scii'Rus iirDsoxius. 2O 



alK)ut to fall. l)ut I never knew even one of the youngsters to lose 

 his hold. On these occasions they were always silent. 1 have 

 also seen them, in lune, in the act of eatino- the leaf-stenis of the 

 siK'-ar niai)le (Acer sacchariiiuui), to which habit my attention was 

 directed by observing the frequent dropping of green leaves to the 



o-rountl.'' 



The propensity to suck the: eggs and destroy the \()ung of our 

 smaller birds is the worst trait of the Red Scpiirrel, and is in itself 

 sufficient reason for his extermination, at least about the habitations 

 of man. I ha\-e myself known him to rob the nests of the red-e\(;d 

 vireo, chipping s[)arrow, robin, Wilson's thrush, and ruffed grouse, 

 and doubt not that thousands of eggs are annually sacrificed, in 

 the Adirondack region alone, to gratify this appetite. Therefore, 

 when abundant, as he always is during the springs that follow good 

 nut vears, his intluence in checking the increase of our insectivorous 

 birds can hardh' be overestimated. 



Dr. A. K. JMsher informs me that on three occasions he has 

 known these Scpiirrels to destroy young robins. In the first 

 instance he heard the old birds making a great outcry near his 

 home at Sincr Sing, and on going to ascertain the reason found a 

 Red S([uirrel in the act of devouring a young robin. A well- 

 directed stone caused him to drop the bird, which was found with 

 its head cut into and the brains eaten. One wing and both feet 

 had also been eaten. The details of the other cases are much the 

 same. In one instance the Scjuirrel returned several times to the 

 nest ami carried off all the young.f 



* Mr. E. r. Hicknell writes me from hi> home al Rivonl.ile, New N'ork ; "On our place lliey 

 feed through the winter and early spring on the nower-huds of the white maple {Aco <iasy<arpiaii). 

 Often several are to be seen perched among the leafless and hud-hesiirinkled branches about the 

 top of one ef these trees, scattering the snow below with fragments of the red l)uds and even entire 

 twigs which later would have become sprays of blossoms and fruit." 



+ Dr. Kdgar A. Mcarns, in his valuable paper upon the Kirds of ihe Hudson Ilighlaiuls, states : 

 " Among the Robin's worst enemies may be ranked the Red Squirrels {Saitrus Ihuhonius), for, 

 thougli their young are subject to the attacks of Crows, Jays, and particularly to the ravages of the 

 Black Snake {Bascanion ronstriitor), yet none of these enemies inflict as much injury as the 

 Squirrels, because, not .mly do thev seek out and devour the eggs, but the young are al>o eaten," 



