274 NORTHERN GRAY SQUIRREL. 



lation of Cijvier, vol. i., p. 433,) regarded the Carolina and the Nor- 

 thern Gray Squirrel as identical. 



In 1833 and 1834 Gapper, (Zoological Journal, vol. v., p. 201,) found in 

 Upper Canada an individual, of vrhat -we suppose to be a variety of the 

 Northern Gray Squirrel, with white ears, with the upper parts varied 

 with a mixture of white, black, and ochre, and with a stripe of similar 

 colour along the sides. Supposing it to be a species different from the 

 common gray squirrel, he bestowed on it the characteristic name of Sciu- 

 rus Leucotis (white eared). In our monograph of the genus Sciurus, read 

 before the Zoological Society, (Proceedings ZooL Soc, 1838, Op. Sup., cit., 

 p. 91,) we adopted the name of Gapper, without having seen his descrip- 

 tion, having been informed by competent naturalists that he had describ- 

 ed this species. , 



Having, however, afterwards obtained a copy of the articles of Gap- 

 per, and ascertained that he had described a variety that is very seldom 

 met with, we were anxious to rid our nomenclature of a name which is 

 very inappropriate to this species, and which is calculated constantly 

 to mislead the student of nature. 



Gapper compared his specimen with the Northern Gray Squirrel, and 

 finding that the latter species was gray, and not of an ochreous colour 

 like the one he described, with . ears not white but of the colour of the 

 back, he regarded his variety as a different species. He designated the 

 Northern Gray Squirrel as the Carolina squirrel, the difference between 

 the Northern and Southern Gray Squirrels not having been pointed out 

 till it was done in our monograph four years afterwards. 



As a general rule we adhere to the views entertained by naturalists, 

 that it is best to retain a name once imposed, however inappropriate, 

 unless likely to propagate important errors; in the present instance, 

 however, we propose the name of S. migratorius, as applicable to the 

 wide-ranging habits of this Squirrel, it being the only one in our country 

 that appears to possess this peculiarity. 



The name leucotis is appropriate only to the Southern fox-squirrel, 

 which has permanently, and in all its varieties, white ears. 



We have been somewhat at a loss where to place the species given as 

 the fox-squirrel, S. vuljmms of Dekay, (see Nat. Hist. New York, p. 59,) 

 and have marked our quotation with a doubt. His description does not 

 apply very well to the Pennsylvania fox-squirrel, {S. cinereus,) of which 

 Gmelin's S. vulpinus is only a synonyme. He states indeed, " We suspect 

 that Godman's fox-squirrel as well as his cat-squirrel, are varieties only 

 of the hooded squirrel, and not to be referred to our Northern animal." 

 We have, in our article on S. cinereus, noticed the errors contained in the 



