GNAWING ANIMALS RODENTS 107 



their tails are red and thinly haired. It is a charm- 

 ing sight to see the mother bringing food to the 

 young when they first emerge from the nest. I have 

 seen the little ones sitting in a row outside their 

 home just like a flock of young long-tailed tits, all 

 snug and cosy together. The mother passes the food 

 to each with her mouth and not with her paws. She 

 also carries them with her mouth. '^ 



Mr. Harting"^ says : '^ The old squirrels in case of 

 danger remove the young from the nest or ^ drey ' 

 to some hole in a tree, whither they carry them, one 

 by one, in the mouth, just as a cat carries her kitten. 

 One of the prettiest sights in the world is to see an 

 old squirrel teaching a youug one to jump." 



Our squirrel becomes greyer in winter. In Russia 

 and Siberia they become quite a pale grey, and in 

 that state the fur is known as miniver, while it is 

 squirrels' hairs which are used to make the so-called 

 '' camels' hair '' paint brushes. 



The squirrel is such a constant inhabitant of woods 

 and forests, and is so extensively distributed, that it 

 is frequently the subject of myths and folk tales. 

 The Rev. Charles Swainsonf says : '^ In Germany 

 there is supposed to be an alliance between the 

 squirrels, as the little people of the trees, and the 

 fairies, who are the elves of the grass and the floAvers ; 

 while in Norway the squirrel is regarded as the post- 

 man of the forest, who carries all sorts of news 

 between the different wild animals. In Germany, 

 too, he is a sort of Christmns patron saint, like Santa 



* ' Zoologist; 1891, p. 102. 



t Harvie Brown's ' Sqviirrels in Great Britain.' 



