The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-03-08
GRAY SQUIRRELS.

A fulI-grown gray squirrel, home
 ward bound through the tree tops, is
 one of the most thrilling of the com-
 moner sights to be seen in the Ameri-
 can woods Apparently without re-
 gard for the laws of gravitation he
 filings his 1.-the body from one bending
 branch to another. with the confidence
 and precision of professional gym
 mast. As we watch him speeding along
 we soon notice that he does not travel
 at random, but that he follows we'll
 known route. As he scurries up the
 trunk of a tree, he passes one fine
 branch after another, until he reaches
 one which makes a good connection
 with the next tree along his line of
 march Then he leaves the trunk and
 dashes out at top speed along this nat
 ural bridge. The branch grows mar
 rover, but he pauses not for That;
 there is no surer-footed animal in the
 world than he. The branch begins to
 bend with his weight, but never mind; he flashes along, with his splendid sil very tail straight out behind and serY ing as a rudder He runs to the very
 end, and then he aps-five-ten-per- haps twenty feet to the outstretched
 branch of the nearest tree. We hold our breath as we think Of the height, and of the rocks below; but the old tree herself seems to stretch out her arms to him. and to gather him up, as though proud of his skill and of the trust he puts in her.
 Not long ago. l found gray squir- rers nest in the top of tall pine tree, perhaps forty feet from the ground. It was q very handsome globular struc- ture, perhaps eighteen inches in diam eter, and composed externally Of pine twigs Inside these there was thick wall of dry leaves lined with the soft outer bark of cedar trees. As l ap- preached the nest. q large gray squir- rel rushed out of a round hole in the side and she was immediately followed by four half-grown young ones, The old squirrel leaped into another tree and was soon far away, but the little ones were less expert, and clung to the tips of the branches near the nest. approached one of the youngsters, hop ing to capture him. but as I put out my hand he leaped outward and fell to the ground forty feet below He struck the earth with fearful thump, and l thought of course, that he had killed himself TO my astonishment, howev- CT. he was not bit the worse, and scurried up another tree before a com panion of mine below could put his cap over him.
 Last year I found another nest in wild cherry tree. This one was made 4 tI~ cedar bark There were six young ones in it. about d month old, and I took two of them, For many days it was neces- sary to feed them with warm milk from a 'dropper" and they were so sensitive to cold that they all but died if they | were not kept close to a fire at night. Gradually they became stronger and | more hardy, and to-day they are very | large and powerful. One of them, "Bobs" is a particularly handsome | specimen, and as fond of play as any Sometimes we bring him into the house to exhibit him to friends, and he shows off" great deal better than most babies do. What he likes best is to have us all stand in a big circle with our arms stretched out to- NdTuS thtH QUIET. lHSH TbODS WILL start from some one'S shoulder and be- gin tour of the room, leaping from one arm to another until he is tired of the game, after which he will drink milk from a tumbler or give an expert exhibition of nut-cracking for he benefit of the company. When about to eat a nut, he first seizes it in lis teeth, and after finding q comforta- ole spot, sits up on his hind legs, with lis bushy tail curled gracefully over his pack. Then he takes the nut in his hands, for his clever little front paws Ire nothing less, and the next instant here can be heard a rapid chip-chp- as his long front teeth begin , 0 chisel the hard shell, As soon as a lole is made, he uses his teeth as lev ITS, and pries off larger chips, and pres , ntly he begins to nbble the kernel | trough the opening he has made If my one comes to him with several nuts tt once, he will not stop to eat the first 7 me offered him. but will hide it in any ( place, put it down with his / ,aws and then come back for another me. He will keep this up until he is t atisfied that there are no more for him. i nd then perhaps he will take one from l is store and eat it. c But it is not necessary to keep gray (