The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-05-30
ANIMALS in WET WEATHER.
Their Habits and Instincts In Regard e
sheltering Themselves.

Their Habits and Instincts In Regard ca
sheltering Themselves.
The reluctance with which most hu.
man beings face voluntary exposure to
such (wet) weather will account for oul
very limited knowledge of the shifts
and devices by which our wild animals
endeavor to avoid the worst discomforts
which it brings But those who are
bold enough to go forth in all weathers
know by experience that in all but the
most open countries there are generally
to be found some cosey corners to which
the rain does not penetrate, or which,
even if not dry, are sheltered from the
direct access of the driving drops.
Animals, birds especially, while
showing the utmost dislike to endure
the storm, are by no means so clever In
the use of such natural shelters al
might be supposed. Hares, as rule
leave the open country aud seek shell
ter in the woods; and stupid as they are
in circumstances new to their expert
ence, as when suddenly chased, or in
avoiding snares and traps, they show
considerable ingenuity In securing theii
comfort. They nearly always make .
form near. but not touching, the trunk
of some large tree. Thus, while securing
the shelter of the stem and overhangina
limbs, they avoid the water which drains
down to the main column and forms, az
any one may see by looking at the foot
of large timber tree in meadow,
tiny canal at the base of the trunk
The writer has sometimes seen hares,
not lying in their form, but sitting up
in such places. just as laborer shell
ters behind havstack Where there
are no woodlands they creep under the
irregular overhanging cornice made by
the crunbling away of the m Id be-
meath the roots in the hedge banks and
there scratch out a snug and dry re-
treat
Rabbits usually keep under ground
in their burrows, only coming out to
feed, unless their holes are flooded, as
often happens after long course Of
wet They then leave the warren alto
gether, and lie out among the turnips.
or even on the open stubbles huddled
up into the smallest possible space, as
if they had lost all faith in the possi-
bility of finding further shelter. Rats
have the strongest possible dislike TO
damp, and on the first approach of
settled wet swarm into the stacks and
farm buildings. Those which spend
their lives along the banks of rivers
and broolxs-a semi-aquatic breed of
land rats which resemble the
true water rats in all but
their vegetarian diet--have a SIM
pie and clever resource for wet
weather. They leave their holes in the
banks, and go up into the crowns of
the pollard willows which fringe the
streams and line the hedges; In these
they find warm. dry, and well-drained
winter lodgings, safe even in hood-time;
for their powers of swimming enable
them to shift from tree to tree, and the
swarms Of snails and insocta which
shelter in the hollow trunks provide
them with food for rainy day"
Foxes often lie in these large hollow
pollards during very wet weather; and
the writer has seen an otter slip from
the crown Of one of them into the Cher
we'll during an autumn flood. But
foxes more Often prefer to lie still for