30 



NATURE'S CALENDAR 



February 22 



stump, or rock and tree, by their pretty- 

 trails. They evidently travel for advent- 

 ure and to hear the news, as well as for 

 food. They know that the foxes and 

 owls are about, and they keep pretty 

 close to cov^er." 



Lastly, there is a group of common lit- 

 tle animals that avoid the ills and famine 

 of winter by hibernation. Such arc the 

 bats in caves, hollow trees, and garrets ; 

 certain of the mice, like the jumping deer 

 mouse; and especially the w^oodchuck or 

 ground-hog. who retires to his grass-lined 

 underground chamber early in the fall 

 and rarely is seen until March. 



There is, perhaps, no feason why a bird 

 should not be able to pass the winter in 

 dormancy as well as a mouse or a bat, but 

 as a matter of fact none does, most of 

 them migrating each autumn to the 

 warmer South. Nevertheless, we in the 

 colder parts of the country are not left 

 without the companionship of these most 

 delightful of our out-door friends, in re- 

 gard to which I shall have an opportunity 

 to speak again at the close of the year. 



" Sunny hill-sides," as I wrote once, 

 " the wooded banks of creeks, the hedge- 

 rows and brier-grown fences along the 

 country roads, are all favorite places for 

 the winter birds. Here come the spar- 

 rows and finches, the winter wren and 

 rare cardinal, skulking about the thickets, 

 hopping through the dead fern brakes, 

 threading the mazy passages of the log 



February 23 



