Deer's Horns Gnawed by Porcupines.

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singular methods adopted by this little creature to escape observation, one in particular is the habit of forming itself into a loose ball, which, unless by the practised eye of the trapper, cannot be distinguished from a stone or clod of earth or stump. But this plan of sitting motionless on the approach of danger is also common to squirrels and many birds, also to certain partridges and pheasants, and the porcupine, which, however, is well protected. There is a vulgar opinion, both among settlers and Indians, that the latter has the faculty of shooting its spines like so many arrows, from the circumstance, unknown to them, that when the animal is bearded it defends itself by means of its tail, which is whisked across the dog's face with great dexterity and force, leaving the spines sticking; or as often happens, the adversary, unconscious of danger, rushes madly on the porcupine; indeed dogs are sometimes destroyed in this way. The porcupine delights in deserted lumber camps, where it gnaws old sugar barrels. It is also partial to the bark of the maple on the same account; indeed the bark of trees is its favourite food, and many saplings are entirely destroyed by the creature. Although generally distributed over the region, it is most plentiful in rocky situations, and lives in societies, its presence being usually indicated by heaps of spoor on the rock ledges.* The cast and weathered antlers of deer being usually found with the tips gnawed, are supposed to have been mutilated by their owners; but after 'examining several specimens of moose horns so bitten, I could clearly define traces of the incisors of porcupines, who, doubtless, eat them from choice, considering the number usually found in this condition.

Of the smaller insectivora and rodents, both the little

* The spoor of the porcupine (i.e., the pellets) is very much larger than might be supposed from the size of the creature, consequently the inexperienced hunter is apt to mistake its droppings for those of deer, as occurred to me on a certain occasion, when I spent an hour in carefully tracking a porcupine, under the belief that I was on the trail of a Virginian deer.

H

SHREWS, named after Richardson and Cooper, are plentiful in the wilderness districts.

On comparing them carefully with descriptions, it seems that both S. Richardsonii and S. Fosteri of Richardson are so closely allied that I could not perceive any distinction, further than the density of the fur, which after all is most probably an effect of climate. But these shrews are also common in backwood settlements, where they take the place of the European Mouse, which has not yet found its way into the wilderness. The two MOLES, including the Mole Shrew (B.talpoides) and Star-Nose, are plentiful; the only Bats being the common New York and Hoary Bats. The last (V. pruniosus) is the most plentiful. The long period they are forced to continue in states of hibernation, extending sometimes to nearly seven months, is suggestive in many respects. One captured in May, soon after its appearance, showed how easily the nervous system is influenced by cold. I directed the contents of Richardson's ether spray producer on the skull and spinal column, when the bat closed its eyes instantaneously, and seemed to all appearance dead, remaining in this condition for several minutes, when the effects wore off, and it gradually returned to life; but doubtless there is a disposition in the brain and nervous system of all animals that hibernate to be more easily affected by cold than others.

The COMMON RED SQUIRREL (S. Hudsonii) is probably more plentiful now than formerly, for, like the hare, it has fewer enemies since the smaller carnivora have been extirpated. It is also, however, getting familiar, and increasing in numbers about dwellings; thus displaying a marked change in its habits, inasmuch as its favourite haunts are in the deepest solitudes of the forest.

The generality of the members of this genus seem disposed, more or less, to take on dark shades of colouring, as is the case with the foxes, and occasional instances of melanism are not unfrequent. For instance, on the reliable authority of Mr.

Black Varieties of Squirrels.

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Boardman, I learn that there is a district on the south coast of the province where all the squirrels belonging to this species are black, and trappers have told me that black varieties of the grey squirrel are not rare. The latter, however, is not so generally distributed as the other, being confined to districts. The intensity of the black colouring in the specimens I have seen varies from a shining sooty black to an intense black; and perhaps, as before observed, the reason why these, and so many albino races of birds and beasts are met with in this region, is the little molestation to which they are subjected as compared with Europe, where every strange animal is destroyed. It would be useless even to speculate on the cause or causes of the black fur of the squirrels. We may suppose it would certainly be of service to the little animal during summer in the sombre darkness of the forest, as much as the contrary would obtain in winter; but the distinctions between this and the normal colouring in both species are so characteristic that, unless attracted by voice or some peculiarity, I do not suppose that the black sort would breed with the other; but should two or more of the former come together, we might imagine the propagation of the black race, which would naturally associate and expel, or, on the other hand, be expelled by, the normally coloured, according to their physical capabilities.

