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U.  S.   DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 
DIVISION  OF  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  MAMMALOGY 


NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA 

No.   8  ^^^>:,^,^..*^ 

PUBLISHED   BY   ArTTIORITY    OF   THE    SECRETARY   OF   AGRICULTURE 

[Aftitiil  (late  of  pnhlication,  .Tannary  31,  1895] 


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MONOGRAPHIC  REVISION 

OF    iiii: 

Family   <iJKOIflHI>JG 

(Exclusive  of  the  species  of  Thomomys) 

liV 

Dr.    C.    HART    MERRIAM 


WASHrXGTOI^ 

GOVERNMENT    PRINTING    OFFICE 

1895 


->f\/T%o  b  ;j  J  -^^UJ.J^A-  U^>'*>-*-'-*-\j  >— 


U.  S.   DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 
DIVISION  OF  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  MAMMALOGY 


^^  3  ■  ^ 


NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA      ,.  - 


No.  8 


PUBLISHED   BY   AUTHORITY    OF   THE    SECRETARY   OF   AGRICULTURE 


[Actual  date  of  publicatiou,  January  31,  1895] 


MONOGRAPHIC  REVISION 

OF    THE 

Family   CJKO.^IYIDtE 

(Exclusive  of  the  species  of  Thomomya) 

15  Y 

Dr.    C.    HART    MERRIAM 


WASIIIKaTOX 
aoVERNMKNT    PliINTH>I(J    OFFICE 

1805 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTx\L. 


U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

Washington,  D.  C,  September  J26,  1894. 
Sir  :  1  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith,  as  No.  8  of  North  Ameri- 
can Fauna,  a  Monograi^hic  Kevision  of  the  Family  Geomyida',  exchisive 
of  the  species  of  Thomomys. 

In  preparing  a  bulletin  on  the  economic  relations  of  the  Pocket 
Gophers  it  became  necessary  to  determine  the  status  and  geographic 
distribution  of  the  various  forms.  This  study  developed  the  fact  that 
the  group  was  sorely  in  need  of  technical  revision.  The  present  paper 
is  the  outgrowth  of  an  attempt  at  such  a  revision.  It  has  grown  so  far 
beyond  the  limits  originally  intended  that  a  large  genus  {Thomomys)  has 
been  of  necessity  omitted  and  will  form  the  subject  of  a  subsequent 
paper. 

The  results  of  the  economic  study  of  the  group  will  appear  as  a  sepa- 
rate bulletin  prepared  by  my  assistant,  Mr.  Vernon  Bailey. 
Respectfully, 

C.  Hart  Merriam, 

Chief  of  Division  of 
Ornithology  and  Mammalogy. 

Hon.  Chas.  W.  Dabney,  Jr., 

Acting  Secretary  of  Agriculture. 


CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTION. 

PHpe. 

Material  studied 11 

AcknowJedgnieuts 12 

Illustrations 12 

CHAPTER  I.— GENERAL  REMARKS. 

Adaptation  to  a  subterranean  life 15 

Progression  backward  as  well  as  forward 16 

The  tail  an  organ  of  touch 16 

Normal  position  of  the  fore  feet 17 

Division  of  the  mouth  into  two  chambers 17 

The  tongue 18 

The  cheek  pouches 18 

How  food  is  put  into  the  cheek  pouches 18 

Th c  f oo d 19 

Color  phases 19 

Sexual  variation 20 

Individual  variation 21 

Subdivisions  of  the  family  Geomyida^ 22 

Key  to  the  genera 23 

Phylogenetic  tree  of  the  genera 24 

List  of  the  genera  and  species 25 

Ccograi>hic  distribution  of  the  family  and  genera 26 

Number  and  distribution  of  the  species 27 

The  United  States  species 28 

Distribution  of  the  Mexican  species 30 

Weight  of  characters 32 

List  of  specimens  examined 33 

CHAPTER  II.— MORPHOLOGY  OF  THE  SKULL. 

The  cranium  as  a  whole 33 

The  individual  bones 40 

Changes  with  age 61 

Coi'ssification  of  the  paired  bones 63 

Cranial  variations — departures  from  the  trunk  line 63 

CHAPTER  III.— THE  DENTAL  ARMATURE. 

THK    TEETH. 

Incisors 70 

Premolars 72 

Molars 74 

Variation  in  form  of  m^ 76 


6  CONTENTS. 

Page. 

Arrangement  of  the  enamel 78 

Principal  divisions  indicated  by  the  enamel  plates 79 

Normal  number  of  enamel  plates 79 

Variation  in  enamel  plates  of  m^ 79 

Characters  of  the  unworn  teeth 83 

Incisors 83 

Deciduous  premolars 83 

Permanent  premolars 84 

Molars 85 

Summary 85 

Changes  in  form  and  enamel  pattern  of  young  teeth  with  wear 86 

The  enamel  organ 87 

The  osteodentine 87 

MECHANISM  AND  DYNAMICS  OF  THE   CUTTING  MACHINE. 

Manner  of  attachment  of  the  teeth 88 

Dynamics  of  the  incisors 89 

Dynamics  of  the  molariform  teeth 90 

(a)  Manner  of  implantation  and  curvatures 90 

(6)  Influence  of  the  direction  of  the  jaw  movement  on  the  molariform  teeth.  92 

(1)  Effect  on  the  size  and  curvature  of  the  jirisms 92 

(2)  Eftect  on  the  proportions  of  the  prisms 93 

(3)  Ertect  on  the  enamel  plates 93 

Arrangement  and  mode  of  operation  of  the  cutting  blades 93 

(a)  Dominant  movement  of  jaw  obliquely  transverse 93 

(6)  Dominant  movement  of  jaw  antero-posterior 96 

Treatment  and  course  of  food 98 

Muscles  that  operate  the  cutting  machine 98 

Muscles  of  the  cheek  pouches 101 

Muscles  connecting  the  head  with  the  neck 102 

Aualj'sis  of  jaw  movements 102 

Influence  of  the  masseter  muscle  in  molding  the  skull  and  modifying  the 

teeth 104 

Efl'ects  on  the  skull 105 

Ett'ects  on  the  teeth 106 

CHAPTER     IV.— SYSTEMATIC     DESCRIPTIONS     OF     THE     GENERA  AND 

SPECIES. 

Geumys 109 

Pappogtomys 145 

CyatoyeumijH 149 

Plati/yeomys 162 

Orthogeomys 171 

Heterogeoiiiy^ 179 

Macrogeoinys 185 

Zygogcomys 195 

Thomomys 198 

APPENDIX. 

(A.)   STATUS  OF  GEOMYS  MEXICANUS  AiXT. 
(B.)  TABLES  OF  AVERAGE   MEASUREMENTS   OF  THE  VARIOUS   SPECIES. 

1.  Of  the  species  of  Geomys 202 

2.  Of  the  species  of  Cratogeomya 203 

3.  Of  the  species  of  Platygeontys,  Orthogeomys,  Ueterogeomya,  Pappogeomys,  and 

Zygogeomys 203 


CONTENTS.  7 

(C.)  TABLES  OF  CRANIAL  MEASUREMENTS. 

Table  A.  Of  Geomijs  hiirsarius,  lufesceiis,  hreviceps,  sagittaUs,  and  attwateri ..  204 

B.  Of  Geomys  personatus,  faUax,  iexensis,  and  areiiariits 206 

C.  Of  Geomys  tuza,  floridanus,  mobilensis,  and  Zygogeomys  trichopud ..... .  208 

D.  Of  the  species  of  Cratogeomys 210 

£.  Of  the  species  of  Platygeomys 212 

F.  Of  thespeciesot' Pappogeomys,  Orthogeomys,  Macrogeon>ys,audHetero- 

geomys ......;.;......;... ^  ^ ..  i .  i ;...;.;; 214 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PLATES. 


Frontispiece,  Geomys  tuza  (Ord). 

1.  Skull  of  Geomys  biirsarius. 

2.  Slvull  of  Cratogeomys  mcrriaiiiL 

3.  Slcull  of  Platygeomys  gymiiuriis. 
4    SknU  of  Heterogeomyshitifidiis. 

5.  Skull  of  Macrogeomys  dolicliocephahts, 

6.  Skull  of  Zygogeomys  trichopns. 

7.  Skulls  of  Geomys  tuza,  mobilensis,  and  floridanus. 

8.  Skulls  of  Cratogeomys  oreocetes,  j)ercgrinns,  estor,  and  perotevsis. 

9.  Skulls  of  Geonii/s  arenarius,   iexensis,  attwateri,  sagittalis,    liitescens,  hrevicejys,  and 

bitrsarius. 

10.  Lower  jaws  of  Geomys  tuza,  floridanus,  mobilensis,  bursarius,  Cratogeomys  oreocetes, 

peregrinus,  merriami;  Macrogeomys  dolichoceplialus,  and  Platygeomys  gymnurns. 

11.  Skulls  of  Pappogeomys  huUeri,  Macrogeomys  heterodns,  vostaricensis,  Platygeomys 

fumosus,  Orthogeomys  latifrons. 

12.  Skulls  of  Cratogeomys  castanops,  fulvescens,  and  Geomys  personatus. 

13.  Left  zygoma,  showing  variations  in  jugal  bone  in  the  various  genera  and  species. 

14.  Palatopterygoids,  showing  variations  in  the  various  genera  and  species. 

15.  Skulls  of  Macrogeomys  cherriei  and  Helerogeomys  torridus.    Occiput  of  Macrogeomys 

dolichoceplialus,  Heterogeomys  hispidus,  Platygeomys  bulleri,  Cratogeomys  merriami, 
Platygeomys  gymnurns.  Uiiper  incisors  of  Macrogeomys  dolichocephalus,  Crato- 
geomys merriami,  Zygogeomys  trichopns,  Geomys  bursarius  and  tuza. 

16.  Molariform  teeth.     Heterogeomys  torridus,  young,  showing  deciduous  premolar  in 

situ;  also  upper  permanent  premolar  showing  unworn  enamel  cap;  also  same 
showing  permanent  enamel  pattern. 

Geomys  bursarius,  showing  deciduous  premolar  in  situ;  also  crowns  of  molari- 
form series  showing  permanent  enamel  ])attern. 

Macrogeomys  lieterodus,  right  upper  ijremolar  of  adult. 

Zygogeomys  trichopns,  crowns  of  molariform  series  showing  permanent  enamel 
pattern. 

Cratogeomys  castanops,  enamel  pattern  of  molar  crowns  in  young  and  adult. 

Macrogeomys  cherriei,  young  crowns  of  molariform  series,  showing  permanent 
enamel  pattern. 

17.  Skulls  seen  from  above:  vault  of  cranium  cut  away,  showing  floor  of  brain  case 

■  in — 

Heterogeomys  torridus,  Zygogeomys  trichopus,  Geomys  bursarius,  Platygeomys  gymnu- 
rus,  and  Cratogeomys  merriami. 

18.  Vertical  median  longitudinal  section  of  skull  (mesethmoid  and  right  half  of 

vomer  in  place) — 
Geomys  bursarius,  Zygogeomys  trichopus,  Heterogeomys  torridus,  Cratogeomys  mer- 
riami, and  Platygeomys  gymnnrus. 

19.  Orthogeomys  scalops  9  ad-  skull  from  above,  and  base  of  cranium.     Median  longi- 

tudinal section  of  nasal  chamber  (vomer  and  mesethmoid  removed)  showing 
turbinated  bones  in — 
Geomys  bursarius,  Zygogeomys  trichopns,  Heteroqeomys  torridus,  Cratogeomys  mer- 
riami, Platygeomys  gymnurus. 


8  CONTENTS. 

TEXT  FIGURES. 

1.  Face  of  Oeomj/s  bursarius,  showing  grooved  upper  incisors  and  openings  of  cheek 

ponches. 

2.  Face  of  Thomomjis  talpoUJcs,  showing  phmo  uppei'  incisors  and  openings  of  cheek 

pouches. 

3.  Left  fore  foot  of  Geomyii personatua,  s\\ov,i\\g  the  rows  of  bristles  which  form 

brushes  on  the  sides  of  the  toes. 

4.  Side  view  of  skull  of  Cratogcomiis  merriami  (zygoma  sawed  off). 

5.  Basioccipital  of  Cratogeomtjs  merriami.  showing  difference  in  form  of  upper  and 

lower  surfaces  (ankylosed  exoccipitals  shown  also). 

6.  Variations  in  interparietal:  Plnfi/ficimiis  tiilorlnnna  (showing  changes  with  age); 

Geomys  tii:a  ^  ad.  (Augusta,  (ia.);   G.  mobilensis  J  yg.  ad.  and  ^  old  (Milton, 
Fla.).     All  natural  si/e. 

7.  Longitudinal  vertical  median  section  of  skull  of  Cratofjeomijs  merriami,  showing 

interior  of  brain  case  and  nasal  chamber.     Vomer  and  mesethmoid  in  place. 

8.  Very  young  skull  of  Geomys  bursarius  from  Elk  River,  Minnesota.     Upper  sur- 

face, showing  troutals  ankylosed  togetlier,  and  interparietal  inseparable  from 
sniiraoccipital. 

9.  Young  skull  of  Cratofjeomys  merriami,  vault  of  cranium  cut  away  to  show  floor  of 

brain  case. 

10.  Vertical  median  section  of  front  part  of  skull  of  Geomys  bitrsarins,  showing  tur- 

binated bones,  etc.  (mesethmoid  and  vomer  removed). 

11.  Principal  types  of  pa.latoi)terygoids. 

12.  Inferior  surface  of  young  skull  of  Craiocjeomys  merriami. 

13.  Longitudinal  vertical  section  of  nasal  chamber  of  Cratogeomys  merriami,  showing 

vomerine  sheath  (vomer  rcnu)ved). 

14.  Jugals  (showing  principal  types  of  form). 

15.  Three  skulls  of  Zygogeomys  trivhopus,  showing  changes  wiih  age. 

16.  Very  young  skull  of  Heterogeomys  torridiis  from  Motzorongo,  Vera  Cruz. 

17.  Types  of  frontal:   (1)  Cratogeomys  merriami,  (2)  Ilelerogcomys  torridits,  (3)  Macro- 

(/eomys  heierodns,  (4)  Vrthoijeomys  sealops. 

18.  Outline  of  skull  of  Platygeomys  gyr/Diurxs,  slunviug  teeth  in  situ. 

19.  Incisors  of  Platygeomys  gymnnru^  sein  from  behind. 

20.  Cross  section  of  upjicr  incisor  in  (1)  Macroiieomys  doliclincephalns;  (2)  Heterogeo- 

mys Itispidiis;  (3)  M.coslariceiisis;  (4)  M.  vherriei  (showing  enamel  face  and  sin- 
gle sulcus). 

21.  Cross  section  of  upper  incisor  in  (1)  Cratogeomys  merriami ;   (2)  Platygeomys  (jym- 

nnriis;  (3)  Cratogeomys  perote)isis ;  (4)  J'appogeomys  htiUeri. 

22.  Cross  section  of  upjier  incisor  in  bisulcate  series:  (1)  Zygogeomys  triclioptis;  (2) 

Geomys  hitrsari)is  ;   (3)  Geontys  iuza. 

23.  Cross  section  of  upper  incisor  of  Thomomys  doiiglasi,  showing  shallow  sulcus  close 

to  inner  side  of  tooth. 

24.  Cross  section  of  lower  incisor  of  Cratogeomys  merriami. 

25.  Crowns  of  upper  and  lower  premolars  of  Macrogeomys  dolichoeephalus. 

26.  Types  of  molariform  teeth  seen  in  profile:  (1)  Heterogeomys  hispidns ;  (2)   Crato- 

geomys merriami ;  (3)  Geomys  tnza. 

27.  Principal  types  of  crown  pattern  of  m':  (1)   Geomys  brericeps ;  (2)  Pappogeomys 

huJleri;  (3)  Platygeomys  gymiiurns :  (4)  Cratogeomys  estor :  (5)  Zygogeomys  tricho- 
pus ;  (6)  Macrogeomys  dolichoeephalus ;  (7)  Macrogeomys  heterodas. 

28.  Variations  in  crown  pattern  of  m^  in  Cratogeomys  fidveseens. 

29.  Variations  in  crown  patteru  of  m^  in  Cratogeomys  castaiwps. 

30.  Types  of  enamel  pattern  of  upper  premolar :  (1)  Cratogeomys  merriami ;  (2)  Hetero- 

geomys hispidus. 

31.  Types  of  enamel  pattern  of  u])per  molariform  teetli  in  the  different  groups:    (1) 

Geomys   bursarius;    (2)    Cratogeomys   caxlauops;   (3)  Zygogeomys    trichopus;    (4) 
Macrogeomys  cherriei ;  (5)  Thomomys  hulhirorus. 

32.  Types  of  enamel  pattern  of  lower  molariform  teeth:  (a)   Geo7nys   bursarius;   (b) 

Thomomys  bulbirorus.     Except  in   Thomomys  tlie  enamel  pattern  is   the  same 
throughout  the  family. 

33.  Types  of  enamel  pattern  of  crown  of  ni'  in  the  restricted  genus  Geomys. 

.34.  Types  of  enamel  pattern  of  crown  of  m  ■  in  the  several  groups  in  which  this  tooth 
is  a  double  prism. 

35.  Variations  in  form  of  crown  and  enamel  pattern  of  m^  in  Plattigeomys  and  Crato- 

geomys merriami. 

36.  Molariform  teeth  of  a  A'ery  y(Ming  Geomys  bursarius.  showing  deciduous  and  per- 

manent premolars  in  situ, and  unworn  crown  of  m'  which  has  not  yet  reached 
plane  of  crowns  of  other  teeth. 

37.  Right  lower  unworn  permanent  \^xemoh\x  oi  Heterogeomys  torridus:  (1)  inner  or 

lingual  side;-  (2)  enamel  cap  from  above. 


CONTENTS.  9 

ZS.  Right  last  lowci'  molar  of  Hctcror/eomiiK  forridns,  showing  mi  worn  euamelcap  and 
rchitioiis  oi' enamel  and  dentine  lower  down. 

3D.  Transverse  section  of  skull  of  J'ttitjif/eomi/s  gijmnnriis,  showing  manner  of  implan- 
tation an  I  r(dations  of  molariform  teeth. 

40.  Upper  and  lower  molars  of  I'lati/gcoiinis  </!i)tniunts  in  normal  position,  showing 

angle  of  trnneation  of  crowns  necessitating  lateral  movement  in  arc  of  circle. 

41.  Cross  section  of  mandible  of  ridtiif/eovii/s  (jymnurns,  showing  how  roots  of  lUj  and 

■m:i  straddle  the  incisor. 

42.  Profile  view  of  lower  premolar  in  Ma(ro(jromiis  dolivhocephalus  and  PJatijgeomys 

(/ipinninis. 

43.  Longitndinal  section  of  molariform  teeth  of  Plati/ficonn/s  {lymnurus  (diagram- 

matic.) 

44.  Crowns  of  molariform  teeth  of  riaii/neomijs  i/jjmnitrxs. 

45.  Snperimposed  molar  series  of  Platiigeomijs  (jymnurns,  showing  relations  of  enamel 

blades. 
4l!.  Longitudinal  section  of  molariform  teeth  of  Macrof/eomys  dolichoceplialus  (dia- 
grammatic.) 

47.  Crowns  of  molariform  teeth  of  Macroyeo.mys  dolicliocephahts. 

48.  Superimposed  molar  series  of  Alacrofjeomys  doHchocephahis. 

49.  Siile  view  of  sknll  of  Macrogeomys  doHcltucephahis. 

50.  Side  view  of  skull  of  Platyf/eomyx  f/ymnitrits. 

51.  Hinder  part  of  sknll  of  Macrogeomya  dolichovephahis  from  above,  showing  relations 

of  mandible. 
.52.  Transverse  vertical  section  of  cranium  of  Macrogeomys  dolichocephalns  (just  in 
front  of  audita!  bulhe)  with  mandible  in  place — viewed  from  behind. 

53.  Hinder  part  of  skull  of  Platygeoiiiys  gymnitrus  from  above,  showing  relations  of 

mandible. 

54.  Transverse  vertical  section  of  cranium  of  Platygeomtjs  giimnnvus  (just  in  front  of 

audital  bulLe)  with  mandible  in  place — viewed  from  behind. 

55.  Geomys  hnrsarius.     Side  view  of  skull,  zygomatic  arch  sawed  off  to  show  bottom 

of  orbit. 

56.  Pappogcomys  bullcrt  $  .     Vault  of  cranium  sawed  oft",  showing  floor  of  brain  case. 

From  Sierra  Nevada  de  Colima,  Mexico. 

57.  Pappogeomys   biiUeri.     Vertical   longitudinal  section  of  skull,  mesethmoid  and 

vomer  in  place.     (Same  specimen  as  56.)     XlA. 

58.  Pappogeomys  huUeri.  .  Vertical  longitudinal  section  of  skull.     Mesethmoid  and 

vomer  removed  to  show  eudoturbinals.     (Same  specimen  as  56.)     Xl^. 

59.  Craiogeomys  merv'mmi.     Crowns  of  molariform  teeth. 

60.  Orthogcoiuiis   svalojjs.     Longitudinal  vertical  median  section  of  skull.     Meseth- 

moid and  vomer  iu  place.     From  Cerro  San  Felipe,  Oaxaca.     Xli. 

61.  Orthogcomys   scalops.     Same   specimen  with   mesethmoid   and  vomer  removed, 

showing  eudoturbinals.     Xli. 

62.  Orthogeomys  scalopn.     Last  upper  molar  showing  divided  outer  enamel  plate. 

63.  Orthogeomys  velsoni.     From  Mount  Zempoaltepec,  Oaxaca,  Mexico.     Skull  from 

above.     (Type). 

64.  Orthogeomys  latifrons  (type).     Crowns  of  molariform  teeth. 

65.  Heterogeomys  hispidiis.     l''roin  Jico,  Vera  Cruz. 

66.  Heterogeomys  lorridus.     From  Motzorougo,  Vera  Cruz. 

67.  Macrogeomys  costaricensis  and  cherriei,  showing  differences  in  jugal,  viewed  from 

both  sides. 
68,69,70,71.   Tliomomys  bidbiroriis.      9   From  Salem,  Oregon.     Sectionized  skull. 

68.  Vertical  median  longitudinal  section;  vomer  and  mesethmoid  removed, 

showing  turbinated  bones. 

69.  Same,  mesethmoid  and  vomer  in  place. 

70.  Vault  of  cranium  sawed  off,  showing  floor  of  brain  case. 

71.  Anterior  part  of  floor  of  brain  case,  much  enlarged. 


Map  1.  A  Distribution  of  genus  Thomomys. 

]i  Distribution  of  genus  (ieomys. 
Map  2.  Distribution  of  genus  Cratogeomys. 
Map  3.  1  Distribution  of  genus  Pappogeomys. 

2  Distribution  of  genus  Plaiygeomys. 

3  Distribution  of  genus  Zygogeomys. 

4  Distribution  of  genus  Heterogeomys. 

5  Distribution  of  genus  Orthogeomys. 

6  Distribution  of  genus  Macrogeomys. 

Map  4.  Distribution  of  species  of  Geomys  and  Cratogeomys 


No.  8.  NOETH  AMEEIOAN  FAUNA.  January,  1895. 


REVISION  OF  THE  POCKET  GOPHERS,  FAMILY  GEOMYID.E,  EXCLUSIVE 
OF  THE  SPECIES  OF  THOMOMYS. 


By  Dr.  C.  Hart  Merriam. 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  present  paper  is  based  on  a  study  of  the  rich  collection  of  Pocket 
Gophers  belonging  to  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  comprising 
upwards  of  800  specimens,  exclusive  of  the  genus  Thomomys.  This 
material  has  been  supplemented  by  110  specimens  from  my  private  col- 
lection, and  a  number  from  the  U.  S.  National  Museum,*  making  a  total 
of  about  a  thousand  specimens,  among  which  are  by  far  the  greater  num- 
ber of  actual  types  known  to  be  extant.  The  Department  collection 
contains  no  less  than  200  specimens  from  Mexico,  most  of  which  were 
secured  by  Mr.  E.  W.  Nelson,  a  field  naturalist  of  the  Division.  These, 
together  with  a  few  highly  interesting  sjiecimens  from  Costa  Eica  and 
Guatemala  in  the  U.  S.  National  Museum,  have  enabled  me  not  only 
to  bring  together  for  actual  comparison  all  of  the  species  i)reviously 
described,  and  to  add  a  considerable  number  heretofore  unknown,  but 
also  to  recognize  several  marked  generic  types  whose  existence  had 
not  been  suspected. 

Critical  study  of  this  unparalleled  wealth  of  material  has  led  to  the 
discovery  of  some  very  remarkable  dental  peculiarities  that  have  been 
deemed  worthy  of  detailed  description  and  illustration.  Moreover,  the 
opportunity  has  been  utilized  to  contribute  a  chapter  on  the  morphol- 
ogy of  the  skull,  which  it  is  hoped  will  prove  of  service  to  those  inter- 
ested in  the  craniology  of  the  Rodentia. 

It  is  a  matter  of  deep  regret  that  the  magnificent  series  of  specimens 
of  living  forms  on  which  the  present  paper  is  based,  has  not  been  sup- 
plemented by  a  single  fossil ;  and  it  is  earnestly  hoped  that  an  oppor- 
tunity may  yet  be  found  to  study  the  remains  of  the  extinct  animals 
that  have  been  referred  to  the  family — correctly  or  otherwise — in  com- 
parison with  the  rich  collection  of  living  types  now  in  our  National 
Museum.  If  the  theory  is  correct,  that  the  group  has  attained  its 
greatest  expansion  in  the  present  age,  we  need  not  look  to  the  rocks 

*  Placed  at  my  disposal  by  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  F.  W.  True,  Curator  of  Mammals- 

11 


12  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

for  additioual  liiglily  diversified  types,  but  only  for  the  links  tbat  biud 
the  several  phyla  together  and  connect  them  with  the  more  primitive 
forms  from  which  they  came.     These  would  be  of  the  utmost  interest. 

The  author  is  indebted  to  Mr.  F.  W.  Tiue,  Curator  of  Mammals  in 
the  U.  S.  National  Museum,  for  the  privilege  of  describing  two  species 
from  Central  America;  to  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen,  of  the  American  Museum 
of  Natural  History,  New  York,  for  the  privilege  of  examining  the  type 
of  Ms  Geoniys  cherriei;  and  to  Mr.  H.  P.  Attwater,  of  San  Antonio, 
Texas,  for  the  loan  of  a  large  series  of  the  subspecies  here  described 
as  Geomi/s  brericeps  attwateri.  The  author  is  under  special  obligations 
to  Mr.  Oldfield  Thomas,  Curator  of  Mammals  in  the  British  Museum, 
and  to  Dr.  Paul  Matschie,  of  the  Eoyal  Museum  of  Natural  History  in 
Berlin.  Mr.  Thomas  has  kindly  compared  specimens  sent  him  for  that 
purpose  with  his  own  types  in  the  British  Museum,  and  has  also  con- 
tributed measurements  and  other  details  of  importance.  Dr.  Matschie 
has  been  good  enough  to  remeasure  the  original  types  of  Peters' 
Geomys  heterodus  and  Lichtenstein's  Geomys  mexicanus,  which  speci- 
mens are  still  extant  in  the  Berlin  Museum,  and  has  further  taken  the 
trouble  to  prepare  and  send  me  a  table  of  cranial  measurements  of  the 
skulls  of  these  same  types,  with  much  other  information  of  importance 
respecting  them.  And  Dr.  F.  A.  Jentink,  the  able  director  of  the 
Leiden  Museum,  has  done  me  the  favor  to  send  additional  particulars 
about  the  Bullock  specimen  of  Geomys  hursarius,  still  extant  in  the 
Leiden  Museum,  which  specimen  has  given  rise  to  much  controversy 
and  is  supposed  to  be  Shaw's  original  type  of  the  species. 

From  time  to  time  during  the  preparation  of  the  work,  collectors 
have  been  sent  to  special  localities  from  which  new  or  supplemental 
material  was  desired,  thus  making  it  possible  to  settle  many  points  that 
were  originally  in  doubt.  Much  has  been  learned  respecting  the  habits 
and  mode  of  life  of  the  animals  from  a  living  Geomys  Jutescens  sent  from 
Vernon,  Texas,  by  my  field  assistant,  Mr.  J.  Alden  Loring.  This  animal 
was  kept  in  confinement  until  sufiQciently  tame  to  permit  handling  freely 
and  was  the  means  of  the  discovery  of  a  surprisingly  large  number  of 
interesting  facts  that  otherwise  would  have  escaped  detection. 

Respecting  the  illustrations,  the  frontispiece  was  drawn  by  Mr.  C.  B. 
Hudson;  plate  1  by  Mr.  Benjamin  Mortimer;  text  figures  1  and  2  by 
Dr.  George  Marx ;  figures  5,  19,  63,  65,  and  66  by  Dr.  James  E.  McCon- 
nell;  and  all  of  the  outline  camera  lucida  drawings  of  teeth  by  myself. 
Plates  2  to  19,  inclusive,  and  all  of  the  remaining  text  figures  were  drawn 
under  my  constant  supervision  by  Mr.  F.  Miiller.  All  of  the  twenty 
full-page  plates  have  been  reproduced  by  photolithography  by  Mr.  Ber- 
thold  Meisel,  of  Boston,  and  the  text  figures,  with  two  or  three  excep- 
tions, have  been  electrotyped  from  the  originals  by  Mr.  Harry  0.  Jones, 
of  New  York. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  generic  names  engraved  on  most  of  the 
plates  (pis.  2-6, 8,  and  10-16)  do  not  agree  with  the  generic  names  in  the 
text.    This  misfortune  is  the  result  of  having  the  plates  printed  before 


JAN.,  1895.]  INTRODUCTION.  13 

the  genera  were  finally  segregated.  The  correct  names  are  given  in  all 
cases  on  the  explanations  facing  the  plates. 

The  literature  relating  to  the  group  is  rarely  referred  to  in  the  present 
paper,  except  for  original  descriptions.  The  reason  is  that  previous 
papers  have  been  based  on  insufficient  material.  To  use  them  at  all 
would  necessitate  a  large  amount  of  explanation  and  criticism  without 
corresponding  advantage. 

All  the  measurements  in  the  present  paper  are  in  millimeters. 


CHAPTER  I. 


GENERAL  REMARKS. 

The  family  Geomyid(v,  comprising  the  mammals  commonly  known  as 
Pocket  Gopliers,  is  conliued  to  North  America,  where  it  ranges  from 
the  plains  of  the  Saskatchewan  in  Can- 
ada southward  to  Costa  Rica.  It  attains 
its  highest  development  in  tlie  western 
United  States  and  Mexico,  and  does  not 
inhabit  the  region  east  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley  except  in  the  Gulf  States,  where 
it  reaches  the  Atlantic  coast  in  Florida 
and  Georgia,  but  does  not  occur  north 
of  the  Savannah  River. 

The  appearance  of  a  characteristic 
species  is  well  shown  in  the  frontispiece, 
and  the  peculiar  aspect  of  the  face  in  the 
accompanying  cut  (tigs.  1  and  2),  which 
shows  the  openings  of  the  cheek  pouches, 
wholly  outside  of  the  mouth,  and  also 
the  pattern  of  the  upper  incisor  teeth  in 
two  of  the  commonest  genera,  Oeomys 
and  Thomomys. 

All  the  members  of  the  family  spend 
their  entire  lives  underground,  and  their 
whole  organization  is  modified  in  accord- 
ance with  the  needs  of  a  subterranean 
existence.  The  species,  though  n numer- 
ous, are  very  much  alike  externally.  They  are  short-legged,  thickset 
animals,  without  an  appreciable  neck,  without  noticeable  external 
ears,  and  with  very  small  eyes.  The  feet  are  largely  developed  for 
digging.  The  fore  paws  in  particular  are  very  strong,  are  armed 
with  long  curved  claws,*  and  the  sides  of  the  toes  are  lined  with 
rows  of  bristles  that  evidently  serve  in   preventing  the  dirt  from 


FiG.l. — Faceof  Oeomys  bur. ■iarius, show- 
ing  grooved  upper  incisors  and  openings 
of  cheek  pouches. 

Fi«.  2.— Face  of  Thomomys  talpoides, 
showing  plane  upper  incisors  and  open- 
ings of  cheek  pouclies. 


*Tlie  relative  development  of  the  daws  is  largely  a  matter  of  age  and  soil.  Tbey 
continue  to  increase  in  size  thronghout  the  life  of  the  individual;  their  poiiitw  are 
worn  off  in  hard  soil  so  that  the  claws  become  thick  and  hlunt.  In  sandy  soil  they 
do  not  meet  enough  resistance  to  ])roduce  the  usual  wear,  and,  conse(iuentIy,  are 
longer  and  more  slender  than  normal, 

15 


16 


NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


passiug  between  the  fingers  (fig.  3),  thus  completing  a  more  effective 
arrangement  for  keeping  the  tunnels  clean,  and  for  pushing  the  earth 
out  of  the  openings  in  the  burrows.  The  tail,  which  is  of  moderate 
length,  is  thick,  fleshy,  and  usually  devoid  of  hair,  and  is  endowed 
with  tactile  sensibility. 

The  Pocket  Gophers,  in  working  their  way 
through  the  earth  in  the  construction  of  their  tun- 
nels, use  the  j)owerful  upper  incisors  as  a  pick  to 
loosen  the  ground.  At  the  same  time  the  fore  feet 
are  kept  in  active  operation,  both  in  digging  and  in 
pressing  the  earth  back  under  the  body,  and  the  hind 
feet  are  used  also  in  moving  it  still  further  backward. 
When  a  sufficient  quantity  has  accumulated  behind 
the  animal,  he  immediately  turns  in  the  burrow  and 
by  bringing  the  wrists  together  under  the  chin, 
with  the  palms  of  the  hands  held  vertically,  forces 
himself  along  by  the  hind  feet,  pushing  the  earth  out 
in  front.  When  an  opening  in  the  tunnel  is  reached 
the  earth  is  discharged  through  it,  forming  a  little 
hillock  that  resembles  in  a  general  way  the  hills 
thrown  up  by  moles.  In  many  species  there  is  a 
naked  callosity  or  'nasal  pad'  over  the  anterior  half 
of  the  nose,  which  must  be  of  great  assistance  in 
the  construction  of  the  tunnels.  When  this  callos- 
ity is  largely  developed  the  nasal  bones  underneath  are  highly  arched  or 
inflated, as  in  Heterogcomys  hispidus. 

PROGRESSION   BACKWARD   AS   WELL   AS  FORWARD. 

The  Geomys  lutescem  already  mentioned  from  Vernon,  Texas,  which  I 
kept  alive  for  several  months,  surprised  me  very  much  by  running  back- 
ward as  rapidly  and  easily  as  forward.  This  method  of  progression  was 
particularly  noticeable  when  the  animal  was  in  his  own  quarters  where 
he  could  follow  a  runway  or  an  accustomed  route.  When  carrying 
food  to  one  of  his  storehouses  he  rarely  turned  around,  but  usually  ran 
backward  to  the  j)lace  of  de^wsit,  returning  for  more,  and  repeating  the 
operation  again  and  again,  the to-and-fro  movement  suggesting  a  shut- 
tle on  its  track.  The  well-known  peculiarity  of  the  external  genitalia, 
which  are  so  hidden  and  modified  that  the  sexes  are  determined  with 
difficulty,  is  doubtless  the  result  of  this  habit,  protecting  the  parts 
from  injury  when  the  animal  is  moving  backward. 

THE  TAIL  AN  ORGAN  OF  TOUCH. 

Throughout  the  family  Gcomyidw  the  tail  is  rather  large  and  fleshy, 
and  as  a  rule  is  naked  or  scantily  haired;  *  it  varies  in  length  in  the 

*  The  tail  is  naked  in  most  of  the  southern  species  and  is  more  or  less  covered  with 
hair  in  the  northern  species.  The  latter  have  much  more  hair  on  the  tail  in  winter 
than  in  Rummer, 


ria.  3. — Left  fore  foot  of 
Geomys  personatus,  sliow- 
iijg  the  rows  of  bristles 
which  form  brushes  on 
the  sides  of  the  toes. 


JAN  ,  1895 


GENERAL    CHARACTERS.  17 


various  species  from  about  65  to  115  mm.  The  functiou  of  this  pecu- 
liar appendage  had  long  puzzled  me,  but  by  watching-  the  live  Geomys 
above  mentioned  as  it  ran  backward  in  its  runways  I  saw  that  it  was 
used  as  an  organ  of  touch.  It  is  doubtless  endowed  with  special  tactile 
sensibility  and  is  evidently  of  great  value  in  warning  the  animals  of 
the  presence  of  an  enemy  in  the  rear  when  they  are  traveling  backward 
in  their  dark  tunnels.  So  far  as  I  am  aware  this  is  the  only  instance  in 
which  the  tail  of  a  mammal  is  used  for  this  purpose. 

i  POSITION   OF   THE   FORE   FEET. 

In  walking  on  soft  ground  the  fore  feet  are  usually  held  in  the  nor- 
mal position,  with  the  soles  down,  or  inclined  shghtly  inward.  In 
walking  on  hard  ground,  however,  the  fore  feet  are  turned  sideways, 
their  soles  facing  one  another,  so  that  the  claws  curve  inward,  and  the 
animal  walks  on  the  outer  or  ulnar  side  of  the  foot.  This  method  of 
using  the  fore  foot  in  walking  on  hard  substances  was  frequently 
observed,  and  enables  the  animal  to  walk  comfortably  where  the  long 
curved  claws  would  be  in  the  way  A  held  in  the  normal  position.  It 
was  also  frequently  noticed  that  the  feet  were  held  in  the  same  jjositioii 
(horizontally)  when  at  rest,  and  when  used  as  a  scoop  in  pushing  loads 
of  earth  or  sand  out  of  the  way.  When  thus  engaged  the  feet  were 
drawn  back  under  the  breast,  the  wrists  near  together  and  the  long 
claws  turned  outward.  By  moving  the  body  quickly  forward  the 
animal  always  succeeded  in  throwing  ahead  of  it  a  considerable  quan- 
tity of  loose  earth. 

DIVISION   OF   THE   MOUTH  INTO   TWO   CHAMBERS. 

The  lips  and  thin  furry  covering  of  skin  are  drawn  into  the  broad 
space  between  the  incisors  and  molars,  where  they  meet  in  a  raphe  on 
the  roof  of  the  mouth  and  then  separate  again  to  meet  around  the  under 
jaw,  forming  a  diaphragm-like  partition  between  the  incisors  and 
molars.  The  orifice  is  small  and  wholly  inferior,  and  may  be  completely 
closed  by  the  fleshy  tongue  or  by  the  tailing  together  of  the  furry  lips, 
leaving  a  vertical  slit  between.  The  raphe  or  line  of  union  of  the  lips 
on  the  roof  of  the  mouth  reaches  most  of  the  way  from  the  incisors  to 
the  upper  premolars,  A  narrow  band,  not  covered  with  fur,  connects 
the  two  lips  inferiorly,  crossing  the  floor  of  the  mouth  near  the  pos- 
terior end  of  the  synqihysis  of  the  mandible.  Thence  the  lips — if  the 
term  lips  may  be  applied  to  this  fold  of  skin — pass  around  the  lower 
incisors,  where  the  skin  is  attached  posteriorly,  so  that  it  may  be 
retracted,  leaving  a  bare  space  below  the  point  where  the  tooth  pro- 
trudes from  the  alveolus,  thus  giving  greater  freedom  to  the  lower 
incisors  during  tlie  act  of  gnawing.  During  the  to-and-fro  drill-like 
motion  of  the  jaw  the  skin  probably  remains  nearly  stationary,  while 
the  under  incisors  play  rapidly  back  and  forth.  The  object  of  the  dia- 
7i33— No.  8 2 


18  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

phragm-like  partition  which  separates  the  mouth  into  two  chambers  is 
obviously  to  prevent  dirt  and  chips  from  entering  the  mouth  proj)er 
during  the  various  subterranean  operations  of  the  animal. 

THE   TONGUE. 

The  tongue  is  short,  thick,  and  fleshy.  Its  principal  function  doubt- 
less is  to  keep  the  food  between  the  crowns  of  the  teeth  during  masti- 
cation. At  other  times  it  serves  as  a  plug  to  stop  the  opening  in  the 
furry  diaphragm  between  the  incisors  and  molars. 

THE   CHEEK  POUCHES. 

All  of  the  Pocket  Gophers  are  provided  with  external  cheek  pouches, 
which  open  on  the  sides  of  the  face  outside  of  the  mouth,  and  are  cov- 
ered with  fur  inside.  These  cheek  pouches  are  used  exclusively  in 
carrying  food,  and  not  in  carting  dirt  as  often  erroneously  supposed. 
The  animals  are  great  hoarders  and  carry  away  to  their  storehouses 
vastly  more  than  they  consume.  The  cheek  pouches  reach  back  as  far 
as  the  shoulder  and  are  so  attached  that  they  can  iiot  be  completely 
everted  without  rupture  of  their  connections.  While  the  posterior 
part  of  the  sack  is  held  back  by  the  muscle  which  stretches  thence  to 
the  lumbar  vertebra",  the  skin  of  the  inner  side  of  the  jiouch,  which 
covers  the  side  of  the  face  below  the  eye  and  in  front  of  the  ear,  may 
be  everted  or  prolapsed,  hanging  down  as  a  flap  below  the  corners  of 
the  mouth.  This  is  probably  what  happened  in  the  case  of  snake  fright 
observed  by  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher  at  Ellis,  Kansas,  in  June,  1893.  Dr. 
Fisher  saw  a  gopher  snake  {Pituo2)hi.s)  about  5  feet  in  length  hunting 
for  breakfast.  He  says:  "Presently  the  snake  glided  into  a  gopher 
hole.  In  a  few  minutes  I  saw  a  gopher  {Geoniys  lutescens)  run  out  as 
fast  as  possible  from  the  other  end  of  the  line  of  hills.  I  soon  caught 
up  to  it.  It  appeared  very  much  frightened,  and  its  cheek  pouches 
were  hanging  out.  The  gopher  evidently  had  only  scented  the  snake, 
for  it  Avas  apparent  that  the  snake  had  not  seen  the  mammal,  as  it 
came  out  of  the  hole  by  which  it  entered  and  glided  off  deliberately 
in  another  direction." 

HOW   CIEOMYS   PUTS   FOOD  INTO   ITS   CHEEK   POUCHES. 

A  live  Geoniys  from  Vernon,  Texas,  has  been  carefully  observed  for  the 
purpose  of  ascertaining  how  the  reserve  food  is  placed  in  the  cheek 
pouches.  The  animal  soon  became  sufficiently  tame  to  eat  freely  from 
the  hand,  and  was  commonly  fed  bits  of  potato,  of  which  he  was  particu- 
larly fond.  The  manner  of  eating  was  peculiar  and  interesting,  and 
showed  an  ability  to  use  the  huge  fore  feet  and  claws  in  a  way  previously 
unsuspected.  After  satisfying  the  immediate  demands  of  hunger  it  was 
his  practice  to  fill  one  or  both  cheek  pouclies.  His  motions  were  so 
swift  that  it  was  exceedinglj^  difficult  to  follow  them  with  sufficient 
exactness  to  see  just  how  the  operation  Avas  performed.     If  a  whole 


'AN,  1895]  GENERAL    CHARACTERS.  19 

jiotato  was  given  bim,  or  apiece  too  large  to  go  into  the  pouch,  he  invari- 
ably grasped  it  between  the  fore  paws  and  proceeded  to  pry  off  a  small 
Iticce  with  the  long  lower  incisors.  He  would  then  raise  himself  slightly 
on  his  hind  legs  and  hold  the  fragment  between  his  fore  paws  while 
eating,  for  he  usually  ate  a  certain  quantity  before  putting  any  into  the 
pouches.  If  small  pieces  were  given  him  he  took  tliem  prom^itly  and 
passed  them  quickly  into  the  pouches.  Some  pieces  were  thus  disposed 
of  at  once;  others  were  first  trimmed  by  biting  off  projecting  angles. 
As  a  rule  one  pouch  was  filled  at  a  time,  though  not  always,  and  the 
hand  of  the  same  side  was  used  to  push  the  food  in.  The  usual  course 
is  as  follows :  A  piece  of  potato,  root,  or  other  food  is  seized  between  the 
incisor  teeth,  and  is  immediately  transferred  to  the  fore  paws,  which  are 
held  in  a  horizontal  position,  the  tips  of  the  claws  curving  toward  one 
another.  If  the  food  requires  reduction  in  size,  the  trimming  is  done 
while  held  in  this  position.  The  piece  is  then  passed  rapidly  across  the 
side  of  the  face  with  a  sort  of  wiping  motion  which  forces  it  into  the 
open  mouth  of  the  pouch.  Sometimes  a  single  rapid  stroke  with  one 
hand  is  sufficient;  at  other  times  both  hands  are  used,  particularly  if  the 
piece  is  large.  In  such  cases  the  long  claws  of  one  hand  are  used  to 
draw  down  the  lower  side  of  the  opening,  wliile  the  food  is  poked  in  with 
the  other.  It  is  obviously  impossible  for  the  animal  to  i)ass  food  from 
the  mouth  to  the  pouches  without  the  aid  of  its  fore  claws. 

The  most  remarkable  thing  connected,  with  the  use  of  the  pouches  is 
the  way  they  are  emptied.  The  fore  feet  are  brought  back  simulta- 
neously along  the  sides  of  the  head  until  they  reach  a  point  opposite  the 
hinder  end  of  the  pouches;  they  are  then  pressed  firmly  against  the 
head  and  carried  rapidly  forward.  In  this  way  the  contents  of  the 
pouches  are  promptly  dumped  in  front  of  the  animal.  Sometimes  several 
strokes  are  necessary.  I  am  not  prepared  to  say  that  the  animal  can 
not  empty  the  pouches  by  means  of  the  delicate  investing  muscles,  but 
I  have  never  seen  them  emptied  in  any  other  way  than  that  here 
described. 

