[ r 9^ ] 
The Ba r b a r i an Squirrel. 
M Y Reprefentation is of the Bignefs of Life, which is nearly the 
fame with that of our common Squirrel in England: It differs 
principally from the common Sort, in being of another Colour, and 
in having fhorter Ears, which lie clofe to the Head. 
The Head and the Body, on the upper Side, Legs, Feet and Tail, 
are all of an Afh-Colour, a little inclining to Red, which is darker 
on the upper Side of the Head and Back, and lighter on the Legs, 
Feet, and under Side of the Head. The Eyes are pretty dark, but 
the Hair all round them is White. The Belly is covered with white 
Hair; on each Side of the Body it has two Stripes, or Bars of White* 
or Cream-Colour, palling along from its Shoulders to the hinder 
Legs, which Variety adds a great Beauty to its Colour. The Tail is 
bufhy, like thofe of our Squirrels; each ffngle Hair in the Tail is varied 
with light and dark Afh-Colour, which Colours fall fo regularly with 
the Lights and Darks beffde each other in the ffngle Hairs, as to 
form regular Plats of Dark and Light in the Tail, better to be under- 
flood by the Figure than by Words. The forward Feet have each of 
them four diffinhl Toes with black Claws, within which is an Appear¬ 
ance, or Rudiment of a Toe, but no Claw; the hinder Feet have 
each of them five diftindl Toes with Claws. The Skin, and the Bot¬ 
toms of the Hair, all over, are of a blackifh Colour, even in thofe 
Parts which have the Hair outwardly White. 
This Squirrel was brought from Santa Cruz (on the Weftern Coaft of Barbary\ 
bordering on the Atlantick Ocean) and prefented to me alive by my Friend Captain 
'John Dobfon , of Rot her hi the, London. Whether it lives in Trees, or hath its Habi¬ 
tation in the Earth, I cannot fay, but am inclin’d to think it a Species of the Ground- 
Squirrel ; for when it was let loofe about the Houfe, it was not inclin’d to climb up 
as our Squirrels are, but would hide itfelf, and lie in any Cloth, or foft Thing that lay 
on the Floor, where it would deep. I find a Figure and Defcription of this Animal, 
in a Hiflory of Four-footed Beafis , Serpents and Infects, collected and publifhed at 
London , Anno 1658, by John Rowland, M. D. He calls it the Getulian, or Barbarian 
Squirrel , defcribed and figur’d by Dr. Cay : But as his Figure is fmall and deficient 
in expreffing the true Shape and Air of the Creature, I have here given his Figure as 
he generally fat when cracking of Nuts, or feeding on any dry Food. 
The 
Vol IV. 
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