A peculiar formation of the incisors, or front teeth, groups a number
of smaller animals together under the name of Rodentia, from the Latin
word _rodens_, which signifies gnawing. These teeth act as files, so
that the food on which their owners principally live is reduced by
friction to a state which fits it for digestion. As the edges of these
teeth become worn by constant use, they incessantly grow from the root.
If one be broken, that opposite to it, in the other jaw, being deprived
of its habitual wear and tear, grows so fast that it not only annoys its
owner, but has caused his destruction by effectually closing the mouth.
Their lower jaws can only move backwards and forwards; some exclusively
eat vegetables, others eat all things, and others again prefer flesh.
Some carry their food to their mouths with their paws, and climb trees;
and, in many, the hinder limbs are so much longer than those in front,
that they leap instead of walk. They are widely and numerously spread on
the surface of the earth, and therefore bear strongly on its history;
but it is not among them that we find the high intellectual development
with which many other animals are gifted.
Squirrels are some of the most beautiful of the Rodentia, and chiefly
live in trees. The fur of some of the species is extremely beautiful and
valuable; they are very active, elegant little creatures, and easily
tamed, when they become very playful and affectionate. A friend of mine
was deprived of her only daughter, and the lost one's pet squirrel was
of course cherished and loved; the little creature used to run up the
lady's arm, and seat itself on her shoulder, caress her with its head,
nestle itself into her neck, and drink her tears. As long as it lived,
it was never caressed by the mother without first looking in her face
for the drops, which it had been accustomed to remove.
These animals have a large bushy tail, the hair of which spreads out on
each side like a feather; and by it they are guided and supported when
they leap. The flying squirrels, as they are called, have an expansion
of the skin of the sides, which extends between the hind and fore legs,
by which they are suspended in the air when passing from tree to tree,
and by it are enabled to go to greater distances without being actually
able to fly, as their name would imply. The general colour of the
English squirrel is red in summer; but in winter they often assume a
grayish tint, at which time they have long pencils of hair at the top of
their ears. This grey becomes more decided in more northern climates;
and occasionally they are black. They always live in pairs, and
sometimes are gregarious, inhabiting burrows. They lay up stores of
provisions in different places; but they sleep the greater part of the
cold months, their tail turned over them to keep them warm, having
beforehand made a very elaborate nest of moss, leaves, and interlacing
fibres in the hole of a tree, or the fork of two branches. They
exclusively eat vegetable food, and are occasionally themselves eaten by
the larger birds of prey.
Sir Francis Head gives us the following account of his meeting with a
squirrel in Canada. "I was waiting the approach of a large flock of wild
fowl; but a little villain of a squirrel on the bough of a tree close to
me, seemed to have determined that even now I should not rest in quiet;
for he sputtered and chattered with so much vehemence, that he attracted
the attention of my dog. This was truly mortifying; for he kept his eyes
fixed on the squirrel. With my hand I threatened the little beast; but
he actually set up his back and defied me, becoming even more passionate
than before; till, all of a sudden, as if purposely to alarm the game,
he dropped plump within a couple of yards of Rover's nose. This was too
much for the latter to bear, so he gave a bounce and sprang upon the
impertinent squirrel; who, in a second, was out of his reach, cocking
his tail and shewing his teeth, on the identical bough where he had sat
before. Away flew all the wild fowl, and my sport was completely marred.
My gun went involuntarily to my shoulder to shoot the squirrel; but I
felt I was about to commit an act of sheer revenge on a courageous
little animal, which deserved a better fate. As if aware of my
hesitation, he nodded his head with rage, and stamped his fore paws on
the tree; while in his chirruping, there was an intonation of sound,
which seemed like contempt. What business had I there trespassing on his
domain, and frightening his wife and little family, for whom he was
ready to lay down his life? There he would sit in spite of me, and make
my ears ring with the sound of his woo-whoop, till the spring of life
should cease to bubble in his little heart."
It is from Captain Brown's pages that I extract the following. "A
gentleman procured a squirrel from a nest, found at Woodhouse, near
Edinburgh, which he reared and rendered extremely docile. It was kept in
a box below an aperture, where was suspended a rope, by which the animal
ascended and descended. The little creature used to watch very narrowly
all its master's movements; and, whenever he was preparing to go out, it
ran up his legs, and entered his pocket, from whence it would peep out
at passengers as he walked along the streets, never venturing however to
go out.
"But no sooner would he reach the outskirts of the city, than the
squirrel leaped on the ground, ran along the road, ascended to the tops
of trees and hedges with the quickness of lightning, and nibbled at the
leaves and bark; and, if the gentleman walked on, it would descend,
scamper after him, and again enter his pocket. Whenever it heard a
carriage or cart, it became much alarmed, and always hid itself till
they had passed by. This gentleman had a dog, between which and the
squirrel, a certain enmity existed. Whenever the dog lay asleep, the
squirrel showed its teasing disposition by rapidly descending from its
box, scampering over the dog's body, and then quickly mounting its
rope."