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THE  MAMMALS  OF  THE  ADIRONDACK  REGION 


: 


NORTHEASTERN   NEW  YORK. 


WITH     AN    INTRODUCTORY    CHAPTER    TREATING   OF    THE    LOCATION    AN1 1) 

BOUNDARIES    OF    THE    REGION.    ITS    GEOLOGICAL    HISTORY, 

TOPOGRAPHY,    CLIMATE,    GENERAL    FEATURES, 

BOTANY,  AND    FAUNAL    POSITION. 


BY 


CLINTON  HART  MERRIAM^M,  D, 


Published  by  tlic  Autlior,  September,  iSSj.. 


(Reprinted  from  Yols.  I  &  II,  Transactions  Linnaian  Society,  Now  York.) 


NEW    YORK: 

PRESS  OF  L.  S.   FOSTER,  35  PIXE  STREET. 
MDCCCLXXXIV. 


PREFACE. 

This  book  is  a  verbatim  reprint  of  the  first  and  second  instal- 
ments of  my  work  upon  "  The  Vertebrates  of  the  Adirondack 
Region,  Northeastern  New  York,"  which  was  published  in  Vols.  I 
and  II  of  the  Transactions  of  the  Linnrean  Society  of  New  York. 
Pages  9-107  (comprising  the  first  instalment)  appeared  in  Vol.  I, 
separate^  issued  in  October,  1882.  The  paging  is  unchanged. 
Pages  108-312  (comprising  the  second  instalment  and  concluding 
the  mammalia)  appeared  in  Vol.  II,  which  was  issued  in  August, 
1884.  The  paging  has  here  been  altered  "to  conform  to  that  of  the 
first  instalment,  of  which  it  is  a  direct  continuation. 

Most  of  the  biographies  were  written  during  or  previous  to  the 
year  1882,  and  were  read  at  different  times  before  the  Linnsean 
Society  of  New  York.  Pages  107-240  received  supplemental 
matter  at  the  time  of  going  to  press,  the  additional  material  having 
been  acquired  after  the  biographies  had  been  read  before  the 
Society.  Pages  240-312  were  not  so  augmented,  excepting  in  the 
article  on  the  Muskrat,  for  the  reason  that  this  portion  of  the  work 
had  already  exceeded  its  intended  limits. 

Since  the  first  instalment  was  issued  much  additional  matter  per- 
taining to  the  species  there  treated  has  been  gathered ;  and  even 
while  the  second  instalment  has  been  passing  through  the  press 
many  facts  of  importance  have  come  into  the  author's  possession. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  second  chapter  opens  with  the  state- 
ment :  "In  the  following  pages  forty-two  species  of  mammals  are 


enumerated,"  while  as  a  matter  of  fact  forty-six  are  given  as  at 
present  inhabiting  the  region.  This  discrepancy  is  due  to  the  long 
interval  (nearly  two  years)  between  the  publication  of  the  first  and 
second  instalments — the  presence  of  the  additional  species  having 
been  ascertained  during  this  period. 

On  page  25,  after  mentioning  some  of  the  birds  characteristic  of 
the  Canadian  Fauna,  I  ventured  to  predict  that  the  Hudsonian  Tit 
(Panes  Hudsonicus)  would  also  be  found  nesting  in  the  Adiron- 
clacks.  Since  the  above  was  published  I  have  found  this  species 
breeding  in  a  large  balsam  and  tamarack  swamp  between  Big 
Moose  Lake  and  Lake  Terror,  and,  more  sparingly,  in  a  few  other 
localities. 

This  work  consists,  in  the  first  place,  of  a  general  account  of  the 
prominent  features  of  the  region  ;  and  secondly,  of  a  popular  narra- 
tive of  the  habits  of  the  animals  found  within  its  confines.  It  is 
in  no  sense  a  technical  treatise,  and  technical  matter  will  but  rarely 
be  found  in  its  pages. 

In  conclusion,  it  is  proper  to  say  that  although  I  have  been  able 
to  correct  some  statements  of  others,  and  have  added  to  the 
general  fund  of  knowledge  many  previously  unrecorded  facts  re- 
specting the  habits  of  mammals  ;  still,  I  am  deeply  conscious  that 
the  most  complete  biography  herein  contained  can  be  regarded 
only  as  a  very  imperfect  contribution  to  the  life  history  of  the 
species  of  which  it  treats. 

LOCUST  GROVE,  NEW  YORK,  C.   HART  MERRIAM. 

September  3,  1884. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

GENERAL  INTRODUCTION 


i.  LOCATION  AND  BOUNDARIES. 
2.  GEOLOGICAL  HISTORY. 

Geology  ;    Soil.  • 

3.  TOPOGRAPHY. 

Character  of  Mountains  ;  Altitudes  ;  Black  River  side  ;  Champlain  side  ;  Natural  Avenue  from 
New  York  to  the  St.  Lawrence,  below  Montreal  ;  Characteristic  Birds  of  the  mountains 
and  valley  about  Lake  George. 

4.  CLIMATE. 

Snow  ;  Temperature  ;  Relation  between  Temperature  and  Altitude  ;  Sudden  Changes  of  Tem- 
perature ;  Rain-fall  ;  Humidity,  and  its  Influence  upon  Vegetation. 

5.  GENERAL  FEATURES. 

Marsh  Plants  upon  High  Mountains  ;  Peculiarities  of  Valleys  :  of  Mountains  ;  Windfalls  ;  De- 
vastating Fires  ;  A  Walk  through  the  Forest  ;  Winter;  Autumn  ;  Mixed  Flocks. 

6.  BOTANY. 

Forest  Trees  ;  Undershrubs  ;  Smaller  Flowering  Plants  and  Herbs  ;   Mosses  ;   Lichens. 

7.  FAUNAL  POSITION. 

As  Illustrated  by  the  Mammals  ;    Birds  ;    Lepidoptera,  and  Plants. 


2  'S  8  1 G 


CHAPTER    II. 

MAM  MALTA 


Panther  (/•  '<•//.»• 
Lynx  (I.\'ii.\   CanaJ,'iisis\        .  . 

l!ay  Lynx  (/.vii.v  riiftts}     ... 
Wolf  (Cam's  lupus)         .          . 
Fox  (  Vitlpcs  -,'ulgaris  Pcnusvli'aiiicii*) 
Wolverine  ((/'«/<»  luscns)         ... 
Fisher  (Mustclii  J\-iuiiiiifi)         .. 
Marten  (.}fns/,'/a  Americana)         .. 
Least  Weasel  (rittoritts  i'iil:^aris} 
Ermine  (Pittiwiits  cn/iinca)    ... 
Mink  (Putoriits  risou]       ... 
Skunk  (Mephitis  incpliitiia}   ... 
Otter  (Lit  frit  Canadensis)  .. 

Raccoon  (/'/<'<  TI>//  /<>/<>;•)          ... 
Black  Bear  (C/rsus  Americanus)        . 
Harbor  Seal  (P/iocn  -,'itiilina}          .. 
Virginia  Deer  (Ciirnu-its  Virginianus). 
Moose  (.•//(-<•  Aincricaints}      ... 
Elk  or  Wapiti  (Ccri'iis  Canadensis)  . 
Fossil  Horse  (Eyuits  inaj^i-}  .. 

Fossil  Elephant  (ILlcphas  Americamis) 
Star-  nosed  Mole  (  CcuJylura  cristata)     . 
Shrew  Mole  (S('a/t>/>s  aquaticus)         . 
Brewer's  Mole  (Stapaims  Americanus) 
Short-tailed  Shrew  (Blarina  brcricatida'] 
Cooper's  Shrew  (Sorcx  Cooperf)     .. 
Broad-nosed  Shrew  (Sorex  platyrhinus} 
Hoary  Bat  (Atalapha  cinc;\-ti)        .. 
Red  Bat  {Atalapha  Novcboracensis)  . 
Dusky  Bat  (  Vcspcrttgo  savtimts  fiiscus} 


Silver-haired  Bat 


noctivagans) 


Little  Brown  Bat  (  lrcspcrtilio  sitlnt  latiis)        . 
Flying  Squirrel  (Sciuropterus  Tolualla)     .. 
Northern  Flying  S(|iurre!  (Sciuropterus  rolucclla 
Red  Squirrel  (Sciitnis  Hudsonius)    ... 
Gray  Squirrel  (Sci  tints  Cti/vlincnsis  Iciicotis) 
Fox  Squirrel  (Scitin/s  nigcr  cinereus)         .. 
Ground  Squirrel  (  Tainias  sfriafus)         .. 
Woodchuck  (Arctomys  monax)          ... 
American  Beaver  (Castor  fiber  d.inaJcnsis')     . 
Rat  (A/us  decumanus)       ..... 
House  Mouse  (Mus  musculus)      ... 
White-footed  Mouse  (Ilt-spciv/nvs  /i-iicopns) 
Red-backed  Mouse  (Evolomys  nililits  Gnfpt-ri) 
Meadow  Mouse  (Arvifohi  riparius)  ... 
Muskrat  (Fiber  zibcthicns}     .... 
Jumping  Mouse  (Zap  us  Hudsonius^  .. 

Canada  Porcupine  (Etvl/tizon  tfi>r.ttitus)          . 
Great  Northern  Hare  (Lcpus  Americanus) 
Southern  Varying   Hare  (Lepns  Americanus  I'ir 
Gray  Rabbit  (Lcpiis  sylvaticus)  ... 


40 

41-42 

42-44 

45-47 

47-48 

43-51 

52-54 

54-56 

56-64 

64-69 

69-87 

87-91 

91-95 

95-104 

104-106 

107-138 

I38-M3 


M5 
145 

146-153 
153-160 
161-163 

164-173 

I73-I/5 

175 

176-181 
181-184 
184-187 
188-194 
194-197 
197-206 
206-208 
209-218 
219-232 
232-233 

233-239 
240—252 

253-258 
259-260 
260-263 
263-271 
271-272 
272-275 
275-289 
290-300 
300-305 

305-309 
309-311 

311-312 


CHAPTER  I. 
GENERAL  INTRODUCTION 


1. -LOCATION  AND  BOUNDARIES. 

TTrN  general  terms  the  Adirondack  Wilderness  may  be  said  to  em- 
iJi  brace  that  portion  of  New  York  State  lying  to  the  north  of 
the  Mohawk  Valley,  and  included  between  Lake  Champlain  on  the 
east  and  the  valley  of  the  Black  River  on  the  west.  These  limits, 
however,  include  much  territory  not  properly  belonging  to  the 
region  under  consideration,  for  its  boundaries  are  more  or  less 
irregular,  and  in  many  places  fall  short  of  the  limits  above  defined. 
The  Adirondacks  proper,  or  the  area  to  which  the  subject-matter  of 
this  paper  is  restricted,  can  be  stated,  with  sufficient  exactness,  to 
lie  between  parallels  43°  i  5'  and  44-  46'  north  latitude,  hence  meas- 
uring about  an  hundred  and  twenty  miles  ( 1 93,  i  2  i  metres)  in  a  north 
and  south  direction. 

The  transverse  diameter  of  the  region  is  approximately  of  equal 
extent.  A  large  area  on  its  western  border  is  well  known  by  the 
name  of  "  Brown's  Tract,"  and  the  whole  territory  is  frequently 
spoken  of  as  the  "  North  Woods."  It  covers  more  or  less  exten- 
sive portions  of  twelve  counties,  namely  :  St.  Lawrence,  Franklin, 
Clinton,  Lewis,  Herkimer,  Hamilton,  Essex,  Warren,  Oneida,  Ful- 
ton, Saratoga,  and  Washington. 

2. -GEOLOGICAL    HISTORY. 

From  a  geological  stand-point,  the  Adirondacks  are  interesting  as 
constituting  one  of  the  few  islands  that  rose  above  the  level  of 


]O  GENERAL  INTRODUCTION. 

the  mighty  Continental  sea,  previous  to  Paleozoic  time.  Its  stern 
Archaean  shores  were  washed  by  the  waves  of  countless  ages  before 
the  undermost  strata  of  the  Lower  Silurian  were  deposited  upon 
them,  entombing  and  preserving  many  of  the  Trilobites,  Brachio- 
pods,  and  other  curious  inhabitants  of  that  vast  ocean.  This  Lower 
Silurian  zone  marked  the  shore  line,  so  to  speak,  of  the  ancient 
island,  and  consists  of  Potsdam  sandstone  and  the  lime  rocks  of 
the  Trenton  period.  Though  broken  and  interrupted,  enough  of 
it  still  remains  to  afford  us  tantalizing  glimpses  of  the  life  of  the 
time,  torn  pages  of  fragmentary  chapters  that  constitute  but  a  half- 
told  story  to  excite  our  imagination  and  regret. 

The  old  Archaean  centre,  which  we  call  the  Adirondacks,  is  made 
up  mainly  of  gneiss,  and  includes  areas  of  syenite,  hypersthenite, 
granite,  iron  ore,  and  other  metamorphic  rocks.  The  soil,  therefore, 
except  that  resulting  from  decomposed  vegetation,  is  largely  sili- 
cious  sand. 


3.-TOPOGRAPHY. 

The  topography  of  the  region  is  diversified,  and  in  some  respects 
peculiar.  The  mountains  and  short  ranges  of  high  hills  have  no 
regular  trend,  and  conform  to  no  definite  axis.  They  are  in  no 
sense  a  chain  of  mountains,  and  have  no  backbone  at  all  ;  but,  on 
the  contrary,  consist  of  more  or  less  irregular  groups,  isolated 
peaks,  short  ranges,  and  "  hog-backs,"  scattered  over  the  entire 
area — the  highest  to  the  eastward.  They  slope  in  all  possible  direc- 
tions, according  to  the  position  and  courses  of  the  valleys  and  river 
beds  adjacent.  Like  the  grand  old  Lawrentian  Hills  of  Canada, 
and  other  Archaean  mountains,  they  are  bold  and  rugged,  with 
well-defined  and  often  much  broken  outlines.  Nearly  thirty  peaks 
exceed  four  thousand  feet  (1,219.20  metres)  in  height,  several  are 
about  five  thousand  (1,524  metres),  and  one,  Mt.  Marcy,  attains  an 


TOPOGRAPHY.  j  f 

altitude  of  five  thousand    three  hundred  and  forty-four  feet  (1,628.- 
85 1  metres).* 

The  entire  region  is  studded  with  hundreds  of  beautiful  lakes  of  va- 
rious sizes  and  depths,  and  two  of  them  are  upwards  of  four  thousand 
feet  above  tide  level.  The  altitude  of  the  western  border  of  this  area 
is  nowhere  less  than  one  thousand  feet  (304.80  metres),  and  in  most 
places  is  considerably  more  than  this.  From  the  valley  of  the  Black 
River  the  slope  is  gradual,  and  the  flattened  summits  of  the  first 
range  of  foot-hills  form  a  terrace  of  great  extent.  The  dense  forests 
that  formerly  covered  this  terrace  have  mostly  been  destroyed,  and 
it  is  now  a  sandy,  barren  region,  overrun  with  blackberries  and 
other  rank  undergrowth.  Beyond,  to  the  eastward,  lie  the  ranges 
of  low  hills  and  irregularly  distributed  mountains,  with  their  many 
lakes  and  rivers,  that  indicate  the  confines  of  the  Adirondacks. 

On  the  eastward  the  case  is  very  different.  Lake  Champlain  is  not 
an  hundred  feet  f  (30.48  metres)  above  tide-level,  and  Lake  George  is 
but  three  hundred  and  forty-three  feet  (104.546  metres).  From  the 
head  (south  end)  of  Lake  George  to  Glen's  Falls,  a  distance  of  but 
nine  miles  (14,484  metres),  there  is  a  fall  of  sixty-one  feet  (18.69 
metres).  Glen's  Falls,  it  will  be  remembered,  is  directly  on  the 
Hudson,  just  east  of  Luzerne.  Hence  it  is  clear  that  one  can  travel 
from  New  York  city  to  Montreal  on  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  and 
by  a  very  direct  roacl,  too,  without  passing  over  any  elevation  greater 
than  the  shore  of  Lake  George.  The  route  would  be  :  up  the  Hud- 
son to  Glen's  Falls,  thence  overland  nine  miles  to  Fort  William 
Henry  on  Lake  George,  or  down  the  valley  to  Whitehall,  and 
thence,  skirting  the  Adirondacks,  down  Lake  Champlain  and  its 
outlet,  the  river  Richelieu,  to  Sorel  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  at  the 
head  of  Lake  St.  Peter — about  forty  miles  below  Montreal.  This 
is,  indeed,  the  exact  pathway  traversed,  but  little  more  than  two 

*  Report  of  Adirondack  Survey,  Verplanck  Colvin,  Superintendent,  iSSo. 
f  Exactly  99  feet. 


I  2  GENERAL  INTRODUCTION. 

centuries  ago,  by  the  fierce  war  parties  of  the  merciless  Iroquois,  as 
they  journeyed  with  a  fleet  of  birch-bark  canoes,  from  their  wig- 
wams on  the  Mohawk,  to  harass  and  imperil  the  three  exposed  col- 
onies of  New  France — Montreal,  Three  Rivers,  and  Quebec — 
already  crippled  and  disheartened  by  early  struggles  with  the  Hu- 
rons  and  Algonquins.  It  is  well  to  bear  these  facts  in  mind,  lest, 
by  forgetting  that  modern  civilization  has  overcome  so  many  bar- 
riers and  established  so  many  channels  of  communication  between 
different  regions,  we  lose  sight  of  the  great  natural  avenues  that 
were  known  so  well  to  the  aborigines,  and  to  our  forefathers.  This 
narrow  valley,  penetrating  the  primeval  forests  of  the  north,  and 
walled  in  by  the  Adirondacks  on  the  west,  and  the  Green  Mountains 
of  Vermont  on  the  east,  exerts  a  powerful  influence  over  the  life  of 
adjoining  lands,  carrying  southern  forms  into  the  heart  of  a  great 
northern  wilderness.  Along  the  opposite  border  of  the  Adiron- 
dacks we  have  seen  that  the  mountains  and  foot-hills  slope  gradually 
to  the  westward  till  they  disappear  in  the  valley  of  the  Black  River. 
Here,  on  the  contrary,  lofty  rugged  mountains  rise,  some  from 
the  very  water's  edge,  and  many  of  the  highest  peaks  of  the  entire 
region  lie  within  a  few  miles  from  the  shores  of  Lakes  George  and 
Champlain.  Among  these  mountains  breed  such  northern  birds  as 
the  Hermit  and  Olive-backed  Thrushes,  the  Red-bellied  Nuthatch, 
the  Winter  Wren,  the  Yellow- rumped,  Blackburnian,  Black  and 
Yellow,  Mourning,  and  Canada  Fly-catching  Warblers,  both  Cross- 
bills, the  White-throated  Sparrow,  the  Raven,  the  Canada  Jay,  both 
Three  toed  Woodpeckers,  and  the  Spruce  Grouse  ;  while  in  the 
valley  below  may  be  found  the  Wood  Thrush,  Brown  Thrasher, 
House  Wren,  Large-billed  Water  Thrush,  Field  Sparrow,  Chewink, 
Mourning  Dove  and  other  species  supposed  to  pertain  to  the  Alle- 
ghanian  Fauna,  through  much  more  characteristic  of  the  Carolinian. 
Nowhere,  except  in  the  Catskills,  do  representatives  from  the  Cana- 
dian and  Carolinian  Faunae  so  nearly  meet  as  upon  the  mountain 
sides  bordering  the  southwestern  part  of  Lake  George. 


CLIMATE.  T  -> 

O 

4.-CLIMATE. 

The  climate  of  the  Adirondack  Wilderness  varies  greatly  with  the 
season.     Snow  covers  the  ground  from  some  time  in  November  till 

o 

the  middle  or  latter  part  of  April,  and  in  mid -winter  averages  over 
four  feet  in  depth  on  the  level.  During  this  period  the  mercury 
often  falls  below  - —25°  Fahr.  (--32°  C.),  and  more  than  once  it 
has  been  frozen  ( — 40°  F.  and  C.)  In  summer  the  days  are  warm 
and  the  nights  cool.  Owino-  to  the  altitude  of  the  region  its  mean 

o  o  o 

annual  temperature  falls  considerably  below  that  of  the  surrounding 
country.  Guyot  says  :  "  On  an  average  an  increase  of  three  hundred 
and  thirty  feet  oi  altitude  diminishes  the  temperature  one  degree 
Fahrenheit;  hence  the  rate  of  diminution  is  about  three  degrees  to 

o 

every  thousand  feet."  Therefore  the  temperature  at  the  summit  of 
Mt.  Marcy  should  average  sixteen  degrees  Fahrenheit  below  that  of 
tide-level  in  the  same  latitude.  Mr.  Verplanck  Colvin  found,  from 
observations  made  at  three  sets  of  localities,  in  1876,  that  the  mean 
decrease  in  temperature  per  each  thousand  feet  increase  in  altitude, 
in  this  region  was  2.93°  Fahr.  in  August,  4.1 1°  F.  in  September,  and 
4.62°  F.  in  November.*  On  this  basis  the  mean  temperature  of  that 
portion  of  the  Adirondacks  having  an  altitude  of  four  thousand  feet 
(1,219.20  metres)  would  average  below  that  of  New  York  city  during 
the  same  time,  11.72°  F.  in  August,  16.44°  F-  m  September,  and 
18.08°  F.  in  November,  if  in  the  same  latitude. 

There  are  probably  few  places  on  this  continent  that  are  subject  to 
greater  or  more  sudden  changes  of  temperature  than  this  area.  Vari- 
ations of  forty,  fifty,  and  sixty  degrees  Fahrenheit,  during  the  twenty- 
four  hours,  are  by  no  means  uncommon;  and  I  have  seen  the  mercury 
fall  over  seventy  degrees  Fahrenheit  in  fifteen  hours  in  winter.  My 
journal  records  a  rise  of  42°  in  six  hours,  of  32°  in  five  hours,  and  of 
12°  in  one  hour;  a  fall  of  38°  in  thirteen  hours,  and  one  of  20°  in  four 
hours.  These  great  and  rapid  changes  usually  occur  in  winter — clur- 


*  Report  of  Adirondack  Survey,  Verplanck  Colvin,  Superintendent,  1880,  pp.  324-6. 


!4  GENERAL  INTRODUCTION. 

ing  January,  February,  and  March.  Notwithstanding  these  facts, 
diseases  of  the  lungs  are  rare  among  the  inhabitants,  and  even  the 
severe  winters  have  proved  of  benefit  to  those  consumptives  that  have 
remained  here  throughout  the  entire  year. 

The  mean  annual  rain-fall  exceeds  that  of  most  portions  of  the 
State,  and  is  estimated  by  Mr.  Colvin,  from  the  available  data,  to  be 
46.18  inches  (1,149  mm.)  for  the  entire  region.  The  mean  annual  rain- 
fall over  the  whole  State  is  41.94  inches  (1,063  mm.).* 

There  are  two  elements  that  tend  to  increase  the  humidity  of  this 
region  :  ist,  its  mountainous  character,  for  mountains  always  act  as 
condensers  of  moisture;  and  2cl,  its  heavy  covering  of  forests,  for 
dense  vegetation  protects  the  underlying  soil  and  rock  from  the  direct 
action  of  the  sun,  and  keeps  the  temperature  lower — thus  favoring 
condensation  and  the  precipitation  of  excess  moisture. 

"A  deciduous  tree,  during  the  season  when  in  foliage,  is  constantly 
drawing  from  the  earth  and  giving  off  from  its  leaves  a  considerable 
amount  of  moisture,  and  in  some  cases  this  amount  is  very  great. 
This  change  of  state,  from  a  fluid  to  a  gaseous  condition,  is  a  cooling 
process,  and  the  air  near  the  surface,  being  screened  from  the  sun  and 
from  the  winds,  becomes  by  this  means  so  humid,  that  a  rank  suc- 
culent vegetation  often  springs  up  and  thrives,  which  in  an  open  field 
would  wither  and  perish  in  an  hour."f 

Now  it  is  well  known  that  there  is,  in  nature,  no  such  thing  as  a 
perfectly  dry  atmosphere,  for  at  all  times,  and  in  all  places,  it  is  laden 
with  less  or  more  aqueous  vapor  in  a  state  of  suspension.  The  higher 
the  temperature  the  greater  the  capacity  for  carrying  moisture,  and 
consequently  the  more  moisture  required  to  produce  saturation — by 
which  term  we  understand  the  maximum  quantity  of  watery  vapor 
that  a  definite  amount  of  atmospheric  air  can  contain  at  any  given  de- 
gree of  temperature.  No  evaporation  whatever  can  take  place  from  any 
surface  in  a  saturated  atmosphere,  and  any  cooling  of  such  an  atmos- 


*  Meteorology  of  New  York  State,  Second  Series,  F.  B.  Hough,  1872,  p.  ix. 
f  Hough's  Report  on  Forestry,  1878,  p.  289. 


GENERAL  FEATURES.  ]  5 

phere  produces  instant  precipitation  of  the  excess  of  moisture  above 
the  degree  to  which  the  temperature  has  been  lowered.  Therefore, 
the  temperature  and  dew  point  being  low  in  this  great  wilderness,  and 
a  large  amount  of  moisture  being  given  off,  both  from  the  dense 
forests  themselves,  and  from  the  multitude  of  lakes  and  swamps  scat- 
tered over  its  surface,  the  atmosphere  is  often  saturated,  and  showers 
during  the  summer  season  are  of  frequent  occurrence.  The  conforma- 
tion of  the  country,  too,  favors  precipitation  within  its  own  borders, 
for  a  wind,  from  whatsoever  direction  blowing,  could  not  easily 
convey  the  lower  vapor-laden  atmosphere  away  without  coming 
in  contact  with  some  cool  area  or  mountain  side  that  would  so  lower 
its  temperature  as  to  cause  instant  precipitation.  Clouds  carried  over 
the  Adirondacks  from  a  distance  would,  when  sufficiently  low,  share 
the  same  fate,  and  disappear  in  showers  over  the  foot-hills. 

And  such  is,  in  fact,  the  case;  for  a  long  residence  overlooking  a 
considerable  portion  of  the  western  slope  of  the  region  has  enabled 
me  to  observe  repeatedly,  not  only  occasional  showers,  but  sometimes 
even  whole  days  of  more  or  less  continuous  rain  there,  when  not  a 
drop,  or  at  most  a  slight  shower,  fell  at  the  point  of  observation,  only 
twelve  or  fifteen  miles  distant. 

5. -GENERAL  FEATURES. 

We  have  found,  then,  that  the  atmospheric  and  general  climatic 
conditions,  over  this  area,  favor  the  production  of  a  luxuriance  of 
vegetation;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  the  conformation  of  the  land  and 
the  density  of  the  forests  and  undergrowth  tend  to  lower  the  temper- 
ature and  increase  the  humidity — interacting  causes  whose  effect 
upon  florae  and  faunae  has  hardly  received  the  attention  it  deserves. 

The  deep  beds  of  moss  upon  the  mountain  tops  consist  chiefly  of 
species  of  Sphagnum  and  the  "  Shining  Feather  Moss  '  (Hypnum 
splendens],  over  which  runs,  in  various  places,  the  pretty  Creeping 
Snow-berry  (Chiogenes  hispidula)  and  the  lovely  twin  bell-flowers 
of  Linncea  borcalis.  Other  still  more  characteristic  marsh  plants  grow 


jg  GENERAL  INTRODUCTION. 

upon  these  elevated  summits,  for,  in  the  language  of  our  State  Bota- 
nist, Mr.  Charles  H.  Peck,  "  the  frequent  rains,  the  investing  clouds, 
and  the  low  temperature  which  retards  evaporation,  all  conspire  to 
produce  that  prevalence  of  moisture  which  imitates  the  condition  of 
the  marshes. "*  On  the  open  summit  of  Mt.  Marcy  (altitude  5,344 
feet,  or  1,628  metres)  Mr.  Peck  found  Cassandra  calycidata,  Lcdum 
latifolium,  Kalmia  glauca,  Habenaria  dilatata,  Vcratrum  viride,  Ca- 
rex  irrigua,  and  Calamcigrostis  Canadensis — all  swamp  plants.  There 
are  no  trees  here  to  protect  them  from  the  sun,  for  they  grow  upon 
the  open  summit  "above  timber  line  "  —which  is  about  4,800-4,900  feet 
(1,463.04-1,493.52  metres)  above  tide-level. 

Many  of  the  valleys  are  occupied  by  extensive  balsam  and  tama- 
rack swamps,  which  are  always  carpeted  with  dense  mats  of  wet 
Sphagnum,  into  which  one  sinks  half  a  foot  or  more  and  yet  rarely 
leaves  a  trail — so  perfectly  does  the  spongy  mass  resume  its  former 
shape.  These  places  are  the  homes  of  the  Spruce  Grouse  or  Canada 
Partridge,  the  Blue  Yellow-backed  Warbler  that  builds  its  pensile 
nest  of  the  gray  tamarack  lichen  (Usnea),\he  Canada  Fly-catching 
Warbler,  and  several  other  species. 

Most  of  the  mountains  are  covered  with  a  tolerably  dense  growth 
of  coniferous  trees,  but  there  are  quite  a  number  whose  summits  have 
been  laid  bare  by  tornadoes.  These  devastating  winds  every  now 
and  then  uncover  a  mountain  so  effectually  that  not  only  the  trees  and 
undershrubs,  but  even  the  soil  itself,  and  all  life  upon  it,  are  hurled 
together  into  the  valley  below — forming  vast  and  lasting  "  windfalls  " 
to  bar  the  path  of  inquisitive  man. 

Fire,  also,  too  frequently  overruns  and  lays  waste  tracts  of  large 
extent,  that,  for  years  afterwards,  constitute  marked  features  in  the 
make-up  of  the  country,  and  exert  a  decided  influence  upon  the 
minor  local  distribution  of  life  over  its  surface.  The  charred  stubs 
of  the  larger  trees  long  remain  as  favorite  haunts  for  several  species 

• 

— v — 
*  Report  of  Adirondack  Survey,  Albany,  iSSo,  pp.  405-6. 


GENERAL  FEATURES.  l  7 

of  Woodpeckers,  while  the  dense  growth  of  blackberry  and  rasp- 
berry bushes,  dotted  over  with  the  large  showy  flowers  of  the  Willow 
Herb  (Epilobinm  angustifoliurn),  is  well  known  to  the  ornithologist 
as  the  summer  home  of  the  Mourning  Warbler. 

Here  is  a  sparkling  trout  stream,  perhaps  the  outlet  of  a  mountain 
lake  ;  let  us  follow  its  winding  course  through  yonder  thicket  of 
alders.  Working  our  way  through  the  tangled  bushes  we  soon 

O  J  C5  <_5 

emerge  into  the  open  grassy  bottom  of  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful and  interesting  of  nature's  many  adornments — a  Beaver  meadow. 
Here,  less  than  a  century  ago,  might  have  been  heard  the  splash  and 
seen  the  hut  of  the  sagacious  Beaver.  But,  like  the  Moose  that  once 
roamed  these  mighty  forests,  they  have,  excepting  a  few  isolated 
individuals,  been  exterminated  or  driven  beyond  our  borders,  till 
now  these  green  meadows,  with  occasionally  the  buried  ruin  of  an 
ancient  dam,  are  about  all  that  remain  to  remind  us  of  the  former 
existence  here  of  one  of  the  most  curious,  interesting,  and  typical  of 
North  American  mammals. 

The  dam  has  long  since  disappeared,  and  as  it  gave  way  the  pond 
again  became  a  narrow  stream,  spreading  its  way  through  the  broad 
muddy  bottom,  now  verdant  with  marsh  grasses  that  spring  from  a 
thick  bed  of  elastic  Sphagnum.  Upon  this  moist  level  now  stand 
scattered  clumps  of  feathery  tamaracks  ;  and  here  and  there  over 
the  uniform  light  green  of  the  meadow  rise,  in  marked  contrast,  the 
odd-looking  Blue  Gentians  and  the  bright  scarlet  Cardinal  Flowers. 
These  are  favorite  haunts  of  the  Canada  Jay  and,  in  the  autumn,  of 
immense  flocks  of  Robins  that  come  to  feed  upon  the  handsome  ber- 
ries of  the  mountain  ash  trees  that  always  skirt  the  open  places, 
easing  the  stiff  edge  of  the  bordering  forest.  Here,  too,  may 
be  heard  the  quick  snap  of  the  Wood  Pewee,  as  he  gobbles 
up  some  passing  insect,  and  the  characteristic  note  of  his  congener, 
the  Olive-sided  Flycatcher,  who  is  perched  upon  the  topmost 
branch  of  yonder  hemlock.  Should  you  possess  the  keen  eye  and 
stealthy  tread  of  the  experienced  hunter,  you  may  surprise  a  red 


GENERAL  INTRODUCTION. 


deer  quietly  feeding  in  supposed  security,  and  may  rest  assured  that 
a  nice  bit  of  fresh  venison    steak  will   in   no   way  interfere  with  your 


investigations. 


Crossing  from  the  Beaver  meadow  to   the  nearest  lake,  we  find  its 

o 

shores  steep  and  rocky,  with  a  dense  border  of  dark  cedars  overhanging 
the  water — which  is  of  considerable  depth,  even  close  to  the  shore. 
A  little  farther  along,  the  steep  rocks  are  replaced  by  a  more  sloping 
bank,  covered  with  stones  of  various  sizes,  and  spruce  and  hem- 
locks, mingled,  perhaps,  with  a  few  birches  and  maples,  are  substitu- 
ted for  the  cedars  just  passed.  Beyond  still  is  a  beach  of  clean  white 
sand,  strewn  with  smooth  quartz  pebbles,  and  backed  with  a  grove 
of  tall  pines,  beneath  whose  lofty  summits  a  cluster  of  paper  birch 
saplings  casts  flitting  shadows  over  the  blue  huckleberries  below. 
Continuing  the  circuit,  we  next  come  to  a  marshy  bay  lined  with 
sedges  and  covered  with  lily-pads — a  feeding  ground,  at  night,  for  the 
much  persecuted  deer.  Finally  we  reach  the  outlet,  with  its  dense 
thicket  of  alders,  and  are  startled  by  the  splash  of  a  diving  Musk- 
rat,  or  the  sudden  flight  of  a  Wood  Duck  or  Heron.  In  the  alders 
and  undershrubs  bordering  the  stream  we  notice  a  few  Song  Spar- 
rows, Rusty  Blackbirds,  and  a  solitary  Maryland  Yellow-throat. 
Turning  from  the  lake  into  the  adjoining  forest,  the  dark  form  and 
yellow  crown  of  a  Three-toed  Woodpecker  arrest  our  eye,  and 
rounding  a  rocky  knoll  we  get  a  glimpse  of  his  princely  cousin,  the 
Cock-of-the-Woods.  From  various  quarters  may  be  heard  the  clear 
mellow  whistle  of  the  Peabody  Bird,  and  the  less  frequent  but  sadder 
note  of  the  Wood  Pewee.  Winding  slowly  up  the  shady  ravine  that 
leads  to  the  pass  between  the  mountains  that  separate  us  from  the 
valley  beyond,  a  Hermit  Thrush  silently  glides  across  our  path,  and 
we  notice  here  a  pair  of  Slate-colored  Snow-birds,  and  the  trim  form 
of  a  little  Winter  Wren  as  she  flits  from  a  moss-covered  log  to  the 
branches  of  a  fallen  tree-top,  pertly  tipping  her  tail  in  salute.  Near- 
ing  the  summit  a  passing  flock  of  noisy  Blue  Jays  excites  the  wrath 
of  a  Red  Squirrel  who,  perched  on  a  neighboring  limb,  manifests  his 


GENERAL  FEATURES.  JQ 

indignation  by  chippering  saucily,  keeping  time  with  vehement  jerks 
of  the  body  and  spasmodic  flourishes  of  the  tail,  which  he  has  by  no 
means  neglected  to  cock  up  over  his  arched  back.  Crossing  the 
crest  of  the  divide  the  coarse  croak  of  a  Raven  greets  our  ears;  and, 
descending  into  the  valley  below,  the  shrill  cry  of  a  wary  Loon,  from 
the  distant  lake,  melts  away  into  the  evening  air,  and  the  silence  of 
the  fast-approaching  twilight  is  unbroken  save  by  the  soft  flute-like 
song  of  the  sombre  Thrush. 

During  winter  and  early  spring  the  birds  one  is  most  apt  to  find 
here  are  the  White-winged  and  Red  Crossbills,  the  Blue  and  Canada 
Jays,  Black  capped  and  Hudsonian  Titmice,  Nuthatches,  Ravens, 
several  species  of  Woodpeckers,  the  Ruffed  and  Spruce  Grouse,  and 
once  in  a  while  an  Owl.  Sometimes  the  Pine  Grosbeak  is  common, 
in  flocks;  and  occasionally,  during  February,  March,  and  April,  the 
Wilderness  literally  swarms  with  Pine  Linnets  which  then  breed  here 
in  thousands  and  may  hardly  be  seen  again  for  several  years. 

In  autumn,  during  the  fall  migrations,  the  most  marked  feature  in 
the  bird  line  consists  in  what  I  have  for  many  years  designated  the 
"  mixed  flocks."  At  this  season  one  may  hunt  for  hours  and  scarce- 
ly see  a  bird,  when,  suddenly,  he  finds  himself  surrounded  by  a  host 
of  individuals,  representing  many  species  and  pertaining  to  widely 
different  families.  To  illustrate,  I  quote  from  my  journal  under  date 
of  October,  1879 — a  lowery  day — the  locality  being  Big  Moose  Lake 
in  the  heart  of  the  Wilderness.  "  During  the  afternoon  one  of  those 
mixed  flocks  of  birds,  so  characteristic  of  the  Adirondacks  at  this  sea- 
son, passed  slowly  by  our  camp  and  I  stepped  out,  in  the  rain,  and 
watched  them  till  all  were  gone.  There  were  at  least  fifty  Robins 
and  they  loaded  clown  a  mountain  ash,  feeding  upon  its  berries  and 
making  a  most  unnecessary  amount  of  noise — very  unlike  their  con- 
duct at  home,  where,  when  similarly  engaged  in  our  garden,  they  are 
noted  for  their  silence.  In  the  trees  overhead  were  several  Blue  Jays, 
and  in  the  undergrowth  and  amongst  the  fallen  timber  were  lar^e 

O  <->  O 

numbers  of  Slate-colored  Snow-birds,  a  few  White-throated,  Sonof, 


2Q  GENERAL  INTRODUCTION. 

and  Fox-colored  Sparrows,  a  couple  of  Winter  Wrens,  and  one 
Nashville  Warbler — which  I  shot.  A  dozen  Chickadees,  with  an 
equal  number  of  Yellow-birds  and  a  few  Golden-crowned  Kinglets, 
could  be  seen  among  the  branches  of  a  low  spruce  near  by,  while 
several  Red-bellied  Nuthatches  and  a  pair  of  Brown  Creepers  amused 
themselves  with  winding  up  and  down  its  trunk.  Leaving  out  the 
Fox  Sparrows  and  the  Nashville  Warbler,  this  flock  stands  as  a  very 
fair  example  of  these  incongruous  assemblages,  several  of  which  one 
falls  in  with  every  clay  at  this  time  of  year.  It  seems  strange  that 
the  desire  for  company,  always  marked  during  the  migrations,  should 
induce  such  unlike  species  to  collect  and  wander  together  over  this 
wilderness.  It  must  be  that  they  have  faith  in  the  old  adage  that 
'  there  is  strength  in  numbers!'  I  have  seen  the  Purple  Finch  in 
some  of  these  mixed  flocks;  and  a  few  Hairy  and  Downy  Wood- 
peckers and  Hermit  Thrushes  sometimes  hang  about  their  outskirts, 
but  the  latter  are  more  commonly  seen  by  themselves  in  groups  of 
half  a  dozen  or  thereabouts." 

6.-BOTANY. 

While  the  grand  scenic  effect  of  any  region,  the  effect  that  is  de- 
pendent on  the  general  contour  and  make  up  of  the  country  and  its 
gross  reliefs,  is  governed  by  its  geology  and  topography;  so  is  the 
general  aspect,  or  physiognomy,  of  a  region  dependent  upon  the  char- 
acter of  the  vegetation  in  which  it  is  clothed.  As,  in  the  tropics,  the 
stately  Palms,  the  colossal  arborescent  Ferns,  the  solemn  Aloes,  and 
the  light  and  feathery  Mimosas  contribute  such  striking  features  to 
the  physiographical  areas  to  which  they  severally  pertain;  so  do  the 
deciduous  hardwood  groves  of  the  temperate  zone,  and  the  dark  co- 
niferous forests  of  the  north  give  to  these  regions  their  peculiar  and 
characteristic  appearance. 

The  distinctive  physiognomic  aspect  of  the  Adirondack  Wilderness, 
the  dark  and  sombre  evergreen  forests,  is  chiefly  the  consequence  of 
the  large  development  of  a  single  genus  of  coniferous  trees;  for  the 


150TANY.  2] 


predominating  forms  are  not  only  coniferous  evergreens,  but  consist 
mainly  of  Spruce,  Hemlock,  and  Balsam — all  representatives  of  the 
genus  Abies.  Tall  Pines,  at  intervals,  rear  their  lofty  summits  above 
the  level  of  surrounding  tree-tops,  fragrant  Cedars  overhang  the  lake- 
shores  and  swamps,  delicate  Tamaracks  wave  over  the  soft  grassy 
bottoms  of  Beaver  meadows,  dense  thickets  of  tangled  Alders  border 
many  of  the  streams  and  rivers,  hardy  Birches  and  light  Poplars  are 
scattered  sparingly  upon  the  mountain-sides  and  in  the  valleys,  and 
areas  of  hard  timber,  indicating  second  growth,  mark  tracts  that  have 
been  bared  by  fire,  wind,  or  the  woodman's  axe.  These  hardwood 
areas  are  readily  distinguished,  at  a  distance,  by  the  marked  contrast 
afforded  by  the  light  color  and  different  aspect  of  the  foliage,  in  sum- 
mer, and  by  their  nakedness  in  winter.  They  are  composed,  chiefly, 
of  Maple,  Beech,  and  Birch. 

The  common  forest  trees  of  the  Adirondacks  are :  the  American 
Linden  or  Bass  Wood  (Tilia  Americana],  Sugar  Maple  (Acer  sac- 
cliarinnin],  Black  Sugar  Maple  (A.  saccharinum  nigrnni},  Reel  or 
Swamp  Maple  (A.  rubruni],  Black  Cherry  (Primus  serotino],  Beech, 
(Fag us  fcrruginea),  Iron  Wood  (Ostrya  Virginica],  Cherry  Birch 
(Betula  lento],  Yellow  Birch  (/?.  luted],  Paper  or  Canoe  Birch  (B. pa- 
pyracea],  American  Aspen  (Populus  trenmloides],  Large-toothed  As- 
pen (P.  grandidcntata],  White  Pine  (Pi mis  strobus],  Red  or  "  Nor- 
way" Pine  (P.  resinosa — common  only  in  certain  localities,  not  gen- 
erally distributed),  Black  Spruce  (Abies  nigra],  White  Spruce  (A. 
alba],  Hemlock  (A.  Canadensis],  Balsam  Fir  (A.  balsamed],  Tamarack 
or  Larch  (Larix  Americana],  White  Cedar  or  Arbor  Vitse  (Thuja 
occidentalis].  Besides  these  occur  the  following,  which  are  rare,  or 
are  common  only  along  the  borders  of  the  region :  Locust  (Robinia 
pscudacacia),  White  Ash  (Fraxinus  Americana],  Black  Ash  (F.  saui- 
bucifolid],  Elm  {Ulmus  Americana],  Slippery  Elm  (U.fulva),  Butter- 
nut (Juglans  cinered],  Swamp  Hickory  (Gary a  amard],  three  or  more 
Oaks  (Quercus),  Balsam  Poplar  or  Tacamahac  (Populus  balsam  if  era], 
Pitch  Pine  (Pinus  rigida],  and  Juniper  (Juniperus  Virginiand], 


22  GENERAL  INTRODUCTION. 

The  more  common  undershrubs  (some  of  them  growing  to  be 
small  trees)  are  :  Acer  Pennsylvanicum,  A.  spicatum,  Primus  puinila, 
P.  Pennsylvania,  P.  Virginiana,  Spir&a  salicifolia,  S.  tomentosa, 
Rubus  odoratus,  R.  triflorus,  R.  strigosus,  R.  occidentalism  R.  villosus, 
R.  Canadensis,  Rosa  Carolina,  Cratfegus  coccinea,  C.  tomcntosa,  C. 
crus-galli,  Pyrus  sambucifolia,  Amelanchier  Canadensis,  A.  Canaden- 
sis botryapium,  A.  Canadensis  oblong  if olia,  Ribcs  lacustrc,  R.  rubruui, 
Hainamelis  Virginica,  Cornus  circinata,  C.  stolonifera,  C.  paniculata, 

C.  alternifolia,  Lonicera  ciliata,  Dicrvilla  trifida,  Sambucus  pubcns, 
S.  Canadensis,    Viburnum  lentago,    V.  aceri folium,   V.  opidiis,  V.  lan- 
taiioidcs,    Cephalanthus  occidcntalis,    Gaylussacia  resinosa,   Vacciniuui 
Pennsylvanicum,    V.  corymbosum,  ArctostapJiylos  uva-ursi,   Cassandra 
calyculata,  Andromeda  pol if oli a,  Kalmia  angustifolia,  K.  glauca,  Aza- 
lia     midiflora,    RJwdora    Canadensis,   Lcdum  latifolinm,   Apocynum 
androsfEmifolium,  Ilex  Iccvigata,    Corylus  rostrata,  Carpinus  Ameri- 
cana, Myrica  gale,  Alnus  viridis,  A.  incana,  Salix  (several  species), 
and   Taxns  baccata  Canadensis. 

Of  the  smaller  flowering  plants  the  following  are  among  the  most 
noticeable:  Clematis  Virginiana,  Anemone  Pennsylvanica,  A.  ncmorosa, 
Hepatica  triloba,  TJialictrum  dioicum,  Ranunculus  flammula  reptans, 
R.  abortivus,  R.  recurvatus,  Caltha  palnstris,  Coptis  trifolia,  Aquilegia 
Canadensis,  Actcca  spicata  rubra,  A.  alba,  Caulophyllinn  tJialictroides, 
NympJicea  odorata,  NnpJiar  advcna,  Sarraccnia purpurca,  Sanguinaria 
Canadensis,  Di centra  cncnllaria,  D.  Canadensis,  Dcntaria  ctip/iylla, 

D.  laciniata,   Arabis  lyrata,    Viola   rotundifolia,    V.  blanda,    V.   Sel- 
kcrki,   V.  cucullata,    V.  canina  sylvestris,    V,  rostrata,   V.    Canadensis, 

V.  pubcsccns,  Drosera  rotundifolia,  D.longifolia,  Helianthemum  Cana- 
dense,  Hypericum  pyramidatum,  H.  ellipticum,  H.  perforaium,  Elodes 

Virginica,  Silene  inflata,  Arenaria  Greenland ica,  A.  lateriflora,  Clay- 

tonia  Caroliniana,  Geranium  Robcriianum,  Impaticns pallida,  Oxalis 

acetosella,  Ampclopsis  quinqucfolia,  Cclastriis  scandens,  Polygala  pauci- 

folia,  Poterium  Canadense,   Gcum  macropliyllum,   Waldsteinia  fraga- 

rioidcs,  Potentilla  Norvegica,  P.  Canadensis,  P.  tridentata,  P.palustris, 


BOTANY,  2  -, 

Fragaria  vcsca,  Dalibarda  rcpcns,  Saxifraga  Pcnnsylvanica,   IMitclla 
diphylla,   M.  nuda,    Tiarclla   cordifolia,    Circcea     alpina,    Epilobium 
angnsti folium,  E.  pal  it  sir  c  lincare,  E.  color  at  nm,    (Enot/icra  bicnnis, 
(E.  puinila,  Heraclium   lanatum,  Archangelica   atropurpurea>    Os- 
inorrJiiza   longistylis^    O.  brcvistylis,  Aralia   raccmosa,  A.  nudicanlis, 
A.  trifolia,   Cornns  Canadensis^  Li um? a  borcalis,  Triosteum  pcrfolia- 
tnm,  Gal  in  in  trijidmn  pusillnm,  Mitchclla  repcns,  Houstonia  Cfcrulca, 
Eupatoriinn  purpiircum,    E.  pcrfoliatuni,  E.  agcratoidcs,    Tussilago 
far  far  a,    Soli  dago    tJiyrsoidca,   Bidcns    ccrnua,   Achillca   millcfoliuni, 
Tanacctuni  vnlgarc,   Antcnnaria   margaritacca,   Senecio  aurcus,   Lo- 
belia   cardinalis,    L.    sypJiylitica,   L.   iuflata,   L.   Kalmii,  Campanula 
rotiiudifolia,  Vaccinium  macrocarpon,  V.  cczspitosum,  Chiogcucs  Jiispi- 
dula,  Epigcm  rcpcns,  GaultJicria  procumbcns,  Pyrola  rotundifolia,  P. 
cJdorantha,   P.   sccunda,    Chimaphila    umbdlata,  Monotropa  nniflora, 
Tricntalis  Americana,  LysimacJiia  ciliata,  L.  tJiyrsiflora,  Utricularia 
cormtta,  Epiphcgns  Virginiana,  Vcrbascum  Thapsus,  ScropJutlaria  no- 
dosa,  Chclonc  glabra,  Mimuliis  ringcns,  Rhina nthus  crista-galli,  Pcdi- 
cularis    Canadensis,    Monarda    didyma,    Scutcllaria  galcriculala,    S. 
latcriflora,  Symphytum  officinalc,  Cynoglossum  officinalc,  C,  Morrisoni, 
Hydrophyllum     Virginicum,    H.    Canadcnsc,    Diapcnsia    Lapponica, 
Gcntiana  (several  species),  Asarum  Cana dense,  Laportca  Canadensis, 
Comandra    umbcllata,  Ariscsma   tripkyllum,    Calla  palustris,  Acorns 
calamus,   ScJicncJizcria  palnstris,    Saggitaria  calycina,  Orchis  spccta- 
bilis,  Habcnaria  Iridentata,  H.  viridis  bractcata,  H.  Jiypcrborca,   //. 
d Hi  tat  a,  H.  Hooker  i,  H.  orbiculata,  H.  blcpJiarigiottis,  H.  lac  era,  H. 
psycodcs,  H.fimbriata,  Goodyera  rcpcns,  SpirantJics  latifolia,  S.  ccrnua, 
S.  gracilis,  Listcra   cordata,  Pogonia  opliiogiossoidcs,    Calopogon  pul- 
chellus,  Calypso  borcalis,  Microstylis  monopliyllos,  Cypripcdium  parvi- 
floruni,  C.  pnbcsccns,  C.  spcctabilc,    C.  acanle,    Trillium  grandiflornin, 
T.  crcctum,    T.  erythrocarpum,  Mcdcola   Virginica,  Veratrum  viridc, 
Uvularia  grandiflora,  U.  scssifolia,  Strcptopus  roscus,  Clintonia  bore- 
alis,  Smilaccna  raccmosa,  S.  stcllata,  S.  trifolia,  S.  bifolia,  Polygonatum 


24  GENERAL  INTRODUCTION. 

biflorum,  Erythronium  Americanum,  Alliuui  tricoccuin,  Pontcdcria 
cordata,  and  Eriocaulon  scptangularc. 

Among  the  Mosses  the  genera  Sphagnum,  Dicranum,  OrtJwtri- 
chum,  and  Hypnwu  are  particularly  well  represented,  both  in  species 
and  individuals;  but  such  a  vast  number  of  mosses  are  found  here 
that  an  enumeration  of  even  the  more  common  or  characteristic  would 
be  out  of  place. 

The  so-called  "  Iceland  Moss"  (Cetraria  Islandica]  and  "Reindeer 
Moss"  (Cladonia  rangiferina),  together  with  the  common  gray 
Usnca,  are  worthy  of  special  mention  from  out  the  host  of  Lichens 
that  thrive  upon  the  moist  atmosphere  of  the  Wilderness. 

7.-FAUNAL  POSITION. 

There  remains  to  be  considered  the  Faunal  Position  of  the  Adi- 
rondacks. 

Data  are  wanting  for  the  determination  of  exact  thermometric 
means  over  any  considerable  portion  of  the  region,  but  sufficient 
exist  to  establish  the  fact  that  during  the  months  of  May,  June,  and 
July  (the  breeding  season  ol  birds)  the  thermometer  shows  an  aver- 
age of  57°  Fahr.  (14°  C.),  or  lower,  everywhere  within  the  limits  of 
the  Wilderness,  and  averages  below  5o°  Fahr.  (io°C.)  throughout 
much  of  the  interior.  The  temperature  alone,  therefore,  would  indi  - 
cate  that  the  district  pertained  to  the  Canadian  Fauna,  and  a  brief  study 
of  its  characteristic  animal  and  plant  life  will  suffice  to  confirm  the 
fact. 

Amongst  the  Mammals  the  following  species  are  eminently  north- 
ern in  habitat  :  the  Lynx,  Fisher,  Marten,  Hudsonian  Flying  Squirrel, 
Jumping  Mouse,  Long-eared  Wood  Mouse,  Porcupine,  and  Northern 
Hare. 

Of  the  Birds  that  breed  here  many  are  characteristic  of  the  Cana- 
dian Fauna.  Such  are:  the  Hermit  Thrush,  Swainson's  Thrush,  Red- 
bellied  Nuthatch,  Winter  Wren  ;  Tennessee,  Yellow-rumped,  Black- 
burnian,  Black  and  Yellow,  Mourning,  and  Canada  Flycatching 


FAUNAL   POSITION. 


Warblers;  White-  winged  and  Red  Crossbills,  White-  throated  Sparrow, 
Junco,  Rusty  Blackbird,  Raven,  Canada  Jay,  Olive  sided  Flycatcher, 
Black-backed  and  Banded-backed  Three-toed  Woodpeckers,  Spruce 
Grouse,  Goshawk,  and  Golden-eyed  Duck.  In  addition  to  the  above 
it  is  not  improbable  that  the  Hudsonian  Tit  and  one  (or  both)  of  the 
Kinglets  will  be  found  nesting  here. 

Mention  of  the  characteristic  Reptiles,  Batrachians,  and  Fishes  is 
deferred,  and  will  be  made  in  the  chapters  pertaining  to  these  groups. 

Following  is  a  list  of  "  .Subarctic  "  species  of  Lepidoptera  collected 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Beaver  Lake  (also  called  "  F'enton's,"  and 
"  Number  4")  in  Lewis  County,  by  Mr.  Hill,  and  identified  by  Prof. 
J.  A.  Lintner,  late  State  Entomologist  :  Agrofis  Chardinyi,  A.  con- 
flua,  A.  astricta,  Plusia  biniacalata,  P.  u-anrcuiu,  Thamnonoma  brnn- 
ncata,  Mclanippc  hastata,  J\f.  ftuctuata,  Corcmia  ferrugaria,  Cidaria 
Packardata,  C.  albolincata,  C.  cnnigcrata,  C.  hcrsiliata,  C.  trunccita, 
Spargamia  magnoliata,  Oporabia  cambricaria,  and  Larcutia  c(csiata. 
These  were  all  found  in  a  single  locality,  and  therefore  probably  con- 
stitute but  a  small  proportion  of  the  northern  Lepidoptera  that  occur 
in  the  Adirondacks. 

Floral  limitations  are  by  no  means  so  clearly  defined  as  the  boun- 
daries of  Faunal  areas,  and  for  the  reason  that  plants  are  much  more 
easily  than  animals  affected  by  minor  physiographical  conditions. 
They  are  more  susceptible  to  the  influences  of  local  topographical  and 
climatic  conditions,  such  as  altitude,  humidity,  etc.,  and  are  also 
affected  by  the  nature  of  the  soil,  and  by  association  with  one  another. 
This  is  seen  in  the  influence  which  certain  kinds  of  forests  exert  in 
determining  the  character  of  the  more  humble  plants  that  grow  in 
their  shade.  For  example,  it  is  well  known  that  the  destruction  of 
an  evergreen  coniferous  forest  is  commonly  followed,  in  the  course  of 
nature,  by  a  growth  of  hard  timber  —  maple,  beech,  and  birch  (all  decid- 
uous trees)  usually  predominating.  Coincident  with  this  change  of 
forest  is  an  equally  radical  change  in  the  kinds  of  small  plants  that 
spring  up  underneath. 

3 


2£  CKNKRAL  INTRODUCTION. 

Many  plants  that  arc  quite  characteristic  of  northern  latitudes  are 
found  in  greater  or  less  abundance  in  isolated  localities,  such  as  high 
mountain  sides  and  cool  shaded  ravines  or  deep  swamps,  far  south- 
ward of  their  usual  homes;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  representatives  of 
many  southern  species  find  their  way  far  northward  along  suitable 
water-courses,  and  warm  valleys,  that  penetrate  regions  clothed  in 
vegetation  of  a  very  different  type.  These  seeming  peculiarities  of 
distribution  are  dependent  on  definite  physiographical  conditions 
and  are  not  difficult  of  explanation,  however  annoying  they  may  be  to 
those  engaged  in  the  determination  of  distributional  areas.  Never- 
theless there  are  species  that  are  more  or  less  distinctive  of  certain 
tolerably  well-defined  areas,  and  I  present  the  following  as  a  pro- 
visional list,  fairly  characteristic  of  a  CANADIAN  FLORA  :  Ranunculus 
ftammula  rcptans,  Copt  is  trifolia,  Di  centra  Canadensis,  Viola  rotundi- 
folia,  V.  Canadensis,  Arcuaria  Grcenlandica,  Claytonia  Caroliniana,  Ge- 
ranium Robertianum,  Impatienspallida,Oxalisacetosella,  Accrspicatum, 
Polygala  paucifolia,  Potcriuni  Canadense,  Gcum  macropJiyllum,  IVald- 
stcinia  fragarioides,  Potentilla  tridentata,  Dalabarda  rcpcns,  Ribcs 
lacustre,  Jlfitclla  dipliylla,  J\f.  nuda,  Tiarclla  cordifolia,  Epilobium  al- 
pi/unji,  E.  palustrc  lincarc,  Circea  alpina,  Aral/a  tri folia,  Conius 
Canadensis,  Liniicca  borealis,  Aster  acuininatus,  Solidago  tkyrsoidea, 
S.  Virga-aurea  alpina,  Nabulus  nauus,  N.  Boottii,  Campanula 
rotundifolm,  Vaccnienin  uliginosuni,  Ir.  wspitosinn-,  V.  Vitis-Idcca, 
Chiogenes hispidula,  Cassiope  Jiypnoides  (Dr.  Parry),  Cassandra  calycu- 
lata,  Kalmia  glauca,  Rhododendron  Lapponicum,  Rhodora  Canadensis, 
Lcduui  latifolium,  Pyrola  rotundifolia,  ChimapJiila  umbcllata,  Tricn- 
talis  Americana,  limpet  nun  nigrum,  Betula  glandulosa,  Salix  Cutler  i, 
Pinus  strobus,  Abies  nigra,  A.  Canadensis,  A.  balsamea,  Thuja  occi- 
dental is,  Diapensia  Lapponica,  Orchis  spectabilis,  Habenaria  Jiyper- 
borca,  H.  d  Hi  tat  a,  Goodycra  repens,  Lister  a  cor  data,  Microstylis  mono- 
pliyllos,  Cypripcdium  pubescens,  C.  spectabile,  C.acaule,  Trillium  gran- 
diflorum,  T.  erectum,  T.  erytJirocarpum,  Streptopus  roseus,  Clintonia 
borealis,  Smilacena  trifolia,  S.  bifolia. 


CHAPTER  II. 
MAMMALIA. 

IN  the  following-  pages  forty-two  species  of  mammals  are  enu- 
merated as  occurring  in  the  Adirondack  region,  and  it  is  not  proba- 
ble that  future  investigation  will  greatly  augment  this  number.  With 
the  exception  of  one  or  two  additional  Shrews,  and  two  or  three 
Bats,  I  know  of  no  others  that  are  likely  to  be  found.  The  Harbor 
Seal  and  the  Fox  Squirrel  are  accidental  stragglers,  but  the  remaining 
forty  are  permanent  residents.  Among  them  are  several  of  consid- 
erable economic  value.  These  are  :  the  Marten,  Fisher,  Ermine, 
Mink,  Skunk,  Otter,  Bear,  Deer,  Beaver,  and  Muskrat ;  and  it  is  not 
many  years  since  the  Moose  could  have  been  reckoned  with  the 
rest,  for  it  was  formerly  abundant  here,  and  large  numbers  were 
killed  for  their  flesh  and  hides. 

The  great  majority  of  our  mammals  move  both  by  da}-  and  night, 
few  being  either  strictly  nocturnal  or  exclusively  diurnal.  The  only 
species  that  can  fairly  be  called  nocturnal  are  the  Skunk,  the  Rac- 
coon, the  Bats,  and  the  Flying  Squirrels  ;  and  even  these  are  occa- 
sionally seen  abroad  during  cloudy  days,  and  do  much  of  their  hunt- 
ing in  the  twilight.  Of  strictly  diurnal  forms  the  number  is  still  smaller, 
for  I  know  of  but  two,  the  Gray  Squirrel  and  the  Chipmunk,  that 
have  not  been  seen  after  nightfall.  The  truth  of  the  matter 

o 

seems  to  be  that  very  few  mammals  range  about  much  during  the 
brightest  part  of  the  day,  or  darkest  part  of  the  night,  these  being  the 
times  when  most  of  them  do  the  greater  part  of  their  sleeping. 
It  is  between  the  dark  and  the  daylight,  before  sunrise  in  the  morn- 
ing and  in  the  dusk  of  evening,  when  the  faint  light  obscures  their 

^.i        ^ 

27 


2  g  MAMMALIA. 

outlines  and  hides  their  movements,  that  the  larger  number  do  their 
hunting.  Many  of  them  are  also  out  during  cloudy  days  and  moon- 
light nights ;  and  in  winter,  when  the  ground  is  white  with  snow, 
they  apparently  circumambulate  all  night  long. 

The  phenomenon  of  hibernation,  which  enables  many  mammals 
to  endure  a  climate  to  the  severity  of  which  they  would  inevitably 
succumb  were  they  to  remain  active  throughout  the  year,  and  to 
thrive  in  regions  where  they  would  starve  during  certain  seasons 
but  for  their  ability  to  become  dormant  when  scarcity  of  food  pre- 
vails, is  well  exemplified  in  a  number  of  our  species.  The  following 
are  known  to  pass  a  greater  or  less  period  of  the  winter  season  in  a 
condition  of  lethargy  :  the  Bear,  Raccoon,  Bats,  Gray  Squirrel,  Chip- 
munk, Woodchuck,  and  Jumping  Mouse.  Of  these  the  Woodchuck 
affords  the  most  remarkable  example.  With  astonishing  regularity 
and  precision,  and  utterly  regardless  of  the  state  of  the  weather  or 
condition  of  his  food  supply,  he  sinks  into  his  burrow  about  the  2Oth 
of  September,  and  is  rarely  seen  again  before  the  middle  of  March. 
It  frequently,  indeed  usually,  happens  that  the  time  chosen  for  enter- 
ing upon  the  execution  of  this  singular  proclivity  is  during  fine  warm 
weather  and  at  a  time  when  the  fields  are  clothed  with  a  luxuriant 
growth  of  his  favorite  food,  clover.  In  fact  the  Woodchuck  retires 
to  the  cold  dank  recesses  of  his  cheerless  subterranean  abode  to 
commence  a  period  of  voluntary  seclusion,  to  enter  upon  a  state  of 
complete  oblivion  and  absolute  lethargy,  at  the  very  time  when  one 
would  naturally  suppose  he  would  most  enjoy  himself  above  ground. 

The  Gray  Squirrel,  on  the  other  hand,  remains  out  nearly  the  entire 
winter  and  withdraws  to  its  nest,  in  some  hollow  tree,  only  during 
the  severest  weather.  The  Raccoon  and  the  Bear  furnish  examples 
of  animals  whose  dormant  periods  are  intermediate  in  duration  be- 
tween those  above  cited. 

Hibernation  is,  after  all,  merely  a  profound  sleep,  intensified  and 
protracted.  During  ordinary  sleep  respiration  is  slackened  and 
the  temperature  of  the  body  is  lower  than  when  the  animal  is  awake. 


KKI.IS  CONCOLOR.  2Q 

The  longer  the  sleep  continues  the  less  frequent  do  the  respirations 
become  and  the  lower  does  the  temperature  fall,  till  finally  the  con- 
dition of  deep  and  continued  sleep — the  true  lethargy  of  hiberna- 
tion— is  attained.  This  apparent  phenomenon,  then,  is  a  genuine 
physiological  process,  differing  in  degree  only  from  ordinary  sleep. 
It  is  the  result  of  conditions  of  environment,  and  has  become  an 
hereditary  habit,  enabling  certain  mammals  to  exist  during  a  pe- 
riod when  their  usual  food  supply  is  cut  off.  The  dormant  state  is 
sometimes  brought  on  by  extremes  of  temperature,  but  this  is  not 
often  the  case. 

Few  mammals  are  commonly  seen  by  those  who  traverse  the 
forests  of  the  Adirondacks,  and  it  is  a  fact  that  the  average  sportsman, 
during  his  annual  "  trip  to  the  North  Woods,"  rarely  sees  any  save 
Red  Squirrels,  Chipmunks,  a  few  Mice,  and  perhaps  a  Deer  or  Por- 
cupine. This  is  in  part  due  to  the  nature  of  their  haunts,  partly  be- 
cause they  do  not  roam  about  much  in  broad  daylight,  but  chiefly 
because  of  their  shy  dispositions  and  wary  habits.  The  experienced 
hunter,  more  familiar  with  their  haunts  and  ways,  falls  in  with  a 
larger  number ;  still,  by  far  the  greater  portion  go  unobserved.  Of 
the  forty-two  kinds  found  here  I  have  myself  seen  living,  and  in  the 
wild  state,  all  but  three ;  therefore  the  remarks  upon  their  habits,  in 
the  following  biographies,  are,  when  the  contrary  is  not  stated,  drawn 
largely  from  the  results  of  personal  observation. 


Order  FKR/E.     FISSIFEDIA.     Family 

FELIS    CONCOLOR     Linnams. 
Cougar;  Panther;  Mountain  Lion  (of  the  West);  Puma  (of  South  Am.). 

It  is  not  many  years  since  the  Cougar  or  Panther,  second  largest 
of  American  Fclid&,  was  a  common  inhabitant  of  the  primeval  forests 
of  the  Adirondacks;  but,  since  the  State  offered  a  bounty*  for  their 

*  The  law  granting  this  bounty  was  passed  April  26,  1871.     It  reads  as  follows:    "  A  State  bounty 
of  thirty  dollars  for  a  grown  wolf,  fifteen  dollars  for  a  pup  wolf,  and  twenty  dollars  for  a  panther, 


70  MAMMALIA. 

destruction,  so  many  more  have  been  killed  than  born  that  they  are 
now  well  ni<^h  exterminated.  However,  a  few  still  remain,  and  some 

^j 

years  may  yet  elapse  before  the  last  Panther  disappears  from  the 
dense  evergreen  swamps  and  high  rocky  ridges  of  this  Wilderness. 

For  many  of  the  facts  related  in  the  following  narrative  of  the  hab- 
its of  this  gigantic  "Cat."  I  am  indebted  to  the  experienced  hunter 
and  guide,  Mr.  E.  L.  Sheppard,  who  has  himself  killed,  or  been  in- 
strumental in  killing,  twenty-eight  Panthers  in  the  Adirondacks. 

Cougars  are  either  particularly  fond  of  porcupines,  or  else  are 
frequently  forced  by  hunger  to  make  a  distasteful  meal,  for  certain  it 
is  that  large  numbers  of  these  spiny  beasts  are  destroyed  by  them. 
Indeed,  it  often  happens  that  a  Panther  is  killed  whose  mouth  and  lips, 
and  sometimes  other  parts  also,  fairly  bristle  with  the  quills  of  this 
formidable  rodent.  Porcupines  are  such  logy,  sluggish  creatures,  that 
in  their  noctivagations  they  fall  an  easy  prey  to  any  animal  that 
cares  to  meddle  with  them. 

But  the  Panther  feeds  chiefly  upon  venison,  which  he  captures  by 
"  still-hunting,"  in  a  way  not  unlike,  save  in  the  manner  of  killing, 
that  practised  by  its  greatest  enemy — man.  Both  creep  stealthily 
upon  the  intended  victim  until  within  range,  when  the  one  springs, 
the  other  shoots. 

Panthers  hunt  both  by  day  and  by  night,  but  undoubtedly  kill  the 
larger  part  of  their  game  after  nightfall.  When  one  scents  a  deer  he 
keeps  to  the  leeward  and  creeps  stealthily  toward  it,  as  a  cat  does 
after  a  mouse.  With  noiseless  tread  and  crouching  form  does  he 


shall  he  paid  to  any  person  or  persons  who  shall  kill  any  of  said  animals  within  the  boundaries  of 
this  State.  The  person  or  persons  obtaining  said  bounty  shall  prove  the  death  of  the  animal  so 
killed  by  him  or  them,  by  producing  satisfactory  affidavits,  and  the  skull  and  skin  of  said  animal, 
before  the  supervisor  and  one  of  the  justices  of  the  peace  of  the  town  within  the  boundaries  of 
which  the  said  animal  was  killed.  Whereupon  said  supervisor  and  justice  of  the  peace,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  each  other,  shall  burn  and  destroy  the  said  skull,  and  brand  the  said  skin  so  that  it  maybe 
thereafter  identified,"  etc. — thus  ruining  many  valuable  specimens.  (Laws  of  1871,  chap.  721, 
§39-)  When  the  game  laws  were  repealed,  in  1879,  this  section  became  a  part  of  the  new  law,  and 
it  may  be  found  in  the  Laws  of  1879,  chap.  534,  tj  31. 

May  5,  1874,  a  law  was  passed  providing  the  sum  of  $500,  or  so  much  thereof  as  might  be  neces- 
sary for  the  payment  of  bounties  in  pursuance  of  the  requirements  of  the  above  law  of  April  26, 
1871,  chap.  721,  §  39.  (See  Laws  of  1874,  chap.  323,  ^2.)  But  nearly  double  this  amount  has 
already  been  paid  on  Panthers  alone  (see  p.  39). 


FELIS  CONCOLOR.  ^  , 

pass  over  fallen  trees  and  ragged  ledges,  or  through  dense  swamps 
and  tangled  thickets,  till,  if  unobserved,  within  thirty  or  forty  feet  of  his 
intended  victim.  If  he  can  now  attain  a  slight  elevation  and  a  firm 
footing  he  springs  directly  upon  his  prey,  but  if  upon  level  ground 
makes  one  or  two  preliminary  leaps  before  striking  it.  The  noise 
thus  made  frightens  the  deer,  who  makes  a  sudden  and  desperate 
effort  to  escape.  But,  if  lying  clown,  several  seconds  are  necessary 
to  get  under  full  headway,  and  the  Panther  follows  so  rapidly,  in  a 
series  of  successive  leaps,  that  it  often  succeeds  in  alighting  upon  the 
back  of  its  unhappy  quarry.  Its  long  claws  are  planted  deep  into 
the  quivering  flesh,  and  its  sharp  teeth  make  quick  work  with  the  ill- 
fateci  sufferer.  If,  however,  the  deer  sees  him  in  season,  and  can  get 
a  good  footing  for  a  sudden  move,  it  commonly  escapes,  and  the  Pan- 
ther rarely  follows  it  more  than  a  few  rods,  for  as  soon  as  he  finds 
that  the  deer  is  gaining  on  him  he  at  once  gives  up  the  chase.  In 
fact,  a  Panther  rarely  secures  more  than  one  out  of  every  four  or  five 
deer  upon  which  he  attempts  to  spring.  Then,  too,  it  not  infrequent- 
ly happens  that  he  strikes  a  deer  when  it  is  under  such  headway  that 
it  escapes;  and  when  Panthers  were  more  plenty  here  than  they  now 
are  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  to  shoot  a  deer  bearing  deep  scars 
upon  its  flanks — scars  that  were  clearly  made  by  the  claws  of  this  pow- 
erful beast.  The  female  is  by  far  the  better  hunter  and  does  not  lose 
so  many  deer  as  the  male. 

The  deer  that  furnish  the  most  nutriment  to  our  Panthers  are  gen- 
erally under  two  years  of  age.  This  is  not  because  this  beast  is  afraid 
to  attack  a  full-grown  animal,  but  because  young  deer  are  less  wary, 
and  therefore  more  easily  captured. 

The  distance  that  a  Panther  can  pass  over  in  a  single  leap  is  almost 
incredible.  On  level  ground  a  single  spring  of  twenty  feet  is  by  no 
means  uncommon,  and  on  one  occasion  Mr.  Sheppard  measured  a  leap, 
over  snow,  of  nearly  forty  feet.  In  this  instance  there  were  three 
preliminary  springs,  and  the  Panther  struck  his  deer  on  the  fourth. 
The  longest  leap  measured  by  Mr.  Sheppard  was  one  of  sixty  feet, 


32  MAMMALIA. 

but  here  the  Panther  jumped  from  a  ledge  of  rocks  about  twenty  feet 
above  the  level  upon  which  the  deer  was  standing.  He  struck  it 
with  such  force  as  to  knock  it  nearly  a  rod  farther  off. 

Under  certain  conditions  of  the  deep  snows  the  deer  cut  in  so 
deeply  that  the  poor  animals  can  make  but  slow  progress.  At  such 
times  a  Panther,  by  spreading  the  toes  of  his  great  broad  paws, 
simulates  a  man  on  snow-shoes  and  sinks  but  a  short  distance  in  the 
snow.  He  thus  gains  a  vital  advantage  over  his  prey,  and  will  now 
give  chase  to  and  capture  one  that  he  missed  on  his  first  spring. 
Under  no  other  circumstances  will  a  Panther  pursue  a  deer,  for  he 
is  too  well  aware  of  the  uselessness  of  an  attempt  to  overtake  so  fleet 
an  animal.  Immediately  upon  killing  one  he  drags  it  bodily  into 
some  dense  thicket  or  windfall,  where  he  will  not  be  likely  to  be 
observed.  He  has  thus  been  known  to  drag  a  full-grown  deer  con- 
siderably over  a  hundred  feet  before  reaching  a  satisfactory  covert. 
Unlike  the  wolf,  he  makes  the  most  of  his  prey  and  devours  it 
all  before  killing  another.  One  deer  generally  lasts  a  Panther  a 
week  or  ten  days,  and  during  this  time  he  may  usually  be  found 
within  a  mile  of  the  carcass,  hidden  under  some  log  or  uprooted  tree. 
Sometimes,  but  very  rarely,  does  he  partially  bury  it,  after  each  meal, 
by  scraping  leaves  and  brush  over  it.  When  all  but  enough  for 
one  or  two  meals  has  been  eaten,  the  Panther,  especially  if  a  female 
with  young,  will  often  make  another  hunt,  but  if  unsuccessful  returns 
to  the  remains  of  the  old  carcass. 

The  young  follow  the  mother  till  nearly  two  years  old — that  is 
until  about  two-thirds  grown.  She  leaves  them  when  hunting,  and, 
after  having  killed  a  deer,  returns  and  leads  them  to  it. 

It  is  often  stated  that  Panthers  hunt  in  pairs,  but  on  one  occasion 
only  has  Mr.  Sheppard  found  an  adult  male  and  female  in  company. 
This  was  early  in  December  and  the  tracks  on  the  snow  indicated 
that  they  had  been  sporting  considerably,  and  were  probably  rutting. 
He  killed  them  both. 

The  range  of  these  animals,  as  individuals,  is  very  extensive,  and 


KKLIS  CONG  >1.0R.  -1  i 

is  only  limited  by  the  confines  of  the  Adirondack*.  They  are,  indeed, 
famous  travellers,  and  when  not  hunting,  roam  far  and  wide,  following 
the  highest  ridges  of  the  Wilderness,  and  finding  their  path  aloni^  the 

&  £>  <•-* 

steepest  and  most  inaccessible  ledges.  During  the  winter  of  1877-78 
J.  W.  Shultz  killed  one  near  Lake  Terror  that  he,  in  company  with 
E.  L.  Sheppard,  had  followed  over  the  summit  of  Lake  Terror  Moun  - 
tain.  They  sometimes  make  use  of  trees  to  aid  in  the  ascent  and 
descent  of  steep  rocky  cliffs,  and  generally  take  refuge  in  a  spruce  or 
hemlock  when  pursued  by  dogs  ;  but  under  no  other  circumstances 
do  any  but  the  young  sporting  kittens  ever  climb  trees. 

Panthers  are  hunted  during  the  deep  snows  of  winter,  when  the 
hunter,  on  snow-shoes,  makes  wide  circuits  in  various  directions  till 
he  finds  a  track.  This  he  follows,  leading  the  dogs,  till  he  comes  to 
the  carcass  of  a  deer  which  the  Panther  has  recently  killed  and 
partially  devoured.  Knowing  that  the  animal  is  not  far  off  he  now 
"  lets  loose  "  the  dogs,  and  as  a  rule  the  cowardly  beast  is  soon 
"  treed  "  and  shot.  Out  of  the  twenty-eight  Panthers  in  the  killing 
of  which  Mr.  Sheppard  was  concerned,  four  refused  to  "  tree,"  and 
were  shot  while  on  the  ground.  When  attacked  they  never  spring 
after  the  dogs,  but  merely  act  on  the  defensive.  When  a  dog  makes 
bold  to  come  too  near  he  receives  such  an  energetic  "  cuff"  from  the 
Panther's  paw  that  he  rarely  solicits  another. 

Though  possessed  of  great  strength  and  power,  and  naturally  quick 
in  his  movements,  the  Panther  is  a  positive  coward.  For  all  that, 
when  seriously  wounded,  without  being  entirely  crippled,  all  his 
latent  ferocity  is  aroused,  and  he  rushes  fiercely  at  his  assailants. 
But  even  at  such  times,  when  in  an  attitude  of  supreme  anger  and 
rage,  and  while  lashing  the  snow  impetuously  with  his  long  tail,  any- 
thing thrust  into  his  open  mouth  serves  to  divert  his  wrath  from  the 
enemy  to  his  weapon.  Thus  on  two  occasions,  once  with  an  axe, 
and  once  with  the  muzzle  of  his  gun,  has  Mr.  Sheppard  saved  himself 
and  his  do^s  from  mutilation,  if  not  from  a  horrible  death. 

O 

The  hunter  commonly  follows  a  Panther  for  many  days,  and  some- 


«.  MAMMALIA. 

times  for  weeks,  before  overtaking-  him,  and  could  never  get  him 
were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  he  remains  near  the  spot  where  he  kills 
a  deer  till  it  is  eaten.  When  the  hunter  has  followed  a  Panther  for 
days,  and  has,  perhaps,  nearly  come  up  with  him,  a  heavy  snow-storm 
often  sets  in  and  obliterates  all  signs  of  the  track.  He  is  then  obliged 
to  make  wide  detours  to  ascertain  in  which  direction  the  animal  has 
gone.  On  these  long  and  tiresome  snow-shoe  tramps  he  is  of  course 
obliged  to  sleep,  without  shelter,  wherever  night  overtakes  him. 
The  heavy  walking  makes  it  impossible  for  him  to  carry  many  days' 
rations,  and  when  his  provisions  give  out  he  must  strike  for  some 
camp  or  settlement  for  a  new  supply — this  of  course  consumes  valu- 
able time  and  enables  the  Panther  to  get  still  farther  away.  When 
the  beast  is  finally  killed  the  event  is  celebrated  by  a  feast,  for  Pan- 
ther meat  is  not  only  palatable,  but  is  really  very  fine  eating. 

Most  mammals  are  larger  at  the  north  than  at  the  south,  but  with 
the  present  species  the  reverse  is  true.  Individuals  from  various 
parts  of  the  south  and  southwest  average  considerably  larger  than 
those  found  in  the  Adirondacks.  This  is  in  obedience  to  the  law, 
clearly  defined  by  Mr.  J.  A.  Allen,  that  :  "  The  maximum  physical 
development  of  the  individual  is  attained  where  the  conditions  of 
environment  are  most  favorable  to  the  life  of  the  species." 

In  the  Adirondacks,  it  is  an  uncommonly  large  Panther  that  meas- 
sures  eight  feet  from  the  end  of  its  nose  to  the  tip  of  its  tail,  and  an 
unusually  heavy  one  that  weighs  a  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  Still, 
on  the  1 5th  of  February,  18/7,  Mr.  Verplanck  Colvin,  Superintend- 
ent of  the  Adirondack  Survey,  shot  a  male  on  Seventh  Lake  Moun- 
tain, in  Hamilton  County,  that  weighed  about  two  hundred  pounds. 
This  is  the  heaviest  Panther  concerning  which  I  have  been  able  to 
procure  trustworthy  information.  It  was  killed  near  a  deer  "  yard," 
and  the  carcasses  of  two  of  its  victims  were  found  hard  by.  Hence 
it  is  fair  to  infer  that  he  had  been  for  some  time  lurking  in  this  vi- 

*  Bulletin  of  the  U.  S.  (leol.  Survey,  Aug.,  1876,  Vol.  II,  No.  4,  p.  310. 


FKLTS  CONCOLOR.  ,  Z 

0° 

cinity,  feasting  and  fattening  upon  the  deer  that  were  unable  to 
escape  in  the  deep  snow. 

An  adult  Panther  stands  about  two  and  a  half  feet  hiidi  at  the  shoul- 

o 

ders  and  is  so  slender  that  it  generally  appears  to  be  very  thin  and 
gaunt  when  in  reality  it  may  be  quite  fat.  Either  the  old  males  kill  the 
young  males  (which  I  do  not  think  probable),  or  the  females  greatly 
preponderate  at  birth  ;  for  out  of  twenty-eight  killed  by,  or  through 
the  instrumentality  of  E.  L.  Sheppard,  only  five  were  males. 

The  mother  commonly  has  two  kittens  at  a  birth,  sometimes  one, 
three,  or  even  four.  The  period  of  gestation  was  ascertained  to  be 
ninety-seven  days  in  a  female  observed  by  the  Zoological  Society  of 
London.  The  young  are  brought  forth  late  in  the  winter  or  in  early 
spring,  and  the  lair  is  usually  in  a  shallow  cavern  on  the  face  of  some 
inaccessible  cliff  or  ledge  of  rocks.  It  is  probable  that  they  do  not, 
with  us,  have  young  oftener  than  every  other  year.* 

SOME  COMMON  FALLACIES  CONCERNING  PANTHERS. 
isf.   Concerning-  tJic  alleged  Fierceness  of  tJic  PantJier. 

Not  only  is  it  customary  for  the  community  at  large  to  speak  of  the 
terrible  danger  of  encountering  one  of  these  dreadful  and  savage  ani- 
mals, but  even  many  very  respectable  works  upon  Natural  History  con- 
tain the  most  detailed  and  heart-rending  accounts  of  the  loss  of  human 

*  William  A.  Conklin,  Esq.,  Ph.  I).,  lias  had  the  kindness  to  favor  me  with  the  following  very 
valuable  note  concerning  the  breeding  of  a  female  Panther,  during  a  series  of  years,  at  the  Central 
I 'ark  Menagerie,  of  which  he  is  director,  in  New  York  city.  Mr.  Conklin  writes:  "  In  my  experi- 
ence the  period  of  gestation  is  thirteen  weeks  (91  days),  and  it  occasionally,  but  rarely,  exceeds  that 
time  by  one  or  two  days.  I  have  one  Panther  that  has  bred  seven  times,  as  follows: 

In  her  1st  litter  were  4  kittens.  In  her  4th  litter  were  4  kittens. 

2d       "          "      4       "  "        5th  "  "  3 

3d       "         "      2       "  "       6th     "         "  2 

In  her  7th  litter  was  I  kitten. 

Her  age,  16  years,  at  the  time  of  her  last  litter,  and  the  fact  that  this  female  came  from  Texas, 
may  have  some  bearing  on  the  number  of  young  produced  at  a  birth.  The  cubs  are  born  with  the 
eyelids  closed;  they  open  after  eight  or  nine  days.  The  incisors  and  canine  teeth  cut  through  the 
gums  in  eighteen  or  twenty  days.  The  body  is  at  first  spotted,  the  spots  disappearing  in  about  six 
months.  They  are  weaned  when  three  months  old.  The  mother  carries  the  young  about  in  her 
mouth  in  the  same  way  that  a  cat  does  her  kittens." 


MAMMALIA. 

life  by  the  brutal  attacks  of  these  ferocious  beasts.  Even  as  cautious 
and  reliable  a  naturalist  as  Zaclock  Thompson  quotes  the  following 
appalling  and  blood-curdling  tale  as  an  authentic  narrative:  "Two 
hunters,  accompanied  by  two  dogs,  went  out  in  quest  of  game,  near 
the  Catskill  Mountains.  At  the  foot  of  a  large  hill,  they  agreed  to 
go  round  it  in  opposite  directions,  and  when  either  discharged  his 
rifle,  the  other  was  to  hasten  toward  him  to  aid  him  in  securing  the 
game.  Soon  after  parting,  the  report  of  a  rifle  was  heard  by  one  of 
them,  who,  hastening  toward  the  spot,  after  some  search,  found  noth- 
incr  but  the  dog,  dreadfully  lacerated  and  dead.  He  now  became 
much  alarmed  for  the  fate  of  his  companion,  and,  while  anxiously 
looking  round,  was  horror-struck  by  the  harsh  growl  of  a  Catamount, 
which  he  perceived  on  a  large  limb  of  a  tree,  crouching  upon  the 
body  of  his  friend,  and  apparently  meditating  an  attack  on  himself. 
Instantly  he  levelled  his  rifle  at  the  beast,  and  was  so  fortunate  as  to 
wound  it  mortally,  when  it  fell  to  the  ground  along  with  the  body  of 
his  slaughtered  companion.  His  dog  then  rushed  upon  the  wound- 
ed Catamount,  which,  with  one  blow  of  its  paw,  laid  the  poor  crea- 
ture dead  by  his  side,"*  et  cetera.  The  illustrious  Audubon,  in  his 
great  work  upon  the  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  cautions  the  read- 
er not  to  credit  the  legends  of  the  vulgar  in  regard  to  the  ferocity  of 
this  animal,  and  its  propensity  to  attack  man,  and  then  goes  on  to 
picture  midnight  encounters  and  hair-breadth  escapes  almost  as  thrill- 
ing and  improbable  as  the  story  above  quoted.  Oh,  the  inconsist- 
ency of  man ! 

It  is  now  so  well  known  that  the  Panther  is  one  of  the  most  cow- 
ardly of  beasts,  never  attacking  man  unless  wounded  and  cornered, 
that  it  is  unnecessary  to  do  more  than  contradict  the  popular  im- 
pression to  the  contrary. 

2d.   Concerning  tJic  RIcthod  of  Capturing  its  Prey. 
It  is  commonly  and  widely  believed,  and  frequently  and  boldly  as- 

*  Natural  and  Civil  History  of  Vermont,  1842,  p.  38. 


FELIS  CONCOLOK.  ^7 

serted  in  print,  that  the  Panther  lurks  in  ambush  for  its  prey  ;  that  it 
lies  in  wait  beside  the  runways  of  the  wary  deer,  hidden  by  some 
rock  or  thicket,  or  crouching-  upon  an  overhanging-  limb,  and  falls, 
like  a  thunderbolt  from  heaven,  upon  the  back  of  its  hapless  and  un- 
suspecting victim.  Such  romances,  however  gratifying  to  the  nar- 
rator, and  entertaining  to  the  community,  are  without  foundation  in 
fact,  and  could  only  have  originated  in  the  over-fertile  imagination 
of  a  conscienceless  fabricator  : 

-  a  false  creation, 


Proceeding  from  the  heat-oppressed  brain." 

jd.    Concerning  the  Screams  of  the  Panther. 

Who  has  not  heard  of  the  piercing  cries  and  startling  screams  of 
the  Panther  ?  Who  has  listened,  about  the  evening  camp-fire,  to  the 
tales  of  hunters  and  woodsmen,  but  has  felt  his  blood  run  cold,  and 
his  hat  lighten  on  his  head,  as  the  earnest  speaker,  perhaps  in  a 
whisper,  and  uninterrupted  save  by  the  sputtering  of  the  fire,  told  of 
the  time  when  alone  in  the  solitudes  of  the  deep  forest,  and  at  the 
dead  of  night,  he  was  suddenly  awakened  by  a  piercing  scream  that 
burst  upon  his  weary  ears.  It  seemed  like  the  shriek  of  a  woman  in 
distress,  or  the  pitiful  cry  of  a  lost  child.  Half  asleep,  bewildered, 
and  amazed,  he  starts  to  his  feet  to  render  assistance,  when  the  elar- 

O 

ing  eyeballs  of  a  fierce  Cougar  meet  his  horrified  gaze  and  acquaint 
him  with  the  nature  of  his  unwelcome  guest ! 

An  attack  of  indigestion,  the  cry  of  a  Loon,  or  the  screech  of  an 
Owl,  a  piece  of  phosphorescent  wood,  and  a  very  moderate  imagination, 
are  all  that  are  necessary,  in  the  way  of  material  and  connections,  to 
build  up  a  thrilling  tale  of  this  description.  Indeed,  the  writer  once 
had  a  bit  of  personal  experience  in  this  line  that  is  not  yet  forgotten. 

In  conversing  with  honest  hunters  upon  this  point  it  has  been  my 
uniform  experience  to  find  that  those  who  have  had  most  to  do  with 
Panthers  are  the  most  skeptical  in  regard  to  their  cries  ;  and  I  have  yet 
to  find  the  man,  whose  statements  on  this  point  are  of  any  value,  that 


-,g  MAMMALIA. 

has  ever  heard  a  wild  Panther  scream.  This  is  negative  evidence  it 
is  true,  but  it  is  by  no  means  without  value  ;  and  it  is  certainly  safe 
to  assert  that  at  least  ninety-nine  per  cent,  of  the  so-called  "  Panther 
screams  "  emanate  from  a  widely  different  source. 

.////.   Concerning  tJic  Size  of  the  PantJicr. 

In  talking-  with  border  hunters  of  a  certain  type,  and  in  perusing  the 
literature  of  the  subject,  one  is  every  now  and  then  confronted  with  the 
most  fabulous  statements  concerning  the  size  of  the  beast  now  under 
consideration.  Some  would  have  us  believe  that  Panthers  have  been 
killed  and  measured  with  a  "  two-foot  rule "  that  were  eleven, 
twelve,  and  even  thirteen  feet  in  length.  Formidable  beasts,  in- 
deed !  No  less  an  authority  than  James  De  Kay  tells  us,  in  appar- 
ent good  faith,  that  one  was  killed  on  an  island  in  Fourth  Lake  (of 
the  Fulton  Chain)  in  Herkimer  County,  that,  when  recently  killed, 
"  had  a  total  length  of  eleven  feet  three  inches."*  To  those  that  are 

o 

inclined  to  credit  such  statements  I  have  only  to  say  :  measure  off 
eleven  feet  on  your  floor  ;  place  the  largest  Panther  you  ever  saw  on 
this  measured  line,  and  then  tell  me  on  what  part  of  the  beast  you 
would  "  annex  "  or  "  splice  on  "  the  three  or  more  additional  feet. 

$th.   Concerning  the  way  a  PantJicr  carries  its  Prey. 

We  often  see  statements  to  the  effect  that  a  Panther  has  killed  a 
deer  or  a  young  bullock,  "  slung  it  over  his  back,"  and  marched  off 
(perhaps  up  an  embankment,  or  even  climbed  a  tree)  with  it.  A 
Panther  drags  a  deer  along  the  ground  just  as  a  dog  drags  a  sheep, 
or  a  cat  a  big  piece  of  meat,  and  if  he  is  a  large  one  he  may  be  able 
to  lift  the  deer  so  high  that  only  its  hinder  parts  drag. 

*  Zoology  of  New  York,  Part  I,     Mammals,  1842,  p.  48. 


1  KI.IS  CONCOLOR. 


39 


B(H   NTIKS     I'AID    ON     PANTHERS     I'NDEk    THE     LAW    <>K     l8/I. 

Data  concerning  Panthers  killed  in  the  Adiromlacks  from  June, 
1 87  i ,  to  August,  1 882,  on  which  bounties  have  been  paid  by  the  State. * 
(From  official  records  on  file  in  the  Comptroller's  office,  at  Albany.) 


Locality  where  killed. 
County.  Town. 

Kssex,  Newcomb, 


Franklin, 

Hamilton, 

1 1 
HerkimeF, 


Lewis, 


Dickinson, 

1 1 

Lake  Pleasant, 
Long  Lake, 
Wells, 
Wilmurt, 


1  >iana, 


St.  Lawrence,     Fine, 


Township,  No. 
Fine, 


Hopkinton, 

Fine, 

Hopkinton, 

1 1 

Fine, 

Colton, 

Fine, 

Hopkinton, 

Fine, 

Colton, 

1 1 

Fine, 


Date  of  killing. 

Nov.  10,  1871, 
1  >ec.  II,  1871, 
Feb.  25,  1880, 
Aug.  29,  1873, 
Dec.  4,  1872, 
Feb.  29,  1872, 
Feb.,  1878, 
Dec.  19,  1876, 
Dec.  ii.  1877, 
Dec.  12,  1877, 
Dec.  13,  1877, 
Feb.  26,  1878, 
March  8,  1878, 
May  23,  1882, 
June  10,  1882, 
|  line  27,  1882, 
July  13,  1882, 
June  7,  1871, 
June  22,  1871, 
n,  Oct.  24,  1871, 
June  15,  1872, 
June  26,  1872, 
June  29,  1872, 
Nov.  19,  1873, 
June  8,  1873, 
Oct.  23,  1872, 
Nov.  4,  1874, 
Dec.  26,  1876, 
Jan.  24,  1877, 
Feb.  15,  1878, 
May  i,  1879, 

Oct.  12,  1879, 

June  15,  1880, 
Jan.  15,  1881, 
Nov.  23,  1880, 
Oct.  7,  1881, 
Oct.  6,  1881, 
Aug.  26,  1881, 
July  16,  1881, 
May  23,  1881, 
April  26,  1881, 
Sept.  10,  1881, 
Nov.  7,  1881, 


By  whom  killed. 

J.  C.  Farmer, 
[.  C.  Farmer, 
Win.  II.  Cullen, 
Chas.  A.  Merrill, 
Milo  H.  Ober, 

Aaron  B.  Sturgesaml  I!.  Page, 
T.  W.  Shult/, 
Sila>  Call, 

Edwin  L.  Sheppard, 
Edwin  L.  Sheppard, 
Edwin  L.  Sheppard, 
E.  N.  Arnold, 
E.  N.  Arnold, 
George  Muir, 
( leorge  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
Spencer  B.  Ward, 
Spencer  B.  Ward, 
Michael  Duffy, 
John  Muir, 
[uhn  Muir, 
John  Muir, 
Noah  A.  Gale, 
John  Muir, 
Win.  Henry  Marsh, 
Norman  E.  Wait, 
Charles  W.  Gale, 
Webster  Partlow, 
Hiram  Hutchins, 
George  Muir, 
Peter  Burreau, 
George  Muir, 
Hiram  Hutchins, 
Hiram  Hutchins, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 


No 
killed. 

Aint. 
paid. 

I 
3 

$2O 
60 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

2O 

i 

20 

i 

2O 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

2O 

i 

2O 

i 

20 

i 

2O 

i 

20 

2O 

20 

2O 

2O 

20 

i 

20 

i 

2O 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

2O 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

20 

i 

20 

2 

40 

I 

2O 

46       $920 


*  It  is  impossible  to  obtain,  even  with  approximate  accuracy,  any  satisfactory  estimate  of  the  total 
number  of  Panthers  that  have  been  killed  in  the  Adirondacks,  even  during  the  past  fifty  years. 
Mr.  Byron  P.  Graves,  of  Boonville,  N.  Y.,  shot  three  in  Herkimer  and  Hamilton  Counties  during 
February  and  March,  1871,  four  were  killed  about  the  same  time  in  Franklin  County,  and  others 
in  other  parts  of  the  Woods.  A  year  or  two  previous  to  this  several  Panthers,  one  of  which  I 
skinned,  were  shot  on  the  extreme  western  confines  of  the  Wilderness — in  the  town  of  Greig,  in 
Lewis  County.  As  near  as  I  can  reckon,  from  the  data  that  I  have  been  able  to  procure,  nearly 
an  hundred  Panthers  have  been  killed  in  the  Adirondacks  since  the  year  1860. 


MAMMALIA. 

LYNX  CANADENSIS    (Desm.)  Raf. 

Canada  Lynx. 

The  Lynx  is,  and  so  far  as  I  can  learn,  has  always  been  a  rather 
rare  inhabitant  of  this  region.  It  is  most  often  met  with  on  the 

<T"> 

Champlain  or  eastern  side  of  the  Woods,  but  is  nowhere  common. 

The  Lynx  is  called  "  Loup  Cervier "  by  the  French  Canadians, 
and  has  been  erroneously  termed  Carcajou,  or  Wolverine,  by  some 
of  the  older  hunters  in  this  State. 

It  preys  upon  the  northern  hare,  and  such  other  small  mammals 
as  it  can  catch,  and  upon  the  Ruffed  Grouse  and  Spruce  Partridge. 
It  has  also  been  known  to  devour  pigs,  lambs,  and  young  fawns,  but 
the  accounts  of  its  attacking  full-grown  deer  are  not  to  be  credited. 

Its  haunts  are  in  the  deep  forests  and  burnt  districts,  remote  from 
the  paths  of  man  ;  and  consequently  it  rarely  intrudes  upon  the 
barn -yard. 

Its  ordinary  gait  when  in  a  hurry  is  a  long  gallop,  like  that  of  the 
hare,  and  it  is  said  to  swim  well. 

The  female  commonly  has  two  young  at  a  birth,  her  lair  being 
usually  located  in  a  cavern  or  hollow  tree. 

The  older  naturalists,  having  little  or  no  personal  acquaintance 
with  the  animals  of  which  they  wrote,  were  often  led  into  grave 
errors  when  treating  of  their  habits,  and  even  Thomas  Pennant, 
writing  in  1770,  said,  of  the  present  species,  that  it  "  is  long  lived  : 
climbs  trees  :  lies  in  wait  for  the  deer  which  pass  under,  falls  on 
them,  and  seizing  on  the  jugular  vein  soon  makes  them  its  prey  : 
will  not  attack  mankind,  but  is  very  destructive  to  the  rest  of  the 
animal  creation  :  the  furs  of  these  animals  are  valuable  for  their  soft- 
ness and  warmth  :  The  ancients  celebrated  the  great  quick- 
ness of  its  sight ;  and  feigned  that  its  urine  was  converted  into  a 
precious  stone."  * 

*  Synopsis  of  (Quadrupeds,  1771,  pp.   187-188. 


I.VNX    KUI'US.  AI 

LYNX     RUFUS       Ginelin)   Raf. 
Wild  Cat;  Bay  Lynx;  "Chat  Cervier" 

The  Wild  Cat  is,  for  some  reason,  an  extremely  rare  animal  in  the 
Adirondacks.  It  may  be  that  our  climate  is  too  severe  for  it,  since 
it  is  much  more  common  farther  south. 

It  frequents  rocky  hills  ancl  ledges,  and  does  not  show  that  antip- 
athy to  civilization  so  marked  in  its  congener,  the  Lynx.  In  fact  it 
is  often  quite  common  in  thickly  settled  portions  of  the  State,  and 
sometimes  proves  of  much  annoyance  to  the  farmer  by  carrying  off 
lambs,  little  pigs,  and  poultry — ducks,  geese,  turkeys,  and  chickens 
proving  alike  acceptable.  Away  from  the  farm -yard  it  feeds  upon 
rabbits,  squirrels,  mice,  grouse,  and  what  small  birds  it  is  fortunate 
enough  to  capture.  It  generally  makes  its  nest  in  a  hollow  tree 
or  log,  and  lines  it  well  with  moss.  From  two  to  four  young  con- 
stitute a  litter,  the  most  frequent  number  being  three. 

In  1873  or  18/4,  I  shot  a  grouse  as  it  was  flying  along  the  north 
side  of  Mt.  Tom,  in  Massachusetts.  Scarcely  had  it  touched  the 
rocky  slope  when  a  Wild  Cat  sprang  upon  it,  from  behind  a  neigh- 
boring bush,  and,  in  a  succession  of  rapid  leaps,  started  up  the  side 
of  the  mountain  with  the  grouse  in  its  mouth.  The  contents  of  the 
other  barrel  of  my  gun  caused  him  to  change  his  mind  as  well  as 
direction. 

I  have  eaten  the  flesh  of  the  Wild  Cat,  and  can  pronounce  it  excel- 
lent. It  is  white,  very  tender,  and  suggests  veal  more  than  any  other 
meat  with  which  I  am  familiar. 

When  enraged,  this  animal  is  the  most  ferocious-looking  beast  I 
have  ever  seen,  and  hisses,  spits,  and  growls  in  the  most  unattractive 
manner  imaginable. 

The  term  "  Wild  Cat"  is  sometimes  also  applied  to  certain  erratic 
individuals  of  the  domestic  cat  kind,  that  have  become  wild  and  make 
their  homes  in  the  forest,  bringing  forth  their  young  in  hollow  logs, 
4 


.2  MAMMALIA. 

old  stumps,  and  caves,  and  preying  upon  poultry  and  eggs  as  well  as 
upon  wild  game.  With  these  the  present  species  must  not  be  con- 
founded. 

Family   CANID/E. 
CANIS    LUPUS     Linnaeus. 

Wolf. 

Comparatively  few  Wolves  are  now  to  be  found  in  the  Adiron- 
dacks,  though  twelve  years  ago  they  were  quite  abundant,  and  used 
to  hunt  in  packs  of  half  a  dozen  or  more. 

They  have  hard  work  to  get  a  living  here,  and  are  always  gaunt 
and  hungry.  They  cannot  catch  deer  with  any  certainty  except  in 
deep  snow,  and  are,  therefore,  during  thegreater  part  of  the  year,  forced 
to  subsist  upon  skunks,  hares,  mice,  frogs,  carrion,  and  such  other  food 
as  they  are  able  to  procure.  In  times  past  they  were  a  great  enemy 
to  the  settlers  of  this  region  and  within  fifty  years  have  caused  our 
border  farmers  much  annoyance  by  destroying  their  sheep  and  pigs ; 
they  have  also  been  known  to  kill  calves  and  young  colts. 

In  summer  they  sometimes  drive  a  deer  into  a  lake  and  follow  it 
along  the  shore,  from  time  to  time  jumping  high  in  the  air  in  order 
to  sight  it  and  determine  the  direction  in  which  it  is  swimming.  If 
the  lake  is  a  small  one  and  there  are  enough  Wolves,  they  are  oc- 
casionally able  to  pounce  upon  it  as  it  emerges  from  the  water;  but 
this  rarely  happens,  and  the  deer  almost  always  escapes.  In  Septem- 
ber, 1870,  I  saw  a  pack  of  Wolves  drive  a  deer  into  the  head  of 
Seventh  Lake,  Fulton  Chain.  It  escaped  the  Wolves  to  be  slain  by 
a  man  with  a  shot-gun  ! 

Within  my  recollection  Wolves  were  so  common  here  that  scarce- 
ly a  night  passed  when  they  could  not  be  heard  howling  in  various 
parts  of  the  forest.  So  bold  and  impudent  were  they  that  they  often 
came  about  camp  while  the  inmates  were  sleeping  and  stole  any 
venison,  or  other  meat,  that  chanced  to  hang  within  reach. 


CANIS  LUPUS. 

The  amount  of  noise  that  a  single  Wolf  is  capable  of  producing  is 
simply  astonishing,  and  many  amusing  episodes  of  camp  lore  owe 
their  origin  to  this  fact.  More  than  one  "lone  traveller"  has  hastily 
taken  to  a  tree,  and  remained  in  the  inhospitable  shelter  of  its  scrawny 
branches  for  an  entire  night,  believing  himself  surrounded  by  a  pack 
of  at  least  fifty  fierce  and  hungry  Wolves,  when,  in  reality,  there  was 
but  one,  and  (as  its  tracks  afterwards  proved)  it  was  on  the  farther 
side  of  a  lake,  a  couple  of  miles  away. 

The  Wolf  is  one  of  the  most  cowardly  and  wary  of  our  mammals, 
always  taking  good  care  to  keep  out  of  sight ;  and  he  is  so  crafty  and 
sagacious  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  allure  him  into  any  kind  of 
a  trap. 

When  opportunity  affords  he  is  one  of  the  most  destructive  and 
wasteful  of  brutes,  always  killing  as  much  game  as  possible,  regard- 
less of  the  condition  of  his  appetite,  and  he  used  to  be  the  greatest 
enemy  that  our  deer  had  to  contend  with.  During  the  deep  snows 
a  small  pack  of  Wolves  would  sometimes  kill  hundreds  of  deer,  tak- 
ing here  and  there  a  bite,  but  leaving  the  greater  number  untouched. 

In  the  year  1871  the  State  put  a  bounty:;:  on  their  scalps,  and  it  is 
a  most  singular  coincidence  that  a  great  and  sudden  decrease  in  their 
numbers  took  place  about  that  time.  What  became  of  them  is  a  great 
and,  to  me,  inexplicable  mystery,  for  it  is  known  that  but  few  were 
killed.  There  is  but  one  direction  in  which  they  could  have  es- 
caped, and  that  is  through  Clinton  County  into  Lower  Canada.  In 
so  doino-  they  would  have  been  obliged  to  pass  around  the  north  end 

o  J  o 

of  Lake  Champlain  and  cross  the  River  Richelieu,  and  before  reach- 
ing any  extensive  forests  would  have  had  to  travel  long  distances 
through  tolerably  well-settled  portions  of  country.  And  there  is  no 
evidence  that  they  made  any  such  journey. 

