90 



case with the Cat Squirrel ; the former is a southern species, the 

 latter is found in the middle and northem statės. 



" The head is less elongated than that of the Fox Sąuirrel ; nose 

 more obtuse ; incisors rather narrower, shorter, and less prominent; 

 the molars, with the exception of their being a little sijiaUer, bear a 

 strong resemblance to, and are arranged in a similar manner to those 

 of the former species. The neck is short ; legs short and stout ; nails 

 narrower at base than those of the Fox Sąuirrel ; shorter and less 

 arched ; the tail also is shorter and less distichous ; the body is 

 shorter and thicker, and the whole animal has a heavy, clumsy 

 appearance. The fur is not as soft as that of the Northern Gray 

 Sąuirrel, but finer than that of the Fox Sąuirrel. 



" This species, as well as the lašt, is subject to great varieties of 

 colour. I have observed in Peale's Museutn specimens of every 

 shade of colour, from light gray to nearly black. I have also seen 

 two in cages which \vere nearly white, but without the red eyes, 

 v/hich is a characteristic mark in the Albino. There appears, how- 

 ever, to be this difFerence between the varieties of the present spe- 

 cies and those of the Fox Sąuirrel ; the latter are permanent varie- 

 ties, scarcely any specimens being found in intermediate colours ; 

 in the present there is every shade of colour, scarcely two being 

 found precisely alike. 



" The most common variety, however, is the Gray Cat Sąuirrel, 

 ■vvhich I shall describe from a specimen now before me. 



" Teeth orange ; nails dark brown near the base, llghter at the 

 extremities. On the cheeks there is a slight tinge of yellowish 

 brown, and this colour is extended to the neck; theinner surface of 

 the ears is also of the šame colour ; the fur on the outer surface of 

 the ear, ■which extends a little beyond the outer edge and is of r 

 soft woolly appearance, is light cinereous, and on the edge of the 

 ear, rūsty brown. Whiskers black and white, the former colour pre- 

 dominating. Under the throat, the inner surface of the legs and 

 thighs, and the whole under surface, whlte. On the back the hairs 

 are dark cinereous near the roots, then light ash, then annulated 

 ■v\-ith black and at the tip white, giving to the fur an iron-gray appear- 

 ance. The tail, which. does not present the flat distichous appear- 

 ance of the majority of the other species, but is more rounded and 

 narrower, is composed of hairs which, separately examined, are of 

 a soiled \vhite tint near the roots, then a narrow marking of black, 

 then vihite, then a broad line of black, and finally broadly edged 

 ■vvith ■vvhite. 



" Another specimen is dark gray on the back and head, and a 

 mixture of black and cinereous on the feet, thighs, and under sur- 

 face. Whiskers nearly all vvhite. The markings on the tail are 

 similar to those of the other specimen. 



Dimensioiis. in. liii. 



Length of liead and body 11 3 



Tail (vertebrse) 9 6 



Tail to the end of the hair 12 6 



