IV. THREE KINDS OF WOLVES. 



IT is certain that there were three kinds of wolves 

 in Pennsylvania, although they may have been 

 color phases of one species, canis mexicanus 

 nuhilus. This might stand as a fact were it not that 

 there was a difference in localities inhabited by the 

 several varieties. While there may have been cases 

 where black wolves whelped grey or brown pups, and 

 inversely, yet the concensus of opinion of the old hunt- 

 ers, and it is on their observations that this book is 

 writtten, is that the wolves of Pennsylvania bred re- 

 markably true to color. The largest variety, the grey 

 wolf, was found in Northern and in Southern Penn- 

 sylvania, or, to be more exact, in the counties of the 

 Northern and Southern tier. The brown wolf, small- 

 est in size, was the variety that formerly abounded in 

 the Blue Mountains, in the West Branch Valley, clear 

 to Clearfield County, and in the Western part of the 

 State. The grey and brown varieties were less wary 

 and were more quickly exterminated than the third 

 variety, which was midway in size between the two, 

 the black wolf, or canis lycaon. This animal strangely 

 enough inhabited the most limited ground for it was 

 seldom seen outside the confines of the Seven Moun- 

 tains in Centre and Mifflin Counties. And in the 

 Seven Mountains the old hunters aver that there were 

 no wolves except black ones. The color of these black 

 wolvee was subject to variation. Some were jetty black, 



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