The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-15
The Cunning of Criminal Animals;

The London Spectator has an ewtraor-
binary article on the book by Mr.. ".
Seton Thompson. Naturalist TO the gov
eminent Of Manitoba, under the utle
"Wild Animals I Have known. wnich
points out the high degree OF cunning
which some animals have reached we
cannot do better than q90te the language
Of this article
The author claims for certain animals
a share Of the Difference Paid to depraved
creatness-towit: the bObtaled wolf when
terrorised the whole city of Paris for ten
years at the beginnings of tire fourteenth
century; the S0ehnee panther which IN
less than two years killed nearly three
hundred human beings; and two creatures
Of North American fame. lame grlzziy
bear which In two years ruined all the
hog-raisers and drove half the farmers
out of business in the Sacramento Valley,
and a certain wolf of New Mexiso, which
with its band) was reported to have
killed 4 cow every day for I'VE years lie
visited the rancho which this creature
infested and witnessed the astonishing
cunning 1t exhibited. The rancho was
well watered and wooded in North New
Mexico. giving good cover 10 the wolves,
which. from the abundance Of food al
forded by the cattle, refused to look AT
any animal which they had not killed
themselves and when xiii was pols-
oned would not touch 1t. Their prey was
mainly young COWS and caves, anu
though I'm one night two of the pack killed
two hundred and utty sheep, they dlu
not eat any of the mutton. The band
were led by a very large grey wolf, whose
track was well known being 81 inches
across while other wolves footmarks were
only ~ inches. They always ran from
human beings, but were frequently seen.
The big wolf was so well known that al.
increasing price was set on his scalp TIL
II reached / 900 dollars. and the story OF
the campaign opens with the attempt OF
a professional hunter with a pack Of dogs
Ia run the wolves and hold them up
till they could be shot. The wolves sep
aratcf so did the dogs, several were
killed. and the hunter went back to
Texas. Poison and traps were then tried
but the wolves avoided both, and the, big
wolf and his mate brought up litter OF
cubs in some rocky precipices within
thousand yards Of one OF the farms, Kill
ing cattle every day The author does
not mention that the dOg-wOlf regularly
fees tlse cubs as soon as they are wean-
ed. and - q Cood father Of a family
fact which makes this incident more than
probable. II was at this period that Mr..
Thomson made the Acquaintance of the
big wolf. and tried 10 kin him by scien-
tfhc methods lie melted cheese in the
fat Of a heifer. in china dish. cut IL
Into Jumps with a bone knife 20 avoid the
faint 90 metal, and put into these strych-
nine and cyanide In odour-proof capsules.
He wore gloves STEPPED in cows blood
ana even avoided breathing on the bats.
He found that one OF these had been
picked I'D, followed the track to the next,
which was also gone, as was the third
At the fourth he found that the wolf had
laid al four together and scattered dirt
stampedins and killing sheep. Half a
dozen goats were usually kept with each
flock as leaders. Goats are not easily
stampeded at night. and the sheep when
wolves we're about. would crowd around
the goats. and keep quiet while the snep-
herds drove off the wolves. The OBJECT
of the latter is to stampede the sheep and
pick them UP day by day afterwards.
One night they ran over the backs of
the hudred sheep. and killed all the
goats IN a few minutes. This may have
been accidental. but II broke up the flock,
and effected the desired object Traps
were set to the number OF one hundred
and thirty. in different parts OF the
rancho. The trail OF the big wolf and OF
tho mack were traced up 10 one set OF
traps and the doings of the leader were
plainly marked In the dust lie mad
stoned the rest. warned by scent. and
scratched around the trap till he found
the buried chain and picket These had
been left bare: and the same was done
TO a dozen other traps. On another part
OF the rancho he entered an H-shaped
series of traps. and then detected the
danger. The trail showed that he had
slowly backed out on his own track. put
ting each paw down backwards until out
OF the dangerous ground re hao tneh
anrpng some OF the traps by scratching
cloas OF stones backwards at them, with
fis lind feet. He was at last caught by
,rn.clnr over the traps the BODY OF
fo~.,'e Wolf, the sceat OF which he fol-
,owcd.