Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-03-28
OLE 9ree press.
NOTES on THE FAUNA OF YER
MONT-NNV.
snow Tracery.

SplrltS. 1er great CaraVanSerY is Stlll on
the march, tarrying not for the signs of the
times, but welding the seasons in an unbro.
ken chain.
Many plants and animals, though Of deli
cate organization, succumb not to the cold
but on the contrary seem often to flourish
under its influence. Capillarity rcscues
the one, while a highly concentr Il diet,
the extract Of Seed of bud and bark invigor-
atcs the other. la summer and autumn the
field and wood animals glide through the
grass ard foliage with comparative security,
leaving no hint of their travels, even when
not shielded by the curtain of night but
the tables are turned in winter. Now the
sensitive snow, under the right conditions
registers the footprint of every bird and
beast. Not fox can cross the interval, or
rabbit stir from his haunts, never a squirrel
leaves its tree, or partridge walks through
the underbrush, but the snow prints aud
advertises the fact, and We may always rely
upon its least revelation.
On this fine February lay walk on
snow shoes through the woods reveals this
delicate snow-tracery to perfection. The
sun shines with the fervency of early spring,
yet the cool air preserves the snow intact.
A few gossamer clouds in the south set of
the clear gray sky of winter. A day Of this
character is sure to disclose every vestige of
animal life in the township. The birds
never fail to take advantage of these Holt
days, and the squirrels come out OF their
nests if only TO exercise and bask in the
warm rays of the sun. A thin veil of snow
is spread over the hard crystalline crust, ready
Ike the printers proof sheet TO catch and
record the slightest impression.
Walking along the edge of a spring-run
studded with trees and bushes, but bOrdered
on either side by cleared land, we see where
numbers Of red squirrels have scampered
over tue white pa, ement in all directions
There is one grating walnut on the branch
of this EN-. The large brown butternut is
more than n mOuthful for this little nut
crackeI, but his turning lathe is equal to the
OCCASION, Tor he soon perfordtes the tough
hide, and, securing the coveted kernel, drops
the empty shells. Then another starts his
shrill alarm close by, thus celebrating
similar victory. Hardly "a day passes but
we see these little urchins or hear their
queer chatter. They come down out Of the
trees and go bounding over the snow, US il
enjoying the exercise as much as the nuts
Their reddish coats show well on this back
ground, and the lean bodies they sometimes
cover suggest that their winter iare is neither
varied nor abundant. An old walnut tree
further on seems TO serve as sort OF rem
devious for this community for their foot
marks radiate from it in all directions, and
remnants of their repasts lie strewn over the
snow. One chucklcs at our approach and
runs into his hole at the foot of the tree.
Their track is series of four small marks
grouped together in pairs, at intervals of two
or three feet or more. The larger impress
sions of the hind feet ale set down few
inches in advance of the others, showing
their habit of overreaching as in the case
OF the rabbits. The gray squirrel makes
larger but otherwise similar impression.
Between two pieces of woodland in this
vicinity lies a swampy thicket of saping
pines, birches and willows. 1t is trayersed
on one side by the road, across which the
run leads down to the river valley, half
mile below. This place offers many advan-
tages to the brds,-food of various kinds,
water, protection from winds and conceal
mcnt, and is u favorte resort in summer
Nor is 1t without its inhabitants in winter.
Partridges come to the neighboring apple
orchard for for their dole of buds Rabbits
live here in retirement, crossing and recross-
ing The highway Ia their nightly rambles
and threading all parts of the thicket, the
snow recording their characteristic foot
prints. There is no difficulty in reading
these clumsy characters, stamped by their
soft recovered feet, The muffled claws
give little expression to these marks which
are as blunt as the print Of moccasined
foot.
The der-bark and buds of trees consti-
tu,es the bulk of the rabbits fare in winter,
mild but apparently sufficient tonic.
Nature favors the rabbit in its struggle for
existence by giving it change of dress to
suit the season, 10 accord with its environ
ment, a brown coat for summer and a white
Soue for winter. THIS change is gradual like
that of the seasons unlike the case OF some
birds, as the bobo!inks aud gold-hnches
which acquire their sombre plumage lmme-
diately at the close Of summer, when the
migratory movement begins. They grow
gray gradually. BY the last OF October all
the uudeIparls, the fore and hind feet and
the tuited bal Of tail are snowy white
The head aud cars also are sprnkled with the
same.
One Of these rabbits suddenly crosses this
enclosure. 1t fits past like a shadow. Not
sound do their soft stockinged feet make on
the still softer snow. Then he stops and
crouChes down under tree 1t requires a
second nay a third, and steady look TO dis
tinguish this white figure against the snow,
But for the long grayish ears and large
brown eyes you would probably not notice
HIM at all. Another halts as he passes. It's
spare form 5 hardly less white than the
driven snpw itself This one remains per-
fectly stil a few moments, but us we ap-
proach, oil it bounds vanishing like ghost
under the snow. laden pines.
SkrtnG and trtvcrsng the open places
are the CLEARLY detincd three forked tracks OF
the parlilgr, linking the shrubbery together
win malZ- of line chain-work. 1t is worth
nip to tie wu'er woods to the artist or
designer 10 observe these natural patterns
trailing like conyentlOualiZrd vines over the
sn w. Here bird has alighled, leaving
the imphut OF its body, the snow dashed
asis, and winding from it is a train of
ticfuu or trideut-shaped characters, set close
together, or but few inches apart IN dag.
DUAL fashion, running Ike an ivy vine
through the bushes, here and there inter
sectcd by The tracks Of other animals.
Amid this network Of natures embroidery
we notice another fine line hicroglyphic.
refer to the little cuncfOrm tracks OF The
ut and other small birds. The pine boughi
aud yielding heats of shrubs and weed
rising above the snow have been examined
by these energetic birds and each visit i.
duly recorded. a double line of delicate
marks is raced around each stock, thus
du'uhg variety anu interest," 10 the rest. TIT
tit mouse IS here, up to his usual bushes
and singing his simple notes with his accus
toned good cheer and lviiness. Severn
tree sparrows are also busy in auothe
direction, skipping over the snow ant
through the underbrush, conversng in sharI
monosyllablos.
The snOw-FIake, the Rcd-P0II, am,
the CrOssbiIi.
The cold season is apt to bring this winter
trio 10 our latitude, though they may not b
depended on with certainty. The snowtlak
or bunting (Plcclrophanes nivai.), appear
in the depth of winter or more often at it
approach and close as il it had descende
from the clouds like the hnkes whose nam