82 WILD ANIMALS OF GLACIER NATIONAL PARK. 



full-gi'own mountain sheep in Alaslca^ is sufficient evidence tliat they 

 are a menace to many of the large game animals. From their abun- 

 dance and stealthy habits it would seem almost inevitable that the 

 young of mountain sheep, deer, and goats must suffer greatly from 

 their depredations, and as their presence adds little of interest to the 

 park, tlie}^ could certainly be vifell spared in the interest of game 

 protection. 



Bobcat: Lynx u'mta Merriam. — The northern bobcat, "wildcat, or 

 bay lynx, while one of the largest of the group, has the aiDpearance 

 of being much smaller than the Canada h'lix, owing to its shorter legs, 

 smaller feet, and shorter fur; but in actual weight it apparently 

 equals, if it does not exceed, the Canada lynx. The type of the 

 species, an old male collected at Bridger's Pass, Wyo., weighed 31-J 

 pounds. In color bobcats are variable from buffy to rich ochraceous 

 gray, with heavily spotted belly, sides, and flanks. The ear tassels 

 and facial ruffs are not so prominent as in the Canada Ij-nx and the 

 tip of the short tail is white with a black band above. 



Bobcats are not common in the Glacier Park, but I have seen their 

 unmistakable tracks along the shores of St. Mary Lake, and Gird 

 tells me that there are a few in the lower areas of the park. They 

 belong mainly to lower zones, the Transition and Austral, and are 

 common along the cliffs and canyons of the lower levels of the State. 



Their game is principally cottontail rabbits, ground squirrels, 

 pocket gophers, mice, and other small animals and birds, but the 

 freedom with which they kill and eat domestic sheejo would indicate 

 that they are not safe animals to have in a region where the increase 

 of large game is to be encouraged. They have the reputation of 

 destroying great numbers of j^oung deer, mountain sheep, and other 

 game animals, and it is fortunate that they do not reside in the park 

 in abundance. 



Family CANID/E: Wolves and Foxes. 



Gray Wolf: Canis nuh'ilus Say. — Along the eastern edge of the 

 park, in the open country, are still found the large light-colored 

 plains wolves, known also as buffalo wolf, loafer, and lobo, and a few 

 occasionally range up through the valleys and over the high parts 

 of the mountains. J. E. Lewis tells me of two that were caught on 

 Flat Top Mountain in the winter of 1916-17, and along the trails in 

 the Belly Eiver valley in August, 1917, I saw wolf signs that were 

 not very old. The wolves had evidently been down in the cattle 

 country as the sign was composed mainly of cattle hair. Don 

 Stevenson reports them in the country about Chief Mountain for 



1 Wilderness of the LTpper Yukon, by Charles Sheldon, pp. 314-.'31."i. Scrihner's, 1911. 



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