of 



ing protest while you are still at long range. If 

 you continue to approach after this proclama- 

 tion, he may come down on a low limb near by 

 and give you as torrential and as abusive a 

 "cussing" as trespasser ever received from irate 

 owner. 



Yet he is most ridiculously small to do all 

 that he threatens to do. Of course he brags and 

 bluffs, but these become admirable qualities in 

 this little fellow who will ably, desperately de- 

 fend his domain against heavy odds of size or 

 numbers. Among the squirrels of the world he is 

 one of the smallest. He is clad in gray and his 

 coat perceptibly darkens in winter. His plumy 

 tail, with a fringe of white hairs, is as airy as 

 thistledown. He always appears clean and 

 well-groomed. 



Though in many ways a grizzly in miniature 

 and apparently as untamable as a tiger, the Fre- 

 mont quickly responds to kind advances. Near 

 my cabin a number became so tame that they 

 took peanuts from my hand, sometimes even 

 following me to the cabin door for this purpose. 



These squirrels occasionally eat mushrooms, 

 324 



