SQUIRREL 63 



recently observed one gnawing a shank-bone of that quadruped. 

 Observing the little animal busy with something on the 

 ground in a large fir wood, I walked towards it, when it at 

 once scampered up a tall clean-stemmed tree, holding the 

 object in its mouth. Having reached a branch about fifty 

 feet from the ground, it sat down, and, grasping the prize 

 between its fore-paws, began nibbling at the end of it. On 

 my striking the branch with a stone, it dropped the object, 

 which, to my surprise, was a sheep's shank-bone, measuring 

 fully seven inches in length. A large hole had already been 

 gnawed in the thick end of it. 



According to Bell, the young are born in the month of 

 June, and MacGillivray's statement is to the same effect; but 

 I am inclined to think April is the more usual time, and that 

 a second litter may frequently be born in the latter part of 

 summer. Unfortunately I can only give one exact date, 

 namely, 23rd April, on which day a nest containing several 

 young Squirrels was discovered. At least two other instances, 

 however, of young in April have come to my knowledge ; 

 also one in August. As to the supposed hibernation of the 

 Squirrel, I can only say that I have seen them frisking about 

 in every month of the year. 



[DORMOUSE. 



MUSCARDINUS AVELLANARIUS (Z.), 



In 1838 MacGillivray wrote, " This species . . . has not 

 hitherto been satisfactorily proved to exist in Scotland, 

 although it has been reported to me to occur near Gifford in 

 East Lothian " (" British Quadrupeds," p. 236). No evidence 

 in support of this statement has ever been forthcoming, and 

 we must therefore conclude that his informant was in error.] 



