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Mind eS NN Ry TI: 3 | Height: By, fs eehy > oe : , ei Ta A, hat JINEY, Wols era,” GEOGRAPHIC MIAGAZZINIE, a za fee ANIMALS PHAT TOOK THEIR OWN FIGTURKES BY DAY AND BY NIGHT By GeorGeE SHIRAS, 3RD Mr. Shiras, as a pioneer in camera hunting and the originator of night pho- tography of wild animals, has also assisted in the conservation of wild life by being the author, when in Congress, of the original bills putting under Federal control migratory fish and migratory birds, which latter measure, known subsequently as the Weeks-McLean Bill, became a law March 4, 1913. This act, covering mi- gratory wild-fowl, and by later amendment insectivorous birds, is the most wmpor- tant bird legislation ever enacted for the beneht of sportsmen, nature lovers, and agriculturists. In a brief filed with the Senate in 1912, Mr. Shiras also suggested a series of international agreements to protect birds migrating between nations, and a resolution has been offered in the Senate calling upon the President to negotiate such treaties. | Readers of the National Geographic Magazine will recall with much pleasure the very origimal and instructive articles by Mr. Siuras, previously published in this magazine, as follows: “Photographing Wild Game with Flashlight and Cam- with 72 illustrations; “One Season’s Game Bag with the Camera,” with 70 lustrations ; “A Flashlight Story of an Albino Porcupine and of a Cunning but Unfortunate Coon,’ with 26 illustrations, and “The White Sheep, Giant Moose, ~ torial and Smaller Game of Kenai Peninsula, Alaska,” with 62 illustrations —EDIror. tribute an individual share toward the knowledge of animal life and perhaps to stimulate that interest by pic- representations more appealing than the writer’s pen, there are hereafter presented the home life and forms of a number of wild animals, common and [: THE hopeful endeavor to con- _ rare, some of which wander every night within a stone’s throw of nearly every rural home, while others frequent a sanc- tuary offered in some distant wilderness. THE AUTOMATIC CAMERA IN THE PICTUR- ING AND STUDY OF ANIMAL, LIFE The purpose of this article is to show that a camera and accessories can be so arranged that any animal or bird and many a reptile, however large or small, agile or cunning, may have its picture faithfully recorded, during daylight or darkness, without the immediate presence of a human assistant. While most birds and daylight-feeding animals, like the elk, caribou, mountain sheep and goat, and small animals, such as the squirrel and woodchuck, present no insurmountable difficulties in photog- raphy, getting a good picture of others is often uncertain or irksome when the game photographer must either await their coming or attempt a near approach. In many instances, owing to the noc- turnal character of the animal, the keen- Photo by George Shiras, 3rd | | A WHITE-TAIL BUCK TAKES ITS OWN PICTURE IN DAYTIME | While pawing in the sand for salt the animal struck the camera string with: the left foot. horns partly grown (see page 772). ness of scent and vision, with the habit of skulking in thick underbrush or occu- pying points of vantage where no ap- proach can be made, I have usually found it a waste of effort to try to get pictures in the ordinary way; for, even if occa- sionally successful, the loss of time can be avoided by the use of the set camera. As a rule, the fur-bearing animals and those of predaceous habits are the hardest to photograph with a hand-manipulated camera, for they seldom appear in day- light and fear an artificial light at night. To meet these difficulties, I have devel- oped methods suitable to the habits of each animal. In the main, I have used many of the devices of the trapper rather than the hunter, substituting the auto- matic camera for the trap and using the same baits and scents in favorable lo- calities and during the season of the year when success was likely. The greatest immediate pleasure which comes to the camera hunter when, on foot, he can successfully stalk, or in a The picture was taken in June, when the animal was in a gaunt condition and the canoe quietly paddle up to, a big-game animal, and at other times get pictures from the recess of a well-concealed blind, can still be followed while, at the same time, there are secreted in the for- est or along the waterways several cam- eras capable of picturing the living form of many an elusive animal, and that, too, without the loss of time or patience. In this branch of photography one should have a fair knowledge of the habits and range of the animal sought; for while there are many—if they can be located—that will seize almost any kind of bait, regardless of human scent or the appearance of a poorly concealed — came-za, such as the raccoon, opossum, — skunk, muskrat, woodchuck, rabbit, or squirrel; yet in the case of others, like the beaver, bear, fox, wolf, and deer, one should follow the cautious methods of the trapper when he erects a dead-fall, sets a steel trap, or puts out poisoned bait. Then, toward the close of the day, 764 *%) 3) | | Photo by George Shiras, 3rd A PAIR OF WHITE-TAIL DOES WHO TOOK THEIR OWN PICTURES The camera was placed on an abandoned muskrat house, and as the deer ran splashing by to escape the flies, the string was broken. the focal-plane shutter was available. when the fading light puts an end to the use of the hand camera, one may ex- pectantly visit the camera traps, and if the string across the runway is broken or the bait disturbed, the surroundings should be carefully examined for the hoof-marks of a frightened deer or the scratches made by the claws of some carnivorous animal fleeing on the click of the revolving shutter. If, however, no visitor has come, the flashlight machine may be adjusted and the shutter of the camera reset at a much slower speed, so that when some night prowler presses against the string or eagerly pulls at the bait the flash will illuminate the sur- roundings while the sensitive plate re- cords the scene. Then, when the blazing camp-fire ac- centuates the darkness of the night, the sportsman, lying within the narrow circle of its warmth, may suddenly see a daz- zling column of light ascend on a distant hillside, or illuminating with a momen- tary flutter the gloomy valley of some water-course; and in a few seconds the This photograph was made in 1889, before deep, dull boom of the exploding powder suggests an animal fleeing in needless terror from a spot where the weapon contained no bullet and where its re- corded visit will prove a source of pleas- ure to one who meant it no bodily harm. As I usually explode a compound of magnesium powder in a_ hermetically sealed box—to insure higher speed and the exclusion of moisture—I have some- times heard the report at a distance of three miles and noticed the flash at a much further distance. Therefore one can imagine the sur- prise and terror of some timid animal when experiencing the first dazzling ex- plosion. Yet, as will be shown later, the pangs of hunger or the cravings for some particularly choice food will lead many of these animals to return to the inter- rupted feast, and in the course of time the blinding light and roar seem to be regarded as a harmless manifestation of nature, like thunder or lightning. And then one may, if he desires, get a series of interesting night pictures, in every at- 765 Photo by George Shiras, 3rd DOE MOM LED BY. suN biG Esl ie Sil NIC Gite “The need of sunlight and the fact that a passing cloud or the shifting light may throw the deer in heavy or broken shadows is one reason why a camera set out at night with the flashlight is often preferable” (see text, page 772). titude and action. An example of this was shown by an article in this magazii - several years ago, illustrating the nightly visits of the same coon to bait placed at the edge of a little lake.* In taking a picture from a canoe by flashlight one must he able to judge short distances accurately in order to have the animal in proper focus. In a different way, Dut) for ite ‘same jiedsomerity as equally important that automatically taken pictures should come within the focus for which the camera was set in advance. With the bait placed at a given distance, little trouble arises, but when the animal sought is a deer or a moose coming to the water or feeding grounds, the problem becomes more difficult, be- cause the intercepting string must be touched at the point where the animal will be in sharp focus. * See “A Flashlight Story of an Albino Porcupine and of a Cunning but Unfortunate Coon,” National GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE, June, LOU 760 Whenever animals are traveling on a well-defined runway, a string running to a stake on the opposite side will insure a good picture, because the camera can be previously focused on the runway; but if such animals are to be photographed when wandering along the shores of a pond or traveling in a creek bottom, it is important that natural conditions be taken advantage of, so that the animal will be forced to pass at a fixed distance from the camera, as will be the case where the shore is narrowed by drift- wood, rocks, or mud-holes. Quite often temporarily erected ob- structions will accomplish the same pur- pose, provided no scent is left and the materia! used is in harmony with the surroundings. Otherwise, in order to avoid having the camera sprung at a point where it is not in focus, the string can be run along the ground and then raised a foot or two high by forked sticks at the spot where the animal is most likely to pass. Photo by George Shiras, 3rd NIGHT PICTURE OF WHITE-TAIL BUCK AND DOE Beyond the ridge was a large, white pine log, where the camera and flashlight were set, the string running to a pine opposite. Usually I encamped near enough to hear the report of the flash, but some- times it may be set many miles away, or perhaps I am in town or on a side trip, in which case it has not been unusual for the camera to remain unvisited for a week or ten days. But this is of little consequence ; for, with the shutter open- ing and closing automatically, the ex- posed plate is safe until called for. On pages 707 and 768 are a couple of pic- tures of deer taken when I was many miles away. PHOTOGRAPHING THE WHITE-TAIL DEER The alphabet for the beginner in wild- life photography usually comprises nest- ing birds of the neighborhood, chip- Flash probably fired by the doe munks, the lazy and sun-loving wood- chuck, or the stolid porcupine, and even then many difficulties confront the nov- ice, the overcoming of which opens the door for picturing rarer or more active subjects. Some who take up camera hunting become discouraged by early failures and are unable to see how such an in- strument can ever be a satisfactory sub- stitute for the sportsman’s gun. Others, with their interest only intensified by defeat, continue or until won over by the attractiveness of a contest where success costs no life or an awkwardly handled camera leaves no wounded ani- mal to die a lingering death. 707 Photo by George Shiras, 3rd A WHITE-TAIL DOE Here a fallen tree narrowed the runway along the shore, so that the deer was sure to be in focus when the flash was fired My first photographic efforts, how- ever, were directed toward big game ani- mals and began many years ago (1887), when quite satiated with the conquests of the gun and the regrettable recollec- tion that success meant a more or less painful death of some timid animal, whose body was usually unnecessary for food and whose horns or hide had be- come superfluous trophies no longer jus- tifying deadly pursuit. That I should have begun by trying to photograph such a wary creature as the white-tail deer had an explanation in the fact that this animal had been my favorite quarry with the rifle, and hav- ing hunted it from my youth I knew its habits well, thereby appreciating its re- sourcefulness in avoiding danger. No member of the deer family is harder to photograph in the daytime, although it is the most abundant and widely dis- tributed member of its kind. 768 Naturally I was confronted with many obstacles, mostly due to ignorance of photography, and had. 1 not- been mee fortunate possessor of a good lens at the beginning and one of the first hand cameras made in this country, it is likely this pastime would have lost an ardent advocate. Persistent pursuit and the trial of many methods finally suggested ways of getting pictures with ease and certainty, for in the end few wild ani- mals can escape the gun, trap, or the camera when hunted with care and energy. The white-tail deer has a wonderfully keen ear and an equally keen nose and its eyesight, as with most of the deer tribe, is not of a particularly discriminating kind, yet the slightest sound or scent will re- sult in an accurately directed glance to- ward the source of danger, and then it is useless to try for a picture, although the animal may be within fair range of the rifle. Photo by George Shiras, 3rd A DOk THAT TOOK ITS OWN PICTURE A DOZEN TIMES “After taking the third picture, it was impossible to get the deer to spring the flashlight; for, although unquestionably the black silk thread was invisible at night, a slight pressure on the upper limbs was noticed immediately and the deer retreated. The abundance of porcupines and rabbits prevented placing the thread closer to the ground. To meet this difficulty, the leaves of a freshly cut bush were saturated with salt water, and when the deer pushed into it the pressure of the thread was unnoticed until too late” (see text, page 777). DAYLIGHT PICTURES As daylight photography of deer usu- ally requires direct sunlight, with the animal free from interfering brush, it is easy to understand how a close approach on foot is difficult, although in a canoe one may frequently surprise a deer at a short bend in a stream or often get excellent pictures at close range when hiding in a favorably located blind. Such pictures of deer are best ob- tained in the early summer months, when seeking their favorite aquatic plants or going to water-courses to escape the flies. Then they are easily located and can be taken in exposed situations, where the illumination is good and no brush or trees cut off the view of the camera. 769 It was not long after discovering the difficulty of getting within photographic GiGi Anes C1 Glee, ViMeUNeic Ta zi CAMlOS Ore on foot, that the idea suggested itself of concealing a camera 25 feet from a run- Way Of Meat a marrow portion of the shore, so that a thread running from the shutter to a stake, tree, or log would re- sult in a picture if any animals passed by. Even then, when one might be miles away, the lingering scent from the much- handled and near-by camera required the wind to be favorable when selecting a place. Elk, moose, or caribou will push against and generally break an in- tervening thread, but a white-tail deer in many cases will retreat the instant it feels the slightest pressure on the breast “= a * — = on - . _ = em = YSey sy} Oy poyyea J9}4e] 94} UIIDUOD JT] WWM pue Sod 94} OUPD UsYM ‘skep Og UI Uaye} aJOM SoInjoid UdAIG,, AHdVaIOLOHd LHOVIASVIA IO SNUVAT UWALLVWI AHL NAMM “WHLVA\ IHL OL NMVA UHH ONID 1€ ‘se1ryg 3981094) Aq oJoyg UMEF SY JO JOH OMIOULISUL OY} Udy} UA INq {MITA OJUT aUeD Op oy} se qsnf SUIIIS JBI] “TOATI OY} OF UMEF UMOIO-J[eY JOY YSNoIq sop ay} WYSIU su JO} S]ye JO astidins NIQG@ UAHA ANVS AHL ‘(LZZZ ased 4x9] 998) JOyJOUT Sqr ye Kem JURpodxO UL UT SuIzes UMOYS st ‘A{PPOOT STYI UT afqNo1} aq 0} de sear dI9q} JEU} SUIMOUY JO ddUvIeIdde 9Y} [[e YIM ‘UMPFJ JY} VIM {AEM oUIeS OY} UL So] Sj YOR A\o1Y} ‘00} ‘jr puv ‘soysURIG asOO] FO SSB B UL PITY} OY} OJUL PoHTeM GOP oY} I0}e| skep Udy,, ISHMAINI ASNYLNI HLIA NO SMOOT NMVA HHL GNV HSV1a HHL SAY HOd AHL LHOIN WHHLIONV pr€ ‘serps a81095 An oo Photo by George Shiras, 3rd HAND FLASHLIGHT MACHINE CONVERTED INTO AN AUTOMATIC ONE The upper string runs to the shutter; the lower one, connected with the trigger, is baited at the other end or extends across the runway. The round pasteboard box contains the powder. use. or upper limbs. To photograph.a deer the line must be close to the ground, where it may be often overstepped or be in the way of a wandering porcupine (see page 816). When, however, deer are in a playful mood or rushing through the water or along the shore to escape the flies, they, are unable to check themselves on touch- ing the thread and the result is a picture full of action (see page 765). By throw- ing a handful of salt on the beach and running the thread across the spot, it 1s easy to get pictures of the animals paw- ing the earth in search of the salt (see page 764). The need of sunlight and the fact that a passing cloud or the shift- ing light may throw the deer in heavy or broken shadows is one reason why a camera set out at night with the flash- light is often preferable (see page 766). NIGHT PICTURES OF DEER It now seems strange to recall the time when it was considered sportsmanlike to 772 This apparatus was patented by author in 1893 and thereupon dedicated to public kill big-game animals at night by means of a jack-light in the bow of a canoe; yet when I first began shooting deer in the early 70’s, “‘fire-hunting,” as it was then called, was not only deemed en- tirely proper, but a very agreeable diver- sion, being the usual method resorted to in getting a supply of venison when camping near small lakes or sluggish streams, and especially if still-hunting during the day had proved unsuccessful. Copying this method from the Chip- pewa Indians, then the principal tribe on Lake Superior, the light I first used was a crude affair, made by burning | pine pitch in an old frying-pan,- with pieces of birch bark added when about to shoot. As the rays of such a light were not concentrated and affected somewhat by smoke, the deer were usu- ally shot within a circle of 50 feet or less. Later I used a small lantern, wath a good reflector, and as experience soon showed that a deer had little chance of escaping a charge of buckshot, my Photo by George Shiras, 3rd THE AUTOMATIC FLASHLIGHT APPARATUS IMPROVED BY AN AIR PUMP The pump operates the shutters of one, two, or three cameras as the flash is fired. Patented by the author’s guide, J. H. Hammer, in 1903. is shown on page 8ol. equally young shooting companion and I agreed to only use a rifle, just as a little later we spared does and fawns in night shooting. With the opening up of northern Michigan by several lines of railway came the market-hunter, and so destructive was his use of the jack-light, both in a canoe or as a headlight on a blazed trail—many killing 100 to 200 deer in the early fall months—that it soon became apparent, in the absence of prohibitory legislation, the deer were doomed, especially since most of those killed at night were does. Before any legislation had prohibited fire-hunting in Michigan I had given it up and assisted in the movement to end such slaughter. Still later, when the time came that I preferred hunting with the camera, I often felt how unfortunate it was, after an wnsuccessful day with the camera, either by reason of cloudy weather or inability to locate any deer, that I could not go out after dark and get deer pic- TW: A picture of this apparatus in use The author considers this the most reliable method yet devised. tures under the jack-light with the same ease that I formerly got their carcasses. ‘hen, too,etlere. is a pecilian and never-ending fascination in canoeing at night, when the evening stillness brings to the keen ear the crooning of the por- Ciipinc tie: Chimpme Of te eriekeb, ne gentle croaking of the frog, or the soft flutter of an owl circling on wings of velvet. When a muskrat jumps off a log or a pickerel in the shallow water darts against the side of the boat, one gives an involuntary start at sounds magnified a dozen times by the high ten- sion of the watcher. ‘To the straining eye of the one in