Skunk. Spotted Skunk. Badger.
Color black and white, Color black and white, Color grizzly gray with
back with two white back with four broken some blackish brown and
stripes; length usually 22 white stripes; length white markings; length
to 25 inches; tail 7 to 9 usually 18 to 21 inches. usually 26 to 29 inches;
inches. Genus SPILOGALE, p. _ tail about 5 inches.
GenusMEPHITIS,p.337. 346. Genus TAXIDEA, p. 348.
FrEes., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 320
Subfamily MUSTELINAS. Wolverine, Martens, Fisher,
Minks and Weasels.
Wolverine.
General color brown with more or
white marking; total
inches; tail
less yellowish
length usually
about 8 inches.
25 to 33
General
Fisher.
color dark brown;
legs,
lower back and belly blackish; cheek
teeth 5 above and 6 below on each side
of jaw; total length about 34 inches.
Genus GULO, p. 352.
Genus MUSTELA, p. 281.
Marten.
General color yellowish
brown shading to blackish
on legs and tail; head
more or less grayish or
yellowish; a yellowish or
buffy patch on throat and
cheek teeth 5
and 6 below on
each side of jaw; total
length usually 22 to 25
inches.
Genus MUSTELA,p.381.
breast;
above
Weasel.
Cheek teeth 4 above
and 5 below on each side
of jaw; general color (in
brown above;
white or
summer)
under parts
yellowish; or (in winter)
general color white; total
length from 7 to 16 inches.
Genus PUTORIUS,
p. 358.
Mink.
Cheek teeth 4 above
and 5 below on each side
general color
brown; under parts brown
with generally a
spot on chin and often
another between the fore
legs; total length usually
from 18 to 25 inches.
Genus PUTORIUS,
(Subgenus LUTREOLA),
pa gOne
of jaw;
white
330 FreLtp Musreum oF Natura History — Zooxoey, Vor. XI.
Subfamily LUTRIN. Otters.
Otters are semi-aquatic,* fish-eating mammals which are much
hunted on account of the fine quality of their fur. There are at least
two genera and a number of species distributed throughout many parts
of the world, including several Neotropical forms. Of the eight rec-
ognized species and subspecies in North America, one species and
perhaps one subspecies are found within our limits. They are generally
taken in traps, although Otter hunting with dogs trained for the purpose
was formerly a common sport in England.
Genus LUTRA Brisson.
Luira Brisson, Regn. Anim... 2nd ed-,-1762, p. 201. Dype Mersiela
lutra Linn.
Body long; legs short; toes webbed; soles of feet hairy; tail long and
rounded, thick at base and tapering; head broad; skull flattened; rostrum
short; audital bulla much flattened; upper carnassial with tricuspid
blade and a large inner lobe; upper molar large, first upper premolar
very small; general color brown. (For cut of skull see p. 276.)
Dental formula: I. Sa) Ge Pan == 4,
J a3 I-I Bas Di 23
Lutra canadensis (SCHREBER).
OTTER. CANADA OTTER.
Mustela lutra canadensis SCHREBER, Saugthiere, 1776, pl. CX XVI B.
Lutra Canadensis LAPHAM, Trans. Wis. State Agr. Soc., II, 1852 (1853), p. 339
(Wisconsin). KENnicotTt, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., I, 1853-54 (1855), p- 578
(Cook Co., Illinois). THomas, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., IV, 1859-60 (1861),
p- 655 (Illinois).
Lutra canadensis KENNIcoTT, Agr. Rept. for 1858, U. S. Patent Office Rept., 1859,
p. 246 (Illinois). MuLrs, Rept. Geol. Surv. Mich., I, 1860 (1861), p. 220 (Mich-
igan). ALLEN, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XIII, 1869 (1871), p. 183 (Iowa).
STRONG, Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, 1883, p. 437 (Wisconsin). HERRICK,
Geol. & Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No. 7, 1892, p. 129 (Minnesota). SNYDER,
Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., II, 1902, p. 122 (Wisconsin). HAHN, Proc. U. S.
Nat. Mus., XXXII, 1907, p. 463 (N. W. Indiana). JacKson, Bull. Wis. Nat.
Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 27 (Wisconsin). Jb., VIII, 1910, p. 89 (Wisconsin).
Woop, Bull. Ill. State Lab. Nat. Hist., VIII, 1910, p. 581 (Illinois).
Lutra hudsonica EVERMANN & ButLeER, Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1893 (1894), p. 138
(Indiana).
* The Sea Otter (L. lutris) passes so much of its life in the water that it can
fairly be called aquatic.
Fres., 1912. MamMAts oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 320
Type locality — Eastern Canada.
Distribution — Nearly the whole of North America, Virginia, Illinois,
Missouri and Texas, north to Labrador and Hudson Bay and in the
Northwest to the Arctic Circle; replaced in the Southern states,
Florida and the Pacific Coast by closely allied forms.
Description — General color rich dark brown; the under parts lighter
brown than the back, and the legs and feet somewhat darker; throat
grayish brown, shading into grayish white on the lips and chin;
toes webbed.
Measurements — Total length, about 37 to 41 in. (940 to 1040 mm.);
tail vertebra, 12 to 13 in. (304 to 330 mm.); hind foot, about 4 in.
(Tomo mm.)
Otters were formerly numerous in localities where there was water
throughout Illinois and Wisconsin, but at the present time their range
is probably restricted to the greater portion of Wisconsin and extreme
southern Illinois. It is not unlikely, however, that stragglers may
still be found in other parts of Illinois, as Hahn states that specimens are
occasionally taken in northern Indiana (J. c., 1907, p. 463). I am
informed by hunters that Otters are still to be found in Alexander and
Union counties, and Wood states that during the winter of 1907-8
several were taken in the cypress swamps of Alexander County (J. c¢.,
p. 581). Otters from southern Illinois will probably be found to
approach L. c. lataxina, a slightly different southern race, but for lack
of specimens from that locality I am unable to decide this question.
In Wisconsin it is not uncommon in the northern portion of the state,
but rare in the southern. Jackson says ‘‘There was an Otter slide on
the banks of Lake Koshkonong during the summer of 1901,”’ and records
specimens from Bayfield and Oneida counties (/. c., 1908, p. 27). I
have examined specimens from Walworth, Arena, Bayfield, Forest,
Douglas and Langlade counties, and Dr. H. V. Ogden has a skull in his
collection from Waterford, Racine Co. Jackson records specimens of two
males killed February 12, 1908, near Crandon, Forest Co., and says
they are reported as quite common in the vicinity of Black Oak Lake
and Lake Mamie during the winter of 1908-9 (J. ¢., 1910, p. 89).
The Otter is a semi-aquatic animal and is very seldom found away
from water, although it is a great traveler and will often go overland
for a considerable distance from one stream to another. Its food
consists largely of fish which it catches under water with great dexterity.
Merriam says: “It can remain under water almost as long as a Loon,
and I have known one to swim nearly a quarter of a mile without show-
ing its head above the surface. Its food consists chiefly of various
species of fish, and the lobster-like fresh water Decapod, called the
*(SISUAPDUDI DAINT) 10440 BpRURD
eB
ZooLocy, Vou. XI.
‘)
FIELD MusEumM OF NATURAL HISTORY
FrEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. B33
Cray-fish. When unable to procure these in sufficient quantity, it
devours frogs, and is said to depopulate the poultry yard, and even
prey upon young lambs. It can dive and swim under water with such
speed and agility, that it can overtake and secure, with great ease and
certainty, almost any of our fresh water fishes.” *
‘Otter slides,” about which much has been written, are smooth,
worn pathways on the sides of banks of streams, which are used by these
animals. Many writers claim to have seen them amusing themselves
sliding down these places much as a boy enjoys sliding down hill in
winter. Audubon and Bachman state that they once saw a pair of
these animals sliding down a bank and say, ‘‘We counted each one
making twenty-two slides before we disturbed their sportive
occupation.” f
Kennicott says: ‘“‘This curious habit seems to be indulged in by the
Otter at all times, when a suitable place can be found, though more in
the love season than any other. It climbs to the top of some steep
bank, made slippery by the mud and water from its own body, or, in
winter, by snow and ice, and lying down with its fore-feet bent under,
slides headlong to the bottom. Trappers inform me that they have
often seen the Otter thus engaged for an hour or more, scrambling
eagerly to the top after each descent and greatly enjoying the sport.”’
(i. ¢., pp. 247-248.)
The Otter makes a home in a burrow in the bank of some stream or
pond. The young, which number from two to three, are usually born
in April and when first born their eyes are closed. When taken very
young they become very tame and often affectionate, but if not cap-
tured until six or eight weeks old they rarely become gentle and are
usually treacherous. I have owned a number of young Otters at
various times and all of them would readily eat raw meat, but they
preferred fish. They often uttered a low tremulous cry resembling
that of a fretful baby. One, which we ‘“‘brought up on a bottle,”
would follow my wife about the garden and into the house and seemed
to take great delight in being petted.
The skins of these animals are quite valuable and in much demand,
as they make handsome and durable furs. Although much less com-
mon than formerly, great numbers of these animals are still trapped in
Canada. From 1895 to 1905 the Hudson Bay Company secured
between 85,000 and go,ooo skins, or an average of nearly 9,000 skins
per year.
* Mamm. Adirondack Reg., 1886, pp. 87-88.
+ Quadrupeds of North Amer., II, 1851, p. 8.
t Up to the year 1906, from 200 to 300 Otter skins were annually secured by
local dealers from the Indians in southeastern Florida, but I am informed that since
then the number has decidedly decreased.
334 FieL>D Museum or Natura History — Zoéroey, Vor. XI.
Lutra canadensis
L. c. lataxina
Map illustrating approximate distribution of Otters in eastern North America. The range of
Lutra canadensis extends much farther north than shown on the map.
Lutra canadensis (SCHREBER). Type locality — Eastern Canada. Description as
previously given.
Lutra c. lataxina (F. CuviER). (Dict. Scien. Nat., XXVII, 1823, p. 242.) Type
locality — South Carolina. Size slightly smaller and color lighter brown than
canadensis; under side of foot more sparsely haired.
Lutra c. vaga (BANGS). (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XXVIII, 1898, p. 224.) Type
locality — Micco, Brevard Co., Florida. General color more reddish brown
than canadensis.
Lutra degener BANGS. (Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XII, 1898, p. 35.) Type locality —
Bay St. George, Newfoundland. A small insular form.
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 335
Specimens examined from Wisconsin:
Wisconsin — Eagle Lake, 1; (M. P. M.) Prairie du Lac, 1; Walworth
Co., 1; Arena, Iowa Co., 1; (O. C.) Drummond, Bayfield Co.
(skull), 1; Gordon, Douglas Co. (skull), 1; Langlade Co. (skull),
L = 7.
Subfamily MELIN/E. Skunks and Badgers.
Members of this subfamily are found in both the Old and New World.
They are burrowing animals and largely nocturnal in habits. The
Skunks are notorious for their ability to eject a noxious smelling fluid
for a considerable distance when angry or excited. The two glands
containing this liquid are situated on each side of the rectum and are
connected by a duct with a nipple-like papilla which can be voluntarily
protruded from the anus. In young animals the removal of these
glands is a comparatively simple operation.* When taken sufficiently
young they make gentle and interesting pets.
The earliest mention of Skunks in North America seems to be the
one given by Gabriel Sagard Theodat in 1636, in which he refers to
these animals as Children of the Devil (‘“‘enfans du diable”’).t ‘‘Child
of the Devil’ appears to have been a recognized name for a Skunk
among the French in Canada in early days, as it is so referred to by
Charlevoix { and others. The etymology of the name Skunk, by
which it was known later, is obscure, but Dr. Cones suggests that it
may have had its origin in the Cree Indian name “See cawk . . .,
as the sound is not so very different though the literal discrepancy is
great.’ §
The Badgers, which also belong to this subfamily, comprise several
genera and a number of species. The American Badger (Taxidea)
with its four subspecies is confined to North America and is generically
distinct from Old World forms. A species which occurs in Java (Mydaus
*T have successfully performed this operation on several occasions with
species of both Mephitis and Spilogale.
+ ‘Les enfans du diable, que les Hurons appellent Scangaresse, & le commun
des Montagnais Babougi Manitou, ou Ouinesque, est un beste fort puante, de la
grandeur d’un chat ou d’un ieune renard, mais elle a la teste un peu moins aigué, &
la peau couuerte d’un gros poil rude & enfumé, et sa grosse queué retroussée de
mesme, elle se cache en Hyuer sous la neige, & ne sort point qu’au commencement
de la Lunedu mois de Mars, laquelle les Montagnais nomment Ouiniscon pismi,
qui signifie la Lune de la Ouinesque. Cet animal, outre qu’il est de fort mauuaise
odeur, est tres-malicieux & d’un laid regard, ils iettent aussi (a ce qu’on dit) parmy
leurs excremens de petits serpens, longs & deliez, les quels ne viuent neant moins
gueres long temps.” (Hist. Canada, 1636, p. 748.)
t Nouv. France, V., 1744, p. 196.
§ Fur-bearing Animals, 1877, p. 221.
336 Fretp Museum or Natura History — Zooxoey, Vor. XI.
meliceps) has the power of ejecting a fetid liquid like the Skunks. In
early days in England the so-called sport of Badger-baiting or “‘ Drawing
the Badger”? was popular. A Badger was placed in a barrel and dogs
attempted to pull him out. In these contests both dogs and Badger
were usually badly bitten and often killed.
The European Badger (Meles) was well known to ancient writers,
and some of their descriptions of it are curious. Writing in 1607 Edward
Topsell says,* ‘“‘He hath verie sharpe teeth, and is therefore accounted
a deepe-biting beaste. His back is broad, his legs (as some say) longer
on the right side than on the left, and therefore he runneth best when he
getteth to the side of a hill, or a cart-road-away.”’
KEY TO THE SKUNKS
WHICH OCCUR IN ILLINOIS OR WISCONSIN, OR WHICH MAY BE
LOOKED FOR WITHIN OUR LIMITS.
GROUP 1. Back usually with two white stripes joining at the shoulder; total length
more than 21 inches.
Tail vertebra 9 inches or more in length; tail ending with a blunt brush, end
entirely black without white pencil; palate ending with even curve, without
median spine; zygomata widely expanded at posterior end and slanting
abruptly forward; white stripes of body extending down sides of tail. Occurs
from northern edge of Illinois northward throughout Wisconsin.
HuDSONIAN SKUNK, NORTHERN SKUNK.
Mephitis hudsonica, p. 340.
Tail vertebre usually less than g inches long; tail usually wholly black, the
white stripes of body generally not extending on the sides; end of tail occa-
sionally with a white pencil; palate ending with even curve, without median
spine; zygomata less widely expanded at posterior end than in hudsonica and
with bend less abrupt. Occurs in Illinois and southern Wisconsin.
ILLINOIS SKUNK. Mephitis mephitis avia, p. 344.
GROUP 2. Back with four broken white stripes; size comparatively small, less than
21 inches.
End of tail broadly white; 4 well-marked white stripes on back, the median pair
narrower than the outer pair. A southern species which is claimed to have
been taken in southern Illinois. ALLEGHENIAN SPOTTED SKUNK.
Spilogale putorius, p. 346.
Tail wholly black or with very little white at the tip; general coloration showing
much more black than in putorius, the white markings being much smaller
and more broken. Has not yet been taken within our limits, but occurs in
Iowa and south-eastern Minnesota and may be found in western Wisconsin.
PRAIRIE SPOTTED SKUNK.
Spilogale interrupta, p. 348.
* Historie of Foure Footed Beastes, London, 1607, p. 34.
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 337
It is not improbable that fairly typical examples of Mephitis me phitis
may be found in northeastern Wisconsin and M. m. putida in eastern
Illinois. In the regions mentioned intergradation is likely to occur
and doubtful specimens should be sent to specialists for identification.
The characters by which the two forms may be recognized are as
follows:
GROUP 1. Back with two white stripes joining at the shoulder.
White stripes extending down sides of tail; tail tapering and the end white;
zygomata relatively heavier than hudsonica but not so widely expanded; tail
vertebre averaging less than 9.50 inches; palate ending in even curve without
median spine; total length generally 23 to 27 inches; tail vertebra 7.50 to
g inches. CANADA SKUNK. Mephitis mephitis.
White stripes of body usually not extending on tail; tail black, ending in a white
pencil; palate with distinct median spine; tail averaging longer than in mephitis;
total length 22 to 24.50 inches; tail vertebra 8.50 to 9.75 inches.
EASTERN SKUNK. Mephitis mephitis putida.
Genus MEPHITIS Cuvier.
Mephitis Cuvier, Lecons d’Anat. Comp., I, 1800, tab. I (facing page 322).
Body thick set; legs rather short; fur thick, color black and white,
the white occasionally tinged with tawny or yellow; extent of white
marking variable, usually two dorsal white stripes; tail bushy, claws
curved; ears short; superior anal glands, containing defensive odorous
secretions, highly developed. Skull somewhat arched, highest in the
frontal region; upper molar larger than the carnassial, subquadrate,
and broader than long; lower carnassial longer than high: bulle flat-
tened; auditory meatus tubular but not noticeably extending beyond
the skull; posterior end of palate nearly on a line with back of last
molar.
I-1I
ig
Dental formula: I. ae (Or oat Pm. a M. - 34.
3 2 2=2
Two forms of the large Skunks belonging to the genus Mephitis
are known to occur in Illinois, and it is not unhkely that the range of
two others, mephitis and putida, may be found to cross our border.
No typical specimens of putida have, so far as known, been taken in
Illinois, although it is given by Hahn as the common form occurring
throughout Indiana, where, according to Howell its range meets that
of the Illinois Skunk, M. m. avia. Mephitis mephitis is common in
Ontario along the northern borders of the Great Lakes and it is by no
means improbable that its range may be found to extend into the
Michigan peninsula. A series of specimens from Green Bay, north-
eastern Wisconsin, are perplexing in that they are not typical of any
338 Fretp Museum or Natura History — Zoo.ocy, Voroxt.
Skulls of Skunks belonging to the genus Mephitis.
1. M. m. putida;* 2. M. m. avia, 3. M. mephitis; 4. M. hudsonica.
*In M. m. putida the palatal spine is often more pronounced than is shown here.
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 339
form and apparently show marked intergradation. When the time
comes that a sufficiently large series from various localities can be
gathered together for comparison, it may be found that all of our
large Skunks belonging to this genus are merely geographical races of
one or possibly two species, four of which intergrade within our limits.
For the laity it is perhaps as well to consider all the Skunks belonging
to the genus Mephitis, which are found within our limits, to be either
hudsonica or avia, but many specimens are not typical of either and
possess characters more or less approaching mephitis or putida, as
shown by the following brief descriptions of a series of Skunks in the
Field Museum collection from Green Bay, Wisconsin. The measure-
ments are in millimeters.
No. 11708, 9 — Palate with distinct median spine, but zygomata widely expanded;
white stripes extending on sides of tail about % its length; end of tail blunt and
entirely black.
Total length, 625; tail vertebrae, 195; hind foot, 63.5.
No. 11706, 9 — Palate with distinct median spine and skull similar to preceding;
tail mostly black, but ending with a long white pencil.
Total length, 660; tail vertebra, 220; hind foot, 68.
No. 11704, o' — Palate with indication of median spine; skull narrower than
hudsonica and zygomata approaching mephitis; white stripes extending on sides
of tail to about % its length; end of tail blunt and entirely black.
Total length, 615; tail vertebra, 185; hind foot, 64.5.
No. 11703, o&' — Palate evenly rounded, without spine; white stripes extending on
tail 14 its length; end of tail black.
Total length, 560; tail vertebrae, 174; hind foot, 56.5.
No. 11702, o&' — Palate without median spine; skull narrower and zygomata
approaching mephitis more than avia; white stripes extending on tail; whole end
of tail broadly white.
Total length, 600; tail vertebrae, 215; hind foot, 61.
No. 11701, «| — Skull badly broken; zygomata badly broken and absent; white
stripes extending on sides of tail; end of tail blunt and entirely black.
Total length, 655; tail vertebra, 230; hind foot, 74.
No. 11707, 9 — Skull badly broken; palate without median spine; white stripes
extending on sides of tail about %4 its length; tail mixed with long white hairs;
end of tail black.
Total length, 675; tail vertebre, 220; hind foot, 67.5.
No. 11720, 9 — Skull large but badly broken, palate without median spine; white
stripes extending but slightly on base of tail; end of tail black, with a few long
white hairs extending from the tip.
Total length, 685; tail vertebre, 220; hind foot, 70.
No. 11721, 9 — Palate evenly rounded, without median spine; skull approaching
mephitis; white stripes short, not reaching the rump; rump entirely black; tail
black, with the whole end white for about 4 inches.’
Total length, 635; tail vertebra, 215; hind foot, 69.
No. 18395, co! — Galena, Illinois, Skull resembling avia, but white stripes of body
extending on sides of tail nearly to the end; end of tail black; a small white spot
on the lower part of the throat.
Total length, 623; tail vertebre, 258; hind foot, 75.
340 Fretp MusEeum oF Natura History — Zootoey, Vor. XI.
On September 6, rg10, an old Skunk with three young, the latter
about two thirds grown, were taken by Mr. W. E. Snyder at Beaver
Dam, Dodge Co., Wisconsin, and the specimens were sent to me for
determination. The skull of the adult approaches avia, but has a
palatal spine slightly indicated; the tail is black except a few white
hairs near the middle; the end of the tail is blunt and entirely black.
The young show some slight cranial differences; in two of them a
palatal spine is slightly indicated; in the third it is entirely absent.
All of the young have the white stripes of the body extending on base of
tail and all have the tails terminating with a long white pencil (4 to 5
inches long).
Mephitis hudsonica (RICHARDSON).
NORTHERN SKUNK. HUDSONIAN SKUNK. POLECAT.
Mephitis americana var. hudsonica RICHARDSON, Fauna Bor. Amer., I, 1829, p. 55.
Mephitis hudsonica ADAMS, Rept. State Board Geol. Surv. Mich., 1905 (1906), p.
130 (Michigan). JACKSON, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 28 (Wiscon-
sin). HoLuisTER, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 141 (Wisconsin).
Chincha hudsonica HOWELL, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 20, 1901, p. 24 (Minnesota, etc.).
Type locality — Plains of Saskatchewan.
Distribution — From Lake Michigan west to the Rocky Mountains and
northwest through Manitoba to the Great Slave Lake region, in
the western portion of its Canadian range nearly reaching the coast.
Description — Typical form: Size large; tail with a blunt brush, the
end black without a white pencil; general color black; a narrow white
stripe extends from the nose, passing between the eyes to the
crown; a large white patch on the back of the neck extending in a
white stripe which narrows between the shoulders and divides into
two lateral stripes which continue down the back and on sides of
tail often nearly to the tip; black hairs of tail white at the base;
entire under parts black; skull large; zygomata widely expanded
posteriorly; palate without median spine.
Measurements — Total length (male), 26.50 to 29.50 in. (672 to 750
mm.); tail vetebrz, 9.50 to 11 in. (242 to 279 mm.); hind foot, about
3.75 in. (82 mm.). Female: Total length, 22.50 to 26 in. (572 to 660
min.); tail vertebrae, 9.25 to 10.25 in. (235 to 260 mm.); hind foot,
about 3 in. (76 mm.).
The Northern or Hudsonian Skunk is supposed to be the common
form throughout the greater portion of Wisconsin. Hollister states that
out of 28 Skunks collected near Delavan, Walworth Co., 25 were
hudsonica and only 3 avia (I. c., p. 141). Jackson says all the specimens
he examined from various parts of the state proved to be hudsonica
(1. c., p. 28). While the majority of Wisconsin Skunks may probably
341
MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory.
FEB., IgI2.
(DI1uOsS pny
RY
ylydayy) YUNA ussyIION
342 Fretp Museum oF NaturaL History — Zoétoey, Vor. XI.
be referred to this species, many of them, as has already been shown, are
not typical and strongly suggest intergradation.
Skunks may be numbered among our best known animals, and,
although they have the reputation of being undesirable neighbors,
largely on account of their malodorous qualities, they are in reality
one of our prettiest mammals. They are naturally inoffensive and are
of great practical value to the farmer, as they destroy enormous quanti-
ties of grasshoppers, beetles, etc. and they also prey upon and kill
large numbers of Mice, Ground Squirrels, and other small mammals.
It is true that they occasionally kill chickens and suck eggs when they
find a nest, but the harm which they do is as nothing when compared
with their value to the agriculturist in ridding his gardens and fields
of the various pests which destroy his crops.
Skunks usually make their homes in burrows in the ground, although
they are not averse to living under an outbuilding or occasionally in
an old hollow stump or log. In very cold weather there is no doubt
that they hibernate to a more or less extent, but their sleep cannot be
very deep or protracted, for on mild winter days I have often seen
their fresh tracks in the snow. Sometimes several Skunks live in a den
in winter and it is claimed that four or five are often found together
and sometimes as many as ten. It would seem probable that in most '
cases they are members of one family of the preceding season, although
Kennicott states that as many as fifteen have been found in winter
lying in one nest.*
The young are born in April or early in May and usually number
from 4 to 6, rarely more, although as many as ten in a litter have been
recorded. They are very pretty little animals and, as already stated,
when taken young and the scent glands removed they make interesting
and often affectionate pets.
Regarding the scent glands of these animals I cannot do better than
quote my esteemed friend, Dr. C. Hart Merriam, who says:
‘His chief weapon of defence lies in the secretion of a pair of anal
glands, that lie on.either side of the rectum, and are imbedded in a
dense gizzard-like mass of muscle which serves to compress them so
forcibly that the contained fluid may be ejected to the distance of four
or five metres (approximately 13 to 16% feet). Each sac is furnished
with a single duct that leads into a prominent nipple-like papilla that is
capable of being protruded from the anus, and by means of which the
direction of the jet is governed. The secretion is a clear, limpid fluid
of an amber or golden yellow color, has an intensely acid reaction, and,
2 US So Zea Rept. for 1858, U.S. Patent Office Rept., 1859, p. 249.
+ Mamm. Adirondack Reg., 1886, pp. 76-78.
FEB., 1912. MaAmMats oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 343
in the evening is slightly luminous. On standing ina bottle, a flocculent,
whitish precipitate separates and falls to the bottom. The fluid some-
times shows a decided greenish cast, and it always possesses an odor
that is characteristic, and in some respects unique. Its all-pervading,
penetrating and lasting properties are too well known to require more
than passing comment. I have known the scent to become strikingly
apparent in every part of a well closed house, in winter, within five
minutes after a Skunk had been killed at a distance of a hundred metres
(about twenty rods)! The odor generally remains noticeable for weeks
and sometimes for months, about the place where one has been killed.
The condition of the atmosphere has much to do in determining the
matter, for the more humid the air and the higher the temperature,
the farther is the scent discernible, and the longer does it last. Under
favorable conditions it is certainly distinctly recognizable at a distance
of a mile, and DeKay quotes a statement from the Medical Repository
that a Dr. Wiley of Rock Island ‘distinctly perceived the smell of a
Skunk, although the nearest land was twenty miles distant.’
“The scent glands of the Skunk may be removed, bodily, without in
any way affecting the health or happiness of the animal. The gizzard-
like mass of muscle in which they are imbedded completely surrounds
the gut, just at the outlet of the pelvis, and is attached to the tuberosities
of the ischium. The chief danger attending the operation is the liabil-
ity of wounding the rectum, or of creating so much irritation about it
that the subsequent inflammation and cicatrization will result in
stricture of that important viscus. Care must also be exercised in
order to avoid wounding the genito-urinary passages. I have operated,
with complete success, both with and without antiseptic precautions.
A much simpler operation, where the end in view is merely to disarm
the animal, is that performed by Dr. J. M. Warren of Boston, in the
year 1849. It consists of making an incision through the skin, directly
in front of the anus, and in snipping the ducts of the glands, at the bases
of the nipple-like papillae which project into the gut, just within the
sphincter. Adhesive inflammation follows and permanently occludes
the ducts at the point of division.”
Much has been written about ‘‘mad skunks” and the danger of
hydrophobia if bitten by them. While there is no doubt that Skunks
can contract hydrophobia, in my opinion they rarely do so. I have
myself been twice bitten by Skunks and know several people who have
been bitten by them, but in no instance was there any after ill effects
other than would be produced by any simple wound. Dr. Merriam,
who has been bitten several times by Skunks, does not consider their
bites more dangerous than any other of our common mammals. Cases
)
344 Fretp Museum or Natura History — Zoo.ocey, Voi. XI.
of hydrophobia from the bite of a Skunk have been reported, however,
where persons have been bitten with fatal results.* The flesh of young
Skunks is very good, as I can testify from personal experience. Dr.
Merriam says it ‘‘ is delicious eating. It is not unlike chicken, but is
more delicate and its taste is particularly agreeable”’ (J. c., p. 76).
Enormous numbers of Skunks are annually trapped and their skins
sold for furs which in many cases are offered for sale as ‘“‘ Alaska Sable.”
Mephitis mephitis avia (BaNcs).
ILLINOIS SKUNK.
Mephitis avia BANGs, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XII, 1898, p. 32.
Mephitis mesomelas avia HOLLISTER, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 141
(Wisconsin).
Type locality — San Jose, Mason Co., Illinois.
Distribution — Illinois to southern Wisconsin, eastern Iowa, eastern
Missouri and western Indiana; exact limits of range uncertain.
Description — Somewhat smaller than hudsonica, pattern of coloration
similar, but extent of white marking variable; in some specimens
the white stripes end about the middle of the back, in others they
continue to the tail; tail usually entirely black, but occasionally
with white pencil; zygomata less widely expanded posteriorly than
in hudsonica and with less abrupt bend than in hudsonica. May
generally be distinguished from hudsonica by somewhat smaller
size and shorter tail (tail vertebrae usually less than 9 inches long),
shape of zygomata, etc.; and from putida by absence of distinct
median spine on the palate, no white pencil at end of tail, etc.
Measurements — Total length (male), 25 to 27 in. (625 to 686 mm.);
tail vettebre, 7 to 8.50 in. (175 to 215 mm.); hind foot, about 2.60
in. (65 mm.). Total length Gemale), 23: to 25.50 in. (580 to 650
mm.); tail vertebra, 6.25 to 7.25 in. (158 to 184 mm.); hind foot,
about 2.50 (62 mm.).
The Illinois Skunk is the common form which occurs throughout
Illinois, and it has been recorded from southern Wisconsin; but the
limits of its range in the latter state have not been satisfactorily deter-
mined. Hollister records 3 specimens from Delavan, identified by
Howell (/. c., p. 141), and I have examined a number of Wisconsin
Skunks which might be referred to this form; but, as has already been
stated} the variation in markings and size of different individuals often
* See Dr. J. S. Janeway, N. Y. Med. Rec., March, 1875; also Coues, Fur Bearing
Animals, 1877, p. 229.
T See ante, p. 339.
Fes., 1912. MAmMALS oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 345
AS
WS,
&
%S
=
S
>
=
5
S
=
&
S
3°
3
=.
re)
o,
eS
6%
eo
erce tee es
eeeeeeo®e * RW
M. m.mesomelas
Area of intergradation
Map showing supposed distribution of Skunks belonging to the genus Mephitis in Illinois and
isconsin and adjoining states.
Mephitis hudsonica (RICHARDSON). Type locality — Plains of the Saskatchewan,
Canada. Size large; total length from 26 to 29 inches; tail with blunt black brush
at tip, without white pencil; no median spine on palate; description as previously
given.
Mephitis mephitis (SCHREBER). (Sdaugthiere, III, 1776, p. 444, tab. CX XI.) Type
locality —‘‘America.’’ (The name is now restricted to the northern form of the
Eastern Skunk.) Palate without median spine; zygomata heavy and not greatly
expanded; tail rather short, mixed black and white, the end white.
Mephitis m. avia (BANGS). Type locality —San Jose, Illinois. Description as
previously given. Resembles mesomelas, but larger; tail more than half the
length of body and usually wholly black.
Mephitis m. putida (BoITaRD). (Jard. Plantes Paris, Mamm., 1842, p.147.) Type
locality — New Jersey. Palate with distinct median spine; end of tail with
white pencil; tail vertebre less than 11 inches.
Mephitis m. mesomelas (LICHTENSTEIN). (Darst. Saugeth., 1832, text, pl. 45, fig. 2.)
Type locality — Louisiana. Palate without median spine; size small; tail
usually wholly black; length about 23 inches; tail vertebrae about 9 inches.
Mephitis m. elongata BANGS. (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., X XVI, 1895, p. 531.)
Type locality — Micco, Brevard Co., Florida. Size medium; tail long, usual
over I1.50 inches, with white pencil; palate with spine; frontal region arched;
rostrum broad.
346 Fretp Musreum oF Naturat History — Zooéxocy, Vot. XI.
from the same locality is perplexing and many specimens occur, espe-
cially in Wisconsin, which appear to be .intergrades.
The habits of this form are apparently similar to those of the North-
ern or Hudsonian Skunk which has already been described.
Genus SPILOGALE Gray.
Spilogale Gray, Proc. Zodl. Soc. Lond., 1865, p. 150. Type Mephitis
interrupta Rafinesque.
Size smaller than Mephitis; skull somewhat flattened; audital
bulle inflated; auditory meatus tubular and directed obliquely forward;
zygomata prominently arched, the highest point at the middle; back
with four white stripes.
= Pm. 373, M.
=a BS
LS
Dental formula: I. 34.
Spilogale putorius (LINN.).
ALLEGHENIAN SPOTTED SKUNK. CIVET Cat.
Viverra putorius LINN/EUS, Syst. Nat., X ed., I, 1758, p. 44.
Spilogale putorius HOWELL, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 26, 1906, p. 15 (Tennessee, etc.).
Ib., Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXIII, 1910, p. 32 (Illinois, Kentucky).
Type locality — South Carolina.
Distribution — From Virginia to Georgia in the interior, and westward
to eastern Arkansas and Missouri, north to western Kentucky,
southern Illinois and southern Indiana; exact western limits of
range unknown.
Description — General color black and white; four white stripes on the
back, which are broken on the lower back and appear as irregular
spots or bands; a
white patch on the
forehead; end of
tail white.
Measurements—Total
length, 18.50 to 22
Spilogale putorius. in. (470 to 558
mm.); tail verte-
bre, 7:50 to 8.70 in. (190.5 to 220 mm.); hind foot, about 2) in
(46 to 51 mm.).
This species is claimed to occur in southern Illinois. Howell states:
“They are reported to be fairly common at Golconda, Illinois;’’ and
Hahn includes it in his mammals of Indiana as occurring in Knox
County. Hunters inform me that there are two kinds of Skunks in
FrEB., 1912. MaAmMALs oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 347
southern Illinois, ‘‘a large one and a little one.’’ There is little doubt
that a Spotted Skunk occurs in the southern portion of the state, but
so far as known no collector has actually secured a specimen. It may
be readily distinguished from our common Skunks (Mephitis) by its
smaller size and four white back stripes.
AL
Spilogale putorius
MLL.
S. interrupta
S. indianola
S. ambarvalis
Map illustrating supposed distribution of Skunks belonging to the genus Spilogale in eastern
United States; the range limits of the various forms are not definitely known.
Spilogale putorius (LINN.). Type locality — South Carolina. Description as:
previously given.
Spilogale interrupta (RAFINESQUE). (Annals of Nature, I, 1820, p. 3.) Type locality
— ‘Upper Missouri” River. Similar to putorius, but with white stripes more
broken and white marking less in extent; tail entirely black or with only a few
white hairs at tip.
Spilogale ambarvalis BANGS. (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 1898, p. 222.) Type
locality — Oak Lodge, opposite Micco, Brevard Co., Florida. Size small;
white marking prominent and tail short. Total length, about 15.75 in. (400
mm.) or less; tail vertebra less than 6 in. (152 mm.).
Spilogale indianola MERRIAM. (N. Amer. Fauna, No. 4, 1890, p. 10.) Type locality
— Indianola, Texas. Body marking similar to interrupta, but end of tail white:
usually for about one-third its length.
348 Firetp Museum or Naturat History — Zo6éxoey, Vor. XI.
Spilogale interrupta (RAFINESQUE), PRartRir SPOTTED SKUNK.
This species may occur in western Wisconsin, as its range is known to
extend to northeastern Iowa and the southeastern border of Minne-
sota, but so far as known it has not as yet been taken within our
limits. It resembles S. putorius, but it is a much blacker animal, the
white marking being more restricted and the stripes more broken.
Genus TAXIDEA Storr.
Taxidea Storr, Prodr. Meth. Mamm., 1780, p. 34. Type Ursus taxus
Schreber.
