MAMMALS OF PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY. 151 



cunningly did Poole play his game that many hunters who visited him, skep- 

 tical of the truth of his story, went away convinced Be had the genuine 

 article. Among these Mr. Strealy and some of his hunting friends did some 

 careful detective work, and were about converted to Poole's logic. A photo- 

 graph of Poole, with the wolf skin in his lap, was taken and sent to me. 

 Meanwhile I believe the bounty was paid to Poole by the county treasurer. 

 Poole consented finally to sell the skin and to produce the skull of the animal 

 as further evidence of his sincerity and uprightness. I purchased these, and 

 they were forwarded to the Academy of Natural Sciences by Mr. Strealy. 

 An examination of the skin showed conclusively that it was from a coyote or 

 prairie wolf, and from the manner of tanning and method of skinning, re- 

 sembled closely a poor specimen of the skins of these animals shipped from 

 the west to our eastern markets for rugs. The skull sent was that of an old 

 dog, resembling closely the skull of a fox-hound. Poole had stated that he 

 killed the animal in his trap by a blow on the head with an axe or hatchet. 

 To give color to this he had slit the skin of the face with a knife, and pushed 

 one of the nasal bones of the skull down into the nasal cavity. That both of 

 these mutilations had been made after the tanning of the skin and the mac- 

 eration of the skull was plainly evident. These specimens of " Pennsylvania 

 wolf" will be preserved, as an object lesson to future investigators of the Pa. 

 fauna, in the collections of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 

 — Rhoads. 



Lackawanna Co. — " The Lackawanna Co. records show that 4 wolves were 

 paid for in 1896. Dr. Isaiah F. Everhart and Mr. Geo. P. Friant, of Scran- 

 ton, are inclined to believe there is some mistake about these animals, as 

 neither has heard of a genuine wild wolf in that locality within the last 20 

 years." — ^Warren,, Poultry Book, 1897. 

 Lancaster Co.-^^&t York Co. 



Luzerne Co. — "About the year 1845 wolves were abundant in Tomhickon 

 Valley, between Catawissa and Hazleton, where, according to my friend Dr. 

 Thomas C. Thornton, they often attacked human beings, destroyed the set- 

 tlers' cattle, sheep and poultry and devoured game." Warren, Poultry Book, 

 p. 498. Warren continues to relate how the father of Dr. Thornton, also a 

 doctor, becoming lost in this region on his way to visit a patient, was beset 

 by wolves but fortunately defeated them after a two-day skirmish by the use 

 of ammonia, with which he saturated one of his leggings and struck the animals 

 as they came near, the mysterious character of his defense getting the better 

 of their rapacity more on account of its invisible nature than its physical ef- 

 fects. No doubt the defense of a skunk is efficacious partly on the same 

 ■grounds. From 1808 to 1820 Luzerne Co. paid ^2872 in $e^ bounties for 

 ■wolf scalps. As many as 273 wolves were killed in i year. " George Crock- 

 ett.occasionally brings the scalp of a wolf to Wilkesbarre [in i860] for which 

 the county treasurer pays him I25." — Annals Luz. Co., Pearce, i860, p. 495. 



