USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Littleton > History of Littleton, New Hampshire, Vol. I > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79
57
Vertebrate Animals of Littleton.
in front of him, with nostrils capable of being distended to an enormous size, or of being entirely closed, yet constantly vibrating, and usually narrowed to the merest slits when the creature is at rest. The little, deep, and villainous looking eye, with its false transparent lid, at one time half covering the sight and then with- drawn, like that seen in aquatic animals or birds, shows that the moose is not a grazing animal like the deer, and not destined to subsist on the common herbage of the forest. I suppose the moose in the summer season feeds largely upon the twigs and branches of deciduous trees ; but their favorite food is aquatic plants and roots. Hunters who have seen him eating have told me that he would stand in the mud and water up to about midside, and put liis head below the surface, feel around, and when he got hold of the right root would pull it up, shake it in the water, and munch it as it floated around him. His flexible nose was very useful to feel and bring up the favorite roots, and the power to perfectly close his nostrils, together with the transparent lid protecting his eyes, left those organs in perfect condition to perform their offices when the head was raised above the surface. . . . The winter food of the moose was principally the bark of the mountain ash, although I have been told that at times they used the bark of the white maple. The moose strikes his teeth into the bark like a set of gouges, cuts diagonally across the wood, and upward, and gathers the bark into his mouth, as it falls, with his long, pliable lip. I never saw where the bark was taken from a tree nearer than two feet of the ground, but I have seen them peeled as high as eight or nine feet."
The moose entirely disappeared from this town about 1820, though they were found about the mountains at a much later date.
The deer was sometimes taken by the first settlers, though he was not as common then as at a later period. The wolf was his natural enemy. This ravenous beast hunted in packs, and the deer that fell a prey to their fangs left nothing but clean bones to tell the tale of his destruction. When the wolf was hunted to extermination, the deer increased rapidly, and from 1810 to 1850 they were frequently met on the mountain roads. Daniel Fitzgerald, a mighty nimrod in his day, next to the wolf was the most destructive enemy of the deer, but with all his skill he did not succeed in exterminating this beautiful creature, although he did much to drive him to the mountain fastnesses where he was seldom seen, but often hunted with dog and rifle. The winters have been few indeed during the last hundred years in which the deer has not been successfully hunted in this section of the State.
58
History of Littleton.
And since the law has interposed for his protection, his flexible and elegant form is frequently seen in our pastures and forests.
The black bear was perhaps the most useful to the pioneer, as he was certainly the most dreaded, of the wild animals of our town. This animal in its maturity is about four feet in length and two and a half feet high ; its fur is long, soft, even, and shining black in color. Some have been taken much larger in size, but their lot was evidently cast under exceptionally favorable surroundings, where their food was plenty and easily captured. Many famous bear hunts have occurred in town which will be recounted in an- other place. The settlers esteemed the meat of the bear of great value. The fat portions were cut up and treated as pork, while the lean answered the purpose of beef. The skin was used for bed coverings and for caps. In early times they were numerous, and were usually captured in traps of various kinds.
For many years the wolf harassed the settlers by destroying young cattle and sheep. They were not useful and were regarded as pests of the worst kind. They were not exterminated until about 1840. The fox, mink, and sable were hunted for their fur, which the women used for muffs, boas, and capes. In more recent years they were hunted by professional nimrods who sold the pelts for export, but in time the mink and sable were so nearly exterminated that it ceased to be profitable to hunt them. The fox still makes good his title, by possession, to the soil. The rab- bit was taken, when larger game failed, for food. They were so numerous as to be regarded as nuisances, as they did much damage to clover fields.
The beaver, also taken for his fur, once numerous in this section, has quite disappeared. When the town was first settled there were large dams and villages of these busy animals on the farm now owned by C. W. Bedell and the site of the cedar swamp, near the Allen place, on the Waterford road. There was a village at the foot of the mountain, back of the farmhouse of C. W. Fitch, on the meadows, and at various places at the west part of the town. The tail of the beaver was regarded as a luxury. It was roasted, wrapped in bark and placed in the embers of the fire. These ani- mals invariably disappear at the approach of man; his grasping selfishness robs them of home and life, and such as escape the first onslaught at once seek safety by migrating beyond the reach of man's depredations.
