132 



SCIURID.E. MAMMALIA. SCIURIDJ. 



THE BOKKUL (Sciurus insignia). This squirrel 

 inhabits Sumatra and Java, where, from the observa- 

 tions of Dr. Horsfield, it would appear to be a very rare 

 species. The fur has a tawny greyish-brown colour 

 generally, becoming ferruginous at the sides, and white 

 beneath the belly ; its most characteristic feature con- 

 sists in the presence of black bands, which pass from 

 the region of the shoulder to the root of the tail. The 

 body, including the last-named organ, is about thirteen 

 inches long. This species, in common with other allied 

 forms found in India and the adjacent islands, possesses 

 a cylindrical tail ; the ears are also short and rounded. 



THE BAJING (Sciurus Plantanf) is likewise a Java- 

 nese form, and is extremely abundant everywhere in the 

 island. It was first described by Ljung in the twenty- 

 second volume of the Swedish Transactions. The body 

 is seven inches in length, exclusive of the tail, which 

 rather exceeds this measurement. The fur has a beau- 

 tifully variegated tawny-brown colour ; the inner parts 

 of the limbs and the belly being of a lighter yellow. 

 The tail is banded near its root by several dark rings. 

 The Bajing lives principally among the tamarind and 

 cocoa-nut trees. It is readily tamed. 



THE PALM SQUIRREL (Sciurus palmarum). This 

 title is applied to several small species which are 

 abundant in India and Africa, and are found most com- 

 monly on palm-trees. They commit terrible ravages 

 amongst the fruit, and though much hunted, do not 

 appear to be at all shy. The general ground colour of 

 their fur is reddish-brown, the surface being generally 

 marked with a varying number of bands; the inferior 

 parts of the belly and the inside of the h'mbs are pale 

 yellow; dark-coloured rings also occur on the tail. 

 The body is about a foot in length from the tip of the 

 nose to the extremity of the last-named appendage. 



THE FOUR-BANDED SQUIRREL (Sciurus quadrivit- 

 tatus) is thus named from the circumstance of its 

 displaying four white lines on the back, these being 

 separated from one another by intervening bars of a 

 blackish colour. The sides of the body are reddish- 

 brown, the under parts being lighter coloured. This 

 species inhabits the wooded districts of North America. 

 It is a remarkably lively creature, and when alarmed 

 utters a chirping note, which often proves troublesome 

 to the hunter when in quest of other animals dwelling 

 in the same localities. 



THE GROUND SQUIRREL (Sciurus Lysteri), or 

 HACKEE, is an elegant little species, characterized by 

 the possession of cheek pouches. It has a brownish- 

 grey fur, subsiding into orange, and becoming white 

 beneath the belly. The sides are also marked by a 

 white band bordered with black, extending from the 

 shoulder to the rump. The tail is comparatively short. 

 The Hackee is a native of North America, being 

 abundant on the shores of Lakes Huron and Superior. 



THE ALPINE MARMOT (Arctomys marmotta) 

 Plate 14, fig. 44 is a stout-built animal, about the size 

 of a rabbit, measuring sixteen inches long, excluding 

 the thick-set tail, which gives us six inches more. It 

 inhabits the loftiest slopes of the Alps and Pyrenees, 

 immediately beneath the snow line. The fur has a 

 yellowish-grey colour, becoming brownish-grey about 

 the head. Its food consists of insects, as well as veget- 



able matters. Its burrows in the earth have three 

 chambers and two outlets, several retreating into the 

 same hole. When alarmed they utter shrill cries, and 

 also on the approach of storms. The female produces 

 three or four young at a birth. 



THE POLISH MARMOT (Arctomys Bobac), or BOB AC, 

 is an inhabitant of the smaller hills of eastern Europe 

 and Siberia, extending all the way from Poland to 

 Kamtschatka. The fur exhibits a yellowish-grey colour, 

 the hairs about the head having a russet tint. This 

 species corresponds very closely with the preceding in 

 size and general appearance. 



THE SOUSLIK (Sperjnojjhilus citellus) is a native of 

 Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, and Siberia. It is an 

 attractive-looking species, its greyish-brown fur being 

 prettily marked with small white spots. It belongs to 

 the group of marmots possessing cheek pouches. It is 

 said to have a decided liking for annual food, and will 

 occasionally devour its own species. 



THE QUEBEC MARMOT (Arctomys empetrd) is, as 

 the title implies, a native of Canada. In appearance it 

 closely resembles the bobac, whilst its habits are similar 

 to those of its congeners generally. The fur exhibits a 

 hoary aspect, with shades of brown and black intermixed, 

 passing into reddish orange beneath. The tail is about 

 half the length of the body, and black at the extremity. 



THE SHORT-TAILED MARMOT (Arctomys brachy- 

 urus] is an inhabitant of the plains of Columbia, and is 

 characterized by a brownish-grey fur, variegated with 

 red, this colour becoming more conspicuous underneath 

 the belly. The tail is not shorter than that of several 

 allied species. This animal lives in large companies, 

 a single burrow containing ten or twelve occupants. 

 On being disturbed they utter a shrill whistling cry. 



PENNANTS' MARMOT (Arctomys pruinosus} is de- 

 scribed under the title of the WHISTLER by Harmon 

 and Sir John Richardson. It is a large species; a 

 specimen taken on the banks ol the Mackenzie River 

 measuring twenty-seven inches in length. The fur is 

 long, coarse, and of a yellowish-brown colour, the tail 

 being darker and bushy. The Whistler is found occu- 

 pying the slopes of the Rocky Mountains. The female 

 produces two young at a birth. 



THE MARYLAND MARMOT (Arctomys monax), or 

 WOOD-CHUCK, is a well-known native of the central 

 districts of the United States, where it is regarded by 

 farmers as a pest, since it proves very destructive to 

 the crops of red clover. The habits of these animals 

 are social and diurnal ; for having placed sentinels 

 before their burrows, they wander forth in mid-day to 

 commit their havoc. They are very prolific, the female 

 producing six young at a birth. The fur of the adult 

 has a grey ferruginous colour generally. 



THE PRAIRIE MARMOT (Arctomys latrans), or 

 WISTONWISH, is another American species, abounding 

 on the banks of the Missouri and its tributaries. The 

 fur is of a reddish-brown colour, the inferior parts being 

 whitish. The tail is short and banded near the tip. 

 When alarmed this creature utters a peculiar barking 

 sound, whence it is often called the prairie dog. Its 

 habits are gregarious, hundreds of them forming a 

 colony, where they construct deep burrows ; the entrance 

 to each hole being surrounded by an elevated mound. 



