December, 1922 
To satisfy this demand, men and boys throughout the 
continent are turning their energies toward trapping this 
odorous little animal. And he is very easy to trap for 
he is not clever, and his trail extends from the warm 
swamps of the Southland to the Arctic snows. In addi- 
tion, he is utterly fearless, and practically semi-domes- 
tic, as he often nests under barns and other outbuild- 
ings, and sometimes, much to the discomfort of the in- 
habitants, under dwellings. 
Seldom found far from human habitation, he prefers 
for his home little holes and dens in gravelly ridges, and 
frequently even makes a woodchuck’s burrow his own. 
For food, he prefers insects, birds, grubs, eggs and poul- 
try, and he is very fond of any carrion he may obtain. 
In Northern regions, his fur is ready for trapping by 
November 1st, as a rule, and continues so until the mid- 
dle of March. ^ Farther south, in warmer climates, this 
period reaches from December 1st until March 1st. As 
the skunk starts shedding about March 15th, he should 
never be trapped after that date. 
In trapping skunks, the preferable way is to locate 
their dens, as many as twelve or fourteen sometimes be- 
ing found in a single den. Once found, the den should 
not be destroyed, as that removes it as a source of 
revenue from future occupants. The inmates should 
either be trapped, or else smoked out, when they may 
be clubbed or shot. 
In setting a trap at the entrance of a den, it should, if 
possible, be placed just inside the entrance, with the 
jaws lengthwise of the hole. Thus the skunk is com- 
pelled to step between the jaws. If he steps over them, 
when the trap is sprung the jaw itself will sometimes 
throw his leg clear. It is not necessary to use bait in a 
trap so set. 
If a clear and well-defined trail is found leading away 
from a den, several baited traps should be set, and scent 
will be found a valuable aid. In fact, a good, strong, 
concentrated scent, easy to carry and use, will always 
justify itself. This may be home made, or, if desired, 
especially valuable ones may be obtained most reasona- 
bly from the large fur companies. 
The best traps for skunk are Nos. 1 and Ij/^. Besides 
the neighborhood of dens, other good places for sets are 
between the hollow logs, and in any natural or artificial 
enclosure to which the skunk may be attracted by scent 
or bait. 
While the intelligence of the skunk does not demand 
particular care in setting, it is always wise to observe 
due precautions, as often a fox or other more valuable 
fur bearer may be trapped. 
SNOW AND FORESTS 
O UR forests and trees have many enemies, of which 
fires and man with his destructive lumbering are 
the worst. Next in importance are probably 
sheep grazing, windfall and snow. Landslides, floods, 
insects, fungus diseases and lightning have also caused 
much serious damage. The enemies of the forests may 
be classed as natural and artificial. It is plainly evident 
that it is difficult and almost impossible to guard against 
most of the natural enemies of our forests, but it is a sad 
fact that the greatest destructive agents of our wood- 
lands are of artificial or human origin. Forest fires and 
destructive lumbering have probably done more to bring 
about the present depleted condition of our forests than 
any other agencies. 
Snow as an assistant in the work of forest depletion 
is generally of minor importance but collectively it be- 
comes a' serious enemy of the forests. Generally the 
damage is more marked in the coniferous forests, and 
543 
among the younger trees. This is due to the fact that 
coniferous trees retain their foliage during the winter 
and younger trees of all kinds are more easily bent 
down by the weight of the snow. Hardwoods, as oak, 
maple and chestnut are also injured but generally less 
seriously. 
A heavy snow loads down, crushes and breaks off the 
tops of the young trees and often breaks off large limbs 
and branches from the older trees. If the snow lies for 
some time, the trees which are bent over will seldom 
straighten and the injured trees must be removed. 
Mountain roads and trails become almost impassable for 
teams and automobiles because of the many trees 
crushed to the ground and hanging over the roadway. 
Not only do forest trees suffer from snow injury but 
likewise ornamental and shade trees. In the case of 
small evergreen lawn trees as pine, spruce, fir, cedar and 
arbor vitae preventive measures can and should be taken, 
if the trees are to be kept from becoming misshapen and 
probably permanently injured. Shake the snow from 
the trees occasionally and do not allow it to lie any great 
length of time. 
With most shade trees, a remedial measure can be 
adopted when the trees are pruned in the spring or fall. 
If no large crotches or forks are allowed to form in the 
trees and the growth is kept as near as possible to one 
central shaft or limb, or the longer branches shortened 
so that they will not exert too great a leverage, the losses 
from this injury may be reduced to a minimum. Shade 
trees having brittle wood or weak crotches, as the soft 
or common Red Maple, the Silver Maple and the Caro- 
lina Poplar, are much more liable to this injury than 
those with tough wood, as the Oaks and Elms, and there- 
fore need much more pruning. 
’WHERE BIRDS SPEND THEIR WINTERS 
I NVESTIGATIONS on the status of birds in their 
winter homes have been undertaken by the Bureau 
of Biological Survey in connection with administra- 
tion of the treaty with Great Britain for the protection 
of birds migrating between the United States and Can- 
ada. That many of these birds winter in South America 
may be surprising to some, but it is known to be the 
case. Valuable material collected by Dr. Alexander 
Wetmore, of the survey, who recently returned after a 
year’s absence in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, 
during which he studied the status of our migratory 
birds in those countries, will throw much light on the 
subject. 
Among our more familiar birds that Dr. W^etmore 
observed in South America was the well-known barn 
swallow that ranges with flocks of native swallows in 
open country. Many of the species encountered were 
shore birds found through the marshy pampas or on the 
coastal mud flats ; some were found to winter well north 
in the Tropics and others to travel as far south as the 
Straits of Magellan. Among our game birds seen in 
Argentina and elsewhere were the golden plover and 
pectoral sandpiper. 
That Eederal protection of migratory birds is proving 
a success is recognized by the majority of sportsmen 
and nature lovers. Ducks, geese, and other migratory 
game birds have not only increased in number, but have 
reappeared in sections where they had not been seen 
for many years. Recently there have been a number 
of inquiries as to the possibility of arranging treaties 
with countries in Latin America for protecting migra- 
tory birds, similar to that with Great Britain. One of the 
objects of Dr. Wetmore’s trip was to secure information 
as to the feasibility of such action. 
