CASSBLL-a rnrn.AR NATIIJAI, IIISTOKV. 



were 



mil be 



prowl in the Nirinity of tltt fort, and even stole fish fre.m a sh-elge whirl, two elogs 

 ,1 ,., draw l,..i,u- from thr nrts without a driver. As this kind of depredation cemld 1 

 a l lmv ,,, ,1,,. wolf was waylaiel an.l kill,-;!. It, proved to 1,,- a. temale, wliirl, accounted for the- 



!,,! , having I..-..,, molested. Thr buifulo-huntcrs would be unable t... preserve the game 



Ihrv kill from thr w. elves if thr lattrr wrrr unt MS fearful as the-y arr rapae.-i.ius. The simple precaution 

 of tying a hamlkerrhi.-f I,, a branch, or of Mowing u|. a Maddrr and hanging it .so as to wavr in the 

 nine), i.s Millirirnt to keep li.-rds of wolves at a distance. 



iinrs, howe-xer, they arr impcllcel l,y hunger t" be- more vmturous, and they have lieeii 

 known to ste-al prevunonfl IVom under a mini's head in the night, and to enter a, traveller's liivouae and 

 r.irrx e.ll'.-ome- of his elogs. "During our residence at Cumberland House, in ISl'O," says Sir John 



Hirhaid- "a w.ilf, which had lire,, ]iri.wling round the fort, and was wounded by a musket-ball and 



driven otf, ivturned after it lie.-anie dark, whilst thr Hood was still (lowing from its wound, and carried 

 ol.'ii dog from .eme.ng fifty others, that he.wleel piteonsly, hut had not courage to unite in an attack on 

 their rnrmv. I Wit told of a poor Indian woman who was strangled liy a wolf, while her hu.shand, 

 who MW the alla,-k, was hastening to her assistances hut this was the only instance of their attacking 

 human life, that came to my knowledge. As the wintrr advances, and the snow becomes deep, the 

 wolM-. bring no longer able to hunt with success, suffer from hunger, and in severe- se-asenis many die. 

 In the' spring of iSl't!, a large- gray we.lf was driven by hunger to prowl among the Indian huts which 

 were riveted in the immediate- vicinity of Fort Franklin, but not being .successful in picking up ought 

 . ii was founel a few days afterwards lying dead on the snow near the feirt. Its extreme emaci- 

 ation ami the- emptiness of the intestines, sheivvvd cle-arly that it died frenn inanitiem." 



Sir .luhii .-tales that the American wolf burrows, and brings forth its young in earths, with 

 .1 outlets like- those- of a tbx. He saw some of their burrows em the plains of the Saskatchewan, 

 and also on tin- banks of the- ( '.ippe-rmine- River. The number in a litter lie states to varv from four 

 or live to eight eer nine-. After ivferring to the- instances receirded by Parry ami Franklin of the: 

 i.iiieiu e,f the female wolves and the elemiest ie elog, lie relates that he- was informed that the- Indians 

 riidea\oiir to improve their sh-elgr.dogs by crossing (he; breed with \vol\es, ami he aehls, that the 

 ivseiiiblaiii-e lietwee-n the- neirtliern we lives and the- deimestic dog of the Indians is se> groat, that the size 

 .end ire-n^'th of the- wolf seems to be the- only dilleivmv. "1 have more- than OIH-I-," he- says, " mis- 

 taken a banel e.f wolves feir the dogs of a party of Indians ; and the howl of the animals of both species 

 is prolonged .so e\ae-tly in the- same key, that even the practised ear of an Indian tails, at times, to 

 discriminate- them." 



An Kxpiimanx weilf trap is maele of strong .slabs of ice, lemg and narrow, sei that a Ibx lan with 

 elillie-uhv turn himself in i^ but a wolf must ae-lually remain in the [xjsition in which he i.s taken. 

 The- door is a he-ax y portcullis of ice, sliding in two well-secured grooves of the same substance-, and i.s 

 ke-pt up by a. line, wlnYh, pacing ei\er the- top of the ti'a}>, i.s e.-urrieel threiugh a hole at the furthest 

 miiy ; tei the- e-ml of the- line' is fa.>teiicd a small Imoji of whalebone, anel tee this any kind of flesh- 

 bait i> attae-heel. Freiin the- slab which terminates the trap, a projection of ie:e', or a peg of wood or 

 bone, point.-, inwanls, near the- lieitlem,, anil nmler this the' hoop is lightly hoeike-d ; the slightest pull at 

 the Ki it liberate-, it, the door falls in an instant, anel the- wolf is spearcel where he lie-s. 



Sir .leihn liieliiiriisein enumerate-.s the- I'e illeiw ing \ arie-t ie-s eif the- North A merie-an wolf : I lie- ceinimon 

 gray \\eilf,' the- mahnygun of the- ( 'n-e- Indians, and the amareik of the Msepiimaii'x : the- \\hite weilf,t 

 the- pie-d wolf.J the dusky \\eelf,J the- black Ami-rie-an wolt'.j] anel the- one now to be- more particularly 



: ibe-d 



Tin; i'i;.\n;ii; WOLF.- 



I'm .iniiiials \\ hie-h are- thus distinguished !ia\e been lemg known to \ ,,,, Ihe- Missouri and 



le-hewim, a.s ili>tinct fr the- e-em :i wolf. 'J'ln \ are the small wolves eif Dn Prat/ ; the- jirairie 



""It ' 'lie- prairie- wolf and burning deig of Lewis and Clark, and of Se-hoe.le-m ft ; (he- ease-d 



woK. l of the 1 1 nelson's l;.i\- (' | . I the me- the Oree Indians. 



>ir -leihn Itii-h.irelson, this BpQCii i the hi^h Bandj jilains between the 



'-"I 1 'I l.ll|em :iltnl. ; l.r pO9 nilbillM. ( ':lni . iiul.il MS ill' S,,v. 



i Mar. ' '.mi lyr .mil nl' lluilun. * l.vi'ist u:, l.ilran.,. Sinilh. 



