The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-03-08


! tain sides about 5000 feet. Hunters
must go upon hands and knees to fol
low these trails. The aborigines never
hunt this little beast, being deathly
afraid of it.
The midget Philippine squirrel is
another odd creature. 1t is about the
size Of mouse, has legs longer in
proportion than those Of the ordinary
squirrel, larger eyes and rounded ears.
A large brown rat, gray underneath
and with squirrel-like head and eyes,
but black, cord-like tail, is of still
greater interest from an evolutionary
point Of view. It is discovered to be
the last link long needed to complete
the chain Of relationship between the
true rat and the water rats. A wild
pig, dignifed by the name "sus cele-
bensis Philippinensis, is found
throughout the whole Philippine
group. It is exceedingly exclusive
during the day, when it hides in the
forests, but sallies gayly forth during
the night into the native maize aud
rice fields, where it does much dam
ooa THE natives call this badly be-
loved pig 'sbabui. =
The Philippines will also contribute
a giant fruit-eating bat. All Ameri-
can bats, of course, subsist entirely
upon insects, and are provided with
sharp teeth with which to nip them.
The fruit-eating bat Of these islands
is larger than rat, has q long head
and blunt teeth. It makes nightly in
roads upon the banana plantations
and other fruit preserves. During the
day it sleeps hanging head downward
from tree.
THE MOUSE DEER.
In Bataan, of the Philippine group,
is found cheyretain, or mouse deer, :
tiny little pigmy as cunning as a
fox, and which when shared feigns
death until freed, when it leaps up
like lightning fash and takes to the
forest, leaving the inexperienced trap
per in great surprise. The Philip
pines also contain civets, wildcats,
porcupines, lizards, snakes and alliga-
tors. The ;'chacon, one variety Of
alligator, is priced by the natives as
afording immunity against death by
earthquake shock.
Prof. Dean c. Worcester, lately ap-
pointed a member Of the Philippine
commission, has submitted to the
Smithsonian an extensive report upon
the ornithology Of these islands,
where he recently counted no less
than 256 different species Of birds.
Notable among these are some beauti-
ful little parakeets, cockatoos, mound
builders, hornbills and jungle-fowls.
The last named are the principal game
birds Of the group. The natives same
the hornbills and keep them as pets.
The only important food fishes of the
fresh waters of the Philippines are
species Of cat6shes and carps.
FAUNA OF HAWAII AND CUBA.
Dr.. Theodore n. Gill, the noted
biologist, to whom the writer is in
debted for the greater part OF this IN
formation, finds that the only animals
peculiar to Hawaii are unimportant.
there being one bat and a few birds
among them. The freak Of the group
is naked fightless rail. The feathers
from another bird were exclusively
used in the manufacture Of the famous
Hawaiian war cloaks. There are in
Hawaii no native fresh water fishes,
although several saltwater species
have adapted themselves to the in
terror lakes and streams. Isolation
has been blessing to these islands in
that it has prevented the immigration
Of any reptiles.
Cuba offers to the new collection an
odd creature, known as the 'almiqul.
It is one of the rarest of American
mammals and is peculiar to Cuba
alone. tits the largest inscctivorous
animal Of the New World. The length
Of its body is nearly a foot, of its tail
about seven and one-half inches. In
general appearance Mr.. Almiqui
strongly resembles Br'er 'Possum,
though he belongs to an entirely dif-
ferent order Of mammals. He lives
in underground caves, and, like the
interesting "magou, does his bug
hunting at night. Cuba also offers
three native species Of "capromys, y
distantly related to the guinea-pigs.
In Cuba are found native crocodiles,
and a kind of iguana, which, DR.. Gill
saws. is priced as food by all who can