GLLMrSES OF WILD LIFE 181 



chucks. One looked in at tlie open door of my 

 study one day, and, after sniffing a while, and 

 not hking the smell of such clover as I was 

 compelled to nibble there, moved on to })etter 

 pastures. Another one invaded the kitclien 

 door while we were at dinner. The dorrs 

 promptly challenged him, and there was a lively 

 scrimmage upon the door-stone. I thought the 

 dogs were fighting, and ruslied to part them. 

 Ihe incident broke in upon the drowsy summer 

 noon as did the appearance of the muskrat upon 

 the frigid December night. The woodchuck 

 episode that afforded us the most amusement 

 occurred last summer. ^Ve were at work in a 

 newly-planted vineyard, when the man with 

 the cultivator saw, a few yards in front of him 

 some large gray object that at first puzzled him' 

 He approached it, and found it to be an old 

 woodchuck with a young one in its mouth, 

 bhe was carrying her kitten as does a cat by 

 the nape of the neck. Evidently she was mov- 

 ing her family to pastures new. As the man 

 was m the line of her march, she stopped and 

 considered what was to be done. He called to 

 me, and I approached slowly. As the mother 

 saw me closing in on her flank, she was sud- 

 denly seized with a panic, and, droi)ping her 

 young, fled precipitately for the cover of a large 

 pile of grape-posts some ten or twelve roils di*^- 

 tant. We pursued hotly, and overhauled her 

 as she was within one jump of the house of 

 refuge. Taking her by the tail, I carried her 

 back to her baby; but she heeded it not. It 



