242 TAXIDERMY AND ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTING. 



the gray squirrel in nesting 1 . Each is composed of an actual nest, 

 and in the identical tree in which it was built by Bunny himself. 

 One represents a nest in a hollow beech tree, in which a pair 

 of gray squirrels bred for years. Another is what might be 

 called a summer nest, made of cedar bark, in the top of a cedar 

 tree. It is a round ball, and in size and shape much resembles 

 a hornet's nest. The third section represents an outside nest of 

 green oak-leaves, placed on a branch of an oak tree. These 

 three groups are exhibited in one case, but while each is sepa- 

 rated from the others by a plate of heavy tinted glass, it is made 

 apparent that they all illustrate the habits of the same animal. 

 The specimens composing 1 the three groups were all collected 

 within a radius of ten miles of the city of Washington. Besides 

 teaching what the nesting habits of the gray squirrel are, it also 

 impresses upon the observer the very important fact that the 

 habits of different individuals of a given species are capable of 

 wide variation. They show how dangerous it is for a student 

 or scientific investigator to generalize too freely from one or 

 two facts, and that it is dangerous for anyone to say what an 

 animal will not do ! 



In beginning the preparation of small mammal groups (for a 

 museum) the following hints may be of service : It is not neces- 

 sary that a small group should be designed and sketched out in 

 advance. The first step, therefore, is the finding of a typical fam- 

 ily of specimens, and a suitable burrow or nest. The character 

 of the creature's home will largely determine the design of your 

 group. By all means endeavor to secure a nest or burrow which 

 can be fitly shown as a typical home of the creature represented. 



When the nest of an animal is situated in a tree, it is nearly 

 always possible to cut out a section of the tree, and introduce it 

 bodily into your case, with appropriate leaf settings. When an 

 animal burrows in the ground, as do the fox and the wood- 

 chuck; the best that can be done is to dig out the spot carefully, 

 taking measurements and diagrams as you proceed, to show the 

 direction and size of the entrance and the exact shape and size 

 of the nest. You can then manufacture a bank and reproduce 

 a perfect fac-simile. Of course all the nest materials refus^ 

 bones, hair, and feathers must be taken along bodily, and used 

 in the manufactured nest. 



