IO Anecdotal Natural History. 



rapid descent. One would imagine that the creature 

 must infallibly be dashed to pieces, but, almost before 

 one can look round, the squirrel is off to the nearest 

 tree trunk, where it is quickly lost to sight amongst 

 the foliage. 



As a refuge both by day and night, and also as a 

 place wherein to rear their young, the squirrels always 

 construct a large and comfortable nest, generally in 

 the fork of some lofty branch, and always carefully 

 concealed from sight. The materials are chiefly 

 leaves, grass, and moss, woven together in a most beau- 

 tiful manner, and forming a perfect protection against 

 the rain. The old nests may sometimes be seen in 

 winter when they are no longer surrounded by foliage, 

 and stand out boldly among the naked boughs. 



In these nests the young, three or four at a litter, 

 are brought up, and remain until they are old enough 

 to shift for themselves. 



At the approach of winter the squirrels, not being 

 able to find their food during the cold months, lay up 

 stores for use during that period. Their provisions 

 consist generally of nuts of various sorts, grain, beech- 

 mast, and so on, and are hidden away as a rule in 

 holes at the roots of trees in the neighbourhood of 

 their winter habitation. It is a somewhat curious fact 

 that the squirrel never includes a bad nut in these 

 hoards. 



This winter retreat is also a nest of much the 

 same character as the former, but hidden away in 

 holes in trees, the junctions of large branches 

 with the trunk, and similar localities. As soon 

 as the cold weather fairly arrives, the squirrels, 

 having previously laid up their winter stores, repair 

 to this hiding-place, and there pass the time until 

 spring, when they again return to their summer 

 haunts. For the greater portion of the interven- 



