MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS SCIURUS. 221 



ably more excavated than those of the cat squirrel, present- 

 ing two transverse ridges of enamel. The lower grinders cor- 

 responding to those above, have also elevated crowns. The 

 hair is a little softer than that of the cat squirrel, being coars- 

 est on the forehead. 



Form. — Nose rather obtuse ; forehead arched ; whiskers as 

 long as the head ; ears sharply rounded, concave ; both sides 

 of the ear covered with hair ; that which clothes the outside 

 being much the longest. In winter the fur projects upwards, 

 about three lines beyond the margin. 



Colour. — Although this species exists under many varieties 

 there appear to be two very permanent ones, which I shall 

 attempt to describe. 



1. Grey variety. — The nose, cheek, around the eyes ex- 

 tending to the insertion of the neck, the upper surface of the 

 fore, and hind feet, and a stripe along the sides, yellowish 

 brown ; the ears on their posterior surface are a soiled white, 

 edged with brown ; on the back from the shoulder there is an 

 obscure stripe of brown, broadest at its commencement, and 

 running down to a point at the insertion of the tail ; in a few 

 specimens this stripe is wanting. On the neck, sides, and 

 hips the colour is light grey ; the hairs separately are for one 

 half their length dark cinereous, then light umber, then a nar- 

 row mark of black, and tipt with white ; a considerable num- 

 ber of black hairs are interspersed, giving it above a grey co- 

 lour ; the hairs in the tail are light yellowish brown from the 

 roots, with three stripes of black, the outer one being widest, 

 and broadly tipt with white ; the whole under surface is white. 



There are other specimens in which the yellowish markings 

 on the sides and feet are altogether wanting. Dr. Godman 

 (vol. ii. p. 133) asserts that the golden colour on the hind feet 

 is a very permanent mark. The specimens from Pennsylva- 

 nia in my possession have generally this peculiarity, but ma- 

 ny of those from New York and New England have grey feet, 

 without the slightest mixture of yellow. 



2. Black variety. — This variety I have, on several occa- 

 sions, seen taken from the same nest with the grey squirrel. 

 They breed and rear their young together, and the observa- 

 tions made with regard to the fox squirrel will also apply to 

 these. This is of the size and form of the grey variety ; it is 

 a dark brownish black on the whole of the upper surface, a 

 little lighter beneath. In summer its colour is less black than 

 in winter. The hairs of the back and sides of the body and 

 tail are obscurely annulated with yellow. There is here and 

 there a white hair interspersed among the fur of the body, but 

 no tuft of white as in Sciurus niger. 



