180 THROUGH THE MACKEliTZIE BA^IW 



White Wolf — Canis alhus (Sabine). 

 Geat and Black Wolf — Canis griseus (Sabine). 



The white is the most abundant variety of wolf in the 

 far north ; next oomes the gray, and the black is the rarest. 

 These wolves yeaorly succeed in killing as prey quite a large 

 number of reindeer and not a few moose. On one occasion, 

 while travelling upon the ice between Forts Liard,and Nel- 

 son, in the Mackenzie River District, we came across a big 

 patch of hard-p.a«ked snow on the Liard River where a large 

 buck moose had evidently been surrounded, and no doubt 

 overpowered, after a most gallant fight for life, by perhaps 

 a score of ferocious and cowardly wolves. A few well-picked 

 bones and the skull were the only relics left. At a short 

 distance, however, we perceived a full-grown gray wolf, 

 which was at once shot. It had one of its hind legs shattered 

 by a kick from the moose, which so disabled it that it could 

 scarcely crawl. Had its companions not been fully gorged 

 they would doubtless have fallen upon and eaten it too. 



Although the old saying " mad as a March wolf " may 

 not apply generally, yet there are seasons when many of 

 them undoubtedly suffer from distemper similar to that 

 which some years attacks Indian and Eskimo dogs, and are 

 then more or less dangerous. In the month of March, 1868, 

 large numbers of northern wolves were thus affected, and 

 several Indians and one or two servants of the Company were 

 attacked and narrowly escaped being bitten, while it was 

 currently reported that an elderly native woman had been 

 killed about that time in the forest at a distance of several 

 miles from Eort Rae, Great Slave Lake. Instances have' 

 also occurred where they have carried off dogs from the 

 vicinity of the posts, and also from the winter night encamp- 

 ments of northern travellers. 



In some seasons the woodland wolf is more abundant 

 than usual at certain points throughout the north. It is 



