364 



KEI) SQUIRKEL. 

 Sciuriis hudisonicus. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Body longer than the tail; body averages 6i/4 to 71/3 inches 

 long. Weight, about half a pound. (Fox Squirrel, old adults, 

 sometimes weigh fully two pounds). Its rather broad ears, in 

 winter, are coated with long hairs, and those on back of ears 

 form a short tuft. The tail is flat and narrow. In summer, 

 soles of feet are naked, but furred in winter, except tubercles 

 at base of toes. Upper parts grayish rusty; a bright, reddish- 

 brown, broad band extends from the top of head down middle 

 of the back, and on upper surface of the tail. Lower parts, ex- 

 cept the tail, are white or whitish; under surface of tail, rusty, 

 blackish and gray. Eyes, brown; teeth (incisors) yellow. 



Habitat. — This species, "including its varieties, is found over 

 most of North America, extending north to the limit of forest 

 vegetation, and south over the northern two-thirds of the United 

 States." 



The Red Sqiiiii-ol or Chickaree is eominoii through- 

 out this Stal^e. M-awj pei-sons, pafticuhirly those re- 

 siding in the nwuntainous districts, call this animal 

 the Pine Squirrel, or "Piney." It is spoken of some- 

 times bv sportsmen and hunters who are not famil- 

 iar with the Fox Squirrel, as "Fox Squirrel." Of 

 course such an appellation is erroneous and mislead- 

 ing. The Chickaree is not over one-third the size of 

 an old Fox Squirrel, from whicli it can easily be dis- 

 tinguished by its white under parts, brighter-colored 

 dorsal markings, as well as its greatly inferior size. 



ALBINISM. 



Partial or complete albinism is common among 

 birds. We often see white or whitish colored Black- 

 birds, Crows. Sparrows, Hawks. Owls, etc. This freak 

 0^ nature — ^a result of the absence of coloring matter — 

 niay be obseiwed in many mammals; Squirrels, espec- 