Body stout; tail short; fore claws large and long, highly developed
for digging; skull noticeably wide across occipital; upper carnassial
teeth large; bullae very large; lamboidal crest greatly developed in
adult; sagittal crest small. (For cut of skull see p. 276.)
; a=e to 3-3 te
Dental formula: I. -—2) C.——; Pm. »—2, M. ——= 34.
: a=% te a= =D
Taxidea taxus (SCHREBER).
AMERICAN BADGER.
Ursus taxus SCHREBER, Saugthiere, III, 1778, p. 520.
Meles Labradoria LAPHAM, Trans. Wis. State Agr. Soc., II, 1852 (1853), p. 338
(Wisconsin). KENnnicoTT, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., I, 1853-54 (1855), p.
578 (Cook Co., Illinois).
Taxidea americana KENNIcoTT, Agr. Rept. for 1858, U. S. Patent Office Rept.,
1859, p. 250 (Illinois). Tuomas, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., IV, 1859-60 (1861),
p. 655 (Illinois). Mites, Rept. Geol. Surv. Mich., I, 1860 (1861), p. 220 (Mich-
igan). ALLEN, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XIII, 1869 (1871), p. 183 (Iowa).
Hoy, Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci. Arts & Lat., V, 1882, p. 256 (Wisconsin). BRAYTON,
Rept. Geol. Surv. Ohio, IV, Pt. I, 1882, p. 42 (Kankakee Co., Illinois). STRONG,
Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, 1883, p. 437 (Wisconsin). HERRICK, Geol. & Nat.
Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No.7, 1892, p. 86 (Minnesota). EVERMANN & BUTLER,
Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1893 (1894), p. 137 (Indiana). SNypER, Bull. Wis. Nat.
Hist. Soc., II, 1902, p. 122 (Wisconsin).
Taxidea taxus ADAMS, Rept. State Board Geol. Surv. Mich., 1905 (1906), p. 130
(Michigan). JACKSON, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 28 (Wisconsin).
Ho.uistErR, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 141 (Wisconsin). HAHN,
Ann. Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources Ind., 1908 (1909), p. 577 (Indiana).
Woop, Bull. Ill. State Lab. Nat. Hist., VIII, 1910, p. 574 (Illinois).
Type locality — Originally given as Labrador and Hudson Bay,
although the species is not known to occur there.
Distribution — From northern Indiana west to the Sierra Nevada
Mountains, south at least to Kansas and New Mexico, north in the
Saskatchewan region to about latitude 55°; replaced in the South and
West by allied forms.
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 349
Description — General color grizzly gray; head brown, with a patch of
white below and behind the ears and a white stripe on middle of
crown extending from the nose to the nape; feet and greater portion
of legs brownish black, the claws pale, large, often 1.50 inches in
length; chin and upper throat dull white, rest of under parts buffy
white or yellowish white; tail tinged with yellowish brown.
Measurements — Length, about 27 to 29 in. (691 to 741 mm.); tail
vertebra, about 5 in. (125 to 136 mm.); hind foot, 3.85 in. (95 to
105 mm.).
The Badger still occurs in more or less numbers in various localities
throughout Wisconsin and occasionally in the northern two-thirds of
Illinois. In the early days it was common. Kennicott (1854) gives it
as formerly common in Cook County and states that at that time it was
still common farther south (/. c., p. 578). Brayton (1882) mentions a
Badger taken in Kankakee County, Illinois, in 1857. Wood says: ‘‘It
is reported that a specimen was killed a few miles north of Urbana in
1908. The dead animal was seen by reliable persons, but I have been
unable to verify the identification by seeing the skin” (J. c., p. 574).
In 1909 1t was reported by hunters to be not uncommon in Jo Daviess
and Stephenson counties, Illinois. Kennicott says: “In Illinois badgers
were once numerous at least as far south as the middle of the state;
and were seen thirty years ago near the Kaskaskia River. They still
exisu ine De Kalb County’ (1. ¢., 1858, p: 250):
There are numerous records from Wisconsin. I have examined
specimens from Rock and Dodge counties and one which was claimed
to have been killed near Lake Geneva, Walworth Co.,in 1902. Dr.
H. V. Ogden of Milwaukee has skulls in his collection from Douglas
and Milton counties. Mr. W. E. Snyder has five specimens in his
collection taken in Dodge County between 1902 and 1908, and he
informs me that at least five others were killed in Dodge County dur-
ing the summer of 1902. Hollister records it from Delavan, Walworth
Co., in 1908 (J. c., p. 141); and Jackson records 10 specimens cap-
tured within a radius of 8 miles of Milton, Rock Co., from 1900 to
1902 (/. c., p. 28). JI am informed by reliable persons that during the
past five years (1906 to Ig11) one or more specimens have been
taken in Marinette, Florence, Forest, Marathon, Taylor, Iron, Douglas,
Rusk, Polk and Buffalo counties.
While the Badger was probably common in portions of Illinois and
Wisconsin in early days, it was much more so farther west. Dr.
Elliott Coues writes: ‘“‘I have seen Badgers in countless numbers nearly
throughout the region of the upper Missouri River and its tributaries.
I do not see how they could well be more numerous anywhere. In
350 FIELD
Museum or Naturat History — Zoéoey, Vou. XI.
American Badger (Taxidea taxus).
FEeB., 1912. MaAmMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — CoRY. 351
some favorite stretches of sandy, sterile soil their burrows are every-
where, together with those of Kit Foxes, Prairie Dogs, and Spermophiles,
and, as already said, these holes are a source of annoyance and even
danger to the traveler. In ordinary journeying, one has to keep con-
stant lookout lest his horse’ suddenly goes down under him, with a
fore leg deep in a Badger hole.’’*
WA,
Taxidea taxus
Area of intergradation
Map illustrating approximate range of the American Badger, Taxidea taxus, in eastern United
States and Canada.
Taxidea taxus (SCHREBER). Type locality — Northern North America; originally
given as Labrador and Hudson Bay, but the species is not known to occur there.
Description as previously given.
Taxidea t. berlandieri (BAIRD). (Mammals N. Amer., 1857, p. 205.) Type locality
— Staked plains of Texas (Llano estacado), near border of New Mexico. General
coloration less gray and more buffy; white line on back longer, occasionally
extending to the tail.
* Fur-bearing Animals, 1877, p. 281.
352 FreLtp Museum oF Naturat History — Zoéroey, Vor. XI.
The Badger is a shy animal, largely nocturnal in its habits, and is
rarely seen even in localities where it is common. It is clumsy and slow
in its movements and subsists largely upon ground Rodents, such as
Prairie Squirrels, Mice, etc., which it digs out with little difficulty,
although it also eats insects, snails, honey, young birds and eggs. Its
home is a burrow in the ground in dry and preferably sandy soil. Kenni-
cott says its underground habitation is sometimes 6 feet deep and 30
feet in length, but he found others only 2 feet below the surface and but
6 feet in length (J. c., p. 251). All authorities agree that the Badger
hibernates in cold weather, at least in the northern part of its range;
but the length of its winter sleep apparently depends largely upon the
temperature. The young are usually born in May and number from
2ELONS:
Badgers are provided with anal glands secreting a noxious smelling
fluid, but our species cannot forceably eject it like the Skunks. The
skins of Badgers make very good fur and are much used for robes, as
well as muffs and tippets of the cheaper grade. The hair is also used in
the manufacture of shaving brushes and artists’ materials.
Specimens examined from Illinois and Wisconsin:
‘Wisconsin — (M. P. M.) Milton, Rock Co., 1; (O. C.) Douglas Co.
(skull), 1; Milton, Rock Co. (skull), 1; (S. C.) Dodge Co., 5; (O.)
Walworth Co., 1=9.
Subfamily MUSTELIN/. Wolverine, Martens,
Minks, Weasels, etc.
Genus GULO Storr.
Gulo Storr, Prodr. Meth. Mamm., 1780, p. 34. Type Mustela gulo Linn.
Body stout; hair thick and long; claws large and curved; tail short
and bushy; ears short; rostrum short; zygomata broadly expanded;
bulle laterally elongated, forming a tubular auditory meatus; upper
molar extending inward at right angle with the carnassial; last lower
molar small; feet semi-plantigrade.
Dental formula: I. S42) ein WE
gag Sk 4-4
vu
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 253
Gulo luscus (LINN.).
WOLVERINE. Carcajou. GLUTTON.
[ Ursus] luscus LINN&Us, Syst. Nat., X ed., I, 1758, p. 47.
Gulo luscus LAPHAM, Trans. Wis. State Agr. Soc., II, 1852 (1853), p. 338. KENNI-
coTT, Agr. Rept. for 1858, U. S. Patent Office Rept., 1859, p. 245 (Wisconsin).
Mies, Rept. Geol. Surv. Mich., 1860 (1861), p. 220 (Michigan). OsBoRN,
Proc. Iowa Acad. Sci., I, 1887-89 (1890), p. 42 (Iowa). Hoy, Trans. Wis. Acad.
Sci., Arts & Letters, V, 1882, p. 256 (Wisconsin). STRONG, Geol. Wis., Surv.
1873-79, I, 1883, p. 43 (Wisconsin). ApDAms, Rept. State Board Geol. Surv.
Mich., 1905 (1906), p. 131 (Michigan). HoLiisTEerR, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc.,
VI, 1908, p. 141 (Wisconsin). HAHN, Ann. Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources
Ind., 1908 (1909), p. 579 (Indiana).
Gulo Luscus THOMAS, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., IV, 1859-60 (1861), p. 655 (Illi-
nois).
Gulo borealis HERRICK, Geol. & Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No. 7, 1892, p. 99
(Minnesota).
Type locality — Hudson Bay
Distribution — Practically the whole of northern North America,
south in the eastern portion of its range to about latitude 45° and
formerly to the mountains in Pennsylvania.
Description — Largest of the family; general color dark brown, grayish
on cheeks and crown; a broad pale stripe extends from the shoulder
along the sides of the body to the tail; rump paler than the back,
sometimes brownish white; throat and breast with irregular markings
of yellowish white; claws pale; sexes similar.
Measurements — Total length, about 36 to 38 in. (940 mm.); tail
vertebre, about 6.50 to 7.50 in. (170 mm.); hind foot, about 7 in.
(178 mm.).
There is no reason to question the occurrence of the Wolverine in
Wisconsin in early days, especially as it is claimed that straggling
individuals have been taken in Indiana, one of them as far south as
Knox County (Hahn, l. c., p. 580). Dr. P. R. Hoy says, “‘ Wolverines,
Gulo luscus, are occasionally taken in the timber; one was taken in La
Crosse County, in 1870” (I. c., p. 256). Strong (1883) writes, “Occurs
rarely in northern Wisconsin”’ (/. c., p. 437). Adams in his notes on the
mammals of Ontonagon County, Michigan Peninsula, says: “At
Rockland five were bought by his brother, J. M. Haring, between 1865
and 1875. This is the only Michigan (?) locality known to the writer.
Of course, the animals may not have been killed near Rockland, but
may have come from a distance” (/. c., p. 131). Old trappers living in
the vicinity of Champion, Michigan, claim that Wolverines were occa-
sionally killed in that locality, 30 or 35 years ago.
is)
On
4
FIELD MUSEUM OF
NaTuRAL History — Zo6Loey, VOL.
GE
(Gulo luscus).
Wolverine
ee
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 255
Mr. Edward G. Kingsford of Iron Mountain, Michigan, a gentleman
who is perfectly familiar with this animal, writes me as follows: ‘‘ From
1880 until 1900 I was in the woods of northern Wisconsin, Michigan
and Minnesota nearly all the time, both summer and winter. I have
never heard of a Wolverine being killed nearer here than the Rainey
Lake District of Minnesota and have never seen the tracks of one here.
About 1895 to 1897 they were quite plentiful in northern Minnesota.
Trappers complained of their depredations the same as they did here in
the early days, so it 1s quite probable that they may have been killed
not many years ago in the northwestern part of Wisconsin, as they are
great travellers.”
The Milwaukee Public Museum collection contains two mounted
specimens which may or may not have been actually taken in the state,
as they are labeled ‘‘ Wisconsin,” without date or locality.
From its earliest mention by writers in the 16th century, the Wolver-
ine or Glutton, as it was called, has been the subject of the most extra-
ordinary tales and superstitions. Fabulous stories were told of its
ferocity, strength and sagacity, which each succeeding writer gravely
repeated, usually adding something equally extravagant on his own
account. Olaus Magnus (1562) was responsible for one of the most
ridiculous fables which seems to have been accepted without comment
and apparently endorsed by various writers for two hundred years.
According to his account, the Glutton, after feasting upon the carcass of
a large animal until its belly was swollen to such an extent it could hold
no more, obtained relief by squeezing itself between two trees in order
that it might return to glut itself anew.* Topsell considered this
absurd story worthy of pictorial illustration and not to be outdone by
his predecessors, gravely informs us that when the beast can find no
trees growing sufficiently near together to accomplish his purpose,
“then taketh he an Alder-tree and with his fore-feete rendeth the same
asunder, and passeth through the middest of it for the cause aforesaid.’’T
Other writers allowed their imagination free play in commenting upon
its wonderful sagacity. I quote from Dr. Elliott Coues’s charmingly
written history of this animal. He says: “Still in the track of the
marvellous, we read how the Glutton, too clumsy and tardy of foot to
overtake large Ruminants, betakes itself to the trees beneath which
they may pass, and there crouches in wait for its victim; it drops like
*“ Hoc animal voracissimum est, reperto namique cadavere tantum vorat ut
violento cibo corpus instar tympani extendatur: inventaque angustia inter arbores se
stringit.ut violentius egerat: sicque extenuatum revertitur ad cadaver et ad summum
usque repletur, iterumque se strigit angustia priore.’’ (Olaus Magnus, Historia de
Gentibus Septentrionalibus, 1652, p. 138.)
+ Historie of Foure Footed Beastes, London, 1607, p. 262.
356 Fretp MusEeum or Natura. History — Zooxoey, Vou. XI.
a shot upon the unsuspecting Elk, Moose, Reindeer, and fastening with
claws and teeth, sucks the blood and destroys them as they run. That
nothing may be left undone to ensure success, the animal has the wit to
throw down moss or lichens to attract its prey, and to employ the
friendly services of Foxes to drive the quarry beneath the fatal spot.
I allude to these things, not that such gross exaggerations longer require
refutation, but because they are a part, and no inconsiderable one, of
the history of the species; and because, as we shall see in the sequel, a
perfectly temperate and truthful narration of the creature’s actual
habits, sufficiently attest the possession of really remarkable qualities,
which need be but caricatured for transformation into just such fables.’’*
To still further enhance this animal’s reputation for eccentricity
Linnzeus bestowed upon it the name luscus, which might not unreason-
ably be supposed to imply that it was a kind of quadruped Cyclops.t
There is no doubt that the Wolverine is an unusually strong, savage
and sagacious animal, as has time and again unquestionably been
proved. In localities where they are common, hunters find difficulty
in making a “‘cache”’ of supplies which cannot be found and destroyed
by these animals. Dr. Coues cites a case where a Wolverine has been
known to gnaw through a log nearly a foot in diameter and also to dig
a hole several feet deep in frozen ground to gain access to the coveted
supply. The same author also says: ‘“‘To the trapper, the Wolverines
are equally annoying. When they have discovered a line of Marten
traps, they will never abandon the road, and must be killed before the
trapping can be successfully carried on. Beginning at one end they
proceed from trap to trap along the whole line, pulling them successively
to pieces, and taking out the baits from behind. When they can eat
no more, they continue to steal the baits and cache them. If hungry,
they may devour two or three of the Martens they find captured, the
remainder being carried off and hidden in the snow at a considerable
distance. The work of demolition goes on as fast as the traps can be
renewed.”’
“The propensity to steal and hide things is one of the strongest
traits of the Wolverine. To such an extent is it developed that the
animal will often secrete articles of no possible use to itself. Besides
the wanton destruction of Marten traps, it will carry off the sticks and
hide them at a distance, apparently in sheer malice.”’ (J. ¢., p. 51.)
Ross says: ‘‘The desire for accumulating property seems so deeply
* Fur-bearing Animals, 1877, p. 44.
t It is far from probable that the great naturalist intended to convey any such
meaning, although we havea similar misnomer in that of the Great Bird of Paradise
(P. apoda) described by the same author and so named for the reason that the first
skins of the species received in Europe lacked feet.
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 357
implanted in these animals that, like tame ravens, it does not appear
to care much what it steals so that it can exercise its favorite propensity
to commit mischief. An instance occurred within my own knowledge
in which a hunter and his family having left their lodge unguarded
during their absence, on their return found it completely gutted—the
walls were there but nothing else. Blankets, guns, kettles, axes, cans,
knives and all other paraphernalia of a trapper’s tent had vanished, and
the tracks left by the beast showed who had been the thief. The family
set to work, and by carefully following up his paths, recovered, with some
trifling exceptions, the whole of the lost property.’’*
It has generally been supposed by modern naturalists that Wolver-
ines do not attack and kill large mammals, such as the Moose and Elk,
although they eat them when they find them dead, but according to
Mr. J. Keele of the Canadian Geological Survey this is not always the
case. On March 27, 1908, on Third Lake, Ross River (an affluent of
the Pelly), he saw a Moose floundering in deep snow and he and his
companion shot it and found that it had already been nearly killed by
a Wolverine that had leaped on its back from a tree.
a
Gulo luscus
Map illustrating the supposed range of the Wolverine, (Gulo luscus) up to the latter part of the last
century (about 1870 to 1880). It is very doubtful that the species occurs at the present time in
northern Wisconsin or Michigan.
* Canadian Nat. and Geol., VI, 1861, p. 30.
+ Forest and Stream, Dec. 19, 1908, p. 971.
358 Fretp Museum oF NaturaL History — Zooéxoey, Vou. XI.
Wolverines do not hibernate but wander about in the snow in the
coldest weather. Audubon and Bachman tracked one for five miles
over snow-covered hills in northern New York.* Mr. Edward G.
Kingsford of Iron Mountain, Michigan, who met with this species a
number of times in Minnesota, writes:
‘‘T remember chasing one on snow shoes in Minnesota about fifteen
miles, thinking that I might catch him as the snow was soft and his short
legs seemed to go in full length, but he was going when I quit.”
According to various writers the Wolverine makes its den in a hollow
in the ground or a natural cave under rocks. The young are born in
May or June and usually number from 2 to 4, although, according to
MacFarlane, 5 are occasionally found in a litter.
This species possesses anal glands secreting a rather thick yellowish
brown fluid. The odor is extremely noxious, but the fluid cannot be
forcibly ejected to a distance.
Genus PUTORIUS{ Cuvier.
Putorius Cuvier, Régne Animal, 1, 1817, p.147. Type Mustela putorius
Linn.
Body long; tail close-haired or bushy; legs short; carnassial tooth in
lower jaw without internal cusp; rostrum short; bulle flattened. Differs
in dentition from genus Mustela by having one less premolar on each side
of upper and lower jaw.
2?-— 72 — I —
Sa Cee) OE iA
=3 saat a=) 2-2
Two subgenera, which may be characterized as follows, are repre-
sented within our limits:
Dental formula: I.
w
A. Total length generally more than 19.50 inches (size variable); color brown all
over, including under parts, except a white spot on chin and usually another on
the breast; soles of feet mostly bare; does not turn white in winter.
Subgenus LUTREOLA, MiInks, p. 361.
B. Total length less than 19.50 inches; color brown above, white or yellowish white
below; soles of feet mostly covered with hair; turns white in winter in this
latitude. Subgenus ICTIS, WEASELS, p. 366.
* Quadrupeds of N. Amer., I, 1846, p. 207.
f Proce USS. Nat. Must; XXVIII T905;-ps 708:
t According to Thomas (Proc. Zoél. Soc. Lond., 1911, p. 139) the name Putorius,
commonly used for this genus, must be changed to Mustela; and the name Mustela,
at present used for the Martens, must give place to Martes.
Fres., 1912. MAMMALS oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN— CoRY. 359
KEY TO OUR SPECIES.
GROUP 1. Color brown all over, except usually a white spot on chin and sometimes
another on breast; belly not white or yellowish white; animal does not turn
white in winter.
Belly brown; tail bushy, darker than the back and blackish at the end; total
length of males more than Ig inches; females smaller.
MINK. Putorius vison lutreocephalus, p. 361.
GROUP 2. Color (in summer) brown above, most of under parts (including belly)
white, yellowish white or vellowish buff; animal turns white in winter in this
latitude.
SECTION 1. Total length of males usually more than 13 inches and of females
usually more than II inches.
Tail about % or more of total length, black tip of tail long, its beginning not
sharply defined; toes and feet generally without white; usually a brown
spot back of the angle of the mouth; under parts white, often more or
less tinged with lemon yellow. (In winter)* White all over (except
black end of tail), more or less tinged with lemon yellow, most pro-
nounced about rump, hind legs and tail.
New YorK WEASEL. Putorius noveboracensis, p. 366.
Black tip of tail short and abruptly defined; toes and feet with more or less
white; under parts washed with ochraceous buff or deep saffron yellow.
(In winter) White all over (except black tip of tail), without yellow
tinge except at times on tail. MINNESOTA LONG-TAILED WEASEL.
Putorius longicauda spadix, p. 374.
SECTION 2. Total length of males less than 13 inches and of females less than
II inches.
Male usually more than 8.50 inches long and female more than 7.50 inches
long; tail generally nearer 14 than % of the total length. (In summer)
Toes and generally inner sides of hind feet usually with tinge of yellow.
(In winter) White all over, more or less washed with pale yellow most
pronounced on rump, hind feet and tail; end of tail always black.
BONAPARTE’S WEASEL. Putorius cirognanii, p. 375.
Males less than 8.25 inches long; females less than 7.50 inches. (In summer)
Brown above; under parts white or whitish; end of tail without black tip.
(In winter) Pelage entirely white; tail without black tip except occasionally
with a few blackish hairs at extreme end. :
ALLEGHENIAN LEAST WEASEL.
Putorius rixosus allegheniensis, p. 378.
* Refers to specimens from Wisconsin and northern Illinois. In the southern
part of its range it does not turn white in winter.
360 Fretp Museum or Natura. History — Zoétoey, Vo1. XI.
Skull of Mink (Putorius vison).
(About natural size.)
From Elliot’s Synopsis Mammals N. Amer.
Fres., 1912. MamMAts oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 301
Subgenus LUTREOLA Wagner.
Color nearly uniform all over; tail bushy; cusps of molars and
premolars well developed; sectorial tooth of upper jaw with well-
developed anterio-exterior cusp; frontal outline nearly straight, in adult
developing sagittal crest; Palmer pads largely bare; toes partly webbed. *
Putorius vison lutreocephalus (HARLAN).
Mink. Harvan’s MINK.
Mustela lutreocephalus HARLAN, Fauna Americana, 1825, p. 63.
Putorius vison LAPHAM, Trans. Wis. State Agr. Soc., II, 1852 (1853), p. 338 (Wis-
consin). KEnnicort, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., 1853-54 (1855), p- 578 (Cook
Co. Illinois). Jb., Agr. Rept. for 1857, U. S. Patent Office Rept., 1858, p. Ior.
Mies, Rept. Geol. Surv. Mich., I, 1860 (1861), p. 220 (Michigan). STRONG,
Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, 1883, p. 437 (Wisconsin). HERRICK, Geol. & Nat.
Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No. 7, 1892, p. 118 (Minnesota). EVERMANN & BUTLER,
Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1893 (1894), p. 137 (Indiana).
Lutreola vison RHOADS, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1896 (1897), p. 198 (Tennessee).
SNYDER, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., II, 1902, p. 125 (Wisconsin).
Lutreola vison lutreocephalus HAHN, Ann. Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources Ind.,
1908 (1909), p. 581 (Indiana).
Putorius lutreolus ALLEN, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XIII, 1869 (1871), p. 183
(Iowa).
Type locality — Maryland.
Distribution — Greater portion of North America, north to about
latitude 52°, except in the Southeastern states from Tennessee and
North Carolina southward where it is replaced by P. v. vulgivagus;
and somewhere north of Pennsylvania and east of the Great Lakes
where it intergrades with P. vison. The limits of its northeastern
range have not been definitely determined.
Description — General color nearly uniform umber brown; dorsal area
usually darker than the sides; tail dark brown or blackish brown; chin
white and usually an irregular white spot on chest; rest of under
parts brown occasionally with one or more irregular white patches
on belly. Individual specimens vary greatly in size and the females
are decidedly smaller than the males, but may always be distin-
guished from Weasels by the brown belly and more bushy tail.
Measurements — Total length (male), generally from 23.50 to 25 in.
(500 to 627 mm.); tail vertebre, 7 to 8.25 in. (178 to 209 mm.);
hind foot, 2.50 to 2.75 in. (63 to 7o mm.).
* Considered a full genus by some authorities.
*(snppydar0adjn] UOSI2 SNLAOING) YUL
ZooLocy, Vou. XI.
Fietp Museum oF NATURAL HISTORY
N
6
ise)
Fes., 1912. MAMMALS oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 363
The Mink is a common species in many localities throughout
Illinois and Wisconsin. It is a.semi-aquatic animal, being rarely found
far from water, and is an expert swimmer and diver. Its food consists
largely of fish which it pursues and catches with almost the facility of
the Otter; in fact Linnzeus applied the name Lutreola (Little Otter) to
the Old World form. For piscatorial destructiveness our species is at
least the peer of its European cousin, as is shown by the statement of
Audubon and Bachman, who claim it has been known to catch a trout
a foot long.* Notwithstanding its fondness for water, however, it is
equally at home on land and, while a large portion of its food consists
of aquatic animals, such as fish, frogs and crayfish, it preys upon many
land animals as well, and it destroys quantities of Rabbits, Rats, Musk-
rats, Mice, etc., as well as birds when it can catch them. Like the
Weasel the Mink appears to have an especial antipathy to Rats. Dr.
C. Hart Merriam says:} ‘‘When taken sufficiently young he is easily
domesticated, and makes one of the best of ‘ratters.’ He follows these
common pests into their holes, and destroys large numbers of them.
The remainder are so terrified that they leave the premises in great
haste and are not apt soon to return.”
Writing of the habits of the Mink in Illinois, Kennicott says: ‘‘ Near
the prairies of this State, the mink sometimes takes possession of the
house of a musk-rat, after devouring or driving off the rightful inhab-
itants. It appears to be quite as abundant and as much at home
about prairie ponds and streams as in the woods. It digs burrows on
the dry ground near the water, frequently in old ant-hills, some of which
were penetrated to a depth of two or three feet, and a foot or two below
the surface of the ground. At the extremity of the burrow is a chamber
a foot in diameter, in which is found a globular nest of soft grass, lined
with feathers, constructed with considerable art, and entered by an
opening on one side. In the northern part of this State, where the
climate is more severe, the burrows are deeper, being sometimes eight
or ten feet in extent, with the nest two feet below the surface. On the
prairie, minks are also found living in burrows, often six or eight rods
in length, on high ground, from which long galleries extend to the edge
of a slough or pond. These galleries, however, are not formed by the
minks, but by musk-rats which dig them in order to place their nests*
beyond the reach of high water, and yet have subterranean communica-
tion with the stream. Though they frequently take possession of the
burrows of the musk-rat, and sometimes those of the badger and skunk,
when situated in suitable localities, they also excavate them for them-
* Quadrupeds of N. Amer., I, 1846, p. 255.
+ Mamm. Adirondack Reg., 1886, p. 67.
364 Fretp Museum oF Natura. History — Zoéxoey, Vor. XI.
selves, but of much less diameter. In the woods, the burrows are
generally found under logs or the roots of trees near the water, and in
rocky regions they burrow under rocks or stone walls; and I have
occasionally discovered them living in the hollow of a fallen tree, or in
the decayed roots of large trees growing in the water.
‘“The mink is not at all gregarious, and does not even live in pairs.
During the love-season, which occurs in February or March, according
to the climate, the female is accompanied by one or more males; but
after this, each lives alone, the males apparently wandering about the
remainder of the year. The young are brought forth in April or May,
usually to a number of five or six, though sometimes there are as few
as three. They separate from the mother as soon as they are able to
take care of themselves, and before winter each provides itself a res-
idence. The female exhibits considerable affection for her young, and
when in danger does not willingly desert them. She carries prey to
them for a time before they leave the burrow, as the remains of birds
and mammals are often found in the nest. The adults, however, have
the habit of conveying their prey to their retreats at all times.
“The mink is strictly carnivorous, and never, to my knowledge,
eats vegetables. Besides birds and mammals, it feeds upon fish and
aquatic reptiles, but probably does not subsist upon insects to much
extent. Though not so expert as the otter, it frequently succeeds in
catching fish in shallow water. In the prairie sloughs it devours at
times considerable quantities of cray-fish, tadpoles, and frogs; and
when the smaller of these places become nearly dry from evaporation,
and are quite alive with tadpoles, and occasionally with mud-fish and
stickle-backs, in common with the musk-rat, the raccoon, and reptile-
eating birds, it clears these muddy pools entirely of their unfortunate
inhabitants, which have no way of escape. The mink, however, does
not always confine itself to this kind of prey; for when once it has gained
access to the farmyard, stocked with young turkeys, chickens, and
ducks, it far prefers taking up its residence near by, where, without the
exertion of long journeys and hard chases, it can make a nocturnal feast
of its favorite food—blood and brains. Though destructive, it is not
usually so much so in the poultry-yard as the weasel or skunk; for often,
at least, if not generally, it exhibits much moderation, comparatively,
contenting itself with a single fowl each night. In pursuing its prey, it
follows the track by scent, like a dog, as may frequently be seen in the
snow where it is chasing a grey rabbit or a covey of grouse or quails,
which, as well as many water-birds, with their eggs and young, it
destroys. It also steals upon its prey, and seizes it by a spring, like a
Cate) (0.06. 13858, PP 1O2—1O25)
FEB., 1912 MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 305
GGRS aaa ehars
Bike
BaGae
P. lutensts
Area of tntergradation
Supposed distribution of the Minks (subgenus Lutreola) in eastern United States and Canada.
The range limits of the various forms have not as yet been satisfactorily determined.
Putorius vison (SCHREBER). (Sdaugthiere, III, 1777, p. 463.) Type locality
Eastern Canada. A small, dark form.
Putorius v. lutreocephalus (HARLAN). Type _ locality
not so dark as vison. Description as previously given.
Putorius v. vulgivagus (BANGS). (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XXVII, 1895, p. 536.)
Type locality — Burbridge, Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. Somewhat paler
than vison; skull arched and rounded.
Maryland. Larger and
Putorius v. lacustris (PREBLE). (N. Amer. Fauna, No. 22, 1902, p. 66.) Type
locality — Echemamish River, near Painted Stone, Keewatin, Canada. ‘‘Sim-
ilar to P. vison but larger; skull more angular’’ (Preble); very close to lutreo-
cephalus.
Putorius lutensis BANGS. (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XXIX, 1898, p. 229.)
Type locality — Matanzas Inlet, St. John Co., Florida. Size smaller than
lutreocephalus; tail shorter; general color decidedly paler and less brown.
366 Frerp Museum or NaturaL History — Zoéxoey, Vor. XI.
While the Mink cannot eject the odorous secretion of its anal
glands to a distance, as does the Skunk, the liquid is equally offensive.
Dr. Elliott Coues says:* ‘‘The peculiar odor which the animals of this
genus have in common attains in this large and vigorous species a
surpassing degree of fetor, though of the same quality. No animal in
this country, except the Skunk, possesses so powerful, penetrating and
lasting an effluvium. Its strength is fully perceived in taking the animal
from a trap, or when the Mink is otherwise irritated. Ordinarily the
scent is not emitted to any noticeable degree; it is under voluntary
control, and the fact that the Mink spends most of its time in the water
is another reason why its proximity, even in numbers, is not commonly
perceived by smell. Both sexes possess the scent bags; they lie in the
perinzeum, one on each side of the rectum, and open upon a papilla on
either side of the anus, just within the edge of the external orifice.”’
Unlike the Weasels, the Mink does not turn white in winter.
Specimens examined from Illinois, Wisconsin and adjoining states:
Illinois — Warsaw, 1; Deerfield, Lake Co., 1=2.
Indiana — Evansville, tr.
Michigan — Park Siding, 1.
Wisconsin — (M. P. M.) Wauwatosa, Milwaukee Co., 2; Glidden,
Ashland ©o., 1; Rock Co.,-1; (©. C,, skulls only) St. Croix) River,
Douglas Co., 2; Mercer, Iron Co., 2; Langlade Co., 4; Turtle Lake,
Barron Co., 5; Pewaukee, Waukesha Co., 11; Colfax, Dunn Co., 8;
Fisher Lake, Iron Co., 1=37.
Subgenus ICTIS Kaup.
Body long, slender and close haired; upper parts darker than under
parts (in summer); soles of feet largely covered with fur.
Putorius noveboracensis EmMMons.
New YorkK WEASEL. ERMINE.
Putorius noveboracensis EMMons, Rept. Quadr. Mass., 1840, p. 45. KENNICOTT,
Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., I, 1853-54 (1855), p- 578 (Cook Co., Illinois). Jb.,
Agr. Rept. for 1857, U. S. Patent Office Rept., 1858, p. 104 (Illinois). MILEs,
Rept. Geol. Surv. Mich., I, 1860 (1861), p. 220 (Michigan). STRONG, Geol.
Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, 1883, p. 436 (Wisconsin). Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna,
No. 11, 1896, p. 7. Ruoaps, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1896 (1897), p. 198
(Tennessee). SNYDER, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., II, 1902, p. 125 (Wisconsin).
Jackson, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 29 (Wisconsin). HAHN, Ann.
Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources Ind., 1908 (1909), p. 585 (Indiana).
HowELL, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXII, 1909, p. 65 (Tennessee). Jb., XXIII,
IQIO, p. 32 (Illinois, Kentucky).
Putorius erminea EVERMANN & BUTLER, Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1893 (1894), p. 137
(Indiana).
* Fur-bearing Animals, 1887, pp. 173-174.
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 367
Type locality — Southern New York.
Distribution — Eastern United States from southern Maine, northern
New York and southern Ontario, Michigan, and greater part of
Wisconsin, south to Kentucky, Tennessee and western North
Carolina. In the West its range extends at least to the Mississippi
River in western Illinois.
Description — In summer: Upper parts and fore and hind feet dark
brown; generally a brown spot back of the angle of the mouth; under
parts white, more or less washed with yellowish (in some northern
Illinois specimens the yellowish tinge is absent); terminal portion
of the tail black for one third or more of its length. In winter:
Entire pelage white (except end of tail), more or less washed with
yellowish; the yellowish tinge is usually noticeable on under parts
and distinctly so about the rump, hind legs and tail; end of tail
always black; in the southern portion of its range it does not turn
white in winter, but the pelage is paler; size very variable; females
much smaller than the males.
Measurements — Total length (males), usually from 14.50 to 16 in.
(370 to 416 mm.); tail vertebrez, 4.75 to 5.50 in. (120 to 140 mm.);
hind foot, 1.75 in. (44.5 mm.). Total length (females), 12 to 13.50
in. (304 to 342 mm.); tail vertebre, 4.25 to 4.75 in. (108 to 120 mm.);
hind oot, aboub 2.37 10% (35 mm.)
Remarks — Adult males of this species may readily be distinguished by
size, relative length of tail, etc. from P. cicognanii, but a female
noveboracensis and a male cicognanii often resemble each other very
closely. They may generally be distinguished by the relative
difference in the length of tail (see page 360.) and the absence of
yellowish white on the inner side of the hind foot.
The range of the New York Weasel includes practically the whole
of Illinois* and the greater part of Wisconsin. It is common at least as
far north as Marathon County and there is a specimen in the Milwaukee
Public Museum from Oconto County, Wisconsin. Howell gives it as
fairly common in southern Ilinois and records specimens from Golconda,
Pope Co., and Lick Creek, Union Co. (J. c., p. 32).
Although Weasels are the smallest of our carnivorous species, they
are the most ferocious and sanguinary of them all. They seem to
* This species in the southern part of its range is claimed to have the under
parts decidedly pale yellow and does not turn white in winter; while in the northern
portion of its range it turns white in winter and has the under parts white in summer.
Mr. Bangs has separated them subspecifically, naming the yellow-bellied form
notius. Both white and yellow-bellied specimens are found in northern Illinois and
the animal turns white in winter in this latitude. If the subspecies stands the test
of time, it is probable that motius may be found to occur in southern Illinois, but a
lack of specimens for comparison prevents me from deciding this question.
ZooLoey, Vor. XI.
