THE BRITISH OR LIGHT-TAILED SQUIRREL = 709 
Woodpecker. The Rev. A. Ellison finds that in Ireland it is 
one of the worst enemies of small birds, of which it devours 
both eggs and young. Indeed, once the bird-nesting habit 
has been acquired—for it must be admitted that it does not 
manifest itself universally in the species—eggs, fledgelings, or, 
if they can be surprised, even adult birds are all acceptable ;* 
and one has even been discovered in the act of carrying off a 
small chicken from a poultry yard. It is a clumsy robber, and 
its handiwork may be recognised by the portions of its repast 
left behind or scattered about the raided nest. Captain Reid 
protected a Woodpecker’s nest from further disturbance by 
smearing a ring of tar around the trunk. 
The Squirrel is not content to restrict itself to such 
provender as is provided by woods. All through the year it 
may be seen, either in search of food or of nesting materials, 
grubbing assiduously on the ground, often at a little distance 
from trees. At such times it is very active, working hard and 
spending much time at its exercise. From time to time it 
desists from its exertions either to survey its surroundings or to 
drive away a comrade—the pursuit being often hot enough to 
include much doubling and winding, and perhaps a chase up a 
>?) 
tree. Frequently also it sits bolt upright, the 
tail lying at right angles along the ground Me 
evidently as a support, and, holding some dainty 
in its paws, nibbles and eats; but if the object Va 
of its attentions be of comparatively large, A 
although portable size, it usually retires with 
its booty up a tree, as when Mr W. Evans found V 
one carrying a mutton bone fully 7 inches long. Fic. 100—SPoor 
Its eait is not a walk ora run, but ‘@ series#f cf Saueee 
6) si Me é SNOW. 
short leaps, the fore and hind limbs working 
together in pairs. On its terrestrial expeditions it has been 
found to devour plantains, daffodils, crocuses (the whole plant), 
tubers of the lesser celandine, Indian corn and ants’ eggs. It 
1 Cocks says (zm dt.):—‘‘There are some spruce firs near the house here 
[Poynetts], always utilised by sparrows for nesting, 25 to 30 feet up, but for several 
years now not a single young bird has flown, all the nests being regularly raided 
by squirrels. They destroyed a nest-box in a Scotch Fir adjoining these. If they 
thus take evexy sparrow from this particular sca¢fered lot of spruces they must do 
serious damage to other small birds of more value.” 
