Evening star., 1932-10-18

Still. whenever one of them happens
to feel instinct asserting itself, he will
fee up the nearest tree, and in doing
so invariably keep the trunk between
him and the one who approaches.
II the latter tries to peer around the
able to catch a glimpse of the scam
perer whose sharp claws he hears, he
will be very much disappointed.
Seldom will he see SO much as bit
Of fur as long as half an inch.
The second habit of our squirrels Is
that Of using electric and telephone
cables for highways.
In this they are motivated by one Of
two instincts, evidently. either that of
f-preservation or of daring.
There can be little doubt that these
hardy climbers get genuine satisfaction,
almost amounting to real fun, out of
their exploits aloft.
Any one who has watched them for
as little as half an hour will be sure of
this.
Their ability to leap through branches
and to land on boughs sometimes many
feet away. and Of extreme slightness, Is
matter of pride to all squirrels.
Their bright beady eyes. their pointed
satisfaction with themselves
The human watcher. who knows the
extreme urge toward boastfulness on the
part of the majority of mankind based
on no more than ordinary credible per-
formance. in any line. will be inclined
to feel that the animals have as much
right to personal satisfaction with them
selves
Those who have watched pet dogs and
cats will know that their satisfaction
with themselves is none the less real be-
cause it may not be conscious. in the
way that self-conscious man or woman
recognizes his or her good work when 1t
is achieved.
Squirrels have every right. indeed. to
be proud of their abilities aloft.
No sailor on his mast possesses their
nimbleness, no tight-rope artist their
balancing ability, few monkeys their
sure footing
Squirrels can give pointers to sailors,
tight-rope walkers, monkeys, even, when
it comes to getting around through trees.
But 1t is in walking the telephone
and electric cables that these creatures
excel.
No doubt they first took to them be-
cause SO many of these wires pass
through tree branches. In the sub
urban areas, where lines are run along
streets the cables pass in and out Of
trees every few feet.
Perhaps squirrels have been using
these lines 1or their convenience as
long as there have been lines. but an
observer will prefer to believe that it
is an accomplishment learned first by
some rodent more daring than his
mates.
Safely he made his way across a
dangerous road, while traffic darted
baheath him
His brothers and sisters looked on as
he gayly leaped from the wire to a
tree on the other side.
He was the first squirrel to make
the great passage!
After that. they all did 1t. of course.
but TO him eternally remains the
credit
Today one will see adventuresome
squirrels hitching their way aloft. TAX
ing it easy. progressing a few feet. far
out over the roadbed. sometimes drop
ping to one side. but catching them
selves with their capable claws, bal
ancing themselves with their great
/ tails
I Only the other morning. when the
thermometer was down to 80 degrees
We saw very fat squirrel. all dressed
in gray. with neat stripes. come to a
place in his cable where an end Of q
tree branch beckoned.
1t was IL feet away. but the rodent
/ leaped. landed squarely. went far down
with the branch. but came UP safely.