THE    FOOD. 

The  food  consists  chiefly  of  roots,  tubers,  and  other  rather  hard  veg- 
etable substances,  though  grass  and  the. succulent  parts  of  plants  are 
sometimes  eaten.  In  agricultural  districts  the  animals  are  highly  inju- 
rious, destroying  potatoes  and  other  tubers  in  large  quantities,  and 
gnawing  off"  the  roots  of  fruit  trees.  In  fields  of  grain  and  fodder  they 
sometimes  do  considerable  damage  by  the  aggregate  area  covered  by 
the  little  mounds  of  earth  thrown  up  from  the  tunnels. 

COLOR   PHASES. 

In-  most  species  of  the  Geomyidw  two  color  phases  occur,  a  plumbeous 
or  dusky  phase  and  a  chestnut-brown  or  yellowish-brown  phase.  The 
latter  varies  greatly  in  the  different  species — from  pale  straw  color  or 


20  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

buffy  ochraceous  in  Tliomoinys  perpallidus  of  the  Colorado  and  Mohave 
deserts,  to  dark  liver-brown  in  Geomys  bursarius  of  the  Ui)per  Missis- 
sippi Valley.  Taking  the  group  as  a  whole,  the  brown  phase  is  by  far 
the  commonest  and  may  be  regarded  as  normal ;  but  in  certain  vSpecies 
in  nearly  all  the  genera  the  plumbeous  i)hase  prevails,  as  in  Thomomys 
Orizaba' J  Platygcomys  fumosus,  and  Zygogeomys  tricJiopus — all  from  south- 
ern Mexico.  The  plumbeous  pelage  is  commonly  more  or  less  metallic 
antl  sometimes  even  iridescent.  It  is  rare  in  the  United  States  species, 
though  conmion  in  Thomomys  neradensis  from  central  Nevada  and 
Geomys  breviceps  from  Louisiana.  It  has  not  yet  been  observed  in  Gra- 
iogeomys  castaiwps  or  Geomys  lutescens,  and  the  red  pelage  has  not  been 
observed  in  Zygogeomys  tricliopus.  So  far  as  known,  only  a  single  color 
phase  occurs  in  the  genera  Heferogeomys  and  Orthogeomys,  both  of 
which  are  dark  seal  brown  in  fresh  pelage  and  a  dull  faded  brown  in 
worn  iDclage. 

Seasonal  differences  in  coloration. — Some  of  the  species  vary  but 
little  with  season,  as  Geomys  bursarius  from  the  Upper  Mississippi  Val- 
ley; still  even  this  animal  is  considerably  darker  in  winter  than  in 
summer.  Others  present  two  well-marked  color  phases,  according  to 
season.  In  the  latter  category  are  Geomys  lutescens,  breviceps,  and  to  a 
less  degree  personatus  also.  In  lutescens  the  summer  pelage  differs 
from  the  winter  in  the  absence  of  the  dark  dorsal  band  which  is  usually 
present  from  October  to  April,  or  May,  and  sometimes  even  as  late  as 
June.  Apparently  the  absence  of  this  stripe  in  summer  specimens  is 
sometimes  due  to  wear,  the  dark  tips  of  the  hairs  when  worn  leaving 
the  pale  subapical  zone  exposed.  This  can  not  always  be  the  case, 
however,  since  one  specimen  from  Chadron,  Nebraska,  collected  April 
30,  has  the  dorsal  stripe  plumbeous  throughout  with  but  a  faint  trace 
of  the  pale.subapical  zone. 

In  typical  Geomys  breviceps,  and  also  in  specimens  from  the  western 
limit  of  the  range  of  the  species  wliere  it  seems  to  be  shading  toward 
lutescens  and  texensis,  the  same  thing  occurs,  though  the  renewal  of  tlie 
pelage  takes  place  at  a  somewhat  different  date.  This  is  very  apparent 
in  si)ecimens  from  Gainesville,  in  the  valley  of  the  Ked  River  in  north- 
eastern Texas.  A  specimen  taken  August  10  has  a  broad  dark  dorsal 
ban(i,  while  two  specimens  taken  March  27  and  March  29  show  no 
trace  of  this  band  except  on  the  head,  the  back  being  a  uniform  red- 
dish brown  more  or  less  mixed  with  dusky. 

SEXUAL  VARIATION. 

Sexual  variation  is  marked.throughout  the  genus  and  in  some  species 
is  extraordinary.  It  may  "be  conveniently  discussed  under  two  heads, 
(1)  difference  in  size:  (2)  ditference  in  cranial  characters. 

(1)  Difference  in  size. — ^Tlie  females  are  always  considerably  smaller 
than  the  males;  the  discrepancy  is  greater  in  some  species  than  in 
others.    Reference  to  tbe  tables  of  measurements  shows  that  the  dif- 


JAN..  1895.1  VARIATIONS.  21 

fereuce  in  total  length  often  amounts  to  25  or  30  mm.;  in  length  of  tail 
to  12  or  15  mm. ;  and  in  hind  foot  3  or  5  mm.  Tlie  difference  in  the  size 
of  the  skull  is  equally  marked,  and  is  well  shown  in  the  tables  of 
cranial  measurements. 

(2)  Difference  in  cranial  characters.* — Independent  of  the  conspicu- 
ous differences  in  size  between  male  and  female  skulls  of  the  same 
species  from  the  same  locality,  other  and  more  important  differences 
exist  which  not  infrequently  prove  troublesome  in  identifying  speci- 
mens, particularly  if  skulls  of  both  sexes  are  not  at  hand  for  compari- 
son. The  female  as  a  rule  has  the  brain  case  broader  and  flatter,  the 
zygomata  narrower  and  less  angular,  the  jugal  narrower  anteriorly, 
the  rostrum  and  nasals  shorter,  and  the  skull  as  a  wliole  smoother.  In 
other  words,  the  cranium  of  the  female  is  much  less  specialized  than 
that  of  the  male  and  often  jioints  suggestively  to  the  stock  from  which 
the  species  was  derived.  It  thus  happens  in  the  case  of  series  of 
species  in  which  the  successive  forms  in  the  development  of  a  particu- 
lar type  are  still  extant  (as  in  the  texensis-hursarius  series)  that  the 
female  resembles  the  male  of  the  species  next  below  in  the  line  of 
descent  more  than  the  male  of  her  own  species. 

In  several  forms  in  wiiich  the  males  have  well  developed  sagittal 
crests,  the  females  have  a  sagittal  area  bounded  by  distant  temporal 
impressions;  and  in  species  in  which  the  males  have  iirominent  tem- 
poral ribs,  the  females  commonly  have  more  widely  separated  temporal 
impressions  which  rise  as  ridges  from  the  outer  side  but  not  from  the 
inner  side,  the  interspace  being  more  or  less  thickened. 

INDIVIDUAL    VARIATION. 

The  family  Geomyida'  i^resents  the  usual  range  of  individual  varia- 
tion, both  in  size  and  in  cranial  characters.  While  the  male  and  female 
skulls  of  a  species  agree  very  well  among  themselves,  showing  strong 
average  characters,  there  are  in  every  large  series  one  or  two  skulls 
which  depart  from  the  type  in  one  or  more  particulars.  These  depart- 
ures are  most  common  in  the  form  aud  manner  of  ending  of  the  nasals 
and  ascending  branches  of  the  premaxilla.  In  all  such  cases  sexnal 
differences  should  be  carefully  eliminated  before  assuming  that  the 
departure  is  individual. 

Individual  variation  is  always  more  marked  in  the  secondary  or  acces- 
sory cranial  structures  than  in  the  more  important  and  less  variable 
elements.  Thus  the  peripheral  processes  aud  expansions  for  the  attach- 
ment of  muscles  are  always  more  variable  than  other  parts  of  the  skull. 
The  degree  of  lateral  production  of  the  squamosal,  and  of  the  angular 
process  of  the  mandible  in  Platygeomys  gymnurus,  and  the  variations  in 

'  The  sexual  organs  are  so  arranged  in  the  Gcomuidw  as  to  be  difficult  of  determi- 
nation in  the  flesh,  except  during  the  rutting  season  ;  hence  the  sex  marks  on  labels 
may  be  safely  ignored  if  they  coullict  with  the  cranial  characters. 


22  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

detail  of  the  occipital  basiu,  are  illustrations  of  this  kind.  Still,  in 
studying"  large  series  of  skulls  of  a  single  species,  one  is  inucli  more 
deeply  impressed  by  the  strong  tendency  toward  the  development  in  each 
bone  of  a  particular  type  of  form  than  by  the  departures  therefrom. 

The  animals  continue  to  grow  for  several  years,  so  that  the  majority 
of  breeding  individuals  are  still  far  from  the  full  size  of  their  species. 
This  is  very  apparent  in  the  skulls,  which  not  only  continue  to  increase 
in  actual  size  but  also,  in  many  species,  in  the  ratio  of  zygomatic  breadth 
to  length,  and  in  the  development  of  ridges  and  processes  for  muscular 
attachments. 

SUBDIVISIONS    OF   THE   FAMILY   GEOMYID^. 

A  superficial  examination  of  the  skulls  of  the  various  species  of 
Geomyidw  is  sufficient  to  show  the  existence  of  several  widely  different 
types.  Heretofore  tlie  common  practice  has  been  to  divide  the  family 
into  two  genera,  Thomomys  and  Geomys,  according  to  the  absence  or 
presence  of  distinct  grooves  in  the  upper  incisors,  and  to  subdivide  the 
genus  Geomys  into  two  series,  unisulcate  and  bisulcate.  The  number 
of  grooves  was  believed  to  be  correlated  with  certain  cranial  characters, 
the  members  of  the  unisulcate  series  having  widely  spreading  zygomatic 
arches,  the  outer  angles  of  which  were  broadly  exjianded,  while  the 
bisulcate  series  had  narrower  arches  and  lacked  the  expansion;  but  no 
attempt  was  made  to  separate  them,  even  subgenerically.  The  recent 
discovery  of  a  large  number  of  new  forms  in  Mexico  and  Central  Amer- 
ica, comprising  several  highly  diversified  types,  renders  this  classifica- 
tion inadequate.  After  subtracting  the  strongly  marked  genus  Thom- 
ojiiys,  which  differs  from  all  the  others  in  numerous  important  charac- 
ters heretofore  overlooked,  a  heterogeneous  assemblage  remains,  com- 
prising the  animals  commonly  lumped  under  the  generic  name  Geomys, 
and  also  the  new  forms  here  first  described.  Of  these,  the  bisulcate 
series  may  be  divided  into  two  very  distinct  and  two  minor  types,  while 
the  unisulcate  series  contains  at  least  six  well-marked  subdivisions. 

In  attempting  a  logical  classification  of  the  group,  one  is  met  at  the 
outset  by  the  difficulty  that  some  of  the  specialized  or  peripheral  types 
are  more  or  less  closely  connected  with  the  trunk  line  by  existing  inter- 
mediate forms,  making  it  exceedingly  difficult  to  draw  hard  and  fast 
lines  without  unnecessary  subdivision.  The  genus  Geomys  as  here 
restricted  is  such  a  case.  It  comprises  two  quite  distinct  branches, 
Geomys  tuza  and  G.  hursarius,  which  are  connected  with  one  another 
and  with  the  trunk  line,  or  something  very  near  it,  by  a  series  of  gen- 
eralized species,  the  texensis-hreviceps  series.  In  cases  of  this  kind  two 
courses  are  open,  either  to  separate  the  extreme  peripheral  forms  from 
the  less  specialized  species  leading  up  to  them,  or  to  unite  the  entire 
branch  under  a  single  getuis.  The  latter  course  has  been  followed  in 
the  present  instance.  But  each  case  must  be  decided  on  its  merits. 
One  that  has  been  treated  differently  is  the  large  limb  whose  ends, 
as  now"  known,  are  represented  by  two  of  Mr.  Thomas's  species,  hulleri 


JAN,  1895.]  KEY    TO    GENERA.  23 

and  merriaml;  tlie  former  is  not  far  removetl  from  the  trauk  line  of  tbe 
group;  tbe  latter  is  one  of  the  terminal  branches.  Bat  the  two  forms 
differ  in  cranial  and  dental  characters  of  great  weight,  and  are  further- 
more separated  by  an  enormo.us  gap  which  is  not  bridged  at  any  point 
by  any  of  the  species  yet  discovered.  For  these  reasons  they  are  treated 
as  independent  genera.  Still  another  reason  for  this  course,  if  another 
were  needed,  is  the  circumstance  that  the  branch  ending  in  merriami  is 
only  one  of  four-  equally  specialized  terminal  boughs,  all  apparently 
springing  from  and  bearing  the  same  relation  to  the  single  limb  or  main 
stem  whose  base  is  marked  by  b  idler i. 

In  dividing  the  family  into  genera  the  aim  has  been  to  select  as  types 
the  most  specialized  j)eripheral  forms  and  to  assemble  around  them  the 
less  specialized  species.  A  study  of  the  enamel  pattern  of  the  molari- 
form  teeth  shows  that  the  Geomijidcc  maybe  divided  primarily  into  five 
groups,  several  of  which  are  of  supergeneric  value,  and  a  study  of  the 
fundamental  cranial  characters  leads  to  the  recognition  of  nine  genera. 
By  means  of  the  following  brief  key,  any  of  the  species  now  known  may 
be  easily  referred  to  its  proper  genus  without  cutting  the  skull: 

KEY   TO    GENERA. 
d)    NO   ENAMEL  ON   POSTEKIOK  FACE   OF   UPPER  PREMOLAR. 

posterior  enamel  plate  present  on  first  and  second  upper  molars. 

Upper  incisor  bisulcate Geomys. 

Upper  iucisor  uuisulcate 

Frontal  strongly  constricted  (biconcave)  between  orbits Pappogeomys. 

Fiontal  not  constricted  between  orbits;  very  broad *Orthogeomys. 

Posterior  enamel  jtlate  absent  In  first  and  second  upper  molars. 

Breadth  of  cranium  across  squamosals  much  less  than  zygomatic 
breadth ;  lambdoid  crest  not  sinuous  (simply  convex  pos- 
teriorly) ;  angle  of  mandible  short • Cratogeomys. 

Breadth  of  cranium  across  S([uamosals  greater  than  zygomatic 
breadth;  lambdoid  crest  strongly  sinuous;  angle  of  man- 
dible very  long Plutygeomys. 

(2)   ENAMEL   PRESENT   OX   POSTERIOR   FACE   OF    UPPER   PREMOLAR. 

Posterior  enamel  plate  of  upper  premolar  restricted  to  inner  side. 
Posterior  enamel  plate  present  and  complete  on  first  and  second  upper 
molars. 
Frontal  not  constricted  between  orbits;  very  broad;  pterygoids 

long *  Orthogeomys. 

Frontal  strongly  constricted  between  orbits ;  pterygoids  short. 
Postorbital  process  absent ;  palatopterygoids  long  and  slen- 
der (pterygoid  part  narrow) Heterogeomys. 

Postorbital  process  strongly  marked ;  palatopterygoids  short 

and  broad  (pterygoid  part  very  broad) Macrogeomys. 

*  Orthogeomys  presents  an  exceptional  condition  of  the  enamel  pattern  of  the  upper 
premolar.  The  posterior  enamel  plate  of  this  tooth  is  evidently  disappearing;  it  is 
present  on  the  inner  side  in  O.  latifrons,  hut  is  altogether  absent  or  reduced  to  a 
very  narrow  strip  in  O.  grandis  and  acalops. 


24 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


Posterior  enamel  plate  of  upper  premolar  complete. 

Posterior  enamel  plate  i^rescnt  on  inner  {liniinal)  sich-  onhj  of  first  and 
second  upper  molars. 
Zygomatic  arch  couiplete  without  jugal  (jugal  inferior);  incisors 

bisulcate Zygogeomys. 

Posterior  enamel  j^l'ite  present  and  complete  on  first,  second,  and  third 
upper  molars. 
Incisors  not  grooved,  or  with  a  single  fine  sulcus  on  inner  side. .    Tliomomys. 

PHYLOGENETIC  TREE  OF  THE  GENERA. 


The  accompauymg-  pliylogeiietic  tree  is  iutended  to  represent  the 
author's  conception  of  the  interrelations  of  the  nine  living  genera  of 


\   HlacrogeorTLys 


Phylogenetic  tree  of  tho  GeoiiiyidiT>. 

the  Geomyidcc  now  known.  It  is  introduced  with  a  full  knowledge  of 
the  modern  tendency  to  disregard  and  even  belittle  such  attempts;  but 
I  am  aware  of  no  way  in  whicli  tlie  results  of  painstaking  research 
respecting  the  afitinities  of  organisms  may  be  expressed  so  graphically. 
Apparently  there  were  four  forks  to  the  early  Paleo-Geomine  phylum: 
one  running  into  Tliomomys,  another  producing  the  bisulcate  series  of 
Geomys,  beginning  with  texensis  or  arenarius  and  ending  in  bursarius; 
the  third  developing  the  anomalous  bisulcate  Zygofjeomys;  the  fourth, 
a  strictly  unisulcate  series,  of  which  hulleri  and  albinasus  are  the  least 
specialized  forms  now  known,  splitting  into  four  very  distinct  branches, 
each  of  which  now  forms  a  well-niarked  genus.     In  the  case  of  the 


JAN.,  1895.]  LIST    OF    GENERA    AND    SPECIES.  25 

branch  leading  np  to  Geomys  biirsarius  the  series  of  living  forms  is 
practically  complete;  in  the  case  of  the  other  branches  the  connecting 
links  are  unknown.  It  is  evident  that  both  Pappogeomys  bulleri  and 
Geomys  texensis  branched  off  from  i^oints  not  very  remote  from  the 
l^lace  where  Thomomys  left  the  trunk  line,  and  that  they  have  under- 
gone relatively  little  modification  since. 

The  evolution  of  some  types  takes  place  in  a  very  direct  way,  appar- 
ent?ly  by  uninterrupted  progress  in  a  definite  direction,  and  the  species 
comprising  such  a  series,  as  texensis,  breviceps,  luteseens,  and  bursariiis, 
may  be  looked  upon  as  stages  in  the  evolution  of  the  type.  The  origin 
of  other  types  is  more  circuitous  and  less  easily  understood.  For- 
tuitous variations  lead  to  the  appearance  of  numerous  side  branches, 
most  of  which  abort  before  developing  any  very  pronounced  individ- 
uality. Others  are  moi-e  fortunate.  Chancing  to  fit  some  phase  of  the 
environment  previously  unutilized,  they  go  on  until  a  maximum  of 
departure  compatible  with  the  balance  of  the  organism  as  a  whole  is 
attained.  There  are  several  of  these  highly  specialized  departures 
from  the  main  stem  in  the  GeomyidWj  such  as  Cratogeomys,  Platygeomys , 
Macrogeomys,  and  Zygogeomys. 

LIST   OF   THE    GENERA   AND   SPECIES. 

Genus  Gkomys  Rafiuesque. 

Name  of  species.  Type  locality. 

Geomys  tuza  (Ord) Augusta,  Georgia. 

tiiza  floridanns  (Aud.  and  Bach.) St.  Augustine,  Florida. 

tuza  mohilensis'Siihs]).  nov Mobile  Bay,  Alabama. 

hursariits  (Shaw) Minnesota? 

lutescen sMevii-din Western  Nebraska. 

hreviceps  Baird Mer  Rouge,  Louisiana. 

hrevicepssagittalis  subsp.  nov    Galveston  Bay,  Texas. 

breviceps  attwaieri  siibsp.  nov Rockport,  Aransas  County,  Texas. 

teidensis  sp.  nov Mason,  Texas. 

arenarius  sp.  nov El  Paso,  Texas. 

personatiis  True Padre  Island,  Texas. 

personatus  fallax  suhs]).  nov Corpus  Christi,  Texas. 

Genus  Pappogeomys  nob. 

Pappogcomys  huJIeri  (Thomas) Talpa,  Mascota,  .lalisco,  Mexico. 

alhiiiasns  sji.  uov Guadalajara,  Jalisco,  Mexico. 

Genus  Cratogeomys  nob. 

Cratogeomys  merriami  (Thomas) Valley  of  Mexico. 

perotcnsis  &i>.  nov Cofre  de  Perote,  Mexico. 

estor  sp.  nov Las  Vigas,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico. 

peregrinus  sp.  nov Mount  Iztaccihuatl,  Mexico. 

oreocetes  sp.  nov Mount  Popocatapetl,  Mexico. 

castanops  (Baird) Las  Animas,  Colorado. 

castavops  goldmaui  subsp.  nov. .  .Canitas,  Zacatecas,  Mexico. 
fulvescens  sp.  uov Chalchiconmla,  Puebla,  Mexico. 


26  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no. 8 

Genus  Platygkomys  nob. 

Platijgeomijs  gymnurus  Merriam , Zapotlan,  Jalisco,  Mexico. 

fjllorhinus  sp.  nov Tula,  Hidalgo,  Mexico. 

planiceps  sp.  nov Northern  slope  Volcau  Toluca,  Mexico. 

fumosHs  Merriam Colima  City,  Colima,  Mexico. 

Genus  Ohthogeomys  nob. 

Orthogeomys  scaJops  (Thomas) Teliuantepec,  Mexico. 

grandis  (Thomas) Duefiaa,  Guatemala. 

latifrons  sp.  nov Guatemala. 

nelsoni  sp.  nov Mt.  Zempoaltepec,  Oaxaca,  Mexico. 

Genus  Hkterogeomy'S  nob. 

Heterogeomys  hispidus  (LeConte) Near  Jalapa,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico. 

torridus  sp.  nov Chichicaxtle,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico. 

Genus  Macrogeomys  nob. 

Macrogeomys  heterodus  (Peters) Costa  Rica. 

dolichocephalns  sp.  nov San  Jose,  Costa  Rica. 

costaricensis  sp.  nov Pacuare,  Costa  Rica. 

chcrriei  (Allen) Santa  Clara,  Costa  Rica. 

Genus  Zy^gogeomys  nob. 

Zygogeomys  trichoptis  sp.  nov Nahuatzin,  Michoacan,  Mexico. 

GEOGRAPHIC   DISTRIBUTION   OF   THE   FAMILY   AND   GENERA. 

The  area  inhabited  by  the  family  Geomyidw  stretches  from  the  dry 
interior  of  British  Columbia  and  the  Plains  of  the  Saskatchewan  south- 
ward to  Costa  Rica.  In  an  east  and  west  direction  the  grouj)  covers 
the  continent  from  ocean  to  ocean,  except  that  it  is  absent  from  the 
region  north  of  the  Savannah  River  and  east  of  the  Mississippi  Valley, 
as  shown  by  the  accompanying  maps  (maps  1, 13,  and  3).  The  group  is 
clearly  of  Sonoran  origin  and  reaches  its  highest  development  on  the 
sonthern  r>art  of  the  table-land  of  Mexico.  The  great  majority  of  the 
species  inhabit  the  upi)er  and  lower  Sonoran  zones,  though  a  few 
specially  modified  forms  range  upward  on  favorable  mountain  sides 
through  the  Transition  and  even  into  the  lower  edge  of  the  Boreal  zone. 
On  the  other  hand,  two  species  inhabit  the  tropical  belt  of  Mexico. 

Distribution  by  (jcnera. — The  present  distribution  of  the  genera  coin- 
cides very  nicely  with  their  systematic  relations. 

The  genus  Thomomys  (ma])  1,  A)  has  by  far  the  most  extended  range 
of  any  single  genus,  inhabitating  suitable  localities  from  the  valley  of 
Mexico  and  Mount  Orizaba  northward  to  British  Columbia  and  the 
North  Saskatchewan  river,  and  from  the  Pacific  coast  eastward  to  the 
Great  Plains. 

The  genus  Geomys  (map  1,  B  and  B' )  inhabits  a  broad  belt  across  the 
middle  part  of  the  United  States,  from  the  Red  River  Valley  in  north- 
western Minnesota  and  northeastern  North  Dakota  southward  to  the 


JAN.,  1895.]  DISTRIBUTION.  27 

Mexicau  boundary  along-  the  liio  Grande;  and  also  the  southern  half 
of  Alabama  and  Georgia,  and  the  northern  half  of  Florida.  The  genus 
does  not  occur  west  of  eastern  Wyoming,  east-central  Colorado,  and 
the  Rio  Grande  Yalley  in  New  Mexico.     (See  also  map  4.) 

The  genus  Gratogeomys  (map  2)  inhabits  the  Gre^it  Plains  of  the  United 
States  from  the  Arkansas  River  in  eastern  Colorado  southward,  and 
the  eastern  table-land  region  of  Mexico  to  its  extreme  southern  edge  in 
the  States  of  Mexico  and  Puebla. 

The  genus  Pappoyeomy.s  (map  .'i')  is  known  only  from  the  State  of 
Jalisco  in  Mexico. 

The  genus  Platyf/eomys  (map  3^)  inhabits  a  rather  narrow  belt  along 
the  southern  border  of  the  Mexican  table-land  in  the  States  of  Jalisco, 
Colima,  Michoacan,  Mexico,  and  Hidalgo. 

The  genus  Orthogeomy.s  (map  3'')  inhabits  elevated  parts  of  the  States 
of  Oaxaca  and  Chiapas,  in  extreme  southern  Mexico  and  adjacent  parts 
of  Guatemala. 

The  genus  Heterogeomys  (map  3^)  inhabits  the  tropical  plains  of  Vera 
Cruz,  below  the  edge  of  the  table-land,  and  extends  thence  southerly  to 
Coban  in  Guatemala,  probably  following  the  low  coastal  plain  of 
Tabasco  to  the  Rio  Usumacinta  and  thence  up  tlie  valleys  of  the  San 
Pedro  and  its  tributaries  to  the  interior  of  Guatemala.* 

The  genus  Macrogeomys  (map  3'')  inhabits  the  highlands  and  moun- 
tains of  Costa  Rica  and  is  not  known  elsewhere. 

The  genus  Zygogeomys  (map  3 ')  inhabits  the  Sierra  Madre  of  the  State 
of  Michoacan  on  the  southern  ijart  of  the  table-land  of  Mexico. 

NUMBER   AND    DISTRIBUTION    OF    THK    SPECIES. 

Omitting  the  genus  Thomomys,  the  number  of  species  recognized  by 
Baird  in  1857  was  7,  as  follows :  0.  hursarim,  hrevicepSy  pinctis  [  =  tuza], 
clarlcil,  casfmiops,  hispidus,  and  mcxicanus.  The  number  recognized  by 
Cones  twenty  years  later,  in  1877,  was  5,  as  follows :  G.  bursarius,  tuza, 
castaiiops,  hispidus,  and  mexicanus.  Cones  degraded  U  of  Baird's  spe- 
cies to  synonomy,  uniting  hreviceps  with  bursarius,  and  clarkii  with 
castanops.  The  same  fate  overtook  G.  heterodus  of  Peters,  described 
111  the  interval  between  Baird  and  Cones ;  it  was  made  a  synonym  of 
hispidus. 

The  number  of  species  and  subspecies  recognized  in  the  present 
paper  is  37,  of  which  21  are  described  as  new.  The  remaining  16  are 
accounted  for  as  follows :  Four  out  of  the  5  admitted  by  Coues  are 
retained,  namely,  bursarius,  tuza,  castanops,  and  hispidus,  but  the  tilth, 
mexicanus,  is  rejected  as  preoccupied  by  an  unidentifiable  species  (see 


'  While  this  paper  is  passing  through  the  press,  a  specimen  of  Heterogeomi/s  has 
been  received  from  Mr.  Nelson,  collected  by  him  at  Reyes,  about  50  miles  north  of 
the  city  of  Oaxaca,  in  the  State  of  the  same  name,  and  33  miles  south  of  the  bound- 
ary of  Vera  Cruz  and  Puebla. 


28  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

postca,  p.  200).  Baird's  hrevleeps  and  Peters's  heterodus  are  rein- 
stated as  valid  species,  and  jioridanus  of  Audubon  and  Bacliman  is 
admitted  as  a  subspecies  of  tuza.  Tlie  remaining  9  have  been  described 
since  the  publication  of  Coues's  Monograph — in  fact,  during*  the  past 
five  years — and  no  less  than  G  of  them  are  from  Mexico  and  Guate- 
malii.  These  species  are:  personatns  oiTv\m;  biiUeri*  grandis,  scalops, 
and  merriami  of  Thomas;  lutescenSy  fumosus,  and  gymnurus  of  Mer- 
riam,  and  dierrici  of  Allen.  Of  the  21  new  forms  here  described,  6 
are  from  the  southern  United  States  (1  from  Alabama  and  5  from 
Texas),  12  from  southern  Mexico,  2  from  Costa  Eica,  and  1  from  Guate- 
mala. Of  the  total  number  here  recognized  (37),  10  are  restricted  to 
the  United  States;  2  (probably  3t)  are  common  to  the  Unitetl  States 
and  northern  JMexico;  17  are  restricted  to  the  southern  half  of  Mexico; 
2  are  common  to  southeastern  JVIexico  and  adjacent  parts  of  Guate- 
mala, and  o  are  known  froui  Guatemala  and  Costa  Eica  only.  Thus 
no  less  than  24  species,  representing,  as  will  be  shown  later,  7  distinct 
groups  or  genera,  are  absolutely  contincd  to  southern  Mexico  and  north- 
ern Central  America.  The  extraordinary  and  unexpected  richness  of 
this  part  of  tropical  America  iu  members  of  the  group,  |  and  the  even 
more  remarkable  div^ersity  of  structure  presented  by  the  various  types, 
are  of  the  utmost  interest  in  view  of  the  time  and  place  of  origin  of 
the  family  to  which  they  belong. 

UNITED    S'J'ATES    SPECIES. 

The  Pocket  Gophers  of  the  United  States  fall  naturally  into  two  prin- 
cipal subdivisions,  (1)  those  having  the  upi)er  incisors  deeply  marked 
by  a  median  longitudinal  furrow  {unisulcatc  series),  and  (2)  those  having 
the  upper  incisors  double  grooved,  a  narrow  sulcus  on  the  inner  margin 
of  the  tooth  and  a  larger  and  deeper  one  near  the  middle  (bisulcate 
series).  The  unisulcate  series  is  represented  by  a  single  species,  casta- 
nops  of  Baird,  which  inhabits  the  western  plains  from  middle  Colorado 
southward  into  Mexico.     The  members  of  the  bisulcate  series  iuhabit- 


*  G.  hulhri  was  descriljed  ahiiost  siuuiltaneonsly  by  Mr.  Tlionias  and  myself,  but 
Mr.  Thomas's  descriptiou  was  issued  tirst  aud  liis  iiainc  btilhrl  Las  i>riority  over  my 
name  iichoni. 

I  These  are  Geomijs  arenarius,  which  is  common  on  both  sides  of  the  Rio  Grande 
at  El  Paso,  Texas,  and  Juarez,  Mexico,  aud  Crato(jeomijs  castunops,  which  inhabits 
extensive  areas  in  western  Texas  and  Chihuahua.  A  third  species,  Geomys  pemo- 
natus,  inhabits  the  lower  Rio  Grande  region  iu  Texas  and  iu  all  probability  occurs 
on  the  Mexican  side  also  (in  the  state  of  Tamaulipas). 

iWheu  it  is  remembered  that  only  about  half  a  dozen  specimens,  all  told,  have 
been  examined  from  Costa  Rica  and  Guatemala,  as  compared  with  200  front  Mexico, 
it  must  be  evident  that  the  possibilities  of  Central  America  have  been  by  no  nutans 
exhausted.  Furthermore,  no  specimens  have  been  seen  from  Yucatan,  though  the 
lamily  is  represented  there  by  at  least  one  species.  (Biologia  Ccntrali-Americana, 
Mammalia,  1880,  p.  IGO.) 


JAN. 


,is:n.|  UNITED    STATES    SPECIES.  29 


iiig  the  United  States  are  12  in  uiimber.     These,  with  tlieir  type  locali- 
tie;',  are  as  follows: 

Gcomi/s  liiza  (Ord)    Augusta,  Georgia. 

tuzafloridanus  Bach St.  Augustine,  Florida. 

tuza  mohilensis  subsp.  iiov Mobile  Bay,  Alabama. 

bursarius  (Shaw) Miuuesota?. 

lutescens  Merriam Birdwood  Creek,  western  Nel)ra8ka. 

hreviceps  Baird Mer  Rouge,  Louisiana. 

hreviceps  sagittalis  subsp.  nov Galveston  Bay,  Texas.^ 

hreviceps  atlwateri  subsp.  nov Roekport,  Aransas  County,  Texas. 

/exojsis  sp.  nov Mason,  Texas. 

rt)  enarius  sp.  nov El  Paso,  Texas. 

pemonatus  True Padre  Island,  Texas. 

personatus  faUaX.  subsp.  nov Corpus  Christi,  Texas. 

Geomijs  bursarius  is  thecoiiiinoii  Pocket  G-opherof  the  northern  Mis- 
sissippi Valley,  from  eastern  North  Dakota  and  western  Minnesota 
south  to  southeastern  Missouri.  It  is  a  dark  liver-colored  animal  with 
pure  white  forefeet,  in  sharp  contrast  to  the  color  of  the  surrounding 
])arts,  and  has  the  longest  claws  of  any  of  the  bisulcate  species. 

Ocomys  lutescens  is  a  pallid  form  of  the  bursarius  type,  inhabiting  the 
arid  sand  hills  of  western  Nebraska  and  extreme  eastern  Wyoming, 
and  ranging  thence  southerly  into  northwestern  Texas. 

Geomys  brerieeps  inhabits  the  alluvial  lands  of  Louisiana,  Arkansas, 
and  eastern  Texas,  the  typical  form  coming  from  Prairie  Mer  Rouge, 
in  Morehouse  Parish.  It  extends  thence  northwesterly  up  the  valley 
of  the  Arkansas  Kiver  nearly  to  the  Kansas  border.  It  is  a  rather  small 
dark  species.  On  the  south,  along  the  coast  region  of  Texas,  it  splits 
up  into  the  two  following  subspecies : 

Geomys  breviceps  sagittalis  inhabits  the  gulf  coast  of  Texas  about 
Galveston  Bay.     It  is  smaller  than  true  breviceps. 

Geomys  breviceps  attwateri  inhabits  the  coastal  plain  and  islands  of 
Texas,  from  Nueces  Bay  northward  to  Matagorda  Bay,  and  ranges  into 
the  interior  nearly  to  San  Antonio.  .  It  is  considerably  larger  than 
typical  breviceps. 

Geomys  texeiisis  in  its  typical  form  inhabits  central  Texas.  On  the 
north  and  northwest  it  probably  passes  into  lutescens,  while  on  the  east 
it  may  intergrade  with  breviceps.  It  is  much  smaller  than  bursarius  or 
hitescens  and  has  a  pure  white  belly.  Its  upper  parts  are  reddish- 
brown,  paler  than  bnrsariuSj  but  darker  and  brighter  than  lutescens. 

Geomys  arenarius  inhabits  a  very  restricted  area  in  the  upper  Rio 
Grande  Valley  in  extreme  northern  Chihuahua,  western  Texas,  and 
southern  New  Mexico.  So  far  as  known  it  is  completely  isolated,  not 
coming  in  contact  with  any  other  bisulcate  species.  It  is  of  medium 
size,  has  a  relatively  long  tail,  and  the  upper  parts  are  drab. 

Geomys  personatus  mhaibitaVadre  Island  and  the  adjacent  coavSt  of 
Texas  from  Santa  Rosa  southward,  extending  inland  as  far  as  Carrizo, 
on  the  Rio  Grande;  its  range,  together  with  that  of  its  subspecies /rtZ/fw, 
thus  coincides  with  the  northern  arm  of  the  arid  tropical  belt  along  the 


30  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

Gnlf  coast.  lu  external  appearance  persoiiatus  muck  resembles  G. 
lutescem  of  the  Great  Plains,  from  which  it  may  be  distinguished  at 
once  by  its  larger  size,  larger  and  more  naked  tail,  and  by  important 
cranial  characters. 

Geomys  persofiatus  faJlax  inhabits  a  small  area  on  the  Gulf  coast  of 
Texas,  immediately  south  of  Xueces  Bay.  It  is  smaller  and  darker  than 
tvne  personatus. 

Geomys  tuza,  a  rather  large  cinnamon-brown  species,  inhabits  the  pine 
barrens  of  eastern  Georgia,  where  it  is  locally  known  as  tlie  'Sala- 
mander.'   The  same  name  is  applied  to  the  following  subspecies: 

Geomys  tuza  Jioridamis  is  a  Florida  form  of  tnza^  as  its  name  indi- 
cates, and  does  not  differ  materially  in  external  appearance. 

Geomys  tuza  mohllensis  inhabits  southern  Alabama  and  northwestern 
Florida  and  is  a  strongly  marked  form.  It  is  very  much  darker  than 
tuza.     ( For  distribution  of  United  States  species  see  map  4). 

DISTRIBUTION   OF   THE  MEXK^AN   SPEriES. 

At  my  request  Mr.  Nelson  has  prepared  the  following  note,  embody- 
ing his  personal  knowledge  of  the  geographical  and  vertical  distribu- 
tion of  the  species  obtained  by  him  in  Mexico,  exclusive  of  the  genus 
Thorn  omys : 

'•One  of  the  most  remarkable  and  interesting  features  connected  with 
the  Mexican  Pocket  Gophers  is  the  small  area  within  which  most  of  the 
laiown  species  occur.  This  area  is  a  belt  about  400  miles  in  length  by 
()0  in  breadth,  stretching  from  the  Pacific  coast  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
between  the  nineteenth  and  twentieth  parallels  of  north  latitude.  It 
contains  tlie  thirteen  highest  peaks  of  Mexico,*  all  of  which  attain  an 
altitude  of  lL*,Ono  feet  or  upward.  The  most  notable  of  these  are  Iztac- 
cihuatl  (17,000  feet),  Popocatapetl  (17,523  feet),  and  Orizaba  (18,314 
feet).t 

*Tlie  only  peak  in  Mexico  attaining  an  altitnde  exceeding  12,000  feet,  in  addition 
to  tliose  here  cnnmerated,  all  of  which  lie  in  the  Geomys  belt,  is  Mount  Zenipoal tepee, 
in  the  State  of  Oaxaca.  This  peak  is  said  to  reach  12,000  feet,  and  is  inhabited  bj'  a 
new  species  of  gopher  here  named  Orthogeomys  nelsoni. 

IThe  complete  list  with  approximate  altitudes,  beginning  at  the  westernmost,  is  as 
follows :  Yeei. 

Sierra  Nevada  de  Colinia 14,  000,  State  of  .Jalisco. 

Volcano  de  Colima 12,000,  Do. 

Pico  de  Tancitaro 12,  653,  State  of  Michoacan 

Pico  de  Patamban 12,  200,  Do. 

Volcano  de  Toluca 15,  000,  State  of  Mexico. 

Cerro  de  Ajusco 12,  000,  Do. 

Popocatapetl 17,  523,  State  of  Puebla. 

Iztaccihuatl 17,  000,  Do. 

Cerro  de  Telapon 13,  575,  Do. 

Cerro  de  Maliuche 13,  462,  State  of  Tlaxcala. 

Orizaba 18,  314,  State  of  Puebla. 

Sierra  Negra , 15,  000,  Do. 

Cofre  do  Perote 14,  000,  State  of  Vera  Cruz. 


JAN.  1885. 


MEXICAN    SPECIES.  31 


"The  maiu  cliaiu  of  the  Cordillera  or  Sierra  Madre  extends  along  this 
line  and  forms  here  the  southern  limit  of  the  plateau  or  table-land  region. 
The  mountains  throughout  this  district  are  of  volcanic  origin.  They 
inclose  numerous  high  valleys,  such  as  that  of  Toluca  (8,000  feet)  and 
the  valley  of  Mexico  (7,400  feet).  The  main  body  of  the  range  takes 
the  form  of  high  rouuded  ridges  between  7,000  and  9,000  feet  in  altitude. 
On  the  north  the  ridges  slope  down  to  the  adjacent  tablelands;  on  the 
south  a  longer  slope  carries  their  bases  into  the  low  hot  valleys  of  the 
streams  that  lead  out  to  the  sea.  The  average  elevation  of  the  belt 
under  discussion  is  far  greater  than  that  of  any  other  equal  area  in 
Mexico  or  Central  America;  this  belt  also  contains  the  only  peaks  of 
the  region  that  are  permanently  capped  with  snow, 

"The  characteristic  trees  of  all  these  mountains  are  pines,  firs,  and 
alders.  In  descending  toward  the  hot  coast  country,  below  7,000  feet, 
oaks  come  in,  and  as  the  descent  is  continued  they  in  turn  give  way 
before  the  subtropical  and  tropical  species.  Although  most  of  the  area 
within  the  limits  given  is  high  and  cool,  yet  at  each  end  a  sharp 
descent  leads  to  the  low,  hot  coast  country. 

"Gophers  occur  throughout  this  area,  from  the  hot  coast  districts  up 
to  the  scattered  vegetation  about  timber  line.  Geomys  fumosus,  the 
extreme  westernmost  species,  burrows  in  the  damp  clayey  soil  among 
the  cocoanut  palms  about  the  city  of  Colima,  at  an  altitude  of  from 
1,000  to  2,500  feet.  Geomys  M.spidus,  the  easternmost  representative  of 
the  groui),  inhabits  the  coffee  and  sugar-cane  fields  of  V^era  Cruz.  In 
the  intervening  district  the  other  species  range  from  4,000  feet  up  to 
timber  line.  Although  several  reach  as  high  as  12,500  or  even  13,000 
feet,  the  great  majority  of  individuals  of  all  species  occur  below  9,000 
feet,  and  a  vertical  section  of  the  country  from  4,000  to  9,000  feet  would 
include  all  of  the  species  and  nearly  all  of  the  individuals  of  the 
interior  forms.  By  far  the  greatest  development  of  the  group  is 
reached  between  the  altitudes  of  0,000  and  8,500  feet.  This  area  is 
along  the  lower  border  of  the  pine  and  oak  forest  and  reaches  out  along 
the  adjacent  treeless  plains  for  a  short  distance.  Considered  faunally, 
this  area  is  Upper  Sonoran  and  Transition.  The  northern  base  of  this 
part  of  the  Cordillera  forms  the  southern  limit  of  many  species  of 
birds  and  mammals  belonging  to  the  great  interior  deserts  of  the 
United  States  and  the  x^lateau  of  Mexico,  while  their  southern  base 
and  adjacent  slopes  form  the  northern  limit  of  various  tropical  species. 

"It  was  observed  also  that  whenever  the  route  led  to  the  north  or 
south  of  this  belt  the  pocket  gophers  became  rapidly  less  numerous, 
and  ceased  entirely  except  in  a  few  i)laces, 

"By  far  the  greater  number  of  species  now  known  from  Mexico  are 
absolutely  restricted  to  limited  areas  within  this  district,  while  others 
push  out  only  a  little  beyond. 

"  The  animals,  as  a  group,  are  generally  found  in  rather  loose  soil  and 
avoid  stony  areas.     In  some  cases,  as  with  G.  funiostis,  the  soil  may  be 


32  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

a  tough  clay,  but  this  is  exceptional.  Wherever  fouud  in  cultivated 
districts  they  invade  fields,  and  frequently  commit  serious  damage  to 
crops  of  both  grains  and  tubers.  It  is  a  common  practice  for  the  land- 
owners to  pay  a  fixed  bounty  to  their  field  hands  for  them.  The  owner 
of  a  hacienda  near  Atlisco,  Puebla,  told  me  he  had  thus  iiaid  for  sev- 
enty dozen  on  his  hacienda  in  a  single  year,  at  the  rate  of  (3  cents  a 
head." 

The  most  interesting  and  unexpected  result  of  Mr.  Nelson's  explora- 
tions is  the  knowledge  that  the  family  Geomyidw  attains  its  highest 
development  in  a  belt  about  400  miles  in  length  by  GO  in  breadth 
which  crosses  Mexico  from  west  to  east  along  the  southern  edge  of 
the  tableland.  Within  this  belt  Mr.  Nelson  collected  175  specimens, 
not  counting  this  genus  Thomomys.  These  specimens  belong  to  six 
different  genera  and  represent  15  species,  no  less  than  12  of  which 
were  previously  unknown.* 

WEIGHT    OF   CHARACTERS. 

