4

Concord, Mass.
1915.
April, May,
& June
(No 4)

Red Squirrels

forcible possession of a Flicker's hole in an isolated apple tree near our
well house and gave birth to several young therein. A few days afterwards
our Irish terrier "Tim" caught the mother Squirrel as she was running 
across the open field and bit her so severely that she died as did
the young in consequence. Shortly after that the Flicker reoccupied the
hole and presumably reared her brood there, for I saw her entering or
leaving it daily for several weeks. I do not think she had laid when
first evicted by the Squirrel for no trace of eggs was there to be found in it.
Only one Red Squirrel was noted anywhere near the Farm. He
ranged up and down the Run for its entire length but did not once
approach any of our buildings. There were perhaps others of his kind
in the Ball's Hill region but if so I failed to see or hear any of them
during my infrequent visits to it.

Chipmunks

  Chipmunks were almost, if not quite, completely exterminated 
everywhere about the Farm last year, and in 1913, by Cats which
were repeatedly seen carrying them off to neighboring farm houses. They
reappeared this spring, however, in something like their normal numbers,
doubtless because of the well-nigh total absence of Cats, most of which
have been killed of late by those of our neighbours who owned them,
especially the Howes who used to keep a dozen or more and now
have none. The Lawrences, also have reduced their formerly superabundant
stock to one or two, apparently. Freed from dread of these, their
most unrelenting foes, the Chipmunks again took possession of their
favorite old-time haunts close about our buildings. One lived in
a hole by our front door step, another beside the well, a third
near the Bungalow, still others in the stone walls along our lawn &
elsewhere. These new comers have committed no degradations
as yet, even on our beds of tulip & crocus bulbs which they
were wont to devastate most thoroughly & exasperingly [exasperatingly] several years
ago. Whether or not they continue to display similar forbearance
I am truly glad to have them back again because of their attractive
appearance and charmingly confiding ways.