The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-07

scene after the las act was over. but
the epilogue to which I have referred
was sufficient to convince me that
the drama had been a tragedy and
me red squirrel the villain In the play.
When there is undue excitement
among nesting birds, and there il no
trace Of a mammal that can attack
and capture n bird. as cat or weasel.
or n daylight Drawing owl or a hawk
among ~predaceous birds. but a crouch
Ing red squirrel, attempting to escape
discovery on my part. then this ami
mai appears to have been the cause
OF All the trouble; an appearance
which Is strengthened by the fact that
a rified nest Is a feature of the i'm
mediate surroundings. Here we have
h ] considered logical inference.
which possibly you may rule out Of
court. but non the less. Herewith I
! am satisfied.
II egg destroying propensity Of
the red squirrel always seemed to me
an established fact. but unfortunately
! never saw n squirrel with an z
IN Its hands. !. g.. forefeet. refer
I" the Sciurus h%udsonius. known in
many localities rs the chickaree.
These small matters IF natural his
tory are not solved by the ~biologically
erudite OF academic halls. AT least
] prefer as an authority the dictum
OF an unlettered learned man of the
country. ] know more than one such
man n have known many: and put
ting the question to one such. his un-
haSitntinU rattxs xx..y. 1a1-l... - -
iers IL little devils at It," He could
no tell how he knew II. He could
relate nc occurrence demonstrating
It. but OF the fact" he was positive.
To accept impressions that lack
demonstration IN a dangerous pro-
ceeding. but we are doing 4, every
day and the world has done II from
the beginning of time" and gone
wofully astray az II wandered from,
nature. but not in all ways happily. The
red squirrel evidently looks upon an
egg AS "a product Of nature. such
ms ants. fruits and larva OF beetles
Nothing then more natural than that
IL should test its value az food. II
the egg was fresh IL was sucked. and
II about TO hatch. then the substitute
for the delectable white and yolk
would he. not sucked. but eaten II
palatab'e. As raw beef is palatable
to Il Gagged red squirrel. why not raw
bird to IA squirrel in its native wildS"
This Is the outdoor reasoning Of an
outdoor man. who can testify that
rodents. such as squirrels. rats and
nice, are ~omnivorous and delight in
warm blood az much az does that lit
tie fiend incarnatH the weasel.
From the time ! was a little hoy.
sixty years ago, until almost the pres
ent ] have been IA student of wood
land life and pried into all the hooks
and corners that escaped the devas-
Eating p~loughshare. and long ago IL
became one OF my general conclu-
sions that where red squirrels
abounded there birds were wanting
or scarce In the nesting season, and
my explanation was that the nests.
not the birds. were subject 10 molesta-
Ion by h squirrel.
Naturalists nowadays are clamor-
us for demonstration and never eX-
press an unveriiiab!e opinion. but |
nm willing to pit my logical inference
against their protests of lack uf DEM
nstrat!on and await n outcome
when the question IL settled. as II Will
ne, hat the red squirrel is AN oopha-
Sous culprit. As to the familiar gray
.qu!rrel ] do not feel inclined t. eX-
Dress an opinion based on observation.
bat can gee no reason t. condemn the
-cd squirrel and let the gray 90 scot
free. The habits Of the two are not
greatly dissimilar and there appears
% be no good will existing between
the two species. They will fight. |
know. until blood is drawn, hut there
| believe the combat ends. Birds
rave a natural a|ntipathy to squirrels.
nj is not the cause thereof that the
after are inimicable to the welfare II
The former? II 50. how can II he "
. cept as an egg destroyer as the SPUR
rel cannot capture a bird?
An egg il a tidbit in the estimation
u all forms Of animal life that have
means for breaking the shell II sip
ping the contents. so is II not "A luglcal
Inference that squirrels are not
saints among a long list of egg cat.
ing sinners?
CHARLIE CONRAD ABBOTT.