[Illustration:
THE SQUIRREL.
]
This beautiful little creature is of a bright brown colour, inclined to
red; the breast and belly are white; the ears are ornamented with long
tufts of hair; the eyes are large, black, and lively; the fore teeth
strong and sharp; and the fore legs are curiously furnished with long
stiff hairs, which project on each side like whiskers. When it eats, it
sits upright, and uses its fore feet as hands to convey food to its
mouth. It is equally admired for its neatness and elegance of form, as
for its liveliness and activity. Its disposition is gentle and harmless.
Though naturally wild, and very timid, it is easily taught to receive
with freedom the most familiar caresses from the hand that feeds it. It
usually lives in woods, and makes its nest of moss or dry leaves in the
hollow of trees. It seldom descends upon the ground, but leaps from tree
to tree with great agility. Its food consists of fruits, almonds, nuts,
and acorns; of which it collects great stores for winter provision, and
secures them carefully near its nest. In the summer it feeds on buds and
young shoots, and is very fond of the cones or apples of the fur and
pine trees. The tail of the Squirrel is its greatest ornament, and
serves as a defence from the cold, being large enough to cover the whole
body; it likewise assists it in leaping from one tree to another.
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