the squirrel; a genus of quadrupeds belonging to the order of glires. It has two fore-teeth in each jaw, the superior ones shaped like wedges, and the inferior ones compressed. There are 11 species of which the most remarkable are,

1. The vulgaris, or common squirrel, with ears terminated with long tufts of hair; large, lively, black eyes; head, body, legs, and tail, of a bright reddish brown; breast and belly white; hair on each side the tail lies flat. In Sweden and Lapland, it changes in winter into grey. In Russia, it is sometimes found black. In many parts of England there is a beautiful variety, with milk-white tails.—This species inhabits Europe and North America, the northern and the temperate parts of Asia; and a variety is even found as far south as the isle of Ceylon. It is a neat, lively, active animal; lives always in woods; in the spring, the female is seen pursued from tree to tree by the males, feigning an escape from their embraces; makes its nest of moss and dried leaves, between the fork of two branches; brings three or four young at a time; has two holes to its nest; flops up that on the side the wind blows, as Pliny justly remarks; lays in a hoard of winter provision, such as nuts, acorns, &c.; in summer, seeds on buds and young shoots; is particularly fond of those of fir, and the young cones; sits up to eat, and uses its fore-feet as hands; covers itself with its tail; leaps to a surprising distance; when disposed to cross a river, a piece of bark is its boat, its tail the sail.

2. The cinereus, or grey squirrel, with plain ears; pale hair of a dull grey colour, mixed with black, and of CCCLXXI ten tinged with dirty yellow; belly and insides of the legs white; tail long, bushy, grey, and striped with black; size of a half-grown rabbit.—Inhabits the woods of Northern Asia, North America, Peru, and Chili. They are very numerous in North America, do incredible damage to the plantations of maize, run up the stalks and eat the young ears. Defended in vast flocks from the mountains, and join those that inhabit the lower parts; are proscripted by the provinces, and a reward of three-pence per head given for every one that is killed; killed; such a number was destroyed one year, that Pennsylvania alone paid in rewards 8000l. of its currency. Make their nests in hollow trees, with moss, straw, wool, &c. Feed on maize in the season, and on pine-cones, acorns, and mast of all kinds; form holes under ground, and there deposit a large stock of winter provision. Descend from the trees, and visit their magazines when in want of meat; are particularly busy at the approach of bad weather; during the cold season keep in their nests for several days together; seldom leap from tree to tree, only run up and down the bodies; their hoards often destroyed by hawks; when their magazines are covered with deep snow, the squirrels often perish for want of food; are not easily shot, nimbly changing their place when they see the gun levelled; have the actions of the common squirrel; are easily tamed; their flesh is esteemed very delicate. Their furs, which are imported under the name of petit-gris, are valuable, and used as linings to cloaks.

3. The niger, or black squirrel, with plain ears; sometimes wholly black, but often marked with white on the nose, the neck, or end of the tail; the tail shorter than that of the former; the body equal. It inhabits the north of Asia, North America, and Mexico; breeds and associates in separate troops; is equally numerous with the former; commits as great ravages among the maize; makes its nest in the same manner; and forms, like them, magazines for winter food. The finest are taken near the lake Baikal, and about Barguzinskoi-otrog, upon the upper Angara, in the district of Nertchinski, which are the best in all Siberia; these continue black the whole year, the others grow rusty in summer.—There is a variety with plain ears; coarse fur mixed with dirty white and black; throat and inside of the legs and thighs black; tail much shorter than those of squirrels usually are; of a dull yellow colour, mixed with black; body of the size of the grey squirrel. It inhabits Virginia; the planters call it the cat squirrel.

4. The flavus, or fair squirrel, with the body and tail of a flaxen colour; of a very small size, with plain round ears, and rounded tail. Inhabits the woods near Amadabad, the capital of Guzurat, in great abundance, leaping from tree to tree. Linnaeus says it is an inhabitant of South America.

