FIELD BOOK OF MAMMALS 



The number of young in a litter is from four to five, and I 

 have seen no records of more than the one brood a year. 



Genus Sciurus. Tree Squirrels 

 Subgenus Tamia sciurus' 



Dentition: Incisors, {; Canines, {] ; Premolars, f ; Molars, f = 22. 



Red Squirrel. — Sciurus hudsonicus 



and related forms 



Names. — Red Squirrel; Pine Sqiiirrel; Chickaree, Plate 

 XXV. 



General Description. — A small, arboreal Squirrel with 

 flat, bushy tail; fairly long ears; no internal cheek-pockets; 

 incisors narrow; rudimentary first upper premolar generally 

 present, but sometimes absent; inner toe on forefoot very 

 small; pelage fairly long and soft, but not silky; manner alert; 

 diurnal in habit. 



Color. — Sexes colored alike; a marked seasonal variation. 



Upperparts (winter). — Rusty red from top of head to tail; 

 sides olive-gray, lightly sprinkled with black; ears tufted with 

 dusky hairs; tail above, yellowish rufous, the hairs banded 

 near the tips with black and fringed with pale yellowish rufous, 

 below, yellowish gray banded and fringed much as above, 

 tip with a broad, subterminal bar of black. 



Underparts. — Hairs slaty at base, washed with grayish 

 white and tipped with black. 



Summer. — Above, pale rusty red, brightest on outer sides 

 of legs and feet; a narrow, black, lateral line; ears without 

 tufts; tail less buffy than in winter, but colored much the 

 same; underparts clear white. 



Immature duller than adults. 



Measurements.' — Sexes of equal size. Total length, 12.5 

 inches; tail vertebras, 4.6 inches; hind foot, 1.9 inches. 



Geographical Distribution. — Most of forested North 

 America. 



Food. — Nuts, seeds, buds, berries, some insects and animal 

 food such as birds' eggs and fledglings. 



^ For a revision of this subgenus see J. A. Allen, Bulletin Amer. Mas. 

 Nat. Hist., Vol. X, pp. 249-298, 1898. 



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