164 



iMAALMALS OF AMERICA 



In the West it frequents the oak and pine. This 

 is the real home, although often a summer house 

 is constructed, which is generally located in the 

 same tree with the other home, so that if 

 the Squirrel becomes frightened, it may run 

 for shelter to the more secure dwelling in the 

 hole of the tree. The summer home may be built 

 for convenience diu-ing the time that the young 

 are being reared : perhaps, it is built for sanitary 

 reasons ; the temperature may be verv much less 



Chipnuuiks. for they do not hibernate. When 

 the weather is not severe they roam abroad dur- 

 ing the winter. However, the Gray Squirrel, in 

 common with most of our other Squirrels, has 

 the habit of digging holes and hiding a nut or 

 two here and there. It has been argued that this 

 is an idle pastime, and that nuts so concealed in 

 many places could never again be located by the 

 Squirrel, but it must be remembered that the 

 sense of smell is very acute, probablv guiding the 



. Wtf-,.. 





Photograph by li. E. .\nthjnj' 



EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL 



The home of the Eastern Gray Squirrel is usually to be found in a hollow tree, forty feet or more from the 



ground 



during the hot weather ; or it may be a pleasure 

 house, for a tenting-out period that is so much 

 enjoyed by some of the higher animals. Who 

 knows? The material of the sunmier house 

 varies considerably, but consists chiefly of sticks, 

 bark, leaves, with a lining of grasses or some 

 other material. The entrance is on the side, the 

 nest from below resembling that of a crow. 



The Gray .Squirrels do not lay up for winter 

 use quantities of nuts or other food, as do the 



animal more than memory. It must be this 

 wonderful sense of smell that directs the Squir- 

 rel where to dig in the snow, securing from be- 

 neath the leaves the nuts that were buried weeks 

 before : or that guides him to a solitary nut 

 tree, or to the grain in a barn. 



This stored food constitutes only a part of the 

 Grav Squirrel's winter supply. The other part 

 be must scurry about to find. The beech trees 

 and some others do not drop all of their nuts 



