264 
THE PRAIRIE WOLF. 
of its fur vary from tliat of the common W olf, but there are various differences of structure 
in the position of the eye, the peculiar bushiness of the hair, and other peculiarities, which 
have entitled it to rank as a separate species. 
The American Wolves partake of the general lupine character, being fierce, dangerous, 
and cowardly, like their European brethren. They are marvellously pusillanimous when they 
find themselves fairly inclosed ; and even if their prison-house be a large yard they crouch 
timidly in the corners, and do not venture to attack a human being if he enters the same 
inclosure. Audubon mentions a curious instance of this strange timidity in so fierce an animal, 
and of which he was an eye-witness. 
A farmer had suffered greatly from the Wolves, and had determined to take his revenge 
by means of pitfalls, of which he had dug several within easy reach of his residence. They 
were eight feet in depth, and wider at 
the bottom than at the top. Into one 
of these traps three fine Wolves had 
fallen ; two of them being black and the 
other a brindled animal. To the very 
great astonishment of M. Audubon, the 
farmer got into the pit, pulled out the 
hind-legs of the Wolves as they lay 
trembling at the bottom, and with his 
knife severed the chief tendon of the 
hind-limbs, so as to prevent their escape. 
The farmer was thus repaying himself 
for the damage which he had suffered, 
for the skins of the captured Wolves 
were sufficiently valuable to reimburse 
him for his labor and previous losses. 
Among the Esquimaux the Wolves 
are caught in traps made of large blocks 
of ice, and constructed in precisely the 
same manner as an ordinary mouse-trap 
with a drop-door. The trap is made so 
narrow that the Wolf cannot turn him- 
self, and when he is fairly inclosed by 
the treacherous door, he is put to death 
by spears, which are thrust through in- 
terstices left for that purpose. 
There is a rather smaller species 
of Wolf, which is found in great numbers upon the American prairies, and named for that 
reason the Prairie W olf. These animals are always found hanging on the outskirts of the 
numerous herds of bisons that roam the prairies, and pick up a subsistence by assailing the 
weakly and wounded members of the herd. Small as is each individual Wolf, it becomes a 
terrible assailant when backed by numbers, and seldom fails to bring to the ground any 
animal which may be unfortunate enough to attract its attention. 
When they have once brought their prey to the ground, they make marvellously short 
work. There is a scuffle of some two minutes in length, during which the Wolves are so 
eagerly plying their feet and jaws that nothing is visible except a cloud of dust and hair, in 
the midst of which is a mass of whisking tails. The dusty cloud then subsides, and the 
Wolves are seen moving slowly away from the scene of their late repast. They also are in the 
habit of accompanying the hunters through their long peregrinations over the prairies, always 
hanging behind at respectful distances, and at night encamping within easy range of the fire. 
They seem never to injure the hunter or his horse, preferring to make use of his superior 
powers in procuring them a daily supply of food. They are wise in so doing, as the hunter 
PJLAIRIE WOLF. — Canls latrans. 
