USA > California > Los Angeles County > Pasadena > History of Pasadena, comprising an account of the native Indian, the early Spanish, the Mexican, the American, the colony, and the incorporated city, occupancies of the Rancho San Pasqual, and its adjacent mountains, canyons, waterfalls and other objects of interest: being a complete and comprehensive histo-cyclopedia of all matters pertaining to this region > Part 71
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* " Nasuinae- a sub-family of Procyonidae ; coatis. Nasua."-Standard Dictionary, 1895.
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house in the heart of the city. They do no harm (if not disturbed) and undoubtedly drive out the rats and mice. Many farmers in the valley keep them in their barns for this purpose.
BADGER .- In strolling over the country one occasionally comes upon this curious flat animal, strongly marked with black and white. It is so very flat that it is easily overlooked, and might readily be taken for a rock. The American badger (Taxidea Americana) has a wide range, all over the middle and northern portion of the continent, and is particularly common here. It is terrestial and fassorial in its habits, a clumsy creature, with an enormous development of claws, enabling it to dig and burrow at an aston- ishing rate. The badger lives on small animals of various kinds, but is not averse to varying its diet when the former are scarce. It devours every- thing, from a wasp's nest to a snake, when pressed. The nest is the bur- row, where from four to six young are brought out in the spring. The badger has no enemies here except man, and as there is little or no demand for their skins, they are increasing rapidly. One of the oldest sports in Europe is badger baiting, the animal making a fierce fight. The Pasadena animal when cornered will make a good fight, and easily escape from an un- armed man.
WEASEL .- Often in riding or walking along in the low brush I have startled a long, slender, snake-like little creature, which darts away with re- markable velocity, filling the air with a pungent odor, disagreeable to the dogs. It is the weasel (Putorius), a reddish chestnut brown above, and lighter beneath. It preys upon small animals of various kinds, and is very pugnacious. Hawks sometimes pounce down upon it, realizing too late their mistake, the weasel fastening its sharp teeth in the throat, and finally becoming the victor though carried a long distance from home. The weasel burrows, forming a small inconspicuous hole. The ferret belongs to this group, and a number have been introduced on the San Rafael ranch to drive out the squirrels. Two, possibly three, species of weasels are found in this vicinity.
NOTE .- These weasels are called Mustela by our Spanish-speaking citi- zens. Mr. Arturo Bandini relates that in July, 1889, he witnessed in Wil- son canyon a fight between a weasel and a red racer. The weasel had seized the snake by the back of its neck, so that it could not bite him, and held his grip in spite of the snake's frantic endeavors to whip, or whisk or shake him off. Finally, it coiled itself around and around the weasel's body, and tried to squeeze it to death ; meanwhile he could hear the gritting noise of the weasel's teeth in action, then presently there was a sort of click or snapping noise, and the snake, making one convulsive flop, fell over limp and dead. The weasel had gnawed away till he had completely bitten through and severed its backbone at the neck .- ED.
MOUNTAIN LION .- One of the finest animals, as regards general appear- ance and bearing, found in this vicinity, is the mountain lion. Its wide geographical range lends it an additional interest, it being found from the Straits of Magellan to Canada, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific on both continents. In the eastern states, especially New York, it is the panther- the old Adirondack guides in telling me stories of its prowess, calling it the "painter." In New England it is the catamount; in Florida, the cougar ;
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in South America, the puma, carcajou, or quinquajou. It varies but little in appearance in all these localities, when in good condition being a fine-look- ing cat, resembling to some extent the female Asiatic lion, and well de- serving the name, Leon del Monte, that is given it in Southern California. It is the largest cat in North America proper, a formidable animal when cor- nered, and in many localities a menace to the farmer. Many stories are told of its ferocity in attacking man, but after much investigation I never could learn of but one instance where it had deliberately attacked a human being. A typical mountain lion stands about two feet at the shoulder, often more ; is from five feet to five feet six from the snout to the root of the tail, and weighs one hundred and fifty pounds. Its color is like that of the lion, a reddish hue, light below ; its movements leonine, or cat-like. In compar- ing it to the cat tribe in general, the head is seen to be smaller in proportion to the body than others, except the leopard. The fact that this animal has such a wide geographical range has given rise to the belief that there are several species, but Felis concolor is the one found so extensively over North and South America. In Northern California it attains its greatest perfec- tion, and the Indians believe that it makes a successful fight against the grizzly, and when pressed by hunger is known to be extremely savage. In this southern section of the state it is generally confined to the mountains, and is sometimes met on the trails. One was killed near the sheep corral south of the Raymond last year, Mr. H. N. Rust securing the skin. At least two were killed on the Wilson trail; and one visited the town of San Gabriel this last winter [1888-1889] and was followed several days by the tracks.
