THE SQUIRREL. 217 



As the food of the LTarvest-mouse consists greatly of insects, 

 flies being especial favorites, it is evident that great agility is 

 needed. In order to show the active character of the quadruped, 

 one of the Harvest-mice is represented in the act of climbing to- 

 ward a fly, on which it is about to pounce. Under such circum- 

 stances its leap is remarkably swift, and its aim is as accurate as 

 that of the swallow. Even in captivity it has been known to 

 take flies from the hand of its owner, and to leap along the wires 

 of its cage as smartly as if it were trying to capture an insect that 

 could escape. 



The Harvest-mouse is tolerably prolific, and in the airy cradle 

 may sometimes be seen as many as eight young mice, all packed 

 together like herrings in a barrel. 



There is another well-known British mammal which, at all 

 events at one season of the year, may be classed among those 

 creatures who build pensile nests. This is the common Squirrel, 

 so plentiful in well- wooded districts, and so scarce where trees are 

 few. 



The Squirrel is an admirable nest-builder, though it can not 

 lay claim to the exquisite neatness which distinguishes the har- 

 vest-mouse. As is well known, the Squirrel constructs two kinds 

 of nests, or " cages," as they are popularly called, one being its 

 winter home, wherein it can remain in a state of hibernation, and 

 the other its summer residence. These two nests are as different 

 as a town mansion and a shooting-box, the former being strong, 

 thick-walled, sheltered, and warm, and the other light and airy. 

 The winter cage is almost invariably placed in the fork of some 

 tree, generally where two branches start from the trunk. It is 

 well concealed by the boughs on which it rests, and which serve 

 also as a shelter from the wind. The summer cage, on the con- 

 trary, is comparatively frail, and is placed nearly at the extremity 

 of slender boughs, which bend with its weight, and cause the airy 

 cradle to rock and dance with every gust of wind. 



As if conscious of the impregnable situation which it has cho- 

 sen, the squirrel takes no pains to conceal the summer cage, but 

 builds it so openly that it can be seen from a considerable dis- 

 tance; whereas the winter home requires a practiced eye to de- 

 tect it. So confident is the animal in the strength of its posi- 

 tion, that it can scarcely be induced to leave the nest, and will 

 sit there in spite of shouts and stones, provided that the missiles 



