Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-28
SEEN BY MOONLIGHT
INTERESTING ANIMALS IN
GREEN MOUNTAIN FOREST.
Deer Grazing on the Hillside, Porcu-
pine Feeding and Wild Bears
Roofing for Food.


Written for The Star.
For many of the four-footed dwellers Of
the forest the real business hours are those
between the sunset and the dawn, and If
one would get more than superficial
knowledge of their lives he must study
them at night as well as in the daytime.
Bright moonlight nights are best, l think,
for moonlight has few terrors for nocturnal
creatures, yet it enables a student to see
something of his subjects Never do the
woods look more beautiful than when par
TALLY lighted by the soft rays of the moon,
fltering through the branches. But it is a
strange beauty. full of mystery, which the
returning daylight never solves.
Last evening, as The sun was setting be-
hind the Green mountains of Vermont, L
gocketed my field glass and started out for
a night in the Blue Mountain forest AT
first the sounds which came to me We're
those from the surrounding farms-the low
ing of cattle. the bleating of sheep from
distant hillside, and the neighing of a horse
impatient for his feed But as l drew away
toward the mountains these sounds grad
ually gave way TO wilder oncs-the hooting
of a barred owl, the whistle of an elk and
the calling of a COW moose from a distant
marsh. Many birds were Seeking their
quarters for the night fluttering and chirp-
ing about the branches of the hemlocks and
spruceS. Others, southwark bound, wing
ed their way far overhead, twittering cheer
fully as they went.
1t was growing dusk by the time I reach
ed trout brook at the bottom of little
valley and took my seat on a twisted root
by the side of the water. The sky above
the hills to the west was still bright with
reddish tnge, and lighted the woods to
the eastward; those to the west We're, of
course in shadow and already dark save
in the immediate foreground.
A Virginia Deer.
For about ten minutes 1 had been watch
ing the red sky fade. when I was aware of
a slight sound behind me Very carefully
turned my head, but at first could not
see living thing. Then, against the brown
hillside, between two groups of evergreens.
small white object moved quickly to the
right and left, and I knew that Il was the
white border on the tail of a Virginia deer
The color of the animal so closely resembed
that of the grass and weeds that 1t was
barely possible to follow it's outline. 1t
was a doe, and she stood facing me. her
ears sticking straight out on each side of
her head to catch the faintest sound which
might come from my direction. But / made
no sound, and she stood there for more
than a minute, evidently puzzled and as
still as any statue could possibly have
been.
Then I carefully drew out my pocket
handkerchief, suddenly waved it back and
forth and thrust II under my coat. Instantly
the deer switched her tail, craned her neck
and took two strides in my direction. Then
she stopped again, steady as before waved
my handkerchief again, and again she
switched her tail and moved toward me-
did ii third time, but she would come no
further. She was becoming suspicious, and
showed 1t by stamping the earth smartly
with her fore foot. Then she gave an ex-
plosive snort, wheeled and sprang back up
the hill, the only part of her body then Wis
IDLE being the white. under side of her tail,
which rose and fell as she cleared the obsta-
Gle in her path. Soon she stopped but only
for a moment, and then, with another Wig
orous snort, she dashed away again, as
| could tell by the sound of her hoof-
beats on the fallen leaves Then l arose
and wandered along into the forest
Porcupine Scrambles Across the Path.
Now it was almost pitch dark, for the
moon had not yet risen, but l started over
the mountain on a trail which / knew al
most by touch. For some time ! could hear
nothing but the sound of my own footsteps,
and then something hurriedly crossed my
path and scrambled away among the leaves
A faint but peculiar odor told me that
the creature was a porcupine, and a mo-
ment later there came the sound of his
claws on the bark of a tree. ! left the trail
for minute to get look at him, and
there on the branch of maple he crouched
his tail hanging down. and the quilts of his
back erected and in silhouette against the
sky. l felt about until found long stick
and, raising the end of 1t, 1 touch his spiny
coat / was glad MY hand was out of the
way, when, with a vicious switch, he struck
the stick with his tail, and the next instant
there came pattering on the leaves as a
number of loose quilts, shaken out by the
effort, fell to the ground at my feet Then
came the sound of his chattering teeth.
and feeling sorry for the old "porky'' 1
moved along and left him In peace
By and by the moon arose. and It was
easy to see the way. The trail led through
a wide open tract, covered with the dry
n RI nrla TING 1,Ia
moonlight looked like snow. Just as
reached this place deep grunt made me
pause. and looking cautiously l saw the
fowerheads waving, as some creature pass
ed among them.
Herd Of Wild Bears.
BY the grunt knew that 1t was a Wild
boar. and presently his back appeared above
the tops of the flowers. He was busy root
Ing up the ground with his snout, and very
soon 1t was evident that he was not alone.
for several other backs appeared in different