The  Wolf  makes  its  nest  in  rocky  caverns,  under  the  upturned 
roots  of  fallen  trees,  and  in  hollow  logs ;  and  where  suitable  shelter 

*  The  law  granting  this  bounty  has  already  been  given  in  a  foot  note  under  the  Panther.      See 
pp.  29-30. 


44 


MAMMALIA. 


cannot  be  found,  it  di^s  holes  in  the  ground  for  its  home.     From  six 

O  O 

to  ten  pups  constitute  a  litter,  and  they  are  usually  produced  in  April 
or  May.     The  period  of  gestation  is  said  to  be  sixty-three  days.* 

BOUNTIES  PAID  ON  WOLVES  UNDER  THE  LAW  OF   1871. 
Data  concerning  Wolves   killed   in   the  Adirondacks   from  June, 
1871,  to  July,  1882,  on  which  bounties  have  been  paid  by  the   State. 
(From  official  records  on  file  in  the  Comptroller's  office,  at  Albany.) 


Locality  where  killed. 
County. 

Essex, 
Franklin, 


Herkimer, 

1 1 

Oneida, 


Lewis, 


Washington, 


Town. 
Minerva, 
Duane, 
Brandon, 


rence,      Fine, 


Ohio, 

1 1 

Forest  Port, 


Greig, 
Diana, 


Hopkinton, 

1 1 

Fine, 

Pitcairn, 

t  * 

Brasher, 
Fine, 


Hopkinton, 

Fine, 


1'arishville, 
Colton, 
Hopkinton, 
Fine, 


I lopkinton, 
Dresden, 


Date  of  killing. 

Sept.  6,  1872, 

July  4,  1874, 

June  12,  1875, 

Tune  17,  1875, 

Jan.  28,  1882, 

Feb.  2,  1882, 

Feb.  14,  1882, 

March  15,  1882, 

March  19,  1882, 

Nov.  10,  1881, 

June  27,  1882, 

Oct.  17,  1871, 

Aug.  17,  1871, 

Aug.  17,  1871, 

Oct.  6,  1871, 

Nov.  7,  1872, 

May  26,  1872, 

Nov.  4,  1872, 

Dec.  12,  1873, 

Dec.  21,  1872, 

May  22,  1875, 

May  24,  1875, 

May  15,  1876, 

Oct.  9,  1876, 

April  8,  1878, 

May  5,    1877, 

July  14,  1877, 

April  29,  1879, 

Sept.  16,  1878, 

April  26,  1880, 

Oct.  3,  1880, 

Nov.  13,  1880, 

Nov.  5,  1880, 

Nov.  6,  1880, 

Sept.  25,  iSSi, 

Aug.  24,  1881, 

July  20,  1881, 

June  II,  1 88 1, 

June  ii,  1881, 

April  28,  1881, 

Nov.  8,  iSSi, 

Sept.  20,  1881, 

Feb.,  1882,  latter  part, 

March,  1882,  early  part, 


By  whom  killed. 

Wesley  Rice, 
James  H.  Bean, 
Calvin  Wait, 
Calvin  Wait, 
Henry  Sheldon, 
Henry  Sheldon, 
Henry  Dunan, 
Henry  Dunan, 
Henry  Dunan, 
George  Botchford, 
George  Muir, 
John  Muir, 
George  Spear, 
George  Spear, 
Joseph  Whitney, 
John  Muir, 
John  Muir, 
Aaron  Thomas, 
Aaron  Thomas, 
Timothy  Desmond 
John  Muir, 
John  Muir, 
John  Muir, 
George  Peck, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
Henry  C.  Hibbard, 
Abram  Baikley, 
Jonathan  Baldwin, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
George  Muir, 
Henry  Hibbard, 
Rollin  Gamby, 
Rollin  Gamby, 


No. 

Amt. 

killed. 

paid. 

2 

60 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

i  Pup 

15 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

3" 

I 

3° 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I  Pup 

15 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

I 

30 

45 


$1,320 


*  Fauna  Americana,  by  Richard  Ilarlan,  M.D.,  1825,  p.  Si. 


VULPES  VULGAKIS  PENNSYLVANICUS. 

VULPES  VULGARIS  PENNSYLVANICUS   (Bodd.) Coues. 
Fox;  Red  Fox;  Cross  Fox;  Silver  Fox;  Black  Fox. 

The  common  Fox  is  a  tolerably  abundant  resident  in  the  "  North 
Woods,"  and  its  short  bark  is  often  heard,  after  nightfall,  by  parties 
encamped  about  our  lakes. 

He  is  both  nocturnal  and  diurnal  in  habits,  and  preys  upon  skunks, 
woodchucks,  muskrats,  hares,  rabbits,  squirrels,  mice,  and  small  birds 
and  eggs.  He  is  a  well-known  and  much-dreaded  depredator  of  the 
poultry-yard,  destroying,  with  equal  alacrity,  turkeys,  ducks,  geese, 
hens,  chickens,  and  doves  ;  and  has  been  known  to  make  off  with 
young  lambs.  He  will  also  eat  carrion,  and  even  fish,  and  is  said  to 
be  fond  of  ripe  grapes  and  strawberries. 

The  cunning  of  the  Fox  is  proverbial.  Wily,  crafty,  and  sagacious, 
to  a  degree  almost  beyond  credibility,  he  defies  the  superior  skill  and 
intelligence  of  man,  and  meets,  with  shrewd  manoeuvre  and  subtle 
stratagem,  all  attempts  at  his  extermination.  He  lives  and  thrives 
and  multiplies  in  our  very  midst,  and  is  as  common  in  many  of  the 
thickly  settled  portions  of  the  State  as  in  the  remotest  depths  of  the 
primeval  forests. 

He  is  hunted  both  for  pleasure  and  profit,  and  for  the  gratification 
of  a  malicious  spite  that  seems  to  be  inherent  in  man  for  his  destruc- 
tion. He  is  trapped  for  where  his  presence  is  suspected,  hounded 
when  his  foot-prints  are  seen  on  the  snow,  dug  out  when  found  in 
his  subterranean  burrow,  and  shot  at  when  surprised  at  any  of  his 
tricks,  from  the  first  hour  of  his  youthful  gambols  till  the  time  that  he 
finally  succumbs  before  man's  combined  and  persistent  efforts  to- 
ward his  annihilation.  Nevertheless,  his  race  survives,  and  I  have 
yet  to  be  convinced  that  his  numbers  have  undergone  any  very  ma- 
terial diminution  during  the  last  hundred  years. 

The  influence  of  natural  selection  in  developing  hereditary  habits 
for  the  protection  of  the  species  is  well  exemplified  in  this  animal,  for 
he  seems  familiar,  from  earliest  infancy,  with  the  multifarious  contri- 


MAMMALIA. 


vances  devised  by  man  for  his  capture,  and  avoids  them  all,  eluding 
and  circumventing  his  pursuer  with  an  intelligence  and  promptness 
that  command  our  wonder  and  respect. 

The  pastime  (?)  of  Fox  hunting  is  largely  practised  everywhere  along 
the  border-lands  of  our  Wilderness,  and  two  or  three  men,  with  one 
or  two  fox-hounds,  commonly  constitute  a  hunting  party.  As  soon 
as  a  fresh  track  is  found  the  dog  is  allowed  to  follow  it,  which  he 
does  with  great  joy  and  alacrity.  The  men  now  separate,  each  pro- 
ceeding, without  further  delay,  to  some  ravine,  hill-side,  or  other 
point  that  is  known  to  be  one  of  the  "  run-ways"  of  the  Fox.  Oc- 
casionally the  F"ox,  on  being  started,  makes  a  round  on  one  of  these 
courses,  and  is  shot  while  passing  the  first  station.  More  commonly, 
however,  he  makes  off,  taking  a  tolerably  straight  course,  and  runs 
several  miles  before  commencing  to  circle  and  wind  about  among  the 
hills.  Therefore  the  hunter  is,  on  these  interesting  excursions,  generally 
obliged  to  walk  many  miles  over  the  deep  snow,  and  night  frequently 
overtakes  him,  tired  and  hungry,  far  from  the  cheerful  fireside  of  his 
pleasant  home.  And  he  may,  or  may  not,  have  been  rewarded  by 
securing  the  object  of  the  chase. 

It  sometimes  happens,  especially  during  a  thaw,  when  the  snow 
"  slumps,"  that  the  dog  catches  up  with  the  Fox.  At  such  times  both 
pursuer  and  pursued  are  commonly  well-nigh  exhausted,  and  the  weary 
hunter  lags  far  behind.  The  resulting  scene,  to  which  I  have  myself 
been  an  eye-witness,  is  so  graphically  depicted  by  Audubon  and 
Bachman  that  I  take  pleasure  in  reproducing  their  account  of  it  here  : 
".  .  .  .  every  bound  and  plunge  into  the  snow,  diminishes  the  dis- 
tance between  the  Fox  and  his  relentless  foe One  more 

desperate  leap,  and  with  a  sudden  snappish  growl  he  turns  upon  his 
pursuer,  and  endeavors  to  defend  himself  with  his  sharp  teeth.  For 
a  moment  he  resists  the  dog,  but  is  almost  instantly  overcome.  He 
is  not  killed,  however,  in  the  first  onset;  both  dog  and  Fox  are  so 
fatigued  that  they  now  sit  on  their  haunches  facing  each  other,  rest- 
ing, panting,  their  tongues  hanging  out,  and  the  foam  from  their  lips 


VULPKS  YUl.r.ARIS   PEXNSYKY. \\Fnx  ,~ 

dropping  on  the  snow.  After  fiercely  eyeing  each  other  for  a  while, 
both  become  impatient — the  former  to  seize  his  prey,  and  the  latter 
to  escape.  At  the  first  leap  cf  the  Fox,  the  dog  is  upon  him;  with 
renewed  vigor  he  seizes  him  by  the  throat,  and  does  not  loose  his 
hold  until  the  snow,  is  stained  with  his  blood,  and  he  lies  rumpled, 
draggled,  with  blood-shot  eye,  and  frothy  open  mouth,  a  mangled 
carcass  on  the  ground."* 

o 

Not  infrequently  the  Fox,  after  leading  his  pursuers  a  long  and  tire- 
some chase,  betakes  himself  to  his  hole.  If  this  chances  to  lie  with- 
in a  ledge  of  rocks  it  is  the  safest  of  retreats,  but  if  it  be  merely  a 
burrow  in  the  earth  he  is  by  no  means  secure,  for  the  hunters  (pro- 
vided they  have  enough  energy  and  ambition  left)  repair  to  the 
nearest  farm-house  for  spade  and  pick  with  which  to  dig  out  the  luck- 
less beast. 

Hence  Fox  hunting,  with  us,  can  hardly  be  ranked  among  the 
most  fascinating  of  sports;  and  those  that  indulge  in  it  must  have 
good  pluck  and  hard  muscle  or  they  are  apt  to  come  out  the  worse 
for  wear.  Sic  transit  gloria  nmndi  !  Having  "  killed  my  Fox"  I  am 
not  now  easily  seduced  into  this  form  of  recreation. 

Foxes  make  rather  pretty  pets,  and,  when  taken  young,  are  easily 
tamed;  but  they  are  so  deceitful  and  treacherous  that  they  are  not 
apt  to  gain  one's  affection. 

The  Fox  makes  its  nest  in  caverns  and  ledges  of  rocks,  in  burrows 
in  the  earth,  and  occasionally  in  old  stumps  and  hollow  logs.  From 
four  to  nine  young  are  brought  forth  at  a  time,  the  usual  period  be- 
ing, with  us,  the  latter  part  of  March  or  first  of  April. 

Family  MUSTELID^.     Subfamily  MUSTELIN/E. 

NOTE.— -The  Wolverine  (Gulo  I  use  us)  is  not  now  an  inhabitant  of 
the  Adirondacks,  and  I  have  been  unable  to  find  among  the  hunters 
and  trappers  of  this  region  anyone  who  has  ever  seen  it  in  our  Wilder- 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  Vol.  I,  1846,  p.  48. 


MAMMALIA. 

ness.  Dr.  DeKay,  writing  in  1842,  said:  "Although  we  have  not 
met  with  this  animal,  yet  hunters  who  have  killed  them  repeatedly, 
and  knew  them  well,  have  assured  us  that  they  are  still  found  in  the 
districts  north  of  Raquet  Lake."* 

Dr.  Bachman  killed  one,  about  the  year  181 1,  in  its  den  in  a  ledge 
of  rocks,  in  Rensselaer  County. f 

This  animal  is  the  Carcajou  of  the  Canadians. 

MU  STELA    PENNANTI    Erxleben. 

Fisher;  Pckan;  Pcnnanfs  Marten;   "Black  Cat;"   "  Black  Fox" 

Though  not  so  common  as  formerly,  the  Fisher,  as  it  is  here  termed, 
is  by  no  means  a  rare  inhabitant  of  these  mountains. 

The  name  Fisher  is  somewhat  of  a  misnomer,  for  these  animals 
commonly  frequent  deep  swamps  and  wooded  mountain-sides,  away 
from  the  immediate  vicinage  of  water,  and  are  not  known  to  catch 
fish  for  themselves  as  do  the  Mink  and  Otter.  However,  they  are 
fond  of  fish  and  never  neglect  to  devour  those  that  chance  to  fall  in 
their  way.  They  prey  chiefly  upon  hares,  squirrels,  mice,  grouse, 
small  birds,  and  frogs,  and  are  said  to  eat  snakes.  They  also  catch 
and  feed  upon  their  own  congener,  the  Marten,  and  make  a  practice 
of  devouring  all  that  they  discover  in  dead-falls  and  steel-traps, 
thus  proving  almost  as  great  a  nuisance  to  the  trapper  as  the  Wol- 
verine. It  is  said  to  be  less  objectionable  than  the  Wolverine  in  one 
particular :  /.  c.  it  leaves  the  traps  where  it  finds  them,  while  the  other 
blackleg  often  lugs  them  off  and  hides  them. 

Sir  John  Richardson  tells  us  that  "  its  favorite  food  is  the  Canada 
Porcupine,  which  it  kills  by  biting  in  the  belly."  This  habit,  which 
has  been  questioned,  has  recently  received  additional  confirmation 
from  the  pen  of  Corporal  Lot  Warfield,  who  writes  of  this  animal, 
from  Weston,  Vermont,  stating  his  experience  as  follows  :  "I 
agree  with  '  Penobscot'  that  they  are  not  plenty,  but  account  for  it  on 

*  Zoology  of  New  York,  Part  I,  Mammals,  1842,  p.  28. 
f  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  Vol.  I,  1846,  pp.  207-208. 


MUSTELA   I'KXNANTI.  ,Q 

different  grounds,  namely,  its  fondness  for  the  flesh  of  the  porcupine, 
whose  quills  often  prove  fatal  to  it.  I  have  several  times  found  the 
quills  buried  in  their  bodies,  besides  quantities  of  flesh,  hair,  and  quills 
in  the  stomach  and  excrements,  and  from  this  gained  a  point  in  bait- 
ing them;  let  other  trappers  try  it.  They  are  an  agile,  muscular 
animal,  jumping  from  tree  to  tree  like  a  squirrel,  clearing  a  distance 
of  forty  feet  in  a  descending  leap,  never  failing  a  secure  grip."* 

During  a  recent  visit  to  the  north  shore  of  the  Gulf  of  St.  Law- 
rence I  was  informed,  both  by  an  agent  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com- 
pany and  by  the  trappers  themselves,  that  porcupines  constitute  a 
large  and  important  element  in  the  food  supply  of  the  Pekan.  Mr. 
Nap.  A.  Comeau,  of  Godbout,  who  secured  for  me  a  large  and  hand- 
some male  of  this  species,  tells  me  that  its  intestine  contained  hun- 
dreds of  porcupine  quills,  arranged  in  clusters,  like  so  many  packages 
of  needles,  throughout  its  length.  In  no  case  had  a  single  quill  pene- 
trated the  mucous  lining  of  the  intestine,  but  they  were,  apparently, 
passing  along  its  interior  as  smoothly  and  surely  as  if  within  a  tube 
of  glass  or  metal.  Mr.  Comeau  could  not  discover  a  quill  in  any  of 
the  abdominal  viscera,  or  anywhere  in  the  abdominal  cavity,  except- 
ing as  above  stated.  A  great  many,  however,  were  found  imbedded 
in  the  muscles  of  the  head,  chest,  back,  and  legs,  and  it  was  remarked 
that  their  presence  gave  rise  to  no  irritation,  no  products  of  inflam- 
mation being  discovered  in  their  vicinity.  In  examining  the  partially 
cleaned  skeleton  of  this  specimen  I  still  find  some  of  the  quills  in  the 
deep  muscles  and  ligaments  about  the  joints.  A  knee,  in  particular, 
shows  several  in  its  immediate  neighborhood.  One  is  deeply  im- 
bedded in  the  dense  ligament  alongside  the  patella;  three  lie  parallel 
to  and  close  against  the  tibia,  and  two  can  be  seen  between  it  and  the 
fibula. 

It  is  probable  that  all  of  these  quills  entered  the  body  of  the  animal 
while  engaged  in  killing  and  devouring  the  porcupine,  for  those  swal- 


*  Forest  and  Stream,  Vol.  XII,  No.  21,  June  26,  1879,  p.  405. 


5O  MAMMALIA. 

lowed  seemed  to  have  caused  no  trouble  after  having  fairly  entered 
the  alimentary  canal.  Therefore  there  remains  no  question  whatever 
that  the  Fisher  feeds  upon  the  porcupine,  but  I  do  not  agree  with 
Corporal  Warfield  in  the  belief  that  the  "quills  often  prove  fatal  to  it." 
It  is  indeed  remarkable  that  an  animal  no  larger  than  the  one  now 

<j 

under   consideration   should  habitually  feed  upon  a  beast   in  whose 
capture  he  must  be  pierced  with  numbers  of  large  and  sharp  needles, 
many  of  which  exceed  two  and  a  half  inches  (64  mm.)   in   length- 
needles  that  are  destined  to  penetrate  to  the  remotest  parts  of  his 
body. 

That  it,  at  times,  attacks  so  laro-e  and  toucjh  an  animal  as  the  Rac- 

o  o 

coon  is  evident  from  the  following  :  Dr.  Coues,  in  his  valuable  Mono- 

O 

graph  of  North  American  Mustelidse  (pp.  73-74),  quotes  a  letter  from 
Peter  Reed  to  Prof.  Spencer  F.  Baird,  to  the  effect  that  the  writer 
once  followed,  on  the  snow,  the  bloody  trail  that  marked  the  prog- 
ress ot  a  fierce  and  desperate  contest  between  a  Fisher  and  a  'Coon. 
This  was  in  Washington  County,  New  York,  near  the  southeastern 
border  of  the  Adirondack  region.  Mr.  Reed  further  stated  that  as  the 
Fisher  became  rare  in  that  section  the  Raccoon  greatly  increased  in 
abundance,  and  he  regards  these  circumstances  as  cause  and  effect. 

£5 

When  pressed  by  hunger  the  Pekan  is  said  to  subsist  upon  beech- 
nuts. This  could  hardly  be  true  in  the  Adirondacks,  for  here  a  good 
yield  of  beech-nuts  is  almost  invariably  followed  by  an  abundance  of 
small  game — grouse,  squirrels,  chipmunks,  and  mice  alike  fattening 
upon  the  mast.  "  Beech-nut  years,"  too,  are  apt  to  be  followed  by 
mild  winters;  while  it  is  during  the  deep  snows  of  our  severest  winters, 
when  there  are  few  or  no  beech-nuts,  and  a  consequent  scarcity  of 
small  game  prevails,  that  Pennant's  Marten  is  likely  to  be  pinched 
for  food. 

The  Pekan  is  a  large  and  powerful  'mammal,  with  resemblances 
pointing  both  toward  the  Marten  and  the  Wolverine.  Individuals 
have  been  killed  that  stood  a  foot  high  and  measured  three  and  a 
half  feet  in  length,  but  this  is  much  above  the  average  size.  As  there 


MUSTELA  PENNANTI  5  { 

are  "  giants  among  men,"  and  "  giant  wolves,"  so  are  there  giants 
among  Fishers.  They  are  always  males.  About  twenty  years  ago 
E.  L.  Sheppard  caught  one  on  Seventh  Lake  (Fulton  Chain)  that 
was  estimated  to  weigh  about  forty  pounds  and  whose  skin  was 
larger  than  that  of  a  good-sized  Otter!  In  my  Osteological  Cabinet 

o  o  J  o 

reposes  the  skull  of  a  Fisher  that  measures  five  inches  in  length.  It 
was  presented  to  me  by  Mr.  John  Constable,  who  killed  it  between 
Stony  Lake  and  "  The  Hollow,"  near  Independence  River,  dur- 
ing the  early  part  of  the  winter  of  1840.  Mr.  Constable  tells  me 
that  it  ascended  a  gigantic  dead  pine,  the  tip  of  which  had  broken 
off.  The  "  stub"  of  this  tree  was  more  than  six  feet  through  at  the 

o 

base,  and  upwards  of  an  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height.  The  Fisher 
climbed  to  the  very  top  and  lodged  in  a  depression  where  the  tip 
had  broken  off.  He  was  shot  but  was  so  lodged  that  he  did  not  fall, 
and  the  tree  had  to  be  felled  before  he  was  secured.  The  pine  was 
an  unusually  fine  one — a  straight  pillar,  tapering  uniformly  to  the  top, 
and  so  perpendicular  and  well  balanced  that  when  the  side  choppings 
met  it  did  not  fall,  and  was  with  great  difficulty  overthrown.  When 
it  did  finally  tumble,  and  the  cloud  of  snow  that  filled  the  air  as  it 
came  crashing  and  thundering  to  the  ground  had  cleared  away,  the 
Fisher  was  found  to  be  dead.  It  proved  to  be  in  keeping  with  the 
tree  it  had  climbed,  for  it  was  as  large  as  an  Otter  and  by  far  the 
biggest  Fisher  that  Mr.  Constable,  or  the  old  hunter  with  him,  had 
ever  seen. 

Though  chiefly  nocturnal  they  sometimes  hunt  by  day.  They  are 
expert  climbers  and  have  been  known  to  leap  from  one  tree  to  an- 
other when  in  pursuit  of  their  prey,  and  also  when  badly  frightened. 

Their  nest  is  made  in  the  hollow  of  some  standing  tree,  generally 
thirty  or  forty  feet  from  the  ground,  and  from  two  to  four  young  are 
commonly  brought  forth  about  the  first  of  May. 


5  2  MAMMALIA. 

MUSTELA  AMERICANA    Turton. 
Marten;  American  Sable;  Pine  Marten;  Hudson  s  Bay  Sable. 

The  Marten  is  a  common  resident  of  the  dark  evergreen  forests 
of  the  Adirondacks,  and  hundreds  of  them  are  trapped  here  every 
winter  for  their  fur.  Like  the  Fisher,  it  is  chiefly  nocturnal,  but  is 
occasionally  seen  abroad  by  day.  They  prey  upon  partridges,  rab- 
bits, squirrels,  chipmunks,  mice,  shrews,  and  any  other  <l  small  game" 
that  they  are  smart  enough  to  catch.  Birds'  eggs  and  young  birds 
are  greedily  devoured,  and  frogs  and  toads,  and  even  our  larger  in- 
sects, do  not  come  amiss.  It  is  said  that  they  are  exceedingly  fond  of 
honey,  but  on  how  good  authority  I  am  unable  to  attest.  They  are 
arboreal  to  such  an  extent  that  they  are  never  found  in  districts  de- 
void of  timber,  and  seem  to  show  a  predilection  for  coniferous  forests. 
Not  only  are  they  expert  climbers,  but  they  sport  about  amongst  the 
tree-tops,  both  in  pursuit  of  game  and  pleasure,  with  the  ease  and 
orace  of  squirrels.  Preferring  moss-covered  logs  and  the  seclusion 
of  deep  evergreen  woods  to  the  beaten  paths  and  stir  of  the  settled 
districts,  or  even  the  rude  civilization  of  the  hardy  frontiersman,  the 
Marten  avoids  the  clearings  and  habitations  of  man,  and  cannot  be 
reckoned  among  the  depredators  of  the  poultry-yard. 

It  is  one  of  the  prettiest  of  North  American  mammals,  but  its  dis- 
position is  sadly  out  of  harmony  with  its  attractive  exterior.  Mr. 
John  Constable  has  narrated  to  me  a  most  interesting  and  vivid  ac- 
count of  an  affray  that  he  once  witnessed,  in  company  with  his 
brother,  Mr.  Stevenson  Constable,  between  a  Marten  and  a  Great 
Northern  Hare.  The  Marten,  generally  so  meek  and  docile  in  ap- 
pearance, assumed  the  savage  mien  and  demeanor  of  a  fierce  tiger, 
as  it  attacked  and  slew  the  luckless  hare — an  animal  of  several  times 
its  own  size  and  weight.  And  even  after  the  poor  hare  was  dead 
the  Marten's  fury  did  not  abate,  and  he  angrily  jerked  and  twisted  the 
lifeless  body  from  side  to  side,  as  if  to  reek  vengeance,  for  sins  never 
committed,  upon  the  defenceless  body  of  his  innocent  victim.  So  in- 


MUSTELA  AMERICANA.  5- 

tent  was  he  upon  this  deed  of  carnage  that  he  was  utterly  oblivious 
to  the  human  spectators,  who  put  an  end  to  the  scene  by  driving  a 
bullet  through  his  obdurate  pate. 

Audubon  said  of  it :  "  Let  us  take  a  share  of  the  cunning  and  sneak- 

o 

ing  character  of  the  fox,  as  much  of  the  wide-awake  and  cautious 
habits  of  the  weasel,  a  similar  proportion  of  the  voracity  (and  a  little 
of  the  fetid  odor)  of  the  mink,  and  add  thereto  some  of  the  climbing 
propensities  of  the  raccoon,  and  we  have  a  tolerable  idea  of  the  at- 
tributes of  the  little  prowler." 

Mr.  Constable  tells  me  that  when  the  hunter  discovers  a  Marten 
climbing  about  amongst  the  tree-tops  he  has  only  to  whistle,  and  the 
inquisitive  animal  will  stop  and  peer  clown  at  him,  affording  an  ex- 
cellent shot. 

I  have  no  personal  knowledge  of  the  size  of  a  litter  of  Martens, 
and  the  number  of  young  produced  at  a  time  is  variously  stated  (2 
to  8  being  the  extremes  given)  by  different  authors.  The  assertion 
that  from  four  to  six  constitute  an  average  litter  would  probably  hit 
pretty  close  to  the  truth.  The  nest  is  placed  in  a  hollow  tree  or 
log,  rarely  in  the  ground,  and  the  young  are  brought  forth  in  April. 

The  fur  of  this  species,  which  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  of  fur- 
bearing  animals,  becomes  prime  early  in  November.  As  long  ago 
as  1770,  Pennant  said  that  their  skins  were  "  a  prodigious  article  of 
commerce  ";  f  and  Richardson,  in  1829,  stated  that  "  Upward  of  one 
hundred  thousand  skins  have  long  been  collected  annually  in  the  fur 
countries."  J  Dr.  Coues  tells  us  that :  "  Even  in  Nova  Scotia  a 
thousand  skins  are  said  to  have  been  exported  annually  within  a 
few  years,  and  they  may  justly  be  regarded  as  among  the  most  im- 
portant of  the  land  fur-bearing  animals."  And  goes  on  to  say,  "  Re- 
specting their  comparative  scarcity  at  times,  Mr.  Ross  has  recorded  a 
remarkable  fact  of  periodical  disappearance.  '  It  occurs  in  decades,' 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  Vol.  Ill,  1854,  p.  177. 
f  Synopsis  of  Quadrupeds,  1771,  p.  216. 
\  Eauna  Boreali  Americana,  Vol.  I,  1829. 


54  MAMMALIA. 

he  says,  '  or  thereabouts,  with  wonderful  regularity,  and  it  is  quite 
unknown  what  becomes  of  them.  They  are  not  found  dead.  The 
failure  extends  throughout  the  Hudson's  Bay  Territory  at  the  same 
time.  And  there  is  no  tract  or  region  to  which  they  can  migrate 
where  we  have  not  posts,  or  into  which  our  hunters  have  not  pene- 
trated. ' 

PUTORIUS  VULGARIS   (Aidrov.)  Griff. 

Least  Weasel. 

Having  been  reared  in  the  rural  districts  of  northeastern  New  York, 
I  early  became  acquainted  with  this  interesting  little  animal,  and 'have 
always  watched  its  habits  with  a  great  deal  of  pleasure.  It  is  the  com- 
monest Weasel  in  the  Adirondack  region,  and  always  turns  white 
shortly  after  the  first  fall  of  snow.  It  inhabits  all  parts  of  the  Wilder- 
ness, being  found  alike  along  water-courses,  in  deep  swamps,  and  on 
rocky  ledges  and  mountain  sides.  It  preys  upon  mice,  moles,  shrews, 
small  birds  and  eggs,  and  insects — chiefly  Coleoptera.  I  have  never 
known  it  to  attack  larger  mammals  or  poultry. 

Numbers  of  mice  make  their  homes  under  the  heaps  of  brush  and 
rubbish  and  piles  of  stones  that  accumulate  along  the  borders  of  clear- 
ings and  in  neglected  pastures.  Such  places,  together  with  old 
tumbled-down  stone  walls  and  log  heaps  constitute,  therefore,  the 
favorite  haunts  of  the  Least  Weasel  in  the  semi-civilized  districts. 
It  is  not  wary  and  will  suffer  man  to  approach  within  a  few  feet  of  it 
before  withdrawing  from  view.  It  is  curious  and  inquisitive  and  will 
soon  stick  its  head  out  of  some  hole  near  by  to  see  what  has  become 
of  the  intruder.  Ever  on  the  alert  it  moves  backwards  and  forwards 
generally  keeping  near  some  object,  behind,  into,  or  under  which  it 
can  disappear  at  a  moment's  notice,  and  is  never  still  for  any  appre- 
ciable length  of  time — a  fact  which  can  easily  be  demonstrated  by 
attempting  to  hit  one  of  them  with  a  rifle  ball. 

*  Fur-Bearing  Animals,  1877,  p.  1^4 


PUTORIUS  VULCAKIS.  55 

They  are  said  to  be  nocturnal  inhabits,  but  those  that  I  have  seen, 
and  their  number  is  not  small,  all  seemed  very  much  at  home  in 
broad  daylight.  I  have  often  surprised  them  in  the  woods  and  fields, 
and  have  observed  that  on  such  occasions  they  usually  make  for  some 
convenient  covert  and,  when  within  reach  of  its  shelter,  immediately 
turn  about  to  view  the  stranger,  who  is  now  an  object  of  curiosity 
rather  than  of  alarm.  Once,  while  sitting  quietly  on  the  end  of  an 
old  log,  in  the  woods,  I  noticed  one  of  these  pretty  little  Weasels 
coming  obliquely  toward  me,  in  a  series  of  leisurely  leaps,  stopping 
every  now  and  then  to  look  about.  Perceiving  me  he  stood  bolt  up- 
right, his  head  bent  at  right  angles  to  his  slender  body,  and  eyed  me 
for  a  moment  without  moving  a  muscle;  he  then  betook  himself  to 
the  roots  of  the  nearest  tree,  and  under  the  quasi-protection  of  this 
open  retreat,  commenced  a  more  deliberate  survey  of  my  peculiarities. 
Many  times  did  he  advance  toward  me,  and  as  many  back  up  to  the 
tree  again,  with  his  head  elevated,  and  constantly  sniffing  the  air  in 
my  direction.  He  finally  gathered  sufficient  courage  to  cross  over 
to  the  log  upon  which  I  was  sitting,  and  under  the  shelter  of  its 
shadow  scrutinized  me  still  more  closely. 

The  Least  Weasel  is  so  small  and  slender  that  it  can  easily  enter 
the  burrows  of  alarge  proportion  of  the  animals  that  constitute  its  prey. 
When  they  take  to  the  open  fields  and  outrun  their  pursuer,  he  is 
not  discouraged,  but  follows  their  tracks  by  the  scent,  like  a  hound, 
and  overtakes  them  in  their  securest  retreats;  thus  are  his  ill-fated 
victims  attacked  in  their  own  homes,  and  thus  are  they  deprived  of  any 
haven  to  which  they  may  fly  to  escape  from  the  eager  pursuit  of  this 
indefatigable  and  inexorable  little  beast. 

I  have  never  found  the  nest  of  the  Weasel,  and  therefore  transcribe 
the  following  account  of  its  breeding  habits  from  the  pen  of  Thomas 
Bell  :  "  The  female  Weasel  brings  forth  four,  or  more  frequently  five 
young,  and  is  said  to  have  two  or  three  litters  in  a  year.  The  nest  is 
composed  of  dry  leaves  and  herbage,  and  is  warm  and  dry,  being 
usually  placed  in  a  hole  in  a  bank,  in  a  dry  ditch,  or  in  a  hollow  tree. 


56  MAMMALIA. 

She  will  defend  her  young  with  the  utmost  desperation  against  any 
assailant,  and  sacrifice  her  own  life  rather  than  desert  them;  and 
even  when  the  nest  is  torn  up  by  a  dog,  rushing  out  with  great  fury, 
and  fastening  upon  his  nose  or  lips."  * 

PUTORIUS   ERMINEA     (Linn.)  Cuvier. 
Ermine;  Stoat;  Large  Weasel;  "Wliitc  Weasel";  "Brown  Weasel'' 

The  Ermine  is  a  common  resident  and,  like  the  preceding  species, 
becomes  white  at  the  approach  of  winter.  Like  it  also,  it  wanders 
over  different  kinds  of  territory,  and  is  frequently  taken  in  traps  set 
for  more  valuable  fur.  In  addition  to  the  small  game  mentioned  as 
constituting  the  larder  of  the  Least  Weasel,  the  Ermine  attacks  and 
slays  animals  many  times  its  own  size  and  weight.  Thus  the  house 
rat,  squirrels,  rabbits,  and  even  the  great  northern  hare  fall  easy 
victims  before  its  superior  prowess.  It  is  very  fond  of  the  ruffed 
grouse,  and  its  proneness  to  depopulate  the  poultry- yard  is  notorious. 
Audubon  tells  us  that  he  has  "known  forty  well-grown  fowls  to  have 
been  killed  in  one  night  by  a  single  Ermine."  And  on  our  own 
premises  a  Stoat  once  killed  fifteen  doves  in  a  single  night !  Rats 
and  mice  also  it  slays  by  dozens  when  opportunity  presents.  Unlike 
others  of  its  tribe  it  does  not,  when  game  is  plenty,  devour  the  flesh 
of  its  victims,  but  merely  eats  their  brains  or  sucks  their  blood;  and 
when  feasted  to  satiety  continues  its  work  of  carnage  till  scarcity  of 
material,  or  bodily  fatigue,  induce  it  to  take  a  temporary  respite. 

Ever  victorious,  of  pre-eminent  assurance,  reliant  on  its  own  superi- 
ority and  power,  and  confident  of  success,  this  indomitable  little 
animal  is,  in  courage  and  ferocity,  insatiate  bloodthirstiness,  and  bold 
audacity,  almost  without  parallel  in  the  history  ot  mammalia.  Hun- 
ger plays  but  little  part  in  the  slaughter,  the  war  of  destruction  and 
extermination,  waged  against  its  multifarious  prey  by  this  terrestrial 
vampire,  but  pitiless,  relentless,  wasteful  in  the  extreme,  it  kills  for 

*  Quoted  in  Coues'  Fur-Bearing  Animals,  1877,  p.  109. 


PUTORIUS   KRMIXKA. 

the  mere  sake  of  killing,  and  its  entire  existence  is  almost  one  con- 
tinuous course  of  bloodshed. 

Dr.  Coues  speaks  thus  of  its  general  aspect :  "  A  glance  at  the 
physiognomy  of  the  Weasels  would  suffice  to  betray  their  character. 
The  teeth  are  almost  of  the  highest  known  raptorial  character;  the 
jaws  are  worked  by  enormous  masses  of  muscles  covering  all  the  side 
of  the  skull.  The  forehead  is  low,  and  the  nose  is  sharp;  the  eyes 
are  small,  penetrating,  cunning,  and  glitter  with  an  angry  green  light. 
There  is  something  peculiar,  moreover,  in  the  way  that  this  fierce 
face  surmounts  a  body  extraordinarily  wiry,  lithe,  and  muscular.  It 
ends  a  remarkably  long  and  slender  neck  in  such  a  way  that  it  may 
be  held  at  a  right  angle  with  the  axis  of  the  latter.  When  the  crea- 
ture is  glancing  around,  with  the  neck  stretched  up,  and  flat  triangu- 
lar head  bent  forward,  swaying  from  one  side  to  the  other,  we  catch 
the  likeness  in  a  moment — it  is  the  image  of  a  serpent."  * 

The  foregoing  forcible  picture  fits  the  Weasel  well  when  under 
conditions  of  excitement  and  anger;  but  there  are  times  when  its 
appearance  in  no  wise  suggests  its  sanguinary  propensities.  In  cer- 
tain states  of  pelage  it  is  very  beautiful,  and  when  at  rest  a  more 
innocent  and  harmless  looking  creature  can  hardly  be  found.  On 
the  approach  of  any  of  the  animals  that  constitute  its  prey,  how- 
ever, its  bearing  is  instantly  changed,  and  its  fiendish  nature  is  soon 
revealed. 

I  once  put  a  very  large  rat  into  a  square  tin  cage  with  a  Weasel 
of  this  species.  The  rat  had  been  caught  in  a  steel  trap,  by  the  toes 
of  one  of  its  hind  feet,  and  was  in  no  way  injured.  He  was  very 
ugly,  biting  fiercely  at  the  trap  and  the  stick  with  which  I  assisted 
him  into  the  cage  of  the  Weasel.  No  sooner  had  he  entered  the 
cage  than  his  whole  manner  and  bearing  changed.  He  immediately 
assumed  an  attitude  of  abject  terror,  trembled  from  head  to  foot,  and 
crawled  into  the  nearest  corner.  The  Weasel  advanced  toward 

*  Fur-hearing  Animals,  1877,  p.  129. 


58  MAMMALIA. 

him  at  once,  and  as  he  did  so  the  rat  raised  on  his  hind  legs,  let- 
ting his  fore  paws  hang  helplessly  over  his  breast,  and  squealed 
piteously.  Not  only  did  he  show  no  disposition  to  fight,  but  offered 
no  resistance  whatever,  and  did  not  even  attempt  to  defend  himself 
when  molested.  The  Weasel  did  not  seize  him  at  first,  but  cuffed 
him  with  his  fore  paws  and  drove  him  from  one  corner  of  the  cage  to 
another,  glaring  at  him  continuously.  Then,  with  a  sudden  move,  he 
sprang  upon  his  victim,  already  paralyzed  with  fear,  laid  open  the 
back  of  his  head  with  a  single  bite,  ate  the  brains,  and  left  the  quiver- 
ing carcass  untouched. 

The  Ermine  hunts  both  by  clay  and  by  night,  and  climbs  trees  with 
great  ease  and  celerity.  I  have  often  "  treed  "  them  myself  by  run- 
ning after  them  in  the  woods,  and  have  also  seen  them  chase  chip- 
munks up  trees.  Twice  have  I  seen  them  run  up  the  smooth  trunks 
of  the  beech.  They  are  not  very  timid  and  will  allow  a  near  ap- 
proach before  taking  fright. 

The  much  lamented  Robert  Kennicott,  whose  untimely  death  on 
the  icy  shores  of  the  Yukon*  deprived  the  world,  prematurely,  of  one 
of  her  most  indefatigable  and  conscientious  naturalists,  gave  us  such  an 
interesting  and  truthful  account  of  the  habits  of  this  species,  that  I 
take  pleasure  in  reproducing  brief  portions  of  it  here.  He  said  :  "A 
more  fierce  and  cruel  mammal  does  not  exist  in  America  than  this 
little  Weasel.  The  courage  and  sanguinary  disposition  of  the  pan- 
ther are  insignificant  in  comparison,  having  regard  to  the  strength  of 
the  two.  Without  hesitation,  the  Weasel  attacks  animals  five  or  ten 
times  its  own  size;  and,  not  content  with  killing  enough  for  food, 

wantonly  destroys  whatever  life  it  can, When  a  Weasel  has 

gained  access  to  a  poultry -yard,  it  will  frequently  kill  every  fowl  with- 
in its  reach  in  a  single  visit.  .  .  .  Fortunately,  however,  this  animal, 
even  when  abundant,  does  not  enter  the  farm-yard  so  frequently  as 
might  be  expected,  appearing  to  prefer  a  free  life  in  the  woods  to 


*Mr.  Kennicott  died  of  heart  disease,  May  13,  1866,  aged  thirty.     (Ball's  Alaska,  1870,  p.  70.) 


PUTORIUS    KUMINKA. 


59 


easy  but  dangerous  feasts  on  domestic  fowls.  ...  I  have  observed 
for  several  years  the  presence  of  a  number  of  these  Weasels  in  a 
grove  near  a  farm-yard  well  stocked  with  poultry,  which  they  never 
appeared  to  enter,  though  repeatedly  visited  by  minks  and  skunks. 
Indeed,  I  am  inclined  to  think  that,  notwithstanding  their  occasional 
predatory  inroads,  they  should  not  be  killed  when  living  permanently 
about  meadows  or  cultivated  fields,  at  a  distance  from  the  poultry; 
for  they  are  not  less  destructive  to  many  of  the  farmer's  enemies  in 
the  fields.  Meadow -mice  are  certainly  the  greatest  pests  among 
mammals  in  northern  Illinois;  and  of  these  the  Weasel  destroys  great 
numbers.  I  am  informed  that,  upon  the  appearance  of  a  Weasel  in 
the  field,  the  army  of  mice  of  all  kinds  begins  a  precipitate  retreat. 
A  gentleman  of  Wisconsin  related  to  me  that,  while  following  the 
plough,  in  spring,  he  noticed  a  Weasel  with  a  mouse  in  its  mouth, 
running  past  him.  It  entered  a  hollow  log.  He  determined  to  watch 
further,  if  possible,  the  animal's  movements,  and  presently  saw  it 
come  out  again,  hunt  about  the  roots  of  some  stumps,  dead  trees,  and 
log-heaps,  and  then  enter  a  hole,  from  which  a  mouse  ran  out.  But 
the  Weasel  had  caught  one,  and  carried  it  to  the  nest.  Upon  cutting 
open  this  log,  five  young  Weasels  were  found,  and  the  remains  of  a 
large  number  of  mice,  doubtless  conveyed  there  as  food.  .  .  . 

"  Stacks  and  barnfuls  of  orain  are  often  overrun  with  rats  and  mice; 

o 

but  let  a  Weasel  take  up  his  residence  there  and  soon  the  pests  will 
disappear.  A  Weasel  will,  occasionally,  remain  for  some  time  in  a 
barn,  feeding  on  these  vermin,  without  disturbing  the  fowls.  But  it 

o  o 

is  never  safe  to  trust  one  near  the  poultry-yard,  for,  when  once  an  at- 
tack is  made,  there  is  no  limit  to  the  destruction.  When  the  animal 
has  entered  stacks  or  barns,  it  has  the  curious  habit  of  collecting  in  a 
particular  place  the  bodies  of  all  the  rats  and  mice  it  has  slain;  thus 
sometimes  a  pile  of  a  hundred  or  more  ol  their  victims  may  be  seen 
which  have  been  killed  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  nights. ":;: 

o 

*  The   (Quadrupeds  of  Illinois    injurious   and   beneficial    to    the    Fanner.      I>y  Robert  Kennieott. 
Report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Patents  for  the  year  1857,  Agriculture,  1858,  pp.  104-106. 


MAMMALIA. 

And  in  another  place  Mr.  Kennicott  tells  us  that  an  Ermine  "  de- 
stroyed nearly  fifty  chickens,  several  of  which  were  adults  and  many 
half  grown,  in  a  single  night,  and  the  early  part  of  the  following  even- 
ing; and  it  was  so  bold  as  to  kill  several  young  chickens  in  a  coop 
beside  which  a  man  was  standing,  watching  for  it.  I  finally  shot  it 
while  it  was  running  near  me  in  pursuit  of  a  chicken,  though  a  few 
minutes  before  we  had  chased  it  into  a  retreat  under  a  haystack* 
This  extreme  boldness  could  not  have  been  the  result  of  hunger,  as  it 
had  already,  during  the  same  evening,  killed  a  large  number  of  fowls. "* 

Their  nests  are  usually  made  in  an  old  stump  or  log-heap,  or  under 
some  outbuilding,  and  from  four  to  six  young  are  commonly  brought 
forth  early  in  May.  The  young  are  apt  to  remain  during  the  summer 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  nest. 

The  Ermine  as  a  Ferret. 

That  the  Ermine  can  be  successfully  employed  as  a  Ferret  is  amply 
proven  by  the  following  narrative,  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  John  Bachman: 
"  Whilst  residing  in  the  State  of  New  York  many  years  ago,  we  were 
desirous  of  preserving  a  number  of  rabbits  during  the  winter  from  the 
excessive  cold  and  from  the  hands  of  the  hunters,  who  killed  so  many 
that  we  feared  the  race  would  be  nearly  extirpated  in  our  neighbor- 
hood; our  design  being  to  set  them  at  liberty  in  the  spring.  At  this 
period  we  had  in  confinement  several  Weasels  of  two  species  exist- 
ing in  that  part  of  the  country.  .  .  . 

"We  bethought  ourselves  of  using  one  of  each  species  of  these 
Weasels  instead  of  a  Ferret,  to  aid  in  taking  the  rabbits  we  wanted,  and 
having  provided  ourselves  with  a  man  and  a  dog  to  hunt  the  rabbits 
to  their  holes,  we  took  the  Weasels  in  a  small  tin  box  with  us,  having 
first  tied  a  small  cord  around  their  necks  in  such  a  manner  as  to  pre- 
vent them  from  escaping,  or  remaining  in  the  holes  to  eat  the  rabbits, 
whilst  it  could  not  slip  and  choke  them. 

*Ibid.,  1858,  p.  244. 


PUTOKIfS   ERMINEA.  6X 

"We  soon  raced  a  rabbit  to  its  hole,  .  .  ."  and  the  Ermine  "al- 
though we  had  captured  the  individual  but  a  few  days  before,  entered 
readily;  but  having  his  jaws  at  liberty,  it  killed  the  rabbit.  Relin- 
quishing the  Weasel  to  our  man,  he  afterwards  filed  its  teeth  down  to 
prevent  it  from  destroying  the  rabbits;  and  when  thus  rendered  harm- 
less, the  Ermine  pursued  the  rabbits  to  the  bottom  of  their  holes,  and 
terrified  them  so  that  they  instantly  fled  to  the  entrance  and  were 
taken  alive  in  the  hand;  and  although  they  sometimes  scrambled  up 
some  distance  in  a  hollow  tree,  their  active  and  persevering  little  foe 
followed  them,  and  instantly  forced  them  down.  In  this  manner  the 
man  procured  twelve  rabbits  alive  in  the  course  of  one  morning,  and 
more  than  fifty  in  about  three  weeks,  when  we  requested  him  to  de- 
sist."* 

Concerning  the  Change  in  Color  in  the  Ermine. 

It  is  eminently  proper  that  a  subject  which  has  attracted  so  much 
attention,  and  occasioned  so  much  controversy,  as  the  seasonal  change 
in  color  in  this  and  other  species,  should  receive,  in  the  present  con- 
nection, the  consideration  that  its  importance  demands.  Audubon 
and  Bachman,  who  observed  the  spring  moult  in  an  individual  kept 
in  confinement,  give,  with  much  detail,  full  notes  (taken  at  the  time) 
concerning  the  progress  and  nature  of  the  change,  as  it  advanced 
from  clay  to  day.  The  result  of  their  observations  is  thus  stated  : 
"As  far  as  our  observations  have  enabled  us  to  form  an  opinion  on 
this  subject,  we  have  arrived  at  the  conclusion,  that  the  animal  sheds 
its  coat  twice  a  year,  /.  e.,  at  the  periods  when  these  semi-annual 
changes  take  place.  In  autumn,  the  summer  hair  gradually  and  almost 
imperceptibly  drops  out,  and  is  succeeded  by  a  fresh  coat  of  hair, 
which  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  weeks  becomes  pure  white;  while 
in  the  spring  the  animal  undergoes  its  change  from  white  to  brown 
in  consequence  of  shedding  its  winter  coat,  the  new  hairs  then  coming 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  Vol.  I,  1846,  pp.  177-178. 


52  MAMMALIA. 

out  brown."*  On  this  point  Dr.  Coues  writes  as  follows:  "The 
question  practically  narrows  to  this :  Is  the  change  coincident  with 
renewal  of  the  coat,  or  is  it  independent  of  this,  or  may  it  occur  in 
both  ways  ?  Specimens  before  me  prove  the  last  statement.  Some 
among  them,  notably  those  taken  in  spring,  show  the  long  woolly 
white  coat  of  winter  in  most  places,  and  in  others  present  patches— 
generally  a  streak  along  the  back — of  shorter,  coarser,  thinner  hair, 
evidently  of  the  new  spring  coat,  wholly  dark  brown.  Other  speci- 
mens, notably  autumnal  ones,  demonstrate  the  turning  to  white  of 
existing  hairs,  these  being  white  at  the  roots  for  a  varying  distance, 
and  tipped  with  brown.  These  are  simple  facts  not  open  to  question. 
We  may  safely  conclude  that  if  the  requisite  temperature  be  ex- 
perienced at  the  periods  of  renewal  of  the  coat,  the  new  hairs  will 
come  out  of  the  opposite  color;  it  not,  they  will  appear  of  the  same 
color,  and  afterwards  change;  that  is,  the  change  may  or  may  not  be 
coincident  with  shedding.  That  it  ordinarily  is  not  so  coincident 
seems  shown  by  the  greater  number  of  specimens  in  which  we  ob- 
serve white  hairs  brown-tipped.  As  Mr.  Bell  contends,  temperature 
is  the  immediate  controlling  agent.  This  is  amply  proven  in  the  fact 
that  the  northern  animals  always  change;  that  in  those  from  inter- 
mediate latitudes  the  change  is  incomplete,  while  those  from  farther 
south  do  not  change  at  all."f 

Dr.  Coues,  it  will  be  observed,  states,  without  qualification,  that 
"temperature  is  the  immediate  controlling  agent"  in  this  change  of 
color,  and  remarks  :  "  This  is  amply  proven  in  the  fact  that  the 
northern  animals  always  change,"  etc.  Now  the  facts  with  which  I 
am  familiar  lead  me  to  take  a  very  different  view  of  the  case,  and  I 
am  of  opinion  that  temperature,  per  se,  has  very  little  to  do,  either 
with  the  time  of  the  change,  or  the  fact  of  the  change;  and  in  sup- 
port of  this  view  I  adduce  the  following  facts— and  let  it  be  under- 
stood that  my  observations  pertain  to  the  species  as  found  in  the 


*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  Vol.  II,  1851,  pp.  62-63. 
|  Fur-bearing  Animals,  1877,  p.  123. 


PUTORIUS  KRMINKA. 

Adirondack  region  only,  for  I  have  not  seen  it  elsewhere  during-  the 
transition.  It  has  been  my  experience,  and  the  experience  of  the 
many  hunters  and  trappers  that  I  have  consulted  on  this  point  (an 
experience  resulting  from  the  examination  of  upwards  of  an  hundred 
specimens  caught  at  about  the  time  of  the  first  snow)  that  the  Ermine 
never  assumes  the  white  coat  till  after  the  ground  is  covered  with 
snow,  which  is  generally  late  in  October  or  early  in  November.  It 
frequently  happens  that  the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere  is  many 
degrees  lower  during  the  week  or  ten  days  preceding  the  first  fall  of 
snow  than  at,  or  immediately  subsequent  to,  the  time  of  its  deposi- 
tion. Notwithstanding  these  facts,  it  is  equally  true  that  Ermine 
caught  up  to  the  very  day  of  the  first  appearance  of  snow  bear 
no  evidence  of  the  impending  change.  Within  forty-eight  hours, 
however,  after  the  occurrence  of  this  snow-storm  (provided  enough 
has  fallen  to  remain  and  cover  the  ground;  and  regardless  of  the 
temperature,  which  commonly  rises  several  degrees  soon  after  the 
storm  sets  in)  the  coat  of  the  Ermine  has  already  commenced  to 
assume  a  pied  and  mottled  appearance  (often  symmetrically  marked 
and  strikingly  handsome),  and  the  change  now  commenced  pro- 
gresses to  its  termination  with  great  rapidity.  In  early  spring,  the 
period  for  the  reversal  of  this  process,  the  changing  back  from  the 
white  coat  of  winter  to  the  brown  summer  coat  is  determined  by  the 
same  cause — the  presence  or  absence  of  snow. 

It  may  be  asked  "  what  induces  the  change  in  individuals  kept  in 
confinement?"  My  reply  is:  certainly  not  temperature,  for  it  has 
taken  place  when  the  animal  was  caged  in  a  warm  room,  indoors. 
The  transition  is  more  tardy  in  confinement  than  in  a  state  of  nature, 
and  may  be  coincident  with  the  moult.  In  any  case,  we  find  the  ex- 
planation of  its  occurrence  in  the  inevitable  influence  of  hereditary 
habit;  and  it  is  not  rational  to  suppose  that  the  temporary  effect  of 
different  conditions  of  environment  would,  in  a  single  season,  nullify 
a  tendency  that  is  the  outgrowth  of  causes  that  have  been  operating 
for  ages  to  bring  about  and  perpetuate  certain  fashions  for  the  pro- 


MAMMALIA. 

tection  of  the  species.  And  this  leads  us  to  the  consideration  of 
of  an  important  element  in  the  discussion,  to  wit,  the  cause,  or  causes, 
which,  acting  through  a  long  period  of  years,  resulted  in  establishing 
this  seasonal  change  in  color.  If  the  Ermine  is  the  direct  descendant 
of  a  dark-colored  animal,  and  was,  originally,  an  inhabitant  of  the  tem- 
perate zone,  it  would  have  found,  upon,  extending  its  range  northward, 
and  indeed,  wherever  snow  covers  the  ground  in  winter,  that  its  dark 
color,  by  rendering  it  conspicuous  on  the  white  surface,  proved  a  dis- 
advantage to  it,  both  in  the  pursuit  of  its  prey,  and  in  the  escape  from 
its  natural  enemies.  Therefore,  by  individual  variation,  and  by  the 
effect  of  light  upon  the  snow,  aided  and  directed  by  the  laws  of  nat- 
ural selection,  it  finally  got  to  assume,  during  the  winter  season,  a 
dress  that  is  in  harmony  with  the  objects  among  which  it  moves — a 
garb  well  adapted  for  the  maintenance  and  preservation  of  the  species. 
Mr.  Bell's  theory,  that  the  object  of  the  white  color  is,  by  retard- 
ing radiation,  to  increase  the  amount  of  heat  retained  by  the  animal, 
is  not  only  inadequate  to  account  for  the  facts  in  the  case,  but,  it 
seems  to  me,  arises  from  straining  a  point  (and  an  imagination  as 
well ! )  to  invent  an  improbable  hypothesis  for  the  explanation  of  a 
phenomenon  the  rationale  of  which  is  almost  self-evident.  The 
cause  cited  must  have  played  the  part  of  a  very  subordinate  factor. 

PUTORIUS     VISON      (Brisson)  Capper. 

Mink. 

The  Mink  is  a  well-known  and  tolerably  abundant  inhabitant  of 
this  region,  frequenting  water-courses,  and  preying  upon  muskrats, 
rats,  mice,  birds  and  their  eggs,  fish,  frogs,  turtle's  eggs,  cray-fish, 
and  fresh-water  mussels.  It  occasionally  enters  the  poultry-yard  of 
the  border  farmer  and  thins  out  his  stock  of  ducks  and  chickens.  It 
also  feeds  upon  the  rabbit;  and  on  the  salt-water  marshes  of  the  South 
kills  great  numbers  of  the  clapper  rail  and  the  sharp -tailed  and  sea- 
side finches. 


rUTORIUS  VISON.  65 

The  Mink  is  an  excellent  example  of  an  amphibious  mammal,  for 
it  not  only  swims  and  dives  with  facility,  but  can  remain  long  under 
water,  and  pursues  and  captures  fish  by  following  them  under  logs  or 
other  places  from  which  there  is  not  a  free  escape.  It  has  thus  been 
known  to  secure  as  swift  and  agile  a  fish  as  the  brook-trout,  and  Au- 
dubon  says  that  he  has  seen  a  Mink  catch  a  trout  upwards  of  a  foot 
in  length  !  It  is  remarkably  strong  for  so  small  an  animal,  and  a  sin- 
gle one  has  been  known  to  drag  a  mallard  cluck  more  than  a  mile,  in 
order  to  get  it  to  its  hole,  where  its  mate  joined  in  the  feast. 

They  are  partially  nocturnal,  and  hunt  both  at  night  and  in  broad 
daylight,  like  most  of  their  tribe.  I  once  saw  three  together  on  the 
banks  of  the  outlet  of  Seventh  Lake,  and  have  many  times  met  them 
singly  about  our  water-courses,  both  in  summer  and  in  winter.  They 
prowl  about  the  lakes  after  nightfall  and  devour  any  fish  that  have 
been  left  on  shore  near  the  camps. 

As  an  enemy  to  the  farmer,  in  point  of  destructiveness  in  the  poul- 
try-yard, the  Mink  ranks  next  to  the  Ermine;  and  I  sometimes  in- 
cline to  the  opinion  that,  in  the  long  run,  more  fowls  and  ducks  are 
slain  by  him  than  by  the  last-named  animal.  He  does  not,  it  is  true, 
make  those  occasional  devastating  raids,  slaughtering  everything  that 
falls  in  his  way,  that  constitute  a  chapter  in  the  life-history  of  the  Er- 
mine, but  takes  one  victim  at  a  time,  commonly  devouring  it  before 
killing  another.  Still,  the  wholesale  butchery  sometimes  carried  on 
by  the  Ermine  occurs  at  long  and  irregular  intervals,  whilst  the  depre- 
dations of  the  Mink  are  apt  to  be  more  frequent  and  continuous. 
Taking  up  his  abode  in,  or  in  proximity  to,  the  poultry-yard,  or  duck- 
pond,  he  is  pretty  sure  to  remain  for  weeks,  helping  himself,  daily,  to 
as  many  birds  as  his  voracious  appetite  enables  him  to  dispose  of. 
His  small  size  and  partially  nocturnal  habits  tend  to  conceal  his  move- 
ments, and  the  daily  loss  of  a  fowl  is  commonly  laid  at  the  door  of 
the  skunk,  fox,  or  owl,  long  before  the  true  marauder  is  suspected. 

I  find  that  many  hunters  and  trappers  believe  that  the  Mink  does 
not  make  long  journeys,  but  remains  in  the  vicinity  of  its  nest,  to 


56  MAMMALIA. 

which  it  returns  every  twenty-four  hours  or  thereabouts.  My  experi- 
ence, in  certain  cases  at  least,  proves  the  contrary.  On  the  banks  of  a 
stream,  along  which  I  once  had  a  line  of  traps,  I  noticed  at  intervals 
of  two  or  three  weeks,  the  tracks  of  an  unusually  large  Mink.  After 
a  long  while  I  succeeded  in  tracking  him  to  an  old  bridge,  in  a  pas- 
ture, and  on  lifting  the  planks  at  one  end  discovered  his  nest  (or  one 
of  them).  It  consisted  of  a  mass  of  dead  leaves,  a  foot  or  more  in 
thickness,  well  lined  with  feathers.  Alongside  it  were  the  remains  of 
a  muskrat,  a  red  squirrel,  and  a  downy  woodpecker,  but  the  Mink 
was  not  there — he  had  gone  on  up  the  stream.  Concealing  a  good 
Newhouse  steel  trap  in  the  approach  to  his  nest,  I  replaced  the  old 
planks  and  went  away.  This  was  about  the  middle  of  October. 
Two  weeks  passed  without  any  indication  of  his  return,  but  the  time 
had  arrived  when  he  might  be  expected  to  "  happen  around"  almost 
any  day.  I  therefore  made  daily  visits  to  the  stream  to  search  for 
his  tracks,  taking  care  to  avoid  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the 
bridge.  A  heavy  snow-storm  now  set  in  and  next  morning  a  foot  of 
newly  fallen  snow  covered  the  ground.  During  this  storm  the  Mink 
returned  and  was  caught.  He  was  the  largest  and  handsomest  Mink 
I  have  ever  seen,  and  I  regret  to  have  lost  the  record  of  his  dimen- 
sions, taken  at  the  time.  Some  idea,  however,  of  his  size  and  the 
quality  of  his  fur  may  be  had  from  the  fact  that  his  pelt  sold  for  four- 
teen dollars. 

This,  and  other  more  or  less  similar  experiences,  have  convinced 
me  that  the  Mink  frequently,  if  not  commonly,  makes  long  excursions, 
like  the  Otter,  following  one  water-course  and  then  another,  and  re- 
turning over  the  same  route;  and  I  believe  that  they  have  a  number 
of  nests  scattered  at  convenient  intervals  along  these  circuits.  This 
habit  may  be  confined  to  the  old  males,  but  whether  it  is  so  or  not 
remains  to  be  proven. 

Concerning  its  manner  and  actions  when  caught  we  have  the  fol- 
lowing graphic  account  from  the  facile  pen  of  Dr.  Coues :  "  One  who 
has  not  taken  a  Mink  in  a  steel  trap  can  scarcely  form  an  idea  of  the 


PUTORIUS  VISON.  £-, 

terrible  expression  the  animal's  face  assumes  as  the  captor  ap- 
proaches. It  has  always  struck  me  as  the  most  nearly  diabolical  of 
anything  in  animal  physiognomy.  A  sullen  stare  from  the  crouched, 
motionless  form  gives  way  to  a  new  look  of  surprise  and  fear,  ac- 
companied with  the  most  violent  contortions  of  the  body,  with  re- 
newed champing  of  the  iron,  till  breathless,  with  heaving  flanks,  and 
open  mouth  dribbling  saliva,  the  animal  settles  again,  and  watches 
with  a  look  of  concentrated  hatred,  mingled  with  impotent  rage  and 
frightful  despair.  .  .  .  As  may  well  be  supposed,  the  creature  must 
not  be  incautiously  dealt  with  when  in  such  a  frame  of  mind." 

When  taken  sufficiently  young  he  is  easily  domesticated,  and  makes 
one  of  the  very  best  of  "  ratters."  He  follows  these  common  pests 
into  their  holes,  and  destroys  large  numbers  of  them.  The  remainder 
are  so  terrified  that  they  leave  the  premises  in  great  haste  and  are  not 
apt  soon  to  return. 

The  Mink  carries  a  pair  of  anal  glands  that  secrete  a  fluid  of  an  ex- 
tremely fetid  and  disgusting  odor.  It  cannot  be  ejected  to  a  distance, 
like  that  of  the  skunk,  but  is  poured  out  under  sexual  excitement,  and 
when  the  animal  is  enraged.  It  is  commonly  emitted  when  the  beast 
is  trapped,  and  sometimes  becomes  insufferably  sickening  while  re- 
moving the  skin.  It  is  the  most  execrable  smell  with  which  my  nos- 
trils have  as  yet  been  offended,  and  is  more  powerful  and  offensive  in 
some  individuals  than  in  others — the  difference  probably  depending 
upon  season  and  age.  In  one  specimen  the  fetor  was  so  intolerably 
rank  and  loathsome  that  I  was  unable  to  skin  it  at  one  sitting;  and  I 
am  free  to  confess  that  it  is  one  of  the  few  substances,  of  animal, 
vegetable,  or  mineral  origin,  that  has,  on  land  or  sea,  rendered  me 

o  o 

aware  of  the  existence  of  the  abominable  sensation  called  nausea. 

The  fur  of  the  Mink  being  valuable,  the  species  has  been  exten- 
sively trapped  and  is  consequently  not  nearly  so  abundant  here  as 
formerly.  It  is  prime  early  in  November. 

*  Fur-Bearing  Animals,  1877,  p.  176. 


68  MAMMALIA. 

They  rut  during  the  latter  part  of  February  or  early  in  March,  and 
during  this  season  their  tracks  may  be  seen  everywhere — along 
rocky  ridges,  over  high  mountains,  and  in  all  sorts  of  places.  Dr. 
Bachman  tells  us  that  at  this  time  the  Mink  "seems  to  keep  on  foot 
all  day  as  well  as  through  the  whole  night,"  and  says  further  :  "  Hav- 
ing for  several  days  in  succession  observed  a  number  of  Minks  on 
the  ice  hurrying  up  and  down  a  mill-pond,  where  we  had  not  ob- 
served any  during  a  whole  winter,  we  took  a  position  near  a  place 
which  we  had  seen  them  pass,  in  order  to  procure  some  of  them. 

"  We  shot  six  in  the  course  of  the  morning,  and  ascertained  that 
they  were  all  large  and  old  males.  As  we  did  not  find  a  single  fe- 
male in  a  week,  whilst  we  obtained  a  great  number  of  males,  we 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  females,  during  this  period,  remain 
in  their  burrows."* 

From  four  to  six  young  constitute  an  ordinary  litter,  and  they  are 
brought  forth  early  in  May.  The  nests  are  in  burrows  or  hollow 
logs  and  are  usually  well-lined  with  feathers,  and  sometimes,  it  is 
said,  with  the  fur  of  the  female.  The  young  follow  the  mother  till 
the  fall,  and  then  generally  disperse  to  look  out  for  themselves. 

The  famous  "Minkery"  of  Mr.  H.  Resseque,  at  Verona,  Oneida 
County,  New  York,  has  afforded  rare  facilities  for  the  study  of  the 
breeding  habits  of  this  species,  and  from  the  accounts  of  it  that  have 
been  published  in  the  Fanciers'  Journal  and  Poultry  Exchange,  and 
Forest  and  Stream,  and  summarized  by  Dr.  Coues,  I  quote  the  follow- 
ing :  "At  this  time  [early  in  March]  the  males  fight  desperately,  and 

if  not  soon  separated  one  always  gets  the  mastery The  females 

reproduce  when  one  year  old.  The  duration  of  gestation  scarcely 
varies  twelve  hours  from  six  weeks.  There  is  but  one  litter  annually. 
The  litters  run  from  three  to  ten  in  number;  the  young  are  born 
blind,  and  remain  so  for  five  weeks.  When  newly  born,  they  are 
light-colored,  hairless,  and  about  the  size  and  shape  of  a  little  finger. 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  vol.  I,  1846,  p.  258. 


MF.riHTIS   MKl'IIITICA. 


69 


By  the  time  the  eyes  are  open,  they  are  covered  with  a  beautiful 
coat  of  glossy  hair.  The  young  females  develop  sooner  than  the 
males,  attaining  their  stature  in  ten  months,  while  the  males  are 
not  full-grown  until  they  are  a  year  and  a  half  old.  It  is  noted  that 
in  every  litter  one  or  the  other  sex  predominates  in  numbers,  there 
being  rarely  half  of  them  males  and  the  other  half  females." 


Subfamily 

MEPHITIS   MEPHITICA     (Shaw)Baird. 
Skunk;  Polecat;  "Alaska  Sable" 

The  Skunk  is  very  common  in  the  clearings  and  settled  districts 
bordering  this  region,  and  is  found,  sparingly,  throughout  the  Adiron- 
dacks. 

He  preys  upon  mice,  salamanders,  frogs,  and  the  eggs  of  birds  that 
nest  on,  or  within  reach  from,  the  ground.  At  times  he  eats  carrion, 
and  if  he  chances  to  stumble  upon  a  hen's  nest  the  eg^s  are  ljable  to 

I  OO 

suffer;  and  once  in  a  while  he  acquires  the  evil  habit  of  robbing  the 
hen-roost.  Still,  as  a  rule,  Skunks  are  not  addicted  to  this  vice,  and 
it  is  with  them  very  much  as  it  is  with  clogs  and  cats;  for  every  now 
and  then  a  dog  will  get  into  the  habit  of  killing  sheep,  and  a  cat  of 
killing  chickens  and  sucking  eggs,  and  yet  we  do  not  wage  a  warfare 
of  extermination  against  them,  collectively,  on  account  of  the  sins  of 
a  few  of  their  number. 

Of  all  our  native  mammals  perhaps  no  one  is  so  universally  abused, 
and  has  so  many  unpleasant  things  said  about  it,  as  the  innocent  sub- 
ject of  the  present  biography;  and  yet  no  other  species  is  half  so  val- 
uable to  the  farmer.  Pre-eminently  an  insect  eater,  he  destroys  more 
beetles,  grasshoppers,  and  the  like  than  all  our  other  mammals  to- 
gether, and  in  addition  to  these  devours  vast  numbers  of  mice. 

He  is  not  fond  of  extensive  forests,  but  seeks  the  clearings  and 

o 

pastures  that  surround  the  habitations  of  man,  and  not  infrequently 

*  Fur-bearing  Animals,  1877,  pp.  182-183. 


MAMMALIA. 


takes  up  his  abode  under  one  of  the  outbuildings  ;  or,  retiring  to  a 
neighboring  grove,  may  make  his  nest  under  an  old  stump,  or  dig  a 
hole  into  some  wooded  knoll  or  side-hill  hard  by.  Being  loath  to 
intrude  the  presence  of  man,  he  sleeps  away  the  clay,  and  at  nightfall 
comes  forth  to  wander  through  the  garden,  orchard,  and  meadow,  to 
prey  upon  the  insects  that  feast  upon  the  product  of  man's  toil. 

He  is  of  the  greatest  practical  value  to  the  hop-grower,  for  he  fre- 
quents the  hop-yard  with  great  regularity,  and  greedily  devours  the 
insect  pests  that,  from  their  numbers  and  destructiveness,  always  in- 
jure, and  sometimes  ruin  the  crop.  Such  is  the  extent  and  impor- 
tance of  the  services  rendered  in  this  direction  that,  at  a  recent  Ses- 
sion of  our  State  Legislature,  a  bill  was  introduced  for  his  protection. 
Indeed,  the  benefit  that  accrues  to  the  farmer  from  the  occupancy  of 
his  premises  by  a  family  of  these  useful  animals  can  hardly  be  over- 
estimated. They  are  large  eaters  and  subsist  almost  exclusively  upon 
his  greatest  enemies  —  insects  and  mice.  Of  the  truth  of  this  assertion 
he  may  easily  convince  himself  by  merely  taking  the  trouble  to  ex- 
amine any  bit  of  "  Skunk  sign"  that  he  happens  to  come  across;  for, 
in  the  summer  season,  their  dejections  consist  wholly  of  the  indi- 
gestible chitenous  coverings  of  beetles,  grasshoppers  and  other  in- 
sects. The  raids  that  some  of  their  numbers  occasionally  make  upon 
his  poultry-yard  are  more  than  compensated  for  by  the  constant  and 
unremitting  services  of  the  entire  family  in  ridding  his  fields  and 
garden  of  the  vermin  that  destroy  his  crops.  In  fact,  I  do  not  hesitate 
to  assert  that  a  single  Skunk  nets  the  farmer  more,  in  dollars  and 

o 

cents,  each  year,  than  he  loses  from  their  depredations  during 
his  entire  life-time.  And  yet  so  short-sighted  is  he,  that  he  rarely 
lets  slip  a  chance  to  kill  one;  and  were  they  more  diurnal  in  habits 
their  race  would  doubtless,  ere  now,  be  well-nigh  exterminated. 

Many  of  our  mammals  are  noted  for  their  beauty  and  attractive 
appearance,  but  amongst  them  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  pret- 
tier beast  than  the  Skunk.  He  was  not  built  after  the  most  grace- 
ful of  patterns,  to  be  sure,  and  it  must  be  acknowledged  that  his 


MKP1IITIS   MKI'IIITICA.  ^r 

snout  is  strongly  suggestive  of  the  pig's  ;  still,  his  tout  ensemble  is 
decidedly  pleasing.  There  is  nothing  obscure  in  his  color  or  mark 
ings.  The  handsome  black  body,  the  narrow  white  stripe  running  up 
the  forehead,  the  clear  white  crown  from  which  a  broad  band  of  the 
same  color  commonly  extends  down  the  nape,  splitting  into  two  as  it 
passes  along  the  back,  contrasting  handsomely  with  the  glossy 
black  of  the  surrounding  fur,  and  the  large,  bushy  tail,  terminating 
in  a  tuft  of  creamy  white,  combine  to  produce  an  exterior  of  unusual 
attractiveness.  His  lur  is  long,  thick,  and  glossy,  and  makes  an  ele- 
gant centre  for  a  robe.  During  the  past  few  yea,rs  prime  pelts 
(those  lacking  the  white  back  stripes)  have  been  largely  employed  in 
the  manufacture  of  fine  furs,  and  are  sold  under  the  noni  dc  guerre 
of  >l  Alaska  Sable." 

Excepting  alone  the  weasels,  the  Skunk  is  the  least  wary,  not  only 
of  the  Mitstclidcc,  but  of  all  our  Carnivores.  He  is  not  suspicious, 
and  may  be  taken  in  almost  any  kind  of  a  device  contrived  for  the 
purpose — box-traps,  steel-traps,  and  dead-falls  being  most  commonly 
employed  in  his  destruction.  To  the  trapper  he  often  proves  a 
source  of  great  annoyance,  by  getting  into  toils  set  for  the  fox  and 
other  more  valuable  fur. 

He  does  not  evince  that  dread  of  man  that  is  so  manifest  in  the 
vast  majority  of  our  mammals,  and  when  met  during  any  of  his  cir- 
cumambulations  rarely  thioks  of  running  away.  On  the  contrary, 
his  curiosity  is  aroused,  and  he  is  full  as  apt  to  come  towards  one  as 
to  make  off  in  the  opposite  direction.  He  is  slow  in  movement  and 
deliberate  in  action,  and  does  not  often  hurry  himself  in  whatever  he 
does.  His  ordinary  gait  is  a  measured  walk,  but  when  pressed  for 
time  he  breaks  into  a  low,  shuffling  gallop.  It  is  hard  to  intimidate 
a  Skunk,  but  when  once  really  frightened  he  manages  to  get  over 
the  ground  at  a  very  fair  pace. 

He  is  an  inquisitive  beast,  and  will  often  take  much  trouble  to  ex- 
amine anything  peculiar  about  the  premises.  One  evening,  while 
sitting  near  the  open  door  of  my  museum,  one  came  and  peeped  in 


j^  MAMMALIA. 

at  me.  As  I  remained  motionless  he  climbed  up  and  rested  his  fore- 
paws  on  the  threshold,  so  near  that  I  could  easily  have  reached  him 
with  my  hands.  After  carefully  scrutinizing  me  with  his  keen, 
black  eyes,  he  began  to  stamp  and  scold  saucily,  and  then  backed 
slowly  off,  keeping  his  eye  on  me  all  the  while.  Scarcely  had  he 
commenced  this  quasi-retreat,  when  he  chanced  to  back  into  a  beech- 
tree  that  stood  near  by.  Evidently  thinking  that  someone  had  at- 
tacked him  from  the  rear  (risky  business!)  he  whirled  about  in  a  jiffy, 
with  his  tail  up  and  hair  on  end,  growling  excitedly,  and  scampered 
away  into  the  bushes. 

Skunks  are  so  slow  to  get  out  of  the  way  that  they  are  often  run 
over  by  vehicles  in  the  evening,  and  are  liable,  under  such  circum- 
stances, to  perfume  the  establishment  unapproachably.  I  have  had 
many  such  experiences. 

When  engaged  in  the  nefarious  business  of  plundering  the  poultry- 
yard  (an  iniquity  to  which  he  rarely  descends)  he  makes  no  provision 
for  escape,  and,  in  the  terse  language  of  Dr.  Coues,  "  even  after  dis- 
covery, the  Skunk  seems  to  forget  the  propriety  of  making  off,  and 
generally  falls  a  victim  to  his  lack  of  wit." 

Skunks  remain  active  throughout  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  in 
this  region,  and  hibernate  only  during  the  severest  portion  of  the 
winter.  They  differ  from  most  of  our  hibernating  mammals  in  that 
the  inactive  period  is,  apparently,  dependent  solely  upon  the  temper- 
ature ;  in  this  respect  they  resemble  the  gray  squirrel.  That  the 
amount  of  snow  has  no  influence  upon  their  movements  is  evident 
from  the  fact  that  they  are  frequently  out,  in  numbers,  when  its 
average  depth  exceeds  a  metre  and  a  half  (a  trifle  over  five  feet) 
on  the  level.  Neither  can  it  be  a  difference  in  food  supply  that 
affects  them,  for  at  this  season  they  subsist  almost  wholly  upon  mice 
and  shrews,  and  I  have  repeatedly  noticed  these  little  beasts  scamp- 
ering about  on  the  crisp  snow  when  the  thermometer  indicated  a 
temperature  below  -30°  C  (-20°  F.)  With  us  there  is  apt  to  be  a 
month  or  six  weeks  of  very  cold  weather  in  January  or  February,  and 


MEPHITIS  MEPHITICA.  7 -, 

during  its  continuance  I  have  never  seen  evidence  of  their  presence  ; 
for  it  is  at  such  times  that  they  "  den  up."  The  length  of  time  that 
they  remain  in  their  holes  depends  entirely  upon  the  duration  of  the 
period  of  low  temperature,  and  they  are  always  out  and  active  with 
the  first  thaws  of  March.  The  occurrence  of  a  thaw,  at  any  time,  com- 
monly brings  them  to  the  surface,  but  a  recurrence  of  the  severe  cold 
suffices  to  drive  them  back  to  their  burrows. 

Skunks,  particularly  when  young,  make  very  pretty  pets,  being 
attractive  in  appearance,  gentle  in  disposition,  interesting  in  manners, 
and  cleanly  in  habits — rare  qualities  indeed  !  They  are  playful,  some- 
times mischievous,  and  manifest  considerable  affection  for  those  who 
have  the  care  of  them.  I  have  had,  at  different  times,  ten  live 
Skunks  in  confinement.  They  were  all  quite  young,  measuring  from 
100  to  i5o  mm.  (approximately  4  to  7  in.)  only,  in  length,  when  first 
taken.  Some  were  dug  out  of  their  holes,  and  the  rest  caught  in 
box  traps.  Two  were  so  young  that  they  could  walk  but  a  few  steps 
at  a  time,  and  had  to  be  brought  up  on  milk,  being  fed  with  a  spoon. 
The  others  ate  meat  and  insects  from  the  start.  From  some  of  them 
I  removed  the  scent  bags,  but  the  greater  number  were  left  in  a  state 
of  nature.  None  ever  emitted  any  odor,  although  a  couple  of  them, 
when  half  grown,  used  to  assume  a  painfully  suggestive  attitude  on 
the  too-near  approach  of  strangers — so  suggestive,  indeed,  that  their 
visitors  commonly  beat  a  hasty  retreat.  These  same  Skunks,  when 
I  came  within  reach,  would  climb  up  my  legs  and  get  into  my  arms. 
They  liked  to  be  caressed,  and  never  offered  to  bite.  Others  that  I 
have  had  did  not  show  the  aversion  for  strangers  evinced  by  this 
pair,  and  I  believe  the  difference  to  be  clue  to  the  way  in  which  they 
are  brought  up.  If  accustomed  to  the  presence  of  a  number  of  peo- 
ple they  are  familiar  and  friendly  toward  all;  while  if  kept  where  they 
habitually  see  but  one  or  two  persons  they  will  not  permit  a  stranger 
to  touch  them. 

Two  summers  ago  I  was  the  happy  master  of  the  cleverest  young 

Skunk  that  I  have  thus  far  chanced  to  meet.     For  a  name  he  receiv- 
6 


MAMMALIA. 

eel  the  title  of  his  genus,  and  we  called  him  "  Meph."  for  short.  By 
way  of  precaution  I  removed  his  scent  sacs,  and  he  made  a  rapid 
and  complete  recovery,  after  a  few  days  of  temporary  indisposition. 
While  driving  about  the  country,  in  the  performance  of  professional 
duties,  he  usually  slept  in  my  pocket.  Alter  supper  I  commonly  took 
a  walk,  and  he  always  followed,  close  at  my  heels.  If  I  chanced  to 
walk  too  fast  for  him,  he  would  scold  and  stamp  with  his  fore-feet, 
and  if  I  persisted  in  keeping  too  far  ahead,  would  turn  about,  disgust- 
ed, and  make  offin  an  opposite  direction  ;  but  if  I  stopped  and  called 
him  he  would  hurry  along  at  a  sort  of  ambling  pace,  and  soon  over- 
take me.  He  was  particularly  fond  of  ladies,  and  I  think  it  was  the 
dress  that  attracted  him;  but  be  this  as  it  may  he  would  invariably 
leave  me  to  follow  any  lady  that  chanced  to  come  near.  We  used 
to  walk  through  the  woods  to  a  large  meadow  which  abounded  in 
grasshoppers.  Here  "  Meph."  would  fairly  revel  in  his  favorite  food, 
and  it  was  rich  sport  to  watch  his  manoeuvres.  When  a  grasshopper 
jumped  he  jumped,  and  I  have  seen  him  with  as  many  as  three  in 
his  mouth,  and  two  under  his  fore-paws,  at  one  time  !  He  would  eat 
so  many  that  his  over- distended  little  belly  actually  dragged  upon  the 
ground,  and  when  so  full  that  he  could  hold  no  more,  would  still  catch 
and  slay  them.  When  so  small  that  he  could  scarcely  toddle  about  he 
never  hesitated  to  tackle  the  large  and  powerful  beetle  known  as  the 
"  horned  bug,"  and  got  many  smart  nips  for  his  audacity.  But  he 
was  a  courageous  little  fellow  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  learned 
to  handle  them  with  impunity,  and  it  was  very  amusing  to  see  him 
kill  one.  Ere  many  weeks  he  ventured  to  attack  a  mouse,  and  the 
ferocity  displayed  in  its  destruction  was  truly  astonishing.  He  de- 
voured the  entire  body  of  his  victim,  and  growled  and  stamped  his 
feet  if  anyone  came  near  before  the  repast  was  over. 

His  nest  was  in  a  box  near  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  and  before  he 
grew  strong  enough  to  climb  out  by  himself  he  would,  whenever  he 
heard  me  coming,  stand  on  his  hind  legs  with  his  paws  resting  on  the 
edge  of  the  box,  and  beg  to  be  carried  up-stairs.  If  I  passed  by 


MEPHITIS  MEPHITICA.  7S 

/  J 

without  appearing  to  notice  him  he  invariably  became  much  enraged 
and  chippered  and  scolded  away  at  a  great  rate,  stamping,  meanwhile, 
most  vehemently.  He  always  liked  to  be  carried  up  to  my  office, 
and  as  soon  as  strong  enough,  would  climb  up  of  his  own  accord. 
He  was  very  sprightly  and  frolicsome,  and  used  to  hop  about  the 
floor  and  run  from  room  to  room  in  search  of  something  to  play  with, 
and  frequently  amused  himself  by  attempting  to  demolish  my  slip- 
pers. I  have  often  given  him  a  bit  of  old  sponge,  with  a  string 
attached,  in  order  to  keep  him  out  of  mischief.  During  the  evening 
he  occasionally  assumed  a  cunning  mood,  and  would  steal  softly  up 
to  my  chair,  and  standing  erect  would  claw  at  my  pants  once  or 
twice,  and  then  scamper  oft  as  fast  as  his  little  legs  could  carry  him, 
evidently  anxious  to  have  me  give  chase.  If  I  refused  to  follow,  he 
was  soon  back,  ready  to  try  a  new  scheme  to  attract  my  attention. 

I  have  heard  many  persons,  who  reside  in  the  country,  say  that 
they  had  never  seen  a  live  Skunk.  This  must  be  because  they  are 
not  much  in  the  fields  and  groves  at  dawn  of  day,  or  dusk  of  evening, 
for  at  these  times  they  are  frequently  seen.  The  farmer's  boy,  in 
going  after  his  cows  early  every  morning,  meets  plenty  of  them. 

Skunks  have  large  families,  from  six  to  ten  young  being  commonly 
raised  each  season;  and  as  a  rule  they  all  live  in  the  same  hole  till 
the  following  spring.  A  steel  trap,  set  at  the  mouth  of  this  hole,  will 
often  capture  the  entire  family,  at  the  rate  of  one  per  night.  In  win- 
ter half  a  dozen  or  more  may  sometimes  be  taken  in  a  single  night, 
in  the  following  manner  :  the  hunter  treads  a  narrow  path  in  the 
snow,  leading  from  the  mouth  of  the  hole  away  in  the  direction  of 
some  favorite  resort  and,  at  intervals  along  this  path,  the  traps  are 
set  in  the  snow.  At  nightfall,  when  the  Skunks  come  out,  they 
march,  single  file,  down  the  path,  the  mother  usually  taking  the  lead. 
The  head  one  is  generally  caught  in  the  first  trap,  and  the  others 
climb  over  the  resulting  obstruction  and  move  on  till  a  second  is 
taken,  and  a  third,  and  so  on. 


76  MAMMALIA. 

The  flesh  of  the  Skunk  is  white,  tender  and  sweet,  and  is  delicious 
eatinof.  It  is  not  unlike  chicken,  but  is  more  delicate,  and  its  taste  is 

o 

particularly  agreeable.  Being,  happily,  free  from  any  of  that  "  squeam- 
ishness"  which  Audubon  and  Bachman  lament  as  preventing  them 
from  tasting  the  meat  of  this  animal,  I  am  able  to  speak  on  this  point 
from  ample  personal  experience — having  eaten  its  flesh  cooked  in  a 
variety  of  ways,  boiled,  broiled,  roasted,  fried,  and  fricasseed — and 
am  prepared  to  assert  that  a  more  "  toothsome  bit "  than  a  broiled 
Skunk  is  hard  to  get,  and  rarely  finds  its  way  to  the  table  of  the  epi- 
cure. 

The  fore-feet  of  the  Skunk  are  provided  with  long  claws,  which  he 
employs  in  excavating  his  burrows  and  in  digging  after  mice,  which 
latter  occupation  consumes  a  large  share  of  his  time.  He  is  also 
armed  with  a  fine  set  of  sharp  teeth,  that  are  capable  of  inflicting 
severe  wounds;  still,  his  chief  weapon  of  defence  lies  in  the  secretion 
of  a  pair  of  anal  glands,  that  lie  on  either  side  of  the  rectum, 
and  are  imbedded  in  a  dense,  gizzard-like  mass  of  muscle  which 
serves  to  compress  them  so  forcibly  that  the  contained  fluid  may 
be  ejected  to  the  distance  of  four  or  five  metres  (approximately 
13  to  163  feet).  Each  sac  is  furnished  with  a  single  duct  that 
leads  into  a  prominent  nipple-like  papilla  that  is  capable  of  being 
protruded  from  the  anus,  and  by  means  of  which  the  direction 
of  the  jet  is  governed.  The  secretion  is  a  clear  limpid  fluid  of  an 
amber  or  golden  yellow  color,  has  an  intensely  acid  reaction,  and,  in 
the  evening,  is  slightly  luminous.  On  standing,  in  a  bottle,  a  floccu- 
lent,  whitish  precipitate  separates  and  falls  to  the  bottom.  The  fluid 
sometimes  shows  a  decided  greenish  cast,  and  it  always  possesses 
an  odor  that  is  characteristic,  and  in  some  respects  unique.  Its 
all-pervading,  penetrating,  and  lasting  properties  are  too  well  known 
to  require  more  than  passing  comment.  I  have  known  the  scent 
to  become  strikingly  apparent  in  every  part  of  a  well-closed  house, 
in  winter,  within  five  minutes'  time  after  a  Skunk  had  been  killed 
at  a  distance  of  an  hundred  metres  (about  twenty  rods) !  The 


MEPHITIS  MEPHJTK  A 


77 


odor  generally  remains  noticeable  for  weeks,  and  sometimes  for 
months,  about  the  place  where  one  has  been  killed.  The  condition 
of  the  atmosphere  has  much  to  do  in  determining-  this  matter,  for  the 
more  humid  the  air  and  the  higher  the  temperature,  the  farther  is  the 
scent  discernible,  and  the  longer  does  it  last.  Under  favorable  con- 
ditions it  is  certainly  distinctly  recognizable  at  the  distance  of  a  mile, 
and  DeKay  quotes  a  statement  from  the  Medical  Repository  that 
a  Dr.  Wiley,  of  Block  Island,  "  distinctly  perceived  the  smell  of  a 
Skunk,  although  the  nearest  land  was  twenty  miles  distant  "!* 

There   is  a  marked  difference  in  the  intensity  of  the  scent  in  dif- 
ferent Skunks,  and  I  am  persuaded  that  it  is  due,  chiefly,  to  the  age  of 
the  animal  whence  it  emanates.     It  is  not  impossible  that  there  may 
also  be  a  difference  due  to  the  length  of  time  that  the  secretion  has 

<  —  » 

been  retained,  /.  c.<  that  it  is  not  so  rank  and  overpowering  when 
recently  secreted  as  when  there  has  been  no  discharge  for  some  time- 
when  it  seems  to  have  become  concentrated. 

When  recently  ejected  the  fumes  from  this  liquid  are  overpower- 
ingly  pungent,  and  extremely  irritating  to  the  air  passages;  and,  I 
have  no  doubt,  are  as  capable  of  producing  cedema  of  the  glottis  as 
the  fumes  from  stronger  ammonia.  When  inhaled  without  the  ad- 
mixture of  a  large  amount  of  atmospheric  air  the  unhappy  victim 
loses  consciousness  and  breathes  stertorously,  the  temperature  falls 
and  the  pulse  slackens,  and  if  the  inhalation  were  prolonged  the  re- 
sult would  doubtless  prove  fatal. 


*  Zoology  of  New  York,  Mammals,  1842,  p.  30. 

f  In  connection  \\ith  the  foregoing  remarks,  I  introduce  the  following  clipping,  which  has  gone 
the  rounds  of  the  Medical  press  : 

"  SKUNK  PERFUME  AS  AN  ANESTHETIC.  —  Dr.  W.  B.  Conway  (  Virginia  Medical  Monthly,  August, 
iSSi)  reports  a  case  where  roguish  school-boys  caused  one  of  their  number  to  inhale  fiom  a  two- 
ounce  phial  an  unknown  quantity  of  Skunk  perfume.  The  effects  produced  were  total  unconscious- 
ness, muscular  relaxation,  a  temperature  of  94  and  pulse  of  65,  together  with  cool  extremities.  The 
respiration  and  pupils  were  normal.  The  patient  soon  recovered  under  hot  pediluvia  and  stimu- 
lants. The  Skunk  perfume  is  rather  an  unpleasant  substance  to  experiment  with,  still,  those  en- 
dowed with  anosmia  might  obtain  results  of  value  from  similar  experiments  with  it." 

Dr.  Conway  (of  Blacksburg,  Va.)  further  stated  that  the  patient  "  remained  for  one  hour  "  in  a 
state  of  "  total  unconsciousness."  During  that  time  the  Doctor  "  administered  small  quantities  of 
whiskey  at  short  intervals,"  having  "  some  difficulty  in  getting  him  to  swallow.  .  .  .  He  was 
finally  aroused,  suffering  no  inconvenience  from  its  effects  except  a  slight  headache,  which  passed 
off  after  a  good  night's  sleep."  (Virg.  Med.  Month.,  Vol.  VIII,  No.  5,  Aug.,  iSSi,  pp.  359-360.) 


MAMMALIA. 

The  evidence  is  pretty  conclusive  that  the  peculiar  substance  under 
consideration  is  an  efficacious  remedy  in  certain  spasmodic  affections 
of  the  air  passages,  such  as  asthma,  hooping-cough,  and  spasmodic 
croup.  It  certainly  deserves  more  extended  trial,  but,  unfortunately, 
its  offensive  odor  is  a  practical  bar  to  its  general  employment.  Still, 
to  my  nostrils,  it  is  not  half  so  disagreeable  as  many  less  whole- 
some smells.  It  is  powerful,  pungent,  and  penetrating,  to  be  sure, 
but  is  not  one-tenth  part  so  disgustingly  nauseating  as  the  secretion 
from  the  corresponding  glands  of  many  other  members  of  the  Mus- 
telidfe,  and  particularly  of  the  mink  and  weasel. 

If  any  of  this  acrid  liquid  finds  its  way  into  the  eye  it  produces  in- 
tense pain  and  sets  up  an  acute  conjunctivitis,  which  commonly  runs 
its  course  in  a  week  or  ten  clays.  I  have  myself  met  with  this  mis- 
fortune, but  suffered  no  permanent  injury  therefrom.  However,  we 
have  reliable  accounts  of  the  entire  loss  of  vision  from  this  cause, 
and  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  attendant  circumstances  would 
have  much  to  do  with  the  result. 

The  scent  glands  of  the  Skunk  may  be  removed,  bodily,  without 
in  any  way  affecting  the  health  or  happiness  of  the  animal. 
The  gizzard-like  mass  of  muscle  in  which  they  are  imbedded  com- 
pletely surrounds  the  gut,  just  at  the  outlet  of  the  pelvis,  and  is 
attached  to  the  tuberosities  of  the  ischium.  The  chief  danger 
attending  the  operation  is  the  liability  of  wounding  the  rectum, 
or  of  creating  so  much  irritation  about  it  that  the  subsequent  in- 
flammation and  cicatrization  will  result  in  stricture  of  that  important 
viscus.  Care  must  also  be  exercised  in  order  to  avoid  wounding  the 
genito-urinary  passages.  I  have  operated,  with  complete  success,  both 
with  and  without  antiseptic  precautions.  A  much  simpler  operation, 
where  the  end  in  view  is  merely  to  disarm  the  animal,  is  that  per- 
formed by  Dr.  J.  M.  Warren,  of  Boston,  in  the  year  1849.*  It  consists 
in  making  an  incision  through  the  skin,  directly  in  front  of  the  anus, 
and  in  snipping  the  ducts  of  the  glands,  at  the  bases  of  the  nipple-like 

*  "Proceed.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  vol.  Ill,  p.  175,   1849." 


MEPHITIS  MEPHITK  A. 

papillae  which  project  into  the  gut,  just  within  the  sphincter.  Adhe- 
sive inflammation  follows  and  permanently  occludes  the  ducts  at  the 
points  of  division.  Therefore,  although  the  glands  themselves  are 
left  in  situ,  the  animal  is,  forever  after,  incapable  of  ridding  himself 
of  their  contents. 

The  Skunk  is  a  sort  of"  little  lord"  of  the  domain  over  which  he 
roams,  for  there  are  few  enemies,  save  short- sighted  man.  that  care 

O 

to  dispute  his  right  of  way.  It  is  true  that  the  wolf,  fox,  and  great- 
horned  owl  occasionally  dine  upon  his  tender  flesh,  but  the  details  of 
the  struggle,  inevitable  to  his  capture,  are  not  altogether  pleasant; 
hence  he  is  not  often  interfered  with,  and  becomes  as  bold  as  he  is 
abundant.  Concerning  his  confidence  in  the  efficacy  of  his  over- 
powering weapon,  and  the  effect  of  this  assurance  upon  his  disposi- 
tion and  habits,  Dr.  Coues  makes  the  following  pertinent  remarks- 
condensing  into  one  brief  sentence  thoughts  that  suggest  whole  chap- 
ters in  the  history  of  this  interesting  animal  :  "  Its  heedless  familiarity, 
its  temerity  in  pushing  into  places  which  other  animals  avoid  as  dan- 
gerous, and  its  indisposition  to  seek  safety  by  hasty  retreat,  are  evi- 
dent results  of  its  confidence  in  the  extraordinary  means  of  defence 
with  which  it  is  provided."  And  further  on  observes  :  "  the  abun- 
dance of  the  animal  in  most  parts  of  the  country,  and  its  audacity  in 
the  face  of  danger,  show  that  its  confidence  in  the  singular  means  of 
defence  it  possesses  is  not  misplaced."1 

Dr.  Coues  expresses  the  belief  in  which  I  cannot  concur,  that  the 
scent  of  the  Skunk  is  not  only  used  as  a  means  of  defence,  but  also 
serves  as  a  means  or  bringing  these  animals  together — that  they  are 
attracted  to  one  another  by  it — -and  goes  on  to  say  :  "  Burrows  are 
sometimes  found  to  contain  as  many  as  a  dozen  individuals,  not  mem- 
bers of  one  family,  but  various  adult  animals  drawn  together."  Now, 
as  previously  stated,  the  Skunk  is  a  very  prolific  animal,  commonly 
bringing  forth  from  six  to  ten  at  a  birth,  and  these  young,  with  their 
parents,  remain  in  one  hole  for  the  ensuing  year.  Before  the  expira- 

*  Loc.  cit.,  p.  215. 


§o  MAMMALIA. 

tion  of  this  period  the  young  Skunks  have  grown  up  and  several  of 
them,  at  least,  have  attained  the  full  dimensions  of  their  parents,  so 
that  it  is  impossible  to  distinguish  between  them  except  by  a  careful 
examination  of  their  teeth  and  claws;  and  even  these  means  some- 
times fail,  as  when  the  parents  themselves  are  but  a  year  older  than 
their  offspring,  and  nothing  short  of  a  comparison  of  their  skulls  af- 
fords positive  evidence  of  their  ages.  I  have  dwelt  thus  at  length 
on  this  point  in  order  to  show  how  easy  it  is  to  be  mistaken  in  the 
ages  of  Skunks  after  the  first  six  or  eight  months,  so  rapidly  do  they 
attain  their  growth;  and  I  have  yet  to  see  satisfactory  evidence  that 
more  than  two  adult  Skunks  have  been  found  in  the  same  hole  at 
any  one  time. 

How  to  Kill  a  Skunk. 

When  we  bear  in  mind  that  thousands  of  Skunks  are  slain  each 
year  for  their  fur,  it  is  indeed  surprising  that  so  few  hunters,  trap- 
pers, and  naturalists  should  know  how  to  kill  them,  without  provok- 
ing a  discharge  from  their  scent  reservoirs.  And  yet  there  is  a 
method,  safe,  sure,  and  simple,  by  which  they  may  be  killed  without 
the  emission  of  a  single  drop  of  the  much  dreaded  secretion.  This 
method  depends  upon  the  well-known  physiological  fact  that  an  in- 
jury to  the  spinal  cord  produces  immediate  paralysis  or  loss  of 
power  of  the  muscles  supplied  by  the  nerves  that  are  given  off  below 
the  point  of  injury.  Hence,  loss  of  control  over  the  posterior  ex- 
tremities (a  condition  technically  known  as  paraplegia]  may  be  pro- 
duced, in  any  mammal,  by  a  blow  across  the  back  that  is  sufficiently 
forcible  to  destroy  the  integrity  of  the  cord  opposite  the  injured  point. 
The  back  must  generally  be  broken  to  insure  this  result. 

Therefore,  to  kill  a  Skunk  without  permitting  the  evacuation  of 
its  peculiar  perfume,  it  is  only  necessary  to  deal  it  a  smart  rap  across 
the  back.  If  the  animal  is  in  a  trap  he  should  be  approached  slowly 
and  cautiously,  for,  under  these  circumstances  it  is  prudent  not  to  be 
in  too  much  of  a  hurry,  and  to  avoid  making  sudden  moves.  If  you  go 


MKl'MITIS  MEPHITICA.  g£ 

too  fast  he  will  elevate  his  tail,  present  his  rear,  and  assume  an  un- 
comfortably suspicious  attitude.  Give  him  a  little  time  and  he  will 
about-face  and  peer  at  you  again  with  his  little  keen  black  eyes. 
Now  advance  a  little  nearer  and  be  sure  of  your  aim;  and  when  you 
strike,  strike  Iictrd.  The  main  thing  is  to  keep  cool  and  not  strike 
too  soon.  On  receiving  the  blow  his  hinder  parts  settle  helplessly 
upon  the  ground,  and  the  tail,  which  was  carried  high  over  the  back, 
now  straightens  out  behind,  limp  and  powerless.  As  a  rule  the 
head  soon  droops  and  the  animal  expires.  If  he  does  not  die  directly 
he  is  easily  dispatched,  being  effectually  disarmed.  The  common 
causes  of  failure,  in  this  mode  of  killing,  are  two:  ist,  in  using  too 
long  a  pole,  and  consequently  striking  when  so  far  off  that  the  beast 
has  time  to  jump  forward  (in  attempting  to  dodge  the  blow)  and  is 
hit  too  far  aft — often  on  the  tail;  and  2d,  in  not  striking  hard  enough 
to  break  the  back.  When  properly  done  this  method  never  fails,  and 
it  is  the  safest,  surest,  and  simplest  way  to  kill  a  Skunk  without  oc- 
casioning a  discharge  from  his  battery.  I  speak  with  some  confi- 
dence on  this  point,  having  myself  killed  upwards  of  an  hundred 
Skunks  in  the  manner  above  recommended.  Out  of  this  number 
were  six  failures,  due  to  the  causes  above  specified. 

It  has  been  asserted,  on  high  authority,  that  if  the  Skunk  is  shot 
in  a  vital  part  he  will  die  without  discharging  his  scent.  This  is  an 
error,  as  I  have  demonstrated  repeatedly  to  my  entire  satisfaction. 
I  have  put  the  muzzle  of  my  double-barrelled  shot-gun  within  a  foot 
from  the  head  of  a  Skunk,  that  was  in  a  steel-trap,  and  literally  blown 
his  whole  head  off;  under  similar  circumstances  have  I  tried  the  ef- 
fect of  both  shot  and  ball  upon  his  heart  and  lungs;  and  further,  on 
one  occasion,  I  severed  the  head  from  the  body  with  one  blow  from 
a  sharp  axe,  and  in  each  instance  was  the  death  struggle  accompanied 
by  a  discharge  of  the  scent.  These  remarks  may  seem  to  conflict 
with  the  writings  of  Audubon  and  Bachrnan,  who  state  :  "We  had 

o 

one  of  their  burrows  opened  to  within  a  foot  of  the  extremity,  where 
the  animals  were  huddled  together.  Placing  ourselves  a  few  yards 


g2  MAMMALIA. 

off,  we  suffered  them  successively  to  come  out.  As  they  slowly 
emerged  and  were  walking  off,  they  were  killed  with  coarse  shot 
aimed  at  the  shoulders.  In  the  course  of  half  an  hour,  seven  (the 
number  contained  in  the  burrow)  were  obtained;  one  only  was  offen- 
sive, and  we  were  enabled  without  inconvenience  to  prepare  six  of 
them  for  specimens."*  But  it  is  explicitly  mentioned  that  "they 
were  killed  with  coarse  shot  aimed  at  the  shoulders,"  and  this  fact 
explains  why  six  out  of  seven  did  not  smell,  for  some  of  the  shot 
doubtless  hit  the  cord. 

Skunks  caught  in  dead-falls  rarely  ever  emit  scent,  and  for  the 
simple  reason  that  their  backs  are  broken  and  their  hinder  parts 
paralyzed. 

A  veteran  fox  trapper,  Mr.  C.  L.  Whitman,  of  Weston,  Vermont, 
rids  his  traps  of  Skunks  by  slipping  a  wire  noose  over  their  heads 
and  choking  them  to  death.  He  claims  that  they  rarely  smell  when 
thus  dealt  with.f 

When  caught  in  the  vicinity  of  water,  they  are  easily  drowned,  and 
when  so  treated  never  smell. 

SOME  COMMON  FALLACIES  CONCERNING  SKUNKS. 
ist.    WJiat  the  Scent  is. 

It  was  for  many  years  believed,  even  amongst  naturalists,  that  the 
scent  of  the  Skunk  was  its  urine,  and  this  belief  is  still  widely  prev- 
alent with  the  masses  of  our  population.  The  urine  of  the  Skunk 
has  no  offensive  or  even  characteristic  odor,  the  scent  being  the 
secretion  of  a  pair  of  highly  developed  and  specialized  anal  glands, 
which  have  already  been  sufficiently  described.  (See  p.  76.) 

2d.  How  it  is  Scattered. 

The  vulgar  notion  that  the  Skunk  scatters  its  scent  with  its  tail 
was  formerly  so  universal  and  wide  spread  that  no  less  renowned  a 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  vol.  I,  1846,  p.  324. 

\  Forest  and  Stream,  Feb.  17,  1876.     Quoted  by  Cones  in  Fur-bearing  Animals,  1877,  P-  2I7- 


MEPHITIS  MEl'HITK  A. 


zoologist  than  the  accurate  and  sagacious  Dr.  Richard  Harlan  was 
(mis-)  led  to  write  that  these  animals  emit,  "  particularly  when  dis- 
turbed, a  most  nauseous,  detestable  odor,  proceeding  from  the  liquor 
of  the  anal  glands,  which  they  mix  with  the  urine  ;  with  this  fluid 
they  wet  the  tail,  and  scatter  it  to  a  considerable  distance."  No 
statement  could  have  less  foundation  in  fact.  The  Skunk  is  a  very 
cleanly  beast,  and,  when  about  to  discharge  his  scent,  arches  his  tail 
high  over  his  back  so  that  it  may  not  be  defiled  by  the  fluid.  The 
scent  is  thrown  by  the  contraction  of  the  thick  muscular  tunic  in 
which  the  lands  are  imbedded. 


.    When  do  they  part  with  it  ? 

