No. 4.] DECREASE OF BIRDS. 505 



bing birds' nests, and this year saw a young gray apparently 

 at the same trick." (F. H. Kennard.) 



The foreffoino- instances seem to establish the fact that 

 certain S(][uirrels at least which have acquired the habit of 

 molestinor birds are among their most dang-erous enemies. 

 Squirrels are ver}" active, keen of sight, can climb anywhere 

 in a tree, and it is difficult for a bird smaller than a hawk or 

 crow to defend its nest against them. I have seen a squirrel 

 continually attempt to reach the nest of a robin, although, 

 being assailed from all sides by both robins and jays, it was 

 struck and repeatedly driven back toward the ground. In 

 courage and activity the red squirrel is superior to the gray, 

 and is usuall}^ regarded as the greater eneni}- to birds. xVt 

 Wareham the birds seem to regard both species with equal 

 aversion. 



Some squirrels have a habit of cracking the skulls of 

 young birds, as they would a nut. Mr. F. H. Mosher tells 

 me he has observed this habit at Hyde Park, Dutchess 

 County, X. Y., and also at Dartmouth, Mass. At Hyde 

 Park both red and gray squirrels were observed in the act. 

 He saw the squirrels attack the young on the nests on six 

 different occasions. The birds molested were the chipping 

 sparrow, robin and red-eyed vireo. The squirrel cut off 

 the head of each 3'oung bird, dropping the bod}^ to the 

 ground, and ate out the brains from the skull. One day in 

 the spring of 1903 he heard the cries of robins at his own 

 place in Dartmouth. He saw a gray squirrel climbing to a 

 robin's nest, and before he could reach the si)ot the squirrel 

 had the head of a young robin in its mouth. The bird was 

 dead when he reached it. Gray sfjuirrels have been the 

 culprits in each case but one that he has observed. 



Mr. Brewster told me that he saw a wounded tlu'ush })ur- 

 sued and overtaken by a chipmunk, that killed the bird and 

 was eating its brains when he reached the spot. He took 

 the bird from the S({uirrel, but the little animal was so eager 

 and fearless that it would not leave, but stood up trying to 

 reach the bird, like a dog begging for a bone. 



Mr. H. H. Dewey writes from New Lenox, Berkshire 

 County, as follows: "Last summer I had occasion to ob- 



