SQUIRRELS 



utterly harmless and inoffensive victims, and of 

 keeping so safely out of sight without so much as 

 a chirrup to betray him when any actual danger 

 threatens, that it is hard to believe that he is ever 

 more than half in earnest. I have never known 

 him to take part in the general outcry against a 

 hawk or owl, although he must encounter the 

 latter frequently as he rambles about among the 

 evergreens, their favourite roosting-places, and 

 would certainly have every excuse for resentment 

 against them ; but in such cases he probably con- 

 siders his own safety as of the first importance, 

 and makes a point of retiring as expeditiously as 

 possible. But let him catch a glimpse of an un- 

 offending partridge quietly gathering berries or 

 scratching among the pine-needles, and he Im- 

 mediately pretends to fall Into an utterly uncon- 

 trollable rage. He slowly approaches the bird 

 with short, scratchy starts, down the tree-trunk, 

 keeping on the opposite side as much as possible, 

 and peering out from behind the rough bark and 



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