The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-20

ly against the dark range of mountains
Higher and higher the spiral climbs, I'M
I'll finally il stands out against the blue
sky above the range. a mile above the sea
Then the sounds cease as the leader sud
denly turns and leads the way, the rest
falling into line. and moving in a long sin
uous course, flying at rate Of nearly a
mile minute. Soon they begin TO soar
and literally to slide down hill again. at
tanning great speed. Such slide will car
ry them probably from three TO four miles.
when they break up again to climb the
spiral stairway. In this way, virtually
climbing and sliding. the birds reach the
north along the Sierra Madres and coast
range.
What might be taken for the enormous
nests of birds in the sycamores are the
nests Of wood rats-among the most nte-
resting dwellers in the mountains. Then
nests often represent several bushes of
leaves and twigs, in the center OF which
will be found warm-llned apartment.
The wood rat Is a big-eared creature
which resembles an ordinary rat in other
ways. This little animal is often an an
noyanee to campers from its remarkable
habit OF stealing everything. II there is
a kleptOmaniac in the lower animal king
dom, the wood rat is certainly the guilty
party. A certain fishing club In Los An
geles county has a log cabin on the banks
Of little mountain stream, which IS in
more or less constant use during the sum
mer one night wakeful trout fisher
man saw in the dim light a procession OF
wood rats moving along a beam at the
top of the room. One had a toothbrush,
another dragged a shaving brush while
third bore a playing card, all finally
disappearing In a hole. There had been
some very mysterious disappearances In
the camp, and the Chinese cook had been
4. 4l.u
observation an excavation was made In
the wall, and between the boards a large
wood rats nest was found, IN which and
strewn about were not only all the MISS
ing articles but scores of objects filched
from previous camping parties. Playing
cards seemed to have been particularly
attractive while a corkscrew, a piece OF
bottle,a small note book q comb and many
more articles were discovered, telling the
interesting story of rats that stole simply
for the sake of stealing, as none of the
articles taken could be Of any possible
use to them.
Tho horned toad or lizard is at home
here, lying on the hot sand or earth, into
which 1t sinks as night comes on or 10
avoid an enemy. They exemplify the pc
culiar protective coloring that Is given
many animals. On light sand they are
light in color; but II their surroundings
conspicuous. SO perfect is their mimicry
that they are rarely seen until they move
beneath the feet of a horse or stroller
The wealth of wild flowers In early
spring makes insect life very profuse.
There are richly tinted butterflies, some
of large size, which. seem to affect the
tops of the feathery eucalyptus. Others
are found about the poppy fields and me-
sas, while almost every spring a remarka-
BILE procession OF butterflies Is seen pass
ing along the sierras from south to north.
One of these professions was three days
passing a given point and several miles
in width, and that it extended sixty miles
was asceTtained by the writer by CORE
spondence with various towns along the
route.
AT night the humming-bird moth rustles
among the hOneysuckles and passion vines
thrusting it's long beak-like sucking organ
into the flowers. Indeed, in this semi
tropic land there are number OF singu.
lar night animals. Chief among them is
the civet eat, a beautiful little creature
with large eyes and ringed tail resembline
raccoon, yet entirely different 1t enter:
cabins in the mountains at nights, ant
at this time displays the greatest activ-
ity. but rolls itself up during the day
and sleeps.
one might live for years in this region
and never see some of the little pouched
animals which come out O. nights and hoI
around like diminutive kangaroos. Theii
large, lustrous eyes tell the story Of their
crepuseular habits. The writer was walk
ing through the brush one evening when
he accidentally struck one with his foot
The little creature had large food pouches
on either side of the mouth, after the
fashion OF the gopher. which were filled
with small seeds. These animals. as well
as the hares, constitute the food of the
small fox, which hunts at night and does
its share i'm reducing the number Of pests
At this time the coyotes come down from
the hills and enter the outskirts OF the
towns. one upon raising his voice will
create the impression in the minds OF the
dogs Of the neighborhood that fifty coy,
otes have arrived, so remarkable are their
ventriloquistic powers. Some time ago
the sheepmen secured the passage OF a
law placing a bounty upon the heads OF
coyotes-a measure which threatened The
state with bankruptcy, as the pelts were
brought in from Mexico, Arizona and
other contiguous states In vaset numbers,
and ii Is said were presented several
times.
California offers an entertaining field for
those who are interested In the extinction
OF animals and the destruction of big
game. When the Spanlards first discov-
cred the count y, they found elk deer
and other game in the greatest quantity,
but an elk Is rarity in the state to-day,
II any can be found. Antelope, which
once roamed the valleys in vast herds
have almost entirely disappeared while
deer are to be had only in the heart of the
great ranges The bear-the grizzly and
his cousins-hfty years ago were so com.
mon that parties were organized TO rope
them with lariats, this being one of the
pastimes OF the country; but rarely is a
grizzly seen to-day, and doubtless he will
soon be numbered with the buffalo among
the species that have succumbed before
the advance Of man.