NORTHERN GRAY SQUIRREL. 271 



prey when hunting in couples. The male is frequentl)' accompanied by 

 his mate, especially in the breeding season, and in this case the Squirrel 

 is soon captured. The hawks course rapidly in opposite directions, 

 above and below the branch ; the attention of the Squirrel is thus di- 

 vided and distracted, and before he is aware of it the talons of one of 

 the hawks are in his back, and with a shriek of triumph the rapacious 

 birds bear him off, either to the aerie in which their young are deposit- 

 ed, to some low branch of a tree, or to a sheltered situation on the 

 grovmd, where with a suspicious glance towards each other, occasionally 

 hissing and grumbling for the choice parts, the hawks devour their pr«y. 



This species of squirrel has occasionally excited the wonder of the po- 

 pulace by its wandering habits and its singular and long migrations. 

 Like the lemming (Lemmiis Norvegicus) of the Eastern continent, it is 

 stimulated either by a scarcity of food, or by some other inexplicable 

 instinct, to leave its native haunts, and seek for adventures or for food in 

 some (to it) unexplored portion of our land. 



The newspapers from the West contain many interesting details of 

 these migrations ; they appear to have been more frequent in former 

 years than at the present time. The farmers in the Western wilds re- 

 gard them with sensations which may be compared to the anxious ap- 

 prehensions of the Eastern nations at the flight of the devouring locust. 

 At such periods, which usually occur in autxmm, the Squirrels congregate 

 in different districts of the far North-west ; and in irregular troops bend 

 their way instinctively in an eastern direction. Mountains, cleared 

 fields, the narrow bays of some of our lakes, or our broad rivers, present 

 no unconquerable impediments. Onward they come, devouring on their 

 way every thing that is suited to their taste, laying waste the com 

 and wheat-fields of the farmer ; and as their numbers are thinned by the 

 gun, the dog, and the club, others fall in and fill up the ranljs, till they oc- 

 casion infinite mischief, and call forth more than empty threats of ven- 

 geance. It is often inquired, how these little creatures, that on com- 

 mon occasions have such an instinctive dread of water, are enabled to 

 cross broad and rapid rivers, like the Ohio and Hudson for instance. It 

 has been asserted by authors, and is believed by many, that they carry 

 to the shore a suitable piece of bark, and seizing the opportunity of a 

 favourable breeze, seat themselves upon this substitute for a boat, hoist 

 their broad tails as a sail, and float safely to the opposite shore. This, 

 together with many other traits of intelligence ascribed to this species, 

 we suspect to be apocrj-phal. That they do migrate at irregular, and oc- 

 casionally at distant periods, is a fact sufficiently established ; but in the 

 only two instances in which we had opportunities of witnessing the mi- 



