The Red Squirrel 155 



nutting season, he keeps late hours; in this respect 

 resembling his smaller cousin, the flying squirrel. 



The red squirrel combines qualities so dissimilar, 

 that he is clearly the enigma of the forest. His wonder- 

 ful inquisitiveness, his exasperating insolence, coupled 

 with all disregard for the ordinary civilities of the 

 wood dwellers, would stamp him "the black sheep" 

 of the flock. If you disturb him in your walk, and 

 your dog makes a dash for him, he mounts the nearest 

 tree, and from a limb just out of reach he literally 

 boils over with rage and indignation, jerking his tail 

 and stamping the limb furiously, calling "chickaree, 

 chickaree." He barks and spits, and says things in 

 squirrel language that probably would sound very 

 dreadful in English; he makes little dashes first this 

 way, then that, as though he intended to come down 

 the tree and run that dog from the premises. He 

 has no more respect for a man than for a dog, and 

 if you sit down and remain motionless, he may either 

 pay no attention to you at all, or his insolence may 

 know no bounds, so fickle and changeable is his 

 disposition. If your presence is not agreeable to 

 him, he will approach nearer and nearer, calling 

 loudly, and if you quietly persist in remaining where 

 you are, he becomes a small fury of impudent rage. 

 Yet, with these objectionable traits, his intelligence, 



