THE PIGMY ANTELOPE. 



(^ I HE Pigmy Antelopes present 

 ^ I examples of singular members 

 njt of the family, in that they are 

 —^ of exceedingly diminutive 

 size, the smallest being no larger than 

 a large Rat, dainty creatures indeed. 

 The Pigmy is an inhabitant of South 

 Africa, and its habits are said to be 

 quite similar to those of its brother of 

 the western portion of North America. 

 The Antelope is a very wary ani- 

 mal, but the sentiment of curiosity is 

 implanted so strongly in its nature 



that it often leads it to reconnoitre too 

 closely some object which it cannot 

 clearly make out, and its investigations 

 are pursued until "the dire answer to 

 all inquiries is given by the sharp 

 'spang' of the rifle and the answering 

 'spat' as the ball strikes the beautiful 

 creatures flank." The Pigmy Ante- 

 lope is not hunted, however, as is its 

 larger congener, and may be consid- 

 ered rather as a diminutive curiosity 

 of Natures' delicate workmanship than 

 as the legitimate prey of man. 



BIRDS OF ALASKA. 



No sooner had the twilight settled 

 over the island than new bird voices 

 called from the hills about us. The 

 birds of the day were at rest, and their 

 place was filled with the night denizens 

 of the island. They came from the 

 dark recesses of the forests, first single 

 stragglers, increased by midnight to a 

 stream of eager birds, passing to and 

 fro from the sea. Many, attracted by 

 the glow of the burning logs, altered 

 their course and circled about the fire 

 a few times and then sped on. From 

 their notes we identified the principal 

 night prowlers as the Cassin's Auklet, 

 Rhinoceros Auk, Murrelet, and varieties 

 of Petrel. All through the night our 

 slumbers were frequently disturbed by 

 birds alighting on the sides of the tent, 

 slipping down with great scratching 

 into the grass below, where our 

 excited Dog took a hand in the 

 matter, daylight often finding our 

 tent strewn with birds he had 

 captured during the night. When he 

 found time to sleep I do not know. 

 He was after birds the entire twenty- 

 four hours. 



In climbing over the hills of the 

 island we discovered the retreats of 

 these night birds, the soil everywhere 



through the deep w^ood being fairly 

 honeycombed with their nesting 

 burrows. The larger tunnels of the 

 Rhinoceros Auks were, as a rule, on 

 the slopes of the hill, while the little 

 burrows of the Cassin's Auklet were 

 on top in the flat places. We opened 

 many of their queer abodes that ran 

 back with many turns to a distance of 

 ten feet or more. One or both birds 

 were invariably found at the end, 

 covering their single egg, for this 

 species, like many other sea birds, 

 divide the duties of incubation, both 

 sexes doing an equal share, relieving 

 each other at night. 



The Puffins nested in burrows also, 

 but lower down — often just above the 

 surf. One must be very careful, 

 indeed, how he thrusts his hand into 

 their dark dens, for should the old 

 bird chance to be at home, its vise-like 

 bill can inflict a very painful wound. 

 The rookeries of the Murres and 

 Cormorants were on the sides of steep 

 cliffs overhanging the sea. Looking 

 down from above, hundreds of eggs 

 could be seen, gathered along the 

 narrow shelves and chinks in the 

 rocks, but accessible only by means of 

 a rope from the top. — Oiithig, 



95 



