106 COMMON BRITISH ANIMALS 



appear to take but little notice of the visitors, and 

 amuse themselves by making stores in the grass of 

 the nuts that are thrown to them. 



When eating, the squirrel sits on his long hind 

 legs and grasps the nut with his hand-like forefeet. 

 The shell of a hazel nut is first bitten at the pointed 

 end, and then it can be easily broken and the kernel 

 extracted. The nest or ^^ drey '' of the squirrel is 

 built of sticks together with moss and leaves. It is 

 often very high up in the fork of an oak or pine 

 tree. There are sometimes two entrance holes to 

 the nest, one at the bottom to give an escape down 

 the trunk and one at the side. It is one of the 

 warmest, cosiest homes that is built by any animal, 

 impervious to rain, and so scientifically placed and 

 constructed as to stand fast against all gales, even 

 in the airy position favoured by squirrels. This is 

 the squirrels home, not built merely to serve the 

 purpose of a cradle as birds' nests are, though a new- 

 one is usually built by the father and mother squirrel 

 together for the young family. Sometimes an old 

 home may be repaired, sometimes an old crow's or 

 mngpie's nest may be adapted to their needs. In 

 this " drey '' two families are born, one in the spring 

 and another in the late summer, about August. The 

 litters number two to three, but Mr. Millais^ says : 

 " I have seen and heard of four several times. They 

 are at first naked and born blind, but they grow xevy 

 quickly. They are certainly very good mothei's, and 

 get fearfully excited if the young are threatened. 

 The young closely resemble the adult, except that 



* hoc, cit., vol. ii, p. 156. 



