76 SQUIRRELS, MARMOTS AND PIKAS. 



specimens in the forests of West Shansi. These, for the present, have 

 been assigned to the Kansu species. The natives brought me several 

 live specimens, one of which I kept for some months. It became 

 very tame, but died during the summer heat. Very lively and active, 

 the members of this genus are amongst the most beautiful denizens 

 of the forests. They are nocturnal in their habits. During the day 

 they hide in holes in hollow trees, coming out at dusk to play about 

 and gambol in the prettiest way. Racing up one tree to its topmost 

 branch, they fling themselves into the air, with legs outstretched, 

 and glide swiftly towards the trunk of another. At the end of the 

 flight they rise slightly and alight upon the desired tree, when they 

 scramble upward to repeat the manreuvre. At the slightest sign of 

 danger they dodge behind the tree trunk, or press themselves flat 

 upon the limb, when their protective colouring at once renders them 

 invisible. 



Other species have been described from Japan, Saghalien and 

 Corea. 



One of the commonest squirrels in North China is David's squirrel 

 (Sciurotbmias davidianus), wh'ich belongs to a genus intermediate 

 between the squirrels and the chipmunks or ground squirrels. About 

 the size and appearance of the common squirrel, it is at, once dis- 

 tinguishable by the absence of ear-tufts, and the browner colouring, 

 which is caused by the otherwise grey hairs being tipped with buff. 

 The long hairs of the bushy tail are tipped with white. A light buff 

 ring encircles, the eye and there is a light patch behind the ear. The 

 belly is grey washed with buff. 



This species occurs in mountainous and hilly regions all over 

 North China. It possesses large cheek-pouches, in which particular 

 it differs from the common squirrel, but resembles the chipmunks. 

 Though it can climb trees, it is more of a rock and cliff inhabiting 

 species, nesting in deep cracks and crannies. 



I found these squirrels extremely plentiful in the mountains of 

 South Shensi. Here the natives told me they form a regular pest, 

 and are as bad as rats in the way they enter the houses and steal 

 grain and food. 



The chipmunks are little striped squirrels, which keep to the ground, 

 excavating deep burrows, and living chiefly upon the seeds of herbs 

 and small plants. These they store in specially constructed chambers 

 in their burrows. They are graceful little creatures, being beautifully 

 marked. The crown is of a grizzled brown, while the sides of the 

 head are marked with three bands of dark brown, which extend 



