9 



In Hartford, in 1650, Thomas Woodford, the town cryer, was 

 employed at four shillings six pence per week to hunt for these 

 creatures. 



At Windsor, in 1667, the town and county bounty amounted 

 to twenty-five shillings for each wolf killed. In that same year, 

 one Eggleston was paid three pounds ten shillings for "four 

 wolves, meeting house." Whether the wolves were slain in the 

 meeting-house of that already old and respectable township, or in the 

 adjoining yard or cemetery — the record does not state. So lately 

 as 1839, Francis Beach of Goshen said that he had seen as many 

 as three at one time in that township. And Jacob Beach said at 

 the same time and place, that he had killed four wolves there in 

 one year and had received the bounty for them. These animals 

 must have been killed many years subsequent to the date of Put- 

 nam's adventure in the wolf-den in Pomfret. I mention this 

 because I have heard it doubted whether there were any wolves in 

 Connecticut at the date of said adventure. 



The New Haven laws in 1656 provided a bounty of twenty 

 shillings to any white man who should kill a wolf; but when an 

 Indian killed one he was allowed only one-fourth as much. An- 

 other case of " Lo." 



From a newspaper, published at Litchfield, December 5, 

 1786, we learn that on the 23d of that month the good people of 

 Norfolk were assembled at their church for Thanksgiving services. 

 Word was sent to them that wolves were in the neighborhood, and 

 about eighty men turned out, armed themselves and went in pur- 

 suit of the animals. The wolves retreated to the woods of an 

 adjacent mountain [" Haystack " ], which was surrounded, and all of 

 them (four) were captured. This must have been about the last 

 pack of wolves in this state. Linsley (writing in 1842) says that 

 one was killed near Bridgeport, in 1839; just 100 years later than 

 Putnam's wolf killing. 



The other genus of the dog family in Connecticut was that of 

 Vidpes, or fox. The red fox is found in all townships in this state. 

 The gray species still exists in some townships. The black 

 (which is classed as a variety of the red) once existed here, as is 

 attested by the Poet Brainard's beautiful lines, perpetuating the 

 Indian legend of " The Black Fox of Salmon River." Salmon 

 river lies between East Haddam and Haddam Neck. 



Concerning the weasel family, of which in this state there 

 have been four genera and eight species — we will say that the 

 largest species is the land otter, of the genus Lutra. Occasionally 

 this animal (valuable for its fur) may still be found by some soli- 

 tary and wooded stream even in Hartford county. 



Next to the otter in size was the fisher, otherwise Mustela pen- 



