The Squirrels are pretty little animals, distinguished by their graceful
forms and bushy tails. The Common Squirrel lives in tree-tops and feeds
upon fruit and nuts. During the fine summer nights the voices of the
Squirrels may be heard, as they chase each other in the tops of the
trees. They appear to dislike the heat of the sun, and remain during the
day in their nests, coming out in the evening to play and to feed. The
nest is warm, neat and impervious to rain; it is generally placed in the
fork of a tree. They construct it by interlacing twigs with moss,
pressing and treading on their work to make it firm and capacious, that
their little ones may repose in safety. The only opening to this nest is
at the top, just sufficiently wide to allow the Squirrel to pass in and
out; above the aperture is a kind of conical roof, which completely
shelters it, and allows no rain to enter the nest.
At the commencement of winter the coat of the Squirrel is renewed, the
hair being redder than that which falls off. They comb and smooth
themselves with their paws and teeth, and are very neat.