6 
ZOOLOGY OF THE ROUTE FROM ZUNI TO PUEBLO CREEK. 
From the pueblo of Zuhi to the Little Colorado river. —Leaving the village, we continued our 
march for a short distance along the Zuhi creek, making, as we went, interesting collections of 
fishes, mostly new and undescribed species. Leaving the creek then to our left, we passed 
through a succession of cedar groves and grassy valleys, abounding in black-tailed deer and 
antelopes, ( Antilo capra Americana.) In this region we first saw signs of the panther. This 
animal prefers the hill-sides or ravines, where the bushes are the thickest and most impene¬ 
trable, and rarely shows itself during the day on the open plain, unless forced there by hunger 
to hunt rabbits or other animals upon which it feeds. At night the prairie jackal, or coyote, 
(Canis latrans) rarely failed to approach our camp, and serenade us with his loud and varied 
notes. The long and dismal howl of the larger species ( Canis gigas ) was occasionally heard in 
the distance; but the latter is much less numerous than the former, and was not often seen. 
It, too, prefers the wooded regions, and depends mainly upon the deer for a subsistence, which 
it hunts, and rarely fails, after a long pursuit, in overtaking and conquering. In many places 
birds were scarce, yet we were enabled to collect some very interesting specimens. The weather 
being cold, the reptiles had all disappeared. 
From Little Colorado to Pueblo creek. —Passing down the Little Colorado, we often saw ducks 
of the commoner kind—mallard and teal; but these were not so numerous as we expected. The 
cause may be found, perhaps, in the fact that along that portion of the valley over which we 
passed there were no marshes or flats, and the kinds of vegetable matter on which they feed 
were almost entirely wanting. Nor did the stream in that part furnish fish in great numbers; 
for, notwithstanding our frequent attempts to catch a few with our nets for specimens, we 
succeeded in taking only one. The beaver, ( Castor fiber,) however, was very common in many 
places, as well as the Canada porcupine, ( Hystrix canadensis.) ' They find a bountiful sub¬ 
sistence in the bark and tender twigs and buds of the young cottonwood trees, ( Populus ,) which 
grow luxuriantly in the sandy soil of the river bottom. 
After leaving the Little Colorado, we turned directly towards the San Francisco mountain, 
its summit, at this season, (December,) covered with snow. Ascending the gravelly mesa, our 
train passed slowly on, occasionally turning from a direct line to avoid a small hill or little 
canon. As we ascended, in approaching the mountain, we suffered not a little from the cold 
and piercing wind, from which there was no escape. The little valleys skirting its eastern 
base, supplying good grass, were now the resort of hundreds of antelopes, which were here also 
partly sheltered by the neighboring hills. This mountain is covered with a dense forest of pine, 
among which we found, in great numbers, the beautiful tufted squirrel, ( Sciurus aberti.) This 
interesting animal we had not observed before; nor did we find it further west than this range. 
Wild turkeys were common, also, in the same locality. Ascending high into the mountains, we 
found many tracks of the big-horn, (Ovis montana;) but notwithstanding our repeated efforts 
to secure one, we were unsuccessful. The timidity of this animal causes it to dwell in the most 
inaccessible places. 
A few short marches through dense pine forests and the deep snow brought us near Mount 
Sitgreaves, from the base of which stretched beautiful valleys, covered with grass, and dotted 
by clumps of cedars. This mountain had been, apparently, before the falling of the snow, the 
peculiar home of grizzly bears ; but the cold and want of food had caused them all to go in 
search of other quarters. The number of trails of this animal that we found here, all leading 
towards the south, is almost incredible. 
From this point our journey lay, for some days, along beautiful valleys, and often through 
thick and dark forests of cedars ; and as we marched along we reaped a rich harvest of the 
smaller quadrupeds, such as pouched rats, mice, &c. Nor were we compelled to lay aside our 
rifles for want of larger game ; for, although we saw no antelopes, the black-tailed deer was here 
quite common, and not very shy, being unaccustomed to the sight of man. Reaching soon a 
handsome valley, with its surface cut by a serpentine canon—at some seasons, probably, con¬ 
taining a running stream, but now only watered by a succession of cool and clear pools we 
