RICHARDSON'S SQUIRREL. 



ALLAN BROOKS. 



Several times in recent numbers of 

 Recreation contributors have referred to 

 or have asked for information regarding 

 the pine squirrel of the Western States. 

 This is the common name throughout that 

 region, and an apt one, for Richardson's 

 squirrel. As far as can be gleaned from 

 the Biological Survey reports the range of 

 this squirrel, roughly speaking, lies be- 

 tween the Rocky and the Cascade ir>oun- 



In September, while the fir cones are 

 still green, these squirrels commence their 

 harvest and continue hard at work during 

 the next 2 months, dropping the cones to 

 the ground and afterward storing them in 

 underground caches. On a fine morning 

 in early autumn in a squirrel inhabited 

 wood the pattering of the cones on the 

 fallen leaves resembles the commencement 

 of a heavy thunder shower. The topmost 



J\\\m\ bVeok?" 



RICHARDSON'S SQUIRREL. SCIURUS HUDSONIUS RICHARDSONI. 



tains, in the Northwestern States and Brit- 

 ish Columbia, including both slopes of the 

 former and the Eastern slope of the latter 

 range. West of the Cascades it is repre- 

 sented by several allied subspecies, of 

 which Douglas' squirrel is typical; and to 

 the North it merges into the Alaskan form 

 of red squirrel. It is closely allied to the 

 Eastern red squirrel, or chickaree, and to 

 its Northern subspecies, from which it 

 can be told by the black subterminal por- 

 tion of its tail. 



As the timbered regions of the West are 

 pre-eminently coniferous, the food of Rich- 

 ardson's squirrel consists almost entirely 

 of the seeds of the different species of firs, 

 spruces and pines, supplemented when 

 procurable by hazel nuts, acorns, berries 

 and rose hips. 



branches, being the most prolific, are at- 

 tended to first, the squirrels working from 

 the base of each small branch out to the 

 tip, cutting off every cone in their course; 

 then back to the trunk and the next 

 branch is attended to in the same manner. 

 The cones of the Douglas' fir are their fa- 

 vorites when procurable, but at high ele- 

 vations the different species of spruce and 

 balsam constitute their principal food. 

 Many species of pine cones are also used, 

 but the flinty cones of the jack pine seem 

 to be broken into only when all other 

 cones are absent. As a result of this, 

 when a district is deforested by fire, the 

 second growth is mainly jack pine, the 

 cones of which often require the agency 

 of fire to open enough to let the seed 

 escape. When feeding on balsam cones 



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