the bow, confined to the diverging avenue of light cast by the jack-light revolving on its staff, the over- hanging branches and the bleached or gnarled trunks assume weird shapes, and when finally there is detected the in- termittent swish-swish-swish of a deer wading knee deep here and there in search of tender roots, one tries to pierce the darkness ahead for the first faint Photo by George Shiras, 3rd A PORCUPINE FIRES THE FLASHLIGHT Attracted by a bone saturated with salt water, a big, black “porky” is shown pulling on the string (see page 779) glimmer of the lantern light, reflected like balls of fire in the eyes of the sus- picious deer. And then sometimes the novice, seeing the momentary glow of a firefly or the glistening dewdrop on the reeds, imagines he sees a shadowy form and fires at the apparition. When, how- ever, the blue, translucent glow of the watching eyes appear, and the approach- ing gray form grows into the graceful image of a deer, the time has come when the gun or flashlight breaks in on the stillness of the night and the implement used determines whether one prefers the bloody carcass and its transient use or a picture that will live long after the pur- sued and the pursuer have passed away. In the first use of the hand flashlight I met with many adventures and much ill-success, due to the slow magnesium powder then manufactured and the still slower means of ignition—methods that were fairly satisfactory for interior pic- tures, but useless on damp or windy nights, when the flash had to be fired the instant the deer came in focus and with Photo by George Shiras, 3rd THEN CAME A LIGHT-COLORED PORCUPINE (SEE PAGE 779) This animal was of a yellowish-white hue and may have been a descendant of the albino porcupine described by the author at length in a previous issue (see NATIONAL GEo- GRAPHIC MAGAZINE, June, IQII. the same quickness as a gun. Some deer ran away just when I ignited the pow- der, and others staring at the lantern light gave a convulsive movement of the head the instant the slow powder ex- ploded, so that all such pictures were worthless, though I thoroughly enjoyed the effort of getting within 25 feet of a feeding deer and the excitement both aboard the canoe and on shore when the spluttering flash went off. Gradually I constructed an apparatus that could be fired with ease and cer- NI UL tainty, and as the speed of the powder was improved all difficulty vanished in getting night pictures from a canoe. DEER THAT TOOK THEIR OWN PICTURES AT NIGHT (see pp. 767-768 ) The white-tail deer, unlike moose and elk, will rarely face a jack-light again at close range when once it has been shot at with a gun or flashlight, for it associ- ates the explosion in either case with the innocent lantern, and when this light is once more seen approaching across the The author’s more recent investigations sustain the theory that the porcupine avoids killing mature trees It took the ani- mal three days to eat the bark on the above tree, and then it went to the adjoining one, where it was equally careful in removing the bark. Note how the inner wood shows the broad teeth-marks of the animal (see by eating all the bark about the base. page 781). dark waters or coming through the woods, it bounds off snorting or quietly skulks away before one gets within range. This form of night photography, there- fore, in addition to being a bloodless sport, has doubtless saved the lives of many deer that otherwise would have fallen before the deadly gun of the numerous headlight hunters. On several occasions I heard some of these chaps Photo by George Shiras, 3rd TREE TRUNKS SEMIGIRDLED BY PORCUPINES 776 of getting within gunshot of deer in the neighborhood of White Fish Lake; but the reason for this was never explained to them. Finally, when most of the deer near camp became sophisticated and would not tolerate a jack- light, and again because there were times when the full moon rendered the artificial light use- less, or because deer often fed in localities not accessible by canoe, I concluded to put the flashlight out after dark in the hope that it would prove as successful as the set camera in the daytime. With but very little change in the hand flashlight, it was con- verted into an automatic ome, and so adjusted that the slight- est pull of a string would fire the flash, the shutter opening and closing simultaneously (see page 772). This was the begin- ning of the automatic flashlight and led to a much more diversi- fied use of the camera at night. A DEER THAT TOOK ITS OWN PICTURE A DOZEN TIMES Perhaps the most interesting experiment I have made with a set camera occurred when I en- deavored to get a series of pic- tures of the same deer—an ef- fort that was accomplished un- der conditions favoring the trial. On a stream not far above camp an old doe was in the habit of coming to the water nearly every night to feed upon a succulent form of water grass growing at that point. It would not stand the jack-light and rarely ap- peared before d-rk. So, clearing space in the aldefs throwing out some cabbage leaves turnips, well sprinkled with salt, it was not long before their disappearance and the clear-cut hoof tracks explained the reason. ‘Then an empty, well-weathered box, with a hinged lid, was placed on a log, and there it remained until the deer fed without suspicion. Cutting a round hole in the box, the camera was placed therein and a string from the flashlight and and complaining about the difficulty — Photo by George Shiras, 3rd A MUSKRAT PULLING ON A CELERY ROOT During several seasons, by automatic camera and flashlight, a large number of night pictures were taken of muskrats, which are not easy to photograph in daytime, as they are largely nocturnal or abroad only toward dusk (see text, page 782). stretched across the feeding place. Wa- ter was dashed wherever any trace of scent was apt to be, and that night came a flash, visible from my bed-room win- dow. A good picture resulted and the camera was reset; but nothing came for nearly 10 days, when once more a pic- ture of the same deer was taken. This time no effort was made for another pic- ture, but the place was kept well baited, Pirieetcomt 2 canoe I could see fresh tracks in the mud, when the camera was once more placed in the box. After taking the third picture it was impossible to get the deer to spring the flashlight; for, although, unquestionably the black silk thread was invisible at night, a slight pressure on the upper limbs was noticed immediately and the deer retreated. The abundance of por- cupines and rabbits prevented placing the thread closer to the ground. ‘To meet this difficulty, the leaves of a freshly cut bush were saturated with salt water, and when the deer pushed into it the pressure of the thread was unnoticed until too late. ‘The flash shows the deer nibbling away (see page 769). Seven pictures were taken in 60 days, when came the best surprise of all; for one night the doe brought her half-grown fawn to the river, and with little concern the latter walked into the flashlight string just as the doe came into view (see page 770) ; but even then the instinctive effort of the fawn to avoid the sharp pressure of the thread is shown by the fore right leg being thrown against the body. Ten days later the doe walked into the thread in a mass of loose branches, and it, too, threw back its leg in the same way; while the fawn, with all the appearance of knowing that there was apt to be trouble in this locality, is shown gazing in an expectant way at its mother (see page 771). Ti. Photo by George Shiras, 3rd A MUSKRAT WHO IS BEING INTRODUCED TO CARROTS AND LIKES THEM (SEE PAGE 783) FLASHLIGHT OF DOE AND TWIN FAWNS The picture of the white-tail doe and two fawns, appearing as the supplement, is an example of night photography from the bow of a canoe, and is intended to serve as a contrast to the series taken by automatic means in the accompanying article. Therefore a brief description of how this picture was taken may be of interest. One quiet, warm evening early in July, 1896, the canoe left camp for the south end of Whitefish Lake, where it was reasonably certain several deer would be found on arrival or after a short wait. On the way I suggested crossing the lake to look for a deer in a little bay where an old and long abandoned logging road came to the shore, between high bluffs, and the only place accessible for deer coming to the water in half a mile. When the jack-light began to bring in faint relief the shores of the bay we saw a pair of glowing eyes, but before the body became distinct the deer gave a aS snort, and running up the trail a ways, stopped. Backing the canoe off a short distance, the animal finally returned to the water; but as the light came nearer it bounded off again. This performance was repeated several times, indicating pretty clearly that the animal was one I had flashed before, or was one that had providentially escaped a load of buck- shot fired by a pot-hunter using a head- light. Growing discouraged, I gave the signal to continue down the lake; but the guide, believing the deer would soon grow less suspicious, held the boat a few minutes longer. Suddenly, on the right, I heard the tell- tale ripple made by a deer entering the water, and turning the jack-light in that direction, was surprised to see three pairs of glimmering eyes. -On a nearer yap proach I was delighted to see a large doe and two beautifully spotted fawns— a picture long and hopefully wished for. The mother deer was feeding on a plant common in such waters, while the fawns romped about with an abandon indicat- Miko ANIMALS THAT TOOK THEIR OWN PICTURES ing a dependence tupon.a milk diet. When within 25 ards the doe became restless under the light and turned up the shore toward the old lumber road; but the fawns, apparently enjoying the illumi- nated shore, ran to and fro in a way to prevent getting the entire group on the small plate. With great anxiety I awaited the mo- ment when the three would come in closer proximity, and several times was greatly tempted to fire the flash when the doe and one fawn were in a good position. Just as the doe reached the trail and when I[ feared that in the effort to get the three all would escape, the fawns ran in behind their mother, pre- paring to follow ,in her clearly intended retreat; so I gave a shrill whistle, the finger resting on the trigger of the flash- light for instant action. The fawns turned broadside as the mother stepped ashore and in open-eyed amazement gazed at the round ball of fire, which had hitherto been so silent. Bang! went the flash, and a great tongue of flame and a column of white smoke ascended to the top of the trees. Opening my left eye, which had been purposely closed when the blinding flash was fired, I saw the doe running up the trail, while the fawns, directly facing the dazzling flame, were temporarily blinded and jumped about in great confusion; one finally struggled up the shore in col- lisicn with brush and projecting logs, while the other jumped into the water and headed directly for the canoe, dimly seeing a lighted way in front of the jack when al! else about was dark and 1m- penetrable. As it passed by I seized it gently by the slender neck, whereupon the guide, who had a long standing order mmmemoune deer, asked me to pull it aboard; but the thought of a capsize, with the loss of a negative more valuable to me than the prize money in sight for the guide, and the thought, too, of sep- arating forever these frolicksome twins, le’ ~e to turn the swimmer ashore. And Whe we returned an hour later, the ab- sence of bleating cries showed the family reunited, but doubtless still in a state of wonder at a whistling moon which had 779 blown up in such an unexpected and ter- rifying manner. HOW PORCUPINES TOOK THEIR OWN PICS Having in a previous issue described the habits and range of the porcupine,* reference now will be confined to the manner in which the accompanying pic- tures were taken (1912), with a few ad- ditional observations upon the alleged in- stinct of the animal in never completely girdling the base of the tree when feed- ing on the lower bark. Where porcupines are abundant they are easy animals to photograph. On five occasions I even got their pictures at night on the same plate with deer. But diy chor tO wcoax such) a stolid) .trec inhabiting rodent to take its own picture by flashlight, and at a spot where the camera must be placed more or less at random, presented something of a prob- lem. Subsisting almost exclusively upon the bark, twigs, and leaves of certain trees, including particularly, in the fall, the needles of coniferous ones, like the hemlock, this animal is not often found seeking ground food except in the sum- mer, when it visits ponds and lakes for aquatic plants. Consequently months might pass without a picture if the bait used consisted of the common form of vegetation found throughout its range. Like most rodents, however, the porcu- pine enjoys gnawing the bones or shed antlers of wild animals, and also has a keen relish for any substance impreg- nated with salt. Therefore it seemed to me there could be found no greater at- traction than a salted bone. ‘The two big “porkies’—-one unusually light-colored, the other unusually dark, with a bone between their uplifted paws, tell the story of the effort (see pages 774 and 775). Having heretofore only casually no- ticed the manner in which trees were barked by porcupines, I had reached no definite conclusion thereon; so when last fall, while looking for a good place to *See “A Flashlight Story of an Albino Porcupine and of a Cunning but Unfortunate Coon,” NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE, June, IOI. T-HAND CORNER), Photo by George Shiras, 3rd A BROOM (NOTE UPPER LE WAS PHOTOGRAPHED AT CLOSE RANGE. (SEE PAGES 783.anpe784) ROUNDED UP BY USE OF VEAP YY, THIS MUSKRAT TOOK POSSESSION OF THE CAMP CARROT PATCH Photo by ee Shiras, 3rd SEIZED BY THE TAIL, IT WAS HELD ALOFT FOR THE PURPOSE OF SHOWING ITS EVER- INCREASING GIRTH (SEE PAGE 784) set out the camera, I found a compact area where the majority of certain ma- ture trees had bark eaten from the trunk, I carefully examined and counted them as follows: 18 silver birches, 5 elms, 4 maples, 3 each of white pine and hem- lock. Not one of the numerous balsam trees had been touched. In only two in- stances were the trees completely girdled, and in each case in different years, the last animal either not realizing it was killing the tree or not noticing the old cutting. In the same neighborhood the upper and terminal limbs of a number of young pines were denuded of bark, and in several cases the trees were dead or dying. The strong teeth of the porcupine are admirably adapted for removing the heavy bark, and, as in the case of the beaver, this animal can chisel out large pieces. The picture on page 776 shows how cleanly the bark was removed and eaten, the inner wood showing plainly the scoring made by the flat teeth and how carefully the animals avoided re- moving more than half the bark. 781 MUSKRATS AND THEIR HOMES AND HABITS While the steady advance in the value of muskrat skins has led many a trapper who was wont to pass them by to put them on his list of desirables, these ani- mals withstand onslaught better than any other of the fur-bearers, due to their fe- cundity and wide distribution rather than any ability to elude capture. Every frequenter of the wilderness, as well as the watchful ruralist, is familiar with the swimming figure of this inhabit- ant of the marshes, and toward evening sometimes sees him waddling along the banks or astride a partially sunken log deftly opening mussel shells—about the . only flesh sought by this aquatic rodent. Often muskrats are more abundant in the marshes of a partly settled district, where the mink and other enemies have been long ago eliminated and where the far- mer boy, rather than the professional trapper, has been its only enemy; but its greater relative abundance and the in- creasing value of the pelt makes it now well worth the effort of the skillful trap- THE GLUTTON’S END (SEE PAGE 784) Photo by George Shiras, 3rd The same muskrat seizing carrot at-edge of the dock before the author could get more In this picture the animal resembles a miniature than a few feet away from exploding flash. grizzly bear. per to visit the marshes bordering civili- zation, and soon it will be numbered among the missing or the rare in many parts of the country. Largely nocturnal or abroad toward dusk, and then usually in the water, the muskrat is not an easy animal to photo- graph in daytime. In the summer of 1910 I concluded that an animal which was so abundant and which had hereto- fore etused) fo pose fOr a pICtine milsE be sought systematically and with due care. Naturally night pictures, with the aid of the baited string, was the plan in mind, and the only question of impor- tance was the kind of bait likely to coax the animals out of water and in a place where the camera could be set and easily examined. As an experiment, celery was put on the logs near the runways, or ‘close..to the yentrance sof the “summer homes, in the banks of a stream and marsh near camp. The following night the celery had disappeared; thereupon 78 A few days after it died, probably as a result of its carrot debauch. four stakes were driven in the water op- posite a log from which the bait had been taken, while a board was placed on top for the support of the camera. An- other and heavier stake behind held the flashlight apparatus, and from it ran a string to and through an eye-screw in an overhanging branch, with a piece of celery attached to the end. That night the exploding powder was heard and the developed plate showed a chunky musk- rat reaching up for the bait (see page 777). Every night thereafter the musk- rats came, regardless of weather, and a good set of pictures soon resulted. wo seasons later more muskrat pic- tures were taken, but mostly for the pur- pose of showing their recently con- structed winter homes. Instead of cel- ery, carrots were substituted, being taken from a large bed in front of the cabin. Thereafter every muskrat in the vicinity became reckless with delight, and long before dark the flash would be prema- turely fired, necessitating setting it out Photo by George Shiras, 3rd FLASHLIGHT OF A MUSKRAT BUILDING ITS WINTER HOME IN THE MARSH (SEE PAGE 782) after dusk. Sometimes the canoe would not get away more than 50 feet before the explosion came, showing that the ex- pectant animals were watching near by. After taking many pictures, the camera and flash were set out for rabbits in a little swamp near the stream, and I won- dered what the muskrats would think of this change. DID THIS MUSKRAT EAT HIMSELF TO DEATH ? But I was not left long in doubt, for in a few days a particularly large musk- 783 rat was seen leaving the stream, and in the bright sunlight it waddled up the tral towanduthencanhot patch ywiiere ine proceeded to pull up a carrot, and re- turned to the water. Considering this a good opportunity for a daylight picture, I went to the cabin for the camera, and, returning, seated myself within a few yards of the trail, with a carrot placed temptingly in the way. After waiting, and when no animal appeared, I exam- ined the carrot patch and found that he had come while I was after the camera. The guide thereupon got a broom for SSS Photo by George Shiras, 3rd WINTER MUSKRAT HOUSE ON THE RIVER BANK HELD SECURELY IN PLACE BY THE BUNCH OF ALDERS Note the carrot dangling just above the muskrat. the purpose of driving the muskrat out into an-open space where it could be pho- tographed to better advantage—a pro- ceeding it resented with some vigor by biting off the ends of the wisp (see page Joo). in the effort toy round him up he was upset, but he had become so fat and unwieldy that it took several trials to re- gain his footing. When right side up, with a gloved hand he was seized