A MARCH RAMBLE. 1 5 



up finely into a woolly mass, as if Bunny had been 

 taking lessons in natural philosophy, on the con- 

 duction of heat, and had learned that the warmth 

 of her naked litter would not be quickly carried 

 off through this furry heap. 



C teUs me the adventure he had with a 



mother squirrel which illustrates the ardent mater- 

 nal devotion of these rodents. Two quarter-grown 

 gray Bunnies had been carried by their mother to 

 a hole in a shell-bark trunk for safe-keeping and 



tender nursing. C , who had an eye to the 



main chance, and knew the market value of this 

 species, had seen the transaction, and, with a ladder, 

 proceeded to lay siege to the retreat. Having 

 climbed to the doorway, he put his hand in to capt- 

 ure his prizes, when it was immediately attacked 

 by the desperate mother, who tried to bite it, then 

 struck it with her paw, at the same time making a 

 noise similar to the spitting of a cat. He at last 

 succeeded in grasping her nape, and dropped her 

 to the ground. She at once returned to her charge, 

 however, and it was not until he had served her 

 three times in this manner, that he was able to 

 seize and make off with his young nut-crackers, 

 followed by the parent, who made several attempts 

 to spring into his face, or traversed the branches 