It  is  commonly  believed,  by  the  community  at  large,  that  a  Skunk 
is  always  ready  to  spatter  anyone  that  chances  to  come  within  range. 
Nothing  could  be  wider  from  the  truth.  A  Skunk  generally  waits  till 
he  is  hurt  before  discharging  his  battery,  and  I  have  more  than  once 
seen  a  dog  get  fairly  hold  of  the  beast  before  the  emission  occurred. 
Indeed,  I  have  never  known  one  to  eject  a  single  drop  of  the 
precious  fluid  except  when  hard  pressed  and  very  much  excited- 
and  it  takes  considerable  to  excite  an  adult  Skunk.  When  caught 
in  steel  traps  not  more  than  one  in  twenty  will  smell,  and  the  re- 
maining nineteen  suffer  themselves  to  be  tormented  to  an  astonish- 
ing degree  before  "  opening  the  valve."  One  may,  with  considera- 
ble confidence,  approach  one  when  in  a  trap,  take  hold  of  the  chain, 
and  drag  the  trap  and  contents  to  any  convenient  place,  provided  he 
goes  slowly  and  makes  no  sudden  move.  Never  but  once  has  my 
confidence  been  betrayed  while  thus  engaged.  It  was  when  at- 
tempting to  drag  a  young  Skunk  out  of  its  hole,  into  which  it  had 
retreated  with  the  trap;  and  I  was  well  sprinkled  in  the  operation. 
These  unsophisticated  juveniles,  when  harassed,  get  excited  far 
more  easily  than  their  parents,  and  sometimes  "  squirt  '  upon  in- 
sufficient provocation. 

*  Fauna  Americana,  1825,  p.  69. 


84 


MAMMALIA. 


It  is  supposed  by  many  that  the  Skunk  empties  his  scent  sacs  at 
other  times  than  during  the  excitement  of  danger  ;  that  it  is  done  to 
attract  the  opposite  sex,  or  for  practice,  or  for  some  other  reason 
than  the  annoyance  of  his  enemy.  This  is  contrary  to  my  expe- 
rience, and  is  also,  I  believe,  at  variance  with  the  facts  of  the  case, 
so  far  as  known. 

j.t/1.  Does  one  Discharge  empty  the  Sacs  ? 

It  is  frequently  asserted,  by  those  having  little  or  no  personal 
acquaintance  with  these  animals,  that  the  Skunk  completely  empties 
his  scent  reservoirs  at  the  first  discharge,  and  becomes,  immediately 
thereafter,  "  as  harmless  as  a  cat."  To  such  as  entertain  this  opinion 
I  extend  a  cordial  invitation  to  accompany  me  to  the  presence  of  a 
Skunk,  whom  I  will  provoke  to  make  several  distinct  and  separate 
discharges,  and  will  then  step  aside  and  be  pleased  to  see  them  pick 
up  the  "  harmless  "  animal  ! 


.    When  held  by  the  Tail,  u'hat  ? 

I  have  been  told,  and   have  likewise  seen  the  statement  in  print, 
that  a  Skunk,  when  held  up  by  the  tail,  cannot  eject  his  scent. 

Having  in  early  childhood  been  the  unhappy  victim  to  a  suffi- 
ciently satisfactory  demonstration  to  the  contrary,  I  will  relate  the 
result  of  a  somewhat  humiliating  experience,  for  the  benefit  of  those 
who  are  in  doubt  on  this  point.  It  was  in  the  fall  of  the  year, 
and  a  light  snow  enabled  me  to  track  a  Skunk  to  his  hole  in 
the  woods,  where  I  set  a  box  trap,  baited  with  meat.  Next  morning 
I  found  the  trap  sprung,  but,  hearing  no  noise  within,  opened  the  lid. 
Before  I  had  time  to  see  what  was  there  my  little  dog  rushed  in,  and 
as  I  reached  out  my  arm  to  pull  him  back,  I  somehow  got  hold  of 
the  Skunk's  tail  by  mistake.  My  chin  dropped  with  astonishment 
as  I  held  the  affrighted  beast  up  before  me,  and  the  clog  seized  him 
by  the  head.  Scarce  had  I  realized  the  peril  of  the  situation  when  I 
was  blinded  and  stifled  by  the  terrible  discharge,  which  hit  me  full  in 


MEriHTIS  MEPHITICA. 

the  face,  entering-  my  gaping  mouth  and  one  of  my  eyes.  Nearly 
suffocated  by  the  overpowering  stench,  and  screaming  with  pain,  I 
rushed  into  the  house,  where,  in  the  efforts  to  wash  the  fluid  from 
my  eye,  my  head  was  crowded  into  a  pail  of  water,  and  I  was  well 
nigh  drowned.  I  had  read  that  a  single  drop  of  the  secretion  was 
sufficient  to  produce  total  blindness,  and  consequently  expected 
nothing  less  than  to  lose  the  sight  in  this  eye.  The  resulting  inflam- 
mation, however,  subsided  in  about  a  week,  leaving  no  ill  effect* 

6tJi.  Skunk  Bites  and  Hydrophobia. 

Under  this  head  I  take  the  liberty  to  reproduce  an  article  that  I 
wrote  for  Forest  and  Stream  in  July,  1880  : 

"  Ever  since  the  Rev.  Horace  G.  Hovey,  M.  A.,  took  it  upon 
himself  to  notify  the  civilized  world  (through  the  medium  of  the 
American  Journal  of  Science  and  Arts  for  May,  1874,  pp.  477-483) 
of  the  terrible  consequences  attending  the  bite  of  our  common 
Skunk  {Mephitis  niephitica],  the  columns  of  your  valuable  paper,  to- 
gether with  those  of  various  other  publications,  have  been  much  of 
the  time  pregnant  with  more  or  less  extended  remarks  upon  the 
subject. 

"  The  Rev.  Mr.  Hovey  announced  that  the  bite  of  the  Skunk  was 
usually  fatal,  and  produces  in  the  human  subject  a  peculiar  kind  of 
hydrophobia,  which  he  named  Rabies  Mephitica.  In  the  Nav  York 
Medical  Record  for  March  13,  1875,  Dr.  John  S.  Janeway,  U.  S.  A., 
proves  that  the  disease  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  ordinary 
hydrophobia  as  derived  from  the  dog,  cat,  or  other  rabid  animal. 

"  Dr.  Elliott  Coues  deems  the  subject  of  sufficient  importance  to 
reproduce  both  articles  (Rev.  Hovey's  and  Dr.  Janeway 's),  but 


*  Since  penning  the  above  I  have  again  had  the  misfortune  to  get  a  charge  of  this  fluid  into  one 
of  my  eyes.  It  was  due  to  carelessness  on  my  part,  and  occurred  August  10,  1882,  while  removing 
the  scent  glands  from  a  young  Skunk.  The  contents  of  one  of  the  sacs  was  suddenly  and  unex- 
pectedly discharged,  striking  me  full  in  the  right  eye.  For  a  time  the  pain  was  intense,  but  I 
immediately  and  thoroughly  washed  out  the  fluid  by  pumping  water  into  the  open  eye,  and  the 
conjunctiva!  congestion  that  ensued  subsided  in  a  few  hours.  But  in  this  case  the  fluid  was  not 
nearly  so  strong  and  irritating  as  that  from  the  adult  animal. 


g5  MAMMALIA. 

unfortunately  without  comment,  in  his  most  admirable  and  valuable 
monograph  of  our  Fur-bearing  Animals  (pp.  223-235). 

"  Dr.  Janeway  states  that  the  disease  '  is  evidently  epidemical,  no 
cases  of  it  having  been  reported  previous  to  1870  in  this  region,' 
which  is  unquestionably  the  fact. 

"  Now  it  strikes  me  that  there  is  a  good  deal  of  first-class  '  poppy- 
cock '  in  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hovey's  article,  and  in  most  of  the  contribu- 
tions that  have  appeared  since 

"  Let  us  take  a  rational  view  of  the  case,  and  glance,  for  a  mo- 
ment, at  the  history  of  an  average  outbreak  of  hydrophobia.  Here 
is  a  rabid  dop-.  Before  succumbing  to  the  disease,  or  to  the  hand  of 

o  o 

man,  he  has  probably  bitten  at  least  one  or  two  other  dogs  or  cats, 
which  in  their  turn  bite  others,  and  so  on,  till  the  community  be- 
comes aroused;  and  scarcely  enough  of  these  animals  are  left  to  pro- 
pagate their  kind. 

"  Now,  suppose  a  'mad  dog'  should,  in  his  wild  delirium,  chance 
to  run  across  and  bite  a  Skunk,  and  in  a  region  where  Skunks  hap- 
pened to  abound,  would  not  the  natural  result  be  that  this  Skunk 
would  bite  others  and  so  communicate  the  disease  to  them,  and  they 
to  others  still,  and  so  on  till  most  of  the  Skunks  of  that  neighbor- 
hood had  been  infected  ?  During  a  certain  stage  of  the  disease, 
should  any  of  these  hydrophobic  Skunks,  by  any  accident  fall  in 
with  a  man  sleeping  on  the  ground,  that  man  would  certainly  be  very 
liable  to  be  bitten,  and  if  bitten,  to  die  of  this  terrible  malady.  Ex- 
actly such  a  state  of  things,  apparently,  came  to  the  notice  of  Mr. 
Hovey,  who  published  the  facts  in  the  American  Journal  of  Science 
and  Arts,  as  above  stated.  But  instead  of  confining  his  remarks  to 
a  simple,  truthful  narration  of  facts,  he  indulges  in  the  wildest  spec- 
ulations and  empty  theories  concerning  the  fatal  nature  of  Skunk 
bites  in  the  abstract. 

"  To  suggest,  as  does  the  Rev.  Hovey,  that  the  bite  of  a  healthy 
Skunk  is  followed  by  hydrophobia  is,  to  speak  mildly,  the  height  of 
irrational  nonsense.  Equally  insane  is  his  idea  that  Skunks,  in  the 


LUTRA  CANADENSIS. 

normal  state,  are  aggressive  animals  and  habitually  bite  those  persons 
whom  they  find  sleeping  upon  the  ground.  Indeed  nothing  could  be 
more  contrary  to  the  known  habits  and  disposition  of  these  beautiful 
and  useful  little  animals. 

"  As  to  the  effect  of  Skunk  bites  in  general  I  will  only  state  my 
experience.  Twelve  or  fifteen  years  ago,  when  hunting  and  trapping 
Skunks,  I  was  twice  bitten  by  adult  animals  and  never  suffered  there- 
from more  than  from  equally  severe  bites  from  any  other  of  our  com- 
mon mammals.  About  the  same  time  Dr.  C.  L.  Bagg  was  also  bit- 
ten, but  nevertheless  he  still  lives  and  is  practising  medicine  in  New 
York  City.  Last  summer  I  was  again  bitten  by  a  Skunk — this  time 
by  a  half- grown  one  that  I  had  alive  for  several  months — and  have 
as  yet  experienced  no  evil  consequences  from  the  bite.[:  Our  clogs 
have  many  times  been  bitten,  and  were  never  seriously  injured 
thereby. "f 

Subfamily  LUTRIN.E. 

LUTRA   CANADENSIS    Turton. 

Otter. 

The  Otter  is  a  common  inhabitant  of  the  Adirondacks  and,  from 
the  nature  of  its  habits,  and  its  sagacity,  is  likely  to  remain  after  most 
of  the  other  representatives  of  the  Mustelidae  have  been  exterminated. 
It  is  thoroughly  amphibious,  making  long  journeys  through  the 
forest,  and  swimming  the  lakes  and  rivers.  It  can  remain  under  water 

O 

almost  as  long  as  a  Loon,  and  I  have  known  one  to  swim  nearly  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  without  showing  its  head  above  the  surface.  Its 
food  consists  chiefly  of  various  species  of  fish,  and  the  lobster-like 
fresh  water  Decapod  called  the  cray-fish.  When  unable  to  procure 
these  in  sufficient  quantity  it  devours  frogs,  and  is  said  to  depopulate 

*  While  these  pages  have  been  passing  through  the  press  I  have  again  been  bitten  by  a  half- 
grown  Skunk.  The  bite  was  inflicted  upon  the  end  of  my  left  thumb,  and  healed  kindly  in  the 
course  of  three  or  four  days,  leaving  no  scar. 

f  Forest  and  Stream,  Vol.  XVI,  No.  24,  p.  473,  July  14,  iSSi. 


§g  MAMMALIA. 

the  poultry-yard,  and  even  to  prey  upon  young  lambs.  It  can  dive 
and  swim  under  water  with  such  speed  and  agility,  that  it  can 
overtake  and  secure,  with  great  ease  and  certainty,  almost  any  of 
our  fresh-water  fishes.  In  confinement  it  will  eat  meat,  and  is  said 
to  prefer  it  boiled.  The  number  of  cray-fish  (Cambarus)  that  the 
Otter  destroys  in  the  course  of  a  summer  is  almost  incredible. 
The  Otter  "  sign  '  that  one  finds  so  abundantly  about  our  lakes 
and  streams,  on  rocks  and  logs,  often  consists  wholly  of  fragments  of 
the  chitenous  exoskeleton  of  this  Crustacean.  At  other  times  fish 
bones  are  mingled  with  the  broken  cray-fish  shells.  Otters  are 
restless  creatures,  always  on  the  move,  and  are  constantly  roam- 
ing about  from  lake  to  lake,  and  river  to  river.  They  sometimes 
go  from  place  to  place  "just  as  it  happens,"  so  to  speak;  while 
at  other  times  they  travel  in  definite  routes,  following  one  water 
course  for  a  number  of  days  or  weeks,  and  returning  by  another. 
For  example  :  an  Otter  will  start  from,  say,  Seventh  Lake,  and  work 
down  the  Fulton  Chain  to  Moose  River,  down  Moose  to  Black  River, 
and  down  this  to  the  mouth  of  Independence  or  Beaver  River;  thence, 
turning  up  stream,  it  finds  its  way  back  along  either  of  these  rivers, 
perhaps  stopping  to  fish  in  adjacent  lakes  on  the  way  up,  and  finally 
crossing  to  Big  Moose  and  thence  back  to  the  Fulton  Chain.  Or, 
starting  from  the  same  point,  an  Otter  may  leave  the  Fulton  Chain 
near  the  foot  of  Fourth  Lake,  cross  to  North  Branch  of  Moose  River, 
thence  to  Bior  Moose,  visiting  the  Saffords  and  West  Pond  on  the 

<_>  o 

way.  From  Big  Moose  it  may  work  up  into  the  big  marsh  and  over 
to  First  and  Second  Gull  Ponds,  cross  to  Lake  Terror  and  follow  its 
outlet  through  Rose  Pond  to  Beaver  River,  and  down  the  latter  to 

O 

Black  River,  making  the  return  trip  up  Independence  to  Big  Moose, 
and  across,  by  way  of  Constable  Pond,  May's  Lake,  and  Queer  Lake, 
to  the  Fulton  Chain  ;  or  it  may  follow  up  Moose  River  directly  to 
'the  Fulton  Chain.  These  routes  are  not  mere  creations  of  my  im- 
agination, but  have  in  great  measure  been  verified  by  hunters  who 
have  followed  their  tracks  on  the  snow.  Otters  travel  great  distances 


LUTKA   (. \\.\DKNSIS. 

in  winter,  and  go  so  fast  that  a  man  has  great  difficulty  in  overtaking 
them.  On  the  ice  they  proceed  by  a  series  of  what  small  boys  call 
"  a  run  and  a  slide,"  that  is,  the)-  make  several  jumps  and  then  slide 
ahead,  flat  on  their  bellies,  as  far  as  their  impetus  and  the  smooth- 
ness of  the  ice  permit,  and  then  do  the  same  thing"  over  again,  and 
so  on.  And  this  mode  ot  progression  suggests  a  curious  trait  in  tile- 
character  of  the  Otter,  /.  t\,  its  fondness  for  sliding  down  hill.  Dr. 

<_> 

John  D.  Godman,  in  his  well-known  work  on  "  American  Natural 
History,"  speaks  thus  of  the  habit:  "Their  favorite  sport  is  sliding, 
and  for  this  purpose  in  winter  the  highest  ridge  of  snow  is  selected, 
to  the  top  of  which  the  Otters  scramble,  where,  lying  on  the  belly 
with  the  fore-feet  bent  backwards,  they  give  themselves  an  impulse 
with  their  hind  legs  and  swiftly  glide  head-foremost  down  the  decliv- 
ity, sometimes  for  a  distance  of  twenty  yards.  This  sport  they  con- 
tinue apparently  with  the  keenest  enjoyment  until  fatigue  or  hunger 
induces  them  to  desist."  This  statement  accords  with  the  observa- 
tions of  Cartwright,  Hearne,  Richardson,  Audubon,  and  others,  and 
the  last-named  author  goes  on  to  say  that  he  once  witnessed  a  pair 
of  Otters  engaged  in  this  pastime,  only  they  were  sliding  down  a 
mud-bank  instead  of  a  snow-bank,  and  remarks:  "  we  counted  each 
one  making  twenty-two  slides  before  we  disturbed  their  sportive 
occupation."  The  borders  of  the  lakes  and  streams  of  the  Adiron- 
clacks  afford  numerous  examples  of  these  slides,  and  also  of  their 
wallowing  places,  which  are  either  level  beds,  or  slight  depressions, 
in  which  they  play  and  roll.  May's  Lake,  a  small  and  secluded  body 
of  water,  abounding  in  trout,  is  fairly  surrounded  by  them. 

On  the  morning  of  October  27,  1881,  the  Big  Marsh  at  the  head 
of  Big  Moose  Lake  was  frozen  over,  with  the  exception  of  a  narrow 
strip  along  its  north  shore.  While  working  our  boat  up  between  the 
ice  and  the  shore  E.  L.  Sheppard  and  I  noticed  three  Otters  sporting 
in  the  open  water  ahead.  They  were  diving  and  chasing  one  another 
after  the  manner  of  so  many  seals.  Several  times  did  the)' jump  so 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  Vol.  II,  1851,  p.  8. 


MAMMALIA. 

high  that  more  than  half  the  length  of  their  bodies  showed  above  the 
water.  On  firing  at  one  of  them  all  instantly  disappeared;  one  stuck 
his  head  up  through  a  hole  in  the  ice  to  take  a  parting  peep  at  us, 
and  this  was  the  last  we  saw  of  them.  Otters  are  playful  creatures 
and  when  taken  young  are  easily  domesticated,  and  have  frequently 
been  taught  to  catch  fish  for  their  masters.  In  growing  old,  however, 
they  are  apt  to  become  ugly,  and  have  been  known  to  bite  those  who 
attempted  to  play  with  them.  At  all  times  and  on  all  occasions  they 
manifest  an  insatiate  and  uncontrollable  desire  to  break  the  peace 
with  any  dog  that  chances  to  cross  their  path — and  woe  be  to  the 
unfortunate  brute !  Being  compactly  built  and  possessing  great 
strength,  and  an  immense  store  of  endurance,  they  are  quick  in  move- 
ment and  make  fierce  and  powerful  assailants.  Moreover,  there  is 
usually  such  a  thick  layer  of  fat  under  the  skin  that  it  slips  freely  upon 
the  body  and  renders  it  well-nigh  impossible  for  a  dog  to  secure  a 
firm  hold  on  them.  If  the  misunderstanding  occurs  in  the  vicinity  of 
water,  as  it  commonly  does,  there  is  a  strong  tendency  for  the  partici- 
pants to  drift  nearer  and  nearer  the  shore,  for  thitherward  the  Otter 
artfully  draws  his  antagonist.  I  have  never  witnessed  one  of  these 
little  altercations,  but  am  told  that  a  drowned  clog  is  generally  the 
result. 

Thomas  Pennant,  in  his  "  Synopsis  of  Quadrupeds,"  published  in 
1771,  says  (p.  239)  that  the  Otter  "  hunts  its  prey  against  the  stream; 
frequents  not  only  fresh  waters,  but  sometimes  preys  in  the  sea;  but 
not  remote  from  shore:  is  a  fierce  animal;  its  bite  hard  and  dangerous: 
is  capable  of  being  tamed,  to  follow  its  master  like  a  dog,  and  even 
to  fish  for  him,  and  return  with  its  prey." 

The  fur  of  the  Otter,  which  is  more  valuable  than  that  of  any  other 
of  our  fur  bearing  animals,  becomes  prime  in  November,  remains 
good  throughout  the  winter,  and  is  best  in  spring. 

Their  skins  were  formerly  much  employed  by  the  Indians  as 
material  for  their  garments.  In  "  Wassenaers  Historic  Van  Eu- 
ropa,"  printed  at  Amsterdam,  1621-32,  occurs  the  following  :  "The 


I'ROCYON    l.OTOR. 


Tribes  are  in  the  habit  of  clothing  themselves  with  them;  the  fur  or 
hair  inside,  the  smooth  side  without,  which,  however,  they  paint  so 
beautifully  that,  at  a  distance,  it  resembles  lace.  It  is  the  opinion  that 
they  make  use  of  the  best  for  that  purpose;  what  has  poor  fur  they 
deem  unsuitable  for  their  clothing.  When  they  bring  their  commodi- 
ties to  the  Traders,  and  find  they  are  desirous  to  buy  them,  they  make 
so  very  little  matter  of  it,  that  they  at  once  rip  up  the  skins  they  are 
clothed  with  and  sell  them  as  being  the  best." 

The  nest  of  the  Otter  is  generally  placed  under  some  shelving  bank 
or  uprooted  tree,  and  has  been  found  in  a  hollow  stub.  The  young 
are  commonly  brought  forth  about  the  middle  of  April,  and  two  (rare- 
ly one  or  three)  constitute  a  litter.  Three  Otters,  the  female  with 
her  two  young,  are  usually  seen  together  during  the  summer  and  fall. 

Family  PROCYONID/E. 

PROCYON     LOTOR     (Linn.)  Storer. 
Raccoon. 

Raccoons  are  common  everywhere  about  the  borders  of  the  Adiron- 
dacks,  but  they  do  not  like  dense  evergreen  forests  and  are  therefore 
rather  rare  in  the  interior;  still,  they  are  occasionally  met  with  in  all 
parts  of  the  Wilderness. 

They  are  omnivorous  beasts  and  feed  upon  mice,  young  birds, 
birds'  eggs,  turtles  and  their  eggs,  frogs,  fish,  cray-fish,  mollusks, 
insects,  nuts,  fruits,  corn,  and  sometimes  poultry. 

Excepting  alone  the  bats  and  flying-squirrels,  they  are  the  most 
strictly  nocturnal  of  all  our  mammals,  and  yet  I  have  several  times 
seen  them  abroad  during  cloudy  days.  They  like  to  play  in  shallow 
water,  along  the  banks  of  ponds  and  streams,  and  find  much  of  their 
food  in  these  places.  They  overturn  stones  and  catch  the  cray-fish 
that  lurk  beneath,  and  also  gather  the  fresh-water  mussels  (Unio  and 
Anodoii]  that  live  on  sandy  and  muddy  bottoms.  They  also  catch 


*  Translated  in   The  Documentary  Hist,  of  the  State  of  New  York,  Vol.  Ill,  1850,  p.  36. 


Q2  MAMMALIA. 

and  devour  the  hapless  fish  that  chance  to  get  detained  in  any  of  the 
little  pools  along  shore;  but  are  unable  to  dive  and  pursue  their  prey 
under  water,  like  the  Otter  and  Mink.  They  are  good  swimmers 
and  do  not  hesitate  to  cross  rivers  that  lie  in  their  path. 

Although  excellent  climbers,  making  their  nests  in  a  hollow,  high 
up  in  some  large  tree,  they  cannot  be  said  to  be  arboreal  in 
habits.  They  do  not  pursue  their  prey  amongst  the  tree  tops,  after 
the  manner  of  the  martens,  nor  make  a  practice  of  gathering  nuts 
from  the  branches,  like  squirrels;  nor  do  they,  like  the  porcupine, 
browse  upon  the  green  foliage.  Trees  constitute  the  homes  in  which 
they  rest  and  bring  forth  their  young,  and  to  which  they  retreat 
\vhen  pursued  by  man  or  beast;  but  their  business  is  transacted  else- 
where. At  nightfall  they  descend  to  the  ground  to  prowl  through 
groves,  fields,  and  swamps,  and  follow  streams  and  lake  shores  in 
search  of  food. 

Their  fondness  for  fresh  corn  has  brought  many  a  luckless  'Coon 
to  an  untimely  end,  for  "  'Coon  hunting,  by  the  light  of  the  harvest 
moon,"  has  long  been  a  favorite  sport.  The  method  of  procedure  is 
simple  :  several  men,  with  dogs,  meet  together,  generally  about  mid- 
night, near  some  maize  field  which  is  known  to  be  frequented  by 
these  animals.  If  a  Raccoon  happens  to  be  present  he  is  soon  treed 
by  the  dogs,  and  is  either  shot,  or  the  tree  upon  which  he  hides  is 
felled  and  he  is  destroyed  by  the  dogs.  An  old  'Coon  is  a  tough 
match  for  an  average  dog,  and  many  a  plucky  cur  bears  lasting 
scars  of  their  sharp  teeth.  The  'Coon  first  invades  the  corn  fields 
while  the  tender  kernels,  not  yet  full  grown,  consist  of  a  soft 
milky  pulp,  and  he  continues  to  feast  upon  the  maize  till  fully 
ripe,  and  even  after  it  is  cut  and  stacked.  He  is  very  expert  in 
breaking  down  the  stalks  and  stripping  the  husks  from  the  ear, 
using  his  fore-paws  as  we  do  our  hands. 

Raccoons  are  clever  beasts,  and  in  certain  directions  their  cun- 
ning surpasses  that  of  the  fox.  The  familiar  epithet,  "  a  sly 
'Coon,"  owes  its  origin  to  certain  of  their  proclivities.  Still  they 


1'KOCYON  LOTOR. 

do  not  exercise  their  cunning  for  self-preservation;  they  are  not 
sufficiently  suspicious  of  unusual  objects,  and  are  easily  taken  in 
almost  any  kind  of  a  trap.  They  are  not  swift  runners  and  if  pursued 
take  to  a  tree  and  are  readily  killed. 

They  make,  when  taken  young,  intelligent  and  interesting  pets, 
be  in  or  easily  tamed,  and  evincing  considerable  affection  for  their 

<j  J  fj 

master.  But  they  cannot  be  allowed  their  liberty,  like  tame 
skunks,  because  of  their  innate  propensity  for  mischief.  If  not 
closely  watched  they  will  slyly  enter  the  house  through  some 
open  door  or  window,  and  are  liable  to  do  considerable  damage,  for 
their  natural  curiosity  prompts  them  to  examine  everything  within 
reach,  and  anything  out  of  reach  of  a  'Coon  must  be  inaccessible 
indeed.  They  invariably  manifest  an  insatiate  desire  to  in- 
vestigate the  pantry  shelves,  and  rarely  neglect  to  taste  every 
edible  thing  that  happens  to  be  there.  They  have  a  special 
penchant  for  sweetmeats  and  greedily  devour  preserves,  honey, 
molasses,  sugar,  pies  and  cakes;  and  even  bread,  butter,  lard,  milk 
etc.,  are  by  no  means  disregarded.  They  remove  the  covers  from 
jars  and  pails,  and  uncork  bottles,  with  as  much  ease  and  facility, 
apparently,  as  if  they  had  been  instructed  in  this  art  from  earliest  in- 
fancy. Doors  that  latch,  as  they  do  in  most  old  country  houses, 
are  soon  opened,  even  by  unsophisticated  'Coons,  and  it  takes  them 
but  a  short  time  to  acquire  the  method  of  opening  knob  doors.  Their 
fore  paws  are  employed  as  hands,  and  can  be  put  to  almost  as  great 
a  variety  of  uses  as  those  of  the  monkey- —which  animal  they  further 
resemble  in  the  propensity  for  mischief-making. 

The  Raccoon  hibernates  during  the  severest  part  of  the  winter, 
retiring  to  his  nest  rather  early,  and  appearing  again  in  February  or 
March,  according  to  the  earliness  or  lateness  of  the  season.  Dislik- 
ing to  wade  through  deep  snow  he  does  not  come  out  much  till  the 
alternate  thawing  and  freezing  of  the  surface,  suggestive  of  coming 
spring,  makes  a  crust  upon  which  he  can  run  with  ease.  He  does 
not  usually  walk  many  miles  during  a  single  night,  and  consequently 


94 


MAMMALIA. 


is  soon  tracked  to  the  tree,  in  some  hole  of  which  he  has  retired  for 
the  day.  If  the  tree  is  too  large  to  be  easily  felled,  a  trap  set  at  its 
foot,  and  baited  with  a  bit  of  toasted  cod-fish  or  an  ear  of  corn,  is 
pretty  sure  to  secure  him  before  the  next  morning. 

It  is  unusual  to  find  a  Raccoon  alone,  for  they  commonly  live  and 
travel  in  small  companies,  consisting  of  the  several  members  of  a 
single  family.  They  do  not  return  to  the  same  nest  every  morning, 
but  often  make  little  excursions  in  various  directions,  being  gone 
several  days  at  a  time,  and  taking  refuge,  about  daylight,  in  any 
convenient  aboreal  shelter.  Though  preferring  a  hollow  limb  high 
up  on  some  giant  elm,  ash,  or  basswood,  they  will  put  up  with  almost 
any  kind  of  a  hollow  trunk.  I  have  known  them  to  spend  the  day 
in  old  stubs,  in  hollow  logs,  and  even  in  the  poor  shelter  afforded  by 
the  angle  where  a  falling  tree  had  lodged  in  a  crotch. 

In  tracking  Raccoons  upon  the  crust  I  have  sometimes  observed  a 
family  to  separate  and  go  in  different  directions,  spending  the  day  in 
different  trees,  to  come  together  again  on  the  night  following.  At 
this  season  (before  there  is  any  bare  ground)  they  have  considerable 
difficulty  in  procuring  sufficient  food. 

As  already  stated,  the  Raccoon  makes  its  home  high  up  in  a 
hollow  of  some  large  tree,  preferring  a  dead  limb  to  the  trunk  itself. 
It  does  little  in  the  way  of  constructing  a  nest,  and  from  four  to  six 
young  are  commonly  born  at  a  time — generally  early  in  April  in  this 
region.  The  young  remain  with  the  mother  about  a  year. 

The  flesh  of  young  'Coons  is  very  fair  eating,  but  that  of  the  adult 
animals  is  tough  and  rank,  and  suggests  the  meat  of  old  Woodchucks. 

More  than  an  hundred  years  ago  Thomas  Pennant  wrote,  in  his 
quaint  style,  that  the  Raccoon  was  "  an  animal  easily  made  tame, 
very  good-natured  and  sportive,  but  as  unlucky  as  a  monkey,  almost 
always  in  motion;  very  inquisitive,  examining  everything  with  its 
paws;  makes  use  of  them  as  hands:  sits  up  to  eat:  is  extremely  fond 
of  sweet  things,  and  strong  liquors,  and  will  get  excessively  drunk: 
has  all  the  cunning  of  a  fox:  very  destructive  to  poultry;  but  will  eat 


URSUS  AMl'.RK'ANl  s. 

all  sorts  of  fruits,  green  corn,  &c.  at  low  water  feeds  much  on  oysters, 
will  watch  their  opening,  and  with  its  paw  snatch  out  the  fish;  some- 
times is  caught  in  the  shell,  and  kept  there  till  drowned  by  the  com- 
ing in  of  the  tide:  fond  also  of  crabs:  climbs  very  nimbly  up  trees: 
hunted  for  its  skin;  the  fur  next  to  that  of  the  beaver,  being  excellent 
for  making  hats." 

Family   URSID.*:. 

URSUS  AMERICANUS    Paiia*. 
Black  Bear. 

This  plantigrade  mammal,  the  largest  and  most  powerful  of  the  in- 
habitants of  the  Adirondacks,  is  still  abundant  in  most  parts  of  the 
Wilderness.  His  proper  home  is  within  the  deep  evergreen  forests, 
but  he  is  something  of  a  rover  and  at  certain  seasons,  particularly  in 
autumn,  makes  numerous  excursions  into  the  surrounding  country. 

Notwithstanding  the  carnivorous  position  of  the  Bear  he  is  par  ex- 
cellence an  omnivorous  beast,  and  his  larder  consists  not  only  of  mice 
and  other  small  mammals,  turtles,  frogs,  and  fish;  but  also,  and  laro-e- 

o  o 

ly,  of  ants  and  their  eggs,  bees  and  their  honey,  cherries,  blackberries, 
raspberries,  blueberries  and  various  other  fruits,  vegetables,  and  roots. 
He  sometimes  makes  devastating  raids  upon  the  barn-yard,  slaying 
and  devouring  sheep,  calves,  pigs,  and  poultry.  In  confinement  he 
shares  with  the  inmates  of  the  hog-pen  whatever  is  left  from  his 
master's  table. 

He  delights  in  tearing  open  old  stumps  and  logs  in  search  of  the 
ants  that  make  their  homes  in  such  situations,-}*  and  di<js  out  the  nests 

o 

of  the  "  yellow-jackets,"  devouring  both  the  wasps  themselves  and  the 
comb  containing  their  honey  and  grubs.  So  fond  is  he  of  honey 
that  he  never  misses  an  opportunity  to  rob  a  "  bee  tree,"  manifesting 

*  Synopsis  of  Quadrupeds,  1771,  pp.  199-200. 

f  While  fishing  in  the  North  Bay  of  Big  Moose  Lake,  during  the  summer  of  iSSl,  Mr.  Harry 
Burrell  Miller,  of  New  York  city,  heard  a  Bear  tearing  down  an  old  stump  that  stood  on  a  point  in 
the  bay.  His  guide,  Richard  Crego,  noiselessly  paddled  him  to  the  spot  and  he  killed  the  Bear  with 
one  ball  from  his  rifle.  Its  stomach  contained  about  a  quart  of  ants  and  their  eggs. 


MAMMALIA. 

no  fear  of  the  bees  that  angrily  swarm  about  him,  his  thick  hair  and 
tough  hide  protecting  him  from  their  stings.  When  plundering  the 
apple  orchard  he  is  said  to  touch  only  the  sweetest  fruit. 

He  must  relish  prussic  acid,  for  no  article  of  his  comprehensive 
bill-of-fare  is  more  certain  to  secure  his  consideration  than  a  tree 
laden  with  ripe  black-cherries.  Here  he  will  spend  hours  at  a  time, 
glutting  upon  the  handsome  fruit,  which  he  leisurely  collects  from  the 
branches,  and  is  apt  to  return  again  and  again  so  long  as  the  supply 
holds  out.  Fields  of  ripe  blackberries  also  claim  a  large  share  of 
attention,  and  his  excessive  fondness  for  them  often  overcomes  his 
natural  prudence,  and  he  is  sometimes  surprised,  in  broad  daylight, 
indulging  his  appetite  in  such  situations. 

The  senses  of  smell  and  hearing  are  so  acute  in  these  brutes  that 

o 

under  ordinary  circumstances  it  is  impossible  to  approach  even  within 
rifle  range  of  them.  But  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  during  their  expedi- 
tions through  the  clearings,  they  sometimes  wander  for  miles  through 
quite  thickly  settled  portions  of  country,  when,  owing  to  the  open 
nature  of  the  ground,  they  are  frequently  seen  and  occasionally  shot. 

In  Lewis  County,  about  twenty  miles  west  of  the  western  border 
of  the  Wilderness,  is  an  uninhabited  tract  of  evergreen  forest,  cover- 
ing portions  of  the  towns  of  High  Market,  Osceola,  Montague,  and 
Pinckney.  In  this  forest  dwell  many  Bears,  and  in  the  fall  they  often 
cross  over  the  intervening  valley,  a  fertile  farming  country,  and  enter 
the  Adirondacks.  At  such  times  they  occasionally  pass  through  our 
own  grounds,  at  Locust  Grove,  in  the  town  of  Leyden;  and  during 
one  October,  about  five  years  ago,  no  less  than  nine  Bears  were  killed 
within  six  miles  from  my  residence. 

Though  good  climbers,  Bears  are  unable,  on  account  of  their  great 
weight,  to  ascend  to  the  tree  tops  or  climb  far  out  on  the  branches. 
They  are  excellent  swimmers,  crossing  with  ease  not  only  rivers,  but 
even  large  and  broad  lakes.  Many  have  been  surprised  and  killed 
while  swimming  the  lakes  that  abound  in  the  "  North  Woods  ";  and 

o 

only  last  year  (in   July,    1881)   the    steamer    Ganouskie,    on    Lake 


URSUS  A.MERICANUS.  07 

George,  ran  down  one  of  them,  and  it  \vas  killed  with  an  axe  by  a 
drummer  from  Gotham.     This  was  just  above  Anthony's  Nose. 

As  a  rule  our  Bears  "  den  up  "  in  winter,  but  their  hibernation  is 
not  profound,  and  it  is  prudent  not  to  take  many  liberties  with  them 
when  in  this  condition.  The  exact  period  when  the  event  takes 
place  is  determined  by  the  food  supply  and  the  severity  of  the  sea- 
son. If  the  beech-nut  crop  has  been  a  failure  and  deep  snows  come 
early,  they  generally  den  near  the  commencement  of  winter.  If,  on 
the  contrary,  there  has  been  a  good  yield  of  mast,  and  the  winter 
is  a  mild  one  (and  it  is  a  fact  that,  with  us,  good  beech-nut  years  are 
commonly  followed  by  open  winters),  the  males  prowl  about  nearly, 
or  quite,  all  winter,  and  the  females  only  den  a  short  time  before  the 
period  of  bringing  forth  their  young.  Indeed,  it  can  be  set  down  as 
a  rule,  that  so  long  as  a  male  Bear  can  find  enough  to  eat  he  will  not 
den,  be  the  weather  never  so  severe  ;  for  it  is  evident  that  he  does 
not  den  to  escape  either  the  low  temperature  or  the  deep  snows, 
but  to  thus  bridge  over  a  period  when,  if  active,  he  would  be  unable 
to  procure  sufficient  food.  And  the  female,  under  similar  circum- 
stances, remains  out  till  the  maternal  impulse  prompts  her  to  seek  a 
shelter  for  her  prospective  offspring  ;  and  in  this  Wilderness  they 
have  been  found  travelling  as  late  as  the  middle  of  January. 

The  den  is  not  commonly  much  of  an  affair.  It  is  generally  a 
partial  excavation  under  the  upturned  roots  of  a  fallen  tree,  or  under 
a  pile  of  logs,  with  perhaps  a  few  bushes  and  leaves  scraped  together 
by  way  of  a  bed,  while  to  the  first  snow-storm  is  left  the  task  of 
completing  the  roof  and  filling  the  remaining  chinks.  Not  infre- 
quently the  den  is  a  great  hole  or  cave  dug  into  the  side  of  a  knoll, 
and  generally  under  some  standing  tree,  whose  roots  serve  as  side 
posts  to  the  entrance.  The  amount  of  labor  bestowed  upon  it  de- 
pends upon  the  length  of  time  the  Bear  expects  to  hibernate.  II  the 
prospects  point  toward  a  severe  winter  and  there  is  a  scarcity  of 
food,  they  den  early  and  take  pains  to  make  a  comfortable  nest ;  but 
when  they  stay  out  late  and  then  den  in  a  hurry,  they  do  not  take 


98 


MAMMALIA. 


the  trouble  to  fix  up  their  nesis  at  all.  At  such  times  they  simply 
crawl  into  any  convenient  shelter,  without  gathering  so  much  as  a 
bunch  of  moss  to  soften  their  bed.  Snow  completes  the  covering, 
and  as  their  breath  condenses  and  freezes  into  it  an  icy  wall  begins 
to  form,  and  increases  in  thickness  and  extent  day  by  day  till  they  are 
soon  unable  to  escape,  even  if  they  would,  and  are  obliged  to  wait 
in  this  icy  cell  till  liberated  by  the  sun  in  April  or  May. 

The  diminutive  size,  premature  appearance,  and  helpless  condition 
of  the  young  of  this  species  at  birth  cannot  fail  to  excite  surprise. 
They  are  not  six  inches  (162  mm)  in  length,  weigh  less  than  a 
pound  (453.6  grams),  and  are  not  yet  covered  with  hair.  Their  eyes 
do  not  open  for  more  than  a  month.  I  know  of  no  other  mammal, 
except  among  the  Marsupials,  whose  young  are  so  disproportion- 
ately small,  or  are  born  in  such  an  undeveloped  condition.  It  is 
necessary  for  their  preservation  that  the  mother  should  cover  them 
nearly  the  whole  time  for  the  first  two  months. 

Mr.  Frank  J.  Thompson,  Superintendent  of  the  Zoological  Garden 
at  Cincinnati,  has  published  a  thoroughly  trustworthy  account  of  the 
early  development  of  a  litter  of  Black  Bears,  in  confinement;  and 
observations  of  this  nature  are  so  rare  that  I  here  reproduce  the 
main  part  of  his  communication  : 

"  About  the  middle  of  January  last,  the  female  Black  Bear  in  the 
Society's  collection  refused  to  come  out  of  her  den  into  the  open  pit 
and  would  not  allow  the  male  to  approach  her.  She  was  immediately 
closed  in  and  furnished  with  an  abundance  of  hay,  with  which  she 
busied  herself  in  making  a  nice  warm  bed.  At  4  p.  M.  on  January 
26th,  the  young  ones  were  born  and  I  did  not  see  them  until  the 
third  day  after,  when  I  was  surprised  by  the  keeper  informing  me 
that  she  would  allow  him  to  enter  the  den.  On  going  with  him,  he 
unlocked  the  door,  fearlessly  walked  in,  and  quickly  began  feeding 
her  with  bits  of  bread,  which  he  sliced  from  a  loaf  held  in  his  hand. 
By  holding  the  bread  just  over  her  head,  he  finally  tempted  her  to 
sit  up  on  her  haunches,  when  I  obtained  a  clear  view  of  the  two 


I  IRS  US  AM  ERIC  AN  US. 

young  ones,  lying  asleep  just  back  of  her  front  paws.  From  where 
1  stood,  about  six  feet  distant,  they  did  not  seem  to  exceed  six 
inches  in  length,  were  a  dirty  whitish  color,  and  appeared  entirely 
bare  of  hair.  In  about  ten  days  their  coats  began  to  show  and  were 
of  a  grayish  tint,  which  gradually  passed  through  the  various  shades 
until  they  became  a  brownish  black.  It  was  just  forty  days  before 
the  first  one's  eyes  opened,  and  two  days  after  the  second  followed 
suit.  From  that  time  forward  I  watched  very  closely  to  ascertain  the 
exact  time  that  would  elapse  before  the  young  ones  would  leave  the 
nest,  and  on  the  seventy-first  day  after  birth,  when  the  mother,  as 
was  her  habit,  came  to  the  grating  to  be  fed,  one  of  the  youngsters 
left  the  nest  and  followed  her.  So  soon  as  she  found  it  out  she  im- 
mediately drew  it  gently  back,  and  on  its  second  attempt,  she  cuffed 
it  soundly,  which  put  a  stop  to  its  wandering  propensity.  After  a 
few  days  she  allowed  them  to  wander  about  at  will  provided  no  one 
was  immediately  in  front  of  the  den;  but  so  soon  as  a  visitor  put  in 
an  appearance,  they  were  driven  back  into  the  nest  and  not  allowed 
to  emerge  until  the  strangers  were  out  of  sight.  For  some  time  she 
always  suckled  them  in  one  position,  lying  over  and  completely  cov- 
ering them  by  stretching  flat  on  her  belly  with  her  legs  drawn  up 
under  her  and  her  head  tucked  down  between  her  front  paws.  As 
they  grew  older  and  began  to  run  about  she  would  sit  on  her 
haunches,  lazily  lean  back  against  the  wall,  take  a  cub  on  each  fore 
arm  and  hold  them  up  to  her  breast  until  they  were  satisfied.  They 
soon  became  expert  climbers,  taking  advantage  of  the  slightest  ine- 
qualities of  the  stone  walls  and  the  cracks  between  the  heavy  oaken 
planks  to  reach  the  ceiling  of  the  den  on  three  sides,  whilst  the 
grating  in  front  served  capitally  for  their  skylarking.  Occasionally 
they  would  have  a  regular  sparring  bout,  standing  erect,  feinting, 
countering,  and  making  use  of  many  of  the  tricks  of  old  votaries  of 
the  P.  R.  These  frolics  would  generally  end  in  a  clinch,  fall,  and  a 
regular  rough  and  tumble  fight,  when  the  mother  would  abruptly  put 
a  stop  to  it,  by  suddenly  knocking  both  of  the  contestants  completely 


IOO  MAMMALIA. 


out  of  time.  In  fact,  as  they  grew  apace,  the  parental  visitations  in- 
creased so  rapidly  I  began  to  fear  she  would  put  an  end  to  my  Bear 
investigations  by  chastising  the  lives  out  of  them,  but  of  late  she  has 
slackened  in  her  attentions,  and  I  am  in  hopes  of  following  the 
growth  of  Ursus  Amcricanns  from  babyhood  to  adolescence.' 

Black  Bears  commonly  have  two  or  three  cubs  at  a  birth,  and  rare- 
ly, four.  It  is  doubtful  if  they  have  young  oftener  than  every  other 
year. 

Early  in  February,  1878,  E.  L.  Sheppard,  J.  W.  Shultz,  and  E.  N. 
Arnold,  while  on  a  Panther  hunt  in  the  country  northeast  of  Big  Otter 
Lake,  came  across  aline  cf  dimples  in  the  snow  that  indicated,  to 
their  practised  eyes,  the  course  taken  by  a  large  Bear  some  time 
before,  and  now  almost  hidden  by  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  that  had  oc- 
curred about  three  weeks  previously.  Judging  that  the  animal  had 
been  searching  for  winter  quarters  they  determined  to  follow  it;  but 
being  out  of  provisions  Sheppard  and  Shultz  returned  to  camp  for  a 
new  supply,  while  Arnold  took  the  track.  Owing  to  the  thickness 
of  the  forest  the  snow  had  not  drifted  and  therefore  he  had  little  dif- 
ficulty in  keeping  the  track,  though  nearly  a  foot  of  snow  covered 
it.  He  soon  reached  the  den,  which  was  an  excavation  in  the 
side  of  a  knoll.  Not  only  was  the  Bear  not  asleep,  but  she  was  ex- 
tremely lively  and  earnest  in  her  attempts  to  get  out.  Fortunately, 
however,  she  was  already  frozen  in,  and  during  her  fierce  and  furious 
efforts  to  reach  Mr.  Arnold  he  succeeded  in  shooting  her  dead.  Not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  he  was  well  armed  Mr.  Arnold  avers  that 
if  the  Bear  had  had  a  free  exit  from  her  den  he  doubts  much  if  he 
would  have  lived  to  narrate  the  occurrence.  After  killing  the  Bear 
he  discovered  that  there  were  three  living  young  beneath  her  in  the 
den.  He  put  them  in  his  pocket,  but  they  died  that  night.  They 
were  very  small  and  helpless,  and  were  probably  about  two  weeks  old. 

In  April  of  the  same  year  one  of  the  guides  found  another  Bear  in 
her  den  in  a  swamp  south  of  Fourth  Lake,  Fulton  Chain.  This  den, 

*  Forest  and  Stream,  Vol.  XIII,  No.  4,  Sept.  4,  1879,  p.  605. 


URSUS  AMEKICANUS.  IOi 

which  I  have  myself  seen,  was  also  a  hole  dug  into  the  side  of  a 
knoll,  and  its  presence  was  betrayed  by  the  young  who  were  playing 
outside  and  did  not  know  enough  to  hide  away  at  the  approach  of 
man.  In  this  case  also  the  old  Bear  was  unable  to  get  out  and  was 
easily  killed. 

While  hunting,  June  10,  1878,  Dr.  C.  L.  Bagg  and  the  writer  fol- 
lowed the  old  trail  from  Fourth  Lake  across  Eagle  Creek  in  the  di- 
rection of  John's  Lake.  In  exploring  a  hardwood  ridge  a  little  to 
the  north  of  the  regular  course  we  were  suddenly  surprised  by  a  loud 
and  peculiar  cry  with  which  \ve  were  both  unacquainted.  It  came 
from  the  direction  of  a  dense  balsam  swamp  below,  and  somewhat 
resembled  the  squealing  of  a  pig,  while  at  the  same  time  it  suggested 
the  noise  made  by  the  Great  Blue  Heron  when  on  its  nesting  grounds. 

*  O    e5 

As  the  cry  was  repeated  Dr.  Bagg  imitated  it,  and  succeeded  so  well 
that  we  soon  perceived  it  to  be  coming  nearer.  Fearing  that  it 
might  change  its  course  I  ran  down  the  hill  and  soon  saw  a  dark- 
colored  animal,  about  the  size  of  a  Raccoon,  emerge  from  the  swamp 
and  jump  upon  a  log,  rushing  headlong  in  the  direction  towards  Dr. 
Bagg,  and  squealing  at  brief  intervals  as  if  in  great  distress.  Bring- 
ing my  gun  (loaded  only  with  No.  4  shot)  hastily  to  my  shoulder  I 
fired,  and  the  report  was  followed  by  a  shriek  of  pain  and  a  plaintive, 
baby-like,  sobbing  cry  that  lasted  for  nearly  a  minute.  On  reaching 
the  spot  the  animal  was  found  to  be  a  cub  Bear,  and  was  then  quite 
dead,  one  of  the  shot  having  passed  through  both  ventricles  of  the 
heart  It  was  very  thin,  weighing  but  ten  pounds  (4536  grams), 
and  had  evidently  been  lost  from  its  mother  for  some  time.  Its 
stomach  contained  nothing  but  beech-nuts,  and  beech-nuts  that  have 
lain  on  the  ground  all  winter,  and  are  still  fit  to  eat  in  June,  are  cer- 
tainly few  and  far  between. 

In  traversing  unfrequented  portions  of  the  Wilderness  one  occa- 
sionally meets  with  a  tree  whose  bark  has  been  scratched  and  torn, 
at  some  little  height  from  the  ground,  in  a  manner  that  cannot  fail 
to  excite  his  attention  and  surprise.  This  is  the  work  of  the  Bear, 


MAMMALIA. 

but  the  object  of  it  is  not  known.  Hunters  claim  that  whenever  a 
Bear  passes  one  of  these  trees  he  stops,  stands  on  his  hind-legs  and 
gnaws  and  scratches  it  before  resuming  his  journey.  The  only  ac- 
count of  the  strange  proceeding  that  I  have  seen  is  given  by  Audu- 
bon  and  Bachman,  who  state: 

"At  one  season,  the  Bear  may  be  seen  examining  the  lower  part 
of  the  trunk  of  a  tree  for  several  minutes  with  much  attention,  at  the 
same  time  looking  around  and  snuffing  the  air.  It  then  rises  on  its 

o  <~> 

hind-legs,  approaches  the  trunk,  embraces  it  with  the  fore-legs,  and 
scratches  the  bark  with  its  teeth  and  claws  for  several  minutes  in 
continuance.  Its  jaws  clash  against  each  other  until  a  mass  of  foam 
runs  down  on  both  sides  of  the  mouth.  After  this  it  continues  its 
rambles." 

On  the  Island  of  Anticosti,  Bears  are  still  numerous,  and  feed  so 
largely  on  fish  that  the  inhabitants  state  that  their  flesh  is,  on  this 
account,  as  unpalatable  as  that  of  the  Sheldrake.  During  a  recent  visit 
to  the  west  end  of  this  island,  I  saw  the  spot,  on  the  beach,  where, 
three  days  previously,  three  full-grown  Bears  had  been  killed.  It 
was  at  low  water,  and  they  were  so  busily  engaged  in  capturing  and 
devouring  the  little  fish  called  Capelin  (Mallotus  villosns]  that  were 
detained  in  the  shallow  tide-pools  on  the  flat  lime-rock  shore,  that 
the  fishermen  approached  unobserved  and  dispatched  them  without 
trouble. 

Bears  are  great  cowards  and  never  attack  man  except  when 
wounded,  or  in  defence  of  their  young.  When  wounded  they  make 
desperate  and  dangerous  foes,  and  more  than  one  hardy  hunter  has 
lost  his  life  in  encounters  with  them.  In  fighting,  the  large  and 
powerful  claws  inflict  even  worse  wounds  than  those  made  by  their 
formidable  teeth,  and  the  bodies  of  their  victims  are  often  frightfully 
lacerated.  If  able  to  "close  in"  with  the  luckless  hunter  they  stand 
upright  and  hug  him  tight  with  their  fore-paws,  while  the  hind-claws 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  Vol.  Ill,  1854,  p.  189. 


URSUS  AMERICANUS.  icr 

o 

are  busy  in  tearing  the  flesh  from  his  legs  or  ripping-  open  his 
bowels. 

Bears  are  frequently  tamed  and,  being  intelligent  brutes,  make  in- 
teresting pets ;  but  their  dispositions  are  not  of  the  gentlest  type, 
and  in  growing  old,  they  are  apt,  at  times,  to  become  obstinate  and 
unruly,  if  not  dangerous,  and  often  have  to  be  killed. 

A  curious  instance  of  the  mischief-making  propensity  of  this  ani- 
mal has  recently  attracted  considerable  attention.  During  the  past 
summer  (1882)  the  Adirondack  Survey  established  a  Signal  Station 
on  Black  Mountain,  near  the  head  of  Fourth  Lake.  Returning-  one 

o 

day,  after  a  temporary  absence,  the  members  of  the  party  were  as- 
tonished to  find  their  tent  torn  down,  and  blankets  books,  and  instru- 
ments strewn  about  upon  the  ground.  The  footprints  of  a  Bear  re- 
vealed the  identity  of  the  marauder;  and  Mr.  Colvin,  Superintendent 
of  the  Survey,  afterwards  fired  at  and  wounded  the  beast,  but  did 
not  succeed  in  capturing  him. 

There  being  no  bounty  on  Bears  in  New  York  State,  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  ascertain  how  many  are  annually  destroyed  in  this  Wilderness. 
That  the  average  number  killed  each  year  exceeds  thirty  there  can 
be  no  reasonable  doubt,  and  I  have  known  this  number  to  be  killed 
in  Lewis  County  alone  in  a  single  season. 

Bear's  meat  is  sometimes  very  good,  and  sometimes  quite  the  re- 
verse. I  have  eaten  it  when  it  tasted  like  fresh  pork,  and  at  other 
times  when  its  flavor  was  so  rank  and  disagreeable  as  to  render  it 

O 

quite  unpalatable.  Age,  sex,  season,  and  food  have  to  do  with  this 
difference. 

In  Forest  and  Stream  for  Dec.  26,  1878,  is  printed  a  portion  of  an 
original  manuscript  of  one  Paul  Dudley,  written  about  the  year  17 18. 
One  paragraph,  relating  to  this  species,  runs  as  follows  : 

"  Black  Bears — When  the  snow  is  deep  they  den,  and  don't  come 
out  till  the  snow  is  so  wasted  as  they  can  trail  their  food — nuts, 
acorns,  frogs,  berries,  crickets,  grapes — and  preys  also.  Don't  carry 
food  into  their  dens;  generally  den  alone,  unless  it  be  a  she  with  her 


MAMMALIA. 

cubbs  of  the  first  year,  sometimes  in  a  Hollow  Tree,  a  Hollow  Log, 
under  the  Root  of  a  Tree,  cleft  of  a  Rock.  Dog  scents  them  & 
Barks,  then  they  come  out.  But  if  the  snow  be  deep  they  won't 
stir.  Kill  them,  nothing  in  their  gutts  but  slime  ;  they  will  put  fire  in 
the  Hole  of  a  Tree  then  the  Bear  will  come  Thundering  out  whether 
they  are  asleep  or  only  mope,  for  they  easily  wake.  Bear  bring 
forth  but  once  in  3  years.  Suckle  their  young." 

PINNIPEDIA.     Family 

PHOCA    VITULINA 

Harbor  Seal. 

Mention  of  the  occurrence  of  a  Seal,  in  a  treatise  upon  the  Fauna 
of  the  Adirondack  region,  will  doubtless  occasion  surprise  in  the 
minds  of  the  majority  of  my  readers.  It  must  be  remembered,  how- 
ever, that  the  eastern  limit  of  this  area  embraces  a  portion  of  Lake 
Champlain,  and  that  the  waters  of  this  beautiful  lake  are  put  in  di- 
rect communication  with  those  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  below  Montreal, 
by  its  outlet,  the  River  Richelieu. 

The  Harbor  Seal  breeds  regularly  both  in  the  Gulf  and  River  of 
St.  Lawrence,  and  I  have  seen  numbers  of  them,  in  July,  as  far  up 
the  River  as  the  Saguenay,  and  they  are  still  common  even  within 
fifty  miles  of  Quebec. 

Zadock  Thompson  has  recorded  the  capture  of  two  of  them  on 
Lake  Champlain.  He  says  :  "  While  several  persons  were  skating 
upon  the  ice  on  Lake  Champlain,  a  little  south  of  Burlington,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1810,  they  discovered  a  living  seal  in  a  wild  state,  which  had 
found  its  way  through  a  crack  and  was  crawling  upon  the  ice.  They 
took  off  their  skates,  with  which  they  attacked  and  killed  it,  and  then 
drew  it  to  the  shore.  It  is  said  to  have  been  45  feet  long.  It  must 
have  reached  our  lake  by  way  of  the  St.  Lawrence  and  Richelieu; 


PIIOCA  VITULINA. 


io5 


but  it  was  not  ascertained  whether  the  poor  (fat)  wanderer  had  lost 
his  way,  or  having  taken  a  miff  at  society,  was  seeking  voluntary 
retirement  from  the  world — of  seals." 

"  Another  Seal  was  killed  upon  the  ice  between  Burlington  and 
Port  Kent,  on  the  23d  of  February,  1846.  Mr.  Tabor,  of  Keeseville, 
and  Messrs.  Morse  and  Field,  of  Peru,  were  crossing  over  in  sleighs, 
when  they  discovered  it  crawling  upon  the  ice,  and,  attacking  it  with 
the  butt-end  of  their  whips,  they  succeeded  in  killing  it,  and  brought 
it  on  shore  at  Burlington,  where  it  was  purchased  by  Morton  Cole, 
Esq.,  and  presented  to  the  University  of  Vermont,  where  its  skin 
and  skeleton  are  now  preserved."  f  This  is  followed  by  a  detailed  de- 
scription of  this  specimen,  which  was  a  female,  and  by  the  remark 
that  "At  the  time  the  above-mentioned  Seal  was  taken,  the  lake,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  cracks,  was  entirely  covered  with  ice." 

During  a  recent  visit  to  Lake  Champlain  I  was  told  that  a  Seal  had 
been  killed  on  the  ice,  near  Crown  Point,  within  four  or  five  years, 
but  was  unable  to  authenticate  the  statement. 

Dr.  DeKay  mentioned  the  occasional  occurrence  of  this  species  on 
Lake  Ontario,  many  years  ago;  and  during  the  past  winter  one  was 
killed  on  Onondaga  Lake  that  must  have  reached  this  remote  inland 
water  by  way  of  Lake  Ontario. 

I  have  seen  many  of  these  Seals  in  Long  Island  Sound,  chiefly 
about  the  Thimble  Islands;  and  March  25,  1879,  I  saw  one  on  a  rock 
in  the  Hudson  River,  near  Sing  Sing. 

We  learn,  from  Mr.  J.  A.  Allen's  excellent  "  History  of  the  North 
American  Pinnipeds,"  that  the  period  of  gestation,  in  this  restless 
nomad,  is  about  nine  months,  and  that  commonly  but  a  single  young- 
is  born  at  a  time,  though  they  sometimes  have  twins. 

They  breed  very  late,  generally  in  June  and  July,  and  their  young 
are  deposited  upon  the  shore  instead  of  upon  the  ice,  as  is  customary 
with  many  species. 

*  Natural  and  Civil  History  of  Vermont,  1842,  p.  38. 
f  Loc.  cit.,  Appendix,  1853,  p.  13. 


IO5  MAMMALIA. 

This  species,  like  most  of  the  Seal  kind,  feeds  chiefly  upon  fish, 
squids,  shrimps,  and  the  like.  They  sometimes  prove  a  great  nui- 
sance to  the  fisherman,  by  robbing  his  nets  of  the  salmon  and  other 
fish  that  they  happen  to  contain.  They  have  also  been  observed  to 
catch  sea  birds  while  swimming  by  seizing-  them  from  below. 

«;>         J  o 

The  Harbor  Seal,  when  taken  young,  is  easily  domesticated,  and 
soon  becomes  very  tame  and  fond  of  its  master.  It  is  a  very  intelli- 
gent animal,  and  may  be  taught  many  things.  It  is  said  to  be  par- 
ticularly fond  of  music. 

Mr.  Allen  quotes  the  following  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  Edmonston  : 
"The  young  ones  are  easily  domesticated,  and  display  a  great  deal 
of  sagacity.  One  in  particular  became  so  tame  that  it  lay  along  the 
fire  among  the  dogs,  bathed  in  the  sea,  and  returned  to  the  house, 
but  having  found  the  way  to  the  byres,  used  to  steal  there  unob- 
served and  suck  the  cows."* 

These  Seals  make  a  variety  of  noises.  Their  most  characteristic 
cry  is  a  sad,  plaintive  moan,  or  a  prolonged,  dismal  howl.  When  a 
number  unite,  as  is  commonly  the  case,  in  a  doleful  chorus  the  ef- 
fect is  most  depressing.  Last  summer  (in  July,  1882),  when  befogged 
off  the  Mingan  Islands,  I  on  several  occasions  observed  this  per- 
formance. It  seemed  like  the  lament  of  a  doomed  race,  bewailing 
an  inevitable  fate,  and  bemoaning,  in  solemn  requiem,  the  loss  of 
former  comrades. 

This  mournful  cadence  is  usually  executed  in  the  night-time,  and 
the  darkness  certainly  does  not  detract  from  the  general  melancholy 
of  the  effect.  The  cold,  bleak  shores,  too,  lend  an  additional  element 
of  cheerlessness  to  the  scene.  However,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  the  deep-drawn  sighs,  the  woe-begone  moans,  and  the  chorus 
that  suggests  a  dirge,  may  all,  for  aught  we  know,  be  expressions  of 
joy  and  contentment;  for  it  is  the  impression  produced  upon  us  that 
is  melancholy  and  sad.  So  little  do  we  comprehend  the  language  of 
our  inferiors. 


*  Monograph  of  North  American  Pinnipeds,  1880,  p.  594. 

[From  Trans.  Linn.  Soc.  N.  Y,,  Vol.  I,  Nov.,  1882       Paging  not  changed.] 


CARIACTS     VIRGINIANUS.  IO/ 


Order  UNGULATA.     Family  CERVID.I  . 

CARIACUS    VIRGINIANUS    (Bodd.)  Gray. 
Common  Deer  ;    1  'irgitiia  Deer  ;  Red  Deer  ;    WJiitc-tailed  Deer. 

DEER  are  at  present  so  abundant  in  most  parts  of  the  Adirondack^ 
that  they  outnumber  all  the  other  large  mammals  together,  and  this  in 
spite  of  the  tact  that  during  the  present  century  alone  hundreds  of 
them  have  perished  of  cold  and  starvation,  hundreds  have  been  killed 
by  wolves  and  panthers,  and  thousands  by  their  natural  enemy,  man. 
And  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  if  proper  game  laws  are 
enforced,  their  numbers  will  not  materially  decrease. 

This  beautiful  and  graceful  animal,  by  far  the  fleetest  of  our  mam- 

<—*  * 

malia,  roams  over  all  parts  of  the  Wilderness,  being  found  high  upon 
the  mountain  sides,  as  well  as  in  the  lowest  valleys  and  river  bot- 
toms. It  frequents  alike  the  densest  and  most  impenetrable  thickets, 
and  the  open  beaver  meadows  and  frontier  clearings.  During  the 
summer  season,  which  is  here  meant  to  apply  to  the  entire  period  of 
bare  ground,  loosely  reckoning,  from  the  first  of  May  to  the  first  of 
November,  its  food  consists  of  a  great  variety  of  herbs,  grasses,  marsh 
ai'd  aquatic  plants,  the  leaves  of  many  deciduous  trees  and  shrubs, 
blueberries,  blackberries,  other  fruits  that  grow  within  its  reach;  and, 
largely,  of  the  nutritious  beech-nut.  While  snow  covers  the  ground, 
which  it  commonly  does  about  half  the  year,  the  fare  is  necessarily 
restricted;  and  it  is  forced  to  subsist  chiefly  upon  the  twigs  and  buds 
of  low  deciduous  trees  and  shrubs,  the  twigs  and  foliage  of  the  arbor 
vitse  hemlock,  and  balsam,  and  a  few  mosses  and  lichens.  In  winters 
succeeding  a  good  yield  of  nuts  the  mast  constitutes  its  staple  article 
of  diet,  and  is  obtained  by  following  the  beech  ridges  and  pawing  up 

the  snow  beneath  the  trees. 
8 


IO8  MAMMALIA. 

When  the  first  warm  winds  of  approaching  spring  uncover  here 
and  there  in  the  beaver  meadows  small  spots  and  narrow  strips  of 
oround  between  the  snowdrifts,  the  new  marsh  crass  is  found  al- 

o  o 

ready  sprouted,  and  its  tender  blades  afford  the  Deer  a  tempting 
change  from  the  dry  twigs  and  tough  lichens  that  constitute  its  win- 
ter fare.::: 

From  this  time  until  the  latter  part  of  September  much  of  their 
sustenance  is  procured  in  the  immediate  vicinage  of  water.  After 
the  snow  has  left  the  forests  and  the  new  vegetation  has  fairly  start- 
ed, they  gradually  work  back  into  the  woods,  but  return  again  in 
early  June  to  feed  upon  marsh  plants  and  grasses,  and  wade  or  even 
swim  to  procure  the  lily-pads  and  other  aquatic  plants  that  thrive 
in  the  shallow  water  near  by.  During  June,  July,  and  August  hun- 
dreds of  Deer  visit  the  water-courses  of  this  Wilderness  every  night, 
and  retire  at  break  of  day  to  the  deep  recesses  of  the  forest. 

It  has  been  stated  that  thev  do  this  to  rid  themselves  of  black  flies 

* 

and  mosquitoes,  but  a  little  reflection  will  suffice  to  show  the  absurd- 
ity of  this  assertion.  For  nowhere  in  the  entire  Wilderness  are  these 
insect  pests  so  abundant  and  annoying  as  on  the  marshes  and  in  the 
immediate  neighborhood  of  lakes  and  streams.  And  since  it  is  rare 
to  find  a  Deer  above  his  thighs  in  water,  the  fallacy  of  this  supposi- 
tion is  apparent.  The  fact  is,  that,  for  the  sake  of  obtaining  the 
plants  that  grow  in  such  situations,  they  submit  to  the  annoyance  of 
swarms  of  insects  most  of  which  they  would  escape  did  they  remain 
amid  the  mountain  fastnesses.  It  is  true,  however,  that  Deer,  par- 
ticularly at  the  South,  do  sometimes  enter  water  when  not  in  search 
of  food,  and  sink  to  such  a  depth  that  little  save  the  nostrils  and  eyes 
remain  in  sight ;  but  whether  this  is  done  for  the  riddance  of  insects, 


*  I  was  particularly  struck  with  this  fact  on  the  2<jth  April,  1882,  while  crossing  from  Big 
Moose  Lake  to  Lake  Terror,  in  company  with  Dr.  F.  H.  Hoadley.  Here,  along  the  banks  of  a 
sluggish  stream  which  was  still  bordered  with  ice  eight  to  ten  inches  in  thickness,  we  observed  fresh 
green  grass  already  over  an  inch  and  a  half  high  in  small  bare  spots  between  snowdrifts  two  and  three 
feet  in  depth.  The  same  day  we  saw  a  Deer  standing  on  a  mass  of  ice  and  snow  on  the  shore  of 
Lake  Terror,  doubtless  in  search  of  food. 


CARIACTS     \1K(,  IMAMS. 

or  for  the  refreshing  effects  of  the  bath,  is  an  open  question,  and  for 
my  part  I  incline  to  the  latter  view.  Mr.  E.  L.  Sheppard  tells  me 
that  he  has  on  two  occasions  seen  Deer  enter  the  water  and  immerse 
themselves  until  almost  the  entire  body  disappeared  from  view, 
and  this  when  not  "  skulking,"  or  endeavoring  to  elude  an 

D  O 

enemy.  The  Rev.  John  Bachman  once  witnessed  this  diversion  and 
described  it  in  these  words  :  "We  recollect  an  occasion,  when  on  sit- 
ting- down  to  rest  on  the  margin  of  the  Santee  river,  we  observed  a 
pair  of  antlers  on  the  surface  of  the  water  near  an  old  tree,  not  ten 
steps  from  us.  The  half-closed  eye  of  the  buck  was  upon  us;  we 
were  without  a  gun,  and  he  was,  therefore,  safe  from  any  injury  we 
could  inflict  upon  him.  Anxious  to  observe  the  cunning  he  would 
display,  we  turned  our  eyes  another  way,  and  commenced  a  careless 
whistle,  as  if  for  our  own  amusement,  walking  gradually  towards  him 
in  a  circuitous  route,  until  we  arrived  within  a  few  feet  of  him.  He 
had  now  sunk  so  deep  in  the  water  that  an  inch  only  of  his  nose,  and 
slight  portions  of  his  prongs  were  seen  above  the  surface.  We  again 
sat  down  on  the  bank  for  some  minutes,  pretending  to  read  a  book. 
At  length  we  suddenly  directed  our  eyes  towards  him,  and  raised  our 
hand,  when  he  rushed  to  the  shore,  and  dashed  through  the  rattling 
canebrake  in  rapid  style." 

Early  in  September  our  Deer  begin  to  desert  the  water  courses, 
and  before  cold  weather  sets  in  there  is  a  marked  decrease  in  their 
numbers  in  the  localities  which  a  short  time  previously  were  their 
favorite  feeding  grounds.  The  reason  is  apparent  :  the  marsh 
grasses  have  matured  and  are  now  dry;  the  tender  aquatic  plants 
near  shore  have  mostly  withered  and  decayed;  and  the  lily-pads  and 
pickerel  weed,  cut  dovvn  by  September  frosts,  no  longer  remain  to 
tempt  their  appetites.  They  retire,  therefore,  to  the  higher  ground 
in  the  forest,  which  still  affords  them  abundant  subsistence. f 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  vol.  II,  1851,  p.  223. 

f  The  largest  and  best  conditioned  Deer  I  ever  saw   was  a  magnificent   buck  that   Dr.   F.  II. 
Hoadley  shot  at  Big  Moose  Lake,  October  31,  iSSi.     Its  stomach  was  full,  containing  a  quantity  of 


IIO  MAMMALIA. 

A  large  number  of  the  Adirondack  lakes  are  heavily  bordered 
with  a  dense  frontage  of  arbor  vita^  (here  called  "white  cedar"), 
which  so  overhangs  the  water  that  the  lower  limbs  barely  clear 
the  surface.  Around  many  of  these  lakes  all  the  lower  branches, 
up  to  a  certain  height,  are  dead,  so  that  on  viewing  the  shore 
one  is  struck  with  the  strange  appearance  of  a  sharp  cut  line,  about 
the  height  of  a  man's  head,  extending  partly,  or  entirely,  around  the 
lake.  Above  it  the  dense  foliage  presents  an  almost  continuous  and 
unbroken  front,  impenetrable  to  the  eye,  while  below  it  not  a  green 
sprig  can  be  seen,  the  dead  limbs  and  branches  remaining  in  the 
form  of  a  broad  belt. 

The  cause  of  this  phenomenon  long  remained  a  mystery,  and  many 
and  amusing  theories  have  been  advanced  for  its  explanation.  It 
has  been  supposed  that  some  unusual  and  unknown  agency  operated 
to  produce  a  great  overflow  of  these  lakes,  and  that  the  present  green 
line  indicates  the  high-water  mark  of  this  unrecorded  inundation,  the 
branches  below  it  having  been  killed  by  the  water  or  ice.  Were  there 
no  other  reasons  for  disbelieving  this  hypothesis,  its  absurdity  is  de- 
monstrated by  the  fact  that  on  many  of  the  larger  lakes  the  line  is 
confined  to  one  side.  The  only  other  theory,  so  far  as  I  am  aware, 
that  is  worthy  of  refutation,  was  advanced  by  no  less  distinguished  a 
gentleman  than  Mr.  Verplanck  Colvin,  Superintendent  of  the  Adiron- 
dack Survey.  Mr.  Colvin's  theory  is,  that  the  snow  which  is  blown 
off  from  the  ice,  on  some  of  the  larger  lakes,  and  is  sometimes  piled 
in  drifts  in  certain  places  along  the  borders,  buries  the  lower  limbs 
of  the  cedars;  and  he  thinks  that1  this  snow  "  in  some  unfavorable 
season,  becoming  compact  and  icy,  had  killed  the  enclosed  evergreen 
foliage. "*  The  fallacy  of  this  view  is  proven,  I  think,  by  the  follow- 
ing facts  :  ist,  branches  on  the  opposite  or  shore  side  of  these  very 

the  leaves  and  stems  of  the  "bunch  berry"  or  dwarf  cornel  (Corn us  Ctiiiiiitcnsis),  a  small  amount  of 
winrergreen  (Gaultheria  procuml>cns),  and  a  few  leaf-stems  of  the  mountain  ash  (Pyn/s  .-[incricana) 
while  throughout  the  mass  were  scattered  numbers  of  beech-nuts  with  the  shucks  on. 

*  Report  of  Adirondack  Survey,  1880,  p.  162. 


CARIACUS     VIKGINIAXl  S.  Ill 

trees  are  usually  alive  and  green,  which  could  hardly  be  the  case 
were  the  drift  theory  true;  2tl,  the  line  is  often  most  strongly  marked 
on  the  shores  of  ponds  that  are  too  small,  and  too  closely  hemmed 
in  by  hills,  to  afford  the  wind  a  chance  to  drift  the  snow  about  their 
borders;  and  3cl,  the  foliage  line  is,  in  all  instances  where  I  have 
observed  it,  perfectly  straight,  and  exactly  parallel  to  the  surface  of 
the  water,  which  could  not  possibly  be  the  case  were  it  caused  by 
irregularly  drifted  snow. 

Moreover,  it  is  now  an  ascertained  fact  that  the  green  line  is  a 
result  of  the  wintering  of  Deer  along  the  shores  where  it  exists, 
and  the  evidence  on  this  head  may  be  summed  up  as  follows : 
In  the  first  place,  it  is  absent  from  at  least  half  of  the  cedar  bordered 
lakes,  and  is  only  tound,  of  recent  origin,  in  localities  where  Deer  are 
known  to  winter.  On  some  of  the  larger  lakes  it  is  confined  to  one 
shore  and  sometimes  to  a  single  deep  bay,  while  the  cedars  about 
the  rest  of  the  lake  remain  unmarred.  Furthermore,  it  is  a  fact,  which 
can  be  verified  by  any  one  willing  to  take  the  trouble,  that  where  the 
Deer  still  winter  in  these  places  the  snow  which  covers  the  ice  is 
literally  trodden  down  by  them,  a  well  beaten  path  follows  closely 
the  outline  of  the  shore,  and  the  stumps  of  newly  broken  branches 
may  here  and  there  be  found.  The  height  of  the  line  shows  the  dis- 
tance that  a  full  grown  Deer  can  reach  when  standing  on  the  snow 
and  ice.  And  finally,  trustworthy  witnesses  affirm  that  they  have 
observed  the  Deer  standing  on  the  ice  in  the  act  of  browsing  upon 
the  low  branches  of  cedars  overhanging  the  lake.  I  regard  all  this 
evidence  as  conclusive. 

Though  Deer  are  generally  spoken  of  as  nocturnal,  they  are  by  no 
means  strictly  so,  their  habits,  in  this  particular,  being  modified  by 
the  environment.  In  localities  that  are  much  frequented  by  man 
they  keep  their  beds  during  the  greater  part  of  the  day,  and  feed 
mostly  by  night ;  while  in  the  remoter  sections  the  reverse  seems  to 
be  true 

The  spot  on  which  one  lies  to  rest  is  called  its  bed.      It  is  gener- 


TI2  MAMMALIA. 

ally  hidden  in  some  thicket,  under  the  low  branches  of  an  evergreen, 
or  by  the  top  of  a  fallen  tree.* 

They  have  no  fear  of  water  and,  when  pressed  by  wolves  or  dogs, 
take  to  it  as  a  means  of  escape.  They  are  excellent  swimmers, 
moving  with  such  speed  that  a  man  must  row  briskly  to  overhaul 
them.  Even  the  young  fawns  swim  well,  and  I  once  caught  one 
alive  that  had  been  driven  into  the  lake.  It  was  in  the  spotted  coat, 
and  not  more  than  three  months  old.-!* 

The  extraordinary  sagacity  of  some  of  these  animals,  and  the  te- 
merity, I  might  even  say  stupidity,  of  others  is  astonishing.  As  a 
general  thing  a  Deer  is  always  on  the  alert;  his  eyesight  is  good,  his 
hearing  acute,  and  his  sense  of  smell  developed  to  an  unusual  de- 
gree. Under  ordinary  circumstances  he  detects  the  whereabouts  of 
man  at  a  considerable  distance,  and  even  if  abundant  is  seldom  seen. 
At  other  times,  particularly  when  feeding  on  the  margin  of  a  lake 
or  river,  if  the  wind  is  right  he  may  be  approached  in  broad  day- 
light by  aid  of  a  boat,  and  will  only  raise  his  head  from  time  to  time, 
gazing  at  the  intruder  in  a  vacant  sort  of  a  way;  but  let  the  wind 
shift  a  trifle,  so  that  he  gets  a  whiff  from  the  direction  of  the  boat, 
and  he  is  off  in  an  instant.  Along  the  borders  of  the  Wilderness  a 
Deer  will  sometimes  join  a  group  of  cows  or  «-heep  at  pasture,  and 
follow  them  home  within  gunshot  of  the  house.  Not  a  few  have  met 
their  death  in  this  way. 

During  the  deep  snows  of  our   severer  winters  Deer  are  apt  to 


*  While  on  a  snow-shoe-tramp  from  Big  Otter  to  Big  Moose  lake,  in  January,  ISS3,  I 
counted  upwards  ofjorty  Deer  beds — mere  depressions  in  the  snow.  One  only  was  in  an  exposed 
position,  being  in  a  little  opening  alongside  a  maple  sapling.  With  this  single  exception,  all  were 
under  the  shelter  of  small  spruce  and  balsam  trees,  the  space  between  the  bed  and  the  overhang- 
ing branches,  loaded  down  with  ice  and  snow,  being  in  most  cases  barely  sufficient  to  admit  the 
animal. 

f  In  Forest  and  Stream   for  Dec.  6,  1883  (vol.  XXI,   no.  19,   p.  362),   occurs  the  following: 
"  Deer  at  Sea. — Portland,  Me.,  Nov.  29. — The  British  schooner  Howard  came  in  yesterday  with 
one  of  Howard  Knowlton's  deer  on  board,  which  had  been  picked  up  about  five  miles  out  at  sea. 
The  animal  escaped  from  the  garden  on  Peak's  Island  la*t  summer,  and  had  not  been  seen  since 
probably  having  kept  in  the  woods  at  the  lower  end  of  the  island.      This  is  the  biggest  feat  of  cap 
turing  deer  in  the  water  on  record." 


(  ARIACUS     VIR<;  IMAM'S.  I  13 

congregate  and  remain  in  one  locality  till  the  food  supply  in  the  im- 
mediate vicinity  is  exhausted,  when  they  move  off  to  some  other 
place.  By  working  to  and  fro  in  search  of  browse  the  snow  becomes 
much  trampled,  and  pathways  are  beaten  in  various  directions. 
These  places  are  called  yards,  but  they  fall  far  short  of  the  regular 
enclosures,  walled  in  by  deep  snow,  that  we  so  often  read  about,  and 
even  see  pictured  under  this  head.  They  afford  the  much  persecuted 
animals  no  shelter  or  protection,  for  if  discovered  by  either  the  pan- 
ther or  the  infamous  "  crust  hunter,  the}'  become  grave-yards  for 
many.  Mr.  Yerplanck  Colvin,  speaking  of  one  he  found  on  the  south 
side  of  Seventh  Lake  Mountain,  February  i5,  1877,  said:  "  It  was 
impossible  to  estimate  the  number  ot  Deer  which  had  occupied  this 
yard,  as  they  had  fled  at  our  approach,  plunging  into  the  deep  snow 
below.  The  ground  of  this  central  area  resembled  a  sheep  yard  in 
winter,  the  forms  of  the  Deer  being  plainly  discernible  in  the  beds  of 
snow,  in  which  the}'  had  slept,  on  every  side. 

"  Here  we  were  startled  by  the  sight  of  the  fresh  tracks  ot  a 
panther  or  cougar,  which  evidently  made  his  home  in  this  abode  of 
plenty;  and  shortly  thereafter  we  found  the  body  of  a  Deer  freshly 
killed,  and  shockingly  torn  and  mutilated.  The  guides  were  now  all 
excitement,  and  followed  the  cougar's  trail  eagerly.  In  less  than 
thirty  minutes  a  shout  announced  that  he  had  been  encountered,  and 
rushing  forward  to  the  southern  tront  ot  the  plateau  I  came  upon 
the  monstrous  creature,  coolly  defiant,  standing  at  the  brow  of  a 
precipice  on  some  dead  timber,  little  more  than  twenty  feet  from 
where  I  stood.  Quickly  loading  the  rifle,  I  sent  a  bullet  through 
his  brain,  and  as  the  smoke  lifted,  saw  him  struggling  in  the  fearful 
convulsions  of  death,  till  finally  precipitated  over  the  cliffs  he  disap- 
peared from  sight  in  the  depths  below." 

It  is  stated  by  several  writers  that  the  Deer  delights  in  destroying 
snakes.     Dr.  Harlan  thus  speaks  of  this  proclivity  :- 


Report  of  Adirondack  Survey,  iSSo,  pp.  159-160. 


I  14  MAMMALIA. 

"  This  species  displays  great  enmity  towards  the  rattlesnake,  which 
enemy  they  attack  and  destroy  with  singular  dexterity  and  courage ; 
when  the  Deer  discover  one  of  these  reptiles,  they  leap  into  the  air 
to  a  great  distance  above  it,  and  descend  with  their  four  feet  brought 
together,  forming  a  solid  square,  and  light  on  the  snake  with  their 
whole  weight,  when  they  immediately  bound  away;  they  return  and 
repeat  the  same  manoeuvres  until  their  enemy  is  completely 
destroyed." 

Antlers. 

The  branching  and  gracefully  curved  antlers  which  adorn  the  heads 
of  the  bucks,  and  contribute  so  largely  to  the  elegant  appearance  of 
the  animal,  are  shed  and  renewed  every  year.  Their  growth  is  so 
rapid  that  the  full  size  is  usually  reached  in  about  three  months,  and 
they  fall  off  about  four  months  afterward.  They  are  first  seen  with 
us,  as  a  rule,  about  the  middle  of  May,  appearing  as  soft,  dark-col- 
ored and  rapidly  elongating  vascular  excrescences.  They  harden 
from  below  upwards,  and  by  the  time  the  growth  is  complete  all  but 
the  tips  is  well  ossified.  The  soft,  skin-like  material,  called  the  vel- 
vet, with  which  they  are  covered,  now  begins  to  peel  oft"  in  irregular 
strips  and  shreds,  and  by  the  early  part  or  middle  of  September  the 
horns  are  generally  clean.  The  velvet  does  not  come  away  of  itself, 
but  is  rubbed  and  scraped  off  against  shrubs  and  small  trees,  as  if 
the  antlers  itched  at  the  period  of  maturity.  The  Hon.  judge  Caton, 
of  Ottawa,  Illinois,  whose  facilities  for  observation  in  this  field  have 
rarely  been  equalled,  makes  the  following  statement,  which  will,  by 
many,  be  received  with  surprise  :  "The  evidence,  derived  from 
a  very  great  multitude  of  observations,  made  through  a  course  of 
years,  is  conclusive  that  nature  prompts  the  animal  to  denude  its  ant- 
lers of  their  covering,  at  a  certain  period  of  its  growth,  while  yet 
the  blood  has  as  free  access  to  that  covering  as  it  ever  had."f 

;    Fauna  Americana,  1825,  p.  242. 
f  The  Antelope  and  Deer  of  America.     By  John  Dean  Caton,  LL.  D.,  1877,  p.  172. 


CARIACUS     VIKCINI. \.\rs.  I  I  5 

Seasonal  Changes  in  /Y/r^'r. 

Descriptions  of  the:  pelages  of  our  mammals  do  not  fall  within  the 
scope  of  the  present  work;  but  the  seasonal  changes  in  the  coat  of 
the  Deer  have  so  much  to  do  with  its  life  history  that  a  brief  glance 
at  the  distinctive  features  of  these  changes  is  necessary.  Our  Deer 
shed  their  coats  twice  each  year,  in  (line  and  September;  and,  from 
the  general  appearance  of  the  pelage,  are  said  to  be  in  the  red  coat  in 
summer,  and  in  the  blue  m  gray  coat  during  the  rest  of  the  year.  The 
gray  is  merely  the  blue  after  it  has  become  old  and  worn,  for  in  ma- 
turing it  loses  the  handsome  blue  appearance  that  characterizes  the 
first  few  weeks  of  its  growth.  These  seasonal  chancres  are  not  con- 

•~  o 

fined  to  color  alone,  for  there  is  an  equally  radical  difference  in  the 
length  and  texture  of  the  hair.  In  summer  it  is  fine  and  short,  and 
lacks  the  wavy  look  that  is  always  noticeable  at  other  times.  In 
winter  it  is  long  and  coarse,  has  a  crinkled  appearance,  and  the  indi- 
vidual hairs  are  so  large  and  light  that  the  animal  will  fioat  in  water.:;: 
judge  Caton,  whose  spacious  Deer  parks  and  carefully  recorded 
observations  have  contributed  so  largely  to  our  knowledge  of  this 
species,  has  published  the  most  accurate,  detailed,  and  complete  ac- 
count of  the  changes  ot  pelage,  that  has  ever  appeared  in  print. 
From  his  extended  remarks  upon  this  subject  I  quote  the  following 
brief  passages  :  "The  change  from  the  summer  to  the  winter  coat  is 
gradual,  the  new  displacing  the  old  by  dislodging  the  hairs  promis- 
cuously, till  they  become  so  thin  that  the  new  coat  is  seen  through 
the  old.  This  is  not  simultaneous  over  the  whole  animal,  for  the 
neck  and  shoulders  may  be  clothed  entirely  with  the  new  dress, 
while  the  old  still  prevails  on  the  thighs  and  rump;  or  the  winter 
coat  may  have  replaced  the  old  on  the  back,  while  the  belly  still 
shows  only  the  summer  pelage.  When  the  winter  has  replaced 


*  It  must  not  be  forgotten,  however,  that  Deer  are  commonly  poor  in  Bummer,  and  fat  in  autumn 
and  early  winter.  Hence,  the  later  in  the  season  the  more  nearly  will  the  specific  gravity  <>f  the 
animal  approach  that  of  water.  Consequently,  a  much  smaller  amount  of  buoyant  material  will 
suffice  to  float  the  animal  in  October  and  November,  than  in  July,  August,  and  September. 


m 


I  I  6  MAMMALIA. 

the  summer  garb,  the  hairs  are  short,  fine,  and  soft;  but  they 
rapidly  grow  in  length  and  diameter,  and  undergo  the  changes  of 
color  peculiar  to  the  species.  At  first  they  lie  down  smoothly,  but 
presently  the  diameter  becomes  so  great,  that  they  force  each  other 
up  to  a  more  vertical  position,  or  at  right  angles  to  the  skin.  As 
the  diameters  increase,  the  cavities  within  enlarge  and  become  filled 

£3 

with  a  very  light  pith,  and  they  become  brittle  and  lose  their  elas- 
ticity, so  that  the  integrity  of  the  walls  is  destroyed  when  sharply 
bent,  and  they  remain  in  the  given  position. "* 

The  exact  period  of  shedding  and  of  renewal  of  the  coat  varies 
somewhat  from  year  to  year;  and  it  does  not  always  take  place  at  the 
same  time  in  all  the  Deer  of  the  region,  during  the  same  season.  It 
evidently  depends  in  great  measure,  if  not  wholly,  upon  the  condition 
of  the  animal  at  the  time  of  the  moult,  and  this  is  determined  mainly 
by  the  way  the  Deer  wintered.  After  severe  winters  many  are  poor 
and  ill  conditioned,  and  they  do  not  put  on  the  red  coat  till  late  in 
June,  or  even  till  the  first  of  July, — the  bine  being  correspondingly 
delayed.  It,  on  the  other  hand,  the  winter  has  been  a  mild  one,  and 
the  supply  of  beech-nuts  large,  the  Deer  have  probably  wintered  well, 
and  come  out  fat  and  healthy  in  the  spring.  In  this  case  they  shed 
the  old  gray  coats  early,  and  the  red  may  be  seen  covering  a  large 
part  of  the  animal  by  the  middle  of  June,  or  even  earlier.  These 
Deer  assume  the  blue  coat  very  early,  and  the  change  may  be  well 
advanced  by  the  last  of  August. 

Deer  rut  in  November,  the  season  commonly  extending  from  the 
latter  part  of  October  till  the  first  week  in  December.     As  this  period 
approaches,  the   necks  of  the  bucks   become  enormously  enlarged, f 
and  their  whole  demeanor  is  changed.     Instead  of  treading  cautious 
ly  through  the  forest  they  now  rush  wildy  about,  tracking  the  does 


*  Antelope  and  Deer  of  America,  pp.  126-127. 

f  As  early  as  the  last  week  in  October  I  measured  the  neck  of  a  buck  that  was  30  inches  (762mm) 
in  circumference,  only  ten  inches  behind  the  ears.      The   maximum  development  is   attained   about 
the  middle  of  November. 


vik<;iNiANrs.  117 

by  the  scent;  and  when  two  or  more  bucks  meet,  fierce  conflicts  en- 
sue. In  these  engagements  their  antlers  sometimes  become  inter- 
locked, so  that  the  combatants  cannot  free  themselves,  and  both  must 
inevitably  perish.  My  father  has  a  set  of  locked  horns  that  were 
found,  with  the  carcasses  attached,  frozen  in  the  ice  on  Pine  Creek, 
in  Lewis  County,  several  winters  ago.  The  body  ot  the  larger  buck 
was  in  fair  condition,  while  that  of  the  smaller  was  much  emaciated, 
showing  that  the  larger  and  more  powerful  had  succeeded  in  forcing 
his  adversary's  head  to  one  side  so  that  he  could  browse  a  little. 

Audubon  and  Hachman  state  that  they  once  saw  three  pairs  of 
horns  thus  interlocked.  What  a  wretched  trio  this  must  have  been, 
slowly  starving  in  the  midst  of  plenty  ! 

At  this  season  the  bucks  not  only  fight  amongst  themselves,  but 
occasionally  attack  man,  and  more  than  one  unfortunate  person  has 
been  gored  to  death  by  them.  In  battle  they  make  use  of  their  horns, 
and  also  of  the  fore  feet,  whose  sharp  hoofs  are  capable  of  inflicting 
terrible  wounds.  I  was  once  sitting  quietly  on  a  log  in  a  Deer  park 
when  a  buck  approached,  and,  making  a  sudden  spring,  dealt  me  such 
a  powerful  blow  on  the  head,  with  the  hoofs  of  his  fore  feet,  as  to  ren- 
der me  unconscious.  No  sooner  was  I  thrown  upon  the  ground  than 
the  vicious  beast  sprang  upon  me,  and  would  doubtless  have  killed  me 
outrio-ht  had  it  not  been  for  the  intervention  of  a  man  whojrushed  at 

o 

him  with  a  club  and  finally  drove  him  off.  Both  my  father  and  myself 
have  been  knocked  flat  upon  the  ground  by  being  struck  in  the  ab- 
domen by  the  fore  feet  of  a  very  harmless  looking  doe. 

As  a  rule,  two  fawns  are  born  at  a  time,  one  being  the  exception. 
Most  of  them  are  brought  forth  in  May,  a  few  being  dropped  as  early 
as  the  latter  part  of  April,  while  others  are  postponed  until  the  first 
week  in  June.  They  are  at  first  spotted,  the  spots  usually  remaining 
about  four  months  and  disappearing  in  September,  when  both  old  and 
young  change  their  coats.  Before  the  moult  takes  place  they  may 
fairly  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  North  American 


Il8  MAMMALIA. 

mammals,  and  their  graceful  and  sprightly  movements  cannot  fail  to 
elicit  admiration. 

The  clear  white  spots  are  set  in  a  ground  ot  rich  bay,  and  the  con- 
trast is  heightened,  to  use  the  language  of  Judge  Caton,  by  the  animal's 
"  exceedingly  bright  eye,  erect  attitude,  elastic  movement,  and  viva- 

o    J  t>  J 

cious  appearance.  .  .  .  The  highest  perfection  of  graceful  motion 
is  seen  in  the  fawn  of  but  a  month  or  two  old,  after  it  has  commenced 
following  its  mother  through  the  grounds.  It  is  naturally  very  timid, 
and  is  alarmed  at  the  sig-ht  of  man,  and  when  it  sees  its  dam  go  bold- 

o  *_> 

ly  up  to  him  and  take  food  from  his  hand  it  manifests  both  appre- 
hension and  surprise,  and  sometimes  something  akin  to  displeasure. 
I  have  seen  one  standing  a  few  rods  away,  face  me  boldly  and  stamp 
his  little  foot,  in  a  fierce  and  threatening  way,  as  if  he  would  say  :  '  If 
you  hurt  my  mother  I  will  avenge  the  insult  on  the  spot.'  Ordi- 
narily it  will  stand  with  its  head  elevated  to  the  utmost;  its  ears  erect 
and  projecting  somewhat  forward;  its  eye  flashing,  and  raise  one 
fore  foot  and  suspend  it  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  trot  off  and 
around  at  a  safe  distance  with  a  measured  pace,  which  is  not  flight, 
and  with  a  grace  and  elasticity  which  must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated, 
for  it  quite  defies  verbal  description.  A  foot  is  raised  from  the 
ground  so  quickly  that  you  hardly  see  it,  it  seems  poised  in  the  air 
for  an  instant  and  is  then  so  quietly  and  even  tenderly  dropped,  and 
again  so  instantly  raised  that  you  are  in  doubt  whether  it  even 
touched  the  ground,  and,  if  it  did,  you  are  sure  it  would  not  crush 
the  violet  on  which  it  fell."* 

Fawns  are  readily  tamed,  in  fact  become  tame  of  themselves,  if  much 
handled,  in  an  astonishingly  short  time;  and  I  have  known  one  to  follow 
its  keeper,  and  even  bleat  for  him,  when  out  of  sight,  within  three  or 
four  days  after  its  capture.  At  this  tender  age  they  display  neither 
judgment  nor  common  sense  in  the  selection  of  food,  devouring  al- 
most anything  that  falls  in  their  way  which  they  are  able  to  swallow. 

*  Antelope  and  Deer  of  America,  p.  155. 


CARIACUS    VIRGINIANUS.  I  19 

Bits  of  newspapers,  old  rags,  and  pieces  of  boots  and  shoes  are  seized 
and  disposed  of  with  as  much  apparent  eagerness  as  bread  and  but- 
ter or  lily-pads;  and  I  once  saw  a  fawn  eat  a  box  of  chewing  tobacco 
given  it  by  an  unprincipled  visitor.  It  died  next  day. 

The  flesh  of  the  Deer  is  juicy,  tender,  and  well  flavored,  and  is  the 
most  easily  digested  of  meats.  Its  good  qualities  are  too  well  known 
to  require  further  comment. 

The  hide  is  put  to  a  variety  of  uses,  the  most  important,  with  us, 
being  the  manufacture  of  gloves  and  moccasins. 

Our  Deer  are  much  larger  than  those  of  the  South  and  Southwest, 
adult  well -conditioned  bucks  averaging  from  200  to  226  Ibs.  Avoir- 
dupois in  weight,  and  exceptionally  large  ones  being  much  heavier. 
Hence  the  Adirondack  Deer  is  more  than  double  the  size  and  weight 
of  the  same  species  in  Florida. 

I  have  taken  great  pains  to  ascertain,  approximately,  the  number 
ot  Deer  annually  slain  in  this  Wilderness,  but  with  indifferent  suc- 
cess. It  is  a  low  estimate  to  state  that  from  five  to  eight  hundred 
have  been  killed  here  yearly  for  the  past  ten  years.  How  much 
longer  their  numbers  can  withstand  this  enormous  drain  is  an  open 
question. 

On  the  30!  of  July,  1609,  Samuel  de  Champlain  ascended  the  River 
Richelieu  and  entered  the  lake  that  now  bears  his  name.  In  his 
narrative  of  this  memorable  journey  he  speaks  thus  of  the  animals 
found  upon  the  island  at  the  foot  of  the  lake  :  "  Here  are  a  number 
of  beautiful,  but  low  islands  filled  with  very  fine  woods  and  prairies, 
a  quantity  of  game  and  wild  animals,  such  as  stags,  deer,  fawns,  roe- 
bucks, bears,  and  other  sorts  of  animals  that  come  from  the  mainland 
to  the  said  islands.  \Ye  caught  a  quantity  of  them.  There  is  also 
quite  a  number  of  Beavers,  as  well  in  the  river  as  in  several  other 
streams  which  fall  into  it.  These  parts,  though  agreeable,  are  not 
inhabited  by  any  Indians,  in  consequence  of  their  wars." 


*  Documentary  History  of  New  York,  vol.  Ill,  p.  5. 


I  2O  MAMMALIA. 

Pennant  says,  that  2 5. 027  hides  were  exported   from   New  York 
and  Pennsylvania  in  the  sale  of  1/64.     (Arctic  Zoology,  vol.  I,  1/92, 

P-  33-) 

Spike-Horn  Bucks. 

The  matter  of"  Spike-horn  Bucks,"  though  somewhat  threadbare, 
deserves  mention  in  this  connection  from  the  circumstance  that  the 
supposed  variety  was  first  described  from  the  Adironclacks.  In  a 
note  in  the  American  Naturalist  for  December,  1869  (vol.  Ill,  No. 
10,  pp.  552-553),  a  writer  observed  that  he  had  hunted  in  the  Adi- 
rondacks  for  twenty-one  years,  and  goes  on  to  say  :  "  About  fourteen 
years  ago,  as  nearly  as  I  can  remember,  I  first  began  to  hear  of 
Spike-horn  Bucks.  The  stories  about  them  multiplied,  and  they  evi- 
dently became  more  and  more  common  from  year  to  year.  About 
five  years  ago  I  shot  one  of  these  animals,  a  large  buck  with  spike- 
horns,  on  Louis  Lake.  In  September,  1867,  I  shot  another,  a  three 
year  old  buck  with  spike-horns,  on  Cedar  Lakes.  These  Spike-horn 
Bucks  are  now  frequently  shot  in  all  that  portion  of  the  Adirondacks 
south  of  Raquette  Lake.  I  presume  the  same  is  true  north  of  Ra- 
quette  Lake,  but  of  this  latter  region  I  cannot  speak  from  personal 
observation,  having  visited  it  only  once. 

"  The  spike-horn  differs  greatly  from  the  common  antler  of  the 
C.  Virginianus.  It  consists  of  a  single  spike,  more  slender  than  the 
antler,  and  scarcely  half  so  long,  projecting  forward  from  the  brow, 
and  terminating  in  a  very  sharp  point.  It  gives  a  considerable  ad- 
vantage to  its  possessor  over  the  common  buck.  Besides  enabling 
him  to  run  more  swiftly  through  the  thick  woods  and  underbrush 
(every  hunter  knows  that  does  and  yearling  bucks  run  much  more 
rapidly  than  the  large  bucks  when  armed  with  their  cumbrous  ant- 
lers [!] ),  the  spike-horn  is  a  more  effective  weapon  than  the  common 
antler.  With  this  advantage  the  Spike-horn  Bucks  are  gaining  upon 
the  common  bucks,  and,  may,  in  time,  entirely  supersede  them  in  the 
Adirondacks.  Undoubtedly  the  first  Spike-horn  Buck  was  merely  an 
accidental  freak  of  nature.  But  his  spike-horns  gave  him  an  advan- 


CARIACl'S    VIRGINIANUS.  121 

tage,  and  enabled  him  to  propagate  his  peculiarity.  His  descend- 
ants, having  a  like  advantage,  have  propagated  the  peculiarity  in  a 
constantly  increasing  ratio,  till  they  are  slowly  crowding  the  antlered 
Deer  from  the  region  they  inhabit." 

The  foregoing  note  contains  several  inaccuracies  of  statement, 
and  the  writer's  deductions  are  wholly  erroneous.  It  was  very  justly 
criticised  by  Mr.  \V.  |.  Hays  in  the  Xafin-tilis/  for  May,  1870  (pp. 
188-189).  Further  remarks  and  discussions  may  be  found  in  the 
same  Journal,  vol.  IV,  pp.  442-443,  762-763;  and  vol.  Y,  pp.  260- 
25 1.  The  subject  is  now  well  understood,  and  the  Hon.  Judge  Caton 
has  presented  the  facts  of  the  case  with  such  accuracy  and  concise- 
ness that  I  cannot  do  better  than  transcribe  his  own  words  :— 

"  It  has  long  been  a  prevalent  opinion  among  hunters,  and  to  some 
extent  has  been  adopted  by  naturalists,  that  a  race  of  common  Deer, 
the  adults  of  which  have  antlers  without  branches,  have  established 
themselves  in  the  northeastern  part  ot  the  United  States  and  in  Can- 
ada, whence  they  are  driving  out  the  prong-antlered  bucks. 

"This  is  a  matter  of  the  greatest  scientific  importance,  and  I  have 
taken  pains  to  investigate  it  to  my  satisfaction,  and  am  entirely  con- 
vinced that  it  is  a  popular  error,  founded  upon  incomplete  observa- 
tions. The  spike  bucks  found  in  the  Adirondacks  are  all  yearling 
bucks  with  their  first  antlers.  The  universal  testimony,  so  far  as  I 
have  been  able  to  gather  it,  is,  that  they  are  smaller  than  the  average 
of  the  prong-antlered  bucks,  and  that  their  spikes  vary  in  length 

*  The  above  passage  fell  under  the  ever-searching  eye  of  that  eminent  naturalist  and  indefatiga- 
ble collector  of  facts,  the  late  and  much  lamented  Charles  Darwin,  whose  massive  intellect  and 
exhaustive  researches  have  revolutionized  Natural  Science  and  mark  a  new  era  in  the  progress  nf 
knowledge.  Mr.  Darwin,  misled  by  this  account,  part  of  which  he  (motes  in  his  masterly  work  on 
the  Descent  of  Man,  remarks  upon  it  as  follows  :  "  A  critic  has  well  objected  to  this  account  by 
asking,  why,  if  the  simple  horns  are  now  so  advantageous,  were  the  branched  antlers  of  the  parent- 
form  ever  developed  ?  To  this  I  can  only  answer  by  remarking,  that  a  new  mode  of  attack  with 
new  weapons  might  be  a  great  advantage,  as  shown  by  the  case  of  the  Ot'is  cycloceros,  who  thus 
conquered  a  domestic  ram  famous  for  his  lighting  power.  Though  the  branched  antlers  of  a  stag 
are  well  adapted  for  fighting  with  his  rivals,  and  though  it  might  he  an  advantage  to  the  prong- 
horned  variety  slowly  to  acquire  long  and  branched  horns,  if  he  had  to  light  only  with  others  of  the 
same  kind,  yet  it  by  no  means  follows  that  branched  horns  would  be  the  best  fitted  for  conquering 
a  foe  differently  armed."  (Descent  of  Man,  New  York,  1875,  p.  513.) 


122  MAMMA!  1A. 

from  eight  inches,  or  ten  inches  at  the  very  utmost,  down  to  two  or 
three  inches  in  length.  It  is  only  the  largest  of  these  that  an)-  have 
claimed  to  be  adults.  It  is  very  easy  for  a  hunter  to  say,  and  even 
believe  that  he  has  killed  deer  with  spikes  ten  inches  long,  but  did 
he  actually  measure  them,  and  make  a  note  of  the  fact,  with  time  and 
place,  describing  its  appearance,  and  take  and  note  the  measurements 
of  the  animal,  or  did  he  preserve  the  head,  so  that  he  could  carefully 
examine  it,  after  the  excitement  of  the  chase  was  over,  or  so  that  he 

could  submit  it  to  the  examination  of  others  ? 

