278 THE COMMON SQUIRREL. 



These sprightly and diverting animals live en- 

 tirely on vegetable food. They eat nuts of all 

 kinds, and acorns ; and are particularly fond of the 

 buds and young shoots of trees. Their gullet is 

 more narrow than that of most other quadrupeds 

 of equal size with themselves. In a large Squirrel 

 that I examined, I remarked that the gullet was not 

 more than the tenth part of an inch in diameter. A 

 conformation so singular is supposed to be given for 

 the purpose of preventing them from disgorging 

 their food in descending the trunks or branches of 

 trees, or in their leaps from above downward. 

 When these animals eat, or clean themselves, they 

 sit erect, covering the body with their tail, and using 

 their fore-feet like hands. 



The Squirrel seldom exerts its voice. When, 

 however, it is particularly pleased, it sometimes 

 makes a purring noise, not much unlike that of a 

 Cat ; and when wounded, it emits a very shrill and 

 piercing note. It has, besides these, a loud growl 

 of discontent, which it occasionally utters when 

 teased or irritated. 



In the spring of the year these creatures are pe- 

 culiarly active, pursuing each other among the 

 trees, and exerting various efforts of agility. Dur- 

 ing the warm evenings of summer they may be 

 observed in a similar exercise. At the approach of 

 winter they lay up a store of provisions, consisting 

 chiefly of nuts and acorns, to serve them for food 

 during those succeeding months that the ground is 



covered 



