142 AUTUMN NOTES IN IOWA 



for the signal to pull roasting ears, as none dare 

 touch them until the proper time. When the corn 

 is fit for use another great ceremony takes place, 

 with feasting and returning thanks to the Great 

 Spirit for giving us corn." One wonders if the 

 Eeservation Indians of today continue such a cus- 

 tom. A year ago, the Grinnell Herald reported 

 some of the "Tama Indians" passing through 

 town for the autumnal squirrel hunt — a bit wild- 

 er festivity than that described by the great chief, 

 but perhaps less devout. 



A Jasper County paper reported last year the 

 shooting of a golden eagle, perched in a large Cot- 

 tonwood tree, the bird being about seven feet 

 across the wings, and weighing eight pounds.^^ 

 Not quite birds of prey, but no less interesting to 

 some, are the red-breasted nuthatches appearing 

 at Grinnell about the middle of this month. 



This year also, the Grinnell Herald reports the 

 capture of two opossums on a farm in a wooded 

 region southwest of town. The 'possum is fre- 

 quently mentioned by the old travelers in this 

 prairie section. It remains with us, while the bear, 

 panther, deer, elk, and buffalo, with which it was 

 once associated, have left for regions less haunted 

 by humanity. Judging from hearsay 'possum lore 

 and experience are richer in Missouri than in 

 Iowa. Many Iowa boys never saw this quadru- 



28 See Appendix, Xote 23. 



