XIII.—Cytological Studies on the Reproductive Organs. Chromosome Behaviour in the Male Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis leucotus)

Abstract

The grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis leucotus Gapper), which is a native of the North American continent, was introduced into England and Scotland quite recently and soon became of great economic importance in these countries. In his very excellent monograph, Middleton (1930) states that both sexes of the grey squirrel show diminished activity during the winter and while they do not hibernate in the true sense of the word, they probably sleep if the weather is severe. The breeding habits of the female were studied by Deanesly and Parkes (1933), who ascertained that the female definitely has a period of anœstrus during which the reproductive organs are atrophic. In the male, however, fully functional testes were found throughout the year (Allanson, 1933), and there were no histological changes which would indicate a regular period of quiescence.