JUST HERE AND THERE

A grouse's nest was recently found in the White River section, at an elevation of about 5000 feet. The peculiar thing about this particular nest, which contained seven eggs, was that it contained no lining of grasses but was merely a hollow in the snow, which still covered the locality. the warmth of the hen's body had melted out this hollow to a depth of nearly two feet.

A young orphaned fawn has the role of household pet in the home of Ranger Frank Greer of Longmire. Needless to say, the young deer is quite an attraction, particularly to the children of the village. Mrs. Greer informs one and all that the pet's name is "Pete", and that it eats regularly from a bottle every two hours. And also that it's capacity for milk seems almost unlimited. The deer was photographed with the still and movie cameras and its antics will soon be well-known to everyone who attends the free lecture which Ranger-Naturalists give at Longmire, Paradise, and Yakima Park.

This deer is not the first waif to receive the hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. Greer. Almost any animal regardless of how it is regarded by its own kind or by humans, finds "Welcome" written in large letters on the Greer doormat. Renegade yearling bears, raccoons, chipmunks, ground-squirrels, and many others receive equally hospotable treatment. Having personally sampled cakes and other gastronomical delicacies prepared by Mrs. Greer at the social gatherings at Longmire, we feel that the animals cannot be blamed for "spotting" the Greers as friends worth cultivating. Mrs. Greer's experiments in animal feeding have resulted in our being able to make some very fine movies of them - particularly those of the raccoon which are now being used in our lectures.

The Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel is most properly a resident of the Hudsonian Zone. He is well-known and very abundant in the region of Paradise Valley and Yakima Park. Until last year they were practically unknown at the elevation of Longmire (2700 feet) but last year we began noting an influx of these frisky animals, which are relatives of the Chipmunk. This year they are very numerous here and one might suppose that the near future will find their range in the Park extending to the lower elevations in this region of dense timber.

As we go to press we receive word that the Greers have adopted another orphaned deer which was found on the Skyline Trail a few days ago by horse-guides. So now Pete has a playmate, and we are all wondering if it will be called "Repeat" or will be given some other, more dignified name.