40 BIRDS. 
change their expression at all till they launch into the 
air, when by their voice they express anger rather 
than alarm. 
I have referred to the red squirrel as a destroyer 
of the eggs and young of birds. I think the mischief 
it does in this respect can hardly be overestimated. 
Nearly all birds look upon it as their enemy, and at- 
tack and annoy it when it appears near their breed- 
ing haunts. Thus, I have seen the pewee, the cuckoo, 
the robin, and the wood-thrush pursuing it with angry 
voice and gestures. A friend of mine sawa pair of 
robins attack one in the top of a tall tree so vigor- 
ously that they caused it to lose its hold, when it fell 
to the ground, and was so stunned by the blow as to 
allow him to pick it up. If you wish the birds to 
breed and thrive in your orchard and groves, kill 
every red squirrel that infests the place ; kill every 
weasel also. ‘The weasel is a subtle and arch enemy 
of the birds. It climbs trees and explores them with 
great ease and nimbleness. I have seen it do so on 
several occasions. One day my attention was ar- 
rested by the angry notes of a pair of brown-thrash- 
ers that were flitting from bush to bush along an old 
stone row in a remote field. Presently I saw what it 
was that excited them —three large red weasels, or 
ermines coming along the stone wall, and leisurely and 
half playfully exploring every tree that stood near it. 
They had probably robbed the thrashers. They would 
go up the trees with great ease, and glide serpent-like 
out upon the main branches. When they descended 
the tree they were unable to come straight down, like 
a squirrel, but went around it spirally. How boldly 
they thrust their heads out of the wall, and eyed me 
and sniffed me, as I drew near, —their round, thin 
