LITTLE BEASTS OF FIELD AND WOOD 



he endeavoured to put himself into better 

 shape. 



Occasionally, in the late fall or early winter, 

 there are days when the red squirrels are to be 

 seen everywhere running about over the ground in- 

 stead of among the branches, both in the woods and 

 in the open. I am inclined to think that such days 

 are usually followed by rain, though whether or not 

 the movement has anything to do with the desire 

 for migration which from time to time seizes upon 

 most of our wild animals, is hard to determine. 



Like most northern animals, the red squirrel 

 is rather lighter coloured in winter than in sum- 

 mer, though hardly enough to render him less 

 conspicuous on the snow. As cold weather 

 comes on he changes from a strong reddish brown 

 slightly grizzled with black to a soft grayish fawn 

 colour possessing a most decided shade of green 

 on the sides and flanks, and with a broad stripe 

 of intensely fine light red down the back. The 

 black stripe dividing the dark fur above from the 



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