Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-03-25
THE GRAY SQUIRREL.
Some Interesting Facts Concerning this
Well-Known Rodent.


The gray squirrel (Sciurus corohm-
e9asis) varies in color from yellowish
gray to pure Jet black. The average
length Of head and body is twelve
inches; of the tail thirteen inches.
This SOU rrel was once found through
out North America east of the Plains,
but has been EXTERN mated in many
districts by mans brutal destruction.
In the South the gray squirrel lives in
heavily wooded swamps, often in cv-
press forests where almost the entire
surface of the ground is covered with
water. Ncrthward it is found among
wooded hills, delghting in the deepest
forests where nut-bearing trees are
abundant In the early morning and
late afternoon, this squirrel is busy
among the tree-tops, feeding, building
its nest, or playing; for several hours
before and after noon, it stays in it's
nest or crouched in some comfortable
tree fork, resting. The summer domi-
Gle of this species is built, in suitable
crotch, of twigs and branches with their
leaves yet upon them, and is lined
with moss or some similar material.
Its winter home is always hole in
some great tree. During the rutting
season, the males have fierce battles
among themselves, and often serious
ly wound each other with their sharp
and powerful incisor teeth The
young are five or six in number, and
are produced in May or June. Like all
rodents, they mature very rapidly, and
are soon able to take care of them
selves. The gray squirrel passes the
winter in q semi-torpid condition, but
on warm days leaves it's snug home in
search of such food as the frost may
have spared. 1t lays up but little store,
depending on its occasional foraging
expeditions for the scant supply OF
food it consumes during the cold
weather.
The food of this SPECIES is that of the
squirrels IL general 1t is also fond OF
the larve OF insects, and in remote To-
calities where still abundant, does some
damage to the grain crops. Because
Of the latter it is mercilessly killed. al
though the injury it intiicts is hardly
equivalent in value to the powder and
shot used to destroy it. Many years
ago bounty of three pence head was
offered in Pennsylvania for the scalps of
this species, it then being so abundant,
the country being still largely covered
by forests, that its ravages were a Sc
rlous damage to the colonists. In the
West squirrel killing battues are, or
were up to within a short time, still in
vogue. Bets were made as to the num-
Der to be killed, and the wholesale
slaughter was conducted with zeal
worthy of the native South African!
The migrations of..this squirrel are par
ticularly interesting; they have now,
owing to the scarcity Of the species,
grown much rarer than formerly. I'M
mense numbers of squirrels would con-
gregate together, and migrate in search
of food-or it may have been adven-
tures-crossing open glades, broad
rivers, and even arms of lakes, stop
ping for nothing until their arrival at
suitable locality, when they dispersed,
and again took to their usual manner
of living. The voice of the gray squir-
rel is q shrll bark, which sounds mu-
steal enough as it rings through the
forest in the early hours of bright
summer morning. The beautiful black
variety of this species does not differ in
any way in habits from his gray broth
er.--COataatTy Gentleman.