Chapter I: Introduction: ix

I. HUNTING THE SNOW 1
II. THE TURKEY DRIVE 15
III. WHITE-FOOT 29
IV. A CHAPTER OF THINGS TO SEE THIS WINTER 39
V. CHRISTMAS IN THE WOODS 46
VI. CHICKADEE 61
VII. A CHAPTER OF THINGS TO DO THIS WINTER 74
VIII. THE MISSING TOOTH 80
IX. THE PECULIAR ’POSSUM 94
X. A FEBRUARY FRESHET 105
XI. A BREACH IN THE BANK 112
XII. A CHAPTER OF THINGS TO HEAR THIS WINTER 123
XIII. THE LAST DAY OF WINTER 129
NOTES AND SUGGESTIONS 137

ILLUSTRATIONS

THE FOX SPARROWS’ BATH _Frontispiece_
SKUNK TRACKS 3
CAT TRACKS 4
TRACKS OF HARE JOINED BY DOGS 6
“IN A BURST OF SPEED ACROSS THE OPEN FIELD” 7
DOG TRACKS IN FOUR INCHES OF SNOW 7
TRACKS OF THE WHITE-FOOTED MOUSE 9
“A GRAY SQUIRREL WITH A RED SQUIRREL AT HIS HEELS” 11
FOX TRACKS 12
MUSKRAT TRAIL 14
“INTO THE AIR THEY WENT” 26
WHITE-FOOT--“IN THE WINTER GALES” 33
“FIVE WEE MICE” 35
WHITE-FOOT AND THE HICKORY-NUTS 38
A VIREO’S NEST IN WINTER 40
“WIND-SWEEPINGS” 41
’POSSUM IN THE PERSIMMON TREE 50
WEASEL--“WATCHING ME FROM BETWEEN THE STICKS” 58
“A CHICKADEE!” 62
“DOING THE EXCAVATING THEMSELVES” 69
FOOD FOR THE NUTHATCHES 76
THE MOURNING-CLOAK BUTTERFLY, AN EARLY FLITTER 77
A RUFFED GROUSE TRAIL 78
“THE SNOW HAD MELTED FROM THE RIVER MEADOWS” 80
“CARRYING A BIG BOB-TAILED VOLE OUT OF MY ‘MOWING’” 85
“SCURRYING THROUGH THE TOPS OF SOME PITCH PINES” 90
“ALL THE AFTERNOON THE CROWS HAVE BEEN GOING OVER” 93
THE DUCK-BILLED PLATYPUS, OR DUCK-BILL 97
THE ECHIDNA, OR PORCUPINE ANT-EATER 98
“STANDING BEFORE A LARGE ’POSSUM” 99
“OUT SHE SPILLED AND NINE LITTLE ’POSSUMS WITH HER” 100
“A GREAT BLUE HERON WOULD BEAT PONDEROUSLY ACROSS” 106
MEADOW MOUSE--“IN A DRIFTING CATBIRD’S NEST” 109
“A LITTLE FIGURE IN YELLOW OIL-SKINS” 114
“DREW A LIMP LITTLE FORM OUT OF THE WATER” 121
QUAIL--“ONE OF THE COVEY CALLING THE FLOCK TOGETHER” 127
“A FLOCK OF ROBINS DASHING INTO THE CEDARS” 131
PUSSY-WILLOWS AND WATERCRESS 132
“THE HAZELNUT BUSHES ARE IN BLOOM” 133
BLUEBIRD--“LIKE A BIT OF SUMMER SKY” 135