'»°9-] THE CAYUGA LAKE BASIN, N. Y. 453 



355 (765a). Saxicola oenanthe leucorhoa (Gmelin). Wheatear. 

 A young female was taken in the town of Junius, Seneca Co., 



September 9, 1872, by C. J. Hampton. The specimen is now in the 

 collection of E. H. Eaton. 



356 (766). Sialia sialis (Linnaeus). Bluebird. 



Common summer resident. The average date of spring arrival 

 is March 9, the earliest, February 24, 1906. It is abundant through 

 the larger part of October. Usually by the first of November all 

 have departed. Eggs are found from March 30 to June i. 



F. Class MAMMALIA. 



XXXVIII. Order MARSUPIALIA. The Pouched Animals. 

 84. Family Didelphidid^e. The Opossums. 



357. Didelphis virginiana Kerr. The Virginia opossum. 



The opossum has been captured in the vicinity of Ithaca at 

 various times since i860. F. C. Hill has mentioned^'- the escape of 

 a female and twelve young from Dr. B. G. Wilder's laboratory at 

 Ithaca about 1878. There are no museum records of this escape 

 and Dr. Wilder has no recollection of such. In the summer of 

 1896 seven individuals escaped from a cage in the Renwick Park 

 where they were on exhibition. During the following six or 

 seven years numerous specimens were captured about Ithaca, while 

 prior to that time none bad been seen for a number of years. The 

 latest record is a male captured in the fall of 1903. Dr. Wilder's 

 notes record specimens taken in i860 and 1872 long before any 

 individuals were known to have escaped from captivity. 



XXXIX. Order GLIRES. The Rodents. 

 85. Family Sciurid^. The Squirrels. 



358. Sciurus hudsonicus loquax Bangs. Southern red squirrel. 

 This species is by far our most common diurnal mammal. It 



is not confined to any particular habitat, being found alike in all 



" Hill, F. C, " The Opossum at Elmira, N. Y.," Am. Nat., Vol. 16, 1882, 

 p. 403- 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



