The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-10-02
oddities of Animal Life in the
Rocky Mountains.

A Montana correspondent of Chambers
journal sends the following interesting
description of animal life in the Rocky
Mountains: -
The exipencies of climate naturally form
+be habits of animals, birds and fishes,
when in purely wild condition; but how
can one explain the curious fact of the
oopher or ground squirrel "holing-up, as
the miners call it, on or about the 10th OF
August each year? The weather at that
time is usually warm and pleasant, and
generally continues so into October, yet
Mr. Gopher about the LIST of August may
be seen skipping along with small tuft Of
GRASS in his mouth, which, as he disap-
0ears down his hole with twinkle OF
his tail. he carries with him for his winters
bed. These curious little fellows may be
seen by hundreds on, say, the 18th OF
August; on the 21st, but few can be seen;
and by the 25th you may ride miles and
not see one. Is this what some people call
"inherited instinct ?"
The gophers are sharp in their genera
ton, easily tanned to come from their holes
at signal; and standing motionless and
erect on their hind feet, they await the lit
tie delicaey you are expected to give them.
| know one fat fellow, by the men christ
ened Dick" who on being tanned, at once
drove all the others to respectful distance,
while he remained in the cabin, erect and
keen eyed, waiting for his supper. Dick
found that the men sometimes closed the
cabin door when at meals, thus keeping
him out. Next day, though the door was
shut, Dick appeared as usual. Examina
ton showed that he had dug hole from
the outside under the floor, coming up ex-
actly where two boards had failed to meet
in one corner, thus finding the only posi-
BILE opening by which he could get through
the floor How was this planned? The
gopher appears to freeze perfectly solid in
our severe winters Miners drifting
through gravel in winter have several
times, to my knowledge, dug them out
curled like a ball, but solid and cold as
though dead 1t is impossible to open
them out when in this condition; they are
like block of wood But place one near
a hot log fire and soon he will straighten
himself; and first one hind leg and then the
other will kick little, and Mr.. g. sits up
and looks around with bewildered air.
Our fish act in similar manner in
winter. In fishing through the ice-some-
times the latter four feet thick-the temp
erature is usually low, say from twenty to
forty-fve degrees below zero-the fish,
whether trout, grayling, or whitefsh, when
released from the hook and thrown on the
ice, almost Immediately stiffen and cease
jumping about Many of thea stiffen or
freeze in a curved form, as though striker
with the intense cold as they struggled on
the ice. Take these same fish home to a
warm kitchen and they will, when thawed,
kick and flop about as though newly caught.
l have seen this occur five hours after being
out of water and have been told they will
live for twenty -four hours, if kept frozen
for that time.
Our bears-the grizzly, cinnamon, and
black-go into winter quarters when it
suits them They are influenced wholly by
season, it would SEEM Sometimes, if one
or two bright warm days follow each other
in winter, Bruin will come out for short
promenade; but he quickly returns home
ward ON the least change of temperature.
The she bear is supposed here to bring
forth her cubs when in winter quarters
No matter how early you may see the fe-
male bear in spring, she always has her
cubs with her.
will mention fact, that has, [ under
stand, been disputed by some professors in
the East, and that is the presence of wood
ticks in the swallows nest here. | refer
to the eave-building swallow. l have seen
nests which fairly swarmed inside with these
abominable crawlers. This fact is so we'll
known here, that miners, cowboys, ETC., will
knock down the partly built nests and thus
discourage the birds from building at that
particular spot, because letting the nests
remain means having your cabin infested
after a time with these very efficient sub
stitutes for bed-bugs.
Whether these ticks are parasites
brought from the South or not, do not
know, but l do know that the nests here
have them.
The snow shoe rabbit is a curious little
fellow; the loose skin of the feet is enlarg-
ed so as to expand on pressure, and Bunny
can skim along deep soft snow where no
living animal can follow him. The noun
tain goat has a similar protection given it
by nature the thick wiry hair on its legs
above the hoofs spreads outward when
walking over snow, and enables this un.
social party to wander at sweet will over
deep and deadly drifts unmolested by his
enemies. The spreading wiry hair prevents
him from sinking over few inches In the
snow. He never descends to the low
country, unless in unusually severe
weather In summer he ranges on the
SUBMITS of almost the highest hills, close
up to the perpetual snow line, feeding on
the lichens, MOSES and stunted grasses he
finds there. In winter, reluctantly descend
ing part way down the hillsides, only SO
far as he is compelled, he wanders over the
storm cleared rocks, nibbling here and
there, and picking up his living in a way
marvellous to behold. Silent, wary, keen
eyed and cared, with wonderful scent fol
danger, he views with supreme contempt
the lower world beneath him. One forgets
almost to breathe, watching herd of these
fellows when alarmed. Rocks, boulders
chasms, cliffs, are as level ground to them
Raadly hopping, skipping, and jumping
sideway, frontway, any way, on they so
like a drifting cloud, and in a moment
almost, have vanished.
The heads of the bank notes of different