ALABAMA. I33 



to be observed, but they abound close to the houses of the 

 planters, seeming to prefer the neighbourhood of man. At 

 Mount Pleasant, the large fox-squirrel was most abundant, 

 chattering, barking, and grunting impatiently all day long, 

 until a shot from the rifle brings him " protracted repose," 

 and prepares him to appear on the planter's dinner-table. 

 A little further away, in the swamps, and hidden under the 

 pale and ragged tufts of Spanish moss that stream from 

 the branches, is the sleepier and less attractive Caroline 

 squirrel, also excellent in the form of pie. While my 

 father was in Alabama the squirrel question was one of 

 great importance in local politics. These delightfully 

 amusing animals are, unfortunately, wasters of the first 

 order; they are in the cornfield morning, noon, and eve, 

 from the time that the grain is forming in the sheath to 

 the moment when what remains of it is housed in the barn. 

 While Philip Gosse was at Mount Pleasant, a fellow from 

 the North sent round an announcement that he would 

 lecture in a neighbouring village, and that the subject of 

 his discourse would be to reveal an infallible preventive for 

 the thefts of the squirrels. The announcement attracted 

 great curiosity, and planters assembled from all sides. A 

 deputation started from Mount Pleasant itself, and Philip 

 Gosse, thinking to hear what would be of interest to a 

 naturalist, was of the party. A considerable entrance-fee 

 was charged, but very willingly paid. At last the room 

 was full, the doors were closed, and the orator appeared on 

 the platform. He began^ by describing the depredations 

 of the squirrels, the difficulty of coping with them, and 

 various other circumstances with which his audience was 

 familiar. He was a plausible fellow and seemed to have 

 mastered his subject. At last he approached the real 

 kernel of his oration. " You wish," he said, " to hear my 

 infallible preventive, the absolute success of which I am 



