3i6 Field Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. XL 



The Gray Wolf, often called Timber Wolf, is common in northern 

 Wisconsin and is claimed to be occasionally found in other parts of the 

 state; but unless the animal is killed and examined by an expert, its 

 resemblance to the Prairie Wolf, or Coyote, would cause us to regard 

 records of its occurrence in the more settled districts of southern Wis- 

 consin and Illinois with suspicion. While it is possible that straggling 

 individuals have of late years been taken in Illinois, all efforts to secure 

 a specimen have failed, and on several occasions the supposed "Timber 

 Wolves" have proved upon examination to be Prairie Wolves (C. 

 latrans). From time to time notices regarding the killing of so-called 

 "Gray Wolves" have appeared in the newspapers in different parts of 

 the state. As an example I quote the following from the St. Louis 

 Repuhlican, January 9, 1911: 



"Two of the largest gray wolves ever killed in Bureau County [Illi- 

 nois] were shot this week by David Hiltabrand, a farmer living near 

 Tiskilwa. He was allowed the bounty of $ 1 2 from the County Treasury. 



"The animals were captured after an exciting chase through the 

 timber. One wolf weighed thirty -five pounds and the other thirty- 

 three. The carcasses were viewed with considerable curiosity as wolves 

 have been scarce in that vicinity for many years." 



The weight given for these animals would indicate that they were 

 Prairie Wolves (C. latrans). 



Judge R. Magoon Barnes of Lacon, Marshall Co., Illinois, infonns 

 me that a large Wolf was killed a few miles from Lacon in 1907 ; four or 

 five were reported in 190S, and an equal number in 1909-10, He did 

 not see the specimens. 



Mr. E. J. Chansler of Bicknell, Indiana, writes, "There was a large, 

 wild Timber Wolf killed one and one half miles south of Vincennes on 

 the Illinois side of the River about the year 1883. It had been killing 

 cattle or hogs and the parties watched for it one night and shot it. It 

 was mounted and kept by Mr. Ed. Bravagle of Main St., Vincennes, 

 Indiana." 



Wood says, "During the years 1S83 to 1905 inclusive, bounties 

 were paid on 159 wolves* killed in Champaign County." {I. c, p. 570). 



Kennicott (1854) gives it as formerly common in Cook County and, 

 states it was "found throughout the state." (/. c, p. 578.) Hahn 

 gives several supposed records for Indiana (/. c, pp. 558-559); and 

 McAtee states (apparently on hearsay evidence) that a female and a 

 litter of young were taken in Brown Co., Indiana, in 1902 (/. c, p. 6). 



I am indebted to Mr. Otto Widmann of St. Louis for a dozen or more 



* We may assume that the majority, if not all of these animals, were Prairie 

 Wolves (C. latrans). 



