GREY SQUIRREL. 8 1 



Squirrel's tree will be found littered with chips and cores of the 

 cone from which the seeds have been extracted. This dtbris 

 should be looked for as an unfailing sign that there are Squirrels 

 in the wood. In beech woods they rely largely on beech-mast, 

 the sharp-edged triangular seeds contained in the prickly nuts. 

 They usually have a hazel-copse not far distant whence they 

 derive their favourite food in the autumn, storing up considerable 

 quantities in holes for use during the winter. Several times 

 when filling our own pockets with hazel-nuts we have met with 

 angry protests from a Squirrel who considered the place his 

 own preserve. Standing on a stout limb just overhead he would 

 stamp his forefeet and utter a little bark. Similar objection has 

 been made at times when we were filling our basket with the 

 nutty Blusher Toadstool (Amanita rubescens), of which some of 

 the caps in a clump showed the marks of the Squirrel's incisors. 

 He is also fond of cherries, wild or cultivated, and the shoots 

 of Pines which contain the burrowing larvae of the Pine Tortrix 

 moth. It is also accused of being so far carnivorous as to con- 

 sume bird's eggs and nestlings. 



The Squirrel does not hibernate, as it is said by the older 

 writers to do. In the winter it certainly indulges in long naps ; 

 but on a fine day it wakes up and visits its stores of food. It 

 rarely descends to the ground, except for the purpose of crossing 

 a wide woodland road, or to seek water at a stream. In connec- 

 tion with water, it may be said that the Squirrel is an expert 

 swimmer. Dental formula : z'J, ^o>^8> m f 22 - 



The Squirrel is generally distributed in Great Britain and 

 Ireland, where there is sufficient woodland, and in similar 

 situations in Europe and Asia. 



Grey Squirrel (Scinrus cinerew, Linn.). 



In some places in the London district a light grey Squirrel 

 may be seen, and thought to be a colour variation of our native 

 A.L. G 



