SEASONAL CHANGES IN THE COMMON SQUIRREL. 405 



straggling white hairs may remain in position even up to the 

 time that in September the tips of the new tufts begin to show 

 themselves. When tufts of fair size do persist into August, their 

 pure white colour renders them very striking objects. 



Such hairs as may grow on the ear-tips at the time of the 

 spring body-moult only become visible on the fall of the long 

 tufts, and always remain quite short. The short hairs may in 

 fact be compared to the aborted summer tail-covering already 

 referred to, just as the long tufts of the autumn suit correspond 

 to the autumn brush -hairs of the tail. 



III. Head, Body, and Limbs. 



The head, body, and limbs, unlike the tail, instead of having 

 the summer one of the two coats practically aborted, have two 

 new and equally developed coats each year, the summer one rich 

 rufous, and coarse in texture ; the winter one greyish brown, long, 

 soft, and warm. 



So far as Mr. Mansel-Pleydell's specimens show, the whole 

 spring change of coat is begun and completed during the six 

 weeks following the 20th of April. Up to about this date no trace 

 of the fresh coat can be seen, but then it begins to appear, first 

 on the muzzle and tips of the fingers and toes. Spreading back- 

 wards from the first-named part, and bodywards from the others, 

 the new coat gradually supersedes the old one throughout, the 

 face, hands, and feet being the first to change, then the neck, 

 flank, and sides, while the old fur remains last on the rump and 

 backs of the thighs. A patch on the occiput, however, is often 

 later than the back in changing; while, on the other hand, a 

 small patch on the centre of the rump sometimes changes first of 

 all. By May 24th the whole change may be finished, as is the 

 case with one specimen ; while in another, killed the same day, 

 only the anterior half of the back has changed. 



As to colour : the new coat, when first up, say in June, is at 

 its richest and best — bright rufous on the face, withers, flanks, 

 and limbs, but nearly always duller and greyer or brownish on 

 the crown between the ears, and on the posterior back. There 

 is, however, some individual variation in the relative proportions 

 of the grey and rufous. 



From a fully changed end of May specimen to one killed in 

 September, no appreciable difference in the colour, quality, or 



