288 MAMMALIA OF INDIA. 
quite so bad as that ; butas I now sit writing, I have a hill myna on one 
side of me imitating an ungreased cart-wheel and the agonies of an 
asthmatic derzie, and on the other side a small female of the rose-headed 
parrakeet, which has a most piercing selection of whistles and small talk, 
to say nothing of two small bipeds of five and seven, who cap all the rest 
for noise, till I sometimes wish I had the aural afflictions of the old king. 
I can, however, quite imagine the irritation the sharp chirrup-chirrup of 
this little squirrel would cause to an invalid, for there is something par- 
ticularly ear-piercing about it; but their prettiness and familiarity make 
up in great measure for their noisiness. They are certainly a nuisance 
in a garden, and I rather doubt whether they are of any use, as McMaster 
says, ‘in destroying many insects, especially white ants, beetles, both in 
their perfect and larval state,” &c. He adds: “They are said to destroy 
the eggs of small birds, but I have never observed this myself.” I should 
also doubt this, were it not that the European squirrel is accused of the 
same thing. General McMaster, I think, got his idea from a quaint old 
book, which he quotes at times, Dr. John Fryer’s ‘ Voyage to East 
India and Bombain,’ who, writing on the nests of the weaver bird (Plo- 
ceus baya), says: “‘ It ties it by so slender a Thread to the Bough of the 
Tree, that the Squirrel dare not venture his body, though his Mouth 
water at the eggs and Prey within.” McMaster himself writes: ‘This 
familiar little pest is accused, but I believe unjustly, of robbing nests ; 
were he guilty of this, it would in the breeding season cause much excite- 
ment among the small birds, in whose society he lives on terms of the 
most perfect friendship.” ‘There is much truthin this. Wood and others, 
however, state that the European squirrel has been detected in the act 
of carrying off a small bird out of a nest, and that it will devour eggs, 
insects, &c. 
Jerdon relates the Indian legend that, when Hanuman was crossing 
the Ganges, it was bridged over by all the animals; one small gap 
remained, which was filled by this squirrel, and as Hanuman passed over 
he put his hand on the squirrel’s back, on which the marks of his five 
fingers have since remained. It is not unlike the chipmunk of America 
(Zamias striatus), but these true ground squirrels have cheeks pouches 
and live in burrows. Our so-called palm squirrel (though it does not 
affect palms any more than other trees) builds a ragged sort of nest 
of any fibrous matter, without much attempt at concealment; and I 
have known it carry off bits of lace and strips of muslin and skeins of 
wool from a lady’s work-box for its house-building purposes. The skins 
of this species nicely cured make very pretty slippers. They are very 
easily tamed, and often fall victims to their temerity, in venturing unknown 
into their owner’s pockets, boxes, boots, &c. One I have now is very 
fond of a mess of parched rice and milk. It sleeps rolled up in a ball, 
not on its side, but with its head bent down between its legs. 
