ried
themselves in the earth. The woodchuck is in his hibernaculum, the
skunk in his, the mole in his; and the black bear has his selected,
and will go in when the snow comes. He does not like the looks of his
big tracks in the snow. They publish his goings and comings too
plainly. The coon retires about the same time. The provident wood-mice
and the chipmunk are laying by a winter supply of nuts or grain, the
former usually in decayed trees, the latter in the ground. I have
observed that any unusual disturbance in the woods, near where the
chipmunk has his den, will cause him to shift his quarters. One
October, for many successive days, I saw one carrying into his hole
buckwheat which he had stolen from a near field. The hole was only a
few rods from where we were getting out stone, and as our work
progressed, and the racket and uproar increased, the chipmunk became
alarmed. He ceased carrying in, and after much hesitating and darting
about, and some prolonged absences, he began to carry out; he had
determined to move; if the mountain fell, he, at least, would be away
in time. So, by mouthfuls or cheekfuls, the grain was transferred to a
new place. He did not make a "bee" to get it done, but carried it all
himself, occupying several days, and making a trip about every ten
minutes.

The red and gray squirrels do not lay by winter stores; their cheeks
are made without pockets, and whatever they transport is carried in
the teeth. They are more or less active all winter, but October and
November are their festal months. Invade some butternut or hickory-nut
grove on a frosty October morning, and hear the red squirrel beat the
"juba" on a horizontal branch. It is a most lively jig, what the boys
call a "regular break-down," interspersed with squeals and snickers
and derisive laughter. The most noticeable peculiarity about the
vocal part of it is the fact that it is a kind of duet. In other
words, by some ventriloquial tricks, he appears to accompany himself,
as if his voice split up, a part forming a low guttural sound, and a
part a shrill nasal sound.

The distant bark of the more wary gray squirrel may be heard about the
same time. There is a teasing and ironical tone in it also, but the
gray squirrel is not the Puck the red is.

Insects also go into winter-quarters by or before this time; the
bumblebee, hornet, and wasp. But here only royalty escapes: the
queen-mother alone foresees the night of winter coming and the