72 THE SQUIRREL. 



THE SQUIRREL. 



THIS beautiful little animal is equally admirable for the 

 neatness and elegance of its formation, as for its liveliness 

 and activity. Its disposition is gentle and harmless. Though 

 naturally wild, it is soon familiarized to confinement and 

 restraint ; and though excessively timid, it is easily taught 

 to receive with freedom the most familiar caresses from the 

 hand that feeds it. 



It usually lives in woods, and makes its nest of moss or 

 dry leaves in the hollows of trees. It seldom descends upon 

 the ground, but leaps from tree to tree with great agility. 



Its food consists of fruits, almonds, nuts, acorns, &c. : of 

 which it accumulates great stores for winter provision, and 

 secures them carefully near its nest. In the summer it 

 feeds on buds and young shoots, and is particularly fond 

 of the cones of the fir and pine trees. 



- The Squirrel is of a bright brown colour, inclining to red ; 

 the breast and belly are white; the ears are ornamented 

 with long tufts of hair ; the eyes are large, black, and 

 lively ; the fore teeth strong and sharp ; the fore legs are 

 curiously furnished with long stiff hairs, which project on 

 each side like whiskers. When it eats, it sits erect, and 

 uses its fore feet as hands to convey food to its mouth. 



The tail of the Squirrel is its greatest ornament, and 

 serves as a defence from the cold, being large enough to 

 cover the whole body ; it likewise assists it in taking leaps 

 from one tree to another; and we may add a third applica- 

 tion of it, which would seem altogether improbable, were 

 we not assured of it by Linnaeus and other naturalists : In 

 attempting to cross a lake or river, the Squirrel places 

 itself upon a piece of bark ; and erecting its tail to catch 

 the wind, boldly commits itself to the mercy of the waves. 

 The smallest gust of wind is sufficient to overset a whole 

 navy of these little adventurers ; and in such perilous 

 voyages many hundreds of them are said to perish. 



