Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-12-10
York delegation will be instructed for
Roosevelt and to "a man vote for him.
HOW ANIMALS PREPARE FOR
WINTER.

WINTER.
The month has come when those Of
carth's creatures which know not the
use of fire must make their own prepara-
tions for winter if they would survive
its hardshps. They are confronted with
problems which, ii they are not already
solved, must be attended to at once. In
most cases their problems arc those of
food and shelter: sometimes one, some
times both or course, the question Of
protection also comes up, and, although
this is always before them, in some cases
at least. 1t requires u special answer in
winter. For this reason the fur OF thu
Canadian hare, the ermine and some other
mammals. and tho plumage of the white.
tailed partmigan, change from the brown
color of summer to pure white, making
them practically invisible in the snow
Then, i'll order that they may travel more
easily over snow-covercd groun,. the
feet of many animals are subject to pc
culiar mobilization at this season.
AS VIC all know, horny fringcs grow
upon the toes of grouse, the hoofs Of
certain deer become broader and the
feet of rabbits become wide, hairy pads
But these latter advantages, derived from
change of color, or growth peculiar to the
season. arc attained without any effort
on the parts of the crea lures themselves
| In order to obtain food and shelter for
the winter, however, some animals are
Obliged to make active preparation.
Perhaps the best knokn example of such
preparation is that of the beavers, which
first make a pond by danming Il stream
with trees, brush, stones and mud. and
then. in the pond thus made, erect stanch
hutS, whose roofs are well above the
water, and whose doorways are well be-
low it. Here they spend the winter, swim
I mi
aquatic roots, or the bark of trees and
bushes growing near the water, or, when
other food falls them. eating the bark of
saplings carried to tho bottom of tho
pond and stored away near their hutS
in tho autumn. Unfortunately. few of
us ever get chance to see either these
animals or their works. for not only have
tho beavers been almost cxtcrminated.
but those which still survive often spend
their winters IN holes in tho banks Of
streams, afraid To make "A dam or rear
a hut, lest it be the signal ror a massacre.
we can, however get some idea of the
beavers natural preparation for winter.
by watching similar habits The muskrat
makes no dam, but chooses for the site
Of his winter homo a pond already III
existence. Here he builds hut or lodge
on the same general plan as the beavers
but much smaller. The material used il,
It's construction Is usually that which is
easiest to obtain sticks. leaves, moss
grass and the stems Of bullrushcs being
amongst the materials / have seen used
BY this animal As far rs | know, musk
rats lay UP no food for the winter. but
depend entirely upon what they can pick
w from day to day. Like tho beavers
they are partial to tho roots Of aquatic
plants and fragments of these are often
seen beneath tn" ice, where they floatcd
from tho spot where some rat has been at
work Muskrats also go out into the fields
through holes in the ice. to cat any win
ter apples they may find under the trees.
or to glcan corn or other grain which
may have been left by the farmers. They
occupy their well-bullt houses chiefly in
the daytime.
The Little Chief Hare or Plea OF the
west Is another of our provident wild
creatures. This little follow Is appar-
emily related to the rabbits on one side
and to the rats on the other. Pleas live
on the slopes OF the mountains, where in
holes and crevices amongst the rocks and
boulders they find safe retreats. They
are most Industrious. and spend much
time in gathering mountain plants which
they pile into HAY stacks for their use
in the winter.
1t would probably he dificult to mention
a more provdent animal than the com
mon chipmunk, which for months now
has been carrying into his long. winding,
grains and seeds Of different kinds, which
would probably last him for two winters
If there should be a famine next year.
The red and the grey squirrels too
have been busy collecting nuts for seV-
era weeks past, and many are the
piles Of shol barks and buttcrnuts hid
den away in hollow trees. old wood
chuck burrows. and under PROSTATE logs
in the woods. But these creatures arc
not nearly so dependent on their winter
stores as the chipmunk is. for red and
grey squirrels are abroad more or less all
winter, while the little hackhec sticks to
his den from fail until spring.
The wOOd"huck works on n different
plan, lie smffs himself all spring. sum-
mer and autumn and becomes 50 fat
that he needs no food at all in the winter.
So he dig a long, deep burrow. which
usually winds about among rocks and
tree roots, and near the end Of 1t lac
makes a snug nest of leaves or grass
Than he plugs the entrance with soil and
leaves to keep out cold air. ana goes to
sleep, to awaken in February or March.
with a thin body ana q rdvcnouS appetite
The flying squirrels too sleep away
the winter, but their sumbcr is less sound
than that of the woodchuck. They do
not wake up To cat, so far az I know,
but if, on warm day in winter ono
taps gently on the hollow tree whore
they have their most they Will come out
I'm one, two. three order and sail away
through the woods
ERNEST HAROLD BAYNFS.