Of the fish, common in the early days, all but the salmon are still found in our ponds and streams. Though not as numerous as formerly, they have increased, to a small extent, under the
59
Vertebrate Animals of Littleton.
protecting ægis of our statutes prohibiting their taking during the spawning season. The salmon were taken in large numbers in both the Connecticut and Ammonoosuck Rivers. It has been impossible to ascertain at what time they ceased to ascend these rivers, but it was many years ago, and it is probable that it was about the time sawmills became common.
A LIST OF THE VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF LITTLETON.
BY REV. M. V. B. KNOX, PH.D., D.D.
CLASS PISCES. THE FISHES.
Order NEMATOGNATHI.
FAMILY SILURIDA. THE CATFISHES.
Amiurus nebulosus. Horned Pout.
Order EVERITOGNATHI.
FAMILY CATOSTOMIDA. THE SUCKERS.
Catostomus catostomus. Northern Sucker.
teres. Common Sucker. 66 nigricans. Hog Sucker. Stone Roller.
FAMILY CYPRINIDEE. THE MINNOWS.
Notropis megalops. Common Shiner.
ardens. Red-fin.
Rhinichthys atronasus. Black-nosed Dace.
Semotilus bullaris. Chub. Roach.
atromaculatus. Horned Dace.
Notemigonus chrysoleucus. Golden Shiner.
Order ISOSPONDYLI. Salmon, Herring, etc.
FAMILY SALMONIDAE. THE SALMON. Salvelinus fontinalis. Brook Trout.
60
History of Littleton.
Order HAPLOMI. The Pike-like Fishes.
FAMILY ESOCIDEE. THE PIKES.
Esor americanus. " reticulatus. Eastern Pickerel. " lucius. Pike.
Order APODES. The Eels.
FAMILY ANGUILLIDZE. THE TRUE EELS. Anguilla anguilla. Common Eel.
Order ACANTHOPTERI. The Spiny-rayed Fishes.
FAMILY CENTRARCHIDAE. THE SUN-FISHES.
Lepomis gibbosus. Pumpkin-seed. Micropterus dolomieu. Black Bass.
FAMILY PERCIDA. THE PERCHES.
Perca flavescens. Yellow Perch.
CLASS BATRACHIA. THE BATRACHIANS.
Order URODELA. The Salamanders.
FAMILY AMBLYSTOMATIDÆE.
Amblystoma punctatum. Spotted Salamander. FAMILY PLETHODONTIDÆE.
Plethodon erythronotus. Spelerpes ruber.
FAMILY PLEURODELIDA. THE NEWTS. Diemyctylus viridescens. Newt. Eft.
var. miniatus. Red Eft.
Order SALIENTIA. Tailless Batrachians.
FAMILY BUFONIDAE. THE TOADS. Bufo lentiginosus. Toad.
61
Vertebrate Animals of Littleton.
FAMILY HYLIDAE. THE TREE FROGS. Hyla rersicolor. Common Tree Toad. pickeringii. Pickering's Tree Toad.
FAMILY RANIDAE. THE FROGS.
Rana virescens. Leopard Frog.
palustris. Pickerel Frog.
sylvatica. Wood Frog.
66 climata. Green Frog.
catesbiana. Bull Frog.
CLASS REPTILIA. THE REPTILES.
Order OPHIDA. The Serpents.
FAMILY COLUBRIDÆE.
Storeria occipitomaculata. Red-bellied Snake.
Eutania sirtalis. Striped Snake.
Tropidonotus sipedon. Water Snake.
Diadophis punctatus. Ring-necked Snake.
Ophibolus doliatus. Red Snake.
