Mammals of Washington, Volume 2 University of Kansas Publications Museum of Natural History — Reading Companion

Evidence of Decline and Uncertainty

The account of the wolf (Canis lupus) exemplifies Dalquest's careful handling of incomplete data. He reports that the last two wolves killed on the Quinault River were taken around 1920, but he doubts that human hunters alone caused their extinction on the Olympic Peninsula, speculating that 'some introduced disease, such as rabies, brought about their extinction.' In the Cascade region, he notes that wolves 'probably still exist in small numbers' based on reports from trappers, yet he cautions that 'any report of wolves, even from experienced trappers, is open to some question' because large coyotes or wild dogs are often mistaken for wolves. This skepticism about anecdotal evidence, combined with a willingness to consider alternative causes like disease, gives the text a nuanced, scientific tone.

Predator-Prey Dynamics and Human Conflict

The cougar (Felis concolor) account highlights the ongoing conflict between large carnivores and human interests. Dalquest notes that cougars 'feed extensively upon deer' and are 'incessantly warred upon by hunters and sportsmen' due to bounties. Yet he observes that they remain 'numerous in many areas' because remote mountain terrain is 'not easily accessible to man and dogs.' The author presents conflicting estimates from trappers about how often a cougar kills deer—'every other day' versus 'only one a week'—without resolving the dispute. This restraint reflects the work's empirical approach: Dalquest reports what is known and acknowledges what is uncertain. The cougar's secretive nature ('rarely are individuals seen by man') further underscores the difficulty of studying such species.

Structure and Scope of the Volume

The book is organized into introductory chapters on physiographic provinces, climate, life-zones, and geologic history, followed by a check list and detailed accounts of species and subspecies. The accounts include physical descriptions, measurements, and distributional notes, often accompanied by photographs of specimens or habitats. For example, the cougar entry includes a photograph of a skin 'mounted as a rug' with precise measurements (snout to tip of tail 252 cm). The volume also contains a bibliography and index. Dalquest's treatment is systematic but not dry; he weaves in field observations and historical records, such as the last known wolf kills in Grant County in 1917. The work thus serves as both a reference and a historical document of Washington's mammalian fauna at mid-century.

Readers interested in the interplay between human settlement and wildlife will find Dalquest's candid assessments of population declines and extirpations particularly valuable. The author's willingness to admit uncertainty—as when he writes 'I doubt that man killed them all' regarding Olympic Peninsula wolves—invites further investigation. For those using this volume as a reference, the species accounts offer a baseline against which contemporary changes can be measured. The work stands as a meticulous snapshot of Washington's mammals in 1948, grounded in both museum science and field experience.

I’ve spent evenings with Dalquest’s old volume, noting how quietly the cougar endures beside the wolf’s disappearance. There’s a similar patience in The Giant Fish of Florida — A Reader’s Guide, where great creatures linger just beyond our sight, waiting to be remembered rather than counted. Both books whisper of wildness holding its breath.