Fox Squirrels in a City Square. 
_ Passing daily through the court house square of this 
city to and from my work, I have perforce become an 
interested spectator of the ways and habits of a number 
of fox squirrels, who make this their stamping ground. 
In the midst of business blocks and the teeming crowd 
one may well view the untamed nature and unconven- 
tional life of these wood creatures with considerable ex- 
hilaration and freshness. Fringed by a row of elms and 
soft maples, with other forest growth here and there, 
the square presents a scene seemingly as satisfactory to 
the squirrels as their native oak openings, although the 
absence of nut-bearing trees must necessarily be de- 
plored for their sake. 
Originally a dozen or more of these fox squirrels were 
introduced in the little park some years ago by a county 
official, and precautions were taken to supply their every 
demand and creature comfort. Boxes and cages were 
placed conveniently in the trees, and of nuts there was 
always a liberal supply. They were soon acclimatized 
to their surroundings, and their happy ways were a 
source of much delight and amusement to the loungers 
and to the people who had occasion to pass through the 
square in the course of the day. By and by their lessen- 
ing numbers became a noticeable feature, and comments 
passed on their disappearance. Doubtless the small boy 
with his popgun and roving dogs could tell many a tale 
of the murder of the innocents. 
It is a wonder that the three survivors of the colony 
haven't shared the fate of tlieir brethren. The wild in 
our park squirrel is still predominant, but his tameness 
IS oftentimes to be marveled at. He will trust a man or 
boy to the extent of approaching him very cautiously and 
taking the proffered nut from his fingers, but should 
an attempt be made to touch or fondle him he will resent 
It m a moment by elusively leaping from his outstretched 
hand. Audacious and reckless, his instinctive passion 
for nuts and grain sometimes places him in great danger. 
A flour and feed store, half a block west of the square. 
IS well known to him. He knows that scattered grains 
of corn are invariably left by the farmer in unloading his 
wagon, and he will lose no time in adding these to his 
store, wholly unmindful of the teams and passing pedes- 
trians in his trips to and fro. Approaching the square 
from a southern direction one Sunday morning last fall, 
and while almost a block away, I was agreeably surprised 
to notice one of the squirrels leisurely trotting down the 
street in the middle of the car line, swerving neither to 
the right nor left, and with no apparent object in view 
■"What can be his aim? 'Fresh fields and pastures new,' 
«h?" I heard some one say. How lucky that no dogs 
were about, or he might have been obliged to adopt dif- 
ferent tactics! How far he would have extended his 
course it a mooted question, but a small boy directly 
ahead of him suddenly changed the programme. In his 
hand he held a shell-bark, and this is what the squir- 
rel was after. Securing his prize he deliberately re- 
traced his course. I felt relieved when he reached the 
confines of the square, but my anxiety was again re- 
newed when I noticed a pug dog stealing upon his in- 
tended victim, who, unconscious of danger, was busily 
•sawing away at his nut. The squirrel did not see the 
pug until he was almost upon him, then in a moment 
all his pent-iup wildness rose to the surface, transforming 
liim into a little savage. Like a cat he crouched, and 
before Us thick-headed antagonist knew what had hap- 
pened, the squirj-el 'had suddenly shot over his head, and 
with lightning bounds ^gained a nearby elm, where,' just 
beyond the danger line, with body pressed close to the 
"hole, head downward, 'he contemplated the baffled pug 
•with silent triumph. (I can readily imagine what his 
■smaller brother, the red squirrel, would have done, by 
•way of voice, on such an .occasion.) 
Our square fox squirrel ^eems to have inherited the 
American liking for peaniUts. (One day last summer one 
-of the park loungers told me that he saw one of the 
squirrels make several trips ;aoross , the street to a grocery 
;and pilfer peanuts out oi a ibasket , directly within the 
•doorway. I hardly credited ithis ^until I was a spectator 
'to something of a like occurren,ce. Making a short cut 
:across the square one day about noon, I noticed one of 
Tthe squirrels steal across the street to the grocery and 
Ipause at the entrance, where, -sitting ,upright, he con- 
rtemplated the interior, and particularly a iljpisket qf pea- 
nuts, with apparent wistfulness. Several amused cus- 
•tomers called the attention of one of the ,clerks |to the 
•little intrude-, who, divining t^he squirrel'^ quest, .un- 
fdoubtedly fram past experience, proffered him a pea- 
nut, which he gingerly took from 'his fingers, axi^ imme- 
'diately weni home frejoieing. 
As near as I can observe, the ^cavities in the trees are 
•seldom utilized 'by the -sq;uirrels to deposit their nuts. 
