CHAPTER XII 



WINTER WAYS OF ANIMALS 



ON THE way home one winter afternoon 

 I came upon a beaver colony a little 

 below timberline. In the edge of the 

 woods I stood for a time looking out on the 

 white smooth pond. Lines of tracks crossed it 

 from every point of the compass. Two camp 

 birds alighted on a tree within a few feet and 

 looked me over. I heard a flock of chickadees 

 going through the woods. 



A lynx came out of the willow clumps on the 

 opposite shore. He walked out on the snowy 

 pond and headed straight for the house. He 

 was in no hurry and stepped slowly along and 

 climbed on top of the house. Here he sniffed a 

 time or two, then raked the house with right 

 forepaw. He sniffed again. Nothing in reach 

 for him. 



Climbing down off the beaver house the lynx 

 walked around it and started for the woods 

 near me. Catching my scent he stopped, took 

 a look, then went full speed into the Engel- 

 mann spruce forest. Other lynx had visited 



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