I 
BY THE WAYSIDE. 
51 
have seen a red squirrel climb to a robin’s nest 
and carry off a young, unfledged robin, after¬ 
wards eat it at a safe distance from the nest, 
and many times I have seen robins fly, scream¬ 
ing, at the squirrels which had gone to the 
nests, and drive them from limb to limb of 
the tree, then from one tree to another. In- 
✓ 
deed I once saw two Robins drive a red squir¬ 
rel down a tree to the road and down the road 
for nearly a quarter of a mile, darting at his 
head first on one side and then on the other, 
until he finally rushed up a tree and found 
safely in a hole. 
Once I saw a very tame red squirrel climb a 
small maple to the nest of a pair of thistle- 
finches, almost at the top of the tree. The mo¬ 
ther bird was on the nest and began to scream 
and in two minutes the surrounding trees were 
full of small birds, phoebes, vireos, chebes, 
English sparrows, song sparrows, and thistle - 
finches, all screaming and calling. Still the 
squirrel stayed by the nest, and a chipping 
sparrow flew over to see what was the matter. 
After one good look at the situation Chippy 
darted off and soon came back with a robin. 
This changed everything for the robin pounced 
on the squirrel and drove him down from the 
tree, then flew away and the small birds dis¬ 
persed. In ten minutes or less the squirrel 
tried it again, and again the chippy summoned 
a robin who drove him away. Still a third 
time he tried, but this time two robins came 
with the chippy and drove him away down the 
road. 
This squirrel used to eat the soft early pears 
and sweet apples and spent much time in the 
cherry trees until robins drove him away in 
order to feast on the cherries themselves. 
In the early spring red squirrels will gnaw 
holes in the bark of sugar maples to lap up the 
sweet sap which oozes from the holes. 
They will drive away gray squirrels who 
seem to be much afraid of them in spite of 
their smaller size. 
Red squirrels live in holes in trees—or in 
attics or barns—and stuff these holes with 
fibres, wool, cotton if they can get it, or any 
sofe, warm material they can find. 
The food of all young squirrels, after they 
are weaned, seems to be maple and elm seeds, 
until their teeth are strong enough for acorns 
and chestnuts, then the harder nuts. They 
like animal food too, and will eat caterpillars, 
insects and young birds. 
They have a harsh bark when frightened or 
angry, and a queer call which is often mistak¬ 
en for a bird note. This seems to be used 
when they are feeling pleasant. 
In taming them, as in taming gray squirrels 
and chipmunks, I have found that a low, quiet 
talking to them helps. It seems to excite their 
curiousity a little and to reassure them. There 
is nothing stealthy about a person who talks 
to them, while one who is entirely still and 
silent seems to impress them with more fear. 
They can be lured into a superficial acquaint¬ 
ance through food and water, but I have never 
been able to gain their friendships as I have 
that of their gray cousins. C. G. S. 
Come, busy Nuthatch, with your awl, 
But never mind your notes, 
«/ 
Unless you’ve dropped your nasal chords, 
And tuned your husky throats. 
—Ella Gilbert Ives. 
This extract from a private letter to the edi¬ 
tor shows how one enthusiastic teacher has 
found time for bird study. 
“There is considerable interest in bird study 
in th'e 1st year class in the high school. You 
know I did not feel that 1 could undertake it 
as an extra, but I have done it in connection 
with reading. We have read in Burrough’s 
Birds and Bees one day in the week. I have 
colored plates of most of our common birds. 
At present we are having one short essay a 
day on some particular bird of the particular 
girl’s or boy’s choice. After they finish one 
they choose another, and so we keep on. We 
always have the colored plate illustrating the 
bird of the day. and such illustrative material 
as they can furnish. I encourage them to talk 
very freely of their own personal observations 
and they are as enthusiastic as one could wish. 
We deA T ote ten or fifteen minutes of the period 
to this at the beginning of the reading recita¬ 
tion and then we must devote the rest of the 
time to our spelling and reading from Grand¬ 
father’s Chair, except Friday, when we read 
from Birds and Bees. Some of the class have- 
joined me in hanging out feeding places for the- 
winter birds. The December Wayside was. 
worn thread-bare by being passed about among 
the members of th'e class. I may decide to 
take it for the Friday reading after we finish 
Birds and Bees, in which case I will ask each 
member of the class to subscribe,—thirteen or 
fourteen members.” 
