C A N I S. 
can beftow. Dogs will fometimes imitate tlie actions of 
their matters, will open a door that is fattened with a latch, 
or pull a bell, where they are defirous of gaining admit¬ 
tance.—Faber mentions one, belonging tp a nobleman of 
the Medici family, which always attended at its matter’s 
table, took from him his plates, and brought him others; 
and, if he wanted wine, would carry it to him, in a glafs 
placed upon a lilver plate, which it held in its mouth, 
without (pilling the fmalleft drop. The fame dog would 
alfo hold the ttirrups in its teeth, whiltt its matter was 
mounting his horfe. 
That dogs are capable or attachment to each other, is 
alfo evident, from the well-known hiftory of the dog at 
St. Alban’s; which, being left by his matter at an inn there 
till he returned from London, and being ill-treated by a 
large dog belonging to the houfe, ftole privately off. It 
foon returned with a friend, that was much larger and 
ftronger than itfelf; and both fell upon the aggreflbr, and 
punilhed him feverely for his cruelty to a ttranger. A li- 
milar fact is related in Stolberg’s travels through SwiHeis- 
land, of a dog which belonged to the Francifcan convent 
at Acradina. The region about was infefted by a wolf, 
whom his powers alone were not competent to fubdue. 
For feveral days lucceflively, he buried his allotment of 
meat and bones; then, collected feveral other dogs, feafted 
them from his hoard, conducted them to the chafe, and 
by their afiiftance tore in pieces the wolf. For other re¬ 
markable properties of the dog, fee the article Scent. 
And for the care and management of dogs, fee Hound, 
Pointer, Spaniel, and the articles Hunting and 
Shooting. 
CAN 1 S LUPUS , the IVOLF. 
This animal, though very different in its difpofitions, 
yet is plaoed in this genus by Linnaeus ; and by Pennant 
is ranked as the fecond fpecies of the dog. Both ex¬ 
ternally and internally, indeed, there is a refemblance; 
but there are alfo ttriking and effential marks of dilfinc- 
tion. Pennant defcribes the wolf as having a long head ; 
a pointed nofe ; ears erect and (harp ; a tail buftiy and 
bending down ; its lips black; pretty long hair ; long legs, 
and large teeth ; his head and neck cinereous; his body 
generally a pale brown, tinged with yellow : he is fome¬ 
times found white, and in Canada black : he is taller and 
ftronger made than a large greyhound. They inhabit the 
continents of Europe, Afia, Africa, and America, even in 
as high latitudes as the arctic circle. 
The wolf is one of thofe animals whofe carnivorous ap¬ 
petite is excefftvely ttrong. Though he has received from 
nature the means of gratifying this tafte ; though flic has 
beftowed on him arms, craftinefs, ftrength, agility, and 
every thing necelfary for difcovering, feizing, conquering, 
and devouring, his prey ; yet he often dies of hunger ; 
becaufe men have declared war againft him, put a price 
on his head, and forced him to flee for food to the forefts, 
where he finds only a fcanty portion of wild animals, who 
efcape from him by their fwiftnefs, and whom lie cannot 
furprife but by chance, or by a patient lying in wait at 
t.'ie places they are wont to haunt: he is naturally dull 
and dafiardly ; but want makes him ingenious, and necef- 
fity gives him courage: when prefted with famine, he 
braves danger ; he hides forth in the night, traverfes the 
country, roams about the cottages, kills all the animals 
that have been left without, digs the earth under the 
doors, enters with a dreadful ferocity, and puts every 
living creature to death, before he choofes to depart, and 
carry oft his prey. When his hunger is extreme, he lofes 
the idea ot fear ; he attacks women and children, and even 
fometimes darts upon men, till, becoming perfectly furi¬ 
ous by excellive exertions, he often falls a facrifice to rage 
and diftraCtion. He is a folitary animal. When feveral 
wolves appear together, it is an aftbciation, not of peace, 
but of war. It is attended with tumult and dreadful 
howdings, and indicates an intended attack upon fume of 
the larger animals, as a flag, an ox, or a formidable bul- 
Vol. III. No. ij8. 
