THE GROUP OF THE WOLVES. 



137 



THE DOGS PROPER 



(CANIS) 

 With five toes m front, four behind, and 42 teeth. 



The Group of the Wolves (subgenus Liipu 



With round pupil 



includes the strongest species with the 

 longest legs. 



Our common ^o\1{Canis lupus) may ser\'e 

 as the type of the whole group. A highly 

 social animal, the wolf is distributed over all 

 Europe, all the continent of Asia except the 

 hot regions, and all North America, in one 

 word, over all the cold and temperate regions 

 of both hemispheres. High mountains are 

 seldom visited by it except as places of refuge, 

 when it is driven away by the civilization of 

 the plains. It prefers the wild tracts of 

 moderately high mountains, and of plains 

 where forests afford a secure retreat, and in 

 general can make itself comfortable anywhere, 

 if only it can find a good resting-place and 

 abundant food. Man has driven it away 

 wherever he could, and in England it has 

 been extirpated. In our days it is chiefly in 

 western Europe, in the Jura, the Ardennes, 

 and the maritime mountains of Northern 

 Spain where it still roams about in small 

 troops, while in the East, in Poland, Russia, 

 and Hungary, it still forms large flocks, which 

 in time of war press further west in the train 

 of the armies. 



The wolf cannot be better described than 

 by saying that it is like a large lean slim dog 

 with a thick head, pointed muzzle, and shaggy 

 hanging tail. The legs are thin, the paws 

 narrow, the fur abundant and thick in north- 

 ern countries during the winter, of a yellowish- 

 gray colour, sometimes inclining to red, yellow, 

 or black. Like all animals with a wide distri- 

 bution the wolves have coats which \ary \-ery 

 much according to the country and the season 

 of the year. In general the fur is highly 

 esteemed as a shaggy sort. The tail is ne\-er 

 so well covered with hair as that of the fox. 



In spite of the reputation for coarse 

 stupidity, which has been created for it by 

 the writers of fables, the wolf is an untirine 

 cunning hunter, which in all its hunts traverses 

 considerable stretches of ground. It seeks 

 out carrion as well as living victims. 



In summer it is almost always to be found 

 alone, or accompanied only by a female, but 

 in winter the pairs unite into large troops, 

 sometimes numbering more than a hundred 

 individuals. After sunset they call to one 

 another by uttering a frightful whining howl 

 most disagreeable to hear, and the chase lasts 

 the whole night through. By day the wolf 

 rests in dense underwood, in fissures in the 

 rocks, holes in the snow, or amidst the reeds 

 on the margins of ponds and marshes. 



The wolf goes where hunger calls. In 

 winter he approaches the dwellings and 

 stables, in summer he prefers to hunt in the 

 woods. Fainthearted and cowardly when 

 alone, he often takes to fli8:ht in the most 

 ridiculous manner on the slightest occasion; 

 but when combined into a tolerably numerous 

 troop, the same animals show themselves to 

 be daring, reckless, and terrible in the last 

 degree. He flees from man, especially where 

 he has made acquaintance with fire-arms; 

 nevertheless the stories told of the " wer- 

 wolf" are not altogether without foundation. 

 There were mad wolves which, just like mad 

 dogs, fell upon all that came in their way. 



The wolf has just as keen a scent as the 

 best hunting hound, and is just as expert in 

 following a trail. Plate VI. depicts a band 

 of wolves so occupied. The wolf is sly, 

 clever, and patient. When he hunts alone 

 he follows his victim with remarkable perse- 

 verance and certainty. For hours at a time 

 he lies in wait beside the well-known tracks 

 of his pre)-, and always manages to overcome 

 the obstacles which he finds in his way. It 

 is an established fact that a pack of wolves 

 draws up regular plans of attack, and the 

 members of it come to a mutual understand- 

 ing as to their respecti\-e roles. If they have 



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