54 MAMMALS OF PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY. 



Luzerne Co. — Some blacks are taken each season in this Co. Three were 

 brought into Pittston, Oct. 20, 1899. — Campbell. Only know of one taken 

 in Luzerne Co. — It was sent to me. — Stocker. 



Lycoming Co. — Not as many black as gray, but numerous. — Parker. 



McKean Co. — Black phase plentiful. Ten times as many blacks as grays. 

 W. C. Dickinson, 1901. 



Monroe Co. — Saw a black fellow 2 years ago (1897). Rare in this Co. — 

 Bisbing. 



Hke Co. — Blacks occasional. — Rothrock. 



Potter Co. — Plenty of blacks. Grays seldom seen here. — Austin. 



Somerset Co. — Blacks rare ; one shot in Shade township, Oct., 1899. — Mc- 

 Henry. Blacks rare in this Co. — Moore, 1900. 



Sullivan Co. — Blacks often seen, but not as plenty as gray. — Bennett, 1901. 

 AJ>0tit I in every 12 is black. — Behr, 1900. 

 '^Susquehanna Co. — I had 2 blacks taken there in Nov., 1898. — Campbell. 



Tioga Co. — Still plenty, but fewer than the gray in 1899. — Babcock. 

 Numerous, but less so than gray in 1899. — Cleveland. 



Union Co. — No blacks killed (to his knowledge) in the Co. for 12 years. 

 Chambers, 1900. 



Venango C^.^^^Blacks plentiful in northeastern part of Co. "I hunted 

 squirrels [there] with father 40 years and blacks always exceeded grays in 

 number." — Dorworth, 1900. 



Washington Co. — See a black occasionally. — Linton, 1900. 



Wayne Co. — Rather rarely see a black. Never as common as gray here. 

 — Goodnough, 1900. Have had several blacks to mount from Wayne Co. — 

 Stocker, 1900. Very few here. — Kellew, 1900. Some left here. — Teeple, 

 1900. Very rare; have seen none for years, — Day, 1900. Occasional and 

 decreasing. Ratio in 1900, i black to 75 grays; 30 years ago ratios nearly 

 equal.— Stevens. 



Wyoming Co. — "I killed two last fall (1899) against 30 or 40 grays." — 

 Robinson. 



Records in N. J. — Passaic Co. — "Very rarely met with [in N. J.]. Have 

 seen but two specimens, both taken in Passaic Co. in December, i860." — 

 Abbott, in Geol. of N. J., 1868, p. 756. 



Remarks. — While a study of the foregoing data gives little light on the 

 cause of melanism in these squirrels, it is worthy of remark that there seems 

 to be a diminution of the relative number of blacks as the country becomes 

 deforested and settled upon. This may be the result ( i) of a change in clima- 

 tological conditions unfavorable to melanism or (2) of the inability of a black 

 squirrel to escape the increasing number of hunters so easily as a gray 

 squirrel, owing to its conspicuous color. In regard to the first suggestion it 



