456 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



6. PRAIRIE WOLF 



CANIS LATRANS Say 



The Prairie Wolf, or Coyote as it is more commonly known in 

 the West where it is abundant, is not known to occur in the im- 

 mediate vicinity of Lake Maxinkuckee. It is a species of the 

 prairies, occurring in some abundance in the prairie counties in the 

 northwest corner of the State, particularly in Benton, Lake, 

 Newton, Jasper and Starke counties. Dr. Hahn records a large 

 number from these counties. He also states that a pack of mod- 

 erate size was seen near Leesburg, Kosciusko County, in the win- 

 ter of 1906-7. On May 16, 1906, two examples, a male and a 

 female, were killed near McCoysburg, Jasper County, by Mr. 

 Charles W. Bussel, who forwarded them to the U. S. National 

 Museum. This place is^bout 25 miles southwest of Lake Maxin- 

 kuckee. Mr. Anton Meyer of Plymouth, Indiana, already quoted, 

 informs us that he usually gets a few small prairie wolf pelts each 

 winter, chiefly from Starke and Jasper counties. As the prairie of 

 this portion of the State reaches Lake Maxinkuckee it is quite 

 probable that this wolf occurs there. Dr. Hahn expresses the be- 

 i; f that the Coyote has doubtless increased greatly in numbers in 

 recent years in the northwestern portion of the State and that its 

 range is gradually extending eastward. 



7. RED FOX 



VULPES FULVA (Desmarest) 



Formerly common throughout the State but now not often seen. 

 A few burrows believed to be those of Foxes were observed in 

 Walley's woods and near the outlet, southwest of the lake. The 

 only Foxes actually seen by us about the lake were a family of 

 three young and their mother found April 18, 1901, in a den in 

 Green's field southwest of the lake. The old one was shot, and the 

 three young taken as pets. One of them promptly escaped, but the 

 other two were kept for several weeks when a second one escaped. 

 The remaining one for some unknown reason became paralyzed in 

 its hind legs. It was permitted to go about as best it could, and 

 finally took up its residence among the bushes in Green's marsh. 

 Here the dog would occasionally go to tease it, but the young fox 

 was always able to keep the dog off. Late in the summer it dis- 

 appeared and was not seen again. 



On the morning of October 16, 1913, as the senior author of this 

 report was coming up the E ankakee River from the Warden's 

 Island, a fox was seen standing- on a soft maple tree that leaned out 