The FLYING SQUIRRELS are of two species. I have carefully compared skins with descriptions, and make out one species which may stand as the Pteromys Volucella of Cuvier, and another and much larger one agreeing with the P. Sabrinus of Richardson. The differences between the two are these: The former is seldom over five inches in length, exclusive of the tail, which is four inches; the upper parts are light fawn, the lower white with the roots of the hairs of the same colour, the tail is lighter coloured than the back. The other is seven inches in length, and the tail is five and a quarter; the upper parts are mouse-brown, the lower white with the

roots of the hairs plumbeous.* Both are found on the banks of the St. John River, and in the interior. I have heard of black varieties having been captured in the district. The well-known Ground Squirrel (T. striatus) is very common, and comes much about gardens. I have also seen several instances of melanism in this species. The MARYLAND MARMOT or "Ground-hog" has also of late years become more sociable and more abundant, and is abandoning the forest for cultivated tracts. Besides the JUMPING MOUSE, there is the SHORT-EARED HAMSTER and the WHITE-FOOTED species, which take the place more or less of the European mouse and rat in the backwood settlements and localities not yet invaded by the latter, the distribution of which is more or less confined to the seaport towns and also the banks of navigable rivers. Neither, as might be expected, stand the cold like the native Murida, indeed there appears to be a mortality among the European rats and mice during very cold weather, although like other imported animals they get a thick fur in winter; still by exposing live mice to a temperature of 15° Fahrenheit in the open, they survive only for an hour or two, and seemingly from the posture in which I have found them, death must have been rapid, inasmuch as two individuals exposed during a cold north wind, when the glass registered about 16° Fahrenheit, were quite lively when placed in the cage, and in the course of a few minutes I found them frozen to death and seated on their hind-c -quarters with their eyes open; whereas the native mice above mentioned may be seen running about, apparently unaffected by much lower temperatures.

*Since the above was written I find P. Sabrinus is included in lists of the mammals of Nova Scotia, and has therefore most probably been hitherto overlooked in Maine and New Brunswick. See Gilpin, Trans. Inst. Nat. Hist. Nova Scotia, vol. ii., p. 14.

Intense Cold in the Clearings and the Forest. ΙΟΥ

CHAPTER IV.

The Lumberer's Camp Life and Hospitality-Forest Fires-Barbarous Mode of Hunting the Moose-Moose Yard-Moose Hunt- Difficulties of Forest Travelling-Natural Decay of Forest Trees-Lost in the Wilderness.

URING March, when alternate thaws and frosty nights prevail, I started for the wilderness with a woodman well versed in his craft. Although not a hunter in the proper sense of the term, he was known far and wide as a famous moose slayer, that is, instead of gun or rifle he preferred his axe, with which he had felled many a helpless moose when struggling through the hard frozen snow. Having placed our necessaries on a small hand sleigh, we pushed through the forest by devious pathways, and arrived at a wood camp, after a fatiguing march of upwards of twelve miles on snow shoes. It is a common remark that the climate of the forest in winter is far healthier than the open country, and no doubt such is the case, for the reason that the extremes of cold are not intensified by wind. Thus often when sleighing over a bleak country, with a north-wester blowing fiercely, when the horses look as if dusted over with chalk, and our furs and whiskers are thickly powdered, we experience a delightful change the moment the woods come between us and the piercing blasts. The log or lumber camps are all constructed on much the same model, being composed of pine trunks placed lengthwise, one above the other, with a sloping roof covered over with pine boughs and a thick layer of snow. The fire is in the centre, whilst around it