The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-23
PROSPECT PARKS SQUIRRELS.
So Tame. Some OF Them, That They VIII
Take Food From Strangely Hands.

One Of the favoHte amusements of
Brooklyn children az this time of the year
Is to feed the squirrels in Prospect Park.
The squirrels have many Of them, quite
overcome their natural timidty and will
take nuts from the hands of the children
without hesitation. There are thousands Of
the gray squirrels in the park, and although
some viii not approach visitor closer than
several feet nut will always bring at least
one Of the little animals up TO the point
where he will toss his natural discreet ion
aside and, with front feet in the palm of his
visitors hand. take the dainty profIered in
his mouth and then scamper away.
The squirrels in Prospect Park frequent
the trees and lawns contiguous to the most
travelled paths at this time of the year be-
cause they know that great part Of their
winter supply Of food must come from the
fall visitors. They are not disappointed in
this, for very few adults or children go into
the park these days without a pocket full of
nuts. If one spots squirrel in tree,
no matter how far away from the path, and
chirps at him, at the same time displaying a
nut. the squirrel will come down the tree
like lightning and cross the ground to the
path in short order. few feet from the
bait he will stop and size up his visitor.
II the inspection - satisfactory he will
proceed until he IL close To the extended
hand Then his front paws will come up
and rest themselves on the fingers of the
| visitor and in second the nut Is safe in his
| jaws and he Is bounding away to safety
across the lawn.
Very few people who feed the Prospect
| Park squirrels have the satisfaction Of
| seeing them eat. The squirrels either
| bury their food in the ground in plain sight
Lot .
nests in the trees. The squirrels bump of
| caution Is well DEVELOPED and just because
! there is food aplenty he does not gorge
himself.
| The friendship between the squirrels and
the children Is very strange. Many squir-
| rels " i'll take nuts from the hands Of chill
| dren, but will not so near grown folks.
Some squirrels are fastiGious and be-
| cause peanuts are plentiful hey have be-
come tired OF them and want chestnuts and
walnuts. The latter they are especially
| fond Of. although I o get al the meat requires
vastly more labor than is involved in the
handling of peanut o. chestnut.
Any abuse OF the confidence Of a squirrel
| meets with speedy punishment If II l. dis
covered. Last Sunday, an Italian in Pros
pect Park lured a squirrel into his hand
| with "A peanut and then grabbed him.
Some children reported the matter TO a
park policeman. who made the man re-
lease the squirrel and then hustled him
out OF the park,
Not even The children are so close friends
Of the squirrels as the park policemen
| Each policeman has an individual acouaint
ance with each squirrel in the part OF the
park In which his duty lies Observing mar
trying to coax a squirrel to him last Sun
day, a policeman said;
"There's no Use calling him. He won
low over there who will take the nut RICH
out of your hand" pointing to a seoon,
squirrel several yards back.
And sure enough the second squire
did take the nut, although no amount o
persuasion could lure the other any closer.
Hes new one" said the policeman
showed up here last week. Must hav,
been in some other part OF the park lonJ
time, because I don't know him. He
awfully scary and even l cant feed him
and he's the only one hereabouts that
can't. at that. But he'll get over it after
| while"