344 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



kept in the hope of getting another 

 glimpse of our guest. For several 

 weeks we did not see him, yet every 

 morning the boards were empty, the 

 nuts were gone. Finally the little 

 creatures — there were two, finding that 

 no harm came to them, ventured out 



"Hello! Did you bring my supper?" 

 The supper was there. Before long he 

 found it and came again and again 

 and his parents or brothers and sisters 

 were with him. This went on during 

 all the long, lazy, happy summer and 

 bv fall our "Babies," as we now called 



DR. IIERTZBERG'S HOMF NEAR To XAHUI 



KNOKIK KA^'iIP." 



of the house a little before dark, and 

 occasionally would show us a flight. 

 As time went on they became bolder 

 and one evening one ventured on to 

 the board while we were sitting near- 

 by and in a great hurry scampered ofif 

 with a nut. This was repeated a num- 

 ber of times, the little fellows coming 

 oftener and earlier. It was now get- 

 ting late in the fall and we had to 

 leave Kamp Knokik. A large stock of 

 nuts was left and, as the acorn yield 

 was plentiful, no apprehension was felt 

 for our guest's winter food supply. 



You may imagine our pleasurable 

 surprise when, the following year, we 

 found both houses occupied. Nuts 

 were that evening placed on the boards. 

 In the morning they were gone. The 

 next evening a little furry head with 

 sharp ears and big eyes peeped out 

 just before dark and seemed to say, 



them, came every evening just before 

 dark and partook of the feast spread 

 for them. To our intense gratification 

 they kept coming a little earlier, so that 

 just before "Kamp" breaking time ar- 

 rived, the little creatures entertained 

 us with fifteen or twenty minutes' flight 

 each evening. So the second summer 

 came to an end. 



Large expectations were held for the 

 next year. The spring of 191 5 came, 

 and to Kamp we went, armed with a 

 big basketful of hazelnuts. The first 

 look was at the houses. The babies 

 were still there. A Lucullian feast 

 was spread for them, and to our amaze- 

 ment Baby poked his head out of his 

 doorway about a half hour before dark 

 and lost little time in examining his 

 supper. This he did by rushing to the 

 board, picking up a nut, quickly sitting 

 on his haunches, and taking two bites 



