Under
such circumstances the swiftest and slimmest wolves have the best chance of
surviving, and so be preserved or selected, provided always that they
retained strength to master their prey at this or some other period of the
year, when they were compelled to prey on other animals. I can see no more
reason to doubt that this would be the result, than that man should be able
to improve the fleetness of his greyhounds by careful and methodical
selection, or by that kind of unconscious selection which follows from each
man trying to keep the best dogs without any thought of modifying the
breed. I may add that, according to Mr. Pierce, there are two varieties of
the wolf inhabiting the Catskill Mountains, in the United States, one with
a light greyhound-like form, which pursues deer, and the other more bulky,
with shorter legs, which more frequently attacks the shepherd's flocks.
Even without any change in the proportional numbers of the animals on which
our wolf preyed, a cub might be born with an innate tendency to pursue
certain kinds of prey. Nor can this be thought very improbable; for we
often observe great differences in the natural tendencies of our domestic
animals; one cat, for instance, taking to catch rats, another mice; one
cat, according to Mr. St. John, bringing home winged game, another hares or
rabbits, and another hunting on marshy ground and almost nightly catching
woodcocks or snipes.
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