TALKS WITH YOUNG OBSERVERS 309 



the voice of a savage. None of the birds of 

 prey have musical voices. 



The shrike had probably come to town to try 

 his luck with English sparrows. I do not know 

 that he caught any, but in a neighboring city I 

 heard of a shrike that made great havoc with 

 the sparrows. 



VI 



When nature made the flying squirrel she 

 seems to have whispered a hint or promise of 

 the same gift to the red squirrel. At least 

 there is a distinct suggestion of the same power 

 in the latter. When hard pressed the red 

 squirrel will trust himself to the air with the 

 same faith that the flying squirrel does, but, it 

 must be admitted, with only a fraction of the 

 success of the latter. He makes himself into a 

 rude sort of parachute, which breaks the force 

 of his fall very much. The other day my dog 

 ran one up the side of the house, through the 

 woodbine, upon the roof. As I opened fire 

 upon him with handfuls of gravel, to give him 

 to understand he was not welcome there, he 

 boldly launched out into the air and came down 

 upon the gravel walk, thirty feet below, with 

 surprising lightness and apparently without the 

 least shock or injury, and was oft' in an instant 

 beyond the reach of the dog. On another occa- 

 sion I saw one leap from the top of a hickory 

 tree and fall through the air at least forty feet 

 and alight without injury. During their de- 

 scent upon such occasions their legs are widely 



