e squirrel is acorns, nuts, and seeds and grain
of all kinds, and it will sometimes nibble leaf-buds and tender shoots
of young trees in the spring. Its teeth are so sharp and strong that it
will gnaw the hardest nutshell. Nothing is prettier than to see this
graceful creature sitting upright, its beautiful tail curled over its
back, gnawing at a nut which it skillfully holds in its fore-paws. As it
is not afraid unless one approaches too near, when it whisks out of
sight in a twinkling, its habits may be easily studied.

It is a very provident little animal, and lays up large stores of nuts
for its winter food. As those which live in trees have no store-house
like that of the chipmunk, they deposit their hoard in hollow trunks or
under heaps of dried leaves. Nothing is more common than to find little
stores of nuts in a snug corner in hickory woods, carefully packed
together by these cunning creatures.

Squirrels make pretty pets, and when captured young can be tamed, and
often become very affectionate. A young squirrel may be allowed to run
about the room, and it will often be found curled up fast asleep in
mamma's work-basket, or papa's pocket, or some other funny hiding-place.
As it grows older it becomes more mischievous, and must be kept in a
cage, or books, furniture, and everything in the room will bear the
marks of its sharp little teeth. It belongs to the order _Rodentia_, or
gnawing animals, and if kept in confinement, must be given a plenty of
hard-shelled nuts to use its teeth on. Its cage should also be kept very
clean, for the squirrel is the neatest little beast imaginable, and
spends much time at its toilet.

It is sad to think that this innocent, playful denizen of the woodlands
should have many and deadly enemies. Even in the forests of inhabited
regions, from which wild beasts have been driven, hawks and owls are
ever on the watch to pounce upon it; and in the wild woods, especially
in cold countries, where the squirrels are most plentiful, there are
many enemies--pine-martens, which climb trees and spring from branch to
branch almost as nimbly as the poor little squirrel they persecute, and
the terrible wild-cat, which seeks its unsuspecting prey by night, or in
the twilight, when the squirrels are gambolling merrily among the leafy
branches before cuddling to sleep in their little nests. With sly
caution the wild-cat creeps noiselessly through the underbrush, and with
one savage spring it destroy