by the tail and held aloft while the camera snapped again (see page 781). Replaced on the ground, he headed for the water, but on discovering the carrot in the trail, he seized it without signs of fear and dragged it down to the water’s edge, where he disappeared under the dock. Late in the afternoon the flash- light was set upon the path near the wa- ter, and at dusk, just as the bait was being tied on, I saw the dim figure of the muskrat coming out of the creek and headed for the carrot; so, giving a warn- Flashlight (see page 785) ing cry, we rushed away just as the flash exploded (see page 782). For many days thereafter this animal ate and dozed alternately in the carrot bed, and one evening I saw him at the edge of the bank with a large carrot, out of which he would take a bite and then his eyes would close; and then in a mo- ment he would nibble again. He had now grown fatter than a woodchuck. The morning following this my attention was called to the animal’s head sticking out from under the dock, and for the first time he did not seem to be interested in carrots. Examination showed him to be as dead as a mackerel, and his days of gluttony were over. WINTER HOMES OF THE MUSKRAT The time of year had come when the old and the young muskrats, lacking a warm home within reach of open or run- ning waters, must provide a new one in 784 Photo by George Shiras, 3rd AN EARLY WINTER VIEW OF THE SAME HOUSE, WITH THE MUSKRAT GETTING ITS FINAL CARROT (SEE TEXT, PAGES 784-785 ) advance of the northern winter. About White Fish Lake most of these ani- mals seemed to have quarters habitable throughout the year, but about Io per cent built the usual dome of reeds and mud in the marshes at the inlet and out- let of the lake, where the running waters prevented ice forming to the bottom, while another 10 per cent erected a sub- stantial upper-story over their summer homes in the river bank. Night views of these different structures appear on pages 783 and 784. arly in November, before ice formed on the stream, a final flashlight picture was taken of a muskrat climbing his snow-covered house for a farewell bite at a carrot, the welcome odor of which had penetrated the cozy home and given notice that the prospective meal would be illuminated by a burst of light, affect- ing his vision for the moment, but not his appetite. MOTHER MUSKRAT CHASES A MINK Once while watching for deer from a tree overhanging the water, I saw five young muskrats sunning themselves on a near-by log, while the mother swam about in a watchful way. Suddenly she eave sd s@ucak andaa tap.on her tails whereupon the youngsters tumbled off into the water and, diving, disappeared in the hollow end of the log, followed by the parent. Looking about for the cause of alarm, I saw a good-sized mink peer- ing through the brush where the inner end of the log was embedded in the bank. Satisfied that the only chance for an im-. mediate meal lay in submarine opera— tions and possibly not knowing a pro- tector was at home, the mink glided into: the water and, without a moment’s hesi-. tation, dived out of sight at the entrance: to the log, leaving me in the belief that: the purpose of such a bold marauder would soon be accomplished. Consequently I was much surprised on seeing the mink shoot to the surface and put for the shore just as the mother came in sight in angry pursuit. On land- ing the mink ran into an opening in the trunk of the tree upon which 1 sat, tol- lowed by the muskrat; but no encounter occurred, for the mink came out the other side and in a quick dash re-entered the first hole. Several times this maneu- 786 Photo by George Shiras, 3rd A MICHIGAN MINK FINDS A FRESH FISH ON SHORE AND RECEIVES A SURPRISE (SEE PAGE 787) ver was repeated, the muskrat becoming more and more infuriated; but the mink seemed to regard the whole affair as a joke, finally running up the bank, while its antagonist, taking no chances on be- ing lured away, sat on the shore for half an hour. The week following I saw three young muskrats on the log, and this reduction in number doubtless meant a successful WILD ANIMALS THAT TOOK THEIR OWN PIC DURES raid while the mother was out of sight in search of food. Whether fear, gallantry, or a provident instinct in not killing the breeding female accounted for the mink’s refusal to give battle, I will not under- take to say. And possibly it was this par- ticular mink that had an encounter which it did not regard as a joke, as shown on page 786, where a mink, near the musk- rat log, is pictured pulling on the fish bait just as the flash exploded. RABBITS OF THE NORTH The varying hare or snow-shoe rabbit does not occupy a burrow, and although it remains throughout the year, above ground it is seldom seen, even where fairly numerous; for, besides living in dense swamps and thick coverts, it is largely nocturnal. JI have sometimes come across the remnants left by an owl or a fox, and have often seen hundreds ef tracks in a freshly fallen snow, be- sides on occasions snaring some for camp use, but rarely have I seen their brown forms in summer or when whit- ened on the approach of the winter snows. The fact that this rabbit was difficult to photograph and, moreover, was typical of the northern swamps, be- ing a staple winter diet of the trapper, homesteader, explorer, and of many In- dian tribes, led me to try for a series of pictures, even if such a humble and timid animal was not rated high on the sportsman’s list. In the near-by swamps and in the al- ders along the creek in front of my Michigan camp, there were supposed to be a number of rabbits; so a preliminary feast of carrots and cabbage was placed too yards down the stream, such prox- imity being an advantage in resetting the camera and flash whenever we saw: the blaze or heard the report, for if the rab- bits proved as indifferent to the flash- light as coons, skunks, and muskrats, it would then be possible to get two or more pictures each night. In a few nights the vegetables were gone. Then a carrot was tied to the end of a string connected with the flash- light ; but no explosion occurred the first night, because the rabbit had quietly 187 eaten the bait without pulling on the string. "Then a carrot was suspended from the ground on the trunk of a tree, requiring the animal to stand up and pull; but this made a somewhat ridicu- lous position, since one is not accus- tomed to seeing a rabbit brace its fore- feet and pull for dear life. Then a tilting board was arranged, so that when the animal stepped on it the flash would be discharged ; but a few ex- periments showed that the visitor always seemed to come with a hop and a jump— whether of joy or suspicion I could not. tell. This resulted in the animal moving during the flash or being out of focus when on the jump. Finally, a spring pole was bent down to within a foot of the ground and a carrot tied to the end of it and to a stake driven level with the soil, so that when the carrot was eaten through the pole would fly up, pulling the string con- nected with the flash. One can see or imagine he sees a surprised look on the face of the rabbit as the half-eaten car- rot springs into the air (see page 789). When the fall winds from Lake Supe- rior carried the first snowflakes, and it seemed probable the rabbits had changed from brown to white, the camera and flash were set out again. But a week passed before a visitor came, for upon the alders losing their leaves the sum- mer wanderers had retreated to the cedar swamps. One scene, on page 791, de- picts a pair, partially robed in white, nibbling at the last supper of the year, furnished from the garden of the au- thor’s camp (1912). NORTHERN SKUNKS UNDER THE FLASHLIGHT Ditcime, tee iallyor 191m) I spemt) 10 days at my house-boat on White Fish Lake, and, as was the custom, some fish and the remains from the camp table were placed a few yards back in the for- est for the enticement of any wandering animal. It was in this way and in the same locality that I got my first series of coon pictures by flashlight. The second night following a visitor came and the food selected suggested a coon or a skunk. I then put up a light-colored plank for a background and hung the bait from it, so that the animal was sure to be in focus and its figure well out- lined against the board, however dark the fur. Then at dusk the camera and flashlight were set within a dozen feet of the bait. After dinner I sat on deck awaiting re- sults, and about 8 o’clock I gave an in- voluntary start, when the bright flame and heavy report broke in on the quiet, dark waters of the little bay. But, what- ever the animal, it had quietly disap- peared before I came ashore with the lantern to reset the camera and the flash for another trial. Several hours later the house-boat quivered from the shock of another explosion, but I did not get up, wishing to see what the developed plates would show the next day before trying again. The first exposure was Photo by George Shiras, 3rd A MICHIGAN VARYING HARE, OR SNOW-SHOE RABBIT, FIRES THE FLASH “The fact that this rabbit was difficult to photograph and, moreover, was typical of the northern swamps, being a staple winter diet of the trapper, homesteader, explorer, and of many Indian tribes, led me to try for a series of pictures, even if such a humble and timid animal was not rated high on the sportsman’s list” (see text, page 787). that of an adult skunk pulling sidewise at the bait, and marked with the usual dorsal strip of white and a tail of black tipped with white (see page 792). ‘The second plate showed a skunk with a darker body and a tail almost entirely white (see page 793). The next night it rained constantly and nothing came, for skunks dislike wet grass or dripping bushes. On the third night three flashes were fired before 11 o'clock, and the plates showed the skunk with the white-tipped tail; and this one continued to come night after night to brave the terrors of the flash. Finally, the white-tailed skunk summoned up courage for a second visit, and then came regularly. Up to this time no picture had shown the great plume-like tail of the skunk when erected for action. But the second skunk had evidently discovered that every time it pulled on 788 Photo by George Shiras, 3rd MANY EXPERIMENTS WERE TRIED BEFORE A PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING A RABBIT IN A NATURAL POSITION WAS SECURED “Finally a spring pole was bent down to within a foot of the ground and a carrot tied to the end of it and to a stake driven level with the soil, so that when the carrot was eaten through the pole would fly up, pulling the string connected with the flash. One can see, or imagine he sees, a surprised look on the face of the rabbit as the half-eaten carrot springs into the air” (see text, page 787). the bait attached to the string there fol- lowed a dazzling light and a heavy ex- plosion. Not liking this kind of inter- ruption, it always raised the tail so the battery concealed beneath would be ready for instant use if the occasion required (see page 794). Should one wish to compare the mark- ings and the habitat surroundings of this and the southern species, two pictures. of the Florida skunk will be found on pages 812 and 813. PHOTOGRAPHING SKUNKS AT THE CABIN DOOR Late last summer when taking night pictures of coons in the patch of corn ad- joining my Michigan cabin, a developed negative unexpectedly showed a skunk pulling on a husked ear of corn that had been used as bait (see page 795). There- after the coons disappeared, whether because the supply of corn had about given out, or because the combined pres- ence of skunks and the flashlight proved too much for their constitution, I could not tell. The next afternoon, hearing a noise: under the dark-room floor, I examined the outer wall where a drain- pipe passed through, and there was a fresh tunnel in the sand, showing that a skunk had selected his winter quarters. The same night a camera and flashlight apparatus faced the opening, while a string with a piece of bacon dangled from the wall. Ae Ginmer “every one yiinped vary tae near-by explosion. When, a few minutes later, the negative was in the developer, and the image of not one but two skunks began to appear, I could hear the ani- mals moving about almost under my feet. To have thus taken a picture of wild ani- mals within three feet of the dark-room and then developed the plate in even closer proximity to the living forms rep- resents an occurrence never likely to be fepeated (see page 706). On leaving camp shortly thereafter, orders were given to the care-taker to trap these undesirable tenants, and as I write perhaps some furrier is now busily engaged in converting their humble pelts into furs designated by such high-sound- Photo by George Shiras, 3rd THE FLASH SECURES A PAIR OF RABBITS AT BAIT IN THEIR BROWN, SUMMER COATS ing names as black fox or Alaska sable. The experiences of past years, narrated hereafter, compelled such summary dis- posal of animals usually unobjectionable except when claiming a joint tenancy in the abode of man. SOME ADVENTURES WITH SKUNKS Just as a coon once, in a single night, killed all the young chickens raised for camp use, on another occasion the dead. bodies of 48 half-grown chickens were found on the floor of the poultry-house, each with its throat pierced by a single incision of sharp teeth and hanrdlyiea feather ruffled, since the animal was sat- isfied with a few‘ drops of blood sucked from the throat of each. Setting the trap the next night, a half- grown skunk was caught, whose beady little eyes and shrinking body made a picture of despair. But such wholesale mirder torbade clemency. While the skunk will usually depart at the sight of man, they are often set in their ways, when traveling a narrow path refusing to yield the right of way to one coming from an opposite direction. * It may be stated here that there is a Shout period, following the withdrawal of maternal care, when the young chickens of all the broods flock together at night before they have learned to roost off the ground, and then a visit of a predatory animal is apt to be dis- astrous. I have often felt, however, that it is the younger of the carnivorous animals, like the youth of mankind, which are often reckless in the enjoyment of unusual opportunities. 790 Photo by George Shiras, 3rd NOVEMBER FLASHLIGHT OF A PAIR OF SNOW-SHOE RABBITS IN THEIR WHITE, WINTER ROBES (SEE TEXT, PAGE 787) One evening, many years ago, while hunting deer, I was returning to camp along a railroad track where it crossed a broad, wet swamp. The road-bed had been raised above the low ground by earth taken from both sides, so that the single track was hemmed in by broad. ditches filled with water. Half way across I noticed a large skunk coming toward me, and the idea of a head-on collision was not pleasant; but shooing and shouting had no effect, and on he came. At 20 feet he raised slightly to _ inspect me, when I tried to put a rifle ball through his head—about the only shot that will paralyze an intentional or reflex action of the scent glands. The shot missed, seemingly encouraging his desire to continue up the track; so the next ball went through the body, and some minutes elapsed before I attempted to pick a way over this odoriferous spot. By a coincidence, several seasons later and in the same locality, there occurred another adventure with an even more tragic ending. Behind a ridge of sand, out of sight Ore Hesrdinodd: track. sand awaeres a) bic fallen pine made a permanent back-log for the fire, was a favorite camping site, and here one night we heard a rattling of tin cans behind the tent. One of the guides, lighting a lantern, went back to investigate. We were somewhat sur- prised to hear him say, “Come here, boys, if you want to see a new variety of canned goods.” Leaving the camp-fire, we saw a large tomato can mysteriously coming toward us through the grass, the result of a skunk investigating the in- terior of an empty can and being un- able to withdraw its head, was trying to go home blindfolded. Passing the side of the tent he began climbing up the bank at the end of the back-log, but no sooner did he feel the bark beneath his feet than he turned down the log toward the fire, which was sending its ruddy flames many feet over the top of the log. Shouting to turn him back, and this fail- ing, all retreated as he approached the blaze. Then came a puff of smoke from the singed and sizzling fur, and the poor animal toppled over into the coals below. 791 Photo by George Shiras, 3rd THE FIRST SKUNK THAT VISITED OUR CAMP AND TOOK ITS OWN PICTURE (SEE PAGE 788) See adventures with skunks, pages 790-795 As might be expected, his plight was made known by an odor that quite filled the atmosphere. Protected from inhal- ing the flames, he managed to reach the tent, when a desire to put an end to such suffering and at the same time save a portion of our outfit led one of us to seize a rifle, with which he was des- patched. ~-And taen’ the charred body was interred, can and all. Except when defending itself against a recognized aggressor or in a final death struggle, a skunk will seldom use his weapon indiscriminately, even though suffering great pain. Of the many doz- ens trapped about my Michigan cabin, none have signalized their capture by the slightest odor, even though hours or an entire night might pass with a foot in the clutch of a steel trap. A simple and effective method of safely killing these trapped animals was used at my cabin for many years. A 5-foot chain connected the trap to a long pole, the latter acting as a drag, and when it be- came necessary to kill and remove the animal from the trap the pole was used 79 to safely drag the skunk down to the little bridge spanning the near-by creek, where, like a giant fishing-rod, the pole, chain, and trap were swung over the water and lowered, the weight of the trap sinking the animal beneath the sur- face, the carcass being easily removed a few minutes later. Never in dragging the struggling animal to the water did it discharge the fetid matter, evidently be- cause its captor was well out of range through the use of the dragging pole. Another method of practical value in permanently driving such animals away from one’s camp or cabin without run- ning the usual risk when shooting them was brought to my attention while camp- ing south of Lake Superior in 1883. On this occasion a skunk was discovered busily employed eating our small collec- tion of eggs in the provision tent. Shout- ing or rattling the canvas had but a mo- mentary effect, for every few minutes another egg was pulled out of the box and eaten with great relish. The colored cook was in a frenzy of indignation, fa- voring drastic action, but the rest of us Photo by George Shiras, 3rd THE WHITE-TAIL SKUNK WHICH VISITED OUR CAMP ON THE SAME NIGHT (SEE PAGE 788) A series of ten pictures of skunks were taken in a week (see adventures with skunks, pages 790-795) felt that this might result in the loss of all the other supplies. Just then otir In- dian guide, Dan, returned from the land- ing, where he had been cleaning trout, and without a moment’s hesitation he went to the camp-fire, scooped out a full dipper of boiling water, and approached the little tent with the evident purpose of scalding the trespasser. Then a greater consternation seized us, for it seemed highly probable that not only the tent and its contents would be lost, but the animal would soon be in our midst, anxious to retaliate with a fluid worse than that with which he was as- Ptemeean seeing - our fear,. said: “Don’t be scared; he won’t even raise his tail when I swat him.” This Indian had been a trapper from boyhood, and as he was one of a few of his kind, I had con- fidence in him regarding animal life; so he was allowed to proceed. The instant the steaming water struck, the skunk ab- jectly hurried from the tent and disap- peared in the brush. The next day the same method was tried on another