GNAWING ANIMALS RODENTS 105 



possibly eat. Sometimes tliese are stored in holes 

 and forgotten ; sometimes they are scattered on the 

 ground. I have seen in the neighbourhood of Perth 

 the bircheS; Scot^s pines and larches "ringed" by 

 squirrels, i. e. they bite off the bark in order to suck 

 the sweet sap from the growing layers of the wood. 

 Undoubtedly the squirrel is an enemy to foresters 

 and we cannot wonder at their killing them, but this 

 is not the only persecution squirrels have to undergo. 

 Here and there a squirrel may take to eating birds^ 

 eggs and even young birds, and consequently the 

 gamekeeper will attribute these evil ways to his 

 whole race and condemn them to death as vermin, 

 but the proper food of squirrels consists of nuts aud 

 fruits of all kinds. Of beech mast they are especially 

 fond, and it is very pretty to watch the squirrels in 

 a beech wood collecting the nuts from the delicate 

 outer branches of the trees by hanging on with their 

 strong claws where it is impossible for them to walk. 

 They will also feed on various kinds of fungi. I 

 have myself seen them in Norway feeding on tlie 

 large red fly Agaric. 



The most heartless torment that can be perpe- 

 trated on a squirrel is to put him into one of those 

 dreadful wire cages with whirring wheels. It is 

 the very nicety of torture thus to im23rison this 

 fairy of the woods, whose whole structure is but 

 an expression of scampering, dancing freedom. 

 Properly treated a squirrel is a good pet, as he 

 will attach himself to those who look after him, and 

 will come back for his food, if allowed his freedom. 



The grey squirrels in the Zoological Gardens 