Order TESTUDINATA. The Turtles.
FAMILY CHELYDRIDAE. THE SNAPPING TURTLES. Chelydra serpentina. Black Turtle.
FAMILY EMYDIDA. THE POND TURTLES.
Pseudemys hieroglyphica. Hieroglyphic Turtle. Chrysemys picta. Mud Turtle.
Chelopus insculptus. Wood Tortoise.
CLASS MAMMALIA. THE MAMMALS.
Order CARNIVORA. The Flesh Eaters.
FAMILY FELIDAE. THE CATS.
Felis concolor. Panther. Cougar. Lynx canadensis. Canada Lynx. " rufus. Wild Cat.
62
History of Littleton.
FAMILY CANIDAE. THE DOGS. Vulpes vulgaris. Red Fox. Cross Fox.
FAMILY MUSTELIDAE. THE WEASELS.
Mustela americana. Sable. Pine Marten. 66 pennanti. Black Cat. Fisher.
Putorius vulgaris. Least Weasel.
ermineus. Common Weasel. Ermine.
vison. Mink.
Mephitis mephitica. Common Skunk. Lutra canadensis. American Otter.
FAMILY URSIDAE. THE BEARS.
Ursus americanus. Black Bear.
Procyon lotor. Raccoon.
Order UNGULATA. The Hoofed Mammals.
FAMILY ARVIDÆE. THE DEER.
Caraicus virginianus. Red Deer.
Order CHIROPTERA. The Bats. FAMILY VESPERTILIONIDAE. THE BATS.
Vespertilio sublatus. Little Brown Bat. Atalpha noveboracensis. Red Bat.
Order INSECTIVORA. The Insect Eaters.
FAMILY TALPIDAE. THE MOLES.
Scalops aquaticus. Common Mole. Condylura cristata. Star-nosed Mole.
FAMILY SORICIDAE. THE SHREWS. Blarina brevicauda. Mole Shrew.
63
Vertebrate Animals of Littleton.
Order RODENTIA. The Rodents.
FAMILY SCIURIDA. THE SQUIRRELS.
Sciuropterus volucella. Flying Squirrel.
Sciurus carolinensis. Gray Squirrel. . 6 hudsonicus, Red Squirrel. Tamias striata. Chipmunk.
Arctomys monax. Woodchuck.
FAMILY ZAPODIDÆE.
Zapus hudsonius. Jumping Mouse.
FAMILY MURIDA. THE MICE.
Mus decumanus. Brown Rat. Norway Rat. musculus. House Mouse. Hesperomys leucopus. White-footed Mouse. Arvicola reparius. Meadow Mouse. Fiber zibethicus. Muskrat.
FAMILY SPALACOPODIDA. THE PORCUPINES. Erethizon dorsatus. Hedgehog.
FAMILY LEPORIDA. THE HARES. Lepus americanus. White Rabbit.
64
History of Littleton.
V.
VERTEBRATES CONTINUED : THE BIRDS OF LITTLETON.
BY NED DEARBORN, B. S.
T THE following account of the avifauna of Littleton is necessa- rily limited in its scope. Inasmuch as the names of many birds are not generally known, a description of each species is deemed of first importance. To this are added such salient points of temperament and habit as best illustrate the subject. Begin- ning with the divers, which are classed lowest in the scale of bird life, treatment proceeds in logical order up the list.
The nomenclature used is that adopted by the American Orni- thologist Union.
This sketch is based upon a list of the birds of Littleton made by Rev. M. V. B. Knox, which is appended, and more especially on the observations of the writer in the region of Tilton, New Hampshire, where the bird fauna is very similar to that of Littleton.
