NATURE'S CALENDAR 



25 



all three of these are more inclined to 

 sleep in their snug dens till February's 

 blasts and snows are well out of the way 

 — the bear in a rocky cavity, the coon in 

 some hollow high up in a tree, and the 

 skunk in a hole in the ground, a nest be- 

 neath a haystack, or, alas, in a warm 

 corner under the stable, where we are 

 sometimes most disagreeably aware of his 

 being on foot. In the fastnesses where 

 the beautiful otter still finds a harbor, he 

 is actively abroad all winter, making long 

 journeys over frozen rivers in search of 

 open places where he may fish. 



Another prowler in such solitudes is 

 the bloodthirsty mink, who seeks and 

 woos his mate in the latter part of this 

 month or in the beginning of March. 

 During the winter, however, minks seem 

 to work alone, sleeping wherever they 

 can find a snug ..corner at night, and 

 spending the day in search of food, which 

 consists mainly of earthworms and lish, 

 which they pull out of warm spring-holes. 

 Of eels they are especially fond — or per- 

 haps these are most easily taken. " I 

 know of one spring under the steep river 

 bank," says Mr. Cram, " where the minks 

 watch patiently until some unfortunate 

 eel is brought into sight by the constant 

 upward mov^ement of the water, when it 

 is quickly seized and dragged out upon 

 the snow. But the struggle does not end 

 here, for when the mink prepares to bear 

 its victim away in triumph the latter is 



February 12 



February 13 



