J an. 36, 1893.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



69 



the flesh of the bulls is highly flavored, and both bulls 

 and cows, when lean, smell strongly of musk. Tliis odor 

 does not seem to be confined to either sex, or to stlj 

 particular season of the year. At times the flesh of some 

 of the animals is said to be tender and very well flavored. 



The cai'casK of a. good-sized male will ^^'eig•h ?>00 to 

 3501bs. In summer they accumulate considerable fat. 

 and during winter use up this fatty tissue. The males 

 are considerably larger than the females. Tlie oows 

 calve about June 1 . giving birth to one young one. The 

 animal is also known as musk buffalo and nui.sk sheep, 

 both very expressive names. 



The animal has a very pT-ominent tendency to a hump. 

 The dorsal processes of the vertebral column, as shown in 

 the skeleton, indicate this. The dense, long and somewhat 

 stiff bunch of hau- over the shoulders plainly proves that 

 the animal po.ssesses a hump. All specimens which have 

 been heretofore mounted do not show this featnre of the 

 animal. The head is large and broad. The liorns in the 

 old males are extremely broad at the base, meeting in the 

 median line and covering the whole top of the head, They 



the musk ox here given represents the character of the 

 animal. The specimen from which it is taken is the 

 large.st ui tliis country or Europe. The skin of this speci- 

 juen was obtained by E. Y. Skinner, Esq., of the Canadian 

 Pacific R. R., and phiced in the hands of Messrs. Sowdon 

 & Webster, of 14 East J*'orty-second street, this city, 

 who have prepared it, as faithfully represented by the 

 plate. Through the kindness and by the permission of 

 Mr. Skinner we have the pleasure of pla,cing before our 

 reailers this liandsome likeness. 



This specimen was sledded by natives over 1,400 miles 

 near Fort Franklin, and was received here in fine condi- 

 tion. Tlie order for it was given three years since and 

 the specimen has been in transit most of this time. These 

 few measurements may serve to impress the reader with 

 the proportions of this particular specimen. The animal 

 stands at the shoalder 4ft. 5in.; the length from nose to 

 stern is 6ft. 7in.; height at tlie rump 3ft. lOin.; length of 

 head from base of skull to end of nose 24in. : length of 

 horn from median line, following the outside curve to tip. 

 34in.; width of both horns at base 12in.; diameter of 



of wolves of the Pyrenees having come down in the 

 villages on the moimtain side and attacked the stock and 

 devoured persons, so that it may fairly be assumed that 

 European wolves are more ferocious than those of our 

 own country. 



In the old days in the West, a man no more thought of 

 bemg afraid of a woJf than oi' a gi-mjiid squiri-el. Witli a, 

 stick, or -without one, :i man c<ivil(l (/Jiase a, yiack of gray 

 wolves as far as lie could run, and as long as bis wind 

 held oiii-. Even in the bitterest Aveather the wolfers never 

 thought that tliere was any danger oJ:' Iteing attacked by 

 wolves. The only case of wliich L ever heard which sug- 

 gested anything like this, was toward the end of a very 

 long snowy winter, when a large white wolf one night 

 foUoAved a friend of mine up to his cabin door. The 

 animal trotted along only a few steps behind the unarmed 

 man, who confessed to feeh'ng somewhat uneasy lest the 

 beast should spring at him, but it made no demonstration 

 of this kind. 



Of late years more or less frequent accounts ha,ve been 

 published in the newspapers of packs of wolves attacking 



MUSK UX ( Ooihofi inusclMtus j. 



are du-ected, at first, .sliglitly outward, and then suddenly 

 downward by tlie side of the head, and then they turn 

 upward with a graceful curve, and forAvard, ending in 

 the same plane as the eye. The horns at the base are 

 rough, but gradually groAv smooth, from the center to the 

 tips, which are round, glossy and black. At the base tliey 

 are a dull white. The horns of the females are much 

 smaller, and at their- base the space between them is much 

 broader in the middle of the forehead. The ears are 

 smaU. and are concealed in the hair. The sjjace betAveen 

 the nostrils and the upper lip is coA'ered AA-ith a short, 

 close hau-, as in goats and sheep, and has no 

 trace of the bare "muffle" of oxen. The 

 general color of the hair is a rich brown, shading into 

 black. It is long, matted and rather curly at the neck 

 and shoulders. On the back and hips the hair is long and 

 straight, on the sides of the body exceedinglj^ long, so 

 long as to hang below the middle of the legs. In some 

 specimens which we have measured the longest hairs have 

 been 30in. long. In the center of the back there is a patch 

 of soiled brownish white, termed the saddle. 



