The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-10-09
Nature Notes From WOlcOtt

tells me of a pair which have been in a fir tree in her yard for several weeks. They pick the cones from the tree and pull them apart, scale by scale, evidently for the tiny seed that is at the base of each scale. I do not remember having seen so many grey squirrels in several years. There used to be numbers of red squirrels, but very few of the greys. Now we seldom see red squirrel It seems to me there can be little sports manship in hunting squirrels in areas near houses even though they be in the country. In the community where we reside the neighbors feed and attract the animals. They become quite tame. Then when the hunting season first opens, knowing nothing but kindness they do not even run from the hunter. We stopped twice in one short drive to avoid run ming over grey squirrels which were sitting in the middle of the road and refused to budge at the approach of the car. At the present time there is a grey squirrel hiding nuts at the base of an apple tree not ten feet away from our kitchen door. After few shots are heard how ever, they become frightened and wild and it is a long time before the few survivors will come near the houses again.
 We also have little chipmunk, who sits on our garden wall and nibbles apples away to get the seeds. Readers who have visited SmugglerS Notch at Mt. Mans field, in Vt., will recall the tame chipmunks near the Smugglers Cave and the Refrigerator rock. They are SO tame they will sit up and beg for peanuts. The man who has charge of the souvenir stand located there, told me that when he built his stand, he with patience succeeded in tanning pair of chipmunks he had found there. The numerous ones now there are all progeny of that first pair and having been raised under his care and pro- lection are all tame. This gentle man is quite a naturalist. He has collected and has planted on the side of the mountain near his stand, thirty-two of the thirty-f1ve varieties of ferns native to Ver- mont. Several are of very rare species.
 Some of the memories left me from the summer are a family of young robins who left the nest hopped about on the lawn all day, letting the grandchildren pick them at will. One, extra hungry, ate worms which were offered him; Six young barn swallows sit- ting on the telephone wires in a downpour of rain, calmly preen- ing their feathers; a great blue Heron who came every evening looking for food along the shore of the little pond. He would wade along the shore with his long legs submerged almost to his body. He waded with a dignified walk, never lifting his feet above the water When he stopped he struck a pose and held it for as long as quarter of an hour without visibly moving. As he did this he blended into the background so well that if you looked away it was difficult to locate him again. Finally he would spread his great wings and gracefully glide away. The Great Blue Heron has 8 body measurement from the end of the bill to. the tip of the tail, of from 42 to 50 inches or about four feet. He has a wing spread of almost six feet. He is of 8 beautiful slate blue color. These birds usually travel singly while in search of food which consists of mostly fish, supplemented by frogs, small reptiles and insects.