WOODLAND CREATURES 



others are a lovely rich red-brown with tails 

 to match. Some of these varieties are merely 

 a question of seasonal changes of the coat, while 

 others are individual; but the most beautiful 

 of red English squirrels hardly approach in 

 beauty of colour to the bright golden-red of the 

 Continental squirrel. 



To return to Nutkin, in June he came home 

 again, took his nuts regularly every morning, 

 and remained about the place until the following 

 spring, when he disappeared once more, this 

 time for good, for I never saw him again. 

 Maybe the fascinations of the little squirrel with 

 the light tail had lured him away into the depths 

 of the woods, possibly some wanton person with 

 a gun had ended his life, or, another possibility, 

 old age may have overtaken him, but the latter 

 is a fate that seldom befalls wild creatures. 

 I must here protest against the shooting of 

 squirrels. The worst that can be urged against 

 this most beautiful and delightful animal is that 

 it sometimes does harm to young firs by biting 

 off the growing shoots, and that therefore it 

 cannot be called a desirable inmate of young 

 plantations, but in established woods it does 

 no harm whatever. But in these remarks anent 

 the harmlessness of the common red squirrel, 

 that recent importation, the American grey 

 squirrel, is not included. The latter is a pretty 

 and quite charming creature, but if only half 

 the reports one hears of its mischievous deeds 

 are true, its release in this country is as great 



