Woodchuck 423 



was 49 Inches down. The burrows at the entrance were usually 

 about I foot by 6 inches, but sometimes much larger; in one case 

 very near to 24 inches one way. But always they are speedily 

 narrowed to a diameter of 6 or 7 by 4 or 5 inches. Most had two, 

 some three, entrances ; a few had but one. Most had indications 

 of at least one earth pile at the doors. A few had no earth pile, 

 though there were signs of its former existence in the increased 

 vegetation. One only had earth piles at all doorways, of which, 

 however, it had but two. Some had a doorway concealed under 

 some shrubs and in bushes; in each case this seemed to be the 

 original door by way of which all the earth was carried out. 



The largest pile was 4 feet 9 inches by 4 feet 1 1 inches by 

 9 inches high. These mounds were evidently used as posts of 

 observation. 



I have long held the theory that many animals will plug 

 their burrows behind them to elude pursuit; Hubbell's obser- 

 vations on this point are conclusive. He thus relates his first 

 investigation: 



"One afternoon, the farmer, while ploughing over a field, 

 high and level, in which corn had been raised, and from which 

 the plough-share threw up the nests of Jumping-mice, in- 

 formed me that a Woodchuck had a few minutes previous gone 

 down into a hole by a stump, standing far out in the field. I 

 summoned our faithful Joe, and each of us, armed with a 

 shovel, proceeded to the stump. Here we began to dig, follow- 

 ing down the hole. The latter ran under the stump, ramified 

 a little, and then ran horizontally some two feet below the sur- 

 face for about five feet, and then descended rapidly nearly two 

 feet more in an additional length of some three and a half feet. 

 Not a sign did we see of our much-sought-for Woodchuck 



»e 



"The next day * * * j found at the side of the ditch 

 and on a level with the passage, which was about two feet 

 below the surface, a new hole. Aha! Here it was the Chuck 



^ Loc. cit., p. 106. 



