Dec . 4, 1897.] 
THE RED SQUIRREL. 
It is only by the discussion of a subject that we arrive at 
the truth concerning it, and taking exception to the state- 
ments of others does not necessarily itoply anything more 
than a search for information. Very many controversies 
regarding the facts and theories of natural historv have 
' been pretty definitely settled in the columns of Fobebt anb 
Stheam, and as nothing which pertains to the great out-of- 
door world, that v^e love so heartily, is beneath our notice, 
I venture to engage in the defense of the red squirrel. I am 
impflled to do this after reading an article signed Jacobstaff 
in Forest and Stream of Nov. 13, in which he describes 
this little quadruped as "thelshmael of the woods, the buc- 
caneer of the forest, who lays up nothing, but robs the 
larder of his larger and more valuable brothers." 
Now, I admit that in one respect he is an Ishmael, for 
truly the hand of every man— and every boy, too— is against 
him; but that only makes me the more willing to defend 
him. I do not know that he needs my sympathy, for lie 
seems abundantly able to take care of himself, and, although 
protected by no game laws that I know of, manages to 
thrive and reproduce his species within stone's throw of his 
worst enemies. He even "snickers" at them and seems to 
court the danger of their presence, while his larger but more 
cowardly relatives are having palpitation of the heart and 
making frantic haste to get under cover. It therefore seems 
to me that this saucy little chap is entitled to admiration 
and that no true sportsman would wantonly put an end to 
his joyous existence. He has his faults, it is true. He is no 
respecter of persons and would as soon drop a pine cone on 
your head as on mine. He is said to be a destroyer of birds' 
nests and their contents; but in so doing he is merely obey- 
ing the law of nature and perhaps helping to adjust the bal- 
ance she is always striving to preserve. He is hardly big 
enough to eat, and that is a serious fault in the eyes of some 
people. He is pugnacious, and stands ready at all times to 
whip gray squirrels much larger than himself, which we 
must concede is a very naughty thing. I know men who re- 
joice to see a small dog best a big one. or chuckle to see a 
bantam whip a shanghai, but who, nevertheless, cannot see 
anything commendable in the red squirrel that chases a 21b. 
gray into an adjoining township. But then all men do not 
see things alike. 
Friend Jacobstaff calls my little fellow woodsman "the 
buccaneer of the forest " Possibly if the tiny warrior could 
speak he might ask Jacobstaff what he was doing there with 
a gun, and whether a squirrel has no right to forage on his 
own ancestral preserve. If he happened to be a very moral 
and thoughtful squirrel, he might even ask Jacobstaff which 
were better, to take the gray squirrel's food or his life. And 
now what I want to know is, does the red squirrel actually 
steal the food which the gray pquirrel has stored up? If so, 
I shall have learned something. I was brought up in a 
section of the country where gray squirrels were almost the 
only four-footed game, and spent more time hunting them 
than my parents and schoolmaster thought absolutely neces- 
sary, but 1 never yet saw a gray squirrel store up food in 
a tree or nest. I don't say that they do not do it, for the 
more I learn of the woods and the inhabitants thereof, the 
more chary I am of making positive assertions respecting 
them. These transactions may have been carried on when 
my back was turned or on Sundays, when I was not watching 
them. 1 do believe that the gray squirrels locate and make 
a mental note of the position of fallen nuts, for they dig 
down to them through the snow with great accuracy; but I 
have never thought that they hoarded food for winter use. 
If I am right — and I wish to be corrected if I am not^hen 
the red squirrel is not guilty of the larceny with which he is 
charged. _ 
Natural history sometimes gets distorted into unnatural 
" history, and the statements concerning it are, like faith, 
merely "the evidence of things unseen." So it is with 
Jacobstaff's assertion that the red squirrel lays np nothing 
for himself. Time and again 1 have seen him do it— some- 
times in hoMow trees, and sometimes in the ledges or piles of 
stones. Not long ago I watched a red squirrel carrying nuts 
from the top of a chestnut tree to » hollow branch on the 
same tree. The frost had opened the burrs, and he was 
making the most of his opportunity. He made each trip in 
about two minutes, and if he worked many days as he did 
during the hour or more that I watched him, he must have 
accumulated a rich store for winter consumption The fact 
that a very hard winter thins out the gray squirrels, but 
makes no visible decrease in the supply of red squirrels, would 
seem to indicate that the latter were the more provident of 
the two. It is also barely possible that the red squirrels rob 
earh other, and their own stores may have been mistaken for 
the hoards ot the grays. 