Nothing  is  more  difficult,  in  entering  upon  the  study  of  a  new  group, 
than  to  determine  the  relative  weight  of  characters.  Structures  of  known 
stability  in  one  group  may  be  highly  variable  in  another,  so  that  char- 
acters that  are  of  generic  value  in  the  one  may  be  of  only  specific  value 
in  the  other.  In  framing  genera  and  higher  groups  therefore  it  is 
desirable  to  select  deep-seated  structures  and  those  that  are  not  easily 
affected  by  external  influences.  In  the  case  of  the  skull,  it  is  conven- 
ient to  divide  the  characters  into  two  categories,  fundamental  or  pri- 
mary, and  superficial  or  secondary.  Fundamental  characters  are  based 
on  structures  and  relations  that  enter  into  the  ground  plan  of  the  skull, 
and  are  of  high  morphologic  weight;  super fjciaJ  characters  are  the  result 
of  special  adaptations  and  particular  muscular  strains,  and  are  of  little 
value  except  as  aftbrdiug  recognition  marks  for  species,  and  in  some 
instances  for  genera  also.  The  fundamental  structures  are  mostly 
hidden,  comprising  the  floor  of  the  brain  case,  the  craniofacial  axis,  and 
the  turbinated  bones.  They  are  seen  to  best  advantage  in  vertical  longi- 
tudinal sections  and  in  skulls  from  whic.li  the  vault  of  the  cranium  has 
been  removed.  On  the  outside  of  the  skull  the  palatopterygoid  plates, 
and  perhaps  the  frontals  also,  may  be  regarded  as  belonging  to  the 
same  category.  The  superficial  structures  are  those  that  appear  on  the 
outer  side  of  the  cranium  and  are  most  easily  modified  by  muscular 
strain,  or  are  the  secondary  result  of  dental  peculiarities.  They  com- 
prise the  zygomatic  arches,  muzzle,  nasals,  occiput,  and  such  parts  of 

*  Since  the  above  note  was  written — in  fact  just  as  tbis  paper  is  going  to  press — 
Mr.  Nelson  bas  sent  me  15  si>ecimens  of  large  gopbers  from  tbe  f-'tato  of  Oaxaca,  in 
extreme  southern  Mexico.  Ton  of  these,  from  Cerro  San  Felipe,  are  the  species 
recently  described  by  Mr.  Oldiield  Thomas  as  Geomys  scalops;  the  remaining  .5  are  a 
new  &\iL'.c\es,  Orlhofjeomys  nelsoiii.  They  were  collected  at  three  localities:  Mount 
Zempoaltepec,  Totontepec,  and  C'omaltepec.  All  of  tbe  specimens  from  the  State  of 
Oaxaca  belong  to  a  genus  (here  named  Orthogeomyti)  quite  distinct  from  nny  of  the 
genera  inhabiting  Mr.  Nelson's  Geomys  belt. 


JAN.,  1895.] 


MORPHOLOGY    OF    THE    SKULL. 


33 


tlie  outside  of  the  vaultof  the  craiiiuni  as  are  niateiially  altered  in  form 
and  extent  (as  tlie  squamosals)  without  sensibly  changing  their  relations 
on  the  inner  side  of  the  brain  case. 


LIST    OF    SPECIMENS   EXAMINED. 


Geomys  tuza  (Ord) 32 

4*/2'a//o/-irf«H«s( And. and  Bach.)   25 

titza  mohilennis  subsp.  nov  ...  23 

bumarhts  (Sliaw) 116 

lute-scens  Merriam 136 

hrexnceps  Baird 195 

hreviceps  Hagittalis  siibsp.  nov.  26 

brevieeps  (iftwaferisnhs'p.  nov.  53 

texensis  sp.  nov 31 

arenarius  sii.nov 43 

personatus  Trne 33 

])ersonatHS  faUaxm\\)&\^.  nov..  22 

Pappogeomys  bulleri  (Thomas) 6 

albinasiis  sp.  nov 1 

Cratoyeomys merriami  (Thomas) 31 

perotensis  sp.  nov 13 

estor  sp.  nov 10 

pcreyrin us  sp.  nov 1 

oreocetes  sp.  nov 1 


Cratoyeomys  castanops  (Baird) 

43 

casfanops  yoldmani  snbsp. 

nov 

5 

fiilvcscens  sp.  nov 

11 

Platyycomyfi  yymiiiirus  Merriam 

10 

tylorkhi  MS  sp.  nov 

9 

phin'ireps  sp.  nov 

3 

f  11)11  osus  Merriam 

11 

Orthoyeomyfi  scdJops  (Thomas) 

13 

iielsoui  sp.  nov 

0 

latlfrons  sp.  nov 

1 

Heieruyeomys  hispidiis  (Lc  Coute) 

9 

torridus  sp.  nov 

27 

Alacroyeomys  heterodus  (Peters) 

1 

dolicliocephahis  sp.  nov.. 

2 

eostaricensis  sp.  nov 

1 

chcrriei  (Allen) 

1 

Zyyoyeomys  trichopas  sp.  nov 

12 

CHAPTEK  II. 
MOKPHOLOGY  OF  THE  SKULL. 

1.  THE  CRANIUM  AS  A  WHOLE. 

While  diversity  prevails  in  the  form  of  the  cranium  as  a  whole  and  in 
a  nniltitude  of  minor  details,  all  the  members  of  the  family  GeomyuJm 
agree  in  the  following  important  characters:  The  top  of  the  skull  is 
llattened,  the  nasals,  frontals,  and  parietals  usually  forming  nearly  a 
straight  line  (though  the  line  is  decidedly  convex  in  Gratogeomys  cas- 
tanops ?ind  fulvescens).  The  tympanic  or  audital  bulhe  are  rather  large, 
and  the  external  meatus  is  a  long  tube  directed  forward  as  well  as  out 
ward,  and  opening  externally  immediately  behind  the  posterior  angle 
of  the  zygoma.  There  is  a  well-developed  mastoid  bulla  which  is  wholly 
on  the  occipital  plane,  never  reaching  the  top  of  the  skull.  The  squa- 
mosals are  largely  developed,  always  overlapping  the  lower  part  of  the 
parietals  and  hinder  part  of  the  frontals,  and  sending  out  posteriorly 
a  lateral  arm  which  enters  into  the  occipital  plane  and  overreaches  the 
mastoid  process  of  the  mastoid  bulla.  They  articulate  broadly  with 
the  alisphenoid,  but  leave  a  long  slit-like  vacuity  between  the  postero- 
inferior  margin  and  the  audital  bulla.  The  hasisphenoid  and  presplienoid 
are  higher  than  broad.  The  former  develops  air  cells  in  its  body;  the 
latter  is  a  thin  vertical  plate  always  j)erforate  anteriorly  opposite  the 
7433— :^o,  8^ 3 


34  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

splieiioidal  fissure,  so  tliat  in  viewiug  the  skull  from  tlie  side  oue  sees 
completely  tlirougli  it  below  tbe  orbitospheuoids.  The  alisplienoids 
are  larger  and  reach,  or  nearLy  reach,  the  upper  surface  of  the  cranium; 
they  are  inseparably  ankylosed  to  the  basisphenoid  before  birth.  The 
orhitosphenoids  are  small  and  horizontal  and  are  not  united  to  the  ali- 
sphenoids  except  in  Zygogeomys  and  Thomomy,s.  The  turbinated  hones, 
while  presenting  important  differences  in  the  several  genera,  agree  in 
the  following  particulars:  Anteriorly  there  is  a  Hmg\e7naxillo-turbinal, 
always  attached  to  the  premaxilla;  above  and  i)arallel  to  it  is  a  large 
fiaso-tnrhinal,  always  attached  to  the  nasal;  posteriorly,  and  attached 
to  the  cribriform  plate  and  os  planum  are  the  endoturhinals  (of  Harri- 
son Allen),  always  four  in  number  and  always  decreasing  in  size  from 
above  downward;  the  uppermost  is  expanded  anteriorly. 

The  hony palate  is  long  and  narrow,  broader  posteriorly  than  anteriorly, 
and  composed  chiefly  of  the  maxilld,  the  body  of  the  |>a/a/m£;  being  rel- 
atively small  and  situated  far  back.  There  is  a  deep  pit  on  each  side 
of  the  palate  between  the  hindermost  molars.  Posterior  to  this  pit  the 
palatines  usually  bifurcate  and  unite,  with  the  pterygoids  to  form  a 
Ungulate  or  strap-shaped  palatopterygoid  plate  on  each  side  of  the  poste- 
rior nares.  On  the  outside  of  the  skull  the  palatines  are  restricted  to 
the  posterior  eiul  of  the  bony  palate,  but  on  the  inside  they  reach 
forward  along  the  crano  facial  axis  all  the  way  to  the  nasal  chamber — 
a  wholly  unnecessary  condition  so  far  as  the  i)resent  structure  and  needs 
of  the  animal  are  concerned,  but  a  highly  interesting  and  significant 
relic  of  the  primitive  relations.of  these  bones.  The  case  is  an  excellent 
illustration  of  the  persistence-of.  useless  parts. 

T\\Q  premaxilla  is  large  and  heavy,  subquadrate  in  section,  and  artic- 
ulates rather  broadly  with  the  frontal.  It  completely  incloses  the  small 
incisive  foi-amina  except  in  Zygogeomys. 

The  jugal  is  a  highly  variable  bone  (as  will  be  seen  hereafter),  but 
it  is  always  restricted  to  the  horizontal  part  of  the  zygoma,  never 
creeping  upward  anteriorly  toward  the  lachrymal,  or  inward  i)Osteriorly 
toward  the  glenoid  fossa. 

The  vomer  bifurcates  and  sends  backward  two  long  vertical  wings, 
which  articulate  with  the  sides  of  the  presphenoid,  never  with  its 
inferior  surface. 

The  zygomatic  arch  varies  exceedingly  in  size  and  form  in  the  differ- 
ent subgenera,  but  its  horizontal  part  in  transverse  section  is  always 
distinctly  triangular  anteriorly,  while  posteriorly  it  is  fiat  or  rounded. 
Posteriorly  it  presents  two  faces,  inner  and  outer;  anteriorly  a  third  is 
added — a  supero-external  face.  The  latter  rarely  reaches  further  back- 
ward than  the  middle  of  the  arch  and  is  usually  set  oft"  from  the  outer 
lace  by  a  well-defined  ridge,  which  passes  obliquely  backward  and 
upward  from  the  antero-exteriial  angle  to  the  tip  of  the  squamosal 
arm.  This  ridge  marks  the  upper  limit  of  attachment  of  the  zygomatic 
part  of  the  masseter  muscle. 


JAN.,  1895]  MORPHOLOGY    OF    THE    SKULL.  35 

There  is  no  true  2)ostorbital  process  of  the  frontal  except  iu  Macrogeo- 
mys,  but  the  apex  of  the  alisphenoid  and  adjoiuiug  anterior  "border  of 
the  squamosal  commonly  unite  to  form  a  decided  postorbital  ridge,  which 
slopes  obliquely  downward  and  backward  from  the  i)oint  where  the 
frontal,  alisphenoid,  and  squamosal  meet,  just  behind  the  orbit.  This 
ridge  is  made  up  of  the  edges  of  the  alisphenoid  and  squamosal,  and 
serves  to  sharply  separate  the  orbit  from  the  adjoining  outer  side  of  the 
brain  case.  In  Macrogeomys  there  is  a  strongly  developed  circumscribed 
postorbital  i)rocess,  which,  with  the  help  of  a  corresponding  eminence 
on  the  middle  of  the  horizontal  part  of  the  zygoma,  serves  to  sharply 
distinguish  the  orbital  from  the  temporal  fossa.  In  its  component 
elements  it  is  peculiar.  Its  base  consists  of  the  frontal,  which  bone  is 
notched  immediately  in  front  of  it,  thus  emphasizing  the  appai'ent  size 
of  the  process.  The  summit  of  the  process  is  made  up  of  the  apex  of 
the  alisphenoid,  which  hero  reaches  the  plane  of  the  upper  part  of  the 
skull  and  is  slightly  overlapped  posteriorly  by  the  autero-external  angle 
of  the  squamosal. 

T\\Q  paroccipital  processes  stand  out  sideways  above  the  condyles  and 
are  more  or  less  expanded  and  flattened — never  cylindrical  or  conical 
(figs.  4  and  oo  pp.  and  x)l.  15,  tigs.  0  and  7). 

The^oor  of  the  brain  case,  as  exposed  by  sawing  oft'  the  vault  of  the 
cranium,  affords  characters  of  the  utmost  value  in  subdividing  the 
group  into  genera  (figs.  9,  5G,  and  08^,  and  i)l.  17).  As  will  be  seen 
on  consulting  fig.  9,  the  tympano-periotic  capsules,  with  the  inclosed 
basioccipital  and  posterior  part  of  the  basisphenoid,  form  about  half  of 
the  floor  of  the  brain  case.  The  alisphenoids  (fig.  9,  as)  are  next  in 
importance,  the  horizontal  part  forming  abridge  across  the  floor  of  the 
skull  above  the  pterygoid  foss;e  and  immediately  iu  front  of  the  tym- 
panic bulhe,  while  the  ascending  wings  push  forward  on  each  side, 
reaching  or  nearly  reaching  the  orbitosphenoids  (os),  and  forming  the 
posterior  and  outer  boundaries  (»f  the  large  sphenoid  fossa.  Anteriorly 
the  orbitosphenoids  fill  or  nearly  fill  the  front  part  of  the  floor  of  the 
brain  case,  on  the  plane  of  the  orbital  constriction.  In  front  of  this 
constriction,  and  behind  the  cribriform  plate,  the  orbital  or  descending 
iflates  of  the  frontal  commonly  meet  in  the  median  line,  forming  the 
floor  of  the  olfactory  fossa.  In  young  skulls,  as  in  fig.  9,  and  iu  adults 
of  the  genera  Pappogeomys  (fig.  56),  Orthogeomys,  and  Thomomys  {&g.  08^), 
the  frontals  do  not  meet  below,  but  the  orbitosphenoids  reach  forward 
and  articulate  directly  with  the  cribriform  plate. 

A  conspicuous  and  highly  important  pair  of  fossa;  occupy  the  ante- 
rior part  of  the  floor  of  the  brain  case  on  each  side  of  the  median  line, 
where  they  are  completely  surrounded  by  the  several  sphenoid  bones. 
They  may  be  termed  the  sphenoid  fossw.  They  are  directly  continuous 
and  inseparably  connected  posteriorly  with  the  pterygoid  fossce  proper, 
which  latter  are  widely  oi)en  in  front  and  are  roofed  over  bv  the  trans- 


36  NORTH    AMERICAN   FAUNA  [no.  8. 

verse  part  of  the  alisplienoid  only.  The  resulting  elongated  fossa  as  a 
whole  may  be  named  the  spheno-pterygoid  fossa  (Hg.  ^yptf).  The  shape 
aud  extent  of  the  sphenoid  fossa  varies  materially  in  the  different 
genera,  as  shown  in  pi.  17:  in  Geomys  (tig.  3)  and  Heterogeomys  (tig.  1) 
it  is  much  elongated,  reaching  anteriorly  to  the  descending  plate  of  the 
frontal.  In  Cratogcomys  (fig.  0,  pi.  17,  and  fig.  5),  and  also  in  Fappo- 
geomys  (fig.  56)  and  Orthogeoinys,  it  is  cut  oft"  anteriorly  by  the  orbito- 
sphenoids.  In  Zygogeomys  (pi.  17,  fig.  2)  it  is  still  further  shortened  by 
the  posterior  enlargement  of  the  orbitosphenoids,  which  are  broadly 
ankylosed  with  the  alisphenoids.  ^ 

The  anterior  end  of  the  alisplienoid  canal  (fig.  9,  ac)  always  opens  into 
the  outer  side  of  the  posterior  x^art  of  the  sphenoid  Ibssa,  and  its  posi- 
tion is  essentially  the  same  throughout  the  family  (see  pi.  17,  and  text 
figs.  9  ae,  52  aud  54  ale,  56,  and  68). 

The  pterygoid  fossw  are  large  and  widely  open  (fig.  VI,  ptf).  Poste- 
riorly they  are  bridged  by  the  narrow  horizontal  arm  of  the  alisphenoid 
(tig.  9,  as);  anteriorly  they  are  not  closed  or  roofed  over,  but  are  broadly 
continuous  with  the  large  and  deep  sphenoid  fossae  (fig.  9,  pif),  which 
open  into  the  orbit  by  means  of  the  broadly  expanded  lower  part  of 
the  sphenoidal  fissure.  Their  floor  consists  posteriorly  of  palatine  and 
anteriorly  of  maxillary.  On  the  inner  side  they  are  bounded  by  the 
pterygoid,  the  vertical  plate  of  the  palatine,  the  basisi)henoid,  and  the 
presphenoid.  On  the  outer  side  they  are  bounded  inferiorly  by  the 
external  pterygoid  plate  of  the  palatine  (fig.  12,  epl),  and  superiorly 
by  the  descending  wing  of  the  alisphenoid.  The  outer  wall  of  the  j)os- 
terior  part  of  the  pterygoid  fossa  thus  proves  to  be  double,  and  the 
inner  bone — ilie  external  pterygoid  plate — belongs  to  the  palatine  and  is 
overlapped  by  the  descending  wing  of  the  alisphenoid,  as  shown  in 
figs.  4  and  12. 

Thetsphenoidal  fissure  is  a  large  and  nearly  vertical  pyriform  vacuity 
at  the  bottom  of  the  orbit,  separating  the  anterior  border  of  the  ali- 
sphenoid from  the  descending  or  orbital  plate  of  the  frontal  (fig.  55"). 
It  separates  also,  to  a  varying  degree,  tlie  alisphenoid  from  the  orbi- 
tosphenoid  (fig.  9,  sf).  Superiorly  (above  the  horizontal  jilane  of  the 
orbitosphenoids)  it  is  a  narrow  slit  sloping  oblicpiely  upward  and  for- 
ward between  the  brain  case  proper  and  the  olfactory  fossa,  and  ending 
at  the  base  of  the  thickened  interorbital  constriction  of  the  frontal 
(which  continues  the  line  of  separation  between  the  olfactory  fossa  and 
cerebral  chamber).  This  slit  is  permanently  open  except  in  Zygogeomys 
(in  which  it  is  closed  by  the  orbltosphenoid),  looking  completely  through 
the  skull  from  side  to  side.  Inferiorly  (below  the  horizontal  plane  of 
the  orbitos])lienoids)  the  fissure  is  suddenly  dilated,  forming  a  broad 
and  widely  open  door  between  tlie  deep  lateral  fossa  of  the  floor  of  the 
brain  case  and  the  bottom  of  the  orbit.  The  corresponding  basal  parts 
of  t^e  ^s,mv^  Qi]  t/)J<?  two  sides  of  the  skull  are  incompletely  sep^vr^ted 


JAN.,  1895.] 


THE    SKUl 


37 


by  a  i^erforate  septum  consisting-  of  the  vertical  plate  of  the  presphe- 
noid,  and  in  some  cases  of  an  ascending  wing  of  the  palatine  also.  The 
sphenoidal  Assure  is  bounded  by  tliree  bones :  posteriorly  by  the  ali- 


Cv        I   01^    ^       5)(\     sc^i 


Fig.  4.—  Side  view  of  skull  of  Cratoijeomys  merriami  from  the  outside.  Zygomatic  arch  sawed  off 
to  show  bottom  of  orbit.  Animal  not  quite  adult.  Specimen  from  Amecameca,  Valley  of  Mexico. 
(This  figure  should  be  compared  with  the  corresponding  view  of  Geomys  bursaiius,  fig.  55.) 

1  Infraorbital  foramen. 

2  Posterior  (orbital)  opening  of  infraorl)ital  canal. 

3  Foramen  rotundum. 

4  Foramen  ovale. 

5  Meatus  auditorius  externus. 

6  Fenestrum  in  anterior  part  of  presplienoid  (the  line  pointing  to  it  cros.sos  the  upper  part  of 

the  sphenoidal  fi.ssure). 
apl     Ascending  wing  of  vertical  plate  of  palatine. 
•  as      Alisphenoid  (the  upper  line  re.st.s  on  the  ascending  wing;  tlie  lower  on  the  descending  wing), 
c        Condyle  of  exoccipital. 
epl     External  pterygoid  plate  of  palatine  bone. 
/(■       Frontal. 

/(        Ilamular  process  of  pterygoid  bone. 
I         Lachrymal. 

in       Mastoid  process  of  mastoul  bulla. 
mb     Mastoid  bulla. 
ms     Mastoid  process  of  squamosal. 
mx     Maxilla. 

inx2   Zygomatic  root  of  maxilla  (.sawed  off  fo  show  orbit), 
n       Nasal. 

off     Orbital  or  dcsceuding  plate  of  frontal. 
OS       Orbitosphenoid. 
im      Parietal. 
pinz  Premaxilla. 

pp      Paroccipital  process  of  exoccipital. 
ps      Presplienoid. 
pt       Pterygoid. 
sn       Supraoccipital. 
fq      Squamosal. 

sqz     Squamosal  root  of  zygoma  (sawed  off). 
tb       Tympanic  or  audital  bulla. 

sphenoid;  anteriorly  by  the  frontal  and  maxilla;  and  inferiorly  by  the 
maxilla.  The  longitudinal  vertical  septum  which  forms  the  floor  of  the 
large  inferior  part  of  the  sphenoidal  fissure  is  likewise  made  up  of  three 


38 


NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


bones,  the  orbitosplienoid,  prosphenoid,  and  palatine — tboiigh  tbe  lat- 
ter is  usually  so  reduced  that  it  appears  in  tbe  anteroinferior  corner 
only,  and  in  some  forms  can  not  be  seen  from  tbe  outside  at  all.  But 
in  tbe  elongated  skulls  of  Oeomys  bursarius  and  tuza  tbe  lower  part  of 
tbe  fissure  is  broadened  antero-posteriorly,  and  tbe  ascending  wing  of 


Fig.  55. — Side  view  of  skull  of  Getmyn  bursariua  from  outsitle,  zygomatic  arch  sawed  off  to  sliow 
bottom  of  orbit.  Animal  fully  adult  d-  From  Knoxville,  Iowa.  (Tliis  figure  is  duplicated  for  easy 
comparison  witli  tbe  corresponding  view  of  Cratogeomys  merrinmi,  fig.  4). 

1.  Infraorbital  foramen. 

2.  Posterior  (orbital)  opening  of  infraorbital  canal. 

3.  Vacuity  in  front  of  pi-esphcnoid  and  ascending  wing  of  jialatine. 

4.  Vacuity  in  prespbenoid,  beliind  ascending  wing  of  palatine 

5.  Optic  foramen  (in  orbitosijbeuoid  bone). 

6.  Foramen  rotundum  and  foramen  ovale  (wbicli  liave  liere  coalesced). 

7.  External  auditory  meatus. 

8.  Sphenoidal  fissure  (upper  part). 

a2}l.  Ascending  wing  of  vertical  plate  of  palatine. 
as.  Alisphenoid. 

c  Condyle  ot  exoccipital. 
epl.  External  pterygoid  jdate  of  palatine  bone, 
/»'.  Frontal. 
h.  Hamular  jarocess  of  pterygoid  bone. 
I.  Lachrymal, 
m.  Mastoid  process  of  mastoid  bulla. 
mb.  Mastoid  bulla. 
ms.  Mastoid  process  of  squamosal. 
inx.  Maxilla. 

n.  Nasal. 
pa.  Parietal.  ' 

pmx.  Preniaxilla. 
p}).  Paroccipital  process  of  exoccipital. 
j}s.  Presphenoid. 
pt.  Pterygoid. 
so.  Supraoccipital. 
sq.  Squamosal. 
th.  Tympanic  or  auditnl  bulla. 

tbe  palatine  is  enlarged  and  extended,  reacbing  upward  alongside  tbe 
prespbenoid  (in  front  of  tbe  usual  fenestruin)  to  articulate  broadly  witb 
tbe  frontal  and  orbitospbenoid,  on  or  near  tbe  plane  of  tbe  top  of  tbe 
prespbenoid  (fig.  .55).  In  front  of  tbe  palatine  (and  also  in  front  of  tbe 
prespbenoid,  wbicb  is  bere  clasped  between  tbe  ascending  wings  of  tbe 


JAN.,  1895.1  THE    SKULL.  89 

palatine  on  the  two  sides  of  the  skull)  is  a  second  feiiestruiii  (fig.  55'*) 
anterior  to  the  usual  one  (fig.  o")^,  which  is  in  the  presphenoid),  and 
likewise  looking  completely  through  the  skull.  This  latter  opening  is 
bounded  iu  front  by  the  maxilla  and  behind  by  the  i»alatine.  It  is  sit- 
uated midway  between  the  sphenoid  fenestrum  and  the  orbital  end  of 
the  infraorbital  canal. 

The  infraorhital  canal  is  small  and  does  not  pierce  the  root  of  the 
zygoma,  but  is  deeply  buried  in  the  maxillary  bone,  passing  backward 
and  inward  from  the  infraorbital  foramen  (fig.  4')  (on  the  lower  part  of 
the  side  of  the  muzzle  Just  beliiud  the  premaxillary  suture)  to  the  deep- 
est part  of  the  orbit  (flg.  4-),  its  course  being  wholly  internal  to  the  zygo- 
matic root  of  the  nuixillary.  It  curves  around  the  inner  side  of  the 
base  of  the  socket  of  the  long  upper  incisor,  and  is  separated  from  the 
nasal  chamber  by  only  a  thin  lamella  of  bone  rising  from  the  maxillary 
floor  of  the  nasal  passa^;e  and  articulating  above  with  the  inferior  boi'- 
der  of  that  j^art  of  the  os  i)lannm  which  supports  the  endoturbinals. 

The  foramen  rotundum  (fig.-4'')  is  always  situated  above  the  foramen 
ovale  (fig.  4^),  and  both  open  into  the  large  longitudinal  alisphenoid 
canal.     In  rare  instances  they  coalesce  (fig.  55'^). 

The  narial  passage  is  a  narrow  vertical  ellipse,  about  twice  as  high  as 
broad  (fig.  7,  nj)). 

While  most  species  of  the  genera  under  consideration  develop  a 
prominent  sagittal  crest  in  adult  life,  some  do  not,  the  temporal  imj)res- 
sions  remaining  permanently  distant,  defining  a  well-marked  sagittal 
area.  The  members  of  the  latter  category  may  be  divided  into  two 
sets,  (1)  those  in  which  the  temporal  impressions  are  actual  ridges  ris- 
ing above  the  level  of  the  surrounding  bone  on  both  sides,  as  in  Hetero- 
geomijs  hispidus  (pi.  4),  Gcomys  tuza  (pi.  7,  fig.  1),  and  G.  arenarius 
(pi.  9,  fig.  1) ;  and  (2)  those  in  which  the  space  between  the  temi>oral 
impressions  (the  sagittal  area)  is  thickened  and  as  high  as  the  impres- 
sions, which  thus  appear  as  ridges  only  when  looked  at  from  the  outer 
side,  as  in  Geomys  breviceps  (pi.  9,  fig.  (»)  and  Cratogeomys  orcocetes  and 
peregrinns  (pi.  8,  figs.  2  and  3). 

The  lamhdoid  crest  is  broadly  and  gently  convex  posteriorly  through- 
out the  group  (pis.  1,  2,  5-9,  etc.),  except  in  Platygeomys,  in  which  genus 
(pi.  3  and  pi.  11,  fig.  4)  it  is  strongly  sinuous — forming  a  deep  and  broad 
reentrant  angle  on  the  median  "line,  beyond  which,  on  each  side,  it  is 
first  strongly  convex  backward  and  then  slightly  convex  forward — the 
extreme  mastoid  ends  curving  backward  as  well  as  outward.  The 
bones  that  take  part  iu  the  formation  of  the  lambdoid  crest  are  the 
supraoccipital,  squamosals,  parietals,  and  interiiarietal. 

There  is  no  ossified  tentorium  in  the  Geomyidiv. 


40 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  8. 


2.  TllK  INDIVIIHIAL  BONES. 

Ill  the  Geomyidw  there  are  normally  thirty-three  distinct  bones  in  the 
skull,  not  counting"  the  separate  parts  of  the  tympano-periotic  capsule, 
the  turbinated  bones  of  the  nasal  chamber  (which  are  reckoned  with 
the  bones  to  which  they  are  attached)  or  the  paired  bones  that  coalesce 
before  birth.  The  latter  are  the  preiuaxillje,  maxillae,  palatines,  and 
frontals. 

The  thirty-three  bones  that  go  to  make  up  the  skull  (exclusive  of  the 
paired  bones  that  are  fused  in  the  embryo)  are: 


Basioccipital 1 

Exoccipital 2 

Supraoccipitai 1 


Interparietal ' : 1 

Basisplieiioid  . . .  .* 1 

Alisplienoid 2 

Squamosal 2 

Parietal 2 

Prespbeuoid 1 

Orbitosphenoid 2 

Frontal 1 

Ethmoid 1 


Vomer :  1 

Pterygoid ^ .  2 

Palatine 1 

Maxilla 1 

Premaxilla 1 

Lachrymal 2 

Jugal 2 

Nasal 2 

Periotic 2 

Mandible 2 


33 


The  hasioccipital  in  commonly  truncate-wedge-shaped,  with  the  pos- 
terior edge  {basion)  rather  deeply  notched.     Its  posterior  corners  enter 


Fig.  5. — Basiocciiiital  of  Gratogeomys  merriami,  showing  diffeiTnce  iu  form  of  upper  and  lower  sur- 
faces (ankylosert  ex()ccii)itaI.s's]iown  also):  a,  inferior  surface;  h,  superior  surface;  pp,  paroccipital 
process. 

very  slightly  into  the  formation  of  the  occipital  condyles.  The  inferior 
surface  of  the  body  of  the  basioccipital.  is  normally  broader  posteriorly 
than  anteriorly  and  the  decrease  in  bread.th  from  behind, forward  is 
gradual  (pi.  12,  fig.  2,  a\',  but  in  one  species,  Cratogcomys  casta7iops,tlie 
body  of  the  bone  is  rectangular,  its  sides  being  parallel  (pi,  12,  fig.l,  a). 
In  another,  Orihogeomys  sealojjs,  they  may  be  nearly  parallel  or  even 
slightly  divergent  anteriorly  (pi,  19,  fig.  2).  The  basioccipital  varies 
in  breadth  according  to  the  development  of  the  audital  bullae,  by  which 
its  sides  are  always  more  or  less  excavated.  Its  outer  borders  are 
usually  grooved  to  receive  a  i)rojectiou  from  the  bulla.  The  superior 
surface  (on  floor  of  brain  case)  is  always  narrower  than  tlie  inferior 
surface.  The  difference  is  very  marked  in  some  species  (see  fig.  5,  a  and 
6).  The  basioccipital  early  ankyloses  with  the  exoccipitals,*  but  usually 

*  The  exoccipitals  coiissify  with  the  basioccipital  very  early  in  Zygogeomys  and 
Geo/Hj/s proper ;  somewhat  later  in  Crdfof/eomi/s,  Plati/f/eumys,  and  Ileteroyeomtjs. 


•IAN.,  1895.]  THE    SKULL.  41 

remains  distinct  from  tlie  basisphenoid,  with  which  it  nnites  by  syn- 
chondrosis. 

The  ejfoccipitah  form  the  whole  of  the  condyles  except  the  extreme 
lower  ends,  into  which  the  outer  corners  of  the  basioccipital  enter. 
They  early  ankylose  with  the  basioccipital,  forming  a  single  bone  long 
before  the  animal  becomes  adult.  No  part  of  the  exoccipital  ever  pro- 
jects downward  below  the  plane  of  the  condyles.  The  paroccipital 
processes  stand  out  sideways  and  impinge  upon  the  base  of  the  mas- 
toid bulla  immediately  behind  the  audital  bulla;  they  are  commonly 
more  or  less  flattened  and  expanded,  and  their  distal  ends  often  pro- 
ject backward  (tig.  12,|>p).  In  Platygeomys  they  attain  their  maximum 
development  and  form  the  lateral  parieties  of  a  deep  basin-shaped 
depression,  the  upper  boundary  of  which  is  formed  by  the  backward 
projecting  lambdoid  crest  (pi.  15,  fig.  7).  The  exoccipitals  are  in  contact 
anteriorly  with  the  mastoid  bulla'  and  i^eriotic  capsules,  which  they 
partly  overlap.  Viewed  from  behind,  they  form  the  inner  boundary 
of  the  exposed  i^art  of  the  mastoid  bulhie.  Vertically  they  reach  the 
upper  edge  of  the  foramen  magnum,  and  their  upper  border  forms 
nearly  a  straight  line  across  the  plane  of  the  occiput. 

The  supraoccipital  forms  a  small  part  of  the  roof  of  the  brain  case 
and  the  greater  part  of  the  occipital  plane,  comprising  all  of  the  occi- 
pital element  above  the  foramen  magnum.  On  the  top  of  the  skull  it 
reaches  much  farther  forward  in  Plati/fjeomi/s  than  in  the  oth'er  genera, 
(fig.  53,  .yo),  but  is  usually  nearly  concealed  in  adult  life  by  being  over- 
lapped by  the  parietal  and  squamosal.  On  the  occipital  plane  its 
inferior  border  forms  the  superior  boundary  of  the  foramen  magnum ; 
its  outer  sides  curve  around  the  basal  part  of  the  exposed  mastoid 
bullae,  though  rarely  reaching  laterally  as  far  as  the  free  ends  of  the 
mastoids.  Anteriorly  the  supraoccipital  articulates  with  the  squamo- 
sals and  parietals,  and  with  the  interparietal  also  in  those  cases  in 
which  the  latter  bone  has  an  independent  existence.  [As  a  rule  the 
interparietal  is  not  separate  from  the  supraoccipital.] 

The  interparietal,  which  has  proved  of  considerable  importance  in 
furnishing  specific  characters  in  the  Heteromyidce,  is  small  and  of  little 
consequence  in  most  species  of  Geomyidw,  except  in  the  single  genus 
Thomomys.  Even  in  very  early  life  it  forms  an  inseparable  jjart  of  the 
supraocciptial  in  the  castanops  series  of  Cratogeomyf!,  in  Platygeomys 
gymmirus,  in  the  hursarius  series  of  Geomys  proper,  and  in  Pappogeomys, 
Heterogeomys,  and  Zygogeomy-s.  It  is  distinct  all  around  in  early  life  in 
most  s]>ecies  of  Thomomys,  in  the  merriami  series  of  Cratogeomys,  iu  the 
tuza  series  of  Geomys  proper,  in  Geomys  texensis  and  hreviceps,  in  Platy- 
geomys tylorhinus  and  planlceps,  but  not  in  P.  gymnurus.  Fromits  varia- 
bility in  closely  related  species  it  is  evidently  of  little  importance  for 
purposes  of  classification,  though  its  value  in  Tliomomys  is  much  greater 
than  in  any  of  the  other  genera;  and  it  is  of  some  value  iu  the  restricted 
genus  Geomys  also.  In  the  young  it  is  commonly  sub(piadrate  or 
broadly  oval  and  of  relatively  large  size,  but  with  advancing  age  it 


42 


NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


becomes  smaller  and  uanowly  triaiii;ulai'  or  wedge-shaped,  its  outer 
borders  being  resorbed  from  pressure  of  the  parietals,  which  are  con- 
stantly crowding  toward  the  mediau  line.  Thus  in  PlatygeomyH  ti/Io- 
rhinus  several  sivulls  from  the  same  locality  (Tula,  Hidalgo,  Mexico) 
present  the  following  variations  in  the  interparietal: 


O        Q 


A 


A 


Tig.  G.— Forms  of  interparietal.    «,  h,  c,  d.  Platiigeom'is  tylorhinus  showing  changes  with  age. 
e.  Gcomys  tuza  iS  art-     Aiigiist.i,  Ga. 
/and  g  G.  mohilenais:   ci  f  yg-  .irt-:  <J  /  ad.  Milton,  Fla.     All  natural  size. 

A  very  young  male  (fig,  6,  «,  Xo,  51882)  has  it  roughly  subquadrate 
and  broader  than  long;  an  immature  but  older  female  (fig.  C&,  No. 
51884)  has  it  of  the  same  shape,  but  narrower  and  longer  than  broad; 
a  still  older  specimen  (fig.  Xo.  fi,  c)  has  it  broadly  triangular;  while  an 
adult  (fig.  G,  r7,  No.  51883,  $  )  has  it  reduced  to  a  small  wedge-shaped 
piece  squeezed  in  between  the  hinder  edges  of  the  parietals. 

In  the  young  of  Zygogeomys  irichopus  the  interparietal  is  even  larger 
than  in  Platygcomys  tylorhinus,  and  is  about  twice  as  broad  as  long 
(measuring  8  mm.  in  breadth  in  Xo.  50104:  juv.  fig.  15,  a).  In  shape  it  is 
broadly  convex  anteriorily  and  slightly  (flatly)  convex  posteriorly. 
The  progressive  development  of  the  powerful  temporal  muscles  with 
consequent  enlargement  of  the  parietals  posteriorly  encroach  upon  its 
size  and  change  its  shape,  pressing  it  into  an  equilateral  triangle  (as  in 
No.  4718G  S  im.,  fig.  15,  h).  Its  size  now  decreases  rapidly,  and  as  the 
temporal  impressions  meet  in  a  well-developed  sagittal  crest  in  the 
adult  skull  it  nearly  or  quite  disappears  from  the  upper  surface  of  the 
cranium  (as  in  No.  50100  S  ad.,  fig.  15,  c). 

The  interparietal  ?s  more  stable  in  form  in  several  of  the  species  of 
the  restricted  genus  Geomy.s  than  in  any  of  the  other  genera  under  con- 
sideration. This  is  due  chiefly  to  the  circumstance  that  in  this  genus 
several  species  have  permanently  distant  temporal  impressions — for 
nothing  is  so  destructive  to  an  interi)arietal  as  the  development  of  a 
sagittal  crest.  In  the  species  possessing  a  crest  {hnrsarhis,  Infescens, 
per  son  atUH,  fall  a.r,  and  mohilensis)  the  interparietal  is  normally  reduced 


IAN  1895]  THE    SKULL.  43 

in  adult  life  to  an  inconspicuous  subtri angular  wedge.  In  the  species 
having  a  permanent  sagittal  area  it  remains  of  considerable  size  and 
its  form  is  reasonably  constant.  In  G.  (ircnarius  it  is  normally  sub- 
quadrate,  though  the  anterior  border  may  become  convex  from  rounding 
oft'  of  the  corners,  and  it  is  always  truncate  behind  and  persists  in  old 
age  (pi.  9,  fig.  I).  In  G.  texensis  it  is  normally  elliptical  or  oval  (broader 
than  long)  and  convex  posteriorly  as  well  as  anteriorly,  projecting 
nearly  as  far  behind  as  in  front  of  the  lambdoid  suture  (pi.  9,  fig.  2). 
In  G.  hreviceps  it  is  usually  reduced  to  a  highly  irregular  '  wormian' 
bone,  raucli  cut  up  by  contortions  of  the  sutures  (])1.  9,  fig.  0).  In  G.  tuza 
it  is  very  large,  occupying  nearly  half  of  the  broad  sagittal  area,  and  is 
convex  in  front,  truncate  behind  (fig.  i^e).  Inthe  closely  related  G. 
mohilensis  it  is  deeply  notched  behind  and  is  encroached  upon  and 
finally  nearly  obliterated  by  the  union  of  the  temporal  ridges  (fig.  6,/ 
and  a). 

The  hasisphenoid  is  invariably  aukylosed  with  the  alisphenoids  and 
pterygoids,  even  in  early  life,  and  sooner  or  later  usually  coossifies 
with  the  presphenoid;  it  commonly,  though  not  always,  remains  dis- 
tinct from  the  basioccipital.  Its  vertical  height  is  generally  greater 
than  its  breadth,  and  air  cells  commonly  develop  in  its  substance 
(fig.  7,  bs).  Its  chief  peculiarity  is  the  slight  development  of  the  pitu- 
itary fossa,  which  ordinarily  is  so  shallow  as  to  escape  notice.  But  in 
Heterogeomys  it  is  a  real  depression,  and  in  H.  hispiiJus  it  is  normally  a 
pit  and  completely  perforates  the  bone.  In  the  related  species,  H.  tor- 
ridus,  it  is  much  less  conspicuous  and  never  perforates  (so  far  as  the 
series  of  26  skulls  goes). 

Tlie  basisphenoid  articulates  with  the  basioccipital,  presphenoid, 
alisphenoids  (by  ankylosis),  pterygoids  (by  ankylosis),  and  vertical 
plates  of  the  palatines  (by  contact  antero-inferiorly — see  fig.  7). 

The  alisjyJienoid  is  a  very  important  bone,  serving  to  bind  firmly 
together  the  middle  segment  of  the  vault  of  the  cranium  with  the  pos- 
terior part  of  the  upper  jaw,  and  to  anchor  both  securely  to  the  basi- 
cranial  axis.  It  maybe  described  as  consisting  of  three  parts,  (1)  a 
horizontal  or  transverse  part,  (2)  an  ascending  icing,  and  (3)  a  descending 
icing. 

(1)  The  transverse  or  horizontal  part  is  little  more  than  a  narrow  bar, 
inseparably  connected  with  the  middle  of  the  outer  side  of  the  bas- 
isphenoid (figs.  9,  as  and  54,  alh) ;  it  forms  the  floor  of  the  brain  case  imme- 
diately in  front  of  the  periotic,  and  the  roof  of  the  posterior  part  of  the 
pterygoid  fossa,  the  anterior  part  being  uncovered.  In  passing  outward 
it  bifurcates  to  inclose  the  large  longitudinal  alispheuoid  canal,  above 
which  it  becomes  continuous  with  the  ascending  wing,  and  below  with 
the  descending  wing.  Posteriorly,  the  base  of  the  horizontal  part  of 
the  alisphenoid  is  excavated,  and  usually  presents  a  cup-shaped  enlarge- 
ment to  receive  the  apex  of  the  audital  bulla.  It  also  descends  alongside 
the  basioccipital  to  unite  with  the  pterygoid  posteriorly. 


44 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


(2)  The  ascending  icing  of  the  alisphenoid  differs  widely  iu  form  as 
viewed  from  the  inside  or  outside  of  the  braiu  case.  On  the  outer  side 
of  the  skull  (tig.  4,  as)  it  is  a  long  rectangular  blade  ascending 
obliquely  in  front  of  the  squamosal,  with  the  anterior  border  of  which  it 
articulates.  It  also  overlaps  the  posterior  i)art  of  the  orbital  face  of 
the  frontal,  rising  nearly  to  the  upper  surface  of  the  skull,  which  it  some- 
times reaches.  The  upper  part  is  always  roughened,  and,  with  the  over- 
la]>ping  edge  of  the  squamosal,  forms  an  oblique  postorbital  ridge  or 
prominence.  Sometimes  the  apex  pushes  up  to  the  top  of  the  skull, 
where  it  is  thickened  and  forms  the  major  part  of  a  distinct  postorbital 
process,  resting  on  the  frontal,  and  overlapped  posteriorly  by  the  autero- 
exterual  corner  of  the  squamosal.  This  process  attains  its  highest 
development  in  Macrogeomijs  (see  pi.  11,  fig.  2,  and  text  fig.  17^).  Pos- 
teriorly the  ascending  wing  is  extensively  overlapped  by  the  squamosal, 


"F  ''^  T3     'ti  ^  u  a  h 


ffia,  7.— Longitudinal  vertical  mediau  section  of  skull  of  Cratogeoini/i  mernami,  showinc 
of  brain  caso  and  nasal  chamber.     Vomer  aud  mesethmoid  in  place. 


interior 


1  Anterior  palatine  foramen. 

2  Incisive  foramen. 

3  Meatus  auditorius  iuternns. 

4  Floccular  fossa. 

5  Upiier  part  of  sphenoidal  fis.sure. 
as    Alisphenoid. 

ho    Basioccipital. 

bs    Basiaplienoid. 

c      Condyle  of  exoccipital. 

fr    Frontal. 

h.      Hamular  process  of  i>terygoid. 

ip    Interparietal. 

tne   Mesethmoid  plate. 

mt    Maxillo-turbinal. 

mx  MaxiUa. 

n      Nasal. 

nt    Naso-turbinal. 

op    Lower  border  of  os  planum. 


pa      Parietal. 

pet     Petrous  part  of  periotic  capsule. 
pi      Palatine. 
pmx  Premaxilla. 
ps      Presphenoid. 
Pterygoid. 
Supraoccipital. 
Squamosal. 

Tympanic    bulla     (antero-superior     part, 
which  alone  appears  within  the  brain 
case) . 
Vomer. 

Vomerine  sheath  of  maxilla 
First  endoturbinal   (below  and  somewhat 
behind  it  the  anterior  ends  of  the  sec- 
ond,  third,   and   fourth   endoturbinals 
may  be  seen). 


pt 


as  appears  when  examined  from  the  inner  side  of  the  brain  case  (fig.  7, 
as).  Therefore,  while  the  outer  face  is  an  obi iquely- vertical  i>late,  with 
essentially  parallel  sides,  the  inner  face  is  elongated  horizon tallj^,  with 
an  irregularly  convex  upper  border — the  difference  being  due  to  the  fact 
that  the  outer  side  overlaps  the  frontal  anteriorly  and  is  overlapped  b/ 


JAN.,  1895.]  THE    SKULL.  45 

the  squamosal  posteriorly.  The  alispheuoid  may  be  separated  from 
the  orbitospheuoid  as  in  Heterogeomys  and  Geomys  (pi.  17,  tigs.  1  and  3), 
or  the  two  bones  may  be  in  contact  anteriorly  as  in  Cratogeomys  (pi.  17, 
tig-.  5,  and  text  tig.  9),  or  they  may  be  firmly  and  broadly  ankylosed 
together  as  in  Zygogeomys  (pi.  17,  tig.  2). 

