Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-08
BABY wooDcuUcKs.

The woodchuck family best known
10 me was the one that lived by the
old rail fence just back of the orchard
on my fathers farm. The mother in
troduced herself one morning in the
latter part of May, Just as old Rover
and l had started out for days fish
ing. AS she fed at our approach,
Rover followed and disclosed to me
the burrow into which she had fled.
More than one days sport / got out
of that burrow. | took care that
Rover didn't go with me when made
my visits, and, instead of digging out
the inmates, boy-fashion, waited for
them to come out of their own ac-
cord. Several times the old wood
chuck appeared; but, feeling sure that
there were more to follow" pa
tiently watched and waited. Finally
my patience was rewarded, for, one
fine morning, five little cubs came
tumbling along the narrow passage
after their mother to the entrance OF
the burrow, and looked with their
great, beautiful brown eyes upon the
outside world. What marvellous
surprise it must have been to them to
view the green grass and the beauti-
full flowers!
When satisfied that there was no
danger lurking in the immediate vicin-
ity. the mother led the way into the
grass. followed by the cubs, which
tumbled along in haste to keep close
to her. They tried to initiate her in
everything; and when she nibbled a
clover leaf they followed her example
and soon the sharp little teeth had
learned to cut the juicy leaves.
The real object of their first out
ing was soon accomplishments of
filling their stomachs-and then they
began playing about in the grass, very
much like puppies, but the mother
was careful not to let them wander
far from the entrance of their home,
for If her trained ear caught the sound
OF something approaching she would
hustle the little ones into the burrow.
Once the cubs had Travelled only a
part of the passage before they heard
the deep breathing of the dog at the
mouth of the tunnel. The eXertion
and excitement must have made their
little hearts beat fast, and for the
first time in their lives they learned
what it was to be frightened.
This was only the beginning OF
their education; for day after day
they came out of the burrow. and
when they scrambled back something
had been added to their little stock
Of woodchuck knowledge. A part of
this knowledge was obtained by copy.
ing their mother, but by far the great
er part came through instinct and eX-
periences of their own.
Some attention was given to the art
Of climbing trees and fences, for from
elevated positions they could com.
nland much more extended view of
meadow and woodland. Yes. wood.
chucks really climb fences and small
trees, though their first attempts are
very clumsy. Never a day passed that
the little woodchucks did not receive
a lesson in danger signals. They soon
learned to distinguish among the
many sounds that came to their ears
those that threatened harm from
those that meant no harm at all. They
learned that dog is not danger.
GUS foe, as his presence is usually
made known while he is some dis.
lance off; but they learned to be very
wary when fox was in the vicinity.
From Silas A. Lottridge's 1.-The
WOodchuck" in st. Nicholas.