Of the diving birds that visit this town, the Dabchick ( Podilym- bus podicipes) is perhaps as common as any, though its diminu- tive size renders it less well known than the Loon. The Dabchick is otherwise known as the Dipper, Water-witch, and Pied-billed Grebe. During the breeding season Dabchicks have a black ring encircling the bill ; the throat is black; the upper parts change from grayish black on the head to dusky on the back ; the sides are ashy, and under parts white. In the fall the black of the bill and throat are lacking, and the coloration generally is pale. This bird's bill is thick, obtuse, and somewhat hooked. At no season has it any evidence of a ruff or crest about the head. Its length is about thirteen inches.
The Horned Grebe ( Colymbus auritus) is a straggler that now and then stops on its periodic journeys for rest and recupera- tion. In spring attire its head is glossy black, except a patch of buff above and behind each eye ; its fore-neck and breast are red- dish, while its under parts are white. The head is crested on top and ruffed at the sides, which gives the bird a mumpy appearance.
65
The Birds of Littleton.
In autumn its ruffs are small, and its colors hazy. Its bill is straight, and rather acute at the tip. In size it resembles the Dabchick, but its head appendages and bill are always sufficient to distinguish it.
The Red-necked Grebe ( Colymbus holbolli) is a migrant, like the last. Its length is eighteen inches. Its courting dress is uniformly blackish above and white beneath ; its neck is brownish red, whence its name. Autumn birds lack the red neck, but they are to be known at a glance by their superior size.
The common Loon, or Great Northern Diver ( Urinator imber), is the heaviest bird we have, sometimes weighing more than twenty pounds. It is a common summer resident wherever there is plenty of water. Old birds are black above, regularly spotted with white over the back ; below, they are white. The young, when in their first coat of feathers, are gray. Loons measure from thirty to thirty-six inches in length.
The Red-throated Loon (Urinator lumme) is a smaller species than the last, belonging to the sea, but occasionally a wanderer along the Connecticut. Adult birds in breeding plumage have most of the head and fore-neck bluish gray, and a large chestnut patch across the throat. Otherwise it resembles the common loon. Its average length is about twenty-six inches.
The Gulls, though very common along the coast, are so rare in this region that their appearance here always attracts special no- tice. They are web-footed birds, with long wings, so they can both fly and swim very well. The Herring Gull (Larus argen- tatus smithsonianus) is as large as our largest hen-hawks. Adult birds look white as they fly, but a close examination shows them to be light gray. Young birds are dark gray, becoming lighter with age. This gull measures about twenty-five inches in length, and four and a half to five feet in alar extent.
Bonaparte's Gull (Larus philadelphia), a rare species indeed, resembles the Herring Gull in everything but size ; it is only half as large. These two gulls are the only ones that have been re- ported in this locality.
The Wild Goose ( Branta canadensis) is a regular visitor spring and fall, and is too conspicuous to need any remark.
Another goose is rarely seen. It is the Snow Goose ( Chen hyperborea), more common in the West, which may be recognized by its uniform white plumage.
The Dusky Duck (Anas obscura), better known as the Black Duck among hunters, is a favorite game bird, and one of our commonest water fowls. The sexes agree in being sooty brown VOL I .- 5
66
History of Littleton.
all over, except for a bar of green on each wing. The male weighs about two and three-fourths pounds, and the female somewhat less.
The handsome little Wood or Summer Duck (Aix sponsa) is another species that is fairly common. They are fond of grain and nuts, and are usually found in streams and ponds bordered by forests of nut trees. They build their nests in holes in trees, carrying their young to the water in their bills. The male has a crest of green feathers that hang down back of the neck as a de- pendent plume ; the throat and belly are white; the breast is a rich purplish chestnut; the back is dark bronze. The female is similar, but less showy. The weight of the Wood Duck is less than two pounds.
Late in autumn and during the winter the Whistler, or Golden- eyed Duck (Glaucionetta dangula), is often seen in the rivers where the water runs so swiftly as to defy the frost. They are rotund little bodies that usually go in flocks, so that while a part are feeding at the bottom of the river, others are left on guard to signal the approach of danger. Their common name, Whistler, was given to them because their narrow pointed wings make a whistling sound as they fly. The other name refers to the yellow iris of their eyes. Males have dark green heads, with a patch of white on each cheek ; their backs are black, and under parts white. Females have brown heads, and slaty backs and breasts. They weigh about two pounds.
