HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 353 



trial of the conftancy of their lovers, feem to avoid them 

 by a variety of entertaining Tallies; and, like true co- 

 quets, feign an efcape, by way of enhancing the value of 

 the conqueft. — They bring forth four or five young at a 

 time. 



The Squirrel is of a bright-brown colour, inclining to 

 red ; the bread and belly are white ; the ears are orna- 

 mented with long tufts of hair ; the eyes are large, black, 

 and lively ; the fore teeth ftrong and ftiarp ; the fore legs 

 are curioufly furnifhed with long flifF hairs, which pro- 

 ject on each fide like whilkers. When it eats, it fits 



eredt, and ufes its fore feet as hands to convey food to 

 its mouth. 



The tail of the Squirrel is its greateft ornament, and 

 ferves as a defence from the cold, being large enough to 

 cover the whole body ; it likewife aflifts it in taking leaps 

 from one tree to another; and we may add a third appli- 

 cation of it, which would feem altogether improbable, 

 were we not aflured of it by Linnaeus and other natural- 

 ifts : — In attempting to crofs a lake or river, the Squirrel 

 places itfelf upon a piece of bark ; and, erecting its tail 

 to catch the wind, boldly commits itfelf to the mercy of 

 the waves. The fmalleft guft of wind is fufficient to 

 overfet a whole navy of thefe little adventurers ; and in 

 fuch perilous voyages many hundreds of them are faid to 

 perifti. 



Of the Squirrel there are feveral, varieties fome of 

 which are to be found in almoft every country; but they 

 chiefly abound in northern and temperate climates. 



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