Object Status:
Unlocated
Accession Date:
By 1799
Primary Source Reference:
Natural History Lecture No. 7 (1799), Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
Additional Source Text:
"The general colour of it is not quite so red as the [European squirrel], nor has it such long hairs on its ears. It has been remarked of this squirrel, that whenever it comes into a neighbourhood, that the grey squirrel leaves those woods. How this should happen, I cannot tell, for although it is a spritely animal, yet it is not so large and strong as the small grey squirrel, therefore, I should suppose, not a match for it in battle. It is called by Buffon the Canada squirrel. We generally find them in the Pines of New Jersey – hence they are often called the Pine Squirrel, and known only by that name by many people."
In his "Walk through the Phil[adelphi]a Museum" (1805-1806), p. 33, Peale wrote: "The Chickerree . . . is most like [the European squirrel], but has a black line on each side, and has not long hairs on its Ears like the European Squirrel."
Notes:
The American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is also known as the chickaree. The Museum later received a red squirrel from John Moore on 20 June 1820. Peale Museum Accessions Book, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, p. 102 Titian Ramsey Peale executed two watercolors of the red squirrel (no scientific name given) when he was engaged on the Long Expedition of 1819-1820, one of which is pictured here / https://diglib.amphilsoc.org/islandora/object/red-squirrel The other is https://diglib.amphilsoc.org/islandora/object/red-squirrel-0 John D. Godman described the chickaree (which he called the Hudson's Bay squirrel, possibly based on the specimen in the Museum) in American Natural History. Part I. Mastology, 3 vols. (Philadelphia, 1826-1828), 2: 138-140 / https://hdl.handle.net/2027/dul1.ark:/13960/t3wt2j207?urlappend=%3Bseq=…, and plate following p. 132 (detail pictured here).
Specimen Type:
Dead/preserved
Peale's Common Name:
Chickerree
Peale's Scientific Name:
Sciurus
Current Common Name:
American red squirrel
Current Scientific Name
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
