122 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS 



grow rapidly, however, and soon begin to don 

 their furs, which gives them more resem- 

 blance to their parents. 



When the Naturalist or the boys would 

 find a nest, the mother would usually move 

 her young before the next visit. She would 

 depart in haste when they approached, and re- 

 main at a safe distance during their stay. 



One spring the boys decided that they must 

 have a pet squirrel. They could not be quite 

 content with the wild ones that came about 

 the house and gathered their nuts, but which 

 would never permit an intimate acquaintance. 

 It was seldom that any wild creature was kept 

 long in captivity. As soon as any unfortunate 

 which chanced to need assistance was able to 

 care for itself, it was released, and the few 

 young that the boys did care for in order to get 

 them entirely tame, were permitted to have 

 their freedom from the start. 



When it was decided that they would have 

 a pet they began scouring the woods for nests. 

 They soon found one, but the young were so 

 small that one of them just filled the hollow of 

 Melvin's hand, and it did not even have its 

 eyes open or have a trace of hair. Of course 

 they knew it would not be possible to rear one 



