222 MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS SCIURUS. 



DIMENSIONS. 



IN. LIN. 



Length of head and body , 11 9 



Ditto of tail {vertebra) 10 



Ditto to the tip 13 



Height of ear „ 7 



Ditto to the end of fur „ 9 



Palm to end of middle claw 1 10 



Heel to end of middle nail 2 6 



Length of fur on the hack „ 7 



Breadth of tail with hairs extended 4 2 



Geographical Distribution. — The northern limits of this 

 species is not determined ; it however exists as far as Hud- 

 son's Bay, was formerly very common in the New England 

 states, and in the less cultivated portions is still frequently 

 met with. It is abundant in New York, and in the moun- 

 tainous portions of Pennsylvania. I have observed it on the 

 northern mountains of Virginia. It probably extends still 

 farther south ; in the lower parts of North and South Caroli- 

 na however it is replaced by a smaller species. The black 

 variety is more abundant in upper Canada, in the western 

 part of New York, and in the states of Ohio and Indiana. — 

 It does not exist in Georgia, Florida, or Alabama; and among 

 the specimens sent from Louisiana, stated to be of all the spe- 

 cies existing in that state, I discovered that this squirrel was 

 not of the number. 



Habits. — This appears to be the most active and sprightly 

 species existing in our Atlantic states. It rises with the sun, 

 and continues industriously engaged in search of food during 

 four or five hours in the morning, scratching among leaves, 

 running over fallen logs, ascending trees, and playfully cours- 

 ing from limb to limb, — often making almost incredible leaps 

 from the higher branches of one tree to another. In the mid- 

 dle of the day it retires for a few hours to its nest, resuming 

 its active labours and amusements in the afternoon, and con- 

 tinuing without intermission till the setting of the sun. Dur- 

 ing the warm weather of spring and summer it prepares itself 

 a summer house on a tree, but not often at its summit. In 

 constructing this nest, it does not descend to the earth in 

 search of materials, but finds them ready at hand on the tree 

 where it intends to take up its temporary residence. It first 

 breaks off dried sticks, if they can be procured, to make a su- 

 perstructure ; if however such materials are not within reach, 

 it commences gnawing off the green branches of the size of a 

 thumb, and lays them in the crutch of the tree, or of some 

 large branch. It then proceeds to the extremities of the 

 branches, and breaks off those portions that contain tufts of 



