98 BOMBAY DUCKS 



important organ. The animal does nothing without 

 consulting it. Every time he utters his shrill, penetrat- 

 ing cry the tail beats time. A vibration of the caudal 

 appendage is synchronous with every movement. It 

 is also an index of the animal's state of mind. When 

 a squirrel is enraged the tail performs wonderful gyra- 

 tions. Jerdon says that " when alarmed the hairs of its 

 tail are erected at right angles like a bottle brush." It 

 is, perhaps, not superfluous to say, by way of comment, 

 that the alarm in this case is that of the squirrel, not of 

 the hairs of the tail ! 



Even the Madras squirrel has its redeeming features. 

 Away from the bungalow it is a delightful creature as 

 playful as a kitten and as full of spirits. Two or three 

 squirrels delight to gather together in an open space 

 and there indulge in play. One will come up behind 

 another and pretend to bite his tail, whereupon he 

 upon whom the prank is played jumps high into the 

 air and dashes off, followed by his comrade. After a 

 little run, the first squirrel turns suddenly round and 

 faces his pursuer, who then jumps over him. Hide-and- 

 seek is another popular game with squirrels. 



Sciurus palmarum is a much smaller animal than he 

 looks. He is mostly tail, and so weighs very little. 

 Indeed so light is he that he can safely trust himself to 

 any branch that will bear a myna. Squirrels delight to 

 crawl about bushes and nibble the more succulent parts. 

 When walking along by a hedge one often sees a 

 branch moving like a reed shaken by the wind, and, on 

 approach, discovers that a squirrel is the cause of the 

 movement. Most squirrels have a roosting-place or 



