86 EARLY DAY STORIES. 



CHAPTER XII. 

 Wild Animals and Birds That Lived Here Concluded. 



The black bear, the red fox and the Canada lynx have 

 all been found in the eastern part of the state, in the hilly, 

 timbered country adjacent to the Missouri river, but insofar 

 as has come to my knowledge, none have been seen in 

 Antelope county. The otter, mink and muskrat were found 

 here when the country was new, and the mink and the musk- 

 rat are yet about as plentiful as ever, but the otter have 

 probably nearly disappeared. There was a time when the 

 large gray wolves were abundant here in an early day 

 they were found everywhere with the buffalo. When the 

 buffalo retired from this country the gray wolves went with 

 them. It is probable that one was seen occasionally by the 

 first settlers, but it was a rare occurrence. The coyote or 

 prairie wolf has always been plentiful here, there seemingly 

 being little or no diminution of their numbers. 



To sum up the matter: The last of the buffalo were 

 seen here in July, 1872 ; the elk and the black-tail deer re- 

 mained in diminished numbers five or six years longer ; the 

 white-tail deer were very scarce after the hard winter of 

 1880-'81, but there was an occasional one seen until the early 

 nineties. One was killed between Neligh and Clearwater 

 by Geo. W. Rapp of Neligh in the year 1891. A few an- 

 telope probably remained as late as the year 1880, but they 

 were not numerous after 1875 or '76. The big wolves, what 

 few there were here, left with the buffalo, and the swifts, 

 or prairie foxes, were killed or trapped or driven out before 

 the year 1890. The beaver all left the country prior to 1880, 

 but as it is their habit to travel from place to place a few 

 have been in the county of recent years, and one was trapped 

 in the Elkhorn about the year 1900. Now and then an otter 



