I04 MAMMALIA. 



I would allow them to crawl into my vest in front and go to sleep 

 there, where they felt the warmth of my body, and it was very rare 

 indeed, during the first six months, that they failed to ask the 

 privilege ; indeed they came to consider themselves abused if 

 turned out. When forced to go to sleep by themselves, the atti- 

 tude taken was amusing, the nose was placed upon the table or 

 other object it happened to be upon, and then it would walk forward 

 over it, rolling itself up until the nose almost protruded from be- 

 tween the hind legs ; the tail was then wrapped in a horizontal 

 coil about the feet, and the result was an exquisite little ball of life 

 in soft fur which it seemed almost sacrilegious to touch. If they 

 escaped from the cage during the night, I was sure to be warned 

 of the fact by their coming into the bed to roll themselves up close 

 to my face or neck." * 



The most extended account which I have seen of this animal's 

 habits in confinement, is from the pen of Prof, Geo. H. Perkins, 

 of the University of Vermont. He describes his interesting pets 

 in the following language : " At dusk they begin to stir. Not all 

 at once it would seem do they awake, for the material of the nest 

 quivers and shakes for some time before the squirrel appears. 

 When, however, they conclude that they are all ready, out pop 

 their heads, each to be followed by the rest of the body, after a 

 glance on all sides with the glistening black eyes ; and now all 

 drowsiness has disappeared and an activity more incessant and 

 more intense than can be described takes its place. All night long, 

 often with only the briefest rest now and then, these little animals 

 are in vigorous motion, jumping, bounding, capering, running with 

 ever-varying movement and astonishing energy. Everything they 

 do is done with all their might. It would seem to any one watch- 

 ing them that the exercise of the first few minutes must wholly 

 exhaust their powers, but, on the contrary, the more their muscles 

 are used, the more capable of use they seem, and great as is the 



* American Naturalist, Vol. XVII, No. i, Jan. 1883, p. 39. 