LYNX .- Others of the cat tribe in this vicinity are at least two var- ieties of the lynx ; one which we know as the wild cat, though properly a lynx (Lynx maculatus), and another larger form occasionally killed by Mr. Bandini. The common lynx caught here in the wild-cat hunts is the former, the "Gato monte " of the Mexicans and Spaniards, the " No-me " of the Yuma Indians, and "Chimbi" of other Indians of this state. A typical specimen in the possession of the writer, obtained- through the courtesy of Mr. Arturo Bandini, measures two feet seven inches from the tip of the tail to the nose ; the tail being five inches in length. Bandini, who probably kills more of these animals in the course of the year than any one on the coast, has seen larger ones. The lynx varies so in color in dif- ferent parts of the country that it is difficult to determine the species. Mivart includes all our species under one head, Lynx borealis, but any one who has seen our Pasadena lynx or wild cat and a Canada lynx side by side would notice a decided external difference. The lynx that attacked Mr. Bandini some months ago, was in all probability what is recognized by nat- uralists as the Red lynx (Felix rupa), while our ordinary wild cat is the spotted lynx (Lynx maculata). The lynx or wild cat is extremely common here, making its home in the greasewood brush and in the canyons. It preys upon small animals of all kinds, and does not hesitate to enter the hen-house, and when cornered will attack man or beast. The lynx encoun- tered by Mr. Bandini sprang at his throat with great ferocity, ripping his clothes with its sharp claws, and ultimately escaping. When followed by hounds here, the cat takes to a tall tree, usually a sycamore, and will, when pushed, leap from fifty to sixty feet down, landing perhaps on its springy cushions, and dashing away from the hounds with remarkable speed, to be treed again, and ultimately die in a desperate encounter with the dogs. The
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spotted lynx about Pasadena has, if taken at the right time, a fine skin, making an attractive rug. Mr. Bandini has the finest collection of these skins probably in the country, all taken by his fox hounds, either in the Arroyo or Wilson's pasture near his home .*
Fox .- As I write I have a gray fox, from mountains back of Pasa- dena, by my side, growling an audible protest at the writing-up process. It is the California representative of the gray fox ; a creature about twenty-two inches long from the nose to the root of the tail, the latter being about fif- teen inches in length -a fine brush with a distinct black line upon the up- per surface. It is very timid, yet can be trained, and eats out of my hand. It is a remarkable climber, jumping into an orange tree and ascending to the top with all the ease of a cat, and then biting off the branches to make a comfortable place to rest. In hunting this fox in the Arroyo with the hounds, it often misleads the dogs by leaping into a tree and by jumping from limb to limb and passing over the masses of vines, making its escape. The fox in my possession is a most expert climber, and will balance himself upon a narrow plank-edge with all the skill of a cat, and is a most interest- ing little creature. Mr. Charles Winston owns one that is so tame that it plays with the dog, and seems to be thoroughly domesticated. ;
From " Land of Sunshine, October, 1895.
A YOUNG COYOTE-PHOTO FROM LIFE.
This is the most artistically successful and perfect portrait of our uative coyote [pronounced co-yoh-ty] that has ever been obtained. The subtlety of character-expression in that sly, waggish countenance is a study for Shakespeare or Dickens.
* This was in 1889. Since that, worms and insects got into Mr. Bandini's rare and valuable collec- tion of lynx skins, and destroyed them.
t Van Dyke says : "The red fox is abundant, though smaller than the red fox of the Atlantic states, and has a grayer coat." I think there is but the one variety of species here, although it is called by such different names as mountain fox, coast fox, silver-gray fox, red fox, etc., all referring to the same animal .-- ED.
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DIVISION EIGHT -SCIENCE.
