1874.] 37 [Allen. 



away thousands inhabiting the region between the Little Missouri and 

 Yellowstone divide and the Missouri River, in fact nearly depopulat- 

 ing the district; so that many years must elapse before they will 

 again be as abundant here as formerly. 



With perhaps one or two exceptions, none of the smaller mammals 

 can be considered as abundant. The prairie dog is much less numer- 

 ous than further south, and the striped gopher is far from abundant, 

 though these are among the most numerously represented species. 

 Along the Yellowstone, however, the Dipodomys Ordii may be fairly 

 regarded as abundant. 



FELID^. 



1. Lynx rufus Raf. 1 Bay Lynx. Wild Cat. 



Indications of their occurrence were noticed along the Yellowstone 

 and Musselshell Rivers, and a young one was shot near our camp on 

 the Big Porcupine. 



CANID^. 



2. Canis lupus var. occidentalis All. Gray Wolf. 



Rare east of the Little Missouri, but frequent indications of their 

 presence were noticed as we approached the Yellowstone, and from 

 the mouth of the Big Horn up the Yellowstone and over to the Mus- 

 selshell and back, they were heard in considerable numbers about 

 camp nearly every night. They are rare now, however, throughout 

 this whole region, in comparison with their former abundance. Dr. 

 Hayden, writing in 1863, says, " Countless numbers are seen in the 

 valley of the Yellowstone, and along the Missouri above Fort Union, 

 and woe to any poor buffalo, elk or deer, which may have been so 

 unfortunate as to have been wounded by the hunter, or to be in the 

 decline of life." 2 They, however, no longer occur in such large 

 numbers on the Lower Yellowstone. 3 



1 The authorities adopted here are those of the first author who used "both the 

 generic and specific names in their present connection. In the case of varietal 

 names, the same practice is followed. The authority is hence regarded, as the 

 writer has always regarded it, as a part of the name, and not as a property label. 



2 Trans. Am. Phil. Soc, Vol. xn,p. 141. 



s In writing of the varieties of color presented by our wolves in 1869 (See Bull. 

 Mus. Comp. Zool., Vol. I. p. 156), I overlooked the following important remarks 

 on this subject by Dr F. V. Hayden : — He says, " This animal varies so much in 

 color that the traders on the Upper Missouri suppose there are four or five species. 

 Ijiave seen them differing in color from an almost snowy whiteness to a dark 

 brown or black, and was at first inclined to attribute this difference to age and sex, 

 but Mr. Zephyr, an intelligent trader, informed me that he had noticed the same 

 variations of color in all ages." Trans. Am. Phil. Soc, Vol. xn, p. 141. 



