THE GROUPS OF SQUIREELS 



69 



about the many beautiful and interesting spe- 

 cies of squirrels that are found throughout 

 North America, the number of which is surpris- 

 ingly great. The total number of species and 

 subspecies described is as follows. 



In Mexico and Central America, species, 

 about 2.5, subspecies, about 18, total 43; in the 

 United States and Canada, species, about 60, 

 subspecies, about 67. The total for North 

 America is about 170 species and geographic 

 races. Many of these, however, resemble each 

 other so closely that their differences are too 

 slight for our consideration; and there may be 

 a number that are not entitled to stand as in- 

 dependent forms. 



Nature has divided the many species of North 



graveyard. There is no other animal of equal 

 size that can add so much of hfe and cheerful- 

 ness to a hardwood forest or a meadow as a good 

 healthy squirrel. Why is it that American men 

 and boys kill them so eagerly? Surely the flesh 

 of their little bodies is not needed as food. It 

 has a taste so "gamey " and rank that to many 

 persons it is decidedly unpalatable. Americans 

 are the only white men on earth who eat squir- 

 rels. An Englishman would as readily eat a 

 rat! 



Possibly their flesh was necessary to the hardy 

 but hungry pioneers of the early days; but to- 

 day we have no excuse for shooting any squir- 

 rels, save the quarrelsome red squirrel. Surely 

 no true siiortsman or right-minded boy can 



Photographed by E. Ft. Sanborn, N. Y. Zoological Park. 



GRAY SQUIRREL. 



American squirrels into three easily remem- 

 bered groups, as follows: 



Tree Squirrels, which hve in the tree-tops. 

 Example : Eastern Gray Squirrel. 



Rock Squirrels, which hve in rocks, fences 

 and among the roots of large trees. Example : 

 the Common Chipmunk. 



Ground Squirrels, of prairie countries, which 

 burrow deeply in the earth. Exanijjle; the 

 Striped Spermophile. 



In each of these three groups there are sev- 

 eral important types which must be noticed. 



The Tree-Squirrel Group. 



A patch of timber or a wood lot without squir- 

 rels always conveys an impression of lonesome 

 solitude and something gone, — Uke a country 



find any real "sport" in "potting" squirrels 

 out of the tree-tops. 



Take the common gray squirrel, for example. 

 It is one of the most beautiful and graceful of 

 our native mammals. It is perfectly harmless 

 and as soon as it learns that it is protected, it be- 

 comes so tame as to be a delightful companion 

 on the farm. Thousands of American farmers 

 would fight, were it necessary, to save their 

 squirrels from slaughter. Except the red squir- 

 rel, all tree squirrels should be protected, both 

 by public sentiment and by law. 



Excepting the chickarees, the squirrels which 

 live in the tree-tops are considerably larger than 

 those of other groups, and their tails are much 

 longer. Their characteristic colors are gray, 

 rusty-brown, yellow and black; and as a rule 



