70 Field Museum or Natural History — Zoology, Vol. XL 



states that Elk were killed on the north branch of the Saranac in New 

 York State as late as 1836 {I.e., p. 119). 



Nearly all of the early travelers in Illinois refer to the abundance 

 of large game including Elk. Andre Michaux, writing of the country 

 in the vicinity of Kaskaskia, Randolph County, Illinois (1793-96), says, 

 ''My guide killed an Elk called Cerf by the Canadians and French of 

 Illinois. This animal is much larger than the dwarf Deer of the United 

 States of which there is an abundance also in the Illinois Country and 

 which the French of 'those countries call Chevreuil. Its antlers are 

 twice the size of those of the European Stags."* Woods (1822) states, 

 "To the north of us [English Prairie, Illinois] there are buffaloes and 

 elks, also beavers and others on the rivers. "f Caton writes, ''The last 

 account I get of their presence in northern Illinois was in the year 

 1820 or thereabouts. In 18 18 they were not observed east of the Illi- 

 nois River and but few were then found on the western bank of that 

 stream. An old settler of high respectability assures me that he saw 

 their tracks in the forest north of Peoria in 1829 but did not see the 

 animals." {I.e., p. 80) Kennicott in his "Animals observed in Cook 

 County, Illinois," says, " Several elks have been shot in the county." 

 {I.e., p. 580) 



In southern Illinois they are claimed to have been common about 

 1820. Mr. E. J. Chansler of Bicknell, Knox County, Indiana, writes: 

 "The last wild Elk killed in Knox County in Indiana, so far as I 

 know was killed by George Yeverbough in 1829, near Pond Creek. Mr. 

 Ammon Stafford saw the Elk and told me about it. Mr. Bradway 

 Thompson told me that he saw an Elk near Bruceville, this county, in 

 1830. These dates are reliable and so far as I know are the last records 

 for the state, although Mr. I. N. Gilmore says he saw an Elk in 1850. 

 This was perhaps a stray tame Elk." 



In Wisconsin it was apparently found much later. Dr. Hoy writes 

 (1882), "Elk, Cervus Canadensis, were on Hay River in 1863 and I have 

 but little doubt that a few still linger with us. The next to follow the 

 buffalo, antelope and reindeer" {I.e., p. 256). Strong says (1883), 

 "Occurs very rarely in northern and central Wisconsin. It was for- 

 merly quite numerous, but is now almost extinct" {I.e., p. 437). 

 Bray ton states on the authority of B. H. Van Vleck that in 1882 Elk 

 were still found in the vicinity of Green Bay, Wisconsin. t 



In Michigan, according to Miles, Elk were numerous in the eastern 

 part of the state as late as i860. He says: "The Elk is found in abun- 



* Michaux, Andre. Travels into Kentucky, 1 795-1 796. (Translation in 

 Thwaites's Early Western Travels, III, 1904, p. 73.) 



t Woods, J. Two Years' Residence in the Settlement on English Prairie in the 

 Illinois Country, 1820-1821 (1822), p. 194. 



% Rept. Geol. vSurv. Ohio, IV, Pt. i, Zool., 1882, p. 80. • 



