THE SQUIEKEL 



been closed from within. We followed the course of the small 

 winding gaDery with considerable difficulty. The hole descended 

 at first almost perpendicularly for about three feet; it then 

 continued, with one or two windings, rising a little nearer to 

 the surface, until it had advanced to about eight feet, when we 

 came to a large nest made of oak leaves and dried grasses. 

 Here lay snugly covered three Chipping squirrels. Another 

 was subsequently dug from one of the small lateral galleries, to 

 which it had evidently retreated to avoid us. They were not 

 dormant, and seemed ready to bite when taken in the hand ; 

 but they were not very active, and appeared somewhat slug- 

 gish and benumbed, which, we conjectured, was owing to their 

 being exposed to sudden cold from our having opened their 

 burrow. There was about a giU of wheat and buck-wheat in 

 the nest ; but in the galleries, which we afterwards dug out, we 

 found about a quart of hazel-nuts, nearly a peck of acorns, 

 some grains of Indian com, about two quarts of buck-wheat, 

 and a very small quantity of grass seeds." 



In Java is foxmd another of this tribe, known as the Plantain 

 squirrel. Among the Javanese, this little animal is as commonly 

 domesticated as is the cat among ourselves. Mr. Adams, the 

 naturalist, says of a Plantain squirrel kept by him, that it was 

 an amusing little animal, full of frohc and playful as a kitten. 

 He never carried his tail over his back, like the greater number 

 of his family, but would trail it gracefoUy along the ground. 

 When angry, he would dilate this ornamental appendage and 

 bristle up the hairs like an irritated cat. His natural cry was 

 a weak chirping sound ; but, when teased beyond his powers 

 of endurance, he would make a sharp, low, and passionate noise. 

 He seemed to court caresses, and would receive them with 

 pleasure. His food consisted of bananas and cocoa-nuts, which 

 he usually would nibble like a rat, though sometimes he would 

 place it between his paws. He was a remarkably cleanly little 

 creature, and was continually dressing his for. When he slept, 

 he rolled himself up like the dormouse, with his tail enoircKng 

 his body. Always active and blithe, he would sometimes per- 

 form feats of extraordinary agility, bounding to great distances 

 and clinging to every object within his reach. 



The smallest of the squirrel tribe is one discovered by M. 

 Chaillu in Equatorial Africa. This is called by the natives 

 Kendo. ChaiUu, in his wonderful gorilla book, gives an ac- 

 count of shooting this animal, and likewise its portrait, which, 

 he says, " is its actual size, and taken from my stuffed speoi- 



