The Va 
yNatii 
A ^ A. jl Jl V ' 
Established January, 1878. 
(NATURE DISCERE MORES.) 
Henry SKaer, Pnolisner- 
Volume I. 
SAINT LOUIS, MO., AUGUST, 1878. 
Number 8. 
Rhodora. 
In May, when sea-winds pierced our solitude, 
I found the fresh Rhodora in the woods, 
Spreading its leafless bloom in a damp nook, 
To please the desert and the sluggish brook. 
The purple petals, fallen in the pool, 
Made the black water with their beauty gay ; 
Here the Red-bird comes his plumes to cool, 
And court the flower that cheapens his array. 
Rhodora ! if the sages ask thee why 
This charm is wasted on the earth and sky, 
Tell them, that if eyes were made for seeing, 
Then beauty is its own excuse for being. 
Why thou wert there, O rival of the rose ! 
I never thought to ask — I never knew; 
But, in my simple ignorance, suppose 
The self -same Power that brought me there 
brought you. Emerson. 
attention, and, if studied, will soon be found 
particularly interesting. 
In collecting mammals, excepting some of 
the larger species, the gun is of but little use ; 
they must be taken almost entirely with 
traps. Shrews and Moles may be frequently 
found where they have been dropped by cats, 
who catch them, but do not eat them. In 
this way a great many valuable specimens 
may be obtained. 
Another way to procure Mice and Shrews 
is to turn over old logs and stumps, under 
which these little animals frequently hide, 
and while dazzled by the light's coming in 
suddenly upon them, they may be readily 
seized in the hand. Mice may also be 
trapped. 
ARCTOMYS MONAX. 
stop the breath; never by a blow on the head, 
as this is liable to injure the skull, which 
must be preserved entire for scientific inves- 
tigation. 
The following animals may be decoyed 
into traps by means of peculiar scents: 
Foxes, Fishers, Martens, Minks, Weasels, 
Wildcats of all species, Otters, Beavers 
Bears, Muskrats and Raccoons. These scents 
are made of different substances. The musk 
of the Muskrat, contained in two glands sit- 
uated just below the skin upon the back part 
of the abdomen, will decoy Muskrats and 
Minks, and perhaps Wildcats. This musk 
may be procured from the male in early 
spring. After the two glands spoken of are 
removed, they may be cut open, when the 
Locality. 
Age. 
Sex. 
Date. 
No. 
Nose to 
Tail to 
2 
P< 
•i— i 
o 
O 
o3 
o 
o 
fee 
a 
w 
03 
o 
-1-1 
03 
03 
03 
> 
O 
Hand. 
•i— i 
a 
O 
a 
03 
a 
•P-H 
•a 
-t-> 
a 
03 
.a 
u 
oS 
+3 
ra 
bo 
"5 
Skull * 
-a 
03 
Remarks. 
Ipswich. 
Adult. 
Adult. 
Adult. 
Male. 
Female. 
Female. 
1868. 
Aug 22 
20 
13 
58 
55 
43 
1.50 
1.57 
1.32 
2.95 
2.80 
2.91 
2.30 
3.15 
3.45 
13.00 
15.50 
15.25 
15.00 
20.15 
19.50 
4.98 
6.00 
4.50 6.75 
5.45 
7.60 
3.10 
2.80 
2.95 
2.10 
1.85 
2.05 
.78 
.92 
.70 
.85 
.75 
.65 
.20 
.15 
14.50 
9.75 
Light Colored. 
Top of head black. 
* This measurement is taken after the 
longest part. 
animal is skinned ; the width of skull is measured on the widest part, the length on the 
From C. J. Maynard's "Guide." 
Collecting and Preserving Mammals. 
SECTION I— COLLECTING. 
Because mammals are not quite as inter- 
esting at first sight as birds, the study of this 
class of animals has been somewhat neg- 
lected; and but comparatively few natural- 
ists are even aware of the existence of some 
of the smaller mammalia that live about 
them. They are ? however, worthy of special 
Squirrels may be shot or caught in traps; 
Foxes, trapped, shot or dug out of their 
holes. Woodchucks are easily trapped or 
dug out. Skunks are very disagreeable ani- 
mals to haiiJ'e but when one once becomes 
accustomed to capturing them he can do it 
in perfect safety. The best way is to catch 
them in a " box-trap " baited with the head 
of a chicken; when caught, immerse trap 
and skunk in water until the animal is dead. 
Treated in this manner, they will not emit 
any of their disagreeable scent. By break- 
ing the backbone with a stout stick, when 
the animal is caught in a steel trap, the dis- 
agreeable emission will be prevented. All 
animals should be killed either by breaking 
the backbone or by compressing the ribs, to 
musk— which is a milky fluid— will appear, 
and may be mixed with alcahol, and kept 
for use. This musk is used in ine following 
manner: Cut a stick of pine about six inches 
long, make a small cavity in one end ; into 
this drop a little of the musk, fasten the stick 
in such a position that the animal to be de- 
coyed must place his foot upon the trap in 
order to reach it. 
Foxes, I have been informed by old trap- 
pers, are readily decoyed by using the fetid 
scent of the Skunk in the same manner. 
This scent is a greenish fluid, and is con- 
tained in glands situated in the anal region; 
it may be obtained in the same manner as the 
musk, although the operation is not pleas- 
ant. All of the above-named animals may 
