Monograph of the Gcmis Sdiinis. 293 



has already deposited its eggs or young in such situations is seldom 



ejected. The male and female summer duck unite in chasing and 

 beating with their wings any squirrel that may approach their nests, 

 nor are they idle with their bills and tongues, but continue biting, his- 

 sing, and flapping their wings until the intruder is expelled. On the 

 other hand, when the squirrel has its young in the hole of a tree, 

 and is intruded on cither by a woodpecker or a summer duck, it im- 

 mediately rushes to its hole, and after having entered, remains at tlie 

 mouth of it, occasionally protruding its head, and with a low and angry 

 bark keeps possession until the intruder, weary of the contest, leaves it 

 unmolested. Thus, nature imparts to each species additional spirit and 

 vigor in defence of its young ; whilst at the same time ihe intruder on the 

 possession of others, as if conscious of the injustice of his acts, evinces a 

 spirit of pusillanimity and cowardice. 



" In the vicinity of this permanent residence of the fox squirrel, several 



nests, composed of sticks, leaves and mosses, are usually seen on the pine 

 trees. These are seldom placed on the summits, but in the fork of a tree, 

 and more frequently where several branches unite to afford a sure resting- 



place to these nests. This may be called their summer home, for it seems 



to be occupied only in fine weather, and is deserted during wintry and 

 stormy seasons." , 



The breeding season is in December and January, and the 

 young are frequently produced as early as the first of March. 

 The nests containing young, as often as I have observed them, 

 were always found in the hollow of decayed trees. They appear 

 to bring forth young but once during the year. 



" The food of this species is various; besides acorns and the different 

 kinds of nuts, its principal subsistence for many weeks in autumn is on 

 the fruit extracted from the cones of the pine, especially that of our long- 

 leaved pitch pine {Pinus palustris.) Whilst the green corn is yet in its 

 milky state, the fox squirrel makes long journeys to visit the fields^ and 

 for the sake of convenience frequently builds a temporary summer-house 

 in the vicinity, in order to share with the little Carohna squirrel and the 

 crow a portion of the delicacies and treasures of the husbandman; 

 where he is also exposed to the risks incurred by the thief and plunderer; 

 for these fields are usually guarded by a gunner, and in this way thou- 

 sands of squirrels are destroyed during the green corn season. It is 

 doubtful whether the fox squirrel lays up any winter stores. There ap- 

 pears to be no food in any of his nests, nor does he, like the red squirrel 

 (Sciurus Hudsonius) resort to any hoards which, in the season of abund- 

 ance, were buried in the earth or concealed under logs and leaves. Dur- 

 ing this season he leaves his retreat but seldom, and then only for a short 



if* 



