Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-05-20

crystalline rocks, forming the falls OF
the rivers, marks the point where the
up-country begins. The land rises
rapidly until at Caesars Head noun
tain it is some 5000 feet high. q
Range Of Birds and Animals.
These different regions were suited
to different forms of wild life. Some
forms are common through the entire
state, while others are restricted to
localities. The Eastern chipmunk, or
ground squirrel, common in the Pied
mont, is unknown in the mid country
or on the coast. The muskrat is found
nowhere below tidewater. The ruffed
grouse known in the mountains as
pheasant" is restricted to the noun
famous parts Of the state although
one was taken near Camden, in ker-
shaw county. an estray from the noun
tains. The fish crow, common on the
coast. is unknown:in the PiedmCnt al
though found occasionally in the mid
country on the rivers.
The catbird is one Of the commonest
birds in summer in the up-country,
but is all but unknown on the coast
FeXcept in winter. .,,,, -.
The same difference EXISTS with re-
gard to the fora. Many forms, well
known in one part of the state, are
wholly unknown in other localities.
The palmetto and the magnolia of the
coast and lower pine belt are eXotics
in the up country, as is the live oak.
The chestnut and chestnut oak COM
mon in the higher regions do not exist
on the coast. The dwarf chestnut or
chinquapin, however, grows IN proIus-
ion everywhere on the coast. Ihe
scaly- bark or shagbark of the up
country Is tree unknown on the coast,
whereas the cassine of the coast does
not exist at all in the up-country' SO
far as is known to me.
The animals, formerly found all over
the state, were the puma, Ior
"panther"), the black bear, the vlr-
rinia deer, the mink otter raccoon,
eray squirrel, opossum, bison or 'buf-
falo," elk or wapiti, beaver, wild cat or
bay lynx, skunk or polecat, and va
riois rats, mice, shrews, hares, or
rabbits" as they al popularity known.
The fox squirrel may have been found
throughout the state in carly days.. but
it long ago disappeared from large
areas: It is now found over. the entire
coast and in the great pine barrenS.
The flying squirrel is common to the
whole state. as are various leatherWlng
bats, which are mammals, bringing
forth the young alive and sucking
them as; mice do. ::
The gray fox is likewise common
throughout the state, but the red 1oX
is found only in the up-country. Ac7
cording to Logan the red fox came
over the mountains from Tennessee
and formerly did not. belong to the
states fauna.
Horny Head Large Down State. 9
It may interest small boys in the up:
country to learn that the horny-head
or stone roller. Of the up-country
branches and creeks becomes o large
fish, weighing several. pounds, IN low
country streams; but 1t does not gam
In favor with it's size. The large ones
are all but un- eatable, being SOIL atiu
without flavor to the flesh. -
The fauna or animal life Of the va
rious regions will be- treated in their
proper places, and their distinctions
brought out. Animal life, of all sorts,
Is more abundant on the coast, Just as
plant life is, for one Of the first lessons
we must learn in the study OF nature
Is that the law of life is one. Where
plants flourish best, there likewise Will
animals flourish best. although some
kinds may he absent, being adapted ny
nature to particular regions.
One form Of life may be modified by
what we call habitat. that Is, by the
conditions Of the region wherein IT
lives. The pond rabbit of the low,
country would hardly find the arid
Piedmont to it's liking. It's food and
safety both depend on the ponds with
their thick cover around the margin,
where this animal which lacks high
speed, can escape by lodging and douo-
ling. Again the ruffed grouse, whose
food consists Of buds from particular
trees during the spring, would rare III
in a region where such trees did not
exist.
No Large Animals in Up-eountry.
The larger animals Of the up-country
have either become extinct or nave
sought refuge in the swamp region or
along the coast where food and cover
are more abundant. This accounts tor
the black bear, the deer and the wild
cat being found. only in the eastern
part of the state. The raccoon, the
opossum and the gray squirrel still
exist in the up-country, although IN
greatly reduced numbers.
Copyright 1921 by Jas. D. Grist.)