218 
ANIMAL CURIOSITIES 
methods when hunting, so do wild creatures 
make use of various means for the purpose of 
outwitting and overpowering their prey ; some 
relying upon their fleetness of foot to enable 
them to overtake their quarry; others com¬ 
bining and hunting in packs; while others 
resort to the practice of lying in ambush and 
waiting patiently for their victims to approach. 
Of those that course or run down their prey 
the cheetah or hunting-leopard is, without 
doubt, the most proficient; its pace being so 
great for a short distance that no other living 
creature can outstrip it. It is not endowed 
with much endurance, however, and if it fails 
to overtake its quarry within a few minutes 
after commencing the chase the beast retires 
from the fray in disgust. 
But very different from that of the foregoing 
is the method employed by some of the wild 
dogs, many of which hunt in packs. Wolves, 
for instance, although usually found in small 
family parties, will frequently congregate to¬ 
gether and hunt in large numbers, especially 
during the winter months when food is scarce. 
When pressed by hunger they become both 
bold and ferocious, and many stories have 
been related of the creatures chasing the 
drivers of sledges over the snow-covered ground 
for mile after mile. So great is their perse- 
