286 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Rabbits. 



Of all ground game rabbits are by far the worst enemies to 

 plants; they nibble the buds, and eat and nibble all sorts of trees, 

 especially those newly planted. They also cause annoyance by 

 burrowing in the ground near trees, causing them to be more 

 easily blown down. 



Squit^els. 



These little rodents, when numerous, do considerable harm to 

 woods. They are very fond of devouring seeds of many kinds, 

 especially acoi-ns and beech nuts and the seed of conifers, which 

 they procure by picking the cone to pieces. They also love to peel 

 the soft, sappy bark from young pines in spring, stripping it oft" 

 in patches, biting the external covering and sucking the sap, so 

 that the slender stems are injured to no slight extent. Scots ftr 

 about twelve years old suffers severely ; they are often to be seen 

 with four and five feet all bare of bark. They also strip off the 

 film of bast, and use it for building their nests. The damage done 

 by squirrels is especially noticeable after a gale of wind, the young 

 trees being broken over at the peeled parts. 



