MONOGRAPH OF THE GENUS SCIURUS. 381 



slightly clothed with hair, feet and claws rather short and 

 strong ; tail short and flattened, but not broad, resembling 

 that of the Sciurus Hudsonius. The form of the body, like 

 that of the little Carolina squirrel, is more indicative of 

 strength than of agility. 



Colour. — The hairs on the upper part of the body, the 

 limbs externally, and feet, are black, obscurely grizzled with 

 brownish yellow, On the under parts, with the exception of 

 the chin and throat, which are greyish, the hairs are annulat- 

 ed with brownish orange and black, and a greyish white at 

 the roots. The prevailing colour of the tail above, is black, 

 the hairs being brown at the base, some of them obscurely 

 annulated with brown, and at the apex pale brown. On the 

 under side of the tail the hairs exhibit pale yellowish brown 

 annulations. 



DIMENSIONS. 



IN. L. 



Length of head and body 10 



Tail, {vertebra) 6 9 



Ditto, including fur 8 6 



Length of palm to point of middle fore claw 1 8 



Ditto of heel to point of longest nail 2 1 



Height of ear posteriorly „ 4 



Length of fur on the back „ 7 



Weight without intestines, fib. 



I am under an impression that this little species is subject 

 to some variation in colour j the present specimen, and that 

 in the Philadelphia Museum having a shade of difference, the 

 latter appearing a little lighter. In Louisiana it is so dark in 

 colour, as to be called by the French inhabitants " la petite 

 noir," — the little black squirrel. It is an inhabitant of low 

 swampy situations along the Mississippi, and is said to be 

 abundant in its favourite localities. 



As yet I am unacquainted with any species of squirrel ful- 

 ly agreeing with the description of Sciurus rufiventer. 



14. Douglass's Squirrel. Sciurus Douglassii, Gray. 

 Oppoce-poce, Indian name. 



Characters. — About one fourth larger than the Hudson's Bay Squir- 

 rel ; tail shorter than the body ; colour dark brown above, and bright buff 

 beneath. Dental formula ; Incisors, § ; Canines, 



A number of specimens of the species described in this ar- 

 ticle, were obtained by Dr. J. K. Townsend, in his recent 



