io6 NATURE'S CALENDAR 



jyiay 20 upon its juices. After a few days it sinks 



to the bottom and forms a cocoon, in 

 which it changes to the pupa stage, the 

 pupa's head, having a tuft of breathing 

 filaments, protruding from the top of the 

 case, the "tail " of which is attached to 

 the rock. After four or five days the 

 complete flly escapes, rises to the top, pro- 

 tected from drowning by a coating of 

 hairs, and flies away. 



Many mammals, besides the deer, are 

 . now confined by domestic duties. Our 

 common bats are with young, and so is 

 the familiar white-footed mouse, which so 

 often converts an abandoned bird's nest 

 to its own domestic uses. This first brood 

 will be followed by one, or perhaps two 

 or three, more broods before the summer 

 is over. The short -tailed shrew, abun- 

 dant everywhere, has the same cares, to 

 be repeated in July; and the cotton-tail 

 rabbit is already prep^aring for the advent 

 of a second family, while the larger 

 northern, or varying hare, is in posses- 

 sion of her first litter of leverets. These 

 are four to six in number, and rest upon 

 a nest of straw made soft with pluckings 

 of the mother's fur. Such larger ro- 

 dents as the muskrat, beaver, woodchuck, 

 and porcupine also breed in May. The 

 little ones of the first two are born in the 

 burrows in the banks of streams, in- 

 habited during the larger part of the year 

 by these species. The young wood- 

 chucks also come to life underground, 



