S64 ANNUAL REGISTER, 181(J. 



and the aperture larger than will 

 generally be found among bui'- 

 rowing animals. The eyes are of 

 a moderate size, the pupil black, 

 iind the iris of a dark sooty 

 brown : the whiskers are full, 

 long, and black : the teeth, and 

 indeed, the whole contour, resem- 

 ble those of the squirrel : each 

 foot has five toes ; the two inner 

 ones of the fore-ffct are reuini:k- 

 ably short, and are equipped with 

 blunt nails; the remaining tons 

 on the front ft-et are long, black, 

 slightly curved, and sharply point- 

 ed ; the hair of the tail is tliickly 

 inserted on- the sides only, whicii 

 gives It a fiat appearance, and a 

 long oval form : the tips of the 

 hair forming the outer edges of 

 the tail are white, the other c\- 

 tremity of a foK red: the under 

 part of the tail resembles an iron 

 gray ; the upjoer h> of a i-eddish 

 brown : the lower part of the 

 jaws, tlie vmder-part of the nodv, 

 legs, and feet, from the body and 

 belly downwards, are of a light 

 brick red: tlie nose and eyes tare 

 of a darker sluuie, of the same 

 colour : the upper part of the 

 head, neck, and body, are of a 

 curious brown gray, with a slight 

 tinge of brick rod : the longer 

 hairs of these parts of a reddish 

 white colour, at their extremities, 

 And falling together, give this 

 animal a S])e<k!e(l a{)pearance. 

 These aiiir.uds foi-m iulai'gecom- 

 .panies, like those oji the Mis- 

 souri, occupying with their bur- 

 rows sometinu.'S l".\o hundred 

 ;aeres of! land: the burrows are 

 -Separate, and each possesses; pei- 

 haps, ten or twelve of these in- 

 habitants. Tlicre is a little niouird 

 in the frout of the hole, formed 



of the earth thrown opt of tlte 

 burrow, and frequently there are 

 three or four distinct holes, form- 

 ing one burrov/, with these en- 

 trances around the base of tliese 

 little mounds. These mounds, 

 sometimes about two feet in 

 height and four in diameter, are 

 occupied as watch-towers by the 

 inhabitants of these little com- 

 munities. The squirrels, one or 

 more, are irregularly <listributed 

 on the tract they thus occupy, at 

 the distance of ten, twenty, or 

 :Somctimes frt)m thiity to forty 

 yards. ^Vhen any one approaches, 

 they make a shrill whistling 

 sound, somewhat resembling- 

 tweet, tweet, twcct, the signal 

 for their party to take the alarm, 

 and to retire into their intrench- 

 ments. .They feed on the roots 

 of grass, &c. 



The small brown sqiiirrcl is a 

 beautiful little animal, about the 

 size and form of the red squirrel 

 of the eastern .^.tlantic states, and 

 western lakes. The tail is as long- 

 as .the bo<ly and ne«k, and formed 

 like tltat of the red £miirrel : the 

 eyes are black, the \^i«ikers long 

 xmd black, but not of/undant : the 

 back, sides, head, neck, and outer 

 part of the legs, are of a reddish 

 brown : the thioat, breast, belly, 

 ami inner part of the legs, are of 

 a pale led: the tail is a mixture 

 of bl:i(kand f()\-coluured red, in 

 which the black piedominates in 

 the nnddle, and the other on the 

 edges and extremity : the hair of 

 the body is about half mi inch 

 lung, and 9o fine and soft it has 

 the ajpeanuice of fur : tlie hair 

 of the tail is coarser, and double 

 in lengtJi. This anin-.al subsists 

 chiefly on tiie seeds of various 



species 



