MAMMALS OF PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY. S 



in the once tropical waters which covered southern New Jersey during the 

 Miocene period. Whaling formed, at one time, an industrial feature of the 

 New Jersey coasts, but has long been abandoned. 



Species now extinct in our limits, which formed an important role in the 

 doirjestic economy of' our great-grandfathers are the Bison, Wapiti or Elk, 

 Beaver, Cougar or " Panther " and Wolf. The bison, only a straggler east of 

 the Susquehanna, and never abundant in Pennsylvania in the white man's 

 memory, was last killed in Union Co., Pa., about 1800. The last Pennsylva- 

 nia Elk or Wapiti was killed in Elk Co., in 1867 by Cornplanter Indians 

 from the Cattaraugus Reservation. This animal was formerly abundant over 

 the greater part of the state in the higher grounds, and was used as food. 

 Though the native Beaver has been practically exterminated in our limits 

 since 1875 there is a colony of wild beavers in Monroe Co., Pa., and several 

 others in Sussex Co., N. J., all of which, there seems little doubt, are de- 

 scendants of escaped imported beavers from Rutherford's game preserve 

 near Allamuchy, Warren Co., N. J. They are increasing, and laws are 

 being enacted for their preservation. The last Pennsylvania Cougars or 

 "panthers" of which I have absolute proof of capture were a male and a 

 female, killed in Clinton Co. by George Hastings in 1871. A Centre Co. 

 specimen is recorded In the bounty records of that county for 1886, but I 

 have been unable to verify its reliability. Others have been reported killed 

 as late as 1893, but are of doubtful standing. Native Wolves apparently 

 existed in Pennsylvania as late as 1890. All wolves killed since then seem 

 to have been importations liberated by bounty thieves or escaped from 

 traveling shows. Wolfish dogs are a perennial source of local Wolf stories. 

 The Canada Lynx, never numerous here, probably lingers in solitary cases 

 in the northern wilds of Pennsylvania. Bears, Wild Cats and Foxes are in- 

 creasing in our extensive deforested districts. 



The list of fossil mammalia found in Pennsylvania and New Jersey greatly 

 exceeds that of the rest of the United States east of the Mississippi river. 

 This is due to the discovery of the numerous fossil-bearing limestone caves 

 and fissures in the Delaware valley, and to the researches of Leidy, Marsh 

 and Cope among these and in the marl beds of New Jersey. 



Of mammals strictly non-recent, our list of fossil mammalia embraces the 

 following : Edentates or giant sloths, 5 species ; Sirenians or aquatic manatees 

 and dugongs, 2 ; Cetaceans or whales and dolphins, 9 ; Ungulates, such as the 

 elephant, rhinoceros, tapir, horse, peccaries, deer and wild oxen, 16 ; 

 Rodents, such as pikas, giant beavers, rats and squirrels, 10; Pinnipeds, 

 such as walrus and sea leopard, 3 ; Carnivores, such as sabre-tooth cats, cave 

 bears, skunks and otters, 15, and Insectivores, such as shrews, x. In all 

 there are 61 species of strictly fossil non-existent species recorded from our 

 limits, the greater part of which were originally discovered in Pennsylvania 



