RED SQUIRREL. 



Sciurus hiidsoniciis. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Body longer than the tail; body averages 6% to 7% inches 

 long. Weight, about half a pound. (Fox Squirrel, old adults, 

 sometimes weigh fully two pounds). Its rather broad ears, in 

 winter, are coated with long hairs, and those on back of ears 

 form a short tuft. The tail is flat and narrow. In summer, 

 soles of feet are naked, but furred in winter, except tubercles 

 at base of toes. Upper parts grayish rusty; a bright, reddish - 

 brown, broad band extends from the top of head down middlp 

 of the back, and on upper surface of the tail. Lower parts, ex- 

 cept the tail, are white or whitish; under surface of tail, rusty, 

 blackish and gray. Eyes, brown: teeth (incisors) yellow. 



Babitat. — This species, "including its varieties, is found over 

 most of North America, extending north to the limit of forest 

 vegetation, and south over the northern two-thirds of the United 



The Red Squiri-el or Chirkaiee is common thi'ough- 

 out this Slate. Manv piMSons, particularly those re 

 siding in the moimtainons districts, call this animal 

 the Pine Squirrel, or "Piney." It is spoken of some 

 times by sportsmen and hunters who are not famil- 

 iar with the Fox Squirrel, as "Fox Squiri-el." Of 

 ••ourse such an appellation is erroneous and mislead- 

 ing. The Chickaree is not over one-third the size of 

 an old Fox Squirrel, from which it can easily be dis 

 tinguished by its wl^ite under parts, brighter-colored 

 dorsal markings, as well as its greatly inferior size. 



.\LBINISM. 



Partial or complete albinism is (wmmon among 

 birds. We often see white or whitish colored Black 

 birds, Crows, Sparrows, Hawks, Owls, etc. This freak 

 of nature — a result of the absence of coloring matter — 

 may be obserred in many mammals: Squirrels, espec 



