DUSKY SQUIRREL. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Inches. 
Lines. 
Length from point of nose to root of tail, - 
- 12 
4 
“ of tail to end of hair, - 
- 15 
. 4 
of tarsus (claws included), 
- 2 
7i 
From tip of nose to ear, - 
- 2 
2 
Height of ear posteriorly, ... 
- 
CO 
HABITS. 
The existence in North America of an unusual number of species of 
squirrels has been made known to our subscribers in the course of this 
publication. There are many closely allied, and many very beautiful 
species among them ; all are graceful and agile, and possess very similar 
habits. 
The great number of these nut-eating animals in North America would 
be a proof (were any such wanting) that nature has been more bountiful to 
our country in distributing nut-bearing trees over the whole extent of our 
continent than to other parts of the globe, and this in connexion with the 
fact that so great a proportion of wood-land cannot be found in any other 
part of the world of similar extent, marks America as intended for a very 
dense population hereafter. In Europe there is only one well determined 
species of squirrel known, at present at least, although at some remote 
period there may have been more. 
In regard to the peculiar habits of the Dusky Squirrel, we have nothing 
to say. It is one of the species which, being shot or procured by collectors 
of objects of natural history, and sent to Europe, have there been described 
by naturalists who, having the advantages of museums which contain speci- 
mens from every part of the globe, and the largest libraries in the world 
also to which they can refer, may sometimes discover new species with 
much less difficulty, but also less certainty, than the student of nature must 
encounter while seeking for knowledge in the woods. 
But the naturalist who learns from books only, and describes from dried 
skins, is at best liable to mistakes. We have in fact always found that 
where young animals, or accidental varieties, have been described as new 
species, this has been the result of study in the museum or cabinet, not in 
the fields. 
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 
This species, of which, so far as we know, only one specimen exists in 
any museum or collection, is stated to have been procured in California. 
