1869.] 181 [Allen. 



parison with its subsequent altered status, as well as a history of the 

 change. The natural history of Iowa is of course now far from an 

 unexplored field, yet I find that no adequate record of its animals and 

 plants, nor of those of the country immediately adjoining, has as yet 

 been made. I have hence no hesitancy in presenting the few notes 

 that follow concerning some of the mammals of this State. 



FELIDiE. 



Two species of this family, from their known distribution, undoubt- 

 edly occur in portions of the State, but they cannot now be, and 

 probably never were, very numerous. I met, however, with no evi- 

 dences of their existence, and failed to make special inquiries concern- 

 ing them. They are the folkwing: 



1. Felis coneolor Linnaeus. 1 (Panther.) 



2. Lynx rufus Rafinesque. (Bay Lynx.) 



The L. canadensis may also occur in the northern parts of the State. 

 The F. coneolor, however, owing to the open character of the country, 

 can occur only as a straggler from more wooded regions. 8 



CANIDiE. 



3. Canis lupus Linn. (Common Wolf.) 



Although wolves of this species were rather common less than 

 twenty years since, they are now scarce, especially in the more set- 

 tled districts. They are usually termed " mountain n wolves, in dis- 

 tinction from the prairie wolves. 



4. Canis latrans Say. (Prairie Wolf.) 



This species was formerly quite numerous, much more so even than 

 the common wolf (C lupus), but now, like that species, it is already 

 in some sections nearly extirpated. I was informed that it was still 

 common in the southern part of Guthrie county, where it not unfre- 

 quently was destructive to the lambs. It is said to far exceed the 



1 The nomenclature employed in this list is the same as that adopted by me re- 

 cently in my " Catalogue of the Mammals of Massachusetts," so far as the species 

 are the same. See Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, No. vni, 

 October, 1869. 



2 Since writing the above, I have received from Dr. C. A. "White, in kind re- 

 sponse to recent inquiries of mine concerning the species of this family found in 

 Iowa, as follows : " The panther has been known within our limits but very rarely. 

 The common wild cat, or bay lynx, is occasionally found, but it is considered rare 

 game. I do not know that the Canada lynx has ever been seen in Iowa." 



