742 Home Nature-Study Course. 



(lo). Did you ever know of a woodchuck appearing on Candlemas 

 Day or on St. Valentine's Day to look at its shadow? 



(ii). When does the woodchuck appear in the spring? 



(12). Compare its general appearance in the fall with the same in 

 the spring and explain the reason why. 



Fads for the Teacher. — The woodchuck is found in meadows and pastures 

 usually near gardens or fields of growing grass or clover. It is especially fond 

 of clover and also enjoys "garden sauce" quite as much as the farmer, and has 

 a special delectation for melon patches. The woodchuck usually feeds in the 

 morning and again in the evening, and is likely to spend the middle of the day 

 resting. It is likely to go some distance from its burrow to feed and at short 

 intervals it lifts itself upon its hind feet and looks around to see if there is an 

 enemy near; it especially does this when startled. In the earlier times the 

 woodchucks were much preyed upon by wolves, wild cats, foxes, and in fact all of 

 the animals that like juicy meat. Now only the fox remains and he is fast 

 disappearing, so that at present the farmer and his dog arc about the only serious 

 enemy this animal has to contend with. A woodchuck will usually seek to escape 

 by running to its burrow ; and when running it has a pecuHar gait which has been 

 described as "pouring itself along." If it gets into its burrow it at once commences 

 to dig deeply and throw the earth behind it, thus making a wall to keep out the 

 enemy. Sometimes a woodchuck will climb a tree when attacked by a dog, and 

 Professor Bailey has found them in his peach trees enjoying the peaches. When 

 cornered, the woodchuck is a courageous and fierce fighter, its sharp incisors 

 proving to be most powerful weapons ; a woodchuck will often whip a dog much 

 larger than itself. When feeding it often makes a contented grunting noise; when 

 attacked and fighting it growls, and when feeling happy and conversational it 

 sits up and whistles. There are plenty of statements in the books that woodchucks 

 are fond of music, and Mr. Ingersoll states that at Wellesley College a woodchuck 

 on the chapel lawn joined the morning song exercises with a " clear soprano." 

 The young woodchucks are born about the first of May and the litter usually 

 numbers four or five. In June the young woodchucks are often to be seen following 

 the mother in the field. During the late summer it is a ground hog's business to 

 feed very constantly and become exceedingly fat. Aljout the first of October it 

 retires to its den and sleeps until the end of March or April. During this dormant 

 state the beating of its heart is so faint as to be scarcely perceptible and very little 

 nourishment is required to keep the animal alive. This nourishment it finds in the 

 stored up fat which it uses up by March and comes out in the spring looking gaunt 

 and lean. The saying that the ground hog comes out on Candlemas or St. 

 Valentine's Day and if it sees its shadow goes back to sleep for six weeks is 

 mythical and has no basis in recorded fact. 



Lesson II. 



THE WOODCHUCK's APPEARANCE. 



Purpose. — To induce the pupils to study more closely the physical 

 peculiarities of the woodchuck, 



