THE FOREST 199 



fighting in the tree-tops out of my sight and drop 

 to the ground within my vision. Song sparrows, 

 Maryland yellow-throats and yellow warblers 

 often sing to me within sight but upon my ears 

 I am chiefly dependent for these clinical observa- 

 tions. 



The shy mammal rarely reveals himself in my 

 waking hours in the forest. I have heard foxes 

 barking in the distance and have seen their tracks 

 in the snow sometimes close to the lean-to, and 

 once, from the house I saw a fox trot across the 

 field in early morning and enter the forest. Gray 

 squirrels chase each other from tree to tree and 

 scamper over the dry leaves, cottontail rabbits 

 often play within scope of my vision, I have 

 glimpses of white-footed mice and I have some- 

 times been conscious of the presence of a 

 skunk. 



On awakening one lovely May morning, I was 

 surprised to see a cottontail rabbit bounding into 

 the air as if it were intent on climbing a tree. 

 Then I discovered there were two and that they 

 were playing. One would run at full speed 

 directly at the other, who, as if discharged by 



