The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-04-01
CAST" ORA
For Infants and Children.
The Kind You Have Always Bought
Bears the ~ u0-z
FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW.
What Happens When Nature Spreads a
Clean Sheet on the Earth.

When nature spreads a clean sheet
under the dropping branches of the cedar
and among the naked trunks in the open
woods the northern inhabitants begin at
once to imprint it with records OF their
activity. The squirrels must make new
paths to their stores of beechnuts buried
deep under the white covering. They
can move lightly over the soft snow, but
light track ends in a burroW where
hiding place has been visited The snow
packed deep on an adjacent log and a few
beechnut shells tell where the visitor has
enjoyed a meal From this the track
proceeds with leisurely lope, the hind
feet covering the marks of the fore feet,
but squirrel does not long continue leis
urely. More extended leaps show sud
den haste, and the widely separated hind
feet pass beyond the crowded fore feet
at every bound.
No cause for the haste is apparent,
even where the track ends at rough
barked maple, but we must allow squir-
rels the privilege of being often active
without cause. A poplar tree, the victim
hares wintering in the adjacent cedar
swamp, and they have tramped down the
new snow among the Frustrated branch
es. These little fellows must have feast
ed all night on the soft buds and twigs,
and there must have been large party,
Judging by the many tracks coming from
and returning to the shelter of the ce-
dars.
Near the edge of the cedar swamp the
long, easy lope of mink passes down
the sloping shore toward the open eX-
panse of ice The naked woods and we'll
padded rocks are temptation to follow.
The track leads out over the ice, the fore
feet and obiterating hind feet so close
together that they make but single i'm
preston. The course is toward an air
hole, a popularity of the ice on the
northern lakes, and on the way the new
trail of fox is found crossing from
shore to shore with mathematical accura
cy. The fox laid out and followed a
course across the lake without deviation
or curve, and his short steps We're regu
lated with his usual precision. The
mink's track leads with less regularity
toward the air hole in the ice, where,
without any hesitation, he plunges in.
Coming out, he left traces of mud on the
bottom, and as he sat down with wet
coat before starting for the shore he
must have secured clam, snail or dead
fish.
Near the shore a junco has made
diminutive imprint on the new page by
hopping among the scattered seeds of
the silver birch. Sheltered by crowded
spruces on the shore, the crooked trail of
partridge winds through the snow.
Such walking must be laborious, for the
birds distended toes sink down through
the soft snow, and he wades and waddles
along, making a deep groove with his
breast. This track starts from the half
filled hole in which he alighted and prob
ably spent part of the night under cover.
1t was fortunate the fox did not come his
way. Where the short, crooked track
ends there are marks of the distended
all feathers and the Tapping wings that
noisily took the am. The long leap of
the active hare is seen more frequently
than any other record on the new page.
! Night is the time of forest activity,
and the snow that continued to fall till
after dark recorded many impressions
before the gray of morning. The hares
have passed and repassed everywhere,
the fox has pursued his solitary hunt for
sleeping partridge or the fragments of
some forest tragedy. The partridge has
risen from his snug shelter under the
snow and tried short walk before seek
ing breakfast of soft buds in the ada
cent birches. The mink has sought food
over the snow and under the ice. And
over it all the still moon looked coldly
down, lighting up the silent expanse OF
the lake and tracing an infinite tangle-
ment of shadows under the branches
burdehed with clinging snow. Toronto
Globe.
SEARSuONT