SCIURUS CAROLINENSIS LEUCOTIS. 
133 
northern New Jersey, I have myself taken more than a hundred 
young from these outside nests. 
A number found at Elizabeth, New Jersey, during March and the 
early part of April, 1872, contained young. They were, according 
to my note book, “ composed of sticks, lined with the inner bark of 
trees and vines, mixed with other soft substances. They are entirely 
covered over above, the entrance beino- on one side. From the 
ground below they cannot be distinguished from crows' nests.” In 
many instances dead leaves enter largely into their composition. 
The number of young produced .at a birth varies from three to five, 
exceptional litters containing six They are born in a very diminu- 
tive and helpless condition, wholly devoid of hair, and with the eyes 
not yet open. They usually remain in the nest fully two months, 
and do not shift for themselves till some time later. On the 19th of 
May, 1877, Mr. Walter R. Nichols and I took three half-grown 
young from a nest at Brandford. Connecticut. It so happened at the 
time that Mr. Nichols had a cat which had recently given birth to a 
kitten. The kitten we destroyed, and in its stead placed one of the 
Squirrels. Presently the cat returned to the barn, eyed the stranger 
suspiciously for a moment, and then entered the nest. The young 
Squirrel, who had now been several hours away from his mother and 
was evidently quite hungry, approached the cat in the most familiar 
manner possible. After a little hesitation the latter lay down beside 
the new comer, who lost no time in discovering the object of his 
desire, and forthwith commenced to nurse, keeping it up with an 
energy and perseverance that must have proved as satisfactory to the 
cat as a whole litter of kittens. From this time on the two were the 
most inseparable of friends ; in fact, the cat seemed quite pleased 
with the change and no doubt considered the personal appearance of 
her new charge, who was now well formed and possessed a most 
extraordinary tail, a great improvement on that of her own ill-shaped 
offspring. The Squirrel grew and thrived under the devoted atten- 