The burial process is preferred. The iflower ibeds are 
rmuch in demand, but itferoughoyt the jlength ^nd "breadth 
•of the lawn, and in various out-of-the-way places, this 
inut-planting goes on. These little .caches are guarded 
■with considerable vigilance. One day I noticed a boy 
attempt to dig up a nut directly :after the squirrel had 
(finished packing the ground over it, but he was so sav- 
.agely attacked by the plucky Jittle a,nii^al -^h^t ihe .didn't 
irelish a second attempt. . , 
Invading the squirrel's precincts I frequently .manage 
ito have either a walnut, shell-bark or pecan in ,my .pock- 
et. Should foxy be about, a soft whistle ■will attract 'his 
:attention, and if the coast is clear from dogs ^he .will 
'Cautiously approach and take the proffered nut from -.my 
Ifingers. But before scurrying away he first determines 
whether his prize is sound, and in his pretty way manip- 
'lilates it with his paws, while those sharp teeth of his 
make the circuit. I can record but one instance when 
.-a walnut was discarded after the usual test was applied. 
Cracking it open I found the kernel to be partially with- 
ered. Frequently I find cracked hard-shell nuts, where 
some kindly-disposed person places them for the squir- 
trels, doubtless ignorant of the fact that nature intended 
itliein to open their own nuts to keep their teeth in sub- 
ijection- One old lady remonstrated with me one day 
for giving the foxies uncracked walnuts. "The sMls 
were so hard for the dear little things to openr - 
To vary their nut and grain diet, slices of apple are 
sometimes eagerly accepted. But just why a luscious 
peach was sniffed at and passed by so contemptuously 
by foxy on one occasion was doubtless better under- 
stood by our nut connoisseur than the astonished donor. 
Watermelon seeds are esteemed a great rarity by the 
bushy tails. In this connection 1 witnessed a funny 
sight early one morning last summer. A disciple of 
Bacchus, with an extra load aboard, was lying prostrate 
on one of the park benches, oblivious to all the world. 
Underneath, in the midst of the scattered remains of a 
watermelon, two of the squirrels were enjoying" an early 
breakfast on the seeds. Finally one of them emerged 
from the banquet so liberally spread before them, and 
in turning his head caught sight of the strange shape on 
the bench. His curiosity was aroused. He communi- 
cated his discovery to his brother, and together they 
made an exploration of the shape from heels to head. 
Through it all the inebriate serenely slumbered. He 
at least was satisfied, if the bushy-tailed explorers were 
not. 
While the squirrels have made friends with nearly every 
one with whom they came in contact, there is at least one 
individual — a son of sunny Italy — so the story goes, who 
looks at their frisky ways with eyes askance. The 
Italian in question keeps a fruit stand across the street 
west of the square on the corner of the alley by a cloth- 
ing store. Some time during last fall he received 
a consignment of pecans and other varieties of favorite 
nuts, and having only a small portion of the consign- 
ment on sale he stored the remainder, something over a 
bushel, in the basement of the clothing store for safe 
keeping. The squirrels, in their open-eyed vigilance, 
spied this maneuver of the fruit vender, and to make 
the story brief stole into the cellar unseen, and through 
much caution and by circuitous routes transported tlae 
nuts one by one to their caches in the confines of the 
square. The Italian discovered the theft just in time 
to see the last few remaining nuts disappear. It is 
said that he at first decided to bring suit against the city 
for damages, but being rather kind-hearted and fearing 
that the apparently innocent animals might be extermi- 
nated he resolved to guard his nuts with more vigilance 
in the future. 
Late last fall I noticed the squirrels carrying withered 
grass and leaves up certain trees to build their nests. On 
bright, sunshiny days during the cold season they ven- 
ture further, but when it is dark and dreary they invari- 
ably prefer the snug retreat in a tree's cavity or their 
warm nests, which may be seen here and there in the 
trees. T. M. S. 
Springfield, m., March 29. 
The Decrease of Wild Life. 
At the last annual meeting of the Zoological Society 
of New York a resolution was passed instructing Mr. 
Wm. T. Hornaday, the Director, to make such investiga- 
tion as was practicable as to the destruction of birds and 
mammals now going on in this country, and to report 
to the society. This report has just been made, and 
appears as a part of the Second Annual Report of the 
Zoological Society. It was very well that such inquiry 
should have been set on foot. Mr. Hornaday is excel- 
lently qualified to undertake it, and his conclusions may 
be accepted with much confidence. It was not to be 
supposed that this inquiry should develop anything start- 
lingly new, but it is eminently desirable that the shock- 
ing decrease of our native wild life should again and 
again be brought to the attention of the public and im- 
pressed on as many classes of the community as pos- 
sible. 
