CHAPTER VII 



THE ORDER OF GNAWING ANIMALS 



GLIRES, OR RODENTS 



The Order of Gnawing Animals contains a great many species, and to persons who have not 

 studied it with some attention, it is a chaotic jumble of living creatures. This unsatisfactory con- 

 dition is entirely unnecessary. A few hours' diligent study — under helpful conditions — will give 

 any intelligent person a fair knowledge of the subdivisions of this Order, and an acquaintance 

 with a sufficient number of examples so that each strange North American rodent met with can 

 be referred to its proper Family. 



The first step is to learn the names of the Families, which are as follows: 



O ~ 



co J S 



MS'* 



H ra «« 

 Htf 3 



o 



FAMILIES. 



Squirrel Family, sci-U'ri-dae, . . . 



Sewellel Family, ap-lo-dont'i-dae, 



Beaver Family, cas-tor'I-dae, . . 



Mouse and Rat Family, mur'I-dae 



Pouched Mouse and Rat Family, . . di-poi/i-dae, . . . 



Jumping Mouse Family, za-povi-dae, . . . 



Pocket Gopher Family, ge-o-my'I-dae, . . 



Porcupine Family, e-reth-i-zont-i-dae, 



Pika, or " Chief Hare " Family, . . . o-cho-ton'i-dae. 



Hare and Rabbit Family, LE-POR'I-DAE, . . . 



APPROXIMATE NUMBER 

 OF FULL SPECIES. 



about 72 Species. 



... 4 



... 1 " 



... 171 



... 42 



... 10 " 



... 33 " 



... 2 " 



... 6 " 



... 30 " 



THE SQUIRREL FAMILY. 



In order to avoid recognizing a large number 

 of Families for animals that are closely related, 

 zoologists have agreed that the Squirrel Family 

 shall contain the marmots, and a number of 

 other animals that are closely related to squir- 

 rels. To make this point clear, observe this 

 diagram : 



( Tree Squirrels, Sciurus. 



< Rock Squirrels, Tamias, etc. 



i Ground Squirrels, Citellus. 



{ Prairie-" Dogs," Cynomys. 

 } Woodchucks, . Marmota. 



Flying Squirrels, 



Sciuropterus. 



All these creatures appeal strongly to persons 

 who live in the country, or visit city parks. Go 

 anywhere in the temperate zone, and you will 

 find some of them, ready to greet you, and 



371' 

 make friends with you if you choose. You 

 have but to use your eyes, and you will see them. 

 In the East you have the gray squirrel and 

 chipmunk; in the Mississippi Valley the fox 

 squirrel; on the Great Plains, the ground-squir- 

 rels and prairie-" dogs " ; in the West the Douglas 

 squirrel, and a bewildering array of chipmunks 

 and ground squirrels. He who fails to learn 

 their names, and make friends with them, loses 

 much pleasure. 



The members of the Squirrel Family are so 

 widely distributed, and have grown so accus- 

 tomed to man and his ways, that there are few 

 persons who have not seen at least two or three 

 wild species in their haunts. Their lives are full 

 of incident and interest, and to the young nat- 

 uralist, animal artist or sculptor, they are usually 

 the most available of all wild animal subjects. 



A very attractive book might be written 



1 The subspecies recorded number about 260 ! 



