82 RAMBLES ABOUT HOME. 



the variation in the amount of food gathered, and its bear- 

 ing upon the coming season, it was the two winters I have 

 mentioned ; and I could find no evidence, in anything 

 that the squirrels actually did, that had any bearing what- 

 ever on the character of the season, or hinted at the pos- 

 session of a power to foretell the weather. Certainly the 

 experience of these two winters contradicted the general 

 impression as to any essential variation in the " harvest- 

 ing customs " of these animals, in accordance with the 

 " openness " or severity of the season. 



We are now brought to the consideration of another 

 phase of this subject, which is of much interest. It is 

 well known that the yield of nuts of all kinds varies to a 

 considerable extent, and we can readily imagine a case 

 where, there being an abundance of gray squirrels and a 

 " short crop " of nuts, the supply stored away for winter 

 was less than usual ; or if, from any untoward accident, a 

 family of squirrels were deprived of a large portion of 

 the supply they had gathered what, under these circum- 

 stances, will be the result ? Of course, if the weather is 

 very mild, the squirrels will resist the tendency to keep 

 " in-doors," and will sally forth in search of stray acorns ; 

 or if, the ground being covered with snow, these are in- 

 accessible, they will feed on leaf -buds of the trees ; but 

 if the weather is too severe for out-of-door work, then 

 can they voluntarily pass into a lethargic state, and thus 

 eke out their small store ? I am disposed, both from ob- 

 servation and experiments, to believe that they can. Un- 

 like some mammals, these gray squirrels can withstand a 

 great degree of cold, and their sleep, when deprived of 

 food in cold weather, is to all appearances true hiberna- 

 tion, and often extends over a period of three weeks. 

 Rousing from their nap, they will eat greedily if food 

 is accessible ; but if not, the sleep will be resumed. This, 



