COLLECTING BIRDS AND MAMMALS IN TENNESSEE 



By WATSON M. PERRYGO 

 Scientific Aid, Division of Mammals, U. S. National Museum 



In continuation of work begun last year in West Virginia, the col- 

 lection of birds and mammals was undertaken this year in Tennessee 

 to obtain material lacking in the collections of the National Museum. 

 We had the cooperation of Howell Buntin, Director, Game and Fish, 

 Department of Conservation, Nashville, Tenn., who granted the neces- 

 sary permits, and also of officials everywhere concerned with game 

 or with the care of National Forests or State Game Preserves. 



With Carleton Lingebach as assistant, I left in the early part of 

 April 1937 to begin the work in the Austroriparian life zone in the 

 Mississippi River bottoms in the vicinity of Memphis, where we re- 

 mained for about 2 weeks collecting in the cypress swamps, obtaining 

 many interesting specimens of birds and mammals. Leaving here, we 

 went to the northwestern part of the State for work around Reelf oot 

 Lake, one of the most interesting spots in Tennessee for nature lovers, 

 nimrods, and anglers, as ducks, fish, and other game abound, as well 

 as wild creatures in general. This lake was formed in the winter of 

 1811-12 by a series of earthquakes that caused the low land to sink 

 over an area approximately 4 miles wide and 14 miles long. During 

 our successful 2 weeks here we were joined by Dr. Herbert Fried- 

 mann, curator of birds of the National Museum. 



As the spring season was now farther advanced we moved to a 

 higher area in the densely forested, rolling hills of Wayne County. It 

 is said that the last wolves taken in the State were killed here a num- 

 ber of years ago, and, to judge from the many sites we saw along the 

 creeks, the region evidently was once well populated by Indians. 



Continuing north, we stopped during the latter part of May at Cross- 

 ville on the Cumberland plateau, where we obtained a variety of birds, 

 although mammals were very scarce. On June 1 we moved into the 

 high mountain area of the northeastern part of the State, where we 

 camped in beautiful, fertile Shady Valley which lies between the 

 Holston and Iron Mountains at an altitude of 2,900 feet. Dr. Alex- 

 ander Wetmore joined us here for a few days. In the glade in the 

 center of the valley we obtained many desirable specimens. Grouse 

 were very abundant on the mountains, and among the many interest- 

 ing birds collected was a Swainson's warbler taken in a miniature bog 

 on the Holston Mountains. 



Through the cooperation of the National Park Service we had per- 

 mission for work in the Smoky Mountains National Park. On the 



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