(3)  Tlie  flesccnding  wing  of  the  ciMsphenoid,  on  the  outer  side  of  the 
skull,  is  a  tlatteued  plate  continuous  in  breadth,  plane,  and  direction 
with  the  ascending  wing,  and  passing  obliquely  downward  and  back- 
ward between  the  posterior  border  of  the  maxilla  and  the  antero- 
inferior edge  of  the  squamosal  (tig.  1,  as,  lower  pointer).  Ante- 
riorly it  forms  the  outer  wall  of  the  pterygoid  fossa;  posteriorly  it 
overlaps  the  external  pterygoid  plate  of  the  i)alatine.  It  articulates 
Avith  the  maxilla,  x^alatine,  and  squamosal;  and  is  pierced  by  two  fora- 
mina, the  foramen  rotundum  and  the  foramen  ovale,  which,  in  rare  cases, 
merge  into  one.  The  forame)i  rotundum  (tig;  1^)  is.very  inucli  larger 
than  the  foramen  ovale,  and  is  situated  immediately  below  the  anterior 
end  of  the  squamosal  root  of  the  zygoma.  It  opens  into  the  anterior 
part  of  the  large  alispheuoid  canal,  and  sometimes  also  directly  into  the 
deep  sphenoid  fossa  of  the  floor  of  the  brain  case.  In  Geomys  proper  it 
is  higher  up  than  usual  and  consequently  opens  downward  into  the 
alis])henoid  canal.  The  foramen  ovale  (fig.  4*)  is  a  small  slit-like 
opening  beneath  the  foramen  rotundum;  it  opens  obliquely  upward 
(and  usually  backward)  into  the  lower  part  of  the  alispheuoid  canal. 
The  foramen  ovale  presents  considerable  variation  in  its  position  and 
relations,  affording  characters  of  some  value  in  separating  the  genera. 
In  Cratogeomys  it  is  near  the  anterior-  border  of  the  lower  part  of  the 
alispheuoid,  directly  beneath  the  foramen  rotundum  and  far*below  the 
alispheuoid  canal,  which  it  reaches  posteriorly  by  an  obliquely  ujjward 
and  backward  course.  In  Platygeomys  and  Heterogeomys  it  is  simi- 
larly situated,  except  that  it  is  nearer  the  middle  than  the  anterior  bor- 
der of  the  descending  wing  of  the  alisphenoid,  and  is  decidedly  nearer 
the  alisphenoid  canal  i\w([  foramen  rotundum.  In  Heterogeomys  it  is 
not  infrequently  confluent  on  one  side  with  the  foramen  rotundum.  In 
Platygeomys  it  is  somewhat  jjosterior  to  the  foramen  rotundum  and 
nearer  it  than  in  Heterogeomys.  In  Zygogeomys  it  is  immediately  below 
and  close  to  the  foramen  rotundum  and  sometimes  confluent  with  it; 
it  is  high  up  and  opens  directly  into  the  alisphenoid  canal.  In  Geomys 
proper  it  is  high  up  also,  and  often  becomes  confluent  with  the  fora- 
men rotundum  (as  in  fig.  55''").  In  the  tuza  series  its  size  is  unusually 
small. 

The  alisphenoid  as  a  whole  articulates  with  the  frontal,  squamosal, 
maxilla,  palatine,  basisphenoid,  pterygoid,  tympanic  capsule,  and  in 
some  genera  with  the  orbitospheuoid  also. 

The  squamosal  is  a  large  and  highly  important  bone  in  the  GeomyidK 
(figs.  4,  7,  8,  and  0,  sq).  It  overlaps  to  fi  cousiderable  extent  the  other 
Ijpnes  of  tUe  padetiea  of  tUe  br^iu  CfVse,  impartial' gre^^t  power  of  resist- 


46 


NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.. 


[NO.  8. 


ance  to  the  vault  of  the  cranium.  Autero-iuferiorly  it  articulates  with 
the  alisphenoid  for  its  entire  leuj^th.  Postero-inferiorly  a  long  slit-like 
vacuity  seijarates  it  from  the  audital  bulla,  though  iu  some  cases  it  is 
in  contact  with  parts  of  the  bulla.  Posteriorly  it  overspreads  the 
sni)erior  face  of  the  outer  part  of  the  supraoccipital  and  the  mastoid 
bulla  and  sends  a  lateral  arm  out  sideways  (the  mastoid  arm),  which 
overreaches  and  articulates  with  the  end  of  the  mastoid  process  of  the 
mastoid  bulla.  Superiorly  it  covers  the  posterior  i)art  of  the  frontals 
and  broadly  overlaps  the  i^arietals  for  their  entire  length — actually  con- 
cealing them  iu  one  species,  Cratogeomys-  merriami.  The  squamosal 
gives  off  the  posterior  root  ot^  the  zygoma,  and  articulates  with  the 
jugal.  In  Zij<jogconiy.s  trichopHs  and  Macrogeomys  costaricensis,  owing 
to  the  much-reduced  size  of*  the  jugal,  tliC'  squamosal"  arm  reaches 
far  forward  and  articulates  directly  with  the  maxilla — a  most  excep- 
tional condition  among  mammals.  Below  the  squamosal'  root  of  the 
zygoma  is  the  elongated  and  ill-detined  glenoid  fossa,  which  is  com- 
pleted posteriorly  and  on  the  inner  side  by  the  tympanic  bulla.     The 


Fig.  8. — Skull  of  very  young  Geuniyi  bursaiius  from  Elk  River,  Minnesota.  Upper  .surface,  showing 
frontals  ankj'losed  together,  and  interparietal  inseparable  from  supraoccipital  at  birth. 

/(•,  frontal;  ip,  interparietal;  j,  .jugal;  n,  nasal;  ^^a,  parietal;  pmx,  ascending  branch  of  jjreniaxilla; 
sq,  squamosal;  zmx,  maxillary  root  of  zygoma. 

form  of  the  postglenoid  notch  varies  from  broadly  (J-s^i^PGd  in  Platy- 
geoniys  and  some  others  to  narrowly  V-shaped  uiGeomys  hursarius.  In 
Platygeomys  and  Cratogeomys  the  glenoid  fossa  is  i^roduced  anteriorly 
a  long  distance  in  front  of  the  squamosal  root  of  the  zygoma. 

The  mastoid  arm  of  the  squamosal  enters  the  outer  part  of  the  occip- 
ital plane  above  the  mastoid  bulla  and  external  to  the  supraoccipital, 
where  it  forms  the  whole  thickness  of  the  lambdoid  crest  (see  pi.  15, 
tigs.  3,  4,  6,  and  7).  In  Heterogeomys  it  is  vertically  expanded,  taking 
a  more  prominent  part  than  usual  in  the  occiput.  The  variations  in 
the  squamosal  are  described  later  (pp.  66-67). 

The  parietals  complete  the  roof  of  the  brain  case  posteriorly  (fig.  8,^a). 
They  do  not  in-esent  any  unusual  variations  in  the  Geomyidw;  they  over- 
lap the  frontal  anteriorly  and  the  supraoccipital  and  interparietal  poste- 
liorly,  and  are  overlapx)ed  for  their  full  length  inferiorly  by  the  squa- 
mosals, which  in  Cratogeomys  merriami  gradually  overspreadandconceal 
them.    The  parietals  are  always  separate  iu  early  life,  but  usually  coa- 


JAN.,  1895. 


THE    SKULL. 


47 


lesce  in  the  adult.  The  temporal  impressions  may  remain  permanently 
distant,  defining-  a  sagittal  area,  or  they  may  unite  in  a  prominent 
sagittal  crest. 

The  pre.sphenoid  is  a  thin  vertical  plate  of  bone  bridging  the  gap 
between  the  basisphenoid  and  mesethmoid  cartilage  and  supporting, 
from  its  superior  surface,  the  horizontally  flattened  orbitosphenoids 
(figs.  4,  7,  audi),  29S*),  It  is  perforated  anteriorly  by  a  rather  large 
opening,  which,  being  opposite  the  sphenoidal  fissure,  enables  one  to  see 
completely  through  the  skull  at  this  point  (figs.  46,  H)\  and  55^).  A 
second  fenestrum  often  exists  behind  the  first,  and  in  Orthof/eoiiiys  one 
or  two  small  perforations  usually  occur  in  front  of  it.  8ui)eri()rly  the 
prespheuoid  supports  the  orbitosphenoids  (tig.  9,  oi),  with  which  it  is 


t\r    Kna 


^       ^^ 


Fin.  9.— Young  skull  of  Cratogeomys  merriaiai 
removed  to  sliow  floor  of  brain  case. 

ac    Anterior  opeiiing  of  alisiilienoid  canal. 

as   Alisphenoid  bone. 

bo    Basioccijjital. 

bs    Basisphenoid. 

Condyle  of  exoccipltal. 

cr    Cribriform  plate  of  etlimoid. 

em  External  auditory  meatus. 

ex    Exoccipital. 

ff    Floccular  fossa. 

fr    Frontal. 

fro  Descending   or   orbital  plate  of  frontal  (tlie 
animal  is  so  young  tliat  the  plates  of  the 
,  two  sides  have  not  yet  united  below). 

'  Jugal. 

Lachrymal. 

inseparably  ankylosed;  anteriorly  it  abuts  against  the  mesethmoid  car- 
tilage and  is  in  contact  with  the  ethmoid  and  usually  the  vomer;  pos- 
teriorly it  abuts  against  the  basisphenoid,  with  which  it  commonly 
becomes  ankylosed  before  the  animal  is  fully  adult.     The  ascending 

*Iu  fig.  9,  which  is  a  young  skull,  the  presphenoid  is  covered  by  the  orbitosphe 
noids,  making  it  appear  very  much  broader  than  it  really  is. 


Irom  Amecameca,  Mexico,  with  vault  of  cranium 

ma  Meatus  auditorius  internus. 

7nb  Mastoid  bulla. 

n  Nasal. 

of  Optic  foramen. 

OS  Orbitosphenoid. 

pet  Petrous  part  of  periotic. 

pmx  Ascending  arm  of  premaxilla. 

ps  Presphenoid. 

ptf  Spheno-pterygoid  fossa. 

s/  Apex  of  .sphenoidal  fissure. 

so  Supraoccipital. 

iv/  Squamosal. 

tb  Superior  face  of  tympanic  or  audital  bulla. 

zmx  Zygomatic  root  of  maxilla. 


48  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

wings  (vertical  plates)  of  the  palatines  clasi)  the  sides  of  the  prespheiioid 
iiiferioiiy,  rising  anteriorly.  The  ends  of  the  vomer  reach  it  also,  clasp- 
ing it  laterally,  bnt  never  underlying  it  as  in  many  mammals.  The  pre- 
sphenoid  ends  anteriorly  in  a  somewhat  thickened  head,  with  a  disk- 
shaped  cavity  iu  front,  which  receives  the  hinder  end  of  the  mesethmoid 
cartilage. 

The  orbitosphe)ioids  are  a  pair  of  thin  horizontal  shelves  resting  upon 
and  invariably  ankylosed  to  the  upper  border  of  the  pres])henoid,  and 
articulating  anteriorly  with  the  orbital  plate  of  the  frontal  (fig.  9,  o.«, 
and  pi.  17).  They  are  normally  perforated  near  the  anterior  border  by 
the  optic  foramen  (tig.  9,  of),  but  in  Heterogeomys  this  foramen  is  incom- 
plete superiorly  (pi.  17,  fig.  1)  except  in  the  young.  The  antero-external 
corner  sometimes  jirotrudes  through  the  sphenoidal  fissure,  bends  up- 
ward, and  slightly  overlaps  the  j)osterior  border  of  the  descending  wing 
of  the  frontal,  appearing  as  a  small  scale  in  the  bottom  of  the  orbit.  This 
is  most  often  observed  in  young  skulls.  In  Zygogeomys,  Pappogeomys, 
and  some  forms  of  Thomomys  the  ascending  tongue  of  the  orbitosphe- 
noid  completely  closes  the  upper  part  of  the  sphenoidal  fissure,  excejit 
a  small  point  at  its  apex,  which  is  left  as  a  permanent  foramen  (pi.  18, 
fig.  2),  and  becomes  ankylosed  to  the  frontal  anteriorly  and  the  alisphe- 
noid  posteriorly  (pi.  17,  fig.  2).  With  these  exceptions  it  does  not 
appear  in  the  parieties  of  the  cranium,  though  it  may  always  be  seen 
crossing  the  sphenoidal  fissure,  which  it  divides  into  two  parts.  Ante 
riorly  the  orbitosphenoid  invariably  articulates  with  the  upper  surface 
of  the  presphenoid  and  the  descending  wings  of  the  frontal,  as  already 
stated,  and  sometimes  also  with  the  palatine,  maxilla,  and  posterior 
edge  of  the  cribriform  plate;  posteriorly  it  often  touches  the  edge  of 
the  alisphenoid,  to  which  it  becomes  fixed  in  Cratogeomys,  Orthogeomys, 
Pappogeomys,  Zygogeomys,  and  some  forms  of  Thomomys.    . 

The  relations  of  the  orbitosphenoids  anteriorly  vary  in  the  several 
groups  and  in  some  cases  are  exceedingly  difficult  to  ascertain,  owing 
to  early  ankylosis  with  the  presphenoid.  In  Geomys  hursariu.s  the 
ascending  wings  of  the  palatine  rise  high  on  the  sides  of  the  presphe- 
noid and  articulate  broadly  with  the  orbitospheuoids,  but  iu  most 
forms  it  is  uncertain  whether  or  not  the  palatine  is  reached.  The  uncer- 
tainty is  due  to  the  impossibility  of  determining  how  far  the  orbito- 
sphenoid descends  anteriorly  below  the  top  of  the  presi)henoid,  with 
which  it  is  inseparably  fused.  For  the  same  reason  it  is  uncertain 
whether  or  not  the  orbitosphenoids  always  reach  the  cribriform  plate  of 
the  ethmoid.  They  seem  to  do  so  in  all  cases  along  the  median  line,  but 
I  have  been  unable,  even  in  very  young  skulls,  to  find  the  place  of  sepa. 
ration  anteriorly  between  the  orbitosphenoids  and  presphenoid.  In 
those  genera  in  which  the  descending  or  orbital  plates  of  the  frontal  do 
not  meet  interiorly  behind  the  cribriform  plate,  tlio  orbitosphenoids 
articulate  broadly  with  the  cribriform  (as  in  Fappogeomys,  Orthogeomys^ 
aucl  Thomomys), 


JAN.,  1895.]  thp:  skull.  49 

In  Geoniys  proper  the  orbitosphenoids  are  narrower  than  in  any  of 
the  other  genera,  and  do  not  reach  the  alisphenoids.  In  Heterogeomys 
and  Platygeomys  also  they  usnally  fall  short  of  the  alisphenoid,  though 
in  extreme  cases  they  sometimes  cross  the  anterior  edge  of  the 
alisphenoid.  In  Cratogeomys  and  Orfhogeomys  they  articulate  with  the 
alisphenoid  anteriorly  for  a  short  distance,  but  do  not  follow  the  upper 
part  of  the  sphenoidal  fissure,  though  in  Orthogeomys  they  sometimes 
send  a  tongue  upward  covering  part  of  the  fissure.  In  Pappogeomys 
and  some  species  of  Thomomys  they  go  a  step  further,  articulating 
firmly  and  broadly  with  the  alisphenoid  and  normally  closing  the 
greater  x)art  of  the  sphenoidal  fissure  above  the  plane  of  the  presphe- 
noid.  Zygogeomys  presents  a  still  more  extreme  phase,  the  orbito- 
sphenoid  almost  completely  closing  the  upi)er  part  of  the  sphenoidal 
fissure  and  ankylosing  broadly  with  the  alis])henoids.  From  what  has 
been  said  it  must  be  clear  that  the  orbitosphenoids  play  a  more 
important  part  than  any  other  bones  in  determining  the  form  of  the 
floor  of  the  brain  case,  for  the  reason  that  by  their  expansion  or  con- 
traction anteriorly  they  completely  change  the  size  and  shape  of  the 
sphenoid  fossa,  which  is  the  most  conspicuous  of  the  variable  land- 
marks of  the  floor  of  the  brain  case,  as  may  be  §een  on  consulting  i^l.  17. 

T\ie>  frontals  coalesce  very  early  (i)robably  before  birth),  forming  a 
single  large  bone  (fig.  8,/r)  which  constitutes  the  middle  third  of  the 
upper  surface  of  the  skull  and  dips  deeply  into  the  orbits,  where  it 
makes  important  connections  with  the  maxilla  and  other  bones.  It 
forms  the  roof  of  the  olfactory  chamber  of  the  nasal  cavity,  and  the 
roof  and  part  of  the  side  walls  of  the  anterior  segment  of  the  brain  case. 
The  main  body  of  the  frontal  articulates  anteriorly  with  the  ethmoid, 
nasals,  premaxilla,  maxilla,  and  lachrymals,  and  posteriorly  with  the 
parietals,  squamosals,  and  alisphenoids.  It  is  so  extensively  over- 
lapped by  the  alisphenoids  and  squamosals  that  when  viewed  from  the 
outside  it  appears  much  smaller  than  it  really  is. 

The  descending  or  orbital  processes  of  the  frontal  (figs.  4,  o/V,  and 
9,/ro)  reach  far  downward,  burying  themselves  deeply  among  the  bones 
of  the  base  of  the  cranium  and  face.  They  articulate  with  the  anterior 
border  of  the  orbitosphenoids,  clasp  the  sides  of  the  presphenoid  and 
palatines  anteriorly,  and  articulate  firmly  with  the  maxillaries.  Ante 
riorly,  except  in  Thomomys^  Pappogeomys  (fig.  56),  and  Orthogeomys,  they 
completely  encircle  the  cribriform  plate  of  the  ethmoid  (with  which 
they  early  unite  by  ankylosis)  and  meet  in  the  median  line  below  it, 
thus  reaching  around  the  olfactory  lobes  of  the  brain  case  and  forming 
the  floor  as  well  as  the  roof  and  sides  of  the  olfactory  fossa.  At  the  ijoint 
where  the  two  arms  come  together  in  the  median  line,  at  the  posterior 
base  of  the  cribriform  plate,  a  small  opening  is  commonly  left  which 
remains  as  a  perforating  foramen  passing  obliquely  forward  and  down- 
ward between  the  presphenoid  and  mesethmoid  plate,  and  oijening 
anteriorly  into  the  olfactory  chamber  of  the  nasal  cavity  immediately 
7433— No.  8 4 


50  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

behind  the  lower  part  of  the  fourth  eudoturbiuals.  In  Thomomys  (fig. 
61),  and  in  the  young  of  most  of  the  other  genera  (as  in  Cratogeomys,  fig. 
9,  fro),  the  orbital  plates  of  the  frontal  are  separated  interiorly  by  the 
orbitosphenoids.  The  variations  in  the  form  of  the  frontal  are  described 
further  on  (p.  05  and  fig.  17). 

The  ethmoid  is  a  highly  complicated  bone  occupying  the  posterior 
part  of  the  olfactory  chamber  of  the  nasal  cavity,  which  it  completely 
separates  from  the  brain  case.  No  part  of  it  appears  on  the  outside  of 
the  skull.  It  maybe  described  under  five  heads :  (1)  the  cribriform 
plate;  (2)  the  mesethmoid;  (3)  the  os  planum;  (4)  the  ectoturHnals,  and 
(5)  the  endoturhinals.  There  is  no  apparent  'crista  galli'  in  the  Geoni- 
yidw.  [The  naso-  and  maxillo-turbinals  are  completely  detached,  and 
are  described  under  the  bones  to  which  they  are  respectively  ankylosed, 
namely,  the  nasal  and  jnemaxilla.J 

(1)  The  cribriform  plate  is  a  transverse  i)erforated  partition,  separat- 
ing the  olfactory  fossa  of  the  brain  case  from  the  olfactory  chamber 
of  the  nasal  cavity  (fig.  9,  cr).  It  is  nearly  circular  in  outline  and 
slopes  or  curves  forward  from  the  base  upward.  Posteriorly,  in  most 
of  the  genera,  its  entire  circumference  articulates  (and  early  anky- 
loses) with  the  frontals,  which  usually  separate  it  interiorly  from  the 
orbitosphenoids,  though  the  latter  may  always  reach  it  near  the  me- 
dian line  by  pushing  forward  beneath  the  frontals.  To  its  anterior 
face  are  attached  the  ectoturbinals,  endoturbinals,  and  mesethmoid. 

(2)  The  mesethmoid  bone,  or  perpendicular  plate  of  the  ethmoid,  is  a 
longitudinal  median  partition  incompletely  dividing  the  olfactory  cham- 
ber into  two  parts  (  fig.  7,  me).  Its  superior  border  is  firmly  and  insep- 
arably ankylosed  to  the  frontal;  its  posterior  to  the  cribriform  plate. 
Antero-inferiorly  it  abuts  against  the  cartilaginous  mesethmoid,  which 
latter  reaches  forward  from  the  presphenoid  and  is  embraced  between 
the  lateral  wings  of  the  vomer,  completing  the  partition  between  the 
two  sides  of  the  olfactory  chamber.  The  shape  of  the  bony  lamella 
varies  in  the  different  groups  and  seems  to  be  quite  constant  in  mem- 
bers of  the  same  genus.  In  Cratogeomys  (pi.  18,  fig.  4),  Orthogeomys 
(fig.  60),  and  Geomys  proper  (pi.  18,  fig.  1),  it  is  somewhat  like  a  half 
crescent,  with  the  base  above,  and  the  apex  pointing  to  the  end  of  the 
presj^henoid,  the  anterior  border  being  convex  downward,  tn  Platy- 
geomys  it  is  similar,  except  that  the  upper  part  is  strongly  rounded 
anteriorly,  the  upper  edge  being  shorter  than  that  part  of  the  lamella 
immediately  below  it  (pi.  18,  fig.  5).  In  Heterogeomys  it  is  relatively 
small  and  strongly  convex  anteriorly  (pi.  18,  fig.  3).  In  Zygogeomys  it  is 
nearly  rectangular  and  the  front  edge  is  nearly  straight  (pi.  18,  fig.  2). 
In  Pappageomys  (fig.  57)  it  is  higher  than  long,  and  its  inferior  border 
dips  down  between  tlie  wings  of  the  vomer — a  unique  condition. 

(3)  The  OS  planum  is  a  thin  sheet  of  bone  wliich  lines  the  posterior 
part  of  the  olfactory  chamber  (fig.  10,  op).  It  supports  the  endoturbi- 
nals and  binds  them  together  (as  may  be  seen  by  consulting  fig.  10  and 


JAN.,  1895.] 


THE    SKULL. 


51 


pi.  10,  figs.  3,  4,  and  5  of  Geomi/s  hursarius,  Heterogeomys^  and  Zycjogeo- 
mys).  Inferiorly  it  articulates  with  the  vertical  lamella  of  the  maxillary 
which  lines  the  nasal  passage,  and  witli  the  anterior  ends  of  the  ascend- 
ing wings  of  the  palatines.  Near  its  lower  border  (just  below  the  fourth 
turbinal),  it  gives  off  a  lateral  shelf,  which  is  firmly  ankylosed  to  the 
outer  side  of  the  posterior  third  of  vomer.  In  Cratogcomys  its  antero- 
inferior border  is  cut  off"  close  to  the  turbinal  folds,  giving  the  latter  a 


Fig  10.— LoDgitudal  vertical  median  section  of  trout  part  of  skull  of  Geomijs  hursarius.    Meseth- 
moid  and  vomer  removed  to  show  turbinated  bones. 

1  Anterior  i>alatine  foramen. 

2  Inci.sive  foramen. 

3  Vacuity  in  front  of  presphenoid  (present  in  Geomys  hursarius  and  tuza  only.    It  is  partly  over- 

lapped posteriorly  by  the  ascending  wing  of  the  vertical  plate  of  the  palatine,  ap.). 

4  Presphenoid  fcnestrum.    Present  in  all  species. 

5  Upper  part  of  sjihenoidal  fissure. 
H    First  or  superior  endoturbinal. 
2t    Second  endoturbinal. 

3<    Third  endoturbinal. 

it    Fourtli  endoturbinal. 

ap  Ascending  wing  of  vertical  plate  of  palatine. 

/*•    Frontal. 

mt  Maxilio-turbinal. 

nix  Maxilla  (the  upper  pointer  rests  on  the  maxillary  surface  of  the  narial  passage,  the  lower  on  the 

sawed  body  of  the  bone). 
n     Nasal. 
nt    Naso-turbinal. 
op   Os  planum. 
pi    Palatine  (the  upper  pointer  rests  on  the  palatine  face  of  the  narial  passage,  the  lower  on  the  sawed 

horizontal  body  of  the  bone). 
pmx    Prcmaxilla. 
ps    Presphenoid. 
vr    Vomerine  ridge  of  os  planum  (unites  with  the  lateral  wing  of  the  vomer) . 

particularly  neat  and  finished  appearance  (pi.  19,  fig.  6).  In  Geomys 
hursarius,  on  the  other  hand,  it  falls  directly  downward  from  the  first 
turbmal,  projecting  as  a  thin  sheet  considerably  in  front  of  the  others 
(fig.  10  and  pi.  19,  fig.  3). 


52  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  fNo.g. 

(4:)  The  ectoturbinals  *  arise  from  the  upijer  and  outer  corners  of  the 
cribriform  plate  and  occupy  a  small  chamber  at  the  maxillary  root  of 
the  zygoma,  incased  chiefly  by  the  frontal  and  maxillarybones.  When 
the  lachrymal  is  removed,  they  may  be  seen  from  the  orbital  side. 

(5)  The  endoturbinals  *  arise  from  the  outer  sides  of  the  anterior  face 
of  the  cribriform  plate  (on  the  inner  side  of  the  ectoturbinals)  and  ])ro- 
ject  into  the  nasal  chamber  (lig.  10).  They  are  four  in  number  through- 
out the  family.  Their  outer  sides  are  continuous  with  and  form  a  part 
of  the  OS  planum.  The  first  or  upi^ermost  is  always  the  largest,  longest, 
and  most  broadly  expanded  anteriorly.  The  others  decrease  in  length 
from  above  downward,  and  are  broadest  in  the  middle  or  posteriorly. 
The  fourth  or  lowermost  is  broader  and  shorter  than  the  two  middle  ones. 
The  first  or  uppermost  is  the  only  one  that  need  be  considered  from  the 
standpoint  of  variation  of  form  in  the  several  gi'oups.  Its  front  border 
usually  slopes  strongly  backward  (from  above  downward),  as  in  Flatygeo- 
mys,  Cratogeomys,  and  Zygogeomys;  but  in  Heterogeomys  it  is  straight  or 
slightly  emarginate,  vertical,  and  very  broad,  and  carries  with  it  the 
second  fold  (see  i^l.  19,  fig.  5).  In  Platygeoniys  it  is  long  and  relatively 
slender,  and  its  apex  projects  anteriorly  behind  the  posterior  border  of 
the  nasoturbinal  (pi.  10,  fig.  7).  In  Zygogeomys  also  it  is  pointed  and 
projects  far  forward  (pi.  19,  fig.  1).  In  Geomys  hursarius  it  is  rather 
bluntly  rounded  (fig.  10,  and  pi.  19,  fig.  3). 

The  vomer  is  a  long  and  narrow  plate  of  bone,  cleft  above  and  bifur- 
cate posteriorly,  which  forms  the  lower  part  of  the  longitudinal  verti- 
cal septum  between  the  lateral  chambers  of  the  nasal  cavity  (fig.  7,  v). 
It  consists  of  a  median  plate  and  two  wings.  The  median  plate  is 
embraced  inferiorly  between  the  wings  of  the  vomerine  sheath  (which 
rises  from  the  floor  of  the  premaxilla  and  extreme  anterior  part  of  the 
maxilla).  Superiorly  it  is  split  lengthwise  from  above,  forming  the  two 
wings,  between  which  the  mesethmoid  cartilage  is  received.  These 
wings  are  narrowed  j)osteriorly  and  reach  the  front  end  of  the  pre- 
sphenoid,  which  they  clasp  laterally,  but  they  do  not  appear  on  the 
inferior  surface  of  the  presphenoid,  as  they  do  in  most  mammals.  Pos- 
teriorly the  wings  of  the  vomer  separate  slightly  and  are  not  united 
inferiorly.  On  the  outer  side  they  are  inseparably  united  with  the 
OS  planum  just  below  the  fourth  endoturbinal,  thus  continuing  ante- 
riorly the  roof  of  the  narial  i)assage,  which  is  here  sharply  separated 
from  the  olfactory  chamber  above.  The  vomer  articulates  with  the 
premaxilla,  maxilla,  ethmoid,  presphenoid,  and  palatines. 

ThOi  pterygoids  are  more  or  less  quadrangular  vertical  plates,  forming 
the  lateral  walls  of  the  posterior  nares  (figs.  4  and  7,  pt).  Anteriorly 
they  articulate  Avith  the  vertical  plates  of  the  palatines ;  superiorly  they 
are  firmly  ankylosed  to  the  basisphenoid,  and  usually  also  with  the 
posterior  downward  extension  of  the  transverse  arm  of  the  alisphenoid. 


*  These  terms  are  adopted  from  Dr.  Harrison  Allen's  admirable  paper  on  the  Eth.- 
moid.— (Bull.  Mus.  Comp.  Zool.,  Cambridge,  X,  No.  3,  1882,  136.) 


JAN.,  1895.]  THE    SKULL.  53 

They  commonly  develop  a  hamtilar  process  (figs.  4  aud  7,  A),  which 
curves  upward  and  reaches  or  nearly  reaches  the  audital  bulla  (except 
in  Heterof/eomys).  The  inferior  surface  of  the  pterygoid  is  usually  flat- 
tened, either  horizontally  or  obliquely ;  it  may  be  of  uniform  breadth 
(fig.  11^),  or  much  broader  anteriorly  than  posteriorly  (figs.  11^  and  IV). 
It  reaches  its  maximum  length  aud  slenderness  in  Zygogeomiis  (fig.  11'); 
its  maximum  breadth  and  shortness  in  Macrogeomys  (fig.  IP),  The 
two  arms  may  be  divergent  posteriorly,  convergent  posteriorly,  or  par- 
allel. 


Fig.  11.— Principal  tjpes  of  palatopterygoids. 

1.  Zygogeoinys  trichopus.  2.  Oeomi/s  lutescens.  3.  Geomys  bursarius. 

4.  Heterogeomya  hispidus.  5.  Alcfbrogeomys  heterodus. 

In  the  share  they  take  in  the  formation  of  the  palato-pterygoid  plates 
on  the  roof  of  the  niouth,  and  the  manner  of  articulation  with  the  pal- 
atine bones,  the  pterygoids  present  five  types,  as  follows : 

(1)  They  completely  surround  the  postpalatal  notch  like  a  horseshoe, 
meeting  or  so  nearly  meeting  anteriorly  that  at  most  a  narrow  spicule 
of  the  palatine  reaches  the  notch  in  the  median  line.  This  type  occurs 
in  the  genus  Zygogeomys  only  (fig.  11'). 

(2)  They  form  the  whole  or  practically  the  whole  of  the  sides  of  the 
postpalatal  notch,  but  are  separated  anteriorly  by  the  full  breadth  of 
the  notch  itself.  This  is  the  commonest  type  and  prevails  in  the  genera 
Geomys  nudCratogeomys  (fig.  11'). 

(3)  They  are  lingulate  in  shape  and  do  not  reach  the  base  of  the  jiost- 
palatal  notch,  the  palatine  bones  extending  out  a  considerable  distance 
to  meet  them.  This  is  the  ordinary  condition  in  Geomys  bursarius  (fig. 
IP). 

(4)  They  are  very  much  reduced,  forming  only  the  terminal  part  of 
the  palato-pterygoid  plates,  the  palatine  part  of  which  is  greatly  elon- 
gated.   This  condition  obtains  in  Heterogeomys  (fig.  11*). 

(5)  They  are  short,  broad,  and  abruptly  upturned,  capping  the  ends 
of  the  very  broad  palatines.  This  type  is  restricted  to  Macrogeomys 
(fig.  IP). 

The  palatine  bones  contribute  an  insignificant  part  to  the  external 
surface  of  the  skull  (fig.  12,  pi),  but  internally  their  connections  are 
extensive  and  important  (fig.  7,  pi,  and  fig.  10,  pi  and  aj)).  They  early 
unite  (probably  before  birth)  in  the  median  line,  forming  a  single  bone, 
which  may  be  described  as  consisting  of  a  body,  two  vertical  plates,  and 
two  lateral  wings  or  external  ptergoid  plates.     The  body  or  horizontal 


54  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

part  enters  the  roof  of  the  mouth  posteriorly,  forming  a  wedge  between 
the  hinder  part  of  the  maxillaries,  and  never  reaching  further  forward 
than  the  middle  molars  (fig  12,  pi).  This  part  is  cut  away  posteriorly,  so 
that  its  inferior  surface  is  on  two  i)lanes.  Anteriorly  it  is  continuous 
with  the  plane  of  the  bony  pala'.e;  posteriorly  with  the  pterygoitls. 
The  break  in  the  palatines  between  these  two  i)lanes  occurs  suddeidy 
between  the  posterior  molars,  forming  a  step  or  pit  on  each  side  between 
the  last  molar  and  a  median  azygos  iDrojection  of  the  palate,  which  con- 
nects the  two  more  gradually.  Posteriorly  the  palatals  may  terminate 
oijposite  the  anterior  end  of  the  postpalatal  notch  (as  usual  m  Crato- 
geomys),  or  they  may  extend  out  a  short  distance  beyond  the  apex  of 
the  notch  (as  m  Oeomys  proper),  or  they  may  i^ush  back  still  farther, 
forming  more  than  half  of  the  side  walls  of  the  notch  (as  in  Hetero- 
geomys),  or  they  may  fail  to  reach  the  notch  at  all,  the  pterygoids  com- 
ing forward  to  the  median  line  (as  in  Zygogeomys).     [See  fig.  11  supra.] 

The  vertical  jilcites  are  tliin  lamellae,  which  reach  upward  on  each  side 
from  the  body  of  the  bone  to  the  i)resphenoid,  surrounding  the  middle 
section  of  the  narial  passage  between  the  maxilla  and  pterygoid  (tig. 
7,2)1)-  Their  upper  borders  reach  the  basisphenoid  anteriorly  and  are  in 
contact  with  the  i^resphenoid  for  its  entire  length ;  anteriorly  they  clasp 
the  sides  of  the  presphenoid  and  articulate  with  tlie  ethmoid  and 
frontal — the  descending  processes  of  the  latter  overlapping  their  ante- 
rior prolongations.  The  front  border  of  the  vertical  plate  of  the  pala- 
tine, on  the  side  of  the  narial  passage,  articulates  with  the  correspond- 
ing part  of  the  maxilla;  the  hinder  border  with  the  pterygoid.  In 
Gcomys  bursarius  the  vertical  plate  rises  anteriorly  in  an  ascending  iving 
which  hugs  the  prespenoid  anteriorly  and  articulates  broadly  with  the 
orbitosphenoid,  frontal,  and  maxilla  (fig.  10,  a.p). 

Posteriorly  the  body  of  the  palatine  sends  oft",  on  each  side,  a  lateral 
wing — the  external  pterygoid  plate — which  pushes  its  wjiy  around  behind 
the  maxilla  and  along  the  inner  side  of  the  descending  wing  of  the 
alisphenoid  as  ftir  as  the  i^oint  where  the  Litter  is  joined  by  the  trans- 
verse arm  of  the  same  bone  (immediately  below  the  alisphenoid  canal), 
and  sometimes  sends  a  spicule  backward  to  the  audital  bulla  (fig  12,  epl). 
The  external  pterygoid  plate  of  the  palatine  thus  forms  the  outer  wall 
of  the  pterygoid  fossa  inferiorl}^  It  is  completely  overlapped  exter- 
nally by  the  descending  wing  of  the  alisphenoid,  except  along  its  infe- 
rior margin,  which  projects  slightly  below  the  alisi)henoid,  thus  apx)ear- 
ing  on  the  outer  side  of  the  skull  (fig.  4,  epl). 

The  palatines  articulate  with  the  maxilla,  pterygoids,  alisphenoids, 
basisjihenoul,  presphenoid,  frontals,  vomer,  and  ethmoids  and  some- 
times also  within  the  orbitospheuoids  and  the  tympanic  bulla*. 

The  maxilla  is  the  largest,  and  after  the  ethmoid  the  most  compli- 
cated bone  of  the  skull,  and  comprises,  roughly  speaking,  about  one- 
third  of  the  entire  cranium  (fig.  12,  mx).  It  i)rimarily  consists  of  two 
parts,  which  are  firmly  united  by  ankylosis  in  very  early  life  (probably 


i 


JAN.,  1895.] 


THE    SKULL. 


55 


before  birth),  forming  a  single  strong  bone  for  the  support  of  the  grind- 
ing teeth.  It  articnhites  with  nearly  all  the  bones  of  the  face  and  with 
those  of  the  anterior  segment  of  the  brain  case,  as  follows:  Anteriorly 
with  the  premaxilla,  ethmoid  and  lachrymals;  superiorly  with  the  pre- 
sphenoid  and  frontal;  posteriorly  with  the  palatines  and  alisphenoid, 
and  externally  with  the  jugals.  The  maxilla  forms  nearly  the  whole 
of  the  roof  of  the  mouth,  the  palatines  entering  it  merely  as  a  wedge 
from  behind.  The  densest  and  hardest  part  of  the  skull,  after  the 
floor  of  the  premaxilla,  is  the  median  part  of  the  maxilla  between  the 


FiQ.  12.— Under  side  of  young  .skull  of  Cratogeomijg  merriami.     (Specimen  from  Amecameca,  Valley 
of  Mexico.) 


als 

Alisphenoid. 

VIS    Mastoid  process  of  squamosal. 

amx  Alveolar  border  of  maxilla. 

mx    Maxilla. 

bo 

I?asioccii)ital. 

n       Nasal. 

hs 

Basiisphenoid. 

pi      Palatine. 

c 

Condyle  of  exoccipital. 

pmx  Premaxilla. 

epl 

External  pterygoid  plate  of 

palatine. 

pp     Paroccipital  process  of  exoccipital 

fr 

Foramen  rotundum. 

pt      Pterygoid. 

9/ 

Glenoid  fos.sa. 

2itf    Pterygoid  fossa. 

'/ 

Incisive  foramen. 

smf  Stylo-mastoid  foramen. 

Jugal. 

tb      Tympanic  or  audita!  bulla. 

ma 

"External  auditory  meatus. 

zmx  Zygomatic  process  of  maxilla. 

mb 

Mastoid  bulla. 

molariform  teeth.  The  infraorbital  canal  is  deeply  imbedded  in  the 
maxilla  and  is  very  long,  reaching  back  from  near  the  premaxillary 
suture  on  the  side  of  the  muzzle  to  the  bottom  of  the  orbit.  In  the 
Geomyidcv  it  never  perforates  the  zygomatic  root  of  the  maxilla,  but 
passes  deeply  behind  it. 

The  maxilla  gives  off  anteriorly  a  vertical  lamella,  which  rises  from 
the  median  line  of  the  tloor  of  the  nasal  chamber  and  projects  forward 
a  short  distance  into  the  posterior  part  of  the  vomerine  sheath  of  the 
premaxilla  (fig.  13,  ms).    It  is  split  lengthwise  to  receive  the  posterior 


56  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

part  of  tlie  median  plate  of  tlie  vomer,  but  the  resulting  wings  do  not 
spread  apart  as  in  the  premaxillary  part  of  the  vomerine  sheath. 

On  each  side  of  the  nasal  passage  the  body  of  the  maxilla  gives  off 
a  thin  vertical  plate  or  lamella,  which  may  be  termed  the  internal  ver- 
tical plate  of  the  maxilla.  It  forms  a  lining  for  the  narial  passage  and 
articulates  above  with  the  lower  edge  of  the  os  j^lanum  of  the  endo- 
turbinal.  The  infraorbital  canal  passes  for  nearly  its  entire  length 
between  this  thin  plate  and  the  main  part  of  the  maxilla. 

The  premaxilla  is  a  single  bone  in  the  Geomyidce  (its  two  halves  unit- 
ing before  birth,  fig.  12,  pmx).  It  constitutes  the  greater  part  of  the 
rostrum  and  forms  the  floor  and  lateral  walls  of  the  anterior  half  of  the 
nasal  chamber.  Superiorly  it  embraces  the  nasals  and  articulates  with 
the  frontal  and  the  maxillary  root  of  the  zygoma ;  laterally  it  articu- 
lates with  the  outer  side  of  the  maxilla  a  little  anterior  to  the  plane  of 
the  infraorbital  foramen;  inferiorly  it  articulates  with  the  maxilla 
posterior  to  the  middle  of  the  rostrum,  and  reaches  far  enough  back- 
ward to  inclose  the  incisive  foramina  (fig.  12,  if)  in  all  except  Zygo- 
geomys  trichopus.    Anteriorly  it  is  perforated  on  the  median  line  by  the 


Fig.  13.— Longitudinal  vertical  section  of  nasal  chamber  of  Gratogeomys  merriami.     The  vomer 
has  been  removed  to  show  the  vomerine  sheath  and  anterior  turbinated  bones. 

mx  Maxillary. 
n  Nasal. 


1  Anterior  palatine  foramen. 

2  Incisive  foramen. 
mt  Maxilloturbinal. 

WIS  Maxillary  part  of  vomerine  sheath  (which 
passes  anteriorly  into  the  premaxillary 
part  of  the  sheath). 


nt  Na.so-turbinal. 
pnix  Premaxilla. 

vs  Vomerine  sheath  of  premaxilla. 


anterior  palatine  foramen,  which  descends  from  the  floor  of  the  nasal 
chamber  to  the  roof  of  the  mouth,  immediately  behind  the  incisors 
(figs.  7, 10  and  13  ').  On  the  inner  side  it  supports  the  maxillo-turbinals 
and  the  vomerine  sheath,  which  latter  structure  attains  a  high  devel- 
opment in  this  group,  particularly  in  Flatygeomys  and  Gratogeomys. 

The  vomerine  sheath  (fig.  13,  vs)  is  a  double  lamella  rising  from  the 
floor  of  the  premaxilla  on  the  median  line  and  projecting  into  the  nasal 
cavity.  It  is  elongated  antero-posteriorly,  reaching  from  the  hinder 
end  of  the  premaxilla  forward  over  half  or  two-thirds  the  floor  of 
the  bone.  Posteriorly  it  receives  the  anterior  end  of  the  corresponding 
(but  very  much  smaller  and  narrower)  part  of  the  maxilla;  superiorly 
it  receives  the  median  vertical  iilate  of  the  vomer. 


JAN.,  1895.] 


THE    SKULL. 


57 


The  maxillo-turbinal,  or  inferior  turbinated  bone  (figs.  7, 10,  and  13,  mt), 
is  the  lower  of  the  two  turbinated  bones  of  the  anterior  half  of  the 
nasal  cavity  (the  upper  being  attached  to  the  nasal).  It  is  nearly  hori- 
zontal, though  usually  sloping  downward  posteriorly,  and  is  attached 
to  the  middle  part  of  the  inner  side  of  the  premaxilla;  its  free  posterior 
end  projects  slightly  over  the  front  of  the  maxilla. 

The  premaxilla  articulates  with  the  nasals,  frontal,  maxilla,  vomer, 
and  ethmoid. 

The  jugal  completes  the  zygomatic  arch,  and  is  always  restricted  to 
the  horizontal  ])art,  never  reaching  down  posteriorly  into  the  glenoid 
fossa,  and  never  creei)ing  up  anteriorly  toward  the  lachrymal  (figs. 
9  and  12,  j).  But  its  variations  in  size  and  form  are  remarkable  (fig.  14 
and  pi.  13).  In  some  species  it  is  very  large  and  broadly  expanded 
anteriorly  (fig.  11');  in  others  it  is  reduced  to  an  insignificant  splint, 
and  the  zygomatic  arch  is  complete  without  it  (fig.  14*').  It  is  com- 
monly larger  and  broader  in  the  male  than  the  female,  and  sometimes 


Fig.  14. — Left  zygoma,  showing  several  types  of  jugal. 
\.  Platygeomystylorhinus.  I       4.  Geomysbtirsarius. 

2.  Heterogeomys  hispidus.  5.  Cratogeomys  perotensis. 

3.  Macrogeomys  hetc.rodus.  I       6.  Zygogeomys  trichopus. 

varies  greatly  in  species  of  the  same  genus  and  even  in  the  same  sec- 
tion. Thus,  in  Platygeomys  it  is  greatly  expanded  in  gifmnvrus  and 
tylorhinus,  and  is  slender  throughout  in  planiceps.  Similarly,  in  Crato- 
geomys it  IS  broad  anteriorly  in  merriami,  ful,vesce7is,  and  castanops, 
while  in  perotensis  it  is  slender  and  small  in  every  way. 

The  lachrymal  is  a  small  L-shaped  bone,  consisting  of  a  vertical  scale- 
like part,  which  closes  the  vacuity  between  the  frontal  and  maxillary 
root  of  the  zygoma  at  the  inner  corner  of  the  orbit;  and  a  thickened 
horizontal  part  which  projects  outward  from  the  frontal  on  the  upper 
surface  of  the  skull  and  articulates  also  with  the  maxillary  root  of  the 
zygoma.  Its  distal  end  is  sometimes  elongated  and  slightly  recurved, 
and  projects  freely  over  the  corner  of  the  orbit.  The  principal  or  ver- 
tical part  of  the  lachrymal  is  grooved  vertically  on  its  outer  side,  just 
anterior  to  the  orbital  face,  for  the  lachrymal  duct  which  passes  down 
into  tlie  nasal  chamber. 

The  nasal  bones  fill  the  interspace  between  the  ascending  arms  of 
the  premaxilla  on  top  of  the  rostrum,  thus  completing  the  roof  of  the 
nasal  cavity,  which  they  slightly  overhang  anteriorly  (figs.  8  and  9,m). 