"  Continued  observations  upon  the  young  deer  in  my  parks  have 
enlightened  me  much  on  this  subject.  For  several  years,  I  really 
persuaded  myself  that  I  had  the  true  spike-antlered  bucks,  and  set 
myself  to  carefully  note  their  peculiarities,  and  fondly  believed  that 
I  was  about  to  add  an  important  chapter  to  scientific  knowledge. 
But  these  careful  and  continued  observations  soon  undeceived  and 
disappointed  me.  By  marking  the  spike  buck  of  one  year,  which  was 
as  large  as  one  feeding  by  its  side  having  two  or  three  tines  on  each 
antler,  I  found  the  next  year  that  his  antlers  were  also  branched,  and 
my  spike-antlered  buck  had  become  a  fine  specimen  of  the  ordinary 
kind.  And  then  the  early  fawn  of  the  year  before,  dropped  from  a 
fully  adult  vigorous  doe,  which  had  furnished  him  plenty  of  milk,  had 
now  grown  to  the  size  of  a  medium  adult,  and  had  fine  spike-antlers, 
resembling  in  all  things  his  older  brother  of  the  preceding  year  now 
bearing  the  pronged  antlers.  And  so  I  anxiously  pursued  my  ob- 
servations for  a  number  ot  years,  ever  looking  in  vain  for  a  second 
antler  without  prongs.  Without  this  certain  means  of  knowledge,  I 
should  have  believed  that  those  large  spike-antlered  bucks  were  more 
than  yearlings  and  nearly  adult.  It  is  true  the  dentition  might  have 
undeceived  me,  but  this  I  could  not  ascertain  while  the  animal  was 
alive,  and  this  test  has  probably  been  rarely  examined  and  carefully 
studied  by  those  hunters  who  believe  they  have  killed  adult  deer 
with  spike  antlers.  I  feel  quite  sure  that  they  had  not  the  means  of 
accurately  determining  the  true  ages  of  the  wild  deer  which  they 


CARIACUS    VIRGINIANUS.  123 

had  killed ;  and  what  I  have  already  stated  may  serve  to  show  how 
very  liable  all  are  to  be  misled  in  relation  to  a  point,  upon  a  certain 
knowledge  of  which  the  whole  question  depends."  ::: 

The  only  exception,  that  has  come  to  my  knowledge,  to  the  rule 
that  Spike -horn  bucks  are  always  yearlings,  is  a  case  that  fell  under 
the  observation  of  Mr.  E.  L.  Sheppard  :  A  very  old  buck,  with  much 
gray  about  its  head,  was  killed  in  Queer  Lake  about  ten  years  ago. 
In  addition  to  its  extreme  age,  it  had  but  three  legs  and  was,  conse- 
quently, ill-conditioned,  having  been  unable  to  procure  sufficient 
food.  It  carried  a  pair  of  spike-horns  which  differed  from  those  of 
yearling  bucks  in  being  much  thicker  at  the  base,  rougher,  more 
warty,  and  deeply  wrinkled  for  some  distance  above  the  burr.  This 
apparent  exception  is  an  illustration  of  two  general  laws  :  (a]  that  in 
extreme  age  there  is  a  tendency  for  certain  parts  to  revert  to  a  con- 
dition resembling  that  of  early  life;  and  (6}  that  ill-nourished  bucks 
bear  stunted  and  more  or  less  imperfect  horns.  It  is  a  well-known 
fact  that  the  largest,  handsomest,  and  most  perfect  antlers  come  from 
middle-aged  Deer  that  have  wintered  well  and  are  in  fine  con- 
dition; while  the  few-pronged  and  unsymmetrical  ones  are  grown  by 
young  or  very  old  animals,  or  by  those  that  have  been  wounded  or 
from  other  cause  are  poor  and  ill-conditioned. f 

All  yearlings  do  not  have  true  spike-horns,  and,  if  the  term  be 
made  to  include  all  unbranched  antlers,  I  am  strongly  of  the  opinion 
that  two-year  old  bucks  sometimes  grow  them.  I  have  a  pair  of  un- 
branched antlers  that  are  curved  both  inward  and  forward,  and  are 
of  exceptional  length,  the  separate  horns  measuring  respectively  ten 
and  a  half  and  eleven  inches  (or  267  and  2/9mm.)  over  the  curve,  and 

*  Antelope  and  Deer  of  America,  pp.  231-232. 

f  Through  the  kindness  of  the  well-known  guide,  Mr.  E.  L.  Sheppard,  I  possess  a  specimen  of 
unusual  interest  that  well  illustrates  this  point.  The  buck,  which  was  an  adult,  was  killed  at  Big 
Moose  Lake,  September  10,  iSSo,  and  its  horns  are  imperfect,  asymmetrical,  and  very  scraggy. 
The  animal  was  lank  and  thin,  and  was  found  to  lie  a  cripple.  Its  left  humerus  had  once  been 
broken  and  the  fragments  had  united  at  a  right  angle,  so  that  the  fore-leg  was  directed  forward,  and 
the  shortening  of  the  humerus  was  so  great  (its  greatest  length  being  less  than  six  and  a  half  inches, 
or,  exactly,  164111111.)  that  the  foot  could  not  be  made  to  touch  the  ground. 

9 


124  MAMMALIA. 

seven  and  a  half  and  eight  inches  (190  and  2O3mm.)  in  a  straight  line 
from  the  base  of  the  burr  to  the  tip.  The  longest  horn  presents  a 
slight  enlargement,  three  inches  from  the  tip,  along  its  upper  and 
posterior  border,  the  greatest  thickness  of  which  is  three-quarters  of 
an  inch  (iQmm.),  thus  indicating  the  point  where  a  prong  ought  to 
have  grown.  I  take  it  that  these  are  the  horns  of  a  two-year  old, 
but  have  no  means  of  determining  this  very  important  question.  I 
also  have  two  other  pairs  of  horns  from  young  Deer,  that  are  smaller 
than  those  just  described  and  yet  one  horn  of  each  pair  is  forked. 
Whether  they  came  from  yearlings  or  two-year  olds  I  will  not  ven- 
ture to  decide. 

In  my  opinion  the  term  spike-horn  should  be  limited  to  the 
straight  and  true  spike  that  is  known  to  be  characteristic  of  the  year- 
ling buck. 

Does  sometimes,  though  rarely,  have  horns,  and  they  are  usually 
of  the  "  spike"  pattern,  only  more  incurved  than  those  of  the  bucks, 
and  they  are  apt  to  be  more  or  less  imperfect  and  unsymmetrical. 
They  are  generally  covered  with  the  velvet,  no  matter  at  what  season 
taken,  in  this  respect  resembling  those  of  castrated  bucks.  Does  that 
bear  antlers  do  not  commonly  bear  young,  though  they  are  not  al- 
ways barren.* 

The  Chase. 

An  account  of  the  different  ways  of  hunting  the  Deer  on  the 
plains  and  prairies  of  the  West,  in  the  canebrakes  and  swamps  of  the 
South,  and  in  other  sections  remote  from  the  region  under  consider- 
ation, however  interesting,  does  not  fall  within  the  scope  of  the 

*  Alonzo  Wood,  Esq.,  one  of  the  most  experienced  and  competent  guides  in  the  Adirondacks, 
has  kindly  presented  me  with  a  very  beautiful  pair  of  spike  antlers  that  were  taken  from  a  doe 
which  was  killed  at  Second  Lake  of  North  Branch  about  the  first  of  September,  1876.  They  are 
deeply  curved,  symmetrical,  and  covered  with  a  very  dense  coat  of  "  velvet,"  the  individual  hairs 
of  which  are  of  unusual  length.  The  measurements  of  these  antlers  are  as  follows  : 
From  burr  to  tip,  in  a  straight  line,  6  in.  (152  mm.) 

around  curve,  8#    "    (210     "     ) 

Distance  between  tips,  4#    "    (108     "    ) 

antlers  at  curve,  6%   "    (159     "    ) 


CARIACrS    VIRCIXIAXUS.  125 

present  work  ;  hence  the  methods  practised  in  the  Adirondacks  will 
alone  be  described. 

There  are  three  principal  ways  in  which  Deer  are  hunted  in  this 
Wilderness,  namely  :  \syfloating,  by  driving  (hounding),  and  by  still- 
Jin  nt  ing. 

Floating  consists  in  paddling  up  to  a  Deer,  at  night,  with  a  light 
called  a  jack  fastened  above  the  bow  of  the  boat,  and  so  arranged 
that  it  casts  the  whole  light  ahead,  leaving  the  boat  and  contents  in 
exaggerated  darkness.  They'^r/'  of  our  ancestors  (used  even  within 
the  brief  period  of  my  own  recollection),  was  a  very  simple  affair, 
constructed  where  occasion  required.  It  consisted  of  a  torch,  or 
sometimes  a  tallow  candle,  fastened  upon  a  piece  of  bark,  and  backed 
by  a  bark  reflector.  This  rude  illuminator  was  attached  to  a  stick, 
three  or  four  feet  long,  that  stood  upright  in  the  bow.  The  stick,  or 
standard  ot  the  primitive  jack,  still  remains,  and  now  supports  a 
lantern  which  is  closed  in  on  three  sides  so  that  all  the  light  shall  be 
thrown  in  front.  Some  sort  of  a  reflector  is  generally  used  to  con- 
centrate and  project  the  rays  to  a  greater  distance.  Sometimes  the 
liofht  is  fastened  to  the  hat. 

o 

Two  people  constitute  a  Moating  party,  and  the  modus  operand!  is 
as  follows  :  The  sportsman  sits  on  the  front  seat,  with  his  legs  tucked 
under  the  bow  in  a  position  that  is,  at  the  start,  anything  but  agree- 
able, and  becomes  distressingly  uncomfortable  as  hour  after  hour 
drags  slowly  on.  He  dare  not  move  lest  the  noise  thus  made  should 
alarm  the  Deer.  The  guide  sits  in  the  stern  and  must  be  expert 
with  the  paddle,  for  it  is  his  duty  to  propel  the  boat  steadily  and 
noiselessly  within  easy  range  of  the  wary  Deer. 

The  locality  is  usually  selected  in  the  day-time,  and  is  generally 
some  marsh-bordered  bay,  abounding  in  lily-pads,  or  a  similar  place 
along  the  banks  of  a  sluggish  stream  On  nearing  the  feeding 
ground  not  a  word  is  spoken,  not  even  in  a  whisper,  and  the  hunters 
strain  eye  and  ear  to  discover  the  whereabouts  of  the  quarry.  The 
light  is  turned  in  such  a  way  that  it  covers  the  shore  as  the  boat 


126  MAMMALIA. 

glides  silently  on,  for  the  Deer  may  be  gazing  at  it  from  the  bank, 
standing  motionless  and  silent.  Indeed,  he  is  often  seen,  not  more 
than  a  couple  of  boat  lengths  away,  before  any  sound  has  forewarned 
them  of  his  presence. 

Bright  moonlight  nights  are  undesirable  because  the  animal  can 
then  detect  the  outline  of  the  boat,  and  is  apt  to  take  to  the  woods 
without  delay. 

Let  us  note  the  course  of  events  in  an  ordinary  floating  expe- 
dition, premising  only  that  the  sportsman  is  somewhat  of  a  novice. 
Unless  there  is  direct  water  communication  between  the  camp  and 
the  place  selected  for  the  hunt,  the  party  eat  an  early  supper  and 
set  out  at  once  in  order  to  reach  the  spot  before  the  gathering 
darkness  obscures  the  way.  The  guide,  placing  the  boat  upon  his 
sturdy  shoulders,  takes  the  lead,  following  some  old  trail  or  blazed 
line,  or,  if  the  spot  be  unfrequented,  finds  his  way  by  certain  fea- 
tures of  mountain  or  valley  that  are  familiar  landmarks  to  his 
practised  eye.  The  sportsman  follows,  carrying  they'^r/'  and  gun, 
as  well  as  a  bottle  of  tar  oil  for  protection  against  insects. 

The  start  is  well  timed,  for  the  outlines  of  near  objects  have 
already  become  indistinct,  and  the  shades  of  dusk  are  fast  blending 
the  dim  forms  of  the  evergreens,  transforming  the  coniferous 
forest  into  a  uniform  mass  of  darkness,  when  they  emerge  upon 
the  open  shore  of  a  small  and  shallow  lake  and  launch  the  canoe  in 
its  black  but  unruffled  water.  Night  is  upon  them,  and  with  it  the 
flies  and  mosquitoes.  Tar  oil  is  applied  freely  to  face  and  hands, 
the  jack  is  lit  and  placed,  and  they  step  quietly  into  the  boat  and 
move  noiselessly  off, — the  sportsman  on  the  front  seat,  his  over- 
coat buttoned  up  to  his  chin,  and  his  feet  crowded  uncomfortably 
under  the  bow,  one  on  each  side  of  the  jack-stick  ;  the  guide 
astern,  silently  plying  his  paddle.  The  nearest  marsh-bordered 
bay  is  soon  reached,  and  as  the  light  skims  along  the  bank,  falling 
in  turn  upon  clumps  of  bushes,  old  logs  and  stumps,  and  the  dark 
cone-like  forms  of  the  young  spruce  and  balsams,  the  sportsman's 


CAKIACl'S    VIRdlNIANlS.  12"J 

expectation  is  at  its  highest  pitch  ;  he  feels  his  heart  beat  faster 
and  faster,  and  grasps  his  gun  tighter  and  tighter,  imagining  that 
each  fantastic  shadow  will  show  the  white  tail  of  a  retreating  buck. 
The  suspense  is  of  short  duration,  for  this  feeding-ground  is 
passed  without  so  much  as  the  sound  of  a  moving  branch  to  indi- 
cate the  presence  of  any  animal  larger  than  the  Hies  that  swarm 
about  his  head.  Now  comes  a  pull  of  half  a  mile  before  the  next 
ground  is  reached,  which  would  afford  the  sportsman  ample  time  to 
compose  himself,  were  it  not  for  the  armies  of  pestiferous  flies  and 
mosquitoes  that  demand,  and  receive,  his  undivided  attention.  The 
bottle  of  tar  oil  is  produced,  and  a  thorough  smearing  grants 
temporary  respite.  No  sooner  is  this  accomplished  than  the  next 
favorable  shore  for  Deer  is  fast  appearing  over  the  port  bow. 
Another  ten  minutes  of  breathless  suspense  and  they  turn  again 
into  the  open  lake.  A  close  listener  might  have  detected  a  half 
suppressed  sigh  of  submission  to  the  inevitable,  from  the  fore  part 
of  the  boat,  but  no  other  sound  disturbs  the  unbroken  silence  of 
the  night.  The  third  swampy  bay  is  reached  and  passed,  with 
like  result.  A  council  ensues,  in  a  low  whisper,  and  it  is  decided 
to  run  up  the  inlet,  a  marshy  stream  averaging  less  than  a  boat's 
length  in  width.  Having  arrived  at  its  mouth  they  proceed  very 
slowly,  for  good  feed  abounds  on  both  banks,  and  a  Deer  may 
be  surprised  at  any  moment.  Presently  a  noise  is  heard  ahead  :  it 
is  vague  and  indefinite,  but  evidently  something  moving.  The 
boat  comes  nearer;  the  noise  ceases  ;  it  is  heard  again.  The  sight 
is  strained  to  penetrate  the  bushes  along  the  shore,  but  nothing  is 
discovered.  Hark  !  something  dripping  in  the  water;  the  eyes 
are  lowered,  and  there,  on  a  log  that  projects  into  the  stream, 
almost  within  reach  from  the  bow,  is  seen  the  form  of  a  large 
porcupine,  lazily  eating  lily-pads  and  gazing  stupidly  at  the  light. 
The  sportsman  is  tempted  to  fire,  but  controls  his  disgust  and  says 
nothing.  A  bend  in  the  tortuous  channel  is  passed,  and  another, 
and, — splash,  splash,  splash  :  it  is  the  unmistakable  sound  of  a 


128  MAMMALIA. 

Deer  wading  in  the  creek.  Then  all  is  still  again.  Is  the  animal 
standing  in  the  water  looking  at  the  light,  or  has  he  stepped  out 
upon  the  bank  ?  The  sportsman  hears  the  faint  ripple  of  water 
against  the  bow  as  the  boat  moves  swiftly  on  ;  he  is  conscious  that 
the  hat  is  rising  on  his  head  ;  his  heart  beats  louder  and  louder, 
and  he  feels  it  knocking  violently  against  his  ribs.  The  boat  is 
slackened  and  the  light  made,  in  turn,  to  cover  both  shores.  Mo- 
ments seem  like  hours,  and  the  flies  are  entirely  forgotten.  But 
what  has  become  of  the  game?  Inadvertently  the  gun  rubs 
against  the  jack-stick  when,  simultaneously,  is  heard  the  sharp 
shrill  whistle  of  a  startled  buck,  from  behind  a  bush  to  the  right, 
and  the  fading  sound  of  crackling  branches  announce  his  disap- 
pearance in  the  forest. 

The  flies  now  seem  worse  than  ever,  and  so  they  really  are,  for 
the  boat  is  passing  through  their  very  headquarters,  and  the  bright 
light  attracts  them  to  the  spot.  Continuing  the  course  up  the 
sluggish  stream  it  is  some  time  before  anything  occurs  to  divert 
the  sportsman's  attention  from  these  tormenting  insects,  which 
constantly  get  into  the  eyes,  nose,  and  mouth,  till,  harassed,  ex- 
asperated, and  well  nigh  distracted,  he  applies  his  only  remedy, 
the  tar  oil,  so  freely  that  he  soon  feels  it  trickling  slowly  down  his 
aching  back.  The  cramped  position  of  his  legs  and  feet  is  actually 
painful,  and  his  back  "seems  as  if  it  would  break."  The  hour  is 
past  midnight,  his  lids  are  heavy,  and  he  has  almost  determined  to 
request  the  guide  to  turn  back  when  a  loud  plunge  alongside  the 
boat  gives  him  a  sudden  start  and  elicits  the  involuntary  exclama- 
tion :  "what's  that?"  forgetting  for  the  moment  the  necessity  of 
silence.  "  Nothing  but  a  muskrat,"  calmly  replies  the  guide  in  a 
whisper.  "  Muskrat  ?  hum  ! "  he  retorts  in  a  tone  of  incredulity, 
but  says  no  more. 

Another  hour  passes  wearily  away.  The  inlet,  which  is  here  so 
narrow  and  shallow  as  scarely  to  admit  the  boat,  is  crossed  by  a 
fallen  tree  that  bars  farther  progress.  The  return  voyage  becomes 


s  VIRCIXIA.MS.  129 

very  monotonous,  and  finally  even  the  flics  fail  to  keep  up  the  ex- 
citement. The  drowsy  hunter  nods,  his  eyes  close,  and  his  head 
hangs  heavily  upon  his  breast.  Suddenly  an  owl,  on  a  low  limb 
overhead,  utters  one  of  his  loudest  and  most  startling  cries.  The 
affrighted  sportsman  cocks  both  barrels  of  his  gun,  expecting  to 
detect  the  crouching  form  of  a  panther  preparing  for  the  fatal 
spring.  On  being  assured  of  the  harmless  nature  of  his  imaginary 
foe  he  cannot  suppress  a  groan  of  mortification  and  disgust  while 
he  endeavors  to  regain  his  equanimity.  Beads  of  cold  sweat 
mingle  with  the  oil  upon  his  forehead  as  he  solemnly  and  silently 
vows  that  floating  is  a  diversion  into  which  he  will  never  a^ain  be 

c>  O 

beguiled.  Pie  feels  chill)',  and  wonders  if  this  is  really  a  sample 
of  Adirondack  sport,  or  if  his  guide  has  been  playing  him  a  trick. 
While  his  mind  is  occupied  with  these  meditations  they  have 
reached  the  lake,  and  the  guide,  anxious  not  to  return  empty- 
handed,  has  put  the  boat  into  a  shallow  bay  and  is  working  it 
slowly  ahead  amongst  the  lily-pads.  The  sportsman,  now  too  cold 
to  sleep,  feels  the  boat  slacken  its  headway  and  stop.  He  wonders 
if  the  guide  has  dropped  off  in  a  doze  and  is  about  to  turn  and  in- 
vestigate when  the  word  "  shoot,"  uttered  in  a  low  whisper,  falls 
upon  his  ears.  He  doesn't  see  anything  to  shoot,  but  on  looking 
more  closely,  discovers,  partly  hidden  behind  a  bush,  the  form  of 
a  Deer,  as  motionless  as  a  statue,  gazing  inquiringly  at  the  light. 
Raising  the  gun  nervously  to  his  shoulder  he  fires.  A  desperate 
leap,  a  wild  plunge  ahead,  a  heavy  fall,  and  a  noble  buck  lies  dead 
upon  the  bank. 

Driving  consists  in  chasing  a  Deer  with  hounds,  and  killing  it, 
if  possible,  when  it  takes  to  water.  A  Deer  is  not  much  afraid  of 
a  dog,  and  when  the  latter  commences  to  bay  on  the  track  does 
not  start  off  at  once,  but  waits  till  sure  that  the  hound  is  really 
chasing  it.  It  then  moves  away  at  a  brisk  pace,  rapidly  distancing 
its  pursuer,  and  is  apt  to  run  several  miles,  circling  through  valleys 
and  over  hills,  before  taking  to  water.  If  now  a  stream  of  an)- 


1 30  MAMMALIA. 


size  is  reached,  the  animal  is  liable  to  wade  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance in  order  to  throw  the  dog  off  the  scent.  It  then  stops  to 
listen,  and  if  after  a  while  the  dog  again  finds  the  track,  will  gen- 
erally take  a  pretty  straight  course  for  some  neighboring  lake,  and 
swim  it  in  order  to  rid  itself  of  the  annoyance  of  being  followed. 
Instead  of  swimming,  it  sometimes  skulks  in  shallow  water  near 
shore,  and  in  this  way  baffles  the  dog. 

The  details  of  the  hunt  having  been  arranged  over  night,  the 
participants  proceed,  soon  after  daylight,  to  their  respective  posts, 
while  the  guide  puts  out  the  dogs.  If  the  lake  about  which  the 
hunt  centres  is  a  large  one,  two  or  more  men  are  stationed  at  dif- 
ferent points  to  watch  it,  while  the  others  make  portages  to 
adjacent  lakes  and  ponds.  The  guide  commonly  starts  several 
dogs,  each  on  a  separate  track.  Each  watch-point  is  provided  with 
a  boat,  and  the  hunters  keep  a  sharp  look-out,  for  the  Deer  is  fre- 
quently so  far  ahead  that  it  takes  the  water  before  the  bay  of  the 
hound  comes  within  hearing.  If  the  game  is  a  doe  or  fawn,  and 
particularly  if  early  in  the  season,  the  head  alone  is  commonly  seen 
above  the  surface,  and  at  a  distance  it  is  likely  to  be  mistaken  for 
a  duck.  A  buck  swims  higher,  and  the  later  the  date  the  more  of 
its  body  shows  out  of  water.  Deer  killed  in  September  generally 
sink,  but  after  this  month  they  usually  float.  This  depends  upon 
the  state  of  the  pelage  ;  for  when  in  the  red  coat  they  sink,  while, 
on  the  contrary,  when  the  blue  coat,  which  grows  very  rapidly,  is 
an  inch  in  length,  it  will,  as  a  rule,  float  the  Deer  that  carries  it, 
and  this  length  is  generally  attained  about  the  first  of  October. 

When  a  Deer  is  seen  swimming  the  lake,  the  hunter  waits  till  it 
has  gone  far  enough  from  shore  to  give  him  an  opportunity  to 
head  it  off,  before  launching  his  boat  and  starting  in  pursuit.  By 
exercising  a  little  caution  and  not  hurrying  too  much,  he  is  often 
able  to  approach  within  easy  range  without  being  observed  ;  but, 
if  the  animal  sights  him  or  hears  any  suspicious  noise,  it  swims  so 
fast  that  unless  in  a  large  lake  and  some  distance  from  shore,  the 


i. \RI.\crS    VIRGIN  I  ANUS.  13! 

hunter  has  great  difficulty  in  overtaking  it.  When  a  large  buck 
is  overtaken  and  unexpectedly  finds  that  he  is  pursued,  he  sud- 
denly turns  toward  the  boat,  with  a  look  of  mingled  astonishment 
and  horror,  rises  high  out  of  water  and  snorts  ;  then,  facing  about, 
makes  a  desperate,  but  usually  fruitless,  effort  to  escape. 

In  September  it  is  not  uncommon  for  a  guide  to  drive  the 
Deer  about  the  lake  till  well  nigh  exhausted,  and  then  catch  and 
hold  it  by  the  tail,  so  that  it  will  not  sink,  while  the  "  sportsman  " 
kills  it  ! 

In  driving,  a  hunt  ordinarily  lasts  seven  or  eight  hours,  and  is 
apt  to  become  a  trifle  monotonous,  particularly  for  those  who  do 
not  happen  to  see  a  Deer.  It  commonly  has  this  advantage,  how- 
ever, that  there  are  at  this  season  (autumn)  no  flies  to  pester  the 
watchman,  who,  if  he  can  manage  to  keep  warm,  and  has  enough 
to  eat,  may  maintain  a  tolerable  degree  of  complacency. 

Still-hunting,  with  us,  consists  in  following  a  deer,  by  its  tracks 
on  the  ground,  and  in  attempting  to  overtake  and  shoot  it,  by 
daylight,  in  its  home  in  the  forest.  It  is  sometimes,  though  rare- 
ly, practised  by  our  most  skilful  still-hunters  in  summer  and  early 
autumn,  after  a  recent  rain  has  so  moistened  the  surface  that  the 
foot-prints  can  be  traced.  But  it  is  when  the  ground  is  covered 
with  a  few  inches  of  newly  fallen  snow,  in  November  and  Decem- 
ber, that  this  method  of  hunting  is  commonly  resorted  to.  A  rifle 
is  the  weapon  usually  employed. 

In  order  that  he  may  step  as  noiselessly  as  possible,  the  hunter 
lays  aside  his  boots,  covers  his  feet  with  several  pairs  of  woolen 
stockings,  and  over  them  draws  a  pair  of  well-made  buckskin 
moccasins.  Starting  early  in  the  morning,  he  makes  a  circuit  in 
search  of  fresh  tracks,  and  if  Deer  are  plenty,  pays  no  attention  to 
those  of  does  and  fawns,  but  proceeds  till  the  track  of  a  large 
buck  is  discovered.  This  he  follows  slowly  and  cautiously,  taking 
care  lest  he  tread  on  some  dead  branch  or  in  any  way  make  a 
noise  that  might  alarm  the  wary  Deer.  The  animal  often  takes 


132  MAMMALIA. 

fright  and  makes  off  at  full  speed  before  it  has  been  seen  at  all. 
This  the  hunter  at  once  detects  by  the  difference  in  the  track, 
the  long  spaces  between  footprints  plainly  showing  that  it  was  on 
the  run.  He  now  throws  off  all  restraint  and  strikes  into  a  brisk 
pace,  for  the  Deer  is  already  likely  to  be  several  miles  away,  and 
whatever  noise  is  made  cannot  possibly  reach  its  distant  ears. 
When  the  tracks  indicate  that  the  Deer  has  slackened  its  eait  into 

o 

a  walk,  and  has,  perhaps,  commenced  to  browse  a  little,  then  it  is 
time  to  advance  again  slowly  and  with  great  circumspection,  for 
having  been  once  alarmed,  it  is  even  more  on  the  alert  than  usual, 
and  can  only  be  approached  with  the  utmost  care. 

It  not  unfrequently  happens  that  the  Deer  enters  a  swamp 
where  several  others  are  feeding,  in  which  case  the  snow  is  apt  to 
be  so  much  cut  up  that  it  is  impossible  to  follow  the  original 
track  unless  its  size  serves  to  distinguish  it ;  and  even  then  it 
may  cross  and  recross  its  own  path  so  many  times  as  to  be- 
wilder the  hunter,  who  must  now  do  one  of  two  things:  either 
advance  stealthily  and  noiselessly  through  the  swamp,  without  re- 
gard to  the  footprints,  hoping  by  chance  to  get  a  shot;  or  he  must 
make  a  wide  detour,  circling  around  it,  to  see  if  the  track  he  is 
after  leads  away  in  any  direction.  If  it  does  not,  he  knows  that 
the  Deer  is  still  in  the  swamp,  and  must  return  and  attempt  to 
find  it.  Appreciating  the  difficulty  of  the  undertaking,  he  moves 
with  great  deliberation,  his  practised  eye  penetrating,  at  each  step, 
every  space  and  recess  that  the  slight  change  of  position  brings  in 
view.  To  the  left  he  observes  a  prostrate  maple,  felled  by  the 
wind,  and,  knowing  that  Deer  are  fond  of  the  kind  of  browse*  it 


*  Deer  greedily  devour  the  lichens  that  adhere  to  the  branches  of  trees  that  have  long  been  dead, 
and  the  buds  and  twigs  of  those  that  were  living  when  they  fell.  This  fact  is  well-known  to  woods- 
men, who  invariably  assert  that  if  a  tree  falls  during  the  night,  tracks  of  Deer  can  always  be  found 
there  next  morning.  And  I  have  heard  more  than  one  old  hunter  affirm  it  to  be  his  sincere  belief 
that  Deer  know  the  cause  of  the  noise  produced  by  a  falling  tree,  and,  guided  by  the  sound,  at  once 
set  out  in  quest  of  the  spot. 

Mr.  John  Constable  tells  me  that  he  once  shot  a  Deer  in  the  act  of  browsing  upon  the  lichens 
that  clung  to  a  fallen  tree-top.  The  animal  was  standing  on  its  hind-legs,  with  its  fore-feet  resting 
upon  a  large  limb,  and  was  reaching  up  for  the  lichens. 


(  AKIAcrs    VIRGINIANUS.  133 

affords,  works  cautious!)-  toward  it.  The  branches  are  reached 
but  no  live  tiling  is  seen,  and  his  eyes  are  bent  in  other  directions 
when, — crash,  crash,  under  his  very  nose,  and  he  is  deluged  with 
a  shower  of  snow  that,  for  the  moment,  completely  blinds  him.  He 
may,  or  he  may  not,  get  his  eyes  open  in  time  to  catch  a  vanish- 
ing glimpse  of  the  affrighted  Deer,  and,  now  that  it  is  too  late, 
discovers  the  bed  of  his  would-be  victim  under  the  fallen  tree-top, 
at  his  very  feet. 

The  hunter  rarely  sees  the  whole  outline  of  a  Deer  in  still- 
hunting.  The  forests  are  so  thick,  and  the  evergreens  so  loaded 
with  snow,  that  an  object  is  not  commonly  visible  at  any  great 
distance,  and  a  part  of  the  leg  or  a  patch  of  hair  constitute  the 
target  usually  presented  to  his  eye.  He  sometimes  fires  directly 
at  what  he  sees,  and  sometimes  "allows  a  trifle"  aiming  a  little 
ahead  or  a  little  behind,  as  the  case  maybe.  If  severely  wounded, 
without  being  killed  outright,  the  animal  is  generally  left  for 
several  hours,  or  until  the  next  day;  for  if  pursued  it  would  con- 
tinue to  run  as  long  as  its  strength  held  out ;  while,  on  the  other 
hand,  if  left  alone  it  soon  lies  down  and  will  probably  never  rise 
again.  Judge  Caton  says  :  "  But  few  animals  will  go  so  far  and 
so  fast,  after  receiving  a  mortal  wound,  as  a  Virginia  Deer,"  *  and 
I  have  myself  followed  a  buck,  shot  through  both  lungs  with  a  44 
calibre  rifle-ball,  more  than  a  mile  and  a  half  through  the  woods  ! 

In  localities  where  Deer  are  abundant  an  expert  still-hunter 
frequently  kills  two  or  three  in  a  single  day,  but  such  hunts  are 
very  laborious,  for  the  track  often  leads  many  miles,  in  a  tortuous 
course,  over  hard-wood  ridges,  across  stretches  of  spruce  and 
hemlock,  and  through  dense  balsam  and  cedar  swamps.  It  is  a 
long  distance  to  camp,  but  thitherward,  at  nightfall,  the  weary 
hunter  wends  his  way.  His  course  lies  through  a  swamp  in  which 
the  evergreens  grow  so  near  together  that  the  eye  is  unable  to 
penetrate  farther  than  a  few  paces  in  any  direction,  and  are  so 

*  Loc.  Cit.,  p.  383. 


134  MAMMALIA. 

loaded  with  snow  that  the  dark  green  of  the  few  uncovered 
branches  contrasts  markedly  with  the  uniform  white  of  the  tent- 
like  cones  from  which  they  protrude.  The  silence  is  oppressive, 
and  unbroken  even  by  the  sighing  of  the  wind.  The  imagination, 
aided  by  the  gathering  shades  of  dusk,  sees  in  this  picture  a 
primeval  forest,  amongst  whose  time-worn  trunks  stands  the  long 
deserted  encampment  of  a  bygone  race.  The  well-preserved 
wigwams  of  spotless  white,  bleached  by  many  winters,  and  pitched 
upon  a  floor  of  alabaster,  mark  the  final  bivouac  of  an  unremem- 
bered  nation. 

Of  the  three  methods  of  hunting  heretofore  considered,  driving 
is  the  least  sportsmanlike,  and  affords  the  Deer  the  smallest  chance 
of  escape.  It  requires  neither  skill  nor  cunning  on  the  part  of  the 
executioner  ;  for  patience,  and  a  very  ordinary  amount  of  common 
sense,  are  the  only  essentials.  It  has  this  advantage,  however, 
that  the  Deer,  if  wounded  at  all,  is  almost  certain  to  be  killed  out- 
right,—which  cannot  be  said  of  the  other  methods. 

Floating  requires  one  of  the  actors  to  be  expert  in  the  use  of 
the  paddle,  and  is  really  quite  an  exciting  diversion.  This  is  partly 
because  it  can  only  be  practised  by  night,  and  partly  because  each 
change  of  position  of  the  boat,  and  each  curve  and  bend  of  the 
shore  brings  new  objects  into  the  limited  field  of  vision,  keeping 
the  expectation  in  a  state  of  acute  tension.  But  after  all,  when 
the  novelty  has  worn  off,  one  cannot  help  realizing  that  it  is 
like  carrying  a  lantern,  any  dark  night,  through  a  frontier  pasture, 
and  shooting  the  first  unlucky  cow  that  chances  to  stand  in  the 
path. 

In  still-hunting,  on  the  other  hand,  the  hunter  is  thrown  entirely 
upon  his  own  resources,  and  it  is  the  only  method  of  taking  the 
Deer  in  this  Wilderness  that  requires  any  particular  skill  or  labor 
on  his  part.  The  guide  is  here  superfluous,  unless  it  be  to  string 
up  the  game  and  find  the  shortest  way  to  camp  when  the  hunt  is 
over.  Still-hunting  tends  to  toughen  the  muscles,  to  sharpen  the 


<  ARTAITS     YIKdlNIAM'S.  130 

vision,  to  quicken  the  hearing,  and  to  impart  to  the  whole  system 
a  glow  of  health  and  vigor.  It  calls  into  play  the  exercise  of 
functions  that  are  apt  to  be  neglected  by  the  student  and  man  of 
business,  and  inspires  the  lover  of  nature  with  a  zeal  and  enthusi- 
asm not  easily  extinguished. 

In  addition  to  the  three  foregoing  legitimate  (!)  methods  of 
hunting  the  Deer,  there  are  sometimes  practised  here  two  other 
ways  of  killing™-!  might  better  say  butchering — that  are  too  des- 
picable even  to  be  spoken  of  without  a  feeling  of  shame.  They 
are  :  by  means  of  /ic/cs,  and  by  crusting. 

A  lick  is  a  place  where  salt  is  put,*  and  the  supply  from  time  to 
time  replenished.  The  Deer,  being  exceedingly  fond  of  salt,  after 
having  once  discovered  the  place,  repair  to  it  with  great  regu- 
larity. When  they  have  visited  the  lick  nightly  for  some  little  time, 
which  is  ascertained  by  examining  the  ground  round  about  for 
tracks,  the  murderous  pot-hunter,  armed  with  a  double-barrelled 
gun  loaded  with  buck-shot,  secretes  himself  at  dusk  behind  some 
convenient  covert,  or  in  a  neighboring  tree,  and  in  silence  awaits 
the  approach  of  his  unsuspecting  victim. 

Crusting  is  a  method  of  destruction  that  is  still  more  unfair  and 
atrocious  than  that  just  described,  and  is  only  practised  by  the 
most  worthless  and  depraved  vagabonds.  It  depends,  fortunately, 
upon  a  condition  of  the  deep  snows  that  is  usually  of  short  dura- 
tion, and  rarely  occurs  save  in  the  months  of  February  and  March. 
When  the  snow  averages  four  or  five  feet  in  depth  on  the  level,  a 
thaw,  followed  by  a  freeze,  converts  the  surface  into  a  stiff  crust 
which  renders  the  Deer  very  helpless.  Taking  advantage  of  this 
state  of  things,  the  crust-hunters  sally  forth.  Their  snow-shoes 
enable  them  to  skim  lightly  over  the  surface,  whilst  the  poor  Deer 

*  The  only  natural  deer-lick  in  the  Adirondacks,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  is  thus  spoken  of  by  Mr. 
Colvin  :  "  I  observed  in  a  moist  place  a  deposit  of  marly  clay,  a  rare  thing  in  this  region.  What 
was  most  interesting,  however,  was  the  fact  that  this  was  a  natural  deer-lick,  many  places  showing 
where  the  Deer  had  licked  the  clay,  possibly  obtaining  a  trifle  of  potash,  alumina,  and  iron,  derived 
from  sulphates  from  decomposing  pyrites."  (Report  of  the  Adirondack  Survey,  1880,  p.  193.) 


136  MAMMALIA. 

are  unable  to  move  except  by  the  greatest  effort,  and  are  soon  ex- 
hausted. They  sink  to  their  bellies  at  every  plunge,  the  sharp 
hoofs  cutting  through  the  frozen  crust,  which  lacerates  their 
slender  legs  till  the  tracks  are  stained  with  blood.  The  cruel  foe 
is  upon  them,  and  well  do  they  realize  that  the  struggle  is  for 
life.  Every  muscle  is  strained  to  the  utmost  in  the  frantic  ef- 
fort to  escape,  but  in  vain.  Every  leap  tells  bitterly  on  the  fast- 
waning  strength,  and  they  soon  sink  in  the  snow,  breathless  and 
with  heaving  sides.  Their  large  liquid  eyes  are  turned  toward 
their  brutal  pursuers,  as  if  to  implore  mercy,  but  none  is  given. 
All  share  a  like  fate — they  are  butchered  in  cold  blood. 

Deer  Protection. 

For  many  years  an  army  of  hardy  lumbermen,  wood-choppers, 
and  bark-peelers  has  been  steadily  at  work,  together  with  its  con- 
comitant devastating  fires,  in  making  progressive  and  disastrous 
inroads  upon  the  ill-fated  forests  of  the  Adirondacks.  Much  of  the 
proper  borders  of  the  region,  long  since  stripped  of  timber,  pre- 
sent to  the  eye  a  desolate  and  barren  waste,  whose  present  irregu- 
lar boundaries  are  still  contracting  with  ominous  rapidity. 

New  saw-mills,  pulp-mills,  and  numerous  other  manufacturing 
establishments  that  consume  vast  quantities  of  wood,  are  con- 
stantly being  erected ;  and,  as  if  this  were  not  enough,  it  is 
possible  that  before  the  snows  of  another  winter  cover  the  earth, 
a  railroad  will  pierce  the  very  heart  of  this  grand  Wilderness. 

It  augurs  ill  for  the  Deer  when  the  footprints  of  the  panther  or 
wolf  are  found  near  its  winter  quarters,  but  the  cold  steel  tracks 
of  the  iron  horse  admonish  us  of  the  presence  of  a  tenfold  more 
insidious  and  subtle  foe;  for  the  railroad  not  only  brings  the  Deer's 
greatest  enemy,  man,  into  its  immediate  haunts,  but  destroys  and 
carries  off  the  forests  that  constitute  its  home.  Hence  it  natural- 
ly follows  that  unless  the  region  is  early  converted  into  a  State 
Preserve,  which,  unfortunately,  seems  hardly  probable,  the  laws  that 


CARIACIS    viK<;i\i.\\rs.  137 

heretofore  sufficed  to  enable  this  animal  to  hold  its  own.  will  soon 
prove  inadequate.  Therefore,  the  subject  of  Deer  Protection 
becomes  one  that  claims  earnest  and  thoughtful  consideration  from 
our  sportsmen  and  hunters,  and  demands  intelligent  and  judicious 
legislation. 

The  present  law  was  a  fairly  good  one  at  the  time  of  its  enact- 
ment, but  it  has  ceased  to  meet  existing  conditions  ;  that  it  will 
prove  ineffectual  against  the  demands  of  the  rapidly  increasing 
occupancy  and  destruction  of  the  forests,  requires  no  great  per- 
spicacity to  foretell. 

There  are  two  weak  points  in  the  law  as  it  now  stands  :  ist, 
the  open  season  is  too  long  by  at  least  a  month  ;  and  2d,  there  is 
no  limit  put  to  the  number  of  Deer  that  a  party,  or  an  individual, 
may  kill  during  this  period.  The  season  begins  with  the  month 
of  August,  and  when  the  weather  is  propitious  more  than  a  hun- 
dred boats  are  nightly  engaged  in  floating,  on  the  various  water- 
courses of  the  Adirondacks.  Now  it  is  an  undisputed  fact  that, 
by  this  method  of  hunting,  more  than  twice  as  many  does  as  bucks 
are  killed,  and  that  a  large  percentage  of  those  fired  at  are  wounded, 
and  escape  into  the  woods  to  die.  It  is  also  a  fact  that,  as  a  rule, 
each  doe  has  two  fawns,  and  that  fawns  deprived  of  their  mother's 
milk  before  the  first  of  September  usually  die.  Hence  the  ap- 
palling truth  becomes  apparent,  that  for  every  twenty-five  Deer 
secured  by  floating,  at  least  fifty  (and  probably  a  much  larger 
number)  must  be  destroyed  !  Therefore  it  seems  proper  that 
the  season  should  not  open  before  the  first  of  September.  The 
second  weak  point  in  the  law  is  also  a  vital  one.  It  is  notorious 
that  during  the  past  two  years  many  hundreds  of  Deer  have  been 
slaughtered  over  and  above  the  number  necessary  to  keep  the 
parties  killing  them  supplied  with  venison.  In  parts  of  Canada, 
and  in  the  State  of  Maine,  the  law  sets  a  limit  to  the  number  of 
moose,  caribou,  and  Deer  that  may  be  killed  by  an  individual  or 
camp  during  a  given  period,  and  I  see  no  reason  why  a  similar 


138  MAMMALIA. 

law  might  not  be  enacted  and  enforced  in  our  own  State  with  like 
good  results. 

NOTES  ON  EXTERMINATED  AND  EXTINCT  UNGULATES. 

NOTE  i. — It  is  not  many  years  since  the  Moose  (Alee  Americana s} 
was  a  favorite  object  of  pursuit  in  the  Adirondacks,  from  which 
region  it  was  exterminated,  as  nearly  as  I  can  ascertain,  about  the 
year  1861. 

Dr.  DeKay,  in  his  Zoology  of  New  York,  said  of  these  animals  : 
"  They  are  yet  numerous  in  the  unsettled  portions  of  the  State,  in 
the  counties  of  Essex,  Herkimer,  Hamilton,  Franklin,  Lewis,  and 
Warren  ;  and  since  the  gradual  removal  of  the  Indians,  they  are 
now  (1841)  believed  to  be  on  the  increase  ....  The  Moose 
furnishes  an  excellent  material  from  its  hide  for  moccasins  and 
snow-shoes.  The  best  skin  is  obtained  from  the  bull  Moose  in 
October,  and  usually  sells  for  four  dollars.  They  were  formerly  so 
numerous  about  Raquet  Lake,  that  the  Indians  and  French  Cana- 
dians resorted  thither  to  obtain  their  hides  for  this  purpose  ;  and 
hence  we  have  the  origin  of  the  name  of  that  lake,  the  word  raqnet 
meaning  snow-shoes.  They  still  exist  in  its  neighborhood." 

The  Moose  is  a  huge  animal,  the  adult  males  often  standing  six 
feet  in  height  at  the  shoulders,  and  exceeding  a  thousand  pounds 
in  weight,  Evidence  of  its  former  presence  here  may  still  be  seen 
in  various  parts  of  the  Wilderness,  where  the  long  scars  of  its 
"  peelings  "  yet  remain.  These  commonly  consist  of  small  soft  or 
swamp  maples  (Acer  rubrnm  L.)  and  striped  maples  (A.  Pcnnsyl- 
vanicum  L.)  from  which  the  bark  has  been  stript,  from  a  short 
distance  above  the  ground  to  the  height  of  eight  or  even  ten  feet. 
This  bark,  together  with  the  branches  of  the  same  tree,  and  several 
kinds  of  browse,  constitute  its  principal  food  in  winter.  In  sum- 
mer it  feeds  also  upon  marsh  grasses  and  aquatic  plants,  notably 
upon  the  roots  of  the  pond  lily. 


EXTERMINATED    AND    EXTINCT    L'XCri.ATES.  139 

In  the  fall  of  1853  Thoreau  met  an  Indian,  named  Tahmunt  Swa- 
sen,  in  the  forests  near  Moosehead  Lake,  Maine,  who  told  him  that 
he  had  hunted  Moose  in  the  Adironclacks  in  New  York,  but  that 
they  were  more  plentiful  in  the  Maine  woods.* 

Concerning  the  abundance  of  the  Moose  in  the  Adirondacks 
subsequent  to  1850,  and  its  final  disappearance  from  the  region,  I 
have  taken  great  pains  to  solicit  information,  both  through  private 
inquiry  and  correspondence,  and  publicly  through  the  medium  of 
Forest  and  Stream.  The  result  of  this  investigation,  in  which  I 
have  been  greatly  aided  by  Dr.  Frederick  H.  Hoadley,  is  a  deluge 
of  individual  opinion  and  conflicting  statement,  together  with 
a  meagre  amount  of  positive  information  of  a  strictly  reliable 
character. 

Early  in  March,  1851,  Mr.  John  Constable  and  his  brother 
Stevenson  killed  two  Moose  near  the  head  of  Independence  Creek, 
in  Herkimer  County.  They  killed  their  last  Moose  in  March, 
1856,  west  of  Charley's  Pond,  in  Hamilton  County.  Mr.  Constable 
writes  me  :  "  I  never  recur  to  those  hunts  with  any  satisfaction, 
for  much  as  I  enjoyed  at  the  time  the  tramp  of  more  than  a  hun- 
dred miles  on  snow-shoes,  the  camping  in  the  snow,  the  intense 
excitement  of  the  search  and  pursuit,  I  must  ever  regret  the  part 
I  have  taken  unwittingly  in  exterminating  this  noble  animal  from 
our  forests.  Were  I  younger,  I  would  assist  in  reinstating  them, 
as  the  plan  is  perfectly  feasible.  In  the  early  years  of  my  still- 
hunting,  moose  were  quite  numerous,  and  I  rarely,  if  ever,  failed  to 
see  signs  of  their  peelings  or  their  tracks." 

In  the  year  1852  or  1853  the  well-known  guides,  Alonzo  Wood 
and  Ed.  Arnold,  killed  two  Moose  and  found  a  third  dead,  back  of 
Seventh  Lake  Mountain,  in  Hamilton  County. 

Dr.  J.  H.  Guild  writes  me  from  Rupert,  Vermont,  that  a  Moose 
was  killed  at  or  near  Mud  Lake,  in  the  Lower  Saranac  region,  in 
1856. 

*  The  Maine  Woods.     By  Henry  D.  Thoreau,  Boston,  1864,  p.  141. 
IO 


I4O  MAMMALIA. 

In  July  of  the  same  year  (1856)  Ed.  Arnold  killed  a  Moose  at 
Nick's  Lake  ;  and  in  the  following  spring  a  man  named  Baker 
killed  another  in  the  same  vicinity. 

One  evening  during  the  summer  of  1858  a  Moose  strayed  into 
the  Wood's  garden  at  Raquette  Lake,  but  was  not  shot. 

The  Hon.  Horatio  Seymour,  ex-Governor  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  killed  a  huge  bull  Moose  in  the  forest  North  of  Joe's  Lake. 
Its  head  and  horns  may  now  be  seen  at  his  farm  in  Deerfield,  N.  Y. 

The  Governor  writes  me  :  "  It  was  a  very  large  animal  and  was 
disposed  to  charge  upon  our  party  ;  but  for  our  dog  it  might  have 
made  us  trouble.  The  snow  was  very  deep  and  covered  with  a 
crust.  The  dog  could  run  upon  this  while  the  Moose  sunk  through 
it.  This  enabled  the  dog  to  worry  the  animal  and  turn  its  atten- 
tion away  from  our  party."  He  does  not  remember  the  year  in 
which  it  was  killed. 

In  July,  1 86 1,  the  artist  Mr.  A.  F.  Tait,  and  Mr.  James  B.  Blos- 
som, both  of  New  York,  were  camped  on  Constable  Point,  Raquette 
Lake.  One  night  about  the  middle  of  the  month,  while  floating 
on  Marion  River,  Mr.  Tait  wounded  a  Moose,  but  did  not  kill  it. 
On  the  25th  of  the  month,  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
Mr.  Blossom  shot  and  killed  a  dry  cow  Moose  on  South  Inlet. 

The  measurements  of  this  animal,  taken  by  Mr.  Blossom  at  the 
time  and  on  the  spot,  are  : 

Length,  7  feet,  i  inch. 

Height  (at  shoulder),  6  feet,  i  inch. 

Head,  2  feet,  2  inches. 

Ears,  i  foot. 

Girth,  5  feet,  4  inches. 

Fore  leg,  3  feet,  5  inches. 

Hind  leg  (hip  bone  to  hoof),  5  feet,  5  inches. 

Early  in  August  of  the  same  year  (1861)  the  hunter  William 
Wood  killed  a  bull  calf  near  the  place  where  Mr.  Tait  had  wounded 


EXTERMINATED    AM)    EXTINCT    r.\( ;  I'  I.ATKS.  141 

his   Moose.       It  had   a   broken   jaw,   was   very   lean,  and  was   un- 
questionably the  animal  wounded  by  Mr.  Tait. 

In  Forest  and  Stream  for  April  2d,  1874  (p.  116),  Mr.  Edw. 
Clarence  Smith  states  that  a  cow  Moose  was  killed  on  Marion 
River  (East  Inlet  of  Raquette  Lake)  during  the  summer  of  1861. 
He  says  that  it  was  shot  by  a  guide  by  the  name  of  Palmer  from 
Long  Lake,  while  feeding  upon  lily-pads,  about  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  ;  and  that  "  the  persons  present  were  Isaac  Gerhart, 
lawyer  ;  Mr.  Burgin,  Rev.  Augustus  Smith,  now  settled  in  West 
Philadelphia,  and  the  undersigned,  all  residents  of  Philadelphia." 
In  response  to  interrogations,  Mr.  Smith  writes  me  that  this  Moose 
was  killed  in  the  month  of  August.  Mr.  Smith  had  also  the  kind- 

o 

ness  to  address  a  letter  of  inquiry,  in  my  behalf,  to  Isaac  Gerhart, 
Esq.,  a  member  of  the  party.  Mr.  Gerhart's  reply  is  so  full  of  in- 
teresting details  that  I  make  no  apology  for  publishing  the  greater 
part  of  it  verbatim.  He  writes  :  ''I  should  say  the  Moose  was 
shot  about  the  end  of  the  second  week  in  August,  1861,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  East  Inlet  of  Raquette  Lake,  on  whose  shore,  about 
four  miles  distant,  we  then  had  a  camp.  We  had  been  up  this 
inlet,  your  correspondent  calls  it  Marion  River — a  name  I  cannot 
recall, — for  a  day's  trout  fishing.  You  and  your  brother  [Rev.  H. 
Augustus  Smith]  and  guide  were  in  one  boat  ;  Burgin,  a  guide, 
and  I  in  a'nother.  We,  as  usual,  '  tho'  on  fishing  bent,'  still  had 
our  trusty  guns,  lest  some  chance  game  should  find  us  unprepared. 
At  its  mouth  the  Inlet  was  bordered  on  either  hand  by  a  thickly 
wooded  shore,  terminating  on  the  south  side  in  a  short  promontory, 
round  the  end  of  which  a  sloping  shore  curved  off  to  the  southwest. 
Off  this  sloping  shore  grew  in  the  water  a  border  of  lily-pacls, 
perhaps  a  hundred  feet  wide,  and  about  half  as  far  from  the  edge 
of  the  water  the  shore  became  bold  and  thickly  wooded.  We  were 
rowing  steadily  down,  the  bottoms  of  our  boats  covered  with  finny 
spoils.  I  was  in  the  bow  of  the  foremost  boat,  when,  as  we  came 
abreast  of  the  end  of  the  promontory,  I  caught  sight  of  the  monster 


142  MAMMALIA. 

up  to  her  belly  in  water,  cropping  the  tender  lily-shoots.  I  shall 
never  forget  the  confusing  impression  the  sight  made  upon  me.  In 
my  mind  the  Moose  was  always  associated  with  imposing  antlers, 
such  as  I  had  seen  in  the  pictured  and  stuffed  specimens  which  had 
all  been  of  males  ;  but  this  uncouth  creature  had  only  immense  ears, 
which,  though  its  head  was  below  the  humped  shoulders,  still 
towered  above  them.  I  felt  that  it  must  be  game  because  of  the 
complete  wildness  of  the  surroundings  ;  and  yet  it  seemed  so  sug- 
gestive of  an  exaggerated  caricature  of  a  jackass,  that  the  idea 
passed  across  my  mind  that  there  might  be  some  clearing  in  the 
neighborhood  to  which  it  belonged.  I  do  not  think  my  guide's 
impressions  were  any  more  coherent  than  mine,  for,  although  he 
was  a  year  or  two  past  his  majority  and  had  been  born  and  bred 
in  the  woods,  he  had  never  seen  a  Moose.  Meanwhile,  profiting 
by  our  confusion  of  ideas,  Madame  Moose  had  '  slewed  around ' 
in  the  water,  with  a  view  to  making  for  the  friendly  shelter  of  the 
woods,  when  your  boat  came  within  view  of  the  creature  and  your 
guide  shouted  '  Moose  !  Moose  !'  which  had  the  effect  of  clearing 
up  my  ideas  instantaneously.  In  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  I  had 
lodged  in  front  of  her  shoulder  the  contents  of  my  gun — not 
'bird  shot,'  as  you  suggest,  but  'buck-cartridge'  consisting  of 
over  a  dozen  buck-shot  enclosed  in  a  wire  frame,  making  a  load 
that  '  carried '  very  closely,  and  made  a  hole  in  her  at  that  short 
range  of  not  over  fifty  yards,  that  would  doubtless,  after  one  of 
those  long  runs  for  which  these  animals  are  famous  when  fatally 
wounded,  have  ended  her  career.  My  shot  lent  impetus  to  her 
progress  toward  shore.  Then  Burgin  fired  some  shot  (I  think 
No.  6)  into  her  and  she  emerged  from  the  water.  The  two  guides, 
first  ours  and  then  yours, [*]  each  put  a  rifle  ball  into  her,  and  she 
fell  heavily  to  rise  no  more.  She  doubtless  had  a  spouse  some- 
where in  the  neighborhood,  for  a  party  who  had  been  after  her  for 

*  Mr.  Smith  writes  me:   "  The  shot  that  brought  her  to  the  ground  was  fired  by  our  guide,  one 
Palmer  of  Long  Lake,  son  of  old  Palmer,  the  original  settler  on  Long  Lake." 


EXTERMINATED    AND    EXTINCT    I'NCIULATES.  143 

a  week  had  killed  a  Moose-calf  near  by  that  was  too  young  to 
have  left  its  parents,  and  claimed  to  have  found  tracks  of  both  the 
old  ones.  We  lived  on  her  tenderloin — after  getting  her  to  camp 
under  great  difficulties — for  about  a  week. 

"  On  our  way  out  of  the  region,  whence  we  made  our  exit  at 
the  First  Saranac  Lake,  we  stopped  at  Bartlett's  on  Round  Lake, 
which  appeared  to  be  a  famous  and  extensive  rendezvous  for 
hunters  and  guides  ;  and  on  the  register  there  we  recorded  con- 
spicuously opposite  our  names  our  notable,  albeit  fortuitous, 
achievement.  *  ]  I  think  we  recorded  it  as  weighing  about  800  Ibs. 
and  standing  about  seven  feet  high  in  the  hump.  The  derisive 
incredulity  which  this  entry  evoked  was  only  silenced  by  the  pro- 
duction of  the  hide,  which  we  had  brought  with  us." 

No  credence  is  to  be  given  to  the  report,  widely  circulated 
by  the  press,  that  a  Moose  has  during  the  past  winter  been  seen 
near  the  Ox-bow  on  Moose  River,  in  the  Woodhull  Lake  region. 

NOTE  2.— -That  the  American  Elk  or  Wapiti  (Ccrvus  Canadcnsis) 
was  at  one  time  common  in  the  Adirondacks  there  is  no  question. 
A  number  of  their  antlers  have  been  discovered,  the  most  perfect  of 
which  that  I  have  seen  is  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  John  Constable. 
It  was  found  in  a  bog  on  Third  Lake  of  Fulton  Chain,  in  Herkimer 
County. 

Dr.  DeKay  (Zool.  N.  Y.,  Part  I,  1842,  pp.  120-121)  speaks  of  a 
specimen  consisting  of  "  a  portion  of  a  pair  of  horns  attached  to  a 
fragment  of  skull,"  which  was  '"  dug  up  near  the  mouth  of  the 

O  <-> 

Raquet  River  in  this  State,  near  the  forty-fifth  parallel  of  latitude. 
It  bears  a  label  in  the  handwriting  of  Dr.  Mitchill,  purporting  that  it 


*  Upon  the  receipt  of  the  above  letter,  early  in  October,  1883,  I  hoped  to  ascertain  the  exact  date  of 
the  killing  of  this  Moose,  and  at  once  wrote  to  Mr.  Uartlelt,  asking  if  he  would  consult  his  old 
register  and  send  me  a  copy  of  the  entry  here  referred  to.  Unfortunately,  his  reply  has  not  yet 
been  received.  [Since  the  above  went  to  press  I  have  learned  of  Mr.  Bartlett's  death.  | 


144  MAMMALIA. 

belonged  to  the  C.  tarandus*  or  Rein-deer."  Dr.  DeKay  appends 
a  table  of  measurements  which  clearly  indicates  that  the  antler  in 
question  was  that  of  our  common  Elk,  though  he  regarded  it  as  per- 
taining to  the  fossil  Elk.  He  mentions  another  antler,  of  a  younger 
animal,  which  "  was  thrown  out  by  a  plow  on  Grand  Isle,"  in  Lake 
Champlain,  and  deposited  in  the  Museum  of  the  University  of 
Vermont. 

Dr.  C.  C.  Benton,  of  Ogdensburg,  has  several  specimens,  more  or 
less  complete.  The  circumference  of  the  largest  at  the  burr  is  twelve 
and  one  half  inches;  immediately  below  the  burr  ten  inches.  These 
specimens  were  discovered  at  Steel's  Corners  in  St.  Lawrence  County. 

Mr.  Calvin  V.  Graves,  of  Boonville,  N.  Y.,  has  two  sections  of 
Elk  horns  that  were  "ploughed  up  in  an  old  beaver  meadow  in 
Diana,"  Lewis  County. 

When  the  species  was  exterminated  here  is  not  known.  Dr. 
DeKay,  writing  in  1842,  states:  "  The  stag  is  still  found  in  the  State 
of  New  York,  but  very  sparingly,  and  will  doubtless  be  extirpated 
before  many  years.  Mr.  Beach,  an  intelligent  hunter  on  the  Raquet, 
assured  me  that  in  1836,  he  shot  at  a  stag  (or  as  he  called  it,  an  elk), 
on  the  north  branch  of  the  Saranac.  He  had  seen  many  of  the  horns, 
and  described  this  one  as  much  larger  than  the  biggest  buck 
(C.  virginianus],  with  immense  long  and  rounded  horns,  with  many 
short  antlers.  His  account  was  confirmed  by  another  hunter, 
Vaughan,  who  killed  a  stag  at  nearly  the  same  place.  They  are  found 
in  the  northwestern  counties  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  adjoining 
counties  of  New  York.  In  1834,  I  am  informed  by  Mr.  Philip 
Church,  a  stag  was  killed  at  Bolivar,  Allegany  County.  My  inform- 
ant saw  the  animal,  and  his  description  corresponds  exactly  with  this 
species."  f 


*  This  specimen  is  probably  the  source  of  Professor  Dana's  statement  .  "  Remains  of  the  Rein- 
deer have  been  found  on  Racket  River,"  N;w  York  (Dana's  Geology,  2d  Ed.,  1875,  p.  568.) 
I  have  been  unable  to  find  a  trustworthy  record  of  the  Reindeer  or  Caribou  from  this  region. 

•f  Zoology  of  New  York,  Part  I,  Mammalia,  1842,  p.  119. 


EXTERMINATED    AXI)    EXTINVT    l'X<  ;m..\TKS. 

I  do  not  regard  the  above  account  of  Messrs.  Beach  and  Yaughan 

O 

as  trustworthy,  for  the  reason  that  I  have  never  been  able  to  find  a 
hunter  in  this  wilderness,  however  aged,  who  had  ever  heard  of  a 
living  Elk  in  the  Adirondack*. 

NOTE  3. — It  is  also  worthy  of  remark  that  wild  horses,  larger  than 
our  domesticated  stock,  once  roamed  the  borders  of  this  region.  Dr. 
C.  C.  Benton,of  Ogdensburg,  has  shown  me  several  fossil  molar  teeth 
of  Rquus  major  that  were  exhumed  at  Keenes  Station  near  the 
Oswegatchie  Ox  Bow  in  Jefferson  County.  I  have  compared  them 
with  the  corresponding  teeth  in  an  immense  dray-horse,  and  find 
them  much  larger. 

NOTE  4. — It  is  hard  for  us  to  realize  that  huge  Elephants,  in  the 
wild  state,  ever  moved  their  ponderous  bodies  over  this  northern 
Wilderness  ;  but  the  fact  is  incontestibly  proved  by  the  discovery  of 
their  remains  on  both  sides  of  the  Adirondacks.  Dr.  Zadock  Thomp- 
son tells  us  that  a  fossil  Elephant  was  found  in  a  muck  bed  in  the 
township  of  Mt.  Holly,  Vermont,  (in  the  Green  Mountains,)  at  an  ele- 
vation of  1415  feet,  in  the  year  i848.:i: 

A  tusk  measuring  five  feet  nine  inches  in  length,  over  the  curve, 
was  found,  September  20,  1877,  in  a  marl  bed  about  a  mile  west  of 
the  village  of  Copenhagen  in  Lewis  County.  It  was  purchased  for 
the  State  Cabinet  by  Dr.  Franklin  B.  Hough,  who  described  it  in  the 
Lowville  Times.  Whether  this  tusk  belonged  to  an  Elephant  or  a 
Mastodon  has  not  been  determined. 

*  Appendix  to  Thompson's  Vermont,    1853,   pp.    14-15.      Dr.    Leidy    refers    this    specimen    to 
Elephas  American  us  (Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  VII,  392). 


146  MAMMALIA. 

Order  INSECTIVORA.     Family 

CONDYLURA   CRISTATA 
Star-nosed  Mole. 

The  Star-nosed  Mole  is  a  common  animal  along  the  outskirts  of 
the  Adirondacks,  where  it  seems  to  manifest  a  predilection  for 
moist  situations,  being  usually  found  in  low  ground  and  in  the 
neighborhood  of  streams.  Its  food  consists  almost  wholly  of  the 
earthworm,  and  of  various  insects  which  it  discovers  in  its  mean- 
derings  through  the  soil.  In  general,  its  habits  are  much  like  those 
of  the  Shrew  Mole,  though  it  does  not,  apparently,  make  as  extensive 
excavations,  and  the  "mole  hills"  along  the  lines  of  its  galleries 
are  larger. 

In  gardens  and  ploughed  ground  they  often  work  so  near  the 
surface  that  a  ridge  of  loose  earth  is  upheaved  along  the  course  of 
their  tunnels.  In  meadows  and  pasture  lands,  on  the  contrary, 
the  galleries  are  not  marked  by  surface  ridges,  for  the  simple  reason 
that  they  cannot  readily  force  their  way  through  the  tough  sod,  but 
excavate  their  burrows  immediately  beneath.  Late  in  the  autumn, 
when  the  ground  becomes  frozen  to  the  depth  of  two  or  three 
inches,  the  Moles  sink  their  galleries  into  the  soft  earth  below, 
and  as  winter  advances  they  doubtless  continue  to  deepen  them 
sufficiently  to  avoid  the  frozen  ground.  Thus  both  Moles  and 
earthworms  escape  the  severe  temperature  of  our  northern  winter 
by  withdrawing  below  the  depth  to  which  the  frost  penetrates.  It 
sometimes  happens  here  that  a  period  of  severe  cold  sets  in  before 
much  snow  has  fallen,  in  which  case  the  ground  becomes  frozen  to 
the  depth  of  two  feet  or  more.  But  this  state  of  things  is  not  apt 
to  continue,  for  advancing  winter  is  almost  certain  to  bring  with  it 
a  large  amount  of  snow,  which,  as  is  well  known,  keeps  out  the  cold 
and  dissipates  the  frost  already  in  the  earth.  I  have  known  the 
ground  to  be  frozen  for  two  feet  below  the  surface  when  a  fall  of 
about  four  feet  of  snow  took  place.  Within  two  weeks  afterward 


CONDVLURA  CRISTATA.  147 

the  ground  thawed  and  the  surface  became  moist  and  mellow  though 
the  temperature  remained  low.  Indeed,  it  is  not  uncommon  for 
fresh  green  grass  to  spring  up  under  the  heavy  covering  which 
Dame  Nature  spreads  over  her  northern  possessions  in  winter  ; 
and  residents  of  cold  countries  often  avail  themselves  of  the  pro- 
tection afforded  by  seemingly  inhospitable  snow  banks. 

There  is  a  low  and  somewhat  wet  piece  of  ground  bordering  a 
small  creek  near  my  home  in  Lewis  County.  During  and  after 
every  heavy  rain,  and  for  a  considerable  period  in  spring  and  fall, 
this  creek  overflows  its  banks  and  a  large  part  of  the  surrounding 
flat  is  converted  into  a  swamp.  Star-nosed  Moles  have  been  com- 
mon here  ever  since  I  can  remember,  their  hills  clotting  the  surface 
in  various  directions.  In  the  fall  of  1883  a  colony  of  them  were 
exceedingly  active  in  one  part  of  this  flat  and  their  mounds  could 
be  counted  by  hundreds  over  an  area  a  few  acres  in  extent.  For 
the  double  purpose  of  procuring  specimens,  and  of  ascertaining  if 
more  species  than  one  were  concerned  in  these  excavations,  I  de- 
termined to  trap  some  of  the  animals,  and  was  joined  in  the  under- 
taking by  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher. 

This  species,  as  well  as  Brewer's  and  the  Shrew  Mole,  may  be 
trapped  by  taking  advantage  of  the  habit  of  removing  obstacles 
from  the  primary  galleries,  which  are  always  kept  in  repair.  A 
snare  of  fine  wire  or  horse  hair  made  to  surround  the  runway,  and 
connected  with  a  bit  of  stick  that  protrudes  into  the  burrow  and 
liberates  a  small  springpole  when  moved,  is  the  best  device  for 
their  capture  with  which  I  am  acquainted.  The  traps  made  by  us 
consisted  of  a  small  strip  of  board  with  a  bow  or  hoop  set  in  each 
end,  to  keep  the  wire  loops  in  place,  and  so  arranged  that  the 
Mole  is  equally  apt  to  be  taken  from  whichever  direction  he  comes. 
During  the  latter  part  of  October  and  first  of  November  we 
set  half  a  dozen  traps  of  this  description,  visiting  them  twice  daily 
until  November  I3th,  when  a  fall  of  six  inches  of  snow  and  the 
freezing  of  the  ground  suspended  operations  for  a  few  days.  The 


148  MAMMALIA. 

weather  moderated  on  the  igth  and  2Oth,  and  the  number  of  traps 
set  was  increased  to  fifteen.  These  were  also  visited  both  morn- 
ing and  evening  and  all  were  kept  in  good  order,  A  large  propor- 
tion of  them  were  sprung  almost  every  morning,  and  others  were 
plastered  up  with  mud  in  such  a  way  that  they  could  not  spring. 
In  fact,  on  an  average,  fully  twenty  traps  would  be  sprung  to 
every  Mole  secured.  I  think  the  springpoles  used  at  first  were 
too  weak,  and  that  a  few  Moles  escaped  by  forcing  themselves 
through  the  wire  loops.  But  after  stiffening  the  poles  we  still 
failed  to  secure  more  than  a  small  number  of  Moles  in  comparison 
with  the  number  of  traps  sprung.  Although  the  traps  remained 
set  till  the  28th  of  November,  when  the  ground  again  became 
frozen  and  covered  with  snow,  we  secured  but  nine  specimens  in 
all.  Eight  were  of  the  Star-nosed  variety,  while  the  other  was  a 
Brewer's  Mole  {Scapanus  Brciveri}.  During  the  same  period 
three  more  Brewer's  Moles  were  caught  on  a  side  hill  near  by. 

Dr.  Fisher  is  of  opinion  that  the  Moles,  in  repairing  their  gal- 
leries, often  push  a  quantity  of  earth  ahead  of  them  in  the  direction 
of  the  mounds,  and  that  this  springs  the  trap  before  the  Mole 
has  arrived  at  the  loop.  In  a  large  number  of  cases  this  is  a  very 
reasonable  explanation  of  the  failure  to  catch  the  animal,  for  the 
traps  are  frequently  found  packed  full  of  earth.  In  other  cases 
they  dig  around  the  trap,  while  occasionally  a  new  burrow  is  ex- 
cavated directly  beneath  it.  Whatever  else  they  may  do,  they  in- 
variably plaster  over  with  mud  any  exposed  part  of  the  trap  that 
may  appear  in  the  gallery  ;  and  they  sometimes  bury  the  whole 
affair  by  upheaving  a  hill  directly  over  it. 

The  exact  method  by  which  the  little  mounds  called  "  mole  hills" 
are  produced  has  long  been  a  matter  of  earnest  inquiry,  and  I  am 
glad  to  be  able  to  contribute  important  testimony  upon  this  point. 
Repeated  critical  examinations  of  the  hills  themselves  in  different 
soils,  and  occasional  observations  made  at  the  time  of  their  up- 
heaval, have  convinced  me  that,  when  in  dry  earth,  it  is  impossible 


CoNDVLURA  CRTSTATA.  149 

to  arrive  at  any  positive  knowledge  of  the  way  in  which  they  are 
made.  All  that  one  sees  during  their  formation  in  dry  soil  is  the 
upheaval  of  a  quantity  of  loose  earth  from  a  central  point,  which 
point  speedily  becomes  indistinguishable  as  the  mound  increases 
in  size,  the  only  observable  phenomenon  consisting  in  a  little  heap 
of  dirt  every  particle  of  which  seems  to  be  in  motion,  as  it  steadily 
approaches  completion.  The  rapidity  with  which  so  much  earth 
is  thrown  up  is  one  of  the  most  perplexing  things  about  it  ;  and 
the  peculiar  motion  of  the  mass  leads  to  the  notion  that  it  is 
traversed  by  galleries  and  that  the  Mole  is  at  work  within  it  and 
not  beneath  the  surrounding  ground.  On  making  a  section  of  the 
mound,  however,  it  is  found  to  contain  no  cavity  unless  it  be  a 
mere  tubular  extension  of  the  gallery,  and  this  is  absent  in  more 
than  half  the  hills  examined.  On  opening  the  gallery  beneath,  no 
chamber  or  tortuous  excavation  is  discovered,  and  the  fact  at  once 
becomes  apparent  that  so  much  earth  as  constitutes  the  hill  could 
not  possibly  have  been  obtained  from  the  excavation  in  its  imme- 
diate vicinity,  and  must  therefore  have  been  brought  from  a  dis- 
tance. Just  how  it  \vas  conveyed  to  and  forced  through  the  orifice 
leading  into  the  hill  I  have  until  recently  been  at  a  loss  to  com- 
prehend, but  the  opportunity  to  examine  some  freshly  made  mounds 
in  a  wet  pasture  of  rich  loam  or  mould  has  cleared  up  the  mystery. 
These  new  mounds  consisted  wholly  of  compact  cylindrical 
masses  of  damp  earth,  having  very  much  the  appearance  of  Bologna 
sausages,  and  measuring  from  three  to  five  inches  in  length  by  one 
and  a  half  to  two  in  diameter.  It  was  noticeable  that  the  size  of 
each  was  greater  than  that  of  the  hole  in  the  sod  through  which  it 

o  o 

had  been  discharged,  which  circumstance  shows  that  it  must  have 
been  subjected  to  considerable  pressure  during  expulsion.  On 
handling  these  masses  they  readily  broke  up,  transversely,  into  a 
number  of  more  or  less  parallel  discs,  or  lamellae,  each  of  which 
bore  evidence  of  having  been  powerfully  compressed.  On  exposure 
to  the  air  they  soon  lost  their  cylindrical  form  and  crumbled,  so  that 


l5o  MAMMALIA. 

it  is  only  under  peculiarly  favorable  circumstances  that  they  are  to 
be  found  at  all.  They  are  never  present  in  any  but  newly  made 
mounds  in  wet  mucky  soil.  Hence  it  is  perfectly  clear  that  the 
earth  of  which  the  mounds  are  composed  is  brought  to  and  ex- 
truded through  the  hole  intended  for  this  purpose  by  being  pushed 
ahead  of  the  animal.  In  being  thus  crowded  along  it  becomes  com- 
pressed and  moulded  to  the  burrows.  How  the  Mole  always 
manages  to  force  it  through  the  hole  he  has  prepared  for  it,  instead 
of  pushing  it  into  the  continuation  of  the  gallery  beyond,  is  by  no 
means  so  evident.  In  a  great  many  cases  one  arm  of  the  gallery 
curves  up  into  the  mound  so  that  the  plugs  would  naturally  follow 
this  passage,  but  in  other  cases  the  canal  leading  to  the  mound  is 
given  off  vertically  and  nearly  at  a  right  angle  to  the  runway,  while 
occasionally  it  commences  as  a  horizontal  offshoot,  thence  sloping 
upward  to  the  mound. 

As  the  main  galleries  from  time  to  time  require  repairs,  the 
superabundant  earth  is  usually  disposed  of  by  crowding  it  up 
through  the  old  mounds,  which  sometimes,  though  rarely,  contain 
a  tubular  or  oval  cavity  continuous  with  the  holes.  Thus,  after 
a  rain  or  frost  by  which  the  galleries  have  been  injured,  it  often 
happens  that  many  of  the  old  mounds  on  the  lines  of  the  primary 
runways  will  be  found  to  have  been  reopened  and  the  fresh  earth 
which  has  been  removed  in  making  the  necessary  repairs  may  be 
seen  on  them. 

Audubon  and  Bachman  criticise  Godman's  statement  concerning 
the  abundance  of  this  species  in  certain  localities,  remarking : 
"  We  have  sometimes  supposed  that  he  might  have  mistaken  the 
o-alleries  of  the  common  Shrew  Mole  for  those  made  by  the  Star- 

o  * 

nose,  as  to  us  it  has  always  appeared  a  rare  species  in  every  part 
of  the  Union."*  My  experience  agrees  with  that  of  Dr.  Godman, 
for  I  have  frequently  observed  this  species  in  large  colonies, 
and  with  us  it  is  certainly  one  of  the  commonest  Moles. 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  1851,  vol.  II,  pp.  141-142. 


CONDYLURA    CRISTATA.  l5l 

Audubon  and  Bachman  observe  :  "  In  a  few  localities  where  we 
were  in  the  habit,  man)'  years  ago,  of  obtaining  the  Star-nosed 
Mole,  it  was  always  found  on  the  banks  of  rich  meadows  near  run- 
ning streams.  The  galleries  did  not  run  so  near  the  surface  as 
those  of  the  common  Shrew  Mole.  We  caused  one  of  the  galleries 
to  be  dug  out,  and  obtained  a  nest  containing  three  young,  ap- 
parently a  week  old.  The  radiations  on  the  nose  were  so  slightly 
developed  that  until  we  carefully  examined  them  we  supposed  they 
were  the  young  of  the  Common  Shrew  Mole.  The  nest  was 
spacious,  composed  of  withered  grasses,  and  situated  in  a  large  ex- 
cavation under  a  stump.  The  old  ones  had  made  their  escape,  and 
we  endeavoured  to  preserve  the  young;  but  the  want  of  proper 
nourishment  caused  their  death  in  a  couple  of  clays."  *  The  only 
nest  that  I  ever  found  was  about  two  feet  below  the  surface,  in 
clay  soil,  and  under  a  stump.  It  was  composed  of  grass,  and  from 
it  a  passage  led  to  a  vegetable  garden  near  by. 

The  same  authors  assert  that  "  it  avoids  cultivated  fields,  and 
confines  itself  to  meadows  and  low  swampy  places."  f  That  this 
is  not  always  the  case  I  have  positive  proof,  for  I  have  caught  a 
number  of  them  in  our  garden.  By  following  the  ridge  of  loose 
earth  that  marks  their  progress,  and  quickly  sinking  a  spade 
directly  in  their  path,  a  few  inches  in  advance  of  the  moving  earth, 
I  have  often  turned  them  out  upon  the  surface.  They  pass  through 
the  rich,  soft  soil  of  a  garden  bed  with  such  rapidity  that  my  spade 
has  sometimes  cut  them  in  two,  though  aimed  several  inches  in 
advance  of  the  moving  earth. 

The  precise  function  of  the  curious  disc  of  tentacle-like  papilla; 
on  the  snout  has  not  as  yet  been  positively  determined,  though  it 
is  highly  probable  that  it  serves  as  a  delicate  organ  of  touch  to  aid 
the  animal  in  discovering  the  worms  and  insects  that  constitute  its 
prey. 

*  Ibid.,  pp.  141-142.  f  Ibid.,  pp.  141-142. 


1 52  MAMMALIA. 

One  March,  many  years  ago,  when  sliding  down  hill  on  the 
crust  (the  snow  then  being  over  three  feet  in  depth)  Dr.  C.  L. 
Bagg  and  1  observed  at  different  times  several  dark  objects  which 
at  a  distance  looked  like  little  balls  of  fur.  On  coming  nearer  we 
discovered  that  these  apparently  round  objects  were  Star-nosed 
Moles,  trying  to  bore  through  the  icy  crust.  They  had  evidently 
been  moving  about  on  the  surface  till  alarmed  by  our  approach, 
when,  having  wandered  away  from  the  holes  through  which  they 
came  up,  they  at  once  set  to  work  to  perforate  the  crust,  but,  owing 
to  its  unusual  hardness,  did  not  succeed  in  time  to  make  good  their 
escape.  We  captured  two  or  three  and  brought  them  home. 

The  reason  that  they  are  not  more  often  seen  here  in  winter  is 
easily  explained.  They  do  not  at  any  time  travel  much  upon  the 
surface,  and  even  when  thus  engaged  their  sense  of  hearing  is  so 
acute  that  they  detect  the  approach  of  an  enemy  while  yet  at  a 
distance,  and  disappear  at  once  into  the  snow.  All  winter  long 
one  sees  upon  the  snow  many  small  footprints,  that  are  designated, 
collectively,  as  mice,  mole,  and  shrew  tracks.  I  can  distinguish, 
with  considerable  confidence,  those  of  Hesperomys,  Blarina,  and 
Sorcx,  but  who  will  venture  to  affirm  that  he  can  name  the  species 
that  makes  each  of  the  others  ? 

The  tail  of  this  species  becomes  enormously  enlarged  during  the 
rutting  season,  which  circumstance  led  Dr.  Harlan  to  describe  a 
specimen  taken  during  this  period  as  a  distinct  species,  which  he 
named  Condylnra  macroura*  I  have  taken  specimens  as  late  as 
the  middle  of  November  whose  tails  measured  i2mm.  (.47  in.)  in 
diameter.  When  in  this  swollen  condition  there  is  a  marked  con- 
striction at  the  base,  which  causes  the  tail  to  appear  as  if  strangu- 
lated. Two  or  more  litters  are  produced  each  season. 

The  scent  glands  of  this  animal  secrete  a  thick  creamy  material 
of  a  greenish  yellow  color  that  has  a  powerful  and  very  disagree- 

*  Fauna  Americana,  1825,  p.  39. 


S<  Al.ol'S    AiJl.'ATICUS.  I  53 

able  odor,  which  at  certain  seasons  becomes  exceedingly  rank  and 
nauseous. 

SCALOPS    AQUATICUS     <I. inn.)  Fischer. 
S/trw  Mole. 

This  species  is  not  common  about  the  borders  of  the  Adirondacks, 
and  is  seldom  if  ever  found  within  the  evergreen  forests,  though  it 
sometimes  finds  the  way  to  the  frontier  settler's  garden. 

Its  specific  name,  aquaficns,  like  many  others  in  Zoological  nomen- 
clature, has  been  unfortunately  chosen  and  has  no  bearing  on  the 
habits  of  the  animal  ;  for  not  only  is  the  Shrew  Mole  not  known 
voluntarily  to  swim,  but  in  the  selection  of  its  haunts  it  shows  no 
preference  for  the  vicinity  of  water,  but  manifests  rather  a  contrary 
tendency. 

Its  home  is  underground,  and  its  entire  lifetime  is  spent  beneath 
the  surface.  Its  food  consists  almost  wholly  of  earth-worms,  grubs, 
ants,  and  other  insects  that  live  in  the  earth  and  under  logs  and 
stones  It  is  almost  universally  regarded  as  an  enemy  to  the  farmer, 
and  is  commonly  destroyed  whenever  opportunity  affords  ;  for,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  it  subsists  upon  insects  that  injure  the 
crops,  it  is  nevertheless  true  that,  in  the  procurement  of  these,  it 
disfigures  the  garden  paths  and  beds,  by  the  ridges  and  little  mounds 
of  earth  that  mark  the  course  of  its  subterranean  galleries,  and  loosens 
and  injures  many  choice  plants  in  its  probings  for  grubs  amongst 
their  roots. 

The  strength  of  the  Shrew  Mole  is  simply  prodigious,  for  an 
animal  of  its  diminutive  size,  and  the  speed  with  which  it  forces 
itself  through  the  ground  is  marvellous.  Audubon  and  Bachman, 
speaking  of  one  they  had  in  confinement,  state  :  "  \Ye  afterwards  put 
the  Mole  into  a  large  wire  rat-trap,  and  to  our  surprise  saw  him  in- 
sert his  fore-paws  or  hands,  between  the  wires,  and  force  them  apart 
sufficiently  to  give  him  room  to  pass  out  through  them  at  once,  and 


1 54  MAMMALIA. 

this  without  any  great  apparent  effort."  Dr.  Godman  also  tells  us 
that  one  which  he  had  "  in  a  basket  on  the  mantlepiece  of  a  parlour 
made  its  escape,  and  fell  to  the  hearth  ;  apparently  it  sustained  little 
injury  by  the  fall,  but  hurried  on  until  it  reached  the  wall,  where  it 
began  to  travel  round  the  room.  Whenever  its  course  was  impeded 
by  the  feet  of  the  chairs,  which  were  of  large  size,  it  would  not  go 
round  them,  but  wedging  itself  between  them  and  the  wall,  pushed 
them  with  apparent  ease  far  enough  to  obtain  a  free  passage,  and  it 
thus  continued  to  move  several  in  succession.  What  was  more 
astonishing,  it  passed  in  a  similar  manner  behind  the  legs  of  a  small 
mahogany  breakfast-table,  and  pushed  it  aside  in  the  same  way  it 
had  done  the  chairs,  finally  hiding  itself  behind  a  pile  of  quarto 
volumes,  more  than  two  feet  high,  which  it  also  moved  out  from  the 
wall."  f  Now  I  have  made  a  pile,  just  two  feet  high,  of  quarto 
volumes,  and  find  that  to  move  it  on  a  smooth,  painted  floor  requires 
a  force  of  eighteen  pounds  (Avoirdupois),  and  on  a  carpet,  of  twenty- 
two  pounds.  In  order  to  display  a  degree  of  strength  proportionate 
to  the  difference  in  weight  of  the  two,  a  man  would  have  to  exert  a 

o 

push  pressure  of  twelve  thousand  pounds  ! 

Its  nest  is  commonly  half  a  foot  or  more  below  the  surface,  and 
from  it  several  passages  lead  away  in  the  direction  of  its  favorite 
foraging  grounds.  These  primary  passages  gradually  approach  the 
surface,  and  finally  become  continuous  with,  or  open  into,  an  ever 
increasing  multitude  of  tortuous  galleries,  which  wind  about  in  every 
direction,  and  sometimes  come  so  near  the  surface  as  barely  to 
escape  opening  upon  it,  while  at  other  times  they  are  several  inches 
deep.  Along  the  most  superficial  of  these  horizontal  burrows  the 
earth  is  actually  thrown  up,  in  the  form  of  long  ridges,  by  which  the 
animal's  progress  can  be  traced.  The  distance  that  they  can  thus 
travel  in  a  given  time  is  almost  incredible.  Audubon  and  Bachman 
state  that  they  have  been  known,  in  a  single  night  after  a  rain,  to 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  vol.  I,  1846,  pp.  85-86. 

f  American  Natural  History,  by  John  D.  Godman,  M.  D.,  vol.  I,  1842,  p.  64. 


SCAI.Ol'S    AOUATICUS.  I  55 

excavate  a  gallery  several  hundred  yards  in  length  ;  and  I  have 
myself  traced  a  fresh  one  nearly  one  hundred  yards.  The  only 
method  by  which  we  can  arrive  at  a  just  appreciation  of  the  magni- 
tude of  this  labor  is  by  comparison  ;  and  computation  shows  that  in 
order  to  perform  equivalent  work  a  man  would  have  to  excavate,  in 
a  single  night,  a  tunnel  thirty-seven  miles  long,  and  of  sufficient  size 
to  easily  admit  of  the  passage  of  his  body. 

In  following  the  galleries  of  the  Shrew  Mole  one  finds  a  number 
of  little  hills  of  loose  earth,  each  measuring  from  four  to  six  inches  in 

O 

height,  and  eight  to  ten  in  diameter.  They  are  usually  in  groups, 
a  few  feet  apart,  but  are  sometimes  isolated.  Lawns  and  flower  beds 
are  often  disfigured  by  them  in  a  few  hours,  for  a  large  number  are 
sometimes  thrown  up  in  a  surprisingly  short  space  of  time.  "  I  have 
often  examined  these  eminences,"  writes  Dr.  Godman,  "  and  have 
never  been  able  fully  to  understand  how  they  are  formed  ;  a  slight 
motion  is  observed  at  the  surface,  and  presently  this  loose  earth  is 
seen  to  be  worked  up  through  a  small  orifice,  whence,  falling  on  all 
sides,  by  its  accumulation  the  hills  just  mentioned  are  produced.  It 
seems  to  be  brought  from  some  distance,  for  on  breaking  up  the 
gallery,  it  was  evident  that  more  earth  had  been  thrown  out  than 
could  have  been  removed  in  excavating  the  immediately  adjoining 
portions  of  the  burrow.  In  one  instance  I  have  seen  the  shrew-mole 
show  the  extremity  of  its  snout  from  the  centre  of  one  of  these  loose 
hills,  where  it  had  come  at  mid-day,  as  if  for  the  purpose  of  enjoying 
the  sunshine,  without  exposing  its  body  to  the  full  influence  of  the 
external  air."  * 

I  have  many  times  observed  small  areas,  several  square  yards  in 
extent,  particularly  in  meadow-land,  where  the  ground  was  fairly 
covered  with  mole-hills,  and  so  cut  up  with  their  galleries  that  in 
walking  over  it  one  was  sure  to  break  through  the  surface.  It  seems 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  animal  discovers,  in  these  places,  an 


*  Loc.  cit.,  p.  62. 
I  I 


1 56  MAMMALIA. 

abundance  of  some  favorite  food — perhaps  a  colony  of  grubs  feeding 
upon  the  roots  of  the  grass. 

When  the  Shrew  Mole  encounters  a  rock,  or  an  old  log  or  stump, 
in  the  course  of  his  subterranean  wanderings,  instead  of  avoiding  it, 
he  takes  great  pains  to  burrow  beneath,  making  extensive  excavations 
in  contact  with  its  under  surface.  The  reason  is  obvious,  for  he 
knows  as  well  as  we  do  that  in  such  places  are  to  be  found  many 
earth-worms,  slugs,  ants  with  their  eggs,  and  other  tender  insects. 

It  is  not  probable  that  the  remoter  secondary  galleries  are  traversed 
more  than  a  few  times,  for  the  animal  makes  new  ones  every  day  ; 
but  the  primary  passages  which  lead  to  the  nest  are  in  constant  use, 
and  are  always  kept  in  repair.  In  this  connection  Dr.  Godman,  whose 
biography  of  this  species  is  the  most  complete  and  accurate  we 
possess,  observes:  "  It  is  remarkable  how  unwilling  they  are  to  re- 
linquish a  long  frequented  burrow  ;  I  have  frequently  broken  down 
or  torn  off  the  surface  of  the  same  burrow  for  several  days  in  succes- 
sion, but  would  always  find  it  repaired  at  the  next  visit.  This  was 
especially  the  case  with  one  individual  whose  nest  I  discovered,  which 
was  always  repaired  within  a  short  time,  as  often  as  destroyed.  It 
was  an  oval  cavity,  about  six  or  seven  inches  in  length  by  three  in 
breadth,  and  was  placed  at  about  eight  inches  from  the  surface  in  a 
stiff  clay.  The  entrance  to  it  sloped  obliquely  downwards  from  the 
common  gallery,  about  two  inches  from  the  surface  ;  three  times  I 
entirely  exposed  this  cell  by  cutting  out  the  whole  superincumbent 
clay  with  a  knife,  and  three  times  a  similar  one  was  made  a  little 
beyond  the  situation  of  the  former,  the  excavation  having  been  con- 
tinued from  its  back  part.  I  paid  a  visit  to  the  same  spot  two  months 
after  capturing  its  occupant,  and  breaking  up  the  nest,  all  the  injuries 
were  found  to  be  repaired,  and  another  excavated  within  a  few  inches 
of  the  old  one.  Most  probably  numerous  individuals,  composing  a 
whole  family,  reside  together  in  these  extensive  galleries."  He 
further  says  :  "  Shrew-moles  are  most  active  early  in  the  morning, 
at  mid-day,  and  in  the  evening  ;  after  rains  they  are  particularly  busy 


SCAI.OI'S    AOUATH'US.  ID^ 

in  repairing  their  damaged  galleries,  and  in  long  continued  wet 
weather  we  find  that  they  seek  the  high  grounds  for  security.  The 
precision  with  which  they  daily  come  to  the  surface  at  twelve  o'clock 
is  very  remarkable,  and  is  well  known  in  the  country.  In  many  in- 
stances when  we  have  watched  them,  they  appeared  exactly  at  twelve, 
and  at  this  time  only  have  we  succeeded  in  taking  them  alive,  which 
is  easily  done  by  intercepting  their  progress  with  a  spade,  broad 
blade,  &c.,  and  throwing  them  on  the  surface. " 

Auclubon  and  Bachman  discourse  as  follows  upon  the  feeding 
habits  of  one  they  had  in  confinement  :  "  When  this  Mole  was  fed 
on  earth-worms  (Lumbricus  terrains],  as  we  have  just  related,  we 
heard  the  worms  crushed  in  the  strong  jaws  of  the  animal,  with  a 
noise  somewhat  like  the  grating  of  broken  glass,  which  was  probably 
caused  by  its  strong  teeth  gnashing  on  the  sand  or  grit  contained  in 
the  bodies  of  the  worms.  These  were  placed  singly  on  the  ground 
near  the  animal,  which  after  smelling  around  for  a  moment  turned 
about  in  every  direction  with  the  greatest  activity,  until  he  felt  a 
worm,  when  he  seized  it  between  the  outer  surface  of  his  hands  or 
fore-paws,  and  pushed  it  into  his  mouth  with  a  continually  repeated 
forward  movement  of  the  paws,  cramming  it  downward  until  all  was 
in  his  jaws.  Small  sized  earth-worms  were  dispatched  in  a  very 
short  time  ;  the  animal  never  failing  to  begin  with  the  anterior  end 
of  the  worm,  and  apparently  cutting  it  as  he  eat,  into  small  pieces, 
until  the  whole  was  devoured.  On  the  contrary,  when  the  earth- 
worm was  of  a  large  size,  the  Mole  seemed  to  find  some  difficulty  in 
managing  it,  and  munched  the  worm  sideways,  moving  it  from  one 
side  of  its  mouth  to  the  other.  On  these  occasions  the  gritting  of 
its  teeth,  which  we  have  already  spoken  of,  can  be  heard  at  a  distance 

of  several  feet Although  this  species,  as  we  have  seen, 

feeds  principally  on  worms,  grubs,  &c.,  we  have  the  authority   of 
our  friend  Ogden  Hammond,  Esq.,  for  the  following  example  either 


*  Loc.  cit.,  pp.  63-64,  65. 


1 58  MAMMALIA. 

of  a  most  singular  perversity  of  taste,  or  of  habits  hitherto  totally  un- 
known as  appertaining  to  animals,  of  this  genus,  and  meriting  a 
farther  inquiry.  While  at  his  estate  near  Throg's  Neck,  on  Long 
Island  Sound,  his  son,  who  is  an  intelligent  young  lad,  and  fond  of 
Natural  History,  observed  in  company  with  an  old  servant  of  the 
family,  a  Shrew  Mole  in  the  act  of  swallowing,  or  devouring,  a  com- 
mon toad — this  was  accomplished  by  the  Mole,  and  he  was  then 
killed,  being  unable  to  escape  after  such  a  meal,  and  was  taken  to 
the  house,  when  Mr.  Hammond  saw  and  examined  the  animal,  with 
the  toad  partially  protruding  from  its  throat.  This  gentleman  also 
related  to  us  some  time  ago,  that  he  once  witnessed  an  engagement 
between  two  Moles,  that  happened  to  encounter  each  other,  in  one 
of  the  noon-day  excursions,  this  species  is  so  much  in  the  habit  of 
making.  The  combatants  sidled  up  to  one  another  like  two  little 
pigs,  and  each  tried  to  root  the  other  over,  in  attempting  which, 
their  efforts  so  much  resembled  the  manner  of  two  boars  fighting, 
that  the  whole  affair  was  supremely  ridiculous  to  the  beholder, 
although  no  doubt  to  either  of  the  bold  warriors,  the  consequences 
of  an  overthrow  would  have  been  a  very  serious  affair  ;  and  the 
conqueror,  would  vent  his  rage  upon  the  fallen  hero,  and  punish  him 
severely  with  his  sharp  teeth.  We  have  no  doubt  these  conflicts 
generally  take  place  in  the  love  season,  and  are  caused  by  rivalry,  and 
that  some  '  fair  Mole  '  probably  rewards  the  victor."  * 

Farther  on,  the  same  authors  observe  :  "  We  had  an  opportunity  on 
two  different  occasions  of  examining  the  nests  and  young  of  the 
Shrew  Mole.  The  nests  were  about  ei^ht  inches  below  the  surface, 

o 

the  excavation  was  rather  large  and  contained  a  quantity  of  oak 
leaves  on  the  outer  surface,  lined  with  soft  dried  leaves  of  the  crab- 
grass  (Digitaria  sanguinalis}.  There  were  galleries  leading  to 
this  nest,  in  two  or  three  directions.  The  young  numbered  in  one 
case,  five,  and  in  another,  nine. 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  vol.  I,  1846,  pp.  85-86,  87-88. 


SCALOPS    AQUATIC  U.S.  l5g 

"  Our  kind  friend,  J.  S.  Haincs,  P^sq.,  of  Germantown,  near  Phila- 
delphia, informed  us  that  he  once  kept  several  Shrew  Moles  in  con- 
finement for  the  purpose  of  investigating  their  habits,  and  that  having 
been  neglected  for  a  few  days,  the  strongest  of  them  killed  and  ate 
up  the  others  ;  they  also  devoured  raw  meat,  especially  beef,  with 
great  avidity." 

Explanation  of  Erroneous  Notions  Concerning'  the  Food  of  the  Mole. 

It  is  unfortunate  (for  the  Mole,  at  any  rate)  that  the  farmers  and 
gardeners  still  cling  to  the  mistaken  notion  that  the  Mole  eats  the 
roots  of  vegetables  and  other  plants.  In  support  of  this  view  they 
affirm  that  they  have  followed  the  galleries  of  these  animals  along- 
rows  of  garden  plants  and  have  found  some  of  the  roots  gnawed 
entirely  off,  and  others  more  or  less  injured.  Granted  ;  but  this  is 
circumstantial  and  presumptive  evidence  only,  and  is  negatived 
by  the  facts  hereinafter  related.  The  truth  of  the  matter  is  this  : 
The  Mole  follows  the  row  of  plants  in  order  to  obtain  the  insects 
that  gather  in  the  rich  soil  about  their  roots,  and  doubtless  occasion- 
ally injures  a  few  by  loosening  the  earth  around  them,  or  possibly 
even  by  scratching  them  in  his  efforts  to  procure  the  grubs. 

Presently  a  field  mouse  (Arvicola)  comes  along  and  discovers  the 
gallery  of  the  Mole.  It  is  just  the  right  size,  or  perhaps  a  trifle  large, 
so  he  enters  without  delay  and  is  delighted  to  find  that  it  leads 
directly  to  his  favorite  articles  of  diet,  the  roots  of  garden  vegetables. 
It  is  this  abundant  and  destructive  pest  that  does  the  mischief,  while 
the  poor  Mole  gets  the  credit  of  it,  and  very  likely  loses  his  head  in 
consequence. 

As  bearing  upon  this  subject  I  quote  from  the  pen  of  Samuel 
Woodruff,  Esq.,  some  evidence  that  may  fairly  be  regarded  as  con- 
clusive. Mr.  Woodruff  commences  by  stating  that  he  had  always 
supposed  the  Mole  to  be  herbivorous,  and  now  that  the  contrary  had 
been  asserted,  determined  to  prove  the  matter  by  actual  experiment, 

*  Ibid.,  p.  90. 


1 6O  MAMMALIA. 

as  soon  as  he  could  obtain  a  subject.  Having  finally  procured  "  a 
full  grown,  healthy,  and  vigorous  mole  "  of  this  species,  he  goes  on 
to  say  :  "  I  confined  him  in  a  wooden  box  about  two  feet  square, 
placing  on  the  bottom  six  or  eight  inches  depth  of  earth,  and  before 
him  a  potato,  a  beet,  a  carrot,  a  parsnip,  turnip,  and  an  apple. 

"  Early   next  morning   I   found   him  exceedingly  languid,  and  ap- 
parently exhausted,  barely  able  to  turn  himself  over  when  placed  on 
his  back.     All  the   vegetables   remained  whole — none   having  been 
bitten.     I  then  presented  him  the  head  and  whole  neck  of  a  fowl,  with 
the  feathers  on  ;     he  instantly   seized  it,  and  fed  upon  it  with  great 
avidity.     I  found  him  the  next  morning,  plump,  strong  and  active- 
nothing  left  of  the  head  and  neck  of  the  fowl,  except  the  beak,  part 
of  the  skull,  and   bones   of  the   neck,  the  latter   being  gnawed  and 
stripped  of  all  the  flesh.       I  then  left  him  with  a  whole  chicken  about 
the  size  of  a  quail.     The  next  day,  I  found  upon  examination,  nothing 
left  of  the  chicken,  with  the  exception  of  the  beak,  wing  feathers,  and 
a  few  of  the  larger  bones.     I  then  treated  him  to  the  head,  neck,  and 
entrails  of  another  fowl.     He  first  devoured  the  entrails,  and  after 
that,  the  head  and  neck,  with  the  exceptions  as  stated  in  the  first  in- 
stance.     Satisfied  with  this  course,  I   changed  his  regimen  on   the 
evening  of  the   i/th,  from    flesh    to    cheese,   with    the    addition    of 
potato  boiled  with  meat;     the  animal  was  then  full  and   vigorous. 
The  next   morning  I  found  him  dead — the  cheese  and  potatoes  as  I 
had  left  them,  none  of  which  had  been  eaten.     The  belly  and  sides 
of  the  mole  were  much  contracted  and  depressed. 

"  During  the  whole  time  of  his  confinement,  he  had  been  well 

O 

supplied  with  water  and  ice.     The  whole  of  the  vegetables  put  into 
the  box  remained  unbitten. 

"  The  result  of  this  experiment  has  removed  from  my  mind  all 
doubts   respecting  the   character  and   habits  of  this  singular  animal 
it  is  clearly  not  herbivorous,   and    may   be   truly   ranked 
among  carnivorous  animals." 

*  American  Journal  of  Science  and  Arts,  vol.  XXVIII,  No.  I,  pp.  169-170. 


SCAPANUS    AMKRTCAXUS.  l6l 

SCAPANUS    AMERICANUS     (Bartmm,  MS.)  Coues.  * 

Hairy-tailed  Mole  ;  Brewer  s  Mole. 

I  have  secured  a  number  of  examples  of  this  species  from  the 
borders  of  the  Wilderness,  but  have  not  observed  it  within  the  co- 
niferous forests.  Specimens  have  been  taken  in  the  garden,  where  it 
excavates  long  and  tortuous  burrows,  often  marked  upon  the  surface 
by  crumbling  ridges  of  earth. 

Its  habits,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  resemble  those  of  its  nearest  rela- 
tive, the  shrew  mole  (Sea lops  aquaticus),  except  that  its  mounds  do 
not  contain  a  chamber  and  surface  opening,  and  its  galleries  are 
usually  made  a  little  deeper.  Like  this  species  it  is  most  common 
in  dry  meadow  lands,  while  the  star-nose  is  usually  found  in  moist 
or  swampy  places.  It  is  much  more  common  here  than  the  shrew 
mole,  and  is  evidently  a  more  northern  animal.  It  is  not  known  to 
indulge  in  the  little  "noon-clay  excursions"  which,  as  already  related, 
are  characteristic  of  the  last-named  species. 

In  a  wet  meadow  where  Dr.  Fisher  and  I  caught  eight  star-nosed 
moles  in  October  and  November,  1883,  we  procured  but  one  Brewer's 
Mole  It  was  taken  in  the  following  manner  :  A  section  of  stove 
pipe,  the  lower  end  of  which  had  been  closed  with  a  tight-fitting 
board,  was  sunk  along  the  line  of  a  gallery  to  such  a  depth  that  its 
upper  edge  was  on  a  level  with  the  floor  of  the  runway.  The  surface 
opening  was  covered  over  with  a  piece  of  rubber  cloth  to  exclude 
the  light.  For  some  time  the  moles  worked  around  this  pitfall  with- 
out tumbling  in,  to  prevent  which  operation  Dr.  Fisher  arranged  a 
pair  of  wings  or  leads  (strips  of  boards),  placing  their  inner  ends 
flush  with  the  pipe.  The  Moles  now  adopted  a  new  mode  of  pro- 
cedure and  filled  the  pipe  with  dirt  so  that  they  might  pass  over  it 
with  impunity.  It  was  left  in  this  condition  for  some  days  and  then 


*  In  the  American  Naturalist  for  March,  1879  (pp.  189-190),  Dr.  Cones  refers  this  species, 
which  is  generally  known  as  S.  Br-.-w.'ri,  to  Talpa  Americana  (Bartram,  MS.)  Harlan.  This  con- 
clusion is  corroborated  by  Dobson  in  his  Monograpli  of  the  Insect ivora  ( Part  II,  London,  June 
1883,  pp.  134-135). 


1 62  MAMMALIA. 

the  dirt  was  quietly  removed.     Within  twenty-four  hours  a  large  and 
handsome  Brewer's  Mole  was  found  in  the  pipe. 

The  modification  of  structure  that  adapts  this  animal  to  its  peculiar 
mode  of  life  affords  a  most  remarkable  example  of  animal  specializa- 
tion. The  conical  head,  terminating  in  a  flexible  cartilaginous 
snout,  and  unincumbered  with  external  ears  or  eyes  to  catch  the  dirt, 
constitutes  an  effective  wedge  in  forcing  its  way  through  narrow 
apertures  ;  the  broad  and  powerful  hands,  whose  fingers  are  united 
nearly  to  their  very  tips  and  armed  with  long  and  stout  claws,  supply 
the  means  by  which  the  motive  power  is  applied,  and  serve  to  force 
the  earth  away  laterally  to  admit  the  wedge -like  head  ;  while  the  ap- 
parent absence  of  neck,  due  to  the  enormous  development  of  muscles 
in  connection  with  the  shoulder-girdle,  the  retention  of  the  entire 
arm  and  forearm  within  the  skin,  the  short  and  compact  body,  and 
the  covering  of  soft,  short,  and  glossy  fur,  tend  to  decrease  to  a 
minimum  the  frictional  resistance  against  the  solid  medium  through 
which  it  moves.  In  fact,  it  presents  a  most  extraordinary  model  of  a 
machine  adapted  for  rapid  and  continued  progress  through  the  earth. 

The  mole  does  not,  and  cannot,  dig  a  hole,  in  the  same  sense  as 
other  mammals  that  engage  in  this  occupation,  either  in  the  construc- 
tion of  burrows  or  in  the  pursuit  of  prey.  When  a  fox  or  a  wood- 
chuck  digs  into  the  ground,  the  anterior  extremities  are  brought 
forward,  downward,  and  backward,  the  plane  of  motion  being  almost 
vertical  :  while  the  Mole,  on  the  other  hand,  in  making  its  excava- 
tions, carries  its  hands  forward,  outward,  and  backward,  so  that 
the  plane  of  motion  is  nearly  horizontal.  The  movement  is  almost 
precisely  like  that  of  a  man  in  the  act  of  swimming,  and  the  simile  is 
still  closer  from  the  fact  that  the  Mole  brings  the  backs  of  his  hands 
together  in  carrying  them  forward,  always  keeping  the  palmar 
surfaces  outward  and  the  thumbs  below.  Indeed,  when  taken  from 
the  earth  and  placed  upon  a  hard  floor,  it  does  not  tread  upon  the 
palmar  aspect  of  its  fore-feet,  as  other  animals  do,  but  runs  along  on 
the  sides  of  its  thumbs,  with  the  broad  hands  turned  up  edgewise. 


