THE GRAY SQUIRREL. 



AST of the Missouri River the 

 Gray Squirrel is found almost 

 everywhere, and is per- 

 haps the most common 

 variety. Wherever there is timber it 

 is almost sure to be met with, and in 

 many localities is very abundant, espe- 

 cially where it has had an opportunity 

 to breed without unusual disturbance. 

 Its usual color is pale gray above and 

 white or yellowish white beneath, but 

 individuals of the species grade from 

 this color through all the stages to jet 

 black. Gray and black Squirrels are 

 often found associating together. They 

 are said to be in every respect alike, in 

 the anatomy of their bodies, habits, 

 and in every detail excepting the 

 color, and by many sportsmen they 

 are regarded as distinct species, and 

 that the black form is merely due to 

 melanism, an anomaly not uncommon 

 among animals. Whether this be the 

 correct explanation may well be left to 

 further scientific observation. 



Like all the family, the Gray Squir- 

 rels feed in the early morning just 

 after sunrise and remain during the 

 middle of the day in their hole or 

 nest. It is in the early morning or 

 the late afternoon, when they again 

 appear in search of the evening meal, 

 that the wise hunter lies in wait for 

 them. Then they may be heard and 

 seen playing and chattering together 

 till twilight. Sitting upright and 

 motionless on a log the intruder will 

 rarely be discovered by them, but at 

 the slightest movement they scamper 

 away, hardly to return. This fact is 

 ^ ken advantage of by the sportsmen, 

 aiiJ, says an observer, be he at all 

 familiar with the runways of the 

 Squirrels at any particular locality he 

 may sit by the path and bag a goodly 

 number. Gray and Black Squirrels 

 generally breed twice during the spring 

 and summer, and have several young 



at a litter. The young mature in 

 August and September. 



We have been told that an incident 

 of migration of Squirrels of a very 

 remarkable kind occurred a good many 

 years ago, caused by lack of mast and 

 other food, in New York State. When 

 the creatures arrived at the Niagara 

 river, their apparent destination being 

 Canada, they seemed to hesitate before 

 attempting to cross the swift running 

 stream. The current is very rapid, 

 exceeding seven miles an hour. They 

 finally ventured in the water, how- 

 ever, and with tails spread for sails, 

 succeeded in making the opposite 

 shore, but more than a mile below the 

 point of entrance. They are better 

 swimmers than one would fancy them 

 to be, as they have much strength and 

 endurance. We remember when a boy 

 seeing some mischievous urchins repeat- 

 edly throw a tame Squirrel into deep 

 water for the cruel pleasure of watching 

 it swim ashore. The "sport" was soon 

 stopped, however, by a passerby, who 

 administered a rebuke that could 

 hardly be forgotten. 



Squirrels are frequently domesti- 

 cated and become as tame as any 

 household tabby Unfortunately Dogs 

 and Cats seem to show a relentless 

 enmity toward them, as they do toward 

 all rodents. The Squirrel is willing 

 to be friendly, and no doubt would 

 gladly affiliate with them, but the 

 instinct of the canine and the feline 

 impels them to exterminate it. We 

 once gave shelter and food to a strange 

 Cat and was rewarded by seeing it 

 fiercely attack and kill a beautiful 

 white Rabbit which until then had 

 had the run of the yard and never 

 before been molested. Until we shall 

 be able to teach the beasts of the field 

 something of our sentimental humani- 

 tarianism we can scarcely expect to see 

 examples of cruelty wholly disappear. 



