Woodchuck 431 



recent observers have discovered evidence that in warm weather 

 the Woodchucks come out by night, especially by moonlight, 

 and are partial to a twilight ramble. 



The Woodchuck Is but a slow creature. If surprised in on the 

 the open it knows that its only hope is to get back to its den, and 

 this it proceeds to do with vigorous bounds; but at its best it 

 will be overtaken by dog or boy if far from home. From the 

 latter it may escape by dodging — but the travelling Woodchuck 

 found by a dog is quickly gathered to its fathers. 



Nevertheless the creature can climb. This Is a peren- 

 nial subject of discussion in the sporting magazines. And 

 yet every naturalist who has written fully on the Woodchuck 

 within a hundred years, has discovered and announced that 

 the Woodchuck can, and does occasionally, climb a tree. It 

 does not go up with the bewildering quickness of a Squirrel, 

 not even with the steady certainty of a Coon, nor is it so sure of 

 itself as the logy Porcupine, but up it certainly does go, as 

 scores of observers have testified. 



The Rev. C. A. Richmond, of Albany, N. Y., writes me 

 on December 31, 1901 : *'In October, 1892, I was out with an 

 old hunter after deer. We were in the thick woods about the 

 headwaters of the Alleghany River, in McKean County, Pa. 

 We were on our way home and had nearly reached a small 

 clearing, when we saw the hound give chase to an animal, 

 which, after running a few yards, climbed up a tree and 

 crawled out upon a small branch. 



■"As we came under the tree we saw the Woodchuck, 

 for it was an ordinary everyday Woodchuck, clutching the 

 branch for dear life, and the dog giving tongue and leaping 

 furiously in the air. The Woodchuck was evidently not at 

 home, and in a few moments fell to the ground and was 

 instantly dispatched by the hound. It was a full-grown male, 

 unusually dark in colour. The tree was a soft maple, the 

 trunk about fourteen mches in diameter, perpendicular, and 

 of the average roughness. The branch was perhaps six 

 inches in thickness. 