one feeding behind a log on bacon rind, and, like the other, he immediately left with- out causing trouble. The following season the colored. cook was employed at a fishing club on Lake Superior, where he was greatly annoyed by a large number of skunks coming about the kitchen after sundown. Re- calling the successful dispersal of these creatures the year before, he devoted many evenings to pouring the contents of the camp kettle on them as they as- sembled below the porch at the garbage can, and in no instance did any of these animals offensively resent the scalding. Later he reported that occasionally bald- headed skunks were seen eyeing the cabin from a distance; but the kettle proved mightier than the garbage can. That a skunk when suddenly injured, but suspecting an unseen foe, will some- times fire a broadside in hope of relief may be shown by another incident. Camping one stormy night in an aban- 793 tached to the string there followed a dazzling light and a heavy explosion. Photo by George Shiras, 3rd. THE DANGER SIGNAL FOR PERSONS TO KEEP AT A DISTANCE: THE SKUNK SPREADS ITS PLUME-LIKE TAIL IN ANTICIPATION OF THE EXPLODING FLASH “The second skunk had evidently discovered that every time it pulled on the bait at- Not liking this kind of interruption, it always raised the tail, so the battery concealed beneath would be ready for instant use if the occasion required” (see page 789). “Except when defending itself against a recognized aggressor or in a final death struggle, a skunk will seldom use his weapon indiscriminately, even though suffering great pain” doned cabin near a trout stream, we were astonished at a fly-rod standing in the corner dropping to the floor, while the reel buzzed vigorously. ‘The owner of this particular rod, desiring to save the fast-disappearing line, placed his foot thereon, and a moment later there arose through the cracks of the shrunken floor a terrific odor of the hooked victim, struggling a few feet below. This oc- curred in the days when it was not con- sidered unsportsmanlike to add an angle- worm to the fly-hook, so when the slack line slipped through the floor the skunk undoubtedly regarded the suspended bait as a small but choice morsel. Cut- (see page 702). ting the line did not appease the animal, and until midnight most of us remained outside in a pouring rain, awaiting the smoke of battle to clear away. Still another case of eviction tool< place where the usual method of resent- ment had possibly a more subtle mean- ing. In clearing a lake near the camp of pickerel, in order to replace the samc later with black bass, the useful dis- posal of the captured pickerel became a problem. When it was suggested that 794 one or two fish be put in each potato hill as a fertilizer, the idea seemed a good one. On the night following every hill thus selected had been pulled to pieces Photo by George Shiras, 3rd A FLASHLIGHT SET FOR COONS IN A CORN PATCH IS FIRED BY A SKUNK, SHOWING THAT THEY EAT GREEN CORN }; SQUASH WAS UNTOUCHED BY EITHER ANIMAL i “Cutting the line did not appease the animal, and until midnight most of us remained outside in a pouring rain, awaiting the smoke of battle to clear away” (see some adventures with skunks, text, page 794). and the small potatoes scattered about. Skunk tracks told the story of our mis- directed effort at conservation. In the evening a trap was placed near by with a fish hanging over it, and in the morn- ing sunlight we found a big, fat skunk, with both feet pinioned by the steel jaws. The usual baptism in the creek followed, and by way of a warning and retribution the body was placed in an- other potato hill. The next morning this hill had disap- peared, while the body of the skunk was found caught sidewise in a hole beneath the cabin, showing an endeavor on the part of his comrades to carry him from the field of death. In order to get addi- tional evidence on this point, the body was again placed in another potato hill. The camp cook remonstrated, with the re- mark that at this rate we would be “sure skunked .on a potato crop.” During the evening a tugging was heard at the edge of the cabin, and later the rubbing backs of the animals indicated that they were pulling the body well under the floor and all uttering a chorus of whining notes. Soon significant glances were exchanged, for from below came the well-known scent, and in a few minutes the several rooms were wholly uninhabitable and we fled to a brush lean-to some yards away. An hour later it was recalled that the four-foot cellar, loosely boarded up to keep the soil from caving in, contained all our meat and perishable food, and that it was in the center of the danger zone. But so thoroughly impregnated had everything become that, lacking food and comfortable shelter, the next day the entire party sadly returned to town. Whether this proceeding was a wake, followed by a ceremonial salute over the grave, or was a premeditated attack upon % eR SF pes ae RRR BEE ye Photo by George Sines 3rd. ~ A PAIR OF SKUNKS PHOTOGRAPHED BY SET FLASHLIGHT AT EDGE OF THE AUTHOR’ S DARK ROOM: IQI2 Plate developed while the animals were beneath the cabin floor (Geen page eoay the occupants above, must be left to the readers for determination. THE MICHIGAN BEAVER, PAST AND PRESENT During my earlier visits to the south shore of Lake Superior beaver were abundant, and while seldom seen in day- time the fresh cutting and their slides, lodges, and dams indicated a wide distri- bution. After 1885 their decrease in numbers became marked, so that between 1890 and 1900 I saw only two, each liv- ing a hermit life in a river bank, and neither daring to build a lodge or even provide an adequate supply of bark in the pools close to the under-water tun- nels. Such was the situation when the legislature passed a belated act closing the season on beaver for a number of years. Gradually a recovery was noted, and, odd as it may first appear, most of the new homes were close to rural hab- 706 the later generation of settlers. itations or not far from well-used high- ways, because in such places the profes- sional trapper had no line of traps or feared to poach, knowing the interest aroused in an animal almost unknown to Today the upper peninsula of Michigan, like many other portions of the northern country, contains more beaver food and a larger area suitable for their habita- tions than in the days of the primeval forest or before the white man came. Originally every stream, pond, and lake was fringed with a heavy growth of — coniferous trees, none of which had edi- ble bark, and it took the beaver countless years to flood out and destroy such for- ests, when with the appearance of mead- Ows came succulent roots and a variety of mixed hardwoods. On the advent of the lumbermen millions of acres of pine, hemlock, and cedar went down before the axe, which was followed usually by SSS Photo by George Shiras, 3rd COCNS AGAIN INVADE.WHITERISH LAKE With the development of agricultural districts the coon is taking up a permanent abode _along the south shore of Lake Superior. ot fires. The succeeding second growth consisted of poplar, cherry, black ash, birch, and willow, all massed and of Emalediameter, at the edge of these water-courses. It is in this territory that the beaver now seeks to establish his home and where the commercial value of the trees is least important. Through the complaint of a few lum- bermen, echoed and re-echoed by design- ing trappers, both the damage and the abundance of the beaver has been greatly exaggerated, resulting in an open season on January 1 of the present year. Fully two-thirds of the area suitable for beaver now contains none. Instead of allowing the trapping out of the beaver concen- trated in their new settlements and ren- dered incautious by reason of the previ- ous closed season, it would have been the Last August (1912) the camp corn patch was raided and in three nights most of the small crop was eaten by coons. better part of wisdom for the State au- thorities to have caught and transported 797 the surplus numbers to the hundreds of streams and ponds containing none.* Then, with an open season, the risk of a quick extermination would have been greatly lessened. ia O@Octohera 1912) leitcandnom aglance beaver dam constructed during the sum- mer about 30 miles northwest of Mar- quette and within two hours’ ride by au- tomobile. The lodge was approaching completion, and as I realized its future occupancy was likely to be of short dura- tion, it seemed proper that the camera should take photographically what the steel trap would take physically in less than go days. . On the afternoon of Oc- *One game warden of Dickinson County reports 600 beaver taken in 90 days. Photo by George Shiras, 3rd COON’S FINAL MEAT, Whether the scarcity of the corn, the flashlight, or the sudden appearing of skunks drove the coons away, is uncertain (see page 790) tober 7 a small tent was set up in a grove of poplars, where many white and tooth- scored trunks showed the recent work of the beaver. The dam had been com- pleted months before, the lodge was about ready for use, and the animals were concerned with their final labor in storing away in the deeper waters near their home an ample supply of poplar and birch. My plan of operations, decided upon in advance, combined two distinct meth- ods of getting a picture, and neither available on the same night; so it meant 708 camping two days in this little valley. My first scheme was to set up the cam- eras and the flashlight apparatus opposite the lodge, with the expectation that when a beaver clambered out of the water for the purpose of plastering mud on the side of his house the string placed at the edge of the water would be touched and the flash fired. On page 801 appears the photographic outfit, placed 12 feet in front of the beaver house. The second plan for the succeeding night consisted in making a small breach in the dam, so when one of the old beav- Photo by George Shiras, 3rd NIGHT PICTURE AT THE EDGE OF A SWAMP When the coons deserted the corn patch, one was photographed at night where he had discovered the piece of bait put out for mink. Note the hand-like paw of the coon ers discovered by the receding water that repairs were needed at some point in the reservoir walls, the one attempting this work would come in contact with the string and furnish the second picture I was after. The first night my guide and I were in the sleeping bags at dusk, for a heavy frost was threatening and no blazing fire could be permitted in this locality. An hour later came the flap of a beaver’s tail down by the lodge and repeated fre- quently thereafter, indicating that a trace of scent or the dark-green camera boxes were exciting alarm. No welcome ex- plosion was heard during the night, and in the morning I found that the animals had spent the time towing in an addi- tional supply of bark. Whether the house was entirely completed or work thereon had been suspended for awhile I could not tell. Pa ea om 2 ] | | 1 Ica D nee pei . Photo by George Shiras, 3rd PHOTOGRAPH OF A FLASHLIGHT SCENE In order to show what a flashlight scene looks like, the author placed a camera, facing the flashlight, with the object to be photographed between the camera and the flashlight. The great, white ball of light to the left is the exploding powder, while the coon, silhouetted against the light, is seen pulling on the string. During the day not a beaver was seen, but late in the afternoon a pair of musk- rats was busily engaged at work near the edge of the overflowed meadow erecting their smaller home, thus showing a keen appreciation of the slack water afforded by the dam built by their larger kin. Be- fore dark the water had fallen six inches below the rim of the dam, and this, I felt sure, would be sufficient notice to the watchful beaver. Across the break in the dam I placed a birch branch, tying the flashlight string to it, with the idea that the beaver, after an inspection of the damaged part, would pull the branch aside on beginning the repairs, and thus fire the flash. It was not until after midnight that I saw a faint flutter of light on the white canvas roof, followed almost immedi- ately by the boom of the flashlight. In the morning it was found that a beaver had cut the birch branch in two, and while pushing one piece aside the flash was discharged. ‘This discouraged fur- ther efforts, and the beaver retired to his wigwam to report an extraordinary condition of affairs both at the dam and on shore. But not all such pictures are success- ful, for there are several complications in night photography which may rob one of his pictured game. With great care the negative was developed, and there, in the center of the plate, appeared the sturdy figure of the beaver, its coat glis- tening in the brilliant artificial light, while the clear waters of the meadow stream permitted the lens to show the flattened tail beneath the surface of this woodland pool (see page 803). BIRDS WILL TAKE THEIR OWN PICTURES Most birds are photographed about their nests, or in the great rookeries and breeding resorts of the sea-coast and in- land waters, when the domestic duties of the parents or when the fearlessness 800 Photo by George Shiras, 3rd A MICHIGAN BEAVER HOUSE This house was a great dome, 9 feet in diameter and 5 feet high, composed of twigs and branches, the interstices filled with mud or clay and the center hollowed out into a commodious bed-room having two under-water exits to the pond. The two cameras and flashlight apparatus were placed at the edge of the bank and the pulling string ran to a portion of the house where apparently it was unfinished (see page 708). manifested by many birds under coloni- zation makes such photography p cereal and generally successful. But there are times of the year and localities, as well as different birds, where an approach is difficult. Often a good method of getting birds singly or in flocks is the set camera. Some years ago I tried to get a group picture of comparatively tame buzzards and vultures which daily circled about my southern cottage; but even when I was in a well-concealed retreat these keen-eyed birds knew of my presence and would not alight in the vicinity of the bait. After an hour’s wait I set out a smaller camera, covered with palmetto leaves, within 10 feet of the meat, and tying a piece of this to a string, I with- drew. Returning in half an hour, the bait was all gone and the pulling string in a hopeless tangle. The group obtained included both the black vulture and the turkey-buzzard (see page 804). Almost any bird of prey, like the hawk, owl, eagle, or condor, will pull energet- ically on the string; but in the case of smaller or more timid birds it is advisable to use an auxiliary spring trigger, or even a common mouse-trap will do, since the release of the wire collar to which the string may be attached only requires the slightest pressure. Pictures of birds nesting on sea beaches, in open marshes, or the tundra, where the use of a blind is difficult, may be obtained by concealing the camera in rocks, sea-weed, or marsh vegetation. By stretching a thread taut across the nest, the brooding bird on re-entering will re- lease the shutter. It is usually best to make the screen for the camera a day in advance, so as not to imperil the fertility Orumilenesss of the like of) very youne Sor I JO Joquinu asie] Ayfensnun ue yy ‘pnu pue ysniq yo pasoduios sem i] ‘aseq au} ye 414} Joof V pue ysry joog ¢ [Tem v YUM pue Adjea oy} s SOING SOAIND UdYOIg Ul Surpuszxo ‘SUOT J929F OOF seM diNjONIWsS Jenoysed siyy (008-464 sxova Has) Wva WHAVaE V pre ‘sess a810ax Aq 0j0ug 802 Photo by George Shiras, 3rd When he pulled aside the branch to which the flashlight string was THE BEAVER TAKES ITS OWN PICTURE AT NIGHT “— io) fe) (oe) oO on is) Q oO CD) wn —_ C2) ae} 9°) a S << O oO oO - oO JS ~Y ~U S fa] Mo) oO MS) uc OQ, nw vo wm ise) = S Nn 9°) c=} cd) & ~ oO w e) Oy =) 5) eh ~ 9°] & ~ =) (e) 4 MM iss) oO a) ro oO us| ~ a eS) cD) oO igs} — a S oO oO —— “S) ie) So SI 2 ue = me) ‘=| ise) ua Oo GG O (90) — ~ fa) f Yj titty GQ Y Ye About midnight a beaver came to learn the cause of the fall in the water. Photo by George Shiras, 3rd BIRDS CAN ALSO TAKE THEIR OWN PICTURES (SEE PAGE 801) After trying vainly for more than an hour to photograph comparatively tame buzzards and vultures, the author abandoned the blind behind which he had been concealed and set out the automatic camera with string and bait. On returning in about half an hour, he found the bait gone, and the development of the plate some hours later revealed the above picture of a black Florida vulture and tame buzzards. birds, for strong sunlight or chilling wind are equally fatal. In this way I secured a series of snipe pictures on the eastern shore of Virginia otherwise unobtainable. Having for several seasons scattered grain about an orange grove to attract local birds more regularly, I took a few of their pictures with the automatic cam- era, the focal plane shutter being set at 1/400 of a second. For the quail and ground doves (see page 806) I used grains of wheat and sunflower seed strung on a thread. Finally several gray squirrels discoy- ered this feeding place; so corn and nuts were substituted, the loose end of the string being just long enough to permit the squirrel to rise on its quarters—the most graceful and characteristic pose of this animal (see page 810). PHOTOGRAPHING WILD ANIMALS OF THE RURAL DISTRICTS I think very few persons suspect the abundance of night-loving animals in the vicinity of country homes, where there is a dense thicket, a swamp, or a rocky ravine. There may be found a burrow, a cleft in the rocks, or a hollow tree af- fording safe refuge to many an animal that seldom makes its presence known to the throng that daily passes. Here, hidden away until the midnight hour, is the raccoon, opossum, skunk, weasel, or the rabbit. Just by way of proof for any one that doubted this, I have set out every winter for several years past a camenagieme flashlight in the town of Ormond Beach, Florida, within 100 yards of a dozen cottages and a great winter hotel harbor- ing a thousand guests and employes. Nearly every night came the burst of brilliant light betwixt an orange grove and a thicket, with an explosion audible to all awake, and each morning there- after it became the custom to hear the oft-repeated inquiry, “Well, what did you get last night”? During 33 nights in 1913 the nega- 804 Photo by George Shiras, 3rd TWO GROUND DOVES AT THE BAIT, WHILE A MALE CARDINAL LOOKS ON tives showed 12 skunks, nine of which were of different markings; four coons, three opossums, one cat, one pointer dog, two rabbits, and four wood-rats; yet neither the visitors, natives, nor care- takers in this vicinity ever encountered any of these animals, and only the roar of the flashlight and the ever-increasing pictures carried conviction. Some of these animals are shown on pages 807, 808, 809, 811, 812, and 813. The year before the result was the same, except for a greater preponderance of coons and a pictcre of a land turtle. While this article deals primarily with mammals, it may be noted that alligators, crocodiles, snakes, and turtles may be taken in the daytime and sometimes at night with the set camera. A string, baited or unbaited, across the basking spot of such reptiles will insure a day- light picture, when the sun is high and the shutter set at its fastest speed; while at night, when the alligators and croco- diles roam the murky waters, a piece of bloody meat or fresh fish will attract them on to the bank or sand-bar. There is a very abundant land turtle of the South, known locally as the “gopher,” which lives in a burrow and seldom appears during the day. Last year I found one of their holes within a few feet of the spot where bait had been placed for coons. ‘This turtle, even in the extreme South, often hibernates dur- ing the so-called winter months, when 805 fresh vegetation is