THE RED SQUIRREL AS A MYCOPHAGIST 201 



ground, carrying them up trees, and eating them on the branches. 

 When making these observations, he usually lay on the ground 

 with his head resting on a cushion. Among the fungi carried up 

 into the trees were various species of Russula and also a Cantharellus 

 parasitised by Hypomyces transformans Pk. Recently he wrote to 

 me as follows : 



" During the years 1910-1915 I spent some weeks each summer 

 at a cabin in Douglas County, Wisconsin, and observed from time 

 to time that some animal had been feeding upon various mushrooms 

 common in the woods in the vicinity of the cabin. This did not 

 cause me any concern until the summers of 1914 and 1915, when 

 I was interested in collecting some of these fungi for cytological 

 study. As many of the fungi I had planned to use had become 

 mutilated, I decided to find the culprit ; so I went into the woods, 

 stationed myself where I should not be conspicuous, and watched. 

 Soon I found that the Red Squirrels were actively feeding on a 

 number of Basidiomycetes, among which were : 



Psalliota campestris, Hydnum repandum, 

 Polyporus betulinus, Hydnum caput-ursi ; 

 Clavaria pyxidata, 



but they seemed to prefer, above all other fungi, a Cantharellus 

 which was parasitised by a Hypomyces. At one time I found a 

 squirrel nibbling at the fresher growth of a Fomes fomentarius. 

 During the past summer, 1920, I observed that the Red Squirrels 

 here at Madison were often feeding on the Russulae ; and frequently 

 I have found various Morchellae partly eaten, but have never 

 caught the squirrel in the act." 



The following observations were made by Mr. E. E. Hubert, 

 a forest pathologist, in the woods about Garrett Bay, Wisconsin, 

 during September 16-20, 1921. 1 



Nuts and berries in the Garrett Bay region in the autumn of 

 1921 were scarce, but the fungi abundant. In many places in the 

 woods squirrels had made a meal of a terrestrial fruit-body leaving 

 only a part of the stem projecting upwards from the ground and 

 bits of the cap scattered around it. A number of toadstools had 



1 I am indebted to Mr. Hubert for transmitting to me the notes of his observations. 



