exhaustion and fatigue place him at
their mercy.

Mammals especially, such as Dogs, Wolves, and Foxes, exercise this
kind of chase; it is, exactly, the coursing which Man has merely had
to direct for his own benefit. Wild dogs pursue their prey united in
immense packs. They excite each other by barking while they frighten
the game and half paralyse his efforts. No animal is agile and strong
enough to be sure of escaping. They surround him and cut off his
retreat in a most skilful manner; Gazelles and Antelopes, in spite of
their extreme nimbleness and speed, are caught at last; Boars are
rapidly driven into a corner; their vigorous defence may cost the life
of some of the assailants, but they nevertheless become the prey of
the band who rush on to the quarry. In Asia wild dogs do not fear even
to attack the tiger. Many no doubt are crushed by a blow of the
animal's paw or strangled in his jaws, but the death of comrades does
not destroy either the courage or the greediness of the surviving
aggressors. Their number also is such that the great beast, covered by
agile enemies who cling to him and wound him in every part, must at
last succumb.

Wolves hunt also in considerable bands. Their audacity, especially
when pressed by hunger in the bad season, is well known. In time of
war they follow armies, to attack stragglers and to devour the dead.
In Siberia they pursue sledges on the snow with terrible perseverance,
and the pack is not delayed by the massacre of those who are shot. A
few stop to devour at once their fallen comrades, while the others
continue the pursuit.

Besides these brutal chases wolves seem able to exercise a genuine
feint. Sometimes it is a couple who hunt in concert. If they meet a
flock, as they are well aware that the dog will bravely defend the
animals entrusted to him, that he is vigilant, and that his keen scent
will bring him on them much sooner than the shepherd, it is with him
that they first occupy themselves. The two wolves approach secretly;
then suddenly one of them unmasks and attracts the attention of the
dog, who rushes after him with such ardour that he fails to perceive
that in the meantime the second thief has seized the sheep and dragged
it into the wood. The dog finally renounces his pursuit of the
fugitive and returns to his flock. Then the two confederates join each
other and share the prey. In other circumstances it is a wolf who
hunts with his female. When they wish to obtain