366 Short Communications: — 



interesting and elegant little animal seems, in some measure, 

 to form a connecting link between the squirrel and dormouse 

 tribes, having the outward form of the former, with the habits 

 of the latter. It is very common in the neighbourhood of 

 Quebec, but is rather difficult to meet with, on account of its 

 retired habits ; its colour above is brownish red, on the under 

 side white ; along the ridge of the back, and on each side, 

 runs a black streak, the spaces between each being of a pale 

 yellow colour ; its tail is rather longer than the body, and 

 covered with a spreading fur, but less abundantly than in other 

 squirrels. It is plentiful in the crevices of the rocks forming 

 the bank of the St. Lawrence, from the Chedier River to 

 St. Nicholas. It also breeds commonly in the cellars and 

 crevices under some of the Canadian wood houses. A young 

 one of this year, which was captured in a room, soon became 

 very tame, and played about, regardless of the persons to 

 whom it was accustomed ; but was always timid before 

 strangers, skulking into a corner of its cage, and burying 

 itself in some dry grass placed there for its bed. It had a 

 very shrill whistling cry, which it repeated at intervals, as it 

 jumped against the wires in front of its cage. It was ex- 

 tremely nimble, and could get through very small crevices, 

 frequently escaping by pressing asunder the wires of its cage, 

 and on these occasions was very difficult to recapture ; but 

 if allowed to run about the room for some time, would 

 attempt to enter its cage again of its own accord. It was fed 

 principally upon shelled almonds and raisins, but was fond 

 of apples, and other pulpy fruits ; it also ate grain : and this 

 forms a large portion of its nutriment in the wild state. I 

 regret to say that one day, during the temporary absence of 

 my friend, the squirrel escaped, and, in endeavouring to 

 retake it, the people of the house frightened it out into the 

 fields ; and although it several times returned as far as the 

 threshold of the door, yet the ill-judged attempts at re-cap- 

 turing it at last completely scared it from the spot. — 

 E. H. Green/iow. Dec. 10. 1832. 



The Rafs Perception of Medicine. — My garden is near 

 the river, and some time ago rats swarmed in it. I em- 

 ployed a rat-catcher to destroy them by poison. Numbers 

 of them, after taking it, were creeping about, into and out of 

 their holes. I had put my plants of the genus A'\oe out of 

 doors for the summer, as I had done for twenty successive 

 summers before. The rats fell about them, and ate some of 

 them quite up ; and, amongst them, a large mitre-leaved 

 aloe, which weighed from fourteen to twenty pounds. Is it 

 not surprising that the rats should know that the aloes, 