There is a closely matted short under wool, exceedingly 

 soft and fine of textm-e and so dense that it is impervious 

 to snoAV and rain. On the chest the haii- is long and 

 straight and hang-s down gracefully like fringe. The tail 

 is shox-t and hidden in the long hair on the hips. On the 

 legs the hair is short, stiff and without any imderAvool. 

 The hoofs are much curved and larger than those of the 

 caribou, which they resemble in shape, and the eye of a 

 skilled hunter would be taxed to detect the diii'erence be- 

 tween the tracks of the two species in the snow. The 

 bones of the animal are very dense, those of the legs haA^e 

 the weight and appearance of iA^ory. 



The food of the musk ox is similar to that of the cari- 

 bou, and consists of grass at one season and lichen at 

 another. The curved hoofs enable the animal to scrape 

 away the deep snows which cover their scanty food. 

 Their sense of smeU is very acute. The illustration of 



horns at base ^nin.: breadth of muzzle 4fm. ; circumfer- 

 ence of muzzle 14in. ; circumference of hoof of front leg 

 ITin. ; circumference of hoof of hindleg 13in. 



There are but four other mounted specimens of the musk 

 ox in this country. One is at Harvard College, Cambridge, 

 Mass., and three compose a group at the United States 

 National IWuseuni, Washington. D. C. Of these one is a 

 male, one a temale and one a two-year-old, none of theivi 

 superior s))ecimens, FbkdkriO S, Webstee. 



THE WAYS OF WOLVES. 



Editor Forest a/iid Hfream : 



I haA^e been much interested in the splendid figure of 

 the wolf presented in yotu- is.sue of January 5th, and have 

 been amused by one or tAvo comments on it which I have 

 seen in the Forest and Stream since then. The corre- 

 spondent Avho says that wolves are never fat, evidently 

 never saw Avoives on the buffalo ran^e ui the old times. 

 Then they used to be very fat, as did also the coyotes, 

 badgers and foxes. 



There is one question on Avhich I should Hke to hear the 

 opinions of yoru- readers, and about AA'hich I know nothing 

 A^ery definitely, although I have been familiar with gray 

 wolves for about a quarter of a century. 



Does the American wolf ever attack human beings? Up 

 to a few years ago almost the only account of the killing 

 of persons by woh-es is the one' found in Audubon and 

 Bachman, Avhich teUs of the devouring of a slave by a 

 pack of wolves in some one of the Southern_ States. This 

 accoimt came to the authors at second or third hand, and 

 to my mind it is not at all convincing. 



We have always been tatight that the wolves of Europe 

 commonly attack men in severe winter weather. Books 

 of travel' abormd in stories of this class AAdiere packs of 

 wolves pursue travelers in sledges and frequently one or 

 more of the persons so pursued is sacrificed to save the 

 lives of the others. This wiater the press dispatches speak 



human beings in Minnesota, and North Dfikota,. I)nt I have 

 alAvays believed, a,nd still think, that such despatclies are 

 mere newspaper "fakes" and no more to be credited than 

 the bear and hoop snake stoiies \\-hich so :ti-cquently adorn, 

 the pages of the journals to-day. 



What I am in search of now is authentic testimony as 

 to the ferocity of American wolves and their disposition 

 Avhen forced ))y hunger to attack human lieings. Does 

 anyone know of a case wliere a .man, woman or child 

 has bi^'Pii attackp'l by gra;\' wolves, and under wliat cii- 

 cnnistancr's ilid siicli occurrc-uce take place? I do not 

 want liearsay evidence, but good con\-ineing proof. 



If such i.iccnrrences ha.ve taken place 1 think tliiyy ought 

 to be put on record. 1 presume that it is only within the 

 last few years, smce \vild game became so scarce, that 

 anything of this kind has occurred, if it has ever occurred, 

 which T very much doubt. 



If you are Avilling to give space to this note in your 

 columns it may perhaps bring out some interesting 

 BAddence. Et, Vte.jo. 



California Academy of Sciences. 



The officers elected Jan. 3 for 1893 are: President, H. 

 W. Harkness; First Vice-President, H. H. Behr; Second 

 Vice-President, J. Gr. Cooper: Corresponding Secretary, T. 

 S. Brandegee; Recorduig Secretary, J, R. Scupham: Treas- 

 urer, L. H. Foote; Liljrarian, Carlos Troyer; Director of 

 MiLseum, J. Z. Davis^ 



Beaver Bam Horse Feed. 



Here appears to be foundation for another Kekoskee 

 fish story. It is an advertisement in the Appleton (Wis. ) 

 Crescent: 



Bullheads fob Sale. 

 Will contract to fui-nish Bullheads in 1,000 bushel 

 lots at 50 cts. a bushel, andre.ssed, F. O. B., Beaver 

 Dam. AVis. Fish guaranteed good quality, Address 

 W. G., care of tliis office, 76d6* 



