30 NOTES ON SOME HABITS OF THE SQUIUI5KI.. 



indirectly by preserving the acorns from future depredation. I 

 have, indeed, once or twice seen a pheasant stop in crossing the 

 lawn during winter and discover an acorn, but there is no systematic 

 search made for them over the open ground such as is carried on 

 among the dead leaves and moss beneath the tree. 



I am sorry to say that my squirrels do not always reap the 

 ultimate benefit of their labours. As soon as the shooting season 

 is over the destruction of squirrels as " vermin " by gamekeepers 

 generally begins, and, although one or two usually manage to escape, 

 and gradually, during winter and early spring, disinter the acorns 

 from their place of sepulture, yet I fear that sometimes none 

 survive, inasmuch as in some seasons I seldom see one after 

 February. One year in particular, when none lived to " tell the 

 tale " (or rather to find the acorns), a curious result happened. For 

 about three weeks or a month at Midsummer in that year, owing 

 to press of work in the garden, the lawn had been left unmown, 

 and among the long grass there had sprung up a fine crop of young 

 Turkish oaks, pretty regularly and thickly distributed over the 

 whole lawn. 



It is very interesting to observe the diligent and systematic 

 way in which the buried acorns are hunted out. This is, 

 apparently, entirely by scent. The squirrel hops about, putting 

 its nose to the ground at every step ; and when an acorn is found 

 a few quick scratches with the fore paws disinter it, and it is 

 carried off to a little distance before eaten. I do not remember 

 ever to have seen a squirrel eat an acorn on the spot. This seems 

 to be again an exercise of the instinctive habit of running away 

 with its food. 



I have alluded to the destruction of squirrels by gamekeepers 

 as "vermin." They are accused of sucking the eggs of game, 

 whether rightly or not, I have my doubts ; but this I feel sure of, 

 that they eat the eggs of starlings and jackdaws. Many of these 

 birds nest in the holes of old ash and elm trees on and near the 

 lawn ; and any squirrel appearing there after nesting has begun is 

 mobbed and has to beat a quick retreat. Once I thought one 



