HUNTING THE COMMON GRAY SQUIRREL. 359 



top, but catching a glimpse of h in, he fired in quick succession 

 two balls into his body. 



" The panther had now placed himself with eye fixed on Mr. P., 

 in the attitude of springing, when Mr. P. having quickly reloaded 

 both barrels of his gun, fired one into the back of his neck, and 

 the other through his body : the fourth shot brought him to the 

 ground. The dog having now regained courage, rushed in upon 

 him, but one bite of the dying panther sent him back howling 

 with pain, when springing to his feet the ferocious animal ran 

 jome twenty rods and fell dead. Mr. P.. intends to bring him 

 down in a few days and give our citizens a chance to see this 

 rarely found animal, whose strength, agility, ferocity, and tenacity 

 of life render him monarch of the forest, and the dreaded foe of 

 the most intrepid hunter." 



.The Common Gray Squirrel, is exceedingly common in the 

 United States, and was once so excessively multiplied as to be a 

 scourge to the inhabitants, not only consuming their grain but ex- 

 hausting the public treasury by the amount of premiums given for 

 their destruction. 



The gray squirrel prefers the oak, hickory and chestnut woods, 

 where it finds a copious supply of nuts and mast, of which it pro- 

 vides large hordes for the winter. Their nests are placed chiefly 

 in tall oak-trees, at the forks of the branches ; these nests are very 

 comfortable, being thickly covered and lined with dried leaves. 

 During cold weather the squirrels seldom leave these snug retreats, 

 except for the purpose of visiting their store houses, and obtaining 

 a supply of provisions. It has been observed that, the approach 

 of uncommonly cold weather is foretold when these squirrels are 

 seen out in unusual numbers, gathering a larger stock of provi- 

 sions, lest their magazines should fail. This, however, is not an 

 infallible sign, at least in vicinities where many hogs are allowed 

 to roam at large, as these keen-nosed brutes are very expert al 

 discovering the winter hoards of the squirrel, which they immedi- 

 ately appropriate to their own use. 



If the gray squirrels confined themselves to the diet afforded by 

 the forest trees, the farmers would profit considerably thereby 



