498 



EUROPEAN SQUIRRELS. 



the squirrels. They climb trees with great agility, and leap from one 

 branch to another with a marvellous vigour and precision. On the 

 ground, they trot rather than run. They are essentially gramini- 

 vorous and frugivorous; nuts, fruits, seeds, the young stems of trees, 

 forming their chief nourishment, though at times they plunder birds' 

 nests, and regale themselves with the eggs or even the "callow 

 brood." 



COMMON EUROPEAN SQUIRRELS. 



The Squirrel (Sdurua) belongs to the family Sciuridce, in the order 

 Rodentia. Their special characteristics may be enumerated as a long 

 bushy tail, generally carried curved over the body, whence the Greek 

 name Skiouros (enact, a shade, and ovpa, a. tail), fore-paws furnished 

 with four toes, which have curved claws, and a tubercular thumb ; 

 long hind-legs, the feet provided with five toes; two incisors in each 

 jaw; and four molar teeth on each side of each jaw, simple, with 



