The Mammals of Warren Woods, Berrien County, Michigan Part 4

_Citellus tridecemlineatus tridecemlineatus._ Thirteen-striped ground squirrel

August 14: adult, 0.

_Sciurus hudsonicus loquax._ Southern red squirrel

July 24: adult, 0.

July 27: juvenile, 0.

_Sciurus niger rufiventer._ Fox squirrel

August 11: subadult, 0.

_Sylvilagus florida.n.u.s mearnsii._ Mearns cottontail

July 21: adult, 4, 70 mm.

NEW STATE RECORD OF THE PRAIRIE VOLE

The specimens of prairie vole, _Microtus ochrogaster_, listed above from the sedges and rushes of cleared upland in the Warren Woods preserve and from a nearby wheat field const.i.tute the first authentic record of the species from Michigan. The prairie vole had previously been erroneously reported to be abundant in Washtenaw County by Covert[2], who evidently mistook the Pennsylvania vole for this species.

OTHER MAMMALS OF THIS REGION

The following notes on mammals formerly or at present living in the region but not found by me in Warren Woods are based mostly on information furnished by George R. Fox, Director of the Edward K.

Warren Foundation, and by William Schmidt, a trapper and hunter.

_Didelphis virginiana virginiana._ Virginia opossum. Three were seen and one captured in Three Oaks in the winter of 1919-20, and another was found in a granary on the outskirts of the town. The previous winter one was shot just southwest of town, and another was seen in a ravine north of Harbert. One was killed in Warren Woods some time ago.

_Condylura cristata._ Star-nosed mole. Mr. Hans captured one four miles south of Three Oaks, near the Indiana line in 1919, and brought the skin to Mr. Fox. One was taken by Dr. Parker at Lakeside in June, 1919.

_Ursus america.n.u.s america.n.u.s._ Eastern black bear. Formerly occurred in the region.

_Canis lycaon._ Timber wolf. About eleven years ago three were killed from a pack of nine wolves at Lakeside. About 1910 a pack of eight were seen at various times during the winter on the marsh between Three Oaks and Galien. The following winter the same pack, or another of the same number, was seen southwest of Three Oaks, and four of the pack were killed just over the Indiana line.

_Vulpes fulva._ Eastern red fox. Common in the region. One was killed in December, 1919, after having been chased from the Warren Woods by dogs. Another was seen in January, 1920, half a mile north of Three Oaks. In preceding winters a number have been killed south of Sawyer where they evidently come from the sand dunes.

_Lutra canadensis canadensis._ Canada otter. Formerly occurred along the streams, but are now apparently all gone.

_Felis couguar._ Cougar. One was killed a few miles northeast of Three Oaks many years ago. Another was killed near New Buffalo in the early days.

_Lynx ruffus ruffus._ Bobcat. One was killed a few years ago near the Galien River a few miles northeast of Three Oaks.

_Erethizon dorsatum dorsatum._ Canada porcupine. Found here in the early days.

_Sciurus carolinensis leucotis._ Northeastern gray squirrel. Black squirrels were found in numbers in the early days.

_Glaucomys volans volans._ Eastern flying squirrel. Said to be common. A large number were seen by Mr. Schmidt on one old stub in Warren Woods some years ago. Several were seen in 1918 by Mr. Fox in second-growth oak woods in a little ravine about one and one-fourth mile west of Warren Woods. One was caught in Three Oaks in the fall of 1919.

_Cervus canadensis canadensis._ American elk. One horn from a large swamp in Berrien County is in the Chamberlain Memorial Museum of Three Oaks.

_Odocoileus virginia.n.u.s borealis._ Northern white-tailed deer.

Formerly abundant in the region. Several molars were picked up in Warren Woods.

FOSSIL MAMMALS OF BERRIEN COUNTY

The records of fossil mammals from Berrien County here published have been collected by George R. Fox, who has also kindly loaned from the collections under his care several specimens for identification. Dr.

E. C. Case a.s.sisted with the identification of the mammoth teeth.

_Mammut americanum._ Mastodon. (1) About 1897 the teeth of a mastodon were dug up by a dredge within the village limits of Eau Claire. Their disposition is unknown.

(2) At Snow, in section 36, Lake Towns.h.i.+p, a tooth was found. This came into the possession of Frank Striker of Buchanan.

(3) A portion of a tusk and part of a skull were found on the Beebe Farm near Baroda. These were sent to Was.h.i.+ngton, D.C.

(4) In the excavation of a ditch through a small marsh lying near Bakerstown in Section 3, of Bertrand Towns.h.i.+p, the dredge uncovered in the distance of between two and three miles bones, teeth, and other evidences of six mastodons. Of these remains the most important was a nearly complete skull with teeth in place and disintegrated parts of the tusks. The skull was secured by Dr. E. H. Crane, who restored parts, the tusks he did not attempt to restore. This skull is now on exhibition at the Ward Museum, Rochester, New York.

The skull lay about seven feet deep. It was under a bed of matted oak brush on top of which lay a huge stone slab, estimated to weigh two or three tons. Above was a layer of silt, then gravelly clay; above were more silt beds, three in number. W. Hillis Smith, who helped Dr. Crane secure the skull, furnished the above information.

(5) On the Avery marsh, two miles east of Three Oaks, a badly decayed mastodon skull and several teeth were excavated in 1884. Dr. Bonine, Sr., of Niles, a.s.sisted at the excavation. The bones and teeth were in the muck about twenty inches below the surface. Other teeth, making seven in all, were found near the same place. Some of the teeth from this locality are on exhibition at the Chamberlain Memorial Museum of Three Oaks.

In addition to the above there are several indefinite records of mastodon remains from the county.

_Elephas columbi._ Columbian mammoth. (1) One-half of the tooth of a mammoth was found in the spring of 1917 on the Beeson and Holden farm in Section 6, NE. 1/4, Towns.h.i.+p of Galien, by D. H. Beeson while cultivating corn. Two weeks later the other half of the tooth was found.

The specimen is now in the Chamberlain Memorial Museum of Three Oaks.

The specimen is a well-worn lower third molar having twenty ridge-plates, but some of the ridge-plates have been worn out and lost.

Seven and a half ridge-plates are included in a 100 mm. line. The greatest length of the tooth is 280 mm. and its greatest breadth 95 mm.

(2) A complete set of mammoth teeth with some portions of the bones was found about the year 1900 on a farm two miles southeast of Three Oaks owned by E. K. Warren. They were discovered while digging post holes.

The specimens are on exhibition in the Chamberlain Memorial Museum.

One of the teeth sent us for identification proves to be a partly worn lower third molar having twenty-four ridge-plates. There are seven and a half ridge-plates in 100 mm. The greatest length of the tooth is 350 mm. and its greatest breadth 95 mm.