Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1878-11-20
WhlstlIng to Squirrels


a short paper IN SCibner Tor Deeem-
Der on "The Douglass Squirrels OF
California, "-of which little IL known
In tho Easl,-iu which he relates the
following unique experience
Though cannot Of course expect
all my readers to sympolhIzc fully In
my admiration, OF this little animal,
tow | hope will think this sketch OF
his life too long, lcanuot begin TO
tell here how much he has cheered my
lonely wOndCrlags during all the years
| have been pursuing my studies III
these glorious wIldsI or how much
unmlstakable humanity have found
In him, Take this for example One
calm, creamy, Indian summer
morning. when tho nuts were
ripe, | was camping In tho upper pine
woods Of the south fork OF the San
Joaquin, where the squirrels seemed
to DO about as plentiful as tho ripe burfs
They were taking an early breakfast
before going 10 their regular harvest
work. While | was busy with my
own breakfast | heard the thudding
fall OF two or three heavy cones from
q yellow piro near me, aud stole
noiselessly forward within about
twenty feet ofthe base OF II to observe
In a few moments down came the
DuglasS. The breakfast burrs he had
cut of had rolled on the gentle sloop'
ing ground into a clump Of ceAnothus
bushes, but he seemed to know where
they were, for he found them apparent
ly without searching for them They
were more than twice as heavy rs
himself, but after turning them into
tho right position for getting a good
hold with his long sickle.tee,h he
managed to drag them up TO tho foot
of the tree he had cut them from,
moving backward Then seating
himself comfortably, he held them on
one end, bottom up and demolished
them with great rapidity. \ good deal
OF nibbling had to be done before he
got anything to eat, because the lower
scales are barren, but when he had pa
tently worked his way up the fertile
ones he found two sweet nuts at the
base of each shaped like trimmed
hams, and purple spotted like birds
eggs. And Notwithstanding these cones
were dripping with soft balsam and
covered with prickles, and so strong
ly put together that boy would be
puzzled to cut them open with n jack
knife, he accomplished his meal with
easy dignity and cleanliness, making
less effort apparently than man
would in eating soft cookery from a
plate.
Breakfast done, thought | would
whistle a tune for him before he went
TO work, curious to see how he would
be effected by it He hal not seen
me all this while but the instant l
began he darted up the tree nearest
to him, and came out on small dead
limb opposite me, and composed him.
self to listen. | sang and whlstled
more than dozen tunes, and as the
music changed his eyes sparkled, and
he turned his head from side to side,
but made no other response. Other
squirrels, hearing the strange sounds,
came around on all sides, chipmunks
also and birds. One Of the birds a
handsome speckle.brested thrush
seemed even more interested than the
squirrels. After listening tor while
on one of the lower dead sprays of a
pine, he came swoopipg forward with
in a few feet of my face, where he
futtering few minutes or
so, sustaining himself with whilring
wing. beats, like a humming-bird in
front of a flower, while could look
into his eye and see innocent wonder.
By this time my performance must
have lasted nearly half an hour. |
sang or whistled "Boonie Doon,'
'Lass O. Gowrie," "O'er the Water to
Charlie" "Bonnie Woods O Cragie
Lee," ETC., all of which seemed to be
isteued to with bright interest, my
first Duglas sitting patiently through
it all. with his telling eyes fixed upon
me, until 1 ventured to give the "Old
Hundredth," when he screamed his
Indian name, Pillillooeet, turned tail,
and darted with ludicrous haste up the
tree out of sight, his voice and actions
in the case leaving somewhat profane
impression, as if he had said "1ll be
hanged if you get me to hear anything
so solemn and unpiney." This acted
as a signal for the general dispersal of