The Ruddy Duck (Erismatura rubida) is a migrant that sum- mers north of us and winters south. The male in the spring is bright chestnut on its back and sides, and silvery beneath ; the throat and sides of the head are white, and the crown is black. The heads of females and young are brown, and otherwise lack the marked definition of old males. The tail feathers of the Ruddy Duck are very stiff, and the shafts are exposed nearly to the base. The tail is carried high as the bird swims, and serves as a rudder when under water. Ruddy Ducks average seventeen inches in length.
The Sheldrake, or Fish Duck (Merganser americanus), is a winter resident, occurring under the same circumstances as the Whistler. It is a member of the Merganser family, which is distinguished by having serrated mandibles. They are expert divers, living on fish and frogs principally. The old male has a green head, black shoulders, and gray rump and tail. His under parts are white, with a tinge of saffron over the abdomen. Females and young males have red heads and gray backs. Males weigh about three and three-fourths pounds, and females half a pound less.
67
The Birds of Littleton.
The Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) are gorgeous little ducks, black and white above, with chestnut sides finely can- cellated with black, and white beneath. Their distinctive charac- teristic is a semicircular crest that stands out like a spread fan the whole length of the head. This crest is black, with a white spot near the middle. In size, the Hooded Merganser is smaller than the Wood Duck, which it rivals in dress, being about nineteen inches long. This species is only a casual visitor.
The Bittern, or Stake-driver ( Botaurus lentigunosus), is the author of the peculiar, heavy liquid sound that issues from reedy swamps morning and evening in spring and early summer. It sounds like the driving of a stake in muddy soil with a wooden maul. The Bittern is built on the same plan as all our waders. Its bill, legs, wings, toes, and neck are all long. Its color is brown above and yellowish brown beneath, everywhere variegated. Its length is about twenty-five inches, and it measures about three feet from tip to tip of its wings.
The Least Bittern ( Botaurus exilis) is a diminutive species that seldom finds its way so far north. The males are greenish black above, buffy beneath, with neck, shoulders, and wings chestnut, and a buff spot on the upper part of its wings. Females are simi- lar, but with brown rather than black above. They are not more than fourteen inches long, nor more than eighteen inches from tip to tip.
The Great Blue Heron ( Ardea herodias), often improperly called a crane, never fails to attract attention wherever found. Its huge and awkward form is particularly noticeable as it rises from its feeding ground in shallow water, and flaps heavily away. The prevailing color is a slaty blue. The under parts are varie- gated black and white. The back feathers on old birds are long and narrow; and in front, projecting down over the breast from the base of the neck, are long, stiff feathers which resemble a neck- lace. In breeding season, both sexes have two or three long black feathers extending from the back of the head over the back as a plume. The male measures about six feet across the wings, the female a little less.
The Green Heron (Ardea virescens) is a common visitor to the ponds and streams every summer. It is the smallest of the three common herons, being but two feet from tip to tip of wings. It is dark green on the back and head ; the neck varies from brown to a rich chestnut, according to age, old birds being darkest; the under parts are ashy, heavily shaded with olive.
The Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) is not often seen in
68
History of Littleton.
this locality, preferring the vicinity of the ocean, where extensive marshes furnish an abundance of food. In size, the Night Heron is similar to the Bittern, but there the resemblance ends. Its crown and shoulders are glossy green ; the upper portions of the body are otherwise bluish gray ; the under parts are nearly white. In spring, long, slender white feathers on the hind head make a plume that reaches nearly to the shoulders. Young birds in autumn are grayish brown, spotted with white. The average measurement of this species is about three and a half feet in alar extent.