5. The striatus, or ground squirrel, with plain ears; ridge of the back marked with a black streak; each side with a pale yellow stripe, bounded above and below with a line of black; head, body, and tail, of a reddish brown; the tail the darkest; breast and belly white; nose and feet pale-red; eyes full.—Inhabits the north of Asia, but found in the greatest abundance in the forests of North America. They never run up trees except they are pursued and find no other means of escaping; they burrow, and form their habitations underground, with two entrances, that they may get access to the one in case the other is stopped up. Their retreats are formed with great skill, in form of a long gallery, with branches on each side, each of which terminates in an enlarged chamber, as a magazine to store their winter provision in; in one they lodge the acorns, in another the maize, in a third the hickory nuts, and in the last their favourite food the chinquapin chestnut. They very seldom stir out during winter, at least as long as their provisions last; but if that fails, they will dig into cellars where apples are kept, or barns where maize is stored, and do a great deal of mischief; but at that time the cat destroys great numbers, and is as great an enemy to them as to mice. During the maize harvest, these squirrels are very busy in biting off the ears, and filling their mouths to full with the corn, that their cheeks are quite distended. It is observable, that they give great preference to certain food; for if, after filling their mouths with rye, they happen to meet with wheat, they fling away the first, that they may indulge in the last. They are very wild, bite severely, and are scarcely ever tamed; the skins are of little use, but are sometimes brought over to line cloaks.

6. The glis, or fat squirrel, with thin naked ears; body covered with soft ash-coloured hair; belly whitish; tail full of long hair: from nose to tail, near six inches; tail, four and a half: thicker in the body than the common squirrel.—Inhabits France and the south of Europe; lives in trees, and leaps from bough to bough; feeds on fruits and acorns; lodges in the hollows of trees; remains in a torpid state during winter, and grows very fat. It was deemed a great delicacy by the Romans, who had their gliraria, places constructed to keep and feed them in.

7. The sagitta, or falling squirrel, with a small round head, cloven upper lip: small blunt ears, two small wants at the utmost corner of each eye, with hairs growing out of them; neck short; four toes on the fore feet; and instead of a thumb, a slender bone two inches and a half long, lodged under the lateral membrane, serving to stretch it out: from thence to the hind legs extends the membrane, which is broad, and a continuation of the skin of the sides and belly: there are five toes on the hind feet; and on all the toes, sharp compressed bent claws: the tail is covered with long hairs disposed horizontally: colour of the head, body, and tail, a bright bay; in some parts inclining to orange; breast and belly of a yellowish white: length from nose to tail, eighteen inches; tail, fifteen.—Inhabits Java, and others of the Indian islands; leaps from tree to tree as if it flew; will catch hold of the boughs with its tail. Nieuhoff, p. 334, describes this under the name of the flying cat, and says the back is black.

8. The volans, or flying squirrel, with round naked ears, full black eyes, and a lateral membrane from the fore to the hind legs: tail with long hairs disposed horizontally, longest in the middle: colour above, a brownish ash; beneath, white tinged with yellow: much less than the common squirrel. Inhabits Finland, Lapland, Poland, Russia, North America, and New Spain: lives in hollow trees; sleeps in the day: during the night is very lively: is gregarious, numbers being found in one tree; leaps from bough to bough sometimes at the distance of ten yards; this action has improperly been called flying, for the animal cannot go in any other direction than forward; and even then cannot keep an even line, but sinks considerably before it can reach the place it aims at: sensible of this, the squirrel mounts the higher in proportion to the distance it wishes to reach: when it would leap, it stretches out the fore legs, and extending the membranes becomes specifically lighter than it would otherwise be; and thus is enabled to spring further than other squirrels that have not this apparatus. When numbers leap at a time, they seem like leaves blown... blown off by the wind. Their food the same as the other squirrels. They are easily tamed; bring three or four young at a time. See fig. 3, 4, the one representing the animal in what is called a flying, the other in a fitting posture.