Come to think of it, I recently did a video on the squonk. In fact, while doing so, it looked as if my eyes had lost a boxing match to the sandman and my beard tousled and disheveled about by a family of possums. Which, in figuring the general homeliness of the squonk, was really kind of appropriate (SEE “The Squonk” by William T. Cox for more). The video recounted much of the same limited information about the squonk while reminding the audience that folklore being written down is an exception not the rule. This brings to mind a quote from Henry H. Tryon's Fearsome Critters: “It is common knowledge that America has grown at a tremendous pace, so rapidly in that much true folk-lore was born, lived and died with no chance of ever becoming a part of our permanent records. Without doubt this has happened to a good bit of woods lore.” Of course, Tryon did mention the squonk in his book, which imparted certain insights into this remarkable animal. However, the squonk is mentioned in Flatlanders and Ridgerunners: Folktales from the Mountains (1983) by James York Glimm describing the "weeping squonk" as "a small fuzzy bird with a long beak" and if captured in a sack will only leave behind "a few wet feathers." This account differs from the descriptions by both Cox and Tryon and is perhaps influenced by "squonk" being an

onomatopoeia for a bird cry or perhaps even a portmanteau of squawk and honk. Upon inspection, Glimm’s account does seem to be authentic, perhaps the very last. Saved for any lone surviving storytellers deep in the mounts of Northern Pennsylvania who may yet still spin on occasion tales of this most curious of beasts. And that's pretty much it, after Glimm the trail of the squonk would appear to grow cold, its tears no longer glistening under the light of the full moon. And to quote another learned scholar, Cox, “Few people outside of Pennsylvania have ever heard of the quaint beast, which is said to be fairly common in the hemlock forests of that State.” Oh, and before I go, “hemlock” refers to eastern hemlock a conifer unrelated to the poison that kill Socrates. I feel the need to mention this after hearing a podcaster declare to the effect, “Oh man, I'd really have to hate to look for a squonk in a poisonous forest!” So, yea. In closing, do your research, know your subject matter, and, land sakes, learn what a dadgum trees is (!), Lenwood S. Sharpe, Director Lumberwoods, Unnatural History Museum Parts Unknown, The Woods, U.S.A.