BIRD PARADISE 253 



frain that can be heard only a short distance 

 away, and on a pleasant day they trill a song in 

 keeping with the day but not as loud and stir- 

 ring as when the storm is raging. Happy fellows 

 they all seem to be and most gladly we give them 

 the right hand of fellowship. 



I see the peculiar tracks of the skunk here and 

 there in the soft snow. The singular character 

 of this creature is very plainly pictured in the 

 trail he leaves behind him. His movement is of 

 the sluggish sort and the footprints are multi- 

 plied in number far beyond those of any other of 

 our smaller animals. Last night one of these 

 fellows walked around my barn two or three 

 times. He took good care to examine every 

 crevice he could find, and I noticed that where 

 the fowls were snugly sleeping he made extra 

 efforts to push his way into the enclosure. 

 Of course, the fowls protested, the noise they 

 made frightening the intruder away. I could 

 see where he moved across the field, leav- 

 ing a well-plowed furrow in the snow. This 

 animal can hibernate at will. When he chooses 

 he can snuggle down in some out-of-the-way 

 place and pass days pretty much oblivious to 



