44 
QUADRUPEDS. 
[ Clafs I. 
GENUS XIV. The SQUIRREL. 
SPECIES I. The SQUIRREL. 
Rail fyn. quad. 214. 
Meyer's an. 1. Tab. 97. 
Gefner quad. 845. 
Sciurus rufus, quandoque grifeo 
admixto. Brijfon quad. 150. 
Buffon. Tom. 7. 258. Tab. 32. 
Sciuris auriculis apice barbatis, 
palmis 4-dadtylis plantis 5-dac- 
tylis. Lin. Jyjt. 63. 
Sciura palmis fobs faliens. Faun. 
fuec . 31. 
Sc. vulgaris rubicundus. Klein 
quad. 5 3. 
Britijh, Gwiwair 
French , Ecureuil 
Italian , Scoiattolo, Schiarro, Schiratto 
Spanifhy Harda, Hardilla, Efquilo 
.NAMES 
F I ''N H E fquirrel derives its name from 
I the form of its tail, a a (hade 
-L a tail, as ferving this little 
animal for an umbrella. That part is long 
enough to cover the whole body, and is 
clothed with long hairs, dilpofed on each fide 
horizontally, which gives it a great breadth. 
Thefe ferve a double purpofe, when ere&ed, 
they prove a lecure protection from the in¬ 
juries of heat or cold ; when extended, they 
are very inftrumental in promoting thofe vaft 
leaps the fquirrel takes from tree to tree. On 
the authority of Klein and Linn ecus , we may 
add a third application of the form of the tail: 
thefe naturalifts tell us that when the fquirrel 
is difpofed to crofs a river, a piece of bark is 
the boat, the tail the fail. 
This animal is remarkably neat, lively, 
. • ■ * 
a&ive, and provident, never leaves its food to 
chance; but fecures in fome hollow tree, a vaft 
magazine of nuts for winter provifion. In 
‘ Portug. Ciuro 
German , Eychorn, Eichmermlia 
Dutch , Inckhoornken 
Swedijh) Ikorn, grafkin 
1 
the fummer it feeds on the buds, and young 
(hoots; and is particularly fond of thofe of 
the fir and pine, and alfo of the young cones. 
It makes its neft of mofs or dry leaves, be¬ 
tween the fork of two branches; and brings 
four or five young at a time. Squirrels are i n 
heat early in the fpring, when it is very di¬ 
verting to fee the female feigning an efcape 
from the purfuit of two or three males, to ob- 
ferve the various proofs they give of their 
agility, which is then exerted in full force. 
The color of the whole head, body, tail, 
and legs of this animal, is a bright reddifh 
brown : the belly and breaft white : in fome 
parts of IFlies there is a variety of the fquir¬ 
rel kind, with a creme colored tail : the ears 
are very beautifully ornamented with long 
tufts of hair, of a deeper color than thofe on 
the body : the eyes are large, black and live¬ 
ly : the fore teeth ftrong, lharp, and well a- 
dapted to its food; the legs are (hort and 
mufcular : 
