360 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



large field of Indian corn near the road informed us that, notwith- 

 standing the continued exertions of himself and his two sons, he 

 feared he should lose the greater part of his crop, in addition to 

 his time and the expense of ammunition used in killing and scaring 

 off the little robbers. This man and his sons frequently took 

 stations in different parts of the field, and killed squirrels until 

 their guns became too dirty longer to be used with safety : yet 

 they always found on returning that the squirrels had mustered as 

 strongly as before." 



The following extract, taken from Porter, will also give a good 

 idea of their numbers in Pennsylvania during a season of plenty : 

 "These pleasant little fellows are at some seasons as scarce as 

 specie ; at other times they migrate in millions. A few seasons 

 since, they pervaded the northern part of Pennsylvania to such 

 an extent, and in such numbers, that they did serious injury to 

 the crops ; and they were slaughtered as enemies, not popped over 

 humanely after the manner in which we murder those we love. The 

 squirrels were followed in due time by stately droves of turkeys; 

 and, later in the season, the rear was brought up by scores of 

 very serious half-famished-looking bears. A war of extermination 

 was declared against the squirrels; and I am sorry to say that 

 many overt acts of violence and bloodshed towards them preceded 

 the formal declaration of hostility. A party of twenty-four, 

 twelve on either side, all expert with the rifle, made a day's hunt, 

 from sunrise to sunset, the vanquished (that is, whichever side 

 shot the fewer number of squirrels) to pay the forfeit of the best 

 supper the town would afford, for all concerned ; and they slaugh- 

 tered fifteen hundred and sixty-eight ! merely carrying the scalps 

 to count with. A few days afterwards, a party of the same num- 

 ber went out, anxious to rival or eclipse the trophies of the first 

 day, after having prepared themselves well, with clean guns, rifles 

 of course, and all munition of war, their sights better regulated 

 and their barrels better browned than those of the party who 

 reaped the first day's victory ; and they brought in eighteen 

 hundred and nineteen ! making about seventy-five apiece. One 



