Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1902-03-02

there were many hunting excursions
into the interior and plenty of big
game was usually bagged.
While monkeys. which seem to be
more numerous than most any other
wild animal to he found on the islands.
are not to be considered in the lesiti-
mate class of same. yet one caii -c=Tcc-
ly resist The temptation TO try shot
at the leader of the great army of these
chattering creatures which is always
present in the picturesque jungles OF
Luzon. MlndanaO. Negroes. Panay and
the other islands. Coming down TO
small game, the tagua or guigas. a
kind of flying squirrel. seems to be in
every tree. and 4 rather odd webbed
foot furry animal it is. The natives
make pets OF this queer squirrel and
one can see hundreds displayed in cages
about Manila. Another little animal
which attracts ones attention in the
Philippine jungles is the masigen. Ii
is a natural enemy of rats and mice.
but has no value to the sportsman.
Vampires and great bats fit aimlessiy
past one in the stiffness of these troDi-
cal woodlands. and parrots and other
tropical birds in their brilliant plumage
are ever present wherever there is fol
iaee in the land of everlasting summer
While game was plentiful everywhere
: in the jungles in those days before the
Filipino insurrection opened there was
q time. after the fighting in the jungles
about Manila began. that almost all
animal life disappeared before the on
slaught of our forces. The heavy firing
4.
the wild things back into the noun
tains. but as the fighting subsidized they
gradually ventured back to their favor
! lite haunts along the rivers and streams
and today one can see plenty of game
within dozen miles Of the capital; but
as yet it is not safe to venture even
that distance in quest OF sport, for the
: insurgent bands and the brigands never
! lose an opportunity to waylay an
American who chances to be found out
side the military lines.
In the days before Deweys guns be
/ gan their fusilade against the insur-
gent positions about Manila bay, thou
sands of wild geese and wild ducks
could be seen daily. Along the Pasig
/ those fowls cOngregated in nyriads;
and about Laguna de Bal, the largest
| lake on Luzon. located some fifteen
miles up the Pasig from Manila. the
water at times was black with many
varieties of water fowl. The tipol,
species of crane. which stands five feet
high, probably the largest water fowl
to be found in the islands, was in evil
dence about the lake BY the hundreds
There We're great fiocks of wild geese
and swan. OF the wild duck family
there seemed 10 be every representative
present. There were canvasbacEs, NAL
lards, redheads and all the smaller
members Of the duck genus. There
were some varieties never seen about
our northern lakes. but none of the
specimens bagged by sportsmen in this
latitude seemed to be present. Before
the insurrection and when the first
troops reached the lake on the advance
to the campaigns in the jungle, many
of our soldiers enjoyed the sport of duck
shooting. \ month later the advance
of our army the great flocks of water
j foal had disappeared, nor did they re
turn until long afterward. when the
sound of battle had left the country
about the lake.
The sportsman who chances to try
his luck in the Philippines can find
plenty of good shooting at wild pigeons
and wild doves; and there are loriots.
woodcock and many Specimens of mag
pie a trip through a Philippine jun
gle. even in times of peace, is one never
to be forgotten. There is always some
thing new and interesting passing be-
fore the eyes. and While one is always
seeing some kind of animal, he is never
just certain whether the next step for
ward Will not bring to view I'M
mense anaconda. q ferocious boar.
great antler, or some other of the great
animal tribe of the islands.-FieId and
Stream.