118 MAMMALIA. 



but little divided ; and their cfficum is often very voluminous, even more 

 so than the stomach. In the subgenus Myoxus, however, this intestine 

 is wanting. 



In the whole of this class the brain is almost smooth and without con- 

 volutions; the orbits are not separated from the temporal fossae, which 

 have but little depth, and the eyes are altogether directed laterally. The 

 zygomatic arches, thin and curved below, indicate the weakness of the 

 jaws ; the fore-arms have nearly lost the power of rotation, and their two 

 bones are often united ; in a word, the inferiority of these animals is visi- 

 ble in most of the details of their organization. Those genera, however, 

 which possess stronger clavicles, have a certain degree of dexterity, and 

 use their fore feet to convey their food to the mouth. 



Some of them even climb trees with facility ; such are the 



SciuRUs, Lin. 



The Squirrels, which are distinguished by their strongly compressed 

 inferior incisors, and by their long tail furnished with hairs. They have 

 four toes before and five behind. The thumb of the fore foot is sometimes 

 marked by a tubercle. They have in all four grinders, variously tuber- 

 culated, and a very small additional one above in front, that falls at an 

 early period. The head is large, and the eyes projecting and lively. 

 They are light and active animals, living on trees, and feeding on fruits. 



SciuRus, Cuv. 



In the Squirrel, properly so called, the hairs of the tail are arranged on 

 the sides, so as to resemble a large feather. There are a great many 

 species in the two continents. 



Sc. vulgaris, Buff. VII. xxxii, Schreb., pi. 212. (The Common 

 Squirrel). The back of a lively red; belly white; ears terminated 

 by a tuft of hair. Those of the north become of a beautiful ash-blue 

 colour on the back during winter, and at this period supply the fur 

 known by the name of Petit-Gris (miniver), when stripped from the 

 back, and vair when the Avhite part of the belly is attached to the 

 portion from the back. 



The American species have no pencils to their ears. Such are 



Sc. cinereus, L. ; Petit-Gris of Buff. X. xxv. (The Grey Squir- 

 rel of Carolina). Larger than that of Europe ; ash-coloured, with a 

 white belly («). 



Sc. capistratus, Bosc. Sc. cinereus, Schreb. CCXIII, B. (The 

 Masked Squirrel). Ash-coloured; head black; muzzle, ears, and 

 belly white. Both these species vary in being more or less brown 

 — they are sometimes entirely black. 



^^ (a) There is an error in this description. The Sc. cinereus is the cat sqirrel, 

 which is cinereous above; white beneath; with a tail less distichous than that of other 

 species, longer than the body, and sti'iped with black; inhabits the northern and 

 middle states of America. The animal described by Cuvier as S. chieriiis is the 

 S. Carolinensis, the Little Grey Squirrel. — Eng. Ed. 



