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" Xon injussa cano * » * * Cetera, quse vacuas tenuissent carmine mentes Omnia jam vulgata." BY H. BEAUMONT SMALL, S.C.L. PRINTED BY JOHN LOVELL, ST. NICHOLAS STREET. 1864. / ^ 3^57^ CLASSIFICATION ADOPTED. Bdiana, ^ Two handed, QUADRUMANA, FouT handed. Cheiroptera, Finger-ioinged. Insectivora, Insect-devouring. Carnivora, Flesh-devouring. Rodentia, Gnawing. Marsupialia, Pouched. RUMINANTIA, Cud-chewing. Pachydermata, Thick-sJcinned, Cetacea, Whales. ORDER. GENUS. SPECIES. I Sf^'f^ AUTHOR'S PREFACE. I There are two reasons which have indifced the Author to publish the following pages. The first is, that as the pleasing study of Natural History ought to be extensively introduced into institutions of learning, yet the generality of books already in circulation on this subject, present to the mind of the student either too great an amount of detail, or else include in a single volume, necessarily meagre, the whole Animal Kingdom. The second is, that a growing desire for further acquaintance with this study is felt among a large and increas- ing class of intelligent readers, who have not the facihties for using books of reference which savants have. In a country like this where a man is brought into contact with mere nature, teeming with unsuspected wealth, of what incalculable advantage is it to have, if it be but the rudiments of a science which will tell him the properties, and therefore the value of its animals and natural productions. He whose mind is relaxed and wearied, after the hours of business, will not sit dreaming over impossible scenes of pleasure, or go for amuse- ment to haunts of coarse excitement, if his interest is once awakened in some study fitted to keep the mind in health. To gratify this desire to some extent, and to assist students in this department, is the object of the present work. Much of the matter is original, the result of a long and somewhat extensive famiharity with the science. Much also VI. PREFACE. has been gathered from reliable sources; the whole divested as much as possible of all asperities, in the form of scientific names, which so often deter beginners. In conclusion, the author takes the opportunity of expressing his thanks to Sir Wm. Logan, Mr. Billings, and the Natural History Society of Montreal, the use of whose libraries was kindly tendered and accepted, and to all those who have evinced an interest in the progress of the work. Should the success of this volume on the Mammalia warrant the experi- ment, others will follow in due course, comprising the re- mainder of the system. H. BEAUMONT SMALL. Montreal, September 1, 1864. THE ASIMALS OF KORTII AMERICA. I CHAPTER I. LIMITAXrON OF SrECIES-CENTKES OF CREATION-FACTS AND FIC- TION—FAUNA OF A3IKKICA— OIUECT OF THIS \YOIlK-I$ATS— THEIR HABITS— THE SHREW-MOLE— ANECDOTE— THE STAR-NOSED MOLE-THE SHREW-MOUSE. One of the most remarkable things that strikes even a casual observer, in taking a view of the Animal kingdom, is the manner in which species are distributed over the globe ; but to understand this, it is necessary to look at the different influences which circumstances exercise over them. Each division of the world has a fauna (or group of animals) peculiar to itself, characterized by some remarkable species found there only. This has been termed the " limiuition or colonization" oi ;/)-!cies, and has given rise to many theories : — one affirming tiiat each race originated in the spot destined for it ; another, that the same country saw the birth of every distinct race, which, migrating, and leaving no trace of theii* passage, colonized as it were, eastward and westward, and in the island groups of the Southern Ocean, as either place was best adapted for their development ; while some again maintain that there was originally but one form created, from which all others have risen ad infinitum, being so changed by climate and circumstances, as to eventually cause distinct 8 ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. species, generating fresh ones in their turn, and terminating with the human family as the masterpiece of this successive formation. The most natural supposition is, that the all-wise Creator placed each species where it was permanently destined to live ; and that from these different " centres of creation," combinations have so multiplied between contiguous regions, as to form the various races of animal life. When we find a country possessing a group or groups of animals not found elsewhere, we may at once set down that as being the centre of a peculiar creation. In the location of many species, nature has placed various limits, and the spaces occupied by them are most unequal. For example: the Kangaroo and Ornithorhyncus are confined to New Holland ; the Grizzly Bear to the Rocky Mountains ; the Dodo, now extinct, to the Mauritius ; whilst the Swallow, the Crow, and the Fox, extend to every known region. The principal cause of " limitation " is doubtless connected with the unequal tem- perature of localities ; certain species which thrive in one climate, perishing under the influence of another ; — also the nature of vegetation in one country, and the absence of it in another, — as in the Polar regions, — confining to the former the larger beasts of prey, dependent on herbivorous animals as their food, with the exception of, in the latter, those that subsist on fish. The number of species increase as we near the tropics, and there it is where Nature has been most lavish in the diversity of life, beauty of color, strangeness of form, and greatness of proportion. The present total numl)er of living species which has been satisfactorily made out and ascertained, exceeds, according to Agassiz, 50,000 ! If the. time ever comes when the facts of Natural History are given witliout the admixture of fable, then this branch of science will lie more readily advanced in improvement than can be readily hoped for, so long as imagination is allowed to take the place of actual observation. Modern writers continue ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. 9 to intermingle so much of what is barely possible -with the little attested, as to give an air of doubt to the whole. We are nearer the truth when we admit our ignorance, than when we embrace an erroneous hypothesis ; for we have but to learn in the first case when the truth is developed ; while in the latter, we have to unlearn before we can learn. This experience always proves to be the greatest difficulty to a learner. Many of the narratives of the older naturaUsts are little more than amusing fables. To deduce the leading characteristics of an animal from a minute investigation of its physical construction, to watch its habits in its native haunts, formed no part of the care of those who compiled books on natural history a century ago. Whatever was imperfectly knoAvn was immediately made the subject of some tale of wonder. Some writers, unable to ascertain for themselves, accept and publish to the world the information given by trappers and travellers, in which case many errors may have arisen from the ignorance of the observer ; though in addition to these errors of ignorance, there must be added a worse evil — viz : the love of the marvellous, which has contributed largely to false accounts. Godman, the well-known American Natural- ist, recites an instance of this, where a trader, having given a most fictitious account of the habits of the beaver to an ardent enquirer, who carefully noted all down, remarked on the departure of the latter, that, being so annoyed by a con- stant enquirer, he had chosen to get rid of him by this metliod, viz : appearing to tell him all he knew ! Such errors as this are great drawbacks to accurate students, and delude the minds of learners. The injury which the mind receives from this source is scarcely appreciable, and the false notions we form concerning the plans of Nature, are not easily afterwards eradicated. According to Buffon, the fauna of America is characterized by inferiority in size when compared with that of the old 10 ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. world ; on the otlicr hand, it is the richest in species, none having yet been extirpated, possessing 557 mammalia, of whicli 480 are its own. One curious feature is, that no coun- try has contributed so little to the stock of domestic animals, having furnished, with the exception of the llama and the turkey, no animal serviceable to man. In connection with this, however, we must remark, that a commonplace observer would be apt to imagine that the vast herds of wild cattle and horses which roam in thousands over the savannahs of Mexico and the extreme Southern States, are indigenous ; little thinking that they are the descendants of the few animals the Spanish conquerors permitted to run wild, which have re- sumed the originality of their species. The object of this work is to enumerate the diiferont species of animals of the Northern Continent of America, arranged as nearly as possible according to Cuvier's system, with the introduction of certain incidents and peculiarities really authorized and reliable, and which are in many instan- ces unknown to the majority of readers, — peculiarities Avhich open new fields of enquiry, and lead the observer to perceive that what appears accidental in the habits of the Animal "World, is the result of some unerring instinct, or some singular exercise of the perceptive powers, aflfording the most striking objects of contemplation to a philosophic mind. Passing over the first family (bimana, two-handed) jMan, — and the second (qjiadriimana, four-handed') or Monkeys, as wanting in North America, we commence with the third, — Cheiroptera, (jvinfj-handed) . The Bat. — ( Veapert'dio.) Description. — Ears broad ; the anterior and posterior ex- tremities connected by a more or less naked expansion of the skin, or a membrane including the tail, adapted for the pur- pose of flight : prey upon the wing : nocturnal in their habits. Few if any of the individuals of the Animal Kingdom are so singularly and curiously formed as the bat. It is described by an eminent writer as " holding a very equivocal rank in ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. 11 creation, and though having a marked resemblance to a quadruped, a great part of his life is spent in the air like a bird." Instead of being oviparous or egg-laying, this is a lactescent, or milk-giving animal ; instead of living on grain, its food is flesh ; and instead of being like a bird, a biped or two-legged animal, it is a quadruped in the true sense of the term. Great ignorance prevailed among the ancients respecting bats. Aristotle describes them as "birds with skinny •wings !" Pliny asserts that they are " birds which produce their young alive, and suckle them ;" while Aldrcvandus, who always has something exquisitely graphic, places them in the same family as the Ostrich, giving as his reason, that " these two species partake equally of the nature of quadru- peds ! !" How, why, or from what similitude, he leaves an open subject. The wings of the bat are formed by the extension of a fine membrane over the elongated fingers of the fore-legs, reach- ing as far as, and fastened to, or rather stretched over the hind-legs. As hoAVCver the four fingers are involved in the 12 ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. membrane which forms the wings, only a little hook, called the thumb-nail, is left free. With this the animal suspends itself on any rough or uneven surface where it happens to alight ; while the hind feet are also provided with claws, by which it hangs head downwards on the sides of chimneys, hollow trees, and roofs of caverns, a favorite resort, still and silent, sleeping, or perhaps nursing its young by day, till the approach of evening, when it begins its excursions in search of food. Having neither the disposition nor the power to exercise themselves by day, bats are strictly nocturnal animals, com- mencing their s- a;'ch after insects soon after the swallow has quitted his operations for the day. Its motions, as it flits about in the dim twilight, seldom moving more than a few yards in a straight line, darting up or down, this way or that, instead of being for its mere pleasure, as many would suppose, arc really its only means of procuring its living, since at every turn it seizes, or attempts to seize, some one of the insect tribe, which swarm under cover of darkness in the air. AVhile on the wing it continually utters a low shrill cry, not unlike the S(|ucaking of a mouse. Naturalists have long shice discovered by experiments, that bats deprived of sight, still avoided ol)stacles as perfectly as those with their sight entire, flying through small aper- tures oidy just large enough to admit them witliout touching ; numerous small threads also Avere drawn across the room where the experiment was made at diflferent angles, and still the blind bat would fly about in every possible direction without ever touching them. The vibration of the air striking against the impediment, was supposed to return a sound by which the animal Avas warned of its direction. But it has since been found that tlie destruction of hearing as well, made no difference in the fact, and the only theory tluu has been })ro- posvMl to account for this curious circumstance is, that some peculiar sense is lodged hi the expanlv,*.! lun-ves of the nose. ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 18 No authentic recoMs have ever come before the writer's notice, of the bat having been tamed ; they seldom live any time in captivity, but will eat fearlessly and voraciously of raw meat ; they invariably refuse the house-fly. There are a number of American species, all agreeing very nearly in habits and form, amongst which the following are mostly met Avith. V. NovEBORACENSis (New York Bat). This species is common throughout the Northern part of the United States, and not uncommon in Canada, its range extending between the thirty-third and forty-second parallels of latitude. V. Pruinosus (Hoary Bat), of a grayish color, its hair being black, tipped with white, hence its name hoary. Not common, and but little known of its habits ; its range exten- sive, but limits not known. V. SuBULATUS (Little Brown Bat). This species is subject to great variation in size and color ; it is found all over the continent as far as 53^ North latitude. V. NocTiVAGANS (Silvcr-haircd Bat), color uniform black, with a sort of collar composed of white or silver tipped hairs surrounding the neck, and ascending the ears. Its history very incomplete and range not known, but is said not to extend north of Massachusetts. V. Carolinensis (Carolina Bat), glossy chestnut color ; large size ; interfemoral membrane not enclosing tip of the tail ; range said to be from Georgia to Connecticut. Insectivora (Insect-eaters) is the next order, compris- ing only the shrews and moles. Di'scripfitm. — Body cylindrical ; head tapering to a pointed snout ; fore-limbs short, with large feet, terminated with strong flat claws ; eyes very small, and covered with fur ; ears merely small orifices ; fur soft like velvet. American Mole, or Shrew Mole (^Scalops Aquaiicus'). Great care must be taken to avoid confounding this animal with its European namesake (talpa)^ of Cuvier, to which it is very similar. ' >f 14 ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. The adaptation of the structure of animals to their modes of life, is perhaps in no instance more apparent than in the orga- nization of this creature. Its short and strong fore-limbs, broad, firm feet, and powerful claws, pointed nose, of which the extremity moves in all directions, the round form of its body, and minute eyes, are all so befitting the place and manner of its life, that without the combination