NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part 1. 



THE JUMPING MOUSE. 



THE -VVOODCHUCK 



Genus Gekeillus. — Desmarest. 

 Generic Characters. — Teeth, 16 — Incis- 

 ors 2 no canines, nrindcis 3.3 The giinders 



-2' 3 3 ^ 



are luberciilous : the firsl wiih ihree, ihe second 

 with two and ihc third wiih one tubercle. Head 

 elonaatcJ ; ears moderately Ion", rounded at the 

 extremity; fore feet short with four tncs and a 

 rudimentary thumb; hind feet long, having five 

 toes wi h nails ; each foot with a proper metatar- 

 sal bone ; tail long, and more or less hairy. 



J 







THE JUMPING MOUSE. 

 Gerbillus canadensis. — Desm. 



Dkscriptiox. — General color, yellow- 

 ish brown above, {rrayish )'ellow on the 

 sides, and yellowish white on the bell}' ; 

 tail tapering, longer than the bodj', sparse- 

 ly coven'd with very short hair, and the 

 tuft at the end very small; head small, nar- 

 row and pointed; fore legs very short; hind 

 legs very long; nails slender and sharp; 

 ears moderate and covered on both sides 

 with short hair; upper incisors grooved 

 on the outside. Length of the specimen 

 before nie, from the nose to the insertion 

 of the tail 4 inches, liead 1 inch, body o 

 inches ,tail 5 inches, hind leg 2 inches ,fore 

 leg \ of an inch. 



HiSTORy. — This timid and active lit- 

 tle animal is frequently met with in the 

 grain fields and meadows in all parts of 

 the state. When not in motion it might 

 be mistaken for a common field mouse ; 

 but its usual method of progression is very 

 ditt'orent. It sometimes runs on all its 

 feet, but it more commonly moves hy leaps 

 on its hind legs, particularly when pur- 

 sued. It will often clear five or six feet 

 at a leap, and its leaps are mp-de in such 

 qtiick succession that it is not easily 

 c:iug]it. On examination, it is found to 

 differ considera'jly in form from the mouse, 

 particularly in the n-reat disproportion be- 

 tween tlie fore and liind legs, the latter 

 being more than twice the length of the 

 former. In this respect it resembles the 

 kangaroo of Australasia, and the jerboa 

 of the eastern continent. They pass the 

 winter in a torpid state and are not usu- 

 ally out in the spring before June. 



Ge.vus arctomys. — Geoffroy. 

 Generic Characters. — Teeth 22 — Incis- 

 ors ?. no Canines, fiiinders i.5 The incrisors 



2 ' = 4 4' 



are very strong with ihe anterior surface rounded ; 

 grirjders furnished with ridges and tubercles. Body 

 thick and heavy ; head and eyes large ; ears short; 

 paws strong ; fore feet wiih fovir lo?s and a rudi- 

 inentary thumb; hind feet with five toes; nails 

 strong and compressed ; tail generallv short, hairy. 



THE WOODCHUCK.. 

 Jlrctoimjs monax. — Gm ki.i.v 



Description. — General color, gra3'ish 

 ferruginous brown, paler beneath and ap- 

 proaching to red between the legs; top 

 of the licad and nose brown; feet and 

 nails l)lack ; whiskers black and stiff, 

 standing in three clusters on each side ; 

 tail covered with long reddish brown hair. 

 LengtJiofthe specimen before me from 

 the nose to the insertion of the tail 16^ 

 inches; head 3^ inches, body 13 inches, 

 trunk of the tail 5 inches, with the hair 

 extending 1 h inch be3'ond, fore legs 4 inch- 

 es, feet 2^ inches ; longest nail .6 inch ; 

 hind legs 4.J inches ; feet 3 inches; lar- 

 gest nail .4 inch. AVeighto lbs. This 

 thoughan adult is not one of the largest 

 size. 



History. — The Woodchuck is a com- 

 mon and well known animal in all parts 

 of the state. Tliey are found both in the 

 woods and open fields, wiicre they reside 

 in pairs or families, in holes , which they 

 dig in the ground. These holes are usu- 

 ally made beneath a large rock, or stump, 

 or in the side of some dry bank, and are 

 sometimes very extensive, consisting of 

 several apartments with several open- 

 ings. In these recesses they form their 

 nests of dry leaves and grass in which 

 they spend much of their time in sleep. 

 Their food is entirely vegetable, of which 

 they eat various kinds. They are par- 

 ticularly fond of clover and beans, and 

 are occasionally injurious to the farmers 

 by the extent of their depredations. 

 When feeding they frequently rise upon 

 their haunches to reconoitre, raising their 

 fore feet like hands. In this position, 

 wJien the weather is fine, they will some- 

 times sit for hours at the entrance of the 

 holes, but they seldom venture far abroad 

 in the day time. On the approach of 

 cold weather tliej- confine themselves to 



