390 
THE SQUIRREL. 
state, but when excited by repeated annoyances, 
would display some degree of effrontery, and when 
a cat appeared in view, though his heart palpitated 
from misgivings, he would stamp and twist his 
body about in a sudden manner, feigning real 
bravery. Sheep act very similarly when molested 
by a dog, this fictitious courage being as it were a 
resource previous to flight in many of the harmless 
tribes. He frequently retreated precipitately to his 
box on the slightest alarm, but more particularly 
when I surprised him at any mischief for which 
I had previously corrected him. He would some¬ 
times run away with his food between his teeth as 
if suspicious of interruption, and would usually pre¬ 
fer solitude for devouring his morsel, though he did 
not object to receiving food from the hand. He 
avoided strangers, retiring on their entrance, to his 
domicile, of which he was very fond. 1 believe he 
at times secreted a few nuts in a corner of his box, 
as a reserve. He was a cleanly animal, frequently 
licking and washing himself after exercise or meals, 
he also kept his bed-place clean, with the exception 
of leaving the remnants of his repasts strewed about 
on the woollen which formed it. He ate heartily of 
bread and milk, sugar, nuts, and potatoe, he also 
liked greasy substances, and even bits of raw and 
tainted meat, which he would steal from me while 
I was dissecting animals. When about to eat, he 
took the substance between his teeth, then threw 
himself into an erect posture, balanced by his tail, 
and seized the food between his paws, the “ rudi- 
mental toes” of which, were those more immediately 
in use to feel and support the contained body, and 
are for this end more extensively endowed with 
nerves and vessels. For some time after I had him, 
he was not able to nibble holes in the nuts to arrive 
at their contents, but was glad enough to eat the 
kernel after I had broken the shell. May we con- 
