The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-02
THE ELK'S SENTINEL.
Habits of the Whistling Mar
mot of the 0lympics.
THE WooDcHucK's BIG COUSIN
Industry OF the Sewelieis, Little Peo-
pie Who Dig Long Galleries
Under the Ground.


the same statement holds good today, for.
although = few parties have crossed the
range from east TO west, no one has yet
trayersed the entire distance from the Sko-
komiSh river 10 Cape Flattery, and even
the location Of the largest peaks-olympus
aud Constance-is 10 a great extent tn
decided.
AS a game region. the OlyTnpics have
gained a worldwide reputation. and a
goodly number OF dollars are annually spent
by hunting parties in attempts 10 penetrate
into the interior of the weIl-known Jupiter
hills. where the cow elk raises her calf in
security; the she bear guards her cubs
against the attacks OF the gaunt gray wolf.
and the doe with fawn fees 10 a higher
altitude for security when she hears the
warning cry of that guardian of the gorge,
the whistlng marmot (Arctomys caligatIis).
The whistling marrnot is the largest Of
American rodents. being equalsd in size
only by the beaver. The marnsots are thick
set animals, weighing. when full grown,
from forty TO sixty pounds, and measuring
overall from twenty-six 70 thirty inches.
with a short, bushy tai OF about eight
inches TN. length. The head is broad and
massive. and rests on the powerful should
ers with hardly an apology for a neck The
fore limbs are short, thick, iive-toed, and
armed with strong claws for digging. Like
all the other members of this family, they
are provided with powerful gnawlng teetn,
which can bite through a shoe-Iace or an
alpine staff, as the case requires In color
the animal is very variable. individuals
being found that are nearly black. while
some are gray. But the predom.nating
color IS tawny rufous, generally biotched
with black and gray. The pclage is COM
posed largely OF hair. and the fur is so short
and poor as to render the hide OF no COM
mercial value.
mi III
the Cascade range, but not so nunerousiy
as in the Olympics, where il tiwells IN large
colonies, sometimes numbering over l60 in
dIviduals.
AS the weary traveller tolls laboriously up
the mountain trail his progress is suddenly
arrested by the sound OF a long, clear whis-
tie. floating down the canyon. The sound
is SO human that unless he has heard ii be-
fore he instinctively answers il, thinking IL
TO be the call of comrade. The cry is re-
peated at short intervals. until the travel
er approaches too near the warren, when IL
suddenly stops. and all is as stu as the
grave. and nothing is 70 be seen TO indi-
cate the animals presence except the few
holes among the rocks. Il is this cry that
gives the animal its name, and so peculiar
is the call that once heard, il is never for
gotten, and several times when making
inquiries Of Indians as to whether the ami
NAL inhabited their locality the writer mas
had recourse 10 initiating il, when the In
dian would recognize the animal desired at
once.
These rodents choose their homes in the
grassy glades OF the higher ranges, COM
monty known as elk meadows. which are
located close to the line of perpetual snow.
Here they excavate deep burrows OF con-
siderable extent. in which they live, the
entrance in some cases being concealed by
a large boulder or other natural protection,
but oftener being plain TO be seem In the
selection OF their food they are strictly
vegetarian; their chief diet being grass and
stalks OF alpine plants. A popularity or
these animals is that they spend nearly
eight months of each year in their under
ground dwellings, and a considerable part
OF this time is passed in Information. IN
May the young, four or six in number, are
born in the burrows, and about the first or
June the parents appear active above
ground. even If the snow has not yet gone
off At first they turn their attention TO
a general housekeeping, and all the old
remnants OF grass and other food that has
been left over from the last winters supply
Is thrown out of the mouth OF the burrow.
Then comes a short period OF fun and froilct
during which time the young OF the preyl-
GUS year choose their partners, and build,
or. more literally, dig, their homes. Tor on
IL one family live together in burrow. By
this time the alpine heritage on which they
live is well grown, and these busy little
workers commence 10 gather large quantl-
ties for winter use, first carefully drying 1t
IN the sun, and then carrying II into their
burrows Toward the end. OF September
the marmots hole up for the winter, Wnich
commences about that time in the high
attitudes at which they dwell. The regions
in which the whistlers live are too high TO
be of use for agricultural purposes: there
fore il is safe TO say that they viii never
be looked upon as a farm pest. This, un-
fortunately, cannot be said or Their next
Of kin, the woodchuck tArctomys rnonax).
The woodchuck of the Olympic mount
aims is OF dirty slate color, and about one
half the size of the whistler. 1t inhabits
the same regions, but also descends and
makes Its home along the headwaters OF
the mountain streams. Its diet is the same
as that of the whistler, but IL prefers Tor its
dwelling place a grassy meadow, Where
rocks are not so plentiful, and II does not
live in colonies. The cry OF the woodehuck
resem bles a weak. poor imitation OF the
whistler but as the animal is shy and
lodges into it's hole on the approach OF
danger, instead OF warning its comrades,
as does its larger relative, il Is not so often
heard The cry of the whistltng marmot
IS a danger signal, but the ~oodchuck
cry is a call 10 It's mate. and Is only heard
when everything IS still and no danger ap-
pretended. In habits and lire history the
woodchuck resembles the whistler so close
" as 10 render II needless 10 describe IL
further, except in one respect. which is the
slight procIivity OF the woodchuck 10 climb
small trees. These are the only true mar
rnots found in the olympic range. bat the
next species is 80 nearly related 10 them
and so far removed from any other genus
as TO be best treated under the same head
The mountain boomer (Aplodon rufus).
10 E.ssfx sia
pretty evenly distributed throughout the
mountain ranges of oregon and Washing
ton. but its range is restricted to these two
states This wonderful little animal whose
industry SURPRISES that OF the beaver, was
first discovered BY Lewis and Clarke on
their expedition 70 the PACING IN 1874. but
Il attracted little attention until brought
more prominently 20 notice by l9r. e mart
Merriam In fsS5. and lis exact distribution
has vet 10 be defined This animal was
known 70 the ahorigines for ages back by
the name Of ''=hoH-I' or "seweilei." and by
them held in supsrstitious regard their oe-
lief being that by its constant excavations
and fncessant labor & had dug out the val
Ievs and built the mountains OF the UNI
verse: but commercial enterprise has taken
the Mace Of mythology. and the siwash Of
today recognizes but the fact that the hide
81 .h, sevyellel Is worth ''tenas dollar.
which is willingly paid b. Us new found
friend Holm Chinaman. TIE mountain
bsa,er 40 il "a most commonly called. ~
q heavv-sef. sturdy little fellow OF mar
rnot-like appearance, measuring over al
about twelve INCHES. Tire limbs are snort
powerful and five-toed. each toe being
armed with a strong claw. The eyes are
VERY small and deep set. and me place
where the tail ought 20 be - Indicated oy a
t,sft Of extra long hairs, bat the tail IS com
sr,5crlos,s 1yy its absence. giving the ANNA
a 5a,i4e,gfEy incomplete appearance lbs