Fos 
MANNERS. 
DESCRIP. 
§.QO;:Us! R IRvVE CLS Ga 
we may add a third application of the form of the - 
tail: thefe naturalifts tell us, that when the fquir- 
rel is difpofed to crofs a river, a piece of bark is 
the boat, the tail the fail. : 
This animal is remarkably neat, lively, active, 
and provident; never leaves its food to chance, but 
fecures in fome hollow tree a vaft magazine of nuts 
for winter provifion. In the fummer it feeds on 
the buds and young fhoots; and 1s particularly fond 
of thofe of the fir and pine, and alfo of the young 
cones. It makes its neft of the mofs or dry leaves, 
between the fork of two branches; and brings 
four or five young at atime. Squirrels are in heat 
early in the fpring, when it is very diverting to fee 
the female feigning an efcape from the purfuit of 
two or three males, to obferve the various proofs - 
they give of their agility, which is then exerted in 
full force. 
The color of the whole head, body, tail, and legs — 
of this animal, is a bright reddifh brown: the belly 
and breaft white: the ears are very beautifully or- 
namented with long tufts of hair, of a deeper 
color than thofe on the body: the eyes are large, 
black, and lively: the fore teeth, ftrong, fharp, and 
well adapted to its food: the legs are fhort and muf- 
cular: the toes long, and divided to their origin; 
the nails ftrong and fharp; in fhort, in all refpects 
fitted for climbing, or clinging to the fmalleft 
boughs: on the fore-feet it has only four toes, with — 
a claw 
