206 ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



beforehand made a very elaborate nest of moss, leaves, 

 and interlacing fibres, in the hole of a tree or the fork 

 of two branches. They exclusively eat vegetable food, 

 and are occasionally themselves eaten by the larger 

 birds of prey. 



Sir Francis Head gives us the following account of 

 his meeting with a squirrel in Canada : ' I was waiting 

 the approach of a large flock of wild fowl ; but a little 

 villain of a squirrel on the bough of a tree close to me, 

 seemed to have determined that even now I should not 

 rest in quiet ; for he sputtered and chattered with so 

 much vehemence that he attracted the attention of my 

 dog. This was truly mortifying ; for he kept his eyes 

 fixed on the squirrel. With my hand I threatened the 

 little beast ; but he actually set up his back and defied 

 me, becoming even more passionate than before, till 

 all of a sudden, as if purposely to alarm the game, he 

 dropped plump within a couple of yards of Rover's nose. 

 This was too much for the latter to bear ; so he gave a 

 bounce and sprang upon the impertinent squirrel, who 

 in a second was out of his reach, cocking his tail and 

 showing his teeth, on the identical bough where he had 

 sat before. Away flew all the wild fowl, and my sport 

 was completely marred. My gun went involuntarily to 

 my shoulder to shoot the squirrel; but I felt I wa<? 

 about to commit an act of sheer revenge on a courageous 

 little animal, which deserved a better fate. As if aware 

 of my hesitation, he nodded his head with rage and 

 stamped his fore-paws on the tree, while in his chir- 

 ruping there was an intonation of sound which seemed 

 like contempt. What business had I there, trespassing 

 on his domain and frightening his wife and little family, 

 for whom he was ready to lay down his life t There he 



