Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/556

* SQUID. 478 SQUIRBEL. its hues, this being due to the contraction and dilatation of the pigment-cells or chromatophores. (See Metachrosis.) Flying squids (q.v.) are oceanic decapods of the genus Ommastrephes. Ordinary squids are from 1 to 2 feet in lengtli. The largest squid known is Architeuthis princeps, nearly 19 feet long in body; the longer arms measure about 29 feet, the entire animal, with ex- tended arms, reaching a length of 40 feet. Another species {Architeuthis mouachus) has a body about 7 feet long, with the two longer arms 24 feet in length. ( For fossil squids, see Bele- UITES.) Consult Verrill, '"The Cephalopods of the Northeastern Coast of America," in Transac- tions of the Connecticut Academy, vol. v. (New Haveu, 1879-80). Compare Cephalopoda and Decapoda. SQTJIER, skwir, Ephraim George (1821-88). An American archfeologist and traveler, born at Bethlehem, N. Y. After varied experience he be- came known to science through his study of the antiquities of the Mississippi Valley. In 1849 he went on a diplomatic mission to Central Ameri- ca, which he revisited in 1853 in the interest of an interoceanic railway and of archaeology'. In 1863 he was appointed United States commissioner to Peru, where he investigated Inca remains. He was first president of the Anthropological Insti- tute (1871). He made extensive contributions to the Encyclopcedia Britannica and published; Serpent Symhols (1852) ; Nicaragua, Its People, Scenery, and ilonuments (1852; The States of Central America (1857 and 1870); Tropical Fibres and Their Economic Extraction (1861); and Peru, Incidents and Explorations in the Land of the Incas (1877). SQtriLI, (from Lat. squilla, scilla, from Gk. ffxlWa, skilla, squill), Scilla. A genus of bulbous- rooted plants of the natural order Lilacete, with a spreading perianth, stamens shorter than the perianth, smooth filaments, a three-parted ov;iry, and a three-cornered capsule with three many- seeded cells. Many of the species are plants of humble growth, with scapes like those of hya- cinths and beautiful flowers. SQUILLA. A mantis shrimp (q.v.). SQUINTING. See Strabismus. SQUIRREL (OF. esquirel, escureuil, Fr. icureuil, squirrel, from ML. sciuriolus, sciurelhis, diminutive of Lat. sciurus, from Gk. gKlovpot, skiouros, squirrel, shadow-tail, from a-xid, skia, shadow + oipd, oura, tail). A rodent mammal of the family' Sciuridie, subfamily Sciurinae. The Sciurinse are a group of seven genera with compressed incisors, rather slender bodies, and long, hairy tails. The number of species is still a matter of doubt, owing to the remarkable range of color-variation among the individuals. Squirrels are found in all parts of the world except Australia, and are most abundant in India and Southern Asia. They range from the size of a mouse to that of a cat. In color squir- rels tend toward gray, reddish brown, or black, though many species are white underneath, and the Oriental species are often handsomely vari- egated. The pelages differ locally in texture, being affected apparently by the climate. Some of the northern species have a fine, dense fur, and their skins have considerable commercial value, while some of the tropical species have the hair scanty and rather stiff, and in one genus spines are present comparable to those of a porcupine. The genus Sciurus includes nearly three-fourths of all known squirrels, and all but five of the American species. The commonest and most widely distributed of these is the red squirrel or chickaree {Sciurus Hudsonius), which ranges from the northern and the mountainous parts of the United States to the limit of trees in British America. It is a small species only eight inches long, not including the tail. Its upper surface is bright ferruginous or chestnut red ; the lower surface is pvire white, and there is a black stripe along the sides. The ears are commonlj' tipped with a little tuft of hairs. In its habits the chickaree is a typical squirrel, very active, almost exclusively arboreal, and very fond of nuts, whieli are one of the most important items in its bill of fare. The diet is, however, diversified, as is true of most squirrels, for while nuts and grains are doubt- less the staple articles, birds and their eggs and young, insects, young twigs, and fruit are often eaten. Many ornithologists, indeed, consider this squirrel one of the most deadly enemies of the common song birds, and this enmity is fre- quently expressed by the birds themselves. The home of the chickaree is usually in some hollow « tree, though freqvientl_y a special nest is con- structed out of branches, twigs, and leaves. The young are born in the spring, three or four in a litter. The chickaree is a rather noisy little animal, and though not gregarious, several are usually found within calling distance of each other. The sounds uttered are rapidly repeated notes, making a shrill, scolding chatter. East of the great plains and south of the chickaree's range occur the fox squirrels, the largest and handsomest of the American Sciu- ridoe. They are a foot or more in length, besides the beautiful bushy tail, which is somewhat longer than the head and body. The color ranges from gray with a reddish tinge to jet black. The largest form is the black squirrel {Sciurus niger) of the South Atlantic and Gulf States, which is usually very dark colored, but always has the nose and ears white. The fox squirrel of the Middle States {Sciurus cincreus) is usually red- dish, with the tips of the hairs whitish, giving it a grizzled appearance, but black specimens are connnon. The fox squirrel of the Mississippi Valley {Sciurus Ludovicianus) is more strongly and constantly reddish and is rarely, if ever, black. These large squirrels all agree in their habits, which are not essentially different from those of the chickaree, except that fox squirrels seem to do less harm to the birds. They are intelligent and in captivity make interesting pets. They have a considerable antipathy to the chickaree. The 'gray' squirrels are a third group of com- mon American species, somewhat smaller than the fox squirrels and more widelj' distributed, ranging as far west as California. They have a considerable tendency toward melanism in cer- tain regions. They are white or whitish under- neath. The common Eastern species {Sciurus Carolinejisis) is about ten inches long, besides the somewhat longer tail. It is one of the popu- lar game animals of New England, where the fox squirrel is very rare, and not only is it prized for food, but the skin has some commercial value. It is also often kept as a pet, and, like the fox squirrel, can be taught simple tricks. Two or