of these parts, it could never exist. Its eyes are adapted to the mere per- ception of light, since distant vision would be useless to one living entirely under ground, and being so densely covered with a silky fur, are proof against the moist earth, through which it travels. Its sense of hearing is very acute, diving into the earth with a facility perfectly astonishing. In the construction of its dwelling it displays much taste and judgment. This consists of a little hillock in some dry place, from which paths run in all directions, each terminating at the surface, where a small aperture is loft. These paths, as well as the ground about its headquarters, are made solid by the continual passing of their inmates, so that they not only may not admit water during rainy weather, but serve also as a means by which they obtain their daily food, consisting of worms and insects, which finding their way into them cannot escape, and thus fall an easy prey. All attempts at taming a mole have hitherto proved unsuc- cessful ; we, however, subjoin the following account of one brought by some young people to the Rev. J. C. Wood, an eminent naturalist. It ran about in a large box in which it was secured, with great agility, thrusting its long and flexible snout into every crevice. A little earth Avas placed in tho box, which it entered and re-entered, scattering it tolerably evenly here and there, twitching every now and then, with a quick convulsive shaking, the loose earth from its fur. It was unremitting in its efforts to get through tho box, but the wood was too tough for it to make an impression ; and after satis- fyhig itself that it could not get through a deal board, it took . i \ ' ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 15 to attempts to scramble over the sides, ever slipping sideways, and coming down on its forefeet. Its sight and smell seemed to be practically obsolete, for a worm placed close to its nose was not detected ; but no sooner did it touch one than in a moment it flung itself upon it shaking it backward and for- ward, till, getting it fairly into its mouth, it devoured it with a greedy crunching sound. Having heard from popular report that a twelve hours' fast would kill a mole, Mr. Wood resolved to try the experiment, so having dug a handful of worms he placed them in the box. In its movements backwards and forwards it came upon this mass of worms, on which it flung itself in a paroxysm of excite- ment, pulhng them about in every direction ; at last having settled on one, it commenced operations, the rest making their escape to the loose mould. Thinking it had now a sufficient supply, two dozen worms having been put in, Mr. Wood shut up the box, which Avas not opened until the next morning. Twelve hours had elapsed since the supply was inserted, but as it must have spent an hour in hunting for and devouring the others, eleven hours probably had only gone by since tho last worm Avas consumed, but the mole Avas dead. The extreme voracity and restless movements here recorded shoAv its value to the agriculturist ; for though generally con- sidered a perfect nuisance in gardens and laAvns, yet its de- struction of Avorms and grubs might still shoAV a balance in its favor : and in certain localities, such as old rocky pastures, by throwing up and loosening the soil, and as a subsoil drainer who Avorks Avithout Avages, it is of great benefit. There is another species of this family, much more rare, the Star-nosed Mole (^Condylura cristata). Tuis mole has a slender elongated muzzle, terminating in a vertical circular disk of from eighteen to tAvcnty cartilaginous fibres. When in confinement, these tendrils or fibres arc in perpetual motion. Its geographical limits arc not yet established, but it is knoAvn from Hudson Bay to Virginia. It is found about old build- 16 ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. ings, fences, and stone walls, and occasionally it finds its way into cellars, where, if there is a shallow vessel containing water or milk, it will be sure to terminate its existence from its inability to escape, through clumsiness. All this family pass their winters in a state of torpidity. The Shrew Mouse (Sorex) is remarkable for its diminutive size and apparent helplessness, rarely showing itself by day. Measuring only 2^ to 5 inches, it may properly be considered the smallest mammiferous animal belonging to this continent. Although cats will destroy these little creatures with as great eagerness as they do mice, it is a well-ascertained fact that they will never devour them, probably from the strong musky smell they emit. They frequent the long grass in orchards, and the outskirts of gardens. There are several species, viz : SoREX Dekayi, dark slate blue, 5 to 6 inches long. Not common. S. BREVICAUDUS, the short tail shrew, furlong, head large, color blackish lead, length 4 inches, very rare. S. Parvus, bro^vnish ash color, feet flesh-colored, length 2J to 3 inches. S. Carolinensis, iron gray, 4 inches in length, very little known. i s CHAPTER II. ORDER CARNIVORA— A CHARTER ON BEARS— THE BLACK BEAR-A NIGHT'S SrORT IN LOUISIANA— THE GRIZZLY BEAR-CAPTAIN MAllCV'S DESCRI11I0N OIT IT— THE ROLAR BEAR— ITS HABITS AND I'ECULIARI'J'IES. The family next in order is the Carnivora, or flesh devour- ing. They fulfil their destined office in the scheme of creation by chocking excess in the progress of life, and thus maintain- ing, as it were, the balance of power in the animal world. They are characterised by having six conical front teeth in each jaw — the molars formed for cutting and tearing, rather than grinding. Of these, the Bears will engross our first attention. Description. — Teeth adapted for either flesh or vegetable food ; limbs thick and stout ; gait heavy and sluggish ; feet broad ; head large ; tail very short. There are only three species of this animal found here, viz. : the Black, the Grizzly, and tlie Polar or White Bear, though four are usually described ; but the BroAvn Bear is not to be ranked as an inhabitant of this northern continent ; though it has frequently been mentioned by travellers, yet there is abundant reason to believe that they have mistaken the young of the Black Bear, the accounts of their being seen having been confined to the regions where the black or grizzly bear are found. The bear is an animal of great strength and ferocity, passing a great portion of the Avinter in a state of torpidity and inaction, in dens or hollow trees. The Black Bear (^Ursm Americanus) is peculiar to this country, his range extending from the shores of the Arctic Sea to the southern extremity of the continent; his food principally consists of grapes, wild fiiiits, the acorns of the B 18 ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. live or evergreen oak (on which he grows excessively fat), larvce or the grub worms of insects, insects themselves, and honey, though when pressed by hunger ho refuses scarcely anything, his teeth being fitted for a vegetable diet ; he sel- dom attacks other animals unless compelled by necessity ; though Major Long, in his explorations in Missouri, saw him " disputing with wolves and buzzards for a share of the car- casses abandoned by the hunters." When he docs seize an animal, he does not,as most others of the Carnivora do, first put it to death, but tears it, while struggUng, to pieces, and may be said really to eat his victim alive. One distinguishing mark between the European and American Bear is in the latter having one more molar tooth than the former, and also in having the nose and forehead nearly in the same line. It is mostly met with in the remote and mountainous districts, but is becoming more scarce as the population increases. The yellow bear of Carolina is only a variety of this species. The black bear will not attack a man, but invariably runs from him, unless Avounded, or accompanied by its young, when, if molested, it fights very savagely. The old story of the bear sucking its paAvs, to derive nourishment therefrom when hungry, has doubtless arisen from the slow circulation of the blood in the extremities for several days after recover- ing from its wintei's sleep, which creates an irritation in the paws, alleviated by sucking them, just as we see a dog licldng its feet when pierced or lacerated by a thorn. Bear hunting by moonlight in the Southern States is a favorite amusement, especially in Louisiana. The writer remembers a night expedition of the kind, sallying forth from the hospitable mansion of Major II — , on the Bayou ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. 19 Goulard, about a hundred miles north of Ne>y Orleans. For several nights great depredations had been committed in a large maize plantation some ten or twelve miles distant, sup- posed to be the work of wild cattle, a few of which had been seen in the neighboring swamps and cane-brakes. A party- was at once formed to stay the mischief. It was a lovely cloudless night as we reached the plantation, the moon shining out in all her splendor, and the rich perfume from a magnolia swamp in the vicinity hung upon the breeze as it only can hang in the South. After seeing the rifles all prepared, each mem- ber of our party, in eager anticipation, arranged themselves around the spot, preparing to surround the depredators after thev entered, and so make sure of them on their retreat. Scarcely had we taken our positions, when a rustling among and Avaving of the maize showed the approach of one or more animals. Two shots were fired in quick succession by Major H — , followed by several others from different quarters, and three fine black bears were measuring their length upon the sward, whilst tAvo others had esca[)ed in the general confusion. Thev Avere covered with fat ; and Ave learned afterAvards that several plantations higher up the Bayou had been entirely laid Avaste, doubtless by the same marauders. The Grizzly Bear ( UmuH horriUlis), gr\s&\y [/7'ai/, grizzly horrid, is the largest ond most ferocious of its kind, as avcII as the strongest and most formidable animal of this continent. The name Avas given to it by Mackenzie, in 1801 ; nothing satisftictory Avas known of it till the exploring party of LcAvis and Clark in Oregon in 1805 met Avith it frequently, and left it in the hands of Say to describe scientifically. The descrip- tion of it given in the Jardin des Plantes, in Paris, states that " it combines the ferocity of the jaguar with the courage of the tiger and the strength of the lion." This bear is no less capable than the other species of sub- sisting on vegetables ; but the supposition of hunters, that it is AvhoUy carnivorous, is easily accountod for, seeing it shoAvs 20 I ANIMALS or NORTH AMERICA. SO uniform a ferocity in destroying the life of any animal Jrit falls into its power. It inhabits the country adjacent to the cast side of the Rocky Mountains, not extending further south than the confines of Mexico, and affords a very good example of the limitation of species. It has been suggested by Godman, that this animal once inhabited the Atl?.ntic States ; but no remains of it have been found to prove this, and he merely starts the idea from a tradition among the tribe of Delaware Indians, that " a big naked bear" (that, certainly, does not correspond with Eruin in question) existed formerly on the banks of the Hudson liiver. Although contriving, sometimes, to ascend old leaning trees in search of honey, he cannot ascend };crpcndicularly small trees, as is shown by the numerous statements of travellers who, when pursued, have climbed a tree, where thoy have remained many hours, the terrible beast keeping watch below, and shewing signs of rage because unable to reach his prey. So much are their powers respected by the Indians, that they consider it a feat next to that of taking the scalp of an enemy, to kill one of them. Their strength is so great, that they have been seen to kill a large bison, and seizing him with their teeth, drag him up a stc(?}) hill. When full grown and fat, they sometimes weigh as much as 1,800 lbs. Old Adams, or as he Avas better known under the eupho- nious title of " Grizzly Adams," devoted many years of his life to tlie trapping and taming a numboi* of tliese animals ; tlie account of his hair-breadtii escapes is full of the most mar- vellous exploits ; but the result in the number of Grizzly Bears in sul)jection, in his menagerie, being chained only to posts, and not in cages, shows what man can do by toil and perse- verance. The following notes of the luibits and character of this animal were transmitted to the writer, by Capt. R. B. Marcy, U. S. A., whose name is well known among men of science: ) ) ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. 21 I I " This bear is, in some respects, tlie most sagacious animal I have ever met with. Before lying down, he goes several hundred yards in the direction from which the wind comes, then turns around and goes back some distance with the wind, but at a short distance from the first track, after which he makes his bed and lies down. Should an enemy now come upon his track, he must approach him with the wind, and with the bear's keen sense of smell he is certain of being made aware of the approach before he is himself seen, and thus is enabled to make his escape. " When pursued, the grizzly bear sometimes takes refuge in a cave, and the hunters tlicn endeavor, by making a dense smoke at the entrance, to drive him out ; but instead, he fre- quently, Avhen the smoke becomes too oppressive, approaches the fire, and with his fore paws beats upon it until it is extin- guished, then returns into the back part of the cave." "An anecdote was related to me by a Delaware Indian, which goes far to prove this curious animal one of the most stupid in the brute creation. He says, that when the bear enters a cave, it sometimes becomes necessary for the hunter to take his rifle, and with a torch to guide him, follow Bruin in. One would imagine this a very hazardous undertaking, and that the bear would soon eject the intruder ; but on the contrary, he sits upright upon his haunches, and with his forepaws covers his face and eyes until the light is removed. In this way the hunter is enabled to approach very close without danger, and taking deadly aim with his trusty rifle, poor Bruin is no more. " As a set off", however, to this stupidity, an acquaintance of mine, an old bear hunter from the frontier of Texas, removed to California, and shortly after his arrival there, went out to hunt a " Grizzly," and followed one of theui into a dense thicket, where he came upon him and gave him the contents of his rifle. No sooner had he done this, however, than the l)ear turned upon him, and in a few minutes literally tore him in liieccs." i 90 ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. The Polar Bear ( Ursuis maritimus) is the next species, met with far up among the icebergs of the Arctic Seas ; it is peculiar to those regions, l)eing found only along th^ sea coasts of the North, where it is so common that no V(^jager returns Avithout being able to give more or less vivid or fright- ful accounts of its power or ferocity. The color of its fur is a silvery white, tinged with a slight yellow hue, similar to the creamy yellow which edges the ermine's fur. Its head is so small and sharp-pointed, that there is a very snakelike aspect about that portion of the animal's person. And this shape of the head is the more remarkable, for Avhereas in other bears the muzzle is separated from the forehead by a well-marked depression, in the polar bear, the line from the forehead to the nose is almost continuous. The sole of its foot is covered with a thick fur, intended, doubtless, for the double purpose of protecting the extremities from the intense cold, and of enabling the creature to tread firmly on the hard and