THE COMMON SQUIRREL. 281 



(and at different times he had a great many,) that 

 they had a peculiarly musical ear. Whenever any 

 instrument was played upon, they moved in mea- 

 sure in their cage, or beat their feet upon the 

 ground in something like regular cadence. Mr. 

 Barrington says, that he has seen them continue in 

 one measure to an allegro movement, for near ten 

 minutes together : -after a short pause they began 

 another measure; and after a longer one, he has 

 seen them take a third. 



He had two Squirrels, a male and a female, in the 

 same cage. These often performed a particular 

 kind of dance, which he has thus explained. The 

 male, in his motions, described a part of a circle on 

 one side of the cage; and the female, which he 

 kept exactly before him, described, in her motions, 

 a part of a circle somewhat smaller. In these ac- 

 tions, their feet always came so regularly down 

 together, as only to produce a single sound. 



In confinement, as well as in their native woods, 

 Squirrels are animals remarkable for their cleanli- 

 ness. Mr. Barrington says, that he never knew his 

 Squirrels to foul their bed-place in the least; and 

 they occupied a considerable part of their time, 

 when awake, in cleaning and dressing their fur. 

 He informs us, likewise, that a Squirrel will on no 

 account give up any food that it has in its paws, for 

 the purpose of taking what is offered that it may 

 happen to like better. The animal always hides 

 what it had before obtained, in some part of its 



cage, 



