SCIURUS CAROLINENSIS LEUCOTIS. 
123 
is to be seen from where he walks, for each one, clinging to a verti- 
cal branch or limb, constantly shifts its position so that it always 
keeps out of sight on the opposite side. Everything about this 
breakfast is thoroughly enjoyed — the early journey to the butter- 
nuts, the flying leaps from bough to bough amongst the summits of 
the lofty elms, the meal itself, and the bit of excitement attending the 
alarm and escape ; each contributes its part toward the pleasure of 
the occasion. The repast over, the Squirrels do not linger here but 
hurry to their homes within the grove. The slanting sunbeam has 
pierced but not dispelled the drop of pearly dew upon the waving 
grass, when they are already well upon the way. One auda- 
cious adventurer, more courageous than the rest, steals down yonder 
tottering cross-fence to the orchard, quickly picks an apple from an 
overhanging branch, and rejoins his comrades ere they reach the 
wood. This haven once attained all constraint is cast aside and the 
cautious, silent, and circumspect Squirrels of a moment ago become 
the heedless, noisy, rollicking fellows that they really are. While 
chasing one another about the tree -tops they sometimes clear a dis- 
tance of more than twenty feet (about 6 metres) in a single horizontal 
leap. And when at full speed they often stop short, clinging head 
downward to a smooth-barked beech, and utter their saucy, scolding 
cry — qua-qua-qua-qua-a,qua-qua-qua-qua-a-a, qua-qua-qua-qua-qua- 
a-a, qua-a-a-a, qua-a-a-a-a, — in an exasperating, impudent tone, 
keeping time, the while, with spasmodic contortions of the body and 
impertinent jerks and flourishes of the large and bushy tail. To 
observe their utter recklessness during these gambols one would 
suppose that nothing could be easier than to approach and shoot the 
entire troop. Never was man more mistaken. Despite their bois- 
terous manners their eyes are always open and they are ever on the 
alert. Let some one try to get within gunshot and observe the 
result. His very approach seems to render them invisible. Those 
that were near their holes have disappeared within, and the others 
are hiding behind the trees upon which they were sporting when the 