slippery ice. To most other animals, cold is distressing ; to him it is wel- come and delightful. In captivity, he seems to suffer much from heat, and his restlessness, from this cause, can only be ({uicted by keeping him supplied with a water-tank, or by throw- ing repeated pails of Avater over him. He is a capital swimmer, catching seals in the Avater, and diving in search of fish, Avhen not otherAvise satisfied. He is often found miles from >i r ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 23 II land, floating on the Arctic ice, from which he swims to the shore without difficulty. In the walrus he meets with a fierce enemy ; the dreadful combats that occur, at times, between them, generally terminating in the defeat of the bear. Probably in consequence of the extreme cold which prevails in the high latitudes it frequents, and the absence of vegetation in its haunts, its food is almost entirely of an animal nature, consisting of seals, fish, and the carcasses of whales, though it is able to live exclusively on vegetable food, as has been proved by experiments. Its fore-paws are frequently rubbed bare, which is thus accounted for: to surprise a seal, a bear crouches down with his fore paws doubled under liim, and pushes himself forward with his hind legs, till within a few yards, when he springs on his victim, either in the water or on the ice. When engaged in the pursuit of seals as they are lying on a rock or ice-raft, it employs a very cunning mode of approach. Mark- ing the position in which its intended prey lies, it dives, swim- ming in the intended direction, only approaching the surface to breathe, finally ascending in close proximity to the slum- bering seal, Avhose fate is now settled; for it cannot take refuge in the water without falling into the clutches of its pursuer, and if it endeavors to escape landwards, it is speedily overtaken and destroyed by the swifter-footed bear. Its capabilities of scent are wonderfully acute, for it will find out, by that sense alone, the little breathing holes which the seals have made through the ice, even though covered with a uniform coating of snow. ' Even the Esquimaux dog, specially trained for this very purpose, is sometimes baffled by the difficulty of discovering so small an aperture under such circumstances, which nevertheless is no obstacle to the bear. The Greenlanders never eat the heart or the liver, saying that these parts cause sickness. It is a curious fact, that the liver of this animal is, to a certain extent, poisonous, causing 24 ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. painful and even dangerous symptoms, to those who have partaken of them, — a circumstance unknown in almost every other animal ; for the liver of the black bear when dressed on skewers, with alternate slices of fat (Kabob fashion) is esteemed a luxury by hunters. This fact was noticed by Barentz, who nearly lost three sailors from eating it, and it has since been verified by Capt. Ross. iM r) s CHAPTER III. THE RACOON AKD ITS CHARACTERISTICS— THE BADGER, THE WOL- VKRENE, AND THE GLUTTON— THE WEASEL TRIBE— THE SKUNK, THE Fi!4IIK|{, MINK, SABLE, WEASEL-DESCRII'TION OF A SABLE LIISE— THE OTTER AND ITS HABITS. There are few parts of North America, in which the Racoox {Procyon lotor) has not been found. Description. — Head short with fox-like appearance ; ears small ; tail long and bushy ; muzzle tapering, projecting con- siderably beyond the mouth ; color brownish, with broad black patch across the eyes, margined with white ; nocturnal. This animal has been quaintly described as having the limbs of a bear, the body of a badger, the head of a fox, the nose of a dog, the tail of a cat, and sharp claws by means of which it climbs trees like a monkey. This combination may have given rise 1 \ to the expression " a queer 'coon." The circumstance which has procured for it the name lotor is very remarkable ; it is the habit it possesses of plunging its food into water, as if for the purpose of soaking or cleansing it. Some naturalists have supposed it to be not so liberally supplied with salivary glands as most animals, but there is no conclusive proof of 26 ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. II i this. From its fondness for water it is usually found in low wooded swamps, making its lair in some hollow tree. ' It is nocturnal, restless, and mischievous in its habits, feeding on wild and domesticated fowls, frogs, lizards, fish, and insects. The tail of the Ra^^oon is never affected by even the coldest W'eather ; hence, it never gnaws it, as other animals of its species are known to do, especially the Coati of South .America, of which the most marvellous accounts have been given, that it devours its own tail. This however has doubt- less arisen from the extreme length of that appendage, in which the blood circulates feebly, thus exposing it to the slightest influence of cold or frost ; the irritation thereby produced, leading the animal to gnaw and scratch its extremity to allay that irritation, till it not unfrequently falls a victim to spinal disease produced by this expedient. The Racoon is easily susceptible of domestication ; one formerly in possession of the writer being as tame as a cat, and sitting up on its haunches to receive its food in its forcpaws before devouring it, and being remarkably cleanly in its habits. Occasionally it connnits great deiircdations among the fields of Indiiin corn while in the milky state ; and this, together with its occasional descents ujion the barnyard, scarcely compensates the farmer for its zeal in digging up and devouring grubs or the larvie of injurious insects. TiiK Amkuican Badger (^Mdcs Lahradorki) has only recently been ascertained to be a distinct species from the Eui-opean; it was formerly looked upon as a now variety, till the publication of Sabine's Appendix to Long's Expedition. JJcbcription. — Color hoary witli a white stripe down the forehead, body robust, long on the legs ; ears short and wide. The old stories of the life of the liadger being gloomy and "wretched from its underground habits, are ridiculous, for Nature evidently destined it for a subterranean and solitary life. It is entirely inoffensive, and being like the racoon, nocturnal, little is accurately kn<'wn respecting it. The ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 27 ) American species has a short tail and long claws, which arc of a light horn color : the European, on the contrary, has a longish tail, and short claws, nearly black. It is found, in the great- est abundance, in the plains adjacent to the Missouri and Columbia rivers, and in Oregon, but individuals are met with here and there all over the continent. The Wolverine or Glutton (Gido luscus) is common to both the Old World and the New. Des€ri2)tiou. — Body long and low on the legs ; fur loose and shaggy ; tail very bushy, covered with long pendulous hairs, — frequently confounded with the Bay Lynx (Fells rnf(i), whose hal)its conform much more to the stones in existence attri])uted to our wolverine. The statement that it ascends trees for the purpose of leaping doAvnupon the necks of passing animals, and that it takes up with it certain moss of which deer are fond, dropping it immediately under the tree to entice them, has been so frequently repeated that it is generally looked upon as a fact, though the authorities origi- nating these accounts, give nothing as proof more satisfactory than hearsay. A well known American naturalist remarks under this iieading " the necessity of sce})ticisni becomes obvious." It inliabits the northern part of America generally, but is everywhere a rare species. Professor Emmons states they still exist in the Iloosac Mountains of Massachusetts. Very Uttle, however, is known accurately respecting it or its habits. Few, if any, among the small (|uadrui)e(ls of tliis c<»ntinent, e(|ual in beauty the family of J\[u8tel' curved over the back. And yet there is something in the phj-siology of the wolf, us well as in his gait and manners, which is at once so repulsive and peculiar, that however tame he may apparently be, he never could be mistaken for even the most wild and savage of the true dogs. Wolvo.'^, like dogs, follow by the scent ; and when the prey is too powerful for a single one they combine in packs, and liko well trained hounds keep up the chase to the certain destruction of their victim. But this conildnation of forces r i t' 42 ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. never arises from any social or friendly disposition, but only to assist each other in a work of destruction which they can- not perform alone. The moment therefore the object is attained, they attack each other with the most savage ferocity, no one allowing the other, willingly, the least share of the booty to which they all have an equal right. These quarrels over the flesh of their victims, are said sometimes to continue, until many of the weaker ones are themselves destroyed and then devoured by the stronger. Wolves usually select a young or injured deer, and trust more to tire him down, than overtake him by superior speed. In the summer their prey escapes easily l)y taking to the water, but in winter the same instinct leads to its immediate capture, for on the ice it is quickly overtaken by its pursuer, and towards spring there is scarcely a Northern lake in the woods that has not numerous carcasses of deer on its frozen surface. When met with singly, the wolf is a great coward, the Amer- ican species showing the white feather even more than the Euroj)ean. In the early settlement of this country. The CoJLMON Wolf (^Canis occidentalism was the common terror and scourge of the farmer, destroying his sheep and his young cattle ; but like its European cousin, as civilization extended, so it receded to the remote, wooded, and mountainous districts. In Massachusets and New Hampshire they are still occasion- ally found, and a few years ago a fine specimen was killed on Talcott Mountain in Connecticut ; — every winter in Maine, and throughout the backwoods of Canada we hear of their depre- dations, though their ancient courage seems to luive forsaken them, avoiding the face of man, and confining tlieir attacks to domestic animals, — and that only when pressed with extreme hunger. In many counties in the States, bounties varying from ten to twenty dollars per head are offereil for wolves, paid partly by the State, and partly by the County and Township. The ANBIALS or NORTH AMERICA. 43 i color of the common wolf is various ; mostly pale red, some- times black or gray. The wolf of Pennsylvania — scarcely now to be met with — is redder than that of Florida, blacker and larger than those found elsewhere ; but they are only varieties and not a distinct species. The following remarkable incident took place near Bidde- ford, Maine, a few years ago, and is so well vouched for as to give no doubts as to its authenticity. A resident in that place, a Mr. Adams, was that autumn engaged in felling trees at some distance from his house. His little son eight years old, was in the habit of running out into the fields and woods, and often going where his father was at work. One day after the frost had robbed the trees of their foliage, he left his work sooner than usual and started home. On the edge of the forest he saw a curious pile of leaves, and without stopping to think what had made it, moved the heap, when to his astonishment he found his boy asleep there. Taking him up in his arms, he had scarcely moved many paces before he heard a wolf's distant howl, quickly followed by others, till the woods seemed alive with the dreadful sound. The bowl came nearer, and in a few minutes a largo gaunt, savage looking wolf leaped into the opening, closely followed by the whole pack. Springing on the pile of leaves, it .. .4^it^^'>~ w CHxiPTER VI. CARNIVORA— THEIR HABITS, rOWKR OF VISION AT NIGHT, AND PE- CULIARITIES OF THEIR FEET AND WHISKERS.— THE COUGAR, OR rUJIA—DESCRUTION— EARLY RECORD OF— COUGAIl KILLED Al SOR EL-ANECDOTE OF ITS STRENGTH AND FEROCITY.— THE LYNX AND WILD CAT— DESCRIPTION— DOMESTIC FUSS. We next come to the Feline family of the Carnivora — the Cat tribe, — of which it will be well to say something before enumerating their species. In it are comprised the most ferocious and bloodthisty of the Mammalia. They hunt chiefly by night, and are exceedingly cunnmg in the means by Avhich they entrap their victims Their power of seeing in the dark has always been a mystery, nor is it strange that it should be so, since man of all animals has the least nocturnal power of visicm. In all night-prowling animals the eye is peculiarly large, so as to admit a great number of the rays of light, for it is seldom or never perfectly dark in the open air. It was sup posed formcly that the eyes of cats and owls generated light, their structure being such as to produce a phosphorescence by which objects became visible in the dark ! Recent expe- riments however show, that their extra power of vision is produced by the concentration of the rays of light by the eye of the animal, and that when it is totally dark the eyes of a cat cannot be seen. This faculty then depends on such a structure of the eye, as enables it to collect the scattered rays of light in greater (piantities than that of other animals. In the foot of the cat tribe, the marks of the wisdom of the Creator's design to perform the very purposes for which we see they arc employed, are particularly apparent. The power of these animals, so to balance themselves when leaping ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 47 , from a height, as to come down upon their feet, is well known. Even when thrown with the head or back downwards they will turn, so that the feet shall come first to the ground ; and from heights which would destroy the lives, or at least break the bones of any other animal, puss will land in safety, and bound away without a limp. This peculiarity is owing to the chief b"Jk of the foot being composed of elastic tendons, and balls, or cushions, consisting of a substance intermediate between cartilage and tendon, being attached to the sole of each foot> the middle one being made up of five distinct parts, besides a similar pad to each toe. In walking, the cat tribe do not touch the ground with their claws, for these remain sharp even in old age (which some persons may have learnt to their sorrow). But in seizing their prey, or inflicting vengeance, the feet by means of the claws, become instruments capable of holding the victim, or piercing the skin of an enemy. This is performed by an elastic ligament acting as a spring, by which the claw is drawn up or backward, and to bring down which, muscular action is necessary ; this is effected by the contraction of a strong muscle to which the tendon is attached, the shortening of which pulls down the claAV, atta- ched in its turn by a ligament to the bone. The long hairs on the upper lips of the cat tribe, are of great importance to these prowlers. They arc the organs of touch, each one being connected with the nerves of the lip, so that the slightest contact with any object is known to the animal instantly. These hairs project round the head to such a distance as to equal the diameter of the animal's body, so that by them they can measure the size of an aperture before they attempt to pass through it. The writer well remembers in Leicestershire, when a boy, seeing sundry cats which had been shorn of their whiskers, in consequence of poaching proclivities ; the gamekeepers asserting that under sucli manipulation, a cat would never venture far from homo among bushes. 