NOTES ON THE 8CIUBIDM. 24.'5 



examples of this pelage with which I am acquainted are Sciurus 

 caniceps and S. ati'odorsalis. During the greater part of the 

 year these forms wear a dull grey dress, but in the winter months 

 (from December to February) both sexes assume on the back, by 

 moult, a much more brilliant pelage, which in the case of the 

 former is deep orange, and in the case of the latter a glossy 

 black. It is supposed that the assumption of this dress co- 

 incides with the pairing season, but I am not aware that this has 

 been actually proved. 



Let us now turn again to our European Squirrel. Many 

 depredations on young trees and birds are laid to his account, 

 and I fear it must be acknowledged these accusations are to 

 some extent true. He is in the main, however, a vegetable 

 feeder, living chiefly on beech-mast and acorns, but little in the 

 way of seeds comes amiss to him ; and when in the fir-woods the 

 cones are found very much gnawed by his strong and sharp 

 teeth. With one I had in captivity, whose chief food used to be 

 hazel-nuts, the method of eating them was always the same. 

 The nut would be held by the large end, so that the long axis of 

 the narrow portion was transverse to the mouth, when an incision 

 would be made until there was a hole large enough for the in- 

 sertion of the incisors between the shell and kernel. Into this 

 hole the lower incisors would be placed, and a piece of the shell 

 broken off by a sharp twist of the head ; similar actions would 

 be repeated until the whole of the shell was broken off, and then 

 the kernel would be devoured. 



Although, as I have said, their food is chiefly, if not 

 entirely, vegetable, my tame one would frequently use his 

 teeth on the furniture, boots, or anything handy, apparently 

 from mere wanton destruction, and when offered fresh twigs 

 with any bark on would invariably strip them of the bark, 

 although it did not appear to be eaten. 



In England pairing takes place early in April, and the young 

 are born about midsummer in large nests or " dreys," composed 

 of sticks, on which is collected a large mass of moss neatly 

 hollowed out inside, the opening lying to the side. Several of 

 these "dreys" are said to be built by each pair, and if the 

 young be discovered they are moved as soon as possible to 

 another nest. The male Squirrel remains with the female most 



