Evening journal., 1921-02-02
NOW LOOK FOR
THE BLUEBIRDS
Mr.. Grounding Fails to See
Shadow; King Winter
Has Gone
OLD ROMANS
KNEW ANIMAL

Yes. once more the doings OF Mr..
GrOundhOg attract our attention. To-
day Is his day, or as II Is called by
our British cousins, "Candelmas Day.
lie awoke early today, shook him
self and stuck his nose out OF ms
hole. Then he yawntd.
Looks like Lad weather. ne sNu.
ut is" said the wcalnerman.
"What is your fortoSst2" demand
ed the groundh0g
''RaIn or snow" the man blissfully
Then Mr.. Grounding emerged from
his habitat and gave q quick glance
over his shoulder
Satisfied that the sun would not ap,
near ne gave his q. X. 70 g0od
weather and then went out TO break
fast ,., ~. q
weather prophet goes back 70 w nie
days of the Romans, who, about tlls
season. celebrated great festivals Oh
explallon and publication, -.
Christianity came on. ana III orucI ,,,
TO turn these pagan FESTIVITIES 10 ho4u
account rather than Nainly Try 10
eradiraie Them. the authorities OF the
christian church established a ieta
date on February q In honor or the
purlfcation OF the Virgin Mary, ana
ordered that all Christians shoulu
come 10 church on hat day WIN
burning candles. "in the memorie oi
Christie. the spiritual lyEilte' as oiu
English chronicles put IT,
The connection, or rather, perhaps
the opposition, between this vast dis
niay of artificial light and the appear
ance OF bright sun on the same day
NAV not be self-evdent, though
stranger things have been evolved IN
The popular mind-none the less, now
ever, tho common belief graqually
grew thst sunshine on this particular
occasion fOretOld evil In tine weather
Inc and way back in the middle ages
the Latin distich was known lar ana
wide.
"Si sol splendescat Maria puriil-
canie, Major crit glacies post festum
guam fruit ante
m the sun shines at the Purlnca-
ton OF Mary, there Will be more trosi
after the festival than there was be-
fore)
Now country folks are nothing i
not careful observers OF the haDits oil
ihe wild animals among which theii
LOT may be cast. and no one Whl
knows that farmers in certain parti
/ Of Europe are even at This dale IN
constant dread OF bears and wolves
and boars and foxes, according to th'
season. Will be surprised 20 read th'
following quotation from a swiss al
manac printed at Basel, In 1917:
"SelOn les ancicns Sc dit
ST le sOleil clalrment luit
Ia HhuuI41nfln Nona NnrVpv
Ou'encOrse un Hyver VOus aurez,
Par cette reigle Sc gOuVerne
L'ours qul retourne en- sa caverne.
i'lt is said on the authority OF th'
ancienis. that II the sun shines bright
In on Candelmas Day you shall hav
| another winter. BY this rule is gulde'
the bear. who straight returns to hi
denN
II IS easy to imagine how tiiis ira
dltion concerning the bear wa
brought TO America by the emigrant
from Central Europe and found
suitable home in the more noriherll
section OF This country, while In th'
centre and south the more familal
woodchuck or groundhog "a great M
| hcrnaiOr, tool was substituted TO h'
/ less known bear.
Cali il woodchuck, grounding or
/ by ts scientific name, ArctOmy.
! MonaX. our little prophet Is ~ to Il
/ inches long including its tall, whlcl
| measures about inches), its colo
wares from blackish to grizzled above
ana chestnut red below; tho feet ar
always dark. and the tail blacklsh
| sometimes with graylsh rings. nh
/ lO~m Is thick and clumsy. neck hardl.
/ apparent head broad and fiat. leg
short and thick and tail short an
hushy: the nose Is wide, lips ful
and ilcshy, eyes small, and ears short
feet large and naked below; hal
rather soft and whiskers long an
stout.
South Carolina, and west 30 On
neighh0rhood or the Rockies. It's poT
ular name, ground hog is due 10 Il
vOracity on one side and 10 its bur
rowing habits on the other. 10 dis
| deep holes In the fields. on sides q
hills, or under rocks In the woods.
a slanting direction, at first upWar
SO as TO keen out the water. wit
more entrances than one. Into ihes
holes he repairs when he feels goo
and plump. about The time OF the an
: tumn equinox. and drops into a Or,
; found slumbcr; this, however. seen
J 10 be a kind OF clockwOrk habit vii
him. rather than one dependent upo
I weather conditions.
7 The food OF groundhOgs consists
r various plants, fruits, and vegetable
they arc especially fond OF red Glove
s they frequently make their incursiOi
! at midday. posting sentincls 10 loo
/ after their safety; their sense
/ nearing is remarkably acute; IN,
are very cleanly and easily tamel
81 they have five or six young at a brit
they ilght boldly and are moro than
, match for a dog OF equal size. N
, flesh is rank but has been eaten.