48 ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. This tribe cannot, like most other of the Carnivora, subsist on vegetable food, but must cither starve or possess them- selves of flesh. Sometimes they drop from a tree, or, Ij-ing in wait under cover, they spring upon and secure some unsus- pecting animal at a single bound. It is remarkable that some individuals of this tribe are found in nearly every region of the earth ; and thoudi the same kinds are confined within certain limits, still most parts of the globe appear to be repre- sented by their own peculiar species ; thus, the lion and tiger are inhabitants of Africa and Asia, being found nowhere else. In America these are represented l)y the puma or jaguar, confined to that continent. The caracal is found only in Turkey and Persia ; the lynx in Northern America and Canada. The Cougar {FeJis Ooneolor), called also the Puma, Cata-. mount. Panther or Painter (the last term evidently a corru|> tion), and American Lion, is the largest of our species. Descriptmi. — Ears short and distant ; no mane ; tail long and slender ; fur soft and short ; color, dark reddish gray. A great deal of confusion has arisen as to the name panther? which, however, has been decided to be the FcUs pardus of Linne, an Asiatic animal. Tlie puma was called the American lion by the naturalists who first explored this country ; they contended it was a true lion, but degenerate in size, owitig to the climate! Vanderdenck, in his history of the New Netherlands (now New York State), says: "Although the New Netherlands lie in a fierce climate, and the country in winter seems rather (?) cold, nevertheless lions are found there, but not by the Christians, who have traversed the land without seeing one. It is only known to us by the skins, which are sometimes brought in for sale by the natives. In reply to our enc^uiries, they say that the lions are found far to the southwest, fifteen to twenty days' journey ; that they live in very high mountains, and that the males are too active and fierce to be taken." i ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 49 The cougar climbs trees with surprising agilitj ; its cry is peculiar, closely resembling the wailing of a child, and in^^the early settlement of the country has sent a thrill of horror through a whole neighborhood. The following interesting account of the last recorded capture of the cougar in Canada was courteously handed to the writer by H. R. Gray, Esq., of Montreal, just previous to going to press: "On October 3rd, 1863, as Jaci^ues Gamelin, of La Bale Lavallieres, or St Francis, on the River St. Lawrence, and two other men, were proceeding in a bateau to Sorel, C. E., being at the time about four arpents (acres) from land, they were suddenly attacked by a large panther, which swam off and succeeded in laying hold of the boat. Not having fire-arms or other defensive weapons on board, they were obliged to resist the attack with a boat-hook and oars, and after a lengthened strun-<:le, during which the animal displayed great obstinacy combined with strength, he was at last killed, but not before he had actually succeeded in getting his powerful fore-paws on deck ; not being able to make his accustomed spring, in consequence of his hind-quarters being under Avater, he was incapable of injuring either of the men. He was killed and his body sent to Montreal, where it fell into the possession of and was stuffed by Mr. Craig, the well-known taxidermist." Its weight was 131 lbs., — measured three feet from tip of the nose to the root of the tail. Hunters and surveyors build a large fire at night, which serves to keep this cautious animal at a distance. Under such circumstances, it will sometimes approach within a few rods of the fire, and they have been thus shot by aiming between the glaring eye-balls, when nothing else was visible. It will seldom attack a person in the day time, unless i)rovoked or wounded. The following account, showing the strength and ferocity of this creature, is taken from Godman : " Two hunters, accompanied by two dogs, went oat in quest of game 50 ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. near the Catskill mountains, N. Y. At the foot of a large hill, they agreed to go round it in opposite directions, and when either discharged his rifle, the other ^Yas to hasten towards him to aid him in securing the game. Soon after parting, the report of a rifle Avas heard by one of them, who hastening to the spot, after some search, found nothing but the dog, dreadfully lacerated and dead. He now became much alarmed for the fate of his companion, and while anx- iously 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 medi- tating an attack upon 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 it, but with one blow of his paw it laid the poor creature dead by its side. It was finally despatched with great difiiculty." The cougar is fast disappearing ; though a severer winter than usual in Canada, brings it about the settlements sufficiently to she v what mis- chief it could be capable of inflicting, if numerous. The Northern Lynx (^Felis Canadensis} is found in both Asia and America. Dct ■ription. — Slim in form ; ears acute, and more or less tufted ; tail short ; timid ; moves by a succession of leaps, alighting on all four feet at once ) color uniform reddish gray. This is a fierce and subtle animal, but fearful of man. It seldom approaches settlements, preferring the plains and woods of the wilderness. It is found in great abundance in the Hudson Bay territory, and all the north- ern parts of America; whence as many as eight thousand of its skins have been exported in one tt/>*>llUtlUHI '»»•«* ■732!!*' ** ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. 51 year. Its fur is in great demand for muffs, and winter decorations of ladies' garments ; it is long and beautifully lustrous, but is commonly colored of a dark brown or nearly black, before it is exposed for sale by the retail dealers. The long sharp tufted ears, and short tail of the lynx give it a peculiar appearance, and distinguish it at once from the rest of the cat tribe. Its piercing sight has long been proverbial, though its powers in that respect have doubtless been exaggerated; hunters confirm this idea, however, of its discovering objects not visible to other animals. In captivity it is the most vicious of its race, returning the most si)iteful menaces in exchange for the kindest treatment. The Wild Cat, or Bay Lynx {Felis rufa}, is peculiar to this Continent. Description. — Legs disproportionately long to the body, which is slender ; ears large, with moderate black tufts ; tail slender ; color, rufous. Many species of this Animal have been dcscrilicd under the n^vaa^ fasciata^ aurea, montana, h>asure. No satisfactory idea has been given for the use of this hood, it being supposed by some to be a protection for the eyes, and l)y others as a reservoir for air when the animal is under water ; but DeKay remarks, very truly, \\ ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 67 " that all speculations, not based on actual examination of an animal in its living state, can lead to nothing else than a mere multiplication of words." The Great Seal (^Phoca harhatd) which attains ten or twelve feet in length, is found in the Greenland seas, and northern extremity of America. Very little is known of its habits, owing to its extreme timiulty and watchfulness, plunging at once through its hole in the ice, on the approach of danger. Acerbi says, that " neither their teeth nor paws have any share in making these holes, but that it is performed solely by the breath." These openings are kept clear, but the surface is allowed to freeze over partially, so as to con- ceal them effectually, except from very experienced eyes. The Harp Seal (^Plwca Groenlandlca) is met with princi- pally on the coasts of Labrador ; it is remarkable for changing its color annually till it attains a mature age, being in the first year cream-colored, in the second gray, in the third and fourth spotted, and in the fifth it has a black mark on its back like two crescents with their horns uniformly directed towards each other. The Fo-yni) Seal {F.fatida) freay territor}', completes this family as far as known; but probably the field for discovery among them is not exiiausted. Tin: Maumot tribe is represented in America, first bv The Common Woodchuck (^Arctomijx Monax), sometimes called the (Jrouud-hog, or Maryland Marmot. This animal when feed- ing, fre(iuently rises on its huunchcs to reconnoitre, raising its fore feet like hands. In this ])osition, when the weather is fine, it will sometimes sit for hours at the entrance of its hole. 70 ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. On the approach of cold weather, it closes the passage betAvccn itself and the surface of the ground, spending the winter in a torpid state. It is a cleanly animal, easily capable of domestication. When its retreat is cut off, it fights hard, its bite with its long and projecting incisors being very severe ; the dog that attacks it, showing by its bloody nose and hang- ing tail, that he has been severely punished or fairly worsted in the battle. The Genus Spermophilus is distinguished from the Arcto- myx, especially in having cheek pouches, and l)cing much more active and lively. Of these the Quebec Marmot, L. Tredecim-Ii neat lis, and Franklin's Marmot, *S'. Frank- Uni, arc both found in the Hudson Bay territory ; but little is known respecting them. Parry's ^larmot, *S'. Parrn'i^ is peculiar to the Arctic regions : liood's Marmot, S. Ho'xUi, is said to have on its back as many stripes as are displayed on the star spangled banner ; and finally, so far as known, the Prairie Dog, Spermopldhis Li(Jovicia)ins, associated among travellers with the burrowing owl and the rattlesnake. For a full account of this animal wo are indebted to Captain Marcy, who says : — " These gregarious and interesting little rnimals, calloil * prairie-dogs,' or more propc.-ly the 'prairie marmots,' are found assembled in commanities or villages thronghout most of our extreme western prairies, frem the Missouri River to the Rio (Jrando, and have often been described by travellers ; l)ut as there are some facts coimected with them, which I have never seen mentioned, I will add u few remarks to what has already been said. " These animals, in selecting a site or j)osition for their towns (»r warrens, generally choose a very elevated and level spot upon the open ja-airie, wl»ich has induced me to suppose that they do not re(iuire water — that element without wliieh most other animals soon perish. I have often seen their towns upon the tal»le lands of ^'ew Mexico, at a distance of y ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. 71 of '>.y ^ twenty miles from any water upon the surface of the ground, and where it did not seem probable that it could be obtained by excavation ; and as there is seldom any rain or dew upon these elevated mesas during the summer months, and as they do not wander far from their burrows, I think I am warranted in coming to the conclusion that they require no other aqueous sustenance than that which they receive from the short grass which constitutes their food. Their burrows are generally placed about fifteen yards apart, and each consti- tutes the abode of five or six occupants. " The towns vary much in magnitude, some only covering the space of a few acres, while others are spread over a surface of many miles. I passed through one upon the liead waters of Red River, which was twenty-five miles in length. Supposing it to have been of the same length in other direc- tions, it would cover an area of 025 square miles. " They appear to delight in sporting with each other about the entrances of their holes, and may always be seen in pleasant weather, frolicking, running, and barking throughout the whole town ; but at the slightest sound, or the least approach of danger, they make a precii)itatc retreat to their burrows, dropping themselves partly in with their heads above the ground, and their eyes intently fixed in the direction of the intruder, at the same time flourishing their tails from side to side, "'th nervous jerks, and keeping up an incessant barking ut ul the danger approaches too close, when they siiddenly disai)|)ear l)eneath the ground, and the town, from ringing witli their music, becomes in an instant as silent as the grave. " That these animals hybernate and pass a portion <>f the winter in a lethargic or torpid state, is evident from the fact that they do not, like tlie squirrel, lay up sustcnaiice. When they first feel th- u-<[ roaeh of the sleeping season, (generally about the last days of Novembtu*,) they carefully close all the passages to their dormitories to exclude the cold. 72 ANIMALS OF NORTU AMERICA. a Tliey remain housed until the warm days of spring, when they remove the obstructions from their doors, and again appear above ground as gay and frolicsome as ever. In the early part of winter they are sometimes seen reopening the entrances to their domicils while the weather is still cold and stormy, but mild and pleasant weather is sure to follow, from which it appears that instinct teaches them when to antici- pate good or bad weather, and they make their arrangements accordhigly. " It has been said that the rattlesnake, and a species of small owl, are always found burrowing with the prairie-dog in the most perfect harmony. The snake is sometimes seen in the towns, but he is by no means a welcome guest with the proprietors of the establishment, and only resorts there to prey upon the dog. One that was killed by our party was found, upon examination, to have swallowed a full grown marmot. The owl is always seen sitting near the dogs at the entrance of the burrows, but I have never known them to enter or emerge from them. On approaching near they always tly away.' )) CHAPTER X. SQUIRRELS AND THEIR IIABITS-TUE GRAY AND THE FOX SQUIR- REL.-TIIE BLACK AND THE RED-THE GROUND SQUIRREL <>R CIIII'MUNK — THE FLYING SQUIRREL — THE rORCUl'INE — ITS HABITS AND USE OF ITS QUILLS-THE HARE-THE VARYING HARE. The next family is that of the Squirrels (^Sclurida>), nearly all of them living on trees, for which purpose their long flexible toes with acute nails, enable them to leap from tree to tree, rarely missing their hold. Descnption. — Their tails are long and bushy ; eyes large : body elongated; ears erect : they feed on nuts, seeds, grain, &c. Foremost amongst these lively little ani- mals, stands The Grey Squirrel (^Sciurm leu- cut'is or clnereus') , found everywhere through the continent. This, as well as some of the other species, in some years becomes exceedingly multiplied, and then perhaps for some years very few of them will be seen. Tliis sudden increaso and diminution of their numbers, seems to depend u})on two causes, the supply of food, and the severity of the winters. Their great multiplication generally follows a mild winter, which has l)een preceded by a productive summer. The Grey S<[uirrel prefers woods abounding hi oak, walnut, l)ut- tcruut or hickory trees, as aftbrding him most food : during tho fall he collects a supply for the winter, which he deposits in 74 ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. some hollow tree ; often also he accumulates large stocks of nuts in various places, covering them with leaves, and seem- ing to forget the locality ; for the writer remembers in West- chester Co., N. Y., one afternoon in early Avintcr, that five or six boys rambling with him came upon such a number of these heaps of hickory nuts, that they were unable to carry all away. One peculiarity of this species is its singular and distant migration in large bodies. Bachman has furnished an interesting account of an extraordinary migration of this sort, which he witnessed near Albany, N. Y. On that occa- sion troops of squirrels suddenly and unexpectedly made their apnearance ; they swam the Hudson River with their bodies and tails AvhoUy submerged ; many were drowned, and those that reached the opposite bank were so wet and fatigued, that they were easily killed. An unusual and general failure of their food is supposed to be the motive for such migrations. The popular ])elief that the males emascu- late each other is without foundation. The Fox Squirrel (*S'. vulpinus) is probably only a largo species of the preceding, as there are no peculiarities to mark a difference, except size and robustness. It is confined to the Southern States. The Black Squirrel (*S'. Niger) is very similar in habits, &c., to the gray squirrel, but seldom found south of Penn- sylvania ; it is said to disappear before the grey. The Red Squirrel (>S'. Hudsonicus') extends abundantly from the Arctic Circle to Tennessee ; he is a noisy little fellow, with a twittering note of chick-a-reCy which has sug- gested that, as one of his popu- lar names. lie is to game what the magpie or jay arc in England, — a most watchful tattling spy ; for however stealthily the sportsman may move, or in ambush await his ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. 