INTELLIGENCE OF SQUIRRELS. 829 



INTELLIGENCE OF SQUIRRELS.* 



By Dr. T. WESLEY MILLS, 



PROFESSOR OF PHYSIOLOGY IN MCGILL UNIVERSITY. 



TTNTIL recently, the habits of animals seem to have been con- 

 \-J sidered simply as interesting manifestations of 'their life, 

 but without any special reference to their relations to the intel- 

 lectual part of the creatures concerned. But unless we assume 

 that animals are devoid of mind and true intelligence an ex- 

 treme and untenable position there must be a possible science of 

 comparative psychology, as there is of comparative anatomy and 

 physiology. The study of animal intelligence is possible, inter- 

 esting, and important, whether we regard man as derived from 

 some lower form, and his intellectual as well as his physical being 

 the result of evolution ; or whether we consider that man stands 

 wholly apart in origin either as to body or mind. In the latter 

 case, the study of the lower forms of mind affords a useful con- 

 trast with its highest development as seen in man ; in the former, 

 we aim at the construction of a ladder by which we may climb 

 from the simplest manifestations of consciousness to the highest 

 performances of the most gigantic human intellect. 



I have selected the study of squirrel psychology as the subject 

 of this paper, because so little seems to have been written on the 

 subject; because these animals are open to the observation of 

 every one ; and chiefly because I have been able to give special 

 attention to them myself. Their habits will be considered princi- 

 pally, but not exclusively, from the psychological standpoint ; 

 and I shall apply the comparative method, making such refer- 

 ences to the habits and intelligence of other rodents as seem to 

 throw light on those of the squirrel. While some attention has 

 been paid to other species of squirrels, my studies have been 

 chiefly on the ground squirrel (Tamias Lysteri) and the red 

 squirrel (Sciurus Hudsonius). 



These species, in many respects, form a contrast to each other. 

 The chipmunk, chipping squirrel, or hackee, has his abode under- 

 ground in a specially constructed burrow; the red squirrel, or 

 chickaree, lives in nests in trees ; and the intelligence of the latter 

 seems to be altogether of a much higher order than in the ground 

 squirrel. This was abundantly illustrated in my experiments 

 with an ordinary wire rat-trap having a spring door. The trap 

 was scarcely laid down near the haunts of the chipmunk before 

 one entered it, in fact before my eyes ; and there was never any 

 difficulty in securing as many as were wanted. On several occa- 



* Part of a paper communicated to the Royal Society of Canada. 



