SCIURID.S. 



SCIURIDiE. 



ros 



Sir John lUchardson remark* that the tciunu (Tamait) Lyileri of 

 Ray, the Hackee of the United State*. OUihoin of the Uurons, Stripe<l 

 Dormouse of Pennaut, is considered by the author of the above 

 description, and subsequent writers, to bo the same with the Asiatic 

 & ttriattu; but he adds tliat the descriptions given of the latter do 

 not exactly correspond with American specimens, and that he U not 

 aware that the identity of the species on the two continents has boon 

 established by actual comparison. He allows however that the obser- 

 vations of Pallas regarding the manners and form of the Asiatic 

 animal apply exactly to the American one. 



The Hackee, Sir John Kichardson states, is common on the north shores 

 of lakes Huron and Superior; but he does not believe Unit it exist* iu 

 a higher latitude than the 50th parallel. Although very wild, it is, he 

 says, fond of establishing its abode in the immediate vicinity of 

 man, and multiplies greatly in cultivated places. ('Fauna Borcali- 

 Ainericana,') 



T. Palmarum is the Muttcla Africana of Clusius ; Sciurtu Paimanun 

 of Liumcus ; and Le Primiste of Buffon. Pennant thus describes the 

 species : " Squirrel with plain oars ; an obscure pale yellow stripe 

 on the middle of the back, another on each side, a third on each side 

 of the belly ; the two last at times very faint ; rest of the hair on the 

 aides, back, and head, block and red, very closely mixed ; that on the 

 thighs and legs more red ; belly pale yellow; hair on the tail does not 

 He flat, but encircles it, is coarse, and of a dirty yellow barred with 

 black. Authors describe this kind with only three stripes : this had 

 fire, so possibly they vary." Length about 13 inches, of which the 

 tail measures 6 inches. 



Vary they certainly do, for Mr. Bennett has 6gured two marked 

 varieties in his ' Zoological Gardens." One was perfectly black, and 

 exhibited no traces of the usual stripes. The other variety had red 

 eyes, and appeared to be an albino : it was of a dull reddish-white, 

 marked with three very faint stripes of a still lighter hue. They were 

 presented to the Zoological Society in 1823. 



The Palm Squirrels, which derive their name from being often seen 

 on those trees, are common about Indian towns and villages, dwelling 

 about the roofs of houses and old walls. The female lays her young 

 in holes of old walls. They are great destroyers of fruit, but are 

 Tory familiar, entering houses to pick up the crumbs. Pennant states 

 that Governor Loteu informed him that they lived much in the cocoa- 

 trees, and were very fond of the Sury, or palm-wine, which is procured 

 from the tree ; from which it obtained, among the Indians, the name 

 of Suricatsje, or the little cat of the Sury. 



T. qvadrimdatui, Four-Banded Pouched Squirrel, is the Four-Lined 

 Squirrel of Qodman, and Sassacka-Wappiscoos of the Cree Indians. 

 Head long, tapering considerably from the eyes to the end of the 

 nose, which u not however remarkably sharp. Mouth situated far 

 back ; whiskers black and rather shorter than the head ; eyes small 

 when compared with a true squirrel ; ears erect, semi-ovate, obtuse, 

 and flat, except a slight duplicature at the base of the anterior margin ; 

 it is covered on both sides with a coat of short hair ; cheek-pouches 

 extending to the angle of the jaw. Body more slender than that of 

 the squirrels in general. Five blackish lines and four alternating 

 white ones occupy the whole back ; sides reddish-brown, under parts 

 gray : tail long and slender, exhibiting dusky and light-brown colours. 

 Length 9 inches 9 lines ; of which the tail measures 4 inches 3 lines. 



Sir John Richardson, from whose long and accurate description the 

 above characters are drawn, states that this diminutive Ground- 

 Squirrel u common throughout the woody districts, as far north as 

 Great Slave Lake, if not farther. It is found, he tells us, at the south 

 end of Lake Winipeg, in 50 N. lat, aud, within that range, seems to 

 replace Sciurut Lytttri. (' Fauna Boreali- Americana.') 



.Sciurw (True Squirrels). A slight depression of the frontal bones, 

 and a very slight posterior projection of the same; profile of the 

 face very nearly straight ; cranial cavity as long as two-thirds of the 

 face. No cheek-pouches. Tail distichous. 



The species are found in Europe, Asia, India and Indian Islands, 

 Africa, North America, South America, and West Indian Islands. 



8. rulgaru (the Common Squirrel). It is the Kcureuil of the French ; 

 Scojattolo, Schiarro, and Scbiaratto of the Italians; Arda, Anlilla, 

 and Esquilo of the Spaniards ; Ciuro of the Portuguese ; Kirhhont 

 and Eichhumchen of the Germans ; Iiikhoorn of the Dutch ; Ikorn 

 and Graskin of the Swedes; Kkoni of the Danes; and Gwiwair of 

 the Welsh. 



The length of the Common Squirrel, including the tail (which last 

 measures about 6 inches 3 lines), is about 14 inches 9 lines. Mr. Bell, 

 after stating that it is liable to considerable variety of colour, becoming 

 gray in the northern regions, and quoting the passage in ' Lachesis 

 Lapponica,' which relates how the inhabitants of the Lapland Alps 

 procure a number of this species in their gray or winter clothing for 

 the sake of their ikins, proceeds to remark that even in this country 

 a certain degree of change takes place in the colour of the fur in 

 spring and autumn. Mr. lllyth informed him of this fact In summer 

 the fur is coarser and morn uniformly red, and the pencils of hairs 

 on the pars are lost; in winter a grayih tint appears on the sides, 

 the pencils on the ears are long and well developed, and the fur is 

 softer and fuller. In July, and not till then, the summer change is 

 perfect It is found generally in Europe and the north of Asia. 

