1899.] ON EUBOPEAN SQUIRRELS. 5 



It differed from the Continental »Squirrel of all localities in the 

 fact that the tail was never red (except occasionally iu a few quite 

 young specimens, and then never so bright as in Continental 

 specimens), but brown, and that it bleached regularly each season 

 to a dirty cream or straw-colour. 



On the Continent of Europe the Squirrels of all localities were 

 greatly affected with total or partial melanism, which made them 

 rather a difficult subject for study. Excluding the melanisms, 

 which had from time to time received names, — such as iS. nujer 

 Kerr 1792, from Lake Baikal, S. alj^intis E. Cuvier 1821, from 

 the Pyrenees, and JS. italicus Bp. 1838, from Italy,- — Mr. Barrett- 

 Hamilton stated that he knew of three subspecies of Squirrel 

 in Northern and Central Europe, of which the first was 

 found in Germany, Northern France, Belgium, Holland, and 

 Switzerland, and was distinguishable all the year round by its 

 bright red colour. In the North and East, the Central European 

 Squirrel met and intergraded with a lighter red form, which in 

 winter became almost grey, while the typical S. vuhjaris of 

 Linnaeus woidd appear to be restricted to a comparatively small 

 area in South Scandinavia. The latter approached nearest to 

 ;S'. leucuTHs, but was at once distinguishable by the redness of the 

 tail, which, moreover, did not bleach. To all these forms, except 

 the typical S. vuhjaris, the names given to them by Robert Kerr 

 in 1792 appeared to be applicable. Their distribution was in 

 accordance with what might be expected from a knowledge of the 

 existing climatic conditions of Europe ; and it was interesting to 

 find the milder portions of Scandinavia inhabited by a Squirrel 

 which approached more nearly to the British than to any other 

 form. The occurrence of this form might be parallel to that of a 

 Wren, Troglodytes hergensis, which had been described by Stejneger 

 from South Scandinavia. It was also interesting to find that the 

 light red Squirrel of Northern Scandinavia, Lapland, and Russia 

 occurred farther south in proportion to the extension of its range 

 eastward and inland, and was thus found in Poland, Eastern 

 Prussia, and Hungary. 



Of the Squirrels of South Europe he had nothing to saj^ for 

 the present. For the proper appreciation of the local coloiu- 

 vai'iations of the common European mammals a large series of 

 skins collected in different localities was essential, and the little 

 already accomplished towards the accumulation of such a series 

 had been largely due to the energy of Mr. Oldfield Thomas. 



The following was a brief diagnosis of the colour-distinctions of 

 the European subspecies of Sciurus vulgaris, together with that of 

 one subspecies from Siberia : — 



Sciurus vulgaris rueus Kerr, Animal Kingdom, p. 255 (1792). 



Bab. Central Europe : North of France, Belgium, Holland, 

 Germany (except the east), Switzerland, and parts of Northern 

 Austi'ia. 



Colour — of ear-tufts, body, and tail red all the year round, the 



