MAMMALS OF MINNESOTA. 79 
In the winter of 1877 or 1878, Mr. Wilcox had been to do some surveying 
on the upper part of Sand creek, east of Kettle river. Returning to Pine 
City through the woods with no roads, he heard a wolf cry behind him as 
early as nine o’clock in the forenoon; and, looking back, he saw him with- 
in a distance of twenty rods. On being shouted at this wolf turned back; 
but within a half hour others, hearing his howls, had joined him, and 
about the middle of the forenoon, looking back across a little swamp that 
he had crossed, Mr. W. saw three wolves coming along on his track, every 
now and then putting down their noses to the scent and uttering short 
yelps. This was at a distance of twenty-five miles or more from his home, 
and he would probably see no human being till reaching his own door, at 
the south end of Cross lake, a half mile southeast of Pine City. To be 
pursued and treed would be to starve to death. An expedient never before 
heard of by Mr. W., saved his life. Passing through a piece of birch 
woods, he stripped off a large amount of the bark and made a fire of it 
exactly in his path. Then he hurried on,—and soon, in about a quarter 
of an hour, when the wolves came up to this fire, they made all the woods 
ring with their howls of astonishment, rage, and disappointment. Their 
cries continued to be heard for an hour, or to the distance of fully two 
miles; but as he heard no more of them later, he supposes none of them 
ventured beyond this barrier of fire. 
This danger from wolves is only in the last part of winter and spring; 
and their chasing lone travelers at other seasons has never been heard of. 
During the winter of 1884-85, wolves became very abundant 
and insolent in Wright county, and were seen about the out- 
skirts of Monticello in broad daylight almost daily, though 
they were sufficiently wary to escape capture. 
Canis latrans Say. 
COYOTE. 
Canis latrans SAY, HARLAN, AUDUBON, BAIRD, COUES, etc. 
Canis frustror WOODHOUSE. 
Canis ochropus EScHSCH, etc. 
The occurrence of the prairie wolf in Minnesota must rest 
on other than personal information. I presume it is still not 
infrequent in the south-western counties. 
Color dingy white, suffused above with tawny or grey. 
The light ground color is marked by obscure streaks of black, 
especially on the back and hips. The top of the muzzle, ears, 
and outsides of legs is tan color. 
Entire length, 54 inches, of which the tail measures 18, nose 
to eye, 4; nose to ear, 8; nose to occiput, 8-9; hight at should- 
er, 24. In general the size and proportions are those of a fair 
sized pointer dog. 
