78 SECOND BIENNIAL EEPOET [W. VA. 



Characteristic mammals of the Canadian zone are the white hare, jumping 

 mouse, red-backed mouse, New York weasel, black mink, fisher and red squirrel, 

 the first four species being restricted 1 to this zone. As we descend from the 

 Canadian into the Transition Zone w T e find the two species of cotton-tail 

 rabbits, the little dark northern form inhabiting the cold northern slopes of 

 the mountains, the southern form, which is characteristic of the Austria! zone, 

 prefering for its habitat the southern slopes of the mountains and the open 

 fields, while the little striped skunk, harvest mouse and opossum, characteristic 

 of the Upper Austral region, push upward into the Transition from the south- 

 ern -and western sections of the state. Consequently we find the Transition 

 zone the most productive of species, both the northern and southern forms 

 here overlapping in their geographical ranges. 



By means 01 collections made in the state during the past twenty years 

 I have been able to assemble a list of 57 species and subspecies of mammals, 

 the game and fur bearing consisting of 30 species while the remaining 27 

 species consists of mice, bats, moles and shrews. This list does not include 

 two important species of big game which became extinct early in the nine- 

 teenth century, the last buffalo having been killed on a branch of Elk river 

 in 1815, while the last elk was killed early in the 40 's in Randolph county, 

 though the last animal of this species killed in the Kanawha Valley was shot 

 about 51/2 miles from Charleston in 1820. 



Taking our animals in the order of their importance we must first consider 

 the Virginia deer. This is by far the most important, in fact, with the 

 exception of the bear, the only big game we can boast, and. the mountains of 

 the eastern section of the state are its natural home, where it formerly roamed 

 in almost countless numbers. About fifteen years ago it looked as though it 

 would only be a matter of time till it became extinct, but within the past five 

 years it has increased greatly in numbers in certain sections, and my opinion 

 is that if the sale of venison is absolutely prohibited and the season for 

 killing it shortened to one month its former abundance would in great 

 measure be restored. The destruction of our magnificient forests by the lum- 

 berman and fire has resulted jn the growth of an immense area of scrub, 

 almost impenetrable thickets of it, to which deer naturally resort, and if some 

 legislation looking to the abolishment of forest fires is had in the near future, 

 the deer, which has changed to this environment, will increase very rapidly. 

 The deer of the black spruce region are much larger than those found in the 

 lower ranges and compare very favorably with those found in Maine and 

 New York, and they invariably have dark Thrown antlers, whereas those from 

 the lower ranges of the Alleghenies have very light colored antlers. Now that 

 deer farming is being taken up in various sections of the country it is to be 

 earnestly hoped that some enterprising sportsman, or game club will take it 

 up in this state, as there are thousands of acres of mountain land apparently 

 no good for any purpose but which would prove wonderfully productive along 

 this line. It has been proven that twenty deer can be kept at the cost of one 

 cow. 



The only other species of big game found in this state is the black bear 

 but it is such an elusive animal that it is hard to guage its relative abundance, 

 when such abundance depends almcst wholly on the supply of mast in the 

 region it inhabits, for if the mast and berry crop is a failure he-re it will 



