THE SQUIRREL 



(Sciurus vulgaris) 



OF all the smaller animals inhabiting the forests of Great Britain and the 

 Continent, none is better known, more graceful in its actions, or more 

 charming in its appearance than the squirrel, the typical representative of 

 a vast family of rodents, second in number only to the members of the mouse 

 tribe, and having an almost cosmopolitan distribution, although unknown in 

 Australia. The European species, like the great majority of its immediate relatives, 

 is completely arboreal in its habits, and frequents for choice dry and shady forests 

 where there is abundance of tall trees. Its range includes practically the whole of 

 Europe and a considerable portion of northern Asia ; but, as might be expected, 

 there is considerable local variation in the matter of colour in different parts of this 

 extensive area, and the British squirrel differs markedly from the typical Swedish 

 representative of the species. There are, moreover, especially in the British race, 

 seasonal changes of colour, which render its appearance very different. 



During the winter months the British squirrel {Sciurus vulgaris leucurus) 

 is a foxy coloured rodent, with long tufts of hair to the summits of the ears and the 

 tail practically the same colour as the body. In the spring the long winter coat of 

 the head and body is exchanged for a shorter summer dress and the ears lose their 

 tufts ; but the hairs of the tail are not changed, and consequently become dirty 

 white, owing to the bleaching effect of light on their colour. This dirty white or 

 cream-coloured tint of the tail in summer is absolutely characteristic of the British 

 squirrel ; and it may be added that even in winter this appendage is much less 

 red than in many continental squirrels, being in fact reddish brown. 



In the typical squirrel [S. v. typicus), of southern Norway and Sweden, the 

 body in summer has a brownish red coat very similar to that of the British race ; 

 but the tail is red, and does not bleach when the hairs are old and worn. In 

 winter the body-coat is soft greyish brown in colour, with traces of the summer 

 tint along the middle line of the back and on the limbs. We now come to the 

 subject of our illustration, which shows the German race of the squirrel (S. v. 

 rutilans) in its winter coat. In this variety the colour is bright red at all seasons, 

 although there is a tinge of light smoky grey along the flanks in winter ; the tail 

 being at all seasons bright rufous, often rather darker than the body. There is, 

 however, a brown phase of this race ; and all continental squirrels exhibit a more 

 or less marked tendency towards individual melanism. 



Omitting mention of several other red or reddish races of the species met 

 with in various parts of the Continent, reference may be made to the Grecian 