at a low ebb. It was not until the middle of March that fresh tracks in the soft sand at the entrance of the burrow showed the occupant was once more abroad. A thread across the entrance blocked its egress and on the following night the explosion was heard. The picture on page 814 shows the clumsy animal trying to push its way out, but the flash sent it deep down into its hole for another week, when a second picture was taken, and again it retreated for so long a time that the camera was removed. Flashlight portraiture evidently does not meet with the approval of some turtles. UNBIDDEN GUESTS Just as the fisherman complains of the shark taking the hook intended for an edible fish, or the trapper of a wolverine pilfering his bait, so the camera-hunter often finds the string broken or the bait taken by some unwelcome visitor. Canmerass placedewihere cattle. sncep, and hogs range will be sprung by these wandering animals. One night a no- toriously ill-natured bull, belonging to a Finnish settler, swished his tail uncon- cernedly against the flashlight cartridge and got a dose of flame and fumes that made his bellows audible several miles. On a trip up the Tamesi River, in east- enim Wexico) Itried for a week to eet pictures of ocelot and the jaguar, but So[euoy OM} pue Syd09 INOj o1e dno1s daoqe 94} Ul “9UesSqe SIY SUlINp 00} [Ienb 9y}.0M}4 pue suis oy} surjnd 104jne ay} Aq uaxe} o1aM Soinpid XIG “spiiq Jo[[eus OJ yno 4nd spaes 24} Pete2Aoosip [lend udAVs Jo yooH e ATpspodxouyr) (70g HOVd WAS) SHYALId NMO YIMHL AMVs ‘Irvas varyo'ta pre ‘se1rys 81095) Aq oj0yg 806 Photo by George Shiras, 3rd A TOM-CAT ON A HUNT FIRES FLASH SET FOR RABBITS, IN FLORIDA No animals more destructive to birds and small game exist than stray cats, for they possess all the cunning of their wild ancestors and much more, acquired through domestication early every night the flashlight was fired by several varieties of opossum, and it mattered not how high the bait was hung or its variation in kind. | While on St. Vincent Island, off the gulf coast of Florida, instead of coons I only got razor-back hogs, and on the main shore, on a rabbit runway, the flash was fired by a big tomcat seeking a bunny for his supper. During two trips after wild cats in a southern swamp hogs took the bait in the daytime and skunks the bait at night. Stray hounds hunting for pleasure and sledge dogs of the North, supporting themselves in summer, will eagerly follow up wind to the spot where the scented bait is in front of the camera, but, fortunately, these canines seldom return again after one bombardment of the flash. But domestic animals are not the only source of trouble. In the wildest por- tion of Newfoundland a camera set in daytime, with a string across a trail used 807 by caribou migrating in the fall, was walked into by a French trapper, who, on feeling the pressure of the string on his leg and hearing the click of the shut- ter, jumped back with a yell, thinking his life had only been saved because a set gun, the most diabolical device of the pot-hunter, had missed fire. Gali a Gamera duldenash set sor deek and peccaries, on a supposedly disused trail at the edge of a Mexican sugar plantation, might have resulted in an in- ternational complication, because two Mexican girls, who walked into the string when groping their way to a canoe landing, thought they had been fired at from ambush by our party, camping near by, and fled shrieking through a jungle of palmetto and thorns to the nearest cabin, where the additional cries of the children and barking of the dogs made such an uproar that I was quite concerned. My two estimable companions, Messrs. Ss Photo by George Shiras, 3rd A FLORIDA RACCOON TAKING HIS OWN PICTURE | These animals feared neither the flashlight nor slumbering people when seeking a meal within an orange grove at Ormond Beach (see page 805) Chapman and Fuertes, declared I ought now to appreciate their feelings every time they happened to approach camp at dusk, “with such infernal machines se- creted anywhere and everywhere.” A few minutes later our host, an Amer- ican planter, hearing the uproar, came along and, discovering the cause, shook me warmly by the hand, expressing a wish that I set out a lot more flashlight machines to scare off Indian and Mex- ican trespassers; so I became reconciled in thus having unexpectedly performed a service in his behalf. Some of these unbidden guests are shown on pages 816 and 817. MOUNTAIN MOOSE OF THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE While endeavoring to visit and study the moose of the American continent throughout its several distinct ranges, I was informed that a small number of these animals were living near the very summit of the Rocky Mountains, and that one locality, where they had been seen in 1906, was about Bridger Lake, a few miles south of the southeast corner of Yellowstone Park, in the State of Wyoming. At this time I had only been able to locate one mounted head from the intermontane States and institutions, such as the National Museum, had nei- ther skins, antlers, skeletons, or any data whatever bearing upon the number prob- ably surviving in the Rocky Mountains south of Canada. An examination of the map indicated several possible routes to the district in question: one by the way of eastern Wyoming and Thoroughfare Creek; an- other from Jacksons Hole through Two- ocean Pass; and a third by way of the National Park, and thence up the Upper Yellowstone River by pack-train or pos- sibly by canoe (see map, page 818). Se- lecting the latter route as the most fea- sible for the heavy outfit necessary for 808 Photo by George Shiras, 3rd VERY FEW PERSONS SUSPECT THE ABUNDANCE OF NIGHT-LOVING ANIMALS IN. THE VICINITY OF COUNTRY HOMES “T have set out every winter for several years past a camera and flashlight in the town of Ormond Beach, Florida, within too yards of a dozen cottages and a great winter hotel harboring a thousand people. which were of different markings; two rabbits, and four wood-rats; During 33 nights the negatives showed 12 skunks, nine of four coons, three opossums, one cat, one pointer dog, yet neither the visitors, natives, nor feriers in aie vicinity ever encountered any of these animals, and only the roar of the flashlight and the ever-increasing pictures carried conviction” my purposes, I entered the north end of the park in July, 1908, accompanied by my Michigan guide and another, then a resident of Montana. Wishing to avoid dependence upon a pack-train in the mountains and believing from inquiry that the Upper Yellowstone was navi- gable for a light boat in early summer, I brought along a large collapsible canvas canoe, capable of carrying three persons and more than a thousand-pound outfit. Traversing the entire length of Yel- lowstone Lake in a gasoline launch, we entered the long southeast arm on the afternoon of July 23. Well within the entrance, a couple of low rocky islands shone white with breeding pelicans, gulls, and terns (see page 820). Heretofore no one seemed to know whether the white pelican bred on the lake or not, 809 (see text, pages 804 and 805). for, strange as it may seem, our launch was the first to enter the southern cor- mer of the lake m more than ten years. THE ALMOST UNKNOWN UPPER YELLOWSTONE VALLEY During this and subsequent investiga- tions the writer became and continues strong in the belief that the lower part of the lake and the valley of the Upper Yellowstone constitute one of the wild- est and least frequented districts in the United States, especially when taking into consideration its accessibility, its wonderful beauty, and the entire absence of hunters, trappers, tourists, or camp- ing parties of any kind. Yellowstone Lake is perhaps the largest body of Lon water at that altitude CAA cer a1 the world; and while its hee Photo by George Shiras, 3rd A FLORIDA GRAY SQUIRREL PULLS ON THE NUT BAIT AT END OF STRING AND TAKES HIS OWN PICTURE IN THE DAYTIME “Finally several gray squirrels discovered this feeding place; so corn and nuts were substituted, the loose end of the string being just long enough to permit the squirrel to rise on its quarters—the most graceful and characteristic pose of this animal” (see text, page 804). shore is traversed each summer by more tourists than probably any other moun- tain lake, it has the much greater dis- tinction of being less frequented at the lower end than any similarly attractive body of water. Such a condition is due to the park having been set aside in 1872, and with no big-game hunters coming Over the motntains to the, somihern boundary, because the same game can be found lower down and because the State of Wyoming has lately turned the adjoining National forests into a per- petual refuge, and with no hunters pass- ing either way through the valley, this area has lapsed into a perfectly untrod- den wilderness. An occasional government scout fol- lows a blazed pony trail on the eastern foothills of the valley, but they remain mostly out of sight of the timbered bot- tom lands teeming with unseen and un- counted game. SIO As there are none of the more spectac- ular manifestations of nature so abun- dant elsewhere in the park, the induce- ment is lacking for diverting into this distant corner the great flood of tourists which annually sweeps ina circular jour- ney in and out of the park. Aen Camping the first night in a little bay on a small promontory facing the broad delta of the Yellowstone, the canvas boat was set up and further strength- ened by hardwood strips cut for the pur- pose. As the sun descended and Wie winds fell, hundreds of cow elk and calves sauntered down from the lower hills to feed on the swamp grass of the valley; but not an adult bull was seen then or during the entire trip, as ueney prefer to remain secluded in the highest timber during the midsummer period of horn growth. In the morning a little time was lost trying to find the real mouth of the Yel- we Photo by George Shiras, 3rd A FLORIDA OPOSSUM GRABS THE BAIT AND PHOTOGRAPHS HIMSELF (SEE PAGE 805) This animal is the only American marsupial and, being very prolific, is abundant throughout its range, though seldom seen in the daytime lowstone, since there were several side channels, deep bayous, and a couple of other streams entering the bay. While thus paddling about we saw thousands of geese and ducks, mostly females with their broods, and all as wild and unapproachable as those in a less secure retreat; for migratory wild-fowl, shot at eight or nine months each year, do not lose their dread of man in the short nesting period, unless brought into continuous contact with those who can- not kill, as is the case in the many ponds alongside the park highways, where the birds sit preening themselves as the ieavily aden ‘coaches ratele by.) With game animals the same is true, for those about the tourist hotels are frequently tamer than domestic stock, just as those m the more secluded parts of the park are the wildest of the wild. On entering the river, the current, after a few miles, became much stronger than Sxpectem amd agiat best wa cumbersome Photo by George Shiras, 3rd AN ALMOST BLACK SKUNK WHO TOOK HIS OWN PICTURE AT THE SAME PLACE WHERE THE COONS (PAGES 808 AND 809), THE OPOSSUM (PAGE 811), AND THE CAT (PAGE 807) WERE ALSO PHOTOGRAPHED canvas canoe is a poor craft for ascend- ing swift streams, I soon saw that a mis- take had been made in not bringing with us a long tracking line. However, with two paddles and a pair of oars, some progress could be made, our short line being sufficient for working around the more dangerous log-jams. CHARGED BY A SILVER-TIP GRIZZLY. And now occurred an affair that shall. be briefly described, there following a somewhat similar more appropriate for this article. While taking advantage, when strand- ed on a sand-bar, to look at a favorite crossing place for elk, I suddenly saw a large animal leap out of the bushes at the head of the bar and come down the river. It proved to be an immense sil- ver-tip grizzly, and as he was fully too yards away none of us thought other than that he was badly frightened, prob- ably by our scent circling in behind him. 812 adventure later on This belief was but momentary, for with head up and looking our way it was plain he intended visiting the stranded boat. Beyond my exclamation, ‘‘Look ahead !” we were silent and motionless. When the bear was 40 yards away, I managed to get hold of a small revolver in a bag at my feet, and in desperation fired two shots over his head; but on he came, probably not hearing the slight crack of the smokeless powder. Aiming the third shot at his exposed chest when only a dozen yards away, a swirl of the heavy hair on the right showed the misdirected bullet had. creased his side, and at the same instant the Montana guide, Farrell, gave one of his mountain war whoops and brandished an oar as threateningly as possible. The bear stopped, swung his big head from side to side, with his small eyes fixed for the first time in- tently on the boat, and then with a quick whirl, which sent the loose gravel, in every direction, he put for the bank and Photo by George Shiras, 3rd FOURTEEN SKUNK PICTURES WERE OBTAINED BY THE SET CAMERA AND FLASHLIGHT IN TEN DAYS IN THE ORANGE GROVE AT ORMOND BEACH,. FLORIDA They showed nine differently marked skunks, ranging from an almost solid black (see page _ 812) to the almost white animal shown in this picture (see text, pages 804, 805) into the heavy bushes at a gait that did our hearts good. While relieved by the sudden change in the situation, no time was lost shoving out into the deeper water and soon we were on the way again. Undoubtedly there are many, in good faith or under the temptation of mag- nifying the perils of the wildernes-| who would attribute a deliberate attempt on the part of this bear to kill us, trom which he was only deterred by the ap- parently courageous reception. This, in the writer’s judgment, was not the case at all. Both sides were equally fright- ened and both laboring under a misap- prehension. This animal, with an un- usual opportunity for catching calf elk when swimming the swift waters at the crossing, from his ambush on the bank heard a commotion down the river, and, with the notoriously poor eyesight of all bears, thought he saw in our brown, can- vas-covered forms and the splashing paddles the game he sought, which was ae enough in a territory where man was unknown to bring him down at his best speed, the only thing that really counted in such a raid. Had he meant to harm us the sting of a pistol bullet and the ac- companying demonstration would have had no effect beyond aggravation. ‘That he had run into an unexpected gather- ing, and that it was purely “a case of mistaken identity,” his hasty retreat suf- ficiently proves, were it not already known that the day has gone when any bear in any part of the United States will wantonly attack a man when unmo- lested. At the next bend, however, as a mat- ter of precaution, the axes were taken out from under the outfit, and also a heavy pole cut for “a crack on the nose,” which, according to Farrell, an old-time bear hunter, was worth a dozen random rifle shots. FIRST SIGNS OF MOOSE With an increasing current and bad log-jams the speed of the boat became 813 p1e —ddyjoue VO} S$}Ro1}04 usy} pur Jysipysepy Uy Soly MOLING sy FO jno Sur oe ‘SPIIYS 9810905) Aq 0,04 g ——— Oo ME | vuue ASUIN{> sty} ‘MoReUTEqiy] JO syjuowU TMS SHAVAVOLOHd OSIV | "WHHdOO,, NYAHLNAOS YO “ATWYOAL GNVI HSIDDNIS AHL IOV 814 CIOUeS OY} ISVO SIy} UT *(SOg assed ‘4x94 90S) Wed sty sulsoyid oursoajom v yo soddvsy ol} JO “Ys e]qipa ue 10¥ papusdyur Yooy oy} SuIyey yey Pr ‘seIIyS 961005) hq oJoOYg EPHOPT FO 4SBOD FIN) dy} HO ‘puvysy JusIUIA 3G uo suocod 104 Jy.Sstu ye JNO Jas sear Where Moose were seen later by others _ pact rte~ 8005 ZN 818 Photo by George Shiras, 3rd VIEW OF THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE RIVER While high water made the trip difficult in July, 1908, low water in September, 1909 and _I910, was worse. Our canvas canoe had to be pulled up hundreds of such shallows. The author can find no record of a boat getting up to Bridger Lake, though, doubtless, Indians and trappers did so before 1870. discouraging, so I got out to lighten the bow and to have a better opportunity of looking for animals cr their tracks. Almost at once I saw some moose tracks, and as I continucd on hardly a mud flat was without them. At the time this was a surprise, for, according to the park authorities, there were not sup- posed to be above a dozen moose in the EGmten Pabk Secing an opening in a near-by woods suggestive of a pond, and with water warm enough for aquatic vegetation, | approached cautiously and found just such a- place, with a big, black-colored bull moose in the midst of a feast. usd Fieretofore | had made a rule not to photograph animals in public parks or game reservations of any kind, because the lack of skill made such a pastime as unattractive with camera as with the gun and because many of these animals have lost their wild characteristics. This wary and uncontaminated creature suggested, of course, an exception; but as it is al- ways difficult to draw the line, I con- cluded that the park line should still be the one to go by. So, atter noting the color and size of the animal and ihe shape Onsttenamtlers al inetinived: to the river, hopeful that after crossing the boundary the camera might have an- other chance at an animal supposedly rare in the mountain States. The next afternoon I walked within 50 feet of a large bull lying half asleep at the tail end of a small island, and not until the canoe came in sight did he arise. Then another bull got up further back, and as they ran off were joined by a cow—one of the few instances in which I have seen the female consorting with bulls in midsummer. Before reaching the lake on the return trip several days later 1 saw six more bulls and another cow, making a total of eleven along the swift, cold waters of the Yellowstone. Doubtless .a visit to 819 SU19} pue ST[NS o10M puris! Surmofpe ue UG ‘WOstds Yoo d1dy) d10M Sp1iq 3[Mpe o00'r 0} 00g MON “JOU TO sxL] oY} UO poysou uvoIfod oY} JoyJYM UMOUY JOU sea jt “QO6I Ur aye] aUOSMOT[aA JO WIE JseoyINOs oY} Patojus oye oy} HUA AMVT ANOISMOTIAA NI SNVOITEd ALINM JO ANO‘’IOO ONIGHHaa V P1€ ‘se1rys 931094) Aq oJoY4g §20 ‘sooetd JSOpIM 9Y} 91k SUTWIOAAA UL S1oJeM Poy OY} Je SAD][LA SuLsIIAIP 9Y}] pue puso oyrT 94} 32 eIOp sy J, ‘“spuod pure ‘sjaxory} MOj[IM “smOpeout ‘s}sotof ouId AABOY YIM po}jOp pue ‘soit V O} I WOIF JO YIPIM & YA ‘YISUST UI soaprUT OZ 90S “AAV SI AT[VA 9Y} FO JOO oY, “S9oUeISIP JTOYS YOeq JMO SoUIAeI VSeUTeIP o1ayYM 4d99xKO “JYSIay UI JooF OOS‘T 0} OOQ WO, SuUIATeA saspii d9eqs Aq Ul powUuey st o9F 000° FO UOT}eATa Ue Ye Pajenys “Ad][eVA SIYT, “(PUNOISIIOF JJoT OY} UI) osNOY JaAvaq & OJ VSO]D SUIPpsey ssoOW Ijnq Ssunod OM} YM “Yoo [lel], Sl PUNOISIIOF oY} UI IIYM ‘9UOJSMOT[AA IY} FO StoyeM POO 4yIms oy} MOY ‘opis oytsoddo oy} UO ‘O8prIr ay} YeoUDg ASOOW oOOS‘T ATAVAONd JO AWOH AHL ‘AWTIVA ANOLISMOTIIA Widdo AHL JO MAIA IVOIGAL V pte ‘searysS 931095) Aq ojoyg SS \ S A \ \ ~~ 821 SUIPUdSSe WOPS ‘Ad][VA 9Y} UL A[SNONUI}UOD BAIT SSOOUT FO WOLIITJOI FeotS SIT, “pojeuljea yey} O41] ‘SUOT PUB PUNO sulog Jop}Ue FFfoT OY} ‘sodd} SurpieAoid 9914} IY} FO OM} ose [[Nq 9UO UT sIOYM ‘POOF JOWUNS FO ySodI0YD dy} proye spuod JoAveq snotoUMU oY} FO StoyeM WIeM oy} se ysnf * OPIAOId SJOxoIY} MOT[IM Jooelpe oy} s[TYM “Jo s Pouo 34sIr ous SYM “Saye We yO ‘2104 UMOYS SI YJMOIS UIOY Pojesoliea sy J, SMOUS doddp 9} JO SUIWIOD 9Y} Joye YIeq sSurystinou JUIM 9Y} BSULINP esoOW sy} JOqIeY YoIYM sysos0f¥ ould Aavoy oy} FO 9UO SI pUNOIsyOeq 9Y} UT AXTIVA ANOLSMOTINA YoddN AHL NI AGNOd WAAVAE V LV SHA TVO OMT AGNV HSOOW ‘TINd DId pif ‘ser1ysg as10a5 Aq 0J0Y J N OQ) CO ‘SOARS UIM} puke dsOOUL MOD SMOYS dINjJoIG ‘dit, dy} SulINp soi0tfs 94} INoGe poipuNny [e19Ad9s pues sUIT] dUO ye IOJEM MOTT[LYS dy} UI UdaS d19M VSOO 9UO-AJUIM]T, “SOOT F[eI JY} FO ATOSINU JY} 9q O} DAP] OY} JO WIe YINOS oY} pUNOF JOYINe Jy} Ao]eA WUOSMOTIO 4 K 94} 0} di piryi 943 UC INOLSMOTICA Wddn ANY, JO WAV HLNOS FHL NI ASOOW DIE “SBITYS 981094) Aq O10 Bio Ut AJJUNOD ssoow snojndod jsow ay} sty} ut SUIATT YIYM UOHeJIS9A I1yenbe ay} 0} o[qesOAeT oie sid}eM WIeM 94} 2194YM JUOSMOTIO Ajqeqoid o1e asoowr ooS‘T wnoqy ‘sInoAIp ssoour 94} A 2Y} FO Aaya oy} ult swep soavoq pue spuod JO suozop aie Pelt ag HSOOW JIVS GNV ‘MOO “TINg € “SBILYS 981005) Aq 010Ug Unlike the elk and caribou, the moose are great night feeders. Photo ie George Shiras, 3rd A COW MOOSE TAKES ITS OWN PICTURE AT NIGHT This picture was taken where a moose trail led- from-the forest to a number of ponds some of the small ponds and lakes in the valley, where summer food abounded,. would have shown many more. Yet this area did not extend more than 8 miles in a direct line, although by reason of its circuitous course it was. probably 16 miles by river. On the third day our ascent was defi- nitely ended by the breaking of both oars, and although spliced with copper wire they became useless in combatting the heavy currents at every turn of the river. At this season the warm weather was melting the last of the snow-drifts on the higher summits, and while the high water was favorable for reaching - Bridger Lake, the current proved too strong for our outfit. In the succeeding and later seasons low water became equally trying. But the existence and -comparative abundance of moose in this isolated val- ley was now no longer a matter of specu- lation. And on my expected return the following year it would be for the pur- pose of estimating the number and to study their peculiarities, if any, in color, size, horn formation, and diet. And so it was with less reluctance that, after co OL several days’ rest, the canoe was turned down the rapid stream. — On passing the sand-bar where the bear had greeted us silence was the order of the day, and we glided by with all the etmrnent ta easy reachy At the next: bend the canoe nearly ran ‘into a band of 50 elk, lying drowsily in the sun on a sandy island, with two or three old cows standing guard. From this [ concluded that the big: silver- -tip Hod de- small, serted the neighborhood. That night, August 4, we made camp under a high mountain at the southeast corner of the lake. built. after. dark at an elevation -suffi- ciently high to-be seen 20 miles diago- nally across the lake, and on the follow- ing afternoon the launch was: to come for us, as it was not considered safe to cross this deep, wind-racked lake in a canvas canoe. 