7 ZI 
falo. Horfes generally defend themfelves againft their at¬ 
tacks ; but all weaker animals fall a prey to them. This 
depredatory expedition is no foonerover, than they return 
in filence each to his folitude. 
Though wolves prefer living to dead animals, yet, when 
the former fail them, and the latter fall in their way, they 
devour the mod putrid carcafes. They are fond of human 
fletti : could they always procure this, perhaps they would 
eat no other : they have been known to follow armies, to 
come to tlie field of battle where the bodies of the (lain 
aie carelcfsly interred, to tear them up; and to devour 
them with infatiable avidity : and, when once accuftomed 
to human fiefli, thefe wolves ever after attack men, prefer 
the fliepherd to the flock, devour women, and carry off 
children. The French peafants fuppofe fuel) wolves pof- 
felfed with an evil fpirit: Inch was the zuerc-zoulf of t lie 
old Saxons. Wolves are alfo very fufpicious animals ; 
they (ally forth with great caution, flop on the borders of 
the torett, fmell on all fides, and catch the emanations of 
animals living or dead brought from a diftance by the 
wind : they have an exquifite (cent : their fenie of fmell- 
ing extends farther than their eye : they are faid to fmell 
the odour of carrion at the diftance of more than a league .- 
they hunt by the nofe; and, though voracious, are capable 
of long abftinence : to allay their hunger, they have been 
known to fill their bellies w ith clay or mud. They are fuch 
folitary creatures, that there is little intercourfe even be¬ 
tween the males and females : they feel the mutual attrac¬ 
tions of love but once a-year, and never remain long toge¬ 
ther: the females come in feafon in winter, the oldett firtt, 
and the younger later, from December to February, or the 
beginning of March. Many males follow the fame fe¬ 
male ; then they growl, chafe, fight, and tear, one ano¬ 
ther. The female commonly flies a long time, fatigues 
her admirers, and at length retires with the moll alert of 
ntoft favourite male, though he frequently falls a facrifice 
to the refentment of the reft. Thd feafon of this brutal 
"love continues only twelve or fifteen days. With regard 
to the period of geftation, there is fome little uncertainty : 
Linnaeus and Pennant fay, they go with young feventy or 
feventy-three days ; Button fays, three months and a half, 
or a hundred days ; Mr. Smellie fays, feventy-three days 
or more ; but Button tells us, that young whelps are 
found from the end of April to the month of July. 
When the females are about to bring forth, they feek 
out a concealed place in the inmoft recedes of tlic for eft : 
after fixing on the fpot, they make it fiuooth for a confi- 
derable fpace : they then bring great quantities of mofs, 
and prepare a commodious bed for their young ones, which 
are, in number, from three to nine at a litter : like dogs, 
they are brought forth blind, and the mother fuckles them 
during feveral weeks, and afterwards procures them food, 
and prepares it for them with great attention. Though 
naturally more timid than the male, yet, when her young 
are attacked, (he defends them with intrepidity; (lie lofes 
all fenfe of danger, and becomes perfectly furious : flip 
never leaves them till they are fo ttrong as no longer to 
need either her afiiftance or protection, which is the cafe 
when they are about fixteen months old : they acquire 
their full growth at the end of two or three years, and live 
fifteen or twenty : when old, they turn whitifh, and their 
teeth appear to be much worn : when full, or fatigued, 
they deep, but more during the day than the night ; it is 
always a kind of light (lumber : they drink often ; if fup- 
plied with water, they can pafs four or five days without 
meat. 
'Ihe wolf has great ftrength in the mufcles of his neck 
and jaws : he carries a (beep in his mouth, and at the 
fame time outruns the (hepherds ; fo that he can be flop¬ 
ped, or deprived of his prey, only by dogs ; his bite alfo 
is terrible. Though men, attended with maftifts, beat 
their haunts, lay fnares and baits, dig pit-falls, and fcatter 
poifoned pieces of meat ; yet the number of thefe deftroc- 
tive animals never decreafes in the immenfe woody coun¬ 
tries of Germany. Whole provinces are fometimes obii - 
S X ged 
