i66 



MAMMALS OF AMERICA 



whistling, ' Just before the Battle, Alother,' in 

 as pathetic a tone as I could muster for the oc- 

 casion, he would permit me even to stroke his 

 back, sometimes exjjressing his pleasure by mak- 

 ing a low purring sound. This was a Gray, and 

 I several times approached and stroked him as 

 above described. I once succeeded in getting 

 near enough to a Black to touch him. whereupon 

 he instantly came to his senses and fled. When 

 listening to music they all acted in very much the 

 same way. They sat bolt upright, inclining a 

 little forward (and if eating a nut, were sure to 

 drop it ) . letting the f orepaws hang listlessly over 

 the breast, and. turning the head to one side in 

 a bewildered sort of a way, assumed a most 

 idiotic expression." 



The Gray Squirrel is readily tamed, or semi- 

 tamed and lives contentedly in the city parks. It 

 will come close to the visitor and may be even 

 persuaded to climb one's coat and eat out of the 

 hand. When alarmed, it utters a peculiar rasp- 



ing cry or bark. It is an arrant coward, being 

 readily driven off by its smaller red cousin. 



The family of the Gray Squirrel is usually 

 five in number. The parents are quite devoted 

 and work early and late to feed their youngsters 

 and to provide stores for the winter. 



Two families of Gray Squirrels dwelt in amity 

 near the writer's home, until one day a great 

 chattering was heard. The smaller pair of the 

 two were quarreling vociferously with the older 

 ones. What the cause was, none of the " inno- 

 cent bystanders " knew : but the outcome was 

 easily seen. The older pair decided to move out, 

 and lost no time in acting. They chose an oak 

 tree at least five hundred yards away and the 

 mother Squirrel carried each baby by the back 

 of the neck, much as a cat carries a kitten, 

 down the road and up the tree. Five separate 

 trips were made and all were safely transferred, 

 after which the neighborhood was at peace. 



S. A. LOTTRIDGE. 



WESTERN GRAY SQUIRREL 

 Sciurus griseus Ord 



General Description. — Of similar proportions and 

 general apiiearance to the Eastern Gray Squirrel, but 

 larfjer. with very large tail. 



Dental Formula. — Same as Eastern. 



Pelage. — Adclts : Sexes similar. Seasonal varia- 

 tion slight. Above, general color mouse-gray, thickly 

 grizzled with white ; dull white eye ring ; ears never 

 tufted, light-brown at base, dusky at tip ; no lateral 

 stripe; undersurface white meeting ashen-gray hue of 

 the sides in a sharply defined line ; tail slate-gray mixed 

 with whitish, the hairs tipped with white; undersurface 

 of tail pale ashy-gray centrally, with blackish lateral 

 bands and fringed with white ; limbs ashy-gray exter- 

 nally. Young : Similar to adults. 



Measurements. — Total length. 22 inches ; tail verte- 

 brae, II inches; hind foot. 3.1 inches; ear from crown, 

 1. 18 inches. 



Range. — Western Washington, Oregon and northern 

 California. 



Food. — Seeds of conifers, especially of the pine, and 

 acorns. 



REi.,\TEn Subspecies 



Western Gray Squirrel, or Columbia Gray Squirrel. 

 — Sciurus </riscus i/riscus Ord. Typical animal as 

 described above. Pine and oak forests from south- 

 western Washington through western Oregon, and most 

 of California. 



Black-footed Gray Squirrel. — Sciurus griseus ni- 

 (irif'rs (I^jryant). Darker than Western Gray Squirrel. 

 U|)per surface of feet slaty or black. From San Fran- 

 cisco southward into Santa Cruz Mountains. 



Anthony Gray Squirrel. — Sciurus ciriscus aiithouyi 

 (Mearns). Intermediate in color between Western 

 Gray Squirrel and Black-footed Gray Squirrel. Higher 

 mountains of southern California. 



The Western Gray Squirrels are noticeably 

 larger and more striking in appearance than the 

 Eastern. The tail is especially long and bushy, 

 and the gray color of the upper jwrts is much 

 clearer than in the eastern animal. Cranial char- 

 acters are the basis for placing this animal in 

 a subgenus apart from the Eastern species. This 

 is a small group and has btit three subspecies 

 differing mainly in the color of the fcrt. 



The habits of the Western Scjuirrels are much 



the same as those of their Eastern cousins. As a 

 rule they are wilder, since they do not dwell near 

 closelv settled communities. They prefer the 

 depths of the great pine and oak forests, and are 

 fond of pine seeds and acorns. In the cavities 

 of these trees well up from the ground they rear 

 their families and lay by their winter stores. 

 .\nd always they are on the alert for their 

 enemies. — the greedy Mice ; the prowling Red 

 Sfiuirrel ; the Hawk abnve ; and the Fox below. 



