Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-04-17
THE SCARCITY
OF ANTLERS
MICE DEvOUR THE HORNS AND
MAKE SHORT WORK
OF 1T.


as, kneeling, | frightened up the last
strap of my snowshoes. pulled up my
nittens and started for tramp
through the woods, writes Ernest Har-
old Baynes in the Boston Herald. At
each breath drawn through the nostrils
the sharp air bit like ammonia fumes.
Absolutely pure, TOO, it was. for the
ground was hidden under two feet of
spctless, unbroken snow. The sun had
just risen, there wan no wind, and the
snow was firm, but not glassy-the
snow shoeing was perfect.
AS l entered the woodland, some
tlling moved in the underground;
heard it for the movement was close
to me, but | could not see living
thing. Quietly, | stood there, watching
and presently saw a bright, dark eye,
something larger than shoe button,
watching ME closely from beneath the
lower branches of white pine.
At first | could not see the owner
of that eye but by and by l made out
a wObbly nose and some dark lines
which proved to be the outlines of a
pair of ears. Then | saw it was a
snowshoe hare in mis- white winter
coat, which rendered him practically
invisible on winter day like this.
moved quietly toward him, and then
he jumped and went away in series
of wonderful leaps, and was soon lost
among the trees
But the shallow trail remained,
sharply outlined on the hard surface
OF the snow. The mark of each of his
four feet was distinct and separate,
and together they formed perfect let
ter ~" The imprints of the two small
forefeet, one directly in front of the
other, made the stem of the letter, and
something in advance of these, the
much larger marks left by the hind
feet, the toes pointing outward, made
the branches of the "Y."
Not caring to follow the trail of the
hare, kept on my way and before
long l came to level space quite
clear of tres and somewhat higher than
the ground about it. When l was quite
near it, a small, dark, mouse like crea-
ture hurried acros the open space, and
was followed Immediately by another.
Evidently they were shrews, and they
disappeared at once. I was naturally
curious to see what they had been do
ing and where they had gone to.
Footprints Invisible.
The first thing to do of course was
to find their footprints; but, alas!
tits first thing was just what could mt
do. The snow was SO firm that the del
icate feet Of the tiny creatures had
made no impression which was Wis
ible to my eyes, whatever micro
scope might have revealed. To see
the trail of shrew to the best advan-
tage, the conditions must be just so.
The snow should be firm, with just a
sprinkling of powder flakes on the
surface then the delicate tracery
wrought by the feet of these very
small quadrupeds will delight the eye
of the student who searches for it.
The trails of white footed mice were
visible everywhere | went, but even
these were much less conspicuous
thai they would have been in softer
snow.
4 few minutes later | crossed anoth
Ell trail of quite different character
L. consisted of two parallel lines OF
holes. Each hole was dumbbell shaped
q man might make such a hole by
plmging his clenched fist into the
snow twice, making two round impress.
sons, one directly in front of the
other, and then connecting these by
drawing a walking stick through the
snow between.
Trail Of a Deer.
Plainly enough, this trail had been
made by deer. Each fOrefOOt haC
! ltidut wv AOiCS~OuC WACiC IL "CA'
into the snow, and the other where il
came out; between was line made by
tho slender leg as it moved forward
before it was withdrawn. The hint
feet. of course, had followed in prac
tically the same tracks. An elk maker
similar trail, but much larger. AS
was going nowhere in particular,
decided to follow the trail of the deer
ard | walked cautiously in order no
to spoil my chances of seeing any will,
creature which might be abroad.
For long time saw nothing. The
red squirred which had attracte
NY attention for several minutes b.
his chattering. suddenly appeared o.
top of a snow covered rock, surround
ed by the empty shells of nuts he ha
eaten. He was juse beginning anothe
wen he caught sight of me. With a
appearance of terror and dismay whic
: an sure he was far from feeling, h
} dropped the nut and clasped his breas
witn his paws.
: Little seatterbrains.
If | had not known him SO well
night have thought he had been SUI
: denly stricken with heart failure. BIZ