1901-1902. | The Squirrel. 287 
it quickly observed me, ran up into the cleft of a branch, and 
watched suspiciously for several minutes. Picking up a bit 
of stick, I began working with it on the walk, and gradually 
went farther away from the chestnut tree. The squirrel 
evidently made up its mind that I was a gardener and had 
no intention of interfering with it, as it again commenced 
operations. Here I discovered how largely this animal is 
_ endowed with the instinct of self-preservation, as it discon- 
tinued crossing the field, but ran round nearly double the 
_ distance on the top of the wall that surrounds the park. 
_ There is a row of trees inside the wall, and prudence dictated 
_ that it was safer to keep near them than to cross the open 
field. : 
Strange as it may seem, the tame squirrel now exhibited 
_ will not eat chestnuts, but this may be accounted for by its 
getting a superabundance of food more congenial to its taste. 
It might be otherwise during a protracted storm. It must 
also be kept in mind that some seasons beech nuts and acorns 
can be gathered in large quantities, while in others scarcely 
any can be got. Not being able to find beech nuts and acorns 
hereabouts this season, and knowing from the recollections of 
“my boyhood that a great many grow in the historic park of 
_ Ladykirk, in Berwickshire, I wrote and asked the gardener to 
send me some. He replied, “There is not such a thing to be 
seen this year; last year they could be gathered in barrow 
loads.” 
The usual food of squirrels is fruit, nuts, acorns, fungi, the 
cones of pine, which they pull to pieces segment by segment 
in order to get out the seed, and—must it be confessed ?—the 
shoots of young trees. They seem to be fond of gooseberries, 
but these are not carried away. Their modus operandi is to 
select a berry they can reach from the ground, make a hole in 
the side and scoop the heart out with their paws, leaving the 
‘skin hanging on the bush. Where squirrels are numerous 
hazel nuts are frequently cleaned up before they are fit for 
pulling. Cherries are also a great temptation for squirrels. 
_I was once much amused by seeing a gardener at Ladykirk 
- determined to protect a beautiful crop of cherries which were 
growing against the garden wall. He had them covered by 
hanging a herring-net over them double, and with an evident 
