THE SQUIEREL. 



This pretty tome pet, whibli is found generally throughout 

 Europe and Northern Asia, is well represented by this hand- 

 some, active, little fellow, whose home is among the branches 

 of British park and forest trees. 



It is true that this prime favourite, especially with boys 

 and girls, comes to our hoiues unprovided with any special 

 recommendation, either on the score of utility or useflilness. 

 It cannot gpiard the house like the dog, or catch puce like 

 the cat, or wage war against black-beetles and cockroaches 

 like that prickly pet the hedge-hog: I am not sure, however, 

 that this incapacity to earn our regards is against his chances 

 of remaining a pet as long as any creature treated of in this 

 volume. By eaimnmg I mean to acquire a right, — 'to furnish an 

 equivalent for goods required, and on such terms as make it 

 downright dishonesty to fail to famish the goods; which in 

 the case of the beetle-catcher, and the canine watchman, and 

 the expeUer of mice, means food and drink dnd lodging. It 

 might be argued by a sour philosopher that to retainr. the 

 animaJa' above mentioned and many others in. this book 

 enumerated — 'the egg-producing hen, the pie-affording pigeon, 

 the Michaelmas feast-supplying goose — ^is no more pet- 

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