North American Schiridce, or Squirrels. 65 



" Flying Squirrel" (Seii/roftcn/s volucella var Tolucdlci), ".Northern 

 Gray Squirrel" (Sciurus carolinensis var leuevtis), "Fox Squirrel" 

 {Sciurus niger var ludovicianus) and the " Ground Squirrel " (Ta/uias 

 striatus). 



The Gray Squirrel was the most abundant and lived in the higher 

 forests. The Fox Squirrel was abundant along the lower wooded 

 river bottoms. The Ground Squirrel was abundant everywhere, 

 and could be seen running along the old rail fences. 



Squirrel-hunting is a fascinating sport, but has become a lost art in 

 this immediate vicinity, owing to the reduction, almost to the verge 

 of extinction, in the numbeis of the game. In former years the 

 squirrel-hunter used a muzzle-loading rifle of small calibre, with the 

 stock of wood extending to the muzzle. The charge of powder was 

 taken from a horn and measured in a goose-quill, after which the 

 round, leaden ball, incased in a greased patch, was rammed down 

 with a slender hickory rod, firmly on to it. The old-timer disdained 

 to hit his game anywhere except through the head, a feat that 

 required great steadiness and skill. Along the Great Miami twenty- 

 five years ago, a good shot, armed with a weapon such as the one 

 described above, could kill as many squirrels as he could carry. 

 I once hunted squirrels with an old hunter, near Miamitown, allow- 

 ing him the first shot with his rifle, and in the event of his missing, 

 I was at liberty to use my shot gun. It is needless to say I very 

 seldom got a squirrel. My companion, who wore a pair of home- 

 spun pants with a blouse of bedticking, always went barefoot when 

 squirrel-hunting. He was a typical old-timer, and had killed 

 wagon-loads of squirrels, all shot through the head. 



On one occasion, when crossing a plowed field, we came to an 

 isolated hickory tree. In this tree five Gray Squirrels had congre- 

 gated in its lofty top for nuts. As we approached, I remarked to 

 my companion, "We are sure of all of those." His answer was, 

 " I don't kDow about that," at the same time drawing a bead on 

 one of their heads. When the rifle cracked, the victim fell down, 

 minus the top of his head, but the others jumped from the tree-top, 

 striking the plowed ground with great force, and ran away unharmed. 

 On another occasion, near Enterprise, Fla., three others and myself 

 surrounded a huge pine tree in which one of the large Southern 

 Fox Squirrels had taken refuge. As there was no hole in the tree, 

 we felt sure of this specimen; but when one shot was fired, the 

 squirrel leaped from the tree-top, landing with great violence on 



