NUT-CRACKERS AND WOOD-CUTTERS. 81 



10. " One morning Ardea was missing, and, after a vain 

 search about the house, a hunt in all his favorite nooks, 

 we were almost in despair of finding him. Before giving 

 up all hope we walked around the long piazza, and at the 

 very end discovered Peep, in jubilant mood, his cord 

 stretched taut, one claw thrust out, while just beyond his 

 reach crouched naughty little trembling Ardea." 



11. Another rodent common to our woods is the por- 

 cupine, which we have already described. In Africa and 

 Asia the porcupine is about the same size as ours, but has 

 much longer quills. It lives on herbs and fruit, and comes 

 out at night to seek its food. When attacked, it rolls itself 

 up in a ball and thrusts out its sharp quills, which are 

 from eight to ten inches long. While in this position 

 none but very hungry animals care to attack it. It is said 

 that the puma has a curious way of disposing of the 

 American porcupine. He seizes it by the head, and 

 making a slit across the. pate, where there are no quills, 

 he gradually draws the carcass out of the skin. 



12. The beaver, one of the larger rodents, is among 

 the most interesting of animals. A full account of its 

 appearance and habits is given in Book I. Beavers live 

 in communities, build dams across streams to keep the 

 water above at a uniform height, and in the pond thus 

 formed they build houses, with upper chambers above 

 the water, and dry for their nests. The entrance to the 

 dwellings is always under the water. In building dams 

 they gnaw off large trees, cut logs of proper length, and 

 float them down to the place where the dam is to be con- 

 structed. When the skeleton of the dam is completed, it 

 is finished by plastering the crevices with mud. The 

 beaver is easily tamed, and becomes a kind, affectionate, 

 and clean member of the household, and the only trouble 

 is his propensity to make a dam across the corner of the 



