274 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.86 



SCIURUS NIGER RUFIVENTER Geoff roy: Mississippi Valley Fox Squirrel 



According to Benjamin C. Miles (Rhoads, 1896, p. 194) the fox 

 squirrel is always found in big timber but prefers the gum and cy- 

 press trees in the swamps of Haywood and Lauderdale Counties. 

 Fox squirrels appear to be most numerous in the northwestern corner 

 of the State. During May 1937 one was seen near Union City, two 

 were seen and one collected near Hornbeak, and one was collected on 

 Green Island, Reelfoot Lake, Obion County, On returning to this 

 county in October 1937, Perrj'go saw two and collected one 3 miles 

 south of Samburg. Perrygo learned from local residents that fox 

 squirrels were no longer very numerous in Fayette and Shelby Coun- 

 ties. He was informed that none occur in the cypress swamp near 

 Hickory Withe, Fayette County. Along the southern border of the 

 State, a few fox squirrels were reported to occur in the woods south 

 of Fayetteville, Lincoln County. 



The upperparts of the skins from Obion and Lincoln Counties 

 appear much darker than those from Campbell County. This con- 

 dition appears attributable in part to wear, since the black subapical 

 bands are more conspicuous than the grayish or buffy-gray hair tips. 

 Howell (1909, p. 59) referred the small series from near the soutliern 

 end of Pine Mountains in Campbell County to Sciurus niger texianus. 

 The ground color of the upperparts of these specimens is more 

 rufous than those from Obion County. As noted by Howell, five of 

 these specimens have white noses and the underparts are rufous and 

 not whitish like those referred to negJectiis. Out of a series of 24 

 skins of Scmnis niger negJectns from eastern West Virginia, 14 have 

 whitish underparts, 9 have the white underparts more or less suffused 

 with yellowish or light rufous, and 1 has the underparts black. 

 Three in this series have whitish noses. Howell also states that "fox 

 squirrels are becoming scarce in many parts of the South, and speci- 

 mens are often difficult to obtain." 



Campbell County: Highcliff, 3 miles east of Jellico, 7. 

 Lincoln County: 3 miles south of Fayetteville, 1. 



Obion County: Green Island. Reelfoot Lake. 1; Reelfoot Lake, 4 miles west of 

 Hornbeak, 1 ; Reelfoot Lake, 3 miles south of Samburg, 1. 



GLAUCOMYS VOLANS SATURATUS Howell: Southeastern Flying Squirrel 



Flying squirrels are inhabitants of woods and generally reside in 

 hollow trees, abandoned woodpecker holes, or cavities in stumps. Al- 

 though rather active at night in good weather, they are seldom seen 

 and frequently are common without their presence being generally 

 known. In middle Tennessee, five were trapped in the deciduous 

 woods along Birds Creek, 7 miles southwest of Crossville, Cumber- 

 land County. A dead young one was seen caught in a wire fence 



