SQUIRRELS 53 



the subject of this paper, because so little seems to have 

 been written on the subject ; because these animals are 

 open to the observation of every one; and chiefly 

 because I have been able to give special attention to 

 them myself. Their habits will be considered 

 principally, but not exclusively, from the psychological 

 standpoint, and I shall apply the comparative method, 

 making such references to the habits and intelligence 

 of other rodents as seem to throw light on those of the 

 squirrel. While some attention has been paid to other 

 species of squirrels, my studies have been chiefly on the 

 Ground Squirrel (Tamias Lysteri) and the Red Squirrel 

 (Sciurus Hudsonius). 



These species, in many respects, form a contrast to 

 each other. The Chipmunk, Chipping Squirrel, or 

 Hackee, has his abode underground in a specially 

 constructed burrow; the Eed Squirrel, or Chickaree, 

 lives in nests in trees, and the intelligence of the 

 latter seems to be altogether of a much higher order 

 than in the Ground Squirrel. This was abundantly 

 illustrated in my experiments with an ordinary wire 

 rat-trap having a spring door. The trap was scarcely 

 laid down near the haunts of the Chipmunk before one 

 entered it, in fact before my eyes, and there was never 

 any difficulty in securing as many as were wanted. 

 On several occasions, when one had escaped in the room, 

 on placing a small apple in the cage, the creature 

 re-entered it almost at once. 



Very different was it with the Ked Squirrels ; at first 

 they entered the trap, but not afterwards. They 

 approached it, sometimes two or three together, ran 

 round it on the upper rail of the fence on which it was 

 placed, or sat on the top of it in short, did everything 

 but enter it ; all the while seeming to enjoy the whole 

 greatly. 



Having secured a couple of Ground Squirrels in the 



