SQUIRRELS 



to form into icicles, which, when the temperature 

 of the wind and other conditions are favourable, 

 may be constantly evaporating and gathering new 

 material at the same time, so that the sugar con- 

 tained in the sap finally collects in rich, honey- 

 coloured drops of syrup at the extremity of the 

 icicle, possessing an even more refined and deli- 

 cious flavour than that obtained by the more 

 violent process of boiling. The squirrels appear 

 perfectly capable of appreciating this fact, and are 

 pretty certain to be on hand to gather it before it 

 drops, although often obliged to exert themselves 

 to their utmost in order to reach it. They have 

 also learned to take advantage of the downward 

 flow of sap in the autumn ; but at that season most 

 of them are so busy with their harvesting that they 

 can hardly spare much time to it; at all events, 

 they do not collect it then as in the spring. 



In April they turn their attention to the open- 

 ing blossoms of the elms, and you may see them 

 hanging to the extremity of the slender twigs, 



219 



