98 GAME ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



beyond. Nothing could deflect them from their course, and they 

 were evidently bound for a fixed point. A similar instance occurred 

 not long sjgo in the west, where a vast assemblage crossed the 

 Mississippi and were killed in great numbers in the back yards of 

 the village houses. Of course, the first and most obvious explana- 

 tion is, that these migrations are caused by scarcity of food, but 

 't is probable that this is not the only motive which induces them 

 to undertake such extensive journeys. 



As with the pursuit of Hares, there are numberless devices 

 for accomplishing the capture of squirrels. Sportsmen who are 

 fond of this department of La venerie, use either rifle or shot-gun, 

 as their skill in handling one or the other may warrant, but the 

 important factor in this animal pursuit is the small cur-dog trained 

 for the purpose. He will run ahead through bush and wood, tree 

 a squirrel, and after barking sharply, wait for the master to put 

 in an appearance. A squirrel thus treed will run up the trunk a 

 short distance, and curling himself down on a limb, will watch his 

 canine pursuer, unmindful of the approach of the death dealing 

 biped. When the squirrels are quite young and inexperienced, a 

 good bag can sometimes be made without a dog. Seat yourself 

 near the point where the woods skirt the cornfield or wheat stub- 

 ble in the earliest morning — or perhaps among the beech trees, 

 where at this season the mast is tender and succulent, and the 

 animals vrill give you plenty of chances. Still they are not very 

 generally hunted till the later months. When treed by the hunter 

 they are very skilful in secreting themselves from view, and the 

 grey species particularly, being so near in color to the bark of 

 many of our forest trees, is exceedingly difficult to detect, and both 

 he and his black brother are always carelul to keep the tree trunk 

 between themselves and the intruder. A dog's presence, how- 

 ever, seems utterly to upset all calculations of concealment, and 

 they will sit on a limb and not attempt to hide, knovmig the ina- 

 bility of the cur to do them harm. The cruel method of smoking 

 out, is often made use of in squirrel hunting by the farmers' sons 

 in wnter time, when the animals are snugly curled up in their 

 nests. A squirrel tree is selected which has two or three holes 

 above, and is partially hollow to the foot. An axe soon makes an 

 opening below, into which straw, leaves, and grass or green twigs 



