Rocky Mountains. 115 



turned, having taken a deer, a turkey, and three swarms of 

 bees, which afforded us about halt a barrel of honey. On 

 the trees which margin the river, we frequently observed a fine 

 species of squirrel, which possesses all the graceful activity 

 of the common grev squirrel, as it leaps from bough to 

 bough.* After our machinery was adjusted, we resumed 

 our ascent, and had proceeded a short distance, when we 

 were hailed from shore by Mr. Dougherty, who had accom- 

 panied Mr. Say's party across the country. We were not a 

 little surprised at this unexpected meeting, and were appre- 

 hensive some disaster had befallen the detachment. 



Mr. Dougherty being received on board, informed us that 

 Mr. Peale, Mr. Swift, Mr. Seymour, Chaboneau the Indian 



* Sciurus macroura. Say. B xly above each side, mixed gray and 

 black, fur plumbeous, black at base, then pale cinnamon, then black, then 

 cinereous, with a Ion? black tip; ears bright ferruginous behind, the co- 

 lour extending to the base of the fur, which, in its winter dress, is promi- 

 nent beyond the edge; within dull ferruginous, the fur slightly tipped with 

 black; side of the head and orbits pale ferruginous, cheek under the eye 

 and ear dusky; whiskers black, in about hve series, of which the four in- 

 ferior ones are more distinct, hairs a little Hattened; mouth margined 

 with black; teeth reddish j'ellow: head beneath, neck and feet above pale 

 ferruginous; belly paler; fur pale plumbeous at base; palms black; toes, 

 anterior ones four, the thumb tubercle not longer than its lobe in the 

 palm, and furnished with a broad flat nail; posterior toes five; tail beneath 

 bright ferruginous, the colour extending to the base of the fur, with a 

 submarginal black line; above mixed ferruginous and black; fur within 

 pale cinnamon, with the base and three bands black; tip ferruginous. 



From nose to tip of tail (exclusive of the hair) 1 foot 7 1-4 inches. 



Tail, from base to tip ditto 9 1-10 



Ear, from head to tip 3-4 



The most common species of squirrel on the banks of the Missouri 

 river. It is allied to 5. cinereus, but cannot be considered as a variety 

 of that species; neither does it approach any of the numerous varieties of 

 the very variable S. capistratus of Bosc 



The fur of the back in the summer dress is from 3-5 to 7-10 of an inch 

 long; but in the winter dress the longest hairs of the middle of the back 

 are 1 inch and 3-4 in length. This difference in the length )f the hairs, 

 combined with a greater portion of fat, gives to the whole animal a thick- 

 er and shorter appearance; but the colours continue the same, and it 

 is only in this latter season that the ears are fringed, which is the neces- 

 sary consequence of the elongation of the hair. This species was not an 

 unfrequent article of food at our frugal yet social meals at Engineer Can- 

 tonment, and we could always immediately distinguish the bones from 

 those of other animals, by their remarkably red colour. 



The tail is even more voluminous than that of the S. cinereus. 



It seems to approach the Sc. rvfventer. Geoff, v. Diet. D. Hist. Nat. 

 article Ecu. — p. 104. 