SCAI'AXIS    AMERICAXUS.  163 

Prof.  Baird  was  the  first  to  add  the  Hairy-tailed  Mole  to  the  fauna 
of  New  York  State.  In  the  Report  of  the  Regents  on  the  Condition 
of  the  State  Cabinet  of  Natural  History,  1862,  he  says:  "This 
species  of  Mole,  although  not  mentioned  by  DeKay  in  the  State 
Natural  History,  is  in  reality  very  abundantly  to  be  met  with  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  State,  and  apparently  to  the  exclusion  of  the 
more  southern  species  with  white  naked  tail,  S.  aquatic  us.  Its  bur- 
rows are  very  different  from  those  of  the  latter  species  ;  being  at  a 
considerable  distance  beneath  the  surface,  with  heaps  of  loose  earth 
thrown  up  at  intervals  over  the  gallery,  without  any  kind  of  entrance 
whatever." 

Dr.  Harlan  thus  described  the  habits  of  this  species,  which  he 
supposed  identical  with  the  common  mole  of  Europe  :  u  Subterrane- 
ous, affecting  light  and  cultivated  soils  ;  changing  locality  according 
to  atmospherical  variations  ;  seeking  elevated  regions  during  the 
rainy  seasons  ;  excavating  long  galleries  which  all  communicate  with 
each  other,  parallel  to  the  surface  of  the  soil,  and  at  moderate  depths  ; 
elevating  the  earth  into  what  are  denominated  mole-hills  ;  excavating 

^^  ^5 

with  their  hands,  and  raising  the  earth  with  their  head  ;  feeding  on 

o 

worms,  insects,  roots,  bulbs  of  colchicum,  &c.;  entering  in  rut  early 
in  the  spring,  and  bringing  forth  twice  annually,  four  or  five  at  a 
birth,  between  the  months  of  March  and  August  ;  raising  their  young 
with  the  greatest  tenderness  ;  forming  their  nests  of  leaves,  in  a 
spacious  chamber,  the  vault  of  which  is  supported  by  pillars,  and 
which  is  situated  in  a  manner  to  be  sheltered  from  inundations."  f 

But  it  must  be  remembered  that  Dr  Harlan  confounded  this 
animal  with  the  European  Mole  (Talpa  Europcea),  and  it  is  possible 
that  the  above  is  in  part  compiled  from  accounts  of  that  species. 


*  Fifteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Regents  of  the  University  of  the  State  of  New  York,  on  the 
Condition  of  the  State  Cabinet  of  Natural  History,  1862,  p.  13. 

\  Fauna  Americana,  1825,  p.  44. 


164  MAMMALIA. 


Family 

BLARINA   BREVICAUDA    (Say)  Bah-d. 
Short-tailed  Shrew. 

The  Short-tailed  Shrew  is,  I  presume,  the  most  abundant  of  the 
insectivorous  mammals  that  occur  in  the  Adirondack  Mountains,  and 
is  found  alike  in  the  dense  coniferous  forests  of  the  interior,  and  the 
cleared  and  settled  districts  of  the  surrounding  region. 

It  seeks  its  food  both  by  day  and  by  night  ;  and,  although  the 
greater  part  of  its  life  is  doubtless  spent  underground,  or  at  least  under 
logs  and  leaves,  and  amongst  the  roots  of  trees  and  stumps,  it 
occasionally  makes  excursions  upon  the  surface,  and  I  have  met  and 
secured  many  specimens  in  broad  daylight. 

It  subsists  upon  beechnuts,  insects,  earth-worms,  slugs,  sow-bugs, 
and  mice,  and  can  in  no  way  be  considered  as  other  than  a  friend  to 
the  farmer.  Its  burrows  are  so  small  that  their  presence  near  the 
roots  of  plants  could  hardly  prove  injurious. 

In  the  selection  of  its  haunts  it  seems  to  show  a  preference  for  the 
neighborhood  of  half-decayed  logs,  under  and  within  which  much  of 
its  food  is  procured.  It  is  also  pretty  sure  to  find  and  undermine  old 
planks  and  boards  that  have  been  left  on  the  ground,  and  I  have 
captured  it  under  a  stone  walk.  While  it  is  common  on  the  dry 
ground  immediately  bordering  swamps  and  streams,  I  have  never 
known  it  either  to  enter  the  water,  or  to  cross  over  wet  places.  It 
does  not  appear  to  be  as  abundant  in  those  portions  of  the  forest 
that  are  covered  exclusively  with  coniferous  evergreens,  as  in  the 
vicinity  of  hard-wood  ridges  and  groves.  This  is  probably  clue,  partly 
to  the  nature  of  the  food  supply,  and  partly  to  its  fondness  for  travel- 
liner  under  the  layer  of  dead  and  decomposing  leaves  that  covers  the 
ground  in  our  deciduous  forests. 

The   rigors   of  our   northern   winters   seem    to   have  no  effect  in 

O 

diminishing  its  activity,  for  it  scampers  about  on  the  snow  during  the 
severest  weather,  and  I  have  known  it  to  be  out  when  the  thermome- 


}',]..  \RI\A     I!RF.Vir.\l'D.\.  l65 

ter  indicated  a  temperature  of  -20  Fahr.  (-29  C).  It  makes  long 
journeys  over  the  snow,  burrowing  down  whenever  it  comes  to  an 
elevation  that  denotes  the  presence  of  a  log  or  stump,  and  I  am 
inclined  to  believe  that  at  this  season  it  must  feed  largely  upon 
the  chrysalides  and  larvae  of  insects,  that  are  always  to  be  found  in 
such  places. 

The  eyes  of  the  Shrew  are  distinctly  visible  in  the  living  animal, 
not  being  covered  by  the  integument,  as  is  the  case  with  some  of  the 
moles.  Still,  the  sight  is  very  much  restricted,  and  is,  I  think,  limit- 
ed almost  to  the  power  of  discriminating  light  from  darkness.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  hearing  is  exceedingly  acute,  and  tactile  sensi- 
bility is  highly  developed. 

Mr.  John  Morden,  of  Hyde  Park,  Ontario,  has  recently  published, 
in  the  Canadian  Sportsman  and  Naturalist,  an  article  "  On  the 
Mole."  He  states  that  in  a  trap  set  for  mice  he  found,  at  one  time, 
a  Shrew  and  two  white-footed  mice  (Hesperomysleucopus),  one  of  the 
latter  being  dead  and  about  half  eaten.  He  goes  on  to  say  :  "  The 
evening  of  that  same  day,  the  mole  was  placed  in  an  old  laundry 
boiler  and  the  entire  dead  mouse  given  to  it,  which  by  morning  was 
entirely  eaten,  bones  and  all,  except  the  hair.  We  then  gave  the 
mole  a  large  rat  just  killed,  when  it  at  once  proceeded  to  eat  out  its 
eyes,  and  by  4  o'clock  next  afternoon  one  side  of  the  rat's  head,  bone, 
too-ether  with  the  brains,  were  eaten,  and  strange  to  say,  the  mole 

o  o  J 

looked  no  larger  .  .  .  .  Our  curiosity  was  aroused  to  know  by 
what  means  a  mole  or  shrew  could  kill  mice  which  were  larger  than 
itself;  so  four  large  meadow  mice  being  procured,  they  were  placed 
in  the  boiler  with  the  mole,  which  as  soon  as  it  met  a  mouse,  showed 
fight,  but  the  mouse  knocked  it  away  with  its  front  feet  and  leaped 
as  far  away  as  it  could.  The  mole  from  the  first  seemed  not  to  see 
very  plainly  and  started  around  the  boiler  at  a  lively  rate,  reaching 
and  scenting  in  all  directions  with  its  long  nose,  like  a  pig  that  has 
broken  into  a  back  yard  and  smells  the  swill  barrel.  The  mice  seem- 
ed terror-stricken,  momentarily  rising  on  their  hind  legs,  looking  for 


l66  MAMMALIA. 

some  place  to  escape,  leaping  about  squeaking  in  their  efforts  to  keep 
out  of  the  way  of  the  mole  which  pursued  them  constantly.  The 
mole's  mode  of  attack  was  to  seize  the  mouse  in  the  region  of  the 
throat.  This  it  did  by  turning  its  head  as  it  sprang  at  the  mouse,  at 
the  same  time  uttering  a  chattering  sound.  The  mice  would  strike 

o  <_> 

at,  and  usually  knock  the  mole  away  with  their  front  feet,  but  if  the 
latter  got  a  hold  of  the  mouse,  it  would  then  try  to  bite,  and  they 
would  both  tumble  about  like  dogs  in  a  fight.  The  little  chap  at  last 
attacked  one  mouse  and  kept  with  it,  and  in  about  ten  minutes  had 
it  killed ;  but  even  before  it  was  dead  the  mole  commenced  eating  its 

<_> 

eyes  and  face.  About  ten  minutes  later  the  mole  had  devoured  all 
the  head  of  the  mouse  and  continued  to  eat.  I  have  captured  and 
caged  several  moles  this  winter  and  they  all  display  the  same  untiring 
greedy  nature.  According  to  my  observations  the  little  mammal 
under  consideration  eats  about  twice  or  three  times  its  own  weight 
of  food  every  24  hours  and  when  we  consider  that  their  principal 
food  consists  of  insects,  it  is  quite  bewildering  to  imagine  the  myriads 
one  must  destroy  in  a  year."  * 

Upon  reading  the  above  very  interesting  observations,  I  immedi- 
ately wrote  to  Mr.  Morden  for  a  specimen  of  the  "  mole  "  in  question. 
It  was  kindly  sent  me  and  proved  to  be  an  unusually  large  Short- 
tailed  Shrew  (Blarina  brevicauda]. 

I  had  not  previously  known  that  the  Shrew  was  a  mouse-eater, 
and  hence  determined  to  repeat  Mr.  Morden's  experiments.  There- 
fore, having  caught  a  vigorous,  though  undersized  Shrew,  I  put  him 
in  a  large  wooden  box  and  provided  him  with  an  ample  supply  of 
beechnuts,  which  he  ate  eagerly.  He  was  also  furnished  with  a 
saucer  of  water,  from  which  he  frequently  drank.  After  he  had  re- 
mained two  days  in  these  quarters,  I  placed  in  the  box  with  him  an 
uninjured  and  very  active  white-footed  mouse.  The  Shrew  at  the 
time  weighed  11.20  grammes,  while  the  mouse,  which  was  a 

*  Canadian  Sportsman  and  Naturalist,  vol.  Ill,  Nos.  XI  &  XII,  December,  1883  [not  published 
till  February.  1884),  p.  283. 


151,  AKIN  A    IJKKYK   AUDA.  l6/ 

large  adult  male,  weighed  just  17  grammes.  No  sooner  did  the 
Shrew  become  aware  of  the  presence  of  the  mouse  than  he  gave 
chase.  The  mouse,  though  much  larger  than  the  Shrew,  showed  no 
disposition  to  fight,  and  his  superior  agility  enabled  him,  for  a  long 
time,  easily  to  evade  his  pursuer,  for  at  a  single  leap  he  would  pass 
over  the  latter's  head  and  to  a  considerable  distance  beyond.  The 
Shrew  labored  at  great  disadvantage,  not  only  from  his  inability  to 
keep  pace  with  the  mouse,  but  also,  and  to  a  still  greater  extent, 
from  his  defective  eyesight.  He  frequently  passed  within  two  inches 
(31  mm.)  of  the  mouse  without  knowing  of  his  whereabouts.  But 
he  was  persistent,  and  explored  over  and  over  again  every  part  ot 
the  box,  constantly  putting  the  mouse  to  flight.  Indeed,  it  was  by 
sheer  perseverance  that  he  so  harassed  the  mouse,  that  the  latter, 
fatigued  by  almost  continuous  exertion,  and  also  probably  weakened 
by  fright,  was  no  longer  able  to  escape  He  was  first  caught  by  the 
tail  ;  this  proved  a  temporary  stimulant,  and  he  bounded  several 
times  across  the  box,  dragging  his  adversary  after  him.  The  Shrew 
did  not  seem  in  the  least  disconcerted  at  being  thus  harshly  jerked 
about  his  domicil,  but  continued  the  pursuit  with  great  determination. 
He  next  seized  the  mouse  in  its  side,  which  resulted  in  a  rough  and 
tumble,  the  two  rolling  over  and  over  and  biting  each  other  with 
much  energy.  The  mouse  freed  himself,  but  was  so  exhausted  that 
the  Shrew  had  no  difficulty  in  keeping  alongside,  and  soon  had  him 
by  the  ear.  The  mouse  rolled  and  kicked  and  scratched  and  bit,  but 
to  no  avail.  The  Shrew  was  evidently  much  pleased  and  forthwith 
began  to  devour  the  ear.  When  he  had  it  about  half  eaten -off  the 
mouse  again  tore  himself  free  ;  but  his  inveterate  little  foe  did  not 
suffer  him  to  escape.  This  time  the  Shrew  clambered  up  over  his 
back  and  was  soon  at  work  consuming  the.  remainder  of  the  ear. 
This  being  satisfactorily  accomplished,  he  continued  to  push  on  in 
the  same  direction  till  he  had  cut  through  the  skull  and  eaten  the 

o 

brains,   together  with  the   whole  side   of  the   head  and  part  of  the 
shoulder.     This  completed  his  first  meal,  which  occupied  not  quite 


I  68  MAMMALIA. 

fifteen  minutes  after  the  death  of  the  mouse.  As  soon  as  he  had 
finished  eating  I  again  placed  him  upon  the  scales  and  found  that  he 
weighed  exactly  12.  grammes — an  increase  of  .80  gramme. 

The  Shrew  was  half  an  hour  in  tiring  the  mouse,  and  another  half 
hour  in  killing  him.      But  it  must  be  remembered  that  he  was  not 

o 

fully  grown,  and  was  doubtless,  on  this  account,  longer  in  capturing 
and  killino-  his  victim  than  would  have  been  the  case  had  he  been  an 

O 

adult.  Still,  it  is  clear  that  a  Shrew  could  never  catch  mice  on  open 
ground.  His  small  size,  however,  enables  him  readily  to  enter  their 
holes  and  to  follow  them  to  their  nests  and  the  remotest  ramifications 
of  their  burrows,  where,  having  no  escape,  he  can  slay  them  with 
fearful  certainty. 

The  eagerness  with  which  my  Shrew  pursued  the  mouse  placed  in 
his  box,  and  the  persistency  and  success  with  which  he  directed  his 
attempts  to  destroy  the  latter  by  eating  into  its  head,  clearly  shows 
that  this  was  not  his  first  exploit  in  that  direction.  And  the  fact  that 
Mr.  Morden's  Shrews,  in  Ontario,  Canada,  acted  in  the  same  manner 
proves  that  the  habit  is  not  of  local  origin.  Therefore,  it  is 
reasonable  to  infer  that  the  Short-tailed  Shrew  preys  largely  upon 
mice,  and  is,  consequently,  of  great  economic  value  to  the  farmer. 
Indeed,  after  the  skunk,  I  am  inclined  to  assign  him  the  first  place 
amongst  those  of  our  mammals  that  are  beneficial  to  the  agriculturist. 

The  Shrews  that  I  have  had  in  confinement  have  been  kept  in  a 
large  box,  the  bottom  of  which  was  well  covered  with  earth  and 
dead  leaves,  fresh  from  the  woods.  Water  was  given  them  in  a 
saucer,  which  they  soon  discovered  and  drank  freely.  They  were 
exceedingly  active,  but  always  moved  on  a  walk  or  trot,  or  by  short 
springs,  never  proceeding  in  a  series  of  leaps.  Whenever  I  ap- 
proached the  box  they  would  run  about  with  their  heads  thrown  up, 
sniffing  the  air  in  various  directions,  and  starting  spasmodically  at  the 
slightest  noise.  When  angry,  they  utter  a  shrill,  chattering  cry. 

I  have  one  alive  at  the  present  time.     When  first  put  in  the  box 
he  eathered  all  the  leaves  and  rootlets  into  one  corner,  constructing 


1!!..  \RI\A     liKKVICAl'DA.  169 

a  rough  nest,  to  which  he  always  retires  when  he  wants  to  rest.  He 
is  very  fond  of  beechnuts  and  thrived  when  fed  exclusively  on  them 
for  more  than  a  week.  One  evening,  not  long  ago,  I  put  a  handful 
of  beechnuts  in  his  water  saucer.  He  soon  found  them  and  carried 
them  off.  Part  he  buried  in  a  hole  under  the  saucer,  part  under  his 
nest,  and  the  rest  in  an  excavation  near  one  corner  of  the  box. 
This  certainly  looks  as  if  the  animal  was  in  the  habit  of  hoarding  for 
winter.  In  opening  the  nuts  he  invariably  commences  at  the  small 
end,  and,  after  biting  a  little  hole  there,  strips  off  one  side  as  neatly 
as  it  can  be  done  with  a  penknife.  If  left  without  food  for  a  few  hours 
he  will  eat  corn  from  the  cob,  beginning  at  the  outside  of  the  kernel, 
but  it  is  very  clear  that  he  does  not  relish  this  fare.  He  will  also  eat 
Indian  meal  and  oats  when  other  food  is  not  at  hand.  Slugs  and 
earth  worms  he  devours  with  avidity,  always  starting  at  one  end,  and 
manipulating  them  with  his  fore-paws.  But  of  the  various  kinds  of 
food  placed  before  him  he  shows  an  unmistakable  preference  for 
mice — either  dead  or  alive. 

The  late  Robert  Kennicott,  in  a  valuable  paper  upon  "  The  Quad- 
rupeds of  Illinois  Injurious  and  Beneficial  to  the  Farmer,"  contributed 
the  following  to  the  life-history  of  this  little-known  mammal  :- 
"  I  have  several  times  kept  specimens  in  captivity  for  a  day  or  two, 
though  they  always  died  by  the  end  of  that  time,  despite  my  care. 
While  alive,  the  minute  black  eye  is  distinctly  seen  and  always  open  ; 
but,  though  the  sense  of  sight  may  be  possessed  in  the  dark,  it 
certainly  is  not  used  in  the  full  light.  Upon  waving  different  objects 
before  one,  or  thrusting  my  finger  or  a  stick  close  to  its  face,  no 
notice  was  taken  of  it  whatever  ;  but  if  I  made  any  noise  near  by,  it 
always  started.  If  the  floor  were  struck,  or  even  the  air  disturbed, 
it  would  start  back  from  that  direction.  I  observed  no  indication 
that  an  acute  sense  of  smell  enabled  it  to  recognize  objects  at  any 
considerable  distance  ;  but  its  hearing  was  remarkable.  An  exceed- 
ingly delicate  sense  of  touch  was  exhibited  by  the  whiskers,  and  if, 
after  irritating  a  shrew,  I  placed  a  stick  against  it,  in  even  the  most 


I/O  MAMMALIA. 

gentle  manner,  the  animal  would  instantly  spring  at  it.  I  could  see 
that,  in  running  along  the  floor,  it  stopped  the  moment  its  whiskers 
touched  anything  ;  and  often,  when  at  full  speed,  it  would  turn  aside 
just  before  reaching  an  object  against  which  it  seemed  about  to  strike, 
and  which  it  certainly  had  not  seen.  Unless  enraged  by  being 
teazed,  it  endeavored  to  smell  every  new  object  with  which  its 
whiskers  came  in  contact,  turning  its  long  flexible  snout  with  great 
facility  for  this  purpose. 

"  My  caged  specimens,  both  male  and  female,  exhibited  great 
pugnacity.  When  I  touched  one  several  times  with  a  stick,  it  would 
become  much  enraged,  snapping  and  crying  out  angrily.  When 
attacked  by  a  meadow-mouse  (Arvicola  scalopsoides)  confined  in  a 
cage  with  it  one  fought  fiercely  ;  and  though  it  did  not  pursue  its 
adversary  when  the  latter  moved  off,  neither  did  it  ever  retreat  ;  but 
the  instant  the  mouse  came  close,  it  sprang  at  him,  apparently  not 
guided  in  the  least  by  sight.  It  kept  its  nose  and  whiskers  constantly 
moving  from  side  to  side,  and  often  sprang  forward  with  an  angry 
cry,  when  the  mouse  was  not  near,  as  if  deceived  in  thinking  it  had 
heard  or  felt  a  movement  in  that  direction.  In  fighting,  it  did  not 
spring  up  high,  nor  attempt  to  leap  upon  its  adversary,  as  the  mouse, 
but  jerked  itself  along,  stopping  firmly,  with  the  fore-feet  well  forward, 
and  the  head  high.  On  coming  in  contact  with  the  mouse,  it 
snapped  at  him,  and,  though  it  sometimes  rose  on  its  hind-feet  in 
the  struggle,  I  did  not  observe  that  it  used  its  fore-feet  as  weapons 
of  offence,  like  the  arvicolse.  Its  posture,  when  on  guard,  was  always 
with  the  feet  spread  and  firmly  braced,  and  the  head  held  with  the 
snout  pointing  upwards,  and  the  mouth  and  chin  forward,  in  which 
position  its  eyes  would  have  been  of  no  use,  could  it  have  seen. 
The  motions  of  this  animal,  when  angry,  are  characterized  by  a  pe- 
culiar firmness  ;  the  muscles  appear  to  be  held  very  rigid,  while  the 
movements  are  made  by  quick  energetic  jerks.  Short  springs,  either 
backward,  forward,  or  sidewise,  appear  to  be  made  with  equal  readi- 
ness. 


BLAKINA     HRKYICAUDA.  I*]  \ 

"  This  shrew  is  quite  active  as  well  as  strong  ;  the  snout  and  head 
are  powerful,  and  seem  to  be  much  used  in  burrowing  ;  the  tough 
cartilaginous  snout  received  no  injury  from  the  rough  edge  of  a  pane 
of  glass,  under  which  that  of  a  caged  specimen  was  forcibly  thrust  in 
endeavoring  to  raise  it.  When  liberated,  upon  a  smooth  Moor,  it 
runs  rapidly,  without  ever  leaping,  placing  only  the  toes  on  the 
surface  ;  though  in  moving  slowly  the  whole  tarsi  of  the  hind-feet 
are  brought  down.  By  placing  an  ear  of  corn,  over  2  inches  in 
diameter,  at  the  edge  of  the  room,  and  chasing  a  shrew  towards  it  by 
striking  the  floor  behind  the  animal.  I  have  seen  one  several  times 

o 

spring  over  it,  apparently  without  great  effort  ;  but  if  not  much 
frightened,  it  would  always  go  round  objects  an  inch  high,  running 
close  along  them,  as  it  did  beside  the  wall,  invariably  feeling  its  way. 
One  would  never  leave  the  side  of  the  wall  to  run  across  the  room, 
and  would  always  run  round  the  side  of  its  cage,  rather  than  go  across 
the  middle.  When  hurt  or  irritated,  it  uttered  a  short,  sharp,  tremu- 
lous note,  like  zcc-c,  and,  when  it  was  much  enraged,  this  note  be- 
came longer,  harsher,  and  twittering,  like  that  of  some  buntings  or 
sparrows.  Sometimes,  a  short,  clear  cry  was  uttered,  the  voice  call- 
ing to  mind  that  of  the  common  mink  (Putorins  vison],  but  softer  and 
lower."  * 

Professor  E.  D.  Cope  published  the  following  note  "  On  a  Habit 
of  a  Species  of  Blarina  "  in  the  American  Naturalist  for  August.  1873 
(vol.  VII,  No.  8,  pp.  490-491):  "  I  recently  placed  a  water-snake 
( Tropidonotus  sipcdoii]  of  two  feet  in  length,  in  a  fernery  which  was 
inhabited  by  a  shrew,  either  a  large  Blarina  Carolincnsis  or  a  small 
B.  talpoides.  The  snake  was  vigorous  when  placed  in  the  case  in 
the  afternoon  and  bit  at  everything  within  reach.  The  next  morning 
the  glass  sides  of  his  prison  were  streaked  with  dirt  and  other  marks, 
to  the  height  of  the  reach  of  the  snake,  bearing  witness  to  his  ener- 
getic efforts  to  escape.  He  was  then  lying  on  the  earthen  floor,  in 

*  Report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Patents  for  the  Year  1857.      Agriculture.      1858.     pp.  95-96. 
12 


172  MAMMALIA. 

an  exhausted  state,  making-  a  few  ineffectual  efforts  to  twist  his  body, 
while  the  Blariua  was  busy  tearing  out  his  masseter  and  temporal 
muscles.  A  large  part  of  the  flesh  was  eaten  from  his  tail,  and  the 
temporal  and  masseter  muscles  and  eye  of  one  side,  were  removed, 
so  that  the  under  jaw  hung  loose.  The  temporal  was  torn  loose 
from  the  cranium  on  the  other  side,  and  as  I  watched  him  the  Blarina 
cut  the  other  side  of  the  mandible  loose,  and  be^an  to  tear  the 

O 

longicolli  and  rectus  muscles.  His  motions  were  quite  frantic,  and 
he  jerked  and  tore  out  considerable  fragments  with  his  long  anterior 
teeth.  He  seemed  especially  anxious  to  get  down  the  snake's  throat 
(where  some  of  his  kin  had  probably  '  gone  before'),  and  revolved 
on  his  long  axis,  now  with  his  belly  up,  now  with  his  sides,  in  his 
energetic  efforts.  He  had  apparently  not  been  bitten  by  the  snake, 
and  was  uninjured.  Whether  the  shrew  killed  the  snake  is  of  course 
uncertain,  but  the  animus  with  which  he  devoured  the  reptile  gives 
some  color  to  the  suspicion  that  he  in  some  way  frightened  him  to 
exhaustion." 

The  Shrew  is  rarely  eaten  by  birds  or  beasts  of  prey,  but  is 
usually  left  where  killed,  which  fact  is  doubtless  due  to  the  offensive 
odor  from  its  scent  glands.  That  it  is  sometimes  eaten  appears 
from  the  fact  that  a  disgorged  pellet  from  some  bird  of  prey,  found 
in  the  Catskills  by  Mr.  E.  P.  Bicknell  and  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher,  contained 
the  recognizable  remains  of  this  species.* 

The  Short-tailed  Shrew  is  readily  taken  in  an  ordinary  mouse-trap, 
baited  with  meat,  set  near  the  mouth  of  a  burrow.  I  have  cauo-ht 

o 

many  in  this  way. 

I  am  not  aware  that  anything  has  been  published  relating  to  its 
breeding  habits,  and  the  only  facts  that  I  can  contribute  are  in  regard 
to  the  time  when  its  young  are  produced.  On  the  22d  of  April, 
1878,  I  found  a  couple  of  these  Shrews  under  a  plank- walk  near  my 
museum.  They  proved  to  be  male  and  female,  and  the  latter  con- 
tained young  which,  from  their  size,  would  probably  have  been  born 

*  Bicknell  in  Trans.  Linn.  Soc.,  vol.  I,  1882,  p.  122. 


SMKKX     COOI'KRI.  173 

early  in  May.  Another  female,  caught  near  the  same  place,  April 
21,  1884,  contained  five  large  embryos  which  would  certainly  have 
been  born  within  ten  clays.  They  weighed,  together,  4.20  grammes. 
I  procured  a  half-grown  young,  February  10,  1884,  which  must  have 
been  born  late  in  the  fall.  Hence  two  or  three  litters  are  probably 
produced  each  season.  The  young  born  in  autumn  do  not  breed  in 
the  spring  following,  as  I  have  demonstrated  by  repeated  dissections 
of  both  sexes. 

SOREX     COOPERI     Bachman. 

Cooper  s  SJirew. 

This  diminutive  Shrew,  the  smallest  known  mammalian  inhabitant 
of  the  Adirondacks.  is  quite  common  in  most  parts  of  the  region,  but 
much  more  abundant  some  years  than  others.  Its  food  is  supposed 
to  consist  wholly  of  insects  and  their  larvae,  and  the  carcasses  of 
animals  that  chance  throws  in  its  way. 

Like  its  congeners,  it  manifests  a  predilection  for  the  immediate 
vicinage  of  old  logs  and  stumps,  and  its  holes  can  frequently  be  found, 
both  in  summer  and  winter,  in  these  places,  and  about  the  roots  of 
trees. 

Underground  life  does  not  appear  to  be  as  attractive  to  it  as  to  its 
relatives,  the  moles,  yet  it  avoids  too  much  exposure  and  commonly 
moves,  by  night  and  by  day,  under  cover  of  the  fallen  leaves,  twigs, 
and  other  debris  that  always  cover  the  ground  in  our  northern  forests. 

The  Naturalist  well  knows  that,  however  cautiously  he  may  walk, 
the  stir  of  his  footstep  puts  to  flight  many  forms  of  life  that  will  re- 
appear as  soon  as  quiet  is  restored  ;  therefore,  in  his  excursions 
through  the  woods,  he  waits  and  watches,  frequently  stopping  to 
listen  and  observe.  While  thus  occupied  it  sometimes  happens  that 
a  slight  rustling  reaches  his  ear.  There  is  no  wind,  but  the  eye  rests 
upon  a  fallen  leaf  that  seems  to  move.  Presently  another  stirs  and 
perhaps  a  third  turns  completely  over.  Then  something  evanescent, 


MAMMALIA. 

like  the  shadow  of  an  embryonic  mouse,  appears  and  vanishes  before 
the  retina  can  catch  its  perfect  image.  Anon,  the  restless  phantom 
Hits  across  an  open  space,  leaving  no  trace  behind.  But  a  charge  of 
fine  shot,  dropped  with  quick  aim  upon  the  next  leaf  that  moves,  will 
usually  solve  the  mystery.  The  author  of  the  perplexing  commotion 
is  found  to  be  a  curious  sharp-nosed  creature,  no  bigger  than  one's 
little  finger,  and  weighing  hardly  more  than  half  a  dram.*  Its  cease- 
less activity,  and  the  rapidity  with  which  it  darts  from  place  to  place, 
is  truly  astonishing,  and  rarely  permits  the  observer  a  correct  im- 
pression of  its  form. 

Whenever  a  tree  or  a  large  limb  falls  to  the  ground,  these  Shrews 
soon  find  it,  examining  every  part  with  great  care,  and  if  a  knot-hole 
or  crevice  is  detected,  leading  to  a  cavity  within,  they  are  pretty  sure 
to  enter,  carry  in  materials  for  a  nest,  and  take  formal  possession. 
Hence  their  homes  are  not  infrequently  discovered  and  destroyed  by 
the  wood-chopper. 

They  are  sometimes  found  in  meadows,  and  I  remember  killing 
eleven  in  one  day,  several  years  ago,  under  hay-cocks  that  had  been 
standing  a  few  days  in  the  rain. 

Not  only  are  these  agile  and  restless  little  Shrews  voracious  and 
almost  insatiable,  consuming  incredible  quantities  of  raw  meat  and 
insects  with  great  eagerness,  but  they  are  veritable  cannibals  withal, 
and  will  even  slay  and  devour  their  own  kind  I  once  confined  three 
of  them  under  an  ordinary  tumbler.  Almost  immediately  they  com- 
menced fighting,  and  in  a  few  minutes  one  was  slaughtered  and  eaten 
by  the  other  two.  Before  night  one  of  these  killed  and  ate  its  only 
surviving  companion,  and  its  abdomen  was  much  distended  by  the 
meal.  Hence  in  less  than  eight  hours  one  of  these  tiny  wild  beasts 
had  attacked,  overcome,  and  ravenously  consumed  two  of  its  own 
species,  each  as  large  and  heavy  as  itself!  The  functions  of  diges- 
tion, assimilation,  and  the  elimination  of  waste  are  performed  with 
wonderful  rapidity,  and  it  seems  incomprehensible  that  they  should 

*  The  largest  specimen  I  have  recently  examined  from  this  region  weighed  2.85  grammes. 


SORKX     I'l.ATVRHTNUS.  1/5 

be  able  to  procure  sufficient  animal  food  to  sustain  them  during  om 
lone  and  severe  winters  ;  indeed,  I  incline  to  believe  that  their  diet 

o 

is  more  comprehensive  than  most  writers  suppose,  and  that  they 
feed  upon  beechnuts  and  a  variety  of  seeds,  and  possibly  roots  as 
well,  though  I  confess  that  I  have  no  direct  evidence  to  adduce  in 

o 

support  of  this  supposition. 

SOREX     PLATYRHINUS     (DeKay)  Linsley. 
Broad-nosed 


This  species,  which  was  first  described  by  Dr.  DeKay,  from  a  speci- 
men taken  in  this  State,  is  not  rare  in  the  Adirotidacks,  though  I  do  not 
think  it  is  as  plentiful  here  as  Sorex  CoopcrL  which  it  much  re- 
sembles in  habits. 

Its  diminutive  size  does  not  exempt  it  from  the  attacks  of  predatory 
birds,  for,  in  April,  1882,  I  shot,  at  Morse  Lake,  a  Canada  Jay  whose 
stomach  contained  the  remains,  including  the  under  jaw,  of  a  Shrew 
which  seemed  to  be  of  the  present  species.  I  have  also  taken  it  at 
Big  Moose  Lake. 

The  individual  from  which  Dr.  DeKay  's  description  was  drawn, 
was  captured  "  at  Tappan,  Rocklancl  county,  in  the  cellar  of  a  dwell- 
ing-house, having  taken  up  its  abode  between  the  stones  of  the 
foundation.  It  was  exceedingly  agile  ;  and  when  excited,  emitted  a 
shrill,  twittering  squeak.  It  ate  greedily  of  fresh  meat,  but  died  in 
the  course  of  a  few  days.  Through  the  politeness  of  my  friend,  the 
Rev.  J.  H.  Linsley  of  Elmwood  Place,  Connecticut,  I  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  examining  another  specimen,  which  was  obtained  from  a 
log  in  the  forest  in  winter,  near  Stratford.  According  to  Mr.  Linsley, 
it  weighed  47  grains."  *  Prof.  Baird  mentions  a  specimen  that 
weighed  but  37  grains,  f 


*  Zoology  of  New  York.     Part  I,  1842,  p.  23. 

\  Pacific  Rail  Road  Reports,  vol.  VIII,  1857,  p.  26. 


I  76  MAMMALIA. 

Order  CHIROPTERA.     Family  VESPERTILIONID.*:. 

ATALAPHA     CINEREA     (Beauvois)  Peters. 

Hoary  Bat. 

This  species,  which  differs  from  the  red  bat  in  its  much  larger 
size,  as  well  as  in  coloration,  is  not  rare  in  the  Adirondacks,  and  I 
have  taken  it  both  in  the  interior  and  alonor  the  western  border  of 

o 

the  region. 

The  Hoary  Bat  can  be  recognized,  even  in  the  dusk  of  evening, 
by  its  great  size,  its  long  and  pointed  wings,  and  the  swiftness  and 
irregularity  of  its  flight.  It  does  not  start  out  so  early  as  our  other 
bats,  and  is  consequently  much  more  difficult  to  shoot.  The  borders 
of  woods,  water  courses,  and  roadways  through  the  forest  are  among 
its  favorite  resorts,  and  its  nightly  range  is  vastly  greater  than  that 
of  any  ot  its  associates.  While  the  other  species  are  extremely  local, 

4» 

moving  to  and  fro  over  a  very  restricted  area,  this  traverses  a  com- 
paratively large  extent  of  territory  in  its  evening  excursions,  which 
fact  is  probably  attributable  to  its  superior  power  of  flight. 

Imagine  for  the  moment,  sympathetic  reader,  that  you  are  an 
enthusiastic  bat  hunter,  and  have  chanced  to  visit  some  northern 
forest  where  this  handsome  species  occurs.  The  early  evening  finds 
you,  gun  in  hand,  near  the  border  of  a  lonely  wood.  The  small  bats 
soon  begin  to  fly,  and  in  the  course  of  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  you 
may  have  killed  several,  all  of  which  prove  to  be  the  silver-haired 
species  ( Vesperugo  noctivagans).  The  twilight  is  fast  fading  into 
night,  and  your  eyes  fairly  ache  from  the  constant  effort  of  searching 
its  obscurity,  when  suddenly  a  large  bat  is  seen  approaching,  perhaps 
high  above  the  tree-tops,  and  has  scarcely  entered  the  limited  field 
of  vision  when,  in  swooping  for  a  passing  insect,  he  cuts  the  line  of 
the  distant  horizon  and  disappears  in  the  darkness  below.  In  breath- 
less suspense  you  wait  for  him  to  rise,  crouching  low  that  his  form 
may  be  sooner  outlined  against  the  dim  light  that  still  lingers  in  the 
northwest,  when  he  suddenly  shoots  by,  seemingly  as  big  as  an  owl, 


ATA  1.  A  I'll  A    CIXEREA.  177 

within  a  few  feet  of  your  very  eyes.  Turning  quickly  you  fire,  but 
too  late!  He  has  vanished  in  the  darkness.  For  more  than  a  week 
each  evening  is  thus  spent,  and  you  almost  despair  of  seeing-  another 
Hoary  Bat,  when,  perhaps,  on  a  clear  cold  night,  just  as  the  darkness  is 
becoming  too  intense  to  permit  you  to  shoot  with  accuracy  and  you 
are  on  the  point  of  turning  away,  something  appears  above  the 
horizon  that  sends  a  thrill  of  excitement  through  your  whole  frame. 
There  is  no  mistaking  the  species  —  the  size,  the  sharp,  narrow  wings, 
and  the  swift  Might  serve  instantly  to  distinguish  it  from  its  nocturnal 
comrades.  On  he  comes,  but  just  before  arriving  within  gunshot  he 
makes  one  of  his  characteristic  zig-zag  side-shoots  and  you  tremble 
as  he  momentarily  vanishes  from  view.  Suddenly  he  reappears,  his 
flight  becomes  more  steady,  and  now  he  sweeps  swiftly  toward  you. 
No  time  is  to  be  lost,  and  it  is  already  too  dark  to  aim,  so  you  bring 
the  gun  quickly  to  your  shoulder  and  fire.  With  a  piercing,  stridu- 
lous  cry,  he  falls  to  the  earth.  In  an  instant  you  are  stooping  to 
pick  him  up,  but  the  sharp  grating  screams,  uttered  with  a  tone  of 
intense  anger,  admonish  you  to  observe  discretion.  With  delight  you 
cautiously  take  him  in  your  hand  and  hurry  to  the  light  to  feast  your 
eyes  upon  his  rich  and  handsome  markings.  He  who  can  gaze  upon 
a  freshly  killed  example  without  feelings  of  admiration  is  not  worthy  to 
be  called  a  naturalist.  From  its  almost  boreal  distribution,  and  extreme 
rarity  in  collections,  the  capture  of  a  specimen  of  the  Hoary  Bat  must, 
for  some  time  to  come,  be  regarded  as  an  event  worthy  of  congratu- 
lation and  record.  Although  I  have  been  fortunate  enough  to  shoot 

o  o 

fourteen,  I  would  rather  kill  another  to-day  than  slay  a  dozen  deer. 
During  the  past  season  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher,  Walter  H.  Merriam,  and 
myself  shot  nineteen  specimens  of  this  elegant  species  in  and  near 
the  western  border  of  the  Adirondacks.  It  is  not  to  be  imagined, 
however,  that  the  procurement  of  this  extensive  series  (extensive  for 
so  rare  an  animal)  was  an  easy  task.  Scarcely  a  suitable  evening- 
passed,  throughout  the  entire  season,  that  was  not  devoted  to  bat 
hunting.  From  the  middle  of  June  to  the  middle  of  July,  when  there 


i;8  MAMMALIA. 

is  nearly  an  hour  of  twilight,  the  silver-haired  and  little  brown  bats 
begin  to  fly  shortly  after  eight  o'clock,  but  the  present  species  is 
seldom  seen  till  half  an  hour  later,  and  those  we  killed  were  common- 
ly shot  about  9  p.  M.  As  the  season  advances  and  the  evenings  be- 
come shorter,  all  bats,  of  course,  appear  proportionately  earlier.  On 
the  3cl  of  August  I  shot  Atalapha  cincrca  at  eight  o'clock,  and  on 
the  8th  of  October  at  precisely  6  o'clock — three  hours  earlier  than 
the  same  species  was  killed  during  the  first  part  of  July. 

In  warm  evenings  it  was  not  to  be  seen  at  all,  and  I  have  never 
observed  it  when  the  temperature  was  above  :5°  C.  (59°  F.).  It  was 
most  often  seen  when  the  thermometer  ranged  from  10°  to  12°  C. 
(5o°  to  53.6°  F\).  Assuming  that  the  species  does  not  leave  its 
hiding-place  when  the  temperature  is  above  i5°  or  i6°C.  it  might 
be  supposed  that  it  would  suffer  for  food  if  there  were  several  suc- 
cessive warm  evenings.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  coolest 
part  of  the  twenty-four  hours  is  just  before  daylight,  and  throughout 
the  northern  regions  inhabited  by  this  species  there  are  few  days 
when  the  temperature  does  not  fall  to  i5°C.  in  the  early  morn- 

ino-      Moreover,  it  is    well    known    that    most    bats    are    as    active 
&  * 

just  before  daylight  as  in  the  evening.  Hence,  if  the  evenings 
are  too  warm  for  its  comfort,  it  would  almost  always  be  enabled, 
by  the  falling  temperature,  to  sally  forth  at  some  later  hour  of  the 
night. 

The  Hoary  Bat  occurs  about  the  Red  River  settlement  in  British 
America,  and  Dr.  Richardson  obtained  it  at  Cumberland  House  on 
the  Saskatchewan,  in  lat.  54°  N.  *  Robert  Kennicott  procured  it 
in  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  territory,  farther  north  than  any 
other  species  of  bat  has  been  taken.  It  is  a  summer  resident  of 
high  latitudes,  its  southern  limit  in  the  east  coinciding,  apparently, 
with  that  of  the  Canadian  Fauna.  In  the  west  it  has  been  taken 
in  Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  but  only,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  at 
considerable  altitudes.  In  the  fall  and  early  winter  isolated  indi- 

*  Fauna  Boreali  Americana,  vol.  I,  1829,  p.  I. 


ATALAl'IIA    CINKkKA.  1/9 

/ 

viduals  have  been  procured  from  localities  so  far  to  the  southward 
of  its  usual  habitat  that  I  am  constrained  to  believe  it  a  migratory 
species.  William  Cooper  mentions  a  specimen  that  was  killed,  "  in 
the  month  of  November,  near  the  nights  of  Weehawken,  in  New 
Jersey;"*  DeKay  says  that  he  "noticed  two  Hying  about  quite 
actively  shortly  before  noon'  on  the  i2th  of  December,  1841 
(locality  not  mentioned,  but  presumably  Long  Island,  N.  V. )  ;  f 
Zadock  Thompson  secured  one  that  was  taken  alive  at  Colchester, 
Vermont,  about  the  last  of  October,  1841  ;  J  and  Mr.  E.  P.  Bick- 
nell  took  one  from  an  overhanging  branch  at  Riverdale-on-the- 
Hudson,  New  York,  September  3Oth,  1878.^  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher 
has  never  taken  it  at  Sing  Sing,  New  York,  where  he  has  shot 
several  hundred  bats  in  summer,  though  he  is  confident  that  he 
saw  a  single  individual  there  on  the  evening  of  October  ist,  1883. 
Nothing  whatever  appears  to  be  known  of  the  breeding  habits 
of  the  Hoary  Bat.  On  the  evening  of  the  3Oth  of  June  last  (1883) 
Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher  shot  a  large  female  (measuring  422mm.  in  spread 
of  wings)  at  my  home  in  Lewis  County.  It  had  already  given 
birth  to  its  young,  and  each  of  its  four  mamma?  bore  evidence  of 
having  recently  been  nursed.  That  the  species  ruts  about  the  first 
of  Auofust  there  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt,  for  I  saw  more  of 

o 

them  from  the  3Oth  of  July  till  the  6th  of  August  than  I  have  seen 
in  all  before  and  since,  and  twelve  adult  specimens  killed  during 
that  brief  period  were  all  males.  They  were  not  feeding,  but  were 
rushing  wildly  about,  evidently  in  search  of  the  females.  Many 
flew  so  high  as  to  be  entirely  out  of  range  though  directly  over- 
head. The  only  young  I  have  ever  seen  was  shot  here,  August 
6th,  1883,  by  Walter  H.  Merriam.  It  was  nearly  full  grown 


*  Researches  on  the  Cheiroptera  of  the  United  States,  Annals  Lyceum  Natural  History,  N.  V., 
1837,  p.  56. 

f  Zoology  of  New  York.     Part  r,  1842,  p.  8. 

\  Natural  and  Civil  History  of  Vermont,  1842,  p.  25. 

£  Mr.   Bicknell  writes  me  that   "  it  was  met  with  about  sunrise,  hanging  at  a  height  of  about  six 
feet,  in  a  young  tree  in  an  opening  near  the  border  of  a  wood." 


l8o  MAMMALIA.. 

(measuring  4oomm.  in  extent)  and  differed  from  the  adults  chiefly 
in  being  a  little  lighter  colored. 

Zadock  Thompson,  in  his  paper  upon  the  mammals  of  Vermont, 
speaks  thus  of  this  species  :  "  The  only  Vermont  specimen,  which 
I  have  examined,  and  that  from  which  the  preceding  description 
was  drawn,  was  sent  me  alive  by  my  friend,  David  Reed,  Esq.,  of 
Colchester.  It  was  taken  at  his  place  in  Colchester,  the  latter  part 
of  October,  1841,  and  was  kept  alive  for  some  time  in  a  large  willow 
basket  with  a  flat  cover  of  the  same  material.  On  opening  the 
basket,  he  was  almost  invariably  found  suspended  by  his  hind  claws 
from  the  central  part  of  the  cover.  When  the  basket  was  open, 
he  manifested  little  fear,  or  disposition  to  fly,  or  get  away,  during 
the  day  time,  but  in  the  evening  would  readily  mount  on  the  wing 
and  fly  about  the  room,  and  on  lighting  always  suspended  himself 
by  his  hind  claws  with  his  head  downward.  He  ate  fearlessly  and 
voraciously  of  fresh  meat  when  offered  to  him,  but  could  not  be 
made  to  eat  the  common  house  fly."* 

The  hour  at  which  bats  leave  their  retreats  to  begin  their  noc- 
turnal excursions  is  governed,  first,  by  the  latitude,  longitude,  and 
altitude  of  the  locality,  'and  the  time  of  the  year ;  and,  second,  by 
the  character  of  the  sky  (whether  clear  or  overcast),  and  the  ex- 
posure— those  living  along  the  southern  and  eastern  borders  of 
woodlands,  and  in  dark  ravines,  appearing  earlier  than  those  whose 
hiding-places  face  the  setting  sun.  In  other  words,  the  time  at 
which  bats  appear  depends  solely  upon  the  degree  of  darkness. 

Hence  it  follows  that  their  nightly  exodus,  in  a  given  locality, 
does  not  take  place  at  a  fixed  period  after  the  disappearance  of  the 
sun  ;  for,  during  the  first  part  of  October,  in  this  latitude,  the  dark- 
ness is  as  great  half  an  hour  after  sunset  as  it  is  an  hour  after  three 
months  earlier.  Therefore,  in  estimating  the  exact  hour  at  which 
bats  are  to  be  expected  at  any  stated  date,  it  is  necessary  not  only 
to  consider  the  time  the  sun  sets,  but  also  to  take  into  account  the 

*  Natural  and  Civil  History  of  Vermont,  1842,  p.  25. 


AT. \L\IMIA     NOVKISORACKXSIS.  l8l 

duration  of  the  twilight.  Moreover,  in  the  same  locality,  the 
several  species  do  not  commence  to  fly  at  the  same  hour,  for  each 
seems  to  await  a  particular  and  different  decree  of  darkness.  The 
Hoary  Bat  is  one  of  the  last  to  appear,  and  for  this  reason  its 
capture  is  the  most  difficult.  In  Lewis  County,  during  the  latter 
part  of  June,  it  does  not  start  out  (excepting  in  deep  forests  and 
dark  valleys)  till  about  8.45  i>.  M.,  or  a  full  hour  after  sunset ;  while 
in  the  early  part  of  October  I  have  killed  it  at  6  i>.  M.,  or  just  half 
an  hour  after  sundown.  The  following  table  is  calculated  to  illus- 

o 

trate  the  above  remarks  :— 

Times  of  evening  appearances  of  AtalapJia  cinerea  at  Locust  Grove, 
Neiv  York,  at  different  dates  in  iSSj. 

* 

Date.  Sunset.  First  Bat  Seen.  Time  after  Sunset. 

June  30,  7.42  o'clock,  8.45  o'clock,  63  minutes. 

July  9,  7.38        "  8.30       "  52 

July  31,  7.21        "  8.10       "  49 

Aug.  3,  7.17       "  8.00       "  43 

Aug.  21,  6.52  7.30  38 

Oct.  8,  5.30       "  6.00  30 


« 

a 
<« 
« 
« 


ATALAPHA     NOVEBORACENSIS     (Erxleben)  Peters. 
Red  Bat  ;    New  York  Bat. 

This  species  ranks  among  the  least  common  bats  of  the  area 
under  consideration.  I  have  shot  it  here  as  late  as  October  i2th 
(1883). 

Excepting  the  hoary  bat  it  is  the  most  beautiful  of  its  tribe, 
being  clad  in  a  thick  coat  of  soft,  gloss)'  fur  of  a  bright  golden-red 
color,  varying  somewhat  in  shade,  and  tipped  to  a  greater  or  less 
extent  with  silvery  white.  This  coloration  serves,  at  a  glance,  to 
distinguish  it  from  all  its  associates. 

O 

The  Red  Bat  generally  makes  its  appearance  earlier  in  the 
evening  than  the  other  species,  evidently  fancying  the  dusk  of 


1 82  MAMMALIA. 

twilight  more  than  the  increased  darkness  of  advancing-  nio-ht ;  and 

<_>  o         o 

I  have  killed  it  even  on  a  cloudy  afternoon,  while  flying  to  and  fro 
in  pursuit  of  insects,  near  the  border  of  a  hard-wood  grove.  I  have 
found  several  of  them  asleep,  in  the  day-time,  hanging  by  their 
thumb-nails  to  small  twigs  or  leaf-stems  within  easy  reach.  When 
thus  suspended  they  are,  at  a  little  distance,  easily  mistaken  for 
dead  leaves,  or  the  cocoons  of  some  large  moth. 

"  In  most  portions  of  the  United  States,  the  Red  Bat  is  one  of 
the  most  abundant,  characteristic,  and  familiar  species,  being  rivalled 
in  these  respects  by  the  little  Brown  Bat  alone.  It  would  be  safe 
to  say  that,  in  any  given  instance  of  a  bat  entering  our  rooms  in 
the  evening,  the  chances  are  a  hundred  to  one  of  its  being  either 
one  or  the  other  of  these  two  species.  The  perfect  noiselessness 
and  swiftness  of  its  flight,  the  extraordinary  agility  with  which  it 
evades  obstacles — even  the  most  dexterous  strokes  designed  for  its 
capture — and  the  unwonted  shape,  associated  in  popular  superstition 
with  the  demons  of  the  shades,  conspire  to  revulsive  feelings  that 
need  little  fancy  to  render  weird  and  uncanny."* 

As  illustrating  the  devoted  attachment  of  the  mother  for  her 
young,  Dr.  Godman  quotes  the  following  circumstance  from  Mr. 
Titian  Peale  :  "  In  June,  1823,  the  son  of  Mr.  Gillespie,  keeper  of 
the  city  square,  caught  a  young  red  Bat,  (Vespertilio  Nov-Ebora- 
ccnsis,  L.)  which  he  took  home  with  him.  Three  hours  afterwards, 
in  the  evening,  as  he  was  conveying  it  to  the  Museum  in  his  hand, 
while  passing  near  the  place  where  it  was  caught,  the  mother  made 
her  appearance,  followed  the  boy  for  two  squares,  flying  around 
him,  and  finally  alighted  on  his  breast,  such  was  her  anxiety  to  save 
her  offspring.  Both  were  brought  to  the  Museum,  the  young  one 
firmly  adhering  to  its  mother's  teat.  This  faithful  creature  lived 
two  days  in  the  Museum,  and  then  died  of  injuries  received  from 


*  Drs.  Coues  and  Yarrow  in  their  "  Monographic  Essay  "  on  North  American  Chiroptera,  pub- 
lished in  chap.  II,  vol.  V,  Report  upon  Explorations  and  Surveys  West  of  the  One  Hundredth 
Meridian,  in  charge  of  Lieut.  G.  M.  Wheeler,  1875,  p.  89. 


AT. \l..\ril.\    N<>\  KISOKACKXSIS.  183 

her  captor.      The  young-  one,  being  but   half  grown,  was  still  too 
young  to  take  care  of  itself,  and  died  shortly  after."  * 

Like  our  other  bats,  this  species  frequently  hibernates  in  vast 
assemblages  ;  and  in  regions  remote  from  civilization  each  colony 
usually  occupies  a  rocky  cavern  or  hollow7  tree  ;  in  inhabited  dis- 
tricts they  often  take  up  quarters  in  the  ruin  of  some  deserted 
building,  particularly  of  structures  composed  of  stone  and  brick. 
Dr.  Godman  publishes  a  letter  from  Prof.  Jacob  Green,  of  Prince- 
ton, containing  an  account  of  the  presence  and  actions  of  a  host  of 
this  species  in  a  cave  that  he  visited  November  ist,  1816.  The 
letter  runs  as  follows  :  "  I  this  day  visited  an  extensive  cavern 
about  twelve  miles  south  of  Albany,  N.  Y.  I  did  not  measure  its 
extent  into  the  mountain,  but  it  was  at  least  three  or  four  hundred 
feet.  There  was  nothing  remarkable  in  this  cave,  except  the  vast 
multitudes  of  Bats  which  had  selected  this  unfrequented  place,  to 
pass  the  winter.  They  did  not  appear  to  be  much  disturbed  by 
the  light  of  the  torches  carried  by  our  party,  but,  upon  being 
touched  with  sticks,  they  instantly  recovered  animation  and  activity, 
and  flew  into  the  dark  passages  of  the  cavern.  As  the  cave  was, 
for  the  most  part,  not  more  than  six  or  seven  feet  in  height,  they 
could  very  easily  be  removed  from  the  places  to  which  they  were 
suspended,  and  some  of  the  party,  who  were  behind  me,  disturbed 
some  hundreds  of  them  at  once,  when  they  swept  by  me  in  swarms 
to  more  remote,  darker,  and  safer  places  of  retreat.  In  Hying 
through  the  caves  they  made  little  or  no  noise ;  sometimes  upon 
being  disturbed  in  one  place  they  flew  but  a  few  yards  and  then 
instantly  settled  in  another,  in  a  state  of  torpor  apparently  as  pro- 
found as  before.  These  Bats,  in  hibernating,  suspend  themselves 
by  the  hinder  claws,  from  the  roof  or  upper  part  of  the  cave  ;  in  no 
instance  did  I  observe  one  along  the  sides.  They  were  not  pro- 
miscuously scattered,  but  were  collected  into  groups  or  clusters,  of 
some  hundreds,  all  in  close  contact.  On  holding  a  candle  within  a 

*  American  Natural  History.      By  John  D.  Godman.      Vol.  I,  1842,  p.  42. 


184  MAMMALIA. 

few  inches  of  one  of  these  groups,  they  were  not  in  the  least 
troubled  by  it  :  their  eyes  continued  closed,  and  I  could  perceive 
no  signs  of  respiration.  On  opening  the  stomach  of  one  of  these 
Bats,  it  was  found  entirely  empty  ;  the  species,  I  believe,  was  the 
V.  Noveboracensis"  * 

The  young  of  this  species  continue  to  nurse  till  at  least  a  month 
old.  I  shot  a  female  on  the  3ist  of  July  (1883)  whose  udders  still 
contained  milk,  and  whose  long  nipples  were  much  drawn  out.  A 
week  later  (Aug.  /th),  I  killed  a  full  grown  young  flying  over  the 
same  meadow. 

VESPERUGO     SEROTINUS     FUSCUS     (Schreber)  Dobson. 

Dusky  Bat  ;    Carolina  Bat. 

Professor  Baird  has  taken  this  species  at  Westport,  in  Essex 
County,  on  the  eastern  border  of  the  Adirondacks,  and  I  have 
procured  a  single  specimen  in  Lewis  County,  on  the  western  side 
of  the  district  ;  but  it  is  unquestionably  the  rarest  bat  found  within 
the  limits  of  this  region.  It  pertains  to  a  more  southern  fauna. 

In  writing  of  the  habits  of  the  Carolina  Bat,  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher 
observes  :  "  They  are  the  last  to  make  their  appearance  in  the 
evening.  In  fact,  when  it  gets  so  dark  that  objects  are  blended  in 
one  uncertain  mass,  and  the  bat  hunter  finds  that  he  is  unable  to 
shoot  with  any  precision,  the  Carolina  Bats  make  their  appearance 
as  mere  dark  shadows  flitting  here  and  there  while  busily  engaged 
in  catching  insects.  We  have  to  make  a  snap  shot  as  they  dodge 
in  and  out  from  behind  the  dark  tree-tops,  and  are  left  in  doubt  as 
to  the  result  until  in  the  gloom  we  may  perchance  see  our  little 
black  and  tan,  seemingly  as  interested  in  the  result  as  we  are, 
pointing  the  dead  animal.  This  species  is  particularly  fond  of 
fields  well  surrounded  by  trees." 


*  Ibid.,  pp.  48-49. 

f  Forest  and  Stream,  vol.  XVI,  No.  25,  July  21,  i8Si,  p.  490. 


YKSI'KIU'CO    SF.KoTIXUS    I-'USCUS.  I  <S5 

The  large  membranous  wings  of  the  bat  serve  a  double  function  : 
not  only  do  they  sustain  the  animal  in  a  strong  and  rapid  flight, 
enabling  it  to  make  quick  and  abrupt  turns  in  the  noiseless  pursuit 
of  its  insect  prey  ;  but  they  are  also  sensitive  to  an  extreme  degree, 
constituting  organs  of  touch  of  unusual  delicacy.  They  thus  en- 
able the  bat  with  a  certainty  that  is  little  short  of  marvellous,  to 
avoid  the  most  inconspicuous  objects  that  may  lie  in  its  way.  On 
this  point  Dr.  Godman  remarks  :  "  We  have  already  glanced  at 
the  singular  fact,  that  Bats  have  the  power  of  directing  their  flight 
with  perfect  correctness,  even  when  deprived  of  their  sight.  In 
1793,  Spallanzani  put  out  the  eyes  of  a  Bat,  and  observed  that  it 
appeared  to  fly  with  as  much  ease  as  before,  and  without  striking 
against  objects  in  its  way,  following  the  curve  of  a  ceiling,  and 
avoiding,  with  accuracy,  everything  against  which  it  was  expected 
to  strike.  Not  only  were  blinded  Bats  capable  of  avoiding  such 
objects  as  parts  of  a  building,  but  they  shunned,  with  equal  address, 
the  most  delicate  obstacles,  even  silken  threads,  stretched  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  leave  just  space  enough  for  them  to  pass  with  their 
wings  expanded.  When  these  threads  were  placed  nearer  together, 
the  Bats  contracted  their  wings,  in  order  to  pass  between  them 
without  touching.  They  also  passed  with  the  same  security  be- 
tween branches  of  trees  placed  to  intercept  them,  and  suspended 
themselves  by  the  wall,  &c.,  with  as  much  ease  as  if  they  could  see 
distinctly."  (American  Natural  History,  vol.  I,  pp.  42-43.) 

Dr.  Joseph  Schobl,  of  Prague,  repeated  these  experiments,  but 
instead  of  putting  out  the  eyes  he  covered  them  with  adhesive 
plaster. 

"  He  has  kept  bats,  thus  treated,  for  a  year  alive  in  his  room, 
and  has  entirely  confirmed  Spallanzani's  results.  To  account  for 
these  phenomena,  the  wings  of  bats  have  been  examined  for 
peculiar  nerve-endings,  by  Cuvier,  Leydig,  and  Krause,  but  with- 
out any  success.  The  author's  discoveries  are  therefore  quite  new 
to  science.  The  following  is  a  short  abstract  of  his  results.  The 


1 86  MAMMALIA. 

bat's  wing  membrane  consists  of  two  sheets  of  skin,  the  upper  de- 
rived from  that  of  the  back,  the  lower  from  that  of  the  bell}-.  The 
epidermic  and  Malpighian  layers  in  each  sheet  remain  separate, 
whilst  the  true  skin  is  inseparably  fused.  In  this  fused  medium 
layer  are  imbedded  the  muscles,  nerves,  vessels,  etc.,  of  the  wing. 
The  whole  wing  is  covered,  both  on  the  upper  and 
under  surface,  with  extremely  fine,  sparsely  scattered  hairs.  .  .  . 
Each  hair  sac  has  from  two  to  seven  sebaceous  glands,  according 
to  the  species,  and  one  sweat  gland  opening  into  its  sac.  The  two 
outer  fibrous  layers  of  the  hair  sac  have  no  sharp  line  of  demarca- 
tion to  separate  them  from  the  surrounding  connective  tissue,  but 
the  inner  or  hyaline  coat  is  highly  developed,  and,  after  being  con- 
stricted beneath  the  hair  bulb,  widens  out  and  encloses  the  sense- 
bodies  (Tastkorperchen),  one  of  which  organs  is  connected  with 
each  hair. 

"  The  nerves  of  the  wings  may  be  considered  to  consist  of  five 
layers,  i.  e.,  there  is  one  occupying  the  centre  of  a  transverse  sec- 
tion of  the  wing,  which  gives  off  on  each  side  of  it  four  others,  and 
these  are  successively  finer  and  finer  as  they  approach  the  opposite 
surfaces.  The  inner  layer  and  the  one  immediately  on  each  side 
of  it,  consist  of  nerve  fibres  with  dark  borders,  the  other  layers  of 
pale  fibres  only.  The  tastkorperchen  are  connected  with  the  second 
layer.  The  fifth  layer  of  finest  fibres  ends  as  a  network  between 
the  innermost  layer  of  cells  of  the  Malpighian  layer  of  the  epidermis. 
The  tastkorperchen  are  shaped  like  a  fir-cone  with  a  rounded  apex 
turned  inwards.  They  lie  immediately  below  the  root  of  the  hair ; 
and  their  core  or  central  substance  is  formed  of  a  prolongation  of 
the  cells  forming  the  two  root  sheaths  of  the  hair.  Their  length 
is  0.0259  and  their  breadth  0.0175111111.  A  nerve  containing  about 
six  dark-edged  fibres  is  distributed  to  each  korperchen.  Just 
before  the  nerve  reaches  this  organ  it  splits  into  two,  and  three 
fibres  pass  to  one  side  of  it,  three  to  the  other.  The  fibres  are 
then  wound  round  the  body  so  as  to  sheathe  its  cellular  core.  Dr. 


VESPEKrcn    SKKoTIXrs    FUSCUS.  l8/ 

Schobl  thinks  it  probable  that  tin-  fibres  on  one  side  are  continuous 
with  those  on  the  opposite  side,  and  that  there  is  thus  a  bipolar 
arrangement  here.  He  attributes  to  the  fine  network  of  pale  nerve 
fibres  belonging  to  the  fifth  layer  the  appreciation  of  temperature, 
pain,  &c. ;  to  the  tastkorperchen  the  highly  exalted  sense  of  touch. 
It  is  curious  that  both  kinds  of  nerve  endings  are  connected  with 

o 

the  Malpighian  layer  of  the  skin." 

Rafinesque,  that  eccentric,  irascible,  and  not  over  liberal  natural- 
ist, whose  inaccurate  and  ambiguous  descriptions  of  species  have  cre- 
ated so  much  confusion  in  many  departments  of  Natural  History,  was 
once  the  guest  of  the  illustrious  Audubon.  The  event  was  the 
occasion  of  a  somewhat  ludicrous  adventure,  which  Mr.  Audubon 
thus  graphically  narrates  :  "  When  it  was  waxed  late  I  showed  him 
to  the  apartment  intended  for  him  during  his  stay,  and  endeavored 
to  render  him  comfortable,  leaving  him  writing  material  in 
abundance.  I  was  indeed  heartily  glad  to  have  a  naturalist  under 
my  roof.  We  had  all  retired  to  rest.  Every  person  I  imagined 
was  in  deep  slumber,  save  myself,  when  of  a  sudden  I  heard  a 
great  uproar  in  the  naturalist's  room.  I  got  up,  reached  the  place 
in  a  few  moments,  and  opened  the  door,  when,  to  my  astonishment, 
I  saw  my  guest  running  about  the  room  naked,  holding  the  handle 
of  my  favorite  violin,  the  body  of  which  he  had  battered  to  pieces 
against  the  walls  in  attempting  to  kill  the  bats,  which  had  entered 
by  the  open  window,  probably  attracted  by  the  insects  flying 
around  his  candle.  I  stood  amazed,  but  he  continued  running 
round  and  round,  until  he  was  fairly  exhausted;  when  he  begged 
me  to  procure  one  of  the  animals  for  him,  as  he  felt  convinced  they 
belonged  to  a  new  species."  f 

*  American  Naturalist,  Vol.  V,  No.  3,  May,  1871,  pp.  174-175. 
f  Quoted  in  Allen's  Monograph,  pp.  xvi-xvii. 


1 88  MAMMALIA. 

VESPERUGO     NOCTIVAGANS     (LeConte)    Dobson. 

Silver-haired  Bat  ;  Silver-Black  Bat. 

This  is  our  commonest  bat,  far  outnumbering  all  the  other 
species  together.  I  have  killed  it  in  various  parts  of  the  Wilder- 
ness, and  during  the  past  summer  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher,  Walter  H. 
Merriam,  and  myself  shot  over  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  in 
Lewis  County,  along  the  western  border  of  the  region. 

Like  many  other  bats,  it  has  a  decided  liking  for  water  ways, 
coursing  up  and  down  streams  and  rivers,  and  circling  around  lakes 
and  ponds.  In  some  places  its  habit  of  keeping  directly  over  the 
water  is  very  marked.  At  Lyon's  Falls  it  is  exceedingly  abundant, 
particularly  just  below  the  falls.  I  have  stood,  gun  in  hand, 
on  a  point  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river,  and  have  seen  hundreds 
passing  and  repassing,  flying  over  the  water,  while  during  the 
entire  evening  not  more  than  two  or  three  strayed  so  far  that  if 
shot  they  would  fall  on  the  land.  Several  that  were  wounded  and 
fell  into  the  water,  at  a  distance  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  from  the 
bank,  swam  ashore.  They  swam  powerfully  and  swiftly,  for  the 
current  is  here  quite  strong  and  would  otherwise  have  carried  them 
some  distance  down  stream. 

Next  to  water  courses,  the  borders  of  hard-wood  groves  are  the 
favorite  haunts  of  the  Silver-haired  Bat.  By  standing  close  under 
the  edge  of  the  trees  one  sees  many  that  at  a  little  distance  would 
pass  unobserved.  While  searching  for  their  insect  prey  they  may 
be  seen  to  dart  in  and  out  among  the  branches  and  to  penetrate, 
in  various  directions,  the  dense  mat  of  foliage  overhead.  They 
often  pass  within  a  few  inches  of  one's  face,  and  yet  it  is  rare  that 
a  sound  is  heard  from  their  delicate  wings.*  In  the  early  dusk 


*  In  localities  where  we  had  hunted  bats  for  some  time,  Dr.  Fisher  and  I  have  on  several  occasions 
heard  a  bat,  when  swooping  overhead,  produce  a  sound  which  was  distinctly  audible  at  a  distance  of 
several  paces.  But  in  each  instance,  if  the  bat  rose  against  the  clear  western  horizon,  we  saw  the 
light  shine  through  numerous  perforations  in  its  wings,  and  the  noise  was  unquestionably  produced 
by  the  whistling  of  the  air  through  these  shot  holes. 


VESl'KRfCO    \OCTI  VACANS.  189 

the  Silver-haired  Bat  emerges  from  its  hidings-place.*  After  a  few 
turns  about  the  immediate  neighborhood  it  generally  takes  a  pretty 
direct  course  for  water.  I  have  seen  it  start  from  the  summit  of 
a  high,  densely-wooded  hill,  circle  around  for  a  few  minutes,  and 
then,  keeping  far  above  the  tree-tops,  sail  leisurely  toward  a  dis- 
tant river  till  lost  from  sight  in  the  valley  below.  And,  stand- 
ing on  the  banks  of  the  large  stream  that  winds  along  the  foot  of 
this  hill,  I  have  seen  the  bats  tlying  over  at  a  height  of  several 
hundred  feet,  all  moving  in  the  same  direction — toward  a  more 
distant  river. 

Whether  it   remains  abroad  all   ni^ht,  or  limits  itself    to    com- 

o 

paratively  brief  excursions  in  evening  and  early  morning,  can  only 
be  conjectured.  I  am  inclined  to  favor  the  latter  view,  for  the 
reason  that  the  greater  number  always  disappear  before  the  dark- 
ness becomes  sufficiently  intense  to  hide  them  from  sight.  Against 
this  opinion  it  may  be  argued  that,  as  night  advances,  the  bats 
move  on  to  other  parts  of  the  neighborhood  ;  to  which  I  can  only 
reply,  that  it  has  never  been  my  good  fortune  to  discover  their 
midnight  haunts,  though  I  have  visited  various  sections  of  the 

o  o 

country  at  all  hours  of  the  night,  and  frequently  under  the  light 
of  the  full-moon.  It  is  true  that  solitary  individuals  are  occasion- 
ally met  with  later,  but  never  in  anything  like  the  numbers  that 
are  to  be  seen  in  the  early  evening.  The  flight  of  this  species  is 
neither  so  rapid  nor  so  irregular  as  that  of  the  red  or  the  hoary  bat. 
In  Lewis  County,  the  best  locality  for  bats  that  I  am  acquainted 
with  is  near  the  junction  of  Sugar  and  Black  Rivers.  The 
numerous  caves  in  the  lime  rock  at  this  point  afford  them  a  multi- 
tude of  hiding-places  just  suited  to  their  liking,  and  they  here  have 
the  additional  advantage  of  close  proximity  to  running  water. 
The  disproportionate  abundance  of  the  Silver-haired  Bat  to  other 

*  Leaving  out  of  consideration  the  red  bat,  which  is  not  sufficiently  common  in  the  region  under 
consideration  to  afford  satisfactory  data,  the  present  species   is   the   first    to    appear.      When   the 
evenings  begin   to  shorten,  after  the  end  of  June,  it  may  be  looked  for  about  one  minute  earlier 
each  night. 


IQO  MAMMALIA. 

species  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  of  seventy  specimens  procured 
here,  sixty-three  were  of  this  species,  six  were  the  little  brown  bat 
(  V.  subulatus),  and  amongst  them  all  there  was  only  a  single  red  bat 
(Atalapha  Noveboracensis}. 

The  dissociation  of  the  sexes  is  sometimes  most  remarkable. 
Out  of  eighty-five  adult  specimens  killed  in  Lewis  County  during 
the  past  summer  (1883)  there  was  but  a  single  male.  Two  other 
males  were  killed  in  the  early  autumn.  Of  thirty-two  young  killed 
during  the  same  period  there  were  nineteen  males  and  thirteen 
females,  showing  that  the  disproportion  does  not  exist  at  birth.  I 
am  at  a  complete  loss  to  explain  this  enormous  preponderance  of 
females  among  the  adults.  At  first,  I  was  inclined  to  think  that 
the  sexes  separated  during  the  period  of  bringing  forth  and  car- 
ing for  the  young,  but,  although  we  visited  a  number  of  different 
localities,  we  were  never  able  to  find  the  males.  Thinking  that 

o 

they  might  not  fly  until  early  morning,  I  several  times  went  out 
before  daylight,  but  females  only  were  killed. 

Mr.  Frank  Hough  tells  me  that  when  looking  for  young  crows, 
some  years  ago,  in  the  deep  ravine  that  runs  through  the  village 
of  Lowville,  in  Lewis  County,  he  espied  a  crow's  nest  in  a  large 
and  densely-foliaged  hemlock.  On  climbing  the  tree  he  found  the 
nest  to  be  an  old  one,  and  commenced  tearing  it  in  pieces,  when, 
to  his  astonishment,  he  discovered  thirteen  young  bats  embedded 
in  the  sticks  and  litter  of  which  it  was  composed.  These  bats 
were  taken  home  and  shown  to  several  members  of  the  family. 
Their  eyes  were  not  yet  open.  They  were,  of  course,  the  progeny 
of  a  number  of  females,  and  presumably  were  of  the  species  now 
under  consideration,  because  it  is  by  far  the  most  common  in  the 
region.  The  young,  generally  two  in  number,  are  born  about  the 
first  of  July,  and  commence  to  fly  when  three  weeks  old.*  Those 

*  Females  killed  during  the  latter  part  of  June  were  heavy  with  young,  but  up  to  July  1st  not 
one  had  given  birth  to  its  offspring.  All  that  were  killed  after  July  4th  had  already  been  in  labor 
and  were  then  suckling  their  young.  Of  three  females  shot  June  3oth,  1883,  one  contained  but  a 
single  embryo,  and  the  others,  two  each.  All  were  nearly  ready  for  extrusion  and  would  doubtless 


VESPERUC.O    NOCTIVAGANS.  IQI 

killed  on  the  first  evening  of  their  appearance  averaged  Qomm.  in 
length  by  261111111.  in  stretch,  but  weighed  only  half  as  much  as 
their  parents.  The  adults  average  about  104111111.  in  length  by 
3O2mm.  in  stretch.  When  on  the  wing  the  young  may  be  dis- 
tinguished from  the  old  by  the  weakness  and  hesitancy  of  their 
flight,  rather  than  by  the  difference  in  size.  The  young  are  much 
more  beautiful  than  the  adults,  and  they  alone  possess  the  perfect 
silvery  tips  to  the  hairs  from  which  the  species  derives  its  name. 
Even  before  going  into  winter  quarters  their  soft  silvery  backs 
have  given  place  to  the  grizzly  coats  that  characterize  the  adults. 
My  esteemed  friend,  Mr.  William  Brewster,  has  kindly  favored 
me  with  the  following  very  interesting  account  of  a  colony  of  bats 
that  he  discovered  during  an  ornithological  excursion  into  the  ex- 

o  *_> 

tensive  coniferous  forests  of  western  Maine  :— 

"  On  June  18,  1880,  I  was  searching  for  woodpecker's  nests 
among  the  stubs  that  line  the  shores  of  Lake  Umbagog,  when  I 
noticed  a  small  ragged-looking  hole  about  two  feet  above  the  water 
in  a  trunk  that  stood  well  out  on  the  flooded  meadows.  I  should 
hardly  have  turned  aside  to  examine  it  had  I  not  fancied  that  I  saw 
something  move  at  its  entrance  ;  accordingly,  paddling  to  the  spot, 
I  struck  the  tree  sharply  with  the  butt  of  an  axe.  The  blow  was 
followed,  not  by  the  appearance  of  a  woodpecker's  or  nuthatch's 
head,  as  I  had  expected,  but  by  an  outbreak  of  shrill  squeaking 
sounds  that  seemed  to  come  from  every  part  of  the  interior.  As 

have  been  born  within  forty-eight  hours.  The  single  one,  a  male,  weighed  noo  milligrammes, 
and  measured  43111111.  in  length  by  79111111.  in  extent  ;  the  cord  measured  2Omm.,  and  the  placenta 
loxl-jmin.  One  of  the  other  females  contained  twins,  both  of  which  were  females  ;  one  of  them 
weighed  1380  milligrammes,  measuring  41111111.  in  length  by  72111111.  in  stretch;  cord  iSmm. ; 
placenta  9x14111111.  The  other  weighed  noo  milligrammes,  and  measured  39x68111111. ;  cord  17111111. ; 
placenta  8x13111111.  That  the  young  are  brought  forth  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State  at  about  the 
same  date  as  with  us  is  evidenced  from  the  following.  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher  states  that  a  female  which 
he  killed  at  Sing  Sing,  in  Westchester  County,  June  24,  iSSi,  "contained  two  young,  well  de- 
veloped, and  probably  would  have  been  delivered  in  a  few  days.  The  young  each  weighed  1,450 
milligrammes.  On  removing  the  amnion  the  ears  of  one  of  the  young  bats  became  erect.  The 
placenta  of  this  species  is  different  from  that  of  the  Little  Brown  Bat  ;  instead  of  being  circular  it 
is  elliptical,  measuring  10  by  15  millimetres.  The  placenta:  were  attached  to  the  posterior  wall  of 
the  uterus  near  the  summit  of  each  cornu.  The  umbilical  cord  measured  twenty  millimetres  in 
length."  (Forest  and  Stream,  Vol.  XVI,  No.  25,  July  21,  iSSi.  p.  490.) 


IQ2  MAMMALIA. 

nothing  could  be  seen  at  the  hole,  I  drove  the  blade  of  the  axe 
through  the  thin  shell  a  little  below  and  pried  off  a  large  piece. 
The  result  was  fairly  startling,  for  in  a  twinkling  the  opening  was 
filled  with  swarms  of  Bats  which,  for  the  space  of  several  minutes, 
poured  forth  uninterruptedly  in  a  solid,  dusky  stream.  The  majority 
took  flight  at  once,  making  off  over  the  Lake  or  in  the  direction 
of  the  nearest  wooded  shore,  but  dozens,  in  their  haste,  fell  into 
the  water  or  sought  refuge  in  the  boat  where  they  scrambled  about 
under  the  seats  or  attempted  to  climb  my  legs. 

"  After  the  rush  was  over  I  was  astonished  to  find  that  the  tree 
had  been  by  no  means  emptied.  Indeed,  the  squeaking  sounds 
within  continued  almost  unabated.  Investigating  further  I  dis- 

o  o 

covered  that  although  the  trunk  was  hollow  for  nearly  its  entire 
length,  there  was  a  central  core  which  touched  the  walls  in  places, 
thus  dividing  the  interior  into  separate  spaces  or  chambers  con- 
nected with  one  another  by  numerous  passages.  The  side  that  I 
had  opened  had  been  promptly  vacated,  but  many  of  the  occupants 
had  probably  crawled  around  into  the  other  chamber  instead  of 
following  their  more  impulsive  companions.  At  least  when  this, 
their  last  refuge,  was  laid  bare  by  another  application  of  the  axe, 
the  torrent  that  rushed  forth  rendered  the  first  exodus  insignificant 
by  comparison.  In  fact,  as  my  guide  remarked  at  the  time,  it 
seemed  as  if  all  the  Bats  of  New  England  had  congregated  in  that 
one  tree.  Of  their  total  numbers  I  should  not  care  to  attempt  any 
definite  estimate,  but  there  were  certainly  hundreds  and  probably 
thousands.  All  were  adults,  and  all  apparently  of  the  same  species, 
a  small  dark-colored  one  which,  as  you  suggest,  was  probably 
Vesperugo  noctivagans  although  as  I  preserved  no  specimens  (a 
piece  of  negligence  that  I  now  deeply  regret)  I  cannot  be  positive 
on  this  point. 

"  None  of  the  guides  or  lumbermen  to  whom  I  told  this  experi- 
ence had  ever  met  with  a  similar  colony,  although  it  is  not  unusual 
for  them  to  find  single  Bats,  or  small  families,  hibernating  in  the 


YKSl'KKtV.n    NOCTIVAGANS.  I  93 

hollow  trees  which  are  cut  for  firewood  during  winter.  I  may  add 
that  the  season  of  1880  was  very  backward  in  Maine,  cold  rains  and 
occasional  flurries  of  snow  occurring  with  disagreeable  frequency 
well  into  June." 

The  bat  hunter  has  many  difficulties  to  contend  with.  ^ight 
creeps  upon  him  so  insidiously  that  he  is  only  made  aware  of  its 
presence  by  the  number  of  shots  missed  (which  multiply  with 
painful  rapidity  with  the  increasing  darkness),  and  by  the  great 
trouble  and  loss  of  time  experienced  in  finding  the  bats  that  fall  to 
the  ground.  The  temptation  to  linger  as  long  as  the  bats  can  be 
distinctly  seen  is  very  great,  but  should  be  resisted  if  the  hunter 
has  any  regard  for  his  reputation  as  a  wing  shot.  When  two  shots 
out  of  three  are  missed,  it  is  time  to  go  home.  Moonlight  evenings 
are  also  very  misleading,  but  the  novice  soon  learns  to  avoid  such 
illusions.  I  believe  that  I  could  not  average  one  bat  for  every 
dozen  shots  by  the  brightest  moonlight.  The  greatest  obstacle  in 

J  «I5  O  <_> 

bat  shooting  is  the  inability  to  calculate  distance  after  early  night- 
fall, objects  invariably  appearing  much  farther  off  than  they  really 
are.  Thus,  a  bat  is  frequently  fired  at  when  supposed  to  be  at 
proper  range,  when  in  reality  it  is  so  near  that  the  shot  have  not 
time  to  scatter,  and  it  is  consequently  either  missed  altogether  or 
so  blown  to  pieces  as  to  be  worthless.  I  have  sometimes,  after  miss- 
ino-  a  bat  with  the  first  barrel,  brought  it  down  with  the  second,  when 

o  *-> 

it  seemed  so  far  away  that  I  was  surprised  to  find  that  my  gun  carried 
to  so  great  a  distance.  On  going  to  pick  it  up  I  have  been  still  more 
astonished  to  find  it  within  short  range,  rarely  over  seventy-five 
feet  (22.86  metres)  from  the  spot  where  I  had  stood.  This  decep- 
tiveness  in  distance  manifests  itself  in  another  embarrassing  way, 
for  in  searching  for  the  bat  in  this  dim  light  one  is  almost  certain  to 
overestimate  the  distance  at  which  it  fell.  Hence  a  well-trained 
dog,  with  a  good  nose,  is  of  the  greatest  assistance. 

The  length  of  time  that  the  fading  light  will  permit  of  bat  shoot- 
ing in  any  single  evening  varies  from  a  little  over  half  an  hour,  to 


194  MAMMALIA. 

less  than  ten  minutes,  according  to  the  season.  The  loss  of  time, 
therefore,  occasioned  by  searching  for  fallen  bats  is  of  the  most 
serious  consequence,  and  can  only  be  overcome  by  the  aid  of  a  dog, 
or  of  an  associate.  In  fact,  the  value  of  a  willing  assistant  can 
scarcely  be  exaggerated,  He  stands  a  little  to  one  side  of  the 

i 

hunter  and  carefully  notes  the  line  in  which  a  bat  falls.  The 
hunter  likewise  marks  the  direction,  and  as  both  advance  simul- 
taneously, the  point  of  intersection  of  the  two  lines  shows  the  exact 
position  of  the  bat.  A  lantern  with  a  good  reflector  is  of  some 
service,  but  too  much  reliance  must  not  be  placed  upon  it,  and  it 
should  always  be  carried  by  the  assistant,  who,  where  bats  are  fairly 
abundant,  may  double  the  number  of  specimens  secured. 

The  earliest  elate  at  which  I  have  observed  the  Silver-haired  Bat 
in  the  Black  River  Valley  is  the  26th  of  April  (1884).  It  com- 
menced to  fly  at  about  7.20  P.  M. 

VESPERTILIO   SUBULATUS    Say. 
Little  Broivn  Bat. 

Next  to  the  silver-haired  bat,  this  is  the  commonest  and  most 
universally  distributed  species  in  the  Adirondacks,  so  far  as  my 
observations  extend.  Professor  Baird  has  taken  the  typical  animal 
at  Elizabethtown,  and  the  form  known  as  lucifugus  at  Westport. 
Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher  and  Mr.  Oliver  B.  Lockhart  have  killed  it  at 
Lake  George,  and  Walter  H.  Merriam  in  Keene  Valley,  these 
localities  being  all  upon  the  eastern  slope  of  the  mountains  ;  and  I 
have  a  specimen  from  Big  Moose  Lake  in  the  interior,  and  have 
found  it  in  considerable  numbers  at  several  places  on  the  western 
side  of  the  Wilderness. 

In  coloration,  the  young  of  the  Little  Brown  Bat  differs  from 
its  parents  even  more  than  does  the  young  of  the  silver-haired 
species.  An  immature  male  which  I  shot  August  I5th,  1883,  had 
attained  the  full  dimensions  of  the  adult,  but  was  of  an  entirely 


VKSI'KRTILIO    SUI'.UI. ATI'S. 

different  color,  its  whole  body  being  of  a  very  pale  yellowisH-brown, 
almost  inclining  to  gray  on  the  belly.* 

Mr.  Figanierre  E'  Morao,  Minister  Plenipotentiary  from  Portugal 
to  the  United  States,  published,  some  years  ago,  an  account  of  a 
colony  of  bats  that  caused  him  great  annoyance.  This  paper  con- 
tains so  much  of  interest  that  a  few  pertinent  extracts  from  it  are 
here  introduced  :— 

"In  the  winter  of  1859,  having  purchased  the  property  known 
as  Seneca  Point,  in  the  margin  of  the  Northeast  River,  near 
Charlestown,  in  Cecil  County,  Maryland,  we  took  possession  of  it 
in  May  of  the  next  year.  .  .  .  Having  been  uninhabited  for 
several  years,  it  exhibited  the  appearance,  with  the  exception  of  one 
or  two  rooms,  of  desolation  and  neglect.  .  .  .  The  weather, 
which  was  beautiful,  balmy  and  warm,  invited  us  towards  evening 
to  out-door  enjoyment  and  rest,  after  a  fatiguing  day  of  travel  and 
active  labor  ;  but  chairs,  settees,  and  benches  were  scarcely  occupied 
by  us  on  the  piazza  and  lawn,  when,  to  our  amazement,  and  the 
horror  of  the  female  portion  of  our  party,  small  black  bats  made 
their  appearance  in  immense  numbers,  flickering  around  the 
premises,  rushing  in  and  out  of  doors  and  through  open  windows. 
Evening  after  evening  did  we  patiently  though  not 
complacently  watch  this  periodical  exodus  of  dusky  wings  into 
light  from  their  lurking-places.  .  .  .  Their  excursions  invari- 
ably commenced  with  the  cry  of  the  '  whippoorwill,'  both  at  coming 
evening  and  at  early  dawn,  and  it  was  observed  that  they  always 

*  Concerning  the  number  of  young  produced  at  a  birth,  ct  d'tcrn,  by  I'csfcrtilio  sitbii/attis,  Dr. 
A.  K.  Fisher  writes  .  "  Of  ten  pregnant  females  which  we  examined  last  June,  iSSo,  each  con- 
tained two  young.  Prof.  Burt.  (',.  Wilder  (Pop.  Sci.  Mo.,  No.  42,  p.  651)  examined  twenty 
females  in  June,  1874.  Each  contained  two  little  bats,  though  Dr.  C.  C.  Abbott  states  (Geology 
of  New  Jersey,  Appendix,  p.  752),  that  they  bring  forth  a  litter  <>f  three  to  live.  We  consider  this 
number  unusual,  as  all  the  specimens  examined  by  us  never  contained  more  nor  less  than  two.  The 
abdomen  of  the  female  is  not  so  prominent,  but  very  much  broadened,  a  fu-tus  developing  in  each 
horn  of  the  uterus.  The  uterine  walls  at  term  are  very  thin,  the  entire  organ  weighing  only  about 
a  centigramme.  The  placenta  of  this  species  is  circular,  measuring  nine  millimetres  in  diameter, 
the  umbilical  cord  being  twelve  millimetres  long.  A  young  one  taken  from  a  female  whose 
mammne  contained  milk,  weighed  1,350  milligrammes  "  (Forest  and  Stream,  Vol.  XVI,  No.  25, 
July  21,  iSSo,  p.  490.) 


196  MAMMALIA. 

first  directed  their  flight  towards  the  river,  undoubtedly  to  damp 
their  mouse-like  snouts,  but  not  their  spirits,  for  it  was  likewise 
observed  that  they  returned  to  play  hide-and-seek  and  indulge  in 
all  other  imaginable  gambols  ;  when,  after  gratifying  their  love 
of  sport  and  satisfying  their  voracious  appetites  (as  the  absence  of 
mosquitoes  and  gnats  testified)  they  would  re-enter  their  habita- 
tion, again  to  emerge  at  the  first  signal  of  their  feathered  trumpet- 
er. I  thus  ascertained  one  very  important  fact,  namely,  that  the 
bat,  or  the  species  which  annoyed  us,  ate  and  drank  twice  in  twenty- 
four  hours."  After  resorting  to  many  ineffectual  expedients  in  the 
vain  attempt  to  rid  his  home  of  these  multitudinous  pests,  he 
caused  "  all  the  holes,  fissures  in  the  wood-work,  and  apertures  in 
the  slating  to  be  hermetically  sealed  with  cement.  This  put  a  stop 
to  their  egress,  but  to  avoid  their  dying  by  starvation  and  depriva- 
tion of  water,  which  would  much  increase  the  annoyance  by 
adding  their  dead  to  their  living  stench,  I  ordered  apertures  of 
about  two  feet  square  to  be  opened  in  the  lathed  and  plastered 
partition  on  each  side  of  the  garret  windows  and  also  in  the  ceiling 
of  every  garret  room  ;  lastly,  when  the  bat's  reveille  was  sounded 
by  the  bugle  of  the  whippoorwill,  all  the  hands  of  our  establish- 
ment, men  and  boys,  each  armed  with  a  wooden  implement  (shaped 
like  a  cricket-bat),  marched  to  the  third  floor  '  on  murderous  deeds 
with  thoughts  intent'  ;  a  lighted  lantern  was  placed  in  the  middle 
of  one  of  the  rooms,  divested  of  all  furniture,  to  allure  the  hidden 
foe  from  their  strongholds.  After  closing  the  window  to  prevent 
all  escape  into  the  open  air,  the  assailants  distributed  themselves 
at  regular  distances  to  avoid  clubbing  each  other,  awaited  the 
appearance  of  the  bats,  enticed  into  the  room  by  the  artificial  light 
and  impelled  by  their  own  natural  craving.  The  slaughter  com- 
menced and  progressed  with  sanguinary  vigor  for  several  hours,  or 
until  brought  to  a  close  by  the  weariness  of  dealing  the  blows  that 
made  the  enemy  bite  the  dust,  and  overpowered  by  the  heat  and 
closeness  of  the  apartment.  This  plan  succeeded  perfectly.  After 


SCIUROPTERUS    VOLUCELLA.  1  9/ 

a  few  evenings  of  similar  exercise,  in  which  the  battcnrs  became  quite 
expert  in  the  use  of  their  weapon,  every  wielding  of  the  wooden 
bat  bringing  down  an  expiring  namesake,  the  war  terminated  by 
the  extermination  of  every  individual  of  the  enemy  in  the  main 
building.  However  there  still  was  the  cock-loft  of  the  laundry, 
which  gave  evidence  of  a  large  population.  In  this  case  I  had  re- 
course to  a  plan  which  had  been  recommended,  but  was  not  carried 
out  in  regard  to  the  dwelling-house.  I  employed  a  slater  to  re- 
move a  portion  of  the  slating  which  required  repairing.  This  pro- 
cess discovered  some  fifteen  hundred  or  two  thousand  bats,  of 
which  the  larger  number  were  killed,  and  the  surviving  sought  the 
barn,  trees,  and  other  places  of  concealment  in  the  neighborhood. 
"  In  the  main  building  nine  thousand  six  hundred  and  forty  bats, 
from  actual  counting,  were  destroyed.  ...  At  the  end  of  five 
years  the  odor  has  now  nearly  disappeared,  being  barely  percepti- 
ble during  a  continuance  of  very  damp  weather."  * 

Order  GLIRES.     Family  SCIURID.-E. 

SCIUROPTERUS    VOLUCELLA    (Pallas)  Geoffrey. 

Flying  Squirrel. 

Two  varieties  of  Flying  Squirrel  occur  in  the  Adirondacks  :  the 
present  form,  confined  mainly  to  the  borders  of  the  region,  and  a 
northern  race,  commonest  in  the  elevated  portions  of  the  interior. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  feeds  upon  a  variety  of  nuts,  seeds, 
and  buds,  and  upon  beetles  and  perhaps  other  insects,  not  hesita- 
ting to  eat  flesh  when  occasion  offers.  I  have  caught  many  in 
box-traps  baited  with  beef,  and  have  frequently  known  them  to 
devour  dead  birds,  the  heads  of  which  they  particularly  relish. 
Whether  they  prey  upon  the  smaller  species  that  roost  in  the  forest 
I  am  unable  to  say,  but  their  agility  and  their  noiseless  movements 

*  An  Account  of  a  Remarkable  Accumulation  of  Bats.      Smithsonian  Annual  Report  for  1863 
1864,  pp.  407-409. 


198  MAMMALIA. 

would  enable  them  to  capture  the  most  wary  with  ease.      Moreover 
the  eagerness  and  avidity  with  which  they  seize  and  feast  upon  a 
dead   bird   placed   within   reach  would  indicate  that  they  were  not 
strangers  to  such  a   repast. *      In   confinement  they  will  eat  bird's 
eggs,  not  discarding  the  shells. 

A  more  gentle,  docile,  and  graceful  animal  lhan  the  Flying  Squirrel 
does  not  exist,  and  though  without  anything  striking  in  the  way  of 
color  or  markings,  it  is  nevertheless  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  our 
mammals.  The  dense  silky  fur  of  an  ashen-brown  above  and  creamy 
white  beneath,  rivalling  that  of  the  chinchilla  in  glossy  softness,  and 
the  large,  prominent,  and  expressive  eyes,  together  with  its  pretty 
ways,  render  it  an  attractive  and  justly  esteemed  pet. 

Prof.  F.  H.  King  mentions  the  interesting  circumstance  that 
when  an  assortment  of  nuts  was  placed  within  reach  of  a  Flying 
Squirrel  which  he  had  in  confinement,  it  carried  off  all  the  acorns 
and  hazel-nuts,  but  did  not  touch  any  of  the  others.  These  two 
kinds  of  nuts  were  the  only  ones  that  grew  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood  of  the  place  where  this  squirrel  was  captured,  but  it 
was  taken  so  young  that  it  could  never  have  seen  any  nuts  prior 
to  its  confinement.  Hence  the  case  seems  clearly  one  of  inherited 
habit. f 

Whether,  in  the  region  under  consideration,  this  variety  of  the 
Flying  Squirrel  hibernates,  I  am  unable  to  state  with  positiveness, 
though  strongly  of  opinion  that  it  does.  It  certainly  remains  in 
its  nest  durino;  the  severer  weather  of  our  winters. 

o 

Next  to  the  bats,  it  is  the  most  strictly  nocturnal  of  our  mammals, 
very  rarely  being  seen  abroad  till  after  nightfall.  He  who  quietly 
wanders  through  our  groves  and  forests  during  the  wa'rm,  still 

*  Prof.  F.  H.  King,  in  his  admirable  and  comprehensive  treatise  upon  the  Economic  Relations 
of  Wisconsin  Birds,  says  :  ;<  In  the  spring  of  1879,  I  placed  the  young  of  the  Chipping  Sparrow  in 
the  cage  with  a  young  pet  flying  squirrel  (Scimvf  tents  volucelld).  The  bird  was  seized  with  energy 
and  killed  but  not  eaten."  (Geology  of  Wisconsin,  Vol.  I,  1883,  p.  444.)  The  reason  the  bird  was 
not  eaten  is  hard  to  explain  unless  the  squirrel  was  surfeited  with  food. 

f  Mr.  E.  P.  Bicknell  suggests  that  the  squirrel  may  have  selected  the  acorns  and  hazel-nuts 
because  they  were  thinner-shelled  than  the  others. 


sril'KOITERUS    VOLUCEI.I.A.  199 

nights  of  summer  and  early  autumn  cannot  but  mark  the  myriads 
of  sounds  that  betoken  the  presence  and  activity  of  animal  life. 
The  faint  rustling'  of  leaves,  the  pattering  of  light  footsteps  on  the 
ground,  the  constant  dropping  of  something  from  the  trees,  the 
springing  back  of  a  branch  relieved  from  the  weight  of  some  animal, 
the  sharp  squeaking  of  unseen  creatures,  the  lonesome  note  of  a 
wakeful  bird,  the  occasional  low  grating  of  teeth  overhead,  the 
bustle  and  chipper  of  something  chasing  something  else  up  the 
trunk  of  a  neighboring  tree,  the  cry  of  distress  as  some  bird  or 
beast  of  prey  seizes  its  unhappy  victim  ; — these  and  numberless 
other  noises,  mostly  vague  and  indescribable, — fill  the  air  and  bear 
evidence  to  the  profusion  of  life.  And  yet  the  very  multiplicity  of 
sounds  is  confusing,  and  prevents  the  perception  of  those  that  are 
distinctive.  To  the  ear  accustomed  to  the  whisperings  of  Nature 
many  of  these  noises  are  recognized  as  easily  as  the  voices  of 
familiar  friends.  The  shrew,  the  mouse,  the  bat,  the  chickaree, 
and  the  Flying  Squirrel  are  almost  sure  to  be  present,  and  the 
latter  is  generally  responsible  for  no  small  share  of  the  perplexing 
sounds.  His  activity  is  intense,  his  sailing  leaps  frequent,  his 
gambolings  almost  ceaseless,  his  sly  chuckle  and  saucy  scold  are 
occasionally  heard,  and  his  dropping  of  beechnut  shucks  is  some- 
times well  nigh  continuous. 

Audubon  and  Bachman  narrate  an  interesting  experience  that 
no  other  naturalists  seem  to  have  been  fortunate  enough  to  witness. 
They  say  :  "  We  recollect  a  locality  not  many  miles  from  Philadel- 
phia, where,  in  order  to  study  the  habits  of  this  interesting  species, 
we  occasionally  strayed  into  a  meadow  containing  here  and  there 
immense  oak  and  beech  trees.  One  afternoon  we  took  our  seat 
on  a  log  in  the  vicinity  to  watch  their  lively  motions.  It  was 
during  the  calm  warm  weather  peculiar  to  the  beginning  of  autumn. 
During  the  half  hour  before  sunset  nature  seemed  to  be  in  a  state 
of  silence  and  repose.  The  birds  had  retired  to  the  shelter  of  the 
forest.  The  night-hawk  had  already  commenced  its  low  evening 


2OO  MAMMALIA. 

flight,  and  here  and  there  the  common  red  bat  was  on  the  wing  ; 
still  for  some  time  not  a  Flying  Squirrel  made  its  appearance. 
Suddenly,  however,  one  emerged  from  its  hole  and  ran  up  to  the 
top  of  a  tree  ;  another  soon  followed,  and  ere  long  dozens  came 
forth,  and  commenced  their  graceful  flights  from  some  upper  branch 
to  a  lower  bouofh.  At  times  one  would  be  seen  darting  from  the 

£5  O 

topmost  branches  of  a  tall  oak,  and  with  wide-extended  membranes 
and  outspread  tail  gliding  diagonally  through  the  air,  till  it  reached 
the  foot  of  a  tree  about  fifty  yards  off,  when  at  the  moment  we 
expected  to  see  it  strike  the  earth,  it  suddenly  turned  upwards  and 
alighted  on  the  body  of  the  tree.  It  would  then  run  to  the  top 
and  once  more  precipitate  itself  from  the  upper  branches,  and  sail 
back  again  to  the  tree  it  had  just  left.  Crowds  of  these  little 
creatures  joined  in  these  sportive  gambols  ;  there  could  not  have 
been  less  than  two  hundred.  Scores  of  them  would  leave  each 
tree  at  the  same  moment,  and  cross  each  other,  gliding  like  spirits 
through  the  air,  seeming  to  have  no  other  object  in  view  than  to 
indulge  a  playful  propensity."  * 

The  Flying  Squirrel  is  the  most  highly  specialized  of  the  family 
to  which  it  pertains,  its  whole  structure  pre-eminently  fitting  it  for 
arboreal  life.  The  peculiar  tegumentary  expansion  along  the  sides 
enables  it  to  make  flying  leaps  that  far  exceed  those  of  other 
squirrels  ;  and  the  ease,  grace,  and  rapidity  with  which  it  glides 
from  tree  to  tree  inspires  the  merest  passer-by  with  wonder  and 
admiration.  Its  ordinary  mode  of  progression  is  by  a- series  of 
alternate  climbs  and  leaps.  Upon  reaching  a  tree  the  first  act  is 
to  ascend,  for,  being  unable  to  sail  horizontally,  it  must  attain  a 
considerable  elevation  before  venturing  to  leap  to  the  next.  I  nstead 
of  moving  off  in  this  way  when  disturbed,  it  sometimes  runs  up  into 
the  topmost  branches  of  the  nearest  tree,  and,  coiling  itself  into 
surprisingly  small  compass,  remains  motionless  till  the  intruder 
has  taken  his  departure. 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  Vol.  I,  1846,  p.  218. 


SCIUROPTERUS    VOLUCELLA.  2OI 

The  modifications  of  structure  that  adapt  it  to  its  habit  of  life 
are  by  no  means  so  great  as  in  the  case  of  the  mole  or  bat,  and  yet 
it  is  not  less  inseparably  associated  with  an  almost  exclusively 
arboreal  existence  than  are  these  others  with  the  special  conditions 
of  their  environment. 

Flying  Squirrels  make  their  nests  in  the  hollows  of  trees, 
frequently  taking  possession  of  deserted  woodpecker's  holes.  They 
are  easily  aroused  and  driven  out  by  hammering  against  the  trunk. 
I  have  thus  expelled  the  occupants  of  as  many  as  half  a  dozen  nests 
in  a  single  clay's  hunt.  Their  progeny  must  be  brought  forth  early 
in  April,  for  on  the  3Oth  of  April,  1878,  Dr.  C.  L.  Bagg  and  myself 
took  three  half-grown  young  from  a  woodpecker's  hole,  about  fifteen 
feet  above  the  ground,  in  a  decayed  stub.  They  did  not  seem  at 
all  frightened,  but  were  tame  and  gfentle  from  the  beofinnino",  and 

O  c>  O  O 

my  sister  and  I  kept  two  of  them  alive.  At  night  they  were  ex- 
cessively active  and  playful,  but,  unless  disturbed,  would  sleep 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  day.  They  preferred  to  remain 
upon  our  persons,  and  one  used  to  sleep  in  my  pocket.  At  first  it 
could  jump  but  a  short  distance,  and  if  placed  upon  a  chair  or  table 
became  very  unhappy  and  would  come  to  the  edge  nearest  the 
place  where  I  was  standing  and  cry  to  be  taken.  If  I  extended 
my  arm  and  approached  it,  the  little  creature,  trembling  with 
delight,  would  stand  on  its  hind  legs  and  leap  upon  my  hand  ; 
thence,  either  running  up  my  sleeve  or  down  my  neck,  it  would 
nestle  in  my  bosom  and  sleep  for  hours,  or  until  forcibly  removed. 
Prof.  F.  H.  King,  in  a  recent  communication,  records  an  experience 
with  the  young  of  this  species  that  calls  to  mind  many  of  the  actions 
and  peculiarities  of  those  that  I  have  had.  He  says  :  "  I  have  never 
known  wild  animals  that  became  so  perfectly  familiar  and  confiding 
as  these  young  squirrels  did  ;  and  they  seemed  to  get  far  more 
enjoyment  from  playing  upon  my  person  than  in  any  other  place, 
running  in  and  out  of  pockets,  and  between  my  coat  and  vest. 
After  the  frolic  was  over  they  always  esteemed  it  a  great  favor  if 


2O2  MAMMALIA. 

I  would  allow  them  to  crawl  into  my  vest  in  front  and  go  to  sleep 
there,  where  they  felt  the  warmth  of  my  body,  and  it  was  very  rare 
indeed,  during  the  first  six  months,  that  they  failed  to  ask  the 
privilege  ;  indeed  they  came  to  consider  themselves  abused  if 
turned  out.  When  forced  to  go  to  sleep  by  themselves,  the  atti- 
tude taken  was  amusing,  the  nose  was  placed  upon  the  table  or 
other  object  it  happened  to  be  upon,  and  then  it  would  walk  forward 
over  it,  rolling  itself  up  until  the  nose  almost  protruded  from  be- 
tween the  hind  legs  ;  the  tail  was  then  wrapped  in  a  horizontal 
coil  about  the  feet,  and  the  result  was  an  exquisite  little  ball  of  life 
in  soft  fur  which  it  seemed  almost  sacrilegious  to  touch.  If  they 
escaped  from  the  cage  during  the  night,  I  was  sure  to  be  warned 
of  the  fact  by  their  coming  into  the  bed  to  roll  themselves  up  close 
to  my  face  or  neck."  * 

The  most  extended  account  which  I  have  seen  of  this  animal's 
habits  in  confinement,  is  from  the  pen  of  Prof.  Geo.  H.  Perkins, 
of  the  University  of  Vermont.  He  describes  his  interesting  pets 
in  the  following  language  :  "  At  dusk  they  begin  to  stir.  Not  all 
at  once  it  would  seem  do  they  awake,  for  the  material  of  the  nest 
quivers  and  shakes  for  some  time  before  the  squirrel  appears. 
When,  however,  they  conclude  that  they  are  all  ready,  out  pop 
their  heads,  each  to  be  followed  by  the  rest  of  the  body,  after  a 
glance  on  all  sides  with  the  glistening  black  eyes  ;  and  now  all 
drowsiness  has  disappeared  and  an  activity  more  incessant  and 
more  intense  than  can  be  described  takes  its  place.  All  night  long, 
often  with  only  the  briefest  rest  now  and  then,  these  little  animals 
are  in  vigorous  motion,  jumping,  bounding,  capering,  running  with 
ever-varying  movement  and  astonishing  energy.  Everything  they 
do  is  done  with  all  their  might.  It  would  seem  to  any  one  watch- 
ing them  that  the  exercise  of  the  first  few  minutes  must  wholly 
exhaust  their  powers,  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  more  their  muscles 
are  used,  the  more  capable  of  use  they  seem,  and  great  as  is  the 

*  American  Naturalist,  Vol.  XVII,  No.  I,  Jan.  1883,  p.  39. 


