290 HANDBOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



Many of the mammals are nocturnal, and all of them find 

 places of concealment, which shows that the woods are the 

 favorite abode of many animals. 



The demands animals make upon the woods vary as much 

 as the animals themselves. Bees are attracted by the flowers 

 of plums, cherries, and linden ; butterflies are in quest of 

 leaves for their caterpillars ; beetles and other insects go 

 there to find their favorite food; the birds are there in 

 search of the insects and wild berries. The frog squats 

 low to catch the fly, and the hungry snake glides about to 

 find a frog. Large and small game find ah abundance of 

 food and shelter against the weather and against their ene- 

 mies. Can you tell now why nearly every kind of carnivo- 

 rous animal also dwells in the forest ? 



Thus it is seen that the woods are the storehouse of food for 

 the animals living in it. 



Willows, dogwood, grapevine, linden, and other plants 

 attract insects to their honey, and the insects cross-fertilize 

 their flowers. Birds and squirrels render important service 

 to many plants by distributing their seeds, and by destroy- 

 ing injurious insects. 



Many animals are important factors in the plant life of the 

 forests, but they are not all beneficial to it. 



In June, 1897, caterpillars defoliated the forests in the 

 eastern part of Minnesota to such an extent that most of 

 the trees looked as they do in January and February, not 

 a trace of foliage was left on them. 



Life in the forest shows a marked decrease during the 

 winter months. All the plants are resting; some mammals, 

 the frogs, toads, lizards, and snakes, and all the insects, are 

 hibernating ; and nearly all of the birds have left for more 

 genial regions. But the warm sunshine of spring and the 

 April showers awaken nature to new life. 



During the summer months there are more signs of life 



