Quadrupeds. 7773 



ficent animal. The colour is a dark silver gray, with a rather browner 

 tint than that of the silver fox ; under the belly a bluish black ; the 

 nose and paws black. The size of an old specimen is enormous, the 

 skin being as large, when stretched and dried, as that of a barren 

 ground reindeer. 



The northern wolf is a very knowing animal, quite as much so as 

 the fox : out of an immense number which I have heard, I will relate 

 a few well-authenticated anecdotes about it, most of which have fallen 

 under my own observation. 



In the month of May, when the holes cut in the ice do not freeze 

 up, the fisherman at Fort Resolution, on visiting his trout lines, set at 

 some distance from the fort, discovered that several had been visited ; 

 the lines and hooks were lying on the ice, as well as the remains of a 

 partly-eaten trout, and a wolf's track was observed about the place. 

 The fact was that the wolf had hauled up the lines, and helped him- 

 self to what fish he required. This occurred again, and then ceased, 

 the animal having been probably driven away by the dogs of the post. 

 I have never heard of a wolf attacking man, though a dog has been 

 carried off from the winter encampment now and then. When there 

 is but a single wolf, one of our hauling dogs, which are a powerful 

 cross between the pointer and native dog, will make a good fight, and 

 often beat off his opponent. The wolf, when taken young, is easily 

 domesticated : it is affectionate and docile to its master, but snappish 

 with strangers, and rather quarrelsome with the dogs. A cross between 

 a male wolf and a domestic bitch makes an excellent breed : the off- 

 spring are hardy, docile and strong, easily fed and capable of enduring 

 great fatigue : these hybrids will, contrary to the general rule, have 

 young ones. When there are not too many dogs to drive him off a 

 male wolf will sometimes have connection with a bitch belonging to 

 the fort, but I am doubtful if a female wolf would permit the attentions 

 of a domestic dog. In the copulating season wolves become rabid, at 

 which time their bite is generally fatal to dogs and other animals. 

 Fearful of expatiating at too great a length upon the subject, I will 

 conclude this anecdotary paragraph by a testimony to the sociability 

 of the wolf, even in a wild state. A full-grown wolf remained, during 

 the months of July and August, 1857, quite domesticated, at Fort 

 Resolution : though rather shy of the people it lived in great harmony 

 with the dogs, playing and sleeping wilh them, and sharing their food : 

 ai'ound the smoke made to keep off the myriads of noxious flies from 

 the cattle it reposed with the other animals, and, although there was a 

 small calf in the baud, it never attempted mischief. It was shot at by 



