144 MAMMALIA. 



The remarkable circumstance has already been noticed that the 

 Woodchuck often retires to winter-quarters when surrounded by 

 an abundance of food, and during the continuance of fine warm 

 weather ; but still more surprising is the fact that he generally 

 emerges from his hole and tunnels to the surface while the ground 

 is buried in snow to the depth of several feet, and when no green 

 thing is to be found upon which he can feed. He not only comes to 

 the surface, but makes long journeys in various directions over the 

 snow-covered land, and is apt to continue these apparently aimless 

 pilgrimages night after night until the fast-melting snow enables him 

 to reach the much-coveted grass, which has been kept fresh and 

 green in places by its heavy covering. 



The Hon. Daniel Wadsworth, of Hartford, Connecticut, once 

 kept a Woodchuck alive for upwards of two years, and furnished 

 Audubon and Bachman with the following interesting account of 

 its hibernation : " Winter coming on, the box was placed in a warm 

 corner, and the Woodchuck went into it, arranged its bed with care, 

 and became torpid. Some six weeks having passed without its 

 appearing, or having received any food ; I had it taken out of the 

 box, and brought into the parlour ; — it was inanimate, and as round 

 as a ball, its nose being buried as it were in the lower part of its 

 abdomen, and covered by its tail — it was rolled over the carpet 

 many times, but without effecting any apparent change in its 

 lethargic condition, and being desirous to push the experiment as 

 far as is in my power, I laid it close to the fire, and having ordered 

 my dog to lie down by it, placed the Wood-Chuck in the dog's lap. 

 In about half an hour my pet slowly unrolled itself, raised its nose 

 from the carpet, looked around for a few minutes, and then slowly 

 crawled away from the dog, moving about the room as if in search 

 of its own bed ! I took it up, and had it carried down stairs and 



rare. In the early springs that sometimes follow exceptionally mild winters, Woodchucks occa- 

 sionally appear in Februarj', but re-enter their burrows and again become dormant if the tempera- 

 ture suddenly falls. In Southern New England they commonly remain out till late in October, and 

 I have seen them in the Connecticut Valley even in November. 