The questions put by the Director are four in num- 
ber: 
1. Are birds decreasing in number in your locality';' 
2. About how many are there now in comparison with 
the number fifteen years ago? One-half as many? One- 
third? One-fourth? 
3. What agency, or class of men, have been most de- 
structive to the birds of your locality? 
4. What important species of birds or quadrupeds are 
becoming extinct in your State? 
These questions were addressed to several observers 
in each State and Territory, and brought replies from 
nearly 200 observers, representing all of the States and 
Territories save three. Fully 90 per cent, of these re- 
plies bear evidence of much care in their preparation, 
and they show, what is well enough known, that all our 
wild life is rapidly decreasing, but especially that "Our 
most highly prized species, the 'big game' quadrupeds, 
the fur-bearers, the gallinaceous game birds, water birds, 
herons, shore birds and most beautiful song birds, are 
the very ones that are most persecuted, and that are 
disappearing most rapidly." 
The agencies of destruction operating to bring about 
this result assigned by most of the replies are tabulated 
by the author as these: 
CAUSES OF DECREASE IN BIRD LIFE. 
1.. Sportsmen, and "so-called sportsmen" ^!^'64'^' 
2.. Boys ■who shoot 42 
3. .Market-hunters and pot-hunters ."..!!!!!!!!!!!*.! .26 
4.. Plume hunters and milliners' hunters..... !..'!!32 
5. ."Shooters generally" ..!!'.! !21 
6.. Egg-collecting, chiefly by small boys !!!"'.20 
7.. English sparrow 
>8. .Clearing off timber, development of towns and cities! [si 
9. .Italians, and others, who devour song birds .155 
,10.. Cheap firearms 5 
ll. .Drainage of marshes 5 
,12.. Non-enforcement of laws , .......i..,..! 5 
13. .Gun clubs and hunting contests 5 
14. .Trapping birds for sale alive 2 
15.. Prospectors, miners and range-riders 2 
16., Collectors (ornithologists and taxidermists) 5 
j.7.,Colqred population 4 
-^8.. Indians (for decrease of game quadrupeds) '..!!!!!".! 4 
This is a list of eighteen agencies, of which all but 
four cover some form of killing birds, chiefly for food. 
The only two that are not likely to be interfered with 
iby legislation in any form are the eighth and the eleventh 
in this list, namely, clearing off of timber and drainage 
of rnarshes. Other things being equal, the larger the 
m.^mmal or bird the greater its danger from pursuit; 
yet the sniall finches are not exempt, while the destruc- 
tion of .bixds' eggs by collectors and small boys is of 
.CQXifSe m itnpqritant factor. The killing of birds for 
millinery purposes is something which goes on all the 
time, but the sentiment against this is growing, and we 
believe will ultimately prevail. • 
The practice of conducting side hunts, which still pre- 
vails in certain parts of the country, does its part in 
this work of destruction. Men divided into opposing 
companies start- out with their guns for the sole purpose 
of killing as many wild creatures as possible. Nothing 
is spared, everything counts. It is a shameful rivalry 
for blood pursued by men who would be shocked if the 
hundreds of lives sacrificed for their so-called sport -v^^ere 
deer or antelope. 
Mr. Hornaday, judging from the reports which he has 
received, has drawn up a table of percentages which 
shows, according to his figures, that "for the whole thirty 
States represented in the diagram the average loss in 
bird life for their combined area is 46 per cent." On 
the other hand, the report shows that in four States 
bird life is on the increase instead of on the decline. 
These States are Kansas, Wyoming, Washington and 
Utah. We should be disposed to ask for better evidence 
than can be here presented of the truth of this infer- 
ence. Three of the States named are in the arid belt, 
and in them during the last fifteen years tree planting 
has gone on very extensively. This would result in 
the presence of many species of birds not previously 
observed in many locaHties, and it is possible that it is 
the presence of these new forms of bird life which has 
led correspondents to report as they have. On the other 
hand, in Washington the dense forests have in many 
places been cleared away, and this has led to the advent 
of species freq-uenting the open country which are wholly 
new to the locality. 
