THE RED SQUIREEL KLUGH 519 



a few more hairs and flew away, only to return in a few minutes for 

 more." 



RELATION TO FORESTS 



The activities of the red squirrel which might be assumed to have 

 an injurious effect upon the forest are: The eating of immense quan- 

 tities of seeds of conifers and nuts, the eating of buds, and the bark- 

 ing of trees. As regards seeds and nuts, there is an immense over- 

 production as compared with the number which fall in situations 

 where they can germinate, and a very much larger number of young 

 trees start than can ever reach maturity, so that there is no evidence 

 to show that squirrels, by their seed and nut eating proclivities, in 

 any way interfere with forest reproduction. The eating of buds, 

 even when, as in some cases which I have witnessed, it seems to be 

 rather drastic, does not have any injurious effect upon the trees. The 

 amount of bark which is eaten from any individual tree is usually 

 small, and a branch is girdled only in exceptional cases, so that the 

 aggregate injury from this cause is small. 



On the other hand there is little doubt but that the red squirrel 

 plays a more or less important part in reforestation, by reason of the 

 germination of seeds and nuts which it buries in the soil — thus bring- 

 ing them into the most favorable situation for germination — and then 

 either forgets or does not need. 



PSYCHOLOGY 



In the study of any animal the most interesting thing, and at the 

 same time the phase of the subject in which we have to proceed most 

 cautiously in drawing conclusions, is its mentality. I shall not enter 

 here into a discussion of the complications which the study of animal 

 psychology presents, of the pitfalls for the unwary with which it 

 abounds, or of the hotly debated matters of instinct, intelligence and 

 reason as shown by animals other than man, but shall merely remark 

 that I am familiar with the methods and with the results which have 

 been attained in comparative psychology, and that I believe that close 

 and long-continued observation of red squirrels has given me some 

 glimpses of the mentality of this species. 



GENERAL TEMPERAMENT OF THE SPECIES 



Every species of animal exhibits, after one has a sufficient acquain- 

 tance with it, a general temperament, which, in sp^te of individual ex- 

 ceptions, is characteristic of the species. The main outstanding 

 features of the temperament of the red squirrel are : First, vivacity ; 

 and second, the ability to "keep its head," that is, not to become 

 panic-stricken in times of danger. 



