Red-squirrel 333 



those of the 'meal worm,' no doubt attracted there by the bits 

 of grain, on which it feeds in the larval state. 



*' (b) The pupa case of fly. As there was a lot of Squirrel 

 excrement in the nest it is possible that the fly larva fed upon it, 

 as I could see no signs of any other animal matter that it could 

 develop on. 



*' (c) The pupa case of wasp. This came from the small 

 nest which you say hung a foot above the bed and was not in- 

 cluded in the Squirrel's boarders." 



This is a study in *'commensalism" — as the Squirrel had 

 at least two tenants to share his bed and board and a "squat- 

 ter" in the shape of a wasp whose sovereignty was not to be 

 disputed — in fact, commensalism with "squatter sovereignty" 

 hanging over it — not so unlike some other local habitats or 

 homes we have seen. 



On July 9, 1906, I found that the nest already men- 

 tioned as that of the Singer, was deserted. I sent it com- 

 plete for analysis to Professor Southwick. I believed that 

 the increase of the parasites had forced the Squirrel to leave 

 it, but this idea was not sustained by the report, which is as 

 follows : 



"The nest was composed of leaves of Quercus rubra, alba 

 and castanea {Castanea resea var. Americana^. 



" Leave and fibre of Tilia americana [the nearest tree was 

 200 yards away]. 



"Leaves of Juglans cinerea [the nearest was 100 yards 

 away]. 



"Fibre of Vitis labruska and probably of Asclepius 

 (species .?) [the nearest was 300 yards away]. 



"The lower part of the nest was composed of a mass of 

 decaying leaf mould and vegetable matter, excrement, etc., and 

 in this I found the following remnants: 



"The pupa case of two species of Diptera; the imago 

 developing in the excrement; a very minute fly {Diptera) of 

 an unknown species, bred in the fermenting mass and common 

 to such places; the remnants of wing-cases of two species of 

 Coleoptera, probably of the wood-boring kind. 