COYOTE .- The coyote (canis latrans) is to America what the jackal is to the old world, a sly, predatory, lowland wolf, hunting either singly or in bands, fleet of foot, hard to kill, the familiar of every portion of the western country. During the day the coyote remains in the canyons, in the Arroyo and the main range, but as soon as night sets in, their demoniac laughing- bark can be heard, setting the dogs in the neighborhood wild. Knowing that it can outrun the average dog, the coyote strolls up into the town, trots down Orange Grove Avenue and through the orange groves, after plunder. They venture into the very heart of the town, being seen on Marengo Avenue and in various localities thickly settled. As morning approaches, they start for the Arroyo and the foot-hills. I have seen them lying on the slopes of the high hills south of Ramona during the day, and their wonder- ful speed has often tested the powers of Mr. Shorb's fine gray and stag hounds. In one run, the coyote was followed from the top of the range at least a mile and a half before it was caught, and then made a most savage fight, wounding every dog in the pack, and badly injuring the best dog. The coyote will rarely attack a larger animal than itself, but when caught or cornered it makes a valiant fight. The coyote burrows on the hill sides, forming a subterranean nest, where its young are produced. It preys upon various small animals, and is a veritable scavenger, eating anything it can find or steal. The coyote belongs to the same genus as the common dog, and the difference between the skulls of the two is very slight .* They are readily tamed, and Mr. Bandini informs me that he had one which ran with a pack of hounds unmolested.
MOUNTAIN DEER. - In wandering in the low brush of our hill sides, or the deep, well- wooded canyons of the upper range, the stroller often sees for a fleeting moment a vision of long, pointed ears, bright, lustrous eyes, then a crash is heard, and the black-tailed deer is away, find- ing its way through the seemingly impenetrable scrub with remarkable ease and celerity. This Old deer trail in Mil_ lard Can- yon, above the Giddings farm. little creature (Cervus Columbianus) is very com- mon among our hills and mountains. The black- tailed deer may be considered a purely mountain form, loving the thickly-wooded slopes, and the - lofty ridges of the upper range. It equals the Virginia deer in size, often exceeding it, and has an entirely different antler arrangement, the horns being what is known as doubly dichotomous, or arranged in double pairs. It is stouter than the Virginia deer, and is not so fleet. The rutting season is usually in Septem- ber, the horns being cast in March, and perfect again in August. The young number one or two, and are attractive little creatures, spotted like the young of many of the tribe. The black-tailed deer is easily distinguish- able from the mule deer by its smaller size, its jet-black tail, and the dusky horse-shoe mark on the forehead.
MULE DEER .- The mule deer (Cariacus macrotis) undoubtedly ranges the whole Sierra series, and Judge Eaton has in recent years described a variety
* The coyote is almost identical with the wild dogs of Assyria and Palestine spoken of so frequently in the Bible, and with the Dingo or wild dog of Australia. The aborigines of our Santa Barbara islands had domesticated it. Chas. F. Lummis writes : "Coyote is one of the Aztec words adopted into Span- ish. Its original form was coyotl."
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of this species from the Southern California mountains. The mule deer is more commonly found in the mountains of the north, and is, next to the elk, the largest American deer. It is a particularly ungraceful creature ; its stocky form and long ears calling to mind the animal from which it derives its name. Its color is ashy brown, assuming a grayish hue in winter ; the legs are yellowish, while down the back there is a distinct black stripe. The ears are eight inches long and very conspicuous ; the buttocks white and the glands of the hind legs large. As might be supposed, the animal is slower than the black-tailed deer. The rutting season is in October, the horns being cast in March. The young, generally one, is of a pale yellowish tint with white spots. Like the black-tailed deer, it is a mountain form, rarely being found in low country away from the locality of its choice.
ANTELOPE .- While the antelope and big-horn are not found in the San Gabriel valley, the big-horn sheep (ovis montana), one of the finest game animals in the world, has been shot in sight of Pasadena ; two specimens were taken upon the slopes of Old Baldy last season [1888], Mr. Carr having the head of one. The big-horn is the ally of the wild sheep of Asia Minor. Several parties have been made up in Pasadena to follow the antelope or prong-horn, the last being organized by Dr. Rowland; the sport of chasing the nimble animals at full speed and shooting them on the dead run being described as very exciting. The prong-horn (antelocapra Americana) is the only antelope in America and is undoubtedly as swift as many of the African forms. In former years it was found iu this country in vast herds, but the advance of lot stakes has had the usual result, and they are becoming rarer every year. Their range may be said to be from Mexico to 53 degrees north latitude and east to the Missouri river. The prong-horn is a dainty little creature, about four feet six inches in length and two feet six at the withers. The general color is yellowish brown in the upper portion and white below -the buttocks pure white, the male and female being marked about the same. The eyes are large, lustrous, and expressive, and are placed immediately underneath the horns.