75 game, this, nature's constable, on first sight sets up his shrill cry, putting all else around on their guard. His favorite haunt is a cedar swamp. His habits are materially influenced by climate ; at the north he forms deep burrows in the earth, under the roots of trees to protect himself from the cold, whilst further south he contents himself with the hollow of a tree. The Striped Squirrel (S. striatus), hetter known under the name of Ground S(^uirrel, Hackee, or Chipmunk (the latter probably its aboriginal name), is met Avith almost all over the continent. It diifers from the preceding species in having its chief residence in the ground, while the others take to trees. It is usually seen running along fences, and stone walls wliich aftbrd it a ready retreat. Under these it usually makes its burrow, and lays up its store for winter use. A favorite spot is the centre of some decayed or decaying stump. It s( Idom ascends trees ; is of an irri- table nature, resisting every attempt at domestication. When alarmed, it immediately takes to its hole, which it enters with a peculiar shrill cry indicative of safety, as much as to say " catch me now if you can." In the fall of the year it is very busy conveying grain, &c., to its winter (piar- ters, instinct warning it of the approaching season ; and really if some of our own species would take this provident little fellow as an example, it would relieve charitable societies of many of their cares ! There are many other species of Scjuirrel, but locally distributed. The next species is the Pteromys^ or Flying Squirrel. Description. — Skin dilated on the sides, from the fore to the hind legs, forming a sort of parachute : from the fore arm is a liony appendage supporting the membrane. By the aid of this membrane it darts from tree to tree, not by a movement of it as in the l)ats, Init by sailing downwards obli(niely, and rising suddenly when within a few inches of the tree it wishes to alight upon. The Flying Squirrel (^Pteromya volucella) is met with in 76 ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. all parts of the Continent, though never so greatly multiplied as some of the preceding species. It usually inhabits the hollows in trees, is seldom seen except in the twilight, and in its sailing movement is aided by the broadly expanded tail, which doubtless acts also partially as a rudder. It seems to ascend some high tree, throw itself oflf, aligliting on another near the ground, ascend that again in turn, and proceed in like manner to another, thus progressing a considerable distance without touching the ground. It is gentle in its disposition, easily domesticated, fond of warmth. At twilight it arouses itself, and affords much entertainment by sailing about the room, always commencing its flight by climbing a table, chair, or on to a shelf from whence it may start its voyage. When it sleeps, it rolls itself up, and wraps its large flat tail over its ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. 77 hear! and limbs, so as completely to conceal them, and give it the appearance of a simple ball of fur. There are two other species of it known, the P. Sablnus, like the fore- going in every respect but size, in which it excels, and P. Ore(jonensis, with ears longer and more open. The Common Porcupine (ffi/strix or Erethizon dorsata) though formerly very common, is now confined to the wooded and mountainous districts. Description. — Hair rather long, thick, and interspersed with spines or quills, varying from one to four inches in length ; these quills are black at the tip, brown below, white at the base. Tail not prehensile, thick. It is remarkable on account of its quills or spines, in- tenningled in the hair, on nearly all parts of its body ; and as it runs very badly, and is moderate and awkward in all its movements, it relies mostly on its quills for defence and safety. When its enemy approaches, if allowed sufficient time, it will generally retreat to some fissure in the rocks, or take refuge in the top of a tree, which it ascends with facility ; but if overtaken it places its head between its fore legs, draAvs its body into a globular form, and erects its spines projecting in all directions. The old theory of the porcupine darting his quills has exploded long ago. These quills are eagerly sought after and highly prized by the aborigines on all parts of the continent, and are used by them in various ways as ornaments of their dresses, pipes, and war instruments. For this purpose they are dyed of several rich and permanent colours, cut into shoi't pieces, strung upon threads or sinews, and then wrought into various forms and figures upon their belts, buffalo robes, mocassins, &c., and in these adornments they show considerable inge- nuity and a great deal of patient perseverance. The porcupine is a sluggish, solitary animal, seldom ven- turing far from his retreat in the rocks. His food consists of fruits of different kinds, roots, herbs, and the bark and 78 ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. buds of trees. The flesh is esteemed by the Indians the greatest luxury. In confinement it will eat bread and vege- tables from the hand, come when called, and exhibit fondness for its owner. The Hare (Lepus) next engrosses our attention. Description. — Upper incisors placed in pairs ; head large ; ears long ; eyes large, projecting laterally ; hind feet long ; bottoms of feet, hairy ; tail, very short and elevated. Never burrowing like the European rabbit. The American Rabbit (^Lepus nanus or Sylvaticus') though, strictly speaking, a hare, is the most common of the si:)ecies throughout the continent. Fleming says, that the American hare and European rabbit so nearly resemble each other, that it puzzles zoologists to assign distinguishing marks. The only points in which they differ are as follows : The nest of the hare is open, while that of the rabbit is closed, and lined with its own fur. The young of the hare arc brisk, have eyes and ears perfect, their legs in a condition for run- ning, and their bodies covered with fur at birth. The young of the rabbit have their eyes and ears closed, are unable to travel, and are naked. It has been said that the American rabbit forms burrows, but this is decidedly a mistake, probably arising from its occasionally taking refuge when hard-pressed in the holes of foxes or wood-chucks. The Varying Hare (^Lepus Americanus) sometimes called the Northern hare, is found all through the mountainous regions of the West, and is not dissimilar to the Alpine hare of Europe. In the winter season it becomes perfectly white ; it is less prolific than the preceding, hence its greater scarce- ness. Warden says this hare differs from the Alpine, by changing from gray-brown to white ; its ears are shorter ; its legs more slender. According to Godman, scarcely sufficient distinction exists to warrant the idea of its being other than the Alpine ; and in this the writer agrees, pronouncing it only a variety. In summer the hares feed on grass, juicy herbs, ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. 79 and the leaves and buds of shrubs, but in winter, -when the snow is deep they gain a precarious subsistence from the buds and bark of the willow, the birch, and the poplar. When pur- sued, the rabbit (so called) soon becomes wearied, but the hare is so fleet that being in no fear of being overtaken by its pursuers, it seeks no concealment; it has been known by measurement to clear 21 feet at one bound, and its body is so light in comparison with its broad, furry feet, that it is enabled to skim easily along the surface of deep snows, while the wearied hounds plunge in at ev^ry bound. There are thirteen other species, but all confined to Arctic latitudes. CHAPTER XI. RUMINANTIA.— DESCRIITION OF THE PROCESS OF CIIEWIXfJ THE CUD-USEFULNESS OF THE ORDER— THE DEER FAMILY—THE ELK OU WAriTI— HABITS AND DESCRIl'TION— EXTRACT FROM LONG'S EXPEDITION. The order Rummantia, Pecora, or Cud-chewers, next fol- lows, peculiarly distinguished by having no incisive teeth in the upper jaw ; their feet are all two-toed, covered with two hoofs, having the appearance of a single one, cleft in the middle. They are altogether herbiverous, and have the power of returning the food to the mouth after it is once swallowed, for a second mastication ; and as the process of chewing the cud is not generally known, we may as well give an explanation of it here. These animals are possessed of four stomachs, the first called the riimea or paunch, being of such capacity as to receive the large bulk of vegetable matter coarsely bruised by the first mastication. Passing into the second stomach, the reticulum or honeycomb (so called from having a beautiful internal membrane of polygonal acute angled cells), the food is here moistened and formed into little pellets, which are then thrown up into the mouth to be again chewed. It is then swallowed the second time in a fine pulpy state, and passes into the third, the omasum^ and finally into the fourth, the abomasum, or reed, which is of a pear-shape, and wrinkled, corresponding to the human stomach. Here it is digested by the action of the gastric juice, and its nounsh- ing parts absorbed and thrown into the circulation for the growth and renovation of the living system. This gastric or stomach juice, is a colorless liquid, secreted or prepared by the stomach, and by which the process of digestion is carried on. ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. 81 The first stomach, in which the food is received, is very large when compared with the others. This is a kind of storehouse or receptacle where the food by warmth and moisture is prepared for the second chewing. When this sack or pouch is well filled, the animal generally retires to a shady place and lies down, when the process of rumi- nating begins. The alternate motion of the cud, as it pascss up and down, is quite apparent in many ruminants. To this order man is most indebted, his food being obtained from their flesh, and their hides, horns, bones, hair, milk, iind even blood being hourly in demand : yielding valuable service as beasts of burden ; feeding on the verdure of the land, which by converting into their own flesh they prepare for the use of man, nine-tenths of whom never think of looking on tliem with an eye of admiration or wonder, or of en( quiring into the habits or the formation of this useful family of animals. The general structure of this order is strikingly well adapted to their habits and wants. In general, their legs are long in proportion to the length of their bodies, and their backbone is not only of great length but highly flexible, both of which are conditions favorable to great activity ajid freedom of motion Their ears are generally long and movable in all directions, so that sounds may be caught from whatever quarter they come. This is a provision of great consequence, since, while feeding, their ears are turned in a direction contrary to their sight, and hence they may be warned of danger from before as well as behind. Their eyes are situated at the sides of the head, and thus in addition to the usual range of vision of other animals, they can see behind as well as before them. It will be obvious that these are designed and merciful provisions, since these animals when pursued, can hear the direction of their followers, and see them also without stopping, while efiecting their escape at full speed. Their means of defence are their horns and hoofs, in F 82 ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. the use8 of Avhicli some of the members are exceedingly expert and effective : in the deer family, including the elk and moose, the fore-feet arc generally the most destnictivo •weapon, the largest dogs being sometimes killed by a single blow, and there are instances of several hunters in California having met with a similar fate from the stamping of the Elk. Great confusion has arisen under this class, relative to the species of North American Deer, |)artly from imperfect oijs:n'vation, and ])artly from varieties dependent on age and sex'. In all the species, with the exception of u\e Reindeer, the male only is crowned with horns or anil.^rs. These appendages are shed, or fall oft", every year, but are renewed with increased size, as tiie animal advances in age. The peculiar mode in which the antlers are developed, and in which the separation is cftected Ijctween them and the head, forms one of the most curious phenomena in the annual economy. The Emv, or "Wapiti (Ccrvi/s Oniadensls) has ])een com- monly confounded with the Moose, and witli the common Stag of Europe, and has ]»assed under viirious authors' hands by the name of Stag, lied Deer, (Jray Moose, Wapiti, U(jund Horn, Cariboo, kc. It is only very recently that it has been distinguished as a separate animal; and tlie confusion attend- ing this varied nomenclature, has been rather increased than diminished by those who have attempted its removal hy reconciling the discrepancies <»f books, instead uf appealing to the ]iroper ami infallible authority — nature. Di.scrljttion. — The size and appearance of the Elk aro minosing ; his air denotes confidence of great strength; while his towering horns exhibit weapons capable of doi.ig much injury when otVensively employed. The head is beautifully formed, tapering to a narrow point; the ears are large and rajiitlly movable ; the eyes are full and dark ; the horns rise loftily froin the front, with numerous shar|>- pointed branches, which are curved forwards ; and the h« ad ANDIAL8 OP NORTH AMERICA. 