302 The Rodentia. 



and hard fruits. They usually bring forth three or four 

 young twice a year, and hibernate to some extent in the 

 colder latitudes. They are ea.sily tamed and make inter- 

 esting and inquisitive pets. 



The American species that approximates closest to the 

 Seiurus- vulgaris is the Chickaree or Red Squirrel (Sciurus- 

 hudsonianus), in fact some naturalists believe that the 

 Chickaree, and the American Grey Squirrel (Sciurus- 

 earolinensis), and the European Common Squirrel are all 

 geographical varieties of the same species, although the 

 American species are uniform in color all over the body 

 while the old world species have w^hite breasts. 



There are many other species or varieties of tree Squir- 

 rels, but those that have been mentioned are the most im- 

 portant, and in fact most of the Avorld's supply of squirrel 

 skins for fur uses is derived from the Sciurus-vulgaris of 

 Russia and Siberia, where the animals have better pelts and 

 thicker, softer fur than those of other regions. 



As early as 1839, 2.730,826 squirrel skins were imported 

 into England alone, and at the present time the number 

 of skins used in different parts of the world is enormous. 

 They are worked up whole, or the backs are cut out to 

 make coats, muffs and neck pieces, Avhile the bellies, which 

 are lighter furred, are used for linings. Many of the 

 skins are dyed and blended sable color, and others are 

 changed so as to make a good imitation of chinchilla. 



Squirrel tails were formerly extensively used in the 

 manufacture of string boas, and the dressed tails were 

 sold b}^ the hundred. The raAV tails are sold by weight, 

 six to nine pounds being the recognized weight of one 

 thousand tails. 



It is a notable fact that the fur of the squirrel, which 

 in red in England, becomes grey as we approach the east- 

 ern part of Europe, and grows darker and darker as we 

 journey further east, until it almost reaches a black color 

 in Japan. The province of Kazan in Russia furnishes red 

 and reddish grey skins, Viatka and Kargopol skins are 

 greyer, and those from Obskoi are a clear grey. Light 

 blue skins are found- in Yeniseisk, and deep blue ones in 

 the valle}^ of the Lena river. In the provinces of Yakutsk, 

 Okhoteh and Sakiminoi the color of the body is a very dark 

 blue and the ears and tails are black. 