58  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

They  are  commonly  ankylosed  together  in  middle  life,  and  not  infre- 
qnently  become  ankylosed  to  the  frontal.s  also.  Their  actual  length 
varies  greatly  in  the  different  species.  They  are  shortest  in  Gratogeo- 
7nysestor  and  longest  in  Zygor/eomys  triehopiis  and  Geomys  tuza.  They 
are  commonly  truncate  wedge-shaped;  the  increase  in  breadth  from 
behind  forward  may  be  gradual  or  abrupt.  In  the  latter  case  the  expan- 
sion is  usually  near  the  middle.  In  the  Geomys  tuza  group  the  shai)e 
of  the  nasals  is  peculiar.  They  are  very  long  and  are  constricted  near 
the  middle,  giving  them  an  hour-glass  shape.  In  most  of  the  genera 
{Geomys^  Gratogeomys,  Platygeomys,  Zygogeomyn)  the  nasals  are  nearly 
flat,  though  they  are  always  more  or  less  decurved  anteriorly  and 
rounded  off  laterally  in  front.  But  in  some  groups  (notably  in  Hetero- 
geomys)  they  are  broadly  and  highly  arched  anteriorly,  giving  them 
an  inflated  appearance.  This  elevated  part  of  the  nasal  suijports  the 
naked  nasal  pad  or  callosity.  Inferiorly  the  nasals  give  oft"  a  descend- 
ing lamella,  the  nasoturhinal  bone,  which  is  elongated  antero-posteriorly 
and  is  broadest  behind. 

The  nasals  articulate  with  the  premaxilla,  frontal,  and  ethmoid. 

The  tympa7io-2>eriotio  capsule  incompletely  fills  a  broad  gap  in  the 
posterior  segment  of  the  skull,  between  the  basioccipital  and  squamosal 
(ligs.  4,  7,  and  9).  It  is  held  in  place  by  several  bones  with  which  its 
connection  is  more  or  less  intimate,  but  is  never  ankylosed  to  any  of 
them  except  in  extreme  age,  when  the  mastoid  process  of  the  mastoid 
bulla  sometimes  unites  with  the  mastoid  process  of  the  squamosal.  Its 
principal  stays  are  the  exoccipital  and  the  mastoid  iDrocess  of  the  squa- 
mosal, between  which  the  mastoid  bulla  is  firmly  grasped  posteriorly. 
In  addition  to  these  supports,  the  inner  border  of  the  auditalbnlla  com- 
monly fits  into  a  groove  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  basioccipital,  and  the 
apex  of  the  bulla  rests  against  the  base  of  the  horizontal  arm  of  the 
alisphenoid  near  its  junction  with  the  basisphenoid.  The  tympano- 
periotic  mass  as  a  whole  thus  has  four  normal  attachments,  two  of  whicli 
hold  it  firmly  in  place,  while  the  others  simply  steady  it  in  its  position. 
In  old  age  the  lower  edge  of  the  squamosal  sometimes  reaches  the  upper 
side  of  the  bulla  and  presses  firmly  against  it. 

The  tympano-periotic  capsule  consists  of  three  parts,  firmly  ankylosed 
together:  (1)  the  tympanic,  or  audital  bulla;  (2)  the  petrous,  or  periotic 
proper;  (3)  and  the  mastoid  bulla.  Of  these,  the  mastoid  is  posterior 
to  the  others,  both  of  which  are  inseparably  ankylosed  to  its  anterior 
face.  The  tympanic  protrudes  from  the  base  of  the  skull,  forming  the 
audital hulUv.  The  petrous  projects  into  the  brain  case  and  contains  the 
organ  of  hearing.  Xo  suture  or  other  line  of  demarcation  indicates 
the  exact  i)lace  of  meeting  of  the  mastoid  with  either  the  petrous  or 
tympanic,  but  anteriorly  the  line  of  nnion  between  the  two  latter  is 
always  distinct.     The  three  elements  may  be  described  as  follows: 

(1)  The  tympanic  or  audital  bulla  is  almost  wliolly  inferior,  projecting 
from  the  under  surface  of  the  outer  segment  of  the  cranium  between  the 


.iAN.,1895.]  THE    SKULL.  59 

basioccipital  aud  squamosal  (figs. 4  and  12,  tb).  Anteriorly  it  is  bounded 
by  the  fonimen  lacerum  medium  basis  cranii,  in  front  of  which  is  the 
transverse  bar  of  the  alisplienoid.  Superiorly  it  is  separated  from  the 
squamosal  by  a  long,  irregular  vacuity  reaching  upward  and  backward 
from  the  foramen  lacerum  medium  to  the  tube  of  the  external  meatus, 
which  latter  articulates  with  the  squamosal.  Posteriorly  it  abuts  against 
the  mastoid  process  of  the  squamosal  above,  and  the  exoccipital  below, 
and  is  continuous  with  the  mastoid  bulla.  Externally  it  sends  off  at 
right  angles  a  long  tube  which  partly  tills  the  postglenoid  notch  aud 
opens  just  behind  the  posterior  angle  of  the  zygoma  (fig.  12,  ma).  This 
is  the  external  auditory  meatus  (fig.  4^).  The  tube  of  the  meatus 
curves  forward  and  somewhat  upward  as  well  as  outward,  and  forms 
the  posterior  boundary  of  the  glenoid  fossa,  against  which  the  condyle 
of  the  jaw  strikes  tliiring  the  to  and  fro  movement  of  mastication.  The 
adjoining  upper  part  of  the  outer  side  of  the  bulla  forms  the  inner  side 
of  the  glenoid  fossa.  It  is  thus  ai)j)arent  that  this  fossa,  while  mainly 
in  the  squamosal,  is  completed  posteriorly  by  the  tympanic  bulla.  The 
inner  side  of  the  bulla  fits  into  a  longitudinal  groove  on  the  outer  edge 
of  the  body  of  the  basioccipital,  and  the  extreme  anterior  end  just  above 
the  entrance  of  the  Eustachian  canal  rests  against  the  horizontal  arm 
of  the  alisphenoid,  which  sometimes,  as  in  Cratogeomys,  sends  back  a 
small  tongue  of  bone  to  cover  its  apex.  The  canal  for  the  internal 
carotid  artery  is  absent.  On  the  inferior  surface,  between  the  mastoid 
and  tynq^anic  bulhe,  is  a  small  oiiening,  the  stylomastoid  foramen  (fig. 
12,  S7nf).  The  tympanic  bulla  arches  over  and  protects  the  tympanum 
and  the  openings  leading  into  the  internal  ear. 

(2).  The  petrous,  or  periotic  i)roper,  in  which  is  lodged  the  organ  of 
hearing,  is  not  visible  from  the  outer  side  of  the  skull,  but  is  conspicu- 
ous on  the  inner  side  (figs.  7  and  9,  pet)^  where  it  is  saddled  upon  the 
tympanic  capsule,  which  it  does  not  completely  cover,  a  considerable 
l)art  of  the  bulla  protruding  anteriorly  (figs.  7  and  9,  tb).  The  line  of 
demarcation  between  the  two  is  always  evident.  The  anterior  border 
of  the  petrous  begins  near  the  middle  of  the  inferior  margin  of  the 
inner  surface  of  the  bulla  and  curves  upward  and  forward  to  the  front 
end  of  the  ridge  that  separates  the  inner  from  the  superior  surface  of 
the  bone.  On  the  outer  side  of  this  ridge  it  turns  back,  forming  a  deep 
reentrant  angle,  at  the  apex  of  which  is  a  small  foramen.  The  petrous 
is  commonly  described  as  a  very  hard  bone.  It  is  not  so  in  the  Geomyidw, 
but  is  soft  and  spongy,  being  made  up  of  cancellous  tissue  like  the  rest 
of  the  tym})ano  periotic  capsule.  It  contains  the  cochlea  (coiled  in  a 
compact  cone  of  4i  turns),  the  semicircular  canals,  and  the  three  small 
bones  of  the  internal  ear — the  malleus,  incus,  and  stapes.  Tlie  jjetrous 
may  be  described  as  presenting  two  surfaces,  a  superior  and  an  inner. 
The  superior  surface  is  narrow,  slopes  downward  from  behind  forward, 
and  is  scooped  out  lengthwise.  It  is  more  or  less  completely  separated 
from  the  inner  surface  by  a  ridge,  which  in  some  forms   is   sharply 


60  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

marked ;  in  others  is  incouspicuous.  This  ridge  i)resents  various  degrees 
of  developmeut  iu  the  different  groups.  It  is  rounded  off  in  Platy- 
geoniys,  hnt  is  elevated  into  a  distinct  crest  in  Crafof/eomys,  Zygogeomys, 
Heterogeomys,  and  Geoinys  proper  (pis.  17  and  18),  It  usually  reaches 
upward  and  backward  to  the  upper  part  of  the  audital  mass,  but  in 
Heterogeomys  it  fails  posteriorly,  but  forms  a  sharply  elevated  ridge 
from  the  plane  of  the  flocculus  downward  (pi.  18,  fig.  3).  The  inner  face 
of  i\iQ,  petrous  is  always  perforated  by  the  internal  auditory  meatus  (fig. 
7^  and  tig.  i),  ma)^  above  which  is  a  depression  called  the  flocctdar 
fossa  {Hg.  7^  and  lig.  9,  ,^).  The  _^occM/flr/0''>'S«' varies  in  size  and  form 
in  the  several  genera.  Its  position  is  always  above  and  posterior  to 
the  internal  meatus,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  an  elevation  which 
sometimes  amounts  to  a  strongly  developed  ridge  (see  pis.  17  and  18). 
The  ridge  is  marked  in  Cratogeomys,  but  not  iu  Platygeomys,  Heterogeo- 
mys, or  Geomys  proper.  In  Zygogeomys  it  is  not  only  present,  but  a 
suiiplemeutary  ridge  bounds  the  floccular  fossa  posteriorly,  leaving 
another  depression  behind  it,  so  that  the  bone  presents  the  appearance 
of  having  two  floccular  fossa?  (pi.  17,  fig.  2,  and  pi.  18,  fig.  2). 

(3)  The  mastoid  bulla  forms  the  hindermost  part  of  the  auditory 
apparatus  (fig.  4,  mh).  It  appears  on  the  outer  side  of  the  occipital  plane 
as  a  more  or  less  rounded  subtriangular  mass,  convex  posteriorly,  with 
the  base  toward  the  median  line  and  the  blunt  ^.i^ex  {mastoid  process 
proper,  fig.  4,  m)  directed  outward.  It  is  grasped  and  held  in  place  by 
the  paroccipital  process  of  the  exoccipital  below  (figs.  4  and  12, pp),  and 
the  long  mastoid  process  of  the  squamosal  above  (fig.  4,  ms).  The  for- 
mer fits  into  a  notch  on  the  under  side  between  the  mastoid  and  audital 
bull  re.  The  latter  reaches  far  outward  and  curves  down  upon  the  head 
of  the  mastoid  process,  which  it  overreaches  enough  to  effectually  oppose 
the  action  of  the  exoccipital.  The  mastoid  bulla,  viewed  from  behind, 
differs  considerably  in  form  in  the  several  genera,  and  presents  specific 
differences  also  (pi.  15,  figs.  3-7).  It  is  short  and  rounded  in  Zygo- 
geomys and  Geomys  (particularly  in  the  tuza  series).  It  is  strongly 
triangular  in  Macrogeomys  doUchoeephalus ;  triangular  with  a  con- 
stricted and  elongated  neck  in  M.  keterodus,  and  much  produced 
laterally  with  the  inferior  border  concave  in  Platygeomys.  Internally 
the  mastoid  bulla  is  made  up  of  fine  cancellous  tissue. 

The  mandible  is  usually  a  large  and  heavy  bone,  strongly  marked  by 
processes  and  ridges  for  the  attachment  of  the  powerful  muscles  that* 
move  it.  To  be  understood,  it  should  be  studied  as  a  part  of  the  cut- 
ting and  slicing  machine,  for  it  consists,  on  each  side,  of  a  curved 
beam  or  plate  built  expressly  to  carry  the  ponderous  chisel-edged  inci- 
sors and  the  series  of  parallel  cutting  blades  of  the  lower  molariform 
teeth.  The  two  halves  are  joined  together  by  an  elongated  symph3^sis 
which  admits  of  a  certain  amount  of  movement,  and  the  adjustment  is 
aided  by  a  transverse  muscle  which  helps  bind  the  jaws  together  above 
the  posterior  half  of  the  symphysis.     Each  half  of  the  mandible  is 


JAN.,  1895.] 


thp:  skull.  61 


strongly  and  rather  shortly  curved  upward  longitudinally,  and  is 
broader  behind  than  in  front;  it  also  curves  outward.  There  is  no 
separation  into  horizontal  and  ascending  rami,  although  when  viewed 
from  the  inner  side  the  condylar  and  coronoidpart  might  be  regarded  as 
forming  an  ascending  ramus.  The  outer  side  gives  off"  posteriorly,  at 
right  angles  to  its  axis,  a  strongly  defined  angular  process  which  is 
alwaysimportant  and  in  some  forms,  particularly  in  Flatyf/eomys,  attains 
enormous  i^roportions  (pi.  10,  fig.  8).  Between  the  angular  process  and 
condyle  is  a  subglobular  prominence  which  covers  the  root  of  the  long 
incisor.  The  coronoid  process  is  broad  at  the  base  anteroposteriorly; 
its  apex  is  hamular  and  rises  above  the  plane  of  the  condyle.  In  some 
forms  (notably  in  Platygeomys)  a  strong  shelf-like  ridge  runs  from  the 
anterior  base  of  the  coronoid  to  the  angular  process.  The  masseteric 
fossa  is  always  well  defined  and  reaches  anteriorly  to  the  plane  of  the 
front  of  the  i)remolar.  On  the  outer  side  of  the  last  two  molars  is  a 
large  and  deep  pit  for  the  insertion  of  the  principal  part  of  the  temporal 
muscle  (pis.  1-7).  The  dental  foramen  enters  the, ramus  just  behind 
this  pit  and  just  below  the  condylar  process.  Behind  the  symphysis, 
inferiorly,  is  a  flange-like  prominence  for  the  insertion  of  the  digastric 
muscle.  The  principal  differences  in  the  form  of  the  mandible  as  a 
whole  result  from  the  amount  of  spreading  posteriorly  and  the  degree 
of  development  of  the  angular  processes.  The  various  types,  as  seen 
from  below,  are  shown  on  PI.  10.  In  some  cases  the  base  of  the  angular 
process  is  notched  anteriorly,  as  in  Geomys  mohilensis  (pi.  10,  fig.  2.) 

3.  CHANGES  WITH  AGE. 

Throughout  the  Geomyidce,  except  in  Pappogeomys,  and  some  species 
of  Thomomys,  the  form  of  the  cranium  as  a  whole,  and  the  pattern  of 
the  sutures  on  the  upper  surface  change  greatly  with  age.  The  change 
marks  the  transition  from  immaturity  to  maturity — from  the  generalized 
type  that  stands  for  the  group  to  tlie  specialized  type  that  bears  the 
impress  of  the  species.  When  the  skull  of  a  species  fails  to  show 
marked  differences  with  age,  that  species  may  be  set  down  as  a  gener- 
alized type — one  that  is  probably  but  little  removed  from  the  ancestral 
line.  For  this  reason  Pappogeomys  hulleri  is  looked  upon  as  very  near 
the  trunk  line  of  the  group. 

The  principal  changes  in  the  form  of  the  skull  as  a  whole  resulting 
from  age  are :  The  broadening  out  of  the  zygomatic  arches,  elongation 
of  the  rostrum,  expansion  of  the  squamosal,  and  development  of  the 
crests  and  ridges  that  come  with  maturity.  The  anterior  or  maxillary 
root  of  the  zygoma  at  first  slopes  strongly  backward  in  all  species,  and 
the  arches  themselves  are  narrower  anteriorly  than  posteriorly  (as  is 
the  rule  in  adults  of  Thomomys).  With  advancing  age  they  spread  apart 
anteriorly  until  in  most  species  they  are  much  broader  anteriorly  than 
posteriorly.  At  the  same  time  the  maxillary  root  stands  out  more  and 
more  squarely  until  it  sometimes  forms  almost  a  right  angle  to  the  axis 


62 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


of  the  skull.  Tlie  remarkable  growth  of  the  squamosal  has  beeu  already 
described.  Before  birth  the  ascending  branches  of  the  premaxilla 
end  about  on  a  plane  with  the  nasals  (sometimes  anterior  to  it),  but 
they  soon  push  back  over  the  frontals,  attaining  their  permanent 
relations  at  an  early  age.  The  muzzle  increases  in  length  from  birth  to 
maturity.  This  may  be  roughly  expressed  in  the  growth  of  the  nasals 
as  shown  in  the  accompanying  figure  (fig.  15).  In  a  young  skull  of 
Zygof/eomys  trichopus  the  nasals  form  37  percent  of  the  total  length  of 
the  u])per  surfiice  of  the  skull,  wiiile  in  an  adult  skull  of  the  same  spe- 
cies they  form  44  i)ercent  of  the  total.  The  frontal,  like  the  inter- 
parietal, though  to  a  less  degree,  suffers  from  the  encroachment  of  the 
parietals,  and  in  some  species  from  the  inordinate  growth  of  the  squa- 
mosals also.      In  young  skulls  the  frontal  is  broad  posteriorly  and 


Fig.  15. — Zyijogeoinys  trichojjus,  showing  changes  with  age.    a,  Yonng;  b.  yovmg  ailult;  c,  adult. 

forms  an  important  part  of  the  roof  of  the  brain  case,  as  seen  from  above 
(figs.8,  loff,  and  16b).  In  old  skulls  it  is  reduced  posteriorly,  in  most 
species,  to  a  small  wedge  between  the  greatly  expanded  anterior  extrem- 
ities of  the  parietals  and  squamosals  (see  pi.  1;  pi.  15,  fig.  2;  and  text 
tig.  15,  c,  for  adults  of  same  species  figured  in  figs.  8, 15,  a  and  10,  h). 

The  changes  in  the  suture  pattern  result  mainly  from  the  growth  of 
the  parietals  both  anteriorly  and  iiosteriorly,  with  consequent  shrink- 
age of  the  interparietal,  and  the  pi'ogressive  development  of  the  squa- 
mosal. The  decrease  in  the  size  of  the  interparietal  corresponds  with 
the  movement  of  the  temporal  impressions,  whicli  approximate  with 
age,  and  in  many  species  finally  meet  in  a  sagittal  crest.  The  parietals 
not  only  tend  to  cover  the  interparietal  by  meeting  posteriorly  above 
it,  but  anteriorly  they  overlaji  the  sides  of  the  frontal,  altering  its  shape 
entirely.     The  progressive  development  of  the  squamosals  in   some 


JAN.,  1895.] 


THE    SKULL. 


63 


species,  as  elsewhere  shown,  is  evou  more  remarkable  than  that  of  the 
parietals. 


Fig.  16.— Skull  of  very  J'oiing  Heterogeomys  torridus  Irom  Motzorongo,  Mexico  (So.  63643). 
a,  lower  surface;  &,  upper  surface.    For  key  to  bones  see  figs.  8  and  12. 

4.  COOSSIFICATION  OF  THE  PAIRED  BONES. 

Nearly  all  the  paired  bones  that  meet  in  the  median  line  become  firmly 
ankylosed  together  before  birth  or  in  very  early  life.  Those  that  are 
thus  coossifled  are  the  preniaxillaries,  masillaries,  palatines,  parietals, 
frontals,  and  frequently  the  nasals  also.  Of  these,  all  except  the  parie- 
tals and  nasals  are  ankylosed  before  birth  (see  figs.  8  and  16). 

The  single  bones  forming  the  basicranial  axis  are  early  ankylosed 
with  the  adjoining  paired  bones  of  the  same  segments.  Thus  the  pre- 
sphenoid  is  inseparably  united  with  the  orbitosphenoids;  the  basisphe- 
noid  with  the  alisphenoids  and  pterygoids;  the  basioccipital  with  the 
exoccipitals.  The  union  of  the  lateral  with  the  median  elements  of 
the  sphenoidal  segments  occurs  before  birth;  that  of  the  occipital  seg- 
ment later.  The  exoccipitals  are  always  distinct  in  early  life  (figs.  12 
and  16),  but  soon  become  ankylosed  with  the  basioccipital  below  and 
the  supraoccipital  above.  The  latter,  except  in  a  few  species,  is  insep- 
arable from  the  interparietal.  The  parietals  in  adult  life  are  commonly 
ankylosed  with  the  squamosals. 

5.  CRANIAL  VARIATIONS— DEPARTURES  FROM  THE  TRUNK  LINE. 

In  external  appearance  the  members  of  the  family  Geomyidw  are  very 
much  alike,  but  in  cranial  characters  they  present  several  marked  gen- 
eric; types.  The  skulls  of  these  types  ditler  in  size,  massiveness,  and 
degree  of  development  of  the  crests,  ridges,  and  processes  from  the 
small,  thin,  and  smoothly  rounded  skulls  of  Geomys  fexensis  and  bulleri 


64  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

to  the  huge  angular  crauiums  of  Platygeomys  ffymnurus  and  Cratogeomys 
merriami;  and  the  large,  massive  skulls  differ  in  the  breadth  of  the 
cranium  and  lateral  production  of  the  angle  of  the  mandible  from  the 
extraordinarily  broad  and  flat  Platygeomys  gymnunis  to  the  long  and 
narrow  Orthogeomys  scalops  and  Macrogeomys  doUchocepliahis.  The  skulls 
differ  further — and  this  is  much  more  important — in  the  relative  devel- 
opment and  relations  of  certain  bones  which  here  assume  proportions 
and  conditions  previously  unknown.  Most  if  not  all  of  these  remark- 
able extremes  of  form  are  clearly  secondary  modili cations  resulting 
from  the  highly  specialized  types  of  dental  armature  possessed  by  the 
animals,  as  shown  later. 

The  parts  of  the  skull  that  exhibit  the  widest  A'ariation  and  play  the 
most  important  part  in  giving  to  each  type  its  peculiar  impress  or  physi- 
ognomy are  the  zygomatic  arches,  the  roof  of  the  brain  case,  and  the  occiput. 
The  individual  bones  that  present  the  greatest  range  in  size  and  form 
are  the  frontal,  squamosal,  jugal,  pterygoid,  and  mandible. 

The  zygomatic  arch  varies  exceedingly  in  size,  form,  and  the  relative 
development  of  its  comi)onent  elements,  according  to  its  importance 
as  a  support  for  the  jugal  part  of  the  masseter  muscle.  It  may  be  small 
and  slender,  with  the  horizontal  part  reduced  to  a  mere  rod,  as  in  Pappo- 
geomys  buUeri  (pi.  13,  tig.  15)  and  Orthogeomys  latifrons  (t)1.  13,  fig.  16), 
or  it  may  be  large  and  massive,  with  the  angle  and  horizontal  arm  broadly 
expanded,  as  in  Platygeomys  (pi.  13,  figs.  1  and  2),  Cratogeomys  (pi.  13, 
fig.  4),  and  Heterogeomys  (pi.  13,  fig.  20).  The  area  for  the  attachment 
of  the  jugal  part  of  the  masseter  muscle  may  be  small  and  posterior 
(fig.  49,  jo),  or  large  and  extending  the  full  length  of  the  outer  side  of 
the  zygoma  (fig. 50,  jo).  The  arches  may  be  small  and  narrow  with  their 
outer  sides  nearly  parallel,  as  in  Macrogeomys  dolichocephalus  (pi.  5)  and 
Orthogeomys  scalops  (pi.  19,  fig.  1),  or  they  maybe  massive,  widely  spread- 
ing, and  broadly  divergent  anteriorly,  as  in  Platygeomys  (pi.  3)  and 
Cratogeomys  (pi.  2).  The  ratio  of  their  breadth  to  the  basal  length  of 
the  skull  varies  from  54  j^ercent  in  Macrogeomys  dolichocephalus  to 
upward  of  88  percent  in  Platygeomys  tylorhinus,  a  difference  of  34 
percent.  They  may  be  slightly  or  strongly  decurved;  the  horizontal 
part  may  be  lowest  anteriorly  as  in  Platygeomys  gymnurus  (pi.  13,  fig.  2), 
or  highest  anteriorly,  as  in  Macrogeofnys  dolichocephalus  (pi.  13,  fig.  19), 
and  the  angle  may  be  small  (pi.  13,  figs.  15,  16,  and  24)  or  broadly 
expanded  (pi.  13,  figs.  1,  2,  4,  17,  and  18).  The  expansion,  which 
normally  covers  the  antero- external  angle,  as  in  Platygeomys,  Crato- 
geomys, and  Heterogeomys  (pi.  13,  figs.  1,  2,  4,  etc.)  may  be  drawn 
backward  so  as  to  occupy  the  middle  i^art  of  the  horizontal  arm, 
as  in  Macrogeomys  costaricensis  and  dolichocephalus  (pi.  13,  figs.  19  and 
23).  In  the  latter  the  zygomatic  arch  presents  a  i^eculiarity  not 
observed  in  any  other  member  of  the  grouj).  It  is  narrow,  broadly 
rounded  antero  externally,  without  the  expansion  of  the  angle  common 
to  Cratogeomys,  Platygeomys,  and  Heterogeomys,  but  with  a  moderate 


JAN.,  1895.]  THE    SKULL.  65 

expansion  near  the  middle  of  the  liorizontal  arm.  This  expansion  is 
wholly  on  the  upper  or  orbital  side,  and  is  restricted  to  the  maxillary 
part  of  the  arch,  wliicli  here  reaches  innch  farther  back  than  usual. 
On  comi)aring  the  arch  caretully  with  that  of  3facro(jeomys  heterodus  a 
curious  explanation  is  suggested,  namely,  that  in  the  extreme  elonga- 
tion of  the  skull  of  M.  dollchocephalus  the  anterior  root  of  the  zygoma 
has  been  moved  forward  (the  post<;rior  root  being  fixed),  increasing  the 
length  of  the  maxillary  arm,  decreasing  the  breadth  of  the  arch,  oblit- 
erating the  antero-external  angle,  elongating  the  laminar  expansion  on 
the  orbital  side,  and  carrying  its  highest  point  backward  to  or  behind  the 
middle  of  the  orbito-temporal  fossa  (pi.  13,  fig.  19,  and  text  fig.  49).  At 
the  same  time  the  upper  anterior  angle  of  the  jugal  has  been  rounded  off, 
and  the  maxillary  and  squamosal  arms  of  the  zygoma  have  nearly  clasped 
hands  above  it.  Furthermore,  the  zygomatic  arch  as  a  whole  has  been 
lifted  up  by  the  main  body  of  the  masseter  muscle  and  as  a  consequence 
the  anterior  end  has  been  raised  higher  than  the  posterior  (fig.  49,  which 
should  be  contrasted  with  the  corresponding  view  of  Platygeomys  gym- 
nurus,  in  which  the  front  of  the  arch  is  drawn  down,  fig.  50). 

The  form  of  the  occiput  as  a  whole  varies  considerably  in  the  several 
groups.  In  the  less  specialized  forms,  such  as  Geomy.s  texcnsis,  arenarins, 
and  breviceps,  and  Fappogeomys  bullcri  {pi.  15,  fig.  5),  it  is  rounded  and 
bulges  i)osteriorly  to  such  a  degree  that  the  lambdoid  suture  is  left  a 
considerable  distance  in  front  of  it.  In  Zygogeomys,  Crafogeomys,  and 
Geomyn  hursarius  and  lutesceiis,  the  occiput  is  squarely  truncated.  In 
Heterogeomy.s  (pi.  15,  fig.  4),  Macrogeomys  (pi.  15,  fig.  o),and  Orthogeomys 
it  is  rather  high  and  slopes  strongly  forward;  and  in  Hetc  yog  corny  nit  is 
particularly  high  above  the  mastoid  bulhe.  In  Platygeomys  it  is  de- 
pressed and  elongated  transversely  and  presents  a  unique  appearance, 
the  broad  flange-like  paroccipital  processes  curving  strongly  backward, 
defiiung  laterally  a  deep  basin-shaped  cavity  which  is  completed  above 
by  the  overhanging  lambdoid  crest  (pi.  15,  fig.  7). 

The  form  of  the  frontal  as  seen  from  above  varies  greatly  in  the  dif- 
ferent groups.  lu  Geoniys,  CratogcomySj  Platygeomys,  and  Zygogeomys  it 
is  narrow  and  is  strongly  biconcave  between  the  orbits,  with  the  orbital 
margins  more  or  less  thickened  and  raised,  leaving  a  longitudinal 
depression  or  groove  between  them  (fig.  17^).  In  Heterogeomys  it  is 
broad,  flat  on  top,  moderately  biconcave  between  the  orbits,  and  shield- 
shaped  posteriorly,  owing  to  the  elevated  temporal  ridges ;  but  the 
orbital  margins  are  not  rounded,  thickened,  or  raised  (fig.  17^).  In 
Macrogeomys  it  is  moderately  broad  and  deeply  constricted  between 
the  orbits  posteriorly.  Immediately  behind  the  constriction  it  exi)ands 
abruptly  at  right  angles  to  its  axis,  forming  well-marked  postorbital 
processes  which  are  capped  by  the  apex  of  the  alisphenoid  and  partly 
overlapped  posteriorly  by  the  squamosal  (fig.  17^).  In  Orthogeomys  it 
is  remarkably  broad  throughout  and  is  not  constricted  between  the 
orbits  (fig.  17''),  though  the  peculiar  inflations  at  the  anterior  corners 
7433— No.  8^—5 


66 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


of  the  orbits  in  0.  grandis  produce  the  appearance  of  a  constriction 
behind  them. 

The  juf/al  varies  in  size  and  shape  from  the  large  and  greatly 
expanded  i^late  that  forms  the  major  part  of  the  outer  side  of  the  zygo- 
matic arch  in  Flalygeomys  iylorldnus  (pi.  13,  tig.  1),  to  the  rudimentary 
splint  or  scale  that  adheres  to  the  inferior  side  of  the  zygoma  in  Zygo- 
geomys  trichopiis,  the  arch  being  complete  above  without  it  (pi.  13, 
fig.  24). 


Fig.  17.  -Types  oi  frontal. 

1.  Cratogeomys  merriami.  3.  Macrogeomys  heterodus. 

2.  Heterogeomys  torridus.  4.  Orthogeomys  scalops. 

a?«,  apex  of  alisphenoiil ;  I,  lachrymal;  wixz,  luasillary  root  of  zygoma;  n,  nasal;  iimx,  ascending  or 
nasal  branch  of  premaxilla;  sq,  squamosal. 

The  variation  in  the  squamosal  is  hardly  less  extreme.  Throughout  the 
genus,  except  in  the  most  generalized  forms,  this  bone  exhibits  a  singu- 
lar tendency  toward  expansion.  In  Geoniys  proper  the  tendency  is 
restricted  to  a  slight  overlai)ping  of  the  postero-lateral  moiety  of  the 
frontal  and  lower  edge  of  the  parietals.  But  in  the  genus  Crato- 
geomys its  ambition  in  this  direction  is  not  satislied  until  the  whole  of 
the  posterior  half  of  the  cranium  is  covered.  In  Cratogeomys  merriami 
as  the  animal  grows  old  the  upper  edges  of  the  squamosals  gradually 
creep  up  over  the  parietals  until  the  latter  are  comjiletely  arched  over 
and  concealed,  the  squamosals  actually  meeting  above  them  along  the 
median  line.  lu  doing  this  the  squamosals  cover  the  posterior  part  of 
the  frontal  as  well  as  the  whole  of  the  parietals  and  most  of  the  inter- 
parietal, and  curve  up  posteriorly  to  take  part  in  the  formation  of  the 
lambdoid  crest  for  its  entire  length,  thus  roofing  the  brain  with  two 


JAN.,  1895.]  THE    SKULL.  67 

distinct  layers  of  bone,  the  npper  of  which  on  each  side,  consisting  of 
a  single  bone,  overlaps  in  whole  or  in  i^art  five  bones  of  the  lower  layer 
(frontal,  parietal,  interparietal,  supraoccipital,  and  alisphenoid).  The 
object  of  this  unique  arrangement  is  not  only  to  furnish  a  brace  to  the 
zygoma,  to  which  the  powerful  masseter  muscles  are  in  large  part 
attached,  but  also  to  strengthen  the  vault  of  the  cranium  where  the 
huge  temporal  muscles  take  origin.  The  various  steps  in  the  develop- 
ment of  this  extraordinary  condition  can  be  distinctly  traced  in  the 
series  of  skulls  of  dift'erent  ages  of  Cratogeomys  merriami  collected  by 
Mr.  ISelson  in  the  Valley  of  Mexico.  In  Platygeomys  another  condition 
prevails,  the  squamosal  expansion  being  chiefly  away  from  the  median 
line.  On  the  inner  side  it  overlaps  the  lower  part  of  the  parietals  as 
usual;  it  then  extends  outward  in  a  broad  shelf,  carrying  the  squa- 
mosal root  of  the  zygoma  far  beyond  its  normal  position,  and  spread- 
ing outward  and  backward  so  as  to  completely  roof  over  the  post- 
glenoid  space,  behind  which  .it  pushes  still  further  outward  and  over- 
reaches the  extreme  end  of  the  transversely  elongated  mastoid.  In 
Platygeomys  gymnurus,  tylorhinns,  and  planiceps  the  lateral  expansion  is 
so  excessive  that  the  breadth  of  the  cranium  across  the  squamosals 
posteriorly  is  actually  greater  than  the  breadth  across  the  widely 
sjjreading  zygomatic  arches  (pi.  3). 

The  pterygoids  vary  surprisingly  in  size,  form,  and  the  extent  to 
which  the  inferior  surface  enters  into  the  lateral  walls  of  the  post- 
palatal  notch,  as  already  shown  (pp.  52-53,  and  fig.  11).  In  Zygogeomys 
they  are  long  and  slender  and  encircle  the  notch  like  a  horseshoe,  meet- 
ing or  nearly  meeting  in  the  median  line  behind  the  palate  (pi.  14,  fig.  1). 
In  most  species  of  Geoniys,  Cratogeomys,  Pappogeomys,  and  Orthogeomys 
they  are  more  or  less  parallel  plates  forming  the  greater  part  of  the  walls 
of  the  notch  but  not  approximating  anteriorly  (pi.  14,  figs.  7,  11,  13, 
15).  In  Gconiys  hursarins  they  are  more  posterior,  and  taper  to  nearly 
a  point  behind,  being  Ungulate  in  shape  (pi.  14,  fig.  2).  In  Macrogeomys 
they  are  short  and  broad  and  bend  abruptly  ujjward,  capping  the  ends 
of  the  short  and  broad  palatines  (pi.  14,  fig.  3).  In  Eeterogeomys  they 
are  small,  and  simply  form  the  narrow  ends  of  the  elongated  posterior 
arms  of  the  palatines  (pi.  14,  fig.  12). 

The  mandible  is  relatively  small  and  light  in  Geomys.  It  is  large 
and  massive  in  Cratogeomys,  Platygeomys,  and  the  remaining  groups. 
It  is  long  and  narrow,  with  short  truncate  angular  processes,  in  Macro- 
geomys dolichocephalus  (pi.  10,  fig.  7).  It  is  broadly  spreading,  with 
greatly  elongated  angular  processes,  in  Platygeomys  gymnurus  (pi.  10, 

tig.  S). 

The  degree  of  development  of  the  angular  processes  is  correlated 
with  definite  types  of  molariform  teeth,  and  afi'ords  a  key  to  the  domi- 
nant movement  of  the  jaw  in  mastication,  the  so-called  'grinding  move- 
ment' being  very  different  in  the  species  with  and  those  without  the 
greatly  elongated  processes.    Where  these  processes  reach  their  highest 


68  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

development,  as  in  Platygeomys  (jymnurus  (pi.  3  and  pi.  12,  fig.  8,  and 
text  figs.  53  and  54)  the  posterior  part  of  the  masseter  muscle,  arising 
from  the  jugal  and  squamosal  arm  of  the  zygoma,  is  correspondingly 
large  and  effective;  and  since  the  direction  of  its  fibers  is  nearly  trans- 
verse to  the  axis  of  the  skull,  it  is  evident  that  the  resulting  movement 
of  the  jaw  must  be  largely  lateral.  If  the  two  parts  of  the  masseter 
contract  simultaneously,  the  resulting  motion  of  the  jaw  would  be 
oblique;  if  they  contract  independently,  a  to-and-fro  movement  would 
alternate  with  a  side  wise  movement. 

In  the  species  in  which  the  lateral  production  of  the  angle  of  the 
jaw  is  reduced  to  a  minimum,  as  in  Macrogeomys  dolichocephalus  (pi.  5 
and  pi.  12,  tig.  7;  and  text  figs.  51  and  52)  the  i^osterior  part  of  the 
masseter  nmst  be  relatively  unimportant,  and  the  principal  movement 
must  be  to  and  fro.  That  this  is  really  the  case  is  shown  by  the  greatly 
restricted  area  of  attachment  for  the  jugal  end  of  this  part  of  the  muscle 
(fig.  49  Jo),  and  also  by  the  character  of  the  teeth.  As  would  be 
expected,  the  crowns  of  the  molars  are  broader  antero-posteriorly  than 
in  the  gymnurus  group,  and  the  tooth  row  on  each  side  is  bowed  down- 
ward—the crowns  of  the  upper  series  as  a  whole  being  convex,  the 
lower  concave,  antero-posteriorly  (fig.  46).  Moreover,  the  obliquity  of 
the  plane  of  contact  of  the  upper  and  lower  series  is  less  in  dolicho- 
cephalus than  in  gymnurus  (see  figs.  52  and  54,/).* 

*  The  types  of  molariform  teeth  coordinated  with  the  two  principal  types  of  jaw 
movement,  and  hence  secondarily  with  the  development  of  the  angular  processes, 
are  discussed  at  greater  length  under  the  head  'Mechanism  and  Dynamics  of  the  cut- 
tiiuj  machine'  (pp.  93-97). 


CHAPTER  Iir. 

THE   DEI^TAL  ARMATURE. 

THE  TEETH. 

The  dental  formula  of  the  Geomyid(e  is  the  same  throughout  the 
family,  as  follows :  i ., ,  c  tj?  pm  j,  m  o  X  2  =  20 

All  of  the  teeth  of  the  Pocket  Gophers  are  simple  rootless  *  tubular 
prisms,  closed  at  the  top  aud  open  at  the  base.  In  life  the  lower  part 
is  filled  with  a  soft,  pulp-like  substance,  supplied  with  blood  vessels 
which  replenish  the  tooth  from  below,  enabling  it  to  grow  as  long  as 
the  animal  lives.     The  hardening  of  the  pulp  within  the  tooth  forms 


Fig.  18. — Outline  of  skull  of  Plalygeomys  gynuivrns,  showing  teeth  in  situ. 

the  dentine  and  osteodentine;  the  enamel  and  cement  are  deposited  on 
the  outside.  In  the  adultt  the  crowns  of  the  teeth  are  never  compli- 
cated by  infoldings  of  the  enamel ;  the  enamel  never  envelops  the  prism 
continuously  and  never  dips  into  the  interior,  but  is  always  attached 
to  the  outside  in  the  form  of  vertical  bands  or  plates  like  the  staves  on 


**  Althougli  the  teeth  have  no  true  roots,  it  is  convenient  to  speak  of  the  basal  or 
growing  end  as  the  root.     The  term  is  u.sed  in  this  sense  in  the  present  paper. 

tThe  enamel  caps  of  the  young  teeth,  and  changes  in  the  enamel  pattern  due  to 
immaturity,  are  fully  described  under  a  se2)arate  heading  (p]).  83-8G). 

69 


70 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


a  barrel  (pi.  10,  fig,  12).  The  number  ofeuamel  plates  on  eacli  tooth 
varies  from  one  to  four.  When  the  tooth  is  looked  at  from  the  side, 
the  alternating  bands  of  enamel  and  cement  are  found  to  extend  ver- 
tically from  base  to  crown ;  and  since  the  tooth  is  constantly  worn 
down  from  above  and  as  constantly  replenished  by  growth  from  below, 
its  original  form  is  preserved  and  no  sensible  change  in  the  enamel  pat- 
tern takes  place. 

THE   INCISORS. 

The  incisors  are  long  and  heavy,  with  trenchant,  chisel-like  edges 
(figs.  18  and  19).  Their  massiveness  varies  greatly  in  the  different  genera. 
The  upper  incisor  is  shortly  curved  in  a  single  plane,  forming  a  little 
more  than  a  complete  semicircle,  and  its  root  rests  either  in  the  ui)per 
part  of  the  interspace  between  tlie  divaricating  roots 
of  the  premolar  and  first  molar,  as  in  Plafygeomys 
(fig.  18),  or  directly  above  the  root  of  the  first  molar, 
as  in  some  of  the  other  genera.  The  lower  incisor  is 
much  longer,  less  shortly  curved,  and  does  not  form 
a  complete  semicircle.  It  passes  backward  beneath 
and  on  the  inner  side  of  the  molars,  its  own  root  rotat- 
ing outward  in  a  partial  spiral  like  the  beginning  of 
the  twist  in  a  ram's  horn,  and  terminates  in  a  thin 
capsule  of  bone  on  the  outer  side  of  the  condylar  proc- 
ess. The  lower  incisor  is  thus  considerably  longer 
than  the  greatest  length  of  the  jaw,  from  which  it 
projects  at  both  ends. 

Both  upper  and  lower  incisors  have  their  anterior 
faces  covered  with  a  plate  of  enamel,  the  edges  of 
which  are  bent  back  over  the  sides  of  the  tooth  far 
enough  to  hold  it  securely  (fig.  20,  a,  h,  and  fig.  24) 
so  that  it  can  withstand,  without  danger  of  loosening, 
the  great  strain  to  wiiich  it  is  subjected  in  cutting 
hard  roots. 

On  the  inner  side  of  the  tooth  the  inflexed  border  of  the  enamel  is 
beveled  (fig.  20,  a) ;  on  the  outer  side  it  retains  its  normal  thickness 
(fig.  20,  b).  The  inner  edge  of  the  tooth  is  squarely  angular  or  nearly 
so,  while  the  outer  edge  is  always  broadly  rounded  (figs.  20,  21,  22).  In 
the  lower  incisor  the  front  face  of  the  tooth  is  always  flat  or  nearly  so 
(fig.  24) ',  in  the  up])er  incisor  it  is  flat  in  Macrogeomys  and  Jleferogeomys 
(fig.  20),  nearly  flat  or  twice  convex  in  Cratogeomys  (fig,  21^  and  ^), 
Platygeomys  (fig.  21^),  and  Fappogeomys  (fig.  21,*);  and  thrice  convex  in 
Geomys  proper  (fig.  22^  and  ^)  and  Zygoyeomys  (fig.  22^), 

The  enamel  face  of  the  upper  incisor  is  invariably  marked  (except 
in  some  species  of  Thomomys)  by  a  conspicuous  longitudinal  groove  or 
furrow,  resulting  from  an  infolding  of  the  enamel,  A  second  and  much 
smaller  groove  is  sometimes  present  also,  always  near  the  inner  edge 
of  the  tooth.     The  form  and  position  of  the  grooves  vary  in  the  difl'er- 


Fio.  19. — Incisora  of 
Platygeomys  gymnurus 
seen  from  behind,  a  up- 
per; 6  lower. 


JAN.,  1895.] 


THE    INCISOR    TEETH. 


71 


pf-^ 


ent  species;  there  is  also  considerable  range  of  individual  variation.* 
Five  types  of  siilcation  prevail,  as  follows : 

Bisnlcafe  se?(e.s; 

Principal  sulcus  on  oM/er  side  of  median  line Geomys 

Principal  sulcus  on  inner  side  of  median  line Zygogeomys 

Unisulcate  scries: 

Sulcus  median  or  slightly  on  inner  side  of  median  line;  rather  broadly 

open Craiogeomys,  I'laty geomys,  Fappogeomys,  Orthogeomys 

Sulcus  at  junction  of  inner  and  middle  thirds;  usually  rather  narrow  and 

deep Heterogeomys,  Macrogeomys 

Sulcus  close  to  inner  side  or  absent Thomomys 

In  Gcomi/s  proper  the  principal  sulcus  is  decidedlj^  on  the  outer  side, 
and  the  small  inner  groove  is  about  one-fourth  or 
one-tifth  the  distance  from  the  inner  edge  to  the  prin- 
cipal sulcus;  it  is  nearer  the  inner  border  in  the  tuza 
series  (flg.  22^)  than  in  tlie  hnrsarius  series  (fig.  22^). 
In  Pappogeomys  there  is  only  a  single  groove  (fig. 
21''),  and  it  is  median  or  nearly  so,  as  in  Cratogeomys, 
and  very  deep,  Avitli  the  convexities  on  both  sides 
strongly  rounded. 

In  Zygogeomys  (flg.  22")  the  principal  sulcus  is 
median  or  slightly  on  the  inner  side,  and  the  fine 
inner  sulcus  is  ow  the  convexity  of  the  enamel  about 
one-third  the  distance  from  the  inner  side  to  the  me- 
dian sulcus.  It  is  not  so  near  the  inner  side  as  in 
Geomys  proper.  In  tbe  latter  the  inner  convexity  is 
flatter  and  the  small  sulcus  is  on  its  inner  side  instead 
of  on  the  convexity  itself. 

In  Heterogeomys  and  Macrogeomys  (flg.  20)  the 
groove  is  always  far  on  the  inner  side  and  some- 
times wholly  within  tbe  inner  third.  As  a  rule  it  is 
deeper  and  more  abrupt  than  in  the  other  genera, 
and  the  face  of  the  tooth  is  flatter. 

