594 



REPORT OF STATE OEOLOGTST. 



The Vincennes Commercial reported two young killed near Mon- 

 tour's Pond, Knox County, in 1882. Mr. Chansler thinks these 

 must have been stra3^s, and that the species was extinct there at an 

 earlier date. 



In Franklin County, according to Dr. Haymond, the last one 

 was taken about 1840. Dr. Plummer says that the last one was 

 killed in the immediate vicinity of Richmond in 1824. Mr. G-eorge 

 Leak of Lizton states that a Mr. Osborn killed a bear in Hendricks 

 County in the early forties. 



The historian of Lagrange County says, "occasionally still a 

 bear strays into the county and raises a commotion." This history 

 was published in 1882 but probably written a year or two earlier. 

 Evermann and Butler, on the authority of Steininger, give 1878 as 

 the last date for that county. Mr. Upson, who is well informed on 

 the natural history of this county, gives 1853 as the latest record. 

 A cub was killed in the fall of that year by Hon. S. P. Williams. 



In Noble County Prof. Van Gorder says bears were never com- 

 mon and none have been seen since 1846. However, Weston A. 

 Goodspeed says in his history of the county (p. 164) that the forest 

 fires in Michigan in 1860 "drove many bears and other wild animals 

 down into Indiana and Ohio. A large black bear came to Mr. 

 Bourie's residence and was first seen by Mrs. Bourie, who thought 

 it was a large black sheep. When it jumped over a fence she real- 

 ized its true identity. Mr. Bourie and others started in pursuit 

 but it made for the river and finally escaped." 



In the history of Allen County, edited by T. B. Helm and pub- 

 lished in 1880, he says (p. L54) : "A large marsh known as Bear's 

 Nest covers the northern part of the township [Jackson]. Exter- 

 minated elsewhere, this spot was left as their peculiar possession. 

 As recently as four years ago bears were seen and killed in this 

 swamp." The history of Lake County by G()()(lsi)e('(l states that a 

 bear was killed in that county in 1850. Mr. Sims says they did not 

 live in Clinton County su])sequent to 1836, although tracks were 

 seen where one went across the county. 



In the hilly region of Morgan, Monroe and Brown counties 

 bears seem to have been very numerous up till about 1886. There 

 are a number* of instances of bears ])eing killed mentioned in the 

 history of Monroe ('ounty, but the latest date positively mentioned 

 is 1829 or 1830. In 1819 a track was found in the light snow and 

 followed to ;i poini ncjii* 1^'Jletsville, where it was found thnt th;* 

 ;inini;il h;i(l eiilered ;i hir-ge sycnriior'e 1 ree. The tree was cut and 

 ;i hirge reiiKilc Iw'o (Mil)s, 1 hree-roiirt lis grown, were found inside 



