Class I. SQUIRREL. 135 



heat or cold ; when extended, they are very in- 

 strumental in promoting those vast leaps the 

 animal takes from tree to tree. On the autho- 

 rity of Klein and Linnans, we may add a third 

 application of the form of the tail ; these natu- 

 ralists tell us, that when the squirrel is disposed 

 to cross a river, a piece of bark is the boat, the 

 tail the sail. 



This animal is remarkably neat, lively, active, Manners. 

 and provident ; never leaves its food to chance, 

 but secures in some hollow tree a vast magazine 

 of nuts for winter provision. In the summer it 

 feeds on the buds and young shoots, and is par- 

 ticularly fond of those of the fir and pine, and 

 also of the young cones. It makes its nest of 

 the moss or dry leaves, between the fork of two 

 branches, and brings four or five young at a 

 time. Squirrels are in heat early in the spring, 

 when it is very diverting to see the female feign- 

 ing an escape from the pursuit of two or three 

 males, and to observe the various proofs they 

 give of their agility, which is then exerted in 

 full force. 



The color of the whole head, body, tail, and Descrip- 

 legs of this animal, is a bright reddish brown ; 

 the belly and breast white ; the ears are very 

 beautifully ornamented with long tufts of hair, 

 of a deeper color than those on the body ; the 



TION. 



