360 



VERTED RATA. 



looking bMj aronnd to Bee it' he is noticed. In case of extremity, he takes refuge in a stone 

 . or the crevice of a rock, and on being closely approached, he utters a kind of gurgling sound, 

 mingled with chattering; at other times he has a shrill, whistle-like note, whence the French- 

 idian name of SiffUur, whistler. In defending himself, he bites severely, and makes desper- 

 ate haul.' with a dog, often with such success as to escape. His walk is plantigrade, but he occa- 

 sionally climbs lives and hushes to the height of a few feet, and sometimes takes a nap in the 

 sun. while reclining on one of the branches, lie cleans and. combs his face, sitting on his hind- 

 m the manner of a squirrel, and licks down and smoothes his fur in the manner of a cat. 

 His hide is loose and tough, and was formerly much in vogue for whip-lashes; it is still occasion- 

 ally used for that purpose. The fur is of no value. The flesh is flabby, and, though of a rank 

 flavor, when cooked like roast-pig it can be eaten, if one has a vigorous appetite. In summer it 

 ry fat. 



This species becomes torpid about the latter part of October; they are solitary in their habits, 

 and do not congregate in societies, like the other marmots, beyond the members of one family. 

 It is believed that they eat nothing during the period of their hibernation. Their burrows are 

 usually on the slope of a hill, frequently near the root of a tree, sometimes beneath rocks, and 

 often in stone walls. They extend from twenty to thirty feet from the openings, descending 

 obliquely at lirst. four or five feet, and then gradually rising to a large, round chamber, which is 

 I as a sleeping-place for the family; here, also, the female produces and rears her young. The 

 tanner- of New England take them sometimes by pouring water in and drowning them out; fre- 

 quently they are shot with rifles; more frequently still they are caught in steel-traps, set at the 

 mouths o\ their burrows, these being sprinkled over with sand or light grass. One farmer in 

 Litchfield county, Connecticut, told me that he caught sixty-four on his own grounds in a single 



son. 



We have read an interesting account of a woodchuck that was kept in confinement for two 

 At first, it was wild and ill-natured, keeping itself concealed during the day, but making 

 attempt- to escape at night. At last, it became reconciled to its situation, and lived in the kitchen 

 on good terms with the cook, the cat, and the dog. It now occupied a box with a straw bed. 

 When winter approached, though the box was in a warm corner of the kitchen, the animal ar- 

 ranged its bed carefully, rolled itself into a ball with its nose buried in its abdomen, and 

 became completely torpid. Thus it remained for six weeks. It was then taken out and rolled 

 upon the carpet, not showing the least sign of animation. It was laid by the fire, and in about 

 half an hour it slowly raised its head, looked round, and attempted to find its house. It was re- 

 stored to its bed, where it remained in its strange repose till spring. 



What a wonderful provision of nature is this for those quadrupeds that inhabit a cold region, 

 and which, living on green vegetables and juicy fruits, would perish, where the earth is bound 

 in ice and -now for half the year, if compelled to obtain their daily meal! How wise, how all- 

 knowing i- the Author of Nature, who can conceive the design of sustaining animal life without 

 food for half a year; how wonderful His skill who can so adapt means to ends as to accomplish 

 this miracle, and make it a familiar example in a great variety of species! 



The woodchuck is extensively distributed, being found in the Canadas, and thence south to the 

 Carolinas, and west a- far as the Rocky Mountains. In some places it is scarce, in others, it is 

 abundant 



'I In- IIo\in Marmot, .1. pruinoms, is also sometimes called Ground-Hog and Whistler, the latter, 

 indeed, seeming to be it- proper descriptive title. The Crees name it Quisquis-qui-po, and the 

 Chippeways /'•/>><. It somewhat resembles both the Alpine and Maryland marmots; its length 

 i- eighteen to twenty inches; it- hair, long and dense, is hoary on the breast and shoulders, the 

 binder parts being a dull reddish-brown; the tail, which is bushy, is blackish-brown. It inhabits 

 the Rocky Mountain-, from latitude 45° to 62°, and probably farther north and south, as well as 

 and west It i- not found in the lower country. It burrows in sandy soil, generally in the 

 sides of grassy hills, and may be frequently seen cutting hay in the winter, but whether for food 

 or for lining its burrows is not known. While a company of them are thus occupied, they have 

 Qtanel on the look-out upon an eminence, who gives the alarm in case of the approach of 



