242 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



toes, the thumb being a mere stump, which is much used for 

 holding the nuts while they are being cracked. The tail, which 

 is large and bushy, serves the double purpose of balancing the 

 body whilst leaping through the air, keeping it dry by being 

 folded over its back, and enabling the animal to keep warm when 

 curled around it. 



Squirrels are widely dispersed throughout the world, being 

 absent alone from Australia and Madagascar. In the Palsearctic 

 Region, which stretches from England to Japan, only one species 

 is known, although individuals from various localities are constant 

 to themselves, and slightly different from their neighbours. It 

 is, however, in the Indian and Oriental region that the species 

 reaches its maximum development, and the number of species 

 recorded from that region is very large. Putting aside for the 

 moment the question of species, subspecies, races, varieties, &c., 

 and looking as far as possible at the groups as a whole, we find 

 that they give us such abundant opportunities for the study of 

 colour in nature, and the causes by which it is influenced, that 

 they can but form a valuable lesson to the zoologist, whatever 

 may be his particular line. 



I will preface my remarks by saying at the outset that our 

 knowledge on the subject is very limited, and that at present we 

 are in the position of only recording facts, which, however, may 

 at some future time bear considerable fruit. In the first place, there 

 is the colour of the animals, which, in the case of our English 

 Squirrel, may be roughly called red.* This colour is modified 

 during the course of the yeart by two moults, in spring and 

 autumn, the change taking place in May and October. In its 

 winter dress it is greyish brown in colour, the hairs being long 

 and soft, the tail is of a similar colour, and the ears are also 

 clothed with long brown hairs ; in May all the body-hairs are 

 cast, and are replaced by shorter and coarser hairs of a much 

 redder colour, while the tufts on the ears are not replaced. The 

 hairs of the tail are not moulted at the spring moult. This may 

 seem to be only the natural course of things to an ornithologist, 

 but a moment's thought will at once show us that the causes 



'■'■• For actual descriptious of various European forms, see G. E. H. 

 Barrett-Hamilton, P. Z. S., 1899, p. 3. 

 t See 0. Thomas, Zool. 1896, p. 401. 



