THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 291 



Some RemarJcs on the Natural History of the country about Fort Ripley, 



Minnesota. 



BY J. F. HEAD, SURGEON U. S. ARMY. 



Comnmnicated by the Surgeon General of the United States .^rmy. 



[Extract.] 



* * * The mammalia most frequentlj'" found are the prairie and 

 large gray wolf, (Canis latrans and C. occidentalism) the former very 

 abundant; the red deer, {Ccrvus virginianiis,) not very numerous; the 

 ground squirrel, {Sciurus striatvs,) field mouse, (Mus leucopus?) weazel, 

 {Mustcla crminea,) muskrat, {Fiber zibethicus,) barlger, {Meles lahrado- 

 ria,) and porcupine, {Hystric dorsata,) and occasionally the otter, {Lu- 

 tra braziliensis,) marten, {Mustcla martes,) mink, {M. lutrcola,) skunk, 

 {Mephietis amer.,) lynx, {Lynx canadensis,) and red fox, {Canis fulvus.) 

 Other varieties of fox are taken somewhat further north, {C decus- 

 satus, C. argentatus, and C. cinereo-argentatus,) and may inhabit this 

 neighborhood. The black bear, {Ursus americanus,) though found 

 in the surrounding country, has never been seen in the immediate 

 vicinity of the post. The moose {Cervus alces) and carabou {C. 

 tarandus) are said to be occasionally seen at about one hundred and 

 fifty miles north, and the elk {C. canadensis) on the prairies thirty or 

 forty miles west of this place. The gray squirrel {Sciurus caroli- 

 nensis) is not found in any part of the territory. The buffalo {Bison 

 americanus) does not approach within one or two hundred miles. In 

 the autumn of 1848 the varying hare, {Lepus americanus,) vulgo "white 

 rabbit," was very abundant, but during the following year {the winter 

 of which was not unusually severe) they almost completely disappeared 

 lirom a region for many miles around this point. Many of the Indians, 

 -who depend much on these animals for subsistence during the winter, 

 were consequently reduced to actual starvation. 



Of birds the following species have been identified : The golden 

 eagle, {Falco fulvus,) bald eagle, {F. Icucocephalus,) owl, {Strix virgin- 

 iana,) meadow^ lark, {Siurn'us ludovicianus,) red-winged and cow black- 

 birds, {Icterus phcenicetis and I. pecoris,) crow blackbird, {Quiscalus versi- 

 color, raven, {Corvus corax,) crow, {C. americanus,) blue jay, {C. cris- 

 tatus,) chickadee, {Farus atricapillus,) cedar bird, {Bombycilla caroli- 

 nensis,) kingbird, {Muscicapa tyrannus,) pewee, {M.fusca,) thrush, {Turdus 

 rufus,) robin, {T. migrator ius,) yellow bird, {Sylvia (estiva?) blue bird, 

 {Sialia wilsonii,) (rare,) snow bunting, {Emberiza nivalis,) wood-peck- 

 ers, {Picus a.uratus, P. erythrocephahis, P. pubescens, king-fisher, {Alcedo 

 alcyon,) swallow^ {Hirundo rvfa,) whipper-will and night-hawk, [Capri- 

 mulgus vociferus. C. virg.,) pigeon, {Columba, migratoria,) " pheasant," 

 or "partridge," {Tetrao umbellus,) grouse, {T. cupido,) *golden plover, 

 {Charadrius pluvialis,) killdeer, {Ch. vociferus,) crane, {Grus canadensis,) 



*This bird, at first rather rare, but now rapidly multiplying in this vicinity, differs some- 

 what in plumage, and perhaps in its habits, from the descriptions of T. cupido. It is possiblj 

 T. phasianellus. Never having examined other species before coming to this station, and pos- 

 sessing neither a plate nor a good description of the latter bird when specimens were procura- 

 ble, I am at present unable to determine the question. 