The Virginia Rail (Rallus virginianus) is a citizen of marshes, both fresh and salt. Its visits here are infrequent, only occurring during the migration period. The Rail has short, concave wings, and is not so well equipped for aerial navigation as for running about mnddy places among rushes and reeds, to which its large feet and strong legs are well adapted. Its bill is an inch and a half long, rigid, and not sensitive, like the Snipe family. Its tail is short, and usually carried in an elevated position. The color of this bird is dark brown, nearly black, with chestnut below and a spot on the wings. Its extent is about fourteen inches.
The American Coot (Fulica americana) is a relative of the Rail that divides its time between swimming in shoal water and clam- bering about the sedgy shores. Its feet are peculiar in having the toes with wide scalloped margins. The Coot is sometimes called the Mud Hen. Its visits are not very rare, though its secluded habits often render it invisible. Coots are dark slate above, fading to gray on the abdomen. They are about fourteen inches long and two feet in extent.
The Ring-neck Plover (Aegialitis semipalmata) is not often found in New England away from the ocean. It is an abundant bird there, however, spring and fall, as it moves to and from its breeding grounds in the far North, and once in a while it may be seen here during the latter part of August, while on its southward journey. It is not quite so large as a robin, has a bill shorter than its head, and larger at the tip than in the middle. Only three toes are found on each foot, the hinder one being missing. The color of its upper parts is ashy olive ; beneath it is white, with a black collar across the lower neck.
The Woodcock (Philohela minor), famous as a game bird, is better known in the southern and eastern portions of this State than here, where it is rarely found. Its usual haunt is in alder swamps and wherever the earth is soft enough to be probed for worms with its long bill. It is a droll-looking bird, russet brown
69
The Birds of Littleton.
to match the dead herbage that protects it after the frosts have destroyed its green shelter, with an abnormally long bill, and eyes set high and very far back. As it flies, it utters a strange whistling sound for the first few yards. Its weight is about six ounces, and its length from bill to tail eleven inches.
Wilson's Snipe ( Gallinago delicata) resembles the Woodcock in outline and habit, except that its home is in marshy localities. It is smaller than its congener, though its equal in length, and mostly black above, streaked with buff, and barred on the breast and sides. Its occurrence here is hardly more than casual.
Of the little sandpipers that trip so neatly along our shores, none is so well known as the Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia), otherwise known as the Tip-up or Teeter-tail. Its length is seven and a half inches, and its wing breadth is about thirteen. The upper parts are drab with a coppery lustre, each feather being crossed by black bars, and shows no light-colored marks; the lower parts are white, profusely spotted with round drab dots; the bill is flesh-colored. This species is to be distinguished from others by a light bar across the wings, seen as it flies, and by having no white in its tail.
The Solitary Sandpiper ( Totanus solitarius) is a trifle larger than the Spotted, measuring eight and a half inches in length and sixteen in extent. It is less common than the last named, being oftenest seen during migration. It is dark olive, spotted sparingly, with white above ; and white beneath, shaded with olive across the breast. Its bill is black, and the outer feathers of its tail are white.
The Upland Sandpiper (Batramia longicauda), better known as the Upland Plover, is an anomalous character fitted for a wader, yet living away from the water. Its summer home is on hill farms and mountain pastures, where it utters its trilled whistle and runs about in the grass like a young turkey. This species is much larger than those previously described. Its weight is about six ounces, while its length is twelve inches and its extent is twenty-two. Its rump is sooty brown, otherwise its upper parts are mottled gray. White predominates beneath, the breast being marked with brown arrow-heads.
Occasionally, during the latter part of August, one may discover a specimen of the Least Sandpiper ( Tringa minutilla), which is called a " peep " at the beaches. It nests in Labrador, and usually follows the ocean on its pilgrimages, but sometimes strays inland on its way south. Its length is barely six inches, which is suffi- cient to prove its identity. Its plumage is gray, like the rest, but
70
History of Littleton.
has a warmer hue than either the Spotted or the Solitary, due to a sprinkling of brown.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.