2O WILD NEIGHBORS CHAP. I 



door of the Doctor's barn, and a chipmunk (the 

 striped ground-squirrel) approached it cautiously 

 from one side while a rat came from the barn on 

 the other. They met at the corn, whereupon, with- 

 out an instant's hesitation, the chipmunk sprang 

 into the air like a cat, and alighted squarely on 

 the back of the rat, which, astounded and cowed 

 by this unlooked-for attack, turned tail, shook off 

 his fierce little foe, and raced for shelter, leaving 

 chippie to fill his cheek-pouches at leisure and go 

 home in triumph. 



The only bird-enemy is the blue-jay, who seems 

 to love to tease the squirrels in winter, just for mis- 

 chief ; and two jays, working together, can make it 

 very unpleasant for Bunny. One will dash at him 

 with a joyous shout, whereupon the scared and 

 nimble animal will slip around to the further side 

 of the tree-trunk, "talking back" the while in the 

 angriest language he knows ; but there the other 

 jay is ready for him, and he must immediately 

 dodge back again to where the first is waiting to 

 dart at him a second time, striking with wings and 

 beak until both birds are tired of the sport, or 

 the squirrel bolts to some place of refuge. 



Robins and other thrushes are quick to drive 

 away any gray squirrel that approaches the tree 

 in which they are nesting, an enmity which 

 seems to show that this species is guilty of despoil- 

 ing birds' nests ; but there is no good evidence of 

 this crime. The red squirrel, however, is well 



