THE SQUIRREL 235 



Best of all is to give it its liberty, for if encour- 

 aged with food it will probably remain about the 

 house and gardens, where it will be a far greater 

 joy than as a poor prisoner in a miserable little 

 cage. 



When Nutkin was released he made his 

 headquarters up a big fir tree near the house, 

 and in the crotch of a hawthorn next to it 

 was kept a supply of nuts, which served as a 

 lure to keep him from wandering far afield. 

 For more than twelve months he stopped about 

 the garden, with occasional excursions to the 

 orchard and perhaps to the wood. Twice he 

 was away for a week or more, but sooner or 

 later the nuts disappeared, or he was seen sitting 

 up on a branch eating them, and we knew he 

 had returned. For a long time he led a 

 lonely life, and the hope that he might meet 

 with a mate on his wanderings and bring her 

 back to share the good things in the fork of the 

 hawthorn was never realized, but when the 

 spring came round again he disappeared for 

 weeks, so that it was generally believed that 

 he had gone for good. One day in the wood 

 I saw a very bright reddish squirrel, which 

 seemed very tame, that was undoubtedly 

 Nutkin, in company with a lighter duller one, 

 and I was convinced that this was the fascinating 

 female that was keeping him from home. By 

 the way, squirrels vary a great deal in colour, 

 some being quite a faded brown, and having 

 light brushes approaching grey in colour, while 



