ble, too, that they listened to occasional lectures by the mother, based on her experience with traps, as, later, we found that she had only three toes on the left forward foot.

Some attention was, doubtless, given to the art of climbing fences and trees, where they could command a better view of meadow and woodland, for woodchucks really climb fences and small trees. The mother of this family was photographed while sunning herself on the old rail fence just back of the burrow.

One of the most important lessons given the young ones was on the nature of their foes. Although Bob from the next farm one day very nearly caught one of the chucks, they soon learned that a dog was not a very dangerous foe, since he usually made his presence known when some distance away. They learned, too, that great care must be exercised if a fox was discovered in the vicinity, he being much more stealthy.

Woodchucks do not live in towns like prairie dogs. Still the neighbors are never far apart and our five little "chucks" not only played among themselves but had many a fine romp with their neighbor friends.

When they were rather more than three-quarters grown, their education was complete, and the time drew near when they must find homes for themselves, either by hunting out a deserted burrow or by digging a new one, there to settle down to the serious business of life. There seemed to be little ceremony over their leave taking, and the separation occurred very suddenly. We do not know which left the burrow first but within three days all had gone except the

mother, each to repeat in his own little den the history of the home he had left.

Usually, each young woodchuck has a burrow by itself, but, occasionally, a pair will live together during the winter. One instance of this kind was a pair which selected a location on a gentle slope in one corner of the meadow, not far from the old home.

The new burrow had been partly dug before leaving the old one. The two worked together with a will to complete it and made rapid progress, for their feet are armed with powerful claws, and there is a web between the toes, thus forming a combined pick and shovel. The fore feet are used principally for digging, and the hind ones for throwing backward the loosened earth and stones.

For some distance from the entrance, the burrow inclined downward quite sharply, then turned slightly upward and continued along beneath the surface for a distance of fifteen feet. This arrangement secured good drainage, which is very important in the woodchuck's home. Sometimes there are one or more side tunnels three or One of these in time of danger may be

four feet long.

used as an exit. It is usually small and often ends in a tuft of grass with no refuse about it to attract the attention of an enemy. The main burrow ends in a chamber of considerable size in which there is a quantity of fine grass for bedding.

When the work of digging the new burrow was completed, our young woodchucks were ready for housekeeping. The meadows had been mowed and a juicy new clover crop was spread before them. There was nothing to do but

to eat and doze about in the sun.

With a few weeks of this sort of life there came a wonderful change in their appearance. Their cheeks became distended, their fur more glossy, and their skins were stretched with fatness.

When September was well advanced, they could eat no more, and had only to wait and doze away the time until Mother Nature should put them to sleep-which occurred about the first week in October. The blood had already commenced to flow more slowly through their veins, a drowsiness which they could not resist was gradually stealing over them, and, finally, they curled themselves into balls of fur, side by side in their snug retreat, and fell asleep.

Warm autumn days followed with their mellow light, Indian summer came and went, cold winds blew and the snow covered the earth, but the slumber of the woodchucks was unbroken. And thus the winter passed in one long dream of summer.

One wise in weather signs might have told them that if they began their sleep so early they would surely awaken in March and find but scanty sustenance for hungry animals: that clover would be green for weeks to come: that vegetable gardens would still repay foraging expeditions: that many balmy days would come before the actual winter. But all in vain! The woodchuck removes no ancient landmarks, but is ruled by the traditions of the fathers. And from the beginning, woodchucks have rolled themselves up in dry grasses when October days were all gold and blue, there to sleep until the far-reaching voice of tradition called them out to face the bleak, blustering winds, and the unfriendly skies of cold, stormy March.

-Silas A. Lottridge Adapted).

COLUMBUS.

Behind him lay the gray Azores,

Behind, the Gates of Hercules,
Before him not the ghost of shores,
Before him only shoreless seas.

The good mate said: "Now must we pray,
For lo! the very stars are gone;

Brave Admiral, speak, what shall I say?"

Why, say, 'Sail on! sail on! and on!'"

"My men grow mutinous day by day,

My men grow ghastly, wan and weak." The stout mate, thought of home; a spray Of salt wave washed his swarthy cheek. "What shall I say, brave Admiral, say,

If we sight naught but seas at dawn?" Why, you may say, at break of day,

Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!""

They sailed and sailed as winds might blow,
Until at last the blanched mate said:
"Why, now, not even God would know
Should I and all my men fall dead.
These very winds forget their way,
For God from these dread seas is gone.
Now speak, brave Admiral, speak and say'
He said, "Sail on! sail on! and on! "

They sailed. They sailed. Then spoke the mate: "This mad sea shows his teeth to-night;