CROSSBILL IN SURREY. — THE SQUIRREL CARNIVOROUS. 311 



Breeding of the Crossbill in Surrey. — I ha\ r e been informed 

 since I wrote to you, that two nests with eggs had been met 

 with by the labourers in the Holt forest, but that they did not 

 observe them until the trees in which they were placed had 

 been felled, so that the eggs were broken. This was in Fe- 

 bruary last, — confirmatory of the very early nidification of 

 this bird. I have been rather surprised at not finding a nest 

 in the plantation here, although I have caused diligent search 

 to be made, and the crossbills have been and still continue 

 numerous. I am disposed to ascribe this to the number of 

 squirrels we'have, whilst there are very few in the Holt, and 

 they are great devourers of eggs. I think of proclaiming war 

 against them very soon. — H. L. Long. — Hampton, near Farn- 

 ham, Surrey ; May 2nd, 1839. 



Carnivorous propensity of the Squirrel. — In the able Mo- 

 nograph on the genus Sciurus which has appeared in the two 

 last numbers of your valuable periodical, the author has neg- 

 lected to notice the fact, that the squirrel is occasionally a 

 carnivorous animal. The same remark applies to all the 

 works on Natural History which I have examined. That 

 such however is the case, I have no hesitation in asserting, 

 having observed the fact many times during the last three 

 years. I believe 1 may add that the squirrel prefers animal 

 food in a living state. 



I first observed the fact in the spring of 1836 ; when, hav- 

 ing occasion to clean out the cage of some young kingfishers 

 which I had bred up, I left them on the table in a room in 

 which three half-grown squirrels were allowed to play. On 

 my return, I found one of the squirrels busily employed in 

 plucking the feathers from the head of one of the birds. The 

 following day a young cuckoo was placed in the same situa- 

 tion, when it was quickly attacked by a squirrel, which seized 

 it under the wing, where it was safe from the blows aimed at 

 it by the bird. In a few minutes the animal had eaten a 

 great portion of the ribs of one side, so that the air inspired 

 escaped from the wound; it had also eaten through the femur 

 and muscles of the thigh. Shortly after the other squirrels 

 joined the first, and partook of the remains of the unfortunate 

 bird. I several times repeated this experiment, both with 

 living and dead birds, and invariably found that the squirrels 

 would forsake their vegetable food for the more agreeable ani- 

 mal diet. 



I was then residing in the heart of Wiltshire, and on men- 

 tioning the fact to the shepherds, who, by the bye, are fre- 

 quently very keen observers of the habits of wild animals, I 



