38 



Sciurus ludovicianus vicinus Bangs. Northeastern 

 Fox Squirrel. 



This Fox Squirrel was probably a common inhabitant of 

 Westchester County in former times but is now extinct here. 



Dr. Merriam 9 , quoting Dr. J. Bachman, who wrote in 

 1839, speaks thus of it, 'In the northern part of New York 

 it is exceedingly rare, as I only saw two pairs during fifteen 

 years of close observation. In the lower part of that state, 

 however, it appears to be more common, as I recently 

 received several specimens procured hi the County of 

 Orange.' DeKay 5 , 1842, states that its habits and distri- 

 bution are the same as those of S. c. leueotis. 



I have never seen a specimen of this Squirrel from this 

 vicinity and the only record I can find is one given by Dr. 

 Fisher 6 in his list of Sing Sing mammals (p. 197) who says, 

 ' Mr. Gilbert C. Merritt once informed me that he had killed 

 several Fox Squirrels in the Chappaqua hills about the }^ear 

 1850. Of late none have been heard of even in that wild 

 region.' 



Tamias striatus (Linnceus). Southeastern Chipmunk. 



This familiar little rodent is everywhere common in the 

 county, but its numbers are subject to great periodical 

 fluctuations. For a number of years they may be fairly 

 numerous and then for a period of several years few if any 

 Chipmunks will be seen. 



The Chipmunk is less arboreal in its habits than any of 

 the other squirrels found here, and constructs an under- 

 ground burrow in which it spends the greater part of its 

 time. It is in this species that we find the industrious habit 

 of storing up a winter's supply of nuts- most fully developed 

 and by means of the cheek pouches with which it is provided, 

 it is better adapted for collecting its winter hoard of eatables. 

 Chipmunks continue to collect food until cold weather has 

 set in, when they retire to then burrows, where they pass the 



