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Page 2
[Illustration: THE KING FISHER.]
On the other side of the brook was a cranberry marsh, with a raised
road passing through to the pine forest, still beyond, where the
children gathered the ground pine, and hunted for the bright scarlet
berries of the winter-green. When the children resorted to the
cranberry marsh to obtain a supply of berries for their mother, they
often saw the beautiful meadow lark, crouching among the reeds, or
flying slowly and steadily away, as they approached her, uttering her
lisping, melancholy note, which sounded like, "_et-se-de-ah_," and
sometimes, "_tai-sedilio_." This bird was much admired by Fanny, who
was dreadfully grieved when a neighboring sportsman shot a number of
meadow larks for the sake of their flesh, which is almost equal in
flavor to that of the partridge.
[Illustration: THE MEADOW LARK.]
[Illustration: THE AMERICAN AVOSET.]
In this marsh, too, the children sometimes saw that singular bird, the
Avoset, with its curious curved bill, its noisy clamor, and its long
legs, bending and tottering under him, as he ran about the marsh or
waded into its pools. He was a great curiosity in his way.
Thus the cranberry marsh had its pleasures for Frank and Fanny.
But this was not their favorite resort. They loved best to cross the
meadows in front of the house, to a forest, where the woods were more
open, and where trees of every variety, cast their shadows upon the
green turf, and wild flowers grew upon every hillock, and peeped out
from every mossy glade. There were little wildernesses of
honey-suckles, too, scattered through the woods, and long, pale green
fern leaves, fit for a fairy to sway to and fro upon; and there were
vines of wild grapes, with branches so strong, that they often made
swings of them.
Sometimes in their rambles in the woods, they started a wild hare,
which they called a rabbit, who fled away from them with long leaps,
and was soon out of sight, so that they could hardly catch a glimpse
of him in his rapid flight. But they were always greatly excited with
a view of him, and lamented that they had no means of catching him.
[Illustration: THE RABBIT.]
Some of Frank's school fellows, however, were more skilled in hunting.
They knew how to set snares for the poor rabbits, and were very often
successful in catching them. By means of an elastic branch, or
sapling, bent over, and furnished with a snare of strong twine, they
contrived to catch the poor rabbit by the neck, and string him up in
the air, like a criminal convicted of murder. It was no misfortune to
Frank to be ignorant of this hunting craft.
[Illustration: BOYS SNARING RABBITS.]
Another curious animal, which the children sometimes saw, and which
may be seen occasionally in the pastures and pine forests, in all
parts of our country, from Maine to Carolina, was the woodchuck, or
ground-hog, as it is sometimes called. It feeds, generally, upon
clover and other succulent vegetables, and hence it is often injurious
to the farmer. It is said to bring forth four or five young at a
litter. Its gait is awkward, and not rapid; but its extreme vigilance,
and acute sense of hearing, prevent it from being often captured. It
forms deep and long burrows in the earth, to which it flies upon the
least alarm. It appears to be sociable in its habits; for upon one
occasion, we noticed some thirty or forty burrows in a field of about
five acres. These burrows contain large excavations, in which they
deposit stores of provisions. It hybernates during the winter, having
first carefully closed the entrance of its burrow from within. It is
susceptible of domestication, and is remarkable for its cleanly
habits. Its cheeks are susceptible of great dilatation, and are used
as receptacles for the food which it thus transports to its
burrow. The capture of the woodchuck, forms one of the most exciting
sports of boys, and it is very easily domesticated.
[Illustration: THE WOODCHUCK.]
The woods abounded in other wild animals, all small and harmless, but
extremely interesting to the children. In their frequent visits to the
woods, it was their delight to watch the animals and birds, and
observe their motions, habits, and modes of life. But they were not
fond of disturbing them; and when they deviated from their rule in
this respect, on one remarkable occasion, as we shall now relate, it
gave them occasion for much sorrow.
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