NATURAL HAVEESACKS. 47 



known as Tamias (nearly as bad as Indian) ; 

 tamias being Greek for 'store-keeper,' the generic 

 title. The specific name tells us that he has four 

 stripes, or ' ribbons J marking his skin. The 

 Missouri Striped Squirrel is the familiar appella- 

 tion of the white settler; the Ogress Squirrel of the 

 savage why so named will be shown in the sequel. 



The specific characters are, briefly : Tail quite 

 as long as the body ; a grey stripe along the top 

 of the head, joining two others passing below the 

 eyes; a hoary patch behind the ears; general 

 colour, deep ferruginous red ; back marked with 

 four equidistant stripes, nearly black, extending 

 from the neck to the tail; length four inches, 

 without the tail. Incisors (cutting-teeth) strong, 

 and deep orange-colour on the outer surface; on 

 each side of the mouth is a large pouch, opening 

 just anterior to the molar teeth, and extending 

 back to the shoulder. 



In these capacious sacks, seeds, bits of favourite 

 roots, indeed anything either eatable or storeable, 

 is carried to the 'store-keeper's' residence. The 

 pouches are filled from the mouth ; the forefeet 

 being used, much the same as hands, to press the 

 cargo back, and tightly pack it. When emptying 

 them, the forefeet are again called into requi- 

 sition; placed behind the corpulent bags, the 



