326 



tradt'i-s — ;ij)p(ai- lu be very imich iiioic abundant lliaii 

 lias been commonly supposed. The plentitude of same 

 of tihese species which destroy annually large numbers 

 of domesticated fowls, game, etc., accounts, in a large 

 degree, for the great loss whicli is every year sustained 

 by farmers and poulterers. 



About three years ago the writer began to collect 

 statistics and data conceining the fur-bearing ixud 

 poultry-destroying mamninls which are found in Penn- 

 sylvania. Efforts in tliis direction were eminently 

 successful and a large amount of interesting and in- 

 structive material was obtained from fur dealers, hun- 

 ters, trappers and naturalists throughout the State. 



Unfortunately, liowever, the fire whicli burned the 

 State Capitol building in February, 181)7, destroyed 

 this material which, with everything else in the office 

 of the writer, was consumed. At first, when the re- 

 |)()r(s from some sources showing great numbers of 

 animals taken yearly for the pelts or bounty began to 

 reacli the office, they were looked upon witli doubt 

 and it was thought they were sent without i)roper in- 

 (juiry or by mistakes, unwittingly made. The fig- 

 ures given, in some cases, were so surprising, that 

 after consultation with the Secretary of this Depart- 

 ment, who in common with the Zoologist, was desirous 

 of publishing for public use no misleading statistics, 

 special efforts were made to verify a number of the 

 returns wliere there w\^s any possible room for doubt 

 as to reliability, These efforts shewed — barring a few 

 reports from professional scalp hunters and over-zeal- 

 ous fur-buyers — that the returns made to this Depart- 

 ment wei'e co'rrect, and where defective, it was be- 

 cause the persons pre]iaring them had been so cautions 

 as to underestimate rather than exaggerate. Tn 

 chapter IX of this document a number of "bounty rec- 



