322 LAND-BIRDS. 



hand, they do great mischief in destroying the eggs of other 

 useful birds. Like arrant cowards, as they are, they take op- 

 portunities to approach stealthily the nests of many birds, 

 whom they would be afraid to encounter, and then feast on 

 the eggs of the absent parents, after which they hurry away. 

 They are scarcely less destructive in this way than the black 

 snakes, though I have never known them to kill young birds. 

 In this connection, it may be remarked that the common 

 red squirrels (often called red " ferrets ") greatly check the 

 increase of our birds, though the little " chipmonks " are, I 

 believe, quite harmless in this respect. These latter, often 

 called striped or ground squirrels, are much less adroit climb- 

 ers than the former, and are comparatively seldom seen in 

 trees. Recently, however, I observed one who was feeding at 

 noon on a large stone, which he had established as his dining- 

 table, and who, after his meal, climbed up a stump luxuriantly 

 covered with the poisonous " ivy," evidently to enjoy a siesta. 

 There, curled up on one of the branches, at some height from the 

 ground, he rested for some while, occasionally allowing him- 

 self " forty winks," but usually keeping his eyes open to dan- 

 ger. He was undoubtedly disturbed by his children at home ; 

 but he must provide for them ; so he reluctantly descended, 

 and, filling his pouches to an almost incredible extent, disap- 

 peared down his hole in the lawn. The red " ferrets " are said 

 to throw young birds wantonly from the nest. This I have 

 never observed, but I have frequently seen them aj)parently 

 hunting for nests and actually robbing them of eggs. They 

 climb cleverly, leap without hesitation from bough to bough, 

 or tree to tree, and scamper over the ground with rapidity, 

 even doing so while carrying one of their young between their 

 teeth. 



d. The notes of the Cuckoo are all unmusical, and more or 

 less uncouth and guttural. They are much varied, being 

 sometimes coio-cow-cow-coiv-cow, cow-cow, sometimes cuckoo- 

 cucJcoo-cuckoo, sometimes cuc1cucoio\ ciic1cucow\ and at other 

 times low. Many of them are very liquid, but I have heard 

 one cry which has an affinity to that of certain Wood- 

 peckers. The Cuckoos may sometimes be heard at night. 