 " This animal," soys Pennant, " U remarkably neat, lively, active, 



and provident ; never leaves its food to chance, but secures in some 

 tollow tree a vast magazine of nuts for winter provision. In the 

 summer it feeds on the buds and young shoots, and is particularly 

 bnd of those of the fir and pine, and also of the young cones. It 

 makes its nest of the moss or dry leaves, between the fork of two 

 jranches, and brings four or five young at a time. Squirrels are in 

 leat early in the spring, when it is very divei -tini: to noo tin-, female 

 'eigning an escape from the pursuit of two or three male*, ami to 

 observe the various proofs they give of their agility, which in thru 

 exerted in full force." 



.S. cinema, the Gray Squirrel. Ashy-gray on the upper surface and 

 sides, each hair being marked by alternate rings of black and gray, 

 [uner sides of the limbs and under surface of the body pure white. 

 Tail nearly equal iu length to the body, and when thoroughly 

 developed, completely overshadowing it Both surfaces of the tail 

 similar in colour to the back and sides, the under surface being some- 

 what lighter ; the long diverging hairs ringed in such a manner as to 

 jive the appearance of an external border of white, inclosing a broad 

 band of grayish-black. No decided tinge of brown on the muzzle, 

 nor on the sides of the body, but a slight intermixture of that colour 

 ia visible on the muzzle on close examination. Kan covered with 

 very short close-set hairs, without any appearance of the bushy pencils 

 which surmount those of the Common Squirrel. Size one-third larger 

 than the last-named species. This species is found in nearly the 

 whole of the United States of America. It is most abundant iu 

 Pennsylvania and the Carolinas. 



The nest of the Gray Squirrel, which swarms in some of the 

 localities where it is fouud, is made upon the extremities of branches 

 of trees, and ita food consists of buds, tender shoots, nuts, acorns, 

 aud grain. In winter the provident animal retires to hollow trunks 

 where ita stores have been laid up. The fur is sought after in the 

 market, but the gray skins of the Common Squirrel are considered of 

 more value. They are exceedingly destructive to the crops, especially 

 of maize, and were proscribed accordingly. Pennant says that three 

 pence per head was the reward for every ono killed, and that such a 

 number was destroyed in one year that Pennsylvania alone paid in 

 rewards 80002. of its currency. 



S. niger, the Black Squirrel. "So much confusion," says Sir John 

 Richardson, "has crept into the accounts of tho American squirrels, 

 that great uncertainty respecting the species alluded to by authors 

 must exist until some resident naturalist favour the world with a 

 good monograph of the squirrels of that country. The black squirrels 

 have been considered by some to bo a variety of the & cinereut, or of 

 the S. vulpinus, and by others have been referred to & capiilratiu. 

 M. Dcsmarest describes a Email black squirrel, which is distinguished 

 from the large black variety of the masked squirrel by the softness of 

 its fur. Pennant's black squirrel is evidently tho & capistralta of 

 later writers." 



The Black Squirrel, Is larger than the Kcureuil Gris do la Caroline 

 of M. F. Cnvier (Lesser Oray Squirrel; Pennant, 'Hist Quad.'), and 

 rather smaller than the Large Grey Squirrel of Catesby. It is not 

 an uncommon inhabitant of tho northern shores of lakes Huron and 

 Superior, where the greater and smaller Gray Squirrels are never seen, 

 and is by far the largest squirrel existing on the eastern sides of the 

 Rocky Mountains to the northward of the Great Lakes. 



It is stated that the Gray Squirrel and Block Squirrel make excellent 

 pies ; the flesh tastes like that of tho rabbit, but much more juicy. 

 The Gray Squirrel is a common dish in Virginia. It is usually broiled, 

 and is very palatable. 



.*'. maximiu, the Malabar Squirrel. Upper parts and external 

 surface of tho limbs bright chocolate-brown, which colour terminates 

 abruptly, and is joined by the pale yellowish-brown on the uuder 

 parts, fore-arms, and internal surface of the limbs. Front of the 

 fore-legs, neck, throat, face, and head between tlio ears, lightrr in 

 colour : a broad darker patch on the rest of tho up|n-r part of tint 

 bead extends from the forehead to tho middle of the note. Rick 

 and shoulders sometimes deepening into black. Ears short, coy in, I 

 with long tufted hairs, and brush-like ; from the longer part of each 

 car a narrow line of deep-brown passes downwards ami backwards in 

 an oblique direction. Whiskers scanty, long, and black. Claws 

 incurved and strong, those of the anterior thumbs broad, short, and 

 flattened. Tail distichous, the hairs expanding widely towards tin- 

 extremity, bright chocolate-brown at tho base, black in the middle, 

 and chestnut in the extreme third part. Length about 33 inches, of 

 which the tail measures rather more than one-half. It is a native of 

 the Malabar Coast 



Sounerat appears to have been the first zoologist who observed this 

 richly coloured species, the Urgent of the true Squirrels. It haunts 

 among palm-trees, and is stated to be very fond of the milky juice of 

 the cocoa-nut, as well as of the solid part of tho nut In captivity 

 it is tame and familiar; but it tries its teeth upon most Bub- 

 stances that come within its power, and should be guarded against 

 accordingly. 



S. Gelulut, tho Earbnry, or White-Striped Squirrel ; Barbarian 

 Squirrel of Edwards ; Le Barbaresque of Buffou. Eyes full and 

 black, with white orbits. Head, body, feet, and tail, cinereous inclin- 

 ing to red : lightest on the legs ; sides marked lengthwise with two 

 white stripes : belly white ; tail busby, marked regularly with shades 



