2S 



NATURE'S CALENDAR 



February i8 



All other mammals within our range 

 must lay up a store of provisions or else 

 avoid the winter altogether by sleeping 

 it out, or combine both methods of ex- 

 istence, varying them, of course, accord- 

 ing to the comparative coldness of the 

 district where they live. Thus the musk- 

 rat of northern latitudes heaps up in the 

 fall a mass of more or less edible vegeta- 

 tion in the water near his burrow home in 

 the stream-bank, making a cavity in the 

 centre, which he can enter from beneath, 

 and where he can stay above the water 

 and eat when the weather or inclination 

 forbid his leaving home. Thus, if other 

 food fails, he may gradually devour his 

 shelter or store— literally eat himself out 

 of house and home. Both the muskrat 

 and the beaver make long excursions be- 

 neath the ice, and strive to keep clear of 

 frost certain breathing-holes and exits. 



The gray squirrels construct big globu- 

 lar nests in hollow trees, or more often 

 among the branches, and are active every 

 day except extremely stormy ones. They 

 can find a great deal of food, and there- 

 fore only bury nuts and acorns singly 

 here and there in the fall, many of which 

 they dig up even when hidden under a 

 foot or two of snow. The red squirrel is 

 also active all winter, yet has stored away, 

 preparatory to this holiday, a vast num- 

 ber of nuts and such other provision as 

 he likes in many secure places close to 

 his nest, usually in some hole under the 



February 19 