83 is sustained upon a neck at once slender, vigorous, and graceful. The beauty of the male Elk is still farther heightened by the long forward, curling hair, which forms a sort of ruff or beard, extending from the head towards the breast, where it grows short, and is but little difterent from the common covering. The body of the Elk, though large, is finely proportioned ; the limbs are small and apparently delicate, but are strong, sinewy, and agile. The hair is of a bluish gray color in autumn ; during winter it continues of a dark gray ; and at the approach of spring it assumes a reddish or bright brown color, which is permanent throughout summer. The Elk has at one time ranged over the greater part, if not the wliolo of this continent. It is still met with in the remote and thinly settled parts of Pennsylvania, but the number is small. It is only in the Western wilds that they are irut with iu oonsidorablc herds. They are fond of the 84 ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. green forests, where a luxuriant vegetation affords them an abundant supply of buds and tender twigs ; or of the great plains, where the soUtude is seldom interrupted, and all- bounteous nature spreads an immense field for their support. The Elk sheds its horns about the end of February, or beginning of March ; and such is the rapidity with which the new horns shoot forth, that in less than a month they are a foot in length. The whole surface of the horn is covered by a soft, hairy membrane, which, from its resemblance to that substance, is called velvet ; and the horns are said to be " in the velvet " until the month of August, by which time they have attained their full size. After they are fully formed, the membrane becomes entirely detached ; and this separation is hastened by the animal, Avho appears to suffer some irritation, which causes him to rub them against the trees. The velvet, in its hanging state, cbsely rescml)lcs a tangled mass of cobwebs. The Elk is shy and retiring ; having very acute senses, it receives curly .varning of the approach of any human intruder. As soon as the hunter is fairly discovered, it bounds along for a few paces, stops, turns half round, and scans its pur- suer with a steady gaze, then throwing back its lofty horns upon its neck, and projecting its taper nose forward, it springs from the ground, and advances with a velocity which soon leaves the object of its dread far out of sight. But during August and September, when the horns are in perfect order, it employs them and its hoofs witli great effect, and the lives of men and dogs arc endangered by comiiig within its reach. When at bay, it fights with great eagerness, as if resolved to be avei-ged. The following incident, from Long's Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, will, in some degree, illustrate this statement : *' A herd of twenty or thirty Elk were seen at no great distance from the party, standing in the water, or lying upon the sand beach. Ono of tho finest bucks was singled ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. 85 out by a hunter, who fired upon him ; whereupon the whole herd phmged into the thicket, and disappeared. Relying upon the skill of the hunter, and confident that his shot was fatal, several of the party dismounted and pursued the Elk into the woods, where the wounded buck was soon overtaken. Finding his pursuers close upon him, the Elk turned furious upon the foremost, who only saved himself by springing into a thicket, which was impassable to the Elk, whose enormous antlers becoming so entangled in the vines, as to be covered to their tips, he was held fast and blindfolded, and was despatched by repeated bullets and stabs." CHAPTER XII. THE MOOSE-DESCRIPTION AND IIAUNTS-MODE OF HUNTING IT- THE CAUI1500 AND DESCRIPII ON— HUNTING ENCAMl'MKNT— THE COMMON DEEU— HABITS AND VARIOUS ST(JUIES REsrECTlNCI IT. The Mooke (^Cerlus aires'), the largest of all the species, is the only deer whose appearance may bo called u.^ly. Its name is probably a corrui)tion of the "word Musu, a term given to it by the Algon quins. Description. — Its large head terminates in a square muzzle, having the nostrils curiously slouched over the sides of the mouth ; the neck, from which rises a short thick mane, is not longer than the head, but is rendered still more cum))rous and unwieldy by wide pahuatod horns ; under the throat is found an excrescence, from which grows a tuft of long hair; the body, which is short and tliick, is mounted upon tall legs. These singularities of sti'ucture, however, have direct or indirect reference to peculiarities of use adapted to circum- stances. . The M'^tose inhabits the northern parts of both continents, and is ih Europe called '■ the Klk/' On this continent it has been found as ftw jiorth as the c(»untry has bei-n explored. It«-. southern range at former })eriods extended to the shores of the Great Lakes. At present it is not heard of south >f the State of Maine, and is becoming rare alsv) there. In Nova Scotia, Cape JJreton, and throughout the Hudson Hay possessions it is found in considerable numbers. The dense forests, rnd closely shaded swamps of these region ., arc the favorite resorts of this animal, as thei'e the most abinidant sujjply of food is to bo obtained, with the least inconvcn* ' o. The length of limb aud shortness of neck, which ia an open ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 87 pasture appear so disadvantageons, are here of the greatest use in enabling it to crop the buds and young twigs of the birch, maple, or poplar; or enabling it to browse on aquatic :^ plants, inaccossibic to other jmiinals. In tlie sunnuci'. it frequents swauijty or low grounds, ucai' the margins of bikes and risers, rhrougli wliich it doliiihts to swim, as this free.* it from the annovaiico of insects. At this season it rcuiuhirlv visits the same place to drink, of which circumstance tiic Indian hunter takes advantage, bj lying in ambush. [n Nova Sc(»tia and Xcw IJrunswick, it is generally hunted in the month of March, when the snow is deep, and sutKciently crusted with ice to bear the weight of a dog, but not that of a Moose. Five or si.\ men provided with knapsacks, con- taining food for as many days, and all necessary iuiplemeuts I 8S ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. v-j- for " c{\m}»ing " out at night, set out in search of their game. Having found their animal, they wait till daybreak, when the dogs are laid on, and the hunters wearing large snow shoes follow as closely as i)ossil)lc. The deer does not run far,' be- fore the crust on the snow through which he breaks at every step, cuts his legs so severely that the poor animal stands at bay, and endeavors to defeinl himself by striking with his fore feet, but the arrival of the hunter soon ends his career. The skin of the Moose is of irreat value to tlio Indian, as it is used for tent covers, clothirig, kc. It is feared from the rapid destruction of tliese animals, and the way in which they have diminished of late years, that the species will eventually become extinct. " In the winter of 1842, t'venty three officers," as we are informed by Porter, " of the Grenadier and Coldstream Guards, then in garrison at (>ucbec and Montreal, killed durin,'; a short hunting tour, ninety-three Moose. None of the jiarties wre al)sent more than fourteen days." But a more remarkable fact, as related by " Frank Forrester," was " the killing of three moose with a common fowling piece, by an officer not reputed to be very crack as a shot, on the Mountain, within a few miles of Montreal, during a morning's walk from that populous city." He also cites another instance of a friend killing seven of these glorious animals on the River St. Maurice, in the rear of the pretty village of Three Rivers, all of which he run into upon snow shoes, after a chase of about three days. The llEiwi)iii!:u,orCAUiiioo(C'tTyWo^ taranduaov Tarandm ran 1 1 If er). Jh'Scr'ption. — Body robust, and low on the legs ; snout t)>in, with obr(([ae nostrils ; ears large ; horns usually slender, the main stem directed backwards, terminating in a broad palmated expansion; jjoofs rounded: color varies with age ; a smooth coat of grayish brown, — beneath the throat and belly, white. ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 89 .'11 the shoes In uscfuhicss, this animal exceeds all others of the northern zone ; and it is a curious fact tlia' . *'! ^h domesticated in Eu- rope and Asia, — Avhere, as beasts of burden, milkers, furnishing food, in the aii])lication of their sinews to bow- strings, and by their powers of endurance, they point out the ad- mirable wisdom of the Peity in placing them where the natives have so little to depend on, — yet the North American Indians have never in any way made use of their living services. It is as yet an unsettled tact as to the identity of the Cariboo or Reindeer of North America with the celel>rated beast of draught, and much less is known of it than of the Moose. De Kay, in his history of the State of New York> states it to bo much of the same size as the common deer ; but it is since ascertained that the adult males are often found fourteen to fifteen hands high. It is this difterencc of size which has led to the belief that the cariboo is a distinct variety from that which is the cliief article of food to the Esquimaux of the western, and domesticated by the Lap- landers of the eastern continent. That animal is scarcely found south of the Arctic circle, while the Cariboo is found here cverywhtro north of the 4oth and 4l)tli degrees uorlh latitude. The mode of hunting Cariboo differs in nothing from that of the moose, with tills exception, that owing to the infenor weight of the animal, and the pliability of its pastern joint, which bends so completely, at every stride, under hiiu, as to nffonl a very considera)»le fulci'um and support in the deep snow, he is able to travel so much longer and so much more fleetly, even through the worst crusts, that it is considered 90 ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. useless to attempt to run him down, -when once alarmed and in motion, lie must tlicrcforc cither be stalked silently from the leeward, or shot down at once. The following description of a hunting party's encamp- ment is so spirit-stirring, that we cannot pass it by: "The first thing to be done on a tramp after Cariboo, is to encamp for the first night, since it is rare that a single day's march carries the sportsman to the scene of action. The arms arc stacked, or hung from the branches of the giant pines around the camp ; the goods arc i)ilcd ; the snow is scraped away from a large area, and hea[)cd into banks to windward ; a tree or two is felled and a huge fire kindled ; beds are pre- pared of the soft and fragrant tips of cedar and hemlock brnnchcs; and the party gathers about the cheerful blaze, while the collojis ;uv hissing in the frying-pan, the cuttoo is simmering in the caini)-kc'ttle, and the fish or game— if the ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 91 Indians have found time to catch a salmon-trout or two through the ice of some frozen lake, or the sportsmen have brought down a brace or two of ruffed or Canada grouse — is roasting on wooden spits before the fire, with the rich gravy dripping on the biscuits, which are to serve thereafter as platters for the savory broil. Then comes the merry meal, seasoned by the hunters' Spartan sauce — fatigue and hunger ; and when the appetites of all are satiated with forest fare, succeed the composing fumes of the hunter's pipe, replenished with ' the Indian weed that briefly burns,' and such yarns as arc spun nowhere, unless it be in a forest camp, are told. * * * Awake, while the stars are yet bright and the air keen and cold, the brook, which last night tempered the goblets, this morning laves the brow and replenishes the kettles, and a brief early breakfast precedes the quick tramj) through the morning's gloaming. It is a sport for men, not to be essayed by babes or sucklings. No particular fitness is reijuired except stout thews and sinews — to bo long-winded and accus- tomed to field exercise — and, en pasmut^ no man roughs it better than a thorougb-bred English gentleman ; it is the Cockney Avho first gives himself airs, and everybody else trouble, and then gives — oiit!^^ The Common Deku of North America (^Cervus Vu-i/inl- anui) differs entirely from all the Eurojiean or Indian varieties of this order. It is smaller in size than the red deer — hart and hind of the British Isles and the European continent — and is far inferior to it in stateliness of character, in ))earing, and in the size and extent of its antlers. From the fallow deer of Europe it differs in being much larger, and having branched instead of pahnated horns. It is so much larger than the roebuck, and differs from it so greatly in all respects, that it is needless to enter minutely into the difference. This beautiful animal abounded formerly in every part of this continent, from the extreme northeast to Mexico, or still farther south, and it is even now found in consider- 92 Ar^IMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. "J. able numbers wherever the destruction of the forests, and the -wanton rapacity of man, liave {i^^^Btt^^ ^'^^ caused its extinction. In the Mf^^^ PSBk./ f. .* State of Maine and in Canada it abounds in the great evergreen for- ests, its worst enemy tliore being the wolf, as there isperhajjs less of the sporting ar lor to be found hi that sec- tion. The loggers and lumbermen there, may occasionally filch time to hunt, by torchlight, a deer or two, or get u]) a hunt for a bet — in which, by the way, everything tha": flies or runs, from an owl to a skunk, is brought to bag promiscuously — but hunting, proper and scientific, there is little or none. " To get deer-hunting hi anything like perfection," says Frank Forrester, " we must go into Virginia, the Carolinas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, where the gentlemen of the land, not pent up in cities, but dwelling upon their estates, fear- lessly galloping through bush, through briar, taking bold leaps at fallen trees and over deep bayous in the forest lands, ride as fearlessly and desperately for the first blood as any coimtry English squire." The Indians say, and it has also been verified l)y hunters, that the deer has a great aversion to snakes, especially the rattlesnake, and to destroy them it makes a bound into the air, alighting on the snake with all four feet brought together, repeating it till the reptile is destroyed. The stomach of the deer, with its half digested contents, is a very favorite dish with the Indians, especially when they feed on mosses and buds, r,nd even Europeans have not objected to it. Captain Lyon says he found it to " resemble a salad of sorrel and radishes; " and Hearne says it possesses such an agreeable taste that were it not for prejudice, it would be considered a dainty. De Kay says it has often been a wonder that while so many horns are cast anniuilly, so few are ever found. This is to be explained by the fact that as soon as shed they are eaten up ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 93 by the smaller gnawing animals. He has repeatedly found them half-gnawed up by the various kinds of field-mice so numerous in our forests. From the number of its skins brought to market, and calculating the deer destroyed since the settle- ment of the country, an imperfect notion may be formed of the aggregate numbers and productiveness of its species. — Do Kay has made a strange blunder in his Natural Ili.story of New York, in saying " it does not appear to extend into Canada ;" for it is most plentiful in both the Upper and Lower Province. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A- 1.0 11.25 •" 136 ^ 12.2 1.1 f.-^liS lUUL. U 11.6 (J «> ?► /. ■^? Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STRUT WIMTIR.N.Y. MSM (71«) 172.4503 ^ %^ <> ^^^ » CHAPTER XIII. THE BLACK IaILED DEER-THE PROXG-IiORN OR AMERICAN ANTE- LOPE-ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT— ARGALI OR ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP— DESCRIITION AND HABITS. The Black-tailed Deer ( Cervus Macrotis) is found only near the Rocky Mountains and on the plains of Missouri, preferring generally the prairies to the woods. It was first noticed by Lewis and Clarke iu their explorations ; they inform us that it resembles its kindred species, except that it does not run at full speed, but bounds along, raising every foot from the ground at the same time. In this it may be compared to the spring-bok of Africa. Its ears are very long, extending half the length of the antler. The American Antelope, or Prong-horn (^Antelocapra Americana)^ fleeter than the swiftest horse, roams through the Rocky Mountains, keeping entirely to the open ground, migrating in winter to Mexico and California. So swift is it in its movements, and so acute is it in its sense of smell, that man rarely approaches it ; and the celerity with wliich the ground is passed over by it, resembles more closely the flight of a bird, than the motion of a quadruped. The only reliable accounts we have of it are from Long's Expedition, and Lewis and Clarke's observations, if we except the following from Wilke's exploring expedition : " An antelope was killed in Southern Oregon, near Rogue's River ; it wa3 of a dun and white colour, and its hair remarkably soft. The Indians take this animal by exciting its curiosity ; for this purpose they conceal themselves in a bush, near its hunting grounds, and making a rustling noise, soon attract its atten- tion, when it is led to advance towards the place of conceal- ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 95 '/''■iJ'.i^ ment, until the arrow pierces it. If there are others in com- pany, they will frequently remain with the wounded, until they arc all in like manner destroyed." The Rocky Mountain Goat (^Gapra Montana) of which very little is known, has for its northern limits the River of the Mountains, and has been met with as low down as 45 degrees north. It is more numerous on the western than on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, but is rarely seen at any distance from them, fre(|uenting the peaks and ridges hi siunmer, and occupying the valleys in winter. Description. — Nearly the size of a common sheep, with a shaggy appearance, in consequence of the protrusion of the long hair beyond the wool, which is white and soft. The horns and hoofs are black ; the horns slightly curved back- wards, and projecting but little beyond the wool. The fleece of this goat is said to ecjual that of the celebrated shawl goat of Cashmere, both in fineness and value, though the skin is spongy and only used for mocassins. Little is known of its haunts ; of its habits still less. Were it not for the fleecy nature of its covering, and the shortness of its horns, some analogy might be fancied to exist between thia 96 ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. n '''Wi goat and that described by Homer ages ago, utterly lost sight of during all intervening time, and only lately re-dis- covered in the islands of the Levant. This animal is often confounded with the next species. The Rocky Mountain Sheep, or Argali (Ovis Mon- tanci), called also the Cimaron. Description. — Larger than the common sheep ; the ears pointed ; the horns which are transversely wrinkled, large, and triangular, are twisted laterally into a spiral ; the limbs are slender, and covered with uniform short hair. These animals are confined exclusively to the Rocky Mountains : they are met with in herds of from twenty to thirty, but are very wary. They feed on the tops of the ridges, with posted sentinels ever watchful ; and their great quickness of sight and hearing, render them perhaps the most difficult to approach of all tli'- four-footed game of America. They have immense horns, especially the old males, in whom they are so enormous that from their curving forward and downward to such an extent, they preclude them from feeding on level ground. It is necessary therefore for them to seek the pasture on steep places above them, or to browse on the long herbage on the margin of the water-courses. They are usually found about grassy knolls skirted by craggy rocks, to which they can retreat when pursued by dogs or wolves. The Indian appellation for them is " the foolish bear," for in the retired parts of the mountains, where no fire-arms have been used, they are quite tame, exhibiting the simplicity of the domestic sheep ; but when they have been often fired at, they assume the wild and vigilant character under which they are generally described. In its facility of leaping from crag to crag it resembles the chamois of the Alps. An attempt was made some years ago to obtain some young of this species and domesticate them in the Scotch mountains for the sake of their fleece, which far excels that ANIMALS or NORTH AMERICA. 97 of common sheep, but the attempt utterly failed. We cannot do better than close the account of this animal with the fol- lowing observations from the pen of Frank Forrester, who is about the only writer that has handled the several animals peculiar to the Rocky Mountains. He says : — " I conceive that this animal is rarely an object of particular systematic pursuit ; and that when killed at all, it is almost by accident, during the winter season. While among the herbless crags and awful precipices of those dread mountain solitudes, it is not easy to see it ; and when seen, to outclimb and circumvent it, must require that the hunter should be every inch a man. If possible, stalk it having the sun on your back, and in his eyes ; or, approach it from the upper to the lower ground ; for, as it is its nature to keep the upper ground if possible, it consequently keeps the brightest look- out for an enemy's approach from below ; but all depends on the direction of the wind, down which it is impossible to approach it." CHAPTER XIV. THE BISON OR BUFFALO— DESCRIPTION— INDIAN MODES OF CAP- TURE-EARLY DESCRIPTION OF IT— BUFFALO HUNT— ITS HAUNTS AND ENEMIES. The next Genus is the Ox, of which the first species is the Bison (^Bos Americanus), better known under the. name of Buffalo. Description. — Great disproportion between the fore and hind quarters, partly occcasioned by the hump over its shoul- ders, which diminishing as it extends backwards, gives obli- quity to the outline of its back. The horns are shorter than in any other species, nearly straight, exceedingly strong, and planted widely asunder at the base. The tail is almost a foot long, terminating in a tuft. The eyes large and fierce, and its appearance altogether grim, savage, and formidable. The Bison is clothed on its forequarters with long shaggy hair, forming a beard beneath its lower jaw, and descending below the knee in a tuft, forming a dense mass on the top of his head, which is so thickly matted as to cause a rifle ball to» rebound, or lodge only in the hair by deadening its force* The ponderous head, rendered terrific by this thick shaggy hair, is supported upon a massive neck or shoulders, the apparent strength of which is more imposing from the aug- mentation produced by the hump, and the long fall of hair by which the fore parts of the body are covered. It is peculiar to America, formerly inhabiting the prairies and forests in vast numbers ; they have been seen in herds of three, four, and five thousand, blackening the plain as far as the eye could reach. They generally seek their food in the morning and evening, retiring during the heat of the day to ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 99 marshy places. "When feeding they are often scattered over a vast surface ; but when they move forward in mass, they form a densely impenetrable column, which once fairly in motion can scarcely be impeded, though their unwieldy appearance would indicate slight power of locomotion. They swim large rivers in the same way in which they traverse the plains. When flying from their pursuers, it is impossible for the foremost to halt, since the herd rushing on in the rear, the leaders must advance, though destruction await them. Of this the Indians avail themselves, and no method could be better devised to destroy them, than that of foraing a herd to leap together from the brink of a precipice. It may not be uninteresting to relate how this is done. One of the swiftest and most active young men is selected, who disguised in a bison skin, having the head, ears, and horns adjusted on his own head, stations himself between the bison herd and some of the precipices that often extend for miles along the rivers. The Indians surround the herd, and at a given signal rush forward and show themselves with yells. The animals alarmed, and seeing no way open to them but in the direction of the disguised Indian, run tow- ards him, and he taking to flight, dashes on to the precipice, where he suddenly secures himself in some previously ascer- tained crevice. The foremost of the herd arrives at the brink ; there is no possibility of retreat, no chance of escape ; they may shrink with terror, but the crowd behind, who are terrified by the approach of the hunters, press forward, and are hurled successively into the gulf where death awaits them. One of the tributaries of the Mississippi derives its name of " Slaughter River " from having been continually used for this purpose. When the ice is breaking up on the rivers in the spring of the year, the dry grass of the surrounding plains is set on fire, and the bisons are tempted to cross the river in search of the young grass that immediately succeeds the burning of 100 ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. If h!''! the old. In the attempt to cross, the bison is often insulated on a cake of ice that floats down the river. The savages select the most favorable points for attack, and as the bison approaches, the Indians leap with wonderful agility over the frozen ice to attack him. As the animal is neces- sarily unsteady, and his footing very insecure on the ice, he soon receives his death-wound, and is drawn triumphantly to the shore. The numbers of this species are surprisingly great, when we consider the immense destruction of them since European weapons have been used against them : they are however fast disappearing before civilization, equally with the Indian himself ; and the time is probably not far distant, when both will only be known in the annals of history. They were once extensively diffused over wiiat is now United States territory, but at the present time their range is very dif- ferent, being confined to the remote unsettled districts of the north and west, being rarely seen east of the Mississippi, or south of the St. Lawrence. West of Lake Winnipeg they are found as far north as 62° ; west of the Rocky Mountains seldom farther north than the Columbia River. The greats plains of the Saskatchewan, and the Red River still abound with them, though the herds are less numerous every year. The first description given of the Bison is by Thoma^ Morton, A. D. 1637, in a work entitled " New Canaan." He says, that the Indians " have also made great description of herds of well groAvn beasts that live about the parts of this lake (Ontario,) such as the Christian world until this discovery hath not been made acquainted with. These beasts are of the bigness of a cow, their fleeces very useful, being a kind of wool, and the savages do make garments thereof," &c. Mackenzie alludes to a white buffalo, during his explora- tions, said by the Indians to be numerous in Oregon; this probably was the Rocky Mountain sheep, known to them under that name. ANIMALS OF NORTH AlfERICA. 101 The following account of the last buflfalo hunt in 18(^2, is taken from a Red River paper : " From the Pembina Moun- tain, the usual rendezvous, the hunters set out about the middle of September — 105 riders and some 600 carts. Buffaloes were not found in any numbers till they came near the Little Souris, where they killed 500. Here they stopped a week making pemmican,* in full view of a great number of wolves, who were prowling about in large numbers, and with such audacity, that dozens were seen at a time not half a mile from camp. About 400 of these gentry were captured on the trip. Six hundred fine cows were killed, whereupon the bull's meat, with which they had previously loaded them- selves, was thrown away. Scratched faces, sprains, contu- sions of all kinds fell to the lot of numbers of the hunters. He was a bold rider, and had an extra fine horse, who escaped performing a somersault in these wild reckless races over the ground honey-combed with badger and fox holes, and crannies of all sorts and sizes." The Bison winters amid the timber and grass of northern Texas, New Mexico, and Arkansas, and by the sources of the Red River, and the Cimarone ; half famished and mise- rable it starts with the springing grass, and in April or early in May turns its face northwards in quest of " fresh fields and pastures new." Travelling in countless legions, suffi- cient to cover whole townships, driven onward with hunger, it cro? ■'•■! successively the Arkansas, the Smoky Hill, and shows a uark front for miles along the south bank of the Platte ; and here it is, that meeting the emigrant trains bound for the Pacific coast, collisions ensue, when thousands of them are shot in more Avantonness by hunters already gorged and overladen with buffalo meat. When food, how- ever, is the object, — and the hides are good for nothing in spring and summer, — cows and calves are marked out for * Note.— retnmican— chopped buffalo meat, pounded with corn, and dried in the 8UU closely pressed together. 102 ANIMALS or NORTH AMERICA. I) ■ ::;i destruction, thus increasing the proportion, already far too great, of surviving males, and dooming the race to earlier extinction. But the white man is by no means his only destroyer. The Indian watches for him in every thicket ; by every wooded brook-side, the calf that goes down to quench his thirst, is unwittingly slain by an arrow through his loins. The gray wolf lurks in every hollow, and sneaks through every ravine, watching ravenously for some heed- less cow — some foolish calf — some wounded or aged bull to straggle to one side, or fall limpingly behind, where a spring from his hiding place, a snap at the victim's ham-strings, will leave nothing to chance but the appearance of some hungry compatriot to claim a dividend of the spoil. But the wolf and the Indian are not wantonly destructive, they kill to eat, and stop when their appetites are glutted. Civilized man alone kills for the mere pleasure of destroying — the pride of having killed. For thousands of years the wolf and the Indian fed and feasted on the buffalo, yet the race multi- plied and diffused itself from the Hudson and Delaware, to the Columbia and Sacramento ; from the Ottawa and Sas- katchewan to the Alabama and the Brazos. But civilized man with his insatiate rapacity » and enginery of firearms has been on his track, and already his range has shrunk to one tenth its former dimensions, and the noble brute is palpably doomed to early extinction. CHAPTER XV. THE MUSK-OX— DESCRIFTIOX AND HAUNTS-rACHYDERMATA-THE PECCAUY— WHEUE MET WITH-CETACEA OR WHALES— DIFFER- ENCE BETWEEN EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN ANIMALS-DIVERSI- TY OF CLIMATE DEVELOPING SPECIES— PROBABLE EXTINCTION OF CERTAIN CLASSES-CONCLUSION. The Musk-Ox (^Bos Moschatus) is found exclusively in the Arctic regions, preferring even there tihe most barren and desolate parts. Nature, who adapts the wants of her progeny to all emergencies, has paid especial attention to the coat of these animals, by covering them with long dense hair, the inner or fine hair corresponding to the fur of the bison ; the outer covering, is long thick straggling bushy hair, which envelopes the body, hanging nearly to the ground, and thus gives it a very singular appearance from the shortness of its legs. The eye of the Musk-Ox is very prominent, projecting a consider- able distance from the frontal bone. Captain Parry thinks the object of this is, to carry it clear of the quantity of hair required to preserve the warmth of the head, when the terrors and rigors of an Arctic winter are encountered by this sturdy animal. « Richardson, another Arctic explorer, says, they never pene- trate the woods, — if woods they can be called, where a few stunted junipers and pines only serve to accumulate the drift- ing snow, — but procure their food in winter, on the steep sides of the hills which are laid bare by the winds, feeding on the moss and lichens with which the rocks are covered, in lieu of herbage ; up these hills they climb with an agility that their massive aspect Avould not lead one to suppose them capable of. The same traveller says they have no tails ; he must however either never have procured this animal, or else taken a very cursory glance of them when procured, for the 104 ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. !i' I. tail of the Musk-Ox about equals in length that of the bear ; though bending inwards and downwards, it is entirely hidden by the long hair on the hind quarters. The Musk-Ox corresponds in a great measure with the bones of the fossil elk of Iceland, in having rudimentary toes. Its flesh is excellent food ; though at particular seasons of the year, the bulls, and the old ones generally, emit a musky odor, which communicates itself to their flesh, rendering it unpalatable ; even a knife used in cutting up their flesh becomes so strongly scented, as to require much washing and scouring before it is cleansed ; but the females and calves have afforded one of the chief means of sustenance to many of our Arctic exploring parties, when other provisions had failed or given out. It is probable that the muskiness peculiar to some animals arises from some- property of their food, or part of their food, which is drawn into their system, as it is an ascertained fact that the root of the calamus or sweet scented flag is the exciting cause of the odor of the musk-rat. From the shortness of their limbs, and the apparent weight of their body, it might be inferred that the Musk-Ox could not run with any speed, but it is stated by Parry that although they run in a hobbling sort of canter that makes them appear as if every now and then about to fall, yet the slowest of them can far outstrip a man. When disturbed they frequently tear up the ground with their horns, and turn round to look at their pursuer, but never commence an attack. Their horns are employed by the Indians and Esquimaux for various purposes ; especially for cups and spoons. From the long hair growing on the neck and chest the Esquimaux make their musquito wings, to defend themselves from those troublesome insects. During August and September they extend their migrations to the North Georgian, and other islands bordering on the northern shores of this continent. By Franklin they were never seen lower than 66° North, but Richardson mentions having seen them as low as 60*^. ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 105 Pacfnjdcrmatd, or tliick-slvinned animals, have only one representative on this continent. Descr'ipi'um. — This order includes all non-ruminant lioofed animals, or such as have hoofs whether divided or not, but do not chew the cud. The only animal of this species indigenous to the country, which finds its way into the Northern Continent, is the Collared Peccary, sometimes called Indian Hog ( Dlcotyhs torqvutus) ; it derives its name " collared" from a peculiar arrangement of whitish bristles rising up from its fore legs and meeting over its neck, which it has the power of erecting when excited, frightened, or irritated. It closely resembles the common hog in shape, structure, habits, and properties, though not quite equalling it in size. This animal has a great aversion to snakes, and will hunt them out with great avidity ; when it sees one of these reptiles it raises its bristles with a most ferocious air, its eyes seem to flash fire, and gathering all its strength, with a succession of quick leaps it brings itself down upon the snake's neck with all four feet together with amazing rapidity, until its victim is exhausted, when it ravenously devours it. These animals are generally met with in herds ; and if the hunter ventures to attack or wound one of them when its companions are near, he stands a very good chance of being torn in pieces unless he takes refuge hi some tree ; and even then, they have been known to surround it, keeping him a close prisoner until succor arrive. They are only met with as we approach the southern latitudes, westward of the Mississippi River ; eastward of it they are not knoAvn to exist : it is met with in Texas, extending to the Pacific, where the line of its range runs as high as the 33rd parallel, following the isothermal line, thus proving that it cannot endure the rigors of a severe winter. This animal must not be confounded with the wild hog, which like the wild oxen and horses, are the offspring of the cattle left to run wild by the Spaniards nearly two centuries ago, and 106 ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. i which have quite assumed the original nature of their species, in the solitudes and canebrakes of the sparsely inhabited dis- tricts of the sunny South. The order Cetacea (Whales) though rightly succeeding here, is reserved for another series ; for though Mammalia in the true sense of the word, — not respiring water like true fishes, but rising to the surface to breathe the atmosphere, — and being, withal, warm-blooded animals, yet their habits and form are so piscivorous, that the series comprising fish and reptiles will commence with this order — it being, as it were, the connecting link between them and the Mammals. Having enumerated now the different species, we must be struck to find that each animal, with the exception of those peculiar to the country, differs from its European congener, though in some instances so slightly as scarcely to be noticed. There is a singular coincidence between the elevation of temperature and the degree of zoological perfection. The genera of latitudes are often representatives, but never identical. Science is developing the various branches of Natural History more fully than ever it before attempted, and each day, light is thrown upon some peculiarity which has hitherto escaped observation. So far as regards the different titles of the same animal, we leave to nomenclators their disputations about what DeKay has happily termed, " the barren honors of a synonyme ;" who, if they make no addition to our already gathered information, at least multiply stories, and republish their own names. The letters and anecdotes collected by the gallant explorers of the remotest districts, and the dwellers on the outmost frontiers of the Far West, are rapidly and surely adding to our knowledge of those parts ; for, to their credit, and to the honor of the West Point Military Institution, nine-tenths of all the correct information we possess of the geography, geology, topography, and natural history of the farther territories and districts, apart from mere foMc, comes from its members and its 1 ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. 107 graduates. From the Hudson Bay territory, where we ought to look for the most information, from their commerce in peltries and contact with rude Nature, very little has been gained ; but if the time ever arrives that a railway connecting the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific shall be carried through British America, not only the whereabouts of certain species, now only known as rare in their present haunts, will be definitely ascertained, but facilities will be afforded the scientific enquirer and the sportsman to meet them on their own ground. The diversity of climate met with in so large a continent naturally adds to the developement of its species ; and, according to the different localities traversed, so Nature has, with infinite skill, adapted their inhabitants. For instance, in traversing the mighty prairies the mind assumes the idea of isolation : westward, onwards, without a mountain, with scarcely a hill, with rarely a brook or stream to break the monotony of the barren, dewless landscape ; loneliness seems the traveller's concomitant. But a nearer gaze reveals the life there ; at intervals the fleet antelope looks shyly down from some distant crest, then is off on the wings of the wind ; the gray wolf more rarely surveys him deliberately, and slinks away ; the prairie wolf lingers near, safe in his own worthlcssness and the traveller's contempt ; the funny frisky little prairie dog barks with amusing alarm at his approach, then drops into his hole ; slowly, on easy pinion, the hawk circles in the air, and swoops down on the prairie squirrel or the mole ; lazily the crow leaps from carcass to carcass, too plethoric to caw, too indolent to be frightened. Away in the wilds of the Rocky Mountain range, the grizzly bear roams amid his fastnesses, his color harmo- nizing with the brown, gray and weather beaten crags of his mountain home ; while his relatives in the far off icebergs and glacier-clad hills of the Arctic zone is as spotless in his snowy robes, as the prospect around him. Away in the 108 ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. great pine forests of Canada, the black bear and the puma, the lynx and the wolf hold in check the smaller animals which otherwise would overrun the land, whilst they in their turn by feeding on the herbage in its luxuriance, maintain the balance of vegetation, and by their oft forgotten hoards of winter provender, provide a store of nut and fruit bearing trees, to be in their turn the providers for some future race of rodents. Remaining still around the haunts of men are the smaller class always associated with him ; and the dread of him acquired at his first approach, becomes to them instinctive and hereditary. In conclusion, man's necessities and pleasures, as they have been in the eastern hemisphere, will so be here, the cause of great changes : the inaccessible cliffs of the Indian territory will afford a refuge for the goat and the cimaron, but the time is fast approaching when the buffalo, the puma, the beaver, &c., will be known only by ancient records. Man himself, the lord of creation, though he extirpates the noble creatures of the earth, will ever be the slave of the canker- worm and the fly till the time come for the final " restoration of all things," and in the words of the poet, " this mortal shall put on immortality." CHAPTER XVI. GLOSS All Y OF TERAIS. Although the Author has endeavoured as much as possible to dispense with the difficult terms usually met with in Natu- ral History, there are still some peculiar words which must be introduced for the benefit of beginners; they and 'their meanings are introduced in the following glossary : Aboriginal. — In its native state, — called by the natives or aborigines. Acute. — Of the sight, or hearing, keen. Of smell, quick. Of the ears or nose, pointed. Anomaly. — Irregularity, something out of rule. Anterior. — Going before, belonging to the fore quarter or fore parts. Canine. — Of the dog species, shaped like dog's teeth. Cartilage. — A gristly tough substance. Criterion. — A standard whereby anything is judged of. Cylindrical. — Having a long, round body. Dilated. — Of the skin, expanded, or widened. Of the eye, with the pupil widely and openly developed. Dormitory. — A sleeping place. Excrescence. — Some substance growing out of, or on an- other. Fauna. — The animal kingdom. Gastric. — Belonging to the stomaoh. IlAiiiTAT. — The place where an animal dwells, — its haunts. IIyrernate. — To pass the winter. Hypothesis. — A supposition. Identity. — Sameness in form and appearance. Incisor. — Cutting— a term applied to the teeth. H 110 ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. i^'li Indigenous. — Natural to the soil or country. Integument. — A covering, applied generally to skin. Isothermal. — Of equal heat or temperature. Lateral. — Growing out of or running along the sides. Mammiferous. — That suckle their young. Molar. — Grinding. Muzzle. — The snout or nose. Naked. — Destitute of hair, applied generally to the ears or tail. Oblique. — Not perpendicular, sloping. Palmate. — Extended out like the flat of the hand. Parachute. — Any means of buoying up a falling object, as an open umbrella. Peltries. — Furs and skins. Pendulous. — Hanging, not supported below. Phosphorescence. — Luminosity ,-emitting the appearance of light. PisciVEROUS. — Feeding on fish. Posterior. — The hind quarters. Prehensile. — Capable of grasping with. Premature. — Before its time. Protrusion. — Something thrust forward or standing pro- minent. Rufous. — Of a reddish colour. Savannah. — An open meadow in the South. Scepticism. — Open to doubt and disbelief. Spiral. — Whirling like a screw. Transversely. — Running crosswise. Vermiform. — Shaped like a worm. INDEX. PAGE American Rabbit 78 Antelope, Prong-horn 94 Arctic Fox 38 Argali 96 Badger 26 Bat Family 10 Bat, Species of 13 Bay Lynx 51 Beaver 61 Bear, Black l T Bear, Grizzly 19 Bear, Polar...;' 22 Bison 98 Black-tailed Deer 94 BuflFalo 98 Campagnol 66 Caribou 88 Carnivora 17 Cat Family 46 Cat, Wild 51 Catamount 48 Cayota 43 Cetacea 106 Cheiroptera 10 Chipmunk 75 Cimaron > 96 Cougar 48 Deer Family 82 Deer, Red 91 Deer, Rein 88 Deer, Common 91 Deer, Black-tailed 94 PAOI Dog Family 34 Dog, Esquimaux 35 Dog, Prairie 70 Elk 82 Ermine 30 Fisher 29 Flying Squirrel 75 Fox, Arctic 38 Fox, Red 38 Fox, Gray 38 Fox, Black 38 Glossary of terms 109 Glutton 27 Goat, Rocky Mountain 95 Ground Hog 69 Hare, The Varying 78 Indian Hog 105 Insectivora 13 Jaguar 48 Jumping Mouse 68 Lemming 67 Limitation of Species 7 Lynx 50 (Quebec 70 Franklin's 70 Hood's 70 Parry's 70 Marsupialia 59 Marten 29 Meadow Mouse 66 Mink 30 Mole Shrew 13 112 INDEX. m< -I PAGE Mole, Star-nosed 15 Moose 86 Mouse 68 Morse 58 Musk-Ox 103 Musk-Rat 65 Musquash 65 Mustelidoe 27 Opossum 60 Otter 31 Pachydermata 105 Panther 48 Peccary 105 Phocoe 53 Polar Bear 22 Porcupine 76 Pouched Rat 68 Prairie Dog 70 Prairie Wolf 43 Puma 48 Rabbit 78 Raccoon 25 Rat-tribe 67 Rat, Common 67 Rat, Musk 65 Rat, Wood 67 Rat, Cotton 67 Reindeer 88 Red Deer 91 Rodentia 61 Rocky Mountain Goat 95 Rocky Mountain Sheep 96 Seals. FAGB Ruminantia 80 Sable ,. 29 Seals , 63 Common 56 Hooded 56 Harp 57 Ursine 57 Foetid 57 Great 57 Sheep, Rocky Mountain 96 Shrew Mole 13 Shrew Mouse 16 Skunk 27 Flying 75 Gray 73 Black 74 Squirrel, /Fox 74 Red 74 Striped 75 Ground 7£ Star-noaed Mole 15 Stag 82 Walrus 68 Wapiti 82 Weasel 30 Wildcat 51 Wolf, Common 40 Wolf, Prairie 43 Wolf, variety of. 45 Wolverine 27 Woodchuck 69 Woodrat 67 P i. FINIS, II FAGB 80 29 63 56 56 57 57 57 57 96 13 16 27 75 73 74 74 74 75 75 15 , 82 58 82 30 51 40 43 45 27 69 67 CHARLES A. CRAIG, ixiteiw Pyf? O*^ 75 ST. URBAIN STREET, 75 111 PS X - V B L. I S M IS r> 1 8 U> . /■v-'-.^ -j*^V' ■«''_"-»_■ v/ Orders from the Country imnctually attended to. A LAROE ASSORTMENT OF \mt §i&mim IMis mi Stiiw»Isi ON HAND. ARTIFICTAL EYES, GLASS CASES, &c. i0t»ttw mi %mh%ml §mkm, OPEN EVERY DAY. ISntrance, Upper St. Ijawrence Street, or TJpi>er St. Urbain Street, near the ISTunnery. A. HIS Establishment con- tains a delightful Promen- ade and Lawn, Gymnasium (one of the most complete.) TiKht Rope, Quoit Ground, Aerial Swing, DANCING HALL, and a variety of other amusements. TH£ unrsEUM Contains a very large Col- lection of Curiosities, &c. Tbe Heiaprie WILD ANIMALS, RARE BIRDS & FREAKS OF NATURE. Is one of the largest collections in America of LIVINCj ALSO, A GIGANTIC BUILDING, 200 feet by 60 feet, for Skating in winter, and Circus, Concert, Pic-Nic, Ball and Gymnasium, &o„ &c. in Summer. A large assortment of Fruit and Forest Trees, Ornamental Plants, Dahlias, Roses. I'oultry, Birds, Animals, &c., always on hand, for sale. J. E. GUILBAULT, iManager. I I' Ht. W. DALTON, 800KSSU1R, if ATI ASD NEWS DEALER, CORNER OF CRAIG & ST. LAWRENCE STREETS. FASHION BOOKS, NOVELS, POSTAGE STAMPS, BILL STAMPS, AXI) KVEHY TKIN'Q IN' THK PEBlDOieAL AiO Sf JITIONEif TRADE, FOR SALE BY W^. D^LTON, Corner Craig and Ht. Lawrexice Htreets, TO SPORTSMEN AND OTHERS. i :^ THE OLD ENGLISH PHYSIC FOR \mkts, $t\itxB, '^timkxB, h. ALTERATIVE CONDITION POWDERS, GARQLING OIL, Blister^ Ointinent, and hmi Balls, FOR HORSES, CATTLE & SHEEP. Recipes for HORSE MEDICINES carefully prepared. Orders from the Country attended to with despatch. 94 ST. LAWRENCE MAIN STREET, MONTREAL, (Established 1869.) HERS. fe> »ai» s, h. DERS, Balls, EEP. 1. Orders rREAL,