THE NORTHERN FOX SQUIRREL 187 



looks like an arm bent around the range of the next 

 species. 



The Northern Fox Squirrel 1 , or Cat Squirrel, is 

 smaller than the Southern species (1(2 + 11 inches), but very 

 much like it in color, save that its nose and ears never are 

 white. The standard color is rusty -brown, washed with black 

 on the upper surface, and bright brown underneath. 



Variations. — This squirrel is the most variable in color 

 of all our species, and in fifty specimens it may be difficult, 

 or even impossible, to find two exactly alike. Often it has a 

 beautiful gray coat, and looks like a genuine gray squirrel 

 with a brown back and head. Often it is dark gray above, 

 and black on the legs and under-surface, — a strange combina- 

 tion of colors, — and occasionally a pure-white specimen is 

 found. 



This species inhabits the Mississippi Valley from the Alle- 

 ghanies to Arkansas, western Iowa, and northward to Michi- 

 gan and New York. In captivity it seems to be more hardy 

 in winter than the gray squirrel. In the New York Zoological 

 Park it blithely runs about in the snow when the latter takes 

 pains to avoid it. Often the Northern Fox Squirrel will be 

 out when none of the other occupants of the rodents' cages 

 are visible. It seems to me, however, that the Fox Squirrels 

 are not as nimble on foot, or as active and daring in the tree- 

 tops, as the gray squirrels. 



The Red Squirrel, or Chickaree, 2 represents a large 

 group of species containing I lie smaller of the tree squirrels. 

 Its length is 7"' *+.>':> inches, weight 7 1 2 ounces. What it 

 1 Sci-u'rus lu-do-vi-ci-au' us. 2 Sci-u'rus hud-sun' i-c us. 



