ANIMALS. 30j 



to cliange colour in winter. The Barbary squirrel, of which 

 Air Biiffon makes three varieties, is of a mixed colour, between 

 red and black. Along the sides there are white and brown lines, 

 which render this animal wery beautiful ; but what still adds to 

 its elegance is that the belly is of a sky blue, surrounded with 

 white. Some of these hold up their tail erect ; and others throw 

 ft forward over their body. The Siberian w/iite squirrelis of the 

 size of a common squirrel. The Carolina black squirrel is much 

 bigger than the former, and sometimes tipjied with white at all 

 the extremities. The Brasiliun squirrel, which Mr Buffon calls 

 the coquallin, is a beautiful animal of this kind, and very remark- 

 able for the variety of its colours. Its belly is of a bright yellow ; 

 its head and body variegated with white, black, brown, and 

 orange colour. It wants the tufts at the extremity of its ears ; 

 and does not climb trees, as most of the kind are seen to do. 

 To this list may be added the little ground squirrel of Carolina, 

 of a reddish colour, and blackish stripes on each side ; and, like 

 the former, not delighting in trees. Lastly, the squirrel of New 

 Spain, which is of a deep iron-grey colour, with seven longitu- 

 dinal whitish streaks along the sides of the male, and five along 

 those of the female. As for the flying squirrels, they are a dis- 

 tinct kind, and shall be treated of by themselves. 



These, which I suppose to be but a few of the numerous 

 varieties of the squirrel, sufScieutly serve to show how extensive 

 this animal is diffused over all parts of the world. It is not to 

 be supposed, however, that every variety is capable of sustaining 

 every climate ; for few animals are so tender, or so little able to 

 andure a change of abode, as this. Those bred in the tropical 

 climates, will only live near a warm sun ; while, on the con- 

 trary, the squirrel of Siberia will scarce endure the temperature 

 of ours. These varieties do not only differ, in their constitutions 

 and colour, but in their dispositions also ; for while some live on 

 the tops of trees, others feed, like rabbits, on vegetables below. 

 Whether any of these, so variously coloured, and so differentlr 

 disposed, would breed among each other, we cannot tell : anJ 

 since, therefore, we are left in uncertainty upon this point, \T2 

 are at liberty either to consider each as a distinct species by it- 

 self; or only a variety, that accident might have originally pro- 

 duced, and that the climiite or soil might have continued. For 

 my own part, as the original character of the squirrel is so 



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