CONCORD 
1906 
June 10 
Red 
Squirrel 
robs a 
V ireo’s nest 
and eat s the 
* 
A remarkably bold and enterprising Red Squirrel has 
been hanging about the Farm-house for several days. On one 
occasion I sav; him trying to get into the pigeon-loft. On 
another, Gilbert surprised him on a branch of the apple-tree 
that shades the back door within a yard of a Red-eyed Vireo’s 
nest. The Red-eyes were making a great outcry but when the 
Squirrel saw Gilbert he ran up the tree and jumped on to the 
roof of the house. This happened yesterday. 
Again this afternoon Gilbert heard the Vireos crying 
anxiously. Looking out through the screen door, he saw the 
Squirrel on the branch within a few inches of the nest, 
eating something. Presently he dropped a portion of the 
shell of one of the Vireo’s eggs. He then wiped his face 
with his fore-paws and wiped the latter on the branch. The 
next minute he bent forward until his head and fore shoulders 
disappeared in the ne st and almost immediately reappeared 
on the branch with another egg in his mouth. The Vireos 
assailed him frantically and one of them struck him with 
her bill when he was in the nest. Probably because of 
their attacks, he almost immediately took the second egg 
off with him , running up the main trunk of the tree until 
lost to sight in the foliage of its crown. 
This is the first time I have ever known a Red Squirrel 
to molest a bird nest on this farm. I have suspected for 
