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THE COMMON SQUIRREL*. 



No animal is more admired for elegance of form,, 

 -or general beauty of appearance, nor can any be 

 more active,, sprightly, or graceful in its motions, 

 than this. During the whole day it is constantly 

 awake and alert; and, in its native woods, may 

 often be observed moving about with admirable 

 agility among the branches of the trees, sometimes 

 elevating its light and spreading tail, and sometimes 

 carrying it stretched out at full length. It runs 

 along the trunks and branches of trees without any 

 apprehension of danger, and leaps from tree to 

 tree with such certainty as seldom indeed to lose its 

 hold. 



This activity renders it a very difficult task to 

 take full-grown Squirrels alive. School-boys, 

 however, sometimes contrive to do this, by going, 

 in great numbers, into the woods, and pursuing the 

 animals with violent noises. On such occasions 

 their recollection forsakes them, and they often fall 

 to the ground from terror and alarm. 



* Sciurus vulgaris. Linnaeus. L'ecureuiL Buffon. 

 For the description of the Squirrel, see the Synopsis, p. 47, No. 31. 



U 3 These 



