New-York tribune., 1902-01-28
MUSHROOM ENTHUSIASTS.
SQUIRRELS APPRECIATE THE TOOTH
SOME FUNGI-EPICUREANP PREFER
ENCES AND KNOWLEDGE OF
SEASONS

The squirrel has for long been associated in
the popular mind with nuts that comparatively
few people have ever reflected upon the many
vicisstudes which must have driven him,
time another. TO seek greater variety OF food"
says Edward J. Burnham- The squirrel has been
pictured time out of mind with tail back and
nut between his forepaws In museums his
stuffed skin is made to assume the conventional
form. while countless books for children have
pointed the moral be found in his indefatigabe
industry in storing nuts for winter Some
squirrels certainly do make stores OF nuts. and
perhaps all do so to some extent in regions where
the winter is severe; but II should be remembered
that the squirrel is Southern animal in its origin,
and whatever habits OF prudent storage II has
have been acquired through the hard experience
OF many generations.
There is every reason believe that this habit
of laying UP a store Of food for future needs was
not acquired by all the squirrels and at the same
time. Squirrels so far the range OF their lin
tied powers extends, more like human folk
than apt imagine. Here and there
squirrel intelligent and Industrious than his
neghbor laid by small store Of nuts and by Its
help lived through hard winter. while many OF
his less thrifty neighbOrs perished. Perhaps he
got the idea from finding few nuts that had fallen
into the hollow of a tree. Gradually, such is the
force Of example. other squirrels would put the
new idea in practice. until II would become gen
eral, perhaps universal. custom in squirrel land
But the squirrels cid not rest content with a
single achievement They have their centuries OF
own narrow limits. just human beings have.
Squirrels not naturally wanderers. and do not
like to leave home. So. when the nut habit had
been acquired. If for some reason the nut supply
should be short fail altogether. the more enter
prising squirrels would make experiments Some
OF these experiments would prove successful, come
to be adopted by other squirrels and thus another
hab would be acquired. It is well known that the
woodpeckers in parts of the country have
changed their habits TO a considerable extent dur
ing the last twenty years. and there Is no reason
TO doubt that the squirrels are doing the same.
An incident seeming to prove this came under
the writer's observation recently.
Several years tract Of wild land from
which the timber had been taken burned ova-,
killing poplars which had been left standing
In a cIump by themselves. These dead poplars
were much sought by the woodpeckers. who built
as render the old stubs unsafe. Many Of these
rapidly Increases. In November a stub which
nearly ready to falL was pushed over ana, being
a section containing a woodpeckers nest was cut
out and taken home for study. There two
holes. eighteen inches above the other. The
upper hole had been abandoned after being drilled
tion was complete Upon removing the front SO
nest of fne chips was found at the bottom: rest
ing upon this was a bluebird's G nest and the re-
in every stage Of drying, The bark and thin wood
bad '"S become cracked from the weather and the
narrow slit afforded excellent ventilation. ,,,,so
for the storage of mTshrooms There was as no ap
house belonged TO a squirrel shown by the
fact that a tunnel had been gnawed upward near
y to the upper hole. red squir el viii have, II
possible. two doors to his dwelling. He does not
intend to be caught in hole II he can help It,
mel had been deferred, because the mushrooms
must be gathered while in good condition. There
were thirty-seVen mushrooms, and all such as
have been at stage another by mush-
room enthusiasts. There not poisonous one
in the collection Notwithstanding the fact that at
lea st two poisonous species must have been grow
ing where these gathered 1t may interest
the student of mushrooms to know that the genera
represented were Hyphooma-two species incer-
turn and perpleXum; Armillaria, Chtocybe. Hy-
erophorus and one of the PhalloideR. or this
latter there were nine individuals, all in an early
stage indicating preference for stinkhorns ana
a knowledge of the best time for gathering them
THE fact is well established that squirrels eat
mushrooms. Chipmonks and reds were seen ny
competent observers making meal OF them az
different times during the last summer; but II may
be asserted with confidence that the storing or
them is not a general practice in this section
From boyhood I have examined squirrels nests
wherever found and l have made special study
OF woodpeckers nests for several years, but never
emf instance The conclusion is inevitable. there
fore that this squirrel. living in tract of wood
land from which the that formerly supplied
his store nuts had been swept away, became
experimenter, and turned his attention 10 the
possibilities of mushrooms convenient ana
nutritious substitute. He some neighbor had
made a discovery which may prove of great i'm
portance TO the squirrel tribe"