I suppose I speak for the minority when I say a good word 
for the red squirrel. I am told, for instance, that ihe farmer 
does not like him. In fact, I know one farmer — who lets 
his mowing machine stand out of doers all the year, and 
sometimes doesn't get his corn in until snow comes — who 
complains of the depredations of the red squirrels. I am 
really sorry for him, because, if it had not been for these de- 
stroyers, I presume he would now be rich and prosperous. 
I am aware that some hunters do not like them because they 
give notice of danger and scare the game away. If this is 
80, then the red squirrels should receive honorable mention 
in the reports of game protective associations, and great care 
should be taken to perpetuate their species in some localities 
that I know of. Furthermore, the man who cannot kill 
game in a forest where there are red squirrels has my sym- 
pathy; for I never yet visited a big piece of woods that didn't 
have in it some red representatives of the squirrel family. 
In the Northern forests, where the winters are too severe 
for the larger squirrels, and where, consequently, he cannot 
steal from them, the hardy red still contrives to keep com- 
fortable. The cold has no terrors for him, and if nuts are 
scarce he can adapt himself to a frugal diet of cone kernels. 
In summer sun or winter blast he is the same bustling, self- 
rehant little chap, and I, for one. do not feel that I could 
spare him. He is associated in my mind with the rail fence, 
which is his own particular highway, and with the butternut 
tree, which is his duke domum. 
In my mind's eye 1 can see the apple, lodged in the fork of 
a tree, which he has purloined from the neighboring orchard, 
and frotn which be occasionally takes a nibble to vary his 
diet of nuts, and also, perhaps, to ward off a bilious attack. 
I love to hear his policeman's rattle and watch his antics 
when an enemy is near. 1 enjoy his social ways and spirit 
of camaraderie about a camp when he has discovered that 
he is among friends and has nothing to fear, I can forgive 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
his pranks, as I would those of a mischievous boy who is 
full of vitality that he can never stop to walk. I like to hear 
his toe-nails rattling cn the roof of my "lean-to, " and he is 
welcome to all the food he wants whether he takes it with or 
without my permission. Call him the Puck of the forest, if 
you will, but neither the "Ishmael" nor the "buccaneer," 
and let him who thoughtlessly or wantonly destroys this 
roguish but picturesque little animal remember that 
"He prayeth best who loveth test 
All things both great and sniall; 
For the dear God -who loveth us 
He made and loveth all." 
Abthtor F. Rice. 
Passaic, N. J. 
Latham, Kan., Nov. 17. — Editor Forest and Stream: In 
your paper of the 13th inst., Jacobstaff speaks of the red 
or chicaree squirrel, as robbing the gray squirrel of his 
winter snpplies. I know he is an unmitigated scamp, but, 
as he has, in the absence of his big cousin, the grays, af- 
forded me many hours of pleasant sport, I do not like to 
have him painted any blacker than he is. In my experi- 
ence of some twenty-five years as hunter and lumberman 
in the Connecticut Eiver Valley, I never knew him to 
rob the gray; for the gray squirrel, in New England at 
least, never makes provision for winter, but depends on 
what he can pick up, and, I have reason to believe, tres- 
passes somewhat on the supplies of the red squirrel. I 
could always tell after snow came where the gray squirrels 
lived, as they were obliged to dig through the snow to the 
ground for their food; and I came to the belief that in a 
winter of crusted snows some at least perished of starva- 
tion, but of this I am not sure. These are small matters 
to speak of, but anything pertaining to the habits of the 
wild creatures is of interest to me; and if I am wrong I 
shall be glad to be set right, and I trust Jacobstaff will 
accept these criticisms in the spirit they are made. 
Should like to take bim hunting squirrels here amid the 
timber along the creeks. Fox squirrels are so plenty that 
they are hardly looked upon as game. We have also some 
grays and rarely a black one, but no chickarees or chip- 
munks, but on the prairies there is the striped ground 
squirrel. Once this fall, crossing a cornfield distant from 
any timber, I started what I supposed was an ordinary 
gray squirrel. Thinking I could rapture it alive, I chased 
it, when it ran to the grass and disappeared in a burrow. 
The young man who was with me at the time said it was 
a species of ground squirrel quite plenty further west of 
here. 
