THE BRITISH OR LIGHT-TAILED SQUIRREL 711 



have much influence upon the wanderings of the Squirrel since 

 it loves to follow anything straight. 



Even when it meets water it is not always nonplussed, for, 

 although the larger Scotch rivers, until bridged, are said to have 

 proved effectual barriers to its repopulation of that country, it 

 has undoubtedly the ability to cross wide streams. The 

 Squirrel has been figured while swimming by Mr Millais. 

 It swims high, the tail flat on the water. Amongst the most 

 conspicuous instances of its activity in this direction may be 

 counted the discovery of one crossing Loch Toil where its 

 breadth reaches one-third of a mile, by a lady correspondent of 

 Colonel H. H. Godwin-Austin ; while another was seen to 

 cross the River Spey, where the stream is broad, strong, and 

 deep ; and Mr Meade- Waldo saw one swim across Loch Ericht 

 at a place where the loch was one mile wide — when this Squirrel 

 landed its tail was perfectly dry. 



The Squirrel has been credited by most writers with 

 provident sagacity in laying up stores of food for the proverbial 

 rainy day. "I have a venturous fairy," says Titania, "that 

 shall seek the Squirrel's hoards and fetch thee new nuts." The 

 distribution of these reserves, not in a single place of safety, 

 but in several holes in different trees in the neighbourhood of 

 its retreat, has been often regarded as further evidence of fore- 

 thought ; but, if the truth be told, the Squirrel is but a careless 

 housekeeper at any time, and no more worthy of praise in this 

 respect than the well-fed dog which spends its spare time in 

 burying the bones which it is unable to consume. The erratic 

 nature of the Squirrel's stores was long ago commented upon 

 by Alston, who watched the storing operations of a semi-tame 

 individual. This Squirrel, when fed with nuts out of doors, hid 

 them in a most capricious manner in soft turf, not taking them 

 all to one place, but burying them anywhere at random, so that 

 " one could hardly believe he would ever find them again ; and 

 I have no doubt that he never did find some of them." 



The habit of storing surplus food, be it intentional or the 

 result of blind energy, is present, as in so many other rodents ; 

 and there can be no doubt that, although of comparatively little 

 importance in this country, in severer climates than that of 

 Britain it must be a necessary action, failure to perform which 



