A SQUIRREL-MOTHER'S SAGACITY. 19 



looked back. The trembling youngster had not followed. She called to 

 him in low chatterings, but he did not dare to forsake the security of the 

 big limb. Then she went back and caressed the small stranger. One 

 can imagine all the fond, re-assuring things she said to him, squirrel fash- 

 ion, while she licked his ruffled fur and quieted his fears. The delay was 

 so long that we began to fear she would fail, but presently she marched 

 slowly out on the bridge, looking over her shoulder, and the young one 

 timidly followed", creeping with great caution and fear. 



Seemingly everything was going well, but in the middle of the bridge 

 the little fellow's courage failed, and all the old gray's coaxing could not 

 induce him to take another step. She was by no means" at the end of her 

 resources, nevertheless. Darting across to her house, she came back with 

 one of her own children, and introduced him to the terror-stricken little 

 orphan. " See !" she said to it, in effect, " here's a kitten not much big- 

 ger than you, who can run along the bridge as fine as anything. You 

 need only to be brave." Thus stimulated, the foundling made a desperate 

 attempt to go on, attended and coaxed by its two hosts. Once it faltered, 

 and then the mother squirrel tried a final expedient. Stretching her legs 

 wide apart, she placed herself completely over the young one's flattened 

 body, holding it on, as it were, and moving along with it as it crawled 

 forward, until the pluck of the baby revived ; the last quarter of the 

 bridge was more nimbly traversed, and the safety, warmth, and, doubtless, 

 food of the new hospice were gained. 



Subsequently we caught the other orphan and carried him to the root 

 of the oak, where he was invited to share the same hospitality without 

 having to pass the ordeal of the bridge. 



This incident seemed remarkable to us who witnessed it. 



In the first place, that a squirrel should exhibit so intense an anxiety 

 at distress outside her own circle, and show so genuine and persistent a 

 desire to give aid, ending in adopting two outcasts without hesitation. 



Next, that she should show so much sagacity in accomplishing this 

 kind purpose. Her patience in leading the nervous little stranger along 

 through the grass and out upon the bridge seemed inexhaustible. When 

 she found that it was too timid and inexperienced to cross the long cable 

 (for squirrels must learn to climb as seals learn to swim and men learn to 

 walk), it was a manoeuvre dictated by little less than reason to bring her 

 own kitten as an example of what little squirrels, as well as big, might do, 

 if they had enough resolution. So far as we could see, all her coaxing 

 and aid would have been futile had not this last expedient been brought 

 to bear. 



