The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-01-29
THE CHARMING GRAY SQUIRREL.
Testimony Going to Show that He 10 y VERY
Fine Fellow.

Testimony Going to Show that He 10 = Very
Fine Fellow.
do the Park police kill the gray squirrels
In Central Park. and IL 30. wlyT'
This question deeply agitated the kindly
feelings OF the members OF the LinnRan
Society OF New York 1T QUO OF its regular
meetings. held in n curator's room in the
Natural History Museum on Thursday evening.
The gray squirrel Is calculated to excite
sympathy ut any time. but those at this meet
ing would have been no better than hardened
pot hunters II they had not regarded the gray
squirrel with sentiments Of distinguished con-
sideration after listening to the charming pa
per by Florence A. Merriam on Tho Habits
of the Gray Squirrel. and Its susceptibility to
Domestication."
Miss Merriam. with all tho microscopic
power nj observation which distinguish the
true naturalist. and the sympathy OF her sex.
had recorded her efforts to domesticate the
gray squirrels from the deciduous forests
about Black River Valley. She had found that
house to be- fed and petted. making friends not
hold. but even extending their friendly inves-
LEGATIONS to the cage Of the household parrot.
S Miss psMs ssse4fnlmn';ss 1 Slst cny with the w ,an, nys. deg f%.
sontidsnces and finally the niiscsiops Of u
was used ior the. encouragement TO more
fr!e51diy relations II others Of her sreciss;
my shoulder, I walked toward an untamed
s srmy q t hSSpi54s to FsstS1t a TSs %ila int cb ,he
When he saw me nS% approsch with Gray on nm" nv
meni that he sat up on his hind legs. with his
in manifest astonishnient that one oi his kind
aud a human being could have assumed such
ierip s. d nut nuts ann and y eo n4''sMiIt Miss Isrrt.n sas:
f fssIya III IItt dIom shaps. %h%@ u daily i 'in INVADED the
piazza for their allowances Of nuts, They even
eyineed I desire to invade the n@ ss t Isse ins bns
Of the house her special domain by right OF
discovery. AID gave battle when others en-,
squirrels possessed little general intelligence.
but had great wit In al questions SHneefhlng
good memories. too. for not only would Gray
and some Of her tribe recognize and return to
their human friends after tho e%. a hry n noass
time Miss Merriam and Gray had not seen
Gray came back from her wild home In the
MOODS; and nnhSuneed ~ sIityrs ss%r ,ahIeGiee
I'm Ma 81 M .s'f'asd a.. = zs st'll ' p]roisrsed a! Y est ,isR
Brazilian nuts from her hands rather than
t aass, 81 ' sia %9f Riv %sS vails isr' Miss iis'SMT Merriam ria sf had
nervous. orsaSiSation. one day when Gray
MaF
Miss Merriam's feet. o new Importation 10 ths
unseen hy Gray. and emitted the tiendish
shrek peculiar to this mugwnmp fowl; This
caused such u shock to Gray nerves that; SIT
ting on her haunches.. she pressed neI lore,
PAWS over her heart. which WAS thToDDihg 80
with terror that it shook her whole frame.
The gray, squirrels, unlike me req, are not
destrpctiyely mischisvouf. ard 20 no INJURY t9
birds nests or eggs. or to budoing trees ana
plants. When Mas Merriam? paper had been
read. it was stated that periodical, ralus were
made on the gray squirrels 10 lehttni fatk
because the Park. officials belieVen NAV the
squirrels destroyed birds eggs. " was also
stated, that the Park squirrels pudled tne
trees In early spring. biting the puas OH .ne
ends 81 the branches. not to eat them, put APP
p%arently for the fun OF seeing the buds iail 70
the ground, Mr.. Merriam; VINO was present
at tho meeting. said, that his Observation as
Park ofhcers We're IN error in botn OF these
charges. At his country place there were many
partridges. which. together with numerous gray
squirrels, helped then selves in common from
q corn crib. The cartridges nests are ouilt on
the ground. hut with every opportunity 10 IN
lure them II they wished to. he had never
known the gray SQUIRRELS to- harm the par
tridges. their nests. oIeggs- lie hoped me At
tention Of the Park officials would be called to
the matter. and II II was found 10 be the fact
that the squirrels were AS armless as they are
attractive. they should not be molested.
Visitors to tho Park" said Mr.. Merriam.
|tsilI soon learn to carry nuts to- Iced the
d birrels. Becoming domesticated and the
colony largely Increased. thor would soon ne
o. ofthe Parks most picturesque features"