Squirrels and other fur-bearers . e eye. Presently youhear the rustling of a branch, and see it sway orspring as the squirrel leaps from or to it; orelse you hear a disturbance in the dry leaves,and mark one running upon the ground. Hehas probably seen the intruder, and, not likinghis stealthy movements, desires to avoid a neareracquaintance. Now he mounts a stump to seeif the way is clear, then pauses a moment at thefoot of a tree to take his bearings, his tail as heskims along undulating behind him, and addingto the easy grace and dignity of his else you are first advised of his
Squirrels and other fur-bearers . e eye. Presently youhear the rustling of a branch, and see it sway orspring as the squirrel leaps from or to it; orelse you hear a disturbance in the dry leaves,and mark one running upon the ground. Hehas probably seen the intruder, and, not likinghis stealthy movements, desires to avoid a neareracquaintance. Now he mounts a stump to seeif the way is clear, then pauses a moment at thefoot of a tree to take his bearings, his tail as heskims along undulating behind him, and addingto the easy grace and dignity of his else you are first advised of his proximity bythe dropping of a false nut, or the fragments ofthe shucks rattling upon the leaves. Or, again,after contemplating you a while unobserved, andmaking up his mind that you are not dangerous,he strikes an attitude on a branch, and commencesto quack and bark, with an accompanying move-ment of his tail. Late in the afternoon, whenthe same stillness reigns, the same scenes arerepeated. There is a black variety, quite GRAY SQUIRREI^ SQUIRRELS 9 but mating freely with the gray, from which itseems to be distinguished only in color. The red squirrel is more common and lessdignified than the gray, and oftener guilty ofpetty larceny about the barns and is most abundant in mixed oak, chestnut, andhemlock woods, from which he makes excursionsto the fields and orchards, spinning along thetops of the fences, which afford not only con-venient lines of communication, but a safe re-treat if danger threatens. He loves to lingerabout the orchard; and, sitting upright on thetopmost stone in the wall, or on the tallest stakein the fence, chipping up an apple for the seeds,his tail conforming to the curve of his back, hispaws shifting and turning the apple, he is apretty sight, and his bright, pert appearanceatones for all the mischief he does. At home,in the woods, he is very frolicsome and loqua-cious. The appearance of anything unusual, if«after contemplating it
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjecta, booksubjectmammals