3 And now occurred the suggested se- quel in bear antics and best detailed by the camp note-book. I had previously ar- ranged that the canoe would go down the shore a distance of 10 or 12 miles to. Signal Point, where a big fire was to be Photo py George Shiras, 3rc COW AND CALF MOOSE IN A LAGOON The cow shows a small tassel or a “bell” under the throat ANOTHER BEAR APPEARS “Aucust 5, 1908—Ther., 80°-50°. “Last night we had a surprise. I was awakened at 9 o’clock by loud yells from the guides’ tent, followed by cries of ‘Bear! bear? bear! Seizing the little re volver and hurrying out of the tent, I looked about in the moonlight, but saw nothing. Approaching the guides’ tent, I asked what was wrong. Thereupon Hammer, who had not yet succeeded in crawling out of his sleeping bag, said that a big bear had just seized the sack containing all our. salt meat and canned goods and made off with it, an investiga- tion showing this to be true. “Farrell, perhaps irritated at the idea of going on short rations for two days, declared that my habit of placing bait close to the camp for the purpose of coaxing into view coyotes and other prowlers of the night was responsible for the bear’s intrusion, and while, of course, it was a black bear, he was of the opinion it had not developed its thieving habits about any of the tourist hotels, since we were more than 30 miles from the nearest one by any land route. He was certain it was not a grizzly, since he never knew one to enter an occupied tent: “The next morning, about 75 yards away, we found the bag, as well as a can that had contained raspberry jam. The contents of the latter had been extracted through perforations made by the ani- mal’s large teeth, and though pressed nearly flat the can was otherwise un- broken. | “On thinking the matter over, | now felt entitled to make one exception to photographing animals in the park, and that I ought to remain that night for the purpose of taking the bear’s picture by flashlight, as it was quite certain that he would return in search of another feast. The guides, viewing the matter from a humorous and not a photographic-stand- point, thought it would be a good joke on the bear. It was thereupon agreed that the two guides should take one tent and paddle down the shore to Lookout Point, where the signal fire would be built, and then on the following morning they could Photo by George Shiras, 3rd MOOSE CALF This animal was found feeding some distance from its mother and was approached to within 15 feet in a canvas canoe covered with pine brush. Note its splendid condition and the reflection in the water. return for me in plenty of time to be picked up by the launch. PREPARING FOR THE FLASHLIGHT BATTLE “After the men had passed out of sight, I began preparations for the com- ing bombardment. The little table, made of driftwood, in front of the suides’ tent, had been left standing, and on this I placed two cameras, facing down the elk fail lo a stake 30 feet away were hung some trout, with a string running to the flashlight apparatus. Impatiently I awaited the coming of twilight, sitting for a time on the edge of a hill watching some moose feeding in ponds a few hun- dred yards this side of the river. “As the day declined the light of the nearly full moon became so brilliant that I could see plainly 75 yards down the trail. JI was surprised, as time passed, that there had been no signs of the bear, And at alte paste mime weomelticed to, ite down in the sleeping bag, where I had not been more than five minutes when a metallic click indicated that a bear or some other animal had pulled the string of the flashlight machine and that it had missed fire. Hastily looking out of the tent, I saw a large, dark animal leisurely devouring the fish, and knew it had al- ready thrown open the shutters of the cameras; but, in the absence of an illu- minating flash, the effort was a failure. “For a minute this was disconcerting, until I recollected I had a hand flashlight apparatus, loaded for any emergency, and that by crawling to the cameras I could fire this and get precisely the result that would have been obtained had the other one gone off. “This plan I attempted to put into exe- 827 Photo by George Shiras, 3rd COW MOOSE AND CALF These animals were found in a pond back of the south arm, in a beautifully wooded district of the upper Yellowstone cution, but just as the finger was pressing the trigger came a deep “waugh” and then the sound of a heavy animal run- ning away. Looking over the cameras, I saw the bear galloping down the elk trail and disappearing around a bend. “Examining the apparatus, I found that the safety catch had not been with- drawn, and the firing pin, in striking an intervening piece of steel, made the click mentioned. ANOTHER SURPRISE “For several minutes I worked away resetting the shutters and adjusting the string, when I became aware of heavy breathing close by, and in some trepida- tion looked about, but could see nothing. Raising up slightly, so that I could see over the stand, there, within 5 tect of me and sitting on its haunches, was a huge silver-tip grizzly. The bright rays of the moon fell directly upon the head and breast, while the little, beady eyes stared at me steadily, the half-open mouth showing a fine set of teeth. And this was Farrell’s “black” bear, and my © guides sitting by a glowing fire a dozen miles away! “To run for the tent, where were my revolver and axe, seemed a dangerous proceeding, for visible evidence of fear invites attack from any dangerous ani- mal, wild or domestic. “An instant later I realized safety was at hand, for, reaching out, I cautiously picked up the hand flashlight. By shov- ing this close toward his face and firing it, closing my eyes at the same time, the animal would be so blinded for several minutes as to be unable to see, and in the interim I could reach the tentijyeved were he disposed to be ill- tempered after such a greeting. “Realizing this, |. iooked at the bean with more composure, trying to figure out the best way of making him depart without alarming him too much. Finally I gave a low, steady hiss; whereupon he came down on all fours, and descending the bank, passed through some _ thick bushes, where I could hear him walking along the gravelly beach. 828 MAKING READY FOR THE SECOND EFFORT “By this time I had made up my mind to give the silver-tip a surprise the next time ; so, removing all the flashlight pow- der from the hand flash, together with some I had in a box, I added all this to the original load, placing on top of the powder a large flat stone, for the purpose of increasing the speed of the flash and so that the noise would awaken me, were I asleep, besides letting the bear know that something was happening. “Hurrying back to the tent, the hand flash was reloaded and the axe and pistol put in easy reach. An hour passed, and finally it had become half past eleven, but no bear. Worn out with continual watching, I once more thought it best to get into the sleeping-bag. | “Whether it was some presentiment, after undressing, I went once more to the front of the tent, and sticking my head out through the narrow opening, had just gotten it around far enough for my right eye to see the cameras, when a large Photo by George Shiras, 3rd NIGHT PICTURE OF A SILVER-TIP GRIZZLY: THE FLASH FAILED PHOTOGRAPHICALLY, BUT PROVED A GOOD BURGLAR-ALARM The nearest tree on the right was knocked down by the bear when blinded by the flash shadow seemed to flit across the camera stand, as if the flight of an owl had cut off the direct light of the moon. “Before this impression had more than suggested itself, from the table came a dazzling burst of light such as I had never seen equaled by any bolt of light- ning. It shot high into the air and ex- tended on either side many feet. Several whirling missiles cut through the pine branches above the tent, while a roar like that of a cannon added to the excitement. An instant later the flat stone came down, striking the edge of the tent. “My right eye was, for the time, use- less ; but twisting my head around, I saw a large gray object roll down the bank from the camera stand and land in the bushes, where there was a great thrash- ing about for a moment, and then up the bank came the big silver-tip, headed al- most directly for the cameras, missing them by a foot or two. A yard further on the bear struck a tall poplar with his left shoulder, the slender tree coming to the ground with a crack and a crash, 829 ”hoto by George Shiras, 3rd ELK AT SOUTH END OF YELLOWSTONE LAKE Along the outer shores of the south and southeast arms and on the big promontory were numerous elk, while throughout the river valley they occupied the hills above the moose, coming down often to feed in the valley meadows. They ate willows to some extent, about the sole dependence of the moose in winter; but by October I began migrating to lower ground. The above picture shows a big bull and his family migrating south. having been broken off at the base with- out being uprooted. The animal, tripped and thrown to one side by the collision, rolled over on its back and for a second lay there motionless, with four big feet sticking rigidly up into the air. Then he scrambled up again, and I saw that he was headed in the opposite direction from that in which he had been going; so he had turned a complete somersault— quite a performance for an 800-pound animal. But all sense of direction had been lost, and with another rush the bear passed the cameras and shot out over the bank, catching with his feet, as I discov- ered later, a large boulder, and together they went in a heap to the bottom. “By this time I was beginning to chuckle. The next move was a plunge through the fringe of bushes between the elk trail and the lake shore, and 75 yards away I saw him cross into a small gully, up which I could trace his going and, later, his ascent of the mountain slope by 830 the rolling of the loose stones and shale. Finally all was still save the silvery rip- ples breaking on the beach. “Examining the seat of war, I found that the huge flash, placed entirely too near the cameras, had burned most of the leather off the boxes, and little was left of the flashlight machine except the bed- plate. The leaves on the overhanging poplars were burned or whitened for a distance of 30 feet, and altogether the place presented a scene of devastation. “Looking the ground over in front of the cameras, I saw where the bear had made the first whirl as the flash exploded, when he was not over two feet away. While I was gazing from the tent the bear evidently had been standing erect, possibly wondering whether the bright barrels of the lenses contained raspberry jam, as sugested by his experience the night before, when his teeth pierced the can of jam. As he dropped upon all fours it gave the appearance of @ the right. shadow, and in the descent his body had struck the string running from the flash- light to the bait. When the explosion occurred his head and shoulders must have been within the radius of the flame and fumes. “Ts it, therefore, any wonder that he was surprised at the demonstration? Possibly in his cubhood days he had be- come aware of the danger of putting his feet in the boiling geyser springs, and possibly he had some sad experiences sniffing in vent holes filled with sulphur- ous steam, but I doubt if he had ever dreamed of anything that equaled this.” A week later the negative was care- fully developed, though certain to be a failure from the close proximity of the bear and the heavy charge. The repro- duction of this scene appears on page 8209. 831 Photo by George Shiras, 3rd BIG BULL ELK WALKS HEAD FIRST INTO FLASHLIGHT STRING Here the camera and flashlight machine faced the opening between the stake and the tree on The big bull probably caught the string in his antlers. While the flash failed photographic- ally, it was quite a success as a burglar- alarm, and no one need fear of any camp ever being invaded again by the singed grizzly of the Upper Yellowstone. SECOND AND THIRD TRIPS ON THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE On the 20th of Atietst, 1900, smoke CUnled) irom oun ake sat) the Ccanip site made memorable by the robber bear of the previous year. Guide Farrell was then in Alaska, and his local successor viewed with interest the stricken poplar, picking up a bunch of grizzled hair still adhering to the bark. It may be here ob- served that on this visit not a bear was seen, and only one at a distance the fol- lowing year. Yet daily dozens of brown, black, and grizzly bears grow fat and in- 7 — SEES LLCY > ,4tUUFLe 24+ ul 91n}31d ie opeuroyz ysoaq ay} 3038 snd “95001 JOF JOS Used peYy Vs1oUrIed OYJ, “UOOUT dt} jO [[NF 94} UO sUWIOS Jnoqe poaouwl AQY} ‘O161 ‘Toquiaydag Ul “Ja 241 JO Uoseas Sunn ay) Sur LHOIN LV AXOLOId SII SHV MTX MOD V Pr€ ‘setlys as10a5 Aq oj0yg tip Va tH QOOYWUH0909. VD ANIMAS THAT TOOK. THEIR OWN PICTURES dolent at the garbage piles behind the park hotels, and it has been estimated that each season more than 5,000 pic- tures are taken at distances varying from 5 to 100 feet. Ordinarily so wary and secretive are these animals that photo- graphing them is a difficult task, and I can only recall two good pictures of bears taken in the wilderness. ‘Thus no more striking reason can Fe given for the camera hunters passing by such animals when they have become tamer than many kinds of domestic stock. If pictures are taken in game reservations the conditions under which they are obtained should be clearly indicated. At- the urgent request of the former superintendent, General Young, and re- peated by his successor, Major Benson, I consented on my next trip up the river to Bridger Lake to take a series of pic- tures of park moose, because, as they said, upon such tangible evidence the ex- istence and abundance of these animals would be more readily established in the minds of those not familiar with my in- vestigations or the verbal report made thereon. So far as known, not one of the 200,000 tourists in the previous I5 years had seen a moose within the boundaries of the park, and this, it was contended, warranted the waiver of my rule. In the accompanying pages are a few of the moose the camera saw, and they represent a still smaller fraction of those seen at a distance or when the failing light made the camera useless. On this trip I counted some 300 moose, allowing when possible for duplication on succes- sive days. During one afternoon, from an outlook on the mountain side, I saw 19 feeding at one time and all within a radius of a mile. : On the way up the river I looked par- ticularly for shed antlers, finding a num- ber along the banks and many more in the willow thickets, where the moose browsed in winter time. Selecting a dozen of the best, they were brought out, the residents at Gardner expressing as- tonishment at an antler they had never seen in Montana before, yet the ani- mals that once bore them lived hardly 50 miles away. ‘This collection, now in the 833 possession of the Biological Survey, rep- resents three distinct types, with sev- eral intermediate forms—variations due, aoubtless, to the high altitude of the val- ley and the inbreeding of the original Stocks in tine sottheast aria and up the valley to Bridger Lake I saw compara- tively few cows with calves early in the season. On-the third trip,-made during Sep- tember and October, 1910, we camped two weeks in the long south arm of the lake and found this locality to be as little frequented by man as that on the other side of the dividing promontory, al- though a beautiful island in the center of the bay affords a splendid camping place, and from it we watched the moose and elk day after day. Here we found the nursery of the cow moose, and fully 80 per cent of the 400 seen were cows and calves. On the second afternoon 21 moose, in- cluding two bulls, were seen at one time in the shallow water of the bay—a sight rarely witnessed in the districts where this animal is deemed most abundant. It was now the mating season of the elk, and no more exciting scene can be imag- ined than the great bulls fighting for su- premacy, while the cows and calves looked on with awe. As late as October I not half the bull moose had their antlers free of velvet, and consequently were in a less combative mood than the elk. I think it can be safely said that there are 1,500 moose living throughout the year in the valley of the Upper Yellow- stone, an area 2 to 5 miles wide and 20 long. Until a visit is made in midwinter on snow-shoes, when the animals have yarded, it will be impossible to estimate the number accurately. On the accom- panying map, page 818, an x has been used to designate where moose were seen during the three seasons of investigation. On the shores of either arm of the lake the x mark shows the farthest the ani- mal was seen to the north, while at inter- mediate points they were more or less abundant. Since my original trip many of these animals or their offspring have taken possession of smaller valleys in the Papkewand= many others have reached 834 Jacksons Hole—all the result of a safe refuge—making possible the restoration of this splendid animal in the adjoining States, provided they are adequately pro- tected. THE CAMERA IN THE CONSERVATION OF WILD LIFE The feeling which I have so strongly expressed for the camera as