s c r 
s c i 
food, together with beech-mast, acorns, &c. 
Dr. Pallas also assures us, that those of Si- 
beria collect various kinds of fungi for this 
purpose. In a state of captivity, nuts form 
its principal food, but it will also eat a great 
variety of fruits and other vegetable substan- 
ces, and is delighted with sugar and various 
sweets. 
In some parts of Siberia the squirrel is 
found entirely white, with red eyes. About 
lake Baikal it is often entirely black, or black 
with the belly white ; and in some parts of 
Europe, and particularly in our own country, 
it is occasionally found with the tail milk- 
white, and all the other parts of the usual 
colour. 
3. Sciurus cinereus, grey squirrel. This 
species is confined to North America, in 
many parts of which it is extremely common, 
and in its general form, as well as in its way 
of life, resembles the European squirrel. It 
is a large and elegant animal, being of the 
size of a half-grown rabbit, and measuring 
about twelve inches to the tail ; different in- 
dividuals, however, vary somewhat in point 
of size. The whole animal is of an elegant 
pale-grey, with the insides of the limbs and 
the under parts of the body white. This 
animal is said to be found in Canada, Penn- 
sylvania, Virginia, and other American dis- 
tricts; though, according to Mr. Pennant, 
it scarcely extends farther north than New 
England. Mr. Pennant also allows that it is 
a native of South as well as North America, 
lu the latter it is in some years so extremely 
numerous as to do incredible damage to plan- 
tations, especially those of maize or Indian 
corn ; for which reason it is one of the pro- 
scribed animals among the colonists. This 
species resides principally among trees, in 
the hollows of which it makes its nest, with 
straw, moss, See, feeding on acorns, fir-cones, 
maize, &c. as well as on fruits of various 
kinds. It is said to amass great quantities of 
provision for winter, which it deposits in holes 
which it prepares beneath the roots ol trees, 
&c. It is a difficult animal to kill, changing 
its place on the trees with such expedition, 
as generally to elude the shot of the quickest 
marksman. 
4. Sciurus striatus, the striped squirrel, is 
a native of the northern regions of Asia, and 
of several of the colder parts of North Ame- 
rica ; it lias also been found, though very 
rarely, in some parts of Europe, and differs 
from the major part of the squirrel tribe in 
its manner of life, which rather resembles that 
of the dormouse, being chiefly passed in sub- 
terraneous retreats or burrows, the apart- 
ments of which are filled with various stores 
of acorns, nuts, grain, &c. collected tor win- 
ter use. It also resembles some of the mu- 
rine tribe, in being provided with cheek- 
pouches, for the temporary reception of 
food: a. particularity not to he found in any 
other species of squirrel. Its general length 
is about five inches and a half, and of the tail 
rather more. Its colour on the upper parts 
is a reddish brown, and on the under white ; 
down, the ridge of the back runs a black streak; 
and on each side the body are two others, 
the included space between each being of a 
pale-yellow tinge. 
These animals are, according to the obser- 
vations of Dr. Pallas, extremely common in 
Siberia, inhabiting the maple and birch woods 
of that country, and generally forming their 
nests or burrows near the root of some tree: 
they are never known to ascend trees in the 
manner of other squirrels, unless suddenly 
surprised or pursued, when they climb with 
great expedition, and conceal themselves 
among the branches ; they collect their 
stores during the autumnal season, and on 
the setting in of winter conceal themselves 
in their burrows, the entrances of whioh they 
stop ; and pass the greatest part of the rigo- 
rous season in sleep, and in feeding on their 
collected stores ; but if, by an unusual con- 
tinuance of severe weather, their provisions 
happen to fail, they then sally out in quest 
of fresh supplies, and occasionally make their 
way into granaries, and even into houses. In 
the choice of their food they are remarkably 
nice, and have been observed, after filling 
their pouches with rye, to fling it out on 
meeting with wheat, and replace it with the 
superior grain. They are of a wild nature, 
and are by no means easily reconciled to a 
state of captivity; continuing timid, and 
shewing no symptoms of attachment to their 
owners. They are taken merely on account 
of their skins, which, though forming but a 
slight or ordinary fir , have a very pleasing 
appearance, when properly disposed, and are 
said to be chiefly sold to the Chinese. 
5. Sciurus vo'ans, common flying squir- 
rel. This highly elegant animal is the only 
flying squirrel ' yet discovered in Europe, 
where it is extremely rare, being found 
chiefly in the most northern regions, as in 
Finland, Lapland, & c. It also occurs in 
some districts of Poland. In many parts of 
Asia it is far more common, and abounds in 
the birch and pine woods of Siberia in par- 
ticular. It appears to have, been confounded 
by authors with the Virginian flying squirrel 
(S. volucella), but is a totally distinct species. 
