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The White Brant is very common in this country particularly below tide water where they remain in vast quantities dureing the winter. they feed like the Swan Goose &c. on the grass and roots & Seeds which they find in the marshes this bird is a little larger than the brown brant and a fourth less than the common wild or Canadian goose. the head is proportionably with the goose reather large; the beak thicker Shorter and of the Same form, being of a yellowish white colour except the edges of the Chaps, which are frequently of a dark brown. the legs and feet are of the Same form of the goose and are of a redish white or pail flesh colour. the tail is composed of Sixteen feathers of equal length as those of the geese and brown brant are, and bears about the Same perpotion in point of length. the Eye is of a dark colour and nothing remarkable as to Size. the wings are reather longer compared with those of the goose, but not as much So as is the brown or pieded brant. the colour of the plumage of this bird is uniformly a pure white except the large feathers of the extremities of the wings which are black.
The small Brown Pheasant is an inhabitant of the Same Country and is of the Size and Shape of the Speckled Pheasant, which it also resembles in it's economy and habits, the Stripe above the eye in this Species is scercely preceptable and is when closely examined of a yellow or orrange colour in Sted of the vermillion of the others. it's colour is of a uniform mixture of dark and yellowish brown with a Slight mixture of brownish white on the breast belley and the feathers under the tail. the whole Compound is not unlike that of the Common quaile only darker. this is also booted to the toes. the flesh is tolerable and that of the breast is as white as the Pheasant of the atlantic coast. the redish brown Pheasant has been previously discribed..
The Prarie Hen sometimes called the Grouse is peculiarly the inhabitent of the Great Plains of Columbia. they do not differ from those of the upper portion of the Missouri, the tails of which is pointed or the feathers in its center much longer than those on the Sides. this Species differ assentially in the construction of this part of their plumage from those of the Illinois which have their tail composed of feathers of equal length. in the winter Season this berd is booted even to the first joint of it's toes. the toes are also curiously bordered on their lower edges with narrow hard scales which are placed very close to each other and extend horizontally about 1/8 of an inch on each Side of the toe, thus adding to the width of the tread which nature Seams bountifully to have furnished them with at this Season for passing over the Snow with more ease. in the Summer Season those Scales fall off. they have four toes on each foot. their colour is a mixture of dark brown redish and yellowish brown and white confusedly mixed in which the redish brown prevails most on the upper parts of the body wings and tail. and the white underneath the belley and lower parts of the breast and tail. they associate in large flocks in autumn & winter and are frequently found in flocks of from five to Six even in Summer.
Bratton's horse was also discovered to be absent this evening. I presume he has also returned to the flatts. Reubin Field killed a redish brown bear which was very meagure. the tallons of this bear was remarkably Short broad at their base and Sharply pointed, this was of the Species the Chopunnish call Yahkar. as it was in very low order the flesh was indifferent.
The black skins, those which were black with a number of entire white hairs intermixed, the black with a White breast, the uniform bey, brown and light redish brown, they disignated the Yack-kah-; Said that they Climb the trees had Short nails and were not viscisious, that they could prosue them and kill them in Safty, they also affirmed that they were much Smaller than the white bear.
Shannon went out with Labeach to hunt and continue out 3 days, Gibson and Hall accompanied them for the meat Labeech killed yesterday which they brought in by 11 A M. this Morning the female was black with white hares intermixed and a white Spot on the breast the Cubs were about the Size of a dog also pore. one of them very black and the other a light redish brown or bey colour.
The white Brant ascocates in very large flocks, they do not appear to be mated or pared off as if they intended to raise their young in this quarter, I therefore doubt whether they reside here dureing the Summer for that purpose. this bird is larger than the Common brown brant or 2/3 of the common goose. it is not So long by Six inches from point to point of the wings when extended as the other; the back head and neck are also larger and Stronger; their beak, legs and feet are of a redish flesh coloured white. the eye of a moderate Size, the puple of a deep Sea green encircled with a ring of yellowish brown. it has 16 feathers of equal length in the tail their note differs but little from the Common brant. they are of a pure white except the large feathers of the 1st and 2d joint of the wings which are jut black.
Potts and Whitehouse accompanied Collins to the bear he had killed on the 16th inst. with which they returned in the afternoon. the colours of this bear was a mixture of light redish brown white and dark brown in which the bey or redish brown predominated, the fur was bey as well as the lower pertion of the long hairs, the white next succeeded in the long hairs which at their extremites were dark brown, this uncommon mixture might be termed a bey grizzle.
Field; as bratten is also Sick we derected that he Should return to the fort if he continued unwell; There is Shrub which grows Commonly in this neighbourhood which grows on the Steep Sides of the hills and also in low moist grounds, and rise to the hight of 5 or 6 feet with a large peteolate, Spreading plain crenate and Somewhat woolly leaf like the rose raspberry. it is much branched the bark of a redish brown colour and is covered with a number of Short hooked thorns which renders it extreamly disagreeable to pass among, it does not cast its foliage untill about the 1st of December.
The tyger Cat is found on the borders of the plains and in the woody country lying along the Pacific Ocean. this animal is about the size or reather larger than the wild cat of our country and is much the same in form, agility and ferosity. the colour of the back neck and sides is a redish brown irregularly variegated with small spots of dark brown the tail is about two inches long nearly white except the extremity which is black; it terminates abruptly as if it had been cut off. the belly is white with small black spots, beautifully variagated. the legs are of the same colour with the sides and back marked with transverse stripes of black the ears are black on the outer side covered with fine short hair except at the upper point which furnished with a pensil of fine, streight, black hair, = 3/4 of an inch in length. the fur of this anamal is long and fine, much more so than the wild cat of the United States but less so than that of Louservea of the N. West. the natives in this quarter make great use of the skins of this Cat to form the robes which they wear; four skins is the compliment usuly employed in each robe. the Black fox, or as they most frequently called in the neighbourhood of Detroit, Fisher is found in the woody country on this coast. how this animal obtained the name of fisher I know not, but certain it is, that the name is not appropriate, as it dose not prey on fish or seek it as a prey. they are extreemly active strong and prepared for climbing, which they do with great agility, and bound from tree to tree in pursuit of the squirrel or Rackoon their natural and most usual food. their colour is a jut black except a small spot of white on the breast. the body is long, legs short and formed something like the ternspit dog with a remarkable long tail. it dose not differ here from those of the United States.
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