News comes from Maine, as always at this time of year, that a Penobscot ice breaker has been seen. This is a privilege few have enjoyed. Just what the ice breaker was doing when seen the report does not tell, but he must have been having a good time, for there is still plenty of ice to break in Maine. This ice breaker was seen in company with a pack of young procks. It is very much to be desired that the next person who sees an ice breaker or a prock will furnish a more accurate description of these animals than any of the accounts now available.
The Maine plunkus or ding-maul is well known. It has a small body, but a tail about 6 or 8 feet long. with a lump of bony gristle at the end as large as a foot ball. This is its sole but sufficient means of defense. The mountain gouger or bowger is also often seen in Maine. He is an animal that captures those inexpert woodsmen who lose their sense of direction and go astray in the woods. Less common are the kickle-snifters, who live in old men’s beards and in circular lakes; the swamp gahoon, an animal that makes snowshoe tracks, and the tree squeak, which makes a noise like trees rubbing together in the wind. Other Maine woods animals are the kangagee, the mountain rabbit and the philamaloo bird, the screbowil, the swamp swiver, the wampus cat and the whiffenpuff.
The side-hill badger is known else-where—that creature provided with two short legs on one side and two long legs
