Varied Squirrels inhabit the north of Asia, 
and greatly abound in the forests of North 
America. They seldom ascend a tree ; unless 
when they are pursued, and have no other 
means to efFe6t their escape. They burrow 
under ground ; and form their habitations with 
two avenues each, that they may have a ready 
access to the one, should the other bv any ac- 
cident be stopped up. These retreats are very 
ingeniously contrived. Their general form is 
that of a large gallery, with two branches on 
each side ; and, at the end of each branch, 
there is a spacious chamber, which serves as a 
magazine for winter stores. In one of these 
chambers they deposit acorns ; in another, 
maize; in a third, hickery nuts ; and, in the 
fourth, chesnuts, which are considered as tlieir 
most favourite food. If their stock of provi- 
sion holes out, they seldom stir from their 
apartments during the winter season ; but, 
when tiicsc are exhausted before nature enables 
them to obtain new supplies in the regular 
course, tliev dig into the cellars, where apples 
are usually preserved by the natives ; or pene- 
trate into their barns and granaries, and carry 
away astonishing quantities of the maize there- 
in 
