RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



Sciurus Carolinensis — Gray Squirrel. 



This species is very common throughout 

 the state. We have chestnuts, hickory nuts, 

 and sweet acorns in plent3% and conditions 

 in general are favorable to its existence. 

 The gray squirrels produce on the average 

 four 3^oung to the litter, born about the last 

 of April or first of May, and they would 

 multiply profusely- were it not for the per- 

 sistent war waged upon them by gunners, 

 old and young. 



The nest is frequently placed in some tall 

 tree at the junction of a limb, bulky and 

 looking like a crow's nest, except that few 

 or no sticks are visible, the mass is roofed 

 over and composed of leaves and moss. We 

 have also seen them at the top of slender 

 birch trees, a sort of round bunch, usually 

 of birch leaves, from which, in the autumn, 

 a smart shake will dislodge the occupants. 

 Within ten miles of Providence, much of 

 the old timber grown in very ledgy locali- 

 ties has been cut off, the squirrels remain, 

 and very probabl}' find homes and protec- 

 tion among the rocks. In April, 1877, Mr. 

 G. M. Gray climbed to the nest of a Red- 

 shouldered Hawk, in the woods near Bristol. 

 The nest was old and large, and might have 

 been used for several years. On his ap- 

 proach, away went the hawk, and out from 

 the mass below ran a gray squirrel. There 

 were no 3'oung in the squirrel's nest, but 

 three eggs in that of the hawk. The squirrel 

 was started from the same place several 

 times afterward, while the hawk built again 

 about an eighth of a mile distant. 



The 3'oung are born blind and without 

 hair, and are frequently taken and reared 

 in captivity. When allowed their freedom 

 they are prone to try their sharp teeth upon 

 furniture and household goods in general. 

 And my experience is, that they are also 

 liable to bite persons, with whom they are 

 not well acquainted, making an unpleasant 

 wound. However, their sleek coat, beautiful 

 tail, large eyes, and agile ways make them 

 general favorites. 



In the woods they move rapidly by a 

 series of jumps, and frequently make tre- 

 mendous leaps from tree to tree, or branch 

 to branch, when chasing each other in play 

 or escaping from impending danger. 



Any one who has observed them knows 

 of their habit of lying close to the bark of 



a tree trunk, always keeping upon the side 

 opposite to the anxious gunner. Patient 

 waiting in such a case will after a time re- 

 veal the tip of a nose, or the wind will play 

 treacherously with the bushy appendage. 

 During the summer they are found in all 

 sorts of situations, and having never ex- 

 amined the stomachs, I cannot saj^ what 

 the}' may eat, but as the nuts begin to 

 ripen they commence to congregate, and to 

 gnaw oft" the green chestnut burrs, which 

 they do not open at the time, but probably 

 wait for time and perhaps the frosts to as- 

 sist. They do not lay up a winter store, 

 but bury nuts here and there in the ground 

 and are to be found about all winter, fre- 

 quently tunneling under the snow. 



No specimens of the black variety have 

 ever been reported for Rhode Island, but 

 for several years past pure white ones have 

 been taken, all, so far as can be determined, 

 in the woods of old Warwick. 



Squirrel Incidents. 



While passing through a field covered 

 with stumps, m}'^ attention was attracted to 

 a very large gray squirrel, sitting on a 

 stump about ten feet high. It was evidently 

 very much excited about something, so I 

 paused to investigate. A very large mink 

 soon ran up the stump, with the intention of 

 seizing the squirrel, but was met by the 

 teeth of the latter, and forced to drop back. 

 The squirrel had the advantage, for the 

 mink was a poor climber, and was repelled 

 time after time before he was able to gain a 

 footing on the top of the stump. So inter- 

 ested were they in the deadl}' combat that I 

 walked to within twent}^ feet and shot the 

 mink with a squib of small shot. When I 

 picked it up the squirrel did not move, but 

 seemed dazed at the turn matters had 

 taken. A. W. Anthony. 



While seated beneath a hickory, I no- 

 ticed a red squirrel busily engaged inspect- 

 ing a large leaf-nest, at first cautiously 

 smelHng the trunk and limbs about it, but 

 gradually getting bolder, it began a livel}^ 

 chattering and barking, and at times jump- 

 ing like a cat on to the nest, first on the top, 

 and then on the sides or bottom. This had 

 been going on for perhaps ten minutes, 

 when it was joined by two others of its 



