244 THE NEW FOREST 



yards; while to see them fetch a squirrel out 

 of the tops of the highest of the forest beeches, 

 sometimes as he bounds from one branch to 

 another, or again as he flattens himself for con- 

 cealment against the trunk of the tree at ninety 

 feet up, is a perfect revelation. 



In fact the "squail" is never out of the hand 

 (or the pocket) of that class of the New Forest 

 labouring population too numerous by far who 

 never can be induced to put in a week's consecu- 

 tive honest labour, and a good deal of " stuff" 

 other than squirrels fall to them by the skilful 

 use of this weapon as they spend their days 

 loafing about the forest. 



Up till recent times the great congregations 

 of squirrel hunters about Christmas time all met 

 together in the evening, at one or other of the 

 local public-houses, and 'enjoyed great suppers of 

 " squirrel pie," the product of the day's amuse- 

 ment, but of late years squirrels have hardly 

 been abundant enough to furnish material for 

 these epicurean feasts. But I have been assured 

 that squirrel pie is "not half bad," and I know 

 that hedgehog, properly cooked in a paste of 

 clay according to the ancient custom, is most 

 succulent eating. 



The squirrel hunting is probably a survival 

 of very ancient sports of the kind, and is a curious 



