Ralph Webb, age 8, of West Jordan, Utah, for his question:

Where do squirrels go in the winter?

On a warm winter's day you may see a cheerful little squirrel hopping over the snow. If you watch, you may see him stop and start to dig. The little fellow is looking for some nuts which he carefully hid away in the fall. He may find them or he may not. For a squirrel does not always remember exactly where ho buried that hoard of winter food. When he wants a mid‑winter snack, he just goes looking in the most likely places. Chances are, he finds at least one hoard before the afternoon is over. Chances are, he will find a snack buried among the roots near the base of an old tree.

When he has fed, the squirrel will return to the cozy bedroom in which ho decided to spend the winter. Most likely this is a hole in a tree. You can find out if you watch where he goes when he finishes his meal. For squirrels spend most of the winter asleep. They find a place where the snow will not cover them and where there is shelter from the bitter winds. There they curl up and go to sleep.

While the cold weather lasts, he sleeps and dozes. From time to time he wakes up and takes a peek outdoors. If the weather is warm and sunny, he decides to come out and find some of those nuts he so carefully hid away in the fall.