the better medium for testing one’s skill in the pur- suit of wild animals and birds, in ac- quiring a knowledge of their habits, and finally in getting a sufficiently satisfac- tory and enduring trophy, may create the impression that the author looks with considerable disfavor upon those who hunt with a deaalier weapon. Very much to the contrary is the case when- ever the sportsman shoots in moderation and is willing to cooperate in the efforts to conserve the game supply by shorter seasons, by the establishment of game refuges, and in the elimination of the market hunter. For it must be kept in mind that were all wild game given continuous protec- tion and their predaceous enemies de- stroyed the world would soon be over- run and.a menace arise threatening not only the comfort, but in many cases the existence of man himself, while in the end the rigid protection of all the sup- posedly harmless wild creatures would result in the eventual starvation of many. An example which may be cited is the great and steadily increasing elk herd of Yellowstone Park, where the original and timely preservation of this animal has saved a species permanently for the Rocky Mountain States. Yet so abun- dunt has the elk become, under continu- ous protection in its refuge, that during severe winters thousands die of starva- tion in the foothills, and many pictures have been taken of the animals gazing TWEE ESS Ss Sy LSD NTE XS) See RN US ALYY NESE IESE IRE SAN THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE wistfully at the well-guarded haystacks of the Jackson Hole settlers, and finally dying within a few feet of food neces- sarily reserved for the domestic stock of such settlers. The sentimentalist who decries the killing of all game birds and animals is not infrequently one who grumbles when a joint is tough because, forsooth, the lamb was not killed earlier in its gam- bols. Such sympathy is inconsistent and such reasoning purely selfish. For the explorer, trapper, miner, homesteader, forest rangers, and all who love to dwell for a few months in the wilderness, the utilization of fish, birds, and animals is, of course, wholly justifi able. On the other hand, the market hunter, who converts the products of his gun into dollars, is not one who can be ex- pected to change his methods, and therefore the present appeal is intended for a large class of sportsmen, who do not depend upon game for a food sup- ply and make their excursions into the wilderness or upon the waters under the influence of another incentive, and whose efforts are misdirected in the means em- ployed. The successful wing-shot, who enjoys plucking from the air a bird on its me- teoric flight across the ‘sky, canjetemae tries, capture one, a dozen, or 100 within the confines of a sensitive plate, while a marsh scene or the rolling breakers give a life view in striking contrast to the pathetic heap of bloodstained, rumpled feathers marking at the close of day the accuracy of his aim. So, too, the big- game hunter, rewarded in his quest for an antlered head, may continue on dur- ing the remainder of his woodland visit taking many more, but in a way that neither lessens life nor the enjoyment of the nimier, UNTOURED BURMA Bw@uArtes El BARTLETT to you? You-know it to be one of England’s possessions in the East, and if you have circled the globe you re- call having touched at Rangoon. You re- member the Shwe Dagon Pagoda and the “Burmese maid,” with her “whacking big cheroot.” Perhaps you ran over to Mandalay by train, slid down the river by boat to Prome, and rejoined your steamer by train to Rangoon. At least, assuming you to be the average tourist, this will nearly comprise your impression of Burma. Yet you will have seen nothing of the Burmese people nor of Burmese country. Your guide was probably a Madrassi (of no caste) ; all the gharri drivers are In- dians and many shop-keepers are from India or Armenia. Some Burmese there are (in the small shops you find their women), but they are quite metamor- phosed, brought up to date, as it were. The commercial development of Burma has been for the most part Scottish. It is British, but not English, and therein lies a distinction familiar to all who know England and the English. One arrives in Burma only via English settlements and by English steamers, and usually without that enthusiastic interest which disposes one to incur discomfort and to overcome difficulties. Burma is governed as a department of iadiae iter taxes areall paid into the Indian treasury, and her Scottish resi- dents complain bitterly of the policy which doles out such funds as are ap- propriated for local improvements and the development of the country. Noth- ing has been done in the way of road building except for a few miles around Rangoon. There are no good roads in fact and no spring wagons outside the large towns. For conveyance in the country there are only the native bullock carts, without springs, and here are none Boo What does that suggest of the trotting bullocks of India, even | could one endure a gait faster than a walk over the rough trails, which are the only roads. The Burmese have not reached the stage of development requiring hotels; hence there are no Burmese hotels. Those in the large towns, for foreigners and sup- ported by foreigners, are bad and very dear. Yet Burma is a country of surpassing interest, and once outside the triangular tourist's path, bounded by Rangoon, Mandalay, and Prome (none of which is typically Burmese), one may journey at will among a simple, happy, kindly peo- ple, still very young and wholly unspoiled by contact with the West. It is a country of mystery, where nats (nature spirits) still dwell in mountains, trees, streams, and temples—a country inhabited by many tribes, widely diverse in customs and physical characteristics, living as they lived 1,000 years ago; tribes among which the Burmese are only one, but happened to be in the ascendant at the moment of England’s conquest of the country. Much of this country may be reached by the Irrawaddy and its estuaries, where a comprehensive service is established. For such a journey only a single servant is necessary, as in India or Ceylon. THE NECESSITY OF A PERSONAL SERVANT If the traveler arrives from the East, he will secure a “boy” at Rangoon. Usu- ally the “boy” will be a Madrassi, a no caste—that is, an outcast—-and so may do any sort of work without trenching on his religious principles. He is usually a worthless, no-account fellow, whom no resident, white or native, will employ. If Ceylon is visited first, the Cingalese servant from there will be far and away superior to the Indian. The wr.ter kept his Cingalese “boy” throughout India and Burma with satisfaction. He had “caste,” and so did not carry luggage, prepare baths, nor do other menial labor, but he saw efficiently to the doing of all these things, waited on us at table, cared for our chambers, made our purchases of supplies, paid the coolies, arranged the tips; in fact, assumed full responsi- bility for all petty details, leaving us free 835 TEMPLE ON EAST SIDE OF THE SHWE DAGON PAGODA: RANGOON Unlike the pagodas, which are substantially built of brick, almost all the temples in. Burma are constructed of wood. They are light, graceful buildings, generally embellished with intricate and often singularly beautiful carving. They are but one story high, crowned with a succession of roofs diminishing in size as they ascend, thus producing a spire-like effect. 836 THE ENG-DAW-YD PAGODA:?: BURMA Pagodas greet the traveler everywhere in Burma, and are the centers around which the religious life of the people revolve. There is at least one at every temple, and more than one at every monastery. A pagoda is a solid edifice of brick in the form of a cone, and in many cases raised over a tiny relic chamber. There is no interior, the place of worship being the surrounding platform. Many of them, as, for example, the famous Shwe Dagon at Rangoon, are covered with pure gold leaf from base to summit, and making benefactions for their upkeep is a favorite way of acquiring merit. 837 \ t a —— SS eS ‘yyem Ajeo1wos ued oym Aqeq oy} OF UMOP UIN} sIy Sure} Joquisur yoea ‘AjIumefz d11jUa Ue IOF ByOuIS Ss Aep @ SB SOAIJOS Ud}JO 9}}91"SID DUG, ‘BSUdJap puke ssusHo Jo uodeaM e& se dAIOS A]IS¥I ULI—J9JOWILIP Ul S9YOUI OM} UY} SsaT WOPas pue suOT oof Z pue I UsdMjoq ‘“SUIY} [NJJopuoM puUe [NjivofF eP—o}JoIeSID JSOWING sy, “suoy Aep [[@ esyxOwWs 0} Woes UsIp[IyD pue “UsUIOM “Ud 1 9}}01eSI9 SIY JNOYYWM JZAOU SI UPWING IY} VAIS 94} 0} B[PeID 94} WoT OINIMOWS ACVT YSHWUNEA UINIS “YY Tonures Aq oJ0Yg ‘pesy Joy uo soyeM jo Ajddns sAep oy} YM ‘YIeq SutusOW Asy WOIf SUIUINJoI VWOIg JO $}991}S JY} Ul [IIs @ SMOYS d1INI}oId sIy} pue ‘Suryyeq JO puoj Ajayeuorssed oie ‘usuUt puke UsWOM YjOq ‘ssswINg sq, ‘yueq 94} SuoTe sumo} 9y} 0} Ajddns JojyeMm ke se DABS PU Spay so14 yeois 9} OeSIIII SsioyeM st SAIJUNOD oY} JO AEMYSIY YeoIS 9} SI I >3dAB%] O} SI OIIN 94} JEM FO SUIYJOWIOS PUTING 0} SI AppeMeIIT OYJ, WAAAY HHL WOW ONINYNALAY UI9IC “YZ lenues Aq 010g 838 plvoge sal] uaqzo ATiuey puke JOUMO OYJ, “ITE SE PUIM 9} USYM IJOATI uodo ay} uo spuosy wyed fo spies o1enbs jeo1s dn sajpped pue sojod Aq payjadoid ore s}eoq 9seq J, ‘SuII90}S ule}ded oy} JOF BUOIY} FO j4OS B SUIFOF pue soueivodde ‘Suljyeu Aq poseAoo ‘spor ooquivg peyote YM JIAO PofOOr ST \]OYM oI J,,, *(cbg osed 90S) peoids 10 ‘syaotd MOIIeU 9} JySTIajVIVYS S} }¥eIO oY} SATS Yep dood ysiy e& Uto}S 94} 1V AGGVMVUMI AHL NO LVOd ADIN V AO NALS AHL uoses]y preuoy “sty Aq ood 830 Photo by Alfred Joseph Smith PALAUNGS FROM THE HiILLS The Palaungs wear a loose jacket of some dull color, faced with scarlet or bright blue velvet. The tribe to which they belong may be known by the width and color of the stripes running horizontally around their short skirts. R plain—of solid silver in addition to many cane girdles. Rich Palaungs wear loose belts—broad and It will be noticed that the camera did not make them feel very happy while posing. for the full enjoyment of the journey. The small fees he distributed for the menial labor he ordered instead of doing was no doubt a fair offset, at least to the dishonest extortion of the average Ma- drassi, and his dignity, honesty, and uni- form courtesy so endeared him to us that our parting was one of real regret. That “boy” stands out as one of our happiest memories. For a more extended journey, involvy- ing.the necessity of leaving the water- Ways, some provision must be made. A bedding outfit will be needed, and the same which would in any event be pur- chased for India will suffice here. Then such supplies and cooking utensils as will enable one to do his own catering (fresh eggs and chickens may be purchased en route), and in addition to the “boy” he would have in any event, a cook will be needed. A Mugh cook is the best if ob- tainable. Some mosquito netting should not be overlooked. WHY MEAT IS DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN Thus equipped, an extremely interest- ing journey may be made. For instance, through the Shan States northward to the ruby mines or the oil fields, thus pass- ing through the country of several inter- esting peoples. If the luggage be in con- venient sizes (not exceeding 50 or 60 pounds each) for packing on mules, and 840 Pe OM Photo by Alfred Joseph Smith PALAUNG BEAUTIES: BURMA The richer Palaung women wear curious necklaces of silver, flat and quite plain, and sometimes so large as to reach down to the waist. Around the wrists are heavy twisted ‘bracelets of solid silver, and many of their cane girdles are embellished with silver wire. ‘The Palaungs are a quiet, well-conducted set of people, sober and hard-working, and, unlike most of their neighbors, far from warlike. saddles be taken along, more rapid prog- ress may often be made. ‘The weather, except for a few rainy days at Christmas time, is good for the most part from De- cember to March. At any town the subdivisional officer (“S. D. O.” for short) will assist in pro- curing carts or mules, and his good offices will often be needed to requisition chick- ens. The Burman does not take life, and sometimes refuses to sell chickens to be killed. A law obliges villages to furnish supplies (to be paid for, of course) for officers and troops passing through. This shrinking from the taking of life, a char- acteristic which the Burman shares with the Hindu, is not from the teachings of Buddha, who is said to have been an eater of flesh, but is a relic of some be- lief or superstition antedating Buddha. It is very real, however, and kill he will not, not even a venomous snake or tarantula. S41 Except for the law, an officer would be reduced to what he could carry with him, so far as flesh of any kind is con- cerned. No one would kill, or furnish to be killed, any live thing. Thus when we stayed in a government “Circuit House” at Pagan, there was a cook and a care- taker,a well-furnished house and kitchen ; but the S. D. O. gave a village headman orders to levy such chickens, etc., as we might require. We gave the orders, and so the sin of killing fell on us. No need for the S. P. C. A. among the Burmans:! The town gharri drivers are never Bur- mese, they believe horses so used cannot be kindly treated. Dak bungalows are to be found nearly everywhere, though often only shelters and not always provided with crockery and cooking utensils. There are many very comfortable “circuit houses” built for and used by the government officials, Photo by Alfred Joseph Smith BURMESE COUNTRY FOLK The Burmese are possessed of a gay and lively disposition, and have often been called “the Irish of the Orient.” They are more independent, but less practical than the Hindu, while they have not the keen business instincts of the Chinaman; and as both these people have entered Burma in considerable numbers, the native has now to fight for his economic supremacy. who are very courteous to any properly accredited travelers. THE GREAT RIVER HIGHWAY OF BURMA On the other hand, though on land one must travel in the saddle or by bullock cart, the Irrawaddy River and its estu- aries offer a superb highway, with an adequate steamboat service. If the cargo boats be chosen, many small villages will be visited, and often there will be time enough to stroll through these villages; or, when tied up at night, to attend a pweé, which, in the form of a dance or other entertainment, is of frequent occur- rences when the moon is full. These are always free, and all the world is welcome to the “treat” some villager is giving. Especially is the river journey inter- esting above Mandalay, and one may go as far as Bhamo, some 1,500 miles from the mouth of the Irrawaddy. The commercial activity of the coun- try follows the Irrawaddy, and there are yet hundreds of small native craft which carry much of the rice to market, return- ing with supplies for the people dwelling on the small tributaries of the great river where the steamboat does not go. “These craft have hulls of great logs “dug out” as our southern Indians built their canoes. The whole is roofed over with arched bamboo rods, covered by matting. At the stern a high poop deck gives the craft its characteristic appearance and forms a sort of throne for the captain steering. These boats are propelled by poles and paddles up the narrow creeks, or spread great square sails of palm fronds on the open river when the wind is fair. The 842 consent of their parents, to stay at a house set apart for the purpose. bachelors of the village and choose a husband from among them. takes place when the girl is quite sure which man she wishes to marry. Photo by Helen Woodsmall Eldredge A BRIDE AND HER ATTENDANTS AT A KACHIN WEDDING: BURMA When Kachin girls are of marriageable age they leave their homes at night, with the There they meet the The formal wedding After the ceremony she walks to her new home between rows of pigs, which are slaughtered as she passes, their blood wetting her feet. owner and family often live aboard (see page 839). Here and there wallow herds of half- wild water buffalo, and now and then appear enormous elephants, beside which the native and his tiny hut look like toys. The moonlight nights are entrancing, with the gauzy mist over the paddy fields feice is “paddy” till it is harvested), while from some near-by pagoda comes the musical sound of gong or hollow tube as the kneeling worshiper attracts the attention of his gods. Everywhere one hears the rhythmic “thump, thump” of wooden tamps in long hollow troughs as the rice is threshed, often to the sound of music; for the Burmese dearly love to work to such accompaniment. THE PAGODA CITY OF THE OLD KINGDOM Going up the Irrawaddy, there is noth- ing of special interest below Mandalay, except the ruins of Pagan, which richly mepay 2 visit. ere, scattered over a considerable area (some 8 miles along the river and 2 miles wide), lie the ruins of a city the story of whose building and decay vie in romantic interest with that of Carthage. Here were once thousands of pagodas, some very beautiful; and a few, in a fair state of preservation, still exhibit the varied styles of the peculiar architecture of the time and country. It was about the beginning of the Christian Era that Pagan was founded ; but 1,000 years later, Anawrata, King of the Birmesc. made it the toneat city known to history. It seems that a hostile tribe dwelling on the shore at Thaton had received direct from Ceylon—center and head of the Buddhist faith—the pure doctrine and teachings of Buddha. The Burmese king sent to this tribe, asking for copies of these “books of the law,” but was refused. Therefore he went in person with an army, destroyed the capital of this selfish people, and took back with him not only the books of the law—seven elephant- loads of them—but the king’s wives, his 843 GRAVE OF KING MIN-LIN MIN: BURMA _ These royal tombs are among the finest specimens of Burmese architecture. They are built of brick and stone, elaborately carved, and are bright with gay colors and gold leaf. Like the pagodas, they always stand on a broad square pedestal, which elevates them some distance above the ground. SHANS IOADING COMMISSARIAT STORE These great hats are worn by all Shans—men, women, and children—and when new have the appearance of shields rather than hats. of the Shan States is like looking on a field of gigantic mushrooms. To look down on a market-place in any So great is the size of their headgear that in narrow passages the people often have difficulty in passing each other. architects, builders, and principal crafts- men. Them he commanded to build him a city. ‘Thus runs the story, and though Pagan was never a religious city in the sense in which Lhassa, governed by monks, is a religious city, it came to have a great many pagodas, thousands of them (later one ruler is said to have used 4,000 of them at one time to build fortifica- tions) ; and some of the best of these, in’ better or worse state’ of preservation, are all that remain of ancient Pagan. Excavations are being made under the scholarly S$. D. O. (a native Burmese who was a sort of secretary to the last king), who has uncovered some very in- teresting buildings. Pagodas were built of stone and brick and so remain, while the palaces of the king and his people, uniformly of wood, have long since disappeared. From the LO tome seth ccntMin~ehacan wasi a celebrated center of Buddhist learning. Fugitive bands of Buddhists from India 845 A GROUP OF CHINS The Chins are the wildest of all the tribes in Burma. They are hillsmen from a range which runs along the boundary between Burma and Bengal, which was included in the former country in 1895. Up in these hills the power of the British is hardly felt, the native chiefs still ruling in accordance with the tribal laws, but subject to the more or less shadowy control of a European resident. 