. Bulletin. Natural history; Natural history. Fig. 23.—Elm (left) and maple buds and flowers offer the first squirrel food jiroduced each year. oak occurred, fig. 22. Only fox squirrels inhabited this locality, and during years of poor acorn crops they would be forced to depend mainly on residues of corn, rye and other grains, and such natural foods as wild grapes, bittersweet and miscel- laneous seeds and herbage. In practically every section of Illinois, a general failure of oak mast, and in some sections, especially in southern and south- w'estern localities, failure of wild pecans in the b
. Bulletin. Natural history; Natural history. Fig. 23.—Elm (left) and maple buds and flowers offer the first squirrel food jiroduced each year. oak occurred, fig. 22. Only fox squirrels inhabited this locality, and during years of poor acorn crops they would be forced to depend mainly on residues of corn, rye and other grains, and such natural foods as wild grapes, bittersweet and miscel- laneous seeds and herbage. In practically every section of Illinois, a general failure of oak mast, and in some sections, especially in southern and south- w'estern localities, failure of wild pecans in the bottoms and hickories and black walnuts on the uplands might create un- fortunate food contingencies during the late winter and early spring. That serious food shortages did not prevail in many in- stances in 1940—1942 is indicated by the good to excellent condition of the several hundred squirrels examined, some of which were collected during every month of the first 2 years of study. The nature of the food studies made in this investigation did not permit deter- mination of either the number or impor- tance of animal foods taken by squirrels in Illinois. Numerous writers, however, have called attention to the inclusion of insects and other animal forms in the dietary. Davis (1907. 1924) reported the destruction of acorn weevil larvae {Balaninus) and oak apple galls {Ain- phibolips confluens) by gray squirrels. These animals were observed by Hamilton (1943) to feed on caterpillars of the half- wing geometer {Phiyalia titea). Good- rum (1940) found that in Texas over per cent of the food of gray squirrels con- sisted of insects, mainly lepidopterous lar- vae. He also presented limited evidence to show that animal food is necessary to successful breeding. Both fox and gray squirrels are said by Seton (1928) to use insects and other animal matter. The evidence is general that animal life, par- ticularly insects, constitutes a small but more or less important food source fo
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