352 
PRAIRIE-WOLVES. 
sider, as some authors do, the prairie-wolves 
and the Mexican coyotte as representatives 
of the family; and they seem to me too de¬ 
cidedly wolfish in their aspect to he consi¬ 
dered as any thing but wolves. In South 
America their place is occupied by the 
hyena wolves, which seem to be interme¬ 
diate between the red dog group and the 
hyena. In their habits they seem to re¬ 
semble jackals rather than dogs, though 
they are much more gentle in their disposi¬ 
tions, and may be trained so as to accom¬ 
pany their master in the chase; but, should 
the game be scarce or not to their liking, 
they will leave him and return home. Both 
tame and wild ones have a crow-like pro¬ 
pensity to steal and hide things which can 
be of no manner of use to them, such as 
canes, silk handkerchiefs, and bright-co¬ 
loured articles in general. In a wild state 
they seem to be dumb, but, when tamed, 
learn to bark feebly and, as it were, imper¬ 
fectly. They subsist, like other canines, 
upon flesh, but devour also fish, crabs, toads, 
serpents and insects. When domesticated, 
they will join in the jaguar-hunt with great 
eagerness, but do not seem to have that in- 