In  Cratogeomys  and  Platygeomys  (flg.  21)  the  groove,  as  seen  by  the 

"  The  exact  position  of  the  principal  sulcus  varies  not  only  in  individuals  of  the 
same  sjiecies  from  the  same  place,  but  even  on  the  two  sides  in  the  same  skull.  Thus 
in  Cratogeomys  merriami  and  Platygeomys  gymnurus  of  the  unisulcate  series  it  is 
usually  on  the  inner  side  of  the  median  line,  but  several  skulls  of  each  species  are 
at  hand  in  which  it  is  median  on  one  or  both  sides.  Similarly,  in  Geomys  bnrsarins 
and  tiiza  of  the  bisulcate  series,  its  distance  from  the  outer  side  of  the  tooth  is  some- 
times noticeably  different  on  the  two  teeth.  Its  exact  position  therefore  can  not  be 
relied  upon  as  a  character  in  distinguishing  species,  though  its  approximate  position 
is  important 

Many  of  the  unisulcate  teeth  show,  when  examined  closely,  a  faint  inner  groove 
in  addition  to  the  deep  median  furrow.  The  presence  of  this  indistinct  sulcus  seems 
to  be  purely  fortuitous,  occurring  here  and  there  irrespective  of  sex,  age,  or  species, 
sometimes  on  one  side,  sometimes  on  both,  and  is  of  no  value  whatever  as  a  char- 
acter. Another  fortuitous  variation  is  the  occasional  presence  of  a  line  bead  in  the 
median  sulcus.     When  present  at  all  it  is  rarely  symmetrical  on  the  two  teeth. 


Fig.  20. — Transverse 
section  of  upper  in- 
cisor in  the  unisulcate 
species  iii  which  the 
sulcus  is  strongly  on 
the  inner  side.  (1) 
Macrogeomys  dolicho- 
cejjhftlus;  (2)  Hetero- 
geomys hispidus;  (3) 
M.  costaricensis;  (4) 
M.  cherriei  (showing 
enamel  face  and  single 
sulcus),  a  inner  end  of 
enamel  plate;  h  outer 
end  of  enamel  plate. 


72 


NORTPI    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


unaided  eye,  ordinarily  appears  to  be  median  j  but  when  the  tootli  is 
magnified  it  is  nearly  always  found  to  lie  sliglitly  on  the  inner  side. 


Pig.  21. — Tran.sverse  section  of  upper  incisor  'Fig.  22. — Transverse  section  of  upper  incisor 

in  the  unisulcate  .species  in  wliicli  the  sul.  in  bisulcate  series — 

CU8  is  median  or  nearly  median —  (1)  Zygogeomystrichopus. 

(1)  Cratogeomys  merriami.  (2)   Oeomys  burcariug. 

(2)  Platygeomys  gymnurus.      ■  (3)  Geomys  tuza. 

(3)  Cratogeomys  pcrotensU. 

(4)  Fap2>ogeomys  bulleri. 

It  sometimes  difters  noticeably  in  position  in  the  two  incisors,  and  in 
some  specimens  of  C.  merriami  is  further  away  from  the  middle  than 
usual. 

In  Orthogcomys  the  groove  is  on  the  inner  side,  but  is  usually  so 
widely  open  that  its  outer  side  reaches  the  median  line. 
In  Thomomys  the  groove  is  close 

to  the  inner  edge  of  the  tooth  (fig. 

23)  or  absent.     It  is  usually  j)res 

ent,  though  sometimes  very  small 

and  shallow.    In  a  few  sijecies  it  is 

deep  and  strongly  marked,  as  in 

T.  monticola  Allen. 
The  outline  of  the  incisor   in 

cross  section  varies  in  the  differ- 
ent species.  In  some  forms  the  anteroposterior  diameter  exceeds  the 
transverse;  in  others  the  transverse  equals  or  exceeds  the  antero- 
posterior. Usually  the  outer  side  of  the  tooth  is  an  even  curve  from 
the  point  where  the  infiexed  border  of  the  enamel  stoj^s,  to  the  posterior 
convexity  of  the  tooth,  but  this  is  not  always  the  case.  In  the  upper 
incisor  of  Cratogeomys  oreocctes,  and  the  lower  of  C.  merriami,  the 
outer  side  is  emarginate,  forming  a  distinct  bevel  immediately  behind 
thereflexed  enamel  edge  (fig.  21,  h). 


Fig.  23.  —  Transierse 
section  of  upper  incisor 
of  Thomomys  douglasi 
showing  shallow  sulcus 
close  to  inner  side  of 
tooth. 


Fig.  24.— Transverse 
section  of  lower  incisor 
of  Cratogeomys  jnerri- 
ami:  byhexe]  on  outer 
side. 


THE    PREMOLARS. 


The  premolars  are  double  prisms,  like  a  figure  8  in  transverse  section 
(fig.  25  and  pi.  16,  figs.  8, 12,  and  13).  Their  crowns  are  worn  obliquely 
to  the  axis  of  the  tooth,  hence  the  prisms  are  of  unequal  length ;  the 


JAN,  1895.]  THE    PREMOLARS.  73 

posterior  prism  is  longest  in  tlie  upper  premolar  and  the  anterior  in  the 
lower.  In  size  the  two  prisms  of  the  upper  premolar  are  subequal  or 
the  anterior  is  only  slightly  smaller  than  the  posteriory  in  tbe  lower,  the 
anterior  is  commonly  considerably  narrower  and  more  elongated  antero- 
posteriorly.  In  form  both  prisms  of  the  upper  premolar  and  the  pos- 
terior of  the  lower  are  transversely  elliptical  like  the  molars;  but  the 
anterior  prism  of  the  lower  premolar  is  cylindrical  or  subcylindrical. 
Its  transverse  section  is  more  nearly  circular  in  Zygogeomys  trichopiis 
and  the  Geomys  bursarius  series  than  in  the  others.  In  Macrogeomys 
cherriei  it  is  more  elongated  transversely  than  usual  in  the  group. 
The  neck  connecting  the  anterior  and  posterior  i^risms  is  usually  on  or 
near  the  median  line  of  the  tooth,  but  in  the  upj^er  premolar  of  Hetero- 
geomys  hispidiis  it  is  decidedly  on  the  inner  side. 

The  premolars  are  larger  than  the  molars,  and  the  lower  premolar  is 
the  largest  of  the  molariform  series  (fig.  26).  The  upper  premolar  is 
implanted  very  obliquely  and  invariably  s?02)es  strongly  backward  from 
root  to  crown,  the  vertical  plane  of  the  root  being  far  anterior  to  that 
of  the  crown.  The  lower  premolar  is  strongly  curved ;  it  is  always  con- 
cave anteriorly  and  convex  posteriorly.  It  is  implanted  vertically  or 
nearly  so,  thougli  its  root  curves  forward.  The  upper  premolar  is  decid- 
edly longer  than  the  lower  in  the  genus  Geomys  (both  in  Geomys  proper, 
comprising  the  bursar ius-tuza  series,  and  in 
the  Papiyogeomys  biilleri  series);  the  two  are 
subeqnal  in  all  the  other  genera.  The  shaft 
of  the  upper  premolar  may  be  either  straight  or 
curved.  When  curved  it  may  be  convex 
forward  or  concave  forward.  It  is  straight  in 
Geomys  lutescens,  but  decidedly  concave  an-     ,  ^'«- ^^-Crowns  of  upper  and 

,  '  "^  lower  premolars  of  Macrogeomys 

teriorly  in  all  the  other  species  of  Geomys  doUehocephaius :  a  upper,  6 
proper  and  in  Fapimgeomys  and  Orfhogeomys ;  ^*^''^®'"' 
it  is  strongly  or  moderately  convex  anteriorly  in  Cratogeomys  and 
Macrogeomys^  and  faintly  convex  or  nearly  straight  in  Reterogeomys, 
Zygogeomys,  and  Flatygeomys.  In  the  latter  genera  it  is  commonly 
straight  in  the  young  and  slightly  curved  in  the  adult. 

The  length  of  prism  of  the  upper  premolar  in  G.  bursarius,  turn,  and 
mobilensis  is  at  least  one-third  greater  than  the  total  length  of  the  tooth 
row  on  the  crowns  (fig.  26^) ;  in  G.  texensis  it  about  equals  the  length 
of  the  tooth  row.  Various  intermediate  conditions  occur  in  the  other 
species.  The  length  of  the  upper  premolar  with  reference  to  the 
molars  affords  two  series:  (1)  in  which  the  premolar  and  m'  and  m^ 
are  of  about  the  same  length  (comprising  G.  bursarius  and  most  of  the 
species  in  the  other  genera,  fig.  26 1  and  '^);  and  (2)  those  in  which  the 
premolar  is  decidedly  longer  than  m' and  ni^  {G.  tiiza  and  mobilensis 
and  Pappogeomys  bulleri,  fig.  26^).  The  length  of  the  upper  and  lower 
premolars  with  reference  to  each  other  also  affords  two  series :  In  the 


74 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


genus  Geomi/s  the  lower  is  much  shorter  tliau  the  upper  (fig.  26^);  in 
the  otlier  geuera  {Crafogeomys,  Heterogeomys^  and  Zyyogeomys)  the  two 
are  subequal  or  the  lower  is  slightly  the  longer  (fig.  26^  and  ^). 

THE   MOLARS. 

The  true  molars,  except  the  last  upper  one  (m"),  are  simple  single 
tubular  prisms,  elliptical  in  transverse  section.  The  last  upper  molar 
is  a  single  prism  in  some  forms;  a  double  prism  in  others.  In  both 
upper  and  lower  series  the  posterior  molar  is  the  shortest  tooth  (fig.  20). 
In  the  lower  series  the  teeth  are  successively  shorter  from  jireinolar  to 
last  molar.  In  the  upper  series  the  premolar  may  or  may  not  be  longer 
than  the  first  molar;  the  first  and  second  molars  may  be  subequal  or 
either  may  be. slightly  longer  than  the  other.     As  a  rule  throughout 


Fig.  26. — Type.s  of  molariform  teetli  (seen  in  profile) ; 

1.  Heterogeomys  hispidus. 

2.  Cratogeomys  merriarni. 


a  upper  series;  b  lower  series. 
3.  Geonigs  tuza. 


the  group,  the  first  and  second  upf»er  molars  are  as  long  or  nearly  as 
long  as  the  premolar.  This  is  the  case  in  Geomys  bursarius;  but  in 
other  species  of  Geomys  proper  {fuza,  breinceps,  and  texensh)  and  in  the 
genus  Pappogeomys  they  are  very  much  shorter.  In  Pappogeomys 
bulleri  and  the  Geomys  tuza  series  the  longest  upper  molar  is  only  about 
two-thirds  the  length  of  the  premolar,  and  nr''  is  only  half  as  long  as  the 
premolar. 

In  the  lower  jaw  the  molariform  teeth  are  successively  shorter  from 
before  backwards,  but  diversity  prevails  in  the  relative  lengths  of  the 
several  teeth  comprising  the  series.  Thus  in  Heterogeomys  Jtisjndns  m.^ 
is  but  little  more  than  half  the  length  oi  pm;  while  in  other  species 
it  is  more  than  three-fourths.  The  relative  length  of  the  individual 
molars  vaiies  in  the  different  species  and  is  subject  to  considerable 
individual  variation  also. 

The  last  upper  molar  is  always  the  largest  of  the  true  molars.  Its 
prism  may  be  either  single  or  double,  or  incompletely  double;  when 
double  it  nearly  equals  the  premolar  in  size  of  crown,  but  never  in 
length  of  shaft.     It  is  invariably  the  shortest  tooth  of  the  upper  series, 


JAN.,  1895.1 


THE    MOLAR    TEETH.  75 


aud  ill  some  species  is  as  sliort  as  the  last  lower  molar.  It  always 
curves  backwards  and  the  curvature  is  sometimes  so  great  as  to  form 
the  arc  of  a  small  circle.  When  a  double  prism,  the  posterior  prism  is 
always  much  narrower  than  the  anterior.  For  purposes  of  classifica- 
tion m'  is  by  far  the  most  important  tooth  in  the  skull,  its  size,  shape, 
form  of  crown,  and  enamel  pattern  furnishing  characters  of  much  value, 
as  will  be  seen  later. 

The  last  lower  molar  is  ordinarily  the  shortest  tooth  in  the  skull,  aud 
is  always  curved— the  concavity  posterior.  In  addition  to  the  curvature, 
it  is  implanted  obliquely,  sloping-  strongly  backward  from  crown  to 
root,  the  vertical  plane  of  the  root  being  far  behind  that  of  the  crown. 
Its  root  is  also  rotated  backward  and  inward,  enabling  it  to  lie  flat 
against  the  inner  side  of  the  incisor,  which  passes  between  the  roots  of 
m2  aud  m.T  (fig.  41).  Owing  to  the  strong  slope  of  the  shaft  of  m:,,  the 
crown  is  always  truncated  very  obliquely  to  the  axis  of  the  tooth  (fig.  18). 

The  prisms  of  the  intermediary  molars  in  both  jaws  invariably  curve 
outward,  so  that  their  outer  borders  are  concave  and  inner  borders 
convex.  The  curvature  is  stronger  in  the  lower  than  in  the  upper 
series,  and  strongest  in  m,,  whose  root  stands  further  outward  (away 
from  the  median  line)  than  any  other  in  the  series.  The  outer  borders  of 
the  prisms  are  shorter  than  the  inner  borders,  hence  the  open  root-ends 
of  the  teeth  always  face  obliquely  outward.  The  anteroposterior 
curvatures  of  the  prisms  of  the  intermediary  molars  above  and  below 
take  the  same  direction  in  each  jaw,  but  vary  in  degree  in  the  different 
genera  and  sometimes  in  species  of  the  same  genus.  All  of  the  superior 
molars  curve  backward  from  crown  to  root;  the  inferior  intermediary 
molars  curve  forward  from  crown  to  root.  In  the  genus  Geomys  the 
aiitero-posterior  curvature  of  m'  and  m2  is  so  slight  that  their  prisms  may 
be  described  as  essentially  flat  (fig.  2G^).  If  any  curvature  is  apparent, 
it  is  backward  in  m'  and  forward  in  m2,  in  accordance  with  the  rule.  In 
Zyyof/eomys  and  Heterogeomys  the  curvatures  are  slight;  in  Orthogeomys 
they  are  marked,  and  in  Macrogeomys,  Cratogeomys,  and  Flafygeomys 
they  iire  very  strong,  m'  and  m'^  curving  strongly  backward  and  mj  and 
m2  strongly  forward  (fig.  26^  and^). 

In  addition  to  the  curves  described,  the  molar  prisms  are  always 
more  or  less  twisted  on  their  axes.  If  the  teeth  were  long  enough  these 
twists  would  result  in  spiral  curves. 

The  axes  of  the  elliptical  crowns  of  the  intermediary  molars  are  in  a 
general  way  transverse  to  the  axis  of  the  skull;  but  they  rarely  stand 
out  at  right  angles.  As  a  rule  they  slope  obliquely  forward  or  obliquely 
backward.  When  the  crowns  of  the  upper  molars  slope  backward  from 
the  median  line  the  crowns  of  the  lower  molars  are  transverse  or  slope 
forward,  and  rice  versa.  The  axis  of  the  crowns  of  m'  and  m^  normally 
slopes  backward  in  Geomys,  Pappogeomys,  and  Cratogeomys;  it  is  nor- 
mally transverse  or  slopes  forward  in  Platygeomys,  Orthogeomys,  Macro- 
geomys,  Heterogeomys,  and  Zygogeomys. 


76 


NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


Tig.  27. 


-Types  of  ibrm  of  crown  of  last 
ujiper  molar  (m^). 


VARIATION   IN   FORM   OF   LAST   UPPER   MOLAR. 

The  form  of  the  last  upper  molar  affords  excellent  characters.  In  its 
simplest  type,  as  in  the  genus  Geomys  (comprising  both  the  tuza  series 

and  the  texensk-hur sarins  series)  it  is 
a  single  prism  and  the  shape  of  the 
crown  varies  from  suborbicular  to  sub- 
triangular  (figs.  27  ^  and  33).  In  Pap- 
pogeomys  (fig.  27  -)  the  form  of  the  tooth 
is  similar  except  that  there  is  a  decided 
emargination  on  the  outer  side,  ante- 
rior to  the  middle,  behind  which  the 
prism  is  abruptly  narrower.  This  is 
the  first  step  in  the  formation  of  the 
'heel'  or  posterior  lobe,  which  is  so 
conspicuous  in  Orthogeomys^  Heteroge- 
omys,  and  Macrogeomys  (fig.  27^  and  '^). 
In  the  genus  Cratogeomys  the  tooth 
is  partly  converted  into  a  double  prism 
by  a  vertical  groove  on  the  outer  side 
(fig.  27"*).  This  genus  presents  the  widest  latitude  of  individual  varia- 
tion known  in  the  family,  indicating  that  the  tooth  is  in  a  transition 
state  and  has  not  yet  attained  a  condition  of  stable  equilibrium. 

It  is  much  more  variable  in  Cratogeomys  than  in  Platygcomys.  Taking 
both  genera  together  the  crown  presents  all  sorts  of  intermediate  pat- 
terns, from  a  form  in  which  the  posterior  prism  is  hardly  more  differen- 
tiated than  in  Pappogeomys  hullerl,  to  forms  having  this  prism  produced 
to  such  a  degree  that  the  superficial  resemblance  to  Hetcrogeomys  is 
marked  (tig.  35).  But  it  lacks  the  stability  of  form  and  fixity  of  enamel 
pattern  characteristic  of  the  members  of  the  latter  genus. 

The  variation  is  greater  in  the  adult  than  the  young,  as  would  be 
expected  from  the  increased  obliquity  of  the  crown  with  reference  to 
the  axis  of  tlie  tooth  in  advanced  age,  and  naturally  is  most  marked  in 
the  length  and  form  of  the  heel.  Sometimes  in  old  age  the  crown  is 
worn  so  obliquely  that  the  heel  actually  overhangs,  acquiring  an  exag- 
gerated length  very  different  from  its  transverse  section  (as  in  fig.  28,  d). 


1.  Geomys  breviceps. 

2.  Pappogeomys  hulleri. 

3.  Platygeomys  gymnurus. 

4.  Cratogeomys  estor. 

5.  Zygogeourys  trichopiis. 

6.  Macrogeomys  dolichocephalus. 

7.  Macrogeomys  heterodus. 


^Cs^ 


Fk!.  28. — Varlatious  in  crown  pattern  of  ni''  in  Cratogeomys  fulvescens. 

In  Cratogeomys  fulvescens  (fig.  28)  the  variations  in  form  and  enamel 
pattern  of  crown  are  pronounced,  but  most  of  them  are  easily  reducible 
to  one  or  the  other  of  two  types:  (1)  An  obcordate  crown,  deeply 
notched  l)etween  the  prisms  on  the  outer  side,  with  the  axis  of  the  pos- 
terior loop  or  heel  nearly  transverse  aiul  the  outer  enamel  plate  reduced 


JAN.,  1895.] 


THE  LAST  UPPER  MOLAR.  77 


to  a  small  U-sbaped  piece  protectiug  the  sulcus  (tig.  2S,a)',  aud  (2)  a 
more  or  less  subtriaugiilar  or  eveu  trefoil-shaped  crown  with  the  axis 
of  tiie  posterior  h)op  very  oblique  (slopiug  strongly  backward  as  well 
as  outward),  and  the  outer  enamel  plate  more  or  less  elongated  (fig. 
28,  c,  (1).  In  form  the  second  is  easily  derived  from  the  first  by  a  slight 
backward  rotation  of  the  transverse  axis  of  the  posterior  loop.  Regard- 
ing the  shape  of  the  crown  as  more  or  less  subtriangular,  the  apex  of 
the  triangle  is  always  toward  the  median  line  of  the  skull  and  the 
notch  or  emarginatiou  always  on  the  outer  (buccal)  side.  Cratogeomys 
castanops  (fig.  20)  stands  somewhat  apart  from  the  other  species.  The 
double  character  of  the  prism  is  not  well  marked;  the  posterior  part 
of  the  crown  is  rather  broadly  rounded,  the  lateral  enamel  plates  are 
rather  short,  and  the  inner  one  is  situated  far  back.  Both  tend  to 
disappear  in  extreme  age — doubtless  from  atrophy  of  the  enamel  organ. 


Fig.  29.— Variations  in  crovf  n  pattern  of  m^  in  Cratorjcomys  castanops. 

In  the  genus  Flatygeomys  the  crown  is  snbtriangular,  narrow  behind 
the  anterior  prism,  and  the  axis  of  the  heel  is  normally  anteroposterior, 
as  in  Fappogeomys  (fig.  27^). 

hiMacrogeomys,  Hcterogeomys,  and  Orthogeomys  (fig.  34),  the  tooth  is  a 
double  prism,  the  anterior  and  posterior  moieties  of  which  are  separated 
by  a  groove  or  depression  on  each  side — that  on  the  outer  side  being 
invariably  the  deeper,  that  on  the  inner  side  being  in  rare  cases  obso- 
lete. The  posterior  prism  is  always  narrower  than  the  anterior  (the 
narrowing  is  chiefly  on  the  onter  side),  aud  its  anteroposterior  diameter 
is  usually  greater.  The  crown  as  a  whole  is  thus  longer  than  broad, 
and  is  composed  of  two  parts  or  lobes:  an  anterior  which  is  broader  than 
long  (being  transversely  elliptical,  like  the  other  molars);  and  a  narrow 
posterior  lobe  or  'heel'  which  is  commonly  longer  than  broad,  and 
varies  in  form  and  proportions  in  the  different  species. 

In  Heterogeomys  the  grooves  on  the  two  sides  are  nearly  oi:)posite,  and 
the  anterior  iirism  is  narrowly  elliptical.  In  Orthogeomys  und  Macroge- 
omys  the  sulcus  on  the  inner  side  is  commonly  decidedly  iiosterior  to 
the  plane  of  the  outer  sulcus.  In  Macrogeomys  the  anterior  prism  is 
broadly  elliptical,  and  the  posterior  is  elongated  antero-posteriorly.  In 
Maci'ogeomys  heterodus  the  posterior  lobe  or  heel  is  very  long  and  slopes 
obliquely  outward;  the  inner  face  of  the  tooth  as  a  whole  is  unnsually 
flat  (fig.  27^). 

In  Zygogeomys  the  last  upper  molar  is  an  imperfect  double  prism,  the 
depression  on  the  inner  side  being  slight,  while  that  on  the  outer  side 
is  much  deeper.  The  crown  as  a  whole  is  longer  than  broad,  and  the 
posterior  loop  or  heel  ends  in  a  broad  lip-like  extension  not  protected 
by  enamel  and  hence  subject  to  change  of  shape  by  wear  (see  fig.  27^), 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


Fig.  30.— Types  of  enamel 
pattern  of  ujiper  premolar. 

(1)  Cratofjeomys  inerriami,- 

(2)  Heterogeomys  hispidus;  (a) 
anterior  enamel  biind;  (6)  lat- 
eral band ;  (c)  posterior  band. 


ARRANGEMENT   OF    THE   ENAMEL. 

After  the  enamel  cap  of  tlie  newly  born  young  lias  been  ground  down 
far  enough  to  expose  the  u^jper  ends  of  the  cement  bands,  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  enamel  remains  the  same  throughout  the  life  of  the  indi- 
vidual and  affords  excellent  generic  and  in  some  cases  specific  char- 
acters. The  enamel  never  envelops  the  prism  in  a  continuous  sheet, 
but  is  deposited  in  the  form  of  vertical  plates  or  bands  which  always 
alternate  with  bands  of  cement.  These  bands  are  disposed  in  a  definite 
manner  on  each  tooth  of  the  series.  In  the  under  ja-w  the  number  in 
each  tooth  is  the  same  throughout  the  group;  in  the  upper  jaw  the 
number  varies  in  the  several  genera. 

Premolars. — The  ijermanent  upper  premolar  has  three  enamel  plates 
(one  anterior  and  one  lateral  on  each  side*  )  in  the  genera  Geomys 
_  proper,  Pappogeomys,  Gratogeomys,  and  Platy- 

geoniys — the  posterior  being  altogether  absent 
(fig.  30').  In  Zygogeomys,  Heterogeomys,  Macro- 
geomys,  and  Orthogeomys  the  number  is  in- 
creased to  four  by  the  addition  of  a  posterior 
plate,  which,  however, 
never  covers  more  than 
half  of  the  posterior  face 
of  the  posterior  prism,  and 
is  always  restricted  to  the 
inner  or  lingual  side  (fig.  30'^  c).  In  Orthogeomys 
the  posterior  plate  is  sometimes  obsolete.  The  per- 
manent lower  x^remolar  always  has  four  enamel 
j)lates,  the  posterior  being  invariably  present  and 
covering  the  whole  hinder  face  of  the  tooth  (fig.  "25, 
b,  and  fig.  32). 

First  and  second  upper  molars. — In  the  first  and 
second  upper  molars,  which  are  simple  elliptical 
prisms,  the  normal  number  of  enamel  plates  is  two, 
one  covering  the  anterior,  the  other  the  posterior 
face  of  the  tooth,  with  a  narrow  interval  filled 
with  cement  at  each  end  between  them  (fig.  31^). 
In  many  species,  however,  the  posterior  plate  is 
obsolete  (fig,  31').  It  is  present  and  covers  the 
whole  hinder  side  of  the  tooth  in  Geomys,  Pappo- 
geo-inys,  Macrogeomys,  Heterogeomys,  and  Orthogeo. 
mys.  It  is  present  but  restricted  to  the  inner  or 
lingual  half  of  the  tooth  in  Zygogeomys  (fig.  31^), 
and  is  altogether  absent  in  Gratogeomys  (fig.  31'^)  and  Platy geomys. 

*Iii  both  upper  aud  lower  premolars  the  anterior  enamel  plate  is  convex  forward; 
the  lateral  are  strongly  bent,  couforming  to  the  sulcus  between  the  prisms  and 
extending  from  the  convexity  of  one  to  that  of  the  other.  The  resulting  shape  in 
transverse  section  is  usually  like  that  of  the  letter  IJ,  with  the  opening  du'ected  out- 
ward aud  the  base  resting  on  the  median  line  of  the  tooth. 


Pig.  31. — Types  of  enamel 
pattern  of  upper  niolari- 
form  series  in  the  diti'ereut 
groups : 

1 .  Geomys  bursarius. 

2.  Ciatogeomys caistanoi)>s. 

3.  Zygogeomys  trichojnis. 

4.  Macrogeomys  cherriei. 

5.  Thomomys  bidbivorus. 


JAN.,  1895.]  THE    ENAMEL    PLATES.  79 

Last  upper  molar. — Throughout  the  Geomydiw,  except  in  Thomomys, 
the  last  upper  molar  has  three  enamel  plates — one  anterior,  one  on  the 
inner  side,  and  one  on  the  outer  side,  with  interspaces  (cement  bands)  of 
varyiug-  breadth  between  (fig.  27).  In  Orthoycomys  scalops  the  outer 
plate  is  normally  divided  (tig.  62).  The 
anterior  plate  always  covers  the  whole 
front  face  of  the  tooth,  and  is  the  same 
in  all  species ;  the  two  others  vary  in 
length  and  shape,  and  furnish  excel- 
lent characters.  In  Thomomys  there 
are  but  two  plates,  an  anterior  and  a  i 
posterior  (fig.  31^). 

Lower  molars. — Except  in  Thomomys, 

the  lower  ]-0larS   have  each    but  a  sin-  ^'«-    32 -Crowns  of    lower  molariform 

series :  (a)  Geomys  bur.mrius;  (6)  Thomomys 
gle  enamel  plate;    it  completely  covers      hulUvorus.     Except  in  Thomomys  (D  the 
the   posterior    ftice    of    the    tooth,    the      «^°a™«^^  pattern  is  the  same  tLroughout  the 
,       ■        n  1      •  1         1,    •  1       family  (as  in  a). 

anterior  face  and  sides  being  covered 

with  cement  (tig.  32,  a).     In  Thomomys  each  lower  molar  has  two  enamel 

plates,  an  anterior  and  a  posterior  (fig.  32,  h). 

PRINCIPAL   DIVISIONS   INDICATED   BY   THE   ENAMEL   PLATES. 

The  foregoing  study  of  the  enamel  plates  shows  that  all  of  the  37 
species  and  subspecies  herein  described,  and  all  the  species  of  Th6md- 
mys,may  be  arranged  in  five  principal  groups,  according  to  the  i)resence, 
absence,  or  relations  of  the  posterior  enamel  plate  in  tlie  upper  molari- 
form series,  as  follows: 

1.  Posterior  enamel  plate  absent  in  pm  and  present  in  m^  and  m- Geomys, 

Pappoocomys,  Orthoueomya.  * 

2.  Absent  iu  both  2)m  and  m'  and  m- Crutoyeomys,  Flatygeomys. 

3.  Present  on  inner  (lingual)  side  in  both  jj?)t  and  m'  and  m- Zyyogeomys. 

i.  Present  on  inner  (lingual)  side  in  jrm  and  complete  in  m'  and  m^ Hetero- 

geomys,  Macrogeomys,  Orthogeomys.  * 
5.  Present  in  pm  and  m',  m-,  and  m* Thomomys. 

NORMAL  NUMBER  OF  ENAMEL  PLATES — SUMMARY. 

The  number  of  enamel  plates  actually  present  in  the  different  teeth 
has  been  shown  to  vary  from  one  to  four.  The  number  on  each  tooth 
has  been  found  constant  in  the  lower  series;  inconstant  in  the  upper 
series.  The  lower  premolar  (which  is  a  complete  double  prism)  invari- 
ably has  four,  and  the  lower  molars  one  each,  except  in  Thomomys  iu 
which  they  have  two  (fig.  32).  The  upper  premolar  (a  complete  double 
prism)  has  four  in  some  genera ;  three  in  others.  The  upper  interme- 
diary or  elliptical  molars  (m^  and  m^)  have  two  in  some  genera;  one  in 

*Orthogeomy>i  is  losing  the  posterior  enamel  plate  of  the  upper  premolar.  It  is 
present  in  0,  latifrons,  but  greatly  reduced  or  altogether  absent  in  nelsoni  and 
scalops, 


80  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

others.  The  last  upper  molar  (an  incomplete  double  prism)  invariably 
has  two  in  Thomomys  and  three  in  all  the  other  genera.  These  facts 
indicate  that  the  normal  number  of  enamel  ])lates  in  simple  elliptical 
prisms  is  two,  and  that  one  has  been  suppressed  iu  all  of  the  elliptical 
molars  having  only  one  (the  lower  molars  in  all  except  Thomomys  aud 
the  first  and  second  upper  in  Platyc/eomys  aud  Gratogeomys)^  and  in  the 
^PP^r  premolar  when  it  has  only  three  plates  (as  iu  Platygeomys,  Crato- 
geomys,  Pappogeomys^  and  Geomys  proper).  This  view  is  sujjported  by 
a  study  of  the  mechanics  of  the  grinding  process.  (See  pp.  90-97, 
107-108). 

VARIATIONS  IN  ENAMEL  PLATES  OF  LAST  UPPER  MOLAR  (m*). 

Throughout  the  family,  except  in  Thomomys,  the  last  upper  molar  is 
strengthened  by  three  vertical  plates  or  bands  of  enamel,  alternating 
with  three  interspaces  filled  with  cement  (figs.  33,  31).  The  anterior 
of  the  three  enamel  plates  is  constant  in  form  and  relations;  the  two 
others  inconstant.  The  anterior  invariably  covers  the  whole  front  face 
of  the  tooth  and  is  convex  forward  (the  convexity  may  be  slight  or 
great).  The  others  vary  in  position,  shaj)e,  and  relative  breadth.  In  a 
single  species,  Orthogeomys  scalops,  the  outer  plate  is  normally  divided 
(tig.  62).  In  the  simplest  forms,  in  which  the  tooth  is  a  subcylindric 
or  subtriangular  prism,  as  in  texensis,  breviceps,  and  allied  si)ecies  (fig. 
33),  they  are  simple  vertical  bauds  of  enamel,  subequal  in  size,  one  on 


Fig.  33. — Variations  in  form  of  crown  and  enamel  pattern  of  m^in  restricted  genus  Geomys. 

1, 2.  Geomys  tuza.  G.  Geomys  personatus. 

3.  tuza /I  arid  anus.  7 — 10.                 texensis. 

4.  mobilensis.  11 — 13.                 breiriceps. 

5.  arenarius. 

either  side  of  the  tooth  posteriorly,  separated  from  one  another  and 
from  the  anterior  enamel  plate  by  similar  vertical  plates  or  bands  of 
cement.  The  genus  Geomys  proper  presents  no  variations  from  this 
type  except  in  the  relative  breadth  of  the  inner  (lingual)  and  outer 
(buccal)  enamel  bands.  The  inner  is  more  constant  than  the  outer  and 
is  commonly  somewhat  broader.*  Sometimes  the  two  tend  to  define  a 
lip  posteriorly  (fig.  33^"  and  '^).  Marked  departures  from  this  simple 
type  occur  in  those  species  iu  which  the  last  upper  molar  is  a  double 
instead  of  a  single  prism ;  and  since  various  intermediate  conditions  in 

*In  G.  tuza  the  outer  plate  is  much  narrower  or  shorter  than  the  inner.  Since  the 
teeth  are  commonly  looked  at  endwise  from  above,  the  enamel  pattern  is  ordinarily 
seen  in  transverse  section,  and  the  three  enamel  i)lates  ap]iear  as  narrow  bands  on 
the  periphery  of  the  prism.  Their  breadth  on  the  sides  of  the  tooth  i.s  shown  iu  the 
lenfjth  of  the  baud  as  it  appears  on  the  crown.  In  describing  the  patteru.  therefore, 
it  is  convenient  to  use  the  term  length  instead  of  breadth  to  designate  the  rel?itive 
width  of  the  vertical  enamel  plates. 


i 


JAN.,  1895.] 


LAST    UPPER    MOLAR. 


81 


tlic  evolution  of  the  double  ])iisiu  are  preseuted  by  living-  species,  so 
the  several  stages  in  the  adaptation  of  the  lateral  enamel  plates  to  the 
development  of  a  posterior  loop  or  heel  are  clearly  shown.  These 
changes  consist  in  a  lengthening  or  shortening  of  the  enamel  plate  (as 
it  appears  on  the  crown  of  the  tooth)  and  in  the  development  of  a  bend 
or  flexure  by  virtue  of  which  the  enamel  conforms  to  the  curvature  of 
the  anterior  and  posterior  loops,  resulting  from  the  development  of  a 
dee])  sulcus  on  one  or  both  sides  of  the  tooth  in  those  species  that  have 
a  double  prism.  And  since  the  sulcus  on  the  outer  side  appears  flrst 
and  is  always  deepest,  it  follows  that  the  outer  enamel  plate  is  the  one 
most  affected  and  shows  the  greatest  range  of  variation  (fig.  34). 

Outer  {buccal)  enamel  plate. — The  first  step  in  the  formation  of  a  dis- 
tinct and  permanent  flexure  may  be  seen  in  Pappogeomys  bulleri  (fig. 
34,'),  in  which  species  the  anterior  end  of  the  outer  enamel  plate  bends 


Fig.  34.— Forms  of  crowu  aud  enanifl  pattt-rii  of  m^  iu  the  genera  in  whicli  this  tooth  is  a  double 
prism. 

1.  Pappogeomys  bxtUeri.  8,  9.   Orthogeomys  nelsoni. 

2.  Platjigeomys  gijnimirus.  8.  Totontepec ;  9.  Comaltepec. 

3.  Cratogeomyty  estor.  10.  Heterogeomyshispidus. 

4.  oreocetes.  11.                              torridus. 

5.  peregrinus.  12.  Macrogeomys  cherriei. 

6.  Zygogeomys  trichopus.  13.                            contaricensis. 

7.  Orthogeomys  latifrons.  14.                           dolichocephalus. 

15.  Alacrogeomys  heterodus. 

outward  in  front  of  the  vertical  sulcus  that  marks  the  outer  side  of 
the  tooth.  A  slightly  more  accentuated  condition  is  found  in  Platy- 
geomys  gymnurus  (fig.34,-).  The  extreme  development  of  this  flexure 
is  attained  in  the  genera  Heterogeomys  (fig.  34, '"  and  ''),  Macrogeomys 
(fig.  34, '^, '^,i'^),  and  Orthogeomys  (fig.  34,  "  and  **),  iu  all  of  which  the 
bend  is  essentially  a  right  angle — a  result  of  the  deepening  of  the 
sulcus  between  the  prisms.  At  the  same  time  the  posterior  arm  of  the 
enamel  plate  is  considerably  lengthened  in  order  to  protect  the  elon- 
gated posterior  lobe  or  heel  to  which  it  conforms.  In  Orthogeomys  and 
all  the  known  species  of  Reterogeomys  and  Macrogeomys  the  posterior 
limb  is  about  double  the  length  of  the  anterior;  and  except  in  M. 
heterodus  it  actually  reaches  the  hinder  border  of  the  tooth.  In  Ortho- 
geomys scalops  a  very  remarkable  condition  i)re vails;  the  outer  enamel 
plate  is  normally  divided  (fig.  62). 
7433— Fo!!  8 0 


82 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


Ill  riaiiigcomyH  the  outer  enamel  baiul  is  iiornially  either  straight  or 
bent  outward  at  the  extreme  anterior  end — not  U  shaped  as  in  Crato- 
geomys  proper. 

In  the  remaining  groups  a  widely  dilt'erent  condition  obtains:  The 
outer  enamel  plate  is  much  reduced,  and  as  a  rule  the  two  arms  are  sub- 
equal.  This  type  prevails  in  Cratogeomys  proper  and  in  Zygogeomys — 
groups  whose  interrelations  are  distant  and  obscure.  In  Crato- 
geomys the  outer  plate  is  normally  ( ?)  reduced  to  a  mere  angle  or 
U-shai^ed  piece  at  the  bottom  of  the  sulcus  that  gives  the  outer  side 

of  the  tooth  the  semblance  to  a  dou- 
ble prism  (tig.  35,  •'"  and  ''),  leaving  a 
wide  unprotected  interval  (cement 
band)  on  each  side.  It  is  variable, 
however,  and  in  some  specimens  the 
posterior  arm  reaches  nearly  to  the 
end  of  the  heel  (fig.  35,  ^).  The  dif- 
ference maybe  sexual;  but  owing 
to  the  difficulty  in  determining  the 
sex  in  these  animals,  which  difflculty 
is  greatly  increased  in  the  case  of 
the  young,  it  is  unsafe  to  place 
much  reliance  ou  the  sex  marks 
accompanying  the  specimens.  Still 
there  is  reason  for  suspecting  that 
those  specimens  in  which  the  outer  plate  is  elongated  x)osterioiiy  are 
females.  The  variation  is  much  greater  in  some  species  than  in  others. 
It  is  most  extreme  iu  C,  castanopi^  (fig  29),  and  least,  so  far  as  our 
material  goes,  iu  G.  perotensis  and  estor.  In  advanced  age  it  some- 
times happens  that  the  lateral  enamel  bands  become  abnormally  short 
on  one  or  both  sides  and  very  rarely  become  divided  in  the  middle. 
Accidents  of  this  sort  are  probably  the  result  of  shrinkage  or  atrophy 
of  the  enamel  organ. 

Iu  the  genus  Zygogeomys  the  outer  angle  is  more  open  and  the  enamel 
plate  covers  about  half  of  the  outer  side  of  the  tooth. 

The  outer  enamel  plate  is  slightly  longer  than  the  inner  in  Platy- 
geomys^  and  much  longer  in  Heterogeomys,  Orthogeomys,  and  Macro- 
geomys  (except  in  M.  heterodus);  it  is  subequal  or  shorter  in  all  the 
other  known  forms. 

Inner  [Ungual)  enamel  plate. — The  inner  plate  is  much  less  variable 
than  the  outer,  as  jn-eviously  stated.  It  is  straight  or  slightly  convex, 
except  in  the  few  species  that  have  a  real  sulcus  on  the  inner  side,  con- 
verting the  tooth  into  a  complete  double  prism.  In  these  its  anterior 
part  curves  or  bends  outward.  This  condition  is  known  in  the  three 
genera,  Heterogeomys.,  MaerogeomySj  and  Orthogeomys.  In  Heterogeomys 
the  outward  curvature  is  slight  (fig.  34,  ^"  and  i^);  in  Macrogeomys  cJoli- 
eliocephalus  and  Orthogeomys  latifrons  it  is  strong  (fig.  34,  i*  and').    In 


Pig.  35.— Variations  in  form  of  crown  and 
enamel  pattern  of  ni^  in  Platygeomyg  and  in 
Cratogeomys  merriami. 

1, 2.  Flatygeomys  gymnurus. 

3.  Flatygeomys  tylorhinus. 

4.  Flatygeomys ftimosus. 

5-8.  Cratogeomys  merriami  (all  from  Ameca- 
meca,  Mexico). 


JAN.,  1895]  THE    UNWORN    TEETH.  83 

leiigtli  and  position  the  inner  plate  is  much  more  variable:  It  reaches 
the  hinder  end  of  the  toDth  in  Geomys  proper,  Gratogeomys,  Pap^wgeomys, 
Flatygcomi/s*  Zygogeoinys,  and  OrfJiogeomys;  falls  slightly  short  of  the 
end  in  Macrogeomys,  and  very  considerably  short  in  Ileterogeomys.  In 
Heterogeomys  it  barely  covers  half  of  the  inner  side  of  the  tocth;  in  all 
the  other  known  species  it  covers  nearly  two-thirds  or  more  than  two- 
thirds  of  the  inner  side.  The  condition  in  Ileterogeomys  therefore  is 
clearly  exceptional. 

CHARACTERS    OF    THE    UNWORN    TEETH. 

Specimens  of  pocket  gophers  young  enough  to  show  the  deciduous 
premolars  and  the  unworn  crowns  of  some  of  the  molars  are  so  exceed- 
ingly rare  that  I  have  seen  but  four  in  the  entire  series  of  specimens 
of  this  genus  examined  in  the  preparation  of  the  present  paper.  Two 
of  these  are  Geomys  bursarius  from  Elk  River,  Minn.,  collected  by  Ver- 
non Bailey  April  29,  1888,  and  May  14,  188G  (Xos.  4909  and  2927,  Mer- 
riam  collection);  f he  third  is  a  young  Geomys  mohilensis  from  Milton, 
Florida.  The  fourth  is  a  juvenile  specimen  of  Heterogeomys  torridus 
from  Motzorongo,  Mexico,  collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson  March  5,  1894 
(No.  03043,  IJ.  S.  :N^.  M.).  The  unworn  teeth  are  so  much  alike  in  the 
two  genera  that  they  may  be  described  together. 

Incisors. — In  both  genera  the  grooves  in  the  front  face  of  the  upper 
incisors  are  very  much  deeper  and  larger  than  iu  the  adult,  and  the 
convexities  are  much  more  strongly  rounded.  In  the  young  of  Geomys 
hursarius  the  two  grooves  do  not  present  the  dispro[»ortion  character- 
istic of  the  adults,  the  small  inner  groove  being  relatively  much  deeper 
and  larger,  though  by  no  means  so  large  as  the  median  groove. 

Deciduous  premolars. — The  crown  of 
the  upper  deciduous  premolar  is  much 
elongated  and  has  an  anterior  prism  in 

addition  to  the  double  prism  of  the  per-     t,T>in--/y/.  |  |\|    l)\\f-\""~^3 
manent  tooth  (pi.  TO,  figs.  1  and  3).     The 
double  prisms  are  united  on  tiie  inner  '^   r^ 

(lingual)  side,  forminga  U-shaped  grind-       fig.  se.-Lower  moiariform  teeth  of  a 

iug    surface    (with    the    opening    directed       "•'^^'S'  yo«ng   Geomys  bunanus,  showing 

.  „         ]\-j?         j.j?i-i  j_ii  ileciduovis   and   permauent   premohir  in 

outward)  m  front  of  which,  separated  by       ,i,„^  ,,,^  nn  worn  crown  of  m  ,  which  has 

sulcus,  is  the  small  transversely  elongated      not  yet  reached  tlie  plane  of  the  crowns 

summit  of  the  anterior  prism.  ^  The  crown  °'  *''"  "''^'''  '"'"'• 
of  the  lower  deciduous  premolar  is  likewise  much  elongated,  and  it  is 
irregularly  and  incompletely  divided  into  three  lobes  (pi.  10,  figs.  2  and 
4&).  Both  upper  and  lower  premolars  have  the  anterior  and  posterior 
roots  far  apart,  and  the  permanent  premolar  may  be  seen  between  them 
(fig.  30,  and  pi.  10,  figs.  1-4,  a). 

*In  Platygeomys  fumosus  the  inner  enamel  band  seems  to  be  normally  shorter  than 
the  outer,  and  only  half  or  less  than  half  the  length  of  the  anterior  band  (fig.  35^). 


tKT 


84 


NORTH    AMEKICAN   FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


Permanent  premolars. — One  of  the  upi^er  deciduous  premolars  (pi. 
16,  fig.  1  h)  has  been  removed  from  the  baby  skull  of  Heterogeomys  tor- 
ridiis,  exposing  the  unworn  crown  of  the  permanent  premolar  (pi.  10, 
fig.  l.r).  The  permanent  j)remolar  also  has  been  removed  and  figured 
in  several  positions  to  show  the  form,  size,  and  relations  of  its  primi- 
tive enamel  cap  (pi.  16,  figs.  5,  6,  and  7).  For  ready  comparison,  the 
corresponding  tooth  in  an  adult  of  the  same  species  has  been  figured 
also  (pi.  16,  fig.  12).  On  reference  to  pi.  16  it  will  be  seen  not  only 
that  the  crown  of  the  young  premolar  is  completely  enveloped  with 
enamel,  but  that  the  enamel  cap  reaches  down  over  the  shaft  of  the 
double  prism,  covering  nearly  half  of  the  tooth  (figs.  5,  6,  and  7)  and 
passing  continuously  into  the  four  enamel  bands  that  alone  remain  in 
the  adult  (fig.  12*).  The  fact  that  the  young  of  the  various  species  as 
usually  obtained  rarely  show  any  trace  of  the  enamel  cap  indicates 
that  the  growth  of  the  young  teeth  and  grinding  down  of  the  crowns 
progress  with  surprising  rapidity.  A  very  young  Cratogeomys  casta 
7iops  from  Las  Animas,  Colo.,  collected  by  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher,  has  only  a 
remnant  of  the  enamel  cap  left  (i)l.  16,  fig.  14). 

