7 6 



RODENTS. 



of man, and uttering its bird-like chirp in every Indian garden. It is commonly 

 found in groves and on the rows of trees bordering the roads in most Indian 

 stations ; but, according to Mr. Blanford, exhibits no especial predilection for palms. 



It generally feeds on the ground 

 in the neighbourhood of trees, 

 and when alarmed seeks refuge 

 in their boughs by darting up 

 the stems with lightning-like 

 rapidity. Dogs newly imported 

 into India invariably take to 

 hunting palm - squirrels, but 

 usually give up the pursuit in 

 a short time as being utterly 

 hopeless. These squirrels fre- 

 quently take up their abode in 

 the roofs of houses, and will 

 freely enter the rooms. In 

 addition to the usual food of 

 its kindred, this species will also 

 consume white ants and other 

 insects. The young two to four 

 in a litter are produced in a 

 large bulky nest of grass or wool, 

 usually placed either in a tree 

 or among the rafters of a house. 

 Extinct The European 



Squirrels. squirrel dates from 

 the deposition of the Norfolk 



" forest-bed," belonging to the earliest series of the Pleistocene period ; but extinct 

 species of the genus are found in formations of Tertiary age down to the upper 

 division of the Eocene. 



THE IRAWADI SQUIRREL. After Anderson. 



THE GROUND-SQUIRRELS, OR CHIPMUNKS. 



The ground-squirrel of Siberia, portions of Eastern Europe, and North 

 America, together with several other closely-allied North American species com- 

 monly known as chipmunks, constitute a group serving to connect the two squirrels 

 with the susliks. Having molar teeth of the same type, the chipmunks are indeed 

 so closely allied to the true squirrels that Dr. Forsyth-Major proposes to include 

 them in the same genus. They differ, however, from both the spiny-squirrels and 

 the true squirrels in the possession of pouches inside the cheeks ; on which account 

 they may, for the present at least, be allowed to stand under the generic title by 

 which they are commonly known. They are further characterised by the sides, or 

 the back and sides together, being marked by longitudinal white or greyish white 

 stripes bordered by black bands. The ears are of medium size or small, and are 

 never tufted with long hair ; while the tail is shorter than the head and body, 



