WOOD-CHUCK OR GROUND-HOG. 21 



nose being buried as it were in the lower part of its abdomen, and covered 

 by its tail — it \vas rolled over the carpet many times, but without effecting 

 any apparent change in its lethargic condition, and being desirous to push 

 the experiment as far as in mj' power, I laid it close to the fire, and hav- 

 ing ordered my dog to lie do\\-n by it, placed the Wood-Chuck in the dog's 

 lap. In about half an hour, my pet slowly unrolled itself, raised its nose 

 from the carpet, looked around for a tew minutes, and then slowly crawl- 

 ed away from the dog, moving about the room as if in search of its own 

 bed ! I took it up, and had it carried down stairs and placed again in its 

 box, where it went to sleep, as soundly as ever, until spring made its ap- 

 pearance. That season advancing, and the trees showing their leaves, 

 the Wood-Chuck became as brisk and gentle as could be desired, and 

 was frequently brought into the parlour. The succeeding winter this 

 animal evinced the same dispositions, and never appeared to suffer by 

 its long sleep. An accident deprived me of my pet, for having been trod- 

 den on, it gradually became poor, refused food, and finally died extremely 

 emaciated." 



May we here be allowed to detain you, kind reader, for a few moments, 

 whilst we reflect on this, one among thousands of other instances of the 

 all-wise dispensations of the Creator. Could any of the smaller species 

 of quadrupeds, incapable, as many of them are, of migrating like the 

 swift-winged inhabitants of the air to the sunny climes of the South, and 

 equally unable to find any thing to subsist on among the dreary wastes 

 of snow, or the frost-bound lands of the North during winter, have a 

 greater boon at the hands of Nature than this power of escaping the 

 rigours and cold blasts of that season, and resting securely, in a sleep of 

 insensibility, free from all cravings of hunger and all danger of perish- 

 ing with cold, till the warm sun of spring, once more calls them into 

 life and activity ? Thus this and several other species of quadrupeds, 

 whose organization in this respect differs so widely from general rules, 

 may be said to have no winter in their year, but enjoy the delightful 

 weather of spring, summer, and autumn, without caring for the approacb 

 of that season during which other animals often suffer from both cold 

 and hvmger. 



" Whilst hunting one day, (said a good friend of ours, when we were 

 last in Canada,) I came across a Wood-Chuck, called in Canada by 

 the different names of Siffleur, Ground-Hog, and occasionally Marmot, 

 with a litter of six or seven young ones by her side. I leaped from 

 my horse, feeling confident that 1 could capture at least one or two 

 of them, but I was mistaken ; for the dam, which seemed to anticipate 

 my evil designs, ran round and round the whole of her young ' chucks,' 



