THE MUSEUM. 



A Mont"ily Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. 



Vol. V. 



ALBION. N Y., JUNE 15, 1899 



No. 8 



Revi>ion of the Chickarees or 

 ^orth American Red Squirrels. 



Sii/i/ t/s (/i'lii^'^liisii, Bachman. Dou- 

 glas's Chickaree Winter Pelage. 

 Above with a broad median band of 

 dark ferruginous, the hairs ringed near 

 the tip wiih black and chestnut; rest 

 of upper parts, limbs and feet, dark 

 brownish gray, the hairs being ringed 

 with a much lighter shade of ferrugin- 

 ous than on the back, the general ef- 

 fect tending to gray; dusky lateral line 

 generally present, varying from obso- 

 lete to well defined; under parts strong 

 buffy gray varying to ochraceous, pro- 

 fusely vermiculated with black, the 

 geperal effect in average specimens be- 

 ing buffy gray. Tail above centrally 

 for two-thirds its length of nearly the 

 same color as the median dorsal band, 

 but more coarsely varied with black, 

 and with the tips of the hairs yellow 

 or yellowish; the black submarginal 

 zone narrow and obscured; a broad 

 subterminal band of black; outer fringe 

 of the tail yellow or yellowish, narrow- 

 est across the end of the tail; below, 

 the tail is grizzled rusty and black, 

 with the submarginal black zone and 

 the broad subterminal black band more ' 

 distinct than above, as is also the yel- 

 low marginal fringe. Ears conspicu- 

 ously tufted with blackish. 



Summer Pelage. Above dark oli- 

 vaceous brown with a tinge of reddish, 

 the hairs being minutely punctated 

 with deep ferruginous; lateral line 

 broad and intensely black; feet deep 

 orange rufous, extending with diminish- 

 ing intensity to the 'shoulder; ventral 

 surface orange, varying from orange 

 yellow to deep reddish orange; tail 

 much as in winter pelage, but narrow- 

 er and less full. In general effect the 

 color both above and below, in both 

 pelages is subject to much individual 



variation, but especially in summer, 

 dependent upon the depth of the rufous 

 suffusion above, and of the intensity of 

 the orange tint below. In co-ordina- 

 tion svith this the tail fringe varies 

 from deep yellowish rufous to yellow- 

 ish white. 



The geographic.il range is the im- 

 mediate vicinity of the Pacific coast in 

 Oregon and Washington, from about 

 Cape Blanco to Juan de Fuca straight. 

 In its e.xtreme development it is limit- 

 ed to within about 50 to 100 miles of 

 the coast. 



Sciurus douglasii mollipilostts, AUD. 

 & Bach. Redwood Chickaree. Winter 

 Pelage. Above similar to .S". liotiglasii, 

 but the median dorsal band is less 

 dark, and the sides are more decidedly 

 grayish in general effect; below pale 

 buffy gray, heavily vermiculated with 

 black. Tail nearly as in .S". cascadcn- 

 si's, being fringed with white instead of 

 yellow. The coloration below is gen- 

 erally gray with a slight tinge of buff, 

 but varies to strong buff. Summer 

 Pelage very similar, both above and 

 below, to 5. douglasii, e.xcept that 

 the tail is fringed with white; the gen- 

 eral tone of the upper parts, however, 

 is more olivaceous and less ferruginous 

 and the lower parts are less deeply 

 tinted. 



The geographical range is the Pacific 

 coast region of northern California, 

 west of the coast range, from Sonoma 

 county north to Curry county, Oregon. 

 Grades into S. d. californicus in the 

 Siskiyou region. 



Sciurus douglasii cascadeiisis, sub- 

 sp. nov. Winter Pelage. Almost in- 

 distinguishable both above and below, 

 from S. d. luollipilosus, being similar- 

 ly characterized by the white fringed 

 tail and rather paler tints, in compari- 

 son with -S". douglasii. 



