NATURE'S CALENDAR 



mon thing with far northern animals that 

 are abroad in winter, and seems designed 

 to make them less conspicuous on the 

 snow. Thus the big northern hare turns 

 white, but our common hares or rabbits 

 of the central United States find it need- 

 less to do so, and become darker rather 

 than lighter this month, like other fur- 

 bearers, which often display tints and 

 markings absent from their summer coat. 

 This interesting phase of winter life will 

 be treated of more particularly when we 

 come to consider December. 



This brings us to a family of smaller 

 mammals, some of which are wide awake 

 in February, while others stay fast asleep 

 — the gnawers. The porcupine scram- 

 bles awkwardly about his northern woods 

 now as well as when the blossoms are out, 

 finding plentiful provender in the bark 

 and leaves of evergreen trees, though 

 even he is fain to hang himself in a dense 

 tree-top during "cold snaps," and take a 

 prolonged semi-torpid nap in which the 

 question of food has no interest for him. 

 The opossum behaves in much the same 

 way, being fond of staying at home in his 

 hollow tree, or under the barn, yet he 

 wanders a good deal in mild weather in 

 search of food. With this animal, how- 

 ever, ends the list of those able to sup- 

 port themselves in winter from day to 

 day, with the exception of the shrews, 

 which, though the tiniest of quadrupeds, 

 are also among the most hardy. 



February i6 



February 17 



