356 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



and down every tree. They can watch the bush nests 

 when they cut across lots on the fences and walls, as 

 they do all the time, chattering and carrying tales about 

 what they see. 



" A pair of Red Squirrels made a nest under the old 

 shingles in our woodshed. The little ones were very 

 funny at first, with very big heads and bare skin, and 

 as blind as kittens. I thought that these were day 

 Squirrels, but this pair used to whisk out at night 

 sometimes, and didn't they chatter and scold if any one 

 went near the nest ! Mother said they were good com- 

 pany for her." 



"Why do you call them Red Squirrels, uncle?" asked 

 Nat. " I saw the pair down at Rap's house, and they 

 had bright brown coats and white vests, such as the 

 Deer Mouse wears, not the same color that we call red 

 in birds like the Tanager and Cardinal." 



" It is a careless way of speaking, Nat ; there are 

 very few bright-colored Mammals anywhere in the 

 world, and there are none, belonging on our tree, who 

 wear gayer coats tlian the Ocelot or Red Fox. So for 

 lack of anything brighter we call this Fox red when 

 bi'ight bay would be the exact term, and we say Red 

 Squirrel when we mean rusty brown. However, you 

 may call this happy-go-lucky fellow any color you 

 please, it will not alter his disposition, for he is the 

 most interesting, impertinent, inquisitive, and talkative 

 member of his family. In spring and summer he is 

 both heard and seen, leaping from stump to stump in 

 some cleared field, exploring old logs, and rummaging 

 in tlie brush pile, as if looking up storage for his pilfer- 

 ings, squabbling with birds, scolding Chipmunks that 



