Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-30
DEATH VALLEY FRUITS
What the Government Expedition
Has Thus Far Accomplished.
SOME PECULIAR ANIMALS,
More Than 1000 Specimens Already Received
by the Department Of Agricultural Re-
gion Where Animals Only Go Abroad 1t
Notwithstanding Reptiles.

found that large consignments Of dead crea-
lures illustrating what it has thus far accom-
plished in the study Of the life of that amazing
region have reached the department. The COL
lections thus far received here include 2.36s
mammals. besiues numerous birds, reptiles,
insects and other specimens. 1t 10 desired by
the scientific authorities in charge to find out
Just what animal and vegetable life is able to
preserve existence under conditions 80 ex-
traordinarily unfavorable as are found in this
desert OF horror, the like Of which ID not found
anywhere else in the world.
CACTUS THE ONLY PLANT.
OF plants there is scarce anything to be dis
covered besides cacti, which only represent
sort Of vegetable half-life, and clumps of
chapparal that are gray instead of green. One
sort OF cactus that grows to be five or six feet
In height, with extended branches 10 called the
Dead Man" because each stalk in the night
looks like corpse by the wayside. In rare
singular feshy bush without leaves and with
thick green stems. Such vegetation as there
Is Is rank and spiny, its gray or dull olive hues
harmonizing weirdly with the parched and
barren aspects Of the great alkali crust, ex-
tending north and south between two precip-
ltous walls OF mountains, the Amargosa and
Panamint ranges. Those who have visited it
say that 1t is beyond human powers of descrip-
ton to picture the wholly unnatural scene to
be beheld there-the vast stretches Of white
plain variegated with black lava, the alluring
mirages, the strange appearance of the tower
ing hills outlined like the backbones of mon
strous beasts against the yellow sky, the total
absence OF trees, the dearth of animal life and
the intense heat from which there is no escape.
Here and there, too. are pebble beds miles in
extent, made up Of agate, moss-a agate, chalce-
dony, jasper and obsidian.
MIGHT PROVIDERS.
This astonishing desert, however, ID BY no
means SO devoid of life as its aspect BY day.
light would lead the observer to- imagine. Az
soon as night falls it is all aswarm with
creatures of various Sorts Countless lizards
come out Of their burrows to look for insect
prey, snakes wriggle across the alkali crust,
horned toads creep about and scorpions and
tarantulas OF enormous size sharpen their claws
Tor combat. Rats. mice and SQUIRRELS trot
about In active pursuit of game, and wildcats
and coyotes forsake their lairs on the mountain
SIDES and roam over the plain in pursuit of all
sorts OF smaller mammals. 1t is nocturnal
population, simply because the heat is SO great
as TO forbid going out in the daytime.
SECURING SPECIMEN
The Death Valley expedition has not at
tempted to encamp upon the desert itself for
the sake OF securing specimens. 1t has been
Obliged to content itself with pitching tents
making brief expeditions across the torrid
plain, setting traps and returning a. quickly
as possible. By this method the traps could be
emptied and set again without much loss of
time. Time is of consequence in Death Valley.
where man requires two gallons of water
daily to keep him from dying of thirst. and
even thus is sufferer. Little traps of very
simple and most admirable pattern
are employed for catching the small
mammals. Two or three dozen Of them
ia IN, tI,-
OF ones coat and the game coveted can enter
from any side. Each one is hardly more than
q wire spring. ingeniously contrived so that
the quadrupal victim il not obliged to enter a
hole sees no danger and does not dream of
peril until he is caught. Corn meal is EMPLOYED
for bait and is found most successful For tbe
large mammals the gun mus: be brought into
requisition, while the reptiles, usually slow of
movement, are readily gathered in. OF the
D.r6s mere are very few in the neighborhood
OF Death Valley, though the raven, that funereal
fowl, is very plentiful in the woods that skirt
its edge, crying with mournful notes for the
many travellers whose dried corpses are scat
tered over the burning level
AFTER THEY ARE CAUGHT
As quickly as possible after they are caught
the animals trapped and shot are skinned bv
the explorers, all Of whom are skilled taxider.
mists. No great pains are taken with the stuff
Ing. lump OF raw cotton supplies the place
N lra
thrust through its length. Arsenic is snrinkled
all over the inside for preservative purposes.
and the specimen is stretched with four nins
on board to dry. As soon as thew have
thus been made ready, the preserved creatures
are forwarded to the Department of AoricnJ.
ture at Washington. Supply wagons travel
constantly between the expedition and the
nearest outposts of civilization to get proyis.
ions and convey mails. great many individ-
uals OF each species found have to be killed and
fnr run dad haaa ,,,l;
differ, and it is necessary to determine where
these individual differences end and new sne-
cies begin. For example, one kind of rat NAV
have ears OF various sizes and different lengths.
but it Is requisite to find out the line of occupa,
ton which separates this animal from another
species.
WHAT HAS BEEN RECEIVED.
Thus far the aDimals sent in to the depart-
ment are merely such as have been found in
Death Valley, because the expedition has been
availing itself of the cool weather in that re-
gion. Now it has retreated to the mountain
slopes and it will not be possible to conduct
any further investigations on the torrid plain
until late next autumn. Nearly all Of the
creatures found in the valley are nocturnal in
their habits, because they are not able to VEN
ture out in the day time on account of the great
heat Among them are three species of ground
squirrels. which live in burrows and feed at
night upon roots. leaves and seedu of plants.
One OF them Often Climbs the stalks for the
purpose of getting at the seeds. At other times
it stands on its hind feet, clasps the stems with
its fore paws and bites off the seed pods. dis
tending its cheek pouches enormously with the
food. One fellow shot by DR.. Merriam. chief
Of the expedition, had thirty-nine uubroken
seed pods in his pouches.
THE KANGAROO RAT
Another most interesting animal that inhab-
its Death Valley is the kangaroo rat" which
makes its way about by jumping. 1t has long
and powerful hind legs and surprisingly long
tail Its coloring varies from light gray to
dark brown, according to whether it freuuents
the alkali or the lava nature intending to pro-
tect it from capture by the likeness Of its hue
to its surroundings. The kangaroo rat lives in
burrows, as does likewise smaller kind that a
commonly called the kangaroo mousse" but
neither is in any true sense q mouse or q rat.
They belong to families quite different.
Nevertheless there are plenty of real rats in
Death Valley, as the expedition has found One
kind that lives in the chapparal, with bare tails
and exquisite sof. fur, is the staple food of the
Digger Indians who dwell in the mountains
thereabouts. The latter catch the beasts with
dogs, frightening them out Of their nests, which
are made like those of squirrels, of great size,
in the bushes or punches Of cactus.
With respect to the kangaroo rats. one extra
ordinary point should be mentioned. relating
to q certain development of their skulls, which
bulge out at the sides in a surprising way In
fact, no such big bulges as these, which con-
tain the hearing apparatus, are to be found in