John Lewis James Bonhote

“ The tail, which is large and bushy, serves the double purpose of balancing the body whilst leaping through the air, keeping it dry by being folded over its back, and enabling the animal to keep warm when curled around it.
Squirrels are widely dispersed throughout the world, being absent alone from Australia and Madagascar. In the Palæarctic Region, which stretches from England to Japan, only one species is known, although individuals from various localities are constant to themselves, and slightly different from their neighbours. ”

“ Thomas has pointed out in our European Squirrel, by the absence of a moult; but such a solution would hardly hold good in the case of R. bicolor, where the line of demarcation is irregular, and varies in individuals; or again, in the case of R. affinis, where the bleaching, which is general, follows so quickly on the growth of the new pelage that hardly any specimens in unbleached pelage are known in our museums. ”

“ It is, however, in the Indian and Oriental region that the species reaches its maximum development, and the number of species recorded from that region is very large. Putting aside for the moment the question of species, subspecies, races, varieties, &c., and looking as far as possible at the groups as a whole, we find that they give us such abundant opportunities for the study of colour in nature, and the causes by which it is influenced, that they can but form a valuable lesson to the zoologist, whatever may be his particular line. ”

“ I may be perhaps allowed to mention on this matter, that when bleaching goes on among birds that bleaching process does not begin and continue slowly throughout the life of any particular feather, but a feather which may show hardly any change during the first six months of its life will suddenly undergo considerable disintegration and bleaching on the seventh. ”

“ In England pairing takes place early in April, and the young are born about midsummer in large nests or "dreys," composed of sticks, on which is collected a large mass of moss neatly hollowed out inside, the opening lying to the side. Several of these "dreys" are said to be built by each pair, and if the young be discovered they are moved as soon as possible to another nest. ”

“ Although, as I have said, their food is chiefly, if not entirely, vegetable, my tame one would frequently use his teeth on the furniture, boots, or anything handy, apparently from mere wanton destruction, and when offered fresh twigs with any bark on would invariably strip them of the bark, although it did not appear to be eaten. ”

“ In its winter dress it is greyish brown in colour, the hairs being long and soft, the tail is of a similar colour, and the ears are also clothed with long brown hairs; in May all the body-hairs are cast, and are replaced by shorter and coarser hairs of a much redder colour, while the tufts on the ears are not replaced. The hairs of the tail are not moulted at the spring moult. ”