One of your correspondents speaks of hooking and los- 
ing a large turtle. I would say for his benefit, never try 
to get them out of the water with the line. They lead like 
a lamb up to the shore, but no further. Always hook 
them then with the gaff if you have one, or in the absence 
of that take them by the tail or hind foot and lift them 
out. I catch a good many in the creeks here, and there is 
a bit of excitement when one of 12 to 14lbs. gets hold, as 
he stirs up the water somewhat. They are -not the snap- 
ping variety, but "mighty good" for the table, and any one 
fond of turtle soup can get "filled up" out here in the 
summer months. Pine Tree. 
The Vellowleg and the Hens. 
Last August, on the shore of Silver Lake, Manitoba, I 
saw by the marein great numbers of snipe, tattlers, and 
other wading birds As. I drew near they arose in flocks 
and flew away; but as I was gazing after a noisy array of 
flyine yellowlegs, my eyes fell on a single one that stood in 
the grass no more than 10ft from where I stood. It was 
looking at me fearlesslv, and seemed to have so little idea of 
flying away that I got out my sketchbook and made the 
sketch which appears with this article As it still stood 
looking at me, first with one eye and then with the other, I 
stepped up quietly, took it gently in my hand, and put it 
into my eame bag. intendinff to make a more finished draw- 
ing at home. When I reached the house I set the bird on 
the floor; it ran about, whistling at times, did not seem 
much alarmed, but it refused all fond. So the nest morn- 
ing I put it into the yard, that it might feed itself after its 
own fashion. There was a number of hens about, and as 
soon as they saw the stranger they were all excitement. 
They srathered together, and with loud cackles came on, 
with upraised feathers, to attack the newcompr. The yellow- 
leg was swift of foot, and eluded them once or twice, but 
the hen-mob, noisier than ever, at length succeeded in sur- 
rounding him, and all closed in together with evident inten- 
tion of pecking him to pieces; but the yellowleg, giving one 
glance, I thought, of scorn at the clumsy, cackling cowards, 
spread out his great, glorious wings for the first time since I 
had seen him, and pouring out his loud thrilling whistle, so 
well known on the brefzy sandbars, be sailed away and 
away in great, ever-widening circles, till bird and chant were 
lost in the far heights of the sky, and the hens were left to 
feel as foolish and mean as it wai possible for hens to do. 
I was much puzzled by the whole incident, and can only 
suppose that the bird had in the first instance been slightly 
stunned by a stray sbot from some sportsman; while it was 
reviving in the grass I discovered it, the gentleness of my 
approach gave it no alarm, and during the night it fully re- 
covered its faculties and its power of flight. — Ernest Seton 
TTiompson, in Our Animal Friends. 
The Cricket as a Thermometer. 
An individual cricket chirps with no great regularity 
when by himself and the chirping is intermittent, especially 
in the day time. At night, when great numbers are chirp- 
ing, the regularity is astonishing, for one may hear all the 
crickets in a field chirping synchronously, keeping time as if 
led by the wand of a conductor. When the numbers are so 
great the resting spells of individuals are unnoticed, but 
when the latter recommence they not only assume the 
same rate but the same beat as the rest in that field; 
The cricRets in an adjoining field will have the same rate, 
that is, will make the same number of chirps per minute, 
but with a different beat, as one may easily perceive by lis- 
tening. 
The rate of chirp seems to be entirely determined by the 
temperature, and this to such a degree that one may easily 
compute the temperature when the number of chirps per 
minute is known. 
Thus at 60° F. the rate is 80 per minute. 
At 70" F. the rate is 12P a minute, a change of four chirps 
a minute for each change of one degree. Below a tempera- 
ture of 50° the cricket has no energy to waste in music and 
Ihere would be but 40 chirps per mmute. 
443 
One may express this relation between temperature and 
chirp rate thus : 
Let T, stand for temperature and N. the rate per minute. 
T. = 50+ N-40 
4 
For example: What is the temperature when the concert 
of crickets is 100 per minute? 
T. = 50+100-40 = 65 
• 4 
A. E. DoLBEAR, *?i Ameincan Naturalist. 
Audubon Society Meeting* 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
The Audubon Society of the State of New York, in coop- 
eration with the American Museum of Natural History, will 
hold a public meeting in advocacy of bird protection on 
Thursday next, at 3:30 P. M. The large lecture room of the 
Museum, at Seventy-seventh street and Eighth avenue, will 
be used, and an interesting programme is promised. 
