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Show 136 MAMMALIA. Sciunus, Lin. s uirrels are distinguished by their strongly compressed inferior · ~isors and by their long tail furnished with hairs. They have four ltDoe s befo' re, and five behind. The thumb o f the J1! 0re f oot 1. s some-times marked by a tubercle. They have in all four grinders, variously tuberculated, and a very small additional one abov.e i~ front, that very soon falls. The head is large, and the eyes proJectmg and lively. They are light and active animals, living on trees, and feed-ing on fruits. SoruRus, Cuv. In the Squirrel, properly so called, the hairs of the tail are ar· ranged on the sides, so as to resemble a feather. There are a great many species in the two continents. Sc. vulgaris, Buff. VII, xxxii, Schreb. pl. 212. (The Common Squirrel.) The back of a lively red; belly white; ears terminated by a tuft of hair. Those of the north, in winter, become of a beautiful bluish ash colour, producing the fur called minever when taken only from the back, and vair (by the French) when it consists of the whole skin. The American species have no pencils to their ears. Such are Sc. cinereus, L.; Petit-Gris, of Buff. X, xxv. (The Grey Squirrel of Carolina.) Larger than that of Europe; ash co· loured, with a white belly. See .Oppend. VIII of .11m. Ed. Sc. capistratus, Bose.;( i) Sc. cinereus, Schre b. CCXIII, B. (The Masked Squirrel.) Ash coloured; head black; muzzle, ears and belly white. Both these species vary in being more or less brown-they are sometimes entirely black.(2) The greater number of the species belonging to the eastern continent are also destitute of these pencils. One of the most beautiful is the Sc. maximus and macrourus,(3) Gm.; Buff. Supp. VII, lxxii. (The Large Squirrel of India.) Nearly the size of a Cat; above black; the flanks and top of the head of a beautiful bright rna· ronne; the head, and all the under parts of the body, and the (1) See Append. VIII for some observations on our author's arrangement of the American Squirrels. .11m. Ed. (2) The Sc. vulpinus, the carolinensis, and the niger appear to be mere varieties of this species. [See .fl.ppend. VIII of .11m. Ed.] (3) A comparison of the figure of Pennant with that of Sonnerat is sufficient to prove that they represent the same animal. RODENTIA. 137 inside of the limbs pale yellow; a maronne coloured band behind the cheek. It inhabits the palms, and is extravagantly fond of the milk of the cocoa-nut. There are, also, several Squirrels in warm climates, that are remarkable for the longitudinal bands which vary their fur. Such are the Sc. getulus, L.; Buff. X, xxvi. (The Barbaresque.) The bands of which extend to the tail, and even on it. Sc. palmarum, L.; Buff. X, xxvi. (The Palmist.) On which the stripes are confined to the back. It is probable that we shall have to separate from the Squirrels certain species which have cheek-pouches like the Hamsters, and pass their lives in subterraneous holes, the Tarnia of Illiger. For instance the Sc. striatus, L.; Buff. X, xxviii. (The Ground Squirrel.) Which is found throughout all the north of Asia and Americat particularly in the pine forests. The tail is more scantily supplied with hairs than that of the European Squirrel; the ears smooth, and skin brown, with five black stripes and two white ones. We ought also, most probably, to distinguish the Guerlinguets, a species with a long, and almost round tail, and an enormous pendant scrotum. They are found in both continents.( I) The following have been separated already. PTEROMYS, Cuv.(2) Or the Flying Squirrels, to which the skin of the flank; extending between the fore and hind legs, imparts the faculty of supporting themselves for a moment in the air, and of making very great leaps. There are long bony a,ppendages to their feet, which support a part ofthislateral membrane. There is a species in Poland, Russia, and Siberia. Sc. volans, L.; Schreb. CCXXIII. (The Flying Squirrel.) Ash-coloured grey above; white underneath; size of a Rat; the tail only half the length of the body. It lives solitarily in the forests. One from North America. 8~. voluccella, L.; Buff. X, xxi. (The American Flying Squ1rrel.) Reddish-grey above; white beneath; size less than (l) We have found however in the Tamim and GuerlinD'f~eta the same kind of Ieeth • o- as m the Squirrels and Pteromys. (2) Pteromys, Wing~d Rat. Vo1. I.-s |
