AN ANGRY SQUIRREL.
New instances of the outrageous conduct of two immigrants into England have just been put before me and duly docu- mented. The culprits were caught red-handed. The first and worst was the grey squirrel. We all know how it kills off birds and drives away our own red squirrel ; and for this reason the Duke of Bedford was forced to rid Woburn of the marauder ; but a new crime has been brought home. A squirrel, tame as usual, appeared on the drive of a house just as a lady was about to mount her bicycle. When, with the humanity of her sex, she attempted to " shoo " the animal away, it jumped at her, as sometimes a stoat will, and bit her in the nape of the neck. I have had evidence enough—in America as well as England—of the fierceness of this squirrel and its destruction of both birds and their nests, but it is news to me that it will attack bigger game. How very seldom indeed it happens in this country that naturalization is a success. As for other countries, both Australians and New Zealanders say that all their plagues, animal or vegetable, are imported, from foxes and rabbits to blackberries and
sweet-briar. * * * *
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