i2 4 8 THE RODENTS 



in the earth. Old logs, stumps, wood piles, and brush heaps, are favorite places of 

 resort, and, by excavating burrows beneath, he converts them into the securest of 

 retreats. . . . As might be inferred from the boreal distribution of this animal, 

 he is the hardiest of our squirrels. Not only does he inhabit regions where the rigors 

 of an Arctic winter are keenly felt, but refusing to hibernate, he remains active 

 throughout the continuance of excessive cold; when running upon the snow, he of- 

 ten plunges down out of sight, tunnels a little distance, and, reappearing, shakes 

 the snow from his head and body, whisks his tail, and skips along as lightly and 

 with as much apparent pleasure as if returning from a bath in some rippling brook 

 during the heat of a summer's afternoon." This squirrel is fond of a variety of 

 fruits, and also sucks the eggs and kills the young of the smaller birds. The young 

 are generally born early in April, and usually include from four to six in a litter. 



This species is of small size, with a relatively-short tail, and short tufts to the 

 ears in winter; its usual color being grayish, more or less mixed with yellowish or 

 reddish above, and generally white below. It shows dusky markings on the back, 

 and sometimes also on the under parts. Its geographical range includes the north- 

 ern half of North America. 



The gray squirrel is a more southerly species, extending from the south of 

 Canada to Mexico and Guatemala. In size it is superior to the last, and its tail is 

 proportionately longer, while there are no ear tufts. Its usual color is whitish gray 

 above, varied with fulvous, and white below; the flanks being marked with a pale 

 fulvous line. There are, however, numerous varieties, one of which is dark olive 

 brown above, and gray beneath. In habits this species seems to be more like the 

 common squirrel, being extremely wary and alert, and partially hibernating during 

 the winter. It buries its stores of food just beneath the surface of the ground in 

 various parts of the woods. In confinement these squirrels form charming little 

 pets. There are at least seven other well-defined representatives of the genus in 

 North and Central America, and several others in the southern half of the same 

 continent. 



As already mentioned, squirrels attain their maximum development 



of size and species, as well as their most brilliant coloration, in the 

 Squirrels 



Oriental region, and especially in its Malayan portion. 



In India and Burma, Mr. Blanford recognizes no less than twenty species of 

 squirrels, three of which are of large size, measuring not less than a foot from the 

 nose to the root of the tail, while eleven vary from ten to seven inches in length, 

 and all the remainder are small, striped species, averaging from five to seven inches 

 in length. The medium and smaller species retain the first premolar tooth of the 

 upper jaw, which is usually lost in those of the largest groups. Among the first 

 two groups some of the better known are the large Indian squirrel (S. indicus), 

 with tufted ears, which is not known to the east of the Bay of Bengal, the large 

 Malayan squirrel (S. bicolor), ranging from the Eastern Himalayas to Borneo, the 

 golden-backed squirrel (S. caniceps), already alluded to as the one which assumes 

 a special breeding dress, although this is confined to one variety of the species, and 

 the nearty-allied Irawadi squirrel (S. Pygerythnts] , in which the length of the head 

 and body is about nine inches, and the ears have no tufts. 



