\ V 
Arctomys monax (Linnaeus). Woodchuck. 
Mr. James M. Southwick's account of the Woodchuck, in Roden- 
tia of Rhode Island, published in September, 1884, in Random Notes 
on Natural History, Vol. T, Ipy No. 9, is as follows: "The Wood¬ 
chuck, or GroUnd-hog: Arctomys monax. ( Arct omys ) anorthern mouse 
( monax ) alone. Three species of Arctomys are found in North 
America, but monax is the only one inhabiting Rhode Island, and 
Of these we have plenty of representatives scattered all over the 
state, and in some towns in the southern part a bounty on their 
heads is offered, which is not altogether easy to obtain, for the 
animal is very wary, and when feeding or moving about the 
fields in the day time, is continually standing up and turning 
his head about on the lookout for danger, and ready at a sound to 
start for his hole. He is most likely to be met abroad in early 
morning or toward the dusk of evening, and does most of his feed¬ 
ing at night, when he will accomplish much damage among the farm¬ 
ers* cabbage, beans, and turnips, or in the clover-field. He is 
fond of sunning himself, lying on the dirt at the mouth of the 
hole. Though generally so shy (as among other animals) all cau¬ 
tion seems sometimes forgotten, and Mr. N. W. Thatcher tells me 
that twice he has walked close up to one thus taking; a sun-bath. 
Sometimes there are two holes near together, and in such ease^ 
the dirt is usually heaped up at one of them which will be quite 
oblique, while the ot|fier, more nearly perpendicular, will be smoo¬ 
th and clean, which indicates somewhat that the holes are connect¬ 
ed and the clean one wrought out from below, the dirt being car¬ 
ried out of the other. About the beginning of November he disap¬ 
pears, and hibernates until the first warm days of spring. w His 
general nabitat is from the Carolinas northward to Hudson*s Bay, 
ahd westward from the Atlantic coast to Western Missouri, Iowa and 
Minnesota. There is the greatest variation of color, the ex¬ 
tremes being white and brownish black, or very dark brown. T have 
never heard of either of these being taken in Rhode island (but 
of both in Massachusetts ), or in fact of any coloring different 
