night, he may occasionally be seen during the day, especially in 

 winter, as he hibernates for only brief periods. The young are born 

 in the spring and are usually two in number. In securing his food, 

 this creature follows peculiar methods. Hemlocks, beeches and 

 cotton-woods are his favorite trees and it is his custom to take one 

 tree after another in a straight line through the forest. He begins 

 to eat the bark of the tip-top branches first and systematically 

 gnaws his way to the bottom, then climbs another and does like- 

 wise, leaving behind him naked limbs and trees stripped of bark 

 and foliage alike. 



The Indians in the past were accustomed to use his flesh for 

 food, his skin for clothing and his quills for decoration of mocca- 

 sins, hunting pouches, etc. 



140 