Mr. Morris K Jesup, president of the American Museum 
of Natural History and of the New York Audubon Society, 
will make the introductory address, and will be followed by 
Mr. Frank Chapman, of the executive committee of the Au- 
dubon Society, who will speak on the "Destruction of Birds 
for Milhnery Purposes." Mr. Chapman wiU be followed by 
the Rev. Dr. Henry Van Dyke, also of the executive com- 
mittee of the Audubon Society, who will make a "Plei for 
the Birds," The last address will be by Prof, A. S. Bick- 
more, of the Museum, on "Methods for the Study of Birds 
in Schools," and will be illustrated by lantern slides of birds 
and their haunts. 
The occasion promises to be one of much interest, and, no 
doubt, will be well attended. It were to be wished that all 
the teachers and all the children in New York might be 
present. Admission will be free, but by ticket. 
New York, Nor. 29. 
Texas Presag^es of a Hard Winter. 
Petty, Texas.— I am glad to note the interest taken in 
game protection in this State. There are clubs formed at 
different points for the purpose of rendering assistance to 
enforce the game laws, and 1 hope that this movement may 
be transmitted from county to county until the entire State 
shall feel the good influence of game and fish protection. 
I noticed on Sept. 30 a gang of wild geese passing south- 
ward; this was during a norther, but was, I think, the 
earliest flight I have ever noted in the State. I also noted, 
some time about Oct. 25, the arrival of three slate-colored 
pencos or snow birds. I think this is an exceptionally early 
date for the arrival of these little winter visitors; and I am 
told by some of the old residenters that it foretells a severe 
winter. Countless swarms of crickets have appeared here 
within the last two or three months; every board or chunk of 
wood laying on the ground is underlaid with them, and every 
crevice and corner around the houses and closets are full of 
them; they seem to be doing no harm, and it is amusing to 
see the chickens chase and catch them around the yard. 
The quail crop this year is not so large as last year, but 
I think there will be some good shooting soon. I hope to 
have a day or so with them soon. F. E. W. 
'^trie Httd 0m 
The "Brief's" Pictures. 
There are twenty-nine illustrations in the current edition of Game,- 
Laws in Brief, most of them full page half-tones, and all admirably 
printed. The book is a beauty, and well worth having for the illus- 
trations which. Mr. Charles Hallock says, so well represent America's 
wilderaess sports. The Brief gives all the laws of the United States 
and Canada for the practical guidance of anglers and shooters. As 
an authority, it has a long record of unassailed and unassailable ac- 
curacy. Forest and Stream Pub, Co, sends it postpaid for 25 cents, 
or your dealer wUl supply you. 
REMINISCENCES OF AN OLD SPORTS- 
MA N.—V. 
(Continued from page $65.) 
Mt friend, John Boyden, was one of the worst cases of 
this kind I ever met. A thoroughly good fellow, one of the 
most genial companions afield that one could wish for, weU 
posted on the habits of our game birds, with rare good judg- 
ment as to the best localities to look for them, and the very 
best man to mark down a bird that 1 ever saw — with all 
these accomplishments he could not shoot, or rather, he could 
not hit, for he always shot as soon as he heard the first flut- 
ter of wings, and in almost every instance it was bang, bang! 
as soon as the bird was in the air. It was all in vain that" I 
tried to coach him; his nerves would not be coached, and I 
had to give it up as a bad job There seemed to be some 
sort of an electrical communication between him and the 
noise of fluttering wings that caused that forefinger to double 
up, and my best efforts to sever the connection met with no 
success. 
When I first met Mr. Boyden I was a very quick shot, 
almost as quick as he was ; for in the dense covers in my sec- 
tion of country I had learned and profited by the lesson 
that a slow or pokey shot would get badly left. Upon his 
first visit, we drove some three miles to a favorite woodcock 
cover; and during the drive I was greatly impressed with his 
conversation, which showed that he was well up in wood- 
craft, as well as a capital companion. But when we got 
among the birds, I soon found that so far as bringing them 
down went he was not a success, for I gave him several 
fair shots, but he never touched a feather. I had taken no 
shots, and he now wished me to shoot, saying that this ap- 
peared to be an off day for him; so when the dog pointed, I 
walked in front of him and flushed two birds, and killed 
both of them; but he fired at about the same time that I did, 
and when the dog was bringing in the second one, I motioned 
to him to carry it to my companion, at the same time re- 
marking that the dog appeared to know who killed the bird. 
He took the bird, and as he put it in his pock* t, very drDy 
remarked that the dog knew more than he did, for honestly, 
he knew nothing about it. After this, when I had anything 
like reasonable grounds to lay the getting of a bird to him, I 
would send the dog over with it, and although I saw him 
shake his head rather dubiously once or twice, he appeared 
rather to like it; and by the time we r^ached^home he really 