368 Frerp Museum oF Natural History
*o]VUW9
(‘SisuarDAoganou SnidojNg) *(aBvjed 1awWUING) Jasea jy 410
A MON
“OTP
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 369
delight in killing, and hunger plays but little part in their war of
extermination. Probably no other mammal, with the possible excep-
tion of man, is so wanton in taking life and habitually destroying, for
the mere lust of killing, far more than it can possibly eat.
Audubon and Bachman inform us that they have known “‘forty well
grown fowls to have been killed in one night by a single Ermine;’*
Dr. Merriam states he has lost fifteen doves in a single night killed by
one Weasel, and I personally know of several instances where farmers
have lost a dozen or more chickens in a night from the depredations of
these animals. Where they can secure food with little effort they rarely
eat the flesh of their victims; but merely suck the blood and eat the
brains of the first few which they kill and the rest of the bodies are left
untouched.
Despite the fact that Weasels are undesirable neighbors in the
vicinity of poultry yards, it should be borne in mind that their natural
food consists largely of Mice and Rats, and by their destruction of
great numbers of these pests they probably save the farmer more than
the value of the poultry which they occasionally kill. Robert Kenni-
cott, who has given us so much valuable information concerning the
habits of our mammals, says: ‘‘Fortunately, however, this animal,
even when abundant, does not enter the farm-yard so frequently as
might be expected, appearing to prefer a free life in the woods to easy
but dangerous feasts on domestic fowls. It is generally less apt than
the mink to make excursions about the abodes of man. I have observed
for several years the presence of a number of these weasels in a grove
near a farm-yard well stocked with poultry, which they never appeared
to enter, though repeatedly visited by minks and skunks. Indeed, I
am inclined to think that, notwithstanding their occasional predatory
inroads, they should not be killed when living permanently about
meadows or cultivated fields, at a distance from the poultry; for they
are not less destructive to many of the farmer’s enemies in the fields.
Meadow-mice are certainly the greatest pests among mammals of
Northern Illinois; and of these the weasel destroys great numbers. I
am informed that, upon the appearance of a weasel in the field, the army
of mice of all kinds begins a precipitate retreat. A gentleman of
Wisconsin related to me that, while following a plough, in spring, he
noticed a weasel with a mouse in its mouth, running past him. It
entered a hollow log. He determined to watch further, if possible, the
animal’s movements, and presently saw it come out again, hunt about
the roots of some stumps, dead trees, and log-heaps, and then enter a
hole, from which a mouse ran out. But the weasel had caught one
* Quadrupeds of N. Amer., II, 1851, p. 58.
370 Fretp Museum oF Natura. History — Zoétoey, Vor. XI.
and carried it to the nest. Upon cutting open this log, five young
weasels were found, and the remains of a large number of mice, doubt-
less conveyed there as food. Pleased to learn that his supposed enemy
was in fact a friend, and his poultry being at considerable distance, the
farmer spared the young ones, intending to continue his observations;
but upon examination the next morning, they had disappeared, having
probably been carried by the mother to a more secure retreat. I have
frequently found the half-eaten remains of meadow-mice in their own
burrows, or under corn-stacks, which had doubtless been destroyed by
this weasel, or perhaps the smaller one (Putorius cicognanii). It is
surprising that an animal so large as this should be able to force its
way into the burrow of meadow-mice; and yet it appears to do so without
difficulty.
“Stacks and barnfuls of grain are often over-run with rats and mice;
but let a weasel take up his residence there, and soon the pests will
disappear. A weasel will, occasionally, remain for some time in a barn,
feeding on these vermin, without disturbing the fowls. But it is never
safe to trust one near the poultry-yard, for, when once an attack is
made, there is no limit to the destruction. When the animal has entered
stacks or barns, it has the curious habit of collecting in a particular
place the bodies of all the rats and mice it has slain; thus, sometimes, a
pile of a hundred or more of their victims may be seen which have been
killed in the course of two or three nights.
‘“The weasel preys largely upon the grey rabbit, pursuing it to its
hole, and killing it there. Like the mink, too, it tracks its prey by the
scent, so that the rabbit is lost 1f once he seeks refuge in a burrow or
hollow tree. It also captures many ground-squirrels by following them
into their holes, and frequently succeeds in killing quails, and sometimes
birds as large as the grouse. Insects are doubtless its principal food.
Numerous experiments are said to have proved that this species can be
used in the manner of the European ferret for driving rabbits from their
haunts; and it is probable that it would be found serviceable in a state
of domestication for destroying rats and mice. It is readily tamed and
kept, making pleasant as well as useful pets when due care is exercised
to prevent its attacking poultry. It would probably soon free houses
of the troublesome Norway rat, as it could pass through every hole
entered thereby.
‘Like all the family, the weasel is nocturnal, though in some in-
stances it is seen hunting by day. It is very active, and one may
sometimes be tracked in the snow through a journey of two or three
miles, made in a single night. It is, however, more attached to a per-
manent residence than the mink. It is not at all aquatic, nor does it,
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 371
to my knowledge, show any preference for the vicinity of water either
to its hunting grounds or its retreat. It appears generally to prefer
hilly and rocky regions. It is said not to burrow readily, but usually
to take possession of the burrow of another animal, or to choose its
retreat in some natural crevice among rocks, or in slight excavations
formed by itself under trees. I have generally found it occupying the
burrow of the common ground-squirrel (Tamias striatus), and have
sometimes known it to live in hollow logs in summer. It often travels
under snow, through pathways constructed like those of the shrews
and meadow-mice; and I have traced these snow-covered ways for many
rods, where the weasel had evidently been in search of prey. Some of
these had been travelled repeatedly and for a long time, though few
tracks were seen on the surface. In consequence of this habit, the
presence of the animal is sometimes not noticed.
‘‘In its winter quarters, the weasel forms a large, warm nest, like
that of the mink. Five young are commonly produced in the early
part of summer; and these, I am informed, remain with the mother, or
at least keep together in the same neighborhood till autumn, when they
separate, and, like the mink, lead a solitary life, the males only joining
the females in the pairing season. This isin the latter part of February,
at which time the males are very active, wandering far from their
burrows in search of the females. I cannot say whether this species
ever inhabits the prairie at a distance from the woods. It may be that
all the weasels found living on the prairies of Illinois are of the smaller
species, Putorius cicognanit. All the weasels identified with the Putorius
noveboracensis, which I have observed, were taken in the woods. This
species is not a tree-climber any more than the mink; but it has occa-
sionally been seen to ascend trees, and I am informed of a remarkable
instance in which one was observed to pursue and overtake a ground-
squirrel upon a tree.” (/: ¢., 1858, pp. 105-106.)
As illustrating the ferocity of these animals, Dr. C. Hart Merriam
Says:
‘“‘T once put a very large rat into a square tin cage with a Weasel
of this species. The rat had been caught in a steel trap by the toes of
one of its hind feet, and was in no way injured. He was very ugly,
biting fiercely at the trap and the stick with which I assisted him into
the cage with the Weasel. No sooner had he entered the cage than his
whole manner and bearing changed. He immediately assumed an
attitude of abject terror, trembling from head to foot, and crawled into
the nearest corner. The Weasel advanced toward him at once, and as
he did so the rat raised on his hind legs, letting his fore paws hang
* Mamm. Adirondack Reg., 1886, p. 57.
MvusEUM
oF NATuRAL History — Zo6toey, Vor. XI.
(Putorius noveboracensis.)
New York Weasel (Winter pelage).
a
Pi pecg ge ye ep
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 373
helplessly over his breast, and squealed piteously. Not only did he
show no disposition to fight, but offered no resistance whatever, and
did not even attempt to defend himself when molested. The Weasel
did not seize him at first, but cuffed him with his fore paws and drove
him from one corner of the cage to another, glaring at him contin-
uously. Then, with a sudden move, he sprang upon his victim, already
paralyzed with fear, laid open the back of his head with a single bite, ate
the brains, and left the quivering carcass untouched.
“The Ermine hunts both by day and by night, and climbs trees
with great ease and celerity. I have often ‘treed’ them myself by
running after them in the woods, and have also seen them chase chip-
munks up trees. Twice have I seen them run up the smooth trunks of
the beech. They are not very timid and will allow a near approach
before taking fright.”
The New York Weasel turns white in winter in latitudes where
there is snow the greater part of the season. The young are born late
in April or early in May and usually number from five to eight. Mr.
W. E. Snyder informs me that on May 4, rg1o, while plowing a field at
Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, a Weasel’s nest was discovered which pre-
sumably belonged to this species. The nest was in a deserted burrow of
a Striped Prairie Squirrel (C. tridecemlineatus), which was about five
feet in length and about a foot below the surface of the ground. The
nest was lined with Microtus fur and contained eight young Weasels
with eyes not yet opened and bodies almost naked except about the
shoulders where they were covered with long hair. In the nest were
four dead Meadow Mice (Microtus), one adult and three young which
were evidently intended as a food supply for the mother.
The white winter skins of these animals when used for capes, muffs,
etc., are apparently indistinguishable from those of the Old World
Weasels (P. ermina), which are the Ermine of commerce, often much
in fashion for ladies’ winter garments, and which in Europe were used
for the robes of kings and nobles, thus obtaining a distinct recogni-
tion in heraldry.
Like the Minks the Weasels are supplied with anal glands which
secrete a fetid liquid, but are unable to forcibly eject it like the Skunk.
Specimens examined from Illinois and Wisconsin:
Illinois — Bloomingdale Springs, 1; Milton Spring, 1; Fort Sheridan, 1;
Camp Logan, 3=6.
Wisconsin — (M. P. M.) Milton, Rock Co., 2; Milwaukee, 2; Kelly
Brook, Oconto Co., 1; Milwaukee Co., 1; (S. C.) Beaver Dam,
Dodge Co., 20= 26.
374 Fretp Museum or Natura History — Zoo.ocy, Vor. XI.
Putorius noveboracensis
Map illustrating the supposed range of the New York Weasel (Putorius noveboracensis) in eastern
United States.
Putorius longicauda spadix BANGs.
MINNESOTA LONG-TAILED WEASEL.
Putorius longicauda spadix BANGs, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., X, 1896, p. 8. MILLER,
Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XXVIII, 1897, p. 44 (Ontario).
Type locality — Fort Snelling, Minnesota.
Distribution — Minnesota and western Wisconsin; limits of range not
known. Probably intergrades with P. longicauda in western
Minnesota or eastern Dakota.
Description —In summer: Upper parts brown, approaching the color
of P. noveboracensis; under parts whitish tinged with pale saffron
buff (quite different from the lemon yellow wash of noveboracensis) ;
greater portion of fore and hind feet whitish like the under parts;
chin and upper lip white; tail long, the black tip short, being less
than one fourth length of tail; skull somewhat heavier and zygomata
more widely expanded than in noveboracensts.
In winter: White all over, without yellow tinge; end of tail black;
some specimens occasionally show a slight yellowish wash on the tail.
FEeB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. B75
Measurements — Total length (male), about 18 in. (455 mm.); tail
vertebre, about 6.50 in. (164 mm.); hind foot, 2.15 in. (55 mm.).
Female smaller; average length about 15 in. (380 mm.); tail, about
Fife a (ees vooneale)
There are two specimens in the collection of the Milwaukee Public
Museum (one in winter and the other in summer pelage) from Prescott,
Pierce County, Wisconsin, which I have provisionally referred to this
subspecies. In the coloration of the under parts in summer pelage they
resemble spadix, but they are by no means typical and the cranial
characters and comparative length of the tail strongly suggest inter-
gradation. Unfortunately very few Wisconsin specimens are available
for examination and I have seen but two examples in summer pelage.
When a good series of Weasels can be secured from northern Wisconsin
it is not unlikely that the range of P. 2. o¢cisor may be found to extend
into that region.
Putorius cicognanii (BONAPARTE).
BONAPARTE’S WEASEL.
Mustela cicognanit BONAPARTE, Inconogr. Fauna Ital., I, fasc. XXII, 1838, p. 4.
Putorius cicognanit Mies, Rept. Geol. Surv. Mich., I, 1860 (1861), p. 220 (Mich-
igan). STRONG, Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, 1883, p. 437 (Wisconsin).
SNYDER, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., II, 1902, p. 125 (Wisconsin). ADAmMs, Rept.
State Board Geol. Surv. Mich., 1905 (1906), p. 130 (Michigan). JACKSON, Bull.
Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 28 (Wisconsin).
Type locality — Northeastern North America; exact locality unknown.
Distribution — Northern United States and southern Canada, in the
East south to Wisconsin and Michigan and in the mountains of
Pennsylvania; in the West its range extends in Canada to the
Pacific Coast and in the United States in the Rocky Mountains at
least to Colorado.
Special characters — Smaller than noveboracensis and tail shorter. In
summer the whitish portion of inner sides of hind feet usually more or
less tinged with yellow.
Description — In summer: Upper parts and legs dark brown; under
parts generally including the upper lip, white, more or less washed
with yellowish; toes whitish; inner sides of hind feet whitish, more or
less tinged with yellow; end of tail black; no brown spot back of
angle of mouth.
In winter: Entire pelage, except end of tail, white, washed with
yellowish on rump and under parts; end of tail black. The size is
variable and the female is much smaller than the male.
376 Fietp Museum oF NaturaL History — Zodéxoey, VoL. XI.
Measurements — Total length (males), generally 10.25 to 12 in. (260 to
304 mm.); tail vertebra, 3.50 to 4.25 in. (88 to 108 mm.); hind foot,
about 1.37 in. (35 mm.). Total length (females), 8.50 to 9.50 in.
(215 to 241 mm.); tail vertebre, 2.75 to 3.25 in. (7o to 82.5 mm.);
hind foot, about 1.25 in. (32 mm.).
Remarks — While females of this species often resemble males of
noveboracensis in size, they may generally be distinguished by the
relative difference in length of tail (see key, p. 360.) and in summer
pelage by the whitish color on toes and often on inner side of the
hind foot.
Bonaparte’s Weasel (Summer pelage).
(Putorius cicognanii.)
Bonaparte’s Weasel, sometimes called Short-tailed Weasel, is found
in more or less numbers throughout nearly the whole of Wisconsin.
It is common in the central and northern parts of the state, but scarce
in the extreme southeastern portion, and so far as known it has not been
recorded from southwestern Wisconsin or Illinois. Kennicott states
that he secured specimens of this species in northern Illinois (presum-
ably Northfield), one of which was sent to the Smithsonian Institution.*
This specimen (No. 268, marked R. Kennicott, N. Illinois) has been
examined by Mr. N. Hollister who writes: “Mr. Gerrit S. Miller and
* Agr. Rept. for 1858, U. S. Patent Office Rept., 1859, p. 244.
Fres., 1912. MaAmMALs oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. Buy
myself have examined the Kennicott Weasel from northern Illinois,
and agree that it is an immature noveboracensis and not cicognanii.”’
The habits of this species are practically the same as those of the
New York Weasel.
Specimens examined from Illinois, Wisconsin and adjoining states:
Wisconsin — Tomahawk Lake, 1; (M. P. M.) Eagle River, Vilas Co.,
tn @s ©.) st. Crom River, Douglas Co,, 1; Racine Co. 2: Mercer,
Iron Co., 4; Fox Lake, Iron Co. (skull), 1; Langlade Co. (skulls), 3;
Colfax, Dunn Co. (skulls), 6; Fisher Lake, Iron Co., 2; (. C.)
Beaver Dam, Dodge Co., 2= 23.
Minnesota — Ft. Snelling, 1; Aitken, 12=13.
TE TTT TTT TT
USN TT Tt eet at
EOECUESEaeo =
Saane
‘JDDG Se SoeagR :
SUSEREEPNAD es Lip
LS les ole esis ene
oe ve
ao
Putorius cicognani
P. c. richardsoni
Area of intergradation
_Map illustrating supposed range of Bonaparte’s Weasel (Putorius cicognanit) and the southern
portion of the range of Richardson's Weasel (P. c. richardsoni) in eastern North America.
Putorius cicognanit (BonaAp.). Type locality — Northeastern North America.
Description as previously given.
Putorius c. richardsoni (BoNnaApP.). (Charlesw. Mag. Nat. Hist., II, 1838, p. 38.)
Type locality — Fort Franklin, Great Bear Lake, British Columbia. Similar
to cicognani but larger; audital bulle larger.
378 Fretp Musreum or Natura History — Zootocy, Vor. XI.
Putorius rixosus allegheniensis (RHOADs).
ALLEGHENIAN LEAST WEASEL.
Putorius allegheniensis RHOADS, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1900, p. 751.
Putorius rixosus allegheniensis WARD, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., V, 1907, p. 63
(Wisconsin). Jb., VII, 1909, p. 11 (Wisconsin). Jb., IX, 1911, p. 82 (Wis-
consin).
Putorius pusillus KENNicotTT, Agr. Rept. for 1858, U. S. Patent Office Rept., 1859,
p. 245 (northern Illinois and Indiana). :
Mustela pusilla LAPHAM, Trans. Wis. State Agr.-Soc., II, 1852 (1853), p. 338.*
Type locality — Near Beallsville, Washington County, Pennsylvania.
Distribution — From Virginia and New York west to Wisconsin; exact
limits of range unknown.
Special characters —Size very small; end of tail without black or
occasionally slightly dusky at extreme tip. Differs from P. rixosus
in being somewhat larger and darker, together with some slight
cranial differences.
Description —In summer: Upper parts walnut brown; under parts
white; tail like the back, without distinct black end, although it is
occasionally dusky at the extreme tip.
In winter: Entirely white, including end of tail; female decidedly
smaller than the male.
Measurements — Total length (male), about 7.50 inches; tail vertebre,
about 1.20 inches; hind foot, about .80 inch.
Male (mounted specimen) — Sauk Co., Wisconsin; total length,
169 mm.; tail vertebree, 35 mm. (Ward).
Female (in flesh) — Racine Co., Wisconsin; total length, 179
mm.; tail vertebra, 29; hind foot, 21 (Ward).
Type (mounted specimen) — Total length, 199 mm.; tail ver-
tebre, 19; hind foot, 20 (Rhoads).
So far as known only four specimens of this little Weasel have been
taken within our limits and all of them in Wisconsin. The records for
these specimens were first reported by Mr. Henry L. Ward and are as
follows: A female from Burlington, Racine Co., Nov. 26, 1906, caught
in the country in the act of killing a Mole (J. c., 1907, p. 63); a female
captured alive in the town of Sumpter, Sauk Co., Nov., 1902; a male
taken January 10, 1906, in the town of Merrimac, Sauk Co. (J. ¢., 1909,
pp. 11-12); and the fourth specimen, which is a female, is in the Milwau-
kee Museum collection, and was taken near Prescott, Pierce Co., March
Geom
The type of this subspecies was taken near Beallsville, Pennsylvania,
* Tt is doubtful whether Lapham refers to this species or to some other.
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 379
and it will, therefore, undoubtedly be found to occur in northern
Illinois and Indiana. I can see no reason why the Lesser Weasel,
P. pusillus, given by Kennicott as occurring in Indiana and northern
Illinois should not be this form. He gives the length from nose to root
of tail as about six inches and tail vertebrae not exceeding two inches,
and says: ‘‘ There can be no difficulty in distinguishing it from all others,
not only by its dimensions, but by the very short tail, which is destitute
of the black tip characteristic of the rest, although the extremity is
sometimes dusky” (J. c., p. 245).
Very little is known regarding the habits of this little Weasel, but
they probably do not differ from others of this tribe. On account of its
diminutive size, however, it would probably not be very destructive to
poultry and no doubt preys largely upon small animals, such as Mice,
insects and small birds, as does its diminutive European cousin.
Specimens examined from Wisconsin:
Wisconsin — (M. P. M.) Sumpter, Sauk Co., 1; Merrimac, Sauk Co., 1;
Prescott, Pierce Co., 1=3.
P. r, allegheniensis
Area of intergradation
Map illustrating the supposed distribution of the Least Weasels (Putorius rixosus and P. r. alle-
eters) in eastern United States and Canada. The two forms probably intergrade in eastern
Minnesota.
Putorius rixosus Bangs. (Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., X, 1896, p. 21.) Type locality
Osler, Saskatchewan, Canada. Size very small, smallest of our Weasels.
Putorius r. allegheniensis Rhoads. Type locality — Near Beallsville, Washington
Co., Penn. Larger than rixosus; description as previously given.
380 Fretp Musreum oF Natura History — Zooétoey, Vou. XI.
a
0
Sy :
©) Putorius noveboracensis
Pb 4 Pee
Les Or rixosus alleghe.niensis
gy
Map showing the type localities of species and subspecies of Weasels (belonging to the subgenus
Ictis) in eastern United States.
-@pP. longicaudus spadix
Putorius noveboracensis EMMONS. ‘Type locality — Southern New York. Descrip-
tion as previously given.
Putorius n. notius Bancs. (Proc. N. Eng. Zodl. Club, I, 1899, p. 53.) Type
locality — Weaverville, Buncombe Co., North Carolina. Similar to mnovebora-
censis ‘‘but darker brown above and yellowish instead of white below; black
occupying nearly half the length of the tail’’ (Bangs).
Putorius n. occisor (BANGS). (Proc. N. Eng. Zodl. Club, I, 1899, p. 54.) Type
locality — Bucksport, near mouth of the Penobscott River, Hancock Co.,
Maine. Similar to noveboracensis, but larger and with longer tail, with less
black at the end.
Putorius cicognanit (BONAPARTE). Type locality — Northeastern North America;
precise locality unknown. Description as previously given.
Putorius peninsule Ruoaps. (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1894, p. 152.) Type
locality — Hudson’s, Pasco Co., 14 miles north of Tarpon Springs, Hillsboro
Co., Florida. ‘‘Size rather large, about equalling male of Puiorius novebora-
censis; skull similar to that of Jongicauda, but with very large audital bulle”’
(Rhoads).
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 381
Putorius rixosus allegheniensis (RHOADS). Type locality — Beallsville, Washington
Co., Pennsylvania. Description as previously given.
Putorius longicauda spadix BANGS. (Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., X, 1896, p. 8.) Type
locality — Fort Snelling, Hennepin Co., Minnesota. Similar to longicauda, but
darker in summer. Average length of males about 18 inches; tail vertebra
about 6.50 inches; upper parts somewhat more walnut brown than novebora-
censis in summer, and lacking saffron yellow wash on rump and base of tail in
winter; tail decidedly longer; feet whitish.
Genus MUSTELA * Linn.
Mustela Linneus, Syst. Nat., X ed., I, 1758, p. 45. Type Mustela
martes Linn.
Body long and thickly furred; tail bushy; feet digitigrade; soles of
feet furred, with naked pads; lower carnassial or sectorial tooth with
small internal tubercle on largest cusp; 5 upper cheek teeth (molars
and premolars) and 6 lower in each side of jaws (the Minks and Weasels
have less); skull flattened; bulle flattened; auditory meatus some-
what tubular.
. a a I- = _
Dental formula: I. 3-2, C.~—, Pm. 44, M. —*=338.
3-3 In q-4.- 2-2
KEY TO THE SPECIES:
A. Total length less than 30 inches; tail vertebre less than 10 inches; ears pointed.
MARTEN. Mustela americana, p. 381.
B. Total length more than 30 inches; tail vertebra more than Io inches; ears rounded.
FIsHER. Mustela pennantti, p. 387.
Mustela americana TURTON.
MaRTEN. PINE MARTEN. AMERICAN SABLE.
[Mustela] americanus TURTON, Linnzus System of Nature, I, 1806, p. 60.
Mustela martes LAPHAM, Trans. Wis. State Agr. Soc., II, 1852 (1853), p. 338 (Wis-
consin). KENNIcoTT, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., 1853-54 (1855), p. 578 (Cook
Co., Illinois). ‘
Mustela americana KENNIcoTtT, Agr. Rept. for 1858, U. S. Pat. Office Rept., 1859,
p- 242 (Illinois). Tuomas, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., 1859-60 (1861), p. 654
(Illinois). MrLes, Rept. Geol. Surv. Mich., I, 1860 (1861), p. 220 (Michigan).
StronG, Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79,.I, 1883, p. 436 (Wisconsin). HERRICK,
Geol. & Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No. 7, 1892, p. 104 (Minnesota). MILLER,
Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XXVIII, 1897, p. 42 (Nepigon, Ontario).
* According to Thomas (Proc. Zoél. Soc. Lond., 1911, p. 139) the name Mustela
commonly used for this genus must give place to Martes.
382 Fretp Museum oF Natura. History — Zo6éLoey, Vor. XI.
Skull of Marten (Mustela americana).
(Slightly reduced.)
From Elliot’s Synopsis Mammals N. Amer.
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 383
Type locality — Eastern North America.
Distribution — Northeastern North America from Wisconsin, Mich-
igan and New York north to about the latitude of Hudson Bay,
west to Minnesota, south in mountains to Virginia; replaced in
the West and North by allied forms.
Description — Ears rather high and pointed; general color dark yel-
lowish brown, darkest on middle of back and shading into dusky
on the legs and tail; head tinged with gray; a patch of orange buff
on throat and breast; claws brownish white. This species varies
in color, the brown being lighter or darker in different individuals;
the throat patch varies from orange to yellowish white.
Measurements — Total length, about 25 in. (627 mm.); tail vertebre,
about 7.75 in. (197 mm.); hind foot, about 3.50 in. (89 mm.).
While the Marten is steadily decreasing in numbers and 1s, at the
present time, a comparatively rare animal within our limits, a few are
still to be found in northern Wisconsin. In former days its range
extended considerably farther south. Kennicott records it in his mam-
mals of Cook Co., Illinois, and there is a skeleton in the Chicago Acad-
emy of Sciences which is said to have been taken in northern Illinois
many years ago. Wisconsin records are as follows: The Field Museum
collection contains a specimen from Florence County, and a skull from
Star Lake, Vilas Co.; Dr. H. V. Ogden of Milwaukee has skulls in his
collection from Fisher Lake, Iron Co., and Drummond, Bayfield Co.
The following gentlemen have informed me that Martens are still to be
found in the counties of northern Wisconsin named below, their state-
ments being based upon personal knowledge or the testimony of reliable
hunters and trappers in their locality: Marinette Co. (Mr. Geo. A.
Williams, Kremlin); Florence Co. (Mr. J. E. Parry, Florence); Price
Co.* (Mr. W. J. Webster, Park Falls); Iron Co. (Mr. Edward Ball,
Sandrock); Bayfield Co. (Mr. M. Berg, Cable); Douglas Co. (Mr. N.
Lucins, Jr., Solon Springs, and Mr. G. W. Zeon, Foxboro); Marathon
Co. (Mr. Geo. F. Erzwein, Athens).
The Marten is an inhabitant of the forests and, like the Fisher, is
an expert climber and largely arboreal in its habits. It preys upon
almost any animal that comes in its way, from Hares to Mice, as well
as fish, frogs, birds, bird’s eggs and carrion. Regarding its habits
Robert Kennicott says: ‘“ the’ retreat of the martens is
usually in standing hollow trees, and that, in winter, they may fre-
quently be discovered sitting with their heads out of the holes. As,
if shot in this position, they would fall back and be lost, advantage is
* Mr. Webster, who is superintendent of schools, writes me that quite a number
of Martens have been taken in Price County.
*(DUDILAIMD DIAISNJY) Wee]
7 Oils OIL
OLOGY
84 Fietp Musreum or Naturat History — Zo
2
o
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — CoRY. 385
taken of their inquisitiveness, by walking slowly around the tree, and
inducing the animal to draw its body entirely out of the hole, in order
to keep the object of its curiosity in view. When quite out, a well-
directed shot brings it to the ground.
“The marten prefers the densest woods in mountainous districts,
and exhibits no liking for water. It is said that in the far North it
preys on mice, hares, and grouse, and in summer on small birds, eggs,
etc., and that it does not reject carrion. Like the fisher, it is often
troublesome in winter by destroying the hoards of meat and fish laid
up by the natives, whenever a crevice is accidentally left by which it
canenter. It is stated that it also feeds upon insects and reptiles, and,
like the bear, is fond of honey. It is also affirmed that it has been
known to eat nuts and berries; but there is doubt, at least, if it ever
subsists habitually on any other than animal food. It feeds much
upon squirrels, which it pursues and captures on the trees, following
them into their holes.” (/. c¢., p. 243.)
Mr. Gerrit S. Miller, Jr., writes: ‘‘At Nepigon a trapper told me that
martens, wherever they occur in sufficient numbers, so terrorize the
red squirrels by constant persecution that the noisy rodents, learning
that silence is their best protection, stop chattering. Hence an abun-
dance of silent squirrels is — according to my informant at least —a
certain indication that marten fur is plenty”’ (/. c., p. 42).
It is claimed that Martens are both nocturnal and diurnal in habits.
The nest is usually in a hollow tree, but occasionally a burrow in the
ground. The young are born late in April or early in May and number
from 1 to 5, usually 3 or 4. The odoriferous anal glands of this animal
are analogous to those of the weasels.
Great numbers of Martens are annually trapped for their skins.
The fur is handsome and valuable and is popularly known as American
Sable.
All Sables are Martens of some species and furriers have various
trade names of their own to indicate shades of color. The most
valuable fur furnished by a member of this group of mammals is that
of the Asiatic Sable (Mustela zibellina), and the finest skins come from
Kamchatka and Russian Poland.
Specimens examined from Illinois and Wisconsin:
Wisconsin — Florence Co., 1; Star Lake, Vilas Co. (skull), 1; (O. C.)
Fisher Lake, Iron Co. (skull), 1; Drummond, Bayfield Co. (skull),
ie
‘‘Tlinois’’ — Skeleton, 1. (In Chicago Academy of Sciences.)
386 Fietp Museum oF Natura. History — Zooéxoey, Voi. XI.
LMA.
M. a. abieticola
- & rumais
oy
G
.
“VOR aie
Map illustrating supposed distribution of species belonging to the genus Mustela (except M.
pennanti) in eastern United States and Canada.
Mustela americana Turton. Type locality — Eastern North America. De-
scription as previously given.
Mustela a. abieticola PREBLE. (N. Amer. Fauna, No. 22, 1902, p. 68.) Type lo-
cality — Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, Canada. ‘‘Much larger than
Mustela americana; dentition heavier’’ (Preble).
Mustela a. brumalis (BANGS). (Amer. Nat., XXXII, 1898, p. 502, fig. —-.) Type
locality — Okak, Labrador. Larger and darker than americana.
Mustela atrata BANGS. (Amer. Nat., XXXI, 1897, p. 162.) Type locality — Bay
St. George, New Foundland. Decidedly darker brown and throat patch tinged
with orange.
Fes., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory.
Go
oo
“I
Mustela pennanti ERXLEBEN.
FisHER. PEKAN. PENNANT’S MARTEN.
[Mustela] pennantt ERXLEBEN, Syst. Regni Anim., I, 1777, p. 470.
Mustela Canadensis LAPHAM, Trans. Wis. State Agr. Soc., II, 1852 (1853), p. 338
(Wisconsin?). KENNIcOTT, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., I, 1853-54 (1855), Pp. 57
(Cook Co., Illinois).
Mustela pennantii KENNIcoTT, Agr. Rept. for 1858, U. S. Patent Office Rept., 1859,
p. 241 (northern Illinois). THomas, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., IV, 1859-60
(1861), p. 654 (Illinois). Murs, Rept. Geol. Surv. Mich., I, 1860 (1861), p. 220
(Michigan). Stronc, Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, (1883), p. 436 (Wis-
consin).
Mustela pennanti HERRICK, Geol. & Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No. 7, 1892, p. 103
(Minnesota). RuHoaps, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1896 (1897), p. 198 (Ten-
nessee). Hann, Ann. Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources Ind., 1908 (1909),
p. 587 (Indiana).
Type locality — Eastern Canada.
Distribution — Northern North America from the Atlantic nearly to
the Pacific and from Hudson Bay to the region of the Great Lakes
and further south in the Allegheny Mountains; in the Northwest
its range extends to at least latitude 60°; replaced on the Pacific
Coast by M. pacifica, a closely allied form.
Description — Larger and darker than M. americana, and lacking the
pale throat patch; ears rather low and rounded; under parts, legs,
end of tail and lower portion of back very dark brown or blackish
brown; head and shoulders grizzly gray, much lighter than the
rest; lining of ear whitish; claws brownish white; tail bushy. The
females are smaller than the males.
Measurements — Total length, about 35 in. (890 mm.); tail vertebre,
13.50 in. (343 mm.); hind foot, 4.25 in. (108 mm.).
Although for many years the Fisher has been supposed to be extinct
in Wisconsin, it is by no means improbable that a few individuals may
still exist in some of the extreme northern counties. I am informed by
hunters that it is occasionally taken in the wilder portions of the Mich-
igan peninsula and there are three specimens from Michigan in the
Field Museum collection; two from Park Siding, Iron Co., taken in
1900, and another from Amasa, Iron Co., taken in 1898. Mr. Charles
Brandler informs me that he saw a Fisher which had been killed by
William Robinson in November, 1goo, south of Iron Mountain between
that place and Pembine, Florence Co., Wisconsin, the locality being
either actually in Wisconsin or very close to the state line. In early
days its range extended south to northern Illinois. Kennicott records
it from Cook Co., Illinois, and says: ‘“‘The Fisher used frequently to
“(4upuuad DIaISsnNPy) IOS
ZOOLocy, Vor. XI.
388 Firtp Museum oF NATuRAL HISTORY
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 389
be seen in the heavy timber along Lake Michigan (J. c., 1854, p. 578)
and again later, “It has been found within a few years in northern
Illinois and appears to be an inhabitant of the woods alone”? (J. c., 1859,
p. 241). Strong (1883) says it was found in Wisconsin in the same
districts as the Pine Marten in the northern and central portions of
the state (l. c., p. 436). Dr. John T. Plummer informs us that,
previous to the year 1820, the Fisher was not uncommon in Wayne
Co., Indiana.*
The Fisher is largely arboreal in its habits, climbing trees with
great facility; but unlike the Marten it prefers timbered swamps and
woods near water, for we are told that in summer frogs form a not
inconsiderable portion of its diet. It also eats fish when it finds them,
but the name of Fisher, by which it is popularly known, is inappropriate,
inasmuch as it rarely catches live fish and by far the greater portion of
its food consists of mammals, such as Mice, Hares, Squirrels, Porcupines,
etc., varied occasionally by birds and eggs. That it does not confine
itself when in search of prey to animals smaller than itself is vouched
for by various writers. Dr. Elliott Coues states that it kills the Rac-
coon, and Seton says he has been told by trappers that it will attack
and kill Foxes.t To cap the climax Mr. Manly Hardy claims it has
been known to kill a full grown Deer. He says: “‘In spite of their
small size and light weight, Fishers not only kill Deer, but can and do
kill those of the largest size. When I first heard of this I doubted
it, but know now that they often do it. A year ago last fall, my old
friend, Louis Ketcham, was following the track of a large buck near
the head of Nahmakanta Lake. In going along the side of a high
granite ledge he saw where the buck had fallen, and there was blood
on the snow. After stumbling along a few rods, it had fallen again,
and there was more blood. This was repeated several times, and then
he saw where the buck had struck a Fisher which had been clinging to
its neck and biting it, and had knocked it several feet to one side. The
Fisher was evidently badly hurt, as Louis said it dragged its hind-legs,
making a track in the snow like an Otter, and had crawled into a crack
in the ledge. On going back he found that the Fisher had been on top
of the ledge, where the Deer path led along close to it, and had sprung
down upon the Deer and was trying to bite the jugular vein. I have
known of instances where they have been successful in doing this.’’f
The Fisher is one of the few animals which prey habitually upon the
Porcupine. Mr. E. T. Seton says: ‘‘George Linklater, for many years
* Amer. Journ. Sci. and Arts, XLVI, 1844, p. 246.
+ Life Histories of Northern Animals, II, 1909, p. 939.
t Shooting and Fishing, April 13, 1899, p. 526.
390 Fretp Museum oF Natura History — Zooxoey, Vor. XI.
a chief trader for the Hudson’s Bay Company at many different posts,
has handled hundreds of Fisher pelts, but never saw one without some
Porcupine quills in it.” (J. c., p. 943.)
Dr. C. Hart Merriam says: ‘‘ During a recent visit tothe north shore
of the Gulf of St. Lawrence I was informed, both by an agent of the
Hudson’s Bay Company and by the trappers themselves, that porcu-
pines constitute a large and important element in the food supply of the
Pekan. Mr. Nap. A. Comeau, of Godbout, who secured for me a large
and handsome male of this species, tells me that its intestine contained
hundreds of porcupine quills, arranged in clusters, like so many pack-
ages of needles, throughout its length. In no case had a single quill
penetrated the mucous lining of the intestine, but they were, apparently,
passing along its interior as smoothly and surely as if within a tube of
glass or metal.’”’*
Most authorities agree that the Fisher makes its nest in a hollow
tree, usually at a considerable distance from the ground, but it has
been known to breed in hollow logs and rocky crevices. MacFarlane
tells us that in the northern Mackenzie River district the nest is in a
i
SF
Mustela pennanti
Map illustrating approximate range of Mustela pennanti during the latter part of the last century
in eastern United States and Canada south of latitude 52°; in the Northwest its range extends at least
to latitude 60°. At the present time it is unlikely that it occurs south of the Michigan peninsula or
extreme northern Wisconsin.
