. The American natural history : a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America . Natural history. T1IE TREE SQUIRRELS 71 Variations.—This squirrel is the most variable in color of all our species, and in fifty specimens it may be difficult, or even impossible, to find two exactly alike. Often it has a beautiful gray coat, and looks like a genuine gray squirrel with a brown back and head. Often it is dark gray above, and black on the legs and under surface,—a strange combination of colors,—and occasionally a pure white specimen is found. This species inhabits the Missi
. The American natural history : a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America . Natural history. T1IE TREE SQUIRRELS 71 Variations.—This squirrel is the most variable in color of all our species, and in fifty specimens it may be difficult, or even impossible, to find two exactly alike. Often it has a beautiful gray coat, and looks like a genuine gray squirrel with a brown back and head. Often it is dark gray above, and black on the legs and under surface,—a strange combination of colors,—and occasionally a pure white specimen is found. This species inhabits the Mississippi Valley from the Alleghanies to Arkansas, westt n L'owa, and northward to Michigan and New York. In captivity it seems to be more hardy in winter than the gray squirrel. In the New York Zoo- logical Park it blithely runs about in the snow when the latter takes pains to avoid it. Often the Northern Fox Squirrel will be out when none of the other occupants of the Rodents' cages are visible. It seems to me, however, that the Fox Squirrels are not as nimble on foot, or as active and daring in the tree-tops, as the gray squirrels. The Red Squirrel, or Chickaree,1 repre- sents a large group of species containing the smaller of the tree squirrels. Its length is 7f + 5J inches, wreight 7^ ounces. What it lacks in size it makes up in courage and activity. In New York and New England, it often drives all the gray squirrels out of any grove which they have undertaken to inhabit as tenants in common. Many observers believe the habits of the Red Squirrel to be so bad that the species deserves to be exterminated; but to this we are not pre- pared to agree. The complete destruction of any species of mammal or bird is a doubtful experiment, and never should be entered upon without most careful investigation. In its normal colors, this little animal is readily recognized by its brown upper surface and outer surface of its legs, and its white under parts. It must be remembered, howev
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