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The Burgess Animal Book for Children
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Etext created by Eve Sobol, South Bend, Indiana
THE BURGESS ANIMAL BOOK FOR CHILDREN
Thornton W. Burgess
TO THE CAUSE OF WILD LIFE IN AMERICA, ESPECIALLY THE
MAMMALS MANY OF WHICH ARE
SERIOUSLY THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION, THIS BOOK IS
DEDICATED.
PREFACE
The cordial reception given the Burgess Bird Book
for Children,
together with numerous letters to the author asking
for information
on the habits and characteristics of many of the mammals
of
America, led to the preparation of this volume.
It is offered
merely as an introduction to the four-footed friends,
little and
big, which form so important a part of the wild life
of the United
States and Canada.
There has been no attempt to describe or classify
sub-species.
That is for the scientist and student with specific
interests.
The purpose of this book is to acquaint the reader
with the
larger groups—orders, families, and divisions
of the latter,
so that typical representatives may be recognized
and their
habits understood.
Instead of the word mammal, the word animal has been
used
throughout as having a better defined meaning to the
average
child. A conscientious effort to avoid technical
terms and
descriptions has been made that there may be nothing
to confuse
the young mind. Clarity and simplicity have been
the objects
kept constantly in view.
At the same time the utmost care to be accurate in
the smallest
details has been exercised. To this end the works
of leading
authorities on American mammals have been carefully
consulted
and compared. No statements which are not confirmed
by two or
more naturalists of recognized standing have been
made.
In this research work the writings of Audubon and
Bachman, Dr. E.W.
Neson, Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Dr. W.T. Hornaday,
Ernest Thompson Seton
and others, together with the bulletins of the Biological
Survey of
the Department of Agriculture at Washington, have
been of the
greatest value. I herewith acknowledge my debt
to these.
Whatever the text may lack in clearness of description
will be
amply compensated for by the wonderful drawings in
color and
black-an-white by Mr. Louis Agassiz Fuertes, the artist-naturalist,
whoese hearty cooperation has been a source of great
help to me.
These drawings were made especially for this book
and add in no
small degree to such value as it may possess.
If the reading of these pages shall lead even a few
to an active
interest in our wild animals, stimulating a desire
to preserve
and protect a priceless heritage from the past which
a heedless
present threatens through wanton and reckless waste
to deny the
future, the labor will have been well worth while.
Only through intimate acquaintance may understanding
of the animals
in their relations to each other and to man be attained.
To serve
as a medium for this purpose this book has been written.
As such
I offer it to the children of America, conscious of
its
shortcomings yet hopeful that it will prove of some
value in
acquainting them with their friends and mine—the
animals of field
and wood, of mountain and desert, in the truest sense
the first
citizens of America.
THORNTON
W. BURGESS
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I JENNY WREN GIVES PETER RABBIT AN IDEA
Peter
arranges to go to school to Old Mother Nature.
II PETER
AND JUMPER GO TO SCHOOL
The
Cottontail Rabbit, Northern Hare and Marsh Rabbit.
III MORE OF PETER’S
LONG-LEGGED COUSINS
The
Swamp Hare, Arctic Hare, Prairie Hare, Antelope
Jack
and common Jack Rabbit.
IV CHATTERER
AND HAPPY JACK JOIN
The
Squirrel family and order of Rodents.
V
THE SQUIRRELS OF THE TREES
The
Red, Gray, Fox, Kaibab and Abert Squirrels.
VI STRIPED
CHIPMUNK AND HIS COUSINS
The
Chipmunk, Spermophiles, and Flying Squirrel.
VII JOHNNY CHUCK
JOINS THE CLASS
The
Woodchuck and his ways.
VIII WHISTLER AND YAP
YAP
The
Whistling or Hoary Marmot and Prairie Dogs.
IX TWO QUEER
LITTLE HAYMAKERS
The
Pika or Cony and the Mountain Beaver or Sewellel.
X
PRICKLY PORKY AND GRUBBY GOPHER
Introducing
the Porcupine and Pocket Gopher.
XI A FELLOW
WITH A THOUSAND SPEARS
More
about the Porcupine.
XII A LUMBERMAN
AND ENGINEER
The
Beaver and his works.
XIII A WORKER AND A
ROBBER
The
Muskrat and the Brown or Norway Rat.
