Monograph of the Genus Sdiirus. 299 



*' This sprightly and very common species, existing in the northern and 

 middle States, has hitherto heen united with the Carolina grey sqairrel ; 

 the name having been first appropriated to the latter, and the present 

 species being, as T shall endeavor, in this and the succeeding article, 

 to prove, specifically distinct, I have proposed for it the above name, 



'' This squirrel seems to have permanently twenty two teeth ; among 

 a large number procured in different seasons of the year and some of 

 them, from the manner in which their teeth were worn, appearing to be 

 old animals, all presented the small front molars in the upper jaw, except 

 a single specimen, and even in this instance, these teeth may have acci- 

 dentally dropped out. This permanency in teeth that have been usually 

 regarded as deciduous, would seem to require an enlargement of the 

 characters given to this genus ; it will moreover be seen that the majority 

 of our species are similar to this in their dental arrangements." 



General descriptio7i, — Tncisors strong, compressedj the upper 

 ones with a sharp cutting edge and chisel-shaped; the lower ones 

 much longer and thinner. The anterior grinder round and small, 

 and equal in length with the second ; the remaining four grinders 

 present two transverse ridges of enamel. The lower grinders 

 corresponding with those above have also elevated crowns. Hair 

 a little softer than that of the cat squirrel, being coarser on the 

 forehead. The winter clothinor is lono-er than that of summer. 



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Color. — Although this species exist under many varieties, there ap- 



pear to be two very permanent ones, which I shall attempt to describe. 



"1. Grey variety. — The nose, cheek, around the eyes extending to 

 the insertion of the neck, the upper surface of the fore, and hind feet, 

 and a stripe along the sides, yellowish brown ; the ears on their posterior 

 surface are a soiled white, edged with brown ; on the back from the shoul- 

 der there is an obscure stripe of brown, broadest at its commencement, 

 and running down to a point at the insertion of the tail; in a few speci- 

 mens this stripe is wanting. On the neck, sides, and hips the color is 

 light grey; the hairs separately are for one half their length dark ciner- 

 eous, then light umber, then a narrow mark of black, and tipt with white; 

 a considerable number of black hairs are interspersed, giving it above a 

 grey color ; the hairs in the tail are light yellowish brown from the roots, 

 with three stripes of black, the outer one being widest, and broadly tipt 

 with white ; the whole under surface is white, 



2. Blacl: variety. — This variety I have, on several occasions, seen 

 taken from the same nest with the grey squirrel. They breed and rear 

 their young together, and the observations made with regard to the fox 

 squirrel will also apply to these. This is of the size and form of the grey 

 variety; it is a dark brownish black on the whole of the upper surface. 



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