THE SQUIRREL. 841 



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 that 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 extirmination 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 van- 

 quished, that is, whichever side shot the fewer number of Squir- 

 rels, to pay the forfeit of the best supper the town would afford, 

 for all concerned; and they slaughtered fifteen hundred and 

 eighty-six ! merely carrying the scalps to count with. A few 

 days afterwards, a party of the same number 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 munitions 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 of the party 

 in the last day's hunt shot one hundred and thirty-six, and that 

 under unfavorable circumstances, being delayed three hours, 

 during the day, in getting a bullet up which he could not ram 

 down." 



Further on the writer remarks again : " We killed thirteen 

 off' one hickory-tree, and they were busily coming and going 

 to and from it all the time, perfectly regardless of what was 

 going on. All this immense importation of Squirrels were 

 either Gray or Black, and not one Single Fox Squirrel (which is 

 common in Eastern Pennsylvania), was to be seen. During the 

 whole afternoon, it was nothing but loading and firing until our 

 rifle barrels became so hot that we had to lay them down occa- 

 sionally to cool. The myriads of Squirrels that are to be found 

 on a few acres of favorable feeding-ground during the season 

 of plenty is almost incredible to those who have never witnessed 

 it. All the wholesale slaughter that was made during the 