XIV A TRADER AND
A HANDSOME FELLOW
The
Cotton Rat, Wood or Pack Rat and the Kangaroo Rat.
XV TWO UNLIKE
LITTLE COUSINS
Whitefoot
the Wood or Deer Mouse and Danny Meadow
Mouse,
also called Field Mouse.
XVI DANNY’S
NORTHERN COUSINS, AND NIMBLEHEELS
The
Banded and Brown Lemmings and the Jumping Mouse.
XVII THREE LITTLE REDCOATS
AND SOME OTHERS
The
Pine Mouse, Red-backed Mouse, Rufous Tree Mouse,
Rock
Mouse and Beach Mouse.
XVIII MICE WITH POCKETS, AND
OTHERS
The
Silky and Spiny Pocket Mice, Grasshopper Mouse,
Harvest
Mouse and House Mouse.
XIX TEENY WEENY
AND HIS COUSIN
The
Common or Long-tailed Shrew or Shrew Mouse,
Short-tailed
Shrew or Mole Shrew and Marsh or Water
Shrew.
XX FOUR
BUSY LITTLE MINERS
The
Common Mole, Brewer’s or Hairy-tailed Mole, Oregon
Mole
and Star-nosed Mole.
XXI FLITTER THE
BAT AND HIS FAMILY
The
Red Bat, Little Brown or Cave Bat, Big Brown or
House
Bat, Silvery Bat, Hoary Bat and Big-eared Bat.
XXII AN INDEPENDENT
FAMILY
The
Common Skunk, Hog-nosed or Badger Skunk and Little
Spotted
Skunk.
XXIII DIGGER AND HIS COUSIN
GLUTTON
The
Badger and Wolverine or Carcajou.
XXIV SHADOW AND HIS
FAMILY
The
Common or Bonaparte Weasel or Ermine, New York
Weasel,
Long-tailed or Yellow-bellied Weasel, Least
Weasel
and Black-footed Ferret.
XXV TWO FAMOUS
SWIMMERS
Billy
Mink and Little Joe Otter.
XXVI SPITE THE MARTEN
AND PEKAN THE FISHER
The
Pine Marten or American Sable and the Fisher or
Pennant
Marten.
XXVII REDDY FOX JOINS THE
SCHOOL
The
Red, Black and Silver Foxes, Gray Fox, Kit Fox
Or
Swift, Desert Fox, Arctic and Blue Foxes.
XXVIII OLD MAN COYOTE AND HOWLER
THE WOLF
The
Prairie Wolf or Coyote and the Timber or Gray Wolf.
XXIX YOWLER AND HIS
COUSIN TUFTY
The
Bay Lynx or Bob Cat and the Canada Lynx or Lucivee.
XXX SOME BIG AND
LITTLE CAT COUSINS
Puma
the Panther, also called Cougar and Mountain Lion,
The
Jaguar, the Ocelot, and the Jaguarundi Cat or Eyra.
XXXI BOBBY COON ARRIVES
The
Raccoon and the Civet or Ring-tailed Cat, also
Called
Coon Cat and Bassaris.
XXXII BUSTER BEAR NEARLY BREAKS
UP SCHOOL
The
Black Bear and his habits.
XXXIII BUSTER BEAR’S BIG COUSINS
Silvertip,
the Grizzly Bear, the Alaska or Great Brown
Bear
and the Polar Bear.
XXXIV UNC’ BILLY AND
OLD MRS. POSSUM
The
Virginia Opossum, which is the only American
Marsupial.
XXXV LIGHTFOOT, BLACKTAIL
AND FORKHORN
The
White-tailed or Virginia Deer, Black-tailed Deer
And
Mule Deer.
XXXVI BUGLER, FLATHORNS AND
WANDERHOOF
The
Elk or Wapiti, Moose or Caribou.
XXXVII THUNDERFOOT, FLEETFOOT AND
LONGCOAT
The
Buffalo or Bison, Antelope or Musk-Ox.
XXXVIII TWO WONDERFUL MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS
The
Rocky Mountain Sheep or Bighorn and the Rocky
Mountain
Goat.
XXXIX PIGGY AND HARDSHELL
The
Peccary or Wild Pig and the Armadillo.
XL THE MAMMALS
OF THE SEA
The
Sea Otter, Walrus, Sea Lions, Seals and Manatee
Or
Sea Cow.
THE BURGESS ANIMAL BOOK FOR CHILDREN