Kurs    VOLUCELLA.  203 

energy  of  their  movements  at  hrst,  the)'  usually  increase  in  vigor 
and  speed  until  after  midnight  and  scarcely  grow  less  before  morn- 
ing. Nothing  affords  them  so  much  gratification  as  a  large  wheel 
which  is  placed  inside,  the  cage.  Into  this  wheel  they  jump  when- 
ever aught  disturbs  or  pleases  them,  and  even  when  quite  hungry 
they  often  find  it  necessary  to  take  a  few  turns  before  commencing 
their  meal,  after  which  exercise  they  draw  themselves  into  a  bunch 
with  the  tail  over  the  back,  after  the  manner  of  squirrels,  and  set 
briskly  to  work  on  the  nut  or  other  food  they  may  have 
received.  They  are  almost  as  fond  of  riding  as  of  running,  and 
work  their  passage  by  running  till  the  wheel  is  in  rapid  motion  and 
then  clinging  to  its  wires,  and  so  are  carried  around  and  around, 
the  pure  white  of  the  under  side  of  the  body  contrasting  prettily 
with  the  soft  brownish-gray  of  the  back  and  sides  as  each  comes 
into  view.  When  both  are  in  the  wheel  one  often  rides  while  the 
other  turns  the  wheel,  the  latter  bounding  over  the  other  as  each 
turn  brings  him  around,  and,  no  matter  how  rapidly  the  wheel 
turns,  these  movements  are  executed  with  perfect  exactness  and 
gracefulness.  Being  desirous  of  knowing  with  some  degree  of 
accuracy  how  rapidly  the  wheel  moved,  I  made  some  experiments 
for  that  purpose  and  found  that  the  usual  rate  of  revolution  was 
from  sixty  to  over  a  hundred  and  twenty  times  a  minute,  and,  as 
the  wheel  is  forty-four  inches  in  circumference,  when  its  rate  is  the 
latter  of  the  two  numbers  named,  the  squirrel  turning  it  must 
travel  four  hundred  and  forty  feet  a  minute,  or  about  five  miles  an 
hour,  a  distance  requiring  a  great  many  steps  when  they  are 
so  short  as  squirrels  must  take.  The  sides  of  the  wheels  are  formed 
of  spokes  radiating  as  in  any  wheel,  these  spokes  are  only  five 
inches  apart  at  the  circumference  and  of  course  constantly  grow 
less  toward  the  centre  ;  yet  through  this  narrow  space  which  passes, 
when  the  wheel  is  at  full  speed,  in  the  sixteenth  of  a  second,  they 
dart  in  and  out  with  perfect  ease.  So  quickly  do  the)-  move  that 
the  eye  can  scarcely  follow  them;  one  instant  a  squirrel  is  in  the 
14 


2O4  MAMMALIA. 

wheel  running  with  all  his  might,  and  the  next  he  is  seated  on  a 
shelf  at  the  opposite  end  of  the  cage,  the  wheel  whirling  behind 
him  ....  Though  usually  very  quiet  they  are  not  always 
displeased  with  noise,  if  it  be  a  lively  one  ;  for  instance,  they  drop 
a  nut  in  the  wheel  and  then  as  it  rattles  when  the  wheel  moves 
they  are  highly  delighted,  sometimes  more  so  than  some  of  the 
other  listeners.  Once  when  a  butternut  thus  became  quite  a  trouble 
to  me  I  removed  it,  but  no  sooner  had  I  left  the  cage  than  they  put 
it  back  and  set  it  rattling  louder  than  ever,  leaping  over  it  as  it  came 
near  them  and  jumping  about  as  if  performing  a  war  dance,  and  this 
they  repeated  over  and  over  again  till,  finally,  the  nut  was  removed 
from  the  cage.  Now  and  then  the  freak  takes  one  or  the  other  to 
leave  the  wheel  altogether  for  several  days,  and  in  the  meantime 
they  relieve  their  over-buoyant  feelings  by  executing  a  brilliant 
series  of  somersets  with  an  agility  and  daring  that  would  excite  the 
envy  of  the  most  skilful  acrobat.  They  always  turn  backward,  going 
completely  over  and  alighting  almost  exactly  upon  the  spot  from 
which  they  started.  Now  they  run  a  few  steps  before  going  over 
and  now  stop  and  turn  around  as  if  a  spit  ran  through  the  centre  of 
the  body  on  which  it  turned.  These  gyrations  are  often  extremely 
ludicrous,  especially,  when  turning  side  by  side,  they  seem  to  be 
racing  ....  They  are  exceedingly  inquisitive,  prying  into 
everything  that  comes  in  their  way  ;  and,  if  watched  and  fearful  lest 
they  are  to  be  interrupted,  they  assume  a  most  impudent  and  reck- 
less air,  glancing  out  of  one  eye,  and  shaking  their  heads  and  sniffing 
every  now  and  then  for  an  instant,  and  then  returning  to  their  in- 
vestigations with  renewed  energy,  pulling  away  desperately  at  any- 
thing that  can  be  laid  hold  of,  and  if  anyone  starts  toward  them  to 
drive  them  away,  they  wait  till  the  very  last  minute,  when,  with  a 
twinkle  of  the  eye,  a  toss  of  the  head,  and  a  jerk  of  the  tail,  they  are 
off  and  across  the  room  in  a  trice,  perhaps  stopping  to  chatter  their 
disapproval  of  the  whole  proceeding  as  soon  as  safely  out  of  reach 
When  the  actions  of  an  animal  are  so  suddenly  varied,  so 


SCIUROPTERUS    VOLUCELLA.  2OD 

constantly  changing  and  of  such  interest  in  all  their  phases  as  are 
those  of  the  Flying  Squirrel,  a  complete  account  can  scarcely  be 
given.  Certainly  it  is  not  easy  for  words  to  represent  the  merry, 
rollicking,  clon't-care  manner  in  which  they  do  everything.  Such  a 
combination  of  earnestness  and  carelessness  is  seldom  seen.  For 
they  are  earnest  about  their  work,  and  in  emptying  a  box  of  nuts 
they  seem  to  feel  the  great  importance  of  their  undertaking  and  the 
necessity  ot  soberness  and  dignity  in  its  execution,  but  yet  one  can- 
not help  seeing  that  all  this  is  but  assumed  for  the  occasion,  for  their 
eyes,  and  indeed  their  whole  body,  are  all  the  time  expressive  of 
mischief,  and  the  little  rogues  are  never  so  sedate  that  they  do  not 
seem  to  be  bubbling  over  with  fun  and  to  be  ready  at  a  moment's 
notice  to  engage  in  any  mischief  that  may  occur  to  their  scheming 
little  heads."  * 

An  adult  that  I  once  had  in  captivity  used  to  make  a  practice  of 
leaping  from  the  floor,  or  from  some  object  in  the  room,  to  the  top 
of  my  head,  where  it  would  scratch  and  dig  as  if  searching  for  beech- 
nuts. 

The  late  Dr.  Gideon  B.  Smith,  of  Baltimore,  in  a  letter  to  Audubon 
and  Bachman,  speaks  thus  ot  these  squirrels  :  "  They  are  gregarious, 
living  together  in  considerable  communities,  and  do  not  object  to  the 
company  of  other  and  even  quite  different  animals.  For  example,  I 
once  assisted  in  taking  down  an  old  martin-box,  which  had  been  for 
a  great  number  of  years  on  the  top  of  a  venerable  locust  tree  near 
my  house,  and  which  had  some  eight  or  ten  apartments.  As  the  box 
fell  to  the  ground  we  were  surprised  to  see  the  great  numbers  of 
Flying  Squirrels,  screech-owls,  and  leather- winged  bats  running  from 
it.  We  caught  several  of  each,  and  one  of  the  Flying  Squirrels  was 
kept  as  a  pet  in  a  cage  for  six  months.  The  various  apartments  of 
the  box  were  stored  with  hickorynuts,  chestnuts,  acorns,  corn,  <!\:c., 
intended  for  the  winter  supply  ol  food.  There  must  have  been  as 
many  as  twenty  Flying  Squirrels  in  the  box,  as  many  bats,  and  we 


*  American  Naturalist,  Vol.  VII,  No.  3,  March,  1873,  pp.  133-139. 


2O6  MAMMALIA. 

know  there  were  six  screech-owls.  The  crevices  of  the  house  were 
always  inhabited  by  the  squirrels.  The  docility  of  the  one  we  kept 
as  a  pet  was  remarkable  ;  although  he  was  never  lively  and  playful 
in  the  day-time,  he  would  permit  himself  to  be  handled  and  spread 
out  at  the  pleasure  of  any  one.  We  frequently  took  him  from  the 
cage,  laid  him  on  the  table  or  on  one  hand,  and  exposed  the  exten- 
sion of  his  skin,  smoothed  his  fur,  put  him  in  our  pocket  or  bosom, 
&c.,  he  pretending  all  the  time  to  be  asleep." 

SCIUROPTERUS   VOLUCELLA   HUDSONIUS    (Gmeiin)  Alien. 

Northern  Flying  Squirrel. 

The  Northern  Flying  Squirrel  is  a  common  inhabitant  of  the 
elevated  central  area  of  the  Adirondacks  and  is  not  particularly  rare 
about  the  outskirts  of  the  region,  where  I  have  found  both  varieties 
nesting  in  adjoining  trees.  Although  this  is  much  the  larger  of  the 
two,  and  may  also  be  distinguished  by  some  peculiarities  of  colora- 
tion, individuals  are  sometimes  met  with  that  are  more  or  less  inter- 
mediate ;  still,  I  have  yet  to  see  the  specimen  that  cannot  at  once  be 
referred  either  to  the  one  or  the  other. 

The  Northern  Flying  Squirrel  is  a  hardier  animal  than  its  smaller 
relative,  and  remains  awake  and  active  during  the  whole  of  our  long 
and  severe  winters.  The  mercury  may  indicate  a  temperature  many 
degrees  below  zero,  or  snow  may  be  falling  in  quantities  sufficient  to 
obstruct  the  vision,  without  seeming  in  any  way  to  dishearten  this 
merry  adventurer.  The  last  rays  of  the  departing  sun  have  scarcely 
disappeared  from  the  western  horizon  before  the  sombre  shades  that 
mark  the  approach  of  winter  night  commence  to  gather  about  the  snow- 
clad  forest.  Whether  bright  stars  sparkle  and  shine  through  a  frosty 
atmosphere,  or  heavy,  leaden  clouds  overhang  the  scene,  makes  little 
difference  to  the  Northern  Flying  Squirrel.  He  emerges  from  his 
warm  nest,  takes  a  hasty  survey  of  the  surroundings  lest  some  wily 

*  (Quadruped-,  of  North  America,  Vol.  I,  1846,  p.  220. 


sriruoiTKkrs  YOI.UCKI.I.A   HUDSOMTS.  207 

owl  should  lurk  hard  by,  glides  silently  to  a  neighboring  tree,  and 
starts  forthwith  upon  his  nightly  tour  in  quest  of  food  and  sport. 
Prompted  either  by  hunger  or  curiosity,  or  by  a  combination  of  the 
two,  he  examines  every  unusual  object  with  scrupulous  care,  and  as 
one  result  is  always  getting  into  traps  set  for  valuable  fur — and  this 
whether  they  are  baited  with  mammal,  bird,  or  fish.  Indeed,  the 
nature  of  the  bait  seems  to  be  a  matter  of  the  most  trivial  con- 
sequence, as  it  often  consists  of  red  and  Hying  Squirrels  that  have 
previously  been  taken  in  the  trap.  Even  in  this  case  another  Flying 
Squirrel  is  as  likely  to  be  the  next  thing  caught  as  any  animal  in  the 
Wilderness.  Hence  it  happens  that  the  trapper  comes  to  look  upon 
him  as  an  unmitigated  nuisance. 

These  handsome  Squirrels  are  very  fond  of  beechnuts,  and  during 
"nut  years"   feed  largely  upon  them.     They  are  thirsty  creatures 
and  in  the  early  spring,  when  certain  of  the  woodsmen  are  engaged 
in  making  maple  sugar,  many  are  found  dead  in  the  sap  buckets- 
drowned  in  their  efforts  to  obtain  the  sweet  fluid. 

They  breed  about  a  month  later  than  their  smaller  relative. 
June  1 8th,  1883,  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher  and  the  writer  found  the  nest  of  a 
Northern  Flying  Squirrel  at  West  Pond,  near  Big  Moose  Lake.  It 
was  in  the  last  year's  nest  of  a  three-toed  woodpecker  (Picoidcs 
arcticus]  in  a  tamarack  (Lan'.v  Americana}  and  the  entrance  hole 
faced  the  east,  about  ten  feet  above  the  ground.  On  cutting  down 
the  tree  the  nest  was  found  to  contain  three  nursing  young,  not  yet 
one-third  grown  ;  they  were  estimated  to  be  about  a  month  old. 
They  were  fed  on  condensed  milk  diluted  with  water  until  we  left 
the  woods,  and  afterwards  on  fresh  milk  and  vegetables.  One  of 
them  grew  very  rapidly,  attaining  nearly  two-thirds  the  size  of  its 
parent  by  the  loth  of  July,  when  it  was  accidentally  killed.  They  all 
were  perfectly  tame  and  acted  much  like  the  young  of  the  common 
Flying  Squirrel  (S.  volucella]  already  described. 

In  searching  the  scanty  literature  relating  to  this  animal,  which  has 
not  previously  been  recorded  from  the  State  of  New  York,  I  have 


2O8  MAMMALIA. 

been  unable  to  find  anything  upon  its  habits  excepting  the  following 
account  of  a  female  and  young,  narrated  by  Audubon  and  Bachman  : 
"  A  brood  of  young  of  this  species,  along  with  the  mother  was  kept 
in  confinement  by  an  acquaintance  of  ours,  for  about  four  months, 
and  the  little  ones,  five  in  number,  were  suckled  in  the  following 

o 

manner :  the  younglings  stood  on  the  ground  floor  of  the  cage, 
whilst  the  mother  hung  her  body  downwards,  and  secured  herself 
from  falling  by  clinging  to  the  perch  immediately  above  her  head  by 
her  forefeet.  This  was  observed  every  day,  and  some  days  as  fre- 
quently as  eight  or  ten  times. 

"  The  brood  was  procured  as  follows:  a  piece  of  partially  cleared 
wood  having  been  set  on  fire,  the  labourers  saw  a  Flying  Squirrel 
start  from  a  hollow  stump  with  a  young  one  in  her  mouth,  and 
watched  the  place  where  she  deposited  it,  in  another  stump  at  a 
little  distance.  The  mother  returned  to  her  nest,  and  took  away 
another  and  another  in  succession,  until  all  were  removed,  when  the 
wood-cutters  went  to  the  abode  now  occupied  by  the  affectionate 
animal,  and  caught  her  already  singed  by  the  fire,  and  her  five  young 
unscathed. 

"  After  some  time  a  pair  of  the  young  were  given  away  to  a  friend. 
The  three  remaining  ones,  as  well  as  the  mother,  were  killed  in  the 
following  manner : 

"  The  cage  containing  them  was  hung  near  the  window,  and  one 
night  during  the  darkness,  a  rat,  or  rats  (Mus  decumanus],  caught 
hold  of  the  three  young  through  the  bars,  and  ate  off  all  their  flesh, 
leaving  the  skins  almost  entire,  and  the  heads  remaining  inside  the 
bars.  The  mother  had  had  her  thigh  broken  and  her  flesh  eaten 
from  the  bone,  and  yet  this,  good  parent  was  so  affectionately 
attached  to  her  brood  that  when  she  was  found  in  this  pitiable  con- 
dition in  the  morning,  she  was  clinging  to  her  offspring,  and  trying 
to  nurse  them  as  if  they  had  still  been  alive."  * 

*  (Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  Vol.  Ill,  1854,  pp.  203-204. 


SCH'KUS    HUDSON  ITS.  2CX) 

SCIURUS   HUDSONIUS    I'^'as. 
Red  Si/nirrc/  ;    Chickaree. 

The  Reel  Squirrel  is  one  of  the  commonest  and  best  known  of  the 
mammalian  inhabitants  of  the  Adirondacks,  being  found  in  all  parts 
of  the  Wilderness  at  all  seasons  of  the  year. 

His  diet  is  more  varied  than  that  of  our  other  squirrels.  In  addi- 
tion to  nuts  and  acorns  he  feeds  upon  a  variety  ot  seeds  and  roots, 
the  buds  and  leaf-stems  of  certain  trees,  several  species  of  "  toad- 
stools" and  other  fungi,  seeds  from  the  cones  of  pines  and  spruces, 
fruits  and  berries  of  many  kinds,  beetles,  birds'  eggs,  and  even  young 
birds.  And  in  winter  he  does  not  look  with  disdain  upon  scraps  ot 
meat  or  fish  that  may  have  been  left  within  his  reach. 

He  is  the  most  hilarious  of  the  pre-eminently  merry  and  frolicsome 
family  to  which  he  belongs,  and  his  joyous  and  jubilant  nature 
enables  him  to  triumph  over  the  sense  of  gloom  that  pervades  the 
sombre  coniferous  forests  of  the  North,  rendering  him  cheerful  and 
contented  in  the  darkest  and  most  impenetrable  of  our  evergreen 
thickets.  Indeed,  it  is  this  happy  faculty  of  adapting  himself  and 
his  modes  of  life  to  a  diversity  of  surroundings  that  has  permitted 
his  wide  dispersion,  the  present  boundaries  of  his  habitat  being  co- 
extensive with  those  of  the  wooded  portions  of  the  northern  part  of 
our  continent/1' 

The  Chickaree  combines  qualities  so  wholly  at  variance,  so  unique, 
so  incomprehensible,  and  so  characteristic  withal,  that  one  scarcely 
knows  in  what  light  to  regard  him.  His  inquisitiveness.  audacity, 
inordinate  assurance,  and  exasperating  insolence,  together  with  his 
insatiable  love  of  mischief  and  shameless  disregard  of  all  the  ordinary 
customs  and  civilities  of  life,  would  lead  one  to  suppose  that  he  was 
little  entitled  to  respect;  and  yet  his  intelligence,  his  untiring  perse- 
verance, and  genuine  industry,  the  cunning  cleverness  displayed  in 
many  of  his  actions,  and  the  irresistible  humor  with  which  he  does 

*  The  species  and  its  several  geographical  races  are  here  spoken  of  collectively. 


2IO  MAMMALIA. 

everything,  command  for  him  a  certain  degree  of  admiration.  He 
is  arrogant,  impetuous,  and  conceited  to  an  extreme  degree,  his  con- 
fidence in  his  own  superior. capabilities  not  infrequently  costing  him 
his  life.  In  fact,  these  contradictions  in  character  and  idiosyncrasies 
in  disposition  render  him  a  psychological  problem  of  no  easy 
solution. 

From  earliest  dawn  till  the  setting  sun  has  disappeared  behind  the 
distant  hills,  the  Red  Squirrel  enlivens  the  silent  solitude  of  the  forest 
with  his  merry  ways  and  saucy  chatterings  ;  and  he  may  sometimes 
be  discovered  in  the  darkest  hours  of  the  night,  stealing  softly  over 
the  ground — bent,  doubtless,  on  some  errand  of  dubious  propriety. 
Moonlight  evenings  he  is  often  as  active,  though  not  so  noisy,  as 
during  the  day,  and  in  early  autumn  he  vies  with  the  flying  squirrel 
in  nocturnal  nut-husking  exploits.  Though  an  expert  climber, 
delighting  in  long  leaps  from  bough  to  bough,  which  he  executes 
with  grace  and  precision,  he  spends  far  more  time  on  the  ground  than 
the  other  arboreal  squirrels,  sometimes  even  making  his  home  in 
holes  in  the  earth.  Old  logs,  stumps,  wood-piles,  and  brush-heaps 
are  favorite  places  of  resort,  and,  by  excavating  burrows  beneath,  he 
converts  them  into  the  securest  of  retreats.  Our  fences  serve  as 
highways  upon  which  he  travels  from  wood  to  wood,  and  the  zig-zag 
rail  fence  in  particular  is  one  of  the  boons  of  his  existence.  It  is  his 
most  frequented  path,  his  playground,  his  race-course,  and  when 
pursued,  his  readiest  means  of  escape.  It  is  the  step-ladder  from 
which  he  leaps  into  the  branches  of  neighboring  trees,  and  the  place 
where  he  meets  his  friends  at  all  hours  of  the  day.  He  frequently 
follows  it  to  the  farm-house  and  takes  up  his  abode  in  the  woodshed 
or  other  outbuilding,  placing  his  nest  between  the  ceiling  and  roof, 
or  in  some  other  equally  out-of-the-way  spot,  whence  he  is.  with  great 
difficulty  dislodged. 

He  is  the  least  wary  of  the  squirrels,  rarely  taking  the  trouble  to 
hide  himself  at  the  approach  of  man.  In  fact,  on  such  occasions  he 
usually  assumes  an  aggressive  attitude,  chippers,  shakes  his  tail  in  an 


sciruus  IIUDSONIUS.  2  i  i 

impudent  and  wholly  uncalled-for  manner,  but  takes  care  to  keep 
just  out  of  reach.  This  daring  fearlessness  is  clearly  the  result  of  the 
fact  that  he  is  not  worth  the  powder  necessary  for-his  destruction, 
and  he  is  therefore  tolerated,  though  an  acknowledged  nuisance. 
But  there  are  times  when  his  conduct  becomes  so  scandalous  that  the 
shot-gun  is  brought  out  for  his  suppression.  He  is  soon  deeply  im- 
pressed with  the  range  and  effect  of  this  weapon,  and,  though  many 
of  his  brothers  may  have  perished  before  the  warning  was  heeded, 
he  now  becomes,  in  this  particular  locality,  the  most  circumspect  of 
brutes.  He  scorns  the  thought  of  running  away,  but  grows  so 
vigilant,  sly,  and  crafty  that  the  farmer  is  put  to  his  wit's  end  to 
devise  means  for  his  riddance. 

His  curiosity  is  almost  as  striking  as  his  impudence,  and  more 
than  once  when  I  have  been  standing  or  sitting  motionless  in  the 

o  o 

forest  he  has  approached  nearer  and  nearer,  eyeing  me  inquisitively, 
chippering,  and  shaking  his  tail,  till  finally  he  has  jumped  upon  my 
person,  to  be  off  again  in  a  trice.  When  sleeping  on  the  ground  in 
July,  1878,  I  was  awakened,  just  at  daybreak,  by  a  noisy  and  excited 
chippering  close  at  hand,  but  before  my  eyes  were  fairly  open  one 
of  these  mischievous  imps  alighted  in  my  face.  The  surprise  was 
common,  and  I  must  have  started  rather  unceremoniously,  for  he 
sprang  so  suddenly  to  the  nearest  tree  that  the  prints  of  his  claws 
were  visible  for  sometime  after  upon  my  forehead  and  nose. 

Of  all  the  annoyances  that  beset  the  trapper  in  this  region,  none 
compare  with  the  Red  Squirrel.  Not  only  is  he  the  most  vexatious 
of  all  the  animals  that  roam  the  Adirondack  wilds,  but  he  often 
proves  a  source  of  disaster  to  the  fur  dealer.  From  an  overhanging 
limb  he  looks  on  with  unfeigned  interest  while  the  trapper  arranges 
the  bait  for  the  martin  or  fisher ;  but  a  moment  later  he  has  sprung  the 
trap  and  is  chippering  with  exulting  derision  at  the  result.  He  is 
often  caught,  it  is  true,  but  half  a  dozen  others  are  always  ready  to 
take  his  place,  and  it  affords  little  satisfaction  to  the  hunter,  on  his 
lonely  rounds  through  the  snow-clad  forest,  to  find  a  worthless 


2  I  2  MAMMALIA. 

Squirrel  in  his  trap,  instead  of  the  valuable  fur  for  which  it  was  set. 
But  if,  instead  of  consulting  the  hunter's  interests,  we  take  another 
view  of  the  case,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  the  Chickaree  is  a  good  friend 
to  the  martin.  He  furnishes  the  latter  with  food  of  an  exceptionally 
agreeable  kind,  and  though  it  cost  him  his  life,  takes  great  pains  to 
discover  and  spring  the  traps  set  for  the  martin's  destruction. 

He  is  not  always  to  be  found  in  equal  numbers,  but  is  influenced 
in  a  marked  degree  by  the  beechnut  crop.  In  seasons  when  mast  is 
plentiful  there  seems  to  be  a  Squirrel  for  every  tree,  bush,  stump, 
and  log  in  the  entire  Wilderness,  besides  a  number  left  over  to 
fill  possible  vacancies.  When,  on  the  other  hand,  the  nut  crop  has 
been  a  failure,  a  corresponding  diminution  in  the  numbers  of  Squir- 
rels is  observable,  and  they  are  sometimes  actually  scarce. *  Hence 
it  is  clear  that  while  the  diet  of  the  Red  Squirrel  is  varied,  his  staple 
commodity  is  the  beechnut,  the  yield  of  which  in  any  year  deter- 
mines his  abundance  in  the  succeeding  winter  and  spring.  That 
he  migrates,  on  a  small  scale  at  least,  is  a  fact  concerning  which  there 

o  o 

can  be  no  reasonable  doubt  :  on  any  other  hypothesis  we  are  at  a 
loss  to  account  for  the  suddenness  of  his  increase  and  decrease  over 
certain  areas  of  large  extent,  and  find  it  difficult  to  explain  why  he  is 
sometimes  met  with  in  numbers  swimming  our  lakes  and  rivers,  al- 
ways in  one  direction. 

As  miorht  be  inferred  from  the  boreal  distribution  of  this  animal, 

o 

he  is  the  hardiest  of  our  squirrels.  Not  only  does  he  inhabit  regions 
where  the  rigors  of  Arctic  winter  are  keenly  felt,  but,  refusing  to 
hibernate,  he  remains  active  throughout  the  continuance  of  excessive 


*  To  be  more  explicit :  The  yield  of  beechnuts  was  good  in  the  fall  of  iSSr.  In  October  and 
November  of  that  year  I  found  Red  Squirrels  abounding  in  all  parts  of  the  region  traversed — from 
the  Black  River  Valley  to  the  Saranacs  and  Tupper's  Lakes.  Dr.  F.  H.  Hoadley,  who  spent  the  win- 
ter at  Big  Moose  Lake,  informs  me  that  they  continued  in  undiminished  numbers  throughout  the 
months  of  January,  February,  and  March,  proving  a  serious  grievance  to  the  trapper.  The  next 
fall,  that  of  1882,  the  nut  crop  failed  (as  it  always  does  here  on  the  alternate  years),  and  I  found 
but  few  Red  Squirrels  in  the  Adirondacks  in  October  and  November.  As  the  winter  advanced 
they  became  less  and  less  common,  and  in  January  I  did  not  see  a  single  one,  and  but  two  of  their 
tracks,  while  on  a  snow-shoe  tramp  from  Big  Otter  to  Big  Moose  Lake. 


SCIURUS  nunsnxirs.  213 

cold.  \\rhen  fierce  storms  sweep  over  the  land  he  retires  to  his  nest, 
to  appear  again  with  the  first  lull  of  the  wind,  be  the  temperature 
never  so  low.  I  have  many  times  observed  him  when  the  thermom- 
eter ranged  from  thirty  to  forty  degrees  below  zero  Centigrade  (-22 
to  -40  P.),  but  could  never  see  that  he  was  inconvenienced  by  the 
cold.  When  running  upon  the  snow  he  often  plunges  down  out  of 
sight,  tunnels  a  little  distance,  and,  reappearing,  shakes  the  snow 
from  his  head  and  body,  whisks  his  tail,  and  skips  along  as  lightly 
and  with  as  much  apparent  pleasure  as  if  returning  from  a  bath  in 
some  rippling  brook  during  the  heat  of  a  summer's  afternoon. 

He  possesses  the  rare  and  philosophical  accomplishment  of  com- 
bining work  with  recreation,  and  sets  about  the  performance  of  his 
self-imposed  tasks  with  such  roguish  humor  that  it  is  a  pleasure  to 
watch  him.  In  marked  contrast  to  these  free  and  happy  habits  is 
the  stealth  and  sullenness  that  characterize  the  actions  of  some  of  the 
Carnivores,  notably  of  the  family  Mustelidae. 

The  Red  Squirrel  enjoys  a  game  of  "tag"  even  more  than  the 
average  schoolboy,  and  one  is  often  startled  by  a  couple  of  them  as 
they  rush  madly  through  the  leaves,  chasing  each  other  hither  and 
thither  over  the  ground,  up  and  down  and  around  the  trunks  of  trees, 
and  in  and  out  of  hollow  logs  and  stumps  with  a  degree  of  reckless- 
ness that  is  astonishing  to  behold. 

However  frivolous  the  Red  Squirrel  may  appear  to  the  casual 
observer,  he  is,  nevertheless,  a  most  industrious  animal.  Unlike 
most  of  his  associates,  and  many  of  our  own  species,  he  is  not  con- 
tent with  the  enjoyment  of  present  plenty,  but  takes  pains  to  provide 
against  a  time  of  future  need.  When  the  summer  has  grown  old, 
and  the  mellow  days  of  early  autumn  cast  a  glow  of  color  over  the 
sumac  and  woodbine,  the  prudent  Squirrel  has  commenced  to  gather 
the  provision  for  his  winter's  use.  Impatient  to  make  sure  his  store, 
he  does  not  wait  for  the  nuts  to  ripen  and  fall,  but  cuts  the  stems  by 
which  they  hang,  till  many  lie  scattered  on  the  ground  below.  He 
then  descends  and  collects  them  in  a  heap  between,  or  near,  the  roots 


214  MAMMALIA. 

of  the  trees ;  or,  if  he  thinks  them  here  too  exposed,  carries  them 
directly  to  some  hollow  log  or  stump.  Later  in  the  season,  when 
the  mast  is  fully  ripe,  and  the  danger  from  mould  is  past,  he  fills  the 
hollows  of  the  limbs  and  trees  about  his  nest,  and  often  secretes 
reserve  hoards  in  his  burrows  in  the  earth.  In  the  evergreen 
forests  he  lays  up  large  supplies  of  cones.  I  have  seen  him,  even 
before  the  middle  of  September,  engaged  in  gathering  those  of  the 
white  pine  (Finns  strobus].  At  this  early  date  he  cuts  the  yet  green 
cones  from  the  branches,  and,  when  a  sufficient  number  have  fallen, 
takes  them  to  some  hiding-place  to  ripen  for  his  winter's  fare.  He 
eats  the  little  buds  that  may  be  found  scattered  sparingly  along  the 
small  branches  of  the  spruce,  and,  in  order  to  obtain  them  easily, 
bites  off  the  terminal  twigs  and  drags  them  back  where  the  limb  is 
large  enough  to  allow  him  to  sit  comfortably  on  his  haunches  while 
feeding.  Under  single  trees,  both  in  the  great  forest  and  on  our  own 
lawn,  I  have  found  enough  twig.--  to  fill  a  bushel  basket.  The  injury 
thus  done  is  sometimes  very  extensive. 

He  is  fond  of  a  variety  of  fruits,  and  sometimes  commits  great 
havoc  in  the  apple  orchard.  From  his  liking  for  mushrooms  some 
would  consider  him  an  epicure,  but  in  whatever  light  we  regard 
this  taste,  it  is  a  droll  spectacle  to  see  him  drag  a  large  "  toadstool " 
to  one  of  his  storehouses.  If  the  "  umbrella"  happens  to  catch  on 
some  stick  or  log  and  is  broken  from  the  stem,  as  is  frequently  the 
case,  he  is  pretty  sure  to  scold  and  sputter  for  a  while,  and  then 
take  the  pieces  separately  to  their  destination. 

Throughout  the  first  half  of  June  I  have  often  observed  a  family 
of  Red  Squirrels  feeding  upon  the  Vinged  seeds  of  a  red  or  swamp 
maple  (Acer  rubruwi),  directly  in  front  of  my  office  window. 
They  rarely  came  during  the  day,  but  in  the  evening  both  parents 
and  five  young  were  frequently  seen  on  the  tree  at  one  time,  and 
they  commonly  remained  till  it  was  so  dark  that  I  could  no  longer 
discern  their  outlines.  In  reaching  clown  from  the  slender  twigs 
to  the  drooping  clusters  of  fruit  they  sometimes  slipped  and  seemed 


sciruus   nrnsoxirs.  21  5 

about  to  fall,  but  I  never  knew  even  one  of  the  youngsters  to  lose 
his  hold.  On  these  occasions  they  were  always  silent.  I  have 
also  seen  them,  in  June,  in  the  act  of  eating  the  leaf-stems  of  the 
sugar  maple  (Acer  saccharnuuu},  to  which  habit  my  attention  was 
directed  by  observing  the  frequent  dropping  of  green  leaves  to  the 
ground." 

The  propensity  to  suck  the  eggs  and  destroy  the  young  of  our 
smaller  birds  is  the  worst  trait  of  the  Red  Squirrel,  and  is  in  itself 
sufficient  reason  for  his  extermination,  at  least  about  the  habitations 
of  man.  I  have  myself  known  him  to  rob  the  nests  of  the  red-eyed 
vireo,  chipping  sparrow,  robin,  Wilson's  thrush,  and  ruffed  grouse, 
and  doubt  not  that  thousands  of  eggs  are  annually  sacrificed,  in 
the  Adirondack  region  alone,  to  gratify  this  appetite.  Therefore, 
when  abundant,  as  he  always  is  during  the  springs  that  follow  good 
nut  years,  his  influence  in  checking  the  increase  of  our  insectivorous 
birds  can  hardly  be  overestimated. 

Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher  informs  me  that  on  three  occasions  he  has 
known  these  Squirrels  to  destroy  young  robins.  In  the  first 
instance  he  heard  the  old  birds  making  a  great  outcry  near  his 
home  at  Sing  Sing,  and  on  going  to  ascertain  the  reason  found  a 
Red  Squirrel  in  the  act  of  devouring  a  young  robin.  A  well- 
directed  stone  caused  him  to  drop  the  bird,  which  was  found  with 
its  head  cut  into  and  the  brains  eaten.  One  wing  and  both  feet 
had  also  been  eaten.  The  details  of  the  other  cases  are  much  the 
same.  In  one  instance  the  Squirrel  returned  several  times  to  the 
nest  and  carried  off  all  the  young. f 

*  Mr.  E.  P.  Bicknell  writes  me  from  his  home  at  Riverdale,  New  York  :  "On  our  place  they 
feed  through  the  winter  and  early  spring  on  the  flower-buds  of  the  white  maple  (./c,v  ilasvfarpitiit}. 
Often  several  are  to  be  seen  perched  among  the  leafless  and  bud-besprinkled  branches  about  the 
top  of  one  of  these  trees,  scattering  the  snow  below  with  fragments  of  the  red  buds  and  even  entire 
twigs  which  later  would  have  become  sprays  of  blossoms  and  fruit." 

f  Dr.  Edgar  A.  Mearns,  in  his  valuable  paper  upon  the  Birds  of  the  Hudson  Highlands,  states  : 
"  Among  the  Robin's  worst  enemies  may  be  ranked  the  Red  Squirrels  (Sciiirus  Hudsoniits),  for, 
though  their  young  are  subject  to  the  attacks  of  Crows,  Jays,  and  particularly  to  the  ravages  <if  the 
Black  Snake  (Bascanion  constrictor),  yet  none  of  these  enemies  inflict  as  much  injury  as  the 
Squirrels,  because,  not  only  do  thev  seek  out  and  devour  the  eggs,  but  the  young  are  aUo  eaten," 


2l6  MAMMALIA. 

I  have  long  been  aware  that  this  animal  was  an  occasional 
depredator  of  the  poultry  yard,  and  find,  in  a  journal  written  twelve 
years  ago,  a  note  to  the  effect  that  a  case  had  then  come  to  my 
knowledge  where  one  was  caught  in  the  act  of  killing  both  chickens 
and  young  clucks. 

The  Red  Squirrel  is  a  good  swimmer,  swimming  rapidly  and 
with  much  of  the  head,  back,  and  tail  out  of  water.  On  the  iSth 
of  August,  1874,  I  was  paddling  silently  down  a  sluggish  stream  in 
the  heart  of  the  Adirondacks  when  a  slight  noise  on  the  shore 
arrested  my  attention.  A  Squirrel  soon  appeared  at  the  water's 
edge,  but  turned  back  upon  perceiving  the  boat.  The  stream, 
which  was  about  twenty  feet  (approximately  6  metres)  in  width, 
here  flowed  through  an  extensive  marsh,  the  nearest  tree  bein^r 

o  o 

more  than  a  hundred  yards  (nearly  100  metres)  away.  Surprised 
at  seeing  a  Squirrel  in  such  a  place,  I  stopped  the  boat,  holding- 
fast  to  a  few  bushes  on  the  opposite  bank,  and  after  remaining 
motionless  a  few  moments  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  him  return, 
climb  out  on  a  little  bush,  and  swim  across.  Again,  June  28th, 
1878,  while  rowing  on  Brantingham  Lake,  in  Lewis  County,  I  saw 
a  Red  Squirrel  swimming  about  midway  between  "  the  Point  "  and 
the  main  shore  opposite.  He  was  moving  toward  the  Point,  and, 
as  I  reached  him,  climbed  up  on  the  oar,  ran  over  my  back  and  legs, 
then  along  the  gunwale,  jumping  ahead  from  the  bow  in  the  direc- 
tion toward  which  he  was  swimming  when  first  seen.  On  overtaking 

o  o 

him  he  again  came  aboard  and  jumped  ahead  as  before.     This  was 

etc.  (Bull.  Essex  Inst.,  X,  1878,  p.  9.)  Mr.  John  Burroughs  says  :  "Nearly  all  the  birds  look 
upon  it  as  their  enemy  and  attack  and  annoy  it  when  it  appears  near  their  breeding  haunts.  Thus, 
I  have  seen  the  pewee,  the  cuckoo,  the  robin,  and  the  wood  thrush  pursuing  it  with  angry  voice 
and  gestures.  If  you  wish  the  birds  to  breed  and  thrive  in  your  orchards  and  groves,  kill  every 
red  squirrel  that  infests  the  place."  (The  Tragedies  of  the  Nests,  in  The  Century  Magazine,  Vol. 
XXVI,  No.  5,  Sept.,  1883,  p.  686.)  Prof.  F.  H.  King  tells  us  that  at  Ithaca,  New  York,  his 
attention  was  attracted  by  a  pair  of  robins  dashing  wildly  about  the  branches  of  an  evergreen: 
"On  examining  the  tree  the  neU  of  the  birds  was  discovered,  and  iust  below  it  sat  a  Chickaree 
eating  one  of  the  Robin's  eggs."  (Geol.  Wis.,  1883,  p.  443.)  In  Forest  and  Stream  for  November 
17,  and  December  29,  1801,  Mr.  Ba.inbri.dge  Bishop  contributes  much  valuable  testimony  of  a 
similar  nature.  Examples  might  be  multiplied  almost  indefinitely,  but  enough  has  already  been  said 
to  demonstrate  that  the  Red  Squirrel  must  be  ranked  among  the  worst  enemies  of  our  small  birds. 


SCIURUS    HUDSONIUS.  2i; 

done  a  number  of  times,  the  Squirrel  gaining  each  time  two  or 
three  boat's  lengths,  till  finally  he  succeeded  in  reaching  the  shore. 
I  have  repeatedly  been  told  by  hunters  and  guides  that  they 
occasionally  meet  these  Squirrels  swimming  various  lakes  and  rivers 
in  the  Wilderness,  and  James  Higby  tells  me  that  in  June,  1877 
he  saw  as  many  as  fifty  crossing  Big  Moose  Lake,  and  that  they 
were  all  headed  the  same  way — to  the  north. 

I  am  informed  by  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher  that  at  the  southern  end  of 
Lake  George,  in  early  autumn,  it  is  sometimes  an  every-day 
occurrence  to  see  Red  Squirrels  swimming  across  the  lake,  from 
west  to  east — never  in  the  opposite  direction.  The  chestnut  grows 
abundantly  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  lake,  but  it  is  comparatively 
scarce  on  the  western,  and  these  extensive  migrations  always  take 
place  in  years  when  the  yield  of  chestnuts  is  large.*  Mr.  \Yinslow 
C.  Watson,  in  his  History  of  Essex  County,  says:  "The  autumn 
of  1851  afforded  one  of  these  periodical  invasions  of  Essex  county. 
It  is  well  authenticated,  that  the  red  squirrel  was  constantly  seen 
in  the  widest  parts  of  the  lake  [  Lake  Champlain  |,  far  out  from  land, 
swimming  towards  the  shore,  as  if  familiar  with  the  service  ;  their 
heads  above  water,  and  their  bushy  tails  erect  and  expanded,  and 
apparently  spread  to  the  breeze.  Reaching  land,  they  stopped  for 
a  moment,  and  relieving  their  active  and  vigorous  little  bodies  from 
the  water,  by  an  energetic  shake  or  two,  they  bounded  into  the 
woods,  as  light  and  free  as  if  they  had  made  no  extraordinary 
effort." 

Hawks  and  owls  are  the  Squirrel's  mortal  enemies,  often  seizing 
him  unawares ;  but  his  movements  are  so  well  timed  that  if 
he  sees  them  coming  he  is  almost  certain  to  escape.  When  either 


*  A  few  Squirrels  are  occasionally  seen  crossing  the  lake  when    the   nut-crop  is  only  moderate 
In  September,  1882,  Mrs.  Fisher  was  angling  between  Diamond  Island  and  the  west  shore  when  a 
Red  Squirrel  swam  to  the  boat  and  was  lifted  in  by  the   tail.      After  resting  a   few   minutes  it   ran 
out  on  an  oar,  jumped  into  the  .vater  and  swam  to  the  island  (which  is  half  a   mile   from   the  west 
shore),  and  thence,  doubtless,  to  the  chestnut  groves  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  lake. 


2l8  MAMMALIA. 

of  these  birds  is  discovered  perching  on  a  limb  near  his  home  he 
invariably  pesters  it  till  it  is  glad  to  fly  to  some  more  congenial  place. 

He  is  sometimes  caged  and  makes  an  intelligent  but  unruly  and 
destructive  pet. 

In  the  choice  of  a  site  for  his  nest  he  does  not  limit  himself 
to  any  fixed  conditions,  usually  placing  it' in  a  hollow  limb,  some- 
times in  a  hole  in  the  ground,  and  occasionally  in  a  hollow  log. 
The  young  are  generally  born  about  the  first  of  April,  four  to  six 
constituting  an  average  litter. 

o  o 

Where  the  climate  is  milder  than  it  is  in  the  Adirondack  region 

o 

the  Red  Squirrel  often  builds  outside  nests.  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher 
writes  me  that  he  has  found  them  about  the  southern  end  of  Lake 
George,  in  Warren  County ;  and  that  they  are  so  common  in 
Westchester  County,  New  York,  that  "half  a  dozen  may  be  in 
sight  at  one  time  in  favorable  localities.  The  nest  is  usually  situ- 
ated near  the  top  of  some  evergreen,  in  the  midst  of  a  tangled 
grape-vine.  Preference  is  given  to  the  red  cedar  (Junipcrns  Vir- 
giniana),  for  the  reason,  probably,  that  this  tree  furnishes  most  of 
the  material  for  the  nest.  It  may  occasionally  be  found  in  a 
deciduous  tree.  The  nest,  which  is  globular  in  shape,  varies 
from  two  to  three  hundred  millimetres  in  diameter.  As  a  rule,  the 
cavity  is  situated  nearer  the  top  than  the  bottom,  thus  making  the 
roof  thinner  than  the  floor.  At  a  little  distance  the  entrance  can- 
not be  seen,  for  its  borders  fall  together  after  the  entrance  or  exit 
of  the  animal.  The  material  generally  used  for  the  nest  is  the 
soft,  silky  bark  of  the  red  cedar.  Sometimes  that  of  the  grape- 
vine, or  the  inner  bark  of  the  chestnut,  is  intermixed."  Mr.  W.  L. 
Scott,  of  Ottawa,  Canada,  tells  me  that  outside  nests  of  the  Red 
Squirrel  are  common  as  far  north  as  that  place  ;  but  it  must  be 
borne  in  mind  that  lower  Ontario  is  Alleghanian  in  fauna,  while 
the  Adirondacks  is  Canadian. 


SCIUKIS    (  AROI.IXK.XSIS    LEUCOTIS.  2IQ 

SCIURUS    CAROLINENSIS    LEUCOTIS     (Gmelin)  Allen. 
Gray  Squirrel ;  Black  Squirrel. 

The  Gray  Squirrel  has  no  liking  for  forests  of  coniferous  ever- 
greens, and  is,  consequently,  of  extremely  rare  occurrence  in  the 
central  area  of  the  Adirondacks.  He  is  common  enough,  however, 
in  the  hardwood  groves  along  the  borders  of  the  region,  varying  in 
numbers  from  year  to  year  according  to  the  abundance  or  scarcity  of 
the  nut  supply.* 

The  immortal  Humboldt,  in  his  Ansiclitcn  dcr  Natnr,  asks  :  "  Who 
is  there  that  does  not  feel  himself  differently  affected  beneath  the 
embowering  shade  of  the  beechen  grove,  or  on  hills  crowned  with  a 
few  scattering  pines,  or  in  the  flowering  meadow  where  the  breeze 
murmurs  through  the  trembling  foliage  of  the  birch  ?  A  feeling  of 
melancholy,  or  of  solemnity,  or  of  light  buoyant  animation  is  in  turn 
awakened  by  the  contemplation  of  our  native  trees.  This  influence 
of  the  physical  on  the  moral  world — this  mysterious  reaction  of  the 
sensuous  on  the  ideal,  gives  to  the  study  of  nature,  when  considered 
from  a  higher  point  of  view,  a  peculiar  charm  which  has  not  hitherto 
been  sufficiently  recognized."  f 

This  meditation  of  Humboldt's  leads  me  to  suggest  that  causes 
which  have  exerted  so  marked  an  influence  upon  the  dispersion, 
mental  culture,  and  disposition  of  the  various  races  of  mankind  have 

*  For  more  than  forty  miles  the  valley  of  the  Black  River  extends  along,  and  parallel  to,  the 
western  border  of  the  Adirondack  region,  and  the  fact  is  of  local  interest  that  this  river  valley  con- 
stitutes, throughout  a  great  part  of  its  course,  the  dividing  line  between  the  area  inhabited  and  that 
uninhabited  by  the  Gray  Squirrel.  While  this  animal  is  abundant  in  the  hardwood  groves  west  of 
the  river,  it  is  of  rare  or  casual  occurrence  on  the  eastern  side.  Many  hunters  and  guides  who  have 
spent  almost  their  whole  lives  in  the  Wilderness  tell  me  that  they  have  never  seen  a  Gray  Squirrel 
in  the  interior  of  the  Adirondacks.  In  the  course  of  their  irregular  migrations,  however,  isolated 
stragglers  do  sometimes  occur  there.  James  Higby  informs  me  that  he  saw  one  near  Copper  Lake 
many  years  ago,  and  another  near  the  old  Arnold  clearing.  In  September  and  early  October,  1882, 
they  invaded  the  region  in  unusual  numbers.  About  the  middle  of  September,  of  that  year, 
E.  L.  Sheppard  caught  one  that  was  swimming  across  2cl  Lake,  Fulton  Chain,  and  a  few  days  later 
one  was  seen  in  the  water  near  the  head  of  Big  Moose  Lake.  Game  Riggs  caught  one  swimming 
in  4th  Lake,  Fulton  Chain,  about  Sept.  25th  ;  C.  Wood  saw  one  on  the  outlet  of  this  lake,  Wayne 
Bissell  another  on  2d  Lake,  and  Ned.  Ball  killed  one  between  Moose  River  and  the  Forge. 

f  Bohn's  translation,  1850,  p.  219. 

i5 


22O  MAMMALIA. 

not  been  inoperative  in  determining  the  distribution  of  many  of  our 
lower  animals.  Indeed,  when  nearly  related  species,  having  similar 
habits,  and  subsisting  in  the  main  upon  the  same  kinds  of  food,  are 
found  inhabiting  contiguous  areas, — areas  of  equal  altitude  and  sub- 
ject to  identical  climatic  conditions, — and  we  learn  that  these  species 
are  limited,  so  far  as  we  can  ascertain,  solely  by  the  character  of  the 
arboreous  vegetation,  we  are  forced  to  admit  that  influences  other 
than  those  which  have  to  do  merely  with  the  necessities  of  existence 
have  played  an  important  part  in  fixing  the  arbitrary  and  irregular 
boundaries  of  the  places  occupied  by  each.  In  the  case  of  the  present 
species  it  seems  probable  that  the  dark  and  sombre  hues,  the 
oppressive  silence,  and  the  imposing  solitude  of  our  evergreen 
forests  impress  it  with  a  pervading  sense  of  gloom  and  sadness 
against  which  its  cheerful  nature  revolts.  The  red  squirrel  teems 
with  such  a  superabundance  of  hilarity  that  he  easily  overcomes  this 
feeling  of  oppression  which  his  larger  cousin  is  powerless  to  combat. 

In  sparsely  populated  districts  that  have  long  been  settled,  one 
sometimes  finds,  half-hidden  among  the  trees,  a  neglected  but  time- 
honored  mansion,  near  which  a  row  of  stately  elms,  extending  from 
some  neighboring  wood  to  distant  fields,  leads  the  eye  past  clumps 
of  scattered  butternuts,  beneath  whose  gnarled  arcl  spreading 
branches  groups  of  grazing  cattle  seek  shelter  from  the  noonday 
sun.  Here,  in  early  autumn,  a  few  joyous  Squirrels  gather  at  break 
of  day  to  feast  upon  the  yet  green  nuts.  Following  the  line  of  elms 
they  leap  from  tree  to  tree  or  run  upon  the  zig-zag  fence  beneath, 
fairly  revelling  with  delight ;  and  long  before  the  savory  nuts  are 
ripe,  indeed  when  they  have  scarce  attained  their  growth,  the  eager 
Squirrels  haste  to  pluck  them  as  they  hang  in  heavy  clusters  from 
the  boughs.  While  biting  through  the  adhesive,  staining  velvet  of 
the  outer  coat  they  sit  perched  upon  their  haunches,  with  a  merry 
twinkle  in  the  eye,  but,  not  forgetting  their  exposed  position,  main- 
tain a  prudent  silence. 

Should  some  farmer's  boy  chance  to  pass  near  by,  not  a  Squirrel 


SCU'RIS    rAROLIXENSIS    LEUCOTIS.  221 

is  to  be  seen  from  where  he  walks,  for  each  one,  clinging  to  a  verti- 
cal branch  or  limb,  constantly  shifts  its  position  so  that  it  always 
keeps  out  of  sight  on  the  opposite  side.  Everything  about  this 
breakfast  is  thoroughly  enjoyed — the  early  journey  to  the  butter- 
nuts, the  flying  leaps  from  bough  to  bough  amongst  the  summits  of 
the  lofty  elms,  the  meal  itself,  and  the  bit  of  excitement  attending  the 
alarm  and  escape ;  each  contributes  its  part  toward  the  pleasure  of 
the  occasion.  The  repast  over,  the  Squirrels  do  not  linger  here  but 
hurry  to  their  homes  within  the  grove.  The  slanting  sunbeam  has 
pierced  but  not  dispelled  the  drop  of  pearly  dew  upon  the  waving 
grass,  when  they  are  already  well  upon  the  way.  One  auda- 
cious adventurer,  more  courageous  than  the  rest,  steals  down  yonder 
tottering  cross-fence  to  the  orchard,  quickly  picks  an  apple  from  an 
overhanging  branch,  and  rejoins  his  comrades  ere  they  reach  the 
wood.  This  haven  once  attained  all  constraint  is  cast  aside  and  the 
cautious,  silent,  and  circumspect  Squirrels  of  a  moment  ago  become 
the  heedless,  noisy,  rollicking  fellows  that  they  really  are.  While 
chasing  one  another  about  the  tree -tops  they  sometimes  clear  a  dis- 
tance of  more  than  twenty  feet  (about  6  metres)  in  a  single  horizontal 
leap.  And  when  at  full  speed  they  often  stop  short,  clinging  head 
downward  to  a  smooth-barked  beech,  and  utter  their  saucy,  scolding 
cry — qua-qua-qua-qua-a,qua-qua-qua-qua-a-a,qua-qua-qua-qua-qua- 
a-a,  qua-a-a-a,  qua-a-a-a-a, — in  an  exasperating,  impudent  tone, 
keeping  time,  the  while,  with  spasmodic  contortions  of  the  body  and 
impertinent  jerks  and  flourishes  of  the  large  and  bushy  tail.  To 
observe  their  utter  recklessness  during  these  gambols  one  would 
suppose  that  nothing  could  be  easier  than  to  approach  and  shoot  the 
entire  troop.  Never  was  man  more  mistaken.  Despite  their  bois- 
terous manners  their  eyes  are  always  open  and  they  are  ever  on  the 
alert.  Let  some  one  try  to  get  within  gunshot  and  observe  the 
result.  His  very  approach  seems  to  render  them  invisible.  Those 
that  were  near  their  holes  have  disappeared  within,  and  the  others 
are  hiding  behind  the  trees  upon  which  they  were  sporting  when  the 


222  MAMMALIA. 

enemy  appeared.  As  he  advances  they  rotate  slowly  about  the 
trunk,  always  keeping  on  the  farther  side,  so  that  the  body  of  the  tree 
remains  between  them.  Even  if  he  knows  that  a  Squirrel  is  on  a 
certain  tree  it  is  doubtful  if  he  gets  a  shot.  A  momentary  glimpse 
of  its  ears  or  a  part  of  its  tail  constitutes  all  he  is  likely  to  discover 
as  he  walks  round  the  tree. 

While  watching  a  bird  I  once  noticed  what  seemed  to  be  a  little 
tuft  of  hair  protruding  from  the  side  of  an  ash  sapling  near  by.  On 
going  nearer,  I  perceived  the  object  to  be  the  tip  of  a  Gray  Squirrel's 
tail.  The  animal  was  clinging  vertically  to  the  trunk,  hugging  it  so 
closely  that  this  bit  of  hair  was  the  only  part  visible  from  the  ground 
beneath,  though  where  he  lay  the  trunk  was  not  four  inches  in 
diameter.  Not  wanting  the  Squirrel,  I  fired  at  the  bird,  and  to  my 
astonishment  the  former  came  tumbling  headlong  to  the  ground, 

o  o  o 

almost  at  my  very  feet — an  illustration  of  the  effect  of  terror  upon  a 
sensitive  animal.  He  did  not  tarry  long,  however,  but  in  a  twinkling 
was  off  and  up  another  tree.  One  summer,  several  years  ago,  I 
surprised  a  Gray  Squirrel  on  the  ground  in  the  edge  of  an  open  field, 
and  chased  him  up  a  large  hemlock  that  stood  by  itself  in  the  clear- 
ing. Imagine  my  surprise  to  see  him  run  out  on  a  limb,  fully  eighty 
feet  high,  and  leap  to  the  ground,  striking  more  than  fifty  feet  from 
the  base  of  the  tree.  Before  I  could  reach  the  spot  he  had  disap- 
peared in  the  adjacent  forest. 

In  winter,  when  the  trees  and  branches  are  coated  with  ice,  I  have 
several  times  seen  these  Squirrels  fall  nearly  a  hundred  feet,  landing 
in  the  snow,  but  never  knew  one  to  be  injured  by  the  accident.  But 
at  such  times  they  usually  proceed  with  great  caution  and  do  not 
attempt  to  make  leaps  of  any  great  length.  In  fact,  during  the  con- 
tinuance of  extreme  cold  they  do  not  venture  out  at  all.  My  obser- 
vations on  this  point  are  very  full,  and  extend  over  a  period  of  years. 
In  winters  that  follow  good  yields  of  nuts  they  are  usually  well-con- 
ditioned, and  seldom  appear,  in  any  numbers,  when  the  temperature 
is  below  -8°  C.  (17.6°  F.).  It  must  be  remembered,  however,  that 


SCIUKUS    CAROLINENIS    LEUCOTIS.  223 

mild  and  open  winters  are  likely  to  succeed  "nut  years"  in  this 
region,  and  that  during  these  winters  it  is  not  common  to  have  a 
continuance  of  very  low  temperature.  The  alternate  winters,  on  the 
other  hand,  are  generally  severe.  There  are  few  if  any  nuts,  and  the 
Squirrels  are  none  too  fat  when  the  heavy  snows  set  in.  They  have 
laid  up  little  or  no  provision  in  their  holes  in  the  trees,  and  conse- 
quently, since  they  do  not  hibernate  for  any  great  length  of  time, 
must  often  roam  about  in  search  of  food  when  they  would  much 
prefer  to  remain  coiled  snugly  in  their  nests.  Under  such  circum- 
stances they  frequently  come  out,  during  continued  cold,  when  the 
thermometer  stands  at  ten  degrees  below  zero  C.  (14°  F.),  but  not 
during  storms.  They  are  occasionally  met  with  when  it  is  still  colder, 
and  I  have  seen  a  few  individuals  come  to  a  place  where  corn  was 
kept  for  them  when  the  temperature  was  -19°  C.  (-2.2°  F.),  but  only 
on  mild  days  during  protracted  periods  of  low  temperature.  In  this 
respect  they  differ  markedly  from  their  cousins,  the  red  squirrels. 

During  the  winters  of  deep  snows  and  scarcity  of  food,  my  father 
has,  for  many  years,  kept  a  stock  of  corn  and  nuts  within  easy  reach 
of  the  Squirrels,  and  but  a  short  distance  from  the  house.  Knowing 
that  they  are  always  sure  of  finding  a  bountiful  supply  here,  they 
repair  to  it  with  great  regularity,  coming  daily  except  during  stormy 
or  very  cold  weather,  often  visiting  it  at  times  when  their  neighbors, 
in  more  remote  portions  of  the  wood,  do  not  venture  out  at  all. 
Sometimes  as  many  as  a  dozen  Grays  and  six  or  eight  Blacks  have 
been  seen  there  at  one  time,  running  on  the  snow  and  feeding  at  the 

C!>  O 

boxes  and  barrels  within  twenty  feet  (about  6  metres)  from  the 
dining-room  window.  While  part  of  them  remained  on  the  boxes, 
others  carried  their  nuts  to  a  tree  near  by,  eating  one  at  a  time  and 
then  returning  for  another.  Some  winters  they  became  very  tame, 
and  while  we  were  at  breakfast  inside,  a  few  used  to  bring  their  nuts 
to  the  window  and  eat  them  there,  perched  on  their  haunches  on  the 
sill,  with  their  handsome  bushy  tails  cocked  over  their  backs.  When 
anyone  went  out  of  doors  they  commonly  scampered  off  or  ran  up  a 


224  MAMMALIA. 

tree,  yet  several  often  remained  and  would  allow  a  near  approach 
without  manifesting  alarm.  They  were  extremely  fond  of  music  (in 
the  most  comprehensive  sense  of  the  term),  and  it  affected  them  in  a 
peculiar  manner.  Some  were  not  only  fascinated,  but  actually  spell- 
bound, by  the  music-box  or  guitar.  And  one  particularly  weak- 
minded  individual  was  so  unrefined  in  his  taste  that  if  I  advanced 
slowly,  whistling  "  Just  before  the  Battle,  Mother"  in  as  pathetic  a 
tone  as  I  could  muster  for  the  occasion,  he  would  permit  me  even  to 
stroke  his  back,  sometimes  expressing  his  pleasure  by  making  a  low 
purring  sound.  This  was  a  Gray,  and  I  several  times  approached  and 
stroked  him  as  above  described.  I  once  succeeded  in  o-ettino-  near 

o  o 

enough  to  a  Black  to  touch  him,  whereupon  he  instantly  came  to  his 
senses  and  fled.  When  listening  to  music  they  all  acted  in  very 
much  the  same  way.  They  always  sat  bolt  upright,  inclining  a  little 
forward  (and  if  eating  a  nut  were  sure  to  drop  it),  letting  the  fore- 
paws  hang  listlessly  over  the  breast,  and,  turning  the  head  to  one  side 
in  a  bewildered  sort  of  a  way,  assumed  a  most  idiotic  expression. 

Those  who  have  observed  the  habits  of  this  species  in  summer 
must  have  noticed  their  propensity  for  burying  nuts  just  beneath  the 
surface,  in  various  parts  of  the  woods.  They  do  not,  so  far  as  I  am 
aware,  make  a  great  accumulation  in  any  one  place,  but  dig  a 
thousand  little  holes,  plant  a  nut  or  two  in  each,  scrape  a  few  leaves 
over  the  spot  and  hurry  off,  as  if  afraid  some  one  would  discover  the 
treasure.  In  winter  this  habit  is  almost  equally  marked,  and  the  first 
thing  a  Squirrel  thinks  of  after  his  hunger  is  satisfied  is  to  secrete  a 
portion  of  the  food  remaining  at  his  disposal.  In  accomplishing  this 
he  tunnels  into  the  snow  in  various  directions,  hiding  some  of  the 
surplus  provision  in  each  excavation.  Many  persons  who  have 
observed  this  habit  in  summer  regard  it  as  an  idle  pastime,  and  ques- 
tion if  the  Squirrel  ever  finds  the  nuts  again,  knowing  that  he  could 
never  remember  the  exact  positions  of  so  many.  But  those  who 
have  kept  tame  Squirrels  must  have  been  struck  with  the  remarkable 
certainty  and  quickness  with  which  they  detect  the  whereabouts  of 


SCIURUS    CAROLINENSIS    LEUCOTIS.  225 

nuts  that  are  hidden  from  sight.  A  Squirrel  will  often  scratch  and 
ofnaw  at  a  ti^rht  box  or  drawer  that  he  has  never  seen  before,  if  a 

o  o 

few  nuts  happen  to  be  in  the  bottom  of  it.  His  sense  of  smell  is 
very  acute,  enabling  him  to  detect  the  presence  of  a  nut  at  some  little 
distance*;  hence,  though  he  does  not,  of  course,  remember  the  exact 
spot  where  each  one  is  buried  under  the  leaves,  he  can,  by  moving 
carefully  over  the  ground,  discover  a  great  many  of  them. 

In  summer,  and  in  winter  when  the  temperature  is  above  the  freez- 
ing point,  Gray  Squirrels  are  out  in  greatest  numbers  early  in  the 
morning  and  in  the  latter  part  of  the  afternoon  ;  throughout  the 
winter,  except  during  thaws,  they  only  appear  for  an  hour  or  two  in 
the  warmest-part  of  the  day;  and  in  very  cold  or  stormy  weather,  as 
previously  stated,  they  do  not  venture  abroad  at  all. 

This  species  is  not  nearly  so  plentiful  along  the  outskirts  of  the 
Adirondacks  as  it  was  twelve  or  fifteen  years  ago,  and  it  varies  in 
abundance  from  year  to  year  according  to  the  condition  of  the  nut 
crop.  Beechnuts  and  butternuts  are  alone  alluded  to  here  because 
they  are  the  prevailing  nuts.  All  others  are  of  such  limited  distribu- 
tion in  the  area  under  consideration  that  they  are  unworthy  of 
mention.  The  nut  yield  is  bountiful  here,  with  great  regularity,  on 
-alternate  years.  This  has  been  the  case,  without  a  single  exception, 
for  the  past  twelve  years  at  least.  My  notes  show  that  the  beechnut 
crop  was  good  in  the  autumns  of  1871,  1873,  1875,  1877,  1879,  1881, 
1883, — always  on  the  odd  years, — while  on  the  alternate  seasons  it 
failed.  And  strange  as  it  may  at  first  sight  appear,  Squirrels 
are  usually  most  numerous  during  the  summer  and  early  autumn  of 
those  years  when  there  are  few  or  no  nuts.  The  reason  is  this  : 
when  the  yield  is  large  there  is  a  noticeable  influx  of  Squirrels  from 
distant  parts,  and  they,  together  with  those  that  were  here  at  the 
time,  winter  well,  having  an  abundance  of  food,  and  breed  here  the 
following  spring.  During  the  summer  and  early  autumn  a  multitude 
of  young,  now  nearly  full  grown,  mingle  with  the  parent  stock. 
Hence  ths  species  attains,  at  this  time,  its  maximum  in  numbers' 


226  MAMMALIA. 

But  this  is  the  year  when  the  nut  crop  is  a  failure.  Therefore,  as 
the  fall  advances  and  they  find  that  there  is  a  scarcity  of  provision 
for  the  winter,  many  of  them  migrate — we  know  not  where.  Then 
come  the  October  "  Squirrel  hunts  '  -a  disgrace  to  the  State  as  well 
as  to  the  thoughtless  men  and  boys  who  participate  in  them — and 
the  number  left  to  winter  is  deplorably  small. 

As  the  abundance  of  the  Gray  Squirrel  in  winter  is  governed  by 
the  supply  of  beechnuts,  so  is  the  presence,  at  this  season,  of  its 
assailant,  the  red-headed  woodpecker  (Melanerpes  erythrocephalus), 
determined  by  the  same  cause.  I  have  elsewhere  called  attention  to 
this  fact,  remarking  that  "  with  us  a  good  Squirrel  year  is  synonymous 
with  a  good  year  for  Melanerpes,  and  vice  versa."  *  Gray  Squirrels, 
red-headed  woodpeckers,  and  beechnuts  were  numerous  during  the 
winters  of  1871-72,  1873-74,  1875-76,  1877-78,  1879-80,  1881-82, 
1883-84,  while  during  the  alternate  years  the  Squirrels  and  nuts 
were  scarce,  and  the  woodpeckers  altogether  absent. 

Several  years  ago  I  published  the  following  account  of  the  way 
that  these  handsome  birds  sometimes  harass  the  Squirrels  :  "In  mid- 
winter (January,  1876)  my  attention  was  called,  by  the  noise  they 
made,  to  a  pair  of  red-headed  woodpeckers  who  were  diving  at  some- 
thino-  on  one  of  the  highest  limbs  of  a  large  elm.  A  near  approach 
showed  the  object  of  their  malice  to  be  a  handsome  Black  Squirrel 
who  had  been  unfortunate  enough  to  excite  their  ire  by  climbing  a 
tree  in  broad  daylight.  The  Squirrel  at  first  evaded  their  attacks 
from  above  by  clinging  to  the  under  surface  of  the  limb,  and  dodged 
their  lateral  shoots  by  a  quick  side  shift,  but  this  was  temporary. 
The  woodpeckers,  realizing  that  they  were  not  tormenting  the  Squir- 
rel to  their  full  satisfaction,  alighted  for  a  brief  council,  during 
which  the  Squirrel  took  occasion  to  commence  a  hasty  retreat.  But 
the  birds  were  at  him  in  an  instant,  this  time  changing-  their  tactics ; 

^j        <j 

both  dove  together,  the  one  following  closely  behind  the  other,  so 
that  as  the  Squirrel  dodged  the  first  he  was  sure  to  be  struck  by  the 

*  Forest  and  Stream,  Vol.  XVII,  No.  18,  Dec.  i,  1881,  p.  347. 


SCIURUS    CAROLIXFA'SIS    LKITC()TIS.  22J 

second.  The  blows  from  their  hard  bills  were  so  severe  and  so 
painful  that  the  poor  Squirrel  had  not  been  struck  half  a  dozen  times 
when  he  let  go  his  hold  and  fell  to  the  ground,  but  was  off  and  up 
another  tree  before  I  could  reach  the  spot.  I  witnessed  a  similar 
attack  upon  a  Gray  Squirrel  (color-variety  of  the  same  species)  last 
August,  but  this  time  the  Squirrel  succeeded  in  getting  into  a  hollow 
limb.  The  time  of  year  at  which  the  above  instances  occurred 
precludes  the  possibility  that  the  cause  of  the  difficulty  arose  from  an 
intrusion  on  the  nesting-ground  of  the  woodpeckers,  for  the  first  took 
place  in  midwinter,  and  the  second  after  the  young  were  fully  fledged 
and  had  left  the  nest.  Neither  is  it  at  all  likely  that  the  trouble  was 
due  to  an  old  grudge  which  mio-ht  have  arisen  from  a  habit  on  the 

*_>  *T>  O 

part  of  the  Squirrel,  of  robbing  the  woodpeckers  of  their  eggs,  for 
the  size  of  the  animal  is  such  as  to  prevent  his  ready  entrance  into 
the  woodpecker's  hole,  and  should  he  even  succeed  in  getting  in,  he 
would  doubtless  pay  the  penalty  with  his  eyes,  if  not  his  life."  *  At 
this  time  I  was  in  ignorance  of  the  cause  of  enmity  between  them, 
but  was  soon  after  enlightened  on  this  point.  While  much  the 
larger  part  of  the  beechnut  crop  falls  to  the  ground  after  the  first  hard 
frosts,  a  few  nuts  remain  on  the  trees  throughout  the  winter.  These 
the  woodpeckers  consider  as  their  exclusive  property,  assailing  and 
punishing  all  rivals  with  a  valor,  persistence,  and  severity,  astonish- 
ing to  behold.  Now  the  Squirrels  find  it  much  more  conve- 
nient to  procure  the  nuts  that  still  cling  to  the  branches  than  to  dig 
down  through  the  snow  in  search  of  those  that  lie  buried  beneath. 

O 

Therefore,  it  often  happens  that  the  woodpeckers,  on  coming  to  the 
grove  to  feed,  discover  that  the  Squirrels  are  there  before  them, 
stealing  the  scattered  nuts.  Their  wrath  knows  no  bounds,  and  they 
attack  the  intruders  with  such  unmistakable  earnestness  and  effi- 
ciency that  the  latter,  unable  to  defend  themselves,  are  glad  of  any 
haven  to  which  they  may  escape.  During  the  last  five  years  I  have 
witnessed  these  encounters  over  and  over  again,  and  am  convinced 


*  Bull.  Nutt.  Omith.  Club,  Vol.  Ill,  No.  3,  July,  1878,  pp.  125-126. 


228  MAMMALIA. 

that  the  misunderstanding  is  wholly  in  regard  to  the  possession  of  the 
nuts.  The  red-headed  is  the  only  species  of  woodpecker  that  I 
have  seen  quarrel  with  the  Gray  Squirrel. 

On  the  7th  of  November,  1879,  I  witnessed  an  exciting  skirmish 
between  a  goshawk  and  a  Gray  Squirrel.  The  hawk  clove  repeatedly 
for  the  Squirrel,  and  as  often  did  the  latter  evade  him  by  quickly 
sliding  around  the  trunk.  He  then  chippered  and  scolded  and  shook 
his  tail  in  the  most  aggravating  manner  imaginable.  The  hawk  was 
much  enraged,  but  finding  himself  unable  to  capture  the  object  of 
his  pursuit,  finally  alighted  to  wait  till  the  Squirrel  should  venture 
on  a  limb — a  proceeding  which  the  latter  wisely  showed  no  inclina- 
tion to  attempt.  I  put  an  end  to  the  affair  by  shooting  the  hawk. 
Audubon  and  Bachman  state  that  the  red-tailed  hawks  hunt  them  in 
pairs,  thus  rendering  the  capture  of  the  helpless  animal  certain  and 
easy. 

The  minor  migratory  movements  of  this  species  occur  with  more 
or  less  regularity  from  year  to  year,  but  on  so  small  a  scale  as  to 
escape  general  notice.  They  must  not  be  confounded  with  the  great 
migrations,  not  rare  in  former  times,  when  these  animals,  actuated  by 
some  unknown  influence,  congregated  in  vast  armies  and  moved  over 
the  land,  crossing  open  prairies,  climbing  rugged  mountains,  and 
swimming  lakes  and  rivers  that  lay  in  their  path.  Though  hundreds, 
and  sometimes  thousands,  perished  by  the  way,  the  multitude  moved 
on,  devouring  the  nuts  that  grew  in  the  forests  through  which  they 
passed,  and  devastating  the  grain  fields  of  the  farmer  along  the  route. 
Though  these  remarkable  expeditions  have  been  known  and  com- 
mented upon  for  many  years,  yet  our  knowledge  of  them  is  limited 
almost  to  the  recognition  of  the  fact  of  their  existence.  Scarcity  of 
food  very  probably  gives  rise  to  the  disquieting  impulse  that  prompts 
them  to  leave  their  homes,  but  the  true  motives .  that  operate  in 
drawing  them  together,  and  in  determining  the  direction  and  distance 
of  their  journeys,  are  as  little  understood  to-day  as  they  were  before 
the  discovery  of  the  continent  on  which  they  dwell. 


SCIURUS    CAROLINENSIS    I.EUCOTIS.  2 29 

In  the  year  1749  they  invaded  Pennsylvania  in  such  vast  hosts  as 
to  endanger  the  crops  of  the  entire  inhabited  portion  of  the  State, 
and  a  reward  of  three  pence  a  head  was  offered  for  their  destruction. 
This  necessitated  the  payment  of  eight  thousand  pounds  sterling  (six 
hundred  and  forty  thousand  individuals  having  been  killed),  which  so 
depleted  the  treasury  that  the  premium  was  decreased  one-half. 
Commenting  upon  this  statement  Pennant  observed:  "How  im- 
proved must  the  state  of  the  Americans  then  be,  in  thirty-five 
years,  to  wage  an  expensive  and  successful  war  against  its  parent 
country,  which  before  could  not  bear  the  charges  of  clearing  the 
provinces  from  the  ravages  of  these  insignificant  animals!  "* 

Since  nearly  all  parts  of  our  great  country  have  become  popu- 
lated, since  thousands  of  square  miles  of  forests  have  been  hewn 
down,  and  the  lands  tilled  and  made  to  yield  to  the  wants  of  man, 
there  has  been  such  a  vast  decrease  in  the  numbers  of  these  animals 
that  it  is  doubtful  if  another  great  migration  will  ever  be  recorded. 
It  was  their  enormous  abundance  in  former  times,  and  the  extensive 
depredations  which  they  committed  in  the  autumn,  that  caused  the 
inhabitants  to  organize  for  their  destruction.  Robert  Munro,  in 
"A  Description  of  the  Genesee  Country,"  published  in  1804,  states 
that  in  the  western  part  of  New  York,  "Squirrels  are  so  numerous  in 
some  years  as  considerably  to  injure  corn ;  and  upwards  of  2000  of 
them  have  sometimes  been  killed  in  a  day,  which  is  occasionally  ap- 
pointed for  that  purpose  by  the  inhabitants ;  the  most  common  kinds 
of  them  are  the  black,  and  the  red ;  the  grey  coloured  being  very 
scarce."  f  Aside  from  the  constant  warfare  which  every  man 
waged  against  those  upon  his  own  premises,  there  came  to  be 
established  a  much  more  effective  system  of  extermination.  Certain 
days  were  set  apart,  and  every  male  person  capable  of  carrying 
a  gun,  and  who  owned  or  could  borrow  one  to  carry,  was  sup- 
posed to  join  in  the  chase.  Captains  were  appointed,  sides 

*  Pennant's  Arctic  Zoology,  Vol.  I,  1792,  p.  136. 

f  Documentary  History  of  New  York,  Vol.  II,  p.  1175. 


230  MAMMALIA. 

chosen,  and  everything  was  in  readiness  the  night  before.  At 
daybreak  the  hunt  commenced,  and  it  ended  only  with  the 
setting  of  the  sun.  Then  the  participants  gathered  at  some  ren- 
dezvous previously  agreed  upon,  where  a  bountiful  supper  was  in 
waiting.  So  many  Squirrels  had  been  killed  that  the  hunters  could 
not  possibly  carry  them,  hence  the  tails  alone  were  preserved.  These 
were  then  counted  in  order  to  ascertain  which  side  had  killed  the 
greater  number,  the  defeated  party  meeting  the  expense  of  the  ban- 
quet. This  was  the  "Squirrel  hunt"  of  our  forefathers.  But  the 
time  when  these  animals  could  be  ranked  among  the  enemies  of  the 
farmer  has  long  since  passed  away,  probably  never  to  return.  And 
yet,  for  some  unaccountable  reason,  the  "Squirrel  hunts  "still  con- 
tinue— in  name  at  least — but  they  have  degenerated  into  the  most 
despicable  of  "pot-hunts."  Not  only  are  the  Squirrels  slain  wher- 
ever found,  though  innocent  of  the  deeds  for  which  they  were  origi- 
nally persecuted,  but  large  numbers  of  our  insectivorous  birds  are 
likewise  destroyed,  and  for  no  other  reason  than  because  each  counts 
a  certain  tally  in  the  reckoning  that  determines  the  victorious  party  ! 
The  Gray  Squirrel  is  easily  tamed,  if  captured  early  enough,  and 
beino-  one  of  the  most  intelligent  of  our  native  mammals,  makes  a 

o  o 

desirable  pet,  and  may  be  allowed  entire  freedom  of  movement.  The 
main  objection  to  it  is  its  tendency  to  gnaw  objects  about  the 
premises. 

In  the  Adirondack  region  its  nest  is  invariably  concealed  within 
the  hollow  of  some  tree  or  limb,  while  in  more  temperate  quarters  it 
is  commonly  built  on  the  outside,  like  that  of  the  crow,  which  it 
closely  resembles,  and  is  placed  either  in  a  fork  or  at  the  point  where 
a  large  branch  leaves  the  trunk.  Audubon  and  Bachman,  and  other 
writers,  speak  of  these  latter  as  "  summer  nests,"  affirming  that  the 
Squirrels  spend  the  winter  and  bring  forth  their  young  in  the  hollows 
of  trees.  My  experience  proves  the  incorrectness  of  this  statement, 
in  certain  localities  at  least ;  for,  in  southern  Connecticut,  in  the 
southern  part  of  New  York  State  (Westchester  County),  and  in 


SCIURUS    CAROI.INENSTS    LKUCOTIS.  23! 

northern   New  Jersey,    I   have  myself  taken    more   than   a  hundred 
young  from  these  outside  nests. 

A  number  found  at  Elizabeth,  New  Jersey,  during  March  and  the 
early  part  of  April,  1872,  contained  young.  They  were,  according 
to  my  note  book,  "  composed  of  sticks,  lined  with  the  inner  bark  of 
trees  and  vines,  mixed  with  other  soft  substances.  They  are  entirely 
covered  over  above,  the  entrance  being  on  one  side.  From  the 
ground  below  they  cannot  be  distinguished  from  crows'  nests."  In 
many  instances  dead  leaves  enter  largely  into  their  composition. 

The  number  of  young  produced  at  a  birth  varies  from  three  to  five, 
exceptional  litters  containing  six  They  are  born  in  a  very  diminu- 
tive and  helpless  condition,  wholly  devoid  of  hair,  and  with  the  eyes 
not  yet  open.  They  usually  remain  in  the  nest  fully  two  months, 
and  do  not  shift  for  themselves  till  some  time  later.  On  the  iQth  of 
May,  1877,  Mr.  Walter  R.  Nichols  and  I  took  three  half-grown 
young  from  a  nest  at  Brandford,  Connecticut.  It  so  happened  at  the 
time  that  Mr.  Nichols  had  a  cat  which  had  recently  given  birth  to  a 
kitten.  The  kitten  we  destroyed,  and  in  its  stead  placed  one  of  the 
Squirrels.  Presently  the  cat  returned  to  the  barn,  eyed  the  stranger 
suspiciously  for  a  moment,  and  then  entered  the  nest.  The  young 
Squirrel,  who  had  now  been  several  hours  away  from  his  mother  and 
was  evidently  quite  hungry,  approached  the  cat  in  the  most  familiar 
manner  possible.  After  a  little  hesitation  the  latter  lay  down  beside 
the  new  comer,  who  lost  no  time  in  discovering  the  object  of  his 
desire,  and  forthwith  commenced  to  nurse,  keeping  it  up  with  an 
energy  and  perseverance  that  must  have  proved  as  satisfactory  to  the 
cat  as  a  whole  litter  of  kittens.  From  this  time  on  the  two  were  the 
most  inseparable  of  friends  ;  in  fact,  the  cat  seemed  quite  pleased 
with  the  change  and  no  doubt  considered  the  personal  appearance  of 
her  new  charge,  who  was  now  well  formed  and  possessed  a  most 
extraordinary  tail,  a  great  improvement  on  that  of  her  own  ill-shaped 
offspring.  The  Squirrel  grew  and  thrived  under  the  devoted  atten- 


232  MAMMALIA. 

tion  of  its  foster  mother,  and  the  pair  soon  became  the  centre  of 
attraction  in  the  neighborhood. 

It  is  stated  by  Audubon  and  Bachinan  that  the  young-  are  brought 
forth  in  May  and  June,  which  statement  is  at  least  two  months  out 
of  the  way.  Even  in  this  northern  region  the  period  when  the  impor- 
tant event  takes  place  is  rarely  later  than  the  first  of  April,  and 
is  frequently  in  March.  The  cause  of  their  error,  however,  is  not 
hard  to  explain  ;  for  if  they  were  unacquainted  with  the  very  immature 
condition  of  the  young  at  birth,  and  were  ignorant  of  the  time  required 
to  attain  full  growth,  they  might  easily  have  made  the  mistake  of 
considering  young  found  in  the  nest  in  June  to  be  only  a  few  weeks 
from  birth,  when  in  reality  they  were  two  or  three  months  old.  In 
many  localities  south  and  west  of  the  Adirondacks  the  Gray  Squirrel 
commonly  has  two  litters  in  a  season,  the  second  usually  being  born 
in  September  or  October. 

In  closing  the  biography  of  this  interesting  species  it  seems  hardly 
necessary  to  remark  that  the  Black  and  Gray  Squirrels  are  identical, 
both  color  varieties  bein^  sometimes  found  in  the  same  litter.* 

o 

Fifteen  years  ago  the  two  forms  were  about  equally  abundant  along 
the  western  border  of  the  region  under  consideration  ;  but  the  Black 

o 

has  gradually  become  less  and  less  common,  till  now  it  may  almost  be 
regarded  as  one  of  our  rarer  mammals.     However,  it  is  still  abundant 

O 

in  a  number  of  places  bordering  Lake  Ontario,  both  in  this  State  and 
in  Canada. 

SCIURUS     NIGER     CINEREUS     (Linn.)    Allen. 

Fox  Squirrel. 

The  Fox  Squirrel  cannot  at  present  be  regarded  as  other  than  a 
rare  or  accidental  straggler  in  the  Adirondack  region.  So  far  as 
I  am  aware,  the  only  specimen  taken  here  of  late  was  killed  by 


*  The  case  has  a  well-known  parallel  in  our  common  mottled  owl,  in  which  species  both  red  and 
gray  plumages  are  occasionally  met  with  in  the  same  nest. 


TAMIAS    STRIATUS.  233 

Oliver  B.  Lockhart  at  Lake  George,  Warren  Count)-,  in  1872  or 
1873.  ^r-  W-  W-  Lockhart  saw  another  near  the  same  place  at 
about  the  same  time.* 

Formerly,  the  species  was  found  in  many  parts  of  the  State.  In 
the  year  1853  a  specimen  was  presented  to  the  State  Cabinet  of 
Natural  History  by  Isaac  B.  Lottridge,  who  shot  it  at  Hoosic,  in 
Rensselaer  County. f  Two  other  specimens  (male  and  female) 
were  afterwards  presented  to  the  State  Cabinet  by  Mr.  Lottridge. 
Both  "  were  taken  in  Rensselaer  County,  New  York,  in  the  spring 

of  1854."  t 

Dr.   J.    Bachman,  writing  in   1839,  speaks  thus  of  this  animal  : 

"In  the  northern  part  of  New  York  it  is  exceedingly  rare,  as  I  only 
saw  two  pair  during  fifteen  years  of  close  observation.  In  the 
lower  part  of  that  State,  however,  it  appears  to  be  more  common, 
as  I  recently  received  several  specimens  procured  in  the  County  of 
Orange."  § 

TAMIAS     STRIATUS     (Linn.)  Baird. 
Cliipinitnk  ;  Ground  Squirrel ;  Striped  Squirrel ;   Chipping  Squirrel. 

The  Chipmunk  or  Ground  Squirrel  is  always  present  in  greater 
or  less  numbers  in  some  parts  of  the  Adirondacks.  It  is  a  migra- 
tory animal  and  is  exceedingly  abundant  some  years,  while  during 
others  it  is  scarcely  seen  at  all,  the  difference  being  dependent  upon 
the  quantity  of  the  food-supply. 

The  Striped  Squirrel  feeds  upon  a  variety  of  nuts  and  roots, 


*  Since  the  above  was  written  I  have  learned,  through  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher,  that  a  caged  Fox 
Squirrel  escaped,  near  the  southern  end  of  Lake  George,  previous  to  the  date  of  killing  of  Mr. 
Lockhart's  specimen.  Hence  it  is  possible,  though  I  think  hardly  probable,  that  the  .specimen  in 
question  was  imported. 

f  Seventh  Annual  Report  of  the  Regents  of  the  University  on  the  Condition  of  the  State  Cabi- 
net of  Natural  History,  1854,  p.  15. 

\  Eighth  Annual  Report  on  the  Condition  of  the  State  Cabinet,  1855,  p.  15. 

§  Monograph  of  the  Genus  Sciurus.  Charlesworth's  Magazine  of  Natural  History,  Vol.  Ill, 
1839,  p.  161. 


234  MAMMALIA. 

and  is  fond  of  corn  and  several  kinds  of  grain.  It  also  eats  the 
larvae  of  certain  insects.  In  this  region  the  beechnut  constitutes 

o 

its  staple  commodity,  as  it  does  that  of  all  our  squirrels,  and 
since  this  nut  is  produced  in  large  quantity  each  alternate  year, 
we  are  able  to  predict  with  considerable  certainty  the  periods 
when  the  Chipmunk  will  be  abundant.  For  wherever,  in  autumn, 
this  animal  finds  a  sufficient  supply  of  nuts  he  is  sure  to  remain 
until  the  following  summer.  Here,  in  beechnut  years,  the  fore- 
runners of  the  great  migration  arrive  in  September,  and  by  the 
first  week  in  October  the  woods  literally  swarm  with  them.  Find- 
ing an  abundance  of  food  they  immediately  establish  themselves 
for  the  winter,  and  begin  at  once  to  hoard  up  large  stores.  They 
are  the  least  hardy  of  our  squirrels,  commonly  going  into  winter 
quarters  before  the  middle  of  November,  and  rarely  appearing 
again  in  any  numbers  till  the  warm  sun,  in  March  or  April,  has 
caused  plots  of  bare  ground  to  appear  between  the  snow-banks. 
Early  thaws  sometimes  bring  them  out  in  February  ;  and  after 
having  once  emerged,  they  often  make  little  excursions  over  the 
snow  during  pleasant  days,  though  the  temperature  may  be  several 
degrees  below  freezing.  In  running  from  tree  to  tree,  even  when 
not  pursued,  the  length  of  their  bound  varies  from  twenty-five  to 
thirty-four  inches  (635  to  863  mm.),  a  long  leap  for  so  small  an 
animal.  The  season  of  spring  is  occupied  with  the  duties  of  rear- 
ing the  young,  which,  before  June,  are  old  enough  to  leave  the  nest. 
At  this  time  the  species  attains  its  maximum  in  numbers,  the 
young  and  old  together  inhabiting  all  parts  of  the  woodland.  Fore- 
seeing that  the  nut  crop  will  fail  (this  being  the  even  year),  they 
commonly  emigrate  in  July  and  do  not  again  appear  till  September 
or  October  of  the  ensuing  year. 

Briefly,  then  (leaving  out  of  consideration  the  small  number 
of  resident  individuals,  and  the  migrants  that  sometimes  pass 
through  on  their  way  to  distant  parts),  we  find  that  Chipmunks 
reach  the  Adirondack  region  during  September  or  October  of  the 


TAMIAS    STRIATUS.  235 

odd  years  (nut  years),  remaining  till  the  following  July.  They 
then  depart  and  are  not  seen  again  till  the  autumn  of  the  next  year. 
Hence  they  are  here  about  ten  months  and  absent  about  fourteen 
months,  the  period  of  greatest  abundance  being  in  June  of  the 
even  years  (when  there  are  no  nuts). 

They  are  most  industrious  creatures,  and,  though  small,  lay  up 
an  astonishingly  large  supply  of  food.  Audubon  and  Bachman, 
who  once  dug  out  a  nest  occupied  by  four  Chipmunks,  speak  thus 
of  the  larder  :  "  There  was  about  a  gill  of  wheat  and  buckwheat  in 
the  nest  ;  but  in  the  galleries  we  afterwards  dug  out,  we  obtained 
about  a  quart  of  the  beaked  hazel  nuts  (  Cory /us  restrains},  nearly 
a  peck  of  acorns,  some  grains  of  Indian  corn,  about  two  quarts  of 
buckwheat,  and  a  very  small  quantity  of  grass  seeds."  * 

In  addition  to  their  store-houses,  they  frequently,  like  the  gray 
squirrel,  make  little  caches,  burying  here  and  there  beneath  the 
leaves  the  contents  of  their  cheek-pouches.  Mr.  Ira  Sayles  thus 
graphically  describes  this  habit  :— 

"  I  lately  noticed  in  my  garden  a  bright-eyed  Chipmunk,  Sciurus 
striatus,  advancing  along  a  line  directly  towards  me.  He  came 
briskly  forward,  without  deviating  a  hair's  breadth  to  the  right  or 
the  left,  until  within  two  feet  of  me  ;  then  turned  square  towards  my 
left — his  right — and  went  about  three  feet  or  less.  Here  he  paused 
a  moment  and  gave  a  sharp  look  all  around  him,  as  if  to  detect 
any  lurking  spy  on  his  movements.  (  His  distended  cheeks  revealed 
his  business  :  he  had  been  out  foraging.)  He  now  put  his  nose  to 
the  ground,  and,  aiding  this  member  with  both  forepaws,  thrust 
his  head  and  shoulders  clown  through  the  dry  leaves  and  soft  muck, 
half  burying  himself  in  an  instant. 

"  At  first,  I  thought  him  after  the  bulb  of  an  Erythronium,  that 
grew  directly  in  front  of  his  face  and  about  three  inches  from  it.  I 
was  the  more  confirmed  in  this  supposition,  by  the  shaking  of  the 
plant. 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  Vol.  I,  1846,  p.  70. 

16 


236  MAMMALIA. 

"  Presently,  however,  he  became  comparatively  quiet.  In  this 
state  he  remained,  possibly,  half  a  minute.  He  then  commenced 
a  vigorous  action,  as  if  digging  deeper  ;  but  I  noticed  that  he  did 
not  get  deeper  ;  on  the  contrary,  he  was  gradually  backing  out.  I 
was  surprised  that,  in  all  his  apparent  hard  work  (he  worked  like  a 
man  on  a  wager)  he  threw  back  no  dirt.  But  this  vigorous  labor 
could  not  last  long.  He  was  very  soon  completely  above  ground  ; 
and  then  became  manifest  the  object  of  his  earnest  work  :  he  was 
refilling  the  hole  he  had  made,  and  repacking  the  dirt  and  leaves 
he  had  disturbed.  Nor  was  he  content  with  simply  refilling  and 
repacking  the  hole.  With  his  two  little  hand-like  feet  he  patted 
the  surface,  and  so  exactly  replaced  the  leaves  that,  when  he  had 
completed  his  task,  my  eye  could  detect  not  the  slightest  difference 
between  the  surface  he  had  so  cunningly  manipulated,  and  that 
surrounding  it.  Having  completed  his  task,  he  raised  himself  into 
a  sitting  posture,  looked  with  a  very  satisfied  air,  and  then  silently 
dodged  off  into  a  bush-heap,  some  ten  feet  distant.  Here  he 
ventured  to  stop,  and  set  up  a  triumphant  '  chip  !  chip  !  chip  ! ' 

"  It  was  now  my  turn  to  dig,  in  order  to  discover  the  little 
miser's  treasures.  I  gently  removed  enough  of  the  leaves  and  fine 
muck  to  expose  his  hoard — half  a  pint  of  buttercup  seeds,  Ranun- 
culus acris."  * 

On  the  western  side  of  the  Adirondack  region  the  Chipmunk 
feeds  largely  upon  the  tuberous  roots  of  the  dwarf  ginseng  or 
ground-nut  (Aralia  tri folia},  and  the  yellow  grain-like  tubers  of 
the  unspurred  dicentra  or  squirrel  corn  (Dicentra  Canadensis). 
The  winged  seeds  of  the  maple  can  also  be  ranked  among  his  staple 
articles  of  diet.  In  June  of  the  present  year  (1884),  Mr.  W.  E. 
Bryant  shot  a  Chipmunk,  in  Lewis  County,  whose  cheek-pouches 
contained  a  number  of  larvae  and  pupae  of  insects. 

Of  the  six  species  of  squirrels  known  to  occur  in  the  Adirondacks, 
the  present  is  the  only  one  belonging  to  the  group  of  ground 

*  American  Naturalist,  Vol.  IV,  No.  4,  June,  1870,  p.  249. 


TAMIAS    STRIATUS.  237 

squirrels,  a  group  that  is  largely  represented  in  our  western  States 
and  Territories.  The  Chipmunk  establishes  his  head-quarters  in 
some  log  or  stump,  or  in  a  hole  excavated  by  himself  in  the  earth, 
generally  among  the  roots  of  a  tree.  He  is  partial  to  brush-heaps, 
wood-piles,  stonewalls,  rail  fences,  accumulations  of  old  rubbish,  and 
other  places  that  afford  him  a  pretty  certain  escape,  and  at  the 
same  time  enable  him  to  see  what  is  transpiring  outside.  For, 
though  by  no  means  wary,  he  delights  in  these  loosely  sheltered 
hiding-places  where  he  can  whisk  in  and  out  at  will,  peep  unobserv- 
ed at  passers-by,  and  dart  back  when  prudence  demands.  If  sud- 
denly surprised  he  utters  a  sharp  c/iip'-per,  r,  r,  r,  and  makes  a 
quick  dash  for  his  retreat,  which  is  no  sooner  reached  than,  simul- 
taneously with  the  disappearance  of  his  tail,  out  pops  his  head, 
his  keen  dark  eyes  gazing  intently  at  the  source  of  alarm.  If  not 
pursued  farther  he  is  very  apt  to  advance  toward  the  supposed 
enemy,  betraying  his  excitement  by  a  series  of  nervous  starts  and 
precipitous  retreats,  till  finally,  making  a  bold  rush,  he  dashes  by 
the  object  of  his  dread  and  in  another  instant  is  peering  out  from 
a  hole  beneath  the  roots  of  a  neighboring  tree. 

Though  a  very  inquisitive  creature,  this  habit  does  not  seem  to 
be  attributable  to  curiosity  alone,  but  rather  to  the  same  reckless 
foolhardiness  that  prompts  the  small  boy  to  cross  and  recross  the 
road  in  front  of  a  swiftly  advancing  carriage  or  locomotive. 

With  us  the  Chipmunk  is  not  ordinarily  given  to  climbing  trees. 
But  when  at  play  he  often  runs  part  way  up  the  trunks,  and  when 
pursued  by  man  or  clog  and  unable  to  reach  his  hole,  he  does  not 
hesitate  to  take  refuge  in  the  topmost  branches.  Still,  he  is  ill  at 
ease  there,  apparently  becoming  giddy  on  attaining  a  little  height, 
and  often  commences  the  descent  while  his  pursuers  are  yet  watch- 
ing him  from  the  ground  beneath.  This  unfortunate  habit  has  cost 
many  a  Chipmunk  his  life,  and  gave  origin,  in  my  younger  days, 
to  an  effective  method  of  hunting  them.  With  the  aid  of  a  small 
dog  the  poor  animal  was  readily  "  treed,"  and  the  clog  soon  learned 


238  MAMMALIA. 

to  watch  one  side  of  the  tree  while  the  boy  guarded  the  other. 
Presently  the  affrighted  and  giddy  Chipmunk,  head  downward, 
would  commence  to  descend,  circling  around  the  trunk.  Harassed 
on  whichever  side  of  the  tree  he  appeared  he  usually  lost  his  head 
and  soon  came  rushing  toward  the  ground,  when  he  was  either 
knocked  over  with  a  stick,  or  seized  by  the  dog. 

It  occasionally  happens  that  Chipmunks  are  met  with  that  do 
not  show  this  aversion  to  tree  climbing,  particularly  when  collect- 
ing food  for  their  hoards.  The  trail  from  Big  Moose  Lake  to 
West  Pond  crosses  a  low  beech  ridge  whose  northern  exposure 
slopes  gradually  to  the  lake.  Here,  during  the  latter  part  of 
October  and  early  November,  1881  (beechnut  year),  Chipmunks 
abounded.  Here  also  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher  and  the  writer,  seated  upon 
a  half-decayed  log,  observed  their  actions  unheeded.  They  were 
very  busy.  Some  were  gathering  the  nuts  and  crowding  them  into 
their  over-distended  cheek-pouches  ;  others  were  carrying  their 
loads  to  the  store-houses  in  the  ridge  ;  whilst  others  still,  returning 
for  more,  were  bounding  lightly  over  the  fallen  leaves  and  play- 
fully chasing  one  another  among  the  logs  and  brushwood  that 
lay  upon  the  ground.  A  few,  more  venturesome  than  the  rest, 
were  not  content  to  gather  the  nuts  that  frost  and  wind  had  strewn 
upon  the  earth,  but  essayed  to  climb  and  pick  them  from  the 
boughs.  Two  were  seen  at  one  time  high  up  in  the  trees,  and 
one  in  particular  was  observed  making  regular  journeys  from  his 
hole  in  the  side-hill  to  the  uppermost  branches  of  a  beech  fully 
sixty  feet  (over  18  metres)  in  height.  He  seemed  as  much  at 
ease  here  as  would  any  of  our  arboreal  squirrels,  but  we  noticed 
that  he  never  tried  to  leap  from  limb  to  limb. 

The  Chipmunk  is  such  a  beautiful,  graceful,  active,  and  seem- 
ingly confiding  animal  in  the  wild  state,  that  he  would  naturally 
be  expected  to  become  one  of  the  most  charming  of  pets.  Experi- 
ence, however,  has  not  confirmed  this  supposition.  Most  writers, 
as  well  as  myself,  have  found  him  morose  and  uninteresting  in 


TAMIAS    STKIATITS.  239 

confinement,  and  altogether  too  fond  of  biting  hjs  captor's  finders 
on  insufficient  provocation.  It  is  proper  to  state,  however,  that 
the  very  young  have  not,  to  my  knowledge,  been  cagecl,  and  I  in- 
cline to  the  belief  that  they  would  well  repay  one  for  the  care  be- 
stowed upon  them. 

In  the  American  Naturalist  for  March,  1870  ('p.  58),  Mr.  A.  J. 
Cook,  of  Lansing,  Michigan,  states  that  a  Chipmunk  was  observed 
"busily  nibbling  at  a  snake  that  had  been  recently  killed.  He 
could  hardly  be  driven  away,  and  soon  returned  to  his  feast  when 
his  tormentors  had  withdrawn  a  short  distance." 

Thomas  Pennant  says  of  this  species  :  "  During  the  mayz  harvest, 
these  squirrels  are  very  busy  in  biting  off  the  ears,  and  filling  their 
mouths  so  full  with  the  corn  that  their  cheeks  are  quite  distended. 
It  is  observable,  that  they  give  great  preference  to  certain  food  ; 
for  if,  after  filling  their  mouths  with  rye,  they  happen  to  meet  with 
wheat,  they  fling  away  the  first,  that  they  may  indulge  in  the 
last."  * 

John  Josselyn,  writing  in  1675  of  the  animals  of  New  England, 
called  the  Chipmunk  "  mouse-squirril ",  and  said  of  it  :  "  The 
mouse-squirril  is  hardly  so  big  as  a  Rat,  streak'd  on  both  sides 
with  black  and  red  streaks,  they  are  mischievous  vermine  destroying 
abundance  of  Corn  both  in  the  field  and  in  the  house,  where  they 
will  enaw  holes  into  Chests,  and  tear  clothes  both  linnen  and 

o 

wollen,  and  are  notable  nut-gathers  in  August  ;  when  hasel  and 
filbert  nuts  are  ripe  you  may  see  upon  every  Nut-tree  as  many 
mouse-squirrils  as  leaves  ;  So  that  the  nuts  are  gone  in  a  trice, 
which  they  convey  to  their  Drays  or  Nests."  f 


*  Synopsis  of  (Quadrupeds.      1771,  p.  289. 

|  Two  Voyages  to  New  England.     Boston  reprint,  p.  69. 


24O  MAMMALIA. 

ARCTOMYS     MONAX     (Linn.)    Schreber. 

Woodchuck;   Marmot. 

The  Woodchuck  delights  in  the  open  meadows  and  rocky  hill- 
sides that  mark  the  possessions  of  the  farmer,  but  has  no  love  for 
the  extensive  evergreen  forests  that  exist  in  districts  remote  from 
civilization.  He  is,  therefore,  of  rare  occurrence  within  the  proper 
limits  of  the  Adirondacks,  though  he  has  been  found,  sparingly,  in 
the  remotest  parts  of  the  Wilderness.*  In  the  cultivated  area 
surrounding  the  Adirondacks  he  is  very  abundant,  and  often 
proves  a  serious  annoyance  to  the  farmer. 

He  is  a  strict  vegetarian,  feeding  chiefly  upon  clover  and  grass. 
Only  in  rare  instances  does  he  enter  the  garden,  and  were  it  not 
for  the  size  of  his  holes  he  could  hardly  be  regarded  as  an  enemy 
to  the  agriculturist. 

With  us,  the  Woodchuck  commonly  lives  in  extensive  burrows, 
excavated  by  himself,  though  he  sometimes  takes  up  his  abode  in 
rocky  ledges,  and  in  the  hollow  roots  of  large  trees.  During  the 
summer  season  the  greater  number  live  in  the  open  fields,  gener- 
ally selecting  good  meadows  where  they  are  sure  to  be  surrounded 
with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  rich  grass  or  clover,  so  that  they  can 
procure  an  abundance  of  the  best  of  food  without  exposing  them- 
selves to  the  danger  of  wandering  far  from  their  holes.  As  the 
season  for  going  into  winter-quarters  draws  near,  many  of  them 
retire  to  the  groves  and  borders  of  woods  near  by  and  take  posses- 
sion of  other  burrows  which  they  occupy  till  late  in  the  following 
spring.  Some,  indeed,  leave  the  meadows  immediately  after  the 


*  To  cite  a  few  cases  :  June  I2th,  1883,  I  saw  a  large  Woodchuck  in  the  Brown's  Tract  road 
near  the  Hellgate  Lakes  ;  and  later,  on  the  same  day,  saw  another  between  Third  and  Fourth 
Lakes  of  the  Fulton  Chain.  I  have  also  seen  their  holes  between  Upper  and  Lower  Saranac 
Lakes,  and  in  the  side  of  a  knoll  between  Morse  Lake  and  Second  Lake  of  North  Branch,  in  which 
latter  place  E.  L.  Sheppard  caught  one  in  February  or  March,  1880.  James  Higby  tells  me  that 
in  the  early  part  of  July,  1878,  he  almost  stepped  on  a  full-grown  and  very  fat  Woodchuck  on  the 
portage  between  Seventh  and  Eighth  Lakes,  Fulton  Chain. 


ARCTOMYS    MONAX.  241 

hay  is  cut   in   July,  while  there  are  a  few  that  never  abandon  their 
forest  homes.      But  few  reside  permanently  in  the  open   fields.* 

The  Woodchuck  is  our  most  remarkable  example  of  a  hibernating 
mammal.  He  lays  up  no  store  of  provision,  but  remains  dormant 
throughout  the  winter.  Neither  temperature  nor  quantity  of  food 
at  hand  has  to  do  with  the  beginning  of  his  voluntary  seclusion. 

The  first  copious  rains  that  fall  after  haying  is  over  cause  fresh 
green  grass  to  spring  up  anew  upon  the  meadows.  This  second  crop, 
termed  rowen  or  aftermath,  usually  attains  a  luxuriant  growth  by 
the  latter  part  of  August.  In  many  places  it  consists  largely  of 
red  clover  (Trifoliiun  pratense),  the  favorite  food  of  the  Wood- 
chuck.  And  this  animal  eats  so  much  during  the  month  previous 
to  his  withdrawal  into  the  earth  that  he  becomes  .exceedingly  fat, 
and  proportionally  inert,  and  is  therefore  in  excellent  condition  for 
hibernating-.  Alon^r  the  western  border  of  the  Adirondacks  he 

o  o 

usually  goes  into  winter-quarters  between  the  i8th  and  25th  of 
September,  not  to  reappear  till  the  middle  or  latter  part  of  March. 
It  is  indeed  a  curious  coincidence  that  the  limits  of  the  dormant 
state  should  so  closely  correspond  with  the  periods  of  the  equi- 
noxes. In  nine  cases  out  of  ten  he  disappears,  with  astonishing 
precision,  within  a  few  days  of  the  autumnal  equinox,  and  remains 
under  ground  till  about  the  time  the  sun  cuts  the  plane  of  the 
equator  at  the  vernal  equinox,  f 

*  It  may  not  be  amiss  toacquiint  my  readers  with  the  reasons  that  lead  me  to  believe  that  the 
majority  of  our  Wooclchucks  desert  the  meadows  in  autumn  and  hibernate  in  burrows  in  the  woods. 
There  are  two  principal  facts,  either  of  which  is  sufficient,  in  my  opinion,  to  establish  the  existence 
of  this  habit.  First  :  As  will  be  hereafter  sh  nvn.  Wooclchucks,  in  this  region,  com;  out  from  thei  r 
burrows  in  early  spring  two  or  three  weeks  before  the  disappearance  of  the  sno\v,  and  may  easily 
be  tracked  to  their  holes.  Now  it  has  been  my  experience  (an  experience  covering  at  least  fifteen 
years)  that  fully  ()')  per  cent,  of  tho.e  that  appear  before  the  snow  goes  in  spring,  come  from  holes 
in  the  woods.  Second  :  In  the  fall  of  the  year  I  have  opened  a  number  of  meadow  burrows, 
which  I  knew  were  inhabited  up  to  a  week  of  the  time  when  the  animals  went  into  winter- 
quarters  in  September,  and  almost  without  exception  such  burrows  have  been  found  to  be 
tenantless. 

f  To  this  rule  there  are,  of  course,  exceptions,  but  they  are  not  sufficiently  frequent  to  in  any 
way  invalidate  the  accuracy  of  the  above  general  statement.  During  very  warm  weather  it  some- 
times happens  that  a  Woodchuck  maybe  seen  sunning  himself  at  the  mouth  of  his  hole  for  an  hour 
or  two  in  the  hottest  part  of  the  afternoon  as  late  as  the  first  of  October,  but  such  instances  are 


242  MAMMALIA. 

The  remarkable  circumstance  has  already  been  noticed  that  the 
Woodchuck  often  retires  to  winter-quarters  when  surrounded  by 
an  abundance  of  food,  and  during  the  continuance  of  fine  warm 
weather  ;  but  still  more  surprising  is  the  fact  that  he  generally 
emerges  from  his  hole  and  tunnels  to  the  surface  while  the  ground 
is  buried  in  snow  to  the  depth  of  several  feet,  and  when  no  green 
thing  is  to  be  found  upon  which  he  can  feed.  He  not  only  comes  to 
the  surface,  but  makes  long  journeys  in  various  directions  over  the 
snow-covered  land,  and  is  apt  to  continue  these  apparently  aimless 
pilgrimages  night  after  night  until  the  fast-melting  snow  enables  him 
to  reach  the  much-coveted  grass,  which  has  been  kept  fresh  and 
green  in  places  by  its  heavy  covering. 

