186 GNAWING ANIMALS 



The California Gray Squirrel 1 is the Pacific coast 

 counterpart of the Eastern gray squirrel, except that it is 

 larger, and its colors are brighter. Its color above is bluish 

 gray and black, and underneath it is pure white. It is the 

 largest squirrel in the far West, its maximum length being 

 12 + 10 inches. Its home extends from the state of Wash- 

 ington to southern California, and it is in every way a worthy 

 product of that fertile and healthful region. 



The Fox Squirrels. — We have now reached two im- 

 portant species, to which the reader must give close atten- 

 tion in order to avoid confusing them with each other, and 

 with the gray squirrel. The Southern species will be pre- 

 sented first, because it has two points by which it can be 

 recognized at a glance. 



The Southern Fox Squirrel 2 is the only squirrel in 

 America which has a pure white nose and white ears. No mat- 

 ter how much the remainder of the animal may vary in color 

 from the standard, in adult specimens the white nose and 

 ears are constant. Typical specimens of this species are col- 

 ored as follows: top of head, black; upper surface, blackish 

 brown; lower surface, lighter brown; tail, dark brown, mar- 

 gined with black. 



Variations occur, of every shade from the above to jet 

 black all over the body, head, and tail; but the ears and nose 

 still are white. 



This animal measures 13 + 12 inches. Its home is east 

 of the Alleghanies from Virginia to Florida, and westward 

 along the Gulf coast to Louisiana. On the map its range 



1 Sci-u'rus gris'e-us. 2 Sci-u'rus ni'ger. 



