WOLF DAYS IN PENNSYLVANIA. 



unwittingly to the slaughter and "abrogate the gaijie 

 law." The early settlers of America were unhampered 

 b}' game laws, their blood lust knew no bounds. The 

 wcilves were starved into criminal acts, and then pun- 

 ished for them. Xow after the wolves are gone a more 

 discriminating generation looks over the scene dispas- 

 sionately and notes that nothing has been gained by 

 their extirpation. In Scotland when wolves and other, 

 predatory creatures abounded no one ever heard of 

 ''grouse" disease or "rabbit" disease ; the ibex and 

 chamois in Switzerland deteriorated after the wolves 

 disappeared. The ibex exists in Italy where there are 

 wolves, and as long as there are wolves there will be 

 ibexes. In Africa buffaloes and certain antelopes 

 diminish as the lions are killed off. The rinderpest 

 rages in regions where there are no longer any lions, 

 leopards or cheetahs. In Pennsylvania the harm done 

 by the destruction of wolves has been appaling. First 

 of all the increase in insect pests. These were practi- 

 cally unknown when panthers, wolves lynxes and foxes 

 were prevalent. Secondly, the race of deer has de- 

 teriorated, the larger variety Odocoilcus Amcricanus 

 Borcalis Miller is completely extinct. The race of 

 deer is only kept up by frequent introduction of speci- 

 mens from Western States where there are zvolves. 

 The grouse are getting scarcer, despite "man-made" 

 game laws : disease ravages them every few seasons. 

 The big hares are nearly gone, rabbits not what they 

 were, the quail are frail ; sickly specimens breed now ; 

 formerly the "predatory creatures" prevented that. 



