180 DE. T. WESLEY MILLS OIST 



that in about au hour's time the auimal was upou his feet, but that he kept exceedingly 

 quiet. The next day he was very dull — ill, as I thought — and I was inclined to the 

 belief, from the way he moved, that possibly one side was partially paralysed ; but, finding 

 that he had eaten a good deal of what had been given him (oats), I began to be suspicious. 

 Notwithstanding this apparent injury, that very day, when shewing a friend the animal, 

 on lifting aside one of the slats a little, he made such a rush for the opening that he all 

 but escaped. On the third day after his capture, having left the sitting-room (usually 

 occupied by two others besides myself) in which he was kept, for a period of about two 

 hours, I was told, on my return, by a maid-servant and a boy employed about the house, 

 that some time previously the sc^uirrel had escaped by the window, and descending the 

 wall of the house, which was "rough-cast," he had run off briskly along a neighboring 

 fence, and disappeared at the root of a tree. When asked if they saw any evidence of 

 lameness, they laughed at the idea, after his recent performances before their eyes. For 

 several days I observed a squirrel running about, apparently quite well, in the quarter in 

 which my animal had escaped, and I feel satisfied that it was the squirrel that I had 

 recently had in confinement. But, of course, of this I cannot be certain. 



I believe, now, that this was a case of feigning ; for, if the injury had been so serious 

 as the first symptoms would imply, or if there had been real paralysis, it could not have 

 disappeared so suddenly. An animal, even partially paralysed, could scarcely have 

 escaped as he did and shew no signs of lameness. His apparent insensibility at first may 

 have been due to catalepsy, or slight stunning. But, while there are elements of doubt 

 in this first case, there are none such in that about to be described. 



Case II. 



A Chickaree was felled from a small tree by a gentle tap with a piece of lathing. He 

 was so little injured that he would have escaped, had I not been on the spot where he 

 fell and seized him at once. He was placed forthwith in the box that the other animal 

 had occupied. He manifested no signs whatever of traumatic injury. One looking in 

 upon him might suppose that here was a case of a lively squirrel unwell, but events proved 

 otherwise. He ate the food placed within the box, bvit only when no one was observant. 

 He kept his head somewhat down, and seemed indifferent to everything. When a stick 

 was placed near his mouth, he savagely bit at it ; but when a needle on the end of the 

 same stick was substituted, he evinced no such hostility. He made no effort to escape 

 while we were in the room ; but, on our going down to dinner, he must at once have 

 commenced work, for on returning to the room in half an hour, he was found free, having 

 gnawed one of the slats sufficiently to allow him to squeeze through. With the assistance 

 of a friend, he was recaptured, biit during the chase he shewed fight when cornered, and 

 finally, as he was being secured, I narrowly escaped being bitten. He was returned to 

 his box, which was then covered with a board weighted with a large stone. Notwith- 

 standing, he gnawed his way out through the upper corner of the box during our absence 

 on one occasion shortly afterwards. 



I think a more typical case of feigning than this one could scarcely be found. 



The accounts of these two cases are based upon notes taken at the time, and this brings 



