sometimes makes her nest in the hole which the dogs have abandoned, and the rattlesnake comes to get the eggs of the owl, while the owl watches for a meal of young snakes. Prairie-dogs gnaw roots and herbs, and sit up like the woodchuck, shaking themselves, with an absurd bark, something like the bark of a dog. This circumstance gives them their name. They may be tamed, and will then live in holes in the yard, coming to be fed when called, and taking food from the hand.

21. RED RIDING-HOOD.

On the wide lawn the snow lay deep,
Ridged o'er with many a drifted heap;
The wind that through the pine-trees sung
The naked elm boughs tossed and swung;
While, through the window, frosty-starred,
Against the sunset purple barred,

We saw the somber crow flap by,
The hawk's gray fleck along the sky,
The crested blue-jay flitting swift,
The squirrel poising on the drift,
Erect, alert, his thick gray tail
Set to the north wind like a sail.

It came to pass, our little lass,
With flattened face against the glass,

And eyes in which the tender dew
Of pity shone, stood gazing through
The narrow space her rosy lips

Had netted from the frost's eclipse:
"Oh, see," she cried, "the poor blue-jays!
What is it that the black crow says?
The squirrel lifts his little legs
Because he has no hands, and begs;
He's asking for my nuts, I know;
May I not feed them on the snow?"

Half lost within her boots, her head
Warm-sheltered in her hood of red,
Her plaid skirt close about her drawn,
She floundered down the wintry lawn;
Now struggling through the misty veil
Blown round her by the shrieking gale;
Now sinking in a drift so low

Her scarlet hood could scarcely show
Its dash of color on the snow.

She dropped for bird and beast forlorn
Her little store of nuts and corn,

And thus her timid guests bespoke:
"Come, squirrel, from your hollow oak-
Come, black old crow-come, poor blue-jay,

Before your supper's blown away!
Don't be afraid; we all are good;

And I'm mamma's Red Riding-Hood!"

22. THE GRAY SQUIRREL.

THE habits of this squirrel are very interesting. You may be walking through the woods. Shortly you hear what you at first think to be the barking of a small dog. On listening you discover your mistake. The abrupt notes "quaqua-que," with much chattering, proceed from the tall tree a few rods from you.

You cautiously steal on tip-toe to the foot of the tree, but you do not see the animal even after looking carefully on every side. You know the little fellow is there,

side from you, where he is now closely hugging the tree and perfectly motionless.

Your interest is now awakened; you are curious to see more of him. Very well; you must retire a few yards, and remain perfectly quiet.

F. A.-6.

You had better take a comfortable seat, for he will not move while you are near the tree. Presently you see his head with its bright, lively eyes, moving round to the side where you are standing.

If you remain perfectly still, he will soon take his position on a limb where he will express his satisfaction at your removal from his neighborhood by several chirping barks. This noise will be answered, perhaps, by other squirrels that you had no thought were in the neighborhood. Soon, one of them, with a saucy bark or chatter, chases another; and shortly three or four of them are scampering about, running through the underbrush and fallen wood, and up and down the trees in high sport.

Presently, one of them, in escaping from the others, comes suddenly near you. With a shrill whistle of astonishment at seeing you, he scampers up the nearest tree, and is soon as completely hidden as all the others were the instant he gave the alarm. You may as well retire now, for you will see nothing more of them. As long as you remain near they will not budge a single foot.

The gray squirrel makes a very interesting pet in confinement. We had one, last summer, for a pet, and she was full of fun and frolic. She was taken from her parents' nest when she

was hardly a week old, and was reared by hand. Of course she was perfectly tame and gentle. She soon learned to recognize the members of the family, and would know a stranger at once. She was very affectionate, and never seemed happy unless she was in our lap, or in one of our pockets, where she could cuddle herself up for a nap.

She was very fond of ice-cream, and we often treated her to it, letting her eat from our own dish. She was such a small body that it would not pay to have a whole dish of cream for her. In midsummer we were ill a few days, and bunny seemed to sympathize with us; for she would not content herself in her nest, but would creep up stairs, and nestle down beside us at every opportunity.

23. THE WOODCHUCK AND HIS SKIN.

I SAW, at Martial Miles's two young woodchucks taken sixteen days ago, when they were, perhaps, a fortnight old. There were four in all, and they were dug out by the aid of a dog. The mother, to save herself, pushed out one after the other of her little ones to the dog, and one of them was killed by the dog.

These two are now nearly one third grown.