The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-15

cards seemed to have been particularly
attractive, while corkscrew, q piece Of
| a bottle, small note book, a comb. an d
many more articles were discovered, tell
| ing the interesting story of rats that stole
simply for the sake of stealing, as none
| of the articles taken could be of any posi-
| BILE use to them.
The horned toad or lizard is at home
here, lying on the hot sand or earth, into
which 1t sinks as night comes on or to
avoid an enemy. They exemplify the pc
culiar protective colOrjng that is given
many animals. On light sand they are
light in color; but if their surroundings
are dark they also change, becoming in
conspicuous. So perfect is their mimicry
that they are rarely seen until they move
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
mesas, while almost every spring re-
markable procession of butterflies IS seen
passing along the Sierras from south to
north. One Of these professions was three
days passing given point, and several
miles in width, and thatsit extended sixty
miles was ascertained by the writer by
correspondence with various towns along
| the route
At night the humming bird moth
rustles among the honeysuckles and pas
sion vines, thrusting it's long beak like
sucking organ into the flowers. Indeed,
in this semi-tropic land there are a num-
Der of singular night animals. Chief
among them is the civet cat, beautiful
little creature, with large eyes and ringed
tail, resembling raccoon, yet entirely
different. 1t enters cabins in the noun
| a n 10h ,44 l..
the greatest activity, 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
hop around like diminutive kangaroos.
Their large lustrons eyes tell the story OF
their crepuscular habits. The writer was
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 in reducing the number
of pests
At this time the coyotes came 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
cooytes have arrived, so remarkable are
their ventriloquistic powers. Some time
ago the sheepmen secured the passage OF
a law placing bounty upon the head of
coyotes-a measure which threatened the
state with bankruptcy, as the pelts were
brought in from Mexico, Arizona, and
other contiguous states in vast numbers,
and it is said were presented several
| times.
| California offers an entertaining field
for those who are interested in the ex-
| tinction of animals and the destruction
| of big game. When the Spaniards first
discovered the country, they found elk,
deer, and other game in the greatest guam.
tity, but an elk is rarity in the state
today, if 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 griz-
Fly and his cousins-ffty years ago were
SO common that parties were organized to
rope them with lariats, this being one of
the pastimes of the country; but rarely
is grizzly seen today, and doubtless he
will soon be numbered with the buffalo
among the species that have succu mbed
before the advance of man.