210 IN BERKSHIRE FIELDS 



ever, Mr. Walter R. Hard, writing about the por- 

 cupines in that region, where they were once nu- 

 merous, but are now confined to the main ridge of the 

 Green Mountains, insists that they can be attrac- 

 tive. He caught one at his camp and tied it to the 

 flag-pole, ultimately releasing it with two feet of 

 cord still attached to its hind leg. This cord got 

 tangled in a bush, and the porcupine was brought 

 back and told to go up the pole and kiss the flag; 

 ' ' Which, ' ' says Mr. Hard, ' ' he did ! He climbed to 

 the top, reached out and got the flag and tried to 

 cover himself with it. While I had my back turned 

 for a few moments he came down and disappeared. 

 As he hung on the pole and watched us, I found his 

 face really quite attractive. ' ' Mr. Hard also records 

 that on a winter trip he found the body of a porcu- 

 pine with the entire belly scraped out, and wild- 

 cat tracks all around it. The old-time hunters also 

 affirm, that the cat is its only serious wild enemy 

 here, as the martin is in other regions. . . . 



To-day is the 14th of March. We had a snow- 

 storm last night, and there are six inches of new 

 snow on the ground. I have just been out across 

 the broad, white river meadows. There was no 

 hint of spring in the air or in the prospect. The 

 meadows were utterly deserted and clothed with 

 winter. The trees were bare. Not a bird was 

 visible. But suddenly I came on a curious track in 

 the snow — a double track, the right and left foot- 

 prints two inches or more apart, with the snow 

 brushed by the belly between. A woodchuck! 

 He had seen his shadow on Candlemas Day, and so 

 was supposed to stay in for six weeks more. Well, 