* Mamm. Adirondack Reg., 1886, p. 49.
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 301
hole in the ground.* Robert Kennicott says it ‘“‘chooses its retreat
in the cavity of a standing tree. Almost as arboreal as a squirrel, it
*not only climbs trees and leaps from bough to bough, but pursues its
prey among the branches, capturing even the nimble gray-squirrel.
The leaps of the fisher are often astonishing, as it has been known to
spring to the ground from the height of 40 feet”’ (J. c., p. 242).
The young number from 1 to 5 and are generally born early in May.
Family PROCYONIDZ. Raccoons.
With the exception of a single oriental genust the members of this
family are confined to the New World. All are of medium size. In
some ways they resemble the Bears and at one time were included in
the same family. They are plantigrade animals, practically omniv-
orous, and are at home both in trees and on the ground. The well
known Coatis, or Coati Mundis of Tropical America, belong to the
family, as well as the curious Crab-eating Raccoon found in South
America.
These animals have two tuberculate molars on each side of both
jaws and the carnassial teeth differ somewhat from the usual type,
being broad with several sharp points on the crowns. Other characters
for the family are audital bulle somewhat flattened and undivided;
no alisphenoid canal in American species; condyloid and postglenoid
foramina are present; the kidneys are simple and a cecum is appar-
ently absent; the os penis is long, the terminal portion being curved
sharply upward.
Two genera and seven species and subspecies are found in the
United States, but only one occurs within our hmits. In our species
the round bushy tail is marked with distinct dark rings (annulated) and
the teeth are 40 in number.
Subfamily PROCYONIN.
Genus PROCYON Storr.
Procyon Storr, Prodr. Meth.. Mamm., 1780, p. 35. Type Ursus lotor
Linn.
Head broad; muzzle pointed; tail bushy, cylindrical and annulated;
ears erect and comparatively short; toes five, on all feet; soles of feet
* Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., X XVIII, 1905, p. 709.
+ Some authorities also include the Bear-like genus Aeluropus in this family.
392 Firtp Musreum oF NaturRAL History — Zo6Loey, Vor. XI.
naked; feet plantigrade; upper carnassial with three cusps on outer
margin; molars broad and tuberculate; palate extending back of last
molar for about 1% distance to foramen magnum (more than % inch
in our species); a palatal spine present; bulla somewhat flattened and
extending laterally in a tubular auditory meatus.
Dental formula: 1. 2—2; C. Soar Piety Ve Ss 15
ee 4-4 22
Skull of Raccoon (Procyon lotor).
(About 14 nat. size.)
Procyon lotor (LINN Us).
RACCOON.
[Ursus] lotor LINN&UuS, Syst. Nat., X ed., I, 1758, p. 48.
Procyon lotor LAPHAM, Trans. Wis. State Agr. Soc., II, 1852 (1853), p. 338 (Wis-
consin). KENNIcoTT, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., I, 1853-54 (1855), p. 578
(Cook Co., Illinois). Jb., Agr. Rept. for 1858, U. S. Patent Office Rept., 1859,
p. 254 (Illinois). ALLEN, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XIII, 1869 (1871), p. 184
(Iowa). STRONG, Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, 1883, p. 437 (Wisconsin).
HERRICK, Geol. & Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No. 7, 1892, p. 139 (Minne-
sota). RuHoaps, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1896 (1897), p. 197 (Tennessee).
SNYDER, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., II, 1902, p. 122 (Wisconsin). JACKSON,
Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XX, 1907, p. 74 (S. W. Missouri). JACKSON, Bull.
Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 29 (Wisconsin). Haun, Ann. Rept. Dept.
Geol. & Nat. Resources Ind., 1908 (1909), p. 598 (Indiana).
Type locality — Eastern United States.
Distribution — Whole of the United States east of the Rocky Moun-
tains (except in Florida) and north to southern Ontario and Mani-
toba; replaced in Florida by a slightly different form. !
Description — Snout pointed; hair thick; general color grayish or
yellowish gray, the middle of the back blackish; face whitish, with
a black patch on cheek, which includes the eye, and a blackish line
FEs., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 393
on middle of forehead; ears grayish white, becoming dusky at the
bases; tail thickly haired and rounded, yellowish gray marked with
several blackish rings.
Measurements — Total length, variable, but generally about 28 to 32
in. (703 to 804 mm.); tail vertebra, 9 to 10.50 in. (229 to 267 mm.);
hind foot, about 4.75 in. (120 mm.).
The Raccoon is found throughout our limits wherever there is tim-
ber, being common in Illinois and southern Wisconsin, but rather
scarce in northern Wisconsin. It is properly an inhabitant of the
woods, especially in the vicinity of water, as it is fond of frogs, crusta-
ceans and other aquatic animals which are found along the shore; but
it does not confine itself to such food and is practically omnivorous,
devouring mammals, birds and birds’ eggs, acorns, fruits, berries, etc.,
and its fondness for green corn is well known.
The Raccoon is largely nocturnal in its habits, but I have occa-
sionally seen one wandering along the shores of ponds and streams in
the daytime. Its home is generally in a hollow tree, although it some-
times uses a hollow log or a natural cave in a rocky ledge, and Kenni-
cott claims it will occasionally use a deserted burrow made by another
animal (/. c., p. 255). The young are born in April or May and number
PLOT 2) OLO:
It is supposed to hibernate in winter in the northern part of its
range, but if it does so, it is probably only for a comparatively short
time during the coldest weather, as hunters often see their tracks in
the snow.
The Raccoon uses its fore-paws like hands, and has a curious habit
of dipping its food in water, as if washing it before eating, hence its
name — lotor —a washer. This habit is very noticeable in captive
animals of this species. I have owned a number of Raccoons at various
times and have found them very intelligent, and when taken young in
most cases affectionate. One, which I kept for several years, was very
tame and when released from his cage would follow me about the
garden, and when I sat down would clamber up on my shoulder. Upon
being given a piece of fish or meat, he would waddle over to a large pan
of water, reserved for his use, and would dip and turn his food about
in the water before eating it. He was especially fond of honey and
sugar and had learned by experience to feel in my pocket for lumps
of the latter when I took him out for an airing.
Mr. Vernon Bailey describes an incident which illustrates the
intelligence and affection shown by this animal. He ‘says: ‘‘ While
watching for squirrels one morning in the heavily timbered bottoms,
I heard a scratching sound from an old cypress in the edge of the
400] UOKIOAT) UOODIEY
ZooLoey, Vou. XI.
WY
SRN SASS
AHHH
‘IELD MusEuM OF NATURAL HISTORY
04
=~
o
FEB., 19012. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 395
swamp near by, followed by a loud splash. A young coon less than
half grown had fallen from the tree into the water. At the sound the
old coon and two more young ones came out of a hollow some 30 feet
up in the trunk and climbed down to near the bottom of the tree.
They came down the tree slowly but steadily, head first, as a squirrel
would have done, with the hind feet reversed and slightly divergent.
When the old coon saw the young one climb out of the water upon the
tree trunk she turned about and ascended the trunk, followed by the
Map illustrating approximate distribution of Raccoons in eastern North America.
Procyon 1. (Linn.). Type locality —Eastern United States. Description as
previously given.
Procyon 1. elucus BANGS. (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XXIX, 1898, p. 219.)
Type locality — Oak Lodge, opposite Micco, Brevard Co., Florida. General
color above more yellowish than Jotor; shoulder tinged with yellowish rufous;
fur shorter.
396 Fretp Museum or Natura. History — Zootoey, Vot. XI.
three young. The one that had fallen, besides being very wet, was
slightly hurt, and climbed with difficulty. When halfway up he stopped
on a limb to rest and began whimpering and crying. The mother had
already reached the hole, but on hearing his cries turned about and
climbed down to him. Taking a good hold of the back of his neck and
placing him between her fore legs so that he, too, could climb, she
marched him up the tree and into the hollow.’’*
Specimens examined from Illinois and Wisconsin:
Illinois — Joliet, 1; Rosiclare, Hardin Co., 1; Olive Branch, Alexander
Co., 3; Chicago, 1; “‘Illinois’”’ (melanistic), 1= 7.
Wisconsin — ‘‘Wisconsin”’ (albino), 1; (M. P. M.) Milwaukee, 1;
Prescott, Pierce Co., 1; Waukesha, 2; Prairie du.Sac, 1; Roxbury
Dam, 3; Maiden Rock, 2; Pewaukee, 1; (O.C., skulls) Gordon,
Douglas Co., 6; Waterford, Racine Co., 1; Barron Co., 1; Wau-
kesha Co., 1; Langlade Co., 1; Pewaukee, Waukesha Co., 3; (S. C.)
Beaver Dam, Dodge Co., 4; (O.) Lake Geneva, Walworth Co., 1=30.
Family URSID-. Bears.
Bears are widely distributed throughout the world, but are absent
in the Ethiopian and Australian regions. They are plantigrade ani-
mals and practically omnivorous. The majority of the species belong-
ing to this family are large animals, one of them, which is found in
Alaska, being the largest known member of the order. The toes are
armed with strong claws, long and but slightly curved in the so-called
Grizzly Bears in North America; and sharper, shorter and more curved
in our Black Bears. The teeth are large, the molars having flattened,
tubercular crowns. The fourth upper premolar (carnassial) is smaller
than the first molar and lacks the third inner root. It differs from the
usual type, the crown being broad with elongated cusps. The cecum
is absent and there are four mamme, all pectoral; the kidneys are
lobate.
Other characters for this family are: all feet with five toes; palms
of feet naked (except the Polar Bear, T. maritimus); tail very short;
audital bulle flattened and undivided; condyloid and glenoid foramina
. . . . . . . 22
distinct; alisphenoid canal present in American species; molars, a
Bears hibernate to a more or less extent in North America, even
*N. Amer. Fauna, No. 25, 1905, p. 194.
z
Fes., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory.
397
the species which is found in Florida continuing the habit when the
occasion for it no longer exists.*
Two genera and some fifteen species and subspecies are found in
North America, but only one, the Black Bear, Ursus americanus,
occurs within our limits.
Genus URSUS Linneus.
Ursus Linneus, Syst. Nat., X ed., I, 1758, p. 47. Type Ursus arctos
Linn.
Size large; feet plantigrade; claws not retractile; toes 5 on both
fore and hind feet; tail very short; true molars with broad tuberculate
crowns; upper carnassial smaller than 1st molar, having a broad crown
with elongated cusps; audital bullze depressed and but very slightly in-
flated; color of our species black or brown.
Dental formula: I. S35 222, Pm “24
ee ie A Av Pe as
Subgenus EUARCTOS Gray.
Ursus americanus PALLAs.
Biack BEAR.
Ursus americanus PALLAS, Spicilegia Zoologica, fasc. 14, 1780, p. 5. LAPHAM,
Trans. Wis. State Agr. Soc., II, 1852 (1853), p. 338 (Wisconsin). KENNICOTT,
Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., I, 1853-54 (1855), p. 578 (Cook Co., Illinois).
ioe
Agr. Rept. for 1858, U. S. Patent Office Rept., 1859, p. 251 (Illinois). THomas,
Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., IV, 1859-60 (1861), p. 655 (Illinois). STRONG,
Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, 1883, p. 437 (Wisconsin). HERRICK, Geol.
Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No. 7, 1892, p. 140 (Minnesota). EVERMANN &
BuTLER, Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1893 (1894), p. 136 (Indiana). BUTLER, Proc. Ind.
Acad. Sci., 1894 (1895), p. 84 (Indiana). Ruoaps, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.,
1896 (1897), p. 199 (Tennessee). ADAMS, Rept. State Board Geol. Surv. Mich.,
1905 (1906), p. 130 (Michigan). Haun, Ann. Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Re-
sources Ind., 1908 (1909), p. 592 (Indiana). Jackson, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist.
Soc., VI, 1908, p. 30 (Wisconsin). Jb., VIII, 1910, p. 89 (Wisconsin).
Ursus americana MILEs, Rept. Geol. Surv. Mich., I, 1860 (1861), p. 220 (Michigan).
GARMAN, Bull. Essex Inst., X XVI, 1894, p. 3 (Kentucky).
Ursus arctos ALLEN, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XIII, 1869 (1871), p. 184 (Iowa).
OsBorn, Proc. Iowa Acad. Sci., I, 1887-89 (1890), p. 42 (Iowa).
Ursus cinnamomum StronG, Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, 1883, p. 437 (Wisconsin).
* The Florida Black Bear retires into its den early in January and hibernates
until about the first of March. That this habit is due to hereditary instinct and not
to climatic conditions or lack of food is suggested by the fact that in southeastern
Florida the weather is warm and the berries of the palmetto (Serenoa serrulata), which
are a favorite food of these animals, are still very abundant at that season.
398 Frerp Museum oF Naturat History — Zo6xoey, Vor. XI.
Type locality — Eastern North America.
Distribution — Practically the whole of North America, from Texas
to Labrador and Alaska; replaced in the Gulf States, Labrador,
and the extreme West and Northwest by allied forms.
Description — Size large; body thickly furred; general color black
(sometimes brown), often with a white spot on the breast; ears
rounded; face tinged with cinnamon brown or tan brown.
Measurements — Size variable; adult males from Wisconsin will general-
ly weigh from 250 to 350 lbs. and have a total length of from 60 to
70 inches; height at the shoulder, about 30 inches; tail, about 5
inches; and hind foot, about 8 inches.
Up to the middle of the last century Black Bears were common
in wooded localities in Illinois, arid probably a few individuals sur-
vived in the northwestern and southern parts of the state to a con-
siderably later date. There have been rumors of Bears having been
seen in the swampy country in extreme southern Illinois as late as 1885
or 1890, but the evidence is unsatisfactory. The latest authentic
record I can find for Illinois is that of Mr. C. J. Boyd of Anna, who
writes: ‘‘The last Bear was killed by David Brown in 1860 in the
hills near Alexander Co.’”’ Kennicott (1854) states that Bears were
formerly seen in Cook Co. (I. c., p. 578); and Thomas (1859) says,
“Tt is occasionally seen in the southern part of the state, although once
found in considerable numbers”’ (/. c., p. 656). So much for [linois.
According to Hahn it was found in Indiana at a somewhat later
date, as he records one being killed in Green County in 1870 and another
in 1875. Two young Bears were reported killed in Knox Co., Indiana,
in 1882 (/. c., p. 594). That they were common enough in the state in
early days is shown by the statement of Dr. John T. Plummer, who
informs us Bears were killed in the immediate neighborhood of Rich-
mond, Wayne Co., and in the year 1824 some cubs were taken within
a mile of the town.*
Black Bears are, however, still common in northern Wisconsin.
Jackson says: ‘‘Black Bears have reappeared in Oneida County since
1907 and are reported more plentiful in Vilas County.- In late June,
1908, a female and two cubs were killed near Wolf Lake, Oneida Co.
and there have been reports of others seen in the region nearby”? (J. ¢.,
p. 89).
During the past six years I have made inquiries of a number of
gentlemen living in various parts of northern Wisconsin as to the
presence or absence of some of the larger mammals in their vicinity.
Many of them are experienced hunters and are well acquainted with
* Amer. Jour. Sci. & Arts, XLVI, 1844, p. 246.
MamMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 399
IFREB:, FOr2.
*(SNUDI1AIULD SNSAT) Yeag yoelg
400 Frirtp Museum oF Natura. History — Zootocy, Vo. XI.
the animals in question. Others, who do not hunt themselves, were
kind enough to secure the desired information from hunters and trap-
pers in their vicinity. In a number of cases my correspondents claim
that Bears are more plentiful than formerly, as, for example, to cite one
of many, Mr. W. J. Webster, Superintendent of Schools, Park Falls,
Price Co., under date of January 13, 1910, writes, ‘‘Several -Bears
have been killed here; they are more numerous the past few years.”
I am reliably informed that Bears were killed in the following
counties in Wisconsin during the years 1908, 1909, 1910: Florence Co.
(J. E. Parry, Florence); Marinette Co. (J. Stovekere, Jr., Pembine;
L. Johnson, Beaver; G. A. Williams, Kremlin); Oneida Co. (J. Dapres,
Hazelhurst); Marathon Co. (G. F. Erzwein, Athens); Oconto Co.
(E. Phenney, Oconto Falls); Buffalo Co. (J. Bream, Cream; E. F.
Ganz, Alma); Vilas Co. (N. L. Kinney, Eagle River); Taylor Co.
(J. Hobbs, and C. W. Benn, Medford); Price Co. (W. J. Webster, Park
Falls; F. J. Sulter, Prentice); Bayfield Co. (H. Feltz, Bayfield; M. Berg,
Cable; E. J. Carter, Drummond; B. P. Hill, Bayfield); Burnett Co.
(‘There are four or five Bears killed here every year’’— O. Erickson,
Grantsburg; L. Larson, Oakland); Rusk Co. (F. E. Munroe, Lady-
smith); Douglas Co. (D. Farnham, Manley; N. Lucins, Jr., Solon
Springs; G. W. Zeon, Foxboro); Iron Co. (J. Ball, Sandrock; J. Miller,
Cedar).
To the above I may add the following records which I find in my
note book for 1907: Male killed Sept. 14, 1906, Hazelhurst, Oneida Co.
(J. Dapres). Bear killed June, 1906, near Pembine, Marinette Co.
(J. Stovekere). Bear killed December 22, 1906, Oconto Falls, Oconto
Co. (E. Phenney). Two Bears killed October, 1906, Eagle River,
Vilas Co. (N. L. Kinney). Bear killed October 5, 1906, Medford,
Taylor Co. (J. Hobbs). ‘‘Several Bears killed in this vicinity in 1906;
one killed February 14, 1907,’ Bayfield, Bayfield Co. (H. Feltz). ‘“‘A
Bear was killed in this county in the summer of 1906.”’ (C. E. Brown,
Hamilton, Fond du Lac Co.). In the winter of 1909 two Bears were
offered for sale in a Chicago market, one of which I was informed
came from Washburn County and the other was said to have been
killed in Polk County.
The above records show that at the present time Black Bears are
pretty well distributed throughout the northern half of Wisconsin;
the one reported killed in Fond du Lac County may have been a strag-
gler, or originally a tame animal.
The Black Bear is naturally an inhabitant of the forest, although
in his wanderings he may often be found in open valleys and hills, es-
pecially in the berry season. He is one of the most omnivorous of our
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 401
flesh eaters and his varied diet includes mammals ranging from Mice
to Sheep and young cattle, as well as birds, fish, frogs, insects, berries
of various kinds and, in fact, almost anything edible. He is extremely
partial to honey, and unlike the Grizzly Bear, he is a good tree climber,
and is generally able to rob a bee tree whenever he finds one. He
tears open old rotten stumps and turns over logs and rocks in search
of grubs and ants of which he seems to be particularly fond. .In the
berry season, when berries form a not inconsiderable part of his
diet, he may be looked for in localities where they are plentiful, and
although a nocturnal animal, may be seen occasionally in the day-
time on open hillsides indulging his taste for them.
Notwithstanding the popular opinion to the contrary, the Black
Bear is a shy animal and unless badly wounded will rarely attack man.
I have killed seventeen Black Bears in different parts of the United
States and have never had one charge or show fight, except when
badly wounded and unable to run away. At such times they are
undoubtedly more or less dangerous, as almost any wild animal would
be when cornered and desperate. I have never shot a female with
cubs; but there is little doubt that she will fight to protect them, espe-
cially if they are very young.
The Black Bear hibernates in winter;* in fact, it does so to a more
or less degree throughout its range without regard to temperature,
although the scarcity of food during the cold months was probably
the primary cause of the development of the habit in these animals.
The length of its sleep varies in different parts of the country, being
undoubtedly influenced by temperature to that extent. In the more
southern portion of its range its sleep is not profound and in the case
of the Florida Bear, as I know from personal experience, they are
easily disturbed.
The den is usually an excavation under some log or hollow in a
large tree and, when available, a natural cave is often used. The
young are born late in January, or early in February, in this latitude,
and number from 1 to 4, the usual number being two. They are very
small at birth in comparison with the size of the mother, measuring
from 8 to 10 inches in length and rarely exceeding a pound in weight,
the average weight being considerably less.
The flesh of the young Bear is tender and palatable, but aha of an
old one is coarse and usually very tough. The oil from the fat is, in
my opinion, much better than lard for frying purposes, as the flavor is
delicate, and in culinary phraseology ‘“‘it does not burn.”
* This peculiar physiological condition has already been discussed in connection
with other mammals. See pages 142 and 250; also Index.
402 Fietp Museum oF Natura History — Zoétoey, Vot. XI.
To hunt Bears successfully dogs are absolutely essential, and unless
one is a trained athlete the country must be sufficiently open to permit
of the use of horses to follow the hounds for at least a considerable
portion of the time. In a heavily wooded, rough country shooting a
Bear is largely a matter of chance; their senses of smell and hearing are
so exceedingly keen that one may hunt for weeks in a good Bear coun-
try and not see one. Of course, they can be trapped; but unless there
is some good reason for desiring the death of the animal it is a cruel
and unsportsman-like method.
Good Bear dogs are not easy to find. It is a curious fact that
while almost any hound will eagerly follow the trail of a Panther, a
very small percentage of them will follow that of a Bear. I have found
that the best Bear dogs were generally a cross between a hound and a
bull dog. Occasionally a full blooded hound will follow a Bear, but
judging from my experience, except when in company with a number
of other dogs, such cases are rare. The perfect Bear dog is one that
will follow the trail until he sees the animal and then worry and “‘bay”’
him until the hunter can come up to them, but he must be wise enough
not to get within reach of the Bear’s paws. If he has too much courage
and is reckless, he is killed or badly injured, but on the other hand, if
he lacks the proper amount of courage, he will not follow the trail at
all.
In Wisconsin a full grown Bear will usually weigh from 250 to 350
pounds. The latter would be considered a large animal for this part
of the country, but the southern races of the Black Bear grow much
larger. In Florida and Louisiana a male weighing 500 pounds, while
larger than the average, is by no means uncommon and, although I
have never actually weighed a Florida Bear that tipped the scales
at more than 511 pounds,* I have killed larger animals, one of which I
estimated to weigh nearly 600 pounds.
Brown Bears, which may be found within our limits, are merely
color phases of the Black Bear, black and brown cubs having been
found in the same litter.T
When taken young and kindly treated, Bear cubs make very amusing
pets, as they are intelligent and playful; but as they grow up, their
play is inclined to be rather too rough. If teased or irritated, however,
they soon become treacherous.
During the seventeenth century Black Bears were very numerous
throughout New England and their “‘grease’’ was much used by early
*The two largest males weighed 489 and 511 pounds.
+See Kennicott, J. ¢., p. 253; also Journals of Alex. Henry and David Thomp-
son. (Edited by Elliott Coues.) 1897, p. 449.
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 403
settlers as a cure for various ailments, such as rheumatism, sprains, etc.
Many curious tales concerning them are told by early writers, the
following being examples.
VK
Ursus americanus
U. a. sornborgeri
Map illustrating the approximate distribution of Black Bears in eastern United States and Can-
ada south of latitude 52.
Ursus americanus PaLLas. Type locality — Eastern United States. Description
as previously given.
Ursus a. sornborgeri BANGS. (Amer. Nat., XXXII, 1898, p. 500.) Type locality
— Okak, Labrador. ‘‘Skull smaller, shorter and broader”’ (Bangs).
Ursus luteolus GRIFFITH. (Carniv. Anim., 1821, p. 236.) Type locality —
Louisiana. A large form with heavier dentition; forehead flattened.
Ursus floridanus MERRIAM. (Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., X, 1896, p. 81.) Type
locality — Key Biscayne, Dade Co., Florida. As large or larger than /uteolus;
color entirely black; forehead elevated.
404 Frerp Musrum oF Natura History — Zooxtoey, Vor. XI.
Josselyn says: ‘‘The Bear they live four months in Caves, that is
all Winter; in the spring they bring forth their young ones, they seldom
have above three Cubbs in a litter, are very fat in the Fall of the Leaf
with feeding upon Acorns, at which time they are excellent Venison;
their Brains are venemous; They feed much upon water Plantane in
the Spring and Summer, and Berries, and also upon a shell-fish called
a Horse-foot; and are never mankind, 7. e., fierce, but in rutting time,
and then they walk the Country twenty, thirty, forty in a Company,
making a hedius noise with roaring, which you may hear a mile or
two before they come so near to endanger the Traveller.’’*
Wood writes: ‘‘Most fierce in strawberry-time at which time they
have young ones; at which time likewise, they will go upright, like a
man, and climb trees, and swim to the islands; which if the Indians see,
there will be more sportful bear-baiting than Paris garden can afford;
for, seeing the bears take water, an Indian will leap after him; where
they go to water-cuffs for bloody noses and scratched sides. In the
end, the man gets the victory; riding the bear over the watery plain,
till he can bear him no longer.’’f
Specimens examined from Wisconsin and adjoining states:
Wisconsin — “‘Northern Wisconsin,” 3; (O. C.) Price Co. (skulls), 2;
(S. C.) Cayuga, Ashland Co. (skull), 1; (O.) Washburn Co., 1; Polk
COs, HSS
Michigan — Park Siding, Iron Co. (skull), 1.
Minnesota — (brown phase), 2.
* New England Rarities, 1672, p. 48.
+t New England’s Prospects, 1634, p. 16.
Orver INSECTIVORA.
INSECT EATERS.
Representatives of this large order are found throughout the greater
portion of the temperate and tropical world, except, so far as known, in
Australia and South America. All of its members are comparatively
small animals. The greater number are terrestrial, although a few
are arboreal and others natatorial. They are nearly all of them noc-
turnal animals; some are covered with spines, but the majority are
thickly furred. They are largely, but by no means strictly, insectiv-
orous; most of our species eat great numbers of earth-worms and young
Mice when they can get them; while some species, like the European
Hedgehog, have such a varied diet as to be practically omnivorous.
While in all known species, incisors, canines, premolars and molars
are present, most of them are not clearly differentiated and for conve-
nience all single pointed teeth are called unicuspids. The number of
teeth varies in different species, some having as high as 44. In our
Shrews belonging to the subfamily Soricine the ends of the teeth are
colored red, while in the Crocidurine, and Old World subfamily, the
teeth are entirely white. There seems to be a tendency in many of
the members of this order towards the disappearance of milk teeth.
In the species belonging to the genus Sorex, for example, there are but
seven milk teeth and none of them ever become functional. These
animals are characterized by having an elongated snout, with the upper
lip extending considerably beyond the lower; clavicles are present in
all except the peculiar African genus Potamogale. The position of
the mammary glands and number of teats vary in different species.
The uterus is bicornate and the placenta discoidal and deciduous. The
caecum is absent in our species. The majority possess glands contain-
ing a strong, disagreeable, musky secretion, which is supposed to be
a means of protection, as it is claimed carnivorous mammals will
rarely eat them. The location of these glands varies in different species;
in our Shrews they are usually located on the sides of the body behind
the axilla. The toes are armed with claws which in many species are
highly developed for digging. Shrews do not hibernate and are active
all winter.
On the North American continent the order is represented by two
families: Soricide, Shrews, and Talpide, Moles, comprising more than
405
406 Fietp Museum oF Natura History — Zootoey, Vou. XI.
a hundred species and subspecies; while a third family (Solenodontide)
occurs in the West Indies. Eleven species and subspecies belonging
to 5 genera, including representatives of both of our continental families,
are found within our limits.
Suborder INSECTIVORA VERA.
KEY TO THEY PAMIETES
REPRESENTATIVES OF WHICH OCCUR WITHIN OUR LIMITS.
A. Length from nose to root of tail more than 4 inches; fore feet modified for digging,
very large and strikingly different from hind feet; no external ear; ends of
teeth not red; zygomata present. Family TALPIDAZ. Moles, p. 433.
B. Length from nose to root of tail less than 4 inches; fore feet not noticeably large;
external ear present, although small and often concealed by fur; ends of teeth
red; zygomata absent. Family SORICIDA. Shrews, p. 406.
Family SORICID-. Shrews.
Members of this family are distributed throughout the northern
hemisphere, except in high latitudes. They are small, terrestrial
mammals (rarely aquatic), somewhat resem-
bling a Mouse, but having a long pointed
snout; the upper lip projects considerably
beyond the lower; very small eyes and very
small external ears which are often con-
cealed by fur. Their bodies are covered
with thick, soft fur. The tibia and fibula
Skull of a Shrew (Sorex). are united; zygomata are absent and the
(Enlarged.)
tympanic bone is shaped like a ring and
does not form a bulla. The milk teeth are functionless and absorbed
without appearing above the gum. The cusps on the upper molars
may be described as resembling the letter W. There is no cecum.
Their food consists principally of insects and worms, and it is claimed
that some species occasionally eat nuts. They are distinctly pugna-
cious and when opportunity occurs will attack, kill and eat small mam-
mals, such as Mice.
In writing of Old World Shrews, Edward Topsell says:* “‘It is a
* Historie of Foure Footed Beastes, London, 1607, p. 536.
Fes., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — CORY. 407
ravening beast feygning it selfe to be gentle and tame, but being touched
it biteth deepe, and poisoneth deadly. It beareth a cruell minde, de-
siring to hurt anything neither is there any creature that it loveth, or
it loveth him, because it is feared of all. The Cats as we have said
do hunt it, and kill it, but they eat not them.”
Shrews were held sacred in Egypt from their supposed blindness,
being regarded as an emblem of primal night and darkness. Herodotus
states that the City of Buto was a place of sacred sepulture for these
animals and according to Pettigrew specimens of mummied Shrews
(Sorex) have been found at Thebes.*
Three genera and some 75 or more species and subspecies are found
in North America:
KEY TO OUR GENERA.
GROUP 1. Tail decidedly more than 14 total length; ears visible.
SECTION 1. More than 3 unicuspid teeth, large enough to be readily seen on
each side of upper jaw.
Hind foot not fringed. Genus SOREX, p. 410.
Hind foot fringed. Genus NEOSOREX, p. 420.
SECTION 2. Only 3 unicuspid teeth, large enough to be readily seen on each
side of upper jaw; size small. Genus MICROSOREX, p. 418.
GROUP 2. Tail less than 1% total length; ears hidden by fur.
Genus BLARINA, p. 422.
English naturalists tell us that these little animals have always
been the subject of many foolish superstitions in Europe, one of the
most popular being the belief that, if a Shrew ran over the foot of a
beast or a man (in the case of the latter shoe leather seems to have been
no protection), it would cause serious lameness and often much suffer-
ing. Luckily immediate relief could always be obtained by touching
the unfortunate victim with the twig ‘‘Shrew-ash.”’ To prepare this
wonderful remedy a hole was bored in a tree and in it was placed the
twig of an ash tree and a live Shrew, the opening being then sealed up.
When the twig was thoroughly medicated it was removed, and was
supposed to retain its curative power for an indefinite period.
* Hist. Egyptian Mummies, 1834, p. 195.
408 FreLtp Museum oF Naturat History — Zodtocy, Vor. XI.
Blarina brevicauda.
Blarina brevicauda carolinensis. Blarina parva.
Sorex longirostris.
Sorex fumeus. Sorex richardsonit.
Microsorex hovyi. Neosorex palustris.
Upper Jaws and Teeth of Shrews, greatly enlarged. (After Merriam.)
There is a surprising difference in the shape and size of both the skulls and the teeth in old and
young Shrews of the same species, and, when comparing skulls for the purpose of identification, the
student should select specimens of about the same age.
Fres., 1912. MamMats oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 409
KEY TO) tHE SPECIES:
GROUP 1. Short-tailed Shrews. Ears completely concealed by fur; tail not ex-
ceeding one inch in length, usually decidedly less and always less than %4
total length (nose to tip of tail).
SECTION 1. Total length more than 3.60 inches.
General color dusky slate color, under parts only slightly paler; teeth 32;
four well developed unicuspid teeth, first two longer than third and
fourth, the third and fourth about equal; total length about 5
inches, averaging a little less; occurs in northern Ilinoisand Wisconsin.
SHORT-TAILED SHREW OR MOLE SHREW.
Blarina brevicauda, p. 423.
Similar to brevicauda but smaller; back sometimes faintly washed with
brown; teeth 32; total length about 4 inches; occurs from central
Illinois southward. CAROLINA SHORT-TAILED SHREW.
Blarina b. carolinensis, p. 428.
SECTION 2. Total length less than 3.60 inches.
Brown or iron-gray above, ashy on under parts; teeth 30; fourth upper uni-
cuspid exceedingly small and apparently absent, difficult to see
without a good lens and rarely visible from outside; occurs in Illinois
but not in Wisconsin. SMALL SHORT-TAILED SHREW.
Blarina parva, p. 430.
GROUP 2. Long-tailed Shrews.* Ears very small but visible, being not entirely
concealed by fur; tail more than one inch in length and always more than
1% total length.
SECTION 1. Total length less than 5.25 inches; feet not fringed.
Part. 1. Total length less than 4 inches.
Upper parts dull chestnut-brown, approaching sepia brown; under parts
ashy gray, often washed with pale drab brown; tail usually less than
1.38 in. (35 mm.); hind foot .43 in. or less (11 mm.); third unicuspid
tooth smaller than the fourth. CAROLINA SHREW.
Sorex longirostris, p. 416.
Upper parts approaching sepia brown; under parts ashy, gray or brownish
ash; tail usually more than 1.38 in. (35 mm.); hind foot about .47 in.
(12 mm.); third unicuspid tooth not noticeably smaller than the
fourth. COMMON SHREW. Sorex personatus, p. ——
Upper parts approaching sepia brown; under parts ashy gray or pale
brownish gray, often washed with buff on throat and breast; tail
less than 1.38 in. (35 mm.); hind foot .43 in. or less (11 mm.); appar-
ently only 3 unicuspid teeth present, the Ist, 2d and 4th, the third
being so small and concealed between the others as to be seen with
more or less difficulty (cannot be seen at all without the aid of a strong
lens); ‘‘a distinct secondary cusp on the inner side of the canine and
second and third upper incisors’’ (Miller); occurs in Wisconsin and
probably in extreme northern Illinois. Hoy’s SHREW.
Microsorex hoyi, p. 418.
* In all our Shrews the tail would be considered short. These are called Long-
tailed Shrews only by comparison with the very short-tailed species belonging to
the genus Blarina,
410 Frerp Musrum oF Naturat History — Zoéiocy, Vor. XI.
Part 2. Total length more than 4 inches but less than 5.
Upper parts approaching sepia brown; under parts ashy, gray or brownish
ash; tail more than 1.38 in. (35 mm.); 3d unicuspid not smaller than
4th; hind foot about .47 in. (12 mm.); total length about 4 inches;
occurs in Illinois and Wisconsin. COMMON SHREW.
Sorex personatus, p. 411.
Back about same color as sides; upper parts dark slaty plumbeous; under
parts slightly paler and washed with ashy; third unicuspid not smaller
than the fourth, usually slightly larger. The animal appears nearly
uniform in color, although slightly paler on under parts; a brown
pelage occurs in which the pelage is everywhere chestnut brown,
somewhat paler on the under parts; found in Wisconsin and perhaps
extreme northern IIlinois. SMOKY SHREW. Sorex fumeus, p. 415.
Color of back noticeably different from the sides; back very dark brown;
sides fulvous brown or buffy brown; under parts ashy plumbeous, more
or less washed with brownish; third unicuspid usually decidedly larger
than the fourth; a brown pelage occurs in summer very similar to
that of Sorex fumeus; occurs in Wisconsin but has not been taken in
Illinois. RICHARDSON’S SHREW. Sorex richardsonit, p. 414.
SECTION 2. Total length more than 5.25 inches; feet fringed.
Back blackish seal brown; under parts ashy white; feet
fringed; occurs within our limits from central Wisconsin
northward. WATER SHREW OR MARSH SHREW.
Neosorex palustris, p. 421.
Foot of Neosorex palustris.
Subfamily SORICIN.
Ends of teeth and crown tubercles colored red; zygomata absent.
Genus SOREX Linnzus.
Sorex Linnzus, Syst. Nat., X ed., I, 1758, p. 53. Type Sorex araneus
Linneus.
Size small; tail more than one-third the total length; external ear
not entirely concealed by fur; snout pointed; first upper incisor long,
curved and hook-like; inner sides of canines and incisors without
secondary cusps; skull delicate; brain case broad; milk dentition not
functional.