The  Hon.  Daniel  Wadsworth,  of  Hartford,  Connecticut,  once 
kept  a  Woodchuck  alive  for  upwards  of  two  years,  and  furnished 
Audubon  and  Bachman  with  the  following  interesting  account  of 
its  hibernation  :  "  Winter  coming  on,  the  box  was  placed  in  a  warm 
corner,  and  the  Woodchuck  went  into  it,  arranged  its  bed  with  care, 
and  became  torpid.  Some  six  weeks  having  passed  without  its 
appearing,  or  having  received  any  food  ;  I  had  it  taken  out  of  the 
box,  and  brought  into  the  parlour  ; — it  was  inanimate,  and  as  round 
as  a  ball,  its  nose  being  buried  as  it  were  in  the  lower  part  of  its 
abdomen,  and  covered  by  its  tail — it  was  rolled  over  the  carpet 
many  times,  but  without  effecting  any  apparent  change  in  its 
lethargic  condition,  and  being  desirous  to  push  the  experiment  as 
far  as  is  in  my  power,  I  laid  it  close  to  the  fire,  and  having  ordered 
my  dog  to  lie  clown  by  it,  placed  the  Wood-Chuck  in  the  dog's  lap. 
In  about  half  an  hour  my  pet  slowly  unrolled  itself,  raised  its  nose 
from  the  carpet,  looked  around  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  slowly 
crawled  away  from  the  dog,  moving  about  the  room  as  if  in  search 
of  its  own  bed  !  I  took  it  up,  and  had  it  carried  down  stairs  and 


rare.  In  the  early  springs  that  sometimes  follow  exceptionally  mild  winters,  Woodchucks  occa- 
sionally appear  in  February,  but  re-enter  their  burrows  and  again  become  dormant  if  the  tempera- 
ture suddenly  falls.  In  Southern  New  England  they  commonly  remain  out  till  late  in  October,  and 
I  have  seen  them  in  the  Connecticut  Valley  even  in  November. 


ARCTOMYS    MOXAX.  243 

placed  again  in  its  box,  where  it  went  to  sleep,  as  soundly  as  ever, 
until  spring  made  its  appearance.  That  season  advancing,  and 
the  trees  showing  their  leaves,  the  Wood-Chuck  became  as  brisk 
and  gentle  as  could  be  desired,  and  was  frequently  brought  into 
the  parlour.  The  succeeding  winter  this  animal  evinced  the  same 
dispositions,  and  never  appeared  to  suffer  by  its  long  sleep."  * 

In  Rensselaer  County  in  this  State,  during  the  summer  of  1814, 
Dr.  Bachman  marked  a  burrow  that  he  knew  to  be  inhabited  by  a 
pair  of  Woodchucks.  Early  in  November  he  had  it  opened 
and  found  the  animals  lying  close  together  in  a  nest  of  dry 
grass  about  twenty-five  feet  (7.62  metres)  from  the  entrance. 
"  They  were  each  rolled  up,"  he  writes,  "  and  looked  somewhat 
like  two  misshapen  balls  of  hair,  and  were  perfectly  dormant."  f 

In  hibernation  the  temperature  of  the  animal  approximates  that 
of  the  surrounding  atmosphere,  the  heart's  action  slackens,  and 
respiration  can  only  be  detected  by  means  of  delicate  instruments 
devised  for  the  purpose.  This  latter  fact  was  known  to  Spallan- 
zani  nearly  a  hundred  years  ago,  for  he  wrote  to  Senebier  :  "  You 
will  remember  about  my  Marmot  which  was  so  exceedingly  lethar- 
gic in  the  severe  winter  of  1795  ;  during  that  time  I  held  him  in 
carbonic  acid  gas  for  four  hours,  the  thermometer  marking  -12°,  he 
continued  to  live  in  this  o-as  which  is  the  most  deacllv  of  all 

O  -• 

at  least  a  rat  and  a  bird  that  I  placed  with  him  perished  in  an 
instant." 

It  is  well  to  observe  that  different  animals  exhibit  in  different 
degrees  the  physiological  process  of  hibernation  ;  and  that  this 
fact  is  amply  illustrated  by  the  representatives  of  the  family  to 
which  the  present  species  belongs.  Animals  that  are  able  to  pro- 
cure subsistence  in  the  winter  season,  and  those  that  lay  up  large 
stores  in  their  nests,  do  not  sleep  so  continuously,  and  their  leth- 
argy is  not  so  profound  as  in  the  case  of  those  species  that  are 

\ 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  Vol.  I,  1846,  pp.  20-21. 
f  Ibid.,  p.  ?.?.. 


244  MAMMALIA. 

wholly  cut  off  from  food  during  this  period.  Thus  the  gray  squir- 
rel, beinuf  able  to  find  a  certain  amount  of  sustenance  when  the 

o 

ground  is  covered  with  snow,  remains  dormant  during  severe  cold 
only  ;  and  the  chipmunk,  which  lays  up  a  great  store  of  provision, 
frequently  awakes  to  eat,  and  is  at  all  times  easily  aroused  ;  while 
the  Woodchuck,  whose  food  is  of  such  a  nature  that  he  can  neither 
gather  a  supply  for  winter's  use,  nor  find  any  were  he  to  go  in 
search  of  it,  must  needs  sleep  long  and  soundly  or  starve. 

The  Woodchuck  and  the  flying  squirrel  occupy  the  two  extremes 
of  the  family  to  which  both  belong,  while  the  ground  squirrels  and 
spermophiles  hold  intermediate  positions.  The  flying  squirrel  is 
the  most  highly  specialized  form,  showing  the  most  perfect  adapta- 
tion of  structure  to  habit ;  while  the  Woodchuck  must  at  present 
be  regarded  as  the  most  generalized  type  of  the  living  members  of 
the  group.  These  animals  are  so  widely  different  that,  taken 
alone,  they  would  naturally  be  regarded  as  pertaining  to  separate 
families  ;  but  a  careful  study  of  the  numerous  intermediate  forms 
not  only  proves  this  view  to  be  incorrect,  but  also  shows  that  the 
gradation  of  connecting  species  is  so  complete  that  it  is  even  diffi- 
cult, in  many  cases,  to  draw  the  line  between  genera. 

The  Woodchuck  lacks  the  grace  and  agility  of  the  arboreal 
squirrels,  but  his  heavy  body  and  powerful  paws  are  well  adapted 
to  his  terrestrial  mode  of  life.  Both  animals  are  modified,  but  to 
widely  different  ends. 

Woodchucks  are  both  nocturnal  and  diurnal,  the  periods  of  feed- 
ing being  determined,  in  a  general  way,  by  the  time  of  the  year, 
the  weather,  and  the  proximity  and  nature  of  enemies.  In  summer, 
throughout  the  farming  districts,  they  commonly  leave  their  bur- 
rows early  in  the  morning,  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  during  moon- 
light nights  ;  but  may  sometimes  be  found  abroad  at  all  hours.  As 
autumn  approaches,  and  they  become  more  and  more  fat  and  sleepy, 
they  usually  appear  only  in  fine  weather,  and  then  but  for  a  few 
hours  in  the  hottest  part  of  the  afternoon. 


A.RCTOMYS    MOXAX.  246 


In  localities  where  they  are  much  hunted  they  become  wary  and 
difficult  of  approach.  Their  hearing-  is  so  acute  that  the}-  take 
alarm  at  sounds  which  escape  our  observation  altogether.  When 
feeding  or  otherwise  occupied  they  frequently  stop  to  listen,  sitting 
bolt  upright  with  the  head  inclined  forward  and  the  fore  legs  hang- 
ing down  over  the  breast.  If  a  suspicious  noise  is  heard  and  a 
man  or  dog  can  be  discerned  in  the  distance,  they  are  apt  to  pre- 
cipitate themselves  into  their  holes,  not  to  emerge  again  till 
sufficient  time  has  elapsed  to  discourage  the  most  enthusiastic  and 
patient  of  hunters  who  may  be  waiting  for  a  shot.  However,  when 
seen  in  an  open  field  they  may  generally  be  stalked  by  a  very 
simple  artifice.  They  seem  to  be  wholly  unacquainted  with  man 
except  in  the  erect  or  semi-erect  posture.  Taking  advantage  of 
this  fact,  the  hunter  has  merely  to  prostrate  himself  at  full  length 
upon  the  ground  and  crawl  slowly  till  within  easy  rifle  range  of  the 
astonished  beast,  which,  seeing  little  save  the  top  of  the  man's  hat, 
and  curious  to  see  more,  often  stands  erect  at  the  mouth  of  his 
burrow,  converting  himself  into  a  target  that  no  marksman  could  fail 
to  hit.  When  a  Woodchuck,  seeing  a  man  approach,  withdraws 
into  his  hole,  he  does  not  always  retreat  immediately  to  its  inner- 
most recesses,  but  sometimes  tarries  near  the  mouth  to  await 
developments.  The  hunter,  availing  himself  of  the  knowledge  of 
this  fact,  proceeds  deliberately  till  within  range,  throws  himself 
upon  the  ground  and  utters  a  sharp  whistle,  when,  not  infrequently, 
the  animal's  head  will  be  seen  to  pop  up  inquiringly  from  its  hole. 

Woodchucks  live  singly  or  in  pairs,  the  young  as  a  rule  remain- 
ing with  their  parents  only  through  the  first  few  months.  In  the 
latter  part  of  the  summer  they  usually  begin  to  shift  for  themselves, 
and  in  early  autumn  they  may  often  be  met  with  in  the  fields  and 
forests  far  from  their  holes.  They  now  take  refuge  in  stone  walls, 
hollow  logs,  and  even  in  hollow  trees  when  there  is  a  sufficiently 
large  opening  near  the  ground.  It  is  not  long  before  each  has 
fixed  upon  a  spot  agreeable  to  his  individual  fancy,  where  he  at 


246  MAMMALIA. 

once  commences  to  establish  a  home.  The  diversity  of  taste 
exercised  in  this  selection  is  hardly  outdone  by  our  own  idio- 
syncrasies in  the  same  field. 

Some  evince  a  love  for  home  and  take  up  their  abodes  in  the 
very  cloor-yards  of  their  parents  ;  while  others,  impelled  by  a  desire 
to  see  more  of  the  world,  wander  far  and  wide  before  settling  down 
to  the  sober  task  of  excavating  their  holes.  Some,  indeed,  never 
give  themselves  this  trouble,  but  merely  take  possession  of  the  de- 
serted burrows  of  their  ancestors,  where  a  small  amount  of  labor 
is  all  that  is  necessary  to  render  the  easily  acquired,  though  some- 
what musty  apartments  habitable.  Woodchucks'  holes  are  not  all 
alike.  There  are  two  principal  types  :  the  first  slopes  at  a  mod- 
erate anofle  from  the  surface  and  has  a  mound  of  dirt  near  its 

o 

entrance  ;  *  the  other  is  more  or  less  vertical  for  several  feet 
(often  a  metre  or  more)  immediately  below  the  surface,  and  no 
loose  "earth  can  be  found  in  its  neighborhood.  The  latter  are  usu- 
ally smaller  than  the  others  and  several  are  often  clustered  about 
one  of  the  large  family  burrows,  though  they  are  occasionally 
isolated.  If  the  surface  opening  is  in  a  meadow,  the  hole  through 
the  sod  is  apt  to  be  sharp  cut  and  more  or  less  circular  in  outline. 
Intermediate  forms  are  sometimes  met  with,  and  many  of  these 
are  in  time  converted  into  primary  burrows. 

The  galleries  do  not  conform  to  any  definite  or  uniform  pattern, 
but  vary  in  length,  depth,  and  direction,  and  in  the  number  of 
branches,  nests,  and  surface  openings,  according  to  the  location, 
character  of  soil,  number  of  inhabitants,  and  individual  idiosyncrasy. 
However,  they  resemble  one  another  sufficiently  in  some  respects 
to  admit  of  general  description.  As  a  rule  they  slant  abruptly 
downward  from  the  entrance  to  a  depth  of  from  three  to  four  feet 
(.914  to  1.219  metres),  whence,  inclining  slightly  upward  and 
usually  curving  to  one  side,  they  extend  horizontally  for  a  varying 

*  The  mounds  in  front  of  the  large  holes  frequently,  if  not  generally,  contain  accumulations  of 
the  animal's  excrement,  and  in  one  case  I  removed  fully  half  a  bushel  from  a  single  mound. 


AKCTOMYS    MONAX. 

distance  (commonly  from  10  to  25  feet,  or  3.048  to  7.620  metres). 
Two  or  more  short  lateral  branches  are  generally  given  off  from  the 
main  gallery,  and  lead,  sloping  upward  and  then  downward,  to  the 
more  or  less  circular  chambers  that  contain  the  animal's  nests.  It 
has  been  my  invariable  experience  to  find  these  chambers  above 
the  level  of  the  bottom  of  the  entrance  incline,  and  I  have  seen  one 
that  was  within  a  foot  and  a  half  (.457  metres)  of  the  surface. 
The  nest  itself  is  usually  composed  of  dry  grasses  and  leaves, 
and  rarely  exceeds  a  foot  in  diameter.* 

It  not  infrequently  happens,  where  there  are  two  surface  open- 
ings, that  the  main  gallery  takes  the  form  of  a  more  or  less  irregu- 
lar semicircle,  with  one  or  more  lateral  branches  of  considerable 
length,  both  ends  of  the  main  gallery  coming  to  the  surface. 

During  the  last  week  of  April  or  first  of  May,  the  Woodchuck 
commonly  gives  birth  to  from  four  to  six  young.  A  nest  which  was 
dug  out  May  i  ith,  1884,  contained  two  young,  whose  eyes  and  ears 
were  not  yet  open,  though  the  animals  were  well  haired.  Each 
measured  two  hundred  and  five  millimetres  in  length,  and  weighed 
one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  grammes.  The  nest  was  one  metre 
below  the  surface,  and  was  connected  with  the  main  burrow  by  a 
steeply  sloping  branch. 

When  unexpectedly  surprised  at  close  quarters  the  Woodchuck 
utters  a  loud,  shrill,  and  tremulous  whistle  that  pierces  the  ear  and 
evokes  from  the  intruder  an  involuntary  movement  or  exclamation, 
even  though  he  may  have  been  similarly  startled  many  times  before,  f 

The  Woodchuck  is  pre-eminently  a  terrestrial  animal,  usually 
spending  the  whole  of  his  life  in  or  upon  the  ground,  yet  some 
ambitious  individuals,  prompted  either  by  choice  or  necessity, 


*  The  main  gallery  or  one  of  its  branches  commonly  terminates  in  a  slight  excavation  which  is 
found  to  contain  the  animal's  excrement.  No  other  of  the  lower  animals  with  which  I  am  acquaint- 
ed constructs  a  special  receptacle  for  the  deposit  and  accumulation  of  its  dejections. 

f  Dr.  Coues  speaks  of  this  note  as  "  The  merry  whistle  of  the  woodchuck  at  the  mouth  of  its 
burrow"  (Familiar  Science,  Vol.  V,  No.  12,  Dec.,  1878,  p.  230.),  but  I  am  unable  to  conceive  how 
a  sudden  cry  of  alarm  can  be  construed  into  a  "  merry  whistle." 


248  MAMMALIA 

occasionally  take  a  more  elevated  view  of  the  earth.  Concerning 
these  "tree-climbing  Woodchucks "  I  quote  from  an  article  on 
the  subject  that  I  once  wrote  for  Forest  and  Stream :  - 
"  Woodchucks,  when  unmolested,  and  particularly  during  their 
youthful  days,  often  climb  up  ten  or  twelve  feet  in  shrubbery 
and  young  trees  that  abound  in  low  branches,  and  not  infrequently 
scramble  up  the  trunks  of  large  trees  which  have  partially  fallen  or 
slant  sufficiently  to  insure  them  against  slipping.  Occasionally, 
especially  when  hard  pressed  by  a  fast  approaching  enemy,  they 
ascend  large  erect  trees  whose  lowest  branches  are  some  distance 
from  the  ground.  But,  in  order  to  do  this,  they  must  take 
advantage  of  the  impetus  of  a  rush,  for  they  cannot  start  slowly 
upon  the  trunk  of  an  upright  tree  and  climb  more  than  a  few  feet 
without  falling.  Neither  can  they  stop  and  go  on  again  before 
reaching-  a  branch  or  other  resting  place."* 

o  *->    1 

In  the  American  Naturalist  for  September,  1881  (pp.  737-738), 
the  Hon.  Charles  Aldrich,  of  Webster  City,  Iowa,  writes  :  "  About 
two  years  ago  a  young  man  who  was  living  with  me,  came  in  one 
day  saying  that  he  had  just  seen  a  small  animal,  possibly  a  raccoon, 
ascending  a  tree  in  the  woods  some  sixty  rods  away.  Taking  my 
shot-gun,  I  went  to  the  place,  where  I  soon  saw  the  creature  in  the 
top  of  a  black  oak  tree,  almost  forty  feet  from  the  ground.  The 
animal  seemed  very  cunning,  and  managed  for  some  time  to  keep 
on  the  opposite  side  of  some  of  the  larger  limbs,  but  I  finally  got 
a  shot  at  him.  He  came  to  the  ground  with  a  bounce,  when  I 
found  it  was  a  woodchuck.  It  was  but  slightly  wounded  in  one  of 
the  fore  legs,  and  I  captured  it  and  took  it  home.  I  put  it  in  a 
hollow  tree  near  my  residence,  and  it  remained  there  a  couple  of 
weeks,  freely  eating  the  corn  which  I  regularly  fed  it." 

As  a  rule  the  Woodchuck  manifests  great  antipathy  for  water. 
In  confinement  he  rarely  partakes  of  it,  and  in  the  wild  state  his 
burrows  are  frequently  so  remote  from  it  as  to  preclude  the  idea 

*  Forest  and  Stream,  Vol.  XVI,  No.  23,  July  7,  1881,  p.  453. 


AKCTOMYS    MONAX.  249 

of  his  journeying  there  to  drink.  Hence  it  seems  probable  that  the 
moisture  which  his  system  requires  is  derived  from  the  juices  of 
the  plants  on  which  he  feeds,  together  with  the  clew  or  rain  that 
may  have  lodged  upon  them. 

Having  searched   in   vain   for  the  record  of  an  instance  where  a 

O 

\Voodchuck  has  been  known  to  swim,  voluntarily,  I  take  great 
pleasure  in  being  able  to  contribute  an  account  of  a  case  that 
recently  fell  under  my  personal  observation.  On  the  i2th  of  June, 
1883,  while  rowing  up  the  Fulton  Chain  of  Lakes,  in  company  with 
Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher  and  Walter  H.  Merriam,  a  Woodchuck  was 
observed  in  the  water  directly  ahead  of  the  boat  swimming  across 
the  channel  between  Second  and  Third  Lakes.  He  swam  deep, 
at  times  the  top  of  his  head  and  the  tip  of  his  tail  alone  appearing 
above  the  surface.  He  crossed  from  the  north  to  the  south  shore 
and  was  evidently  very  much  fatigued  and  somewhat  confused,  for, 
although  I  pushed  the  boat  close  after  him  as  he  was  about  to 
emerge,  he  only  partly  climbed  out  upon  a  small  log  that  extend- 
ed into  the  water,  and  showed  no  inclination  to  move  off,  or  even 
to  change  his  position.  He  was  poked  several  times  with  a  stick, 
and  finally  Dr.  Fisher  actually  stroked  him  with  his  hand  before  he 
became  sufficiently  aroused  to  show  that  he  was  aware  of  our 
presence.  We  left  him  standing  partly  upon  the  log,  with  one  leg- 
still  in  the  water,  shivering,  and  apparently  in  a  very  unhappy  state 
of  mind.  This  animal  was  young,  and  was  evidently  travelling 
about  in  search  of  a  suitable  place  in  which  to  establish  his  home. 

The  Woodchuck  can  always  be  taken  in  a  steel  trap  set  with 
proper  care,  and  concealed  from  view.  By  this  means  it  is  gen- 
erally easy  to  rid  our  fields  of  his  presence.  Dr.  C.  L.  Bagg  and 
1  once  caught  thirty-three  Woodchucks  in  a  large  meadow  during 
a  single  season. 

In  a  recent  number  of  the  American  Field  (Vol.  XX,  No.  10, 
Sept.  8,  1883,  p.  225)  I  recorded  the  following  very  unusual  occur- 
rence :  On  the  28th  of  July  last,  hearing  a  commotion  among  some 


250  MAMMALIA. 

half-grown  chickens  that  had  taken  up  their  abode  in  the  under- 
brush back  of  my  office,  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher,  who  was  with  me  at  the 
time,  betook  himself  thither  and  much  to  his  surprise  found  a 
Woodchuck  to  be  the  cause  of  the  disturbance.  The  animal  was 
chasing  the  fowls  with  much  earnestness,  and  evidently  meant  to 
catch  one;  while  the  "poor  chickens,  already  well-nigh  exhausted, 
were  straining  every  nerve  to  escape.  Fearing  that  the  beast 
(which  was  a  young  and  ambitious  female)  might  propagate  a  race 
of  Woodchucks  that  would  rank  among  the  depredators  of  the 
poultry  yard,  the  Doctor  brought  the  chase  to  an  abrupt  termina- 
tion and  added  the  rodent's  skeleton  to  my  osteological  cabinet. 
This  is  the  only  example  that  has  thus  far  come  to  my  knowledge 
where  a  Woodchuck  has  pursued  either  bird  or  beast,  and  the 
question  may  be  fairly  asked  whether  in  this  instance  it  purposed 
to  seize  and  devour  the  fowl,  or,  being  of  a  jocose  turn  of  mind, 
was  merely  chasing  it  to  see  it  run,  just  as  a  puppy  would  do  under 
similar  circumstances. 

Dr.  Godman,  who  once  had  a  tame  Woodchuck,  speaks  thus  of 
its  habit  of  lugging  various  articles  into  its  burrow  :  "  Every  thing 
fit  to  make  a  bed  of,  that  he  could  get  at,  was  sure  to  be  carried 
under  ground,  and  when  clothes  were  missed,  which  had  been  hung 
out  to  dry,  it  was  only  necessary  to  fasten  a  hook  to  a  long  stick 
and  draw  them  out  of  his  burrow.  When  this  was  to  be  effected, 
it  was  necessary  to  tie  the  Marmot  up  short,  as  he  appeared  to 
understand  perfectly  what  was  to  be  done,  and  was  by  no  means 
willing  that  his  bed  should  be  rendered  less  comfortable.  Although 
he  would  not  attempt  to  bite  the  person  engaged  in  removing  his 
plunder,  he  would  rush  to  the  entrance  and  endeavor  to  make  his 
way  in,  as  if  to  secure  his  prize,  or  remove  it  to  a  still  greater  dis- 
tance. On  one  occasion  he  carried  off  and  stowed  at  a  distance  of 
six  feet  from  the  entrance,  eight  pairs  of  stockings,  a  towel,  and  a 
girl's  frock,  and  had  he  not  been  discovered  in  the  act,  would  have 


ARCTOMYS    MOXAX.  25  I 

made  a  still  larger  transfer  of  materials  to  form  a  more  luxurious 
bed."  * 

The  power  of  song  is  not  often  attributed  to  mammals  lower  in 
the  scale  than  ourselves,  and  yet  it  is  a  fact  that  several  species 
are  capable  of  producing  musical  notes  which  are  pleasing  to  the 
ear.  In  the  American  Naturalist  for  June,  1872  (Vol.  VI,  No.  6, 
pp.  365-366),  is  an  article  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  A.  Kellogg,  entitled 
"  Singing  Maryland  Marmot"  The  writer  states  :  "  For  the  last 
forty  years  the  fact  of  the  common  Maryland  Marmot,  or  Wood- 
chuck,  being  able  to  sing  like  a  canary  bird,  but  in  a  softer,  sweeter 
note,  has  been  quite  familiar  to  myself,  and  others  who  could  be 
brought  forward  as  witnesses."  He  then  speaks  of  a  very  young 
Woodchuck  which  he  raised,  and  goes  on  to  say  :  "  It  had  a  seat 
in  the  little  high  chair  at  the  children's  table  full  oft.  Its  earnest 
and  restless  concupiscent  purr  as  it  scented  sweet  cake  and  fragrant 
viands  was  wonderful.  At  length  it  became  as  familiar  as  the 

o 

family  cat  and  finally  burrowed  under  the  doorstep.  My  impres- 
sion is  now,  and  has  always  been,  that  it  was  a  female.  I  used  to 
watch  the  pet  very  closely  to  see  how  it  sang,  as  children  are  apt 
to  do.  There  was  a  slight  moving  of  the  nostrils  and  lips  and 

^j  <_> 

consequently  whiskers  with  an  air  of  unmistakable  happy  or  serene 
enjoyment.  I  question  much  if  this  is  altogether  unknown  to 
others,  always  excepting  naturalists" 

Woodchucks  are  so  abundant  in  some  parts  of  New  Hampshire 
that  the  farmers  have  long  demanded  legislative  aid  for  their 
riddance.  At  length  the  clamors  from  this  source  became  so  loud 
and  continuous  that  the  Legislature  was  forced  to  recognize  the 

*  American  Natural  History,  Vol.  I,  1842,  p.  329.  In  treating  of  the  habits  of  this  species,  Dr. 
Godman  makes  some  very  astonishing  statements,  statements  that  are  wholly  incorrect  as  applied 
to  it  in  this  region,  though  possibly  true  in  some  parts  of  its  extensive  habitat.  His  figure  bears 
as  close  a  resemblance  to  the  wolverine  as  it  does  to  the  Woodchuck,  and  yet,  strangely  enough, 
he  speaks  thus  of  those  of  his  predecessors  :  "All  the  figures  which  have  been  heretofore  pub- 
lished of  this  animal  (with  the  exception  of  one  given  in  the  English  translation  of  Cuvier,  borrowed 
from  a  drawing  by  Le  Sueur)  have  been  copied  from  Edward's,  which  is  altogether  unlike  the 
animal  "  (pp.  330-331). 

17 


252  MAMMALIA. 

postulations  of  its  rural  constituency,  and  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed, of  which  the  Hon.  Charles  R.  Corning  was  made  chair- 
man. In  due  course  of  time  the  committee  prepared  a  report 
which  was  submitted  to  the  House,  accompanied  by  a  bill  pro- 
viding for  a  bounty  of  ten  cents  for  each  Woodchuck  killed  within 
the  limits  of  the  State.  This  act  was  approved  Sept.  n,  1883.* 


*  From  the  "  Report  of  the  Woodchuck  Committee  "  I  beg  leave  to  reproduce  the  following 
extracts:  "  Your  committee  finds  that  the  Woodchuck  is  absolutely  destitute  of  any  interesting 
qualities,  that  is,  such  qualities  as  would  recommend  it  to  the  average  inhabitant  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. .  .  .  Its  body  is  thick  and  squatty,  and  its  legs  so  short  that  its  belly  seems  almost  to 
touch  the  ground.  This  is  not  a  pleasing  picture.  Its  si/e  varies  all  the  way  from  those  reared  in 
Strafford  County  to  the  huge  fellows  that  claim  a  homestead  among  the  fertile  farms  of  Grafton. 
Woodchucks  have  been  known  to  attain  a  large  size,  even  fifteen  pounds.  This,  however,  would 
not  be  an  average  Woodchuck.  The  casual  observer  is  not  attracted  by  the  brilliancy  of  a  Wood- 
chuck's  color.  When  one  thinks  it  over,  it  certainly  would  seem  that  the  family  of  Woodchucks 
was  designed  and  brought  forth  under  conditions  of  severe  simplicity.  While  the  usual  color 
cannot  be  said  to  be  a  decided  red,  it  is  not  Auburn,  but  more  like  Deny,  which  is  next  to  Auburn. 
Your  committee  has  now  in  mind  the  under  side  of  the  creature.  The  body  even  in  very  young 
Woodchucks,  is  inclined  to  be  gray — a  very  significant  circumstance  in  the  mind  of  your  commit- 
tee, when  the  total  depravity  of  the  animal  is  considered.  Besides  Deny  and  gray,  there  are  other 
hues  blended  about  the  Woodchuck  ;  but  these  are  merely  details,  and  of  no  practical  account. 
Like  thieves  in  all  climes,  the  Woodchuck  remains  securely  concealed  in  its  hole  for  a 
great  part  of  the  day.  Its  only  purpose  in  venturing  forth  during  the  daytime  is  to  get  a  good  lay 
of  the  land.  .  .  .  Like  the  bear,  the  gait  of  the  thing  under  consideration  is  plantigrade,  but 
in  order  to  occasionally  exercise  its  toes  it  climbs  small  trees  and  shrubs  ;  then,  perfectly  satisfied 
that  its  pedal  extremities  are  in  good  working  trim,  it  descends  to  the  ground  and  again  resumes 
its  monotonous  waddle  The  Woodchuck,  despite  its  deformities  both  of  mind  and  of  body,  possesses 
some  of  the  amenities  of  a  higher  civilization.  It  cleans  its  face  after  the  manner  of  the  squirrels 
and  licks  its  fur  after  the  manner  of  a  cat.  Your  committee  is  too  wise,  however,  to  be  deceived 
by  this  purely  superficial  observance  of  better  habits.  Contemporaneous  with  the  ark,  the  Wood- 
chuck  has  not  made  any  material  progress  in  social  science,  and  it  is  now  too  late  to  attempt  to  re- 
form the  wayward  sinner.  The  average  age  of  the  Woodchuck  is  too  long  to  please  your  commit- 
tee, but  the  estimate  of  Woodchuck  population  can  only  be  approximated.  .  .  .  The  Wood- 
chuck  is  not  only  a  nuisance,  but  also  a  bore.  It  burrows  beneath  the  soil,  and  then  chuckles  to 
see  a  mowing  machine,  man  and  all,  slump  into  one  of  these  holes  and  disappear.  .  .  .  Your 
committee  is  confident  that  a  small  bounty  will  prove  of  incalculable  good  ;  at  all  events,  even  as 
an  experiment,  it  is  certainly  worth  trying  ;  therefore  your  committee  would  respectfully  recom- 
mend that  the  accompanying  bill  be  passed.  CHARLES  R.  CORNING,  for  the  Committee. 

"  AN  ACT  PROVIDING  FOR  A  BOUNTY  ON  WOODCHUCKS. 

"Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  general  Court  convened  : 
"Section  I.  Tf  any  person  shall  kill  any  Woodchuck  within  this  State,  and  shall  produce  the  tail 
thereof  to  any  one  of  the  selectmen  of  the  town  within  which  said  woodchuck  was  killed,  or  if 
there  be  no  selectmen  in  said  town,  then  to  any  one  of  the  selectmen  of  the  nearest  town  having 
such  selectmen,  said  selectmen  shall  take  the  said  tail  and  so  dispose  of  it  that  it  shall  not  again  be 
used  for  the  purposes  of  bounty,  and  shall  pay  to  the  person  so  producing  it  the  sum  of  ten  cents  : 
Provided,  that  no  bounty  shall  be  paid  for  any  woodchuck  killed  on  Sunday. 

"  Section  2.   The  selectmen  of  every  such  town  shall  keep  a  true  account  of  the   moneys  so  paid 
as  bounty  on  woodchucks,  and  upon  presentation  of  such  amount,  certified  by   a  majority   of   such 


CASTOR    FIBER    C AXADKNSIS.  263 

Family  CASTORID/E. 

CASTOR   FIBER   CANADENSIS    (Lm».)  Alien. 

A  merican  Beaver. 

That  the  Beaver  was  once  abundant  in  all  parts  of  the  Adiron- 
dacks  is  attested  by  the  numerous  remains  and  effects  of  their 
dams  ;  but  at  present  they  are  so  exceedingly  rare  that  few  people 
know  that  they  still  exist  here. 

Samuel  de  Champlain  found  them  abundant  in  the  Richelieu 
River  in  the  early  part  of  July,  1609.  He  said  of  them  :  "  There 
is  also  quite  a  number  of  Beavers,  as  well  in  the  river  as  in  several 
other  streams  which  fall  into  it."  (Documentary  History  of  New 
York,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  5.) 

Dr.  DeKay  says  that,  in  1815,  "a  party  of  St.  Regis  Indians 
from  Canada  ascended  the  Oswegatchie  river  in  the  county  of  St. 
Lawrence  in  pursuit  of  Beaver.  In  consequence  of  the  previous 
hostilities  between  this  country  and  England,  this  district  had  not 
been  hunted  in  some  years,  and  the  Beaver  had  consequently  been 
undisturbed.  The  party,  after  an  absence  of  a  few  weeks,  returned 
with  three  hundred  Beaver  skins.  These  were  seen  by  my  in- 
formant [Mr.  T.  O.  Fowler],  who  adds  that  since  that  time  very 
few  have  been  observed."  *  They  were  not  immediately  extermi- 
nated, however,  for  Mr.  Calvin  V.  Graves  writes  me  that  in  1834 
a  trapper  named  Hume  caught  six  Beavers  in  Silverdog  Pond,  in 
the  northeastern  part  of  the  town  of  Diana,  in  Lewis  County  ;  and 
that  a  few  years  later  Norman  and  Hume  caught  three  Beavers  on 
the  middle  branch  of  the  Oswegatchie,  near  Harrisville.  These 
are  believed  to  have  been  the  last  Beavers  which  inhabited  that 
part  of  the  Wilderness. 

selectmen  to  be  just  and  true,  to  the  treasurer  of  the  state,  in  the  month  of  June,  the  same  shall  be 
paid  from  the  state  treasury  either  to  the  representative  of  such  town  or  to  the  selectmen  thereof, 
upon  their  written  order. 

"  Section  3.   This  act  shall  take  effect  from  and  after  its  passage. 

"  Approved  September  II,  1883." 

*  Zoology  of  New  York,  Part  I,  1842,  p.  73. 


264  MAMMALIA. 

I  am  informed  by  William  Clowbridge,  an  old  hunter  and  trap- 
per, that  during  his  boyhood  Beavers  were  common  along  the 
western  border  of  the  Aclirondacks.  In  the  year  1819  he  caught 
two  in  one  of  their  huts  on  the  outlet  of  Brantingham  Lake,  in 
Lewis  County,  on  which  stream  they  had  then  two  dams.  In 
March,  1837,  he  caught,  at  Little  Otter  Lake,  also  in  Lewis 
County,  the  last  Beaver  observed  on  this  side  of  the  Adirondacks. 
The  veteran  hunter,  Asa  Puffer,  was  at  the  time  trapping  for  the 
same  animal.  Mr.  Clowbridge  tells  me  that  the  spring  was  un- 
usually forward,  and  that  there  was  some  open  water  along  the 
north  shore  of  the  lake,  and  about  its  outlet.  He  made  a  small 
opening  in  the  dam,  and  in  the  gap  thus  formed  set  his  trap,  a  few 
inches  below  the  surface  of  the  water.  On  returning  to  the  lake, 
a  week  afterward,  an  eagle  was  seen  to  rise  and  fly  away  from  the 
vicinity  of  the  outlet.  Proceeding  to  the  dam  he  could  find  neither 
the  trap  nor  the  weight  to  which  it  had  been  attached.  He  then 
went  to  the  spot  from  which  the  eagle  rose  and  there  found  the 
Beaver  in  the  trap. 

Mr.  John  Constable  has  kindly  presented  me  with  the  skull  of  a 
very  large  Beaver  which  was  "  trapped  by  William  Wood,  in  the 
.  fall  of  1837,  in  a  pond  northwest  of  Indian  Point  on  the  Raquette." 
Mr.  Constable  writes  me  that  an  old  Indian  who  had  been  unsuc- 
cessful in  his  attempts  to  capture  this  same  Beaver,  and  who  was 
then  about  to  leave  this  part  of  the  Wilderness,  tolcl  Wood  where 
the  animal  was  to  be  found.  Wood  carried  his  boat  to  the  pond 
and  paddled  twice  around  it,  searching  carefully  for  signs,  without 
going  ashore.  At  last  he  discovered  fur  upon  the  root  of  an  old 
birch  that  projected  into  the  water.  Here  he  placed  the  trap, 
attached  to  a  float,  and  on  the  second  day  found  the  Beaver  in  it. 

Dr/DeKay,  writing  in  1841,  says  :  "  In  the  summer  of  1840,  we 
traversed  those  almost  interminable  forests  on  the  highlands  sepa- 
rating the  sources  of  the  Hudson  and  St.  Lawrence,  and  included 
in  Hamilton,  Herkimer,  and  a  part  of  Essex  counties.  In  the 


CASTOR    KIISKIi    CAXADEXSIS.  255 

course  of  our  journey  we  saw  several  beaver  signs,  as  they  are 
termed  by  the  hunters.  The  Beaver  has  been  so  much  harassed 
in  this  State,  that  it  has  ceased  making  clams,  and  contents  itself 
with  making  large  excavations  in  the  banks  of  streams.  Within 
the  past  year,  (1841,)  they  have  been  seen  on  Indian  and  Cedar 
rivers,  and  at  Paskungameh  or  Tupper's  lake  ;  and  although  they 
are  not  numerous,  yet  they  are  still  found  in  scattered  families  in 
the  northern  part  of  Hamilton,  the  southern  part  of  St.  Lawrence 
and  the  western  part  of  Essex  counties.  Through  the  considerate 
attention  of  Mr.  A.  Mclntyre,  those  yet  existing  in  the  southern 
part  of  Franklin  county  are  carefully  preserved  from  the  avidity  of 
the  hunter,  and  there  probably  the  last  of  the  species  in  the  Atlantic 
States  will  be  found.  We  noticed  the  remains  of  an  old  and  large 
beaver  dam  at  the  outlet  of  Lake  Fourth  in  Herkimer  county,  but 
it  is  now  nearly  covered  up  by  the  drift  sand  from  the  lake  "  (loc. 
cit,  p.  74). 

Watson,  in  his  History  of  Essex  County,  published  in  1869, 
says:  "  The  Beaver  was  found  in  great  abundance  throughout  the 
region,  by  the  first  occupants.  They  no  longer  exist,  it  is  be- 
lieved, in  the  territory  of  Essex  County"  (p.  348). 

During  the  fall  of  1880,  a  Beaver  was  caught  on  Raquette  River, 
between  the  Upper  Saranac  and  Big  Tupper's  Lake,  and  about  a 
mile  bslow  the  "  Sweeney  carry."  The  skin  was  stuffed  and  pre- 
served by  the  hunter  who  captured  the  animal.  Subsequent  to 
this  date,  saplings  were  cut  in  the  neighborhood,  showing  that 
another  was  at  work  there.  I  have  myself  examined  the  locality 
and  brought  away  a  number  of  cuttings.  They  consist  of  young 
poplars  {Populus  tremiiloides]  averaging  from  two  to  four  inches 
(50  to  ico  mm.)  in  diameter  ;  the  largest  measured  fourteen  inches 
(355  mm.)  in  circumference. 

At  present  there  is  a  small  colony  of  Beavers  on  a  stream  that 
empties  into  the  West  Branch  of  the  St.  Regis  River.  It  is  prob- 
ably the  colony  referred  to  by  DeKay,  in  1842,  as  "yet  existing  in 


256  MAMMALIA. 

the  southern  part  of  Franklin  county."  It  is  to  be  earnestly  hoped 
that  the  hunters  who  frequent  that  part  of  the  Wilderness  will 
spare  no  pains  to  protect  these  animals  from  molestation. 

No  animal  has  figured  more  prominently  in  the  affairs  of  any 
nation  than  has  the  Beaver  in  the  early  history  of  the  "  New 
World."  Its  influence  on  the  exploration,  colonization,  and  settle- 
ment of  this  country  was  very  great.  The  trade  in  its  peltries 
proved  a  source  of  competition  and  strife,  not  only  among  the  local 
merchants,  but  also  between  the  several  colonies,  disputes  over  the 
boundaries  having  frequently  arisen  from  this  cause  alone.  In- 
deed, on  more  than  one  occasion,  jealousy  of  the  Beaver  trade  led 
to  serious  difficulties  in  the  struggle  for  supremacy  between  the 
three  rival  powers — the  Dutch,  English,  and  French. 

The  Provincial  Seal  of  New  Netherland  was  a  Beaver  resting 
on  a  shield,  encircled  by  the  words  "  Sigilluiu  Novi  Belgii" 

In  the  year  1671,  there  appeared  in  Amsterdam  a  paper  en- 
titled, "  De  Nieuwe  en  Onbekende  Weereld  :  of  Beschryving  van 
America  en't  Zuiclland  :  door  Arnoldus  Montanus."  Much  of  this 
account  is  devoted  to  the  natural  history  of  the  country,  and  it 
contains  some  extraordinary  tales  concerning  the  animals  found 
there.  The  author's  remarks  upon  the  Beaver  run  as  follows  : 
"  But  in  addition  to  other  wild  animals  New  Netherland  furnishes, 
according  to  the  occular  evidence  of  Adriacn  van  dcr  Donk,  full 
eighty  thousand  beavers  a  year.  Pliny  relates  how  these  animals 
castrate  themselves,  and  leave  these  parts  to  the  hunters,  inasmuch 
as  they  are  much  sought  after,  being  an  effectual  remedy  for  mania, 
retention  of  the  afterbirth,  amenorrhcea,  dizziness,  gout,  lameness, 
belly  and  tooth  aches,  dullness  of  vision,  poisoning  and  rheuma- 
tism. But  Pliny  commits  a  grave  error  ;  for  the  Beavers  have 
very  small  testicles  fastened  in  such  a  manner  to  the  back  bone 
that  they  cannot  remove  them  except  with  life.  Moreover,  they 
live  in  the  water  and  on  land  together  in  troops,  in  houses  built  of 
timber  over  a  running  stream.  The  houses  excite  no  common  ad- 


CASTOR     FIUKK    CAXADKXSIS.  257 

miration  ;  they  are  thus  constructed — the  Beavers  first  collect  to- 
gether all  the  drift  wood  which  they  find  along  the  river,  and 
whenever  this  falls  short,  the)-  gnaw  away,  in  the  next  adjoining- 
wood,  the  sweetest  bark  all  around  with  the  front  teeth,  of  which 
they  have  two  in  the  upper,  and  two  in  the  lower  gum,  they  then 
cut  right  around  the  trunk  until  the  tree  falls;  when  they  also 
shorten  the  pieces  in  like  manner,  to  adapt  them  to  the  proposed 
building.  The  females  carry  the  pieces  on  the  back,  the  males 
support  it  behind  so  that  it  may  not  fall  off.  The  houses  rise  in- 
geniously to  the  height  of  five  stories  ;  they  are  smeared  above 
with  clay  to  protect  them  from  the  rain  ;  in  the  middle  is  a  con- 
venient aperture  through  which  to  dive  into  the  water  as  soon  as 
they  perceive  any  person.  Wherefore,  one  of  the  troop  keeps 
watch  by  turns,  and  in  the  winter  a  second  keeps  the  water  open 
by  constant  beating  of  the  tail.  The  tail  is  fiattish  without  hair, 
and  most  dainty  food  which  in  some  places  is  served  up  as  a  rare 
delicacy.  The  beavers  go  with  young  sixteen  weeks  ;  they  bear 
once  a  year  four  young,  which  cry  and  suck  like  young  children  ; 
for  the  mother  rises  on  her  hind  paws  and  gives  each  two  a  breast 
as  she  has  only  two  breasts  between  the  fore  legs  ;  these  legs  re- 
semble somewhat  those  of  the  clog ;  the  hindmost,  like  those  of 
geese,  lap  in  some  measure  over  each  other.  On  both  sides  of  the 
privy  parts  lie  two  swellings  enclosed  in  separate  membranes. 
From  the  privy  parts  oozes  an  oleaginous  humor,  with  which  they 
smear  all  the  accessible  parts  of  the  bod)'  in  order  to  keep  dry. 
Inwardly  they  resemble  a  cut  up  hog;  they  live  on  leaves  and 
bark  ;  are  excessively  attached  to  their  young ;  the  wind-hairs 
which  rise  oditterino-  above  the  back,  fall  off  in  the  summer,  and 

o  o 

grow  again  by  the  fall ;  they  are  short  necked  ;  have  strong  sinews 
and  muscles  ;  move  rapidly  in  the  water  and  on  land  ;  attacked  by 
men  or  dogs,  they  bite  fiercely.  The  pure  Castor,  so  highly  prised 
by  physicians,  consists  of  oblong  follicles,  resembling  a  wrinkled 
pear  which  are  firmly  attached  to  the  os  pubis  of  the  female  beaver; 


258  MAMMALIA. 

the  Indians  cut  up  the  little  balls  of  the  males  with  their  tobacco  as 
they  afford  no  castor."  * 

In  the  year  1732  the  immortal  Linnaeus  was  sent,  by  the  Royal 
Academy  of  Upsal,  on  a  tour  through  Lapland.  In  his  personal 
journal  he  says  :  "  I  set  out  alone  from  the  city  of  Upsal  on  Friday 
May  12,  1732,  at  eleven  o'clock,  being  at  that  time  within  half  a 
day  of  twenty-five  years  of  age."  Sixteen  days  later,  when  at  a 
place  called  Genow,  the  young  naturalist  had  the  opportunity, 
apparently  for  the  first  time,  of  examining  a  recently  killed  Beaver. 
Of  it  he  said,  "  I  inquired  concerning  the  food  of  this  animal,  and 
was  told  it  was  the  bark  of  trees,  the  birch,  fir,  and  mountain  ash, 
but  more  especially  the  aspen,  and  the  castor  becomes  larger  in 
proportion  as  the  Beaver  can  get  more  of  the  aspen  bark.  This 
confirmed  the  truth  of  what  Assessor  Rothman  formerly  asserted, 
that  castor  is  secreted  from  the  intermediate  bark  of  the  poplar, 
which  has  the  same  scent,  though  not  quite  so  strong  :  hence  it  is 
to  be  presumed  that  a  decoction  of  this  bark,  if  the  dose  were  suf- 
ficiently large,  would  have  the  same  medicinal  effects.  I  wonder 
no  naturalist  has  classed  this  animal  with  the  Mouse  tribe  [which 
term  was  then  applied  to  all  Rodents],  as  its  broad  depressed  form 
at  first  sight  suggested  to  me  that  it  was  of  that  family."  f  Thus, 
only  a  century  and  a  half  ago,  appeared  the  germ  of  the  idea  that 
recognized  in  the  structure  of  the  Beaver  its  affinities  with  the 
members  of  the  order  Glires,  to  which  order  it  was  assigned  by 
Linnaeus  in  his  great  work,  the  Systcma  Natures. 

Thomas  Pennant  said:  "The  skins  are  a  prodigious  article  of 
trade  ;  being  the  foundation  of  the  hat  manufactory.  In  1763  were 
sold,  in  a  single  sale  of  the  Hudson  s  Bay  Company,  64,670  skins." 


*  Documentary  History  of  New  York,  Vol.  IV,  pp.  120-121. 
•(•  Lachesis  Lapponica,  Vol.  I,  iSu,  pp.  88-89. 
\  Synopsis  of  Quadrupeds,  1771,  p.  258. 


MUS    DECUMANUS.  269 

Family  MURID/E. 

MUS   DECUMANUS    Pallas. 

Rat. 

This  ubiquitous  naturalized  exotic  is  found  even  within  the  con- 
fines of  the  Adirondacks.  But  his  presence  here  omens  no  good. 
Like  the  lumberman,  whose  footsteps  he  follows,  he  is  the  personi- 
fication of  destruction,  and  desecrates  the  soil  on  which  he  treads. 

He  is  omnivorous,  greedy,  and  fierce,  and  is  totally  lacking  in 
qualities  of  a  compensatory  character.  His  long  residence  in  the 
very  stronghold  of  his  enemies  has  developed  hereditary  habits  of 
great  circumspection,  and  where  much  persecuted  he  is  one  of  the 
most  cunning  and  crafty  of  mammals.  The  means  devised  for  his 
extermination  may  be  numbered  by  hundreds,  but  he  is  so  prolific, 
and  so  soon  learns  to  avoid  the  artifices  designed  for  his  capture, 
that  he  has  spread  himself  over  nearly  the  whole  civilized  world. 

The  Rat  ranks  among  the  worst  enemies  of  the  farmer.  Not 
only  does  he  force  his  way  into  the  cellar,  the  milk-house,  and  the 
granary;  but  he  also  commits  great  havoc  in  the  poultry-yard.  He 
wantonly  destroys  far  more  than  he  consumes.  The  choicest  fruits 
and  vegetables  are  ruined  by  a  single  bite  ;  smoked  hams  sus- 
pended from  the  rafters  show  the  marks  of  his  sharp  teeth  ;  pans 
of  rich  cream  are  soiled  by  his  lash-like  tail  ;  large  holes  through 
the  plank-walls  of  the  oat-bin  leave  no  doubt  as  to  the  identity  of 
the  thief ;  and  the  constant  loss  of  eggs  and  of  young  chickens  and 
ducks  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  serious  evils  his  pres- 
ence occasions.  Even  the  sleeping  child  and  the  shrouded  corpse 
have  been  mutilated  by  his  cruel  jaws. 

He  is  not  content  with  deriving  his  sustenance  at  our  expense, 
but,  to  save  himself  the  trouble  of  a  walk  between  meals,  takes  up 
his  abode  in  or  under  our  dwellings  and  outhouses.  In  unsettled 
regions  he  often  makes  long  journeys  from  house  to  house,  but  I 


260  MAMMALIA. 

have  never  known  him  to  make  his  home  at  any  great  distance 
from  buildings. 

Rats  are  good  swimmers,  and  in  their  migrations  from  place  to 
place  (which  are  usually  performed  at  night,  and  thus  escape 
notice)  they  do  not  hesitate  to  swim  rivers  and  ponds  that  lie  in  the 
way.  Though  chiefly  nocturnal,  they  are  often  seen  in  the  day- 
time. 

They  are  excessively  prolific,  commonly  bringing  forth  from 
seven  to  twelve  young  at  a  birth,  and  having  several  litters  each 
season.  Some  idea  of  the  number  of  Rats  inhabiting  lar^e  cities 

<->  o 

may  be  had  from  the  fact  that,  at  Paris,  in  a  fortnight's  time,  more 
than  six  hundred  thousand  were  killed  in  the  sewers.  Their  skins 
were  manufactured  into  kid  gloves. 

MUS     MUSCULUS     Lmnsms. 
House  Mouse. 

The  House  Mouse  is  another  exotic  that  has  found  the  climate 
and  productions  of  America  so  much  to  its  liking  that  it  has  multi- 
plied and  diffused  itself  over  the  whole  of  the  inhabited  portions  of 
our  continent. 

Like  the  rat,  it  abounds  in  our  largest  cities  and  makes  itself  a 
conspicuous,  albeit  unwelcome,  member  of  the  household;  but  unlike 
the  latter  it  also  inhabits  districts  as  yet  unoccupied  by  civilized  man. 

Such  places,  however,  do  not  seem  congenial  to  its  urban  disposi- 
tion, and  it  is  probable  that  none  but  those  who,  from  long  residence 
in  the  country,  have  acquired  a  taste  for  adventure,  make  bold  to 
desert  their  traditional  haunts,  together  with  the  cats  and  traps  with 
which  they  have  been  for  generations  familiar,  to  seek  new  homes, 
amid  new  surroundings  and  new  enemies. 

I  have  observed  the  House  Mouse  in  many  of  the  camps  scattered 
through  the  Adirondacks,  and  have  killed  it,  though  rarely,  at  a 
considerable  distance  from  the  habitations  of  man.  It  is  common 


Mrs   MrsruU's.  261 

in  the  fertile  valleys  along  the  outskirts  of  the  Wilderness,  living  in 
the  fields  during  the  short  summer  season,  and  returning  to  the 
dwellings,  barns,  and  haystacks  at  the  approach  of  winter. 

It  is  omnivorous,  and,  in  the  main,  nocturnal.  It  usually  gives 
birth  to  from  five  to  nine  young  at  a  time,  and  has  several  litters  in 
a  season. 

The  House  Mouse  as  a   Vocalist. 
It  has  lono-  been  known  that  individuals  of  the  common   House 

O 

Mouse  occasionally  possess  very  exceptional  vocal  powers.  These 
"singing  mice"  have  appeared,  from  time  to  time,  in  various  parts 
of  the  country,  and  their  performances  have  been  eagerly  listened  to 
and  carefully  recorded  by  the  delighted  hearers. 

My  aunt,  Mrs.  Helen  M.  Bagg,  once  had  a  singing  Mouse  in  her 
house  at  Detroit,  Michigan,  and  has  kindly  favored  me  with  the  fol- 
lowing account  of  it  :  "  Early  in  the  spring  of  i858  I  would  occasion- 
ally hear  faint  musical  sounds,  like  the  warbling  of  a  young  bird,  issue 
from  the  china  closet,  which  was  on  one  side  of  the  dining  room. 
Several  a^ys  passed  before  I  could  get  any  clew  to  the  sounds.  We 
had  singing  birds — a  mocking  bird  and  canaries — and  every  one  de- 
clared it  was  the  birds  I  had  heard,  but  I  felt  equally  certain  the 
sounds  came  from  the  closet.  One  afternoon  when  the  house  was 
quiet,  the  children  taking  their  naps,  and  the  cook  having  ceased  to 
rattle  her  dishes,  I  opened  the  closet  door  and  sat  down  where  I 
could  have  a  full  view  of  the  inside.  After  a  long  and  patient  waiting 
a  mouse  peered  out  from  behind  the  plates,  climbed  up  a  little  way  on 
the  brackets,  and,  after  looking  around  several  times,  began  to  sing ! 
I  need  not  describe  my  feelings.  Its  song  was  not  much  of  a  song, 
'  as  songs  go,'  but  still  a  distinct  musical  effort.  Sometimes  it  would 
run  up  an  octave  and  end  with  a  decided  attempt  at  a  trill.  Some- 
times it  would  try  to  trill  all  the  notes.  An  octave  seemed  to  be 
about  its  range.  I  could  distinctly  see  the  expansion  and  vibration 
of  its  throat  and  chest  as  one  can  in  a  song  bird.  Its  favorite  posi- 


262  MAMMALIA. 

tion  when  singing  was  an  erect  one,  standing  on  its  hind  feet,  and 
holding  by  its  forward  ones  to  the  wall  or  bracket,  almost  invariably 
turning  its  face  toward  us.  It  remained  with  us  several  weeks,  and 
at  length  became  so  familiar  as  to  appsar  to  enjoy  company,  seem- 
ingly putting  forth  all  its  strength  to  amuse  us  with  its  little  song, 
which  improved  daily  in  tone  and  volume,  but  not  in  compass.  Its 
voice  became  so  clear  that  we  could  frequently  hear  it  in  the  parlor 
that  opened  out  of  the  dining  room.  I  frequently  invited  my  visitors 
to  listen  to  it.  My  next-door  neighbors  occasionally  heard  it  in  their 
house,  but  not  very  distinctly.  It  evidently  did  not  feel  at  home 
there.  Suddenly  as  it  came  it  disappeared— probably  falling  a  prey 
to  some  cat  during  its  rambles  from  house  to  house.' 

o 

In  1804  Dr.  Samuel  Cramer,  of  Virginia,  communicated  to  Dr. 
Barton  the  following  very  curious  account  of  the  influence  of  music 
upon  the  common  House  Mouse.  He  said  :  "  One  evening,  in  the 
month  of  December,  as  a  few  officers  on  board  of  a  British  man  of 
war,  in  the  harbour  of  Portsmouth,  were  seated  around  the  fire,  one 
of  them  began  to  play  a  plaintive  air  on  the  violin.  He  had  scarce- 
ly performed  ten  minutes,  when  a  mouse,  apparently  frantic,  made 
its  appearance,  in  the  centre  of  the  floor,  near  the  large  table  which 
usually  stands  in  the  wardroom,  the  residence  of  the  lieutenants  in 
ships  of  the  line.  The  strange  gestures  of  the  little  animal  strongly 
excited  the  attention  of  the  officers,  who,  with  one  consent,  resolved 
to  suffer  it  to  continue  its  singular  actions  unmolested.  Its  exer- 

O 

tions  now  appeared  to  be  greater,  every  moment.  It  shook  its 
head,  leaped  about  the  table,  and  exhibited  signs  of  the  most  extatic 
delight. 

"  It  was  observed,  that  in  proportion  to  the  gradation  of  the  tones 
of  the  soft  point,  the  extacy  of  the  animal  appeared  to  be  increased, 
and  vice  versa.  After  performing  actions,  which  an  animal  so  dimin- 
utive would,  at  first  sight,  seem  incapable  of,  the  little  creature,  to 
the  astonishment  of  the  delighted  spectators,  suddenly  ceased  to 


IIKSl'EROMVS    LEUCOPUS.  263 


move;   fell  down,  and  expired,  without  evincing  any   symptoms   of 
pain."  * 

Linnaeus,  in  his  brief  diagnosis  of  this  species,  said  :  "  Dclcctatur 
music  a"  f 


HESPEROMYS   LEUCOPUS    l^f.)  LeConte. 
White-footed  Mouse  ;  Deer  Mouse;  Field  Mouse. 

The  White-footed  Mouse  is  common  in  all  parts  of  the  Acliron- 
dacks.  In  the  wild  state  it  feeds  upon  beechnuts  and  a  variety  of 
seeds  ;  in  captivity  it  is  omnivorous. 

Its  haunts  are  various.  Some  take  up  their  abode  in  dense  ever- 
green forests,  others  in  hardwood  groves,  and  others  still  in  the  open 
fields.  Many  find  the  way  into  the  hunter's  camp  and  the  log-house 
of  the  frontiersman  ;  while  in  the  more  cultivated  districts  they  vie 
with  the  common  house  mouse  in  the  possession  of  our  homes.  Dr. 
Richardson  tells  us  that  in  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's  Terri- 
tory, "  no  sooner  is  a  fur-post  established  than  this  little  animal  be- 
comes an  inmate  of  the  dwelling-houses"  (Fauna  Boreali  Ameri- 
cana, 1829,  p.  142). 

It  is  an  excellent  climber  and  I  have  often  found  its  nest  in  holes 
in  living  trees,  more  than  seventy  feet  (21.33  metres)  above  the 
ground  While  on  a  snow-shoe  walk  with  a  friend  one  bright  moon- 
light evening,  several  winters  ago,  one  of  them  was  observed  skip- 
ping lightly  over  the  snow  a  short  distance  ahead.  We  gave  chase, 
but  the  mouse  escaped  by  running  up  the  trunk  of  a  smooth-barked 
beech  hard  by.  My  friend,  who  was  not  aware  of  its  climbing  pro- 
pensities, looked  on  in  amazement  while  the  mouse,  with  as  much 
ease  and  nimbleness  as  a  squirrel,  ascended  the  tree  and  disap- 
peared in  a  knot-hole  high  among  the  branches. 

The  White-footed  Mouse  does  not  hibernate.     Except  during  the 

*  The  Philadelphia  Medical  and  Physical  Journal,  Vol.  I,  1804,  pp.  37-38. 
f  Systema  Naturee,  Ed.  X,  Vol.  I,  1758,  p.  62. 


264  MAMMALIA. 

severest  weather  its  tracks  may  be  seen  on  the  snow  throughout  the 
winter,  its  long  tail  leaving  a  furrow  by  which  it  may  always  be  rec- 
ognized. In  the  autumn  it  lays  up  an  immense  store  of  provision 
for  so  small  an  animal.  The  beechnut  constitutes  its  favorite  food, 
and  in  seasons  when  it  is  to  be  had  no  other  article  of  diet  is  sought. 
The  hoards  are  generally  established  in  holes  in  trees  or  in  hollow 
logs,  and  are,  therefore,  frequently  discovered  by  the  wood-chopper. 
The  beechnuts  they  contain  are  usually  shucked,  and  I  have,  on  sev- 
eral occasions,  removed  two  or  three  quarts  from  a  single  hoard. 

Robert  Kennicott  tells  us  that  in  western  New  York,  Joseph 
Kennicott  found,  "  within  a  stump  in  a  clover-field,  several  quarts  of 
clean  seed  of  red  clover,  collected  by  a  family  of  these  mice."  * 

They  sometimes  select  odd  sites  for  their  store-houses.  In  October 
and  November,  i88i,Drs.  Hoadley,  Fisher,  and  myself  occupied  the 
neat  log-house  that  is  commonly  known  as  the  "Club  Camp  "  at  Big 
Moose  Lake.  We  were  here  much  annoyed  by  the  White-footed 
Mice,  which  not  only  made  way  with  any  eatables  that  happened  to 
be  lying  about,  but  also  lugged  off  a  quantity  of  the  cotton  we  had 
brought  for  stuffing  birds.  They  even  climbed  up  to  our  drying- 
boards  and  pulled  out  the  cotton  which  we  had  carefully  tucked  under 
the  shoulders  and  backs  of  the  newly-made  bird  skins.  No  place 
was  free  from  their  depredations,  and  the  skins  were  only  made 
secure  by  suspending  them  from  the  ceiling  by  means  of  cleats 
fastened  to  the  smooth  spruce  rafters.  The  loss  of  the  cotton  was  a 
matter  of  no  small  consequence,  since  it  had  to  be  carried  there  from 
a  distance  of  more  than  forty  miles.  A  careful  search  was  begun, 
but  no  trace  of  it  could  be  found  till  a  small  cupboard,  supposed  to  be 
mouse -proof,  was  unlocked,  when  the  whole  of  it  fell  in  view.  In 
this  same  cupboard  we  discovered  an  old  shoe  well  filled  with  crackers 
and  sugar  which  had  been  taken  from  the  kitchen,  and  beechnut 
meats  which  had  been  brought  from  some  distance  outside.  The 


*  Quadrupeds  of  Illinois,  1857,  p.  91. 


HKSI'KKOMYS    l.Krcol'US.  265 

locker  was  entered  from  the  top,  and  the  path  to  it  was  circuitous 
and  difficult. 

The  White-footed  Mouse  is  fond  of  flesh  and,  like  the  flying  squir- 
rel, eagerly  devours  dead  birds  placed  in  its  way.  Indeed,  this  is 
done  so  naturally,  that  the  suspicion  arises  as  to  whether  it  does  not 
sometimes  capture  and  prey  upon  the  smaller  birds  while  on  their 
roosts  at  night. 

Dr.  Samuel  Lockwood  had  a  caged  Hesperomys  from  Florida. 
"  Sometimes  a  fly  would  enter  the  cage,  when  she  would  spring  at, 
and  catch  it,  sometimes  with  her  mouth,  and  at  others  with  her  hands. 
This  she  would  eat  with  great  relish.  ...  A  little  sod  of  fresh 
grass  and  white  clover  was  occasionally  put  into  the  cage.  This  she 
enjoyed  greatly,  eating  the  greens  like  a  rabbit ;  only  always  insisting 
on  sitting  up  to  do  it.  It  was  interesting  to  witness  how  ready  she 
was  for  emergencies.  Sitting  on  her  hind  feet,  she  would  take  hold 
with  her  hands  of  a  blade  of  grass,  and  begin  eating  at  the  tip.  The 
spear  would  rapidly  shorten,  and  seemingly  she  mu.-t  now  stoop  to 
finish  it,  or  do  it  in  the  ordinary  quadrupedal  style.  Now  that  was 
just  what  she  did  not  choose  to  do.  So  when  the  emergency  came, 
she  would  stoop  down,  and  in  a  trice  cut  the  blade  off  close  to  the  sod 
with  just  one  nip  ;  then  up  again  on  her  feet  in  a  sitting  posture,  she 
would  finish  it  in  a  comfortable  and  becoming  way."  * 

In  personal  appearance  the  White-footed  Mouse  is  far  more  at- 
tractive than  the  other  members  of  the  family.  Its  prominent,  bead- 
like  eyes,  large  ears,  and  long  tail  are  striking  characteristics,  while 
the  rich  fawn-color  of  the  sides  and  back,  sharply  contrasted  with  the 
snowy  white  of  the  under  parts  and  feet,  combine  to  produce  an 
exterior  of  much  beauty.  Add  to  this  the  natural  agility  and  grace 
of  its  movements  and  we  have  an  animal  that,  by  any  other  name 
than  mouse,  would  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  interesting  inhab- 
itants of  our  forests. 

*  American  Naturalist,  Vol.  V,  No.  12,  Dec.,  1871,  p.   763. 


266  MAMMALIA. 

Its  disposition  is  in  perfect  harmony  with  its  attractive  appearance, 
for  even  the  flying  squirrel  is  not  more  gentle  and  affectionate. 
When  first  captured  it  rarely  offers  to  bite,  and  within  a  few  hours 
will  generally  eat  from  the  hand.  It  manifests  neither  fear  nor 
suspicion  while  in  its  box  or  on  one's  person,  but  if  let  loose  in  a 
large  room  is  frightened  when  approached,  and  seeks  to  hide.  If 
given  the  opportunity,  it  is  pretty  sure  to  select  some  particular 
pocket  for  its  home.  It  is  also  fond  of  running  up  one's  sleeves,  and 
when  pinched  by  the  movements  of  the  arm  will  never  think  of 
biting. 

A  few  years  ago  I  had  a  tame  White-footed  Mouse  to  which  I  had 
become  considerably  attached.  During  the  day  it  never  left  my 
person,  and  at  night  was  alwa)  s  placed  in  a  large  glass  jar  with  an 
abundance  of  cotton.  It  would  eat  almost  anything  offered,  sitting 
on  its  haunches  on  my  hand  or  shoulder,  and  would  eagerly  lap 
water  or  milk  from  a  glass,  or  from  a  finger  wet  in  the  same.  It 
was  scrupulously  neat,  continually  washing  its  face  and  cleaning  its 
soft  fur.  Many  times  each  day  it  would  reach  back  and  grasp  its 
long  tail,  which,  guided  and  manipulated  by  the  fore-paws,  was  sev- 
eral times  in  succession  drawn  for  its  entire  length  through  the  mouth. 
When  let  loose  on  the  snow  it  invariably  burrowed  down  with  great 
rapidity.  One  clear  cold  clay  in  midwinter,  the  temperature  being 
many  degrees  below  zero,  I  started  on  my  usual  snow-shoe  walk 
with  the  Mouse  asleep  in  my  coat  pocket.  I  had  gone  some  distance 
and  forgotten  its  presence,  when  a  faint  cry  of  distress  warned  me 
that  all  was  not  right.  It  responded  to  my  call  only  by  another  cry 
of  pain,  fainter  even  than  the  first.  On  taking  it  from  my  pocket,  it 
gave  me  a  slight  nip,  and  almost  immediately  expired.  It  was  very 
cold,  and  in  a  few  minutes  was  frozen  through. 

In  the  selection  of  sites  for  their  nests  scarcely  less  individuality 
is  shown  than  in  the  choice  of  their  haunts.  Those  that  live  in  the 
deep  forests  commonly  build  in  holes  in  trees  or  logs,  or  in  the  roots 
of  stumps  ;  while  those  that  dwell  in  open  fields  excavate  chambers 


HKSI'l-Ro.MVS    LEUCOPUS.  267 

in  the  earth  several  inches  below  the  surface,  in  which  the  young  are 
reared.  Mr.  Kennicott  says  he  has  known  of  "  numerous  instances 
in  which  several  have  been  observed  inhabiting  the  same  hole  in  a 
tree  with  a  family  of  flying  squirrels." 

I  have  found  this  species  with  young  at  various  times  from  April 
until  November,  but  do  not  know  how  many  litters  it  has  in  a 
season.  As  late  as  the  8th  of  November  (1883)  a  nest  was  ploughed 
up  in  one  of  our  fields  at  Locust  Grove.  It  was  lined  with  feathers 
and  contained  half-grown  young.  On  the  29th  of  the  same  month  I 
secured  in  one  trap  a  female  and  her  young,  which  were  two-thirds 
grown.  The  mother  bore  evidence  of  having  recently  been  nursed, 
and  the  stomach  of  the  youngsters  contained  nothing  but  milk. 
From  three  to  six  are  produced  at  a  birth. 

The  young  are  leaclen-gray  in  color  and  their  ears  are  dispropor- 
tionately large.  Late  in  June  the  first  litter  begins  to  show  pale 
fawn  color — generally  commencing  on  the  flanks. 

Throughout  its  southern  ranore,  and  even  so  far  north  as  southern 

o  o 

New  England  and  portions  of  New  York,  the  White-footed  Mouse, 
like  the  red,  gray,  and  flying  squirrels,  is  known  to  construct  "out- 
side nests  "  for  the  reception  of  its  young.  Such  nests  are  usually 
more  or  less  cocoa-nut  shaped,  and  sometimes  measure  a  foot  in 
longest  diameter.  They  consist  of  moss,  grasses,  leaves,  inner  bark, 
and  other  similar  substances.  The  opening  is  at  or  near  the  bottom. 
They  are  commonly  placed  on  a  horizontal  branch  at  a  varying  dis- 
tance from  the  ground.  Those  that  I  have  found  have  generally 
been  in  thickets  overrun  with  Swila.r,  and  were  rarely  more  than  ten 
feet  high.  Nests  of  birds  are  sometimes  refitted  and  occupied  by 
these  animals.  In  the  Adirondacks  I  have  never  known  them  to 
build  or  inhabit  outside  nests. 

Dr.  Barton,  in  1804,  published  a  note  "On  a  species  of  North- 
American  Wandering  Mouse,"  which,  from  the  meagre  description 
given,  seems  to  have  been  the  White-footed  Mouse.  The  Doctor 

says  :— 

18 


268  MAMMALIA 

"  In  the  year  1796,  a  particular  species  of  Mouse  made  its  appear- 
ance at  Burlington- Bay,  on  the  west  end  of  Lake-Ontario,  and  at 
Long-Point,  on  the  north  side  of  Lake-Erie.  They  came  out  of  the 
woods,  from  the  northward,  in  troops  of  thousands,  and  committed 
great  havoc  among  the  Indian -corn. 

"  These  animals  were  so  numerous,  that,  for  a  good  while,  they 
were  caught  by  hundreds,  at  a  time.  It  is  said,  that  the  cats,  tired 
of  killing  them,  came,  at  length,  to  play  with  them,  without  offering 
them  any  injury. 

"  Even  in  the  winter-time,  the  corn-cribs  were  extremely  offensive, 
from  the  great  numbers  of  these  mice,  that  had  perished  in  them. 

"  This  mouse  is  described  as  a  small  species,  smaller  than  the  com- 
mon House-Mouse  ;  with  a  white  belly,  and  a  very  long  tail.  The 
general  colour  was  that  of  the  House-Mouse." 

Hesperomys  as  a    Vocalist. 

Mr.  W.  O.  Hiskey,  in  a  note  in  the  American  Naturalist  for  May, 
1871  (Vol.  V,  No.  3,  pp.  171-172)  states  :  "  I  was  sitting  a  few  even- 
ings since,  not  far  from  a  half-open  closet  door,  when  I  was  startled 
by  a  sound  issuing  from  the  closet,  of  such  marvellous  beauty  that  I 
at  once  asked  my  wife  how  Bobbie  Burns  (our  canary)  had  found  his 
way  into  the  closet,  and  what  could  start  him  to  singing  such  a  queer 
and  sweet  song  in  the  dark.  I  procured  a  light  and  found  it  to  be  a 
mouse!  He  had  filled  an  over-shoe  from  a  basket  of  pop-corn 
which  had  been  popped  and  placed  in  the  closet  in  the  morning. 
Whether  this  rare  collection  of  food  inspired  him  with  song  I  know 
not,  but  I  had  not  the  heart  to  disturb  his  corn,  hoping  to  hear  from 
him  again.  Last  night  his  song  was  renewed.  I  approached  with 
a  subdued  light  and  with  great  caution,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  see- 
ing him  sitting  among  his  corn  and  singing  his  beautiful  solo.  I 
observed  him  without  interruption  for  ten  minutes,  not  over  four  feet 

*  The  Philadelphia  Medical  and  Physical  Journal,  Vol.  I,  1804,  pp.  3I~32- 


HESl'ERO.MVS    LEUCOI'US.  269 

from  him.  His  song  was  not  a  chirp,  but  a  continuous  song  of  mu- 
sical tone,  a  kind  of  to-wit-to-wee-woo-woo-wee-woo,  quite  varied  in 
pitch." 

The  most  extended  and  interesting  account  that  I  have  seen  of  a 
singing  Hesperoinys  is  from  the  pen  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Lockwood. 
The  subject  of  his  sketch  was  caught  in  Florida  by  Philip  Ryall, 
Esq.,  and  was  presented  to  Dr.  Lockwood,  who  named  it  Hcspic, 
Its  vocal  powers  were  extraordinary,  and  two  of  its  most  frequently 
repeated  performances  were  termed  respectively  the  IVJicel  Song 
and  the  Grand  Roh\  and  were  expressed  in  musical  notation  by  Mr. 
Ferris  C.  Lockwood.  After  describing  her  ordinary  songs  in  great 
detail,  Dr.  Lockwood  observes  :  "  A  remarkable  fact  in  the  above 
role  is  the  scope  of  little  Hespie's  musical  powers.  Her  soft,  clear 
voice  falls  an  octave  with  all  the  precision  possible  ;  then  at  the 
wind-up,  it  rises  again  into  a  very  quick  trill  on  C  sharp  and  D. 

"  Though  it  be  at  the  risk  of  taxing  belief,  yet  I  must  in  duty  record 
one  of  Hespie's  most  remarkable  performances.  She  was  gamboling 
in  the  large  compartment  of  her  cage,  in  a  mood  indicating  intense 
animal  enjoyment,  having  woke  from  a  long  sleep,  and  partaken  of 
some  favorite  food.  She  burst  into  a  fulness  of  song  very  rich  in  its 
variety.  While  running  and  jumping,  she  rolled  off  what  I  have 
called  her  Grand  Role,  then  sitting,  she  went  over  it  again,  ringing 
out  the  strangest  diversity  of  changes,  by  an  almost  whimsical  trans- 
position of  the  bars  ;  then  without  for  an  instant  stopping  the  music, 
she  leapt  into  the  wheel,  started  it  revolving  at  its  highest  speed, 
and  went  through  the  Wheel  Song  in  exquisite  style,  giving  several 
repetitions  of  it.  After  this  she  returned  to  the  large  compartment, 
took  up  again  the  Grand  Role,  and  put  into  it  some  variations  of 
execution  which  astonished  me.  One  measure  I  remember  was  so 
silvery  and  soft,  that  I  said  to  a  lady  who  was  listening,  that  a  canary 
able  to  execute  that  would  be  worth  a  hundred  dollars.  I  occasionally 
detected  what  I  am  utterly  unable  to  explain,  a  literal  dual  sound,  very 
like  a  boy  whistling  as  he  draws  a  stick  along  the  pickets  of  a  fence. 


27O  MAMMALIA. 

So  the  music  went  on,  as  I  listened,  watch  in  hand,  until  actually 
nine  minutes  Jicid  elapsed.  Now  the  wonderful  fact  is  that  the  rest 
between  the  roles  was  never  much  more  than  for  a  second  of  time  ; 
and  during  all  this  sinoino;  the  muscles  could  be  seen  in  vigorous 

o  o       £j  *-* 

action  through  the  entire  length  of  the  abdomen.  This  feat  would 
be  impossible  to  a  professional  singer  ;  and  the  nearest  to  it  that  I 
have  seen  was  the  singing  of  a  wild  mocking  bird  in  a  grove. 

"  For  several  days  the  wheel  grated  on  its  axle.  This  afforded 
Hespie  great  delight ;  and  her  own  little  warble  was  completely  lost 
in  the  harsher  sound.  It  was  pretty  much  as  it  is  with  some  of  the 
modern  methods  of  praise  ;  as  when  the  vocal  is  subordinated  to  the 
instrumental,  a  mere  murmur  of  song,  on  which  the  organist  comes 
down  as  with  the  sound  of  many  waters.  A  drop  of  oil,  and  the 
sound  of  the  friction  stopped.  This  quite  excited  her  temper  ;  and 
she  bit  the  wires  of  her  wheel  most  viciously.  A  little  device  was 
hit  upon  "which  set  her  in  good  humor  again.  A  strip  of  stout 
writing  paper,  a  half  inch  wide,  was  pinned  down  in  such  a  way  that 
its  clean  cut  upper  edge  pressed  against  the  wires  of  the  wheel, 
making  with  its  revolution  a  pleasant,  purring  sound.  It  was  on  the 
principle,  exactly,  of  the  old-time  watchman's  rattle,  and  the  old  toy 
known  as  a  cricket.  This  for  a  while  greatly  delighted  the  capricious 
creature,  and  she  made  the  wheel  almost  fly  ;  at  the  same  time,  in 
unison  with  the  whirr  of  the  wheel,  was  her  own  soft,  cheery  warble. 
It  was  very  low,  yet  very  distinct." 

Another  noteworthy  peculiarity  of  Hespie's  was  that  she  some- 
times ate  and  sang  at  the  same  time.  On  one  occasion  a  slender 
twig  of  black  alder,  about  an  inch  in  length,  was  given  her.  "  She 
was  delighted,  and  at  once  began  in  her  usual  pretty  way,  sitting 
up,  to  eat  the  bark,  although  it  was  very  bitter.  Thus  she  sat 
'  bolt  upright ; '  and  the  manner  in  which  she  held  this  little  black 
stick  in  both  hands  up  to  her  mouth,  at  the  precise  angle  in  which  a 
fife  is  held,  although  nibbling  away,  yet  singing  at  the  same  time,  it 


EVOTOMVS    RlTII.rs    CAl'l'ERI.  271 

looked  so  like  a  little  fifer  playing  on  an  ebony  fife  that  laughter  was 
irresistible.' 


EVOTOMYS   RUTILUS   GAPPERI    (Vigors) 
Red-backed  Mouse  ;  Long-cared  Wood  Mouse. 

The  Red-backed  Mouse  is  abundant  in  all  parts  of  the  Adirondacks. 
It  occurs  on  the  summits  of  the  tree-covered  mountains  as  well  as  in 
the  deepest  valleys.  It  is  essentially  a  wood  species  in  its  local  dis- 
tribution, rarely  frequenting  the  beaver  meadows  or  the  fields  of  the 
farmer.  It  often  enters  the  woodman's  camp,  and  I  have  sometimes 
caught  it  even  in  the  luxurious  log-houses  which  have,  during  the 
past  few  years,  supplanted  the  old-time  shanties  in  many  parts  of 
the  Adirondacks. 

It  feeds  upon  beechnuts  and  a  variety  of  seeds,  berries,  and  roots, 
and  also,  at  certain  times  in  the  winter  season,  upon  the  bark  of 
shrubs  and  trees.  The  beech,  maple,  ash,  and  bass  suffer  most 
severely  from  its  attacks,  and  in  the  order  named.  The  bark  is 
generally  removed  in  irregular  areas  from  the  large  roots  just  above 
the  ground  ;  but  sometimes  saplings,  and  even  trees  a  foot  (306  mm.) 
or  more  in  diameter  are  completely  girdled  to  the  height  of  three  or 
four  feet  (approximately  916  to  1220  mm.).  The  damage  thus  done 
to  our  deciduous  groves  is  sometimes  great,  but  does  not  compare 
with  the  ravages  committed  by  the  field  mouse  (Arvicola  riparins]. 

The  Wood  Mouse  is  terrestrial,  like  the  other  members  of  the 
Arvicolins  series,  and  commonly  lives  in  burrows  in  the  ground.  It 
sometimes  makes  regular  runways  similar  to  those  of  the  field  mouse, 
but  usually  travels  freely  over  the  surface,  not  confining  itself  to  any 
prescribed  course.  It  is  both  diurnal  and  nocturnal.  I  have  shot  it 
at  noonday,  scampering  over  the  leaves  in  the  deep  woods,  and 
dodging  in  and  out  between  the  rocks  of  a  lake  shore.  I  have  also 
seen  it  after  dark  in  shanties  and  log-houses  ;  and  have  caught  many 

*  American  Naturalist,  Vol.  V,  No.  12,  Dec.,  1871,  pp.  765-707. 


2/2  MAMMALIA. 

during  the  night  in  traps  baited  with  beechnuts  and  meat.  Its 
ordinary  gait  is  a  moderately  fast  trot  ;  I  have  never  seen  it  pro- 
ceed in  leaps.  Still,  it  runs  swiftly  for  a  short  distance  and  its 
quick  movements  render  it  difficult  of  capture. 

The  nest  of  the  Red-backed  Mouse  is  usually,  in  this  region,  placed 
in  a  burrow  in  the  earth,  though  it  is  sometimes  found  in  a  half- 
decayed  log,  or  under  the  roots  of  a  stump.  I  have  shot  females, 
each  containing  four  young,  as  early  as  the  3d  of  April,  and  as  late 
as  the  4th  of  October.  I  have  also  taken  a  female  early  in  June  that 
was  nursing  her  second  brood.  Hence  it  is  clear  that  several  litters 
are  produced  in  a  season. 

The  flesh  of  the  Red-backed  Mouse  is  tender  and  well  flavored. 


ARVICOLA   RIPARIUS 
Meadoiv  Mouse  ;  Field  Mouse. 

The  Meadow  Mouse  is  common  in  the  cleared  lands  within  and 
around  the  Adirondack  region.  It  occurs  on  many  of  the  beaver 
meadows,  but  is  never  abundant  in  the  coniferous  forests. 

It  feeds,  in  the  main,  upon  the  roots  of  grasses,  though  in  winter  it 
sometimes  commits  great  havoc  by  gnawing  the  bark  of  trees.  Rich 
meadows  and  pasture  lands  constitute  its  favorite  haunts,  and  are  apt 
to  be  cut  up,  in  all  directions,  by  its  deeply-worn  runways.  It  is 
strictly  terrestrial,  rarely  mounting  even  the  log  or  limb  that  may  lie 
in  its  path,  and  is  both  nocturnal  and  diurnal. 

It   does    not   hibernate.      In   the   beoqnnino-   of   winter,    when  the 

o  o 

ground  is  frozen  for  some  distance  below  the  surface,  it  abandons  its 
burrows  and  lives  entirely  above  ground.  Its  nests  of  dry  grass  then 
lie  flat  upon  the  surface,  without  attempt  at  concealment,  and  are 
soon  buried  in  the  snow.  As  winter  advances  and  the  snow  becomes 
deeper,  the  Meadow  Mice  regularly  betake  themselves  to  their  nests 
for  rest.  The  heat  from  their  bodies  soon  melts  the  snow  in  contact 
with  and  immediately  adjoining  the  nests,  which,  from  the  continued 


ARVK'OLA     RIl'ARIUS.  2/3 

operation  of  the  same  cause,  come  to  be  surrounded  by  slowly-grow- 
ing- dome-shaped  chambers.  These  increase  in  size  until  the  spring 
thaws,  in  March  and  April,  melt  away  their  roofs,  thus  admitting  the 
light  and  cold.  They  are  then  deserted.  During  snow-shoe  tramps 
over  the  fields  at  this  season  I  have  often  noticed  holes,  from  a  few 
inches  to  a  foot  in  diameter,  appearing  as  if  sharply  cut  in  the  surface. 
On  inspection,  they  invariably  proved  to  be  the  summits  of  these 
dome-shaped  cavities,  and  a  nest  was  always  found  at  the  bottom  of 
each,  surrounded  by  a  zone  of  bare  ground.  They  ranged  from  one 
to  two  feet  (approximately  300  to  600  mm.)  in  diameter,  and  most  of 
them  were  two  feet  in  height.  From  the  bottom  of  each  chamber 
numerous  runways  and  burrows  penetrated  the  snow  in  all  directions. 
Some  followed  along  directly  upon  the  ground,  while  others  sloped 
upward  at  various  angles.  Many  ran  horizontally  at  varying  levels, 
resting  upon  the  dense  strata  that  indicated  the  surface  lines  at 
different  times  during  the  winter.  Near  each  nest  was  one  or  more 

o 

burrows  that  reached  the  surface  and  contained  considerable  accumu- 
lations of  the  animal's  dejections.  These  seemed  to  be  watch  holes 
where  the  Mice  came  regularly  to  look  at  the  prospect  outside. 

Meadow  Mice  sometimes,  but  not  often,  travel  upon  the  snow,  and 
they  occasionally  stray  so  far  that  they  are  unable  to  find  the  holes 
through  which  they  came  up.  If  this  happens  when  there  is  a  hard 
crust,  through  which  they  cannot  burrow,  they  wander  aimlessly  about 
for  a  while  and  finally  perish  from  the  cold.  In  March  and  April  I 
have  several  times  found  them  frozen  to  death  upon  the  crust. 

They  are  always  present  in  greater  or  less  numbers,  but  are 
not  often  sufficiently  abundant  to  direct  the  attention  of  the  farmer 
to  their  depreciations.  Occasionally,  however,  they  multiply  to  such 
an  alarming  extent  that  the  most  superficial  observer  is  impressed 
with  the  magnitude  of  their  ravages.  They  devastate  the  meadows, 
grain-fields,  and  orchards  of  the  farmer,  and  ruin  the  nurseries  of  the 
horticulturist.  Whether  these  periodical  invasions  are  the  result  of 
unchecked  reproduction,  or  of  migration,  has  not  been  positively 


274  MAMMALIA 

ascertained.  Fortunately,  they  generally  recur  at  long  intervals. 
Arboreous  vegetation  suffers  most  during  winters  of  deep  snow,  the 
snow  enabling  the  Mice  to  reach  the  bark  at  a  considerable  height, 
and  at  the  same  time  protecting  them  from  the  inclemencies  of  the 
weather.  I  have  seen  fruit  trees,  and  also  saplings  of  the  maple  and 
beech,  more  or  less  completely  girdled  to  the  height  of  four  and  even 
five  feet  (1.21  to  i.52  metres).  During  the  winter  of  1868  or  1869 
thousands  of  young  trees  were  destroyed  in  Lewis  County  alone. 

In  places  where  corn  or  grain  is  allowed  to  stand  in  shocks  for  any 
length  of  time,  large  losses  are  occasioned  by  the  Mice.  The  amount 
of  food  consumed  by  a  single  individual  is  of  course  comparatively 
insignificant,  but  that  required  to  sustain  the  total  number  inhabiting 
a  criven  district  is  not  to  be  io-nored.  And  when  it  is  borne  in  mind 

o  o 

that  the  food  of  this  species  consists  almost  exclusively  of  the  produce 
of  the  agriculturist,  the  fact  becomes  evident  that  the  animal  is  a 

o 

source  of  continuous  pecuniary  loss  to  the  farmer.  Omitting  reference 
to  the  years  when  the  species  is  present  in  excessive  numbers,  it  is  a  low 
estimate  to  say  that  twenty-five  Mice  live  upon  every  acre  of  meadow 
land.  Hence  the  total  number  present  upon  an  ordinarily  productive 
farm  of  two  hundred  acres  would  not  be  less  than  five  thousand. 
Now  suppose  that  the  owner  of  a  farm  of  this  size  should  capture  and 
keep  in  confinement  five  thousand  Meadow  Mice,  feeding  them  upon 
their  natural  food,  grain  and  the  roots  of  grass.  Would  it  be  strange 
if,  in  the  course  of  a  few  months,  he  should  become  so  alarmed  at 
the  cost  in  dollars  and  cents,  of  keeping  such  a  host  of  these  ravenous 
creatures  that  he  should  have  them  all  put  to  death  ?  And  yet,  our 
farmers  not  only  look  on  in  stolid  indifference  while  their  property 
and  the  fruits  of  their  labors  suffer,  from  this  source,  annual  losses 
which  they  can  ill  afford  to  bear,  but  they  even  help  the  Mice  to  in- 
crease in  numbers  and  maintain  supremacy  over  their  fields  !  This 
they  do  in  several  ways,  chiefly  by  neglecting  measures  for  the  rid- 
dance of  the  Mice,  and,  what  is  of  vastly  more  consequence,  by  en- 
couraging the  destruction  of  those  birds  and  mammals  that  habitually 


KIP.KR  xmi'/niicus.  276 

prey  upon  Mice.  Pre-eminent  among-  these  ma)-  be  mentioned  the 
marsh  and  rough-legged  hawks,  all  the  smaller  hawks  and  owls,  the 
shrike,  the  skunk,  and  the  weasels.  Thus  the  farmer  in  his  short- 
sightedness omits  no  opportunity  to  deprive  himself  of  nature's  means 
of  holding  in  check  the  vermin  that  ruin  his  crops. 

When  a  field  is  overrun  by  Meadow  Mice,  immense  numbers  of 
them  may  be  captured  in  narrow  trenches,  a  spade's  breadth  in  width, 
and  a  foot  and  a  half  (457  mm.)  in  depth.  The  trenches  should  be 
a  trifle  wider  at  the  bottom  than  at  the  top.  Into  these  the  Mice 
tumble,  without  being  able  to  escape. 

The  Meadow  Mouse  is  exceedingly  prolific,  giving  birth  to  from 
four  to  eight  young  at  a  time,  and  having  several  litters  in  a  season. 
In  early  spring  its  nests  are  generally  made  just  beneath  the  surface, 
but  after  the  grass  has  attained  a  little  height  they  are  usually  placed 
in  slight  depressions  directly  on  the  ground. 


FIBER    ZIBETHICUS     (Linn.)     Cuvier. 

Mus kra t  ;   Mil sqnasJi. 

Colonies  of  Muskrats  may  be  found  at  suitable  ponds,  swamps, 
and  sluggish  streams  in  all  parts  of  the  Adironclacks. 

These  animals  are  in  the  main  herbivorous,  subsisting  chiefly  upon 
the  roots  of  marsh  grasses  and  aquatic  plants.  Still,  they  occasional- 
ly prey  upon  fish,  and  sometimes  manifest  evidences  of  cannibalism, 
devouring  those  of  their  own  kind  that  are  found  dead  or  wounded 
and  unable  to  escape.  They  are  extremely  fond  of  the  fresh-water 
mussels  ( Unio  and  Anodoii)  and  large  quantities  of  empty  shells  may 
often  be  found  near  their  homes. 

Although  the  Muskrat  and  the  beaver  are  the  most  strictly  aquatic 
of  all  our  mammals,  the  former  not  infrequently,  in  autumn,  visits 
orchards  in  the  neighborhood  of  water-courses  to  feed  upon  the  apples 
that  have  fallen  to  the  ground ;  and  I  have  known  it  to  follow  up 
drains  and  enter  the  cellars  of  inhabited  houses,  and  to  attack  the 


2/6  MAMMALIA. 

potatoes,  carrots,  turnips,  parsnips,  and  other  vegetables  stored  there. 
Not  many  years  ago  an  aged  couple  lived  alone  in  an  old  house  in 
the  town  of  Leyclen,  in  Lewis  County.  They  were  at  one  time  very 
much  annoyed  by  curious  sounds  that  were  heard  every  night,  and 
sometimes  by  day  as  well,  and  which  seemed  to  come  from  beneath 
the  floor  near  the  open  fire-place.  Having  determined  at  length  to 
investigate  the  source  of  these  mysterious  noises,  the  aged  pair  com- 
menced by  removing  some  of  the  hearth  bricks  that  covered  the  very 
spot  whence  the  sound  usually  came.  Imagine  their  astonishment 
to  find  here  two  full-grown  living  Muskrats !  The  luckless  beasts 

o  o 

were  lifted  out  with  the  old  iron  tongs  and  slain  upon  the  spot. 

The  Muskrat,  though  chiefly  nocturnal,  is  frequently  seen  swimming 
and  feeding  about  the  borders  of  ponds  and  streams  in  the  day-time, 
particularly  in  cloudy  weather.  And  when  resting  on  the  edge  of  a 
bog  it  so  resembles  a  lump  of  mud  as  to  escape  the  notice  of  those 
unacquainted  with  its  habits.  The  distance  that  it  can  swim  under 
water  without  coming  to  the  surface  to  breathe  is  remarkable. 

Its  homes  are  of  two  principal  kinds  :  huts  and  burrows.  The 
latter  are  always  present  and  may  be  inhabited  at  all  times  of  the 
year,  while  the  huts  are  for  winter  use  and  are  confined  to  certain 
more  or  less  restricted  localities. 

The  burrows  are  excavated  in  the  shores  of  the  water-courses 
which  the  animals  inhabit.  The  entrance  is  under  water,  the  burrow 
thence  sloping  upward  into  the  bank  a  distance  of  ten  or  fifteen  feet 
(3  to  4.3  metres)  to  an  air-chamber  eighteen  inches  (about  half  a 
metre)  or  more  in  diameter,  which  often  contains  a  nest.  There  may 
be  several  passages  leading  to  this  nest,  all  of  which  are  under  water 
the  greater  part  of  the  year.  The  roof  of  the  air-chamber  is  generally 
so  near  the  surface  of  the  ground  that  it  frequently  falls  in,  particularly 
in  pastures  where  cattle  abound.  Leading  away  from  it,  one  or 
more  galleries  commonly  extend  back  a  considerable  distance,  keep- 
ing so  near  the  surface  that  their  occasional  "  caving  in  "  may  result 
in  extensive  damage  to  the  fields  of  the  farmer.  When  the  animal 


xir.Knlir  as.  277 

takes  up  its  abode  near  dykes  or  dams,  its  perforations  are  liable  to 
do  great  mischief. 

In  moving  about  on  their  feeding  grounds   Muskrats   are  in  the 

o  <_>     o 

habit  of  travelling  along  the  same  paths  till  they  become  deeply  worn 
channels.  Steel  traps  properly  concealed  in  these  runways  are 
almost  certain  to  capture  the  first  animal  that  passes. 

In  places  where  the  water  is  from  two  to  six  feet  deep  the  Musk- 
rat,  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  sometimes  collects  and  heaps  together  a 
large  quantity  of  aquatic  and  marsh  plants,  the  resulting  mass  taking 
a  shape  not  unlike  that  of  a  "  haycock,"  though  commonly  far  less 
symmetrical.  This  accumulation  of  vegetation,  with  more  or  less 
adhering  mud,:i:  is  called  a  Muskrat  "  hut '  or  "  house.'  It  varies 

O 

greatly  in  size,  those  placed  in  water  occasionally  attaining  extraordi- 
nary dimensions.  The  summit  of  the  structure  is  commonly  high 
enough  out  of  water  to  admit  of  an  air-chamber  within,  which  com- 

o 

municates  with  the  outside  world  by  means  of  a  hole  through  the 
centre  of  the  mass,  the  entrance  or  entrances  being  under  water. 
Many  of  the  houses  contain  no  mud  or  sticks,  but  consist  wholly  of 
balls  and  knots  of  roots  and  swamp  grasses.  It  seems  clear  that  the 
animals  make  no  attempt  to  construct  a  dwelling  of  any  particular 
shape,  but  merely  heap  the  materials  together  without  plan  or  order, 
the  resulting  mound  naturally  assuming,  in  a  general  way,  the  form 
of  a  Battened  cone  In  some  cases  the  summit  is  quite  dome-shaped, 
but  I  am  convinced  that  this  is  purely  the  result  of  accident,  for 
their  upper  parts  are  usually  very  irregular.  The  materials  of  which 
the  hut  is  composed,  it  will  be  observed,  are  such  as  serve  as  food 
for  the  animals  during  the  lon^r  winters  ;  hence  the  Muskrat's  house 

O  O 

is,  in  reality,  a  store-house,  which  he  devours  piecemeal  as  the  winter 
advances !  The  one  structure  supplies  both  the  food  itself,  and  the 

*  I  have  never  seen  a  Muskrat  house  that  was  built  of  mud,  or  that  even  coupled  largely  of  this 
material;  but  they  must  occur  in  certain  localities,  for  no  less  trustworthy  an  authority  than  Sir 
John  Richardson  wrote:  "In  the  autumn,  before  the  shallow  lake.-,  and  -^vamps  freeze  over,  the 
Musquash  builds  its  house  of  mud,  giving  it  a  conical  form,  and  a  sufficient  base  to  raise  the 
chamber  above  the  level  of  the  water."  (Fauna  Boreali  Americana,  Vol.  I,  1829,  p.  117.) 


2/S  MAMMALIA. 

shelter  in  which  it  is  eaten.  It  is  quite  a  conspicuous  object,  the 
summit  projecting  above  the  water  or  ice,  and  is  therefore  most 
commonly  found  in  places  that  are  a  little  out  of  the  beaten  paths  of 
man.  During  the  fall  and  winter,  Muskrats  speedily  repair  injuries 
done  to  their  houses.  This  habit  is  put  to  advantage  by  the  trapper, 
who,  chopping  a  hole  in  the  side  of  the  hut  and  placing  a  trap  in  the 
breach,  often  secures  the  entire  family  in  the  course  of  a  few  days. 
The  above  remarks  apply  to  the  highest  type  of  Muskrat  architecture. 
There  are  many  less  perfect,  and  at  the  same  time  less  conspicuous 
forms  of  these  store-houses,  that  are  to  be  met  with  in  almost  every 
locality  where  the  species  exists  in  any  numbers.  Along  the  borders 
of  ponds  and  sluggish  streams  there  often  stand  old  hollow  stumps 
whose  roots  extend  out  under  the  water.  Such  stumps  will  frequently 
be  found,  as  cold  weather  approaches,  stuffed  full  of  the  wads  of  grass 
that  are  used  in  hut  building,  the  angles  and  crevices  between  the 
roots  being  packed  with  the  same  material.  Advantage  is  also  taken 
of  other  inconspicuous  places  in  which  to  deposit  food,  and  some- 
times, where  there  is  no  current,  floating  hoards  of  grass  and  roots 
are  established — veritable  floating  islands  in  miniature — in  the 

o 

vicinity  of  their  huts.  When  the  ice  is  not  too  thick  they  generally 
keep  open  a  few  breathing  holes  at  certain  favorite  feeding  grounds 
in  very  shallow  water,  frequently  covering  them  over  with  grass. 

My  observation  that  the  Muskrat,  in  the  North,  habitually  lays  up 
provisions  for  winter's  use  does  not  accord  with  the  statements  of 
others,  the  only  allusion  to  such  a  habit  that  I  have  seen  being  con- 
tained in  the  following  very  interesting  narrative  from  Audubon  and 
Bachman  (who,  by  the  way,  evidently  considered  it  as  exceptional)  :— 

"  An  acquaintance  who  had  a  garden  in  the  neighborhood  of  a 
meadow  which  contained  a  large  number  of  Musk- Rats,  sent  one  day, 
to  enquire  whether  we  could  aid  in  discovering  the  robbers  who 
carried  off  almost  every  night  a  quantity  of  turnips.  We  were  sur- 
prised to  find  on  examining  the  premises,  that  the  garden  had  been 
plundered  and  nearly  ruined  by  these  Rats.  There  were  paths  ex- 


FI15KR    ZI15KTIIH  US.  2/9 

tending  from  the  muddy  banks  of  the  stream,  winding  among  the 
rank  weeds  and  grasses,  passing  through  the  old  worm  fence,  and 
leading  to  the  various  beds  of  vegetables.  Many  of  the  turnips  had 
disappeared  on  the  previous  night — the  cluck-like  tracks  of  the  Musk- 
Rat  were  seen  on  the  beds  in  every  direction.  The  paths  were 
strewn  with  turnip  leaves,  which  either  had  dropped,  or  were  bitten 
off,  to  render  the  transportation  more  convenient.  Their  paths  after 
entering  the  meadow  diverged  to  several  burrows,  all  of  which  gave 
evidence  that  their  tenants  had  been  on  a  foraging  expedition  on  the 
previous  night.  The  most  convenient  burrow  was  opened,  and  we 
discovered  in  the  nest  so  many  different  articles  of  food,  that  we 
were  for  some  time  under  an  impression,  that  like  the  chipping  squir- 
rel, chickaree,  &c.,  this  species  laid  up  in  autumn  a  store  of  food  for 
winter  use.  There  were  carrots,  and  parsnips,  which  appeared  to 
have  been  cut  in  halves,  the  lower  part  of  the  root  having  been  left 
in  the  qrouncl ;  but  what  struck  us  as  most  sino-ular,  was  that  ears  of 

o  o 

corn  (maize)  not  yet  quite  ripe,  had  been  dragged  into  the  burrow, 
with  a  considerable  portion  of  the  stock  attached." 

As  has  already  been  remarked,  the  Muskrat  is  exceedingly  fond  of 
our  common  fresh-water  mussels,  and  it  is  usual  to  find  larcre  num- 

O 

bers  of  their  empty  but  unbroken  shells  strewn  along  the  shore  or 
in  shallow  water  coverincr  the  mud  or  sand  bottoms  where  it  abounds. 

O 

Instead  of  devouring  the  mussels  where  he  finds  them,  the  Musk- 
rat  often  carries  them  to  particular  spots,  where  large  accumulations 
of  their  shells  may  be  found. 

In  the  course  of  their  remarks  upon  the  habits  of  this  species, 
Audubon  and  Bachman  relate  an  experience  that  is  as  interesting  and 
remarkable  as  it  seems  to  be  unique  :  "It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  many 
species  of  quadrupeds  and  birds,  are  endowed  by  Nature  with  the 
faculty  of  foreseeing  or  foreknowing,  the  changes  of  the  seasons,  and 
have  premonitions  of  the  coming  storm.  .  .  .  After  an  unusual 
drought,  succeeded  by  a  warm  Indian-summer,  as  we  were  one  day 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  Vol.  I,  1846,  pp.  118-119. 


280  MAMMALIA. 

passing  near  a  mill-pond,  inhabited  by  some  families  of  Musk-Rats, 
we  observed  numbers  of  them  swimming  about  in  every  direction, 
carrying  mouthfuls  of  withered  grasses,  and  building  their  huts  higher 
on  the  land  than  any  we  had  seen  before.  We  had  scarcely  ever 
observed  them  in  this  locality  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  and  then  only 
for  a  moment  as  they  swam  from  one  side  of  the  pond  to  the  other ; 
but  now  they  seemed  bent  on  preparing  for  some  approaching  event, 
and  the  successive  reports  of  several  guns  fired  by  some  hunters, 
only  produced  a  pause j'n  their  operations  for  five  or  ten  minutes. 
Although  the  day  was  bright  and  fair,  on  that  very  night  there  fell 
torrents  of  rain  succeeded  by  an  unusual  freshet,  and  intensely  cold 
weather." 

Spearing  the  Muskrat  in  their  huts,  in  the  early  winter,  is  an  ex- 
citing and  sometimes  profitable  occupation.  The  best  account  of 
this  mode  of  hunting  which  I  have  seen  is  from  the  pen  of  Henry 
Thacker,  who  thus  graphically  describes  his  excursions  to  a  large 
marsh  in  the  vicinity  of  Chicago  in  the  winter  of  1844-45  :— 

"  With  feelings  of  interest  and  excitement,  I  marched  up  to  a  large 
house  very  cautiously  (for,  with  the  least  jar  or  crack  of  the  ice, 
away  goes  your  game),  and,  with  uplifted  spear,  made  ready  for  a 
thrust.  I  hesitated.  There  was  a  difficulty  I  had  not  taken  into 
account ;  I  knew  not  where  to  strike.  The  chances  of  missing  the 
game  were  apparent,  but  there  was  no  time  to  be  lost ;  so  bang ! 
went  the  spear  into  a  hard,  frozen  mass,  penetrating  it  not  more  than 
three  or  four  inches,  and  away  went  the  game  in  every  direction 
With  feelings  of  some  chagrin  I  withdrew  my  spear,  and  began  feel- 
ing about  for  a  more  vulnerable  spot,  which  I  was  not  long  in  de- 
tecting. It  being  a  cold,  freezing  day,  I  discovered  an  accumulation 
of  white  frost  on  a  certain  spot  of  the  house,  and  putting  my  spear 
on  the  place  I  found  it  readily  entered.  The  mystery  was  solved  at 
once  ;  this  frost  on  the  outside  of  the  house  was  caused  by  the  breath 
and  heat  of  the  animals  immediately  beneath  it,  and  it  was  generally 


*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  Vol.  I,  1846,  pp.  122-123. 


