28 THE ROLL OF THE SEASONS 



him in good stead. The rabbit attempts to inherit 

 the earth by meekness and multiplicity, while the 

 slightly loftier intelligence of the hare is surrounded 

 by serious limitations that make it the easiest possible 

 prey of the poacher who knows his business. The 

 squirrel shares the wisdom of the vole as a layer-up 

 of summer stores for winter consumption, without 

 becoming, like the vole, a dull, brainless miser for 

 young kestrels and owls to feed on. He imitates 

 the dormouse's habit of spending the winter as a 

 season of retirement and rest, but does not, like the 

 dormouse, sleep the whole time away, sunny days 

 and all. He constructs a nest on the harvest-mouse 

 model, so as to be out of the reach of most terres- 

 trial animals, but has hit upon the idea of further 

 baffling pursuit by having two or three secondary 

 homes. 



It is not fair to call the squirrel, as Mr. Millais 

 does, " the miser of the woods." It is true that when 

 he finds winter coming on he hoards a little of the 

 plenty he has been revelling in. But he does it so 

 carelessly and light-heartedly that he frequently fails 

 to find his hoard or hoards when he wants them. 

 He is not a miser, because he does not put by a 

 particle more than is necessary. He rather fails by 

 saving too little, and he squanders magnificently in 

 the full splendour of autumn. But when his cache 

 is formed, he does not lightly open it. He comes 

 out on many a sunny winter day without paying a 

 visit to his pantry. He lives on the country as 

 long as there is anything to be had. We come 

 upon him at this time nibbling fungi from a rotting 

 log, and many ground mushrooms besides the one 



