Ornithological and Other Oddities 



watched with pleasure the antics of the pretty 

 little striped squirrels, which are almost tame, 

 running about on verandahs, and sometimes even 

 entering the rooms. In some American parks 

 also the native grey squirrel has become practi- 

 cally domesticated, and begs nuts and biscuits 

 from the passers-by. 



Now we have in our European red squirrel an 

 even prettier animal than either of these, and one 

 which could not fail to gain popularity were it 

 introduced as a park denizen ; while, as it is 

 known to rob birds' nests, it would also help to 

 keep the sparrow in his place. 



Its own undue increase would be prevented 

 by the all too numerous cats, which are deadly 

 enemies to young squirrels. 



The American grey kind might also be tried, 

 for it is a hardy animal, and would make a pretty 

 variety, to say nothing of the fact that it has 

 proved its adaptability to town life in its own 

 home. Moreover, it sometimes happens that a 

 foreign animal will withstand unnatural conditions 

 — such as those of our parks must always be to 

 some extent — better than a native species. 



Few of our British water-fowl do so well in 



London as the Australian black swan and the 



Egyptian goose, coming although these do from 



such utterly different climates. 



There is nothing prettier in the shape of 

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