286 
RURAL HOURS. 
by squirrels. First found a little chipmuck, or ground squirrel, 
sitting on a pile of freshly-cut chestnut rails, at a wild spot in 
the heart of the woods. The little creature saw us as we ap- 
proached, and took a seat not far from him ; he moved quickly 
a few yards and then resumed his sitting position, with his face 
toward us, so as to watch our movements. He was holding some- 
thing in his fore paws, which he was eating very busily ; it was 
amusing to watch him taking his dinner ; but we were puzzled to 
know what he was eating, for it was evidently no chestnut, but 
covered with down, which he brushed away from his face, now 
and then, quite angrily. For nearly ten minutes he sat there, 
looking toward us from time to time ; but we were curious to 
know what he was eating, and moved toward him, when he van- 
ished among the rails ; he left a bit of his dinner, however ; this 
proved to be the heart of a head of half-ripe thistle, in which the 
seed had not yet formed ; it looked very much like a miniatui'e ar- 
tichoke, and he seemed to enj-oy it exceedingly. Returning to our 
seat, he reappeared again upon the rails. Presently a beautiful 
red squirrel made his appearance, in the notch of a tall old pine, 
perhaps fifty feet from the gromid ; a hemlock had been uprooted, 
and in falling its head had locked in this very notch, its root was 
near the spot where we were sitting. This squirrel is very fond 
of the cones of the hemlock, and other firs, and perhaps he had 
run up the half-prostrate trunk in quest of these ; at any rate, he 
took this road dowuAvard. He paused every few steps to utter 
the peculiar cry which has given them the name of chickaree, for 
they often repeat it, and are noisy little creatures. He came de- 
liberately down the whole length of the trunk, chatting and wav- 
ing his beautiful tail as he moved along. After leaving the tree 