FIMEK    /IBKTIIICUS.  28 1 

on   the   southeast   side    of  the   centre   of  the   house,  this  bein^  the 

o 

warmest  side.  Acting-  on  these  discoveries,  I  made  another  trial,  and 
was  successful  ;  and  now  the  sport  began  in  good  earnest.  When- 
ever I  made  a  thrust,  I  would  cut  a  hole  through  the  wall  of  the  house 

O 

with  my  hatchet,  and  take  out  the  game,  close  up  the  hole,  and  start 
for  another  house.  The  remaining  members  of  the  family  would 
soon  return,  and  immediately  set  about  repairing  the  breach.  I 
sometimes  succeeded  in  pinning  two  rats  at  one  thrust.  I  also  be- 
came quite  expert  in  taking  the  game  in  another  way,  as  follows  : 
Whenever  I  made  an  unsuccessful  thrust  into  a  house,  the  rats  would 
dive  into  the  water  through  their  paths  or  run-ways,  and  disappear  in 
all  directions.  I  now  found  I  could  easily  drive  my  one  tined  spear 
through  the  ice  two  inches  thick,  and  pin  a  rat  with  considerable 
certainty,  which  very  much  increased  the  sport,  and  I  was  not  long 
in  securing  a  pile  of  fifteen  or  twenty  rats. 

"  Here  I  made  a  discovery  of  what,  until  now,  had  been  a  mystery 
to  me,  namely,  how  a  muskrat  managed  to  remain  so  long  a  time  in 
the  water  under  the  ice  without  drowning.  The  muskrat,  I  perceiv- 
ed, on  leaving  his  house  inhaled  a  full  breath,  and  would  then  stay 
under  water  as  lonor  as  he  could  without  breathino-  ;  when  he  would 

o  o 

rise  up  with  his  nose  against  the  ice,  and  breathe  out  his  breath, 
which  seemed  to  displace  the  water,  forming  a  bubble.  I  could  dis- 
tinctly see  him  breathe  his  bubble  in  and  out  several  times,  and  then 
dive  again.  In  this  way  I  have  chased  them  about  under  the  ice  for 
some  time  before  capturing  them. 

"As  I  frequently  speared  the  muskrat  on  his  feeding-bed,  and 
subsequently  found  it  to  be  the  best  and  surest  place  to  set  a  trap  for 
him,  I  will,  for  the  benefit  of  the  novice,  undertake  to  describe  one 
as  found  in  the  marshes.  A  feeding-bed  is  a  place  where  the  musk- 
rat  goes  to  feed,  generally  at  night,  and  is  frequently  many  rods  from 
his  house.  Here  he  selects  a  place  where  his  food  is  convenient, 
and  by  the  aid  of  the  refuse  material  of  the  roots,  &c.,  which  he 
carries  here  for  food,  he  elevates  himself  partly  out  of  water,  in  a  sort 


282  MAMMALIA. 

of  hut.  Here  he  sits  and  eats  his  food,  and  at  the  slightest  noise,  or 
least  appearance  of  danger,  disappears  in  an  instant  under  water.  In 
the  winter  these  feeding-places  are  readily  discovered  by  a  bunch  of 
wadded  grass,  flag,  or  some  other  material,  about  the  size  of  a  man's 
hat,  protruding  above  the  ice.  This  little  mound  is  hollow,  and  is 
only  large  enough  for  a  single  rat,  where  he  sits  and  eats  his  food, 
with  his  lower  parts  in  the  water.  When  the  rats  were  disturbed  in 
their  house,  I  found  they  generally  fled  to  these  feeding-huts,  where 
they  were  almost  a  certain  mark  for  the  spearman. 

"  In  my  next  excursion,  not  many  days  after,  to  the  same  place,  I 
had  still  better  success.  As  the  ice  had  now  become  too  thick  to  be 
easily  penetrated  by  my  spear,  I  adopted,  in  part,  a  different  mode 
of  taking  the  game.  This  time  I  carried  with  me,  in  addition  to  my 
spear,  two  dozen  steel-traps,  and  a  bundle  of  willow  sticks  (cut  on 
the  way)  about  three  feet  long.  On  arriving  at  the  hunting  grounds 
I  prepared  myself  for  the  day's  sport  by  putting  on  my  mufflers,  and 
with  traps  and  willow  sticks  slung  upon  my  back,  began  the  work  by 
driving  my  spear  into  the  first  house  I  came  to.  I  could  not  now 
see  the  rats  as  they  fled  from  the  house,  on  account  of  the  thickness 
of  the  ice  and  a  slight  snow  that  lay  upon  it.  Consequently  the  sport 
of  spearing  them  through  the  ice  was  cut  off.  But  as  often  as  I  had 
occasion  to  cut  through  the  walls  of  the  house  to  take  out  my  game, 
I  set  a  steel-trap  in  the  nest,  slipped  a  willow  stick  through  the  ring 
of  the  chain,  laid  it  across  the  hole,  slightly  stopped  it  up,  and  then 
passed  on  to  the  next  house  ;  and  so  on,  until  my  traps  were  all  gone. 
I  then  started  back  to  the  place  of  beginning,  driving  my  spear  into 
every  feeding-hut  in  my  course,  and  killing  many  rats.  Finally,  I 
began  going  over  the  ground  again,  first  driving  my  spear  into  a 
house,  then  examining  the  trap,  taking  out  the  game  and  re-setting 
the  trap.  In  this  course  I  was  quite  successful.  I  found  by  setting 
the  trap  in  the  right  place,  near  the  edge,  and  a  little  under  the  water, 
I  was  almost  certain  to  take  the  first  rat  that  returned.  In  making- 
two  or  three  rounds  in  this  way,  I  found  the  rats  became  somewhat 


FI15FK    /IMFTHICUS.  283 

disturbed,  and  sought  temporary  shelter  elsewhere  ;  when  I  would 
move  to  a  new  place,  giving  them  time  to  recover  from  their  fright." 

That  the  Muskrat  was  at  one  time  a  very  important  article  of  com- 
merce is  evident  from  the  fact  that  Dr.  Richardson,  in  writing  of  it 
in  1829,  stated  :  "Between  four  and  five  hundred  thousand  skins  are 
annually  imported  into  Great  Britain  from  North  America."  f  And 
even  at  the  present  day  several  thousand  are  killed  each  year  in  the 
United  States  alone.  It  is  probable  that  no  other  North  American 
mammal  is  so  extensively  trapped  by  the  rural  small  boy.  This  is 
due  to  the  great  abundance  of  the  species,  even  in  populous  districts, 
and  the  ease  with  which  it  is  trapped,  rather  than  to  its  value,  for 
Muskrat  pelts  have  always  ranked  among  the  cheaper  furs,  a  single 
skin  rarely  fetching  more  than  fifteen  or  twenty  cents. 

The  Muskrat  is  a  very  prolific  animal.  It  brings  forth  from  five  to 
nine  young  at  a  birth,  and  is  said  to  raise  three  litters  in  a  season. 
The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  a  hole  in  the  bank,  at  some  little  distance 
from  the  water,  though  it  is  sometimes  built  in  the  hut.  Robert 
Kennicott,  in  his  very  valuable  paper  upon  The  Quadrupeds  of 
Illinois,  says  :  "  Though  the  young  are  generally  brought  forth  in 
burrows,  they  were  often  found  in  the  houses  in  the  sloughs,  only 
one  female,  however,  remaining  in  a  house."  J  Mr.  Thomas  S.  Rob- 
erts thus  describes  a  litter  of  young  that  he  found  near  Minneapolis, 
Minnesota,  May  24th,  1880:  "  Upon  knocking  the  top  off  from  a 
Muskrat  house  on  the  edge  of  a  slough,  nine  young  Muskrats  ap- 
parently but  a  day  or  two  old  were  disclosed.  They  were  hairless 
and  showed  not  the  least  sign  of  their  eyes  opening.  The  nest  was 
of  dry  grass  and  not  more  than  an  inch  or  two  above  the  level  of  the 
water."  § 

The  ,noise  a  Muskrat  makes  in  diving  is  out  of  all  proportion  to  its 

*  The  Trapper's  Guide.       By  S.   Newhouse.       Published  l>y  Oneida  Community,    Wallingford, 
Conn.,  1867,  pp.  147-150. 

f  Fauna  Boreali  Americana,  Vol.  I,  1821),  p.  118. 

\  Report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Patents  for  the  year  1856.     Agriculture,  1857,  p.  108. 

i-  Forest  and  Stream,  Vol.  XIV,  No.  22,  July  I,  1880,  pp.  428-429. 

19 


284  MAMMALIA. 

size,  and  many  a  drowsy  hunter,  while  floating  for  deer,  has  been 
startled  by  its  sudden  plunge.  A  loud  report  is  made  by  striking 
the  flat  tail  against  the  water. 

Dr.  Richardson,  writing  in  1829,  said  that  in  the  Fur  Countries 
they  were  "  subject  at  uncertain  intervals  to  a  great  mortality  from 
some  unknown  cause.  Their  great  fecundity,  however,  enables  them 
to  recover  these  losses  in  a  very  few  years,  although  the  deaths  at 
times  are  so  numerous,  that  a  fur-post,  where  the  Musquash  is  the 
principal  return,  is  not  unfrequently  abandoned  until  they  have  re- 
cruited." Among  the  foes  of  the  Muskrat  may  be  mentioned  the 
fox  and  mink,  and  the  larger  hawks  and  owls  ;  the  mink  and  the 
great-horned  owl  being  its  greatest  enemies. 

The  flesh  of  the  Muskrat  is  red  and  rather  flabby  ;  still  it  is  fair 
eating  for  a  time  when  other  meat  is  unattainable.  Thomas  Pennant, 
whose  notions  of  the  causes  of  things  were  sometimes  strangely 
sophistical,  mentions  that  the  Muskrat  feeds  upon  the  sweet  flag,  and 
then  goes  on  to  say  :  "This  perhaps  gives  them  that  strong  musky 
smell  these  animals  are  so  remarkable  for  ;  which  they  lose  during 
winter,  probably  when  this  species  of  plant  is  not  to  be  got."  f 

Many  distinguished  naturalists,  whose  works  are  still  regarded 
standard,  give  meagre  and  very  erroneous  accounts  of  the  habits  of 
the  animals  they  describe.  It  is  stated  in  the  third  volume  of  Griffith's 
Cuvier,  published  in  1827,  that  Muskrats  "  construct  in  winter,  on  the 
ice,  a  hut  of  clay,  where  they  inhabit  in  great  numbers,  proceeding 
through  a  hole,  to  seek  at  the  bottom  the  roots  aconis,  on  which  they 
subsist.  When  the  ice  closes  their  holes,  they  are  reduced  to  feed 
upon  each  other  '  (p.  67).  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  add  that  the 
above  is  fallacious  in  almost  every  particular. 

*  Fauna  Boreali  Americana,  Vol.  I,  1829,  p.  117. 
f  Arctic  Zoology,  Vol.  I,  1792,  p.  123. 


FlIiKR    /IliETHICUS.  285 

The  Mnski-at  as  a  FisJi-cater. 

That  the  Muskrat  is  not  commonly  considered  a  fish-eater  is 
evident  from  the  absence  of  reference  to  such  habit  in  the  published 
accounts  of  the  animal.  Robert  Kennicott  and  Gov.  DeWitt  Clinton 
are,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  ascertain,  the  only  authors  who 
mention  this  trait.  Kennicott  says  :  "  Excepting  in  eating  mollusks, 
and  occasionally  a  dead  fish,  I  am  not  aware  that  this  species  departs 
from  a  vegetable  diet.' 

o 

Gov.  Clinton,  writing  in  1820  of  the  then  newly  built  Erie  Canal, 

<;:>  J 

in  New  York,  said  :  "  In  winter,  when  the  water  is  frozen,  muskrats 
go  under  the  ice  and  prey  on  the  fish.  They  are  very  destructive  to 
trout,  which  is  already  in  the  canal."  f 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Biological  Society  of  Washington,  held  in  the 
National  Museum,  December  i4th,  1883,  Mr.  Henry  W.  Elliott 
spoke  of  the  "  Appetite  of  the  Muskrat"  He  stated  that  in  certain 
parts  of  Ohio  the  Muskrat  did  great  injury  to  Carp  ponds,  not  only 
by  perforating  the  banks  and  dams  and  thus  letting  off  the  water,  but 
also  by  actually  capturing  and  devouring  the  Carp,  which  is  a  sluggish 
fish,  often  remaining  motionless,  half  buried  in  the  mud.  In  the  dis- 
cussion that  followed,  Dr.  Mason  Graham  Ellzey  said  that  from  boy- 
hood he  had  been  familiar  with  the  fact  that  the  Muskrat  sometimes 
ate  fish.  In  fact,  he  had  seen  Muskrats  in  the  act  of  devouring  fish 
that  had  recently  been  caught  and  left  upon  the  bank.  The  President, 
Dr.  Charles  A.  White,  narrated  a  similar  experience. 

On  the  7th  of  February,  1884,  I  brought  this  subject  to  the  notice 
of  the  Linneean  Society  of  New  York,  and  asked  if  any  of  the  mem- 
bers knew  the  Muskrat  to  be  a  fish-eater.  Dr.  Edo-ar  A.  Mearns 

O 

said  that  he  had  long"  been  familiar  with  the  fact,  and  that  it  was  no 

O 

uncommon  thing  to  see  a  Muskrat  munching  a  dead  fish  upon  the 
borders  of  the  salt  marshes  along  the  Hudson.  He  had  shot  them 

*  Quadrupeds  of  Illinois  Injurious  and  Beneficial  to  the  Farmer,  1857,  p.  106. 
f  Letters  on   the    Natural    History  and   Internal  Resources  of  the  State   of    New  York.       By 
Hibernicus,  1822,  p.  46. 


286  MAMMALIA. 

while  so  engaged.  He  further  stated  that  the  Muskrat  is  very  de- 
structive to  nets,  destroying  the  fishermen's  fykes  by  scores,  by 
entering  them  in  quest  of  fishes  and  then  tearing  the  nets  in  order 
to  escape. 

Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher  said  that  at  Sing  Sing,  New  York,  he  had  often 
known  Muskrats  to  enter  fykes,  sometimes  drowning,  but  oftener 
escaping  by  gnawing  the  meshes,  thus  doing  considerable  injury  to 
the  nets.  He  supposed  they  entered  the  nets  because  placed  in 
their  line  of  travel.  He  further  stated  that  he  knew  that  fykes  made 
of  fine  wire  were  used  with  success  in  capturing  these  animals. 

Mr.  Wm.  H.  Dall,  the  well-known  Alaskan  explorer,  now  of  the 
Coast  Survey,  in  response  to  inquiry  has  kindly  favored  me  with  the 
following:  "In  1863,  I  visited  Kankakee,  Illinois,  on  a  collecting 
tour  for  river  mollusks,  in  July.  You  know  how  the  Muskrats  throw 
up  mounds  of  the  shells  they  dig  out  I  examined  many  of  these 
for  UnioSi  etc.  On  several  I  saw  the  skeletons  of  fish  (chiefly  suck- 
ers I  believe)  partly  or  wholly  denuded  of  their  flesh,  and  showing 
the  marks  of  Muskrat  (or  at  least  rodent)  teeth.  I  also  saw  the  shell 
of  a  common  mud  turtle,  so  gnawed  and  in  the  same  situation.  I 
did  not  see  the  animal  in  the  act  of  feasting,  which  I  believe  is  chiefly 
done  at  night,  but  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  fish  and  turtle  were  eaten 
by  the  Muskrat,  as  well  as  the  mollusks  associated  with  them  in  the 
same  pile." 

Under  date  of  March  5th,  1884,  I  have  received  from  Dr.  Fisher, 
the  most  valuable  record  yet  obtained  concerning  the  habit  in  ques- 
tion. Dr.  Fisher  writes  :  "  A  few  days  since,  two  young  men  were 
fishing  through  the  ice  for  pickerel,  with  live  bait,  at  Croton  Lake, 
Westchester  County,  N.  Y.  Several  times  they  were  troubled  by 
having  one  of  the  lines  pulled  violently  off  the  bush  and  run  out  to 
its  full  length.  Finally  they  saw  the  line  start  again,  and  by  pulling 
it  up  quickly  they  landed  a  large  Muskrat  on  the  ice."  Here  is  an 
authentic  instance  where  a  Muskrat  has  actually  captured  a  live  fish 


FIBER    ZIBETIIICrs.  287 

in  the  water.      Fortunately,  the  fish  was  attached  to  a  hook  and  line, 
and  the  Muskrat  was  caught  and  killed. 

The  above  facts,  which   were  published  in   Forest  and  Stream  of 
March   2/th   and  April   3d,  1884,  fell  under  the  eye  of  Mr.  E   \V. 
Nelson,  late  Signal  Observer  at  St.  Michaels,  Alaska,  and  elicited 
from  him  the  following  additional  testimony  :  "  The  Muskrat  is  the 
most  abundant  mammal  to  be  found  in  all  the  marshy  parts  of  Alaska, 
south  of  the  Arctic  circle  at  least,  and  during  my  residence  in  that 
country  I  had  frequent  opportunity  to  learn  of  its  fondness  for  fish. 
Often  when  skirting  the  border  of  a  pool  or  following  the  edge  of 
some  sluggish  stream  in  the  evening  or  during  the  dim  light  of  the 
Arctic  nights  in  summer,  I  frightened  the  Muskrats  from  the  body  of 
dead  fish  on  the  bank  at  the  water's  edge.     The  fish  were  usually 
small  sluggish  species  and  such  as  could  have  been  easily  caught  by 
the   animal  itself,  although  it  feeds   upon  fish   not  killed  by    itself. 
That  the  Muskrat  will  feed  upon  dead  water  fowl   I   have  also  had 
frequent  occasion  to  notice." 

Mr.  Charles  F.  Carr  writes  me  that  in  Wolf  River,  Wisconsin, 
twelve  or  fifteen  years  ago,  Muskrats  were  in  the  habit  of  eating  fish 
from  a  gill  net  set  there  by  a  man  named  Rich. 

Ferocious    Tendencies  of  the  Muskrat. 
Under  the  above   heading   Mr.  W.  H.   Ballou,   in  the   American 

o 

Naturalist  for  July,  1880,  narrates  the  following  very  unusual  expe- 
rience :  "  I  was  sauntering  along  a  prairie  road  just  out  of  Boone, 
Iowa,  one  night  during  the  past  winter.  There  was  no  snow  on  the 
ground  and  the  moon  was  just  glimmering  through  the  clouds.  Of 
a  sudden  I  was  startled  by  the  appearance  of  some  animal  from  the 
long  grass  by  the  wayside,  which  dashed  up  my  leg.  1  knocked 
it  off,  picked  up  a  frozen  piece  of  mud  and  broke  its  leg.  Again  it 
made  a  rush  for  me,  and  another  piece  of  mud  sent  it  rolling  over. 

*  Forest  and  Stream,  Vol.  XXII,  No.  15,  May  8,  1884,  p.  285. 


288  MAMMALIA. 

I  took  hold  of  its  tail  during  this  little  scene,  and  ended  the  matter 
by  giving  its  head  a  severe  bump  on  the  ground.  When  I  had  ac- 
cess to  more  light  I  found  that  it  was  a  full-grown  Muskrat  of  enor- 
mous size.  I  can  neither  account  for  its  attack  nor  appearance  there. 
The  previous  summer  season  had  dried  up  all  the  sloughs  and  there 
was  no  water  in  the  vicinity.  The  houses  of  these  animals  had  been 
deserted  for  some  time  previous,  and  nowhere  on  the  prairies  had  I 
been  able  to  find  one  with  any  inhabitants  (they  build  in  the  sloughs 
of  western  prairies  extensively).  Alone  and  well  away  from  its  most 
natural  element  it  had  attacked  me  without  provocation.  The  mat- 
ter led  to  an  inquiry  among  the  farmers.  The  general  statement 
was  to  the  effect  that  considerable  fun  and  some  trouble  was  had  with 
this  species  during  each  hay  time,  as  they  did  not  hesitate,  when  out 
of  the  water,  to  ferociously  attack  man  or  beast,  with  seldom  any 
damage.  One  man  related,  however,  that  he  received  a  severe  bite 
in  the  hand  from  one  of  them,  which  laid  him  up  for  some  time.  It 
is  either  very  courageous  or  very  luny."  :i: 

The  most  remarkable  foray  of  this  kind  which  has  come  to  my 
knowledge  occurred  in  the  city  of  Charlotte,  North  Carolina,  during 
the  evening  of  March  iyth,  1884.  It  is  thus  recorded  in  the  Char- 
lotte Observer  of  March  iSth  :  "  Charlie  Fox's  adventure  with  a  pack 
of  Muskrats  on  Trade  street  one  night  about  a  year  ago,  was  brought 
vividly  to  mind  last  night  when  several  runners  came  into  the  Ob- 
server office  bringing  tidings  of  three  sanguinary  battles  fought  be- 
tween citizens  who  had  encountered  bodies  of  the  savage  Musquash 
in  the  streets.  It  appears  that  all  these  fights  occurred  at  8  o'clock. 
Mr.  John  Davidson  was  going  home  about  that  hour  when  he  was 
encountered  at  the  corner  of  Tyron  and  Fifth  streets,  by  a  large  and 
ferocious  rat,  which  he  finally  killed  with  a  stick.  He  sent  his  fallen 
foe  to  the  Observer  office  for  inspection.  It  was  almost  as  large  as  a 
'possum.  When  this  fight  was  going  on  there  was  a  lively  scene  on 
Trade  street,  opposite  the  mint,  where  the  Muskrats  fairly  swarmed. 

*  The  American  Naturalist,  July.  1880,  Vol.  XIV,  No.  7,  p.  524. 


FIBER    XIBETTIICUS.  289 

Mr.  Martin  McRae,  a  clerk  of  T.  L.  Seigle  &  Co  ,  was  set  upon  by 
seven  of  the  '  varmints  '  and  was  put  to  flight,  not  having-  any  weap- 
ons with  which  to  defend  himself.  Shortly  afterwards,  Larkin 
Saddler,  the  Observer  s  janitor,  passed  by  and  about  twenty  of  the 
rats  began  biting-  at  his  legs.  Larkin  kicked  about  for  clear  life  and 
finally  got  one  rat  under  his  foot  and  crushed  it  to  death.  Their 
sharp  teeth  began  perforating  his  hide,  and  jumping  over  the  fence 
he  fled  across  the  mint  yard  and  got  away  from  them.  John 
Smith,  colored,  an  employee  of  the  Air  Line  road,  came  along 
next,  and  seeing  the  curious  pack  that  beset  his  ankles,  uttered  a 
terrific  yell  and  fled  at  the  top  of  his  speed.  Wm.  Norman,  a  col- 
ored employee  of  Duls  &  Co.,  was  the  next  victim.  He  had  a  stick 
and  giving  the  Muskrats  battle  killed  one  of  their  number  and  put 
the  others  to  flight. 

"  This  is  the  second  annual  appearance  of  these  savage  pests 
upon  our  streets.  Where  do  they  come  from  and  who  can  account 
for  their  appearance  in  our  city  in  such  numbers  ?  One  theory  is 
that  they  come  from  Irwin's  creek,  making  their  way  up  the  ceme- 
tery branch  to  the  flats  below  the  First  Presbyterian  church  and 
thence  to  the  streets  of  the  city.  It  is  very  nearly  opposite  the 
mint  that  Charlie  Fox  was  attacked  by  the  rats  last  year." 

Mr.  Ernest  E.  T.  Seton,  of  Manitoba,  writes  me  that,  September 
1 3th,  1883,  near  Carberry,  he  found  a  Muskrat  in  a  field  of  stand- 
ing wheat  a  mile  and  a  half  from  water.  The  animal  showed  fight 
and  was  captured  alive.  Mr.  Seton  writes  further :  "  While 
travelling  on  the  Rapid  City  trail  in  Manitoba,  October  2d,  1883, 
the  oxen  suddenly  shied  and  turned  off  the  road.  Then  I  saw  just 
ahead  what  proved  to  be  a  Muskrat  !  It  was  in  a  threatening 
attitude  and  sprang  toward  the  nose  of  one  of  the  cattle.  On  run- 
ning to  it,  it  seized  my  trousers  in  its  teeth  and  held  on.  When 
kicked  off  it  did  not  attempt  to  escape,  but  fought  until  killed.  It 
was  a  male.' 


2QO  MAMMALIA. 

Family  ZAPODID^. 

ZAPUS    HUDSONIUS     (Zimm.)    Coues. 
Jumping  Mouse ;   Labrador  Mouse. 

The  Jumping  Mouse  is  common  in  many  parts  of  the  Adiron- 
dacks,  as  well  as  in  the  surrounding  country.  It  feeds  upon 
beechnuts,  and  various  seeds  and  berries. 

Within  the  Wilderness  it  is  most  often  observed  in  the  tangled 
borders  of  low  shrubs  that  surround  the  lakes  and  beaver  meadows; 
while  beyond  the  confines  of  the  region  it  inhabits  both  the  clear- 
ings and  woodlands.  It  delights  in  grain  fields,  and  in  meadows 
of  tall  waving  grass,  where  it  finds  abundant  food  and  can  readily 
escape  its  most  active  enemies.  But  when  the  time  for  haying  and 
harvesting  arrives,  the  Mice  are  suddenly  deprived  of  their  accus- 
tomed shelter  and  many  seek  protection  beneath  the  haycocks  and 
stacks  of  grain.  By  quickly  overturning  these,  they  are  confused 
and  frightened  and  may  be  captured  with  comparative  ease. 

When  stationed  to  watch  for  deer,  on  the  borders  of  our  Adi-  . 
rondack  lakes,  I  have  often  remained  in  one  place  during  the 
greater  part  of  the  day.  Seated,  sometimes  on  a  log  that  crossed 
a  narrow  belt  of  marsh  along  the  shore,  sometimes  on  the  mossy 
.slope  of  a  well-wooded  knoll  hard  by,  and  hidden  by  the  dense 
frontage  of  undershrubs,  or  by  the  more  open  shelter  of  a  slender 
tamarack,  I  have  learned  much  that  fills  these  pages.  Encroaching 
upon  the  very  water's  edge  is  a  net-work  of  wiry  bushes,  repelling 
the  canoe  that  attempts  to  land.  It  consists  chiefly  of  the  leather 
leaf  (Cassandra  calyculata)  and  sweet  gale  (Myrita  gale"],  with 
smaller  quantities  of  the  wild  rosemary  (Andromeda  poli folia), 
meadow  sweet  (Spiraea  salicifolia\  and  swamp  laurel  (Kalmia 
glauca).  Adjoining  this  is  a  strip  of  sphagnous  bog  which  supports 
a  luxuriant  growth  of  the  curious  pitcher  plant,  interspersed  with 
straggling  cranberries.  Careful  search  may  reveal  the  insect-eat- 
ing Drosera,  as  well  as  several  rare  species  of  orchids.  Where  the 


ZAi'Us  HUDSON*  r  us.  291 

sloping  hill-side  meets  the  marsh,  another  miniature  thicket  bars 
the  way.  Like  the  first,  it  is  largely  made  up  of  the  tough  Cas- 
sandra, which  here  intertwines  with  Labrador  tea  (Lcdniu  latifoli- 
itiii},  sheep  laurel  (Kaliuia  angustifolia),  and  winterberry  (Ilex 
lavigata).  The  beautiful  Azalea  and  the  woolly  steeple  bush 
(Sph'cca  tomentosa)  are  also  usually  present,  while  several  species 
of  I'ibuj'nuui  and  Cornns  contribute  their  share  to  the,  prominent 
features  of  the  local  flora. 

While  silently  seated  in  the  midst  of  these  surroundings,  I  have 
on  more  than  one  occasion  observed  the  Jumping  Mouse.  Some- 
times he  has  crept  quietly  over  the  bog,  winding  his  way  amongst 
the  pitcher  plants  and  low  clumps  of  matted  bushes,  presenting 
much  the  appearance  of  the  white-footed  mouse.  At  other  times  he 
has  bounded  lightly  by,  clearing  the  tops  of  the  bushes  with  every 
leap,  and  disappearing  so  quickly  that  his  identity  was  with  diffi- 
culty determined.  Indeed,  when  he  hides  after  the  first  or  second 
leap  he  is  not  rarely  mistaken  for  the  wood  frog  (Rana  touporaria 
sylvatica],  which  he  resembles  in  color. 

The  agility  of  these  animals  is  almost  incredible.  I  have  re- 
peatedly known  them  to  clear  a  distance  of  more  than  ten  feet  ( a 
trifle  over  3  metres)  at  a  single  bound,  and  their  leaps  are  made 
in  such  rapid  succession  that  their  feet  seem  barely  to  touch  the 
ground.  To  attempt  to  catch  one  when  any  covert  is  near  is  a 
hopeless  task. 

The  Jumping  Mouse  is  said,  by  most  writers,  to  be  strictly  noc- 
turnal, but  this  is  not  the  case.  It  is  crepuscular,  like  the  ma- 
jority of  our  mammalia,  and  is  also  not  infrequently  seen  abroad 
by  day. 

It  nests  in  a  variety  of  situations  :  sometimes  in  hollow  stumps 
and  trees,  which  it  is  said  to  climb  from  the  inside  ;  more  often 
under  logs  and  rails,  and  in  piles  of  rubbish  ;  frequently  in  crevi- 
ces of  rocky  ledges  ;  and  occasionally  in  open  fields,  a  short  dis- 
tance under  the  surface. 


MAMMALIA. 


Since  the  foregoing  was  written,  Mr.  Elisha  Slade,  of  Somerset, 
Bristol  County,  Massachusetts,  has  favored  me  with  a  very  in- 
teresting and  detailed  account  of  the  habits  of  this  species,  portions 
of  which  are  here  reproduced.  Mr.  Slade  says  :  "  The  Long-tailed 
Jumping  Mouse  inhabits  high  land  or  low  land,  forest  or  pasture, 
cultivated  field  or  swamp,  and  appears  to  be  equally  at  home  in 
either,  and  not  numerous  in  any  situation.  It  possesses  a  momen- 
tary agility  second  to  no  other  Rodent,  and  a  muscular  strength 
of  enormous  power  for  so  small  a  creature.  When  suddenly  dis- 
turbed it  often  moves  away  in  a  direct  line,  the  first  three  or  four 
leaps  being  eight  or  ten  feet  in  length  ;  but  these  distances  rapidly 
decline  to  about  four  feet,  which  are  continued  until  it  considers 
itself  out  of  danger.  This  is  not  always  the  case,  however,  for  it 
frequently  takes  an  irregular  course  and  jumps  at  diverse  angles 
for  several  successive  leaps,  keeping  the  same  general  direction  or 
changing  at  will.  It  can  double,  and  quickly  too,  if  pursued,  and 
by  its  manceuvers  and  instantaneous  squattings  can,  and  often  does, 
elude  a  hawk  or  an  owl  ;  and  its  spontaneous  irregularities  enable 
it  to  escape  being  brained  by  a  weasel,  or  swallowed  whole  by  the 
common  black  snake.  ...  It  feeds  upon  the  buds,  leaves,  and 
twigs,  of  many  kinds  of  plants  ;  upon  seeds,  grain,  wild  berries, 
chestnuts,  acorns,  grass,  and  to  some  extent  upon  the  bark  of 
shrubs.  .  .  .  As  a  rule,  three  litters  are  produced  in  a  season, 
each  consisting  of  from  two  to  four  young." 

Barton,  writing  of  this  species  in  1795,  says:  "Upon  showing 
my  drawing  of  the  animal  to  an  intelligent  Indian  who  is  settled  at 
Oneida,  he  assured  me  that  the  same  animal  is  very  common  at 
that  place.  This  Indian,  who  is  a  Mohegan,  moreover  said,  that 
in  his  language  this  Dipus  is  called  Wauh  peh  Sons,  which  signifies 
the  creature  that  jumps  or  skips  like  a  deer.""  He  also  says  :  "It 
often  gets  into  the  oraneries  of  the  Indians  settled  at  Oneida,  in 

o  o 

the  State  of  New  York,  and  proves  very  destructive  to  the  Indian- 
corn.     ...      I   have  not  learned,  with  certainty,  at  what  time 


/APUS  iirnsoxirs.  293 

this  animal  brings  forth  its  young.  But  it  has  been  seen  leaping 
about  with  the  young  ones  strongly  attached  to  its  teats.  Four 
young  ones  have  been  seen  thus  attached." 

Dr.  DeKay  says  that  Mr.  Jesse  Booth,  of  Orange  County,  X<-\v 
York,  writes  him  :  "In  cross-plowing  some  years  since,  my  atten- 
tion was  taken  up  by  seeing  some  small  thing  move  off  from  near 
my  plough,  at  about  the  moderate  walk  of  a  man.  It  went  over 
ridges  and  descended  the  hollows  of  the  furrows,  bearing  some  re- 
semblance to  an  old  withered  oak  leaf.  I  pursued  it,  when  it 
proved  to  be  one  of  these  wood-mice,  or  jumping  mice  ;  a  female, 
with  four  young  ones  attached  by  their  mouths  to  its  teats." 

The  Hibernation  of  the  Jumping  Mouse. 

Dr.  Benjamin  Smith  Barton,  of  Philadelphia,  was  the  first  to 
make  known  the  fact  that  the  Jumping-  Mouse  hibernates.  On 
the  2d  of  October,  1795,  he  read  a  paper  before  the  American 
Philosophical  Society  (which  was  not  published,  however,  till  i  799) 
in  which  he  states  :  "In  the  month  of  February,  one  of  these 
animals  was  found,  seemingly  in  a  torpid-state,  under  a  stone,  in 
opening  a  quarry."  He  further  says,  that  a  farmer,  living  near 
Philadelphia,  has  often  discovered  them,  "  at  the  depth  of  eighteen 
inches  or  two  feet  under  ground,  when  he  has  been  digging  for  the 
roots  of  horse-radish  and  parsley,  in  the  winter-time."  f  In  a 
supplement  to  this  article,  published  in  1804,  the  same  author 
observes  :— 

"  In  the  month  of  August,  1796,  one  of  these  little  animals  was 
brought  to  me  from  the  vicinity  of  this  city.  It  was  put  into  a 
large  glass  jar,  where  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  preserve  it  for  near 
four  months.  Though  it  made  many  efforts  to  escape  from  its 

*  Zoology  of  New  York,  Part  I,  1842,  p.  72. 

f  Some  account  of  an  American  Species  of  Dipus,  or  Jerboa.  By  Benjamin  Smith  Barton,  M.  D. 
Transactions  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society,  Vol.  IV,  No.  XII,  1799,  p.  122.  Barton 
again  refers  to  the  hibernation  of  this  species  in  his  Fragments  of  the  Natural  History  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, 1799,  pp-  xii,  xiii. 


294  MAMMALIA 

confinement,  it  seemed,  upon  the  whole,  pretty  well  reconciled  to  it. 
It  continued  active,  and  both  ate  and  drank  abundantly.  I  fed  it 
upon  bread,  the  grain  of  Indian  corn  (Zea  Mays),  and  the  berries 
of  the  Prinos  verticillatus,  sometimes  called  black-alder. 

"  On  or  about  the  22cl  of  November,  it  passed  into  the  torpid 
state.  It  is  curious  to  observe,  that  at  the  time  it  became  torpid, 
the  weather  was  unusually  mild  for  the  season  of  the  year,  and 
moreover  the  animal  was  kept  in  a  warm  room,  in  which  there  was 
a  large  fire  the  greater  part  of  the  clay  and  night.  I  sometimes 
roused  it  from  its  torpid  state  ;  at  other  times  it  came  spontaneously 
out  of  it.  During  the  intervals  of  its  waking,  it  both  ate  and 
drank.  It  was  frequently  most  active,  while  the  weather  was  ex- 
tremely cold  in  December  ;  but  when  I  placed  the  jar  upon  a  thick 
cake  of  ice,  in  the  open  air,  its  movements  or  activity  seemed 
wholly  directed  to  the  making  of  a  comfortable  habitation  out  of 
the  hay  with  which  I  supplied  it.  It  was  sufficiently  evident,  how- 
ever, that  the  cold  was  not  the  only  cause  of  its  torpid  state.  It 
was  finally  killed  by  the  application  of  too  great  a  degree  of  heat 
to  it,  whilst  in  its  torpor. 

"  During  its  torpor,  it  commonly  laid  with  its  head  between  its 
hind  legs,  with  the  claws  or  feet  of  these  closely  applied  to  the 
head.  Its  respiration  could  always  be  perceived,  but  was  very 
slow. 

"  The  fact  of  the  torpidity  of  this  little  animal  is  known  to  the 
gardeners  and  others  near  the  city.  They  call  it  the  '  seven 
sleepers,'  and  assert,  that  it  is  frequently  found  in  the  earth,  at 
the  lower  extremity  of  the  horse-radish,  and  other  perpendicular 
roots.  Does  it  use  these  as  a  measure  of  the  distance  to  which  it 
shall  go  in  the  earth,  to  avoid  the  influence  of  the  frost  ? 

"  I  have  said,  that  the  Dipus  Americanus  becomes  torpid  in  the 
neighborhood  of  this  city.  But  this,  I  believe,  is  not  always  the 
case.  During  the  winter-season,  this  little  animal  and  another 
species,  which  I  call  Dipus  mellivorus,  take  possession  of  the 


ZAl'L'S    HUDSOXirs.  290 

hives  of  bees,  in  which  they  form  for  themselves,  a  warm  and  com- 
fortable habitation,  having  ingeniously  scooped  away  some  wax. 
The  materials  of  its  nest  are  fine  dry  grass,  down  of  feathers,  and 
old  rags.  It  lives  upon  the  honey,  and  seems  to  grow  very  fat 
upon  it.  I  believe  two  individuals,  a  male  and  a  female,  commonly 
inhabit  one  hive.  They  sometimes  devour  the  greater  part  of  the 
honey  of  a  hive. 

"  The  circumstance  just  mentioned  is  not  altogether  uninterest- 
ing. It  plainly  proves  what  1  have,  long  since,  asserted,  that  the 
torpid  state  of  animals  is  altogether  '  an  accidental  circumstance,' 
and  by  no  means  constitutes  a  specific  character.  The  same 
species  becomes  torpid  in  one  country  and  not  in  another.  Nay, 
different  individuals  of  the  same  species  become  torpid,  or  continue 
awake,  in  the  same  neighborhood,  and  even  on  the  same  farm." 

On  the  6th  of  June,  1/97,  Major-General  Thomas  Davies  pre- 
sented, before  the  Linnaean  Society  of  London,  "  An  account  of  the 
Jumping  Mouse  of  Canada,"  which  he  supposed  to  be  an  uncle- 
scribed  species.  This  account  was  published  in  the  Linnaean 
Transactions  for  i  798.  Hence,  though  not  read  till  more  than  a 
year  and  a  half  after  Dr.  Barton  had  presented  his  paper  before 
the  American  Philosophical  Society,  it  appeared  in  print  before  the 
publication  of  the  latter. 

General  Davies  gives  a  figure  of  the  animal  in  the  dormant  state, 
observing  that  the  specimen  "  was  found  by  some  workmen,  in 
digging  the  foundation  for  a  summer  house,  in  a  gentleman's 
garden  about  two  miles  from  Quebec,  in  the  latter  end  of  May, 

O  ^"  J  ' 

1787.  It  was  discovered  enclosed  in  a  ball  of  clay,  about  the  size 
of  a  cricket  ball,  nearly  an  inch  in  thickness,  perfectly  smooth 
within,  and  about  twenty  inches  under  ground.  The  man  who 
first  discovered  it,  not  knowing  what  it  was,  struck  the  ball  with 
his  spade,  by  which  means  it  was  broken  to  pieces,  or  the  ball  also 
would  have  been  presented  to  me.  The  drawing  will  perfectly 

*  Transactions  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society,  \rol.  VI,  1804,  pp.  143-144. 


296  MAMMALIA. 

show,  how  the  animal  is  laid  during  its  dormant  state.  How  long 
it  had  been  under  ground,  it  is  impossible  to  say  ;  but  as  I  never 

• 

could  observe  these  animals  in  any  part  of  the  country  after  the 
beginning  of  September,  I  conceive  they  lay  themselves  up  some 
time  in  that  month,  or  beginning  of  October,  when  the  frost  be- 
comes sharp  ;  nor  did  I  ever  see  them  again  before  the  last  week 
in  May,  or  beginning  of  June.  From  their  being  enveloped  in 
balls  of  clay,  without  any  appearance  of  food,  I  conceive  they  sleep 
during  the  Winter,  and  remain  for  that  term  without  sustenance." 

In  the  third  volume  of  Griffith's  Cuvier,  published  in  1827,  it  is 
stated  :  "  One  single  species,  the  Gcrbillus  of  Canada,  has  been 
found  in  a  state  of  hibernation  "  (p.  154).  And  again  :  "In  the 
winter  it  retires  and  falls  asleep,  rolled  up  like  a  ball,  in  a  burrow 
about  twenty  inches  deep.  It  places  itself  then  in  a  sort  of  little 
chamber,  of  an  oval  form,  and  never  stirs  until  the  middle  of  spring. 
No  provision  is  found  in  this  retreat,  nor  is  it  exactly  known  on 
what  substances  it  feeds"  (p.  159). 

Godman  says  :  "  At  the  commencement  of  cool  weather,  or  about 
the  time  the  frost  sets  in,  the  jumping  mice  go  into  their  winter 
quarters,  where  they  remain  in  a  torpid  state  until  the  last  of  May 
or  first  of  June."  *  Zadock  Thompson  also  tells  us  that  "  they 
pass  the  winter  in  a  torpid  state  and  are  not  usually  out  in  the 
spring  before  June."  f 

Is  it  not  surprising,  in  the  face  of  the  evidence  above  narrated,  J 
that  Audubon  and  Bachman  should  have  given  utterance  to  the 
following  :  "  It  is  generally  believed,  that  the  Jumping  Mouse,  like 
the  Hampster  of  Europe,  (Cricetus  vulgaris),  and  the  Marmots, 
(Arctomys),  hibernates,  and  passes  the  winter  in  a  profound  lethar- 


*  American  Natural  History,  Vol.  I,  1842,  p.  322. 
f  Natural  and  Civil  History  of  Vermont,  1842,  p.  44. 

\  The  statement  in  Griffith's  Cuvier  was  unquestionably  based  upon  General  Davies'  article,  and 
it  is  probable  that  both  Godman  and  Thompson  derived  their  information  from  the  same  source. 
But  even  in  this  case  there  remain  the  two  original,  independent,  and  almost  simultaneous  accounts 
(those  of  Barton  and  Davies),  the  trustworthiness  of  which  cannot  be  called  in  question. 


ZAl'US     lirnSnMl'S.  297 

gy.  Although  we  made  some  efforts  many  years  ago,  to  place  this 
matter  beyond  a  doubt  by  personal  observation,  we  regret  that  our 
residence,  being  in  a  region  where  this  species  does  not  exist,  no 
favorable  opportunity  has  since  been  afforded  us.  Naturalists 
residing  in  the  Northern  and  Middle  States  could  easily  solve  the 
whole  matter,  by  preserving  the  animal  in  confinement  through  the 
winter."  * 

If,  in  Auclubon's  time,  there  were  grounds  for  questioning  that 
this  species  hibernates,  there  are  none  at  present.  Robert  Kenni- 
cott,  in  his  valuable  contribution  to  economic  agriculture,  states  : 
"  Dr.  Hoy  informs  me  that,  when  he  was  a  boy  in  digging  out  a 
rabbit  in  winter,  he  found  a  pair  of  this  species  in  a  state  of  pro- 
found torpor,  exhibiting  all  the  phenomena  of  perfect  hibernation. 
They  were  in  a  large  nest  of  leaves  situated  two  or  three  feet  be- 
low the  surface."  f 

In  the  American  Naturalist  for  June,  1872  (Vol.  VI,  No.  6,  pp. 
330—332),  the  late  Professor  Sanborn  Tenney  published  an  article 
entitled  "  Hibernation  of  the  Jumping  Mouse."  Without  referring 
to  a  single  published  record  or  opinion,  he  narrates  a  personal 
experience  so  full  of  interest  that  I  take  pleasure  in  presenting  it 
to  my  readers.  Professor  Tenney  says  :— 

"On  the  i8th  of  January  of  the  present  year  (1872),  I  went 
with  Dr.  A.  Patton  of  Vincennes,  Indiana,  to  visit  a  mound  situ- 
ated about  a  mile  or  a  mile  and  a  half  in  an  easterly  direction  from 
Vincennes.  While  digging  in  the  mound  in  search  of  relics  that 
might  throw  light  upon  its  origin  and  history,  we  came  to  a  nest 
about  two  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  ground,  carefully  made  of 
bits  of  grass,  and  in  this  nest  was  a  Jumping  Mouse  (Jadi/us 
Hudsonius  Baird)  apparently  dead.  It  was  coiled  up  as  tightly  as 
it  could  be,  the  nose  being  placed  upon  the  bell)',  and  the  long  tail 
coiled  around  the  ball-like  form  which  the  animal  had  assumed.  I 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  Vol.  II,  1851,  p.  355. 
f  Patent  Office  Report  for  1856,  1857,  p.  97. 


298  MAMMALIA 

took  the  little  mouse  into  my  hand.  It  exhibited  no  motion  or 
sign  of  life.  Its  eyes  and  mouth  were  shut  tight,  and  its  little  fore 
feet  or  hands  were  shut  and  placed  close  together.  Everything 
indicated  that  the  mouse  was  perfectly  dead,  excepting  the  fact 
that  it  was  not  as  rigid  as  perhaps  a  dead  mouse  would  be  in  the 
winter.  I  tied  the  mouse  and  nest  in  my  handkerchief  and  carried 
them  to  Vincennes.  Arriving  at  Dr.  Patton's  office  I  untied  my 
treasures,  and  took  out  the  mouse  and  held  it  for  some  time  in  my 
hand  ;  it  still  exhibited  no  sign  of  life  ;  but  at  length  I  thought  I 
saw  a  very  slight  movement  in  one  of  the  hind  legs.  Presently 
there  was  a  very  slight  movement  of  the  head,  yet  so  feeble  that 
one  could  hardly  be  sure  it  was  real.  Then  there  came  to  be  some 
evidence  of  breathing,  and  a  slight  pressure  of  my  ringers  upon 
the  tail  near  the  body  was  followed  by  an  immediate  but  feeble 
movement  of  one  of  the  hind  legs.  At  length  there  was  unmis- 
takable evidence  that  the  animal  was  breathing,  but  the  breathing 
was  a  labored  action,  and  seemingly  performed  with  great  diffi- 
culty. As  the  mouse  became  warmer  the  signs  of  life  became  more 
and  more  marked  ;  and  in  the  course  of  the  same  afternoon  on 
which  I  brought  it  into  the  warm  room  it  became  perfectly  active, 
and  was  as  ready  to  jump  about  as  any  other  member  of  its 
species. 

"  I  put  this  mouse  into  a  little  tin  box  with  holes  in  the  cover, 
and  took  him  with  me  in  my  journeyings,  taking  care  to  put  in  the 
box  a  portion  of  an  ear  of  corn  and  pieces  of  paper.  It  ate  the 
corn  by  gnawing  from  the  outside  of  the  kernel,  and  it  gnawed  the 
paper  into  bits  with  which  it  made  a  nest.  On  the  fourth  day 
after  its  capture  I  gave  it  water  which  it  seemed  to  relish.  On  the 
23d  of  January,  I  took  it  with  me  to  Elgin,  Illinois,  nearly  three 
hundred  miles  farther  north  than  the  region  where  I  found  the 
specimen.  The  weather  was  intensely  cold.  Taking  the  mouse 
from  the  box,  I  placed  it  on  a  newspaper  on  a  table,  and  covered 
it  with  a  large  glass  bell,  lifting  the  edge  of  the  glass  so  as  to  admit 


/AITS  iiunsoxirs.  299 

a  supply  of  air.  Under  this  glass  was  placed  a  good  supply  of 
waste  cotton.  Soon  after  it  was  fairly  established  in  its  new  and 
more  commodious  quarters,  it  began  to  clean  ever}-  part  of  its  body 
in  the  most  thorough  manner,  washing  itself  very  much  in  the 
same  manner  as  a  cat  washes.  On  coming  to  the  tail  it  passed 
that  long  member,  for  its  whole  length,  through  the  mouth  from 
side  to  side,  beginning  near  the  body  and  ending  at  the  tip.  At 
night  as  soon  as  the  lights  were  put  out  the  mouse  began  gnawing 
the  paper,  and  during  the  night  it  gnawed  all  the  newspaper  it 
could  reach,  and  made  the  fragments  and  the  cotton  into  a  lar^re 

e>  o 

nest  perhaps  five  or  six  inches  in  diameter,  and  established  itself 
in  the  centre.  Here  it  spent  the  succeeding  day.  The  next  night 
it  was  supplied  with  more  paper,  and  it  gnawed  all  it  could  reach, 
and  thus  spent  a  large  part  of  the  night  in  work.  I  could  hear  the 
work  going  on  when  I  was  awake.  In  the  morning  it  appeared  to 
be  reposing  on  the  top  of  its  nest  ;  but  after  watching  it  for  some 
time,  and  seeing  no  motion,  I  lifted  up  the  glass  and  took  the 
mouse  in  my  hand.  It  showed  no  signs  of  life.  I  now  felt  that 
perhaps  my  pet  was  indeed  really  dead  ;  but  remembering  what  I 
had  previously  seen,  I  resolved  to  try  to  restore  it  again  to  activity. 
By  holding  it  in  my  hand  and  thus  warming  it,  the  mouse  soon 
began  to  show  signs  of  life,  and  although  it  was  nearly  the  whole 
day  in  coming  back  to  activity,  at  last  it  was  as  lively  as  ever,  and 
afterward,  on  being  set  free  in  the  room,  it  moved  about  so  swiftly 
by  means  of  its  long  leaps,  that  it  required  t\vo  of  us  a  long  time 
to  capture  it  uninjured. 

"  On  the  evening  of  February  6th  I  reached  my  home  in 
Williamstown,  and  on  my  arrival  the  mouse  was  in  good  condition. 
But  the  next  morning  it  was  again  apparently  dead  ;  in  the  course 
of  the  day,  however,  being  placed  where  it  was  warm,  it  gradually 
came  back  to  activity  as  before." 

The  statements  of  Godman  and  Thompson,  that  the  Jumping 
Mouse  remains  torpid   till   the  last  of  May  or  first  of  June,   are 
20 


300  MAMMALIA. 

without  weight,  because  it  is  very  evident  that  these  authors  derive 
their  knowledge  from  Davies,  whose  observations  were  limited  to 
a  single  specimen  taken  near  Quebec.  Moreover,  the  fact  that  a 
hibernating  animal  does  not  emerge  from  winter-quarters  till  June 
in  the  latitude  of  Quebec,  affords  no  reason  for  supposing  it  to 
remain  dormant  till  this  late  date  in  more  southern  localities. 
Indeed,  experience  points  to  a  contrary  conclusion,  as  well  in  the 
present  as  in  several  other  species.  On  the  iith  of  February, 
1874,  I  caught  an  active  male  at  Easthampton,  Massachusetts  ; 
and  Mr.  Elisha  Slade  writes  me  that  in  the  vicinity  of  his  home,  at 
Somerset,  Bristol  County,  Mass.,  the  animal  "retires  to  hollow 
trees,  stumps,  or  fissures  of  rocks,  during  cold  snaps,"  and  reap- 
pears with  every  return  of  warm  weather.  During  the  winter  of 
1881-1882,  unprecedented  for  its  mildness,  I  several  times  ob- 
served it  in  Lewis  County,  in  Northern  New  York. 

Family  HYSTRICID/E. 

ERETHIZON     DORSATUS     (Linn.)    F.  Cuvier. 

Canada  Porcupine. 

The  Porcupine  is  a  common  and  well-known  resident  of  all  the 
wooded  parts  of  the  Adirondacks,  and  is  equally  abundant  in  the 
lowlands  and  on  the  highest  mountains. 

Of  all  the  mammalian  inhabitants  of  North  America,  not  one 
possesses  more  striking  peculiarities.  To  a  person  beholding  him 
for  the  first  time  he  seems  a  veritable  prodigy.  He  presents  a 
combination  of  positive  characters  which  seem  directly  contradic- 
tory to  his  known  habits  of  life.  He  is  about  twice  the  size  of  a 
full-grown  woodchuck,  well-conditioned  adults  averaging  from  fif- 
teen to  twenty  pounds  in  weight.  His  muzzle  is  short  and  blunt, 
and  his  eyes  and  ears  are  small — the  latter  almost  concealed  in  the 
bristles  of  the  sides  of  the  head.  His  neck  is  short  and  thick,  and 
his  body  is  large  and  chunked.  He  is  very  compactly  built,  and 


ERETHIZON    DORSATUS.  3OI 

remarkably  broad  across  the  back.  His  legs  are  short.  The  soles 
of  his  plantigrade  feet  are  broad  and  naked,  like  those  of  the  bear, 
and  his  claws  are  large,  well-curved,  and  channelled  beneath.  His 
tail  is  most  extraordinary.  It  is  a  large,  ponderous,  and  somewhat 
four-sided  structure,  capable  of  dealing  a  powerful  blow. 

The  entire  upper  surface  of  the  animal,  from  in  front  of  the  eyes 
to  the  tip  of  the  tail,  the  cheeks,  sides  of  the  neck,  body  and  tail, 
the  shoulders,  flanks,  and  hips,  are  densely  covered  with  thickly-set 
stout  spines,  varying  from  less  than  an  inch  (25.5  mm.)  to  more 
than  four  and  one  quarter  inches  (108  mm.)  in  length.  These 
spines  or  quills,  which  in  a  state  of  rest  are  directed  backward,  are 
connected  at  their  bases  with  a  layer  of  muscle  by  which  they  may 
be  erected  at  will.  The  mature  quills  cling  so  loosely  to  the  skin 
that  they  are  easily  detached,  and  their  finely  barbed  tips  cause 
them  to  adhere  to  any  animal  with  which  they  come  in  forcible 
contact.  After  having  penetrated  the  skin,  the  tendency  is  to  ad- 
vance, and  the  muscular  action  of  their  victim  causes  them  to 
become  more  and  more  deeply  imbedded.  There  is  no  part  of  the 
body  to  which  they  may  not  travel.  I  have  found  them  in  the  hind 
leg  of  a  fisher,  firmly  fixed  between  the  tibia  and  fibula. 

The  Porcupine,  owing  to  this  formidable  dermal  armature,  has 
but  few  enemies.  Chief  among  them,  as  has  already  been  shown 
(Vol.  I,  pp.  30,  and  48-50),  are  the  panther  and  fisher  ;  and  since 
these  powerful  Carnivores  have  become  rare  in  the  Adirondacks, 
the  Porcupine  has  been,  and  still  is,  on  the  increase.  He  is  occa- 
sionally attacked  by  wolves,  eagles,*  and  the  great-horned  owl. 

He  is  a  pretty  strict  vegetarian,  deriving  the  greater  part  of  his 
sustenance  from  different  kinds  of  browse  and  bark.  Among  the 
conifers,  the  hemlock  furnishes  the  most  palatable  food,  for  he  is 
found  upon  it  more  often  than  upon  any  other  evergreen.  He 

*  In  Forest  and  Stream  of  March  20,  1884  (p.  144),  Mr.  J.  L.  Davison,  of  Lockport,  N.  Y., 
states  that  he  had  recently  examined  a  golden  eagle  that  had  been  shot  at  Plessis,  Jefferson  County, 
N.  Y.  He  says  :  "  The  feet  of  the  eagle  were  full  of  porcupine  quills,  which  was  probably  the 
last  animal  he  had  dined  off,  and  about  as  hot  a  meal  as  he  ever  had." 


3O2  MAMMALIA. 

also  feeds  upon  the  foliage  and  twigs  of  the  maple  and  birch,  and 
not  infrequently  comes  to  the  water's  edge  to  seek  the  lily-pads 
within  reach  from  the  bank.  He  is  also  partial  to  the  staple  com- 
modity of  the  region — the  beechnut — and  I  have  killed  several 
whose  stomachs  were  distended  with  beechnut-meal. 

The  Porcupine  is  more  strictly  nocturnal  than  the  majority  of 
our  mammals ;  still,  he  occasionally  ventures  abroad  in  the  day- 
time. The  greater  part  of  his  life  is  spent  high  in  the  trees, 
though  his  den  is  usually  concealed  in  some  ledge  of  rocks.  He 
is  not  so  active  during  extreme  cold  as  at  other  times,  but  is  not 
known  to  hibernate.  I  have  seen  fresh  tracks  *  leading  to  his  hole 

o 

in  a  rocky  side-hill  in  January,  the  thermometer  indicating  a  tem- 
perature of  -27°  C.  If  ledges  are  not  at  hand,  he  is  sometimes 
found  asleep  under  an  old  log  or  brush-heap,  or  in  a  hollow  tree. 
When  he  has  selected  and  settled  himself  in  a  tree  to  his  liking  he 

o 

may  not  leave  it,  day  or  night,  until  he  has  denuded  it  of  the  whole 
of  its  foliage.  I  have  seen  many  hemlocks  thus  completely  stripped, 
not  a  green  twig  remaining,  even  on  the  smallest  bough.  It  seems 
incredible  that  so  large  and  clumsy  an  animal  should  be  able  to 
climb  out  far  enough  on  the  branches  to  reach  the  terminal  leaves  ; 
but  he  distributes  his  weight  by  bringing  several  branches  together, 
and  then,  with  his  powerful  paws,  bends  back  their  ends  and  passes 
them  through  his  mouth.  When  high  in  the  tree-tops  he  is  often 
passed  unnoticed,  mistaken,  if  seen  at  all,  for  the  nest  of  a  crow  or 
hawk. 

He  is  very  fond  of  salt  and  frequently  comes  around  camp  dur- 
ing the  night  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  it.  He  will  eagerly  lick 
a  bag  that  has  contained  salt  meat,  or  the  dirt  where  brine  has 
been  spilt.  He  takes  pains  to  devour  all  pork  and  ham  rinds  that 
fall  in  his  way,  and,  if  occasion  offers,  will  gnaw  a  buttertub  or 
other  wooden  receptacle  that  has  contained  any  saline  substance. 

*  His  short  legs  allow  his  heavy  body  to  drag  in  the  snow,  making  even  a  deeper  and  broader 
rut  than  the  otter.  His  footprints  are  nearer  together  than  those  of  the  otter,  and  are  of  n  different 
pattern. 


ERETHIZON    DORSATUS.  303 

His  familiarity  at  such  times  is  surprising,  for,  while  not  aggres- 
sive, he  is  by  no  means  timorous,  and  explores  the  camp  with  cool- 
ness and  determination. 

Porcupines  have  a  curious  habit  of  girdling  trees,  at  a  height  of 
from  six  to  thirty  feet.  The  zone  from  which  the  bark  is  removed 
varies  from  a  few  inches  to  a  foot  or  more  in  breadth.  The  spruce 
is  more  frequently  girdled  than  any  other  tree,  and  those  of  small 
diameter  more  commonly  than  those  of  large  size. 

When  feeding  on  lily-pads  along  the  borders  of  water-courses 
they  sometimes  utter  extraordinary  noises,  and  occasionally  quar- 
rels arise  for  the  possession  of  some  log  which  affords  them  easy 
access  to  the  coveted  plants.  At  Beaver  Lake,  in  Lewis  County, 
Mr.  John  Constable  once  witnessed  an  encounter  during  which  one 
of  the  combatants  was  tumbled  into  the  water.  The  animals  did 
not  attempt  to  bite,  but  growled  and  snarled  and  pushed. 

Mr.  Eugene  P.  Bicknell,  while  encamped  on  the  summit  of  Slide 
Mountain  in  the  Catskills,  in  June,  1882,  was  favored  by  a  visit 
from  a  number  of  these  curious  animals,  and  his  account  of  their 
actions  well  illustrates  some  of  their  prominent  characteristics. 
Mr.  Bicknell  says  :  "  From  evening  till  morning  dusk  our  cabin  on 
the  extreme  summit  of  the  mountain  was  virtually  besieged  by 
them,  and  through  the  chinks  their  dark  forms  could  be  seen  mov- 
ing about  among  the  shadows  in  the  moonlight,  while  their  sharp 
cries,  and  often  low  conversational  chatter,  singularly  like  the 
voices  of  infants,  were  weird  interruptions  of  the  midnight  silence, 
or  later,  of  the  moaning  wind. 

"  The  seeming  nocturnal  temerity  of  these  creatures  appeared  to 
be  simply  an  exhibition  of  excessive  stupidity.  It  was  found 
impossible  to  drive  them  from  the  camp  for  any  length  of  time  ; 
they  seemed  to  be  destitute  of  the  faculty  of  memory,  and  even  a 
light  charge  of  shot  sent  among  them  was  only  for  the  moment 
effectual.  Even  when  one  particularly  stupid  individual  had  been 
shot  dead  in  the  doorway  trying  to  effect  an  entrance  by  gnawing 


304  MAMMALIA. 

its  way  through  a  gap,  another,  shortly  after,  continued  the  opera- 
tion beside  the  lifeless  body  of  its  companion. 

i(  It  seems  probable  that  these  singular  rodents  cannot  long  sur- 
vive human  settlement.  Incapable  of  rapid  motion  they  are  easily 
approached,  and  their  spiny  armature,  so  potent  a  protection  from 
their  natural  enemies,  fails  before  the  merciless  power  of  man.  In 
the  isolation  of  the  mountain  top  where  we  have  just  seen  them, 
they  appeared  to  be  at  a  loss  to  understand  the  nature  of  their 
disturbers,  and  when  met  with  showed  little  excitement,  or  anxiety 
to  escape.  Their  greatest  effort  in  this  direction  appeared  to  be 
leisurely  shuffling  out  of  the  immediate  way,  often  climbing  with 
sluggish  effort  into  a  small  balsam  and  composing  themselves 
among  the  branches  just  out  of  easy  reach."  * 

Among  certain  Indian  tribes  the  flesh  of  the  Porcupine  is  a 
staple  article  of  diet,  and  I  have  been  informed  by  hunters  and 
trappers  that  it  is  by  no  means  bad  eating. 

In  the  copper  districts  of  Lake  Superior,  Porcupines  are  put  to 
a  novel  use.  The  following  clipping  is  from  the  Ontonagon 
[Michigan]  Miner  of  July  28th,  1883  :  "  Porcupines  as  Fuel. — Mr. 
Stratton  who  has  charge  of  the  work  at  the  Wilmot  mine  has 

o 

found  a  new  article  of  fuel  which  is  more  effective  than  green 
wood,  Porcupines  !  Yes,  Porcupines.  These  pests  had  become  so 
numerous,  that  one  day  he  threw  a  couple  of  them  into  the  fire 
place  of  the  steam-drill,  and  to  his  surprise  his  steam  ran  up  to  80 
pounds  in  a  short  time.  Having  made  this  discovery  he  concluded 
to  follow  it  up,  and  the  boys  are  ordered  to  kill  and  bring  in  every 
porcupine  they  can  catch,  which  are  thrown  in  to  help  make  fuel. 
They  have  now  killed  and  burned  126  of  them." 

By  persons  ignorant  of  natural  history,  the  Porcupine  is  some- 
times called  "  Hedgehog."  The  hedgehog  is  a  small  animal,  re- 
lated to  the  mole,  and  is  not  found  in  America. 

The  Porcupine  makes  its  nest  in  a  ledge  of  rocks,  or  in  the  hol- 

*  Transactions  of  the  Linnaean  Society  of  New  York,  Vol.  I,  1882,  pp.  121-122. 


LEPUS    AMERICANUS. 

low  of  a  tree  or  log.  Its  young,  generally  one  or  two  in  number, 
are  born  about  the  first  of  May,  and  are  monstrous  for  the  size  of 
the  species.  They  are  actually  larger,  and  relatively  more  than 
thirty  times  larger,  than  the  young  of  the  black  bear  at  birth.* 

Josselyn,  in  his  account  of  Two  Voyages  to  Neiu  England,  says  : 
"The  Porcupine  likewise  I  have  treated  of,  only  this  I  forgot  to 
acquaint  you  with,  that  they  lay  Eggs,  and  are  good  meat "  (p. 

75). 

The  intestines  of  these  animals  usually  contain  large  numbers  of 

tape-worms. 

Family  LEPORID.<E. 

LEPUS    AMERICANUS    Erxleben. 
Great  Northern  Hare  ;  Northern  Varying  Hare. 

The  Northern  Hare  is  found  in  greater  or  less  abundance  in 
most  parts  of  the  Adirondacks  above  the  altitude  of  fifteen  hundred 
feet  (477  metres).  Below  this  altitude,  particularly  on  the  eastern 
or  Champlain  side  of  the  Wilderness,  it  grades  insensibly  into  the 
southern  variety,  Lcpus  Americanus  Virginiamis. 

In  summer  the  Northern  Hare  feeds  upon  a  variety  of  tender 
shoots,  grasses,  leaves,  buds,  and  berries  ;  in  winter  its  diet  is 
limited  to  the  twigs  and  bark  of  shrubs  and  small  trees,  particularly 
of  the  poplar,  birch,  and  willow. 

The  haunts  of  this  species  vary  somewhat  with  the  season.  In 
summer  it  is  found  in  the  dark  evergreen  forests,  while  in  winter, 
when  the  ground  is  frozen  and  covered  with  snow,  it  retires  to  the 
swamps,  and  to  the  dense  thickets,  chiefly  of  alder  and  black  spruce, 

*  May  1st,  1882,  I  shot,  at  Big  Moose  Lake,  a  female  Porcupine  which  contained  a  foetus  that 
would  certainly  have  been  born  within  two  or  three  days.  It  weighed  one  and  one-quarter  pound 
avoirdupois  (567  grammes),  and  measured  in  total  length  eleven  and  one-fourth  inches  (285  mm.), 
the  head  and  body  measuring  about  seven  and  three-fourth  inches  (just  195  mm.).  It  was  densely 
covered  with  long  black  hair,  and  the  quills  on  its  back  measured  a  little  over  half  an  inch  (13 
mm.)  in  length.  The  discoid  placenta  measured  two  and  one-quarter  inches  (57  mm.)  in  diameter. 


306  MAMMALIA. 

bordering  many  of  the  lakes  and  beaver  meadows.*  At  all  times 
of  the  year  it  inhabits  the  burnt  districts  that  are  strewn  with 
charred  logs  and  grown  over  with  blackberry  bushes,  studded  here 
and  there  with  saplings  of  the  poplar,  birch,  cherry,  and  shad-bush. 

It  does  not  inhabit  burrows,  nor  take  refuge  in  hollow  trees,  like 
the  gray  rabbit,  but  seeks  temporary  shelter  under  a  log,  tree-top, 
young  evergreen,  or  other  covert  where  it  is  not  likely  to  be  dis- 
turbed. Here  it  spends  the  greater  part  of  the  day,  feeding  chiefly 
by  night.  It  follows  certain  definite  routes  with  such  frequency 
that  regular  runways  are  formed.  In  these  it  is  often  snared. 

About  the  borders  of  the  Wilderness  the  Varying  Hare  is  a 
favorite  object  of  the  chase.  It  is  hunted  with  hounds,  during  the 
early  winter  months,  and  is  shot  while  circling  through  the  swamps, 
or  crossing  from  hill  to  hill  in  the  burnt  districts.  Audubon  and 
Bachman  state  that  its  flesh  is  not  good  eating,  to  which  opinion 
I  take  exception,  for,  having  eaten  several  dozens  of  them,  I  am 
prepared  to  pronounce  them  tender  and  well-flavored.  When 
properly  cooked  they  certainly  constitute  an  excellent  article  of  diet. 
The  above-mentioned  authors  observe  :  "  This  species  in  the 
beginning  of  winter  varies  from  three  to  six  and  a  half  pounds,  but 
we  consider  five  and  a  half  pounds  to  be  an  average  weight  of  a 
full-grown  animal  in  o'ood  condition."  f  In  the  Adirondack  region 

o  *— *  o 

a  five-pound  Hare  is  exceptionally  large,  the  adults  averaging  not 
more  than  four  and  a  half  pounds  (2,041  grammes)  in  weight. 

I  have  never  found  the  nest,  but  it  is  doubtless  placed  under  a 
brush  heap,  or  in  some  other  equally  secure  covert.  From  four  to 
six  young  are  produced  at  a  birth,  four  being  the  usual  number. 
They  are  born  late  in  May.  There  may  be  two  litters  in  a  season, 
but  I  have  no  proof  of  it.  This  species  has  many  enemies,  among 

*  In  my  journal  of  a  snow-shoe  tramp  in  the  Adirondacks,  in  January,  1883,  I  find  the  following 
entry  concerning  this  species  :  "  Scarcely  a  track  seen  except  about  the  borders  of  lakes  and  beaver 
meadows.  Very  common  near  Big  Otter  Lake,  and  tolerably  so  at  Little  Safford  Lake  and  in  a 
swamp  west  of  Independence  Lake  ;  also  between  Big  Moose  and  Second  Lake  of  North  Branch, 
and  near  the  Forge." 

f  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  Vol.  I,  1846,  p.  96. 


LEPUS    AMERICANUS.  307 

the  most  formidable  of  which  are  the  lynx,  fox,  ermine,  mink, 
marten,  fisher,  eagle,  the  snowy  and  great-horned  owls,  and  the 
larger  hawks. 

The  Varying  Hare  derives  its  name  from  the  well-known  circum- 
stance that  it  changes  color  in  spring  and  fall — being  dark  reddish- 
brown  in  summer  and  snowy  white  in  winter.  Concerning  the 
method  of  the  change  much  difference  of  opinion  exists,  and  some 
of  the  ablest  of  recent  writers  pass  the  point  in  silence. 

Pennant  says  :  "  These  animals,  at  approach  of  winter,  receive 
a  new  coat,  which  consists  of  a  multitude  of  loner  white  hairs,  t\vice 

o 

as  long  as  the  summer  fur,  which  still  remains  beneath."  *  Dr. 
Richardson  stated  that,  in  his  opinion,  "  the  change  to  the  winter 
dress  takes  place  by  a  lengthening  and  blanching  of  the  summer  fur  ; 
whilst  the  change  in  the  beginning  of  summer  consists  in  the  winter 
coat  falling  off  during  the  growth  of  the  new  and  coloured  fur."  f 
This  opinion  comes  very  near  the  truth,  but  does  not  express  the 
whole  truth.  The  first  clause  is  absolutely  correct ;  for  in  the  fall 
the  change  certainly  does  occur  "  by  a  lengthening  and  blanching 
of  the  summer  fur,"  the  individual  hairs  changing  color  after  the 
first  fall  of  snow.  This  species,  like  the  great  majority  of  mammals, 
is  clothed  with  two  kinds  of  hair — a  fine  soft  fur  which  densely 
covers  all  parts  of  the  body,  and  longer,  stiffer  hairs,  scattered 
through,  and  projecting  beyond,  the  former.  These  long  hairs 
are  black  in  summer  and  white  in  winter.  In  the  fall  of  the  year, 
when  the  change  begins,  they  become  white  at  the  tips  first,  the 
black  gradually  fading  from  above  downwards  until  the  entire  hair 
is  white.  In  spring  the  process  is  reversed,  the  exposed  portion 
of  the  long  hairs  becoming  black  (though  the  extreme  tip  some- 
times remains  white  until  the  change  is  far  advanced),  which  color 
gradually  extends  downward,  at  the  expense  of  the  white,  until  the 
entire  hair  is  black.  Sometimes  the  displacement  of  the  white  is 

*  Arctic  Zoology,  Vol.  I,  1792,  p.  no. 

f  Fauna  Boreali-Americana,  Vol.  I,  1829,  p.  218. 


3O8  MAMMALIA. 

temporarily  interrupted,  the  two  colors  appearing  in  alternate  zones. 
And  during  the  latter  part  of  March,  when  the  body  of  the  animal 
is  still  white,  it  is  not  uncommon  to  find  hundreds  of  black  hairs 
scattered  over  the  back,  many  of  them  with  the  extreme  apices, 
and  a  narrow  zone  between  the  middle  and  base,  white.  In  fall  or 
early  winter  the  soft  fur  becomes  tipped  with  white,  the  white 
portion  increasing  somewhat  in  length  and  diameter.  In  spring  a 
curious  phenomenon  takes  place.  The  white  portion  of  the  fur 
loses  its  vitality,  becomes  brittle,  and  breaks  off  on  slight  friction, 
so  that  the  animal,  in  brushing  through  the  undergrowth,  soon 
rids  himself  of  it.  As  a  rule  the  long  hairs  change  first.*  Both 
in  spring  and  fall  the  time  of  the  change  seems  to  be  governed  by 
the  presence  or  absence  of  snow,  and  is  not  affected  by  the  tem- 
perature. It  occurs  independently  of  the  moult,  and  the  new  hairs 
assume  the  prevailing  color  of  the  animal,  or  the  color  toward 
which  it  is  tending  at  the  time  of  their  appearance. 

Mr.  J.  A.  Allen,  in  his  elaborate  monograph  of  North  American 
Hares,  states  that  instances  of  melanism  "  are  very  rare  among  the 
American  Lcporidce."  He  further  says  :  "  Among  the  specimens 
of  var.  Americanus  is  a  single  example  of  melanism,  a  mutilated 
skin  (No.  6268)  labeled  as  follows  :  '  Lcpus  Americanus,  Rainy 
Lake,  H.  B.  T.'  It  is  apparently  a  winter  skin,  the  pelage  being 
very  long  and  full.  The  color  is  dull  plumbeous-black  throughout, 
there  being  a  slight  grayish  cast  to  the  surface  of  the  pelage,  par- 
ticularly on  the  head,  breast,  and  back."  f  I  have  had  the  good 
fortune  to  examine  two  excellent  melanistic  specimens  of  this 
species,  both  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  Romeyn  B.  Hough,  of  Low- 
ville,  New  York.  The  animals  were  shot  in  winter  (one  in  March), 

*  Specimens  in  my  museum,  killed  in  Lewis  County,  December  ist,  March  2ist,  and  April  3d, 
well  illustrate  the  above  described  conditions  of  pelage.  In  spring,  while  the  change  is  in  progress, 
the  attachment  of  the  white  tips  is  so  feeble  that  hundreds  may  be  blown  off  at  a  single  puff.  The 
change  occurs  more  or  less  irregularly  over  the  greater  part  of  the  body,  but  is  usually  symmetrical 
on  the  head,  giving  rise  to  a  very  pretty  pattern. 

f  Monographs  of  North  American  Rodentia,  1877,  p.  305. 


LEPUS    AMKKICAXUS    VIRGINIANUS.  309 

in  the  town   of   Lyonsdale,  in   Lewis  Count)-.      In   color  they  are 
a  uniform  dark  sooty-brown,  lighter  on  the  soles  of  the  feet. 


LEPUS  AMERICANUS  VIRGINIANUS    (""kn)  Alien. 

Southern  Varying  Hare. 

This  variety  or  subspecies  of  the  Varying  Hare  occurs  in  the 
low  border-lands  of  the  Adirondacks,  particularly  in  the  valleys  of 
Lakes  George  and  Champlain,  but  is  not  met  with  at  any  great 
elevation,  a  few  hundred  feet  constituting,  in  this  latitude,  its 
altitudinal  limit. 

Its  food  and  habits  are  not  known  to  differ  from  those  of  its 
nearest  relative,  the  great  northern  hare,  from  which  it  may  be 
distinguished,  in  winter,  by  the  circumstance  that  the  change  to 
white  is  not  complete,  more  or  less  light  reddish-brown  remain- 
ing about  the  head  and  ears,  and  on  the  upper  surfaces  of  the  fore- 
feet. 

Rabbits  are  not  commonly  supposed  to  swim,  but  Mr.  William 
Brewster  has  kindly  written  me  of  a  case  that  fell  under  his  personal 
observation.  He  says:  "While  at  Lake  Umbagog,  Maine,  in  the 
summer  of  18/3,  I  saw  something  which  may  interest  you.  I  was 
paddling  up  Cambridge  River  one  warm  July  morning  when,  upon 
rounding  a  bend,  my  attention  was  attracted  by  a  slight  splashing 
sound  ahead,  and  looking  closely  I  discovered  a  Rabbit  (Lcpus 
Americanus)  evidently  about  to  attempt  the  passage  of  the  stream 
which  at  that  place  was  perhaps  one  hundred  feet  wide,  and  at 
least  eight  or  ten  deep.  He  entered  the  water  deliberately,  but 
without  apparent  fear  or  hesitation,  and  was  soon  beyond  his  depth 
and  striking  out  boldly  for  the  opposite  shore.  A  more  ridiculous 
(albeit  successful)  attempt  at  swimming  can  scarcely  be  imagined. 
He  literally  hopped  through  the  water,  using  only  his  hind  legs  and 
kicking  with  such  vigor  that  the  whole  forward  part  of  his  body 
was  raised  above  the  surface  at  each  stroke.  Between  the  strokes 


3IO  MAMMALIA. 

he  would  sink  back  until,  sometimes,  only  the  tip  of  the  nose  was 
exposed.  I  fancy  that  an  immense  bull-frog,  weighted  after  the 
manner  of  'Mark  Twain's'  '  Dan'l  Webster,' would  cut  a  some- 
what similar  figure. 

"  This  method  of  progression  was  naturally  fatiguing,  and  before 
the  animal  reached  the  opposite  bank  the  strokes  became  feebler 
and  the  intervals  between  them  longer  until  I  began  to  fear  that 
the  tired  creature  would  be  drowned.  At  length,  however,  he 
struck  bottom,  and,  loping  across  a  stretch  of  bare  mud,  disappeared 
in  the  woods.  Such  an  appearance  as  he  presented  upon  emerging 
from  the  water  ! — the  lankness  of  his  form  revealed  by  the  clinging 
and  bedraggled  fur,  the  ears  drooping  and  the  whole  expression 
one  of  dejection  and  shame. 

"  None  of  the  guides  or  trappers  of  my  acquaintance  have  ever 
seen  a  Rabbit  swim,  although  I  have  been  told  of  an  instance 
where  one  was  observed  to  take  to  the  shallow  water  on  the  margin 

o 

of  a  pond  and  run  through  it  for  several  hundred  yards  before 
leaping  again  into  the  woods.  The  purpose  of  this  manoeuvre  was 
apparent  a  moment  later  when  a  Sable  appeared  on  the  Rabbit's 
track  and  following  it  to  the  water's  edge  lost  it  there. 

"  On  the  occasion  just  described,  however,  no  pursuer  appeared, 
nor  do  I  think  that  tJiis  Rabbit  entered  the  water  under  compul- 
sion, or  for  the  purpose  of  obliterating  the  scent  of  his  tracks.  On 
the  contrary,  the  action  was  undertaken  so  deliberately,  that  I 
believe  the  animal  to  have  been  impelled  by  some  idle  whim, 
merely — such  as  a  desire  to  try  fresh  pasturage  or,  perhaps,  to  see 
what  the  world  was  like  on  the  other  side  of  the  stream.  How- 
ever this  may  be,  the  case  is  doubtless  exceptional,  for  Lepus 
Americanus  ordinarily  has  as  great  an  aversion  to  the  water  as  any 
house  cat." 

Mr.  Nelson  Harris,  a  well-known  Adirondack  hunter,  tells  me 
that  while  still-hunting  in  Northern  Michigan,  a  few  winters  ago, 
he  saw  a  white  Rabbit,  that  had  stumbled  into  camp  and  was 


LEPUS    SYLVATICUS.  3  I  I 

'  cornered,"  plunge  fearlessly  into  a  swiftly  flowing  river  and  swim 
to  the  other  side. 

LEPUS     SYLVATICUS     Bachman. 

Gray  Rabbit. 

The  Gray  Rabbit  is  a  more  southern  animal  than  either  of  the 
species  heretofore  considered,  and  only  enters  the  Adirondack  re- 
gion along  its  southern  border,  in  Fulton,  Saratoga,  and  Warreji 
Counties. 

In  addition  to  the  food  which  constitutes  the  diet  of  the  varying 
hare,  the  Gray  Rabbit  enters  the  garden  and  orchard,  sometimes 
committing  great  havoc.  Robert  Kennicott  says:  "In  hunting 
these  quadrupeds,  every  winter,  and  working  every  summer,  for 
ten  years,  in  a  very  large  nursery  of  fruit-trees,  where  they  were 
numerous,  I  have  never  seen  a  tree  from  which  bark  had  been 
gnawed  by  them,  though  thousands  were  severely  '  pruned,'  the 
rabbits,  in  deep  snows,  appearing  to  feed  entirely  upon  the  twigs 
and  buds  of  the  young  apple  trees.  From  the  larger  limbs  they 
cut  off  the  buds,  of  which  they  are  fond  ;  and  in  the  woods,  in  win- 
ter, they  can  be  tracked  to  living  forest  trees,  recently  felled,  to 
which  they  repair  to  feed  upon  the  buds.  They  also  feed  in  win- 
ter upon  the  buds  and  young  shoots  of  briars,  sumach,  hazel,  thorn, 
oak,  hickory,  basswood,  poplar,  and  other  shrubs  and  trees." 

Its  favorite  haunts,  according  to  my  observation, f  are  pine 
barrens,  and  thickets  of  laurel  (Kalmia  latifolid)  and  other  under- 
growth. Like  the  northern  hare,  it  has  regular  runways  which  it 
uses  at  all  times  of  the  year  ;  but  unlike  that  species  it  habitually 
takes  refuse  in  burrows  in  the  earth  and  in  hollow  trees. 

o 

*  Quadrupeds  of  Illinois  Injurious  and  Beneficial  to  the  Farmer.  By  Robert  Kennicott,  1858, 
pp.  80-8 I. 

f  I  have  found  it  in  greater  or  less  abundance  in  the  Connecticut  Valley  in  central  Massachu- 
setts ;  in  southern  Connecticut;  in  southern  New  York  (Westchester  County);  in  the  vicinity  of 
Elizabeth,  New  Jersey;  about  Aiken,  .South  Carolina  ;  and  in  Florida. 


312  MAMMALIA. 

Audubon  and  Bachman  state:  "In  the  Northern  and  Middle 
States,  where  the  burrows  of  the  Maryland  marmot  (Arctomys 
monax)  and  the  holes  resorted  to  by  the  common  skunk,  (Mephitis 
chinga^)  are  numerous,  the  Gray  Rabbit,  in  order  to  effect  its 
escape  when  pursued,  betakes  itself  to  them,  and  as  they  are  gen- 
erally deep,  or  placed  among  rocks  or  roots,  it  would  require  more 
labour  to  unearth  it  when  it  has  taken  possession  of  either  of  these 
animal's  retreats  than  it  is  worth,  and  it  is  generally  left  unmolested. 
It  is  not  always  safe  in  these  cases,  however,  for  the  skunk  occa- 
sionally is  '  at  home '  when  the  Rabbit  runs  into  his  hole,  and  often 
catches  and  devours  the  astonished  fugitive  before  it  can  retrace 
its  steps  and  reach  the  mouth  of  the  burrow."  * 

Kennicott  says  :  "  The  grey  rabbit  is  very  prolific,  producing 
young  three  or  four  times  a  year,  and  usually  from  four  to  six  at  a 
birth.  In  open  ground  the  female  scratches  a  shallow  hollow,  in 
which  to  bring  forth  her  young.  In  this  she  forms  a  nest  of  soft 
leaves  and  grasses,  well-lined  with  fur  from  her  own  body ;  and 
when  she  is  absent,  the  young  are  always  completely  covered  and 
concealed  in  the  nest,  which  they  leave  at  an  early  age,  and  sepa- 
rate from  the  mother  as  soon  as  able  to  take  care  of  themselves."  f 

*  Quadrupeds  of  North  America,  Vol.  I,  1846,  p.  177. 

f  Quadrupeds  of  Illinois  Injurious  and  Beneficial  to  the  Farmer.     By  Robert  Kennicott,  1858, 
p.  8l. 


I  N  DEX 


Allies 

alba,  21. 

balsamea,  21,  26. 

Canadensis.  21,  26. 

nigra,  21,  26. 
Acer 

dasycarpum,  215. 

Pennsylvanicum,  22. 

rubrum,  21,  214. 

sacchannum,  21,  215. 

saccharinum  nigrum,  21. 

spicatum,  22,  26. 
Achillea  millefolium,  23. 
Acoru-s  calamus,  23. 
Actrea 

alba,  22. 

spicaia  rubra,  22. 
Agrotis 

astricta,  25. 

Chardinyi,  25. 

conflua,   25. 

Alee  Americanus,  138-143. 
Allium  tricoccum,  24. 
Aln  us 

incana,  22. 

viridis,  22. 
Amelanchier 

Canadensis,  22. 

Canadensis  botryapium,  22. 

Canadensis  oblongifolia,  22. 
Ampelopsis  quinquefolia,  22. 
Andromeda  polifolia,  22,  290. 
Anemone 

nemorosa,  22. 

Pennsylvanica,  23. 
Antennaria  margaritacea,  23. 
Apocynum  androssemifolium,  22. 
Aquilegia  Canadensis,  22. 
Arabis  lyrata,  22. 
Aralia 

midicaulis,  23. 

recemosa,  23. 

trifolia,  23,  26. 
Arbor  Vitre,  21,  107,  HO. 
Archangelica  atropurpurea,  23. 
Arctomys  monax,  240-252,  312. 
Arctostaphylos  uva-ursi,  22. 
Arenaria 

Grcenlandica,  22,  26. 

laterifolia,  22. 
Aristema  triphyllum,  23. 
Arvicola 

riparius,  271,  272-275. 

scalopsoides,  170. 
Asarum  Canadense,  23. 
^h,  Black,  21. 
White,  21. 


Aspen, 

American,  21. 

Large-toothed,  21. 
Aster  acuminatus,  26. 
Atalapha 

cinerea,  176-181. 

Xoveboracensis,  181-184, 

190. 
Azalea  muli flora,  22,  291. 

Balsam  Poplar,  21. 
]-!ass  Wood,  21. 
Bat. 

Carolina,    184-187. 

Dusky,  184-187. 

Hoary,  176-181. 

Little  Brown,  194-197. 

New  York,  181-184. 

Red,  181-184. 

Silver-haired,  188-194. 
Hear,  27,  28,  95-104. 
Beaver,  17,  27,  253-258. 
Beech,  21. 
Beechnut,    107,    no,     226-228, 

234,  238. 
Betula 

glandulosa,  26. 

lenta,    21. 

lutea,  21. 

papyracea,  21. 
Bidens  cernua,  23. 
Birch, 

Canoe,  21. 

Cherry,  21. 

Paper,  21. 

Yellow,  21. 

Blackbird,  Rusty,  18,  25. 
Black  Squirrel,  219-232. 
Blarina 

brevicauda,  122,  164-173. 

Carolinensis,  171. 

talpoides,  171. 
Blue  Gentian,  17. 
Brewer's  Mole,  147,  161-163. 
Butternut,  21. 

Calamagrostis,  16,  23,  26. 
Calla  palustris,  23. 
Calopogon  pulchellus,  23. 
Caltha  palustris,  22. 
Calypso  borealis,  23. 
Campanula  rotundifolia,  23,  26. 
Canada  Jay,  12,  17,  19,  25,  175. 
Canis  lupus,  42-44. 
Carcajou,  48. 
Cardinal  Flower,  17. 
Cariacus  Virginianus,  107-138. 
Carpinus  Americana,  22. 


Carya  aniara.  21. 

1    issandra  calyculata,  16,22,26, 

290-291. 

CasMopc  hypnoides,  26. 
Castor   fiber    Canadensis,    253- 

258. 
Cat, 

Black,  48-51. 

Wild,  41-42. 

Caulophyllum  thalictroides,  22. 
<  <  dar,  White,  21,  107,  no. 
Celastrus  scandens,  22. 
Cfphalanthus  occidentalis,  22. 
Cervus  Canaden-is,  143-145. 
Cetraria  Islandica,  24. 
Chat  cervier,  41-42. 
Chelone  glabra,  23. 
(.'liL-rry,  Black,  21. 
Chewink,  12. 

Chickadee,  Hudsonian,  25. 
Chickaree,  209-218. 
Chimaphila  umbellata,  23,  26. 
Chiogenes    hispidula,    15,'-  23, 

26. 
Chipmunk,  27,  28,  29,  122,233- 

239- 
Cidaria 

albolineata,  25. 

cunigerata,  25. 

hersiliata,  25. 

Packardata,  25. 

truncata,  25. 
Circa_-a  alpina,  23,  26. 
Cladonia  rangiferina,  24. 
Claytonia  Caroliniana,  23,  26. 
Clematis  Virginiana,  22. 
Clintonia  borealis,  23,  26. 
Cock-of-the-Woods,  18. 
Comandia  umbellata,  23. 
Condylura 

cristata,   146-153. 

macroura,  152. 
Cnptis  trifolia,  22,  26. 
Coremia  ferrugaria,  25. 
Cornus 

alternifolia,  22. 

Canadensis,  23,  26,  no, 

circinata,  22. 

[laniculata,  22. 

stolonifera,  22. 
Cory  his  n>-trata,  23,  235. 
Cougar,  29-39,  113-114. 
Cratregus 

coccinea,  22. 

crus-galli,  22. 

tOllKMltii^a,    22. 

Creeper,  Brown,  20. 


3H 


INDEX. 


Crossbill, 

Red,  ig,  25. 

White-winged,  19,  25. 
Cynoglossum 

Morrisoni,  23. 

officinale,  23. 
Cypripedium 

acaule,  23,  26. 

parviflorum,  23. 

pubescens,  23,  26. 

spectabile,  23,  26. 

Dalibarda  repens,  23,  26. 

I  >rer,  27,  29,  107-138. 
Dentaria 

diphylla,  22. 

laciniata,  22. 

Diapensia  Lapponica,  23,  26. 
Dicentra 

Canadensis,  22,  26. 

cucullaria,  22. 
Dicranum,  24. 
Diervilla  trifida,  22. 
Dipus 

Americanus,  292-294. 

mellivorus,  294. 
Dove,  Mourning,  12. 
Drosera 

longifolia,  22. 

rotundifolia,  22. 
Duck, 

Golden-eyed,  25. 

Wood,  1 3. 
Dusky  Bat,  184-187. 

Elephant,  Fossil,  145. 
Elephus  Americanus,  145. 
Elk,  143-145- 
Elm,  21. 

Slippery,  21. 
Elodes  Virginica,  22. 
Empetrum  nigrum,  26. 
Epigrea  repens,  23. 
Epilobium 

alpinum,  26. 

angustifolium,  17,  23. 

coloratum,  23. 

palustre  lineare,  23,  26. 
Epiphegus  Virginiana,  23. 
Equus  major,  145. 
Erethizon  dorsatus,  300-305. 
Eriocaulon  septangulare,  24. 
Ermine,  27,  56-64,  65. 
Erythronium  Americanum,  24. 
Eupatorium 

ageratoides,  23. 

perfohatum,  23. 

purpureum,  23. 

Evotomys  rutilus   Gapperi,  271 
272. 

Fagus  ferruginea,  21. 
Felis  concolor,  29-39. 
Fiber  zibethicus,  275-289. 
Finch,   Purple,  20. 
Fir,  Balsam,  21. 
Fisher,  24,  27,  48-51. 


Flycatcher,  Olive-sided, 17,  25. 
Flying  Squirrel,  197-206. 

Northern,  206-208. 
Fossil  Elephant,  145. 
Fossil  Horse,  145. 
Fox,  45-47,  92. 
Fox  Squirrel,  232-233. 
Fragaria  vesca,  23. 
Fraxinus 

Americana,  21. 

sambucifolia,  21. 

Cialium  trifidum  pusillum,  23. 

Gaultheria  procumbens,  23,  no. 

Gaylussacia  resinosa,  22. 

Gentiana,  23. 

Geranium  Robertianum,  22,  26. 

Gerbillus,  296. 

Geum  macrophyllum,  22,  26. 

Goodyera  repens,  23,  26. 

Goshawk,  25,   228. 

Gray  Rabbit,  311-312. 

Gray  Squirrel,  27,  28,  123,  219- 

232. 

Great    Northern  Hare,  305-309. 
Grosbeak,  Pine,  19. 
Ground  Squirrel,  233-239. 
Grouse, 

Ruffed,  19,  40. 

Spruce,  12,  16,  19,  25. 
Gulo  luscus,  47-48. 

Habenaria 

blephariglottis,  23. 

dilatata,  16,  23,  26. 

fimbriata,  23. 

Hookeri,  23. 

hyperborea,  23,  26. 

lacera,  23. 

orbiculata,  23. 

psycodes,  23. 

tridentata,  23. 

viridis  bracteata,  23. 
Hairy-tailed  Mole,  161-163. 
Ilammamelis  Virginica,  22. 
Hare,   Great   Northern,   24,   52, 
122,   305-309. 

Southern  Varying,  309-311. 
Helianthemnm  Canadensis,  22. 
Hemlock,  21. 
Hepatica  triloba,  22. 
Heracleum  lanatum,  23. 
Herb,  Willow,  17. 
Heron,  Great  Blue,  18,  101. 
Hesperomys  leucopus,  165-167, 

263-271. 

Hickory,  Swamp,  21. 
Hoary  Bat,  176-181. 
Horse,  Fossil,  145. 
House  Mouse,  260-263. 
Houstonia  crerulea,  23. 
Hydrophyllum 

Canadense,  23. 

Virginicum,  23. 
Hypericum 

ellipticum,  22. 
perforatum,  22. 


Hypericum  pyramidatum,  22. 
Hypnum,  24. 

splendens,  15. 

Ilex  lan-igata,  22,  291. 
Impatiens  pallida,  22,  26. 

Jaculus  Hudsonius,  297. 

Jay, 

Blue,  19. 

Canada,  12,  17,  19,  25    175. 
Juglans  cinerea,  21. 
lumping  Mouse,  290-300. 
[unco  hiemalis,  25. 
Juniper,  21. 
Juniperus  Virginiana,  21. 

Kalmia 

angustifolia,  22,  291. 

glauca,  16.  22,  26,  290. 
Kinglet,  Golden-crowned,  20. 

Labrador  Mouse,  290-300. 
Laportea  Canadensis,  23. 
Larch,   21. 

Larentia'cresiata,  25. 
Larix  Americana,  21,  207. 
Ledum  latifolium,  16,  22,  26. 
Lepus 

Americanus,  305-309. 

Americanus  Virginianus, 
309-311. 

sylvaticus,  311-312. 
Linden,  American,  21. 
Linnrea  borealis,  15,  23. 
Listera  cordata,  23,  26. 
Lobelia 

cardinalis,  23. 

inllata,  23. 

Kalmii,  23. 

syphylitica,  23. 
Locust,  21. 
Lonicera  ciliata,  22. 
Loon,  19,  37,  87. 
Lutra  Canadensis,  87-91. 
Lynx,  24,  40-42. 

Bay,  41-42. 

Canada,  40. 
Lynx 

Canadensis,  40. 

rufus,  41-42. 
Lyshnachia 

ciliata,  23. 

thyrsiflora,  23. 

Maple, 

Red,  21. 

Sugar,  21. 

Swamp,  21. 
Marmot,  240-252. 
Marten,  24,  27,  48-54. 

Pennant's,  48-51. 

Pine,  52-54. 

Maryland  Yellow-throat,  iS. 
Mastodon,  145. 

Meadow  Mouse,  165,  272-275. 
Medeola  Virginica,  23. 


IXDK.X. 


Melanerpes  erythrocephalus, 

226- 228. 
Melanippe 

fluctuata,  25. 

hastata,  25. 

Mephitis  mephitica,  69-87,  312. 
Microstylis  monophyllos,  23,  26. 
Mimulus  ringens,  23. 
Mink,  27,  48,  64-69,  78,  92. 
Mitchella  repens,  23. 
Mitella 

diphylla,  23,  26. 

nuda,  23,  26. 
Mole, 

Brewer's,  161-163. 

Hairy-tailed,  161-163. 

Shrew,  153-160. 

Star-nosed,  146-153. 
Monarda  didyma,  23. 
Monotropa  uniflora,  23. 
Moose,  17,  27,  138-143. 
Moss, 

Iceland,  24. 

Reindeer,  24. 

Shining  Feather,  15. 
Mouse, 

House,  260-263. 

Jumping,  24,  28,  290-300. 

Long-eared  Wood,  24,  271— 
272. 

Meadow,  272-275. 

Red-backed,  271-272. 

White-footed,  263-271. 
Mus 

decumanus,  208,  259-260. 

musculus,  260-263. 
Muskrat,  27,  275-289. 
Mustela 

Americana,  52-54. 

Pennanti,  48-51. 
Myrica  gale,  22,  290. 

Nabalus 

Bootii,  26. 

nanus,  26. 
Nuphnr  ad  vena,  22. 
Nuthatch,    Red-bellied,    12,    20, 

24- 
Nymphsea  ordorata,  22. 

Oak,  21. 
QEnothera 

biennis,  23. 

pumila,  23. 

Oporabia  cambricaria,  25. 
Orchis  spectabilis,  23,  26. 
Orthotrichum,  24. 
Osmorrhiza 

brevistylis,  23. 

longistylis,  23. 
Ostrya  Virginica,  21. 
Otter,  27,  48,  66,  87-91,  92. 
Owl,  19,  37,  79. 

Great-horned,  79. 
Oxalis  acetosella,  22,  26. 

Panther,  29-39,  113-114. 


Partridge, 

Canada,  16. 

Spruce,  40. 
Peabody  Bird.  18. 
Pedicularis  Canadensis,  23. 
Pekan,  48-51. 
Pewee,  Wood,  17,  18. 
Phoca  vi tul ina,  104-106. 
Picoides  arcticus,  207. 
Pine, 

Norway,  21. 

Pitch,  21. 

Red,  21. 

White,  21. 
Pinus 

rigida,  21. 

resin osa,  21. 

strobus,  21,  26,  214. 
Plusia 

bimaculata,  25. 

u-aureum,  25. 

Pogonia  ophioglossoides,  23. 
Polecat,  69-87. 
Polygala  paucifqlia,  22,  26. 
Polygonatum  trifloium,  23. 
Pontederia  cordata,  24. 
Populus 

balsamifera,  21. 

grandidentata,  21. 

tremuloides,  21,  255. 
Porcupine,  24,  29,  30,  300-305. 
Potentilla 

Canadensis,  23. 

Norvegica,  22. 

palustris,  22. 

tridentata,  22,  26. 
I'oterium  Canadense,  22,  26. 
Progne  subis,  154. 
Primus 

Pennsylvanica,  22. 

pumila,  22. 

serotina,  21. 
Primus  Virginiana,  22. 
Puma,  29-39. 
Putorius 

erminea,  56-64. 

vison,  64-69,  171 . 

vulgaris,  54-56. 
Pyrola 

chlorantha,  23. 

rntundifolia,  26. 

secunda,  23. 
Pyrus  sambucifolia,  22. 

UllerCUS,    21. 

Rabbit,   Little  Gray,    122,   311- 

312. 

Raccoon,  27,  28,  91-95. 
Ranunculus 

abortive,  22. 

Mammilla  reptans,  22,  26. 

recurvatus,  22. 
Rat,  208,  259-260. 
Raven,  12,  19,  25. 
Red-backed  Mou>e,  271-272. 
Red  Bat,  181-184. 


I  >eer,  27.  29,  107-138. 
Red-headed     Woodpecker,    226- 

228. 
Red   Squirrel,    18,    2  »,    66,  209- 

•jiS,  220-229. 
Rhinanthus  crista-galli,  23. 
Rhododendron  Lapponicum,  26. 
Rhodoru  <  'anndeiiM-,  22,  26. 
Ribes 

lacustre,  22,  26. 

rubruni,  22. 
Roliin,   17,    19. 
Robinia  pseudacacia,  21. 
Ro^a  ( 'anilina,  22. 
Rubus 

Canadensis,  22. 

occidcntalis,  22. 

oiloratus,  22. 

strigoMis,  22. 
Rubus 

triflorus,  22. 

villoslis,   22. 

Sable, 

Alaska,  69-87. 

I  [udson's  Bay,  52-54. 
Sagittaria  calycina,  23. 
Salix,  22,  26. 
Sambucus 

Canadeiisis,  22. 

pubens,  22. 

Sanguinaria  Canadensi>,  22. 
Sarraernea  pui^iurea,  22. 
Saxifraga  Pennsylvanica,  23. 
Scalops  aquations,  153-160,  161, 

163. 
Scapanus 

Americanus,  161-163. 

I'.reweri,   148,  161-163. 
Scheuchzeria  palustris,  23. 
Sciuropterus 

volucella,  197-206. 

volucella    Hu'dsonius,    206- 

208. 
Sciurus 

Carolinensis,  219-232. 

1  1  u<U<  miu>,  209-218. 

niger  cinereus,  232-233. 
Scrophularia  nodo-a,  23. 
Scutellaria 

galericulata,  23. 

lateriflora,  23. 
Seal.    I  larbor,  27,   104-106. 
Senecio  aureus,  23. 
Shrew,  27. 

Broad-nosed,  175. 

Cooper's,  173-17  =  . 

Mole,   147,  153-160. 

Short-tailed,  164-173. 
Silene  inllata,  22. 
Silver-haired  Bat,  188-194. 
Skunk,  27,  67,  69-87,  93,  312. 
Smilacena 

bifolia,  23,  26. 

racemosa,  23. 

stellata,  23. 

trifolia,  23.  26. 


i6 


INDEX. 


Snow-berry,  Creeping,  15. 
Snowbird,  Slate-colored,   18,  19 
Solidago 

virga-aurea  alpina,  26. 

thyrsoidea,  23,  26. 
Sorex 

Cooperi,  173-175. 

platyrhinus,  175. 
Spargania  magnoliata,  25. 
Sparrow, 

Field,  12. 

Fox-colored,  20. 

Song,  18,  19. 

White-throated,  12,  19,    25. 
Sphagnum,  15,  16,  17,  24. 
Spike-horn  Deer,  120-124. 
Spiranthes 

cernua,  23. 

gracilis,  23. 

latifolia,  23. 
Spiraea 

salicifolia,  22,  290. 

tomentosa,  22,  291. 
Spruce, 

Black,  21. 

White,  21. 
Squirrel, 

Black,  219-232. 

Flying,  197-206. 

Fox,  27,  232-233. 

Gray,  27,  28,  219-232. 

Ground,  233-239. 

Hudsonian  Flying,  24,  206- 
208. 

Red,  18,  29,  66,  209-218. 

Striped,  233-239. 
Star-nosed  Mole,  146-153. 
Stoat,  56-64. 
Streptopus  roseus,  23,  26. 
Symphytum  officinale,  23. 

Tacamahac,  21. 
Talpa 

Americana,  161. 

Europaea,  163. 
Tamarack,  21. 
Tamias  striatus,  233-239. 
Tanacetum  vulgare,  23. 
Taxus  baccata  Canadensis,  22. 
Thamnonoma  brunneata,  25. 
Thalictrum  dioicum,  22. 
Thrasher,  Brown,  12. 


Thrush, 

Hermit,  12,  18,  20,  24, 

Large-billed  Water,  12. 

Olive-backed,  12. 
Thrush, 

Swainson's,  24. 

Wood,  12. 
Thuja  occidental  is,  21,  26,  107 

no. 

Tiarella  cordifolia,  23,  26. 
Tilia  Americana,  21. 
Titmouse, 

Hudsonian,  19,  25. 

Black-capped,  19. 
Trientalis  Americana,  23,  26. 
Trifolium  pratense,  241. 
Trillium 

erectum,  23,  26. 

erythrocarpum,  23,  26. 

grandiflorum,  23,  26. 
Triosteum  perfoliatum,  ^23. 
Tussilago  farfara,  23. 

Ulmus 

Americana,  21. 

fulva,  21. 

Ursus  Americanus,  95-104. 
Uvularia 

grandiflora,  23. 

sessifolia,  23. 
Usnea,  16,  24. 
Utricularia  cornuta,  23. 

Vaccinium 

caespitosum,  23,  26. 

corymbosum,  22. 

macrocarpon,   23. 

rennsylvanicum,  22. 

uliginosum,  26. 

Vitis-Idrea,  26. 
Varying  Hare, 

Northern,  305-309. 

Southern,  309-311, 
Verbascum  thapsus,  23 
Veratrum  viride,  16,  23. 
Vespertilio 

lucifugus,  194. 

subulatus,  190,  194-197. 
Vesperugo 

serotinus  fuscus,  184-187. 

noctivagans,  176,  188-194. 


Viburnum 

acerifolium,  22. 
lantanoides,  22. 
lentatro,  22. 

o     * 

OpulllS,   22. 

Viola 

blanda,  22. 

Canadensis,  22,  26. 

canina  sylvestris    22. 

cucullata,  22. 

pubescens,  22. 

rotundifolia,  22,  26. 

rostrata,  22. 

Selkerki,  22. 

Vulpes    vulgaris  Pennsylvanicus, 
45-47- 

VValdsteinia  fragarioides,  22,  26. 

Wapiti,  143-145. 

Warbler, 

Blackburnian,  12,  24. 

Black  and  Yellow,  12,  24. 

Blue  Yellow-backed,  16. 

Canada  Fly-catching,  12    16, 
24. 

Mourning.  12,  17,  24. 

Nashville,  20. 

Tennessee,  24; 

Yellow-rumped    12,  24. 
Weasel, 

Brown,  56  64 

Large,  56-64 

Least,  54-56. 

White   56-64. 
White-footed    Mouse,    166-168, 

263-271,  291. 
White-tailed  Deer,    27,   29,    107- 

to*- 

Wild  Cat,  41-42. 
Wolf,  42-44,  79,  112. 
Wolverine,  47-48. 
Woodchuck,  28,  240-252. 
Woodpecker, 

Banded-backed,  25. 

Black-backed,  25. 

Downy,  20. 

Hairy,  20. 

Three-toed,  12,  18,  25. 
Wren. 

House,  12. 

Winter,  12,  18,  20,  24. 

Zapus  Hudsonius,  290-300. 


• 


^H     • 


g 

.. 
•