182 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66 



to school from a porcupine he found dead on Mount Savage. It also 

 says that during the fall of 1948 a hunter reported his dogs found a 

 porcupine on Martins Mountain for they returned to him with their 

 noses full of quills. He was not able, however, to locate the porcupine. 

 The foregoing serves to show that there are records and reports of the 

 porcupine in the western part of Maryland right up to the present 

 day. The general consensus of opinion, however, regarding the status 

 of this animal is that it is no longer a native inhibtant of the State. 



GRAY WOLF 

 Canis lupus Linnaeus 



The gray wolf originally inhabited the entire State of Maryland. 

 Not only are there documents and publications to show that they were 

 at one time statewide in distribution (see Mansueti, 1950, pp. 25-26), 

 but the early settlers used the name '^wolf to designate many places 

 throughout the State. The Gazeteer of Maryland (Maryland State 

 Planning Comm., and Dept. of Geology, Mines and Water Resources, 

 October 1941, p. 230) lists the following place names in Maryland 

 that give a good idea of where early colonists found wolves : AlUgany 

 County: Wolf Gap, Wolf Eock ; Baltimore County : Wolf trap Branch ; 

 Caroline County : Wolf pit Branch; Carroll County : Wolfpit Branch; 

 Frederick County: Wolf Rock ; Garrett County : Wolf Den Run, Wolf 

 Gap, Wolf Swamp; Somerset County: Wolf Trap Creek. Mansueti 

 (1950, p. 25) says that they even abounded on Assateague Island in 

 Worcester County. 



All evidence seems to indicate that the gray wolf was exterminated 

 in Maryland at a very early date, except for those in more inaccessible 

 parts of western mountains. Here the species probably persisted until 

 late in the 19th century, and perhaps even to the early part of the 

 present century. 



MARTEN 



Martes americana (Turton) 



The marten was exterminated in Maryland as far back as 85 years 

 ago. It apparently was not widespread in distribution, and never 

 abundant. Heavy trapping pressure and destruction of suitable forest 

 habitat appear to account for its demise. It was probably most abun- 

 dant in the western part of the State, but there are reports from the 

 District of Columbia and perhaps St. Marys County (see Mansueti, 

 1950, p. 23). 



