The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-24
STORY OF A WHITE wooDoHUoK.
The Too Brief Biography of an Ex-
tremely Interesting Pet.
From Forest and Stream.

tremelY interesting Pet.
From Forest and Stream.
Some years ago, In the spring, while
travelling on the Belfast Branch railroad.
just before arriving at Brook station l
CHANGED TO be looking out Of the car win
dow and SAN curious-looking animal run
under q pile OF brush IN a gravel pit near
the track. / concluded at once that it must
be an albino woodohuck, as my husband
had told me one had been seen in that
vicinity. At the station hast
lily procured basket, and secur-
ing the assistance of two boys, l proceeded
without loss Of time to the gravel pit, and
overhauling some of the brush soon found
the prize. AS l had conjsotured, it was an
albino woodohuck about two-thirds grown
pure white, with pink eyes, and as saucy a
little fellow as one would care to handle
Without much difficulty l dropped my
basket over him, and securing him returned
to the station. boxed him up and expressed
him home TO my husband, with instructions
to keep him on a milk diet until my return
a week later.
On returning home found my pet en~
sconced in O nest of cotton, purrink away
like oontented kitten. He seemed quite
recouciled to the restraints of captivity, had
already become so tame as to allow his
beautiful snow-white coat to be stroked
stroking about the face, which l think is a
characteristic Of most wild animals, and
one Of the ways of establishing confidential
relations with them. For the first year his
food consisted principally of bread and
milk, with an occasional handful
of plantain leaves. A most Interest,"
ing sight was to watch him
squirrel, holding his food in his paws. He
soon learned to take his milk from spoon
Rrasping it near the bowl, he would hold it
very gracefully until the milk was all
Tapped out, then with a little assistance
would return it to the cup to be filled, and
repeat the operation until his appetite was
satisfied Then he would go into the nest,
roll himself up like u kitten, and take a nap
or several hours. With one exception he
never showed his wild, savage nature dur
Ing the two years of his life Ia confinement
Early In the fall the disposition to hiber-
nate began to show itself by his lack OF
activity, and he remained in his nest most
OF the time, his sleep becoming so profound
that he could be taken from the nest with
out awaking. About Nov. his sleep for
the winter began. He was placed in the
cellar, where the temperature was very
even-Iust above the freezing point-and
here he remained without being disturbed
until the middle OF March.
During all this time his body remained
COld anu TO all outward appearances lltelesa.
About the time Of his awakening in March
upon visiting him and placing my hand on
his body found it to be quite warm, and
after rubbing him for a few moments he
began to yawn and stretch, but did not get
upon his feet. The next day took him into
a warm room in order to watch the process
of awakening, rubbing his body and legs for
an hour or more. He seemed quite indifPer-
ent TO my sollcitude on his behalf but
gradually awakened, opened his eyes. chat
tered his teeth and gave that peculiar
whicker 80 characteristic Of a disturbed
woodchuck.
His efforts to stand upon his feet were for
some hours Intellectual He seemed to have
lost the use of them. Toward night, how
ever, he seemed to regain full control of all
hls faculties and partook of a little milk.
was surprised TO notice but little loss of fat
during the long period OF sleep. He had
become excessively fat before going into his
winter sleep, and expected that would be
absorbed during that period. His fur had