attack and injure or kill their keepers. 



Wolves in the United States have not been considered dangerous 

 to human beings, but when hungry they would almost certainly attack 

 a young, unprotected child, if they had a chance. In Siberia and some 

 other countries they are said to often attack travelers, and as they hunt 

 in packs they are dangerous. 11 



Our black bears seldom, if ever, attack men without provocation, 

 but the grizzly is generally believed to sometimes attack without any 

 good reason. 12 Many writers call it a dangerous animal, and stories are 

 told of bold attacks upon men, most of which, however, were hunters 

 who were attacking or attempting to kill the bears. Mr. Skinner, well- 

 known Yellowstone Park naturalist, contends that even grizzlies are 

 "harmless if let alone." Occasionally a park bear becomes cross and 

 dangerous. He tells of a grizzly that killed a Montana rancher who had 



10 Osgopd, Journ. Mammalogy, i, 240-241, 1920. 



11 Coupin, Animals that hunt, Ann. Kept. Smithsonian Inst. for 1903, pp. 567-573. 



12 See Henshaw, Kept. Chief of Engineers, U. S. Dept. War, 1876, Part 3, p. 528. 



