MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS SCIURUS. 113 



Art. Til. — Monograph of the Genus Sciurus, with Descriptions of 

 new Species and their Varieties, as existing in North America, — 

 By J. Bachman, D.D., President of the Literary and Philosophi- 

 cal Society, Charlestown, South Carolina, &c. &C 1 



This genus includes many species, of which one or more ex- 

 ist in the various portions of the globe, with the exception 

 perhaps of New Holland. Several of these are extensively 

 diffused, and, from the operation of climate and other causes, 

 are subject to deviate into many varieties. This circumstance 

 has given infinite perplexity to European naturalists, in de- 

 signating the species existing in the warmer portions of 

 the eastern continent. Even the common squirrel of Europe 

 (Sciurus vulgaris) varies so much in colour in high latitudes, 

 that a doubt has for a long time existed whether these varie- 

 ties ought not to be regarded as true species. 



In designating the species of American squirrels, and in 

 separating varieties from true species, a still greater difficulty 

 presents itself. Some of these are scattered over a vast ter- 

 ritory, — presenting peculiarities of colour in various localities. 

 The same species often differs considerably in size, varying 

 also in summer and winter pilage. The skulls and teeth of 

 most of the species present a striking similarity, nor do they 

 differ very widely in habit. Much confusion has also crept 

 into the accounts of different authors who have written on 

 our American squirrels ; great uncertainty exists respecting 

 the species alluded to, and all our monographs are acknow- 

 ledgedly very imperfect. In attempting to throw additional 

 light on this genus, I am far from supposing that I have no- 

 ticed all the true species that may exist in our extensive and 

 in many portions unexplored country ; nor can I say with 

 positive certainty that I have in every case been able to draw 

 the line of separation between varieties and true species. — 

 This difficult and perplexing task, however, has not been un- 

 dertaken without due caution and careful examination. Se- 

 veral hundred specimens, procured from various portions of 

 North America have been compared. Specimens of all the 

 species, with the exception of the great tailed squirrel (Set. 

 macrouru-s, Say), are in my possession. The latter also I had 

 an opportunity of examining in the Philadelphia Museum. — 



1 Communicated by the author. Specimens of nearly all the squirrels 

 noticed in the present Monograph were exhibited by Dr. Bachman at the 

 Zoological Society's Meeting, Aug. I4th, 1838; and in the Society's Pro- 

 ceedings under that date a full abstract of the characters &c. of the species 

 is given. — Ed. 



