182 THEOUGH THE MACKENZIE BASIN 



prairies and British Columbia. The three best sales were 

 in 1865, with 15,41,9 (the maximum), 12,659 in 1859, and 

 12,616 in 1866 ; the three lowest, 2,802 in 1872, 2,083 in 

 1876, and 1,865 (the minimum) in 1877. In 1902, they 

 sold 1,340, and in 1903, 1,790 skins. From 1858 to 1884, 

 Athabasca District contributed 2,119 skins of the woodland 

 (black, grey, and white) wolf to the London sales. For the 

 outfits 1885 to 1889, it made a further addition of 339 skins. 

 Between 1863 and 1884, inclusive, the district of Mackenzie 

 EiVer supplied a total of 1,880 skins of this animal. Its 

 quota in 188,9 was only 49 skins. From 1862 to 1887, Fort 

 Eesolution, Great Slave Lake, gave 193, and in 1884, 10 

 ,skins. The posts of the Upper Peace Eiver, with its lake 

 stations transferred from Edmonton, sent in 48 woodland 

 wolves in 1889. 



The Eskimos use the fur of the different varieties of 

 wolves for trimming the hood and other portions of their 

 deerskin capotes or tunics. 



Coyote — Canis latrans Say. 



This smaller prairie wolf is not found much to the north 

 of the northern branch of the Saskatchewan Eiver; but on 

 the west side of the Eocky Mountains it is, in some seasons, 

 fairly numerous as far as latitude 55° north. Mr.' Moberly, 

 an intelligent and experienced observer, writes: 



The prairie woll seldom attacks any large animal except when 

 led on by a woodland example. After a time, however, he will 

 learn to kill domestic sheep without any assistance. They gener- 

 ally live on mice, gophers, musquash, berries, and carrion. I think 

 the wood wolf inhabiting the plains country is much smaller than 

 the kind found farther north, and also lighter in color, and may 

 possibly be a cross between both species. It is more cowardly than 

 the true woodland wolf. 



He further states that the male renders no assistance 

 whatever to the female in providing food for the young, 

 which number from three to five, and occasionally six. 



