43 



\\ hile bear of all kinds are easiest to kill in September and 

 October, their pelts are not much good then, and the black bear dens 

 up almost as soon as he is in prime condition. The grizzly stays out 

 quite late in the winter, and on the coast may often be found out in 

 the snow looking for salmon well on in December. 



The spring is by far the best time, as they are in their prime, 

 and spend a lot of time feeding on the old slides on the mountains 

 or in the little meadows of the valleys. They leave their dens accord- 

 ing to the weather. The black bears are about a fortnight ahead of 

 the grizzly. The first week in May is about the average date for 

 hunting on the coast ; the interior a week or ten days later. 



WOLVES. 



Timber-wolf (Caiiis occidcntalis) . — Found more or less all over 

 the Province, but particularly numerous in the Atlin and Skeena 

 Districts and along the northern coast. They are enormous animals, 

 probably the biggest of the wolf family, and vary greatly in colour, 

 from almost entire black to grizzly grey, and from brindled brown 

 to yellow. 



Coyote (Canis latroiis). — ^Nlore or less plentiful throughout the 



interior. 



THE CAT FAMILY. 



Cougar, Mountain-lion. Panther (Fclis concolor). — Extremely 

 plentiful on Vancouver Island and some parts of the mainland. They 

 have been killed as far north as 54 degrees, but are not numerous 

 anywhere north of the C.P.R. main line. 



Lvnx {Lynx canadensis). — May be found anywhere on the 

 mainland, but most numerous in the northern interior. 



Wild-cat (Lynx faciatus). — Fairly common on the mainland in 

 the vicinity of the coast. A few are to be found in the interior, 

 even so far north as Yukon. 



FOXES. 



Black Fox, Silver- fox, Cross Fox (J'ulpcs dcciissata), Common 

 Fox. — All the species of fox are confined to the northern interior. 

 The common fox is very numerous. 



OTHER FUR-BEARING ANIMALS. 



Beaver (Castor fiber). — Found everywhere in the Province, both 

 on the main'.and and the islands. Are not allowed to be taken. 



]\Iusk-rat (Fiber cibethicns). — Found almost everywhere, but 

 most numerous at the mouth of the Fraser River. 



