360 FOUB-FOOTEli AMERICANS 



why Quick and Mr. Wolf shared their rug with a mon- 

 grel terrier, a collie, and a setter pup, ■ — six pounds of 

 sausages, divided between five dogs of mixed sizes and 

 a coon, having produced good nature and a desire to go 

 to sleep in Dogville. 



Rap had brought his Gray Squirrel as a gift to Nat, 

 and an old wheel cage having been found in the attic. 

 Frisk, as they named him, was safely housed in it and 

 became an object of great interest. 



" He is ever so much bigger than the Red Squirrels 

 and Chipmunks we have here at the farm," said Nat, 

 " and he has the finest tail I ever saw." 



" The plumy tail is an important feature in the Squir- 

 rel family. Soiuricloe, the name the Wise Men give it, 

 means ' those who sit in the shadow of the tail,' and 

 you can see when Frisk jerks his tail over his back that 

 it makes quite a good umbrella." 



" Chipmunks haven't such nice tails, though," said 

 Rap ; " theirs are quite thin and not a bit plumy." 



" They belong to the striped-backed Ground Squir- 

 rels, who are of a lighter build in every way." 



" Are there any Ground Squirrels ? I thought they all 

 lived in trees. Do Squirrels gnaw things, and are they 

 nuisance animals like the mice and rats ? " asked Nat. 



" The Ground Squirrels are all more or less mis- 

 chievous, as you will realize when you remember that 

 in climbing the ladder to look for the Woodchuck and 

 Prairie Dog you found them on the general branch 

 belonging to the Ground Squirrel family." 



" So we did," said Olive ; " but I hardly realized that 

 they were related to Squirrels except in the fact that 

 they are all gnawers." 



