The Flying Squirrel 169 



were in their forest home. It was found, however, 

 that care must be exercised, for the squirrels seemed 

 to enjoy trying their teeth on almost everything except 

 iron. In the spring comfortable quarters were made 

 for the squirrels in the woodshed attic, with just 

 enough of the wild about to remind them of their old 

 home. At the rear of the attic stood a large maple 

 tree, the boughs of which touched the house; the old 

 tree had but one cavity, but it was supplemented by 

 a woodpecker stub brought from the grove near by, 

 and fastened in an upright position about thirty feet 

 from the ground. It did not take the squirrels long 

 to find an opening at the end of the attic by the old 

 tree, and thus their playground was considerably 

 enlarged. 



In the old stub the first litter was born, and as 

 soon as these young squirrels were large enough to 

 enjoy night frolics the attic became their playhouse. 



The distance from the old tree to the edge of the 

 forest, where the beechnuts and chestnuts were plenti- 

 ful, was only twenty rods, and it was an easy twenty 

 rods, for the squirrels made use of a fence and an 

 orchard. 



By the time the frost had touched the leaves in 

 the forest, leaving them russet, red, and gold, the old 

 instinct had conquered the few months of civilizing 



