1903-1904-] Damage done to Fir-Trees by Squirrels. 95 



Yll.—NOTE ON THE DAMAGE DONE TO FIR-TREES 

 BY SQUIRRELS. 



By Mr S. ARCHIBALD, Corresponding Member. 

 {Read Feb. 2 J,, 1904.) 



That squirrels do damage to the trees in a fir-wood can easily 

 be seen by any one who walks through such a wood in these 

 northern parts. I have just been re-reading in the ' Trans- 

 actions ' for 1901-2 the two papers on the squirrel by Mr Tom 

 Speedy and Dr W. Aitchison Eobertson, who write from rather 

 different points of view. My residence giving opportunities 

 for observation, a brief note may not be out of place, even 

 after the lapse of two years. 



In the young fir plantations around here during the winter 

 of 1901-2 — ^just when the papers referred to were being 

 written — the nimble little creatures first made a complete 

 clearance of the cones, and then attacked the trees, peeling off 

 the bark in great splashes, generally from several sections of 

 the same tree. Some members of my household saw them 

 plainly at work just forty yards from our own door. The 

 number of trees thus attacked was very great, and the results 

 were exactly similar to those recorded by Mr Speedy: the 

 resin exuded in great quantities all over the bare places, the 

 wood became very brittle, and after a gale the ground was 

 strewn with tree-tops, broken off about six or eight feet from 

 the apex. Of course broken stumps are of little use except 

 for firewood, and even those not broken are much deteriorated. 

 Many such that I have noticed seemed to be " dying on their 

 feet." These being plain facts, can any one say that squirrels 

 do no appreciable damage to fir- woods ? 



The cause of squirrels attacking fir-trees to such an extent 

 in this and some other districts is most probably a scarcity of 

 other food ; and, of course, the greater the number of squirrels 

 in any district the sooner will food-supplies be exhausted, and 

 the greater will be the consequent damage to fir-trees by our 

 pretty little furry neighbour in his natural endeavours to 