846 A SHAN BEAUTY, In the hot weather the Shan girls discard the bright jacket usually worn and draw up the underskirt, which is then tied tightly under the arms. The overskirt is of the brightest hue and often covered with the most elaborate embroidery. The turban is black, with many rows of bright colored silk and gold threads running through it. Young girls arrange the ends so that they hang loose at each side of the head behind the ears, which are pierced to Teceive ornaments, usually cylinders of gold, jade or even colored glass. 847 KACHIN WOMEN Kachin women wear short skirts of strong, heavy cloth of the brightest colors. Their jackets are of velvet or cloth, ornamented with cowrie shells, silver discs, and white bone buttons. The turbans of married women are black, while the girls wear no kind of head- dress. They wear a great many cane girdles, from 10 to 20 or more, between the waist and the knee. These girdles are generally black, but sometimes they are white or scarlet, em- bellished with the inevitable cowrie shells. These girls belong to a tripe t the Burmese, who are Buddhists, missionaries have settled among t CHIN GIRLS hat have hardly come into contact with civilization. Unlike they are worshipers of nature spirits, and, although some hem, but little progress has been made. 849 “(Shg osed vos) ueseg Jusioue JO urewlal yey} [Je aie ‘UOI}eAIISeId JO 9}e}S aSIOM JO JOWEq UI Oso} JO ysoq oY} JO 9UIOS PUB + (SUOT}VOYIOF pind 0} 9sWI} sUO ye Woy} JO OOO'Y pasn aAeY O} Pres SI Ja[NI 9UO J9}e]) WIYy} JO spuvsnoy} ‘sepoSed AUP }¥918 B ACY OF OUTED jf ‘A}ID SMOTsITII & st ‘syUOUT Aq PoUsOAOS ‘esseYy’] YIM UI 9SUdS dy} UI AO snorSijo1 e JaAQU SEM UeSeg ysnoy f,,, NVOVd LV SVCOOVd 850 Photo by Alfred Joseph Smith PALAUNG WOMEN OF UPPER BURMA “The females of one branch of the Karens and Palaungs wear brass rings around their necks, arms, and legs, weighing, it is said, 50 to 60 pounds. ‘The neck rings, as thick as the little finger, are put on the girl in infancy, four or five rings at first and others added as fast as she grows, till 18 or 20 keep the neck always stretched” (see page 852). 851 852 and fraternities from Ceylon were wel- comed, given separate quarters to live in, and permitted to “write, wrangle and ex- communicate each other to their heart’s content.” Ihe end lot the 13th centtry saw the fall of Pagan, and it has ever since remained a deserted city. FLOATING DEPARTMENT STORES ON THE IRRAWADDY At Mandalay begins a journey into the country of the hill tribes, at war with each other. till within a few years: ltus said that “head-hunting” has not even now entirely ceased. From Mandalay the journey up the river should, by all means, be made by cargo steamer. Not only does the cargo boat stop at tiny villages and at many points where one sees no signs of a village, but she tows, lashed alongside, a barge nearly as large as herself. ‘This barge and the great after-deck of the steamer form one big “department store.” Space is rented to native merchants, who go back and forth each trip, supplying the native with every- thing he needs, from sarongs to betel. Each merchant, in his few square feet of allotted space, arranges his wares exactly as in the little booth along the village street. Hundreds of natives swarm aboard at each stopping place, carrying baskets and bags for their purchases. One is reminded every hour of the day from how many and diverse elements is to be welded the Burmese nation of the future. All originating from the same parent stock (except, perhaps, the Selung tribe), the various tribes have through the centuries contended for possession of lands, hunting and fishing grounds, for life of the simplest form, till their char- acteristics have become as distinctive as if of different races. There prevails, too, in most of the clans a curious system of endogamy, which is or was very strictly enforced. Only the people who live in certain groups of villages, for instance, may intermarry, or in some cases only cousins are permitted. The half-grown boys are separated from the girls and are kept apart till married. The Burmese, though in the ascendant, are really one of many tribes making up the population of Burma. THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE THE MANY TRIBES THAT INHABIT BURMA Here are the stocky, picturesque Shans, with their bright plaids, heavily bedecked with brass and silver buttons, bells, and other ornaments. The Kachin women Wear a score or more belts of narrow hoops, stained black and falling over the hips in a manner to require frequent ad- justing. They come from the Shan States to the East; are rather attractive in form and feature; eaters of lizards, of beetles, of snakes—in fact, of every- thing except human flesh, which is for- bidden. | Here are (so-called) white Karens, heavy and stolid and very dirty, of fairer skin than the Burmese and with a more distinctly Mongolian eye. ‘They take kindly to Christianity, whole villages at a time, as also do the Red Karens, a tribe less numerous, small and wiry, with broad reddish faces. Heavy drinkers these, somber in mien, formerly very wild and savage, they have been reduced from stealers of men to stealers of cattle. Here are men and women of many clans or tribes, their characteristics in form, features, and dress sufficiently marked, but so varied and complex as to render classification difficult except after study and a longer acquaintance. The females of one branch of the Karens and Palaungs wear brass rings around their necks, arms, and legs, weighing, it is said, 50 to 60 pounds. The neck rings, as thick as the little finger, are put on the girl in infancy, four or five rings at first and others added as fast as she grows, till 18 or 20 keep the neck always stretched (see page 851). And so one journeys on and on, each day bringing new scenes, new types of people to study, and all at least 1,000 years behind the epoch in which we live. Everywhere are pagodas—great pagodas, little pagodas, all sorts and sizes of pago- das, to fit the purses of the people who sought to “gain merit” in their building, The Burman is not provident. If he has-money he spends it at once @ine builds a “rest home,” a pagoda, a shelter for a water-jar at the roadside for the wayfarer, and keeps the jar filled with water; always he gives to the monks, UNTOURED BURMA and often when in funds his generosity — takes the form of a pwé at full moon. For this he engages musicians, actors, and dancers, and invites everybody to come. ‘The stage is usually covered, but the audience sits under the sky, strolls under the trees, eats, smokes, sleeps now and then for an hour, while all night long the entertainment goes on. Beside each village is a monastery, and about the monastery are always noble trees, for Buddha commanded medita- tion under the trees. These monasteries are of teakwood, dark and rich in color- ing, and bring out in sharp relief the yellow robes of the monks. A SIMPLE GUILELESS PEOPLE Here are no noble classes, no aristoc- racy, none very rich, none very poor. Superstitious as are all ignorant peo- ple, believers in charms, their supersti- tions never take the form of cruel rites, blood offerings, etc. Their lives are frank and open, with none of the dark places so common to other Orientals. This may not always be so literally true, as in the pictures sometimes drawn by some enthusiastic travelers, where one is shown the family eating, the sleeping rugs spread on the floor, beneath which, in all the primitive simplicity of a pas- toral people, are the cattle in their stalls. This is, however, by no means untrue, taken as a general average, of this sim- ple, happy people, where everything is open to the light of the day. They marry and divorce without constraint of any re- ligion ; their women are the freest in the 853 world, and they are chaste and happy to a degree rarely to be found elsewhere. The Burman minds his own affairs and meddles not at all in his neighbor’s. Courteous assistance when it is asked, and an equally courteous and infinitely more rare non-interference under ail other circumstances is the rule in Burma and the teaching of Buddha. Here is no officious advice, no managing the affairs of others. How rare! How beautiful, even if carried to the extreme of letting a man drown himself if he be so minded or die 10 any way he pleases. The traveler, to acquire any wisdom in his travels, must go always with an open mind. . He must not judge Buddha, Brahma, or Mohammed from the acts of their followers any more than he may judge Christ “fromthe. acts of men of Christian nations, or His teachings from the way we do not embody them in our lines aN Vier anerstine: there smas pecmne— vealed to us in our religion truth from behind the veil. We cannot prove it ex- cept by our faith, our belief. The Ori- ental is equally sure that his is the true faith, that through his prophet was re- vealed the divine truth. This attitude of mind is essential to any comprehension of other peoples, of their customs, of their lives, and this is why missionaries going out with intense religious conviction (which is very nec- essary), surcharged with zeal against all other religions and even sects sometimes fail to get into really sympathetic rela- tions with the devout of other faiths. quej1oduir ay} Fo pue sefduso} pur soriosvue] UMO SPI JO JUNODSE UO YIOd ‘sysIYppNg UsoyIs0U 91} JO 19JUSd snorSipa1 yULJIOdwT We Os} st 1] ‘O10Y peyNnpuos SI [OOM pue ‘s;TMeYS ‘SINf Ul opel} OAIPV UY ‘“URJsoyIN], pue ‘Ueysiueyssy ‘esey’y wWosy ‘“siuYysey JO sjsed Joyo WOIT sjueYoIoW :poy yu 0} pue “JoJUSD SUIPeI} Jeors wv SI ‘sijeM Aq popunosins ‘UMO} onbsoinjord siyy, “snpuy Joan oy} JO ssoyem soddn 94} MOP yoryM ySnoryy ‘Aaqpea MOJTEU @ UL “9S OY} PACK 399} OOO'II JOAO FO UOTVVAIS UL Je SOT] IT “JOLT, BWV] payed sownjowos ‘yyepe’y JO [eyided oy} st yo] Jo AWD oY, HAT dO SI4Hals AH NI x Hmong Lk Caress AN 854 ‘ost UMO J19Y} 1OF Juoroygns soydde pue Seaymyonq ‘Aojieq Mo1s Asy} pue oo1ide dy} d}Ar}[Nd 0} sseueW ‘UOT}UD}}e [NJo1e9 Aq ‘sjuesead 9say} vas at} QAOGe Joo} OOO'ET FO UOT}eAZTO UB O}F dp ‘Aajsnpur o[qipesour ysouye ue YIM poyearNo pue II}y{s Jeois YIM posdeI4J9} 91e UOIISOd potJoioys e& UT OI] YIM sureJUNOW VY} FO Septs dy} ynq ‘ojI10}s Sst [IOS eq J, ‘Ayissooou & ore ‘supysdeays ATUO ji UoAD ‘sing pue ‘QIJOANS AJOA SI 9}eUTT[D OY, ‘TIOS oy} WOT SUIAT]T © AyNoUjTp YyAs SUIIM sjuesevod o}yeun,IJOJUN S}t pue ‘ATU Yysey [[e Ul UOIsod a[qeyidsoyur pue Uostieqd }SOW 9Y} SI joqiy, 9]}}’] LAdiL, VILLI tO SINVSVad 855 ‘Ty ~ paseqoin eqs Y 411ay} OF AIMOp O ou ay} .JO uol}Ipuos ‘OUT ~-siny MeI}s See ul * Jo yey} YOM Jnq ‘UMO Joy} FO pue], OU ssassod AOL, aq. A. Sun fuonoet Suan pue oovjd 0} aoe]d ‘QU9I}XO OY} UI pryenbs uazyo st Wresesa ay} FO 30] au) elueqiy jo surejunoul oy} Uy aay] pur 0: s =— duo. ; wot iy Piber “ma VINV@'IV NI HaTI LNVSVad ee 4sora peyefqns are Aauy caqqenitd | st “uduIOM 856 potp ojdoed 000g jey} sdueTNI JO SaseasIp Woy} YM AlIeS IA YONS YA poses ft pue : uajjo Ay} se “Ysno1y} ssed Ady} SoljId 94} 0} Josuep JO 9010S B ote "\seOo oy} WOIf sqeiy Ajo}e}S pue ‘syzod OY} WOIJ Spoorq-jey “eseyes Ie “AIJUNOD 94} FO sjied [Je WosF 90D Sel] PMOL ay} Souess poyeultue Ue ST 4] ay} SMOYS oINpoId SIYT, “BOIL JOF suulrspid oy} FO 944 Izeysueg JO 310d oY} OUT snydA} poonpos F oY} FO sase ONIMUVGNY SWIMOTId NVLTIOdINL JUI sutlisfid oy} 0 ‘gnbseinjord Y se sieo snoy} * ‘syoOM MOF & UL A Moy Y ‘puly Arosa SpMOID WiIs]Id 9Sol], © dy} WoT] soOldoU “JiOSop oy} WOTy SpeMoU ote IIL ‘yodizy, JO s}zod oy} FO QUO ‘IZeYyoued ye sunisid Jo uolexrequia jedap Tenuue oy} si ysod ueoliyy YON Aue 3e s}ysis onbseimyjord 4so tW oy} JO WE 857 SEMEISKI WOMEN The Semeiski are a sect of Russian nonconformists who have emigrated to Siberia and have established themselves on the eastern shores of Lake Baikal. They are a thrifty, industrious, and moral people, living in great isolation, which has tended to preserve their curious costume. ‘They are excellent farmers and grow all the grain used in the govern- ment mines in Siberia. In each Semeiski village there is a prayer-house in which all the inhabitants say their prayers in common and where the elders read the lives of. the saints and explain difficult texts of Scripture. They live without priests, but once every three years they assemble at Yaroslav, a town on the upper Volga, where one of their priests resides, to receive the sacraments. During the interval baptisms and marriages are performed by the local elders. oe) OL ee) HE lstieoU ee SEVILLE CIGARETTE-MAKERS AT WORK In Southern Spain man is too dignified to work, so when anything has to be done it falls to the lot of his women folk. Not even will he supply his own luxuries; so his cigar- ettes have to be made for him by the gentler sex. In good truth, however, it must be admitted that Spain has no monopoly of this system; our own factories are filled with women. 859 = SESS \ S60 EEN AND HER COURT ~ A MADAGASCAN QU , in the northwest of the island, made and queens, tributary to the sovereign at ings , the ruler of the country around Norri Bé , representing the French government. , the island contained a large number of k This photograph was taken when Queen Binao ion to General Gall ieni ntananarivo. Before the annexation of Madagascar by the French miss her sub Vor. XXIV, No. 8 f WASHINGTON | | | NATIONAL | GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE AUGUST, 1913 iat AsGeNT OF MONT BLANC By WALTER WoopBurRN HybDE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA FIRST saw the monarch of Swiss ] mountains from the town of Geneva. _ Far away on the horizon, 60 miles to the eastward, the great white pyramid, clearly visible from the city streets, lifts its hoary bulk aloft into the azure sky, far above all the surrounding peaks of Savoy. And at evening its huge mass of snow and ice is a sheen of red and golden light, whose brightness seems only to have the substance of some fantastic Soiderenceume the fiery hues of the western sun. But when viewed from the village of Chamonix, grandly situated at its base, the effect is still more imposing. I had approached the tiny town—so famed in the story of Alpine climbing—from Ar- gentiere, which lies at the entrance of the romantic vale of Chamonix. Everywhere the eye is charmed with the harmonious blending of nature’s varying tints. Green meadows and dark pine woods heighten the beauty of the snow-white glaciers, which extend like frozen torrents from the summit down into the very valley, their lower courses separated by great forest-clad promon- tories projecting upward into the sea of ice and crowned with huge rocks carved into obelisks and other titanic shapes, intermixed with patches of snow. | The mind is almost overwhelmed with the grandeur of the massive wall inclos- ing the valley all along its eastern side, with its succession of noble peaks covered with eternal snow, and the stately, needle- like rocks—the so-called Aiguilles—which seem to pierce the sky, the whole mass culminating just over the village in the central summit, the mountain monarch towering in regal majesty amidst his court of subservient attendants. AS we gaze up at his huge outline, we see two long, irregular ridges, like enor- mous arms, descending from the giant’s shoulders, the two rounded peaks just below the summit on either side, Mont Blane du Tacul and the Dome du Gotter, the one ending in the Aiguille du Midi, the other in the Aiguille du Gottter, whose spurs reach far down into the valley be- low (see pages 862 and 874). Between these mighty arms is the course of the snow valley, sloping up- ward to just below the summit, which gives to the mountain its pyramidal effect when seen from a distance and its pecu- liar character and name, and as we look up from the village street, the effect is overpowering. Above us, all above us, with its broken and jagged slopes and majestic glaciers, is the mass of the mountain, its great snowy dome sur- mounting all, and apparently almost di- rectly over us. In the moonlight it is grandest of all, when summit and sides are masses of glittering crystals, and withal seemingly so near and so easy of access, though it “eA ee eae nee “AME A Xtuoweys 24} JO apis z9y}0 24} uo ‘sesnoy sal[insry eyz zo syead oy} FO auO ‘(zaaz SzZ6‘S) e1259[T 94} WOIZ UdHe} sem Ydes80j,0yd SIU, “Uorjtod oapy49f% Ysou say} PUL]IIZUIMG pue ‘edo[s jsedsojs 9y} Ale ‘oreys s,uol, oy} sey souely “Aje}] pue ‘pueyiszyims ‘sours UsIMjJod PePIAIP SI sseuw ureyunouw 4v013 SIUL NIVHO) ONVT@ LNOW HHL TO MAIA IVAANAD HWM “D'S Aq oyoyg 862 tT ee AE es St Se SS ee Saat Pangea Sinks Ne ee ee yueI pue Ajyeuoiyeu AI9AI JO SIOPSIA YIM JOUIM PUL JOWUINS UI YO PIPMOID St 3] 0} dUOp Useq sey Ysl{dwoooe ued Je PU oIN}eU je} HYP M “OD ‘§ 4q Cloud SUINJAIOAT «“XIUOWeYD UY} WieYyd JoyeaI ONVId [NOW GNV XINOWVH)D g 3 OACY Pjso "OAIZOCI}IE -U M 94} Ul otJoyMAUe MO} OPI] Sty} Jopues S}IOSOT JSTINOY Mo Spuadso Ie ] y IY SYM ‘IIIOe[D) IOI aM ‘D'S 44 40d WUISIV JOoIJS ISET[IA 9} OJUT jsOowye (JooF CVS‘c1) JUSTO, JUOP_L WoT SnHOpusule1} 94} JO JOOF oY} Je spueys j]T “AoyjeA oy} dn JoayyInf ‘xtuoweYD 0} aS8e]][IA }xoU 9Y} SI dsoTUDSIV HOUND AaaIINADaV eS CRN Oil MONT BANC took many a season’s diligent search and toil before a way was found by which to scale these dizzy heights. Courted and frequented as the regal white mountain is now, until a little more than.a century and a half ago it was scarcely known beyond the precincts of its own, valley. Its name. cannot be traced farther than 1742, though the his- tory of the village and valley of Chamo- mix goes back to the Norman conquest. Doubtless even. in. Roman days this region was inhabited, as an inscribed boundary stone of Vespasian’s day is still visible on the valley side of the Col de la Forclaz, probably on the old Roman toad over the Mont Blanc Range, which connected Geneva with Aosta; and the name Chamounis, which first occurs in the Mercator Atlas of 1595, is undoubt- edly a corruption of “champs muni,” the French translation of “campus munitus,” the medieval Latin name of the valley, the fortified camp being the little valley with its mountain walls. But the first authentic date in the his- tory of the valley is 1091, when Aymon, Count of Geneva, bestowed on the Bene- dictine abbey of St. Michel de la Cluse, near Turin, the “campus munitus’’; by the 13th century a priory was founded, ~ whose priors enjoyed almost absolute jurisdiction over the wretched peasantry, until, scarcely a century ago, the valley was finally delivered from the infamous rule of the canons of Sallanches, to whom the priory had been transferred in 1519, and the commune of Chamonix destroyed the monastery and the Chamoniards be- caiewiteemmen, Iuring the last few years of this struggle travelers first began ‘to visit the wonderful sights of Chamo- nix, which drew them henceforth in ever- increasing streams. THE LOVER AND THE FRIGID LADY Even earlier, visitors had occasionally come to look at the “glaciers,” as Mont Blane was then called. One of the ear- ‘liest of whom we have any record was a Monsieur Pays, who wrote a letter from ‘Chamonix, May 16, 1669, to a lady whom he had the misfortune to over-admire. ‘Upbraiding her for her coolness, he wrote ane part : 865 “In my despair at leaving you, I vowed I would throw myself over the first con- venient place. But until now, though for 15 days I have ascended and descended the most dangerous mountains of Savoy and skirted the brinks of a thousand precipices, | have not thrown myself over. I must not deceive you. The pleasure of looking at your portrait in this frightful country has always kept me back when I proposed to execute my intention. Here, madame, I see five mountains which are just like you. Five mountains, madame, which are pure ice irom top to bottom. Our charming lover doubtless referred to the five gla- ciers on the Chamonix side of the range. lipistiieretone, clean that too. mich stress should not be laid on the “dis- covery” of Chamonix by the two Hneglish travelers, Pococke and Windham, in 1741, though their visit undoubtedly prowohie the litle: stow simto