OMaro ae
se ae . Fang
2
Dental formula: I. see Oe
2-2 fo)
Fres., 1912. Mammats oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. AIL
Subgenus SOREX Linnzus.
Sorex personatus Grorrroy St. HILIARE.
CoMMON SHREW.
Sorex personatus I. GEOFFROY ST. Hit., Mém. Mus. d’Hist. Nat. Paris, XV, 1827,
p. 122. Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, No. Io, 1895, p. 60 (Indiana, Michigan,
Minnesota, etc.). MILLer, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 10, 1895, p. 53 (Minnesota,
etc.). Ruoaps, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1896 (1897), p. 202 (Tennessee).
SNYDER, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., II, 1902, p. 122 (Wisconsin). JACKSON,
Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 30 (Wisconsin). Hann, Ann. Rept.
Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources Ind., 1908 (1909), p. 604 (Indiana). Woop,
Bull. Ill. State Lab. Nat. Hist., VIII, 1910, p. 581.
Sorex Forsteri LAPHAM, Trans. Wis. State Agr. Soc., II, 1852 (1853), p. 338 (Wis-
consin).
Sorex coopert KENNICOTT, Agr. Rept. for 1857, U.S. Patent Office Rept., 1858, p. 96.
ALLEN, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XIII, 1869 (1871), p. 187 (Iowa). HERRICK,
Geol. & Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No. 7, 1892, p. 48 (Minnesota).
Sorex platyrhinus EVERMANN & BUTLER, Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1893 (1894), p.
133 (Indiana).
Type locality — Eastern United States.
Distribution — Northern North America, from about the latitude of
Virginia north to Hudson Bay and Alaska.
Description — Upper parts approaching sepia brown (rarely chestnut) ;
under parts ashy gray or brownish ash; upper surface of tail and
tip blackish; under surface of tail whitish; 3rd unicuspid tooth
not smaller than the 4th. (See illustration, page 408.)
Measurements — Total length, about 3.95 in. (100 mm.); tail vertebre,
msde (Soimim.) tind fOOl, so in. (12:5 mm).
Remarks — The chestnut phase of pelage, which occasionally occurs,
is apparently rare. There are two specimens in this Museum in
brown pelage from Sumner, Wisconsin; one taken by L. Kumlien
in May, 1860, and the other by T. Kumlien in June, 1880; the
former was found impaled on a thorn by a shrike. According to
Dr. Merriam, ‘“‘Out of 20 specimens from Roan Mountain, North
Carolina, only 2 are chestnut”’ (J. c., p. 60).
The Common Shrew is found throughout Illinois and Wisconsin.
Kennicott reports it from Murphysboro, Jackson County, in southern
Illinois, and states it is not uncommon in the northern part of the
state (J. c., p. 96). Wood reports specimens from McLean and Mc-
Henry counties and there are specimens in the Field Museum from
Lake County. Y
Jackson considers it common in most parts of Wisconsin, as it
doubtless is. I have examined specimens from various localities in
412 Fretp MusEum oF NaturAL History — ZooLocy, Vor. XI.
Common Shrew (Sorex personatus).
(About % nat. size.)
the interior and several of the most northern counties including Douglas,
Iron, Florence, and Vilas.
This diminutive species usually makes its home under an old log or
stump or beneath the roots of a tree; sometimes it uses a hole in a fallen
tree. In open fields and meadows it is often found under haycocks.
Shrews are both diurnal and nocturnal, but they are so small and
active they are rarely seen. Probably not one person in a hundred
has ever seen a dead Shrew and the percentage is very much less for
those who have seen a live one in its natural haunts. Sometimes a
hunter, while remaining perfectly still, watching for game, may catch
a fleeting glimpse of one of these little animals as it hurries across an
open space among the leaves, but in most cases it would pass unnoticed.
Dr. C. Hart Merriam says: ‘‘The naturalist well knows that, however
cautiously he may walk, the stir of his footsteps puts to flight many
forms of life that will reappear as soon as quiet is restored; therefore,
in his excursions through the woods, he waits and watches, frequently
stopping to listen and observe. While thus occupied it sometimes
happens that a slight rustling reaches his ear. There is no wind, but
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 413
the eye rests upon a fallen leaf that seems to move. Presently another
stirs and perhaps a third leaf turns completely over. Then something
evanescent, like the shadow of an embryonic mouse, appears and
vanishes before the retina can catch its perfect image. Anon, the
restless phantom flits across the open space, leaving no trace behind.
But a charge of fine shot, dropped with quick aim upon the next leaf
that moves will usually solve the mystery. The author of the per-
plexing commotion is found to be a curious, sharp-nosed creature no
bigger than one’s little finger, and weighing hardly more than a dram.
Its ceaseless activity, and the rapidity with which it darts from place
to place, is truly astonishing, and rarely permits the observer a correct
impression of its form.’’*
Herrick gives an interesting description of the action of a pair of
these Shrews which he observed at night in Pine Co., Minnesota. He
says: ‘To a person alone in the woods for the first time after a long
interval every sound is novel and more or less charged with mystery.
The wind stirred the tree tops and impinging boughs clattered and the
trunks groaned under the tortion, each tree with its own doleful note.
The few remaining pines added their sighing to the many melancholy
sounds belonging to the autumn forest at might. But amid all the
sounds nothing could be identified as coming from anything living,
even the distant howling of wolves was silenced, and I began to feel
that the attempt to gain personal knowledge of the ways of woodsy
mammals by night study would prove futile, and composed myself to
sleep. The half-somnolent revery which forms the prelude to slumber,
was broken by faint melodious sounds on an excessively high key — so
high that it seemed that I might be simply hearing the lower notes
of an elfin symphony, the upper registers in which were beyond the
powers of human ears to distinguish. The sounds were distinctly
musical and reminded me of the contented twitter of birds finding
resting places among the boughs at night. Without moving I turned
my eyes upon the fire-lit circle, about which the darkness formed an
apparently impenetrable wall. Only the most careful scrutiny enabled
me to discover the tiny musicians. Within a few feet of my head, upon
a decayed log, raced a pair of shrews (S. cooperi), so minute as to escape
my observation at first. Up and down with the most sprightly imag-
inable motions they ran, twittering incessantly. Hither and thither
they scampered over my clothing and almost into my pockets, like
veritable lilliputians, seizing now a crumb of cheese, with which my
traps were baited, and now a bit of fish fallen from my improvised
supper table” (J. c., p. 41).
* Mamm. Adirondack Reg., 1886, p. 174.
414. Fretp Museum oF Naturat History — ZoodLocy, Vou. XI.
The food of these Shrews consists largely of worms and insects, but
they also eat flesh and probably devour young Mice and the young
of the smaller ground-nesting birds whenever they find them. Dr. C.
Hart Merriam says: ‘‘ Not only are these agile and restless little Shrews
voracious and almost insatiable, consuming incredible quantities of
raw meat and insects with great eagerness, but they are veritable
cannibals withal, and will even slay and devour their own kind. I
once confined three of them under an ordinary tumbler. Almost im-
mediately they commenced fighting, and in a few minutes one was
slaughtered and eaten by the other two. Before night one of these
killed and ate its only surviving companion, and its abdomen was
much distended by the meal. Hence in less than eight hours one of
these tiny wild beasts had attacked, overcome, and ravenously con-
sumed two of its own species, each as large and heavy as itself” (J. c.,
js ype)
Shrews possess scent glands, secreting a strong, musky smelling
liquid, which are situated on each side of the body near the fore leg. On
account of their odor they are regarded as undesirable food by most
mammals and are rarely eaten.
Specimens examined from Illinois and Wisconsin:
Illinois — Fox Lake, 3; Camp Logan, Lake Co., 8=11.
Wisconsin — Sumner, 2; Milton, Rock Co., 1; Solon Springs, Douglas
Co., 13 (7 in alcohol); Sayner, Vilas Co., 17; Spread Eagle, Florence
Co., 3; Beaver Dam, Dodge Co., 1; Conover, Vilas Co., 1; Lac
Vieux Desert, Vilas Co., 5; (M.P.M.) Cataline, Marinette Co., 4;
Newport, Door Co., 1; Prairie du Sac, Sauk Co., 4; Prescott, Pierce
Co., 4; Kelly Brook, Oconto Co., 2; Milwaukee Co., 1; Delavan,
Walworth Co., 1; (S. C.) Beaver Dam, Dodge Co., 20= 80.
Sorex richardsonii BACHMAN.
RICHARDSON’S SHREW.
Sorex richardsonit BACHMAN, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., VII, Pt. II, 1837, p. 383.
Miter, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 10, 1895, p. 48 (Minnesota). MeErRrRiAM, N.
Amer. Fauna, No. 10, 1895, p. 63 (Minnesota, etc.). SNYDER, Bull. Wis. Nat.
Hist. Soc., II, 1902, p. 123 (Wisconsin). JACKSON, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc.,
VI, 1908, p. 30 (Wisconsin).
Type locality — Unknown; probably plains of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Distribution — From Wisconsin and western Ontario through Minne-
sota and Manitoba northwest to Alberta and northward nearly to
the Arctic Circle; exact limits unknown.
FeEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. AI5
Description — Color of back noticeably different from the sides; upper
parts very dark brown; sides of body fulvous brown; under parts
ashy plumbeous, more or less faintly washed with brownish; tail
dark brown above, paler brown on under surface, the end blackish;
ard unicuspid tooth decidedly larger than the 4th. All unicuspid
teeth larger than in S. fumeus and brain-case and rostrum heavier.
In summer a nearly concolor brown pelage occurs hardly dis-
tinguishable from the brown pelage of S. fumeus.
Measurements — Total length, about 4.50 in. (114 mm.); tail vertebre,
1.60 in. (41 mm.); hind foot, .56 in. (14 mm.).
Richardson’s Shrew probably occurs throughout Wisconsin, but it
is doubtful if its range extends quite so far south as Illinois. There
are specimens in the Field Museum from Solon Springs, Douglas Co.;
Sayner and Conover, Vilas Co.; and Pelican Lake, Oneida Co.; Jackson
records 5 specimens taken southeast of Rhineland in Oneida Co. (J. c.,
p. 30); Synder secured a specimen near Beaver Dam, Dodge Co. (J. ¢.,
p. 123); and Mr. W. H. Osgood secured a specimen in brown pelage at
Pelican Lake, Oneida Co., on September 20, 1911, which agrees per-
fectly in coloration with brown specimens of S. fumeus. The fact
that so few specimens have been taken does not necessarily imply that
the animal is rare, as all collectors know Shrews are by no means easy
to trap and are scarcely ever seen unless found in some pit or well
into which they have fallen.
Specimens examined from Wisconsin:
Wisconsin — Solon Springs, Douglas Co., 2; Pelican Lake, Oneida Co.,
1; Sayner, Vilas Co., 1; Conover, Vilas Co., 1; (S. C.), Beaver Dam,
Dodge Co., 1=6.
Sorex fumeus MILLER.
SMOKY SHREW.
Sorex fumeus M1LLer, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 10, 1895, p. 50. RHoaApDs, Proc. Acad.
Nat. Sci. Phila., 1896 (1897), p. 203 (Tennessee). HOLLISTER, Bull. Wis. Nat.
Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 142 (Wisconsin). HoweELL, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash.,
XXII, 1909, p. 66 (Tennessee, etc.).
Sorex richardsonii BAtrD, Mammals N. Amer., 1857, p. 24 (Racine, Wisconsin).
STRONG, Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, 1883, p. 438 (Wisconsin).
Type locality — Peterboro, Madison Co., New York.
Distribution — Northeastern United States, Nova Scotia, southern
New Brunswick, southern Ontario and southern Quebec, west to
Wisconsin and south in the mountains to North Carolina, Ten-
nessee and northern Georgia.
Description — General color dark slaty plumbeous; under parts slightly
paler and more or less washed with ashy; tail dark above, with the
416 Fretp Museum oF NATURAL History — ZoéLocy, Vor. XI.
under surface pale (dull flesh color on fresh specimens) and the
end blackish; under surface of muzzle whitish. The absence of
a dark dorsal area is one of the characters by which this species
may usually be distinguished from richardsonit. A brown pelage
occurs in summer, the animal being near uniform dull chestnut
brown or hair brown with under parts slightly paler. Third uni-
cuspid tooth not smaller than the 4th, usually slightly larger;
rostrum and brain-case lower and unicuspids smaller than in S.
richardsonit.
Measurements — Total length, about 4.70 in. (120 mm.); tail vertebra,
about 1.75 in. (44.4 mm.); hind foot, .55 in. (13.7 mm.).
So far as known the only specimen of the Smoky Shrew which has
yet been collected within our limits was taken at Racine, Wisconsin,
and is now in the National Museum collection. The specimen was
originally identified by Baird as S. richardsonii, but was later dis-
covered by Miller to be S. fumeus (Miller, /. c., p. 30).
Very little is known regarding the species and only a general idea of
its distribution has been obtained from the widely scattered specimens
which have been taken. The habits of this Shrew probably differ but
little from those of allied species.
Sorex longirostris BACHMAN.
CAROLINA SHREW. SOUTHERN SHREW.
Sorex longirostris BACHMAN, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., VII, Pt. II, 1837, p. 370.
Miter, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 10, 1895, p. 52. Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, No.
10, 1895, p. 85. Haun, Ann. Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources Ind., 1908
(1909), p. 607 (Indiana). HOWELL, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXII, 1909, p. 66
(Indiana). Woop, Bull. Ill. State Lab. Nat. Hist., VIII, 1910, p. 582 (McHenry
Co., Illinois).
Amphisorex leseuriti DUVERNOY, Mag. de Zool., Ser. 2, Mamm., 1842, p. 33 (Indiana).
Type locality — Swamps of Santee River, South Carolina.
Distribution — North and South Carolina, northern Georgia, Ten-
nessee and Kentucky to southern Illinois; limits of range unknown.
Description — General color dull chestnut brown, approaching sepia
brown; under parts ashy gray, often washed with pale drab brown;
fur slate colored at base; upper surface of tail dark, under surface
pale; 3rd unicuspid tooth smaller than the 4th.
Measurements — Total length, about 3.45 in. (87 mm.); tail vertebre,
1.25 in. (32 mm.); hind foot, .43 in. (10.50 mm.).
Remarks — Resembles Sorex personatus in coloration and size, although
the tail and hind foot are somewhat shorter. They may always
be distinguished by cranial and dental characters, the rostrum being
decidedly broader and the 3rd unicuspid tooth is smaller than the
4th (see illustration, p. 408).
FeB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 417
ae ate
mii
Sorex WY,
Ss. INH
S. fumeus
S. fisherl
». (2).
S. fontinalis
Maps illustrating the supposed distribution of Shrews belonging to the genus Sorex in eastern
United States and Canada south of latitude 52°. The range of several of the species will probably
be ultimately found to be much more extended.
Sorex personatus GEOFFROY Sr. Hit. Type locality — Eastern United States.
Description as previously given.
Sorex p. miscix BANGS. (Proc. N. Engl. Zool. Club, I, 1899, p. 15). Type locality
—Black Bay, Strait of Belle Isle, Labrador. Larger and somewhat paler than
personatus.
Sorex fontinalis HOLLISTER. (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XL, I9II, p. 378.) Type
locality — Cold Spring Swamp, near Beltsville, Maryland. Similar to per-
sonatus but smaller; skull smaller and narrower.
418 Firetp Museum or Natura History — ZoéLocy, Vor. XI.
Sorex dispar BATCHELDER. (Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXIV, Ig9I1I, p. 97.) Type
locality — Beedes, Essex Co., New York. Color somewhat similar to fumeus,
but tail much longer; also differs in cranial characters.
Sorex richardsonit BACHMAN. ‘Type locality — Unknown, probably plains of the
Saskatchewan. Description as previously given.
Sorex fumeus MILLER. Type locality — Peterboro, Madison Co., New York.
Description as previously given.
Sorex longirostris BACHMAN. Type locality — Swamps of Santee River, South Caro-
lina. Description as previously given.
Sorex fishert MERRIAM. (N. Amer. Fauna, No. 10, 1895, p. 86, Pl. IV, fig. 4.) Type
locality — Lake Drummond, Dismal Swamp, Virginia. Similar to longirostris
but larger; hind foot longer. Color ‘dull chestnut brown fading to drab on
under parts.’”’ (Merriam).
The Field Museum collection contains 7 specimens of the Carolina
Shrew from extreme southern Illinois; 4 from Reevesville, Johnson Co.,
and 3 from Olive Branch, Alexander Co. Aside from these the only
other specimen known to have been taken within our limits is that
recorded by Wood, as identified by Merriam, which was caught in a
tamarack swamp near Pistakee Bay, McHenry Co., November 14, 1907
(Wood-siG:, p41 532):
The limits of its range are unknown, but it may be expected to occur
throughout Illinois and perhaps in southern Wisconsin.
Its habits may be assumed to differ but little from those of S. per-
sonatus.
Specimens examined from Illinois:
Illinois — Reevesville, Johnson Co., 4; Olive Branch, Alexander Co.,
Cheam
Genus MICROSOREX Coues.
Microsorex Coues, Bull. U. S. Geol. & Geogr. Surv. Terr., III, 1877,
p. 646. Type Sorex hoyi Baird.
Size very small; functional unicuspid teeth in upper jaw having a
distinct pigmented secondary cusp on the inner sides; 3d unicuspid
exceedingly minute and wedged in between the 2d and 4th.
Dental formula: I. 20S 62 (Pra ae 373 — 39,
Doo o-o I
i 3-6
Microsorex hoyi (Barrp).
Hovy’s SHREW. PicmMy SHREW.
Sorex hoyi BAtrD, Mammals N. Amer., 1857, p. 32 (Racine, Wisconsin). STRONG,
Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, 1883, p. 438 (Wisconsin). ADAms, Rept. State
Board Geol. Surv. Mich., 1905 (1906), p. 130 (Michigan). MILLER, N. Amer.
Fauna, No. I0, 1895, p. 89 (Minnesota, etc.).
Sorex (Microsorex) hoyi MERRIAM, N. Amer. Fauna, No. to, 1895, p. 89 (Minne-
sota, etc.).
FEB., 1912. Mammats oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — CorY. 419
Type locality — Racine, Wisconsin.
Distribution — Northern United States and southern Canada south to
Michigan, southern Wisconsin and New York, and considerably
further south in the Allegheny Mountains; its western range ex-
tends nearly across the continent but its exact limits are unknown.
Description — General appearance somewhat resembling S. personatus,
but tail decidedly shorter. Upper parts approaching sepia brown;
under parts ashy gray or pale brownish gray, often washed with
buff on throat and breast; upper surface of tail dark brown, under
surface pale. Best distinguished from any of our species by dental
characters. There are apparently only three unicuspid teeth
present on each side of upper jaw; the third is wedged in between
the 2d and 4th and is so exceedingly small that it requires the aid
of a good lens to distinguish it at all and even then it is rarely
visible from the outside. The canine and second and third upper
incisors have a distinct pigmented secondary cusp near base on
the inner sides.
Measurements — Total length, about 3.20 in. (81 mm.); tail vertebre,
Teo cee seoetiiae) ~ MincdetOot, 42°11. (ie, 5 imal, ):
Hoy’s Shrew was described by the late Prof. Baird, in 1857, from a
specimen taken at Racine, Wisconsin. Two specimens, including the
type, were recorded by him from that locality.
A mounted Shrew preserved in the Milwaukee Public Museum,
which, taken by Thure Kumlien in Jefferson County, in 1879, was for
many years supposed to be this species, but upon examination it proved
to be S. personatus,; therefore, until 1910 Baird’s specimens were the only
ones known to have been taken within our limits. In August, 1910,
Mr. W. H. Osgood secured two others at Lac Vieux Desert, Vilas Co.,
Wisconsin. He informs me they were not taken in traps but had
fallen into a partly excavated well some three or four feet deep, 1n which
he found them. It is probable that the species is by no means rare,
but the difficulty in trapping it makes it appear so.
Regarding the habits of this diminutive species we know very
little. Like many others of its kind, its life history is one of Nature’s
books, which has rarely been opened, and which remains for future
investigators to read.
Specimens examined from Wisconsin:
Wisconsin — Lac Vieux Desert, Vilas Co., 2.
420 Fietp MusEum or Naturat History — Zootocy, Vou. XI.
Area of intergradation
Map illustrating approximate distribution of the Shrews belonging to the genus Microsorex in
eastern United States and Canada.
Microsorex hoyi (BatiRD). Type locality — Racine, Wisconsin. Description as
previously given.
Microsorex alnorum (PREBLE). (N. Amer. Fauna, No. 22, 1902, p. 72.) Type
locality — Robinson Portage, Keewatin, Canada. Grayer than hoyi above,
without brownish on under parts; feet larger and also cranial differences; ap-
proaches very closely Microsorex eximius (Osgood).
Microsorex winnemana PREBLE. (Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXIII, 1910, p. Io1.)
Type locality — Fairfax County (bank of Potomac River near Stubblefield
Falls), Virginia. ‘‘Similar to Microsorex hoyi, but considerably smaller; brain-
case proportionally higher and more rounded”’ (Preble). Total length of
type about 3.1 in. (78 mm.); tail vertebra, about 1.2 in. (30 mm.).
Genus NEOSOREX Baird.
Neosorex Baird, Mammals N. Amer., 1857, p. 11. Type Neosorex
navigator Baird.
Fourth upper incisor well developed; no second-
TK ary cusps on inner side of canines or incisors; brain-
Hind foot of Neosorex case broad; feet with fringe of bristly hatrs.
palustris.
au) (es ean) 1Pram, as M. :
oO
2-
ORO lb al
Aan
2-
Dental formula: I.
to
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 421
Neosorex palustris (RICHARDSON).
MarsH SHREW. WATER SHREW.
Sorex palustris RICHARDSON, Zool. Jour., III, 1828, p. 517. MILLER, Proc. Bost.
Soc. Nat. Hist., XXVI, 1894, p. 183 (Minnesota). Jb., N. Amer. Fauna, No.
10, 1895, p. 45 (Minnesota).
Neosorex palustris JACKSON, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 31 (Wisconsin).
BAILEY, Rept. Orn. & Mamm., U.S. Dept. Agr., 1887, p. 435 (Minnesota).
Sorex (Neosorex) palustris MERRIAM, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 10, 1895, p. 91 (Minnesota).
Type locality — Unknown; somewhere between Hudson Bay and
Rocky Mountains.
Distribution — Ranges from Wisconsin, Minnesota and western Ontario
to Hudson Bay, and northwest to the Great Slave Lake Region;
replaced in the East by slightly different forms.
Description — General color of upper parts dusky seal-brown, almost
black, showing a faint speckling of gray when closely examined;
under parts ashy gray, showing a white gloss in some lights; inner
sides of legs like belly; tail dark brown above and at the end; under
surface of tail (except at the end) pale; feet fringed with fine bristly
hairs.
Measurements — Total length, about 6 in. (153 mm.); tail vertebra,
2.70 in. (68.5 mm.); hind foot, .77 in. (20 mm.).
So far as known, the range of the Marsh Shrew within our limits
is confined to northern Wisconsin. There are specimens in the Field
Museum collection from Douglas and Vilas counties and one in the
Milwaukee Public Museum from Marinette County, and Jackson
records four specimens from the vicinity of Rhinelander, Oneida Co.
Very little is known regarding the habits of this species. It fre-
quents the vicinity of water and is undoubtedly semi-aquatic, as it
is a good swimmer and quite at home in the water. Mr. Vernon Bailey,
who secured specimens at Elle River, Minnesota, says: “I have always
found them living in holes in creek banks; in the spring of 1886 a neigh-
bor caught and gave me one that he found swimming in a small pond of
snow water in a hollow near his home” (J. c., p. 435). Seton states that
Prof. John Macoun has seen it swimming in the open waters of a moun-
tain brook at Crow’s Nest Pass, B.C. ‘‘It darted about swiftly in the
current, without apparent effort, the snout and back only out.’’*
Samuel Hearne informs us that in the Hudson Bay Territories it
is frequently found in Beaver houses in winter, ‘“‘where they not only
find a warm habitation, but also pick up a comfortable livelihood
from the scraps left by the Beaver.”’t
* Life Hist. Northern Animals, II, 1909, p. 1115.
+ Journey, 1795, p. 386.
422 Fire~tp Museum or Natura History — Zodtoecy, Vor. XI.
Specimens examined from Wisconsin:
Solon Springs, Douglas Co., 4; Sayner, Vilas Co., 1; Lac Vieux Desert,
Vilas Co., 3; (M.P.M.) Marinette Co., 1=o.
pet ZL
a Se 17
Neosorex palustris
N. p. albibarbis
Area of intergradation
Map illustrating approximate range of the Shrews belonging to the genus Neosorex in eastern
United States and southern Canada, south of latitude 52°.
Neosorex palustris (RICHARDSON). Type locality — Unknown; North America,
somewhere between Hudson Bay and the Rocky Mountains. Description
as previously given.
Neosorex albibarbis Cope. (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1862, p. 188.) Type
locality — Profile Lake, New Hampshire. Resembles palustris in size and
coloration of upper parts, but color of under parts is darker.
Genus BLARINA Gray.
SHORT-TAILED SHREWS.
Blarina Gray, Proc. Zodl. Soc. Lond., 1837, p. 124. Type Sorex
talpoides Gapper = Sorex brevicaudus Say.
Tail very short, -less than one-third of total length; ears concealed
by fur; teeth 3c or 32, tipped with reddish brown; unicuspids 4 or 5,
first and second large, third and fourth much
smaller, fifth very small or absent; first four
unicuspids with small secondary cusp on
inner side.
Dental formula:
Skull of a Shrew (Blarina), — 30) OF 32:
enlarged.
FrEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 423
Subgenus BLARINA Gray.
“Teeth 32; unicuspids 5, the anterior 4 in two pairs, first and second
largest and subequal, third and fourth abruptly much smaller and
subequal, fifth minute. Basal lobe of middle incisor elongated antero-
posteriorly. Brain-case not arched anteroposteriorly, highest at
lambdoid suture; plane of occiput nearly flat.’? (Merriam.)
Blarina brevicauda (Say).
SHORT-TAILED SHREW. MOLE SHREW.
Sorex brevicaudus Say, Long’s Exped. Rocky Mts., I, 1823, p. 164. KENNICOTT
Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., I, 1853-54 (1855), p. 578 (Cook Co., Illinois).
Sorex Dekayt LAPHAM, Trans. Wis. State Agr. Soc., II, 1852 (1853), p. 338 (Wis-
consin).
Sorex Blarina (brevicaudatus) KENNIcoTT, Agr. Rept. for 1857, U. S. Patent Office
Rept., 1858, p. 93.
Sorex talpoides GAPPER, Zool. Journ., V, 1830, p. 202, Pl. VIII (Ontario).
Blarina brevicaudata ALLEN, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XIII, 1869 (1871), p. 187
(Iowa). Herrick, Geol. & Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No. 7, 1892, p. 44
(Minnesota).
Blarina brevicauda STRONG, Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, 1883, p. 438 (Wisconsin).
BaILey, Rept. Orn. & Mamm., U. S. Dept. Agr., 1887, p. 435 (Minnesota).
EVERMANN & BUTLER, Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1893 (1894), p. 132 (Indiana).
MerriIAM, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 10, 1895, p. 10 (Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri,
Illinois, Michigan, Indiana). Ruoaps, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1896 (1897),
p. 202 (Tennessee). SNYDER, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., II, 1902, p. 122 (Wis-
consin). ApAms, Rept. State Board Geol. Surv. Mich., 1905 (1906), p. 130
(Michigan). JACKSON, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XX, 1907, p. 74. JACKSON,
Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 32 (Wisconsin). Hann, Ann. Rept.
Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources Ind., 1908 (1909), p. 598 (Indiana). Woop,
Bull. Ill. State Lab. Nat. Hist., VIII, 1910, p. 583 (Illinois).
Type locality — Near Blair, Washington Co., Nebraska.
Distribution — From Nebraska and Manitoba east to the Atlantic
coast, north to southern Canada, south to northern Missouri,
Illinois and Virginia and in the mountains to North Carolina and
Mennessee:
Description — Upper parts dusky plumbeous, showing brownish
plumbeous in some lights; under parts paler and more or less washed
with ashy; tail short, dark above and somewhat paler below; four
well developed unicuspid teeth, the first two larger than the third
and fourth, the third and fourth about equal.
Measurements — Average measurements of 12 specimens from Wis-
consin and northern Illinois: Total length, about 5 in. (125 mm.);
tail vertebrae, about 1 in. (25.6 mm.); hind foot, .62 in. (15.9 mm.).
424 Fretp Museum or Naturat History — Zooxocy, Vor. XI.
=.
nN
Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda).
The Short-tailed Shrew occurs commonly throughout Wisconsin
and northern Illinois, but it apparently intergrades with the smaller,
southern race, B. brevicauda carolinensis, in the central part of the latter
state. The average measurements, as given by Wood, of 39 specimens
from Warren, Iroquois and Champaign counties are as follows: Total
length, 4.49 in. (113 mm.); tail vertebra, .go in. (22.68 mm.).
The Short-tailed Shrew, or Mole Shrew as it is often called, makes
its home under decayed logs and old piles of brush. It constructs
tunnels and runways under leaves, moss and in loose soil, the bur-
rows usually being shallow and near the surface of the ground. It
is both nocturnal and diurnal and its food consists largely of slugs,
worms and insects of various kinds, but it also eats flesh of other ani-
mals and does not hesitate to attack a Mouse larger than itself. Ac-
cording to Prof. E. D. Cope a Shrew has been known to attack and kill
a snake two feet in length. He says: “‘I recently placed a water-snake
(Tropidonotus sipedon) of two feet in length, in a fernery which was
inhabited by a shrew, either a large Blarina carolinensis or a small
Blarina talpoides. The snake was vigorous when placed in the case
in the afternoon and bit at everything within reach. The next morn-
ing the glass sides of his prison were streaked with dirt and other
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 425
marks, to the height of the reach of the snake, bearing witness to his
energetic efforts to escape. He was then lying on the eastern floor in
an exhausted state, making a few ineffectual efforts to twist his body,
while the Blarina was busy tearing out his masseter and temporal
muscles. A large part of the flesh was eaten from his tail, and the
temporal and masseter muscles and eye on one side were removed,
so that the under jaw hung loose. . . . [The shrew] had appar-
ently not been bitten by the snake and was uninjured. Whether the
shrew killed the snake is of course uncertain, but the animus with
which he devoured the reptile gives color to the suspicion that he in
some way frightened him to exhaustion.*
Regarding the ability of this ferocious little animal to kill Mice,
I will quote a statement of Dr. C. Hart Merriam, who says:
“Having caught a vigorous, though undersized Shrew, I put him
in a large wooden box and provided him with an ample supply of beech-
nuts, which he ate eagerly. He was also furnished with a saucer of
water, from which he frequently drank. After he had remained two
days in these quarters, I placed in the box with him an uninjured and
very active white-footed mouse. The Shrew at the time weighed 11.20
grammes, while the mouse, which was a large adult male, weighed
just 17 grammes. No sooner did the Shrew become aware of the
presence of the mouse than he gave chase. The mouse, though much
larger than the Shrew, showed no disposition to fight, and his superior
agility enabled him, for a long time, easily to evade his pursuer, for
at a single leap he would pass over the latter’s head and to a considerable
distance beyond. The Shrew labored at great disadvantage, not
only from his inability to keep pace with the mouse, but also, and to a
still greater extent, from his defective eyesight. He frequently passed
within two inches (31 mm.) of the mouse without knowing of his
whereabouts. But he was persistent, and explored over and over
again every part of the box, constantly putting the mouse to flight.
Indeed, it was by sheer perseverence that he so harassed the mouse,
that the latter, fatigued by almost continuous exertion, and also prob-
ably weakened by fright, was no longer able to escape. He was first
caught by the tail; this proved a temporary stimulant, and he bounded
several times across the box, dragging his adversary after him. The
Shrew did not seem in the least disconcerted at being thus harshly
jerked about his domicil, but continued the pursuit with great deter-
mination. He next seized the mouse in its side, which resulted in a
rough and tumble, the two rolling over and over and biting each other
with much energy. The mouse freed himself, but was so exhausted
* Amer. Nat., VII, 1873, pp. 490-491.
426 Firtp Musreum or Natura History — ZooLocy, Vor. XI.
that the Shrew had no difficulty in keeping alongside, and soon had him
by the ear. The mouse rolled and kicked and scratched and bit, but
to no avail. The Shrew was evidently much pleased and forthwith
began to devour the ear. When he had it about half eaten-off the
mouse again tore himself free; but his inveterate little foe did not suffer
him to escape. This time the Shrew clambered up over his back
and was soon at work consuming the remainder of the ear. This being
satisfactorily accomplished, he continued to push on in the same direc-
tion till he had cut through the skull and eaten the brains, together
with the whole side of the head and part of the shoulder. This com-
pleted his first meal, which occupied not quite fifteen minutes after the
. death of the mouse. As soon as he had finished eating I again placed
him upon the scale and found that he weighed exactly 12. grammes —
an increase of .80 gramme.
“The Shrew was half an hour in tiring the mouse, and another half
hour in killing him. But it must be remembered that he was not
fully grown, and was doubtless, on this account, longer in’ capturing
and killing his victim than would have been the case had he been an
adult. Still, it is clear that a Shrew could never catch mice on open
ground. His small size, however, enables him readily to enter their
holes and to follow them to their nests and the remotest ramifications
of their burrows, where, having no escape, he can slay them with
fearful ‘certainty.’ *
Regarding the habits of this species Robert Kennicott writes:
‘The short-tailed shrew abounds both in prairie and woods. I am
unable to say whether it exists far out on the larger prairies; but it has
been found in abundance several miles from any woodland. It is fond of
high ground, and is not at all aquatic. I have been unable to find
traces of it in wet places, such as swamps and the edges of sloughs,
within a few rods of which it is numerous. I have nowhere seen more
of its tracks than on some white-oak ridges lying several miles west
of Lake Michigan. But even where most numerous, it is little known;
and, indeed, it is no easy matter to get sight of one of them at any
time. In turning over old logs, for hours, in search of them, I have
rarely been able to see one; and then only when it was retreating at
such speed as to generally escape in some of the numerous path-ways
which lead in every direction from a log thus chosen for its resting
place, or under which it may happen to take refuge on a journey by
day. These, like other shrews, are often found lying dead on the
ground, both in winter and summer, having been killed by birds or
beasts of prey, and left uneaten on account of their disagreeable odor;
* Mamm. Adirondack Reg., 1886, pp. 166-168.
re amr ge Da i a
—————————
Fes., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 427
and such are usually the only specimens observed by farmers.” (J. c.,
p- 94-)
Dr. John T. Plummer of Richmond, Wayne Co., Indiana, gives
a most interesting account of the habits of a captive animal of this
species.* A specimen which he secured was put in a glass vessel five
inches deep with perpendicular sides, which he covered with a book
upon which was placed the vertebra of a horse. To his astonishment
(as the book and bone together weighed upwards of a pound) the Shrew
succeeded in pushing the covering sufficiently far to one side to enable
it to escape from the jar. After being recaptured and placed in a box,
it was given a number of pieces of rotton wood which it arranged to
form a hiding place, leaving several openings for egress and ingress.
Pieces of paper and rags were cut into small pieces by the animal and
formed into a bed. At first the Shrew was shy but it soon learned to
take a worm from the Doctor’s fingers and would seize it so firmly
that he informs us he was able to raise the little animal into the air by
means of the worm. It was given flesh of all kinds, fish, coleopterous
as well as other insects, corn, oats, and other kinds of grain, all of
which appeared to be acceptable food. ‘‘The corcle of the grains of
maize was always eaten out, as it is by rats and mice.’”’ When water
was put into the box the Shrew ‘‘wet his tongue two or three times
and went away; but when worms were dropped into the cup, he
returned, waded about in the water, snatched up his victim, maimed it,
stored it away, and returned repeatedly for more till all were secured.”’
A full grown living Mouse was put into the box, which was at once
fiercely pursued by the Shrew, attacked and killed. Another Mouse
met with the same fate.
While there is little reason to believe that the bite of this Shrew is
more toxic than that of any other of our small mammals, an instance
is given by Mr. C. J. Maynard, where its effects were decidedly unpleas-
ant. He states that while holding a Short-tailed Shrew, which he had
caught, in his hand the animal bit him three times, the teeth making
slight punctures in the skin barely sufficient to draw blood. He first
noticed a burning sensation in the bitten fingers, which soon began to
swell rapidly and the skin in the immediate vicinity of the punctures
turned whitish. The burning sensation soon was accompanied by
shooting pains extending to the elbow. The pains persisted with
gradually lessening severity for a week and did not entirely subside
for nearly a fortnight, or until the swelling had entirely disappeared.t
Very little is known regarding the breeding habits of this species
* Amer. Journ. Sci. & Arts, XLVI, 1844, pp. 237-240.
t Contributions to Science, I, 1889, p. 57-58.