The  unworn  crown  of  the  upper  premolar  (pi.  16,  figs.  1  a',  5,  6,  7)  has 
a  single  transverse  crest  on  the  anterior  prism,  an  incompletely  double 
transverse  crest  on  the  posterior  prisni,  and  an  oblique  ridge  connect- 
ing the  two  on  the  inner  side.  The  single  crest  of  the  anterior  prism 
is  notched  or  bifid  at  the  apex,  and  has  a  small  upright  lobule  at  the 

base  of  the  notch  on  the  inner  side. 
The  double  crest  of  the  posterior  prism 
is  open  on  the  outer  side,  and  the  crest 
as  a  whole  is  roughly  and  narrowly 
U-shaped.  The  summit  of  the  anterior 
crest  is  bilobate;  that  of  each  arm  of 
the  posterior  crest  is  irregularly  tri- 
lobate or  trituberculate.  .  fl 
0  ••-!        ;  I      ■"  s  -  >*                       The  enamel  cap  of  the  permanent 

lower  premolar  is  a  complete  double 
prism,  each  moiety  of  which  bears  an 
independent  transversely  elongated 
crest  (fig.  37).  The  summit  of  the  an- 
terior crest  (fig.  37-),  is  trituberculate; 
that  of  the  posterior  is  incompletely 
double,  being  split  lengthwise  into  two 
unequal  parts,  the  posterior  of  which  is 
the  shorter  and  more  irregular.  The  trituberculate  crest  of  the  anterior 
prism  is  bilaterally  symmetrical.  There  are  two  large  tubercles  or  lobes, 
one  on  each  side,  and  a  smaller  median  one,  which  is  much  elongated 
antero-posteriorly  and  is  continuous  ■oith  the  ridge  connecting  the 
anterior  and  posterior  prisms. 

*In  figs.  5,  6,  7,  and  12  the  cement  bands  are  shaded,  thus  serving  to  hringout 
the  enamel  more  distinctly. 


eo-- 


Fig.  37. — Right  lowenin  worn  permanent 
premolar  of  Heteroijeomi/s  torridus:  (1) 
inner  or  lingual  side ;  (2)  enamel  cap  from 
above;  c,  cement  bands;  e,  enamel;  eo, 
enamel  organ. 


JAN.,  1895. 


THE    UNWORN    MOLARS. 


85 


e  -- 


c   -- 


Molars. — In  all  of  tlie  young  skulls  under  consideration  the  decidu- 
ous premolar  and  the  intermediary  molars  (m  1  and  U)  have  been 
used,  and  their  enamel  caps  have  been  partly  ground  down,  while  the 
permanent  premolars  and  last  molars  have  not  yet  sutiered  attrition. 
The  premolar  has  been  already  described.  The  enamel  cap  of  the  last 
hirer  molar,  which  has  not  yet  reached  the  plane  of  the  crowns  of  the 
other  teeth  (lig.  38  and  pi.  16,  tigs.  2,  f7,  4,  ^Z,  and  9,  d), 
presents  two  complete  transverse  crests,  each  of 
which  has  an  undulating  summit  incompletely 
divided  into  three  lobes.  The  two  crests  are  sepa- 
rated by  a  deep  furrow  and  show  no  tendency  to 
come  together  at  any  point.  The  enamel  cap  covers 
a  little  more  than  half  of  the  tooth  (fig.  38,  e).  The 
last  upper  molar  (pi.  10,  figs.  1,  c  and  3,  c)  has  just 
reached  the  level  of  the  other  teeth.  Its  unworn 
crown  in  both  genera  presents  a  well-defined  anterior 
and  a  less  distinctly  defined  po.sterior  crest,  sepa- 
rated by  an  interspace  which  is  bridged  over  by  an 
oblique  enamel  ridge  on  the  inner  side  of  the  median 
line.  The  anterior  crest  is  incompletely  trilobate. 
The  posterior  crest  is  thickened  and  less  symmetrical 
than  the  anterior,  and  in  Heterogeomys  torridus  (pi. 
10,  fig.  1,  c)  it  is  incompletely  double,  being  partly 
divided  by  a  transverse  excavation. 

The  crowns  of  the  first  and  second  upper  molars  present  different 
degrees  of  wear  in  the  three  young  specimens  at  hand,  and  none  of 
them  are  young  enough  to  show  the  transverse  crests  by  which  they 
were  undoubtedly  crowned  before  the  tops  of  their  enamel  caps  were 
ground  down.  The  wearing,  however,  has  not  progressed  so  far  as  to 
obliterate  the  double  crowns  characteristic  of  immaturity  except  in  the 
upper  molars  of  one  specimen  of  G.  bursarius  (I^o.  4009).  In  the  other 
skull  of  this  species  (jSTo.  2927)  a  transversely  elongated  loop  of  enamel 
incompletely  divides  the  grinding  surface  of  m'\  indicating  the  former 
presence  of  two  transverse  loops,  as  in  the  lower  molars.  In  the  lower 
series  the  double  crowns  are  well  shown  in  both  Geomys  bursarius  (pi. 
16,  fig.  4)  and  Heterogeomys  torridus  (pi.  16,  fig.  2).  In  one  skull  of 
Geomys  bursarius  (pi.  16,  fig.  4)  the  second  lower  molar  is  only  slightly 
worn,  and  its  crown  presents  two  transverse  loops  separated  by  a 
decided  depression.  In  the  other  skull  it  is  more  worn,  but  still  is  incom- 
pletely divided.  The  crown  of  the  first  lower  molar  in  both  skulls  is 
deeply  notched  on  the  inner  side  and  slightly  on  the  outer,  showing  that 
when  unworn  it  resembled  the  others. 

i^ummary.— The  summits  of  the  unworn  molariform  teeth  in  Geomys 
and  allied  genera  are  not  only  completely  covered  with  enamel,  but  the 
enamel  cap  is  complicated  by  crests  and  tubercles.  The  permanent 
premolar,  which  is  a  double  i)rism,  has  a  single  transverse  crest  over 


-  eo 


Fig.  38.— Right  last 
lower  molar  of  very 
yonng  Heterogeomys  tor- 
ridus (from  game  speci, 
men  as  fig.  37) ;  inner  or 
lingual  side,  showing 
unworn  enamel  cap,  and 
relations  of  enamel  and 
dentine  lower  down :  c- 
cement  bands ;  e,  enamel ; 
eo,  enamel  organ. 


86  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

the  anterior  prism  and  a  partly  double  crest  over  the  posterior.  The 
true  molars  are  bilophodont,  each  carrying  two  transverse  crests.  In 
the  case  of  the  last  upper  molar,  the  i)osterior  crest  is  thickened  and 
somewhat  irregular  and  may  represent  the  coalescence  of  two  crests. 
It  is  joined  to  the  anterior  by  an  oblique  ridge  on  the  inner  side.  In 
the  premolar  and  last  molar,  above  and  below,  the  summit  of  each  crest 
is  more  or  less  distinctly  divided  into  two  or  three  lobes  or  tubercles. 
There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the  crowns  of  the  intermediary 
molars  (m  '  and  ')  are  similarly  crested-tuberculate  when  in  the  unworn 
condition,  but  in  the  specimens  at  hand  their  summits  are  worn  down 
too  far  to  show  it. 

The  crowns  of  the  unworn  teeth  are  bilophodont  in  all  the  lower 
molars  and  in  the  first  and  second  upper  molars.  The  premolar  and 
last  upper  molar  (m^)  may  be  considered  as  imperfectly  trilophodont, 
the  posterior  prism  in  each  instance  being  incompletely  double. 

The  theory  that  permanently  rootless  teeth  with  flat  griiiding  crowns 
are  more  primitive  and  less  specialized  than  rooted  teeth  with  tubercu- 
late  crowns  receives  a  decided  setback  in  the  circumstance  that  the 
young  unworn  molars  in  the  Geomyiilw  are  provided  with  crested-tuber- 
culate enamel  caps,  and  that  the  adult  teeth,  though  simple  when  con- 
sidered singly  as  individual  prisms,  constitute,  when  taken  collectively, 
one  of  the  most  highly  specialized  grinding  and  cutting  machines  thus 
fardiscovered. 

CHANGES      IN     FORM     AND     ENAMEL      PATTERN     OF     YOUNG     TEETH 
RESULTING  FROM   WEAR. 

As  already  stated,  the  bilophodont  crowns  of  the  embryo  and  very 
young  molars  are  hardly  ever  seen,  the  wearing  down  of  the  primitive 
enamel  cap  proceeding  so  rapidly  that  the  youngest  specimens  ordina- 
rily coming  under  the  eye  of  the  naturalist  have  flat  grinding  surfaces  as 
in  the  mature  animal.  During  the  reduction  of  the  young  crown  four 
different  types  of  enamel  i)attern,  represeutingas  many  stages  of  wear, 
succeed  one  another  as  follows: 

First  stage  (before  the  crests  are  completely  obliterated) :  iico  parallel 
disconnected  transverse  loops. 

Second  stage  (when  the  sulcus  between  the  crests  is  reached):  a 
figure  8. 

Third  stage  (after  the  sulcus  is  passed  and  before  the  tops  of  the 
cement  bands  are  reached) :  a  continuous  ring  or  circle. 

Fourth  stage  (after  the  tops  of  the  cement  bands  are  reached):  the 
pattern  of  the  mature  tooth,  consisting  of  from  one  to  three  bands  of 
enamel  alternating  with  the  same  number  of  bauds  of  cement,  as  already 
explained  in  detail. 

The  first  stage  is  of  brief  duration ;  the  second  still  more  evanescent; 
the  third  decidedly  longer  than  the  first  and  second  together;  the  fourth 
continues  throughout  the  life  of  the  animal. 


A 


JAN.,  1895.]  ENAMEL    ORGAN   AND    OSTEODENTINE.  87 

During  the-eaiiy  part  of  the  fourth  stage  the  form  of  the  shaft  of  the 
tooth  changes,  the  double  prism  characteristic  of -extreme  youth  giving 
place  to  the  single  elliptical  prism  of  the  adult  (except  in  the  last  upper 
molar,  which  in  some  genera  remains  permanently  double).  It  seems 
remarkable  that  a  tooth  having  a  large  double  crown  like  the  first  and 
second  lower  molars  of  the  very  young  animal  (pi.  IG,  figs.  2  and  4) 
should  be  capable  of  changing  its  form  to  that  of  the  single  transverse 
ellipse  of  the  adult  (pi.  10,  fig.  17)  in  a  very  brief  period  and  without 
molting  the  tooth.  That  it  does  so  is  not  open  to  question,  and  may 
be  demonstrated  by  making  a  section  of  the  lower  part  of  the  young 
touth.  This  has  been  done  in  the  case  of  the  second  lower  molar,  as 
shown  in  pi.  16,  fig.  4,  where  4c.x  is  a  transverse  section  of  the  same 
tooth  from  the  lower  fourth.  'The  antero-posterior  diameter  of  the 
tooth  decreases  from  above  downward  and  the  vertical  groove  on  each 
side  becomes  shallower  and  shallower  and  finally  disappears.  The 
change  in  the  shape  of  the  crown  takes  place  naturally  by  the  rapid 
wearing  down  of  the  grinding  surface,  which  brings  successively  lower 
parts  to  the  top. 

THE   ENAMEL    ORG^AN. 

Throughout  the  group  the  enamel  organ  is  situated  at  the  base  of  the 
teeth,  as  usual  in  rodents  having  prismatic  molars.  In  the  young  tooth 
the  enamel  organ  is  very  much  larger  than  in  the  adult,  owing  doubt- 
less to  the  greater  rapidity  of  growth  in  early  life.  Thus  on  referring 
to  pi.  10  (figs.  5,  0,  and  7)  it  will  be  seen  that  the  enamel  organ  occupies 
about  one- fifth  of  the  length  of  the  upper  premolar  in  a  very  young 
animal,  while  in  the-correspouding  tooth  of  an  adult  of  the  same  species 
(fig.  12)  it  occupies  only  about  one-fifteenth  of  the  length  of  the  tooth.  In 
extreme  age  partial  atropliy  of  the  enamel  organ  sometimes  takes  place, 
causing  a  shortening  of  the  enamel  on  that  side.  In  a  few  instances  an 
enamel  plate  has  been  found  divided  in  the  middle,  due  doubtless  to 
atrophy  or  injury  of  the  enamel  organ  in  the  same  vertical  plane. 

OSTEODENTINS. 

A  core  of  osteodentine  traverses  the  central  jiart  of  each  tooth.  In 
the  premolars  and  all  of  the  molars  except  m^  it  forms  a  large  elliptical 
shaft  in  the  middle  of  each  prism.  In  m^,  whether  single  or  double,  the 
osteodentine  is  a  single  core,  conforming  in  shape  to  the  shape  of  the 
tooth.  On  all  sides  it  passes  into  the  true  dentine,  by  which  it  is  com- 
pletely enveloped  except  at  the  free  ends.  At  the  lower  end  it  passes 
insensibly  into  the  growing  pulp.  In  other  words,  the  osteodentine  is 
a  central  core  consisting  of  the  hardening  pulp  .and  containing  the 
vessels  by  means  of  which  the  tooth  is  nourished.  In  the  Geomyidct'  it 
forms  a  considerable  part  of  the  substance  of  the  tooth,  as  usual  in  pris- 
matic teeth  growing  from  persistent  pulps.  In  the  genera  Geomys  and 
Cratogeomys  it  is  pale  bufty  or  yellowish  brown  in  color,  and  conse- 


88  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

quently  not  conspicuous.  In  the  genera  Heterogeomys  and  Zygogeomys 
it  is  dark  brown,  in  striking  contrast  to  the  white  of  the  rest  of  the 
tooth. 

MECHANISM  AND   DYNAMICS   OF  THE   CUTTING   MACHINE   AS  A 

VTHOLE. 

The  individual  teeth  have  been  described.  It  remains  to  consider 
them  as  parts  of  a  complex  and  highly  specialized  mechanism  for  cut- 
ting and  slicing  the  food,  to  describe  the  muscles  that  operate  the 
machine,  to  mention  other  structures  concerned  in  the  act  of  mastica- 
tion, and  to  show  how  a  bit  of  root  or  other  hard  vegetable  tissue  is 
cut  loose,  sliced,  and  reduced  to  puli>  ready  to  pass  into  the  stomach. 

The  primary  object  of  the  dental  armature  is  twofold:  (1)  To  enable 
the  animal  to  bite  or  chisel  off"  pieces  of  the  hard  vegetable  substances 
on  which  it  feeds,  and  (2)  to  reduce  these  pieces  to  a  condition  of 
minute  subdivision  suitable  to  be  tuined  over  to  the  stomach  for 
digestion.  The.  incisors  serve  the  additional  jHirpose  of  bars,  axes,  and 
picks  in  helping  the  animal  overcome  the  various  obstacles  encoun- 
tered in  driving  its  tunnels  through  different  soils.  When  the  front 
teeth  are  used  for  this  purpose,  the  resulting  dirt  and  chips  are  kept 
out  of  the  mouth  x^roper-  by  a  furry  partition,  elsewhere  described, 
which  divides  the  mouth- as  a  whole  into  two  chambers. 

MANNER.  OF   ATTACHMENT   OF   THE    TEETH. 

The-  way  the  teeth  are  fastened  in  their  sockets  is  in  harmony  with 
the  other  remarkable  adaptations  of  the  grinding  apparatus.  The 
attachment  is  effected  by  means  of  the  periosteum  of  the  alveolus, 
which  does  not  invest  the  teeth,  but  is  firmly  adherent  to  the  cement 
bands,  leaving' the  enamel  faces  free.  Thus  each  tooth  is  suspended 
by  one  or  more  vertical  cushions,  which  extend  all  the  way  from  root 
to  gum.  This  method  of  attachment  not  only  relieves  the  tender  pulp 
at  the  base  of  the  tooth  from  pressure,  but  gives  to  the  cutting  edge 
or  edges  an  elasticity  that  must  be  highly  effective.  In  the  case  of 
the  incisors,  the  area  of  attachment  is  very  extensive,  comprising  the 
whole  of  the  tooth  below  the  gum  except  the  enamel  face.  The  lower 
molars  throughout  the  entire  group,  and  the  intermediary  uj)per 
molars  in  the  genus  Cratoffcomys,  are  attached  in  the  same  way  on  one 
side  only — the  side  opposite  to  the  enamel  ov  cutting  edge.  In  the 
case  of  the  upper  premolars  the  principal  attachment  is  along  the 
posterior  face  of  the  posterior  prism,  while  a  supplementary  band  on 
eacli  side  of  the  anterior  prism  serves  to  keep  the  cutting  edges  always 
in  place.  In  those  species  in  which  the  posterior  prism  of  the  upper 
premolar  develops  an  enamel  band  on  its  inner  or  lingual  side,  the 
tooth  is  suspended  by  four  cement  bands.  The  lower  premolar  is 
attached  by  four  narrow  lateral  bands.  The»last  upi^er  molar  is  inva- 
riably held  firmly  in  place  by  three  cement  bands,  one  on  each  side 
anteriorly  and  one  on  or  near  the  median  line  behind. 


.TAN.,  1895.1  THE   CUTTING   MACHINE.  89 

DYNAMICS   OF   THE   INCISORS. 

The  upper  incisor  has  been  shown  to  curve  in  the  arc  of  a  circle,  to 
cover  a  little  more  than  a  complete  semicircle,  and  to  lie  in  a  single 
plane  (figs.  18  and  19).  Its  root  is  very  long  with  relation  to  the  length 
of  the  muzzle,  always  overreaching  the  first  upper  molar.  It  is 
implanted  in  such  manner  that  its  cutting  edge  is  directed  downward 
and  slightly  backward.  The  hiwer  incisor  has  been  shown  to  curve 
outward  in  an  incomplete  spiral,  and  to  traverse  the  entire  length  of 
the  mandible — its  root  projecting  on  the  outer  side  of  the  condylar  proc- 
ess, where  it  is  incased  in  a  thin  capsule  of  bone.  This  small  capsule 
contains  the  pulp  from  which  the  tooth  continually  grows  to  replace 
the  wear  at  the  other  end.  The  extreme  development  of  these  teeth  is 
proportionate,  of  course,  to  the  strain  put  u^jon  them  in  chiseling  hard 
roots.  The  upper  incisor  is  subjected  to  less  strain  than  the  lower,  and 
its  principal  function  seems  to  be  to  anchor  the  cutting  machine  to  the 
substance  operated  on,  while  the  greatly  elongated  lower  incisor  does 
most  of  the  work.  The  free  end  of  the  lower  incisor  slopes  forward 
and  upward,  its  angle  of  implantation  being  difierent  from  that  of  the 
upper.  Tims,  while  the  upper  incisor  remains  stationary,  its  recurved 
and  usually  divided  tip  enabling  it  to  hold  fast  to  the  object  to  be  cut, 
the  lower  incisor  plays  rapidly  back  and  forth  like  a  steam  drill,  its 
straight  enamel  edge  doing  the  cutting. 

The  great  length  of  the  incisors  within  the  alveolus  is  necessary  in 
order  to  counterbalance  the  length  of  the  part  that  protrudes  beyond 
the  jaws,  and  also  to  afford  a  large  surface  for  attachment  within  the 
alveolus  so  as  to  relieve  the  growing  root  from  pressure.  The  way  the 
teeth  are  attached  to  the  jaw  by  a  long  belt  or  cushion,  which  envelops 
all  but  the  enamel  ftice,  gives  to  the  cutting  edge  an  elasticity  that 
must  be  of  great  service,  not  only  in  increasing  the  efficiency  of  the  act 
of  chiseling,  but  also  in  relieving  the  tooth  from  jar. 

It  remains  to  notice  the  interesting  secondary  modifications  of  the 
skull  and  molariform  teeth,  by  means  of  which  the  animal  is  enabled  to 
open  the  front  part  of  the  mouth  wide  enough  to  use  the  incisors  to 
advantage.  The  molariform  teeth  stand  much  higher  out  of  the  jaw 
anteriorly  than  posteriorly,  and  their  roots  increase  in  length  propor- 
tionally (fig.  18).  The  premolars,  both  above  and  below,  protrude 
twice  or  more  than  twice  as  far  as  the  last  molars.  Thus,  when  the 
mouth  is  shut  and  the  teeth  pressed  firmly  together,  the  jaws  are  at 
least  twice  as  far  apart  at  the  anterior  as  at  the  posterior  end  of  the 
molar  series.  N"ow,  the.distance  from  the  crown  of  the  premolar  to  the 
putting  edge  of  the  upper  incisor  is  two  and  one-half  to  three  times  the 
length  of  the  molariform  series  on  the  crowns,  and  the  axis  of  the  skull 
is  nearly  parallel  to  the  plane  of  the  crowns  of  the  molar  teeth.  Hence, 
without  any  other  help  and  with  the  mouth  shut,  the  ends  of  the  jaws 
(where  the  incisors  cut  the  gums)  would  be  from  five  to  six  times  fur- 


90 


NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


ther  apart  than  at  the  plane  of  the  posterior  molars.*  This  arrange- 
ment permits  the  necessary  i^rotrusion  of  the  jncisors,  the  cutting 
edges  of  ^vhich,  as  a  rule,  reach  the  plane  of  the  crowns  of  the  molars 
in  the  upper  jaw  and  slightly  pass  this  plane  in  the  lower  jaw.  The 
great  advantage  of  this  arrangement  is  most  apparent  during  the  act 
of  biting  off  hard  roots,  when  a  very  slight  opening  of  the  mouth  proper, 
entailing  only  a  slight  separation  of  the  molars,  is  sufiBcient  (multiplied 
along  the  length  of  the  strongly  divaricating  jaws)  to  separate  the 
chisel  ends  of  the  incisors  widely,  enabling  them  to  grasp  objects  of 
comparatively  large  size. 

DYNAMICS   OF   THE   MOLARIFORM   TEETH. 

(a)  Planner  of  implantation  and  curvatures. 

The  angle  of  implantation  of  the  molar  series  as  a  whole  in  both 
upper  and  lower  jaws  is  peculiar.  A  transverse  section  of  the  skull 
(fig.  39)  shows  that  the  roots  of  the  upper  molars  are  nearer  the  median 
line  than  the  crowns.!  It  follows  that  the  upper  tooth  rows  are  strongly 
divergent  from  root  to  crown  (fig.  39,  e).  In  the  lower  series  the  con- 
Terse  occurs,  the  tooth  rows  converging  from  root  to  crown  (fig.  39,/). 
The  upper  molars  slope  strongly  and  curve  moderately  outward  from 
root  to  crown,  while  the  lower  molars  both  slope  and  curve  strongly 
outward  from  crown  to  root. 

The  crowns  of  the  opposing  series  do  not  meet  in  a  horizontal  plane, 
^  but    are   obliquely  truncated:    the 

upper  series  face  obliquely  doivn- 
tvard  and  outward;  the  lower  series 
obliquely  upward  and  inward  (fig. 
39).  When  the  jaws  are  shut,  lateral 
movement  in  a  horizontal  plane  is 
impossible.  If  a  circle  is  drawn 
around  the  upper  molars  (fig.  40)  it 
is  at  once  apparent  that  during  the 
lateral  movement  of  the  mandible 
the  crowns  of  the  teeth  move  side- 
ways in  the  arc  of  a  circle,  thus  giv- 
ing the  utmost  possible  mechanical 
advantage.  The  axis  of  rotation  is 
in  or  near  the  basicranial  axis,  and 
the  axis  or  arc  of  oscillation  is  short, 
as  in  a  pendulum.  To  enable  the  teeth  to  withstand  the  great  pressure 
to  which  they  are  thus  subjected,  they  have  developed  very  Ion  >■  roots 

*The  actual  condition  is  not  exactly  as  here  described.  In  the  case  of  the  lower 
jaw  the  distance  is  decreased  by  the  upward  curvature  of  the  anterior  end  of  the  jaw 
and  the  shortening  of  the  diastema.  lu  the  upper  jaw  it  is  increased  by  the  excava- 
tion of  the  under  side  of  the  rostrum  between  the  molars  and  incisors. 

t  The  roots  of  the  upper  premolars  are  even  nearer  together  than  those  of  the  molars ; 
they  are,  in  fact,  almost  in  contact. 


Fig.  39. — Transverse  section  of  skull  of 
Platygeomys  gi/mmirus,  showing  manner  of 
implantation  and  relations  of  niolariform  teeth- 
a,  Frontal;  &,  zygoma;  c,  palate;  d,  mandible; 
e,  upper  molar ;  /,  lower  molar ;  g,  incisor. 


JAN..  1895.] 


DYNAMICS    OF    THE    MOLAR    TEETH. 


91 


Fig.  40.— Upper  and  lower 
molars  of  Flatygeomys  gym- 
7iurus  in  normal  position, 
showingangle  of  truncation 
of  crowns,  necessitating 
lateral  movement  in  arc  of 
circle. 


and  a  system  of  complex  curvatures  and  oblique  implantations,  and 
uie  suspended  in  their  sockets  by  vertical  bands  of  periosteum,  as 
already  described.  When  the  jaws  are  shut,  the  molars  on  each  side 
curve  outward  so  strongly  that  the  distance  be 
tween  them  below  (between  roots  of  lower  series) 
is  several  times  greater  than  above  (between  roots 
of  upper  series).  The  result  of  this  arrangement 
is  that  the  molar  teeth,  during  the  lateral  move- 
ment of  the  act  of  grinding  the  food,  press  upon 
the  opposing  series  not  only  iu  such  manner  as  to 
secure  the  greatest  mechanical  advantage,  but 
also  so  as  to  produce  the  least  jar,  since  the  press- 
ure in  both  directions  is  distributed  over  arcs  of 
circles.  But  this  is  not  all,  for  if  the  tooth  rows 
are  viewed  from  the  side  another  remarkable 
complex  of  curvatures  appears  (figs.  18  and  20). 
It  is  now  seen  that  in  addition  to  the  lateral  curvatures  there  are 
strongly  developed  antero-posterior  curves  and  incomplete  spiral 
curves.  In  the  upper  series  the  premolar  always  slopes  strongly 
forward,  and  the  molars  curve  backward  from  crown  to  root.  In  the 
lower  jaw  the  premolar  and  intermediary  molars  (mi  and  m-z)  curve  for- 
ward from  crown  to  root  and  the  posterior  molar  backward.  The 
lower  premolar  is  the  largest  and  heaviest  tooth  of  the  molariform 
series;  it  is  strongly  concave  forward,  convex  backward,  and  is  im- 
planted nearly  vertically.  The  last  molar  is  the  smallest  tooth,  and 
both  slopes  and  curves  strongly  backward  from  crown  to  root.  The 
end  teeth  of  each  series  thus  act  as  braces  to  support  the  tooth  row  as 
a  whole  during  the  antero-posterior  movement  of  the  jaws  in  grinding, 
and  to  keep  the  molars  constantly  'keyed  up,'  so  preventing  any  tend- 
ency to  spacing  between  the  crowns. 

In  addition  to  the  curvatures  described, 
the  molariform  teeth  are  usually  more  or 
less  twisted  spirally  on  their  vertical  axes, 
so  that  the  two  ends  lie  in  different  tan- 
gential planes.  Furthermore,  the  outer 
(concave)  edge  is  commonly  shorter  than 
the  inner  (convex)  edge. 

The  molariform  teeth  are  so  implanted 
that  the  roots  of  each  lateral  series,  above 
and  below,  lie  iu  at  least  two  antero- 
posterior planes,  the  roots  of  the  premolar  and  last  molar  in  both  jaws 
l^eing  nearer  the  median  line  of  the  skull  than  those  of  the  intermedi- 
ary molars.  The  discrepancy  is  most  marked  in  the  lower  series,  where 
the  posterior  lower  molars  (mj  and  m.^)  actually  straddle  the  root  of  the 
incisor  (fig.  41).  The  roots  of  nii  and  m2  curve  down  outside  (on  the 
buccal  side)  of  the  incisor,  while  that  of  m3  lies  on  its  inner  (lingual) 
side.    In  order  to  do  this  the  latter  tooth  (ms)  not  only  curves  strongly 


-"Vn"! 


Fig.  41.— Cross  section  of  mandible 
of  Plati/geomys  (jymnimis,  showing  how 
roots  of  nij  and  ms  straddle  the  incisor. 


92 


NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 


[no.  8. 


backward  but  is  twisted  on  its  own  axis  sufficiently  to  enable  its  root 
to  lie  flatwise  against  the  inner  side  of  the  incisor. 

(&)  Injiuence  of  the  direction  of  the  jmc  movement  on  the  molariform 

teeth. 

The  direction  of  the  dominant  movement  of  the  jaw  exerts  a  marked 
efl'ect  upon  the  size,  curvatures,  proportions,  and  number  of  enamel 
plates  of  the  molariform  teeth.  This  is  well  shown  in  comparing  teeth 
from  skulls  of  the  same  size  of  Macrogeomys  doUchocephalus  and 
Platygeomys  gymnurus. 

(1)  Effect  on  the  size  and  curvature  of  the  prisms. — The  length  of  the 
molariform  series  on  the  crowns  is  approximately  the  same  in  both. 
In  M.  doUchocephalus,  in  which  the  principal  movement  is  antero-pos- 
terior  or  nearly  so,  the  premolars  and  last  molars, 
which  form  the  end  posts  of  the  series,  are  very 
much  lengthened  and  enlarged,  while  the  inter- 
mediary molars  are  essentially  the  same  size  as 
in  P.  gymnurus,  in  which  animal  the  principal 
movement  is  transverse  or  obliquely  transverse. 
The  lower  premolar  of  doUchocephalus  (fig.  42,  a) 
contrasted  with  that  of  gymnurus  (fig.  42,  b)  is 
not  only  larger  and  longer,  but  its  root  curves 
forward  much  more  strongly,  increasing  its  resist- 
ing power  as  a  brace.  Throughout  the  group 
this  tooth  (the  lower  premolar)  acts  as  an  immov- 
able post  or  buttress  against  which  the  molars 
l^ress  during  the  to  and  fro  grinding  movement; 
hence  it  is  naturally  largest  in  those  species  in 
which  the  principal  movement  is  antero-pos- 
terior  (see  fig,  26).*  The  intermediary  upper  molars  (m^  and  m^)  are 
longer  and  less  curved  in  doUchocephalus  than  in  gymnurus;  the  inter- 
mediary lower  molars  (mj  and  m2)  are  essentially  equal  in  length  in 
the  two  forms  and  are  equally  curved,  but  the  curvatures  are  differ- 
ent: In  M.  doUchocephalus  the  upper  half  of  the  prism  is  nearly 
straight,  particularly  in  m^;  the  curvatures  are  more  abrupt;  the  ante- 
rior curve  is  much  greater  than  in  gymnurus,  and  the  spiral  twist  is 
more  pronounced,  the  root  end  of  the  teeth  rotating  more  strongly 
inward.  The  posterior  molar,  both  above  and  below,  is  much  broader 
and  heavier  in  doUchocephalus  than  in  gymnurus,  and  the  upper  one  is 
more  strongly  curved  backward.  The  strong  outward  inclination  of 
the  roots  of  the  end  teeth  of  the  series  tends  to  keep  the  molars  per- 
petually keyed  up,  preventing  any  spacing  between  the  crowns.  The 
destructive  effects  of  the  to-and-fro  movement  of  the  powerful  planing 
machine  are  thus  successfully  offset. 

*VVliat  the  lower  premolar  accomplishes  by  its  massiveness  and  fixed  position,  the 
upper  premolar  accomplishes  by  its  length  and  angle  of  implantation. 


Fig.  42.— Lower  premolar 
showing  difference  in  size 
and  curvature  according  to 
whether  the  domiuaut  jaw 
movement  is  to  and  fro  or 
sideways,  a  Macrogeomys 
doUchocephalus;  h  Platy- 
geomys gymnurui. 


.iAN.,J895.]        DYNAMICS  OF  THE  MOLAR  TEETH.  93 

(2)  Effect  on  the  proportions  of  the  prisms. — The  breadth  of  the  molar 
prisms  with  respect  to  their  anteroposterior  diameter  is  materially 
affected  by  the  direction  of  the  dominant  movement  of  the  jaw.  This 
is  readily  seen  in  the  crowns  which  are  much  more  elongated  trans- 
versely in  those  species  in  which  the  principal  movement  is  obliquely 
transverse  (P.  gymnurus  and  others)  than  in  those  in  which  it  is  chiefly 
antero -posterior  {M.  dolichocephalus  and  others).  In  the  former  series 
the  transverse  diameter  of  the  crown  (of  upper  molars)  averages  two 
and  one-half  times  the  antero-posterior;  in  the  latter,  only  two  times. 

(3)  Eff^ect  on  the  number  and  size  of  the  enmnel  plates. — Perhaps  the 
most  conspicuous  and  important  of  the  differences  in  the  molariform 
teeth,  resulting  from  the  direction  of  the  dominant  movement  of  the 
jaw,  is  in  the  number  of  the  enamel  plates  on  the  upper  intermediary 
molars.  Two  plates  are  invariably  present  in  those  forms  in  which 
the  dominant  movement  is  antero-posterior  (genera  Geomys,  Zyyogeomys, 
Orthogeomys,  Macrogeomys,  and  Heterogeomys) ;  while  only  one  is  present 
in  those  in  which  the  movement  is  obliquely  transverse  (genera  Platy- 
geomys  and  Gratogeomys).  In  the  latter  case  the  enamel  is  restricted 
to  the  front  face  of  the  tooth,  the  posterior  plate  being  obsolete,  and 
the  upper  premolar  resembles  the  molars  in  this  respect,  the  pt»sterior 
enamel  plate  being  invariably  absent. 

ARRANGEMENT  AND  MODE  OF  OPERATION  OF  THE  CUTTING  BLADES. 

The  arrangement  of  the  enamel  plates  and  the  direction  of  the  dom- 
inant movement  of  the  jaw  in  mastication  present  two  widely  different 
types  in  the  animals  under  consideration.  In  one  of  these  types  the 
principal  movement  is  obliquely  transverse;  in  the  other  it  is  antero- 
posterior.    They  may  be  best  considered  separately. 

{a)  Dominant  movement  of  jaw  obliquely  transverse. — When  the  upper 
tooth  row  of  Platygeomys  gymnurus,  or  any  other  species  in  which  the 
dominant  movement  is  obliiiuely  transverse  is 
examined  as  a  whole,  it  is  found  to  be  made  up 
of  five  flattened  columns  of  dentine  arranged 
seriatim  one  in  front  of  another,  and  each 
faced  in  front  with  a  vertical  plate  of  enamel 
which  projects  a  short  distance  beyond  the 
crown  (fig.  43  ').  These  five  enamel  plates  are 
strongly  convex  forward  and  their  curvatures       ^.^.o    t      ■.  a     ^ 

Fig.  43. — Longitudinal  section 

are  essentially  parallel  (fig.  44  ^).  An  addi-  of  molariform  teeth  of  piaty. 
tional  enamel  plate  covers  the  posterior  face    ^'""''"*  i/i/ ''"'«'•««   (cUagram- 

n   ..  .       .  .,,  „     ,  ,  matic).     (1)   Upper;  (2)  lower. 

ot  the  anterior  pillar  of  the  premolar  and  the 

isthmus  connecting  the  two  parts  of  this  tooth;  and  the  two  lateral 
plates  of  the  last  upper  molar  may  be  considered  as  together  forming 
another  cutting  plate,  making  seven  in  all  in  the  upper  series.  Turning 
now  to  the  opposing  series — the  lower  molars — the  opposite  or 
complementary  condition  prevails,  a  curved   enamel   plate  covering 


94 


NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  8. 


the  posterior  face  of  each  of  the  live  flattened  columns  of  dentine 
(figs.  43'  and  44-).  Two  additional  transverse  plates  complete  the 
armament  of  the  lower  premolar,  making  seven  in  all,  as  in  the  upper 
series.     It  should  be  observed  further  that  the  concave  sides  of  the  five 

regular  enamel  i)lates  face  bad-ward  in  the 
upper  series  and  forward  in  the  lower  series. 
If  now  the  two  series  are  superimposed  in 
the  position  they  naturally  assume  in  the 
mouth  (tig.  45),  and  the  lower  series  is  moved 
obliquely  forward  and  outward  in  the  direc- 
tion it  normally  takes  when  drawn  by  the 
masseter,  the  two  sets  of  curved  enamel 
blades  come  together  like  the  opposing 
blades  of  seven  pairs  of  shears  working 
almost  simultaneously,  with  this  difference 
in  favor  of  the  teeth,  that  in  addition  to  the  anteroposterior  closing 
movement  the  curved  blades  slide  over  one  another  laterally,  thus  giv- 
ing the  greatest  possible  advantage  in  slicing  the  hard  roots  and  other 
unyielding  substances  on  which  the  animals  feed.  The  length  of  the 
blades  gives  a  long  sweep,  while  the  curvature*  insures  the  passage  of 


Fig.  44.— Crowns  of  luolariforni 
teeth  of  Flatygeomys  gymniirns. 
(1)  Upper  series;   (2)  lower  series. 


Fig.  45. — Superimposed  molar  series  of  Platygeomys  gymnurus  showing  relations  of  enamel  blades 
(light  outlines  lower  .series;  dark,  upper);  a  front  end. 

each  particle  of  food  against  the  cutting  edges.  The  action  is  still 
further  favored  by  the  obli(i[ue  truncation  of  the  molar  crowns  and  the 
peculiar  method  of  suspension  already  described  whereby  the  unyield- 
ing enamel  blades  gain  an  elasticity  which  gives  them  a  shearing  motion 
of  the  highest  efficiency.  The  cutting  is  done  during  the  obliquely  for- 
ward movement  of  the  mandible;  the  complementary  movement  is  sim- 
l)ly  one  of  recovery  and  has  no  effect  on  the  food. 

The  forward  movement  is  evidently  complex  and  apparently  consists 
of  three  independent  motions  by  which  the  mandible  is  shifted  from 
side  to  side  in  a  zigzag  manner,  as  follows:  (1)  The  mandible  is  carried 
obliquely  forward  and  to  one  side  until  each  of  the  enamel  blades  has 
completed  a  shearing  cut  against  one  of  the  blades  of  the  upper  series; 
(2)  it  is  then  carried  obliquely  forward  in  the  opposite  direction  until 
each  blade  completes  another  cut;  (3)  it  then  turns  again  and  the 
molar  blades  accomplish  a  third  cut,  leaving  the  upper  and  lower  series 

*  The  concave  sides  of  the  enamel  blades  move  toward  aud  over  one  anotlier, 
inclosing  the  food  in  a  rapidly  contracting  loop,  the  opposite  sides  of  which  meet 
and  pass,  leaving  no  chance  for  food  to  escape. 


I 


JAN.,  1895.]  DYNAMICS    OF    THE    MOLAR    TEETH.  95 

nearly  in  the  same  vertical  plane.  The  lower  series  has  been  carried 
forward  so  that  each  tooth  stands  considerably  in  advance  of  the 
corresponding-  tooth  of  the  upper  series.  A  fourth  movement,  that  of 
recovery,  brings  the  mandible  back  to  the  starting  point.  The  limit  of 
the  to-and-fro  movement  is  nearly  the  same  throughout  the  family 
Geomyirl(e  and  is  measured  by  the  anteroposterior  diameter  of  the 
crown  of  the  premolar,  which  it  slightly  exceeds.  When  the  jaws  are 
at  rest  the  front  face  of  the  lower  premolar  rests  on  or  slightly  behind 
the  corresponding  face  of  the  upper  j)remolar.  When  the  jaw  is  drawn 
forward  until  the  lower  incisor  strikes  the  posterior  beveled  face  of  the 
upi)er  incisor,  the  lower  premolar  stands  free  from  and  wholly  anterior 
to  the  upper.  Hence,  the  thickness  of  the  premolar  is  slightly  less 
than  the  distance  covered  in  the  to-aud-fro  movement  of  the  jaw.  This 
being  the  case,  it  is  easy  to  ascertain  the  number  of  cuts  made  by  the 
enamel  blades  during  each  stroke  of  the  jaw  in  mastication.  By  super- 
imposing tracings  of  tlie  upper  and  lower  molar  series  (fig.  45)  and 
moving  the  latter  oblicpiely  forward  and  outward  under  the  former 
it  appears  that  of  the  four  cutting  blades  of  the  lower  premolar  the 
first  is  unimportant,  the  secontl  glides  over  two  cutting  edges  of  the 
upper  premolar  during  each  stroke,  the  third  and  fourth  cut  against 
three  edges  each,  and  the  single  blade  of  each  of  the  three  true  molars 
cuts  over  three  enamel  plates  of  the  upper  series  (counting  as  one  the 
two  lateral  plates  of  the  last  upper  molar  against  which  they  cut), 
making  seventeen  cuts  for  each  stroke  of  the  jaw. 

In  a  tame  Geomys  lufescens  it  was  found  (by  actually  counting  the 
contractions  of  the  temporal  muscle)  that  the  mandible  makes  200  com- 
plete strokes  a  minute,  which,  at  the  rate  of  17  cuts  with  each  stroke, 
is  equivalent  to  3,400  cuts  by  a  single  pair  of  blades.  This  is  the  num- 
ber of  cuts  made  by  the  blades  of  a  single  ramus;  but  since  the  blades 
of  both  sides  doubtless  act  simultaneously  the  number  should  be 
doubled,  making  a  total  of  G,800  cuts  each  minute! 

The  enamel  plates  are  so  spaced,  by  means  of  slight  differences  in 
the  anteroposterior  diameters  of  the  upper  and  lower  molars,  that 
when  the  jaws  are  shut  together  and  the  movement  of  mastication 
takes  place,  only  one  pair  of  cutting  edges  comes  into  bearing  at  a  time. 
The  seven  sets  of  blades,  therefore,  instead  of  cutting  simultaneously, 
follow  one  another  in  rapid  succession,  one  pair  just  completing  its 
stroke  as  the  next  begins.  By  means  of  this  delicate  adjustment  only 
one-seventh  the  power  is  required  that  would  be  necessary  if  all  oper- 
ated together. 

If,  in  the  animals  having  the  above  described  shearing  movement  of 
the  molars,  a  i)osterior  enamel  plate  was  present  in  the  upper  inter- 
mediary molars,  or  an  anterior  plate  in  the  lower  molars,  the  possession 
of  such  plates  would  obviously  be  a  raechauical  disadvantage,  as  they 
would  not  only  be  of  no  use  but  would  be  actually  in  the  way.  Ilence, 
in  the  evolution  of  this  specialized  type  one  plate  has  been  gupx)ressedj 


96 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


Fig.  46. — Longitudinal  section  of 
molariform  teeth  of  Macrogeomys 
dolichocephalus  (diagranmiatic) . 
(1)  Upper  series;  (2)  lower. 


and  the  fact  should  be  emphasized  that  the  loss  of  a  useless  enamel 
plate  is  as  clearly  a  sign  of  specialization  as  the  development  of  an  addi- 
tional plate  where  needed.  In  the  less  specialized  genus  Thomomys 
both  plates  are  always  present  (tig.  32,  h). 

{h)  Dominant  movement  of  jaw  anteroposterior.— In  the  remaining 
groups  the  movement  of  the  jaw  is  chieiiy  anteroposterior,  the  crowns 

of  the  teeth  are  more  broadly  elliptical,  and 
enamel  plates  are  i^resent  on  both  sides  of  the 
upper  molars  (figs.  46  and  47).  In  some  genera 
Ihe  posterior  plate,  which  is  always  thinner 
than  the  anterior,  covers  the  whole  hinder 
face  of  the  tooth;  in  others  it  is  restricted 
to  the  inner  side,  according  to  the  exact  axis 
of  jaw  movement.  Whenever  the  ellipse  is 
broad,  and  is  so  directed  with  reference  to  the 
enamel  plates  of  the  adjacent  teeth  that  it 
presents  a  free  edge  toward  the  food  that 
is  being  ground,  this  edge  is  invariably  protected  by  a  plate  and  cutting 
edge  of  enamel.     Conspicuous  illustrations  of  this  law  may  be  seen  in 

the  upper  premolar  of  Zygogeomys,  Macrogeo- 
mys,  and  Heterogeomys,  and  in  the  upper  inter- 
mediary molars  of  Zygogeomys,  in  all  of  which 
the  posterior  enamel  plate  is  restricted  to  the 
lingual  side — the  side  impinged  upon  by  the 
food.  On  the  other  hand,  non-cutting  edges 
protected  by  the  enamel  plates  of  adjacent 
teeth  are  better  off  without  enamel  of  their 
own,  because  such  enamel,  if  present,  would 
not  only  be  of  no  use,  but  would  be  actually  in  the  way,  as  already 
explained. 

By  superimposing  tracings  of  the  upper  and  lower  molar  series  of 
Macrogeomys  dolichocephalus  (fig.  48)  and  moving  the  lower  backward 
and  forward  under  the  up^jer  as  nearly  as  possible  in  the  way  they  are 
moved  by  the  living  animal,  it  is  found  that  the  cutting  blades  make 
nineteen  cuts  during  each  forward  stroke  of  the  jaw,  as  follows:  The 


Tig.  47.— Crowns  of  molariform 
teeth  of  Macrogeomys  dolicho- 
cephalus.   (1)  Upper;  (2)  lower. 


