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Sierra Club Bulletin. 



triangular nut, also the hazel-nut and the nuts of the 

 various pines when they can get them, of the Coulter, 

 the Sabine or digger pine, the rare Torrey pine, the sugar 

 pine, of the yellow and Jeffrey pines, of the pinon, and 

 the nuts of firs, the cones of which fall to pieces of them- 

 selves when the nut is ripe. The berries of the manzanita 

 they partake of as well as men, foxes, coyotes, bears, wild- 

 cats, and skunks.* The acid of these dried berries, which 

 remain for months on the bushes in that condition, is 

 admirable for quenching thirst. Many a time have I been 

 grateful to them for that service. Strange as it may 

 seem, these are more efficacious for quenching thirst 

 when one is engaged in strong exercise than water itself. 

 There can be but slight nourishment, only a taste of acid 

 and sugar, in this dried hull of the manzanita-berry, for 

 the withered pulp is no more than that, yet during the 

 starvation months foxes eke out a scanty living on these 

 and on equally dry feed. That is what one gets for being 

 a fox! Yet, if he survives, he maintains superb health, 

 and, if given the chance, would, like all sensible creatures, 

 scorn the most desirable "situation" which would rob 

 him of his freedom and of the fierce delight of winning a 

 livelihood under adverse conditions. This is a faculty 

 requiring skill, determination, and good judgment on 

 the part of the fox, and, like the exercise of any other 

 power, gives its possessor the keenest satisfaction. Here 

 is long life to the likes of him ! 



Among the grass-seeds in milk which deer like are 

 those of the mountain bunch-grass, the heads of a certain 

 beautiful purple grass, the rich heads of the timothy, and 



* It is interesting to note that the botanist who gave the scientific name 

 to this plant called it " bear grapes," the Greek Arctostaphylos. 



