THE SQUIRREL. 



361 



of the party in the last day's hunt shot one hundred and thirty- 

 six, and that under unfavorable circumstances, being delayed three 

 hours, during the day, in getting a bullet up which he could not 

 ram down." 



Further on the writer remarks again: — "We killed thirteen off 

 one hickory-tree ; and they were busily coming and going to and 

 from it all the time, perfectly regardless of what was going on. 

 All this immense importation of squirrels were either gray or black, 

 and not one single fox-squirrel (which is common in Eastern Penn- 

 sylvania) was to be seen. During the whole afternoon it was 

 nothing but loading and firing, until our rifle-barrels became so hot 

 that we had to lay them down occasionally to cool. The myriads 

 of squirrels that are to be found on a few acres of favorable feed- 

 ing-ground during the season of plenty is almost incredible to those 

 who have never witnessed it. All the wholesale slaughter that was 

 made during the season did not sensibly diminish their numbers ; 

 for the rear of their countless army poured in and filled up the 

 places of the slain faster than were closed the thinned ranks of 

 Napoleon on the field of Waterloo." 



