During the past month Dr. G. C. Ruhle, Park Naturalist of Glacier National Park, paid "The Mountain" a short visit and we had the pleasure of showing him a bit of the beauty of this region by moonlight. Mt. Rainier, beautiful at any time, always out does itself then. With the eerie light of the moon upon it; with the dense forests at its base clothed in a sparkling blanket of snow that emphasized the deep shadows of the glacial gorges and with the murmur of the Nisqually the only audible sound as it flowed along its snow-choked course, the effect was very impressive -- even to one used to the beauties of Glacier Nat'l Park.

The cover of this month's Notes is supposed to picture a Whistling Marmot -- that interesting dweller of the rocky mountainsides in the sub-alpine regions of the Park. This month his cousin, the Groundhog, will enjoy some limelight in connection with the possibility of an early spring. However the Marmot will be oblivious to this for he is still hibernating knowing full well that it will do him little, if any, good even if he did emerge and see his shadow. There is a good six weeks -- and more -- of winter where the Marmot lives still to come!

Preston Macy, Asst. Chief Ranger, brought in a Kennicott Screech Owl the other day. It had been found frozen to death. He also brought in a Shrew -- a very small mouse-like animal -- which he stated had been "afflicted with a bad case of pantryitis that was responsible for its death".

A trip to Indian Henry's Hunting Ground with Ranger John Davis recently gave us an idea of what that beautiful alpine region looks like under many feet of snow. The Patrol Cabin there was engulfed in deep drifts and the entire region changed radically by Boreas's efforts. Not a sign of life was seen in that wintry region, only our own snowshoe tracks marred the unbroken snows -- and these were quickly obscurred from view by the snowstorm.