MEXICAN SQUIRREL. 145 



brown ground-colour, somewhat in the manner 

 of a cat 



MEXICAN SQUIRREL. 



Sciurus Mexicanus. S. cinereo-fuscus, stiiis 5—7 albidis longi- 

 tudinalihus. 



Ash-brown Squirrel, with five or seven longitudinal white 

 stripes. 



Sciunis rarissimus ex Nova Hispania. Seb. i, p. 'j6» 47. 

 /• a. 3. 



Mexican SquirreL Pennant Quadr. 2, p. 149. 



This animal is known only from the figures 

 and description of Seba. It is considerably 

 smaller than a common squirrel, and is of a 

 mouse-colour, with seven white lines or streaks on 

 the back, extending to some distance down the 

 tail. The female has five streaks only. Seba's 

 figure of the male represents it with the tail, as 

 * if furcated at the end into four parts, and in the 

 description this remarkable circumstance is com- 

 memorated ; but as the tail of the female exhi- 

 bits no such appearance, we may conclude that 

 the individual above mentioned was marked by 

 some singular lusus natural. Seba also figures 

 another, of a plain colour, hut which seems either 

 the same species or greatly allied to it. 



V. II. p. I. 



10 



