MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS SCIURUS. 115 



to reach the ground without injury, and recovers itself so in- 

 stantaneously that it often escapes the vigilance of the dog 

 that watches its desceut and stands ready to seize upon it at 

 the moment of its fall. It immediately ascends a neighbour- 

 ing tree, emitting very frequently a querulous bark, which is 

 either a note of fear or of triumph. Although the squirrel 

 moves with considerable rapidity on the ground, yet it rather 

 runs than leaps ; on trees however its activity and agility are 

 surprising, and it is thus enabled often to escape from its ene- 

 mies, concealing itself eventually either among the thick fo- 

 liage, — in its nest, — or in the hollow of a tree. 



The squirrel usually carries its food to the mouth by the fore 

 paws. Nuts and seeds of all kinds are secured between the 

 rudimental thumbs and the inner portions of the palms. — 

 When disturbed in this situation, it either drops the nut and 

 makes a rapid retreat, or seizes it with the incisors and car- 

 ries it to its hole or nest. 



All our species of this genus, as far as we have been able 

 to become acquainted with their habits, build their nests ei- 

 ther in the fork of a tree, or on some secure portion of its 

 branches. The nest is spherical in shape, and is composed 

 of sticks, leaves, the bark of trees, and various kinds of mosses 

 and lichens. In the vicinity of these nests* however, they 

 have a still more secure retreat in some hollow tree, where 

 they retire in cold or in very wet weather, and where their 

 young are generally produced. 



Several species of squirrel collect more or less food during 

 the abundant season of autumn, to serve as a winter store. — 

 This hoard is composed of various kinds of walnuts {Juglans), 

 hickories (Carya), chesnuts, chinquepins, acorns, corn, &c, 

 which may be found in their vicinity. The species however 

 that inhabit the southern portions of the United States, where 

 the ground is seldom covered with snow, and where they can 

 always derive a precarious support from the seeds, insects, and 

 worms which are scratched up among the leaves &c, are less 

 provident in this respect ; and of all our species the chicka- 

 ree, or Hudson's Bay squirrel {Sci. Hudsonius), is by far the 

 most industrious, and lays up the greatest quantity of food. 



In the spring the squirrels shed their hair, which is re- 

 placed by a thinner and less furry coat ; during summer the 

 tails are narrower and less feathery than in autumn, when 

 they either receive an entire new coat, or a very great acces- 

 sion of fur ; at this season also the outer surfaces of the ears 

 are more thickly and prominently clothed with fur than in the 

 spring and summer. 



Squirrels are notorious depredators on the Indian corn fields 