428 Fretp Museum oF Natura History — Zoétoey, Vor. XI.
and, so far as I am aware, nothing definite has been written except by
Dr. Merriam, who says: ‘‘On the 22d of April, 1878, I found a couple
of Shrews under a plank-walk near my museum. They proved to be
a male and female, and the latter contained young which, from their
size, would probably have been born early in May. Another female,
caught near the same place, April 21, 1884, contained five large embryos
which would certainly have been born within ten days. They weighed,
together, 4.20 grammes. I procured a half grown young, February
10, 1884, which must have been born late in the fall. Hence two or
three litters are probably produced each season. The young born
in autumn do not breed in the spring following, as I have demonstrated
by repeated dissections of both sexes”’ (I. c., pp. 172-173).
Specimens examined from Illinois, Wisconsin and adjoining states:
Illinois — Chicago, 6; Fox Lake, Lake Co., skins, 16, in alcohol, 3;
Camp Logan, Lake Co., 5; Galena, Jo Daviess Co., 2=32.
Michigan — Dowagiac, Cass Co., 4.
Minnesota — Aitkin, 1; Excelsior, 2= 3.
Wisconsin — Beaver Dam, Dodge Co., 26; Solon Springs, Douglas
Co., 5; Spread Eagle, Florence Co., 6; Lac Vieux Desert, Vilas
Co., 2; Conover, Vilas Co., 1; (M.P.M.) Douglas Co., 2; Burnett
Co., 1; Prescott, Pierce Co., 8; Maiden Rock, Pierce Co., 5; Mil-
waukee, 2; Milwaukee Co., 3; Delavan, Walworth Co., 7; Fountain
City, Buffalo Co., 1; Prairie du Sac, Sauk Co., 48= 149.
Blarina brevicauda carolinensis (BACHMAN).
CAROLINA SHORT-TAILED SHREW.
Sorex carolinensis BACHMAN, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., VII, Pt. 2, 1837, p. 366.
Blarina brevicauda carolinensis MERRIAM, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 10, 1895, p. 13
(Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, etc.). JACKSON, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XX,
1907, p. 74 (S. W. Missouri). RHoaps, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1896
(1897), p. 202 (Tennessee). HAnHN, Ann. Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources
Ind., 1908 (1909), p. 601 (Indiana). Woop, Bull. Ill. State Lab. Nat. Hist.,
VIII, 1910, p. 587 (Illinois).
Type locality — Eastern South Carolina.
Distribution — Southern United States (except Florida), north to
Virginia, Illinois and Missouri, and west to Texas.
Description — Similar to B. brevicauda, but smaller and generally
somewhat browner; general color dusky plumbeous, often tinged
with brownish; under parts somewhat paler; teeth similar to B.
brevicauda.
Measurements — Total length, about 4 inches or less, the average
measurements of 20 specimens being 3.82 in. (97 mm.); tail verte-
bre, about .80 in. (20 mm.); hind foot, .jo in. (12.7 mm.).
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 429
The Carolina Short-tailed Shrew replaces the northern form, B.
brevicauda, in southern Illinois, probably intergrading with it in the
south central part of the state. The Field Museum collection contains
specimens from Alexander, Pope, Johnson and Hardin counties, and
Howell records it from the vicinity of Shawneetown, Gallatin Co. (J. c.,
p- 32.) Its habits, so far as known, are similar to those of B. brevicauda.
Specimens examined from Illinois:
Illinois — Olive Branch, Alexander Co., 29 (14 in alcohol); Golconda,
Pope Co., 3; Reevesville, Johnson Co., 5; Rosiclaire, Hardin Co.,
: ele tea
SRP Toh
TTT IT TT Try Tr Ane Te A
FCCC
a A 9
TTT ET EET ET YI
ATT E TT TS a
Cy. F OF ME XxX {Cc O S . B. b. Sa
ane 4 B. b. hulophaga
Map showing approximate distribution of the Shrews belonging to the subgenus Blarina in
eastern United States.
Blarina brevicauda (Say). Type locality — Near Blair, Washington Co., Nebraska.
Description as previously given.
Blarina b. carolinensis (BACHMAN). Type locality — Eastern South Carolina.
Smaller than brevicauda; description as previously given.
430 Frerp Museum oF Natura History — Zoéroey, Vor. XI.
Blarina b. compacta BANGS. (Proc. N. Engl. Zoél. Club, III, 1902, p. 77.) Type
locality — Nantucket, Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. Size about that of
aloga; color slaty.
Blarina b. aloga BaNGs. (Proc. N. Engl. Zoél. Club, III, 1902, p. 76.) Type lo-
cality — West Tisbury, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Smaller than
brevicauda; color pale brown.
Blarina b. talpoides (GAPPER). (Zodl. Journ., V, 1830, p. 202, Pl. VIII.) Type
locality — Between York and Lake Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. Slightly smaller
but otherwise very similar to brevicauda, and not considered by the writer as
worthy of recognition.
Blarina b. peninsule (MERRIAM). (N. Amer. Fauna, No. 10, 1895, p. 14.) Type lo-
cality — Miami River, Dade Co., Florida. Similar to carolinensis, but color
more slaty and hind feet larger.
Blarina b. hulophaga Evxiot. (Field Columb. Mus. Pub., Zodl. Ser., I, 1899, p. 287.)
Type locality — Dougherty, Washita River, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Ter-
ritory. Smaller and paler than brevicauda; tail shorter.
Blarina b. telmalestes (MERRIAM). (N. Amer. Fauna, No. 10, 1895, p. 15.) Type lo-
cality — Dismal Swamp, Virginia. Similar to brevicauda, but more plumbeous;
hind feet relatively longer; skull narrower.
Subgenus CRYPTOTIS Pomel.
Teeth 30; unicuspids 4, but the fourth usually minute (as in our
species, B. parva, in which it is hardly visible); basal cusp of middle
incisor rounded; brain-case highest anterior to lambdoid suture.
Blarina parva (SAy).
SMALL SHORT-TAILED SHREW.
Sorex parvus Say, Long’s Exped. Rocky Mts., I, 1823, p. 164.
Sorex eximius KENNICOTT, Agr. Rept. for 1857, U.S. Patent Office Rept., 1858, p. 97
(Dekalb Co., Illinois).
Blarina eximius BAtrD, Mammals N. Amer., 1857, p. 52 (St. Louis, Missouri; Dekalb
Co., Illinois).
Blarina exilipes EVERMANN & BUTLER, Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1893 (1894), p. 132
(Indiana).
Blarina parva Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 10, 1895, p. 17 (Indiana, Nebraska,
etc.). JACKSON, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XX, 1907, p. 74 (S. W. Missouri). RHOADS
Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1896 (1897), p. 202 (Tennessee). Hann, Ann.
Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources Ind., 1908 (1909), p. 602 (Indiana). Woop,
Bull. Ill. State Lab. Nat. Hist., VIII, 1910, p. 588 (Champaign and Mason
counties, [linois).
Type locality — West bank of Missouri River, near Blair (3 miles
above mouth of Boyer River), Nebraska.
Distribution — Southern United States (except Florida); from Texas
and Nebraska to the Atlantic coast, north to Illinois and Penn-
sylvania.
FrEB., 1912. Mammats oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 431
Description — Size very small; upper parts dark hair-brown, often
approaching sepia brown; under parts dull ashy gray; tail dark
brown above, the under surface like the belly; fourth upper uni-
cuspid exceedingly small and at first glance apparently absent,
difficult to see without a strong lense and then rarely visible from
the outside.
Measurements — Total length, about 3.12 in. (79.4 mm.); tail verte-
bre, .60 in. (16 mm.); hind foot, .40 in. (10.5 mm.).
Small Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina parva).
The Small Short-tailed Shrew is common in southern and central
Illinois, and probably occurs nearly throughout the state, as it is
recorded by Kennicott from Dekalb County. (S. eximius, 1. c., p. 97-)
There are specimens in the Field Museum collection from Johnson,
Alexander, and Hancock counties; Wood reports it from Mason and
Champaign counties. I have also seen specimens from Charleston,
Coles County, collected by Mr. T. L. Atkinson.
Comparatively little is known regarding its habits, although they
probably differ but little from those of the larger species. It seems to
prefer overgrown grassy localities. Hahn states that in Indiana all
the specimens he collected were taken in “‘grassy places, usually where
briars and shrubs were mingled with the grass, but never in the woods”’
432 Fietp Museum or Natura History — Zooxoey, Vor. XI.
(1. c., p. 604). Specimens have been taken in open woodland in south-
ern Illinois in much the same localities as are frequented by B. caroli-
nensis.
Specimens examined from Illinois:
Illinois — Olive Branch, Alexander Co., 10; Reevesville, Johnson Co.,
2; Warsaw, Hancock Co., 3; (O.) Charleston, Coles Co., 2=17.
Blarina parva
B. floridana
Map showing supposed range of the Small Short-tailed Shrews belonging to the subgenus Cryptotis
in eastern United States.
Blarina parva (Say). Type locality — West bank of Missouri River, near Blair
(3 miles above mouth of Boyer River), Nebraska. Description as previously
given.
Blarina floridana Merriam. (N. Amer. Fauna, No. 10, 1895, p. 19, Pl. I.) Type
locality — Chester Shoal, 11 miles north of Cape Canaveral, Brevard Co.,
Florida. Similar to parva, but larger; also cranial differences.
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 433
Family TALPIDA. Moles.
The Moles are allied to the Shrews, but differ in having a zygoma-
tic arch and audital bulle, as well as in the form of the teeth. The
last are white and not red-tipped as in our species of Shrews. The
fur is soft and velvety; the eyes are very small and often rudimentary.
There is no noticeable external ear; the fore feet are very large, being
greatly modified for digging; and the neck is so short as to be appar-
ently lacking. The sternum is provided with a well developed ‘‘keel’’
which supports the large pectoral muscle required on account of the
burrowing habits of these animals; the caecum is absent.
The members of the family are confined, so far as known, to the
temporate regions of North America, Europe and Asia. Most of the
species live in burrows in the ground and a few are semi-aquatic.
Their food consists principally of insects, ants, worms, etc. Five
genera and about 20 species and subspecies are found in North Amertica,
of which two genera, one species and one subspecies occur within our
limits.
The European Mole (Talpa europea) was the subject of much
discussion by ancient naturalists. The earliest writers considered
it to be a kind of blind Mouse but Topsell takes exception to this,
stating that all Mice have “‘two longe crooked foreteeth which is not
in Moles.” He also says, ‘‘These beasts are all blind and want eies,
and therefore came the proverbe, Talpa cecior tuphloteros alpalacos,
blinder than a Mole; to signifie, a man without all judgment, wit, or
fore-sight; for it is most elegantly applyed to the minde, yet if any
man looke earnestly upon the places where the eies should grow, he
shall perceive a little passage, by drawing up the membrane or little
skinne which is black, and therefore of them in this manner probably.
‘“‘ All kinds of Moles want their sight, because they have not their
eies open and naked as other beasts, but if a man pull up the skinne of
their browes about the place of their eies, which is thicke and shawd-
oweth their sight, he shal perceive in them inward covered eies: :
the young ones before birth have eies, but after birth, living continually
in the darke earth without light, they cease to grow to any perfection;
for indeede they neede them not.’’*
Proof of the antiquity of the proverb, “Even a worm will turn,’’ is
shown in Topsell’s account of the habits of these animals. He says:
“‘When the wormes are followed by Molds (for by digging and heaving
* Historie of Foure Footed Beastes, London, 1607, p. 499.
434 Fretp Musreum or NaturaL History — Zo6éLocy, Vor. XI.
they fore-know their owne perdition) they flie to the superficies and
very toppe of the earth, the silly beast knowing that the Molde their
adversary, dare not follow them into the light, so that their wit in
flying their enemy is greater, than in turning againe when they are
troade upon”’ (J. c., p. 500).
There was a curious ancient superstition in England concerning
these animals to the effect that ‘‘if you whet a mowing syth in a fielde
or meddow upon the feast day of Christs nativity, (commonly called
Christmas day) all the Molles that are within the hearing thereof,
will certainly for ever forsake that field, meadow or Garden.”’
Subfamily TALPIN/.
KEY TO-OUR GENERA.
End of muzzle with fringe of fleshy projections; tail more than 2 inches long;
number of teeth 44. Genus CONDYLURA, p. 440.
End of muzzle without fringe of fleshy projections; tail about 1 inch long and
nearly naked; fore feet very large; number of teeth 36.
Genus SCALOPUS, p. 434.
Genus SCALOPUS Geoffroy.
Scalopus Geoffroy, Cat. Mamm. Mus. d’Hist. Nat.,. 1803, p. 77.
Palmer, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 23, 1904, p. 620. Type Scalopus
virginianus Geoffroy = Sorex aquaticus Linn.
Palate long; audital bulla present; infraorbital foramen opening
into a large, nearly horizontal aperture extending from above anterior
end of zygoma; first upper incisor large, 2d and 3d very small; no
functional lower canine; lower incisors 2; end of muzzle without fringe
of fleshy projections; tail short and nearly naked; fore feet very large;
hind feet webbed. The milk dentition is 1. 22°, C225 Paw 2=
ee 3-3. I-1 33
MS ee
Dental formula (adult): I. aa Oe Pm. 2-3, M. 3-3 = 36.
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 43
Nn
Scalopus aquaticus machrinus (RAFINESQUE).
PRAIRIE MOLE.
Talpa machrina RAFINESQUE, Atlantic Journal, I, 1832, p. 61.
Scalops argentatus LAPHAM, Trans. Wis. State Agr. Soc., II, 1852 (1853), p. 338
(Wisconsin). KENNIcoTT, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., I, 1853-54 (1855), p. 578
(Cook Co., Illinois). Jb., Agr. Rept. for 1857, U. S. Patent Office Rept., 1858,
p. 97 (Illinois, etc.). THomas, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., IV, 1859-60 (1861),
p. 653 (Illinois). ALLEN, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XIII, 1869 (1871), p. 187
(Iowa). STRONG, Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, 1883, p.438 (Wisconsin). ELLiot,
Field Columb. Mus. Pub., Zodél. Ser., I, 1898, p. 220 (Iowa).
Scalops aquaticus eet Rept. Geol. Surv. Mich., I, 1860 (1 EEO): p. 219 (Michigan).
HERRICK, Geol. & Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No. 7, 1892, p. 51 (Minne-
sota). EVERMANN & BUTLER Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., abe (1894), p. 133 (In-
diana).
Scalopus aquaticus machrinus JACKSON, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XX, 1907, p. 74
(S.W. Missouri). Jb., Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VII, 1910, p. go (Wisconsin).
HOLuisTER, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 142 (Wisconsin). HoweELL,
Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXIII, 1910, p. 33 (Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky).
Woop, Bull. Ill. State Lab. Nat. Hist., VIII, 1910, p. 589 (Illinois).
Scalops aquaticus machrinus HAHN, Ann. Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources
Ind., 1908 (1909), p. 610 (Indiana). VAN HyninG & PELLETT, Proc. Iowa
Acad. Sci., XVII, 1910, p. 215 (Iowa). EVERMANN & CLARK, Proc. Wash.
ANecada scis, Cll 1otT,, p. 33) (indiana).
Type locality — Near Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky.
Distribution — From Kentucky and Ohio throughout Indiana, Illinois,
Missouri, southern Michigan, southern Wisconsin to southern
Minnesota, eastern South Dakota and Nebraska.
Description — Fore feet and toe-
nails enormously developed for
size of the animal; pelage soft
and ‘‘velvety’’; general color
slaty brown, somewhat paler
on the under parts and often
tinged with rusty; tail nearly
naked; the largest of our
Moles. The fore foot at its
Seal otopeaine’ Mole. greatest width measures about
three-quarters of an inch.
Measurements — Total length, about 6.75 in. (171.5 mm.); tail verte-
bres 1 to 1.10 in. (25 to 28 mm.); hind foot, about .o5 in. (23) to
26 mm.).
436 Fretp Museum or NATURAL History — Zoo.ocy, VOL.
xe
(Scalopus_aquaticus machrinus).
BS)
Prairie Mole
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 437
The Prairie Mole is common throughout Illinois and at least the
southern half of Wisconsin, as I have examined specimens from Prescott
County, and Hollister records it from Camp Douglas, Juneau Co. (J. c.,
p. 142). It is quite common in the vicinity of Chicago and I have seen
a dozen specimens taken in or near the city limits, including two from
Jackson Park. Jackson states he saw what he assumed to be ridges
made by this species at Galesville and Trempealeau, Trempealeau Co.,
Durand, Pepin Co., and Menomonie, Dunn Co. (/. c., 1910, p. go).
From Illinois the Field Museum collection contains specimens from
the northern, southern and western portions of the state. Wood re-
ports it from Champaign County (J. c., p. 589); Howell records it as
common in Madison, Alexander, Jefferson, Richland and Pope counties
UG ATO1O,8 D023)
The Prairie Mole is a burrowing animal and lives almost its entire
life-time beneath the surface of the ground. Its huge fore feet are
especially adapted for digging, enabling it to excavate subterranean
galleries with ease. The results of its labors are often in evidence in
lawns and gardens, in the shape of irregular ridges of earth which mark
the course of its underground passages. The distance which under
favorable conditions an animal of this species can dig in a single night is
almost incredible. Audubon and Bachman state that one has been
known to excavate a gallery several hundred yards in length, and
Dr. Merriam informs us that he traced a fresh made burrow for nearly
one hundred yards.* Moles are of decided benefit to the agriculturist,
as their food consists largely of worms and insects of various kinds.
They are also flesh eaters as well, and in captivity will eagerly eat
fresh meat, but they are not vegetable feeders, although the depreda-
tions of Field Mice, which make use of their runways, are often un-
justly laid at their door.
Regarding the habits of these animals Robert Kennicott says:
‘““The proper food of this animal, like that of all other moles, is principal-
ly insects, in search of which, it passes along just below the surface,
raising the earth so as to form a ridge, whereby its track is readily
traced in summer, when it does not usually go beyond 2 or 4 inches
deep for food, except in very dry weather — the insects lying mostly
near the surface. Its habits in winter are not well known, though it
is certainly active at this time, when it doubtless travels readily below
the reach of frost, in search of food, to which depth some kinds of
insects then descend. It appears incapable of enduring much cold,
however, and, though one has been known to come to the surface
occasionally during thaws in winter, it is never observed to come out
in, severe weather, as its hardy relatives, the shrews, habitually do.
* Mamm. Adirondack Reg., 1886, p. 155.
)
438 Fretp Museum or Natura History — Zod tocy, Vou. XI.
‘““The nest of this species is of considerable size, formed of soft
grass, leaves, etc., the materials being sometimes carried by the moles
for several rods under ground. It is situated in a chamber from 6 to to
and even 18 inches below the surface, and is commonly under a log or
stump, if in the woods. The chamber is approached by numerous
"ERr 1s 8
antes [inten fash
Cees
S. a. australis
S. anastase
x
rea of intergradation
Map illustrating the approximate distribution of the Moles belonging to the genus Scalopus in
eastern United States.
Scalopus aquaticus (LINN&%US). (Syst. Nat., X ed., I, 1858, p. 53.) Type lo-
cality — Eastern United States. Color grayish brown; similar to machrinus,
but smaller and averaging slightly darker; total length about 6.50 inches.
Scalopus a. machrinus (RAFINESQUE). Type locality — Lexington, Fayette Co.,
Kentucky. Total length about 6.75 inches; description as previously given.
Scalopus a. australis (CHAPMAN). (Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., V, 1893, p. 339.)
Type locality — Gainesville, Florida. Resembles aguaticus but is smaller and
slightly browner; total length about 5.50 inches.
Scalopus anastas@ (BANGS). (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XXVIII, 1898, p. 212.)
Type locality — Anastasia Island, near St. Augustine, Florida. About size
of australis, but skull shorter and heavier; color golden brown.
FEB., 1912. Mammats or ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 439
converging galleries, some of which descend below the level of the
chamber itself, entering it from beneath. Those roads which are
most traveled by the moles are of larger size than those formed only
in search of food.
‘“When a mole is liberated upon the ground, it does not attempt to
run, but digs directly down, and will bury itself in a remarkably short
time. When one is alarmed, while burrowing, it digs deeper.
“The number of young produced at a birth appears to be variable.
The closely allied Scalops aquaticus was observed in one instance to
bring forth five, and in another nine; and this species might be ex-
pected sometimes to be equally prolific. A gentleman of Winchester
writes me that, in the latter part of February, he found a pair of moles,
male and female, in their nest; and upon dissection, the female proved
to be gravid with two young, fully formed, clothed with hair, and °
apparently about to be brought forth. A gentleman of Diamond
Grove states that, as observed by him, the moles produce two or three
young about the last of May; while at Beverly, Adams Co., they
have been known to produce four about the 1st of July. If these in-
formants have made no mistakes in their dates, this would indicate
that at least two litters are produced in a year.” (J. ¢., pp. 98-99.)
Specimens examined from Illinois and adjoining states:
Illinois — Olive Branch, Alexander Co., 1; Rosiclaire, Hardin Co., 1;
Chicago, 11; Warsaw, 9; Joliet, 1; Ozark, Johnson Co., 1= 24.
Michigan — Dowagiac, Cass Co., 1.
Iowa — Knoxville, 1.
Wisconsin — (M. P. M.) Maiden Rock, Pierce Co., 3; Prescott, Pierce
Co., 8; Fountain City, Buffalo Co., 3; Wyalusing, Grant Co., 4=18.
Parascalops breweri (BACHMAN), BREWER’S MOLE, is claimed
to have been taken in Indiana, but so far as known its range does not
extend so far west as Illinois. Regarding its occurrence in Indiana,
Hahn says: ‘‘There are two specimens in the Indiana University
Collection, correctly identified, catalogued and labelled as coming from
Bloomington, Indiana. I do not place much credence in these labels
and am not willing to record the species as occurring in the state on
the basis of these specimens. But its occurrence is not beyond the
range of probability.”
Brewer’s Mole resembles somewhat the Common Mole (Scalopus),
the snout being simple without fleshy projections; but it may readily
be distinguished by the number of teeth (44), and the cylindrical
blunt tail, constricted at the base, and thickly covered with long hairs.
440 Frerp Museum or Natura History — Zooé.iocy, Vou. XI.
Genus CONDYLURA (Uliger.
Condylura Illiger, Prodr. Syst. Mamm. et Avium, 1811, p. 125. Type
Sorex cristatus Linn.
End of muzzle surrounded by numerous fleshy projections, ‘‘star
shaped,’ the nostrils being in the center; tail comparatively long
(about 2.75 in.) and thicker in the middle than at the base; second
upper and third lower incisors very small; bulle incomplete.
Dental formula: I. SoS Ge Page MO 2S an
Smo io1 4-4 mS:
Condylura cristata (LINN.).
STAR-NOSED MOLE.
[Sorex] cristatus LINNZUS, Syst. Nat., X ed., I, 1758, p. 53.
Condylura cristata LAPHAM, Trans. Wis. State Agr. Soc., II, 1852 (1853), p. 338
(Wisconsin). KErnnicoT?T, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., I, 1853-54 (1855), p. 578
(Cook Co., Illinois). Jb., Agr. Rept. for 1857, U. S. Patent Office Rept., 1858,
p. 101 (Illinois, etc.). THomas, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., IV, 1859-60 (1861),
p. 653 (Illinois). Muves, Rept. Geol. Surv. Mich., I, 1860 (1861), p. 219 (Mich-
igan). ALLEN, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XIII, 1869 (1871), p. 187 (Iowa).
StronG, Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, 1883, p. 438 (Wisconsin). BAILEY,
Rept. Orn. & Mamm., U. S. Dept. Agr., 1887, p. 435 (Minnesota). HERRICK,
Geol. & Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No. 7, 1892, p. 55 (Minnesota). SNYDER,
Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., II, 1902, p. 32 (Wisconsin). ADAMS, Rept. State
Board Geol. Surv. Mich., 1905 (1906), p. 130 (Michigan). Haun, Ann. Rept.
Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources Ind., 1908 (1909), p. 613 (Indiana). Woop,
Bull. Ill. State Lab. Nat. Hist., VIII, 1910, p. 583 (Illinois). JACKSON, Bull.
Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VIII, 1910, p. 90 (Wisconsin).
Type locality — Pennsylvania.
Distribution — Eastern North America north to about latitude 51°,
from Manitoba to the Atlantic coast, south to central Illinois and
Virginia and in the Allegheny Mountains at least to North Car-
olina and Tennessee.
Description — End of muzzle surrounded by “star-shaped,” fleshy
projections; general color smoky brown, slightly paler below;
tail more or less covered with blackish hairs; fore feet noticeably
large, but smaller than those of the common Mole.
Measurements — Total length, about 7 in. (178 mm.); tail vertebrae,
about 2.75 in. (7o mm.); hind foot with claw, 1.05 in. (26.5 mm.).
The Star-nosed Mole is found throughout Wisconsin and at least
as far south as Edgar Co. in Illinois, although records for the state are
by no means numerous. I have seen a specimen taken near Warsaw;
FeEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 441
ee r
-
-
Star-nosed Mole (Condylura cristata).
Seton records it from western Illinois:* Kennicott, from Edgar and
Cook counties; and Wood from Champaign County.
Wisconsin specimens have been examined from Newbold, Forest Co. ;
Medford, Taylor Co.; Merrill, Lincoln Co.; and there is a skull in
the collection of Dr. H. V. Ogden from Mercer, Iron Co. Jackson
records it from Stevens Point, Portage Co. (J. c., 1908, p. 32); and
from Whitcomb, Shawano Co., and Bayfield, Bayfield Co. (J. ¢., 1910,
19 GO).
This species prefers low meadows and marshy ground, although
it also frequents dry. localities where the soil is loose, such as gardens
and ploughed fields. It is found more commonly, however, in the
vicinity of water and according to various authors is a good swimmer
and quite at home in the water. Dr. C. Hart Merriam says, “In
gardens and ploughed ground they often work so near the surface that
a ridge of loose earth is upheaved along the course of their tunnels.
In meadows and pasture lands, on the contrary, the galleries are not
marked by surface ridges, for the simple reason that they cannot
* Life Histories of Northern Animals, II. 1909, map, p. 1138.
442 Fie~tp Musrum or Naturat History — ZooéLocy, Vor. XI.
readily force their way through the tough sod, but excavate their
burrows immediately beneath. Late in the autumn, when the ground
becomes frozen to the depth of two or three inches, the Moles sink
their galleries into the soft earth below, and as winter advances they
doubtless continue to deepen them sufficiently to avoid the frozen
ground.’’*
Audubon and Bachman say: ‘‘In a few localities where we were
in the habit, many years ago, of obtaining the Star-nosed Mole, it
was always found on the banks of rich meadows near running streams.
The galleries did not run so near the surface as those of the common
Shrew Mole. We caused one of the galleries to be dug out, and ob-
tained a nest containing three young, apparently a week old. The
radiations on the nose were so slightly developed that until we carefully
examined them we supposed they were the young of the common Shrew
Mole. The nest was spacious, composed of withered grasses, and
» Condylura cristata
Map illustrating supposed range of the Star-nosed Mole (Condylura cristata) in eastern North
America.
* Mamm. Adirondack Reg., 1886, p. 146.
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 443
situated in a large excavation under a stump. The old ones had made
their escape, and we endeavored to preserve the young; but the want
of proper nourishment caused their death in a couple of days.’’*
A nest found by Dr. Merriam is described as being about two feet
beneath the surface in clay soil and under a stump. ‘It was com-
posed of grass, and from it a passage led to a vegetable garden near
Divan (Ge Dr ST).
The food of the Star-nosed Mole is apparently about the same as
that of the Prairie Mole. It lives largely upon insects and worms,
but like the common species will eat Mice and meat in captivity.
Mr. Ernest Thompson Seton gives’ an interesting account of the
habits of a captive animal of this species. He says:
“On July 7, 1909, at Cos Cob, Conn., I received an adult male
Star-nosed Mole captured alive by a stream, not in the water, but
running along a mossy bank.
“With the help of a commodious cage I made a number of observa-
tions. When put in deep water he swam swiftly and strongly. He
progressed largely by the skulling action of his tail, but also swam with
all four feet, striking alternately, never by striking with both hind-feet
at once, as most truly aquatic quadrupeds do occasionally. He did
not dive, and always endeavored to get out of the water as quickly as
DOssiblees oi
‘In the middle of each day he curled up and slept for two or three
hours. At night he was very active.
‘“When given a pile of loose earth in which were many worms he
showed great delight, and dived again and again through the pile,
sometimes coming out with a worm, and suggested an Otter diving in a
Salmoniriveran* 9 =
‘“As soon as the above-named captive was caged, I gave him 12
grammes of common worms. He paid no heed for half an hour, but
then aroused himself and fell on the worms with great demonstration,
continually twiddling them with his 22 nose-fingers. Though avid, he
ate them slowly, holding them with his fore-claws and tearing them up:
before devouring. In half an hour all were gone. This was at noon;
at 1:45 he seemed ravenous again. I gave him a similar amount of
worms, also 3 cutworm grubs; these latter he ignored while the former
lasted. Towards night I gave the Mole about 2 ounces of raw beef,
of which % only was lean, the rest fat. In the morning all the lean was
eaten and all the fat rejected.
‘““Now a newly killed Deer-mouse was offered to him. He sprang
on this with much demonstration and little effect. After twiddling it
* Quadrupeds of N. Amer., II, 1851, pp. 141-142.
444 Fretp MusEeum oF Natura. History — Zod oey, Vor. XI.
all over, he began on the eyes and then ate the brains where the head
had been crushed by the trap, turning back the skin. By next morning
the Deer-mouse (it weighed more than the Mole) was devoured, except
the skin, which was neatly turned inside out, and the bones—even the
smallest ribs were left intact and quite clean. During the previous
evening he ate also 8 grammes of worms. I found, however, that he
preferred the large fat white grubs that are found under manure piles
(Lachnosterna fusca); for these he neglected both worms and Mouse.
A large blue wasp he would not touch; also a stag-beetle and he lived
amicably together till the end. He refused several kinds of farinaceous
foods |
’ The curious fleshy projections on the end of the snout, from which
the animal has derived its name, are believed to possess highly sensi-
tive, tactile functions.
Specimens examined from Illinois and Wisconsin:
Illinois — (O.), Warsaw, Hancock Co., 1.
Wisconsin — (M. P. M.), Newbold, Forest Co., 1; Medford, Taylor
Co., 2; Merrill, Lincoln Co., 1; (O.C.), Mercer, Iron Co. (skull), 1=5.
+ Life Histories of Northern Animals, II, 1909, pp. 1141-42-43.
©rnrr CHIROPrT ERA
BATS.
The order is divided into two suborders: the Megachiroptera or
Fruit-eating Bats, containing the Old World family Pteropodide, or so-
called Flying Foxes; and the Microchiroptera, which includes the rest
of the Bats and is the only one represented in North America.
Bats are flying mammals, being supplied with a leathery membrane
supported by enormously elongated fingers and attached to the hind
legs and sides of the body, which serves
asawing. In addition to the four elong-
ated fingers supporting the wing mem-
brane, there isa detached thumb or pollex,
which projects from the upper margin
and is provided with a hooked claw.
From the inner side of the ankle joint
projects a cartilaginous process called
the calcar, which supports a portion of
the membrane joining the legs and tail
known as the interfemoral membrane.
Another noticeable character in Bats
belonging to the suborder Mucrochirop-
tera is the highly developed tragus, a
process arising within the conch of the
ear, which varies in shape and size in many species, and is often of
diagnostic value. Noticeable peculiarities in the myology of these
animals are found in the presence of a muscle, known as the occipito-
pollicalis, extending from the occipital bone to the terminal phalanx of
the pollex and in the divided sections of the platysma. Other important
characters are: radius long and curved; ulna rudimentary; knee bend-
ing backward (owing to connection with the wing membrane); fibula
rudimentary; mamme thoracic; placenta discoidal and deciduate;
testes abdominal or inguinal; cerebral hemispheres smooth and not
extending backward over the cerebellum; presternum with noticeable
‘“‘keel’’; dental series including incisors, canines, premolars and molars;
the number of teeth variable, but never more than 38; milk teeth
unlike those of the permanent series. All Bats belonging to the sub-
order Microchiroptera have the crowns of the molars sharply tuber-
culate.
445
446 FreLD Museum or Naturat History — ZoéLoey, Vou. XI.
The hairs of Bats often show a decided difference in structural
characters in members of different families. In some species of Mo-
losside, for example, the hair when viewed under a powerful microscope
shows zones or rings of verticulate spinules (Fig. a), while in many
species belonging to the family Vespertilionide the spinules or scales are
arranged in a continuous spiral (Fig. 0), or in irregular imbricated tri-
angles (Fig. d). Judging from a number of specimens I have examined,
while the hairs of Bats belonging to allied species seem to be of the
same general pattern, they are by no means alike and there is usually
considerable variation even in hairs from the same animal.
a b c d e
Hairs of Bats.
a, Nyctinomus depressus; b, Pipistrellus subflavus; c, Myotis californicus; d, Lasionycteris nocti-
vagans; e, Corynorhinus macrotis. (Greatly enlarged.)
Bats differ widely in appearance and mode of life from other mam-
mals and their place in Nature was a debatable question among the
older naturalists. Aristotle defined them as birds with skinny wings;
Pliny also considered them birds, although he states that the young
are born alive and suckled by the mother. Later writers recognized
them as mammals, but differed as to their classification. Linnzeus
ranked them with the Primates on account of the number of upper
incisors (supposed at that time to be always 4), the thoracic position
of the mamme, the placental, uterine, and other anatomical char-
acters. Prof. Huxley, however, later considered them to be merely
greatly modified Insectivora but representing a well marked order,
and his opinion has generally been accepted by modern zodlogists.
Bats are gregarious, nocturnal and crepuscular. They sleep most
of the day gathered together in dark places, such as caves, hollow trees
and in old buildings. When at rest they usually suspend themselves
by the claws of their hind feet and hang head downward. They
are unable to move about on the ground except with much difficulty,
largely on account of the peculiar structure of their hind legs (the
knee bending backward instead of forward), and when forced to do
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 447
so, they hitch themselves along clumsily and with evident effort.
They vary greatly in size, from an animal smaller than a House Mouse
to the great (for this family) Pteropus edulis, a species inhabiting Java
and the Philippines and having a body the size of a small cat and a
wing expansion of nearly five feet. Many species are supplied with
odoriferous glands which are chiefly developed in the male. The
food varies in different species; some are largely insectivorous; others
frugivorous; and several exotic forms are sanguinivorous, but con-
trary to popular belief the last are all comparatively small. The
so-called Vampire Bats belonging to the genus Vampyrus, which for
many years were accused of sucking the blood of animals, are now
known to confine themselves almost entirely to fruit.
LS
=
a=
5
rit
\
> ; “=
3 :
= ——— a coca ome —“=32.
; Sa5 me 2-2 3d
Eptesicus fuscus (BEAUvots).
Brown Bat. LArGE Brown Bat.
Vespertilio fuscus BEAUuvots, Catal. Peale’s Mus. Phila., 1796, p. 14. MILEs,
Rept. Geol. Surv. Mich., I, 1860 (1861), p. 219 (Michigan). MILLER, N. Amer.
Fauna, No. 13, 1897, p. 98 (Illinois, Missouri). ADAMs, Rept. State Board
Geol. Surv. Mich., 1908 (1909), p. 390 (Isle Royale, Michigan).
Adelonycteris fuscus EVERMANN & BuTLeR, Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1893 (1894),
p. 134 (Indiana). Ruoaps, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1896 (1897), p. 204
(Tennessee).
Scotophilus fuscus STRONG, Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, 1883, p. 438 (Wisconsin).
HERRICK, Geol. & Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No. 7, 1892, p. 33 (Minnesota).
Eptesicus fuscus MILLER, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 57, 1907, p. 208. HAHN,
Ann. Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources Ind., 1908 (1909), p. 631 (Indiana).
HowELL, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXII, 1909, p. 68 (Tennessee).
Eptesicus melanops Woop, Bull. Ill. State Lab. Nat. Hist., VIII, 1910, p. 596
(Illinois).
Eptesicus fuscus fuscus Warp, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VIII, 1910, p. 180
(Wisconsin).
468 Frerp Museum or Natura History — Zoéroey, Vor. XI.
Type locality — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Distribution — Greater portion of the United States and southern
Canada, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, except the southern parts
of the Gulf states where it is replaced by a slightly different form.
