12 EVERMANN AND CLARK 



home in a burrow under one of the buildings on Long Point. In 

 the fall of 1904 some burrows were observed in the middle of a level 

 field, the holes going vertically downward several feet. This is 

 rather unusual, as the Groundhog almost invariably selects a hill- 

 side or bank in which to dig its burrow. 



In May and early June, 1901, five were shot in Green's field near 

 the gravel pit, 2 of which were old females, and 3 were young. 

 About the last of June, 1901, a half-grown young was caught near 

 Lost Lake. When pursued it ran until overtaken, when it turned 

 and showed fight. August 25, 1906, several were noted in fields 

 near the railroad south of the lake. They sat up erect and watched 

 us go by. September 13, 1906, one was killed near Lost Lake. 

 September 22, 1907, several burrows, evidently of this animal, were 

 seen along fences between the lake and the tamarack swamp. 



In the early spring, soon after the first warm days have come and 

 the only remaining reminders of the passing winter are a few snow 

 banks in protected places or occasional little flurries of snow, and 

 when the first green blades of grass are just peeping through the 

 matted dead grass of the previous year on warm hillsides and along 

 fence-rows, the first Groundhog of the season is apt to be seen. 

 He will most likely be found out in the open in some old meadow, 

 preferably a clover-field, and near his den. Here he appears early 

 in the afternoon when the sun shines warm on the hillside. He 

 comes out not only to feed upon the young and tender stems and 

 leaves of the clover and other early spring plants, but he also de- 

 lights to lie in the warm sunshine or to sit upright near his burrow 

 looking about over the fields and renewing his acquaintance with 

 the scenes which have remained only as a memory since he went 

 into winter-quarters the previous fall. Later in the spring and in 

 summer and fall, if you should be abroad in the early morning when 

 the sun is just showing and the dew still hangs heavy and sparkling 

 on the tender new grass, you will almost certainly be rewarded by 

 seeing one or more Woodchucks in any cloverfield you chance to 

 pass. Then they come out for their morning repast of red clover 

 stems and leaves, and the tender shoots of windflower and cinna- 

 mon fern. At this time they will be quite busy. When done feed- 

 ing they return to their burrows where they probably sleep until 

 one or two o'clock when they reappear, not so much for feeding as 



