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think it was about four years ago that we killed off numbers 
of red squirrels, and the birds began then to increase.” 
(Amelia M. Brastow.) 
“ I have many times seen red squirrels in the act of rob- 
bing birds’ nests, and this year saw a young gray apparently 
at the same trick.” (F. H. Kennard.) 
The foregoing instances seem to establish the fact that 
certain squirrels, at least, which have acquired the habit of 
molesting birds, are among their most dangerous enemies. 
Squirrels are very active, keen of sight, can climb anywhere 
in a tree, and it is difficult for a bird smaller than a hawk or 
crow to defend its nest against them. I have seen a squirrel 
continually attempt to reach the nest of a robin, although, 
assailed from all sides by both robins and jays, it was struck 
and repeatedly driven back toward the ground. In courage 
and activity the red squirrel is superior to the gray, and 
is usually regarded as the greater enemy to birds. At 
Wareham the birds seem to regard both species with equal 
aversion. 
Some squirrels have a habit of cracking the skulls of 
young birds, as they would a nut. Mr. F. H. Mosher tells 
me he has observed this habit at Hyde Park, Dutchess 
County, FT. Y., and also at Dartmouth, Mass. At Hyde 
Park both red and gray squirrels were observed in the act. 
He saw the squirrels attack the young in the nests on six 
different occasions. The birds molested were the chipping 
sparrow, robin and red-eyed vireo. The squirrel cut off 
the head of each young bird, dropping the body to the 
ground, and ate out the brains from the skull. One day in 
the spring of 1903 he heard the cries of robins at his own 
place in Dartmouth. He saw a gray squirrel climbing to a 
robin’s nest, and before he could reach the spot the squirrel 
had the head of a young robin in its mouth. The bird was 
dead when he reached it. Gray squirrels have been the 
culprits in each case but one that he has observed. 
Mr. Brewster told me that he saw a wounded thrush pur- 
sued and overtaken by a chipmunk, that killed the bird and 
was eating its brains when he reached the spot. He took 
the bird from the squirrel, but the little animal was so eager 
