Wichita eagle., 1889-04-28
Curious Things That He Has Seen and
done or That He Says He Has-Hab-
its of the Skunk, tho Rabbit, the
Coon, tho Squirrel and the Owl.

]
be miles away from any stream, at that I
know the mink will do this, for have shot
scores of them as they crouched beneath a
bush or a high tuft of weeds where some
rabbit had bis coy form. The skunk will
do the same thing, and so will the weasel.
When say these animals viii take posses
sion of rabbits nest to catch him when he
comes home am not stating fact exactly.
[ either. We have no rabbits in this country.
What are known everywhere on this CONT
nent as rabbits are hares. Rabbits live N
burrows that they dig themselves. Our
miscalled rabbit does not, but passes his
life on the surfacein brush piles, stone piles
and other hiding places. Our rabbit Is q
true hare, and one of the best Of the family.
II wonder If any veterinary surgeon ever
knew that the inner skin Of mink dried
and ground into powder is the best thing in
the world for founder In horsesa Inever
heard of one who did.
"a skunk is by general acceptance in this
country believed to be Identical with the
pole-cat, and is known as the pole-cat ex-
clusively in some regions. Yet the fact Is
that the skunk Is no more pole-cat than
bear is fox. There Is no such thing in the
United States as pole-cat, which is true
weasel, common only in England. The oil
that can be dried from skunk's fat is an in
comparable remedy for Group. sore throat,
asthma and kindred diseases. This is known
well in the Juniata valley, and l have sold
in my time the oil of 5000 skunks at the
rate of 81 an ounce. 1t is the most penetrat-
ing ointment ever knew.
II have learned by observation that owls
never build nests. They lay two big eggs
and will deposit them in squirrels nests,
hawks nests, or any similar receptacle.
They never make nests of their own. /
found a curious nest once on Pisgah hill.
There were ten eggs in it Of different sizes,
some of them very large. took them home
and set them under hen. They all Matched
out but two, but at different times. The re-
suit was screech owl, four pheasants, two
wild turkeys, and wood duck, and l raised
them all. 1 found out afterward that what
had supposed was nest was not a nest at
all, but a place where an egg collector
named Zebedec Giles had deposited some of
his spells one day while he went in search
for more.
Bears grease has from time out of
mind been considered the best Of all bases
for hair oil. That may be, if only a dressing
is wanted. Bears grease has no medicinal
properties. On the contrary, coons oil not
y x,
the person who uses it will never be
troubled with dandruff or badness. 1t may
be known, but doubt it, that coon, no
matter how near starvation he may be, will
not eat the choicest morsel if he can't get
to water to wash it first The coon bears
its young only every two years, and the
mother coon keeps one family of young
about her up to the very day that she
brings forth another. When female coon
is with young she leaves no scent that dog
can follow.
wherever there are many red squirrels,
gray and black squarrels will be extremely
scarce. The little red squirrel is the i'm
placable enemy Of both the other kind, and
he has way of mutilating them so that re-
production Of their species is impossible
There are no black squirrels IN the Blue
Mountains, but there Is specie half-black
and half-gray that l never heard of any
where else. I once shot curiosity in the
way of squirrel. half Of It was bright
red and the other half as white as snow. 1t
had black eyes.
Two or three years ago the clearings
along the Blue Mountains were terrorized
by some unknown animal 1t was never
seen, but its cries were the most frightful
that could be imagined. had never heard
any thing like it, and / used all my skill
for months to trap or kill il, but without
success. One night while / was coon-hunt-
ing the unknown animals awful cry rose
from a clump Of bushes only a few feet
from where / was standing. / could see
nothing, but fired both barrels into the
bushes. There was thrashing about in
the bushes for few seconds and then all
was quiet. / went 70 the spot and found
the animal dead. 1t was about the size Of
an ordinary dog. / carried it home and
found that it was nothing but common
red fox. It had been shot or hurt IN some
way in the throat, and its vocal chords had
been injured so that when the poor beast
attempted to bark the fearful cries that
had made it such terror came forth in
stead.
"The woodpecker can climb up the trunk
Of tree like q fash, but he can't climb
down the trunk 70 save his life. The little
sap-sucker Of the same family can do both.
The hingfsher dives under the water and
catches his fish in his mouth The crane
stands in the water and fishes. aud spears
his prey with his long, sharp bill. as you
would spear an eel with your gig. BE rises
with the fish impaled on his bin and flies
away home shot six-foot crane once, On
the wing, that had three pound trout In
paled in that way"
Fine Memory.
Busy man 10 Uncle 'Rastus) -'RastUs,
you mustn't bother me at my Office Come
10 my house at an early hour this evening.
and I'll see what can find for you
Uncle 'Rastus-All right, Mr.. Smith III
be dar suah; l never fergits appintueas
Epoch
In Hard Luck.
Giies-nid De links pay you the Y he
borrowedi
Merrist-Ee offered TO match ne TO see
whether it would be double or quits Won
Gnes-You're in luck
Merritt cant see il He DOW owes ne
q teurers