118 MAMMALIA. 
but little divided; and their cecum is often very voluminous, even more 
so than the stomach. In the subgenus Myoxus, however, this intestine 
is wanting. 
In the whole of this class the brain is almost smooth and without con- 
volutions; the orbits are not separated from the temporal fosse, which 
have but little depth, and the eyes are altogether directed laterally. The 
zygomatic arches, thin and curved below, indicate the weakness of the 
jaws; the fore-arms have nearly lost the power of rotation, and their two 
bones are often united; in a word, the inferiority of these animals is visi- 
ble in most of the details of their organization. Those genera, however, 
which possess stronger clavicles, have a certain degree of dexterity, and 
use their fore feet to convey their food to the mouth. 
Some of them even climb trees with facility; such are the 
Scrurus, Lin. 
The Squirrels, which are distinguished by their strongly compressed 
inferior incisors, and by their long tail furnished with hairs. They have 
four toes before and five behind. The thumb of the fore foot is sometimes 
marked by a tubercle. They have in all four grinders, variously tuber- 
culated, and a very small additional one above in front, that falls at an 
early period. The head is large, and the eyes projecting and lively. 
They are light and active animals, living on trees, and feeding on fruits. 
Scrurus, Cuv. 
In the Squirrel, properly so called, the hairs of the tail are arranged on 
the sides, so as to resemble a large feather. ‘There are a great many 
species in the two continents. 
Se. vulgaris, Buff. VIL. xxxii, Schreb., pl. 212. (The Common 
Squirrel). The back of a lively red; belly white; ears terminated 
by a tuft of hair. Those of the north become of a beautiful ash-blue 
colour on the back during winter, and at this period supply the fur 
known by the name of Petit-Gris (miniver), when stripped from the 
back, and vair when the white part of the belly is attached to the 
portion from the back. 
The American species have no pencils to their ears. Such are 
Sc. cinereus, L.; Petit-Gris of Buff. X. xxv. (The Grey Squir- 
rel of Carolina). Larger than that of Europe; ash~-coloured, with a 
white belly (a). 
Sc. capistratus, Bosc. Sc. cinereus, Schreb. CCXIII, B. (The 
Masked Squirrel). Ash-coloured; head black; muzzle, ears, and 
belly white. Both these species vary in being more or less browa 
—they are sometimes eutirely black. 
GF (a) There is an error in this description. The Sc. cinereus is the cat sqirrel, 
which is cinereous above; white beneath; with a tail less distichous than that of other 
species, longer than the body, and striped with black; inhabits the northern and 
middle states of America. The animal described by Cuvier as S.cénerius is the 
S. Carolinensis, the Little Grey Squirrel.—Ene. Ep. 
