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Known from var. cinereus by its coloration; the nose and ears in cinereus 
are usually concolor with dorsal surface; the ears are short, scarcely 
longer than the fur. Var. cinereus is found from Virginia northward to 
southern New York and New England, and possibly may lap over into 
eastern Ohio. 
Geographical Distribution and Variation—The Western Fox Squirrel 
occupies the whole region drained by the Mississippi and its tributaries 
and the Missouri River north to southern Dakota, extending westward 
along the wooded streams to the plains. The geographical varia- 
tions attending its wide range of climatic conditions consist in color of 
an increasing pallor northward and toward the dryer portions of the 
plains, and in the country adjacent to the Mississippi River is observed a 
strongly marked increase in color southward. The diminution in size 
from the north southward is not marked in this variety. 
-The color variations of this form have led to eizht or ten different 
specific names; the animal was first descr.bed, however, by Custis, in 
1806, under the name ludovicianus. 
The Fox Squirrel takes more naturally to groves of oak tre&s or edges 
of timber belts than to deep woods; in these places he has ready access 
to corn fields, which they often rob from the time of roasting-ears until 
the corn is harvested. 
Besides the nuts of trees and seeds of plants, it eats the buds of the ~ 
basswood, elm, and maple. In autumn they eat the fruit of the thorn- 
apple. They have been seen to gnaw the bark from dead trees to pro- 
cure beetles.and their larve, and, like other Squirrels, to girdle trees in 
spring to taste the flowing sap. Unlike the Red Squirrel, the Fox and 
Gray Squirrels do not store up hoards of nuts for winter use in hollow 
trees, but bury them singly under the leaves in autumn. 
Dr. Hoy is of the opinion that they are guided to these solitary caches 
by the sense of smell, unless the snow is very deep. ‘They do not fail, 
but scratch away the leaves and snow from the right place and retire to 
a log or low tree to eat the morsel found. When the snow is deep they 
feed on buds and such nuts and berries as are left on the trees. 
Unlike the Gray Squirrel, this species is not gregarious; more than 
two adults are rarely found together. Usually this species is not polyga- 
mous; it is less prolific than the migratory species, bringing forth 
usually three young at a birth, and probably producing two litters each 
season. 
Like those of most animals in this order, the young are misshapen, 
unsymmetrical little creatures, with large heads and closed eyes. They 
are brought forth in a hole, the nests of twigs and leaves, of which this 
