round without
sustaining injury, is one of those marvels witnessed by every
squirrel-hunter. When a tree in which it has taken refuge is found not
to afford sufficient shelter, and a neighbouring tree is not near enough
for it to leap to, it then perceives the necessity of returning to the
ground, to get to some other part of the woods. Some species, as the
cat-squirrel, fearing to take the dreadful leap (often nearly a hundred
feet), rush down by the trunk. Not so the more active squirrels, as the
common grey kind. These run to the extremity of a branch, and spring
boldly down in a diagonal direction. The hunter--if a stranger to the
feat--would expect to see the creature crushed or crippled by the fall.
No danger of that. Even the watchful dog that is waiting for such an
event, and standing close to the spot, has not time to spring upon it,
until it is off again like a flying bird, and, almost as quick as sight
can follow, is seen ascending some other tree.

There is an explanation required about this precipitous leap. The
squirrel is endowed with the capability of spreading out its body to a
great extent, and this in the downward rush it takes care to do--thus
breaking its fall by the resistance of the air. This alone accounts for
its not killing itself.

Nearly all squirrels possess this power, but in different degrees. In
the flying squirrels it is so strongly developed, as to enable them to
make a flight resembling that of the birds themselves.

The squirrel-hunter is often accompanied by a dog--not that the dog ever
by any chance catches one of these creatures. Of him the squirrel has
but little fear, well knowing that he cannot climb a tree. The office
of the dog is of a different kind. It is to "tree" the squirrel, and,
by remaining at the root, point out the particular tree to his master.

The advantage of the dog is obvious. In fact, he is almost as necessary
as the pointer to the sportsman. First, by ranging widely, he beats a
greater breadth of the forest. Secondly, when a squirrel is seen by
him, his swiftness enables him to hurry it up some tree _not its own_.
This second advantage is of the greatest importance. When the game has
time enough allowed it, it either makes to its own tree (with a hole in
it of course), or selects one of the tallest near the spot. In the
former case it is impossible, and in the latter difficult, to have a
fair shot at it.

If there be no dog, and the hunt