172 HANDBOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



The red squirrel builds a summer nest of twigs and leaves, 

 often lining it with moss. The nest is placed in a tree, and 

 to it the squirrel retires at night and in inclement weather. 

 The young are generally born in a holloiv tree, which is also 

 preferred by the parent for its winter home. In regions 

 where hollow trees are scarce or where the winters are se- 

 vere, it makes its winter home in burrows, which it tunnels 

 itself. 



In late summer when nuts and seeds begin to ripen, the 

 red squirrels, like the chipmunks, begin to think of the 

 future. They gather large quantities of nuts, acorns, and 

 different seeds which they hide in hollow trees, under leaves 

 and brush, and probably also in the ground. They do not 

 hibernate, but on mild days visit their storehouses to feed. 

 On very cold days they are not seen, and they no doubt 

 then live on the provisions stored away in their nest. They 

 frequently draw on the farmer's granary for their winter's 

 supply, and will even take up their permanent abode in such 

 places, if the farmer does not vigorously object to the 

 arrangement. 



Although the squirrels live principally on a vegetable 

 diet, all of them are fond of an occasional steak or omelette. 

 They are inveterate destroyers of the eggs and young of our 

 birds, and should therefore not be tolerated around farms and 

 parks. They also eat insects ; in fact, any small animal they 

 can catch and overcome. I have seen the red squirrel open 

 deformed stalks of cottonwood leaves and eat the plant lice 

 living in them. It was at this work for hours and the 

 ground was strewn with the deformed leaves. The plant 

 lice seemed to have been carefully licked out of their 

 nests. 



When a squirrel eats, it sits on its hind legs, gracefully 

 turns up its bushy tail, and uses its fore feet with great dex- 

 terity like hands. 



