SQUIRRELS 63 



Case II. 



A Chickaree was felled from a small tree by a gentle 

 tap with a piece of lathing. He was so little injured 

 that he would have escaped had I not been on the spot 

 where he fell and seized him at once. He was placed 

 forthwith in the box that the other animal had occupied. 

 He manifested no signs whatever of traumatic injury. 

 One looking in upon him might suppose that here was 

 a case of a lively squirrel unwell, but events proved 

 otherwise. He ate the food placed within the box, but 

 only when no one was observant. He kept his head 

 somewhat down, and seemed indifferent to everything. 

 When a stick was placed near his mouth he savagely 

 bit at it ; but when a needle on the end of the same 

 stick was substituted he evinced no such hostility. He 

 made no effort to escape while we were in the room, 

 but, on our going down to dinner, he must at once have 

 commenced work, for, on returning to the room in half- 

 an-hour, he was found free, having gnawed one of the 

 slats sufficiently to allow him to squeeze through. 

 With the assistance of a friend he was recaptured, but 

 during the chase he showed fight when cornered, and 

 finally, as he was being secured, I narrowly escaped 

 being bitten. He was returned to his box, which was 

 then covered with a board weighted with a large stone. 

 Notwithstanding, he gnawed his way out through the 

 upper corner of the box during our absence on one 

 occasion shortly afterwards. 



I think a more typical case of feigning than this one 

 could scarcely be found. 



The accounts of these two cases are based upon notes 

 taken at the time, and this brings me to the most 

 interesting, and at the same time the most difficult 

 series of enquiries connected with the whole subject, 

 viz.^What, upon analysis, is this feigning in animals ? 



