8 WILD NEIGHBORS CHAP. 
frequently scratched and stroked one another, 
and once I saw one diligently combing another’s 
tail with its fore feet. 
The tail, indeed, which is flat, and has the wavy 
hair growing laterally from a careful parting along 
the muscular midrib, is an object of great pride to 
its owner. It is, no doubt, useful and comforting 
as a wrapper in cold weather, and certainly assists 
the agile acrobat as a balancing-pole; but that it 
is highly appreciated purely as an ornament, is 
very evident from the abashed demeanor of the 
little animal when a portion of its brush is lost. _ 
The generic name Sczurus (from which comes 
“squirrel,” through Old French esguzrel) is de- 
rived from Greek words meaning a creature which 
sits under the shadow of its tail, and the name 
shade-tail is in actual use in some of the Southern 
States to-day. We might appropriately translate 
the Greek in this case as designating an animal 
whose tail puts all the rest of him into the shade. 
Gradually they gain strength and confidence, 
and then you will see how far the liveliness of the 
young can surpass even the tireless activity of old 
squirrels. Both old and young are exceedingly 
fond of play, springing from the ground as if in a 
high-jumping match, and turning regular summer- 
saults in the grass; but the most amusing thing is 
this: Finding a place where the tip of a tough 
branch hangs almost to the ground, they will leap 
up and catch it, sometimes with only one hand, 