In many places species of large mammals and even 
of the larger birds are reported as having become ex- 
tinct; and this is inevitable with the spread of settle- 
ments and the contraction of the range. This must in- 
evitably continue until such time as suitable reserva- 
tions shall be set aside purely as game preserves in vari- 
ous parts of the country. This subject is one which has 
received much attention in Forest and Stream, 
Mr. Hornaday's conclusions as to birds and mammals 
we give below; 
Recommendations Regarding Birds.— While at first thought it 
may seem mipossible to propose a series of universal laws for 
bird protection that can save our bird fauna from annihilation, 
even if adopted by the different States, we believe it will be found 
on closc^ examination that the task is not nearly so difficult as it 
seems, 'ihe dithculty lies, not in the framing of comprehensive 
measures, but in securing their adoption in the various groups of 
Stales wherein they are needed. 'Ihe business of securing the 
epactraent of legislatioii is a separate question, and need not be 
discussed here. As to the character of the legislation that wotild 
be most elTectiye, there are certain demands so imperative as to 
be perfectly obyious, and the laws that would satisfy them would 
be so universally beneficial, their enactment would be dcsii-able 
to every State and Territory, save two or three. They are as 
lollows; 
1. Prohibit all egg-collecting, except under license from State 
Game Commissioners, and the payment of a license fee. 
2. Provide for the extermination of the English sparrow. 
3. Prohibit the sale of dead game at all seasons. 
4. Prohibit the killing or capture of wild birds, and of quadru- 
peds, other than fur-bearing atiimals, for commercial purposes of 
any kind. (This will stop the slaughter of birds for millinery 
purposes.) 
5. Prohibit all spring shooting. 
6. Prohibit the carrying or using of a gun without a license. 
7. P'or three years prohibit the killing or capture of any birds, 
except such birds of prey as may be declared by the U. S. Bio- 
logical Survey to be sufficiently noxious to merit destruction. 
The only exception should be in favor of persons desiring to col- 
lect for scientific purposes, in moderation, and then only when 
properly vouched for by some scientific institution, and duly 
licensed by the State Game Commissioners. 
8. At the end of three years, restrict by legal enactment th.e 
number of game birds that may be killed or taken in one 
day, or in any given period, by a single individual. 
liecommendations Regarding Mammals. — 1. As a matter of 
duty to their own interests, the guides, hunters, ranchmen 
and sportsmen of the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Coast regions 
jhould assemble and decide what restrictions shall be placed upon 
the killing of large game — as to the number of head per man that 
may be taken, license fees and fines, and as to the necessity of 
total piohibition for given periods. 
2. Every State and Territory now inhabited by large game 
should immediately enact a law prohibiting the killing of any 
female hoofed animal, imder any and all circumstances, and also 
prohibiting the killing of any hoofed animal less than one year 
old. 
3. Throughout every State and Territory now inhabited by 
them, the killing of antelope, mountain sheep and mountain 
goats should be absolutely prohibited for ten years; and the pos- 
session of a fresh skin or head should be regarded as prima facie 
evidence of violation of law. 
4. Henceforth every person visiting the Western regions in 
quest of large game should regard it as his duty to cooperate 
with State and Territorial authorities in the observance and en- 
forcement of the game laws, to kill sparingly at all times, and 
under no circumstances to shoot female or yearling animals. 
5. No guide should conduct a hunting party in quest of game 
unless each member of it pledged himself to observe the rules 
of moderation in shooting that now are morally binding upon all. _ 
6. In view of the alarming decrease of our large game ani- 
mals, it is time for the adoption throughout the United States of 
an unwritten law that any man who kills a female hoofed animal 
is not considered a true and honorable sportsman. 
7. Every State and Territory containing large game should col- 
lect a license fee on each gun carried or used in hunting; and all 
ftmds derived from this source, and from fines, should be used in 
payment of the salaries of game wardens. , 
8. The sale of dead game should be prohibited. 
* This bas long been earnestly advocated by Forest aihj 
Stheam, and the proposition is constantly gaining advocates. It 
is also one of the planks in the platform of the League of American 
Sportsmen. 
Vitality of the Wild Goose. 
Farmer H. N. Clement, of Lowell, Lake county, Ind., 
was gunning in the Kankakee marsh. He came upon a 
flock of wild geese and bagged several of them, one of 
which astonished him by having as a breastpin an arrow 
gin. long. That goose became the wonder of the neigh- 
borhood and the study of scientists, the only conclusion 
reached being that, wherever the wild bird came from, 
there it got the arrow, so unique in forniation that it 
could be assigned to no tribe of Indians in the United 
States or any other known country. Finally Prof. O. T. 
Mason, of the National Museum, said the bird and ar- 
row could have come from no other place on the globe 
than the Yukon Valley, for except in that region no such 
arrows are made. 
Science does not pretend to say how long the goose 
had carried the arrow of a Yukon tribesman until it met 
its death from the shot of a civilized gunner down on 
an Indiana marsh. The bird disdained the weapon of a 
savage, but turned up its legs to the marksmanship of the 
Hoosier farmer years afterward, and thousands of_ miles 
from its summer home in Arctic desolation, as it was 
iourneying southward. — Cincinnati Enquirer. 
