A TRIBE OF GNAWERS AND THEIR FOOD 85 



that all rodents are more or less omnivorous and 

 not disinclined to add meat to their diet. 



THE COMMON BROWN RAT 



was once undoubtedly a wild animal and as such 

 most probably lived on a diet of berries, seeds and 

 nuts, just as its wild cousins do today, and prob- 

 ably for the same reason, that is, because it is dif- 

 ficult for such wild animals to procure meat. 



Only a little while ago I saw a gray squirrel 

 on Bowne Avenue, in Flushing, Long Island, pur- 

 sued by a flock of English sparrows. It was just 

 in front of my house, so I hurried across the street 

 to discover the cause of the pursuit. As the squir- 

 rel ran up a large pin oak tree I saw that in its 

 mouth was, not an acorn, but a full-grown English 

 sparrow! I have never heard the gray squirrel 

 accused of nest robbing. However, from this in- 

 cident it seems probable that it does not object 

 to varying its diet of nuts with the taste of bird's 

 flesh. My 



CHIPMUNKS WILL EAT RAW MEAT, 



mice, bread, cheese, milk, and in fact anything that 

 a human will use as an article of food except fish 

 and eggs. They will also hunt, catch and de- 

 vour frogs, eat flies, beetles, butterflies, moths and 

 other insects. 



A half tame chipmunk at Whip-poor-will cot- 

 tage, near Wild Lands, was in the hot pursuit of 



