The Dog Family 



85 



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WOLF CUKS. 

 'J'hese ;ire evidently the foster-brothers of Konmlns and Remus. 



about 500 yards from the 

 antelope, they lay down 

 quietly. After about ten 

 minutes or so, the smaller 

 of the two got up and trotted 

 off to the rocky hills, and 

 suddenly appeared on the 

 ridge, running backwards and 

 forwards like a Scotch collie 

 dog. The larger wolf, as soon 

 as he saw that the antelope 

 were fully occupied in watch- 

 ing his companion, got up 

 and came as hard as he could 

 gallop to the nullah. Un- 

 fortunately he saw us and 

 bolted ; and his companion, 

 seeing there was something 

 wrong, did the same. Now, 

 it is evident that these 

 wolves had regularly planned 

 this attack. One was to 



occupy the attention of the antelope, the other to steal up the watercourse and dash into the 

 midst of them. At another time a brother-officer of mine was stalking a herd of antelope 

 which were feeding down a grassy valley, when suddenly a wolf got up before him, and then 

 another and then another, until fourteen wolves rose out of the grass. They were extended 

 right across the valley in the shape of a fishing-net or jelly-bag, so that as soon as the herd 

 had got well into the jelly-bag they would have rushed on the antelope, and some must have 

 feUen victims to their attack." They have been known to join in the chase of antelopes by 

 dogs. Captain Jackson, of the Nizam's service, let his dogs course an antelope fawn. A 

 wolf jumped up, joined the dogs, and all three seized the fawn together. He then came 

 up, whijiped off the dogs and the wolf, and secured the fawn, which did not seem hurt. 

 The wolf immediately sat down and began to howl at the loss of his prey, and in a few 

 moments made a dash at the officer, but when within a few yards thought better of it, and 

 recommenced howling. This brought another wolf to his assistance. Both howled and looked 

 very savage, and seemed inclined to make another dash at the antelope. But the horse- 

 keejiers came up, and the wolves retired. 



The Indian wolf, if a male, stands about 26 inches high at the shoulder. The length of 

 head and body is 37 inches; tail, 17 inches. 



The same si:)ecies jjractically haunts the whole of the world north of the Himalaya. It varies 

 in colour from almost black to nearly pure white. In the Hudson Bay fur-sales e\'ery \ariety 

 of colour between these may be seen, but most are of a tawny brindle. The male grows to a 

 very great size. One of the largest ever seen in Europe was for years at the London Zoo. 

 It stood 6 feet high when on its hind legs, and its immense head and jaws seemed to occupy 

 one-third of the space from nose to tail. Horses are the main prey of the Northern Wolf. 

 It will kill any living creature, but horseflesh is irresistible. It either attacks by seizing the 

 flank and throwing the animal, or bites the hocks. The biting power is immense. It will tear 

 a solid mass of flesh at one grip from the buttock of a cow or horse. In the early days of the 

 United States, when Audubon was making his first trij) up the head-waters of the JMissouri, flesh 

 of all kinds was astonishingly abundant on the prairies. Buffalo swarmed, and the Indians 

 had any quantity of buffalo-meat for the killing. Wolves of very large size used to haunt 

 the forts and villages, and were almost tame, being well fed and comfortable. Far different 



