PRELIMINARY LIST OF THE MAMMALS OF NEW YORK 305 



Type locality. Region between York and Lake Simcoe, Ontario, 

 Canada. 



Faimal position. Transition zone and lowermost part of Canadian zone. 



Habitat. " Hardwood forests and groves of oak, chestnut and hickory" 

 (Bangs, '96c, p. 155). The gray squirrel is often abundant in parks, 

 cemeteries and the outskirts of towns and cities. 



Distribution in New York. The distribution of the gray squirrel in 

 New York is remarkably irregular. The animal is often abundant in 

 localities where it would not be expected to thrive, and as unaccountably 

 absent from others The cause of this irregularity is probably to be 

 found in some variation in the food supply. That food has a very 

 marked influence on the periodical increase and decrease of gray squirrels 

 is well known. Dr Merriam writes, " This species . . . varies in abun- 

 dance from year to year according to the conditions of the nut crop. 

 . . . My notes show that the beechnut crop was good in the autumns of 

 1871, 1873, 1875, 1877, 1879, 1881, 1883 — always on the odd years — 

 while on the alternate seasons it failed. And strange as it may at first 

 sight appear, squirrels are usually most numerous during the summer and 

 early autumn of those years when there are few or no nuts. The reason 

 is this : when the yield is large there is a noticeable influx of squirrels 

 from distant parts, and they, together with those that were here at the 

 time, winter well having an abundance of food, and breed here the follow- 

 ing spring. During the summer and early autumn a multitude of young 

 now nearly full grown mingle with the parent stock. Hence the species 

 attains at this time its maximum in numbers. But this is the year when 

 the nut crop is a failure. Therefore, as the fall advances and they find 

 there is a scarcity of provision for the winter many of them migrate, we 

 know not where. Then come the October " squirrel hunts " — a disgrace 

 to the state as well as to the thoughtless men and boys who 

 participate in them — and the number left to winter is deplorably small. 



"As the abundance of the gray squirrel in winter is governed by the 

 supply of beechnuts so is the presence at this season of its assailant, the 

 red-headed woodpecker {Mela?ierpes erythrocephahis) determined by the 

 same cause. I have elsewhere called attention to this fact, remarking 

 that ' with us a squirrel year is synonymous with a good year for Melan- 

 erpes, and vice versa' ['8ib, p. 347]. Gray squirrels, red-headed wood- 

 peckers and beechnuts were numerous during the winters of 1871-72, 

 1873-74, 1875-76, 1877-78, 1879-80, 1881-82, 1883-84 while during 

 the alternate years the squirrels and nuts were scarce, and the wood- 

 peckers altogether absent." ('84d, p. 127-28). 



