ujo6] Extracts from Diary of the Latf Robt. Elliott. 121 



Jany. 3, 1899. R. James and Jos. Smith heard one frog in 

 swamp today. Very mild. I looked a great many places, un- 

 der rotten logs, etc. fcr salamanders but found no traces of them. 



Jany. 8. Picked off a thorn tree remains of a vole, probably 

 left there by northern shrike. 



Jany. 24. Hoar frost. Very warm today. Saw one 



light colored shore lark on the road (First). 



Jany. 31. H. Kami, near Embrc, in chopping a hollow tree 

 came across eleven coons (Procyon lotor) in the interior; eight 

 were killed, three escaping. 



March 8. Saw J. W. digging two skunks out of a burrow in 

 sandy soil, in open woods near river. They were in a nest of dry 

 leaves about 2 1-2 feet from surface, male and female the latter 

 smaller and fatter than the other. Examined the stomachs; that 

 cf the male contained two or three withered leaves, and mixed 

 with them, hairs of (probably) voles. There were also* a large 

 number of worms, parasites, numerous very small ones, and half 

 dozen or so larger ones, one inch long. The female's stomach 

 contained nothing but numerous small w< rms in mucous. W. 

 told me that the greatest number of skunks he ever found in a 

 burrow was eleven ; but said that a man he knew once ran a fox 

 into a hole and on setting a trap at the mouth he caught fifteen 

 full grown skunks in as many consecutive nights and on the six- 

 teenth he caught the fox. W. also stated that at cne time during 

 winter he dug a skunk out of a nest and found a woodchuck 

 close beside it in a nest of its own. The latter was curled up and 

 in a state of torpor, it awoke on the snow. 



March 18. Saw a redtailed hawk and tiger beetle. Is 

 the water bear (Tardigrada) really a depauperate arachnidian? Saw 

 caddis fly larva for first time in same pool with Bnuicliippus 

 stagnalis. Pickering's tree toad croaking in pools for first. 



March 19. Many Pickering's tree toads out. Saw two 

 small garter snakes! on dry knoll at edge of pool. Saw the first 

 Camberwell beauty at edge of wcods. 



March 21. Saw a white-fcoted mouse in hole (natural scar) 

 of small green beech. Nest of thistledown. A large mass of 

 shelled beechnuts were lying at loot of tree. The margin of 