BEARS .- Nearly all the old hunters insist that there are four or five kinds of bears found in the western country - the grizzly, black, brown, and cinnamon. The differences are mainly in color, and systematists recog- nize but two kinds in the west (ursus horribilis), and the black bear (ursus Americanus), the others being considered mere varieties, and so judged from a careful comparison of skeletons. I believe the last grizzly shot in the vicinity of Pasadena was shot by Mr. E. W. Giddings, on his ranch at the mouth of Millard canyon. [See page 129.] The grizzly is one of the most formidable of all animals. It attains a length of nine feet and a weight of over 1800 pounds. Its long, gouge-shaped claws, its sharp, pow- erful tusks, and tremendous gripping power make it an adversary to be dreaded. The black bear is naturally a vegetarian, though they vary their diet according to the supply. In the fall they are usually fat, and in cold climates go into what is termed a state of hibernation. In this country the bears in all probability do not hibernate, though it is possible they pass through a partial hibernation on the high range where snow lies for several months.
In addition to the foregoing which I have collated from his published writings, Prof. Holder furnished me in June, 1894, the following complete
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DIVISION EIGHT -SCIENCE.
list of our native mammals which he kindly prepared specially for this volume :
PROF. HOLDER'S COMPLETE LIST OF OUR NATIVE MAMMALS. [Notes in brackets by the editor.]
BADGER .- Taxidea Americana.
BATS. - Vespertilio lucifugus ; Nitidus ; Evotis ; Plecotus macrotis ; Autrozous pallidus ; and several others.
BEARS .- Black : Ursus Americanus ;- Grizzly : Ursus horribilis ; cinna- mon : Ursus cinnemoneus.
BIG-HORN .- Ovis montana. Found within a few years on Mount San Antonio. [Formerly also in the San Gabriel mountains.]
COYOTE .- Canis latrans. [Identical with the wild dogs of Assyria, Samaria and Judea. ]
DEER .- Black-tailed : Cariacus Columbianus ; mule deer (rare) ; Cari- acus macrotis. [Abundant in all this region when Spaniards first came here. ]
Fox .- Coast fox : Vulpes littoralis. [Also called silver-gray fox, and mountain fox. Plenty of them at Echo mountain and vicinity.]
GOPHER .- California variety : Thomomys bulbivorus (Baird).
MOLE. - Scalops aquatrius.
PUMA .- Felis concolor. [Mountain lion.]
PORCUPINE. (?)- Erethizon dorsatum. [Extremely doubtful.]
RACCOON .- Black-footed : Procyon hernandezii.
RACCOON-FOX .- Bassaris astuta. [Also called " civet-cat," ring-tailed bassaris, etc. [See " Civet cat," page --. ]
RABBITS. - Jack rabbit (hare) : Lepus Californicus ; - cotton-tail : Lepus artemisia. I have seen two different species of cotton-tails, I am positive. [Van Dyke describes two species.]
RATS .- Pocket rat : Dipodomys phillipsii-observed at Las Casitas ; - wood rat : Neotoma fuscipes.
SQUIRRELS .- Ground squirrel : Spermophilus Buchezii ; - fox squirrel : Sciurus fossa ;- chipmunk : Tamias Harrisii. [I think there is also a gray" timber squirrel found high up in the mountains, but not given in this list .- ED.]
SKUNKS .- Big skunk : Mephitis occidentalis ; - small spotted skunk : Spilogale putorius.
WEASEL .- Putorius. [The "Mustela " of the Spaniards.]
WILD CAT .- Lynx rufus, variety maculatus. [Tenney's Zoology calls Lynx rufus the American wildcat, and this is the one that is called here the " California lynx," which is really a ferocious beast. But there is also another variety of wildcat here, which is much more pussy-like in its man- ners, though sometimes quite large .- ED.]
WOLF-Gray : Canis occidentalis. [See Coyote above.]
The following I quote further from Prof. Holder's published writings :
ANCIENT ANIMALS OF PASADENALAND.
