SECRETARY'S REPORT. 169 



Length of head and body, 9 to 1 inches. 

 Length of tail, not including hairs at tip, 7 to 8i inches. 

 Length of tail, including hairs at tip, 10 to 12 inches. 

 Length of hind-foot from heel to end of claw, 2i to 3 inches. 

 Length of fore-foot from heel to end of claw, li^ to If inches. 



Sciurus hudsonius, (Pallas.)— Red Squirrel, Pine Squirrel, Chickaree. 



This species is very common in this State, probably the most so of all 

 the squirrels. Its lively disposition and sprightly habits would render 

 it a great favorite, did it have a little more respect for the grain and 

 fruit of the farmer ; but unfortunately, the little thief pays frequent 

 visits to the corn-field, and fruit trees, always selecting in the latter, the 

 finest and ripest fruit ; it also visits the strawberry bed, and is a great 

 lover of nice ripe raspberries and cherries. These failings are certainly 

 poor recommendations to the farmer, who after carefully training up some 

 choice pear tree, beholds the first three or four blushing golden fruit, which 

 promise him a sweet and delicious foretaste of the luxuries to come, 

 hanging perfect pictures of beauty ; he watches them patiently " grow 

 in beauty side by side;" he visits them daily, and carefully removing 

 all the leaves which obstruct the sun's rays, helps them in all 

 that he can to ripen and become perfect; perhaps his imagination 

 takes him to the next county fair, where prominent in all the choice 

 fruit there collected, he beholds his beloved peai-s the observed of all 

 observers ; he gives a huge sigh of satisfaction, and waits ; he waits ! so 

 does the squirrel, who has had his eye on those same pears nearly as 

 long as their owner. They have now become nearly ripened; the 

 beautiful blushes have now assumed their intensest brilliancy ; the soft 

 mellow tints of the ripened fruit have now, with all their charms, added 

 to their value already great. To-morrow he will pick them, and after 

 wrapping them carefully in tissue paper, he will place them in some 

 secure place till they shall draw the premium they already have done in 

 his imagination ; but to-morrow is rainy, as is ^e day after ; he does not 

 visit those pears, and the squirrel noticing the neglect, willingly befriends 

 them. The farmer on the first fair day, with basket in hand, repairs to 

 the spot where his pets under his watchful care have grown to beautiful 

 maturity ; on nearing the tree he does not see them in their familiar 

 places; the storm must have blown them to the ground; with hurried 

 steps he reaches the tree and finds the core of one, the half of another, 

 and mutilated remains of others scattered around ; the marks of the 

 teeth of the thief are plainly visible, and from that day forth it has in 

 that farmer, at least, an implacable enemy. 



The red squirrel, in collecting its winter's provisions, makes several 

 depots, and the quantity in each is always liberal. It usually chooses 



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