taking no visible sustenance,) and a land tortoise, all take refuge in the same hole." 51. Squirrels.-Fox Squirrel, Sciurus capistratus, Bosc. Sciurus vulpinus, Gmel. So called from some resemblance to that animal, is the largest of this family, growing to the size of a small rabbit. The general colour is a dark grey; the head black; the muzzle and ears whitish. The upper part of the body is greyish or blackish. It is much larger than the squirrel of Europe, being more than two feet from the point of the nose to the extremity of the tail. It is a native of the southern states, and frequents the pine woods, feeding upon the seed of the almond pine, of which it lays up a provision for winter. Its flesh is a pleasant and nutritive food. 52. Carolina Squirrel, Sciurus Caroliniensis, Lin. Described by Pennant and by Bosc, * and Desmarets, in the New Dictionary of Natural History. The upper part of the body is of a ferruginous grey colour, with black dots; the sides fallow; the belly white; the tail brown, with blackish dots, and bordered with white; the ears without penciled hairs at the extremity. About half the size of the grey or cat squirrel. 53. The Grey, or Ash-coloured Squirrel, Sciurus cinereus, Gmel.; so called from its colour. * Journal d'Hist. Nat. Tom. II. pl. 29. The body of Though called Petit gris of Buffon, or Ecureuil gris de la Caroline, is an elegant animal, with a long feathered tail, which it often raises in the form of a curve, so that the tip touches the head. the largest is about twelve inches. the grey squirrel of Carolina, it is also a native of the other states. In Pennsylvania they were formerly so numerous, and so destructive to the grain, that the legislature of this state offered a reward of threepence per head for their destruction. This premium, for the year 1749, amounted to 8000 pounds of the currency; and finding that it would soon exhaust the treasury, it was reduced to onehalf.* In winter they live in decayed trees, where they lay up a store of nuts and acorns, and bring forth their young. In summer they construct a nest of sticks and leaves, near the top of the branches. It is said that most of the males are found castrated. † Lawson remarks, that the female, like the bear, is never caught with young; but this is owing to the concealment of both, during this period. The grey squirrels migrate with the change of season; and, in crossing rivers and streams, show a wonderful sagacity, by placing themselves on a piece of the bark of a tree, and shaping their course by means of the tail, which serves both for sail and rudder. If a strong wind springs up, all their skill is of no avail, and many perish in the waters. * 54. The Red Squirrel, not so large as the grey, has its name from a reddish stripe which runs along the back; for the sides are greyish, and the belly is white. In some places it is also called the Pine Squirrel, from the circumstance of its feeding on the seeds of the pine. It generally builds its nest in the crevices of rocks, or in some decayed tree. + 55. Black Squirrel, Sciurus niger, Lin. The upper part of the body, ears, and tail, of a deep black colour; the breast, belly, and flanks brownish. Mr Desmarets, in his description of this species, ‡ observes, that it has been confounded with the cat squirrel by almost all authors, and particularly by Erxleben and Shaw; but that there is no doubt of its existence, since there is an individual in the cabinet of the Museum, wnich was brought from North America. § It is a native of the states of * Cuvier thinks that the cat squirrel of Schreber, a native of Virginia, is a variety of the grey squirrel. + In the 10th volume of the Dictionary of Natural Sciences, Paris, p. 103, there is a description of a squirrel, under the name of Sciurus rufi venter, of a reddish brown colour above, reddish below, with small spots of black. Journal d'Hist. Nat. Tom. II. pl. 29. Nouveau Dict. de l'Hist. Nat. Tom. X. Vermont and New Hampshire; but is not nume rous. 56. Sciurus Hudsonius, Lin. Pallas. Nov. Spec. Glir. p. 376, Sciurus vulgaris, is of a reddish brown colour above; below whitish; flanks marked with a black line; tail of a moderate length, of the colour of the body, and bordered with black. 57. The Striped Squirrel, or Ground Squirrel, Sciurus striatus, Lin. of the genus Tamia of Illiger, is of a yellowish brown colour, with five longitudinal blackish stripes along the back and sides. The ears are not bearded. The body is five or six inches in length, the tail six or seven. It has cheek pouches, or a temporary receptacle for the food. It lives in burrows, stone walls, and covert places; climbs trees in quest of food, and lays up a provision of nuts and grain, and destroys the germ to prevent them from sprouting. In summer it feeds on apples, peaches, fruits, and seeds. It inhabits the northern and middle states. It is found in Asia, and is described by Pallas under the name of Sciurus Hudsonius. 58. Flying Squirrel, Polatouche, Sciurus volucella, Shaw. Body five inches; tail four; eyes large; ears short, and almost naked; tail flat; the membrane, or loose skin, from two to three inches in breadth, extending on each side of the body, from the fore to the hind legs, and covered with a downy substance. The colour on the back is an ash, or russet grey. It seldom appears during the day, but in the evening it is very active in search of food, which consists of nuts, seeds, and grain, and the young shoots of the birch. It inhabits all the states. In Louisiana and the country watered by the Columbia river, seven kinds of squirrels were distinguished by Lewis and Clarke. The squirrel is only valuable for its flesh, which is employed to make soup. 59. Porcupine, Histrix dorsata, Lin. Urson of Buffon. Short spined porcupine, with very long fur. The body short and thick, somewhat resembling that of the beaver; the head like that of the rabbit. One of the largest in Vermont weighed sixteen pounds. The spines or quills are two or three inches in length, and as thick as a pigeon's quill feather. When attacked, he places his head between his fore feet, and, raising this armour, defends himself against the attack of the dog and smaller animals. The female produces every year, and generally three or four at a time. The period of gestation is about forty days. It seeks its food during the night, and reposes in the day. It feeds on small birds, fruit, and the bark of roots and vegetables. Its motion is slow. In descending trees, it prevents itself from falling by means of its tail. The Indians eat the flesh, which they find well tasted and wholesome. With the quills they or |