The sun., 1904-07-17
WISE ONES IN MAINE WOODS.
A HERMIT'S OBSERVATIONS ON
NATURES WONDERS.
The Willy WoOdpeckers That Torment
skunks Into Smelling Ants Out-Mathe-
matical and Honey Seeking Bears
--Blue Jays That Steal watches.

i
skunks Into Smelling Ants Out-Mathe-
nistical and Honey Seeking Bears
--Blue Jays That Steal Watches.
PATTON, Me-, July 12.-Greenleaf Davis,
the hermit of Mount Katahdin being now
IS years old and having killed l28 bears,
is preparing for publication an account Of
his long life in the woods, and will have it
] ready early in the fall. Those who have
| read his manuscript say that he has learned
many things concerning the habits of ami
mails and birds which will be new to natl-
| ralists.
The bear killing hermit asserts that the
woodpeckers employ skunks to drive the
ants from the hollow fir trees in which the
| insects burrow. As soon as a woodpecker
discovers skunk strolling in the woods by
day the bird calls loudly to its companions
for help. As soon as half dozen or more
birds assemble they begin to peck at the
skunk and make 1t angry, until it emits
its fetid fluid so copiously that the grove
Ia Allied with the pungent odor.
The smell Is so penetrating that it enters
the outside holes leading to the nests of
the ants, forcing them to come out for
fresh air, when the crafty woodpeckers
drop upon the insects and gorge them
selves.
In view Of the fact that the ants eat away
alternate layers Of the firwood until the
trees die and are blown over by the wind,
and frwood being valuable for making pulp
and paper. this new device of the woodpeck-
ers will be found very useful in preserving
the lives of the trees. Most of them are now
destroyed by the ants.
1T took me the greater part Of one sum-
mer," says Mr.. Davis, ato learn that bears
were experts in tracking honey bees to the
places where honey is stored. Bees are al
ways more busy In June than in any other
month, and as bears are thin and unfit to
eat at that time allow them to pass on
without trying to kill them: ! have often
seen bears nosing among fields Of clover
when the plants were In bloom, but paid
small heed to their conduct, thinking thew
were eating the red flowers for the sake
Of the honey they contained But this year
TsGsiyod 1sdS Ruap very powerful SdS spyssss from
eyesight 30 that was able to make a dis
covery which was new to me.
-The bears do not eat the clover heads.
On the contrary, they visit the fields for |
watching them hy away to their nests. /
have seen an old bear spend week in one
field getting line on the fight of bees
30 as to be able to concentrate the dif- |
ferent angles OF night upon the hollow tree
which held the honey. / cannot say how
the bears make their calculations. They
may use iogarithms and trigonometry
for aught that know. But am very sure
they are more expert in lining than a ma
jority OF the beehunters
'The reason why all the bees In the woods
are net killed by the bears is that Bruin
cannot chop down big trees. I have seen
bears climb pines and hemlocks which
held honey, and have watched them enaw
ut the bark and scratch at the knots for
half day at . time. They often get very
angry and will bite and scratch at random
In frenzy Of temper over their failure
TO secure the honey.
"Rotting stubs OF dead trees and old
trees with seams along their trunks are
to yield their contents to the
bears In a short time, but healthy trees
With hollovs that are entered through
mot holes are able TO resist all attacks. The