Its colour on the upper parts is an elegant 
pale or whitish grey, and on the under parts 
milk-white. Its general size is inferior to 
that of a common squirrel, measuring about 
six inches and a quarter to the tail, which is 
shorter than the body, thickly furred, of a 
slightly flattened form, and rounded at the 
extremity. The flying squirrel generally 
resides in the hollows of trees towards the 
upper part ; preparing its nest of the finer 
mosses. It is a solitary animal, and is only 
seen in pairs during the breeding-season. It 
rareiv makes its appearance by day, emer- 
ging only at the commencement of twilight, 
when it may be seen climbing about the trees, 
and darting’ with great velocity from one to 
the other. The colour of its upper part so 
much resembles that of the pale silvery bark 
of the birch-trees which it frequents, that it 
is by no means easy to distinguish it, while 
engaged in climbing about during its evening 
exercise. It feeds, chiefly on the young- 
shoots, buds, and catkins of the birch, as well 
as on those of the pine, &c. In winter it con- 
tinues in its nest, coming out only in mild 
weather ; but does not became torpid during 
that season. 
This animal readily springs to the distance 
of twenty fathoms or more, and by this mq- 
tion conveys itself from the top of one tree 
to the middle part of that to which it directs 
its flight, which is always slightly downwards. 
It yery rarely descends to the surface, and, 
when taken, and placed on the ground, runs 
or springs somewhat awkwardly, ’ with its tail 
4 K 2 
S' C 0 
elevated, and as soon as it gains a tree, m,. 
slantly begins to climb it with great activity* 
sometimes elevating, and sometimes depress- 
ing its tail. If thrown from the top o: a tree, 
it immediately spreads its membranes, and, 
balancing itself, endeavours to direct . its 
'motion by the assistance of the tail. Ihe 
voting are produced about the beginning of 
before the middle of May, and are tvvo^ three, 
and sometimes four, in number; they are at 
'first blind, and nearly void ot hair ; and the 
parent fosters them by covering them with 
her flying-membrane ; leaving her nest only 
at the approach of evening, and carefully 
concealing the young wfitii the moss ot the 
nest. 
• SCIURUS, a genus of the monogvma 
order, in the diandria class of plants ; and in 
the natuial method ranking with those that 
are doubtful. The calyx is quinquedentate ; 
the corolla bilabiated ; the filaments are bar- 
ren; the capsules five, and joined together ; 
bivalved, unilocular, with one seed. Of 
this there is one species, viz. aromatics, 
a native of Guiana. 
SC L ER AN THU S, Knawel, a genus of 
the dig} nia order, in the dodecandria class 
of plants, and in the natural method ranking 
under the 22d order, caryophyUei. The 
calyx is monophyilous ; there is no corolla ; 
there are two seeds contained in the calyx. 
There are three species. 
SCLEROCARPUS, a genus cf the class 
and order syngenesia polygamia tequalis, 
The calyx is six-leaved ; recept. chatty,. 
! There is one species, a herb of the Cape. 
SCLEROTICA, ill anatomy, one of the 
tunics, or coats, of the eye. See Optics, 
&c. 
SCOLD. A common scold is a public 
nuisance to her neighbourhood, for which 
offence she may be indicted. 
SCOLEX, a genus of vermes intestina, 
The generic character is, body gelatinous, 
variously shaped, brandished on the fore part, 
and pointed behind ; sometimes linear and 
long ; sometimes wrinkled and short, round, 
flexuous, and depressed ; head protrusile, 
and retractile. There are two species, found 
in the intestinal mucus of the turbot, &c. in- 
visible to the naked eye. 
SCOL1A, a genus of insects of the order 
hvmenoptera : the generic character is, 
mouth with a curved sharp mandible, cre- 
nate within ; jaw compressed, projecting en- 
tire, and horny ; ton guh inflected, trifid, very- 
short; lips projecting, membranaceous at 
the tip, and entire: feelers four, equal, short, 
filiform, in the middle of the lip; antenna! 
thick, filiform, the first joint longer. There 
are 40 species. 
SCOI.OPAX, in ornithology, a genus be- 
longing to the order of graliac. The back 
is cylindrical, obtuse, and longer than the 
head ; the nostrils are linear ; the face is co- 
vered, and the feet have four toes. Thera, 
are eighteen species, of which the following 
are the principal : 
1. The arquata, or curlew, frequents our 
sea-coasts and marshes in the winter-time in 
large flocks, walking on the open sands; 
feeding on shells, frogs, crabs, and marine 
insects. In summer they retire to the moun- 
tainous and unfrequented parts of the coun- 
try, where they pair and breed. Their eggs 
ary of a pale olive-colour, marked with irra^. 
