THE BURGESS ANIMAL BOOK FOR CHILDREN
By 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, whose 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