are very small, and doubtless the sight is poor and the animal much de- 

 pendent on the flexible, sensitive snout to aid it in its activities. Shrews 

 are about both by day and by night. 



The four species of small shrews in Colorado are the Masked Shrew, 

 Sorex personatus, Dobson's Shrew, Sorex vagrans dobsonl, Dusky Shrew, 

 Sorex obscurus, and the Dwarf Shrew, Sorex tenellus nanus. 



Besides these small shrews there is a larger species, the Water Shrew, 

 Neosorox navigator, about the size of our common deer mice. It is a hand- 

 some little animal, with close, soft, glossy fur of a plumbeous color, mixed 

 with hoary above and silvery white below. It is found along the moun- 

 tain streams, more especially at the higher altitudes, ranging from 7,000 

 to over 10,000 feet. Its food habits are much the same as those of the 

 small species. 



RING-TAIL. 



The Ring-Tail, known to the Mexicans as "Cacomixtle", and also 

 called "Civet Cat", a name to which it has exactly as much right as the 

 Spotted Skunk has which is none at all is an inhabitant of the lower 

 portions of southwestern Colorado, and has been taken as high as 6,800 

 feet, though its usual range is no doubt much lower than that. It is a 

 pretty little animal, about 29 inches long, the tail being about half of the 

 total length. Buff mixed with black is the body color, and the tail is ringed 

 alternately with black and white and has a white tip. 



Really closely allied to the raccoon, it is like that animal in being a 

 somewhat indiscriminate feeder, eating jats, mice, and other small mam- 

 mals, birds, insects, and at times fruits and berries. It is strictly nocturnal. 

 Miners and others sometimes make pets of these animals, and find them 

 very interesting. The scientific name is Bassariscus astutus. 



MARTEN. 



The Pine or Rocky Mountain Marten, Martes caurina origenes, is con- 

 fined to the heavy spruce timber of the highest mountains and is rather 

 rare, being irregularly distributed through its range. It leads to a great 

 extent an arboreal life, being as much at home in a tree as a squirrel. It 

 is a handsome animal with its brown coat and fine soft fur, which always 

 brings a good price. The throat is yellow and orange from the chin to 

 between the forelegs, this varying much in different individuals. Like 

 other weasels, it lives on rats, mice, squirrels and birds. The young are 

 born early in spring, and are about six to the litter, the nests being in 

 hollow trees, under fallen timber, and in holes in the ground. 



WOLVERENE. 



Wolverenes (Gulo luscus) are very rare animals in Colorado, and are 

 confined to the higher portions of the timber in the mountains. It is 

 seldom one hears of the animal, and it is often found on enquiring that 

 it is unknown in the locality. It is a powerfully built creature, about forty 

 inches long, of which the tail comprises ten inches. The stout, heavy-set 

 body and short legs with long, sharp claws make an effective combination 

 for the destructive work of which the animal is capable, and with which it 

 is credited in the northern regions, such as destroying traps, and caches 

 of food and supplies. The color is dark brown above, and lighter along 

 the sides and beneath. The fur has considerable value. The young are 

 born about June and are from one to three in a litter. 



WEASELS. 



For real bloodthirstiness the Weasels probably come as near deserving 

 the palm as any group of mammals. Certainly they are wicked little 

 beasts, and courageous too, for they will put up a fight against enemies 



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