GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



Jan. 



is going to be hurt. We will try to make it think 

 that we won't hurt it. Walk and move about at a 

 distance, gradually coming nearer. Talk or sing a 

 little; watch the chap closely. If it raises its flag 

 (tail) we are to fall back a little. If we have a 

 hatchet or hammer, pound lightly on something; 

 work up to it by degrees, all the time watching his 

 flag. As long as that is down there is no danger. 

 Usually it will take half an hour to get up to it 

 safely. Then work carefully. Begin with the end 

 of the trap chain; get that loose first, then all the 

 chain clear. We now want a pole about 10 or 12 feet 

 long. Fasten the trap-chain to one end of it, and 

 get hold of the other end. It every thing is all 

 clear, begin to lead the animal toward the water. 

 The poor thing will be glad to go if we give it a 

 chance. We go slow at first; but if we have clear 

 ground, and the animal is caught by the fore foot, 

 it will come along about as fast as we walk. If 

 caught by the hind foot it will go about half as fast. 

 When we get to the water, get the skunk into it 

 deep enough to cover him, without holding him 

 down. All the poor thing thinks of now is to get 

 out of the water, and will drown, and never think 

 of using his weapon of defense. 



But now having told you how to kill the poor 

 creature, I am going to put in a plea for his life. 

 Why kill the poor thing? I just want to tell you 

 that the skunk is a great destroyer of grubs and 

 bugs of all kinds, and I never saw any evidence 

 that it ever eats any of my bees. But it is always, 

 Avhen the weather is suitable, digging grubs out of 

 the fields and garden. They are very plentiful here, 

 and I am willing for them to stay. One year an old 

 skunk had a litter of young ones under a corn-crib 

 in the corner of our home beeyard. I fed her and 

 petted the young ones. They are very affectionate, 

 and as nice as a cat— if we don't abuse them. They 

 do the farmer more gctod than harm. They are 

 around my house nearly every night in the sum- 

 mer. We often see them when we go outdoors in 

 the evening. In one respect they are like folks. 

 There are some bad ones amongst them that will 

 kill chickens, and perhaps eat bees. If I knew one 

 was doing mischief I would set a detective for him 

 in the shape of a trap, and kill it; but 1 would not 

 kill all because ime was bad. E. France. 



Platteville, Wis., Dec. 9. 



Well done, old friend. You have given us 

 an exceedingly valuable paper, and one that 

 perhaps no other man could furnish. So 

 you have really made friends and got ac- 

 quainted witli this little animal that seems 

 to be looked upon with disgust by almost 

 every member of community. I am very 

 glad indeed to hear a word in its favor. I 

 think, however, that the testimony is incon- 

 trovertible that they do eat bees, at least oc- 

 casionally, in considerable numbers. We 

 certainly ought to try to encourage an ani- 

 mal that destroys the grubs and insects. By 

 the way, old friend, your fund of informa- 

 tion and knowledge in regard to the habits 

 of the wild animals of our country, it seems 

 to me, ought to be put in a book. I doubt 

 whether any work extant has ever been able 

 to give the facts you have in your possession 

 in regard to these near neighbors of ours. 

 The trouble is, that those who are acquaint- 

 ed with the habits of the denizens of our 

 forests can hardly be induced to write their 

 knowledge otit for print. 



BEE-HUNTING IN THE SIEKBA NEVA- 

 DA MOUNTAINS. 



A BEE-HONT. 



Continual from last issue. 



In the month of June, 1886, a party of four of us 

 started out on a bee-hunt. We intended to go to 

 Peavine Valley, about 35 miles northeast of Placer- 

 ville, then across the American Itiver, and up Silver 

 Fork Canyon, as bee-trees in that neighborhood 

 generally contained considerable honey. With this 

 much in the way of introduction, I shall proceed to 

 give you a detailed narrative of our journey, and 

 experience in hunting wild bees. 



We took an early stait in the morning, and were 

 several miles on our journej' before sunrise. It 

 was a beautiful morning. The air was fresh and 

 invigorating; wild birds of various colors sang 

 their lays in the trees overhead, as if to welcome 

 the great sun, for another day. Myriads of small 

 insects were beginning to circle in the air, with 

 their monotonous hum, while ever and anon a 

 beautifully colored hummingbird would go flitting 

 by. The Sierras were white with bloom, and the 

 air was loaded with the fragrance of various wild 

 flowers. 



We reached the American River about noon. 

 The wild scenery along this river is grand beyond 

 description. The river rolls and tosses impetu- 

 ously in its rocky bed. The banks are fringed with 

 a growth of alders, willows, weeping-aspen, dog- 

 wood, etc. In some places in the river there are 

 beautifully clear pools of water where mountain 

 trout swarm in abundance. Ever and anon we • 

 came across the water ousel, a small brownish-col- 

 ored bird, flying about from stone to stone, present- 

 ly diving into the water, disappearing from sight. 

 In a few seconds it came to the surface again, after 

 going several feet from the place of starting, hunt- 

 ing for a meal of young flsh and other things, up- 

 on which it feeds. The king-fisher is seen patient- 

 ly watching from some commanding point, ever 

 ready to pounce on any unwary flsh that dares to 

 venture too near the surface of the water. On 

 either side of the American River the mountains 

 rise abruptly to a height of several hundred feet. 

 The north mountain-sides are covered with a dense 

 growth of youug firs, spruces, hazels, ceanothus, 

 flowering dogwood, maples, etc. On the north 

 side the snow generally lies from a month to six 

 weeks later than on the south side, thus making 

 the bloom considerably later than on the south 

 side. The south sides are generally pretty open. 

 The mountain-sides are clothed with a scattered 

 growth of manzanita. chaparall, shingle-brush, etc., 

 all of which bloom early in the season. Later on in 

 the season come goldenrod, asters, lilies, lupines, 

 peppermint, pennyroyal, etc. The further up the 

 river we go, the grander and more impressive the 

 scenery becomes. Dark forests of pine, fir, and 

 spruce, rise up in the distance, while here and 

 there a grand old sugar-pine towers up its head 

 sublimely from the ridge-top. 



After following the river as far as we intended, 

 we went directly up the mountain-side. At length 

 we came upon a small level spot, and took a rest 

 under the shade of a large oak. After resting an 

 hour or so, and taking a refreshing drink of the 

 cool mountain water, we again resumed our jour- 

 ney. We found a great many wild bees at work on 

 various flowers. When about half way up the 



