i4fi CAT-SQUIRREL. 



pistratus ; not as smooth as in S. migratorius. Hinder parts heavy, 

 giving it a clumsy appearance. Tail, long, broad, and flat, rather less 

 distichous than in S. capistratus, or S. migratorius ; feet, shorter than in 

 the former. Nails, strong, compressed, moderately arched, and acute. 



Perhaps none of our squirrels are subject to greater varieties of colour 

 than the present ; we have seen specimens in (formerly) Peale's museum, 

 of every tint, from light-gray almost to black. Two others that came 

 under our observation, were nearly white, and had not red or pink eyes, 

 which last, are a characteristic mark of that variety in any animal which 

 is commonly called an albino. 



Between the varieties of our present species, and the almost equally 

 numerous varieties of the fox-squirrel, (S. capistratus^ there may be re- 

 marked an important difference. In the latter species the varieties are 

 generally permanent, scarcely any specimens being found of intermediate 

 colour, between the well-known shades which exist in different localities 

 or families, whilst in the former, every variety of tint can be observed, 

 and scarcely two can be found exactly alike. The prevailing variety, 

 or colour, however, is gray, and one of this colour we will now describe 

 from a specimen before us. 



Teeth, orange ; nails, dark-brown near the base, lighter at the extre- 

 mities. On the cheeks, a slight tinge of yellowsh-bro\^Ti, extending to 

 the junction of the head with the neck ; inner surface of the ears, yellow- 

 ish-brown ; outer surface of the ear, fur soft and woolly in appearance, 

 extending a little beyond the margin, light cinereous edged with rusty- 

 brown. Whiskers both black and white, the black ones most numerous ; 

 under the throat, inner surface of the legs and thighs, and the whole un- 

 der-fur, white, producing an iron-gray colour at the surface ; tail, less 

 flat and distichous, (being rather more rounded, and narrower.) than in 

 many other species of this genus, composed of hairs which separately 

 examined are of a dull white near the roots, succeeded by a narrow 

 marking of black, then white, followed by a broad line of black, and 

 broadly tipped with white. 



Another specimen is dark-gray on the back and head, with a mix- 

 ture of black and cinereous on the feet, thighs, and under-surface. Whis- 

 kers, nearly all white. The markings on the tail, are similar to those of 

 the other specimen. A third specimen, obtained from Pennsylvania, is 

 dark yellowish-bro^\Ti on the upper-surface ; legs and belly, of a bright, 

 orange-colour. A fourth specimen, obtained in the New York market, 

 is grayish-brown above, and black beneath. The bones of this species 



