The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-03-01
The SQUIRRELS Home.


Under certain conditions. il city boy were
visiting his country cousin in midwlnter, and
the latter should say. Let us 60 to the Woo,'SS
and get some nuts the city youth woulu
probably suspect an attempt 20 peIpe',a'e "
rural Joke. But country boys are apr 10 KNOW
some things that city boys never dreamed Oh
Now If the two BOYS should tramp through
the snow to the woods say in woodland dis;
trict Of Pennsylvania the country boy w2uld
be ON the lookout for an old oak or hickory
tree He might travel a great distance before
finding one that would exactly suit his fancy:
At last. however. he would stop at the root OF
= big tree and walk around it. He would pro
badly iiud u hole ut the root. on one s'de'
caused by decay. and partly filed with rotten
PARTICLES that bad fallen from the inside.
The boy would then get down on his knees
and begin to SCOOP ont this STUFF. If he were
lucky he would soon astonish his city cousin
by pulling out a handful Of the rotted wood.
in which there would appear a number OF big.
plump chestnuts. And going farther lie
might find peck Of chestnuts. hickory nuts
wAinnts or buttcrnuts And there would not
bc either a wOrm-eaten or deaf one III the
whole collection.
The nuts were hidden there by a pair Of
squirrels tue preceding autumn and the squirrel
Is such "A perfect Judge OF nuts that a bad one
never passes his inspection. Give tame
squirrel n walnut for instance. The nut 20
you seems 10 be perfect. The squirrel may
quickly drop II and say TO you, IN squirrel IAN
guage. please give me good one. men
break the discarded nut and you viii learn
what the squirrel knew at once, that II was
worthless.
Squirrels do not hibernate in winter In
the early DAYS Of our country they used 10
migrate 10 the South IN autumn and como
back IN the spring. They would travel III
vast armies. sometimes swimming wide rivers
IN their journeys, although they are not very
good swimmers. But farms relatively dense
population and the Omnlpresent shotgun now
obligc the few squirrels that are lett 10 house
mp at home in winter. Hence they must lay
IN their winter supplies in autumn. and TINS
they do by boarding nuts IL trunks Ot old
trees.
Tho little squirrels are born late in the
autumn but they stay with tie old folks tiu
the following spring. by thag time they are
nearly full grown. and are competent 10 take
care of themselves. The squirrel nest i itself
an evidence Of the love of the old ones for
their young The inside Of II IS made OF the
sOftest materials the happy pair can md and
the female vii. even pluck bits Of her own fur
with which to give the finishing touches 10
the dainty home for the little ones.
Nearly everybody has seen the squirrel in the
act of boring into nut. but did you ever stop
20 think why il IS his teeth don't become dull
bv this constant use, The finest steel or the
hardest flint would dull and wear away with
such use ~ the squirrel makes OF his teeth:
Here is the explanation: The squirrel has
two long and sharp teeth in the front of each
jaw. II has no canine teeth and there Is con-
siderable space between the incisors and the
mOlars. thus giving free action 10 the cutters.
The inclsOrs. which are always growing a. fast
a. they wear OF. have II strange formation.
which keeps them always as sharp as knives.
The enamel on the outside of the teeth Is
much harder than the ivory part and hence.
he aat D. q ala EuV =
"A little beyond the body Of the tooth.
This provision of nature makes II unneces-
sary for the squirrel % use either a file or n
grindstonc in order 10 keep his cutting nstru-
ments IN good order. II seems cruel. Of
course. for boys 10 rob squirrels Of the food
they have boarded. but it IL thonghtlessness
rather than conscious cruelty that impels the
average boy. And then again. the farmer IL
not inclined 10 lavish mich sympathy on the
squirrel. Where the little animals are numer-
Gus they make havoc III the farmers corn
field. In Pennsylvania the squirrels used 10
be so destructive that rewards were offered by
law tor their heads and IN l7l9 the State paid
for the killing Of $40 900 of them.