110 
Distribution.—The present species ranges eastward along the Atlantic 
coast to New Brunswick, thence westward over the southern half ot 
Maine, most of the St. Lawrence Valley, southern portions of Canada, 
Michigan, Wisconsin, lowa, and up the Missouri at least to the mouth of 
the Platte, and south to the Gulf. It ranges west to the eastern border 
of the plains, from Nebraska to Texas, and apparently far into Mexico. 
lis northern limit coincides nearly with that of the Alleghanian fauna, 
that is to the isotherm of 44° F. Var. leucotis ranges southward over 
both the Alleghanian and Carolinian faune, or about to the isotherm of 
56° F., where the two sub-species blend, carolinensis extending the range 
of the species southward to the Gulf coast, into Mexico, and perhaps 
even to Guatemala. : 
Besides the above, Mr. Allen recognizes a third variety, which may 
prove a distinct species. Var. yucatanensis is founded on four specimens 
from Merida, Yucatan; more specimens are requisite to fix its relations 
to the series. 
Habits—This is the most abundant of American squirrels; it has a 
wide range, is extremely prolific, and in certain localities exists in 
almost incredible abundance. Dr. Hoy, of Racine, Wisconsin, relates 
that he has known a hunter in northern Ohio to kill 160inaday. The 
species apparently increases in numbers in certain districts after their 
settlement. MKennicott speaks of the prevalent report that persons have 
been compelled to watch the fields during their migrations, probably, to 
prevent destruction of the crops. Dr. 8. P. Hildreth, in the “Pioneer His- 
tory of the Ohio Valley,” 1848, quotes from manuscript of Col. James 
Barker, of the gray squirrel “‘coming in millions from the north to the 
south, destroying whole fields of corn in a few days.” 
Mr. Frank W. Langdon, Madisonville, Ohio, to whom the writer is 
principally indebted for notes on Ohio mammals, drawn from the early 
history of the Ohio country, writes that the gray squirrel 1s common a 
hundred miles north of Cincinnati, but is rather vaguely reported in 
that locality. 
The remarkable migrations performed at times by this species consti- 
tute a most interesting feature in their history. They congregate in the 
autumn in immense numbers, and move off in the same general direc- 
tion, not turning aside for the largest streams, though usually averse to 
water. Dr. John A. Kennicott relates that during one of these migra- 
tions innumerable squirrels swam across the Niagara near Bufialo, New 
York, landing so exhausted as to be easily taken by hand or knocked 
down with sticks. Mr. Kennicott has the following notes in regard to 
these migrations : | 
