78 RAMBLES ABOUT HOME. 



means or power of foretelling the character of a coming 

 winter; and do they differ in the habit of storing up 

 food, to an extent commensurate with the great varia- 

 bility of the winters ? For if a winter is steadily cold and 

 prolonged, as was that of 1880 '81, the time passed in 

 slumber will be equally extended, and a much less quan- 

 tity of food will be consumed. If, however, the weather 

 is as mild as the winter of 18T9-'80, then these animals 

 will be quite active much of the time, and of course con- 

 sume a larger amount of food. This was the case in the 

 winter last mentioned with both the gray squirrels and 

 the chipmunks, and I venture to state that there was no 

 more food stored the preceding autumn than in the fall 

 of 1880, when winter set in about November 25th. It is 

 also probable that no food whatever was consumed during 

 the three winter months that followed, yet I am assured 

 that the amount of food stored by these animals does vary, 

 and that when much is stored, the winter will be severe, 

 and vice versa. This shows not only great ignorance of 

 the habits of common animals, but the illogical position 

 of those that so confidently make the assertion is evident 

 from the fact that if the weather is mild and the animals 

 awake, then the greater supply of food is, of course, re- 

 quired ; for it must be remembered that the amount of 

 foraging in mild weather is so little that it does not be- 

 come an important factor in this question. 



The habit, per se, of storing food for winter use is 

 beyond dispute, and it now behooves us to consider the 

 variability of this practice and to seek the explanation of 

 the fact that more food is stored some winters than others. 

 It can scarcely be ascertained when and how the habit of 

 storing food for winter use was acquired. Doubtless it 

 dates back as far as the glacial period, but this does not 

 concern us. What of the habit as it exists to-dav ? 



