Evening star., 1943-12-16
This and That
BIZ Charles E. Trdce1ueH.

Reports Of white squirrels have come
in from Takoma and Rock Creek Parks
An albino is an individual animal in
which the hereditary factors for pro-
ducing superficial color are entirely
absent.
Red eyes show the true albine. There
IS no pigment in the iris. The color Of
the blood in the blood bessels is seen
shining through.
Such animals as the white ermine.
the white Arctic fox and pure white
hares are not albinos
They are simply white animals.
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Albinism means the hereditary alb
sence of pigment.
1t is believed that the white winter
dress for animals makes them more
comfortable, that the loss of animal
heat is less when the fur is white.
II this is so, there is every reason to
believe that these few albino squirrels
are the most comfortable of all the
gray squirrels in this vicinity.
Both black 0melanistic) and white
squirrels hereabouts are forms of the
common gray squirrel.
the normal squirrels.
The albino is a sport, or freak and
as such is frowned upon by the pos
SCISSORS Of the normal mixture of soft
grays and browns.
Even the black or melaniStic form is
not really regarded as part of the
squirrel community.
We have watched half a dozen of the
hlon u ~, i, n
years and have failed to see any accept
ance of them on the part of any of
the other members of the tribe.
In one case, at least, the black squir-
rel showed an almost human way of
accepting this fact in his life
He had a chip on his shoulder
Every time a typical gray squirrel
came into the yard this black one
chased him out.
Perhaps he had an inferiority COM
plex and showed it. as many human
does, by being argumentative and quar-
relsome.
Lack of ammunition has made this a
good season for squirrels.
More Of them may be seen in sub
urban communities in nearby Maryland
and Virginia than ever before.
This comes as welcome news to all
admirers of this little animal.
The gray squirrel is not the pest
that the red squirrel of the Midwest
becomes in time. 1t gets along better
both with its own kind and with other
animals
AT feeding station intended for birds
the gray squirrels make themselves a
part of the scene, eating amicably with
the two-legged things.
Il 4 4
Now and then squirrel at feeding
station will seem to chase the birds.
Mostly this is gesture, rather of
fun than anything else.
This animal is so high-powered, so
geared to speed, that it finds it neces-
sary to make wild dashes here and
there every now and then, even in the
process of eating.
Perhaps it is only natural that these
dashes should take the form of pre-
tended assaults on the smaller and alien
creatures on two legs.
In really cold weather the squirrels
tend to keep to the trees
II there is summer nest, really a
large birds nest, they will remain in
that. But If there is no such shelter
they huddle up in the forks of trees,
content to get on the side protected
from the wind and to remain there
until the sun comes out in the AFTER
noon.
The gray squirrels and their fewer
black forms and still fewer albinos do
not store food against the cold as the
red squirrels do.
1t is true that they hide a few nuts
and acorns in the ground, but it is a
matter for dispute whether the ones
which bury the food ever find It again.
= Z