Marilyn Hayhoe, age 12, of Ottawa, Ont,,for  her question:

Do you remember where you put your last summer's bathing suit? Chances are, you cannot remember the exact spot but you know it is in one of several likely places. You are much smarter than a squirrel and even you tend to forget the exact spot where some small article is stored. Mr. Bushy Tail does not have a conscious mind or the same kind of memory that we humans have. But his perky little brain has its own way of working things out. He stores his groceries in marry small caches, each one in a likely place. In the hungry winter months, he simply looks in all these likely places,

The furry charmer's busy season begins in the spring; Then the helpless babies are born, two to six of them, They are small, blind and naked and the nursery is a leaf‑lined nest high in the branches or better still, in a hollow tree. You are not likely to find this nursery. In about five weeks the parents usually build a new nest and the babies are moved. If you are very lucky, you may get a glimpse of this tree house and perhaps watch the children take their first climbing lessons,

Soon they will be leaping from branch to branch with proper squirrel acrobatics. They will dodge and scold their enemies, the owl and the hungry marten. They will hunt for nuts, berries, seeds and mushrooms, Now is the time to make friends with one or more of them. Even a wild squirrel will not hide from you, though he may stay just out of reach. When he trusts you, he will eat right out of your hand..

3ach squirrel and his family have a range of about two hundred square yards and, in this area, your little friend is familiar with every tree, every bush, every branch. In late summer, his squirrel instinct bids him to start hoarding little stores of food, and he obeys. He digs a small hole at the base of his favorite oak tree and buries a few acorns.

He hides a few hickory nuts in a well‑known crevice in the trunk of an elm. He gathers mushrooms and spreads them to dry high on a branch, then he finds a .likely place to hide them.  He dries a few berries and hides them in another likely place.

When the snow falls, our furry friend has a little food stuffed into almost every likely place on his property. Wherever he looks, he is almost certain to find a snack. He takes out no more than he needs and carefully covers the rest. Most of the caches will be only half eaten and some will never be found. A forgotten acorn, buried in the ground, may sprout into a mighty oak. Quite by accident. Mr. Squirrel is one of the worlds best and busiest tree planters.