Description — Ears short and furred at base; tip of tail extending
slightly beyond interfemoral membrane; wings and interfemoral
membrane naked; general color of body sepia brown, paler on
under parts, the back often showing a tinge of yellowish or cinna-
mon; fur when rubbed showing darker brown at base; number
of teeth in upper jaw 14.
Measurements — Total length, about 4.40 in. (111.6 mm.); tail, 1.62
im i(40 mim.); f00t,.40 1. (ro) mani):
The range of the Brown Bat includes the whole of Ilinois and
Wisconsin, and, while there is little doubt that it occurs in more or
less numbers throughout both states, actual records are few. It is
found in Indiana (Hahn); Missouri (Miller); and is reported from
Minnesota by Herrick. The Milwaukee Public Museum collection
contains seven specimens of this species from Milwaukee, which are
all that are known to have been taken in Wisconsin. For Illinois,
Miller records it from Richland and Hancock counties (J. c., p. 97),
and Wood reports two specimens from Urbana, Champaign County,—
a very meagre list for a species which in 1893 Dr. Harrison Allen con-
sidered to be ‘‘probably the most common species of any in the United
States.”
The Brown Bat, so far as known, differs but little in habits from
those of our other species, except that according to Hahn in Indiana
it does not have the same partiality for caves, comparatively few
being found in such places (J. ¢., p. 633). They are strictly insectiv-
orous and the good they do may be judged from the statement of Dr.
R. W. Shufeldt who says: ‘‘They drink a good deal and have simply
enormous appetites. One specimen, in the course of a single night,
consumed 21 June-bugs (Lachnosterna fusca), leaving only a few legs
and the hard outside wing-sheaths.’’*
While some individuals may migrate southward more or less at the
approach of cold weather, a considerable number at least remain in
the North and hibernate. Ward records specimens taken in Mil-
waukee between December 18 and February 6 (J. c., 1910, p. 181);
and Seton mentions a specimen found dormant at Ottawa, Canada,
December 3, 1894.T
* Chapters, Nat. Hist. United States, 1897, p. 440.
+ Life Histories of Northern Animals, II, 1909, p. 1182.
— :
i
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 469
The Field Museum collection contains specimens of this species
from Arkansas, Kentucky and Louisiana, but none from [llinois and
Wisconsin.
Specimens examined from Wisconsin:
Wisconsin — (M. P. M.) Prairie du Sac, Sauk Co., 1; Fountain City,
Buffalo Co., 2=3.
=
rh
TN
an:
rat}
[ata
HUF
oH
r]
Eptesicus fuscus
E. f. osceola
Map showing approximate distribution of the Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) and its southern
race (EF. f. osceola) in eastern North America.
Eptesicus fuscus (BEAuvots). Type locality — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
scription as previously given.
Eptesicus f. osceola Ruoapvs. (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1901, p. 618.) Type
locality — Tarpon Springs, Hillsboro Co., Florida. Similar in size to fuscus,
but color more cinnamon brown.
De-
470 FieLtp Museum or Natura History — ZoéLocy, Vou. X
Genus NYCTERIS Borkhausen.
Nycteris Borkh., Der Zoél. (Comp. Bibliothek gemein. Kennt. f. a.
Stande, Pt. XXI), IV-VII, 1797, p. 66. Type Vespertilio nove-
boracensis Erxleben. Muller, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXII, 1900,
p. go. j
Lasiurus Gray, Zool. Miscel., No. 1, 1831, p. 38.
Ears broad and rounded; upper surface of interfemoral membrane
covered with fur (except on the extreme edge).
I—f I-1I 2-2 3-3
) CG: 5) Pm. ) M.°*+ = 0
=a Lima 2D: Sans
Dental formula: I.
This genus and Nycticeius are the only ones of our genera, the
members of which have but 2 front teeth (incisors) between the canines
in the upper jaw; the others have 4.
Nycteris borealis (MULLER).
Rep: BAT:
Vespertilio borealis MULLER, Natursyst., Suppl., 1776, p. 21.
Vespertilio Noveboracensis LAPHAM, Trans. Wis. State Agr. Soc., II, 1852 (1853),
P- 337 (Wisconsin).
Vespertillio Noveboracensis KENNIcOTT, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., I, 1853-54, 1855,
P- 577 (Cook Co., Illinois).
‘espertilio noveboracensis MILES, Rept. Geol. Surv. Mich., I, 1860 (1861), p. 219
(Michigan).
Atalapha noveboracensis H. ALLEN, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 43, 1893, p. 153
(Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan). EVERMANN & BUTLER, Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci.,
1893 (1894), p. 134 (Indiana).
Atalapha borealis Ruoaps, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1896 (1897), p. 203 (Ten-
nessee). 7
Lasiurus noveboracensis ALLEN, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XIII, 1869 (1871),
p. 187 (Iowa). StronG, Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, 1883, p. 438 (Wisconsin).
HERRICK, Geol. & Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No. 7, 1892, p. 28 (Minnesota).
Lasiurus borealis MILLER, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 13, 1897, p. 108 (Illinois, Kentucky,
Missouri, etc.). SNYDER, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., II, 1902, p. 125 (Wis-
consin). JACKSON, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 33 (Wisconsin).
Haun, Ann. Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources Ind., 1908 (1909), p. 634
(Indiana). HOWELL, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXII, 1909, p. 68 (Tennessee).
Ib., XXIII, 1910, p. 33 (Illinois, Kentucky). Woop, Bull. Ill. State Lab. Nat.
Hist., VIII, 1910, p. 597 (Illinois). N.A. Woop, 13th Rept. Mich. Acad. Sci.,
I9II, p. 134 (Charity Islands, Saginaw Bay, Michigan).
FeEs., 1912. MamMats oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 471
Type locality — New York.
Distribution — North America, from the Rocky Mountains to the
Atlantic coast, north to Quebec, Manitoba and Keewatin, and
south to the Gulf states, where it is replaced by a shghtly different
form.
Description — Upper front teeth (incisors) between canines, 2; whole
of upper surface of interfemoral membrane furred,
except on extreme edge; tragus somewhat triangular
in outline, with a slight concavity on anterior border
just below the tip; general color varying from bright
reddish brown to yellowish or yellowish red; a small
whitish patch in front of the shoulder.
Measurements — Total length, about 4.25 in. (108 mm.); tail, 2 in. (51
iam)ietOObs 33 in. (8 mimi).
The Red Bat is found throughout Illinois and Wisconsin and is
one of our most common species. There are specimens in the Field
Museum collection from Olive Branch (Alexander Co.), Willow Springs,
Chicago, and Maywood, Illinois; and from Beaver Dam, Dodge Co.,
Wisconsin. Miller records it from Mount Carmel, Olney, Warsaw
and West Northfield, [linois (/. c., p. 108); Wood considers 1t the most
common Bat in the vicinity of Urbana, Champaign Co. (/. ¢., p. 597).
Wisconsin specimens are preserved in the Milwaukee Public Museum
collection from Milwaukee, Walworth and Rock counties. Snyder
states that it is abundant at Beaver Dam, Dodge Co.; and I am satis-
fied that a number of Bats seen by me flying about the houses at Wood-
tuff, Vilas Co., in July, 1908, were this species, although no specimens
were taken.
The Red Bat usually makes its home in hollow trees and there is
little reason to doubt that it occasionally at least resorts to caves, al-
though this is denied by some writers. Hahn, who has had extensive
acquaintance with the cave fauna of Indiana and Kentucky, states that,
while he has never met with a live one in caves, he found some 200
skulls of this species in Shawnee cave at Mitchell (/. c., p. 635), which
would seem to be almost conclusive evidence of their presence there
in the past.
According to various authorities the young are born in May and
number from 1 to 4.
Specimens examined from [linois and Wisconsin:
Illinois — Olive Branch, Alexander Co., 3; Chicago, 9; Willow Springs,
1; Maywood, 1=14.
Wisconsin — Beaver Dam, Dodge Co., 3; (M. P. M.) Milwaukee, 20;
Delavan, Walworth Co., 1; Milton, Rock Co., 1; Janesville, Rock
Co., 3= 28.
Ekes ‘ ats
FUL yw
472 Fretp Museum or Natura. History — Zo6étocy, Vor. XI.
Wy
1 Oe Bee eseoeey
perme “ST TD |
Map illustrating the probable distribution of the Red Bat (Nycteris borealis) and the southern
subspecies (N. b. seminolus) in eastern North America.
Nycteris borealis (MULLER). Type locality — New York. Description as previously
given.
Nycteris b. seminolus (RHOADS). (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1895, p. 32.) Type
locality — Tarpon Springs, Hillsboro Co., Florida. Similar to borealis, but
general color mahogany brown.
Nycteris cinereus (BEAUVOIS).
Hoary Bat.
Ves pertilio cinereus BEAUVOIS, Catal. Peale’s Mus. Phila., 1796, p. 15.
Vespertilio pruinosus LAPHAM, Trans. Wis. State Agr. Soc., II, 1852 (1853), p. 337
(Wisconsin).
Vespertillio pruinosus KENNICOTT, Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., I, 1853-54 (1855),
Pp. 577 (Cook Co., Illinois).
FEB., 1912. MaAmMALs oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 473
Atalapha cinerea H. ALLEN, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 43, 1893, p. 162 (St. Louis,
Missouri). EVERMANN & ButTLer, Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1893 (1894), p. 135
(Indiana).
Lasiurus cinerea SNYDER, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., II, 1902, p. 125 (Wisconsin).
Lasiurus cinereus ALLEN, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XIII, 1869 (1871), p. 187
(Iowa). Mutter, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 13, 1897, p. 114 (Illinois, Minnesota,
etc.). ADAms, Rept. State Board Geol. Surv. Mich., 1905 (1906), p. 31 (Michi-
gan). JACKSON, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 33 (Wisconsin). Ho -
LISTER, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI, 1908, p. 142 (Wisconsin). Haun, Ann.
Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources Ind., 1908 (1909), p. 637 (Indiana). Woop
Bull. Ill. State Lab. Nat. Hist., VITI, 1910, p. 599 (Illinois).
Type locality — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Distribution — Practically the whole of North America south of Hudson
Bay and the Great Slave Lake region.
Description — Color of body hoary (brown mixed with whitish); upper
surface of interfemoral membrane covered with fur except on the
extreme edge; forehead and band across the throat buff color,
bordered below by blackish; edge of ears black; muzzle blackish,
a narrow black stripe extending above the eyes.
Measurements — Total length, about 5.30 in. (130 to 140 mm.); tail,
2.12.in. (54 mm.); foot, .40 in. (10 mm.); extent (spread of wing
in fresh specimens) 15.75 in. (400 mm.); forearm, about 2 in.
(50 mm. or more).
The color is somewhat variable, but its brown color frosted with
white (not reddish or yellowish red as in N. borealis) and larger size
will distinguish it from that species, and the completely furred inter-
femoral membrane from other species which occur within our limits.
The Hoary Bat, while apparently by no means common, occurs
throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. There are specimens in the Field
Museum collection taken in Chicago and I have examined a specimen
taken by Mr. T. L. Atkinson at Charleston, Coles Co. Mi£ller records
it from Warsaw, Hancock Co.; and Wood includes it in his Mammals
of Champaign Co., Illinois. I have secured a specimen September 5,
tg10, at Lake Geneva, Walworth Co., Wisconsin, and have examined
specimens from Rock and Milwaukee counties of that state. Hollister
records one from Delavan, Walworth Co.; Snyder, one from Dodge
County; and Jackson, from Janesville and Milton, Rock Co.
Although not as yet recorded from northern Wisconsin or southern
Illinois, specimens have been taken in Minnesota (Miller), Michigan
(Adams), Iowa (Allen), Indiana (Hahn), and Missouri (H. Allen).
This large Bat probably occurs most commonly in Illinois in spring
and fall during the migrations, as most of them are supposed to breed
from southern Wisconsin northward. That at least a few individuals
474 FiELD MusEeum oF NaturAL History — Zo6é Loey, Vor. XI.
remain with us during the breeding season is proved by the fact that
Hahn records a female with two young, having been taken in June in
southern Indiana (/. c., p. 638). The young are born late in May or
early in June and number from 2 to 4.
The power of flight in Bats is illustrated by the occasional occur-
rence of this species in Bermuda.* To reach there they were forced to
make a continuous flight of nearly 600 miles from the nearest land.
Specimens examined from Illinois and Wisconsin:
Illinois — Chicago, 3; (O.) Charleston, Coles Co., 1=4.
Wisconsin — Lake Geneva, Walworth Co., 1; (M. P. M.) Janesville,
Rock Co., 4; Milwaukee, 2= 7.
Ls
‘S Nycteris cinereus
Map showing approximate range of the Hoary Bat (Nycteris cinereus) in eastern North America.
Its range includes practically the whole of North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific, south of
Hudson Bay and the Great Slave Lake region.
* Jones, Mamm. of Bermuda. (Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1884, p. 145.)
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 475
Genus NYCTICEIUS Rafinesque.
Nycticeius Rafinesque, Journ. de Physique, LXX XVIII, 1810, p. 417.
Type Vespertilio humeralis Rafinesque.
“Upper incisor distinctly separated from canine; lower incisors
scarcely crowded; outer lower incisor tricuspidate and not smaller than
others; skull low and narrow; uropatagium furred at extreme base
only; tragus blunt and bent forward; tip of tail free from membrane;
mamme 2.’’ (Miller, /. c., ae ua
Dental formula: I. Ce rn ve STS = 36,
ose eae ia ase
Nycticeius humeralis (RAFINESQUE).
RAFINESQUE Bat.
Vespertilio humeralis RAFINESQUE, Amer. Month. Mag., III. 1818, p. 445.
N [ycticeius] humeralis RAFINESQUE, Journ. de Physique, LX XXVIII, 1819, p. 417.
Nycticejus humeralis Ruoaps, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1896 (1897), p. 204
(Tennessee).
Nycticejus crepuscularis TRUE, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., VII, 1884 (1885), p. 602.
Nycticeius humeralis MILLER, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 13, 1897, p. 118 (Kentucky,
etc.). Hann, Ann. Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources Ind., 1908 (1909),
p. 649. Woop, Bull. Ill. State Lab. Nat. Hist., VIII, 1910, p. 600 (Tllinois).
HowE Lt, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXIII, 1910, p. 33 (Illinois, Kentucky).
Type locality — Kentucky.
Distribution — Southern United States, north to Pennsylvania and
Illinois and west to Nebraska and Texas.
Description — Upper front teeth (incisors) between canines 2; tip of tail
extending slightly beyond interfemoral membrane;
general color dull umber brown above, paler
_ below; fur decidedly darker at base; general color
* somewhat variable, the color of the upper parts
occasionally approaching sepia brown; ears rather
small, thick and leathery; tragus short and not
AN Nunya
xe
‘\3 ee
sharp pointed.
Measurements — Total length, about 3.65 in. (92 mm.); tail, 1.40 in.
(35 mm.); foot, .40 in. (10 mm.); expanse, about 9.50 in.
So far as known, the range of the Rafinesque Bat within our limits
is restricted to about the southern two-thirds of Illinois. There are
specimens in the Field Museum collection from Olive Branch, Alexander
Co.; and Howell records it from that locality; Wood states that it is
not rare in Champaign County (J. ¢., p. 600), which is the most northern
record we have for the state.
476 Fretp Museum or Natura History — Zoéxtoey, Vor. XI.
Specimens examined from Illinois:
Illinois — Olive Branch, Alexander Co., 11, (5 in alcohol) =11.
Ye
Oy
CL Cf) =z:
aay MEXICO Z, =
ae
Map showing approximate range of the Refinesque Bat (Nycticeius humeralis) in the United
tates.
S Nycticeius humeralis
Corynorhinus macrotis (LECoNTE), Brc-EARED BAT. The Big-eared
Bat has not been recorded from within our limits, but it is not unlikely
that it occurs in Illinois and it should be carefully looked for in the
caves along the Wabash River in Hardin and Polk counties in the
extreme southeastern portion of the state. In Indiana it has been
recorded from Greencastle, Putnam Co.;* and Mitchell, Lawrence
Co.;f and Hahn states he saw six individuals in the caves at the latter
place during the winter of 1906-07 and secured two specimens.{
The species may readily be distinguished from-our other Bats by
its huge ears which measure an inch or more in length. The gen-
* Butler, Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1894 (1895), p. 86.
t McAtee, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XX, 1907, p. 7.
¢t Ann. Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Resources Ind., 1908 (1909), p. 619.
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 477
eral color of this Bat is pale sepia brown, or yellowish brown, the fur
darker at the base; the belly is
e grayish white. The tail does not
7extend beyond the interfemoral
membrane. Total length, about
4 in. (105 mm.); tail vertebrae,
about 2 in. (50 mm.); forearm,
about 1.60 in. (41 mm.); ear, about
120 Ina (30)nann.):
The range of the Big-eared Bat
is restricted, so far as known, to
southeastern United States, the type locality being Georgia.
Big-eared Bat.
Family MOLOSSID.
Nyctinomus depressus (WarD),* FREE-TAILED Bat. It is not
unlikely that stragglers belonging to this species may occur in Illinois;
a specimen was found dead in Central
Park, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the fall
of 31910, which was secured by Dr.
B. H. Bailey who kindly sent it to me
for examination. It may readily be dis-
tinguished from others of our Bats by
the character of the tail, the free por-
tion of which extends about an inch
beyond the interfemoral membrane.
Other characters which will aid in its
identification are, ears large and ap-
parently united; general color very dark umber brown. Measurements
(from dried skin), total length, about 4.50 in. (115 mm.); total length
of tail vertebree, about 1.65 in. (42 mm.); length of free portion of tail
vertebre, about .go in. (23 mm.); length of forearm, 2.40 in. (61 mm.);
height of ear about .65 in. (16.5 mm.) The occurrence of this Bat
in eastern Iowa greatly extends its previously known range. Speci-
mens of this wandering Mexican species have been taken in California,
Arizona, Colorado and Nevada.t Another and quite different species
belonging to this genus (Nyctinomus mexicanus) is common in Florida
and the Gulf states.
* Ward, American Naturalist, XXV, 1891, p. 747. Type locality—Tacubaya,
City of Mexico.
+ Mr. Gerrit S. Miller, Jr. considers the specimen taken in Nevada and described
by H. Allen as Nyctinomus macrotis nevadensis (Monog. Bats N. Amer., 1893, p. 171)
to be this species. (See Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XV, 1902, p. 250.)
OrperR PRIMATES.
MEAN, APES, MONKEYS) Ec:
This order comprises two living suborders: Lemuroidea containing
the Lemurs; and Anthropoidea, which includes the Monkeys, Apes
and Man. With the exception of the last no representative of the order
occurs within our limits,* but Man has existed in North America since
a very early period and it is obvious, from a zodlogical standpoint,
should be included in a faunal list of the mammals of this region.
With the exception of Man all the members of the order are nearly or
quite covered with hair and are generally arboreal in habits. The
nails are flattened (except in the Lemurs and Marmosets) and the hands
are adapted for grasping, as are also the feet to a more or less degree, as
(except in Man) the hallux or big toe is opposable to the digits. The
orbits of the skull are surrounded by bone and the orbital and temporal
vacuities are at least partly separated. Clavicles are always present;
the scaphoid and lunar of the carpus are distinct; the humerus lacks
the entepicondylar foramen and the femur a third trochanter. The
stomach is usually simple, being sacculated only in the largely vege-
tarian subfamily Semnopithecine; a cecum is present and large. The
mamme are usually thoracic, always so except in some Lemurs, where
they are also abdominal. Tail varying from very long, as in some of the
Monkeys, to entirely absent in the higher Apes (Simiid@) and Man.
Suborder ANTHROPOIDEA.
The Anthropoidea are divided into five families, two of which,
Hapalide, the Marmosets, and Cebid@, the American Monkeys, are
confined to the New World; while the members of the Cercopthecide,
the Macaques, Baboons, etc., and Simiid@, which includes the Gibbons,
Ourangs, Chimpanzees, and Gorillas, are all Old World forms. The
fifth family, Hominide, Man, contains but one living genust, Homo,
* Fossil remains of Monkeys and Lemurine mammals have been found in Wyom-
ing. (See Wortman, Amer. Journ. Sci., XV, 1903, p. 191; and Osborn, The Age of
Mammals, 1910, p. 134.)
+ Authorities differ as to whether the fossil genus Pithecanthropus belongs to
this family or to the Simiide. Osborn places it in the Hominide (I. ¢., p. 545).
478
Fres., 1912. MAMMALS oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 479
and one species, H. sapiens, which is represented by various races in
different parts of the World.
The principle characters which distinguish the families belonging
to the Anthropoidea from their nearest allies, the Lemuroidea, may
briefly be summarized as follows:
Orbit of skull largely separated from the temporal fossa by a plate
of bone; lachrymal foramen situated inside the margin of the orbit
instead of outside; upper incisors without diastemata (gaps between
the teeth); second digit of hand well developed and second digit of foot
with flattened nail, except in the Marmosets (Hapalide); cerebral
hemispheres highly developed and nearly or quite concealing the cere-
bellum; uterus not bicornate; placenta discoidal and deciduate; mam-
me always thoracic, never abdominal.
Family HOMINID. Man.
Aside from the supposed distinctive psychological characters attrib-
uted to members of this family, the following are the most important
anatomical differences which distinguish Man from the highest Apes:
Size and shape of the non-opposable hallux (which aids in assuming an
upright position in walking); relative shortness of the arms; 12 rib-
bearing vertebrae; thumb relatively larger and with greater mobility;
skull rounded and smooth (not ridged as in the Apes) and face less
projecting; cerebral hemispheres greatly developed; absence of pro-
jecting canines, etc. Various other characters, such as the usual absence
of the scansorius muscle and the rudimentary character of the ear
muscles, are often cited, but the occasional presence of the former and
functional activity of the latter greatly detract from their value.
The same may be said of the apparent absence of hair on the greater
portion of the human body, as many abnormalities occur, and in any
event the difference is evidently only in extent of development.
There is no such development of the larynx in the human species
as is shown in the large throat pouches of various Anthropoids; and
as Beddard remarks, ‘‘The minute diverticula of that organ, known
to human anatomists as the ventricles of Morgagni, alone remain to
testify to the former howling apparatus in the ancestors of Man.’’*
This does not necessarily imply that the original type of mammal
from which the modern races of men have sprung was an Ape. That
both Man and Ape are descended from a common ancestor has strong
arguments in its favor, but we do not know what that ancestor was like.
* Mammalia, London, 1902, p. 589.
480 Firtp Museum oF Naturat History — Zoéxtoey, Vor. XI.
It is possible, as Prof. Haeckel suggests, that it has been found in
Pithecanthropus,* the fossil fragments of which were discovered in
Java, but the problem has not as yet been solved and perhaps the
answer will always be, ‘‘We do not know.”
Genus HOMO Linn.
Homo Linneus, Syst. Nat., X ed., 1, 1758, p. 20. Type Homo sapiens
Linn.
Dental formula: I. cE) See pane Ja
J 2—2 I-I 2-2 3-3
Homo sapiens americanus (LINN).
AMERICAN INDIAN.
[Homo sapiens] Americanus Linn., Syst. Nat., X ed., 1758, p. 20.
Type locality — America.
The supposed origin and antiquity of Man in this region will not be
discussed here, as the subject is beyond the scope of this work.
* The Last Link, London, 1898.
AP PENDEX:
SOME ANIMALS OF THE PAST.
While it is not my intention to include fossil species in the present
work, it seems desirable to refer briefly to some of them which are known
to have inhabited this region in past ages, especially as, in the case
of the Proboscidians (huge elephant-like beasts), the teeth and bones,
which are found from time to time within our limits, are of such great
size as to excite curiosity as to their origin. It is hardly necessary to
state, however, that my remarks are here designed merely as an intro-
duction to the subject.
During what is known as the Pleistocene Epoch, a period of time of
vast antiquity although comparatively recent from the standpoint of
the geologist, enormous numbers of strange mammals existed in North
America. Elephants and Mastodons were very numerous, as well
as Giant Sloths (Megalonyx), Camels, Llamas, Bison, peculiar Horses,
Cats as large as a modern Tiger, Sabre-tooths (members of the Cat
family having enormously developed canines), a huge Beaver-like
animal (Castoroides) as large as a Bear, and a host of others large and
small. By no means all of these animals are known to have inhabited
this region, but many of them undoubtedly did, together with other
strange creatures of which we know nothing. Bones of Mastodons
and Mammoths, however, have frequently been found in Illinois and
Wisconsin. Those of a Mammoth were discovered while excavating
a sewer in the city of Milwaukee; and Mastodon remains have been
found in many places, including at least two localities (Evanston and
Glencoe) in Cook Co., Illinois. In a carefully prepared paper Miss
Netta C. Anderson records the finding of remains of these huge Probos-
cidians in 26 counties in Illinois.* It is stated that a tusk of a Masto-
don dug up east of Illiopolis, Sangamon County, measured 9 feet in
length and about 2 feet in circumference at the larger end; and a molar
tooth found in Calhoun County is claimed to have weighed nearly 18
pounds. These animals did not differ greatly in size from Elephants of
the present day.
During the past century a number of bodies of Mammoths have been
found in Siberia in a frozen state embedded in ice or soil where they
* A preliminary List of fossil Mastodon and Mammoth Remains in Illinois
and Iowa. Augustana Library Pub., Rock Island, IIl., No. 5, 1905, pp. 1-43.
481
482 Fietp Musrum or Natura. History — Zoétocy, Vor. XI.
Molar tooth of Mastodon americanus ,* Molar tooth of Elephas primigenius,
American Mastodon. Northern Mamrnoth.
(About 3 nat. size.) (About + nat. size.)
had been preserved for ages, some of them in nearly perfect condition.
In 1799 the body of a Mammoth, E. primigenius, was found frozen
in the ice in the estuary of the Lena River, Siberia. It was in such a
good state of preservation that it is clatmed some of its flesh was eaten
by the men who discovered it. Unfortunately, however, the carcass
was almost destroyed by wolves and bears before the remains were
ultimately secured and taken to St. Petersburg, where the skeleton
and some of the hide are preserved. Unlike the modern Elephant,
these animals were covered with long, brown hair mixed with longer,
black hairs, and had a shaggy mane.
In rgor another frozen specimen was discovered near Beresovka,
Siberia, which was practically complete; but much of the hair was lost
in excavating it. The animal was saved and mounted and is now on
exhibition in the museum at St. Petersburg.
We have reason to believe that species belonging to this order
existed in North America at a comparatively recent date and were
not unlikely contemporaneous with primitive man. It is interesting
to note that some Indian tribes have traditions that the huge bones
of these animals belonged to ‘‘Fathers of Oxen,’’ beasts that lived
in ancient times together with a giant race of men.
Those who desire further information concerning our fossil species
are referred to such well known publications as: Extinct Monsters, by
H. N. Hutchinson, New York, 1892; Creatures of Other Days, by H.
N. Hutchinson, New York, 1894; Manual of Geology, by J. A. Dana,
ath ed., 1895; Animals of the Past, by F. C. Lucas, New York, 1901, and
other works by the same author; The Evolution of the Elephant, by
Richard S. Lull, Amer. Journ. Sci., March, 1908; and The Age of
Mammals in Europe, Asia and North America, by H. F. Osborn, New
Work ror;
* Cuvier’s name of Mastodon for this genus must give place to Mammut of
Blumenbach but the change here might be misleading.
BIBELOG RAEIEN.
WORKS AND PAPERS HAVING SPECIAL REFERENCE TO
THE MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN
AND ADJOINING STATES.
1844
PLUMMER, J. T. Scraps in Natural History (Quadrupeds). Amer. Journ. Science
& Arts, XLVI, 1844, pp. 236-249. (Contains several pages of notes on habits
of Short-tailed Shrew and other mammals, together with an annotated list of
the Quadrupeds about Richmond, Wayne Co., Indiana.)
1853
Hoy, P. R. The Striped Gopher, or Prairie Ground Squirrel, of Wisconsin. Agr.
Rept. for 1852, U. S. Patent Office Rept., Pt. 2, 1853, pp. 68-70.
LapHaM, I. A. A systematic Catalogue of the Animals of Wisconsin. Mammalia.
Trans. Wis. State Agr. Soc., II, 1852 (1853), pp. 337-340.
1855
Kennicort, R. Catalogue of Animals observed in Cook County, Illinois. Trans.
Ill. State Agr. Soc., I, 1853-54 (1855), pp. 577-595.
PaRVIN, J. B. On the Habits of the Gopher of Illinois (Geomys bursarius). Ann.
Rept. Smith. Inst., 1854 (1855), pp. 293-294.
KENNICOTT, R. The Quadrupeds of Illinois, injurious and beneficial to the Farmer.
Agr. Rept. for 1856, U. S. Patent Office Rept., 1857, pp. 52-110.
KENNICOTT, R. The Quadrupeds of Illinois, injurious and beneficial to the Farmer.
Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., II, 1856-57 (1857), pp. 615-684. (Reprinted from
Agr. Rept. for 1856, U. S. Patent Office Rept., 1857, pp. 52-110.)
1858
KENNIcoTT, R. The Quadrupeds of Illinois, injurious and beneficial to the Farmer.
Agr. Rept. for 1857, U. S. Patent Office Rept., 1858, pp. 72-107.
1859
Kennicortt, R. (On Muride.) Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., VI, 1856-59 (1859),
p. 182.
Kennicott, R. The Quadrupeds of Illinois, injurious and beneficial to the Farmer.
Agr. Rept. for 1858, U. S. Patent Office Rept., 1859, pp. 241-256.
483
484 FirLD Museum oF Natura History — ZoéLocy, Vou. XI.
1861
Mites, M. A Catalogue of the Mammals, Birds, Reptiles and Mollusks of Michi-
gan. Rept. Geol. Surv. Mich., I, 1860 (1861), pp. 219-241.
Tuomas, C. Mammals of Illinois. Catalogue. Trans. Ill. State Agr. Soc., IV,
1859-60 (1861), pp. 653-661.
1869
HaymonpD, R. Mammals found at the present time in Franklin County [Indiana].
Rept. Geol. Surv. Ind., 1869, pp. 203-208.
1871
ALLEN, J. A. Notes on the Mammals of Iowa. Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XIII,
1869 (1871), pp. 178-194. (Contains several references to Illinois mammals.)
1872
SANBORN, T. Hibernation of the Jumping Mouse. Amer. Nat., VI, 1872,
PP- 330-332.
1873
BARRETT, M. On the Migration of certain Animals as influenced by Civilization.
Amer. Nat., VII, 1873, pp. 693-695.
GILLMAN, H. The Caribou on Lake Superior. Amer. Nat., VII, 1873, p. 751.
PERKINS, G. H. The Flying Squirrel. Amer. Nat., VII, 1873, pp. 132-139.
1875
Hoy, P. R. On Hibernation .as exhibited in the Striped Gopher. Proc. Amer.
Assoc. for the Adv. of Sci., 1875, pp. 148-150.
1877
ALLEN, J. A. History of the American Bison, Bison americanus. Ninth Ann.
Rept. U. S. Geol. Surv., 1875 (1877), pp. 443-587. (Reprinted from Mem.
Geol. Surv., Kentucky, I, Pt. II, 1876.)
1882
Brayton, A. W. Report on the Mammalia of Ohio. Rept. Geol. Surv. Ohio,
IV, Pt. 1, Zodl., 1882, pp. 1-185. (A number of references to species in Illinois.)
Hoy, P. R. The larger Wild Animals that have become extinct in Wisconsin.
Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci., Arts & Letters, V, 1877-81 (1882), pp. 255-257.
Quick, E.R. Mammals found in Franklin County, Indiana. Atlas of Franklin
County, 1882, pp. 9-10.
1883
STRONG, M. List of the Mammals of Wisconsin. Geol. Wis., Surv. of 1873-79,
I, 1883, pp. 436-440.
1884
DINWIDDIE, E. Animals of Lake County [Indiana]. In Ball’s Hist. of Lake Co..,
Indiana, 1884, pp. 150-153.
FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 485
1885
Quick, E. R. and BuTLER, A. W. The Habits of some Arvicolinze. Amer. Nat.,
XIX, 1885, pp. 113-118.
1890
GARMAN, H. A preliminary Report on the Animals of the Mississippi Bottoms
near Quincy, Illinois, in August, 1888. Bull. Ill. State Lab. Nat. Hist., III,
1890, pp. 123-184. (Brief mention made of mammals.)
Ossporn, H. Catalogue of the Mammals of Iowa. Proc. Iowa Acad. Sci., I,
1887-1889 (1890), pp. 41-44.
1891
Butter, A. W. Our smaller Mammals and their Relation to Horticulture.
Trans. Ind. Hort. Soc., XX XI, 1901, pp. 117-123.
1892
ButT_Ler, A. W. On Indiana Shrews. Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1891 (1892), pp. 161-
163.
HeErRIcK, C. L. The Mammals of Minnesota. Geol. & Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn.,
Bull. No. 7, 1892.
1893
Cox, U. O. List of the Birds and Mammals of Randolph County, Indiana.
Orn. and Ool., XVIII, 1893, pp. 2-3.
1894
EVERMANN, B. W. and Butter, A. W. Preliminary List of Indiana Mammals.
Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1893 (1894), pp. 124-139.
GarMAN, H. A preliminary List of the Vertebrate Animals of Kentucky. Bull.
Essex Inst., X XVI, 1894, pp. 1-63.
1895
BuTLerR, A. W. The Mammals of Indiana. Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci., 1894 (1895),
pp. 81-86.
1896
BLATCHLEY, W.S. The Fauna of Indiana Caves. Twenty-first Report Ind.
State Geol., Mammals, 1896, pp. 176-181.
1897
Ruoaps, S. N. Contributions to the Zodlogy of Tennessee. Proc. Acad. Nat.
Sci. Phila., 1896 (1897), pp. 175-205.
Ruoaps, S. N. Some Notes on the Mammals of Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.
Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., XIX, 1897, pp. 53-61.
SnypDER, W. E. Overland Journeys of Fiber zibethicus. The Oregon Naturalist,
(Palestine, Oregon), IV; 1897, p. 8.
SnypER, W. E. ‘‘A full House.’’ (Note on Flying Squirrels.) The Oregon
Naturalist, IV, 1897, p. 9.
SNYDER, W. E. Variation in the Genus Sciurus. The Oregon Naturalist, LVE
1897, p. I0.
486. FreLp Museum oF Natura History — Zoétoey, Vor. XI.
1898
Exuiot, D. G. Collection of Mammals from Iowa, procured by G. K. Cherrie.
Field Columb. Mus. Pub., Zodél. Ser., I, No. 10, 1898, pp. 219-220.
1900
BalLeEy, V. Revision of American Voles of the Genus Microtus. N. Amer. Fauna,
No. 17, 1900.
BENNETTS, W. J. The Wild Animal Life of a large City. Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist.
Soc., I, 1900, pp. 63-64.
1902
Snyper, W.E. A List, with brief Notes, of the Mammals of Dodge County,
Wisconsin. Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., II, No. 2, 1902, pp. 113-126.
1905
Osporn, H. The recently extinct and vanishing Animals of Iowa. Annals of
Iowa, 3d ser., VI, No. 8, 1905, pp. 561-570.
1906
Apams, C. C. Notes on the Mammals of the Porcupine Mountains and Isle Royale,
Michigan. Rept. State Board Geol. Surv. Mich., 1905 (1906), pp. 128-133.
1907
Haun, W.L. Notes on Mammals of the Kankakee Valley. Proc. U. S. Nat.
Mus., XXXII, 1907, pp. 455-464.
Jackson, H. H. T. Notes on the Mammals of southwestern Missouri. Proc.
Biol. Soc. Wash., XX, 1907, pp. 71-74.
Mc ATEE, W.L. A List of the Mammals, Reptiles and Batrachians of Monroe
County, Indiana. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XX, 1907, pp. I-16.
Warp, H. L. A Weasel new to Wisconsin’s Fauna. Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc.,
V, 1907, pp. 63-64.
Banta, A. M. The Fauna of Mayfield’s Cave. Carnegie Institution Pub., No. 6,
Washington, D. C., 1907.
1908
Haun, W. L. Notes on the Mammals and Cold-blooded Vertebrates of the Indiana
University Farm. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XX XV, 1908, pp. 545-581.
Haun, W.L. Habits and sensory Adaptations of Cave-inhabiting Bats. Bull.
Biog. Surv., XV, 1908, pp. 135-193.
HotuistErR, N. Notes on Wisconsin Mammals. Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI,
Nos. 3-4, 1908, pp. 137-142.
Hotiister, N. The last Records of Deer in Walworth County, Wisconsin. Bull.
Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VI, Nos. 3-4, 1908, pp. 143-144.
Jackson, H. H. T. A preliminary List of Wisconsin Mammals. Bull. Wis. Nat.
Hist. Soc., VI, Nos. 1-2, 1908, pp. 13-34.
Warp, H.L. The American Elk in southern Wisconsin. Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist.
Soc., VI, Nos. 3-4, 1908, pp. 145-146.
FrEsB., 1912. MaAmMats oF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 487
1909
Apams, C. C. Notes on Isle Royale Mammals and their ecological Relations.
Rept. State Board Geol. Surv. Mich., 1908 (1909), pp. 389-422.
Haun, W.L. The Mammals of Indiana. Ann. Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Re-
sources, 1908 (1909), pp. 417-663.
Warp, H. L. Additional Records of the Alleghenian Least Weasel in Wisconsin.
Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VII, 1909, pp. 11-12.
1910
Ho.uister, N. A Check-list of Wisconsin Mammals. Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist.
soc;, VII, No. 1, 1910, pp. 21-31.
Howe ., A. H. Notes on Mammals of the Middle Mississippi Valley, with De-
scription of a new Woodrat. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XXII, 1910, pp. 23-33.
(Numerous Illinois records and description of Neotoma floridana illinoiensis.)
Jackson, H. HH. T. The Distribution of certain Wisconsin Mammals. Bull.
Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VIII, 1910, pp. 86-90.
VAN Hyninc, T. and PELLETT, F.C. An annotated Catalogue of the recent Mam-
mals of Iowa. Proc. Iowa Acad. Sci., XVII, 1910, pp. 211-218.
Warp, H. L. The Brown Bat in Wisconsin. Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., VIII,
Oct., 1910, pp. 180-182.
Woop, E. F. A Study of the Mammals of Champaign County, Illinois. Bull.
iiikestateslab. Nat. Hist, Vill, 1910} pp: 501-613:
AS NLA
EVERMANN, B. W. and CLark, H. W. Notes on the Mammals of the Lake Maxin-
kuckee Region. Proc. Wash. Acad. Sci., XIII, 1911, pp. 1-34.
Warp, H. L. Additional Wisconsin Record of Allegheny Least Weasel. Bull.
Wiss Nat. Hist. Soc:, LX, 19o1T, p-)82-
Warp, H.L. The Status of Hoy’s Shrew in Wisconsin. Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist.
Soc., IX, 1911, pp. 83-84.
Woop, N. A. Results of the Mershon Expedition to the Charity Islands, Lake
Huron [Saginaw Bay, Michigan]. 13th Rept. Mich. Acad. Sci., 1911, pp. 131-
134.
Woon, N. A. A Biological Survey of the Sand Dune Region on the South Shore
of Saginaw Bay, Michigan. Mich. Geol. & Biol. Surv. Pub. for 1911, pp. 309-
BI2:
\-
GLOSSARY.
Allantoic — A membranous sac-like appendage for effecting oxygenation and
other changes in the blood, developed from the posterior part of the alimentary
tract in the embryos of mammals and other vertebrates.
Anchylose — To grow together; to unite and become immovable.
Alisphenoid — Pertaining to the greater wings of the sphenoid bone.
Alveola — A pit or cavity; as the socket of a tooth.
Arboreal — Tree dwelling.
Antorbital foramen — Infraorbital foramen.
Audital bulla (see Bulla).
Axilla — Hollow space between junction of the arm and shoulder; armpit.
Basal length (of skull) — Distance from lower edge of foramen magnum to extreme
end of premaxillary in front of incisors.
Basilar length of Hensel (of skull) — Distance from lower edge of foramen magnum
to the posterior alveola border of a middle incisor.
Bicolor — Having two colors.
Bicuspid — With two cusps.
Bifid — Divided into two parts.
Brachydont — Having a low or short crown.
Brain case — The part of the skull enclosing the brain.
Bulla, pl. bulla — The swollen portion of the bony part of the external meatus of
theyearssee chart, p. 12.
Czcum — A sac or pouch open only at one end, which is situated at the junction
of the large and small intestines; see page 22.
Canine teeth — See chart, p. II.
Carnassial teeth — See chart, p. 14.
Calcar — A bony cartilage extending from the tarsus along the edge of the inter-
femoral membrane in bats.
Carnivorous — Flesh eating.
Carpus — Bones forming the wrist joint.
Caudal — Refers to the tail.
Cheek teeth — Teeth on side of jaw posterior to the canine.
Chironym — Unpublished or manuscript name.
Clavicle — The collar bone.
Cloaca — The common cavity into which the hind part of the alimentary canal as
well as the urinary and generative ducts open.
Conch — The external ear.
Condyle — A protuberance on the end of bone forming a point of articulation with
another bone.
Cortex — The part of a hair which surrounds the cellular center and which contains
the color pigment.
Crepuscular — Active at twilight.
Cuticle — The epidermis or outer covering of the true skin; see skin.
Cusp — A point or protuberance on crown of tooth.
; 489
490 Fietp Museum oF NaturaL History — Zoétoey, Vor. XI.
Deciduous — Periodically shed, not permanent; as, antlers of deer, which fall off
annually or milk teeth, which are replaced by others.
Digitigrade — Walking on the toes.
Diphyodont — Having two successive sets of teeth.
Discoidal — Disk-shaped.
Diurnal — Active by day.
Dorsal — Refers to the back.
Epidermis — Outer layer of the skin; see skin.
Epiphysis — A cartilaginous part of a bone which ossifies separately and subse-
quently becomes anchylosed to the main part of the bone.
Foramen, pl. foramina — A hole or opening.
Fossa, pl. fossa — A depression or cavity.
Fossorial — Burrowing.
Frugivorous — Fruit eating.
Hallux — First toe of hind foot; corresponds to big toe in man.
Heterodont — Having diversified teeth; as, molars, canines, and incisors.
Hibernate — To become torpid and remain for a certain length of time in a coma-
tose condition.
Homonym — One and the same name for two or more different things.
Hypsodont — Applied to teeth having long crowns and short roots, such as the
molars of the Bovide. ,
Incisors — Front teeth between canines; see chart, p. 12.
Inguinal — Pertaining to the groin.
Insectivorous — Insect eating.
Interfemoral — Between the thighs; used with reference to the membrane between
the hind limbs of a bat.
Interorbital — Between the eyes.
Interorbital breadth — Breadth of interorbital constriction.
Jugal or malar bone — See chart, p. 12.
Lambdoidal ridge — A ridge on side of back portion of skull.
Mamma, pl. mammez — A teat.
Mandible — The lower jaw.
Mastoid breadth — Distance between mastoid processes.
Meatus — Used here with reference to the opening of the ear.
Molars — The back cheek teeth; see chart, p. II.
Monophyodont — Having only one set of teeth.
Nares — The nostrils.
Nocturnal — Active by night.
Nomen nudum or anonym — Name originally given to something without an
accompanying diagnosis or a reference to an identifiable, published figure or
plate.
Nucleated — Having a nucleus or nuclear substance.
Odontoblast — A tooth cell that produces dentine.
Omnivorous — Eating food of all kinds and indiscriminately.
Orbit — Eye socket.
Palatilar length — Distance from posterior end of palatine bone to posterior base of
incisors.
Pectoral — Pertaining to the breast.
Pelage — The hair or fur.
Pencillated — Refers to tuft of long hairs extending beyond the end of the tail.
—
FEB., 1912. MamMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN — Cory. 491
Pentadactylous — With five fingers or toes.
Placenta — The organ by which the fetus of the higher mammals is nourished.
It is connected with the fetus on one side by the umbilical cord and on the
other is attached to the walls of the uterus, from which it is detached at birth.
Plantar tubercles — Wart-like excrescences on under surface of foot.
Plantigrade — Walking on practically the whole sole of the foot.
Pollex — The thumb or first toe of front foot.
Postorbital — Behind the eye.
Premolars — Teeth in side of jaw between the molars and the canine.
Ramus, pl. rami — The ascending part of the lower jaw at the posterior end.
Rostrum — The part of the skull in front of the eyes, made up of the nasal and part
of the premaxillary and maxillary bones; practically, the snout.
Sagittal crest — A bony ridge along the middle upper surface of the brain case in
some mammals.
Sectorial — Adapted for cutting; usually used to describe certain teeth.
Septum — A partition.
Skin — Consists of two layers: an outer one termed the epidermis or cuticle (which
has no blood vessels), beneath which is a second layer or true skin, variously
called dermis, corium or cutis vera, which is abundantly supplied with nerves and
blood-vessels. The skin covers the outer surface of the body and continues in a
softer and somewhat modified form (termed mucous membrane) as a lining for
the internal passages, such as the digestive and urogenital tracts.
Squamate — Scaly or covered with scales.
Squamosal bone — See chart, p. 11. Forms part of the temporal bone in man;
what answers to the squamous portion in man is called the squamosal in lower
animals.
Squamous — Covered with scales, scaly or resembling a scale.
Sulcate — Grooved.
Supraorbital — Expansion of bone above the eye, noticeable in the Hares and Rabbits.
Suture — Line of union or point of junction of two bones, which ultimately unite
and become immovable.
Synonym — One of two or more names for one and the same thing.
Tactile — Pertaining to the sense of touch.
Tail vertebre or caudal vertebrae — See page Io.
Tarsus — Bones forming the ankle joint. See chart, p. 10.
Tautonym — Binomial name, having generic and specific names alike.
Terrestrial — Living on the ground.
Thoracic— Used here as pertaining to the chest or thorax.
True skin — Inner portion of the skin known as dermis or corium or cutis vera.
Tooth row — Continuous row of teeth on side of jaw posterior to the canine (most
commonly used in describing Rodents).
Topotype — A specimen collected in the exact locality where the original type was
obtained.
Tragus, pl. tragi — An erect cartilaginous process in the conch or external ear of a
bat.
Trochanter — One of the bony processes of the thigh bone.
Truncate — Blunt.
Tuberculate — Having tubercles or small projections; commonly used in this work
in describing teeth.
Type [of genus] — The species which was originally designated or later selected
in conformity with the rules of zodlogical nomenclature to typify a genus.
492 Fretp Museum or Natura. History — Zoétocy, Vor. XI.
Type [of species] — The specimen upon which has been based the first recognizable
description of the species or subspecies which conforms with the rules govern-
ing zodlogical nomenclature.
Type locality — The exact locality where the type of the species was collected.
Unicuspid — Having a single cusp or point.
Uropatagium — Interfemoral membrane; see interfemoral.
Vacuity — A vacant space or opening.
Ventral — Pertaining to the abdominal surface.
Zonary — Resembling a belt or girdle.
Zygoma or zygomatic arch — The bony arch of the cheek formed by the jugal or
malar bone and the zygomatic process of the squamosal; see chart, p. 12.
Zygomatic breadth — Greatest distance between outer sides of zygomatic arches.
A
PRAT EMA GS ERO E TE Als Sn ts oc oes 28
Wdelonycteris fuscus............ 467
/NGINGHO} OSES oie oe och een 391
PRECORAMETCATIUS fof 2 ca cette «ess 74
INICESs olde eee UA ee 74
Milcesvamericanus....:.......... 74
PMP MISOLe [eSeutil=./.-........ 416
PNTICCALELS Ree. oa crite os cd 15, 28
PNT CAILERS MOCALV;S os cta es cao o = 28
PAINECAGEES HO PINVE es ance os ve. 28
JA\SaY HEIKO) OS Poe ok 19
NTIECLOMEAIMELICAN: 25. +s... 4. 57, 87
INTILCLOD ES Mme a oi ac bs on 92, 128
Antelopes, Old World..... 57
Amthropoidea. i.:.:....-.-2 29, 136, 478
Antilocapra americana........... 2
Ambit OCApEIGccmerr sre. ac sce ss: 57
JN DES c,a8 Gicie oOo LOW22 23200478
ATeomysitanklinii. .........-. 144
J NTCHOMANYS 10OED <5 5 Sa ae On en eee 150
Arctomys monax canadensis...... 157
PITA Onteiyee i tern a chats, sis ss ee 15
/AreaneyahiWos, os 4464 4 on pee Gree 10, 28
JAN HSIOCENCIVIIES 0 oa a Oe oI ee ore a ee 57,58
NTaVICOIARATISLCTUS i ea se See ace 218
Aiwa COlAN PAP PeLinei ase) oe eae = 208
PAV COlamMINSTHLUS. «es ess ee 218
Arvicolaykennicotti.............. 222
MGVICOlAROTYZIVOTA). 005... ++ +8 202
Atvicolapinetorum........+..... 222
JAGENAICONEY Tah OR EOIN, as 5 os Olean 214
Arvicola scalopsoides............ 222
IMSS 6.4. 800.0 S OnE Dn ee 58
MtalapWarcinercas-.sce-.. 6s... .5 473
Acalapmayborealise as ..-.-.--.. 4- 470
Atalapha noveboracensis......... 470
B
iBadgsermpaAtmentcanien. 42. 4.a56- 348
Badger, Buropean.............-- 336
BAGS erste cies Gk Hanes 3270835
IBAmGICOOtS eater ae yee eae 28
BaGebic-earede aaj. .) 42.20 e cen: 476
IB eae, BYRON adhe Say GSS cae nenee eee ne 467
Batwiree-tailed: . 8... 4.0.6... 477
IBene, (Grevordeatshnln gay se eee cad oeisor 465
Baia Grey ge ge ees soos o Seve cust ters 459
Batwilodnyes hes. ocs D608 Lye
Batplarce Brown. .....+:-6+. +: 467
BatweittlerBrowtua..a.e-0ee 4.5: 455
Bat INALLCTEI/ SS «cies, nce: Gus 448
Bate Rafinesques..--a.- cs o> +: 475
BatveRediAm as cea ee ee 470
Batt oay.St etc cee ean ape ee 460
Bat, silver-haired: senso 5se cee. 462
Ae MOLlVicry a er tee ae 462
Baste scot cea eee ee ne eae: 445
Bats we nuitseatinenn es ae AALS
Bats; Insectivorouse.) 144s eo
Bats, Leaf-nosed................ 451 .
Bats; (Dypical 35-5 cen ee ee
Bats Vain piree a sea eee 447
BEat pve acess pean eee 93
Bear black ae nase: sate a eee 397
Bear ehloridas blacks. aes 142, 397
Bear Bolan cetaceans eee eee 396
(Bearse ant cat an hk eee eee 396
Bears; Blackie ra0-Psc ene 396
Beare sa GiiZZ yee nee eee 396
BEA VET ie ).cek, tare cer, Ain eer ee 159
Beaver Ganadiane eee ae 159
Beaver, UrOpeann > ees eee 158
Beavers scsi tea anette 158
Bisons. 25 3 ooh ee ee 87
Bisonsamericanus saan 88
IBiSOnyDISOn Pee aaa ee 87
Bison bison athabasce........... 88
BisOnebonasiss a air eee 87
Bison America neers ee 87
Bison european ne eee 87
Bison eWiood= soya eee 87
Bling. con feb eee ae 422
Blarina brevicauda. . 5 Eatin 423
Blarina brevicauda aloga ee 430
Blarina brevicauda carolinensis... 428
Blarina brevicauda compacta. . 430
Blarina brevicauda hulophaga.... 430
Blarina brevicauda peninsule.. 430
Blarina brevicauda talpoides. . 430
Blarina brevicauda telmalestes. . . 430
Blarina brevicaudata............ 423
Blarina carolinensis.. . Se 424
iDlarinaextlipes seater =e 430
Blarina eximitiists ss oye 430
Blarinavilortdanayz emacs eee 432
Blarina\ypainvaeee ace err iiee 430
Boslainenicanusan aan 88
BOS NGO scacceesoecokuAob one. 87
IBOviGd ee iets es eee eee 57, 58, 87
Bovine...... BC TOE srbi ta 87
IBistialo tetas ne A ree ae ee 87
(©
@zenolestesy .i5 = eeaseae oa ase 49
Galomiys, palustrssee- se eee 202
494 INDEX
Gamels sae acme ee reer aie Ss Bay Akeit || (CIYEWROMERINS. 52 osc oo uo odo eo Doe 57
@anidee sy So Paaaee eee ig ea 200. lp hickarees sa aetna 122
Canis Ale sade chee on Sane 213) Chincha hudsonica™ a5. ane 340
Canisvalbust ee coca get Mi (Chomhoyiabhlies ga oaoacaoddssoos coon 128
Canisatern eee cere Bis ee |) Clovhoonsialke, Gin, oo occacessonce 130
Canis cinereoargenteus.......... 300 | Chipmunk, Gray Striped........ 130
Canisiamiliarict sae oo. ro) seen 313) |, Chipmunk. Wittles = ac ee eee 135
Canishinustnonser cereals. aa 225). Ciipmunies southern: eee eee 128
Ganistiulwtuishenintans so eee oe 205) |. Chipmunk, striped 1-5). aes 128
@anisigriSeuses ce sas). ae eec ce: 213) (Cinironectes... 4.7 cee oe ee 04
Caniswlatranseeee eee soe cee 222" (@hiropteracanns 0 seer eee 445
Camisiupises seis eis. eke eet ee 313) |eCitellus..c05) eae ee eee 137
Ganis lupustmulbilus 05-2. 22 = 313, |) Citellusttrankliniuy. sa... oe eee 144
Ganiswmexicantise- eee leer 315, 321 | Citellus tridecemlineatus. . ; 138
Canis mebracensisads =. des es 325 | Citellus tridecemlineatus badius.1 38, 143
Canis nebracensis texensis........ Dib CO OatiSmsin mnie ak nm eee 391
Camismubiliseeena. oases 303) | Condylurano. accu.) 66 ne eee 440
Canisintulildse eee eee 22) | Condylurarcnistataceureec eee 440
amis occidentalish: sence Hig ait || (ClovayaaorrlovhanbiSo os a naccenmoodone 453
Canis occidentalis var. griseo-albus. 313 | Corynorhinus macrotis.......... 476
Gamisitulustme eee ecco Ban || Coynjonocloscsecccocansdoasosee 17
CamisavanginianiS/ers see ete 300: | (Cougar: <7) c28 tetsqe) dee amiecienee 280
(Cava velliotesc cco nccdoucsdobope= BOS5p | Coucam ib asteniem ieee 280
Capabara, South American....... 907° | "Coy Oter aan ok vite ous Somer 322
CWanrincee rye coke re tears 87: | Cricetinee nc. .4 ants nie) anes coer 183
GATCATOUS ere soles ins Pol cheeieinaken: 353) |"Crociduritics 1... ere ene 405
Cariacus vinginianus. a9. .2- 64. - 607 tGry ptous hs oecn oe ore Cee 430
(Cariboubwyy cts. wane eee ees ee 58 | Cynomys ludovicianus........... 150
Caribou; Woodland = 225-4. -- 81
Carnivora. . We nelrs Sphere: 275 D
CarniviOres Yai ee cael Aon oe 16, 19
CaStOnae tie hee me ek ore eet aestar: LSOr|| Weer ic ee.p-lteacevrstaes cere eee 57,58
(Castonicanadensisesrcece meee fa) || IDyeete, INkovat6ll, wong eo occbcundgedc 62
Castor canadensis carolinensis... 161, 169 | Deer, Louisiana................ 62
Castor canadensis texensis....... 169); Weer UMiusk:. (\: cache Som tase 19, 22
@astomhberscjs comes ee see eae 15840500 |DcerseNorthernhe sean 64
Castomzilbethicuser see e oe eae 225 | Deer, Northern White-tailed. .... 64
Gastonidien eee eon Eas: TS 8h Deer, Reds: o%. nk cece exer aes 22
C@astoroideseinn ee oer eter: Aisi || IDEs, Wabgeahovels oon auacdococopsac 60
(GENET E\o operas te tcinere opie eee Gnas e 291 | Deer, White-tailed........ er siaenes 60
@atnGivetar obs ckaceicnc cere ZAG IDEerlEtS wo waiter eRe ee 57
Cat Domesticiens ss ash omer 27,35 | Derinopte rane eee eee 29
GCatTaWal Gi ates Ohta ance ee 2 Oty | Didelplaiiclasseae erie eee ei 51
@Watseed ene eo ee oe 277. || Widelp iiss sarae cio cedars ee oe ee 51
@atsIWildee pie Se ocos eee 277) |DidelphiSimansupidlismee yee eo
Cephalopuss se sciss ao ye er 87 | Didelphis varginianae. a. a. oe a eL
Wei deen ic hic ora eines eee 58 | Didelphis virginiana pigra....... 56
Genny. ocean eae 53,60 | Didelphus Virginiana. 2. -.5-..455 soe
@enviulSh. Or orcs cane aera e 67 | Didelphys virginiana............. 52
Genvusralees esti octet aeecee 74 | Didelphys Virginianus..:........ 52
Genvustamenitcamusnern ae oe ee TAY DAN SO acaa cee Meee carer ee Ste 275
Cenyusicanadensiss =e 67 Dipodidas! Sax here eee ee 246
Cervus canadensis occidentalis.... 67 | Diprotodontia.................. 28
Cervus dama americanus........ 608 Dipusiiudsoniusses sae 246, 247
G@envusiclaphuse= meee eee 670 | Dose Domestican ane nes eee 298
@ervusiclaphus canadensisa.2-). 4 678) WOs, Eraitiecn scarier 150
Cenvilsmmerniamiine see ee aoe 67: |) Doe, Wilds. 3. ccecne ae ee 296
Cenytis nannoOidesi eee ere 675 Dogse ns oak ait ne ee eee 296
@envusitaranduse-. a soee eee 80: | Dolphin So 280) \'GroundsHocs — |e er eee 150
Felis concolor floridana.......... Pee Sen Gulows.: . tiene tec ok cee ene 352
Melisncouetiateencs s--5502+ 20220. 280 | (Guloiborealist==s- ees ee ees 9358
Felis couguar arundivaga......... 285) )eGuloluscusaes cao sea ee ere 353
Melisecouetian COryi.....5-.2:-.0% 285
RSIS, TUUNE oy Gono oer oer 291 H
IDES. 6 ap o'b Sie eo NOR Reece 275
Eun en Re crate serie fo wotei else bone 225) |S Hapalese en ce chyna aereet omen aes 24
MMeTODSCUTUS Le s.2e. fh. ot oni se 232) Mare, Waryinge” 05 2m iaecsneeenne 262
MibenmazilbebiiCuse a. ...42056. 0-5. Dobe Beares: eis Asce oer eee eee 259
Fiber zibethicus aquilonius....... 2354 dares: Chieh?) jeer -1 4c seria 258
Fiber zibethicus cinnamominus... 232 | Hares, Tailless................. 258
Fiber zibethicus hudsonius....... 232 | Hedgehog, European... 1.2... 405
Fiber zibethicus macrodon....... DAP Wed SehOSsnec ceria cns soe sree 29
496 INDEX
Flesperomiysieracilisse a 9) eee 193
Hesperomys leucopus............ 185
Hesperomys nuttalli............. 198
lesperomiys) palustnisns-).2 22202
Enibernatingaspectese ye. see a 9
Eibernation (Badger) 7. es: 352
Hibernation (Bats)........449, 456, 468
Hibernation (Black Bears)....... 401
Hibernation (Florida Black Bear). 397
Hibernation (Gray Chipmunk).... 131
Hibernation (Jumping Mouse).... 250
Hibernation (Little Chipmunk)... 136
Hibernation (Raccoon).......... 393
Hibernation (Striped Prairie Squir-
Teed Ny oh rice Ohh ERT ence tea ean Otere 141
Hibernation (Woodchuck).... .. 154
EM PPO POLatnie meiner 28,57
fonaimideer, wasepean eo: ali eee 36, 478
OMOR Agr pee hee tate tns qed 479
Momorsapicnssep eee ae ee ene 479
Homo sapiens americanus........ 479
Hooted Mammalsae.)-. 2... Se ey 7
ELOTS CYA retype et ae pe chi or ESTAS So
FTOTSES yet co Me tin ii oe ici, hie amet ok 28,57
EIT AS eae Geter rnin «he Me yes! so AO)
Hypudeus ochrogaster.......... 218
Hypudeus rutilus v. gapperi...... 208
Ely racold can. os .-- 478, 479
IPTINWIONVS 2 Go.4 Seloe Reo lOmee Ronen 222
Biatypus: Wuck-pill =... .2...... 28
IPOIECEE ec ee aly See Sine ve ie ne oie 340
Rolvjprovodontiaw. st. ys 25... -.- 51
IPORCCIONID@r nbs eo eo oo Memon one c 18, 255
Roreupine, Canada......:/....+. 254
BOREUPIMES se qed ai sie lee 257
Rorcupines, American........... 253
Bercupines, Old World.........-. 253
ean CGE SIE ones, Bicycle cachly. Gus Aa oto 9,28
Wotan Ovalenr ncaa ace. sain = che 405
Pouched Mammals...... 49
rtimatesees) . 2... 4- 16, 23, 25, 29, 36, 478
IPROOOSCNCIEIE Sta ge ease ome e oo.
ProlnoseuclanG., .6concuntosonnass bai I
PiROCVCI) 5 so oemo nso gee emmoman ace 391
BrOcyOnWOtOre. 4...5- 46-06-24. 392
rocvanlotorelucus......-.».--- 395
IPHOCS OMMCES 5 la ola ene ein oe oe 391
PROCVOUMIIED na goaneoodeEe oe oe 391
PROMOS > ¢ os geo Home uD one oo Baie Sif
PHOWOUMOTE Gs o5.4000000 ee beoueaes 28
Pteromys hudsonicus...........-- 106
Pteromysisabninuss .. <).- ua 9 = 106
Rteromys volucella.....:....-:.- 103
Pusmoyaochers. gh ees eocobouserca: 445
Rteropus edulisss..s2.7. a. 5.452: 447
EXMHOMIIS, 5 6 oo boo hae sonuEbieu coe 358
Putorius gleenemens Cea ae ia eer 378
Putorius cicognanil. A St 27g
Putorius cicognanii ric hardsoni.... BOF
Putoniusrereminea...:.......- 366, 373
Ritonus lonsicauda.. ..:2...-- 280, 381
Putorius longicauda spadix....... 374
Putorius lutensis SO ck Seis een 365
499
Putorius noveboracensis......... 366
Putorius noveboracensis notius... 380
Putorius noveboracensis occisor... 380
Putorius peninsule.............. 380
BUCO RIS TOUSMLIS 3. ee ann) ree 378
IPUCORIUSEEIKOST Stee eee erie ere 379
Putorius rixosus allegheniensis.... 378
IPAERKOSALEKS WASOMes poco owe co asct 361, 365
Putorius vison lacustris.......... 365
Putorius vison lutreocephalus.... 361
Putorius vison vulgivagus........ 365
R
Rabbit, Europeanea.-as- sri. a2 oe 200
Rabbite Grave eee eee ire 266
Rabbit; Jacks 2 .2ms5 40s ae oor 265
Rab but, piackass rere ere 265
Rabbit, Mearns’s Cotton-tail . 266
Rabbite snOw-SiOckeis eee eye 262
Rabbit, SWalip ss siya eckeiaee 271
Rabbits, 2 ae es eee nee 259
RACCOON A. oo... ete er ee tee 392
Raccoon C€rab-eating 4 eee eer 391
RNa CCOONS ier: ay aeae ie eek eee 391
Rangers saws cease cists eee 80
IRancitem anc hiCusmis teeter 84
Ranciter caribou serie reir 81
Rangiter tarandusi seis ae 80, 81, 85
Rangifer terrenove............. 8&4
Rat wblack= Areas Pore ae 183
Rat Brown crse eee 180
Rat Houses sce cena 180
Rate lllinoismVWiOodiem re waeer 204
Rat wNOrwavicecs. secre acer 180
RatuRices, 2c ee 1202
RateRook.. 2208s ciate sere eee 183
RAT WiOOd:. asm sme ears cea 207
Rats Sake See ee One t7Ait
Reindeer as ane eee 58, 80
Reindeer, Old World............ 85
Reithrodontomysian acer 170
Reithrodontomys dychei......... 201
RninOCELOS= age eee 18, 19, 28
Rodenti MPN « c(0V7/
Rodents ea oe cers eee 15, 16, 97
lRYbtoninohnEloseychacososécac8o a8 57
Ramin anitssee eee ieee 57
S
SpioiesinlodGe so aqascangconocusse 481
SablemAmiericanier sys eater 381
Scalops aquaticus............--- 435
Scalops aquaticus machrinus.. 435
Scalopsiatcentatus. 9. e~ coer 435
Scallops. se ecgnoe eee eee 434
Scalopus amastascon sty sterner er ent 438
Scalopus aquaticus.......-.----. 438
Scalopus aquaticus australis. . 438
Scalopus aquaticus machrinus . 435
Scalopus virginianus..........--- 434
Sarees coukonaseobanocomobee ve 98
500
SCititine a Aaah oo oR ae oa ne 108
Sciuroptennc-e- aera eee 102
Sciuropterusi sty. te ome ne 102
Sciuropterus sabrinus.... 106
Sciuropterus sabrinus macrotis. . . 107
SCLUITOPLERUSTSII US 107
Sciunoptenusivolansme eee eee 102
Sciuropterus volans querceti...... 107
Sciuropterus volans volans....... 102
Sceimmopterus) volucellana 46 9 eeer 102
Sciuropterus volucella hudsonius.. 106
SCIUMUSe cept dn eaey te eae rete 108
Seneinns looters ooo doacaccbevcoc 98
Sciturus carolinensise a2. -an- 4" 115, 116
Sciurus carolinensis extimus...... 121
Sciurus carolinensis fuliginosus..115, 121
Sciurus carolinensis hypophaeus.116, 121
Sciurus carolinensis leucotis...... 116
SCiimuswiudsonicuses eee: 122) 12
Sciurus hudsonicus gymnicus..... 127
Sciurus hudsonicus loquax........ 122
Sciurus hudsonicus minnesota.... 123,
eee seen ea EE: psa: 124, 127
Sciunus hudsonius 7" .2....... AD, ii)
SSHENTS NEGOOHIS . aocsaccecncccuae 116
Sciurus ludovicianus............. 109
Sciurus magnicaudatus.......... 109
Slonthebis) taolkenrenmoyetilsic | sas eccncues 116
SCitnUShmI Ger — eee: 109, 114, 116
Sciurus niger neglectus......>... 114
WCiUnUuS mM Fer TitVeNnter | ee aes 109
Sciuirus niger texanus............ 114
sciurus occidentalis. ..:....:4..- 109
Sciucus ruiventers. eee) sense: 109
SONKALIS SHloshmtlss5 5 5aceacoo nce 0c 106
SUBIR OE NALE moeerig 60nd Gob c omic do 109
SCMUnUS SOMCINUSs.0 -6G sees wee 98
SURES SUGIEIS, sn oo 6 ccaucoder 128, 130
SciunuS stratus asiaticusas- sen 5
Sciurus tridecem-lineatus........ 138
SOMES WOENNS.,5oc66ceg00cs005¢ 102
Sciurus vulgaris. . Nedra tT OG
Sciurus vulpinus. . cra ths ewig) eae 109
ScCOvOphiluSiUSCHS ae eee 467
Scotophilus georgianus........... 465
Scotophilus noctivagans...... 462
Seal sara det en ee eee 16, 22920
Sclenodontianea, ah | nie seeme 57
Seep et aatie case eee 57, 58, 87
Sheep, Mountain: 222. sse 87
Slasrenz, (CARON. 2 ok aon asocesonn 416
Shrew, Carolina Short-tailed..... 428
Shrewal Commeonpemee sen eee 4II
Slabishie, JaUON AC oe ois Gb ie ole elec otiy at 418
Sarewa Marsh? 5. 0st ee seen 421
Shrew, Moles 2-2-5). ie eae 423
Soir Isao Goonceecaccoduuce 418
Shrew, Richardson's. 414
Shrew, Short-tailed. . i er 23
Shrew, Small Short- failed (usigiee 430
SVR) SMNNAiscancusccconevosse 415
Shrew, Southern wee ee ee 416
slowteni VVENHEIs oc oo occ cn doccascs 421
INDEX
STEWS = apace a ea ech anna ee 406
Shrews, Long-tailed. ............ 409
Shrews, Short-tailed........... 409, 422
NOUS = he elie tone aee fone use ie gene 479
Simplictdentatage ..-¢- = oe ee 97,98
DIE MIA Se tet eee rere Cee on race ee 25,28
Sitomys megacephalus........... 196
Skunk, Alleghenian Spotted...... 346
skunk, (Canadat.cs aie ser ee 237
okunik Dasterm ya ites ae 237,
Skunk; udsonian ae eee 340
kami sili O1S ey era See et eee eee 344
Slams; Northern. apr ee ere 340
Skunix; Prairie: Spotted. a oe ae 348
Skunk Spottedh. tees 347
Sicaiiksa) ius: ree ae nee 327,335
Sloth. doe. s se ok eevee he eee I
DLOtHS sc dec cys cee Meena Sen 15, 28
plothsGiante jonas cles eee 481
Sminthinge sn: ase os seas eee 246
olenodonticasss me nee 406
SOLTEK cGps.na ee ee ae 410
SKOHHED IOUS oo00255cccaa00c0e 434
SOLGXHATATICUS ert eens tere 410
Sorex Blarina brevicaudatus...... 42
SOLE previcauGduss 9-4) see 422, 423
SOLEX CAnOlmenSisem eel 428
SOLEX (COOPerI ns Ge oc ee ae eee 411
SOLEXICHIStALIIS pet ee 440
nporexDekayit. ware ec e oe 423
DOrexidispar Mic vies aan eee ee one 418
DOEXTCXMMMIUS= Ales eee eee 430
SOLKEXaHSHET|s. oki ew tetas ee eee 418
SOMED iovalHGNGIS, 55 oc oc gcc enone 417
DOLEK EP OLsterian «see eh eee 4II
SOLexsuim CUS =. same eee 415
SOLEK MOVs Attias ee oe eee 418
SOrex longinostiise a: sare iaeneeee 416
NOLEKs Dal 1SCr1S aes nee 421
SOLEX PAnvillSimeea es ae ae 430
Sorex personabusnen ae ena 411
Sorex personatus Muscixy... «sae 417
Slosgend olan VAclewINES occa couaccsos 411
SOLE HC HaTrdsom lime eee 414, 415
SOLek al pOtd espe ieee ee 422, 423
DOTiCi day 10. eae tere acess fees eae 406
OOMCINES:, NA lorion a ean ee eee 410
Spermophile, Franklin’s.......... 144
Spermophiles striped ann sere 138
Spermophile, Thirteen-lined...... 140
Spermophilus franklinti.......... 144
Spermophilus grammurus........ 144
Spermophilus tridecemlineatus.... 138
Spermophilus tridecimlineatus. . . . 138
Spilogale.. te nae cete eee 346
Spilogale ambarvalis............ 347
Spllogaleindianolazes eee ee 347
Spilogaleiinternupta ss. es see eee 348
Spllogale putoriuisee seen 346
Sa ttircel ally nic see 102
Squirrelh Ox. oe ee ee 109
Squirrel, Franklin’s Ground...... 144
Squirrel, Franklin’s Prairie.......
INDEX
‘Syonusinamell, (Greens dha is a eee 11S, 116
Squirrel, Cen GCroundm. sae" 144
Squirrel, Gray Prairie........... 144
Squirrel, Misratony............. 112
Squirrel, Northern Flying........ 106
Squirrel, Northern Gray......... 116
De MIGhel POTAITIC,. oo oe eee aeons 142
BMGEMMRCL INC ocr. few cis ass were = 122
Squirrel, Southern Flying........ 102
Squirrel, Southern Gray......... His
Squirrel, Southern Red.......... 122
Squirrel, Striped Ground... a5 lige)
Squirrel, Striped Prairie. sais lets
Squirrel, Thirteen-lined Ground... 138
Squirrel, Western Fox........... 109
SiG (WiNtRe Ski 98
matumels, @arolina........-..... 112
Sauinrelo Miying. ee et 102
DEUMECIS NOX fac csc cece ise Sead 114
SECS 0 oe dado CRO eae 92
Gicks..s oc cua Sion eee acee 58
SSM COMMA eyo, sos cate -< orcgsieonuaus le 3 57
GQHITIO sod Ge atle are ee eee 57,58
allactuSuertcdpacises tacts sees nee 266
Sylvilasussaquaticus. .2-........ 271
Sylvilagus aquaticus littoralis..... 274
Sylvilagus floridanus............ 270
Sylvilagus floridanus alacer....... 270
Sylvilagus floridanus chapmani... 274
Sylvilagus floridanus hitchensi.... 270
Sylvilagus floridanus mallurus. .266, 270
Sylvilagus floridanus mearnsii.... 266
SiiwilaguS palustris.