Fig.  48.— Superimposed  molar  series  of  Macrogeomys  dolichocephalus  .showing  relations  of  enamel 
blades.     Light  outlines,  lower  series;  dark,  upper,     a  front  end. 

anterior  plate  of  the  lower  premolar  does  not  cut  at  all,  or,  if  it  cuts  its 
action  is  so  limited  as  to  be  of  no  particular  consequence;  the  posterior 
plate  of  the  anterior  prism  makes  two  cuts ;  the  anterior  plate  of  the  pos- 
terior prism,  three  cuts ;  the  posterior  plate  of  the  premolar  and  that  of 


JAN.,  1805.]  DYNAMICS    OF    THE    MOLAR    TEETH.  97 

the  first  molar  make  four  cuts  each;  the  second  and  third  mohirs,  three 
cuts  each  (counting  the  two  lateral  plates  of  the,  upper  molar,  against 
which  ma  acts,  as  if  they  were  a  single  plate),  making  nineteen  in  all. 
During  the  return  movement  fourteen  cuts  are  made,  as  follows:  The 
second  and  third  transverse  plates  of  the  i)remolar  make  two  cuts  each ; 
tbe fourth,  three;  the  first  molar,  three;  the  second  and  third  molars,  two 
each.  The  backward  stroke  is  evidently  less  powerful  and  less  effective 
than  the  forward  stroke. 

Since  the  teeth  on  both  sides  of  the  mandible  cut  simultaneously,  the 
total  number  of  cuts  during  each  complete  stroke  will  be  double  the 
number  above  mentioned,  or  38  for  the  forward  stroke  and  28  for  the 
backward  stroke.  Assuming  that  the  luimber  of  complete  strokes  each 
minute  is  the  same  as  in  Geomys  luteficens,  namely,  200,  the  total  number 
of  cuts  made  each  minute  on  the  forward  stroke  would  be  7,600,  and  on 
the  backward  stroke  5,(300,  making  a  grand  total  of  13,200  cuts  each 
minute  while  the  jaws  are  in  active  operation  ! 

Stroke  of  the  jaw. — There  being  no  postglenoid  process,  the  backwaid 
movement  of  the  jaw  is  not  interrupted  until  the  condyle  strikes  the 
auditory  bulla  at  the  base  of  the  tube  of  the  meatus.  When  the  con- 
dyle rests  in  this  position  and  the  molar  series  are  in  api)Osition,  the 
front  faces  of  the  premolars  above  and  below  are  in  line.  The  forward 
movement  of  the  jaw  is  stopped  by  the  incisors  and  reaches  its  limit 
when  the  front  face  of  the  low^er  incisor  strikes  against  the  posterior 
face  of  the  beveled  edge  of  the  ujiper  incisor.  When  this  happens 
the  upper  premolar  usually  rests  on  the  back  part  of  the  first  lower 
molar. 

From  the  foregoing  account  it  must  be  clear  tliat  the  molars,  which, 
considered  as  individual  teeth,  are  simple  elliptical  tubes,  lacking  the 
complicated  enamel  patterns  of  the  beaver,  porcupine,  and  many  other 
rodents,  are  so  constructed  that  collectively  they  form  one  of  the  most 
powerful  and  highly  specialized  cutting  and  slicing  machines  known. 
The  way  the  narrowly  elliptical  crowns  are  placed  side  by  side  flatwise, 
the  hard  projecting  enamel  blades  alternating  with  surfaces  of  soft  den- 
tine, results  in  the  production  of  a  cutting  and  rasping  apparai  us  e(iual 
if  not  superior  to  that  possessed  by  those  rodents  and  ungulates  tliat 
have  complicated  enamel  folds  within  the  substance  of  the  teeth.  The 
obli(puty  of  the  crowns,  whereby  the  upper  and  lower  series  are  brought 
together  in  the  arc  of  a  circle,  gives  them  remarkable  power  under 
the  transverse  movement  of  the  jaws,  while  the  way  the  teeth  are  stis- 
pended  on  vertical  cushions,  together  witii  the  angle  of  imi)lantati()n 
and  the  double  curvatures  of  their  prisms,  enables  them  to  withstand 
the  great  strain  to  which  they  are  subjected  Mithout  danger  of  dis 
])laeement  and  without  injury  to  the  tender  pulps  at  their  bases. 

The  secondary  modifications  of  the  skull  resulting  from  the  action  of 
the  muscles  operating  this  wonderfully  effective  machinery  are  dis- 
cussed elsewhere  (pp.  104-107), 
7133— Is^o,  8 7 


98  NORTH  AMERICAN  P^AUNA.  [no. 8. 

TREATMENT  AND  COURSE  OF  THE  FOOD. 

Tho  cireniiistance  that  all  the  iiieinbers  of  the  (icomyhlwYwo,  mider- 
grouiid  has  an  important  l)earin.t;-  on  tliekind  of  food  habitually  eaten, 
and  is  thus  the  remote  cause  of  the  special  adaptations  of  the  dental 
armature,  and  of  the  secondary  cranial  moditications  necessitated 
thereby.  The  animals  sometimes  come  to  the  surface  and  cut  the  stems 
and  leaves  of  plants,  which  they  draw  into  their  subterrannean  tunnels, 
but  in  the  main  the  choice  of  food  is  restricted  to  such  parts  of  plants 
as  nuiy  be  found  within  the  ground.  The  food  therefore  consists  chietiy 
of  tubers  and  roots,  including  the  hard  roots  of  trees  and  shrubs,  the 
tough  rootstalks  of  the  mescal  or  agave,  and  tlie  like.  In  dealing  with 
these  unyielding  substances  the  aniaial  gains  one  decided  advantage — 
the  roots  on  which  it  feeds  are  held  firmly  in  place  by  the  earth  while 
pieces  are  chiseled  off  by  the  broad,  trenchant  cutting  edges  of  the 
powerful  incisors.  In  the  case  of  certain  relatively  soft  substances, 
such  as  j)otatoes,  the  lower  incisors  are  sometimes  used  alone,  both  as 
a  i)ry  to  dislodge  pieces  and  as  a  scraper  to  scrape  off  thin  slices,  but 
as  a  rule  both  upper  and  lower  incisors  operate  together.  The  prin- 
cipal function  of  the  upper  incisors  seems  to  be  to  transfix  the  tuber  and 
oppose  the  action  of  the  lower  while  the  latter  do  most  of  the  work, 
moving  rapidly  backward  aiul  forward  (and  at  the  same  time  upward), 
until  a  piece  of  food  is  cut  loose  or  sufficiently  undermined  so  that  it 
may  be  torn  loose  by  a  backward  movement  of  the  head  while  the  teeth 
are  held  firndy  together.  The  bit  of  food  thus  dislodged  is  eitlier 
reduced  in  size  by  trimming — during  which  operation  it  is  held  between 
the  large  Ibrefeet,  the  long  claws  turned  inward  toward  one  another — or 
is  passed  directly  into  the  mouth  or  cheek  pouches.  The  mouth  i)roper, 
it  should  be  remembered,  is  separated  from  the  incisors  by  a  furry  parti- 
tion which  is  directly  in  front  of  the  molars.  This  diaithragm-like  par- 
tition is  of  great  service  to  the  animal,  keeping  dirt  and  chips  out  of 
the  mouth.  When  the  food  reaches  the  mouth  ])roper  the  tongue  and 
lips  keep  it  between  the  teeth,  where  it  undergoes  the  treatment  com- 
monly described  as  grinding.  But  in  the  highly  specialized  forms  of 
the  Geonn/idcv  no  real  grinding  occurs — the  whole  process  is  one  of  cut- 
ting or  slicing.  The  arrangement  of  the  enamt  1  plates  that  form  the 
blades  of  the  cutting  machine  has  been  already  described  in  detail. 
In  those  species  in  which  the  principal  movement  of  the  jaw  is  antero 
posterior  the  mechanism  is  essentially  a  phoiiu;/  machine,  wliile  in 
those  in  wliich  the  dominant  movement  is  obliquely  transverse  it  is  a 
shc(tri)u/  or  HJicing  machine.  In  either  case  the  tough  vegetable  fibers 
composing  the  food  are  quickly  reduced  to  a  pulp,  which  is  promptly 
l)assed  on  to  the  stomach  for  digestion. 

MUSCLES  THAT  OPERATE  THE  CUTTING  MACHINE. 

The  principal  muscles  concerned  in  the  movements  of  the  jaw  are  (1) 
temporal,  (2)  masseter,  (3)  internal  pterygoid,  (4)  external  pterygoid, 


JAN.  1895.1  MUSCLES    THAT    MOVE    THE    JAWS.  99 

(o)  dig'astric,  ami  (6)  trausverse  mandibular.     Cf  these,  by  far  the  most 
important  single  muscle  is  the  masseter. 

The  temporal  muscle  occupies  the  whole  of  the  upper  surface  of  the 
cranium  behind  the  orbits,  covering  the  parietal,  squamosal,  and  pos- 
terior part  of  the  frontal  as  far  forward  as  the  postorbital  prominence. 
It  arises  from  the  flat  upper  suifacesof  these  bones  and  from  the  larab- 
doid  and  sagittal  crests.  The  muscle  is  indistinctly  divided  into  two 
parts — a  superficial  and  a  deep — which  are  m)t  well  detiued  in  their 
origin.  The  fibers  of  the  muscle  as  a  whole  converge  anteriorly;  those 
of  the  superficial  part  are  inserted  into  the  apex,  posterior  edge,  and 
inner  side  of  the  coronoid  process;  those  of  the  deep  part  play  over  the 
trochlear  groove  and  at  the  margin  of  the  orbit  drop  vertically  down- 
ward and  are  inserted  by  a  dense  aponeurosis  on  the  anterior  edge  of 
the  basal  half  of  the  coronoid  ramus  from  the  plane  of  the  molar  crowns 
upward  to  a  point  slightly  above  the  plane  of  the  coronoid  notch;  pos- 
teriorly the  muscle  remains  fleshy  and  c(3vers  the  inner  side  of  the  cor 
onoi<l  ramus  wliere  its  insertion  extends  downward  to  the  bottom  of 
the  deep  pit  between  the  ramus  and  the  posterior  molar.  The  function 
of  the  temporal  muscle  is  to  shut  the  mouth,  and  in  some  species  to 
draw  the  mandible  slightly  backward.  Operating  in  connection  with 
the  digastric,  it  performs  the  backward  stroke  of  the  to  and  fro  move- 
ment of  the  jaw  in  the  (Jolichocephidic  series,  the  masseter  producing 
the  forward  stroke. 

The  masseter  is  a  large  complex  muscle  and  is  by  far  the  most  impor- 
tant of  the  muscles  concerned  in  the  act  of  mastication.  It  is  incom- 
pletely divided  into  three  parts,  which,  from  their  principal  sources  of 
origin,  may  be  described  as  the  rostral  or  suiierficial,  maxillary,  and 
zygomatic  parts. 

(1)  The  rostral  or  superficial  part  arises  by  a  long  an<I  dense  aponeuro- 
sis from  the  outer  side  of  the  rostrum  on  tlie  line  of  the  preniaxillo- 
maxillary  suture,  its  npper  border  being  immediately  in  front  of  the 
infraorbital  foramen.  It  passes  thence  obliquely  downward  and  back- 
ward, developing  muscular  fibers  and  spreading-  out  posteriorly  into  a 
flat  muscular  band  which  is  inserted  upon  the  inferior  crest  of  the 
masseteric  fossa  and  the  inferior  surface  of  the  mandible  from  the 
digastric  crest  posteriorly  to  the  base  of  the  angular  process,  its  inser- 
tion being  wholly  fleshy.  It  is  the  most  i>owerful  muscle  in  drawing  the 
jaw  straight  forward,  and  is  aided  in  the  dolichocephalie  species  by  the 
zygomatic  branch  of  the  masseter. 

(2)  Tlie  main  body  of  the  masseter  arises  from  the  side  of  the  anterior 
part  of  the  maxilla  and  adjacent  parts  of  the  maxillary  root  of  the 
zygoma.  Anteriorly  it  slightly  overlaps  the  posterior  part  of  the  pre- 
maxilla  immediately  below  the  top  of  the  rostrum,  where  it  forms  a 
distinct  crest  continuous  with  the  anterior  edge  of  the  maxillary  root 
of  the  zygoma.  The  principal  origin  covers  the  whole  of  the  anterior 
face  of  the  vertically  expanded  zygomatic  process  of  the  maxilla,  and 


100  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

in  additiou  a  thin  supplenieiitary  sheet  takes  origin  from  the  posl-erior 
face  of  the  same  bony  plate  (withni  the  orbital  chamber).  J'osteriorly 
its  origin  is  limited  on  the  outer  side  by  a  thick  aponeurosis,  which  is 
firmly  attached  to  the  inferior  surface  of  the  antero  external  angle  of 
the  zygoma.  The  part  within  the  orbit  follows  the  inner  face  of  the 
korizontal  part  of  the  zygoma  all  the  way  back  to  the  glenoid  ligament, 
to  which  its  posterior  libers  are  attached.  This  part  of  the  muscle  is 
insei  ted  on  the  outer  side  of  the  neck  of  the  condylar  ramus  just  above 
the  incisor  capsule. 

(3)  The  ziif/oniatic  part  of  the  masseter  arises  from  the  outer  side  of 
the  horizontal  partof  the  zygoma,  its  origin  embracing  the  outer  sur- 
face of  the  scjuamosal  root  of  the  zygoma  and  the  outer  side  of  thejugal 
below  the  oblique  crest  which  marks  the  limits  of  its  insertion  above 
and  in  front.  It  arises  also  from  the  aponeurotic  septum  which  sepa- 
rates it  from  the  mam  body  of  the  muscle.  It  is  inserted  ujion  the  angu- 
lar process  of  the  mandible,  its  insertion  covering  the  upper  surface  of 
this  process  irom  the  incisor  capsule  outwardlj^  to  and  over  the  head  of 
the  process,  and  also  the  under  surface  of  the  process  to  its  very  base, 
where  its  insertion  becomes  continuous  with  that  of  the  main  body  of  the 
muscle.  Its  function  in  Geomi/.s  i)ioper  and  in  all  the  (loUchoccphalic 
si)e('ies  is  to  draw  the  jaw  forward.  In  the  phitucepludic  species  its 
insertion  is  carried  so  far  outward  by  the  great  elongation  of  the  angu- 
lar process  that  it  serves  to  move  the  jaw  sideways,  in  which  act  it  is 
aided  by  the  pterygoid  muscles. 

'J  he  internal  pferyf/oid  mvscle  arises  from  the  pterygoid  fossa  of  the 
skull,  which  it  completely  tills.  Passing  directly  outward  and  slightly 
downward,  it  is  inserted  into  the  pterygoid  fossa  of  the  jaw,  where  its 
line  of  attachment  has  developed  a  strong  crest  along  the  posterior  edge 
of  the  angular  process.  Its  function  in  Geomi/s  proper  and  in  all  of  the 
dolichocephalic  species  seems  to  be  to  bring  the  posterior  end  of  the  molar 
series  firmly  together  when  the  jaw  is  shut.  In  the  platycephalic  species 
it  aids  the  masseter  in  moving  the  jaw  sideways. 

The  external  pterygoid  arises  from  the  alispheuoid  bone  on  the  outer 
side  of  the  root  o^  the  last  upper  molar  and  is  inserted  into  tlie  inner  side 
of  the  neck  of  the  condyle.  Its  function  is  evidently  mainly  the  same  as 
that  of  the  internal  pterygoid,  though  in  addition  it  tends  to  move  the 
mandible  slightly  forward. 

The  digastric  arises  from  the  paroccipital  process  and  adjacent  parts 
of  the  mastoid  and  audita!  bulhie,  and  is  inserted  on  the  digastric  crest, 
Avhich  projects  backward  from  the  hinder  part  of  the  symphysis  of  the  J 
mandible.  It  is  largely  developed,  its  function  being  not  merely  to 
open  the  mouth,  but,  operating  with  the  temporal,  to  draw  the  jaw 
strongly  backAvard  in  the  to  and  fro  movement  of  mastication  in  the 
dolichocephalic  series.    Its  action  is  very  direct  and  powerful. 

The  transverse  mandibular  muscle  connects  the  two  halves  of  the  lower 
jaw  immediately  behind  the  symphysis,  where,  in  many  species,  there  is 


JAN.,  1895.]  MUSCLES    OF    THE    CHEEK    POUCHES.  101 

;i  distiuct  fossil  for  its  lodgment.     It  must  fulfill  an  important  function 
in  regulating  tlie  adjustment  of  the  tootii  rows  during  mastication. 

MUSCLES    OF    THE    CHEEK    POUCHES. 

1  have  not  dissected  the  muscles  of  the  cheek  pouches,  but  they  have 
been  described  by  Dr.  C.  E.  McChesney*  and  Prof.  H.  L.  Osborn.t 
Dr.  McChesney  states  that  the  aperture  of  the  pouch  is  surrounded  by 
a  narrow  delicate  constrictor  muscle,  and  that  the  long  pouch  itself, 
which  extends  back  to  the  shoulder,  is  enveloped  by  a  contractor  mus- 
cle which  seems  to  be  a  modified  part  of  the  platysma  myoides.  This 
muscle  consists  of  two  parts :  (1)  a  retractor  part,  reaching  from  the 
extreme  posterior  end  of  the  pouch  backward  over  the  muscles  of  the 
back  and  ending  in  a  broad  thin  tendon  which  blends  with  the  tendons 
of  the  superficial  dorsal  muscles,  to  be  inserted  into  the  spines  of  the 
three  last  lumbar  vertebne;  (2)  an  anterior  part  which  envelops  the 
pouch  proper.  This  latter  is  in  turn  subdivided  into  two  parts — exter- 
nal and  internal.  The  former  covers  the  upper  or  outer  T)ortion  of  the 
[louch  and  is  inserted  into  the  maxillary  bone  ( probably j^rcmaxillary). 
The  latter  covers  the  inner  and  under  sides  of  the  pouch  and  is  attached 
to  the  mandible,  though  the  uppermost  fibers  join  those  of  the  former 
division,  to  be  inserted  on  the  upper  jaw.  Dr.  McChesney  states  that 
the  lower  and  inner  surface  of  the  muscle  is  thickest,  the  outer  surface 
l^eing  thin  and  of  little  power. 

Prof  Osborn  describes  the  muscles  of  the  pouch  as  follows:  "There 
are  three  distinct  sets  of  muscles;  these  are,  first,  a  circular  muscle  that 
runs  around  the  margin  of  the  pocket  in  its  outer  bounding  fold.  This 
by  its  contraction  would  seem  to  purse  the  opening  of  the  pocket.  The 
second  set  of  muscles  are  those  that  I  will  call  the  protractors  of  the 
pockets.  These  are  two  in  number  on  each  side.  They  are  spread  out 
in  the  skin  of  both  the  inner  and  outer  posterior  portions  of  the  pockets, 
and  their  fibers  converge  forward  to  finally  form  somewhat  definite 
bands.  The  outer  of  these  is  attached  in  the  skin  at  the  origin  of  tlie 
fold  on  the  upper  jaw.  The  other  is  attached  to  the  lower  attachment 
of  the  fold  at  the  lower  jaw.  These  two  muscles  thus  surround  the 
po(;ket,  and  their  contraction  pulls  its  recess  forward  to  the  opening  of 
the  vestibule.  The  third  set  of  nuiscles  are  the  retractors  of  the  pocket. 
These  arise  funnel-wise  from  surface  of  the  pocket,  both  on  its  inner 
and  outer  aspects,  and  they  run  backward  and  dorsally  ])arallel  to  the 
fibers  of  the  latissimus  dorsi  and  totally  free  from  the  skin.  They  form 
a  band  three  or  four  inches  long  and  nearly  an  inch  wide,  and  are 
filially  inserted  in  the  tendinous  aponeurosis  that  covers  the  inser- 
tion of  the  latissimus  dorsi  and  is  attached  to  the  neural  spines  of  the 
anterior  lumbar  vertebme.     These  by  their  action  retract  the  pockets." 

"Bull,  U.  S.  Geol.  aud  Geog.  Survey  Terr.,  iv,  No.  1,  Feb.,  1878,214-215. 
t  Science,  xxiii,  Feb.  23, 1894, 102-103. 


102  NORTH    AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

PRINCIPAL  MUSCLES  CONNECTING  THE  HEAD  WITH  THE  NECK. 

The  sterno-mastoid  muscle  arises  by  a  teudiuous  aponeurosis  from  the 
manubrium  of  the  sternum  and  is  inserted  into  the  mastoid  process  of 
the  squamosal  immediately  behind  tlie  auditory  meatus. 

The  clei  do-ma  staid  arises  from  the  middle  part  of  the  clavicle  and  is 
inserted  on  the  upper  or  dorsal  aspect  of  the  mastoid  process  of  the 
squamosal  immediately  over  or  above  the  insertion  of  the  sterno-mas- 
toid.    Its  libers  are  but  little  separated  from  those  of  the  trapezius. 

The  trapezius  muscle  arises  from  the  veutr.il  surface  of  the  outer 
third  of  the  clavicle  and  the  adjacent  acromial  process  of  the  scapula 
and  the  spine  of  the  scapula  for  its  entire  length :  near  the  median  line 
its  fibers  seem  to  be  continuous  with  those  of  the  median  part  of  the 
hitissi)iiiis  dorsi.  It  is  inserted  on  the  lambdoid  crest  for  its  entire 
length,  its  outer  edges  being  continuous  with  the  insertion  of  tliecleido- 
mastoid. 

The  rhomboidcus  lies  immediately  below  the  trapezius.  It  is  much 
less  extensive  than  the  latter,  but  considerably  thicker.  It  arises  from 
the  superior  face  of  the  spine  of  the  scapula  and  the  adjacent  anterior 
part  of  the  vertebral  border  of  the  sca])nla,  and  is  inserted  into  the  pos- 
terior face  of  the  lambdoid  crest  immediately  beneath  the  insertion  of 
the  trai)ezius. 

ANALYSIS    OF    .JAW    MOVEMENTS. 

Turning  now  from  the  consideration  of  the  individual  muscles  to  the 
study  of  tlte  origin  of  the  complex  movements  of  the  jaw  in  chiseling 
and  slicing  the  food,  even  greater  dififlculties  are  encountered.  The 
following  attempt,  therefore,  is  subject  to  correction.  fl 

(1)  The  act  of  chiseling. — From  what  has  been  said  it  appears  that 
the  act  of  chiseling"  is  performed  in  essentially  the  same  way  in  both  the 
platyecphalic  and  dolichocephalic  members  of  the  group,  and  that  it  is 
due  to  the  joint  action  of  the  masseter  and  temporal  muscles,  the  former 
being  more  effective  than  the  latter. 

The  thin  enamel  edge  of  the  upper  incisors  is  used  chiefly  as  an 
anchor  to  fasten  the  cutting  machine  firmly  to  the  object  operated  upon, 
while  the  lower  jaw  plays  back  and  forth  like  a  drill  in  accomplishing 
the  work.  The  exserted  part  of  the  upper  incisors,  therefore,  is  curved 
downward  and  inward,  and  the  edge,  which  is  very  thin  and  sharp,  is 
broken  by  one  or  more  grooves,  which  enable  it  to  penetrate  hard  sub- 
stances more  easily  than  if  it  were  straight.  The  face  of  the  lower 
incisor  slopes  strongly  forward  as  well  as  upward  and  the  axis  of  its 
movement  in  cutting  must  be  obliquely  forward  and  upward.  The 
principal  muscle  concerned  in  chiseling  is  the  masseter,  which  is  aided 
by  the  temporal,  and  in  some  cases  also  probably  by  the  pterygoids. 
The  way  the  posterior  part  of  the  ramus  of  the  mandible  curves  upward 


•JAN.,  1895.]  ANALYSIS    OF    JAW    MOVEMENTS.  103 

ill  tlie  arc  of  a  circle  lias  a  biglily  important  bearing-  on  the  efficacy  of 
the  action  of  the  niasseter,  and  lias  doubtless  been  molded  into  its 
l)iesent  sliape  by  this  all-important  muscle.  The  rostral  part  of  the 
niasseter  is  nearly  horizontal;  from  its  aponeurotic  origin  on  the  sides 
of  the  rostrum  it  spreads  out  posteriorly  and  is  inserted  broadly  over 
the  posterior  curvature  of  the  upturned  ramus  of  the  mandible,  its 
action  being-  to  draw  the  mandible  as  a  whole  directly  forward.  The 
main  body  of  the  muscle  is  uearly  vertical,  but  slopes  slightly  back- 
ward from  its  maxillary  origin  to  its  insertion  on  the  outer  side  of  the 
mandible;  in  contracting  draws  the  jaw  slightly  forward  and  power- 
fully upward.  In  those  species  in  which  the  zygomatic  part  of  the 
niasseter  is  nearly  vertical  instead  of  transverse  this  part  of  the  muscle 
aids  the  rest  in  moving  the  jaw  forward  and  upward.  The  masseter  is 
aided  still  further  by  the  temporal  muscle,  which,  using  the  condyle  as 
a  fulcrum,  moves  the  lower  incisors  upward. 

(-')  The  act  of  sUcin;/. — The  act  of  slicing  the  food  is  performed  in  dif- 
lercnt  waysin  the  two  series  of  animals,  being  chietly  ato  and-fro  move- 
iiK'iit  in  the  (loHchocephalic  species  and  a  transversely  oblique  rotary 
movement  in  the  liJaiyeephalic  species.  In  the  dolichocephalic  species 
botli  the  forward  and  backward  movements  are  important,  while  in  the 
pi  at  ycephaltG  i^liecies  the  backward  movement  is  merely  one  of  recovery. 

In  the  (lolichocepJialic  series,  therefore,  the  forward  movement  produced 
by  the  masseter  reipiires  a  powerful  counter  movement  in  bringing  the 
•jaw  bick.  This  is  supplied,  apparently,  by  the  joint  action  of  the 
digastric  and  the  deep  part  of  the  temporal.  The  latter  holds  the  teeth 
firmly  together  and  draws  the  jaw  slightly  backward,  while  the  digastric, 
contracting  at  the  same  time,  pulls  the  jaw  powerfully  backward,  the 
superficial  part  of  the  temporal,  which  is  inserted  ou  the  coronoid  proc- 
ess, preventing  it  from  opening  the  mouth. 

In  t\\& platycephalic  series,  as  already  stated,  the  principal  movemeut 
is  obliquely  transverse,  the  jaw  being  drawn  outward  and  forward. 
The  muscles  proilucing  this  action  are  the  zygomatic  part  of  the  mas- 
seter and  the  pterygoids.  It  is  probable  that  they  are  largely  aided  by 
the  deep  iiorticm  of  the  temi)oral,  which  is  inserted  into  the  pit  on  the 
outer  side  of  the  posterior  molars.  The  fibers  of  this  ]>art  of  tlie  tem- 
poral muscle  being-  vertical,  bring  the  teeth  firmly  together  and  draw  the 
under  jaw  slightly  outward,  which  movement,  in  connection  with  the 
angle  of  truncation  of  the  crowns  of  the  teeth,  must  result  in  the  trans- 
verse rotary  motion. 

The  mouth  is  opened  by  means  of  the  digastric  muscle,  which  is 
beautifully  adapted  to  this  end,  its  origin  taking  hold  of  the  posterior 
part  of  the  cranium  on  each  side  of  occipital  condyles,  while  its  iuser- 
tioii  is  carried  forward  all  the  way  to  the  symphysis  of  the  jaw.  The 
digastric  does  not  ai)pear  to  be  assisted  by  any  other  muscle  iu  i)erform- 
iug  its  function  of  opening  the  mouth. 


104 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


IKFLVENCE    OF    THE    MA8SETER    MUSCLE     IN    MOLDING     THE    HKULL 
AND   MODIFYING   THE   TEETH. * 

Throughout  the  Geomyidw  the  masseter  muscle  has  profoundly  modi- 
fied the  form  of  the  skull  and  the  character  of  the  teeth,  and  is  largely 
responsible  for  tlie  extraordinary  cranial  peculiarities  that  distinguish 
the  several  genera.  Perhaps  it  would  be  better  to  say  that  slight  dif- 
ferences in  the  direction  of  the  principal  movement  of  the  jaw  in  grind 
ing  the  food,  which  have  proved  an  advantage  to  the  animal,  have  by 
natufal  selection  developed  certain  fibers  or  parts  of  the  muscle  at  the 
expense  of  other  parts,  and  that  the  differences  thus  origiaated  have 
been  i)erpetuated  and  intensified  until  the  muscle  has  in  turn  molded 
the  bones  to  which  it  is  attached,  and  also  those  with  which  it  comes 
in  contact,  thus  altering  the  form  and  proportions  of  the  cranium  as 
a  whole,  and  giving  rise  to  extreme  variations  in  the  size,  shape,  and 
position  of  the  zygomatic  arch  and  in  the  development  of  the  angle  of 
the  jaw.  At  least  two  very  distinct  typi^s  of  skull  have  been  estab- 
lished in  this  way — a  broad  ot  platycephalic  type  (pi.  3)  and  a  narrow 
or  dolichocephalic  type  (pi.  5).t 

By  contrasting  the  accompanying  figures  of  representative  skulls  of 
these  two  types,  with  respect  to  the  areas  of  attachment  of  the  princi- 


riG.49. — Side  view  of  skull  of  Macrogeomyn  doLichucephalus,  showiug  relationa  of  mandiblo,  and 
fossae  for  attachment  of  muscles. 


a  Anglo  of  mandible. 
ic  luci.sor  capsule. 
jo  Jugal  origin  of  masseter. 
711  Mastoid  process  of  mastoid  bulla. 
ms  Mastoid  process  of  s(iuaniosal. 


mf  Masseteric  fossa. 

mo  Maxillary  origin  of  main  body  of  masseter. 
m«.?  Mandibular  slielf  (leading  to  angle  in  Pia- 
tygeomys  gymnurus). 


pal  parts  of  the  masseter,  the  action  of  the  muscle  and  its  effects  on 
the  skull  may  be  better  understood.     Without  rei)eating  the  detailed 

"P^'or  an  irnijortaut  chapter  on  the  general  snbject  of  the  intineuee  of  the  inu.scles 
in  shaping  the  skull  in  the  Rodentia,  see  Herluf  Winge,  Jordfundne  og  nnlev. 
Gnavere  fra  Lagoa  Santa,  Minas  Geraes,  Brasilieu,  1888,  103-110. 

t  These  extremes  in  the  form  of  the  skull  are  brought  about  mainly  by  alterations 
in  the  superficial  or  outer  parts,  the  fundamental  structures  and  relations  remaining 
very  much  the  same  in  both,  as  shown  by  sectionized  skulls  (pis.  17  and  18). 


INFLUENCE    OF    MASSETER    MUSCLE. 


105 


descriptions  already  given  under  the  liead  of  the  muscle  (p.  !M)),  it  may 
be  stated  that  the  principal  part  of  the  masseter  arises  from  the  side  of 
the  maxilla  in  front  of  the  zygomatic  arch,  and  from  the  adjacent  parts  of 
the  premaxilla  and  the  maxillary  root  of  the  zygoma  (fig.  49,  mo).  It  is 
inserted  upon  the  outer  side  of  the  mandible,  and  the  area  covered  by  its 
insertion — the  masseteric  fossa — extends  from  the  angle  to  the  plane  of 
the  front  of  the  premolar  (fig.  4!),  mf).  Its  origin,  insertion,  and  relations 
are  essentially  the  same  throughout  the  group.  The  jugal  part  arises 
from  tlie  horizontal  arm  of  the  zygoma  and  is  inserted  upon  the  upper 
side  and  end  of  the  angle  of  the  jaw.  Its  size,  form,  area  of  origin,  axis, 
and  relative  imi^ortance  differ  conspicuously  in  the  various  members  of 
the  series.  In  some  forms  it  arises  from  the  entire  length  of  the  hori- 
zontal part  of  the  arch  (fig.  50,  jo);  in  others  from  the  j^osterior  part 
only  (fig.  49,  /o).  The  upper  limit  of  its  origin  is  marked  by  an  oblique 
line  and  a  change  of  direction  in  the  outer  face  of  the  jugal* 

Effect  on  the  skull. — In  the  long  and  narrow  skulls,  of  which  Macro 
geomys  dolichocephalus  may  be  taken  as  a  type,  the  great  body  of  the 


Fiu.50. — Side  view  of  skull  oi  Platy geomys  fji/umicrui  nhowiog  relatious  of  inaudible  ami  fos.sii^  for 
atta('limeut  of  muscles.    Letteriug  same  as  in  fig.  49. 

masseter  is  parallel  to  the  side  of  the  face,  its  function  being  to  close 
the  jaws  firmly  and  draw  the  mandible  forward.  Its  princii)al  origin 
is  maxillary,  the  jugal  part  being  small  and  posterior  to  the  plane  of 
the  middle  of  the  orbit  (fig.  49,  ;>>).  The  resulting  i^rincipal  movement 
of  the  jaw  is  antero-i)osterior.  The  action  of  the  muscle  has  narrowed 
the  zygomatic  arches,  rounded  off  their  anterior  angles,  and  lifted  them 
out  of  the  way  until  the  horizontal  part  of  the  arch  is  much  nearer  the 

*  Owing  to  the  scarcity  of  material  for  dissection  tlie  masseter  muscle  itself  has 
been  actually  examined  in  two  forms  only,  namely,  Geomiisbursarins  and  Miicrofjcomiia 
dolichocephalus.  Its  relations  in  these  species,  studied  in  connection  with  the  well 
defined  fossae  on  the  skull  marking  its  origin  and  insertion,  furnish  a  very  good 
guide  to  its  modifications  and  to  the  jiart  it  has  played  in  producing  the  several 
types  of  cranium  known  in  the  group. 


106 


NORTH    AMEKICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


top  of  tbe  skull  in  front  tliaii  l)eliin(l  (tig.  40).  The  fibers  of  tliejugal 
braneli  are  nearly  vertical,  and  are  of  little  use  except  in  drawing  up 
the  back  part  of  tbe  jaw.  This  may  be  seen  from  fig.  .lU:  the  muscle 
passes  downward  from  the  zygonni  {.zy)  to  the  angle  of  the  Jaw  [a). 

In  the  broad  and  fiat  skulls,  of  which  Flatygeomys  (jymnnrus  may  be 
taken  as  a  type  (fig.  50),  the  Jugal  branch  of  the  masseter  is  largely 
developed,  its  function  being  to  move  the  jaw  sideways  at  the  same 
time  that  the  maxillary  i)art  brings  the  teeth  firmly  together.  The 
resulting  principal  movement  of  the  jaw  is  obliquely  transverse.  In 
producing  this  lateral  movement  tlie  jugal  branch  is  aided  by  the 
pterygoid  muscles,  but  the  latter  must  have  played  a  very  subordinate 
part  in  molding  the  skull.  The  jugal  part  of  the  masseter  in  the 
j)latycephalic  series  is  not  only  of  relatively  large  size,  but  the  area  of 
its  origin  is  greatly  extended  (fig.  50,  jo)  and  the  axis  of  its  fibers  has 
become  more  nearly  horizontal  than  vertical  (fig.  54,  a  to  zy).  Its  origin 
occupies  the  outer  and  inferior  surface  (and  i^robably  most  of  the 
inner  surface  also)  of  the  horizontal  part  of  the  zygomatic  arch  for 


ZX-. 


a 


KlG.  51. — Macfogeomys  dulichvcephalus.  Via.  h'i. — Flatygeomys  gyinnurus. 

Posterior  part  of  craiiiiiiii  from  above,  showing  relations  of  maudible  iu  place. 

a  Angular  process  of  uiaiulible.  //•  Frontal. 

cp  Corouoid  prooes.s  of  mandible.  pa  Parietal. 

ic  Incisor  capsule  (covering  root  of  lower  so  Supraoccipital. 

incisor).  sq  Squamosal. 

ip  Interparietal.  2y  Zygoma. 

its  entire  length,  its  anterior  end  being  in  front  of  the  plane  of  the 
orbit.  The  action  of  this  part  of  the  masseter  has  drawn  the  zygomatic 
arch  far  outward  and  has  pulled  the  anterior  angle  downward  until 
the  latter  is  lurther  from  the  plane  of  the  top  of  the  skull  than  the  pos- 
terior end  of  the  arch.  The  angle  is  thus  drawn  down  until  it  reac^hes 
four-fifths  of  the  way  from  the  plane  of  the  toj)  oi  the  skull  to  the  plane 
of  the  molar  alveolus,  overreaching  and  overarching  the  maxillary  or 
principal  part  of  the  masseter  muscle,  which  ojx  rates  beneath  it  (tig. 
50,  which  should  be  cdiitrasted  with  fig.  40  of  Macrof/coniys  doUchoceph- 
aius).     The  insertion  of  the  muscle  has  produced  an  equally  extraordi- 


I 


JAN.,  1S95.] 


INFLUENCE    OF    MASSETER    MUSCLE. 


107 


nary  effect  upou  the  shape  of  the  under  jaw.  The  sides  of  the  Jaw  are 
not  only  spread  widely  apart  in  conformity  with  tlie  great  breadth  of 
the  skull,  but  in  addition  tlie  fibers  of  tlie  uiasseter  that  are  inserted 
on  the  angular  process  have  stiniuhited  this  process  to  push  out  side- 
ways until  it  reaches  off  like  a  long  arm  at  nearly  a  right  angle  to  the 
axis  of  the  skull  (figs.  53  and  oi,  a)*  The  lengthening  of  this  proc- 
ess was  clearly  necessitated  in  order  to  coutinue  the  effective  action 
of  the  muscle.     Furthermore,  the  segregation  and  specialization  of  the 


Fig.  52. —Macrogeoniys  dolichneephalug.  Fig  54. — I'latygeomys  gymmuus 

Transverse  vertical  section  of  skull,  with  mandible  in  position,  showing  relations. 


a  Angular  process  of  mandible. 
ale  Alisphenoid  canal. 
alh  Horizontal  arm  of  alisphenoid. 

c  Con<lyle  of  mandible. 
cp  Coronoid  process  of  mandible. 

/  Angle  of  crowns  of  closed  molar.i. 


ic  Incisor  capsule  (covering  root  of  lower  in- 
cisor) . 
np  Narial  passage. 
pa  Parietal. 
pf  Pterygoid  fossa. 
iq  Squamosal. 
zy  Zygoma. 


two  parts  of  the  masseter  in  iho,  platycephalic  series  has  resulted  in  the 
production  of  a  long  and  well-defined  horizontal  shelf  extending  for- 
ward from  the  angle  of  the  jaw  to  the  base  of  the  ascending  ramus 
(fig.  50  mss).  This  shelf  is  totally  wanting  in  Macrogeomys  doliehoceph- 
alus  and  the  other  doUchocephalic  forms  in  which  the  jugal  part  of 
the  masseter  is  relatively  unimportant  and  the  principal  movement  of 
the  jaw  is  fore  and  aft  instead  of  transverse.  The  relations  described 
may  be  seen  to  good  advantage  in  the  accompanying  drawings  (figs. 
49-54). 

Effect  on  the  teeth. — While  from  the  nature  of  the  case  it  is  ciearly 
impossible  to  observe  exactly  what  happens,  either  in  the  muscles  or 
the  teeth,  during  the  act  of  mastication,  it  is  at  the  same  time  i)ermis- 
sible  to  draw  certain  inferences  from  the  mechanical  construction  of 
the  apparatus.  In  the  case  of  tlie  teeth,  considered  as  the  focus  of  the 
cutting  machine,  it  has  been  already  shown  that  two  types  exist,  one 

*  In  M.  dolichocephalus  the  angle  projects  only  2|  mm.  beyond  the  plane  of  the 
zygoma  (fig.  52),  while  in  P  pymnurus  it  jtrojects  10+  mm. 


108  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

in  which  the  crowns  of  the  upper  inteiinediaiy  inohuvs  are  broadly  ellip- 
tical and  bear  two  enamel  i)lates  (one  on  eueh  face);  the  other  in  which 
the  crowns  are  narrowly  elliptical  and  bear  only  one  enamel  plate 
( which  is  on  the  anterior  face).  It  has  been  shown  further  that  the  pres- 
ence of  two  enamel  plates  is  always  correlated  with  an  anteroposterior 
movement  of  the  jaw,  and  that  tiie  presence  of  a  sinj>le  plate  is  always 
correlated  with  an  obliquely  trausv^erse  movement  of  the  Jaw.  A  care- 
ful study  of  the  cutting-  blades  in  each  instance  shows  that  an  antero- 
posterior movement  is  accompanied  by  a  to-aud-fro  i)laning'  action  in 
which  two  enamel  blades  are  serviceable;  and  that  a.  transversely 
obli(iue  movement  is  accompanied  by  a  lateral  shearing- action  in  which 
only  a  single  blade  can  be  used.  In  accordance  with  the  well-known 
law  that  useful  structures  are  preserved  and  useless  structures  sup- 
pressed, it  is  logical  to  infer  that  tlie  direi'tion  of  the  dominant  move- 
ment of  the  jiiw  has  determined  the  presence  or  absence  of  the  posterior 
enamel  plate;  and  since  the  movement  of  the  Jaw  is  controlled  by  the 
masseter  muscle,  it  is  evident  that  the  number  of  enamel  plates  on  the 
u])per  intermediary  molars  may  be  traced  back  to  the  influence  of  tiiis 
nuisde. 

In  the  course  of  the  evolution  of  the  two  types  Just  described  it  seems 
evident  that  as  soon  as  the  principal  movement  of  the  Jaws  in  the  line 
leading-  to  Macrofjeonii/.s  doUchocephaluH  came  to  be  fore  and  aft  it  was 
settled  that  the  form  of  the  posterior  part  of  the  cranium  should  be 
narrow;  that  the  angle  of  tlie  under  Jaw  should  b(^  shortly  truncate; 
that  tlie  grinding-  teeth  should  be  broadly  elli|)tical,  and  that  the  poste- 
rioi-  enamel  plate  of  the  upper  series  should  be  retained;  and  when  the 
priiKii)al  motion  of  the  Jaw  in  the  ancestors  of  Phityfjeomys  gymnurm 
v-Mwy  to  be  obliquely  transverse,  from  that  moment  it  was  predeter- 
mined that  the  hinder  jiart  of  the  skull  should  be  broadly  expanded; 
that  a  long-  arm  like  process  should  spring  from  the  angle  of  the  jaw; 
that  the  grinding  teeth  should  be  transversely  flattened,  and  that  the 
posterior  enamel  i)late  of  the  upper  series  should  disappear. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
SYSTEMATIC  DESCRIPTIONS  OF  GENERA  AND  SPECIES. 

Genus  GEOMVS  Rafinesque,  1817. 

Pis.  1,7;  9, 12;  pi.  1.5,  lags.  11  Jind  12;  pi.  17,  lig.  :^:   pl.l8,tig.l;   pi.  19,  fig.  :5,  ami  text 

fig.  .5.5;  maps  1  ;ni(l  4.) 

Type  Mus  iuza  Onl.  1815,  from  Au(JU.si  a,  (Jkorgia.     {z^Geomi/s  phietis  Raf.,  1817). 

Geomi/s  Raliuesciiic,  Am.  Monthly  Magazine,  II,  No.  I,  Nov.,  1817,45.     Type  G. pine t is 

Raf.  (=.yM.'*  titza  Ord.  1815),  from  pine  liarrens  near  Augusta,  Ga. 
Diplostuma  Ratiuesqne,  Ildd,  1817,  44-45. 
Saccophonis  Kuhl,  Beitriige  zur  Zool.,  1820,  65-66. 
Pseudostomn  Say,  Long's  Exi)d.  to  Rocky  Mts.,  I,  1823,406. 
Asromys  Lichtenstein.  Abh.  Akad.  Wiss.  Berlin  ^822),  1825,20,  fig.  2. 

Dental  characters. — Upper  pieinolar  with  three  enamel  plates  (the 
posterior  absent).  Tapper  pni  decidedly  longer  than  lower  (in  the  other 
genera  they  are  subeqnal);  shaft  of  upper  pm  decidedly  concave  for- 
ward, except  in  a  single  species  {G.  IvJescens).  First  and  second  upper 
molars  with  two  enamel  plates  each,  the  posterior  complete;  posterior 
curvature  of  m^  and  anterior  curvature  of  iii,  hardly  ai)parent. 

Last  upper  molar  a  single  subcylindric  or  subtriangular  prism  with- 
out lateral  sulcus  on  either  side  (and  consecpiently  without  heel) :  outer 
enamel  plate  normally  straight;  inner  and  outer  plates  commonly  sub- 
equal,  or  outer  somewhat  shorter,  both  reaching  posterior  face  of  tooth. 
I'pi^er  incisor  strongly  hisulcatc  (fig.  1*2^  and  2li ';  pi.  15,  figs.  11  and  12). 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  simi)le.  without  any  very  striking  external 
characters.  Orbitosphenoids  small  and  narrow,  not  reaching  alisplie 
noids  (pi.  17,  fig.  3);  sphenoid  fossie  C()rre^l)ondingly  elongated,  reach- 
ing forward  to  orbital  plates  of  frontal;  alisphenoids  short  posteriorly, 
ending  on  floor  of  brain  case  about  on  plane  of  front  ends  of  audital 
bulhe;  pterygoids  large,  always  forming  more  than  Imlf  of  the  palato- 
pterygoid  extensions;  mesethmoii  plate  large,  some  wliat  rectangular, 
nnich  longer  than  high,  and  wholly  superior  to  vomer  (not  dipping- 
down  between  vomerine  wings  as  in  Pappof/romys);  endoturbinals  col- 
lectively forming  a  quadrate  plate,  the  anterior  border  of  which  is  ])ar 
allel  to  the  cribriform  plate  (pi.  19,  fig.  3) ;  first  endoturbiual  rounded 
and  only  vSlightly  expanded  anteriorly,  its  inferior  border  fiