Part 2

_Synaptomys cooperi cooperi._ Cooper Lemming-vole.--In October, 1883, George B. Sudworth took one near Ann Arbor. February 13, 1903, E. H. Frothingham found one under a corn shock about four miles south of Ann Arbor. In a runway in a small tamarack stand in Steere's Swamp, near the same place, I trapped an adult female and four nearly grown young, October 8 and 9, 1903. In February, March, and April, 1921, H. B. Sherman trapped six in a field containing a little brush, a short distance south of Ann Arbor. A number of their remains were found by J. Van Tyne in the winters of 1921 and 1922 near Ann Arbor, in pellets of the long-eared owl.

_Microtus pennsylvanicus pennsylvanicus._ Pennsylvania Vole.--Was formerly found in beaver meadows, but with the clearing of the forests it has extended its range to the fields of grass and grain, and has become the most numerous of all the mammals of the county. Records are at hand for Ann Arbor, Pittsfield Township, and Portage Lake.

_Microtus pinetorum scalopsoides._ Pine Vole.--July 15, 1921, A. G. Ruthven found an adult male in the oak-hickory woods on his grounds near the outskirts of Ann Arbor.

_Fiber zibethicus zibethicus._ Muskrat.--In spite of persistent trapping, muskrats are still numerous in the county. Records are at hand for Ann Arbor, Pittsfield Township, Portage Lake, Saline, and Ypsilanti.

_Rattus norvegicus._ Norway Rat.--This injurious rodent became common soon after the settlement of the county. Its omnivorous food habits and adaptability have enabled it to increase greatly.

_Mus musculus musculus._ House Mouse.--The house mouse did not reach Washtenaw County until several years after the settlement of the district. It has become a serious pest, not only to household effects and stored food, but it has taken to the grassy fields and the woods bordering grain fields, and is commonly found in shocks of corn. The amount of damage done by it in this county must be very great.

_Zapus hudsonius hudsonius._ Jumping Mouse.--A few occur in the county. We have records for Ann Arbor, Portage Lake, and Whitmore Lake. In October, about 1880, in Lodi Township, a female jumped from a shock of corn that was pulled over, and when caught, after several jumps of two feet or more, was found to have three small young attached to her teats.

_Erethizon dorsatum dorsatum._ Canada Porcupine.--The first settlers found porcupines were common in the county. My father killed one in 1855 in Lodi Township, and the last one known in the county was killed near Saline in October, 1868, by John H. Bortle.

The porcupine lives on the buds and bark of several species of trees, and also eats the stems and leaves of water lilies. It is a clumsy and stupid animal, knowing under natural conditions neither fear nor haste. Its coat of sharp-barbed quills affords almost complete protection from nearly all enemies except man, who alone is responsible for its extinction in the county. Although large and clumsy, it climbs readily, and often lives in the same tree for days. It also swims quite readily, sometimes entering the water voluntarily. It makes a number of noises; it sniffs, grunts, whines, chatters, and sometimes shrieks and cries like a child.

_Marmota monax refuscens._ Woodchuck.--Before the settlement of the county woodchucks were not very common, a few living on the prairies as well as in the woods. With the clearing of the forests it found a congenial habitat about the fields and gardens of the settlers, and there found also choice food easily gathered. With these conditions it has greatly increased and has become a pest, so that many townships in southern Michigan pay a bounty of 25 to 50 cents each for woodchucks.

On the Wood homestead of 400 acres in Lodi Township this animal was rarely seen in 1865, but in the next twenty years it became so common that in the years 1881-82 I killed more than 100 and my brother and his helper 125 more, all of them on this one small tract, and even then some were left.

Its flesh is good when properly prepared, but most people are so prejudiced that they will not eat it.

Albinos are not rare; I know of one taken near Saline about 1885.

When alarmed it utters a shrill whistle; and when angry it chatters its teeth. I have often seen it climb trees, and have shot it from heights of 10 to 30 feet. It climbs when chased by dogs and also of its own free will.

_Citellus tridecemlineatus tridecemlineatus._ Striped Ground-squirrel.--This animal (erroneously called "gopher" by many people) was formerly common only in the southern part of the Lower Peninsula, where its natural habitat was the prairies or oak openings. Here it occurred in great numbers, as stated by the first settlers. As the state became settled and the timber cut off it gradually extended its range until at present it occurs in most of the cultivated areas of the Lower Peninsula.

This squirrel rarely climbs in bushes or small trees. It has a sharp whistle of alarm and a lower chirping call while feeding in company.

_Tamias striatus lysteri._ Northeastern Chipmunk.--Formerly abundant in the county, living in the forests. With the cutting of the forests it has become scarce, but is now sometimes found along brushy roadsides as well as in woods.

It occasionally climbs trees, but usually lives under stumps or logs in or at the edge of woods. It stores up quantities of food, and is seldom seen in the winter months.

We have an albino at the Museum of Zoology which was caught near Ann Arbor by a cat, and I know of one other seen near the city.

The call of the chipmunk is a loud chirp or chuck, regularly repeated and audible for a half-mile on still, frosty mornings. It also has a bird-like chirp or rapid call.

_Sciurus hudsonicus loquax._ Southeastern Red-squirrel.--This is the most abundant squirrel in the county. Owing to its small size it was formerly not hunted; it also easily adapted itself to civilization and increased so rapidly that in places it became a nuisance. It has been accused of driving off the fox and gray squirrels, for which reason it was exterminated from the University campus, where it formerly occurred.

The red-squirrel is very noisy and has a number of calls, chatters, and a whining cough which easily distinguishes it from other squirrels.

Several albinos have been taken in Washtenaw County, one pure albino in Dexter Township in 1908, and one nearly pure white, but with brownish dorsal stripe and tail, near Ann Arbor in 1912.

_Sciurus carolinensis leucotis._ Northern Gray Squirrel.--Abundant in the county for many years after its settlement. To the early settlers it was an injurious species, as it destroyed much of their scanty corn crop; but in later years it furnished much sport as well as a choice food for the table. Its chosen habitat was the heavy forest of beech and sugar maples, and with the cutting of these woods the gray squirrel has gradually become rare, only a few now being found in the county. As late as 1875 I saw many of the species, about one-half of the black phase.

Its call is a high, shrill chatter, which may be heard quite a distance, and which is distinguished by hunters from the call of the red squirrel or fox squirrel. J. Austin Scott witnessed a migration in the fall of 1840, when hundreds of gray and black squirrels crossed the Raisin River near Adrian. They came from the south and were so exhausted from swimming across the river that the boys killed many with clubs. He counted 30 in one small tree near the water's edge.

_Sciurus niger rufiventer._ Western Fox Squirrel.--When Michigan was first settled the species was rare and was confined chiefly to the southern part of the state, where it occurred in the oak openings, which seem to be its favorite habitat.[3] With the cutting of the heavy timber it has gradually extended its range, occupying all of the more open forests, and it has become very common, even entering the cities, where it has become semi-domesticated.

[Footnote 3: Robert Kennicott, _U. S. Patent Office Report_, p. 56, 1856].

W. J. Beal[4] states that in Lenawee County there were no fox squirrels in the early days, but later they came in from the south. At my home in Lodi Township I never saw one until about 1875, and they were rare for several years after that.

[Footnote 4: _Mich. Pioneer Coll._]

This is our largest squirrel, furnishing sport and food for hunters. One albino taken in the county is in the collection of the Museum of Zoology; and one partly melanistic individual, taken near Ann Arbor, November 12, 1910, has the whole underside jet black.

The call is hoarser than that of the gray squirrel, but although not so high in pitch may be heard for some distance. It occasionally swims; I know of one which swam across a part of Portage Lake, one-half mile, on a hot summer day, about 1910.

_Glaucomys volans volans._ Southern Flying Squirrel.--This species may still be found in some numbers in suitable habitats in the county. They are usually found in woods, although I have found them in houses both in Ann Arbor and at Portage Lake. They nest and live in tree cavities, and in winter are gregarious. In late December, about 1890, in Lodi Township I found 20 or more in a hollow butternut stub. The call is a high, bird-like chirp or long squeak, which I have often heard from the tree tops while in the woods on moonlight nights.

_Castor canadensis michiganensis._ Woods Beaver.--The first settlers of this county found this species to be nearly extinct, although dams and old beaver meadows were very common. It probably became scarce about 1800. Hon. Henry S. Dean, of Ann Arbor, told me that in 1837 at "Gravel Run," a few miles north of Ann Arbor, he saw a dam in good shape, although not used at that time. Remains of other dams still exist. S. D. Allen, of Ann Arbor, told me that in 1835 he saw a live beaver in the Huron River near Ypsilanti. This is the last record for the county.

_Lepus americanus americanus._ Snowshoe Hare.--This hare was formerly common over all the southern peninsula of Michigan. In Washtenaw County it persisted for a long time in the tamarack bogs, but when these were mostly drained or destroyed the hares became extinct. It was last taken in Steere's Swamp, four miles south of Ann Arbor, in 1875. One was taken in a swamp near Whitmore Lake in 1890. L. D. Watkins, of Manchester, reports shooting one in a large swamp near Pleasant Lake in the fall of 1907.

_Sylvilagus floridanus mearnsii._ Mearns Cottontail.--The cottontail was formerly common only in the southern part of Michigan, but it now occurs over all the cultivated area of the Lower Peninsula. It has increased with and followed the civilization that furnished an abundance of food and destroyed many of its enemies.

I have several times found nests in meadows and cultivated fields. The nest is built in a deep form and is lined with fur from the mother's body and fine grass. The young are completely hidden when left by the mother. April 16, 1920, I found a nest containing five young in a stubblefield at Portage Lake. The young were well covered with hair, but the eyes were not open. April 20, 1920, I found another nest containing young on the lawn of an unoccupied house near the shore of Portage Lake. The number of young was not determined. May 5 the young were gone and the nest was deserted. May 16, 1920, L. R. Dice saw four young cottontails with their eyes open in the possession of a boy. They were taken from a nest near Ann Arbor.

About May 10, some years ago, I saw a cottontail jump into and swim across Mill Creek in this county. The animal was not pursued nor driven in any way into the water. Sometimes when caught alive the cottontail utters a loud, shrill cry.

_Bison bison bison._ American Bison.--According to the reports of the early explorers, this large mammal, in the eighteenth century, occupied, or at least visited, the southern border of the state of Michigan. Although we have no record of its occurrence in this county, its remains have been found just over the western border of the county by L. D. Watkins, who in 1835 picked up three skulls near Norvell, Jackson County (Township 4 south, Range 2 east, Section 22). Two of these skulls were sent to Hillsdale College, where one still remains, though the data with it were lost during a fire; the other skull was sent to Albion College, but cannot now be found. At the time these specimens were collected other bones were plentiful on the surface of the ground.

_Cervus canadensis canadensis._ Eastern American Elk.--Probably common over most of the Southern Peninsula of Michigan up until the time of the settlements. I have found no record of live elk seen in the county, and the species probably was extinct in the district before 1800. Bones and antlers are common in the marshes and swamps of the county.

_Odocoileus virginianus borealis._ Northern White-tailed Deer.--Abundant in the county when the first settlers arrived, and continued common for many years. It quickly learned to adapt itself to civilization, feeding by night where it formerly fed by day. Some early settlers report much damage done to gardens and crops, of which the deer soon learned the location. The last deer known to me in the county was seen in Saline Township in 1875 by William Gordon, who reported it to me at the time. Covert[5] records one seen in the county in 1879.

[Footnote 5: Covert, A. B., in History of Washtenaw County, p. 194, 1881.]

_Hypothetical List_

The mammals included in this list have been reported as occurring in Washtenaw County, but I can find no specimens with authentic data nor descriptions satisfactory for identification, and consider the records doubtful.

_Rattus rattus rattus._ Black Rat.--Covert[6] states that the species is "very rare. I have but one specimen, which was caught at the Michigan Central R. R. Depot."

[Footnote 6: Covert, A. B., in History of Washtenaw County, pp. 193-194, 1881.]

_Mustela allegheniensis._ Least Weasel.--Covert says, "The only specimens of this mammal I have had were brought in this winter" (1881). I have not been able to find these specimens, which were doubtless small females of _Mustela noveboracensis_.