60 NEW- YORK FAUNA. 



Many persons imagine that this is but a larger race or variety of the Little Grey Squirrel ; 

 and indeed they agree in every particular, except their size. We suspect that Godman's Fox 

 Squirrel, as well as his Cat Squirrel, are varieties only of the Hooded Squirrel, and not to 

 be referred to our northern animal. Prof. Emmons states that its flesh is not so sweet or 

 white as that of the little grey squirrel. Varieties are occasionally met with, tawny, and dark 

 brown. Its habits and geographical distribution are the same as in the preceding. 



THE BLACK SQUIRREL. 



SCIURUS NIGER. 



PLATE XVII. FIG. 1. 



Sciurus niger. Say, Long's Exped. Vol. 1, p. 262. Harlan, Fauna, p. 177, (excl. syn.) Godman, Am. Nat. Hist. 



(excl. syn.) Vol. 2, p. 133, figure. 

 Black Squirrel. Richardson, F. B. A. Vol. 1, p. 191. 

 S. niger. Bachman, Mag. Nat. Hist. 1839, p. 335. 

 The Black Squirrel. Emmons, Mass. Report, 1840, p. C7. 



Characteristics. Entirely glossy black ; a shade lighter beneath. Claws covered with hair. 

 Hind legs with a few scattering hairs beneath. Length 12" - 14 - 0. 



Description. Body more gaunt and slender than in the Little Grey Squirrel, and the head 

 narrower between the eyes. Ears 1 ■ 3 apart, broad, with the posterior slope nearly straight ; 

 tips subacute, not pencilled, but with hairs of the posterior surface extending beyond them. 

 Whiskers in two series on the sides of the nose, longer than the head, two or three above the 

 eyes, and a patch of three or four on the cheeks. Outer and inner claws of fore feet subequal, 

 the outer slightly shortest ; a few long black hairs on the posterior part of the fore legs ; the 

 two middle claws of the hind feet equal ; posterior jjart of hind leg nearly naked. Tail cylin- 

 drical, scarcely distichous. Fur softer and finer than in the little grey squirrel. Molars eight 

 above. 



Color. Glossy jet black. Base of the fur above, deep slate ; benealh, it is light grey. 

 Palms flesh colored. 



Length of head and body, 13 • 0. 



Ditto of tail (vertebra), 10' 0. 



Ditto ditto (including fur), 1 3 " 0. 



It is usually supposed that the winter fur of this species is most intensely and generally 

 black. The homogeneousness of color may be found at all seasons ; for we have killed them 

 in July and August, in the western part of the State, intensely black. 



The confusion alleged to exist in the descriptions of our Squirrels, and more especially in 

 relation to this species, may be thus explained : Catesby (Nat. Hist. Car. Vol. 2, p. 73) 

 figured a species, subsequently known as a variety of the Hooded Squirrel, «S. capistratus. 

 Linneus, in his twelfth edition, gives it the name of niger, citing Catesby, but without any 



