30 THE INDUSTRIES OF ANIMALS. 



exercise a genuine feint. Sometimes it is a couple 

 who hunt in concert. If they meet a flock, as they 

 are well aware that the dog will bravely defend the 

 animals entrusted to him, that he is vigilant, and that 

 his keen scent will bring him on them much sooner 

 than the shepherd, it is with him that they first 

 occupy themselves. The two wolves approach 

 secretly ; then suddenly one of them unmasks and 

 attracts the attention of the dog, who rushes after 

 him with such ardour that he fails to perceive that 

 in the meantime the second thief has seized the 

 sheep and dragged it into the wood. The dog finally 

 renounces his pursuit of the fugitive and returns to 

 his flock. Then the two confederates join each other 

 and share the prey. In other circumstances it is a 

 wolf who hunts with his female. When they wish to 

 obtain possession of a deer, whose robust flight may 

 last a long time, one of the couple, the male for 

 example, pursues him and directs his chase in such a 

 way that the game must pass by a place where the 

 female wolf is concealed. She then takes up the 

 chase while the male reposes. It is an organised 

 system of relays. The strength of the deer becomes 

 necessarily exhausted ; he cannot resist the animation 

 shown by his active foe, and is seized and killed. 

 Then the other wolf calmly approaches the place of 

 the feast to share his part of the booty. 



The small but bold Hawk called the Merlin also 

 courses in relays in exactly the same manner. These 

 birds pursue a Lark or a Swallow in the most sys- 

 tematic manner. First one Merlin chases the bird 

 for a short time, while his companion hovers quietly 

 at hand ; then the latter relieves his fellow-hunter, 

 who rests in his turn. The victim is soon tired out 