It will perhaps be a surprise to some readers to learn that not so long ago (geologically speaking) the elephant was included in the Southern Cali-
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HISTORY OF PASADENA.
fornia fauna-not the elephant of India or Africa, but a prodigious creature, vast in every sense, taller by several feet than existing forms, weighing a third more, and armed with gleaming ivory tusks from fourteen to sixteen feet in length. It browsed upon the herbage of the mountain sides, wan- dered into the well-wooded glens that led into the range, and roamed over the vast mesas and by the shores of the lakes, which then were a feature of California of the South. Picture an elephant a third taller than existing species, its trunk like the limb of a huge tree, its limbs enormous columns for support rather than for locomotion, its rough head covered sparsely with hairs, and protruding from the capacious mouth two massive columns of ivory, each weighing from three hundred to four hundred pounds, and some conception of this wonderful elephant may be obtained. In the dif- ferent geological ages several elephants have inhabited this country-the mammoth, mastodon, and American elephant. Remains of the two latter have been found in Southern California, especially those of the mastodon. The mammoth was a hairy northern form, while the others ranged farther to the south. The geographical range of this animal has, from specimens found, been fairly well determined. It roamed over what are now the States of Texas, Georgia, Mexico, Oregon, Ohio aud California, but proba- bly did not venture north of the Canada line, being adapted for the warmer climate which existed in the south.
The Tertiary period of geological history is divided into three sections -Eocene, Miocene and Pliocene, the latter being the time just before the Age of Man, though some writers believe that human beings existed even earlier than this. [See Geological chart, page 541.] The American elephant came upon the scene, as far as we know, in the Pliocene time, and, unaffected by the changes that resulted in the Quaternary, continued into it.
In the Pliocene time California was inhabited by many animals equally as strange as the elephant. With it, in droves, were camels, and a huge rhinoceros, as large if not larger than any found in Africa today. The tiger now found in India was represented by a huge form. Early man, did he exist, [see page 528.] could have hunted this tiger not only on the great elephant already described, but could have rode along the base of the Sierras on the back of a huge mastodon (Mastodon Mirificus). The ancestors of the ยท present horse galloped over the plains, the curious Protohippus with three toes, fine specimens of which in its successive transitions down to the present horse, can be seen in the Museum at Yale University. The Pliocene period merged into the Quaternary, which was characterized by violent earthquakes and tippings, especially in high latitudes, and thereby marked changes of climate occurred, affecting animal life. In the Pliocene times, Pasadena and all the coast well down the Peninsula of California was under water, and the waves of the Pacific beat well up to what is now Altadena. The Puente hills and ranges about Santa Ana were beneath the wave, and huge sharks and whales fed over what are now Santa Ana, Orange, Tustin, San Juan, Ramona, etc. The vertebrae of whales are plowed up on moun- tain slopes all along this region ; and in South Pasadena a deposit contains myriads of fossil fishes. (?) [See " Fossil Fish Ledge," page 551.]
The Quaternary saw an elevation of the crust along the coast, and the Pliocene shell beds became dry land, some of the deposits being lifted high upon the tops of mountains. The lower animals, and many higher ones re- sembled those of today. This period saw the culmination of mammalian life and the beginning of its downfall. The American elephant, the masto- don, and the mammoth, lived then.
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OUR NATIVE BIRDS.
4
Young Joseph Grinnell, son of Dr. Fordyce Grinnell, has won the reputation of having captured, preserved, labeled and classified more speci- mens of our native birds than any other person. He seems to have a speci- men of every species and variety of avian fauna ever found here, all nicely preserved, and neatly labeled with both its common and its scientific name. And he furnishes for this volume the following account of them .* [Emend- ations by the editor in brackets].
THE BIRDS OF PASADENA AND VICINITY .- A great number of the birds inhabiting this State are entirely different from those found in any other section of the country. Examples of these are the California vulture [more commonly called Condor], California jay, California towhee. But also a large per cent. are either identical or very similar to the birds in the eastern or central parts. For instance, the mocking-bird, mourning dove, and turkey vulture are the same as found in the southern states east. The robins, blue-birds, wrens, pewees, and others show decided differences, while in general characteristics they are the same. Of course the climate and topography of California are the main factors in these differences. The geographical variations of our land are conducive to a wide variety of birds, thus producing a field for unlimited study.
QUAILS OR PARTRIDGES .- The most important game-birds are the partridges [quails] of which we have two widely-different species. The California partridges are the ones found in the vicinity of Pasadena and throughout all the valleys. They are slaty-olive on most of the body, but the lower part of the breast is mottled with black, yellow, white and chestnut. The throat is black, bordered with a broad white band. Also a white stripe passes over the eye and across the forehead. The head is adorned with a black plume composed of six feathers about an inch long. This description applies to the male only, the female having none of the high coloring of the male, and the crest is only about half as long. The call of the California partridge is very clear and musical, and is usually composed of three syllables, the accent being on the second, as "O-hi-o." This partridge [quail] remains in immense coveys during the fall and winter, but these disband in the spring and their members pair off to breed. They are exceedingly fond of grapes, and thousands are shot annually in the vineyards.
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