SQUIRKELS 5f 



a p ar the explanation of which will be considered 

 later. 



A question of much interest to the naturalist and 

 psychologist, it seems to me, is the following, viz. to 

 what extent the intelligence of animals that hibernate 

 has been modified by this process, and in what directions? 

 With regard to hibernation, so far as the squirrels are 

 concerned, there seems to be great dea,rth of accurate 

 observations in fact, the same remark applies to the 

 whole subject of hibernation, one of the most interesting 

 in the whole realm of physiology. A number of obser- 

 vations are to be found scattered through the literature, 

 but they are fatally lacking, in most cases, in precision 

 of observation and accurate record of dates. From a 

 short but valuable paper on the " American Chipmunk," 

 in the Popular Science Monthly (vol. vii.), by Dr C. 

 Abbott, we are led to believe that the Ground Squirrel 

 spends some time in his burrow before hibernation 

 begins, and that the food laid up is consumed in part 

 before the winter torpor sets in, and more especially in 

 spring before a fresh supply is obtainable in the usual 

 way. Concerning the winter habits of other species, 

 I have been able to learri nothing from any quarter 

 that definitely settles the question as to whether they 

 hibernate or not. Audubon and Bachmann (loo. cit.) 

 state that as much as one bushel and a half of nuts 

 has been found in a single hollow tree occupied by 

 a Chickaree, or Eed Squirrel. They also state that this 

 species may have several hoards. From different 

 remarks dropped by these writers, from what I have 

 myself observed, and from the statements of Dr Bell in 

 the valuable notes appended to this paper, I am inclined 

 to the belief that the Eed Squirrel, and some other 

 species, do not regularly hibernate the whole winter 

 through; but whether they hibernate at all, in the 

 true sense of that term; whether they have short 



