The Squirrel 



the Squirrel in this respect detract considerably from 

 the poetic pictures of woodland life. 



The Squirrel spends most of its time amongst the 

 tree-branches, but may occasionally be seen romping 

 about amongst the fallen leaves of the forest. In 

 colour it is of a very warm brown, and its tail is 

 extremely bushy, and curls up along the back of its 

 body. When on the ground, however, the tail is 

 always lowered and carried quite straight, similar to 

 that of any other animal of the woods. It is extremely 

 quick and nimble even when on the ground, but 

 intensely so when amongst standing timber. It thinks 

 nothing of leaping from branch to branch, and can 

 travel the whole length of a forest without descending, 

 provided the trees be of ordinary denseness. 



In early summer the Squirrel's colour is deep red, 

 and the ears are adorned by hairy tufts that give the 

 animal a rather peculiar look. Later in the year the 

 red coat becomes duller, and by winter it is greyish, 

 while the tufts then disappear from the ears. The 

 farther north the Squirrel is located, the greyer its 

 coat becomes. While warm brown or red above, the 

 front, from the throat downwards, is pure white, and 

 these markings go to make this agile climber a striking 

 figure to the casual observer. 



In size, the animal measures something like i6 inches, 

 including the tail. Both the eyes and ears are large 

 considering the bulk of the animal. There are four 

 digits in the hand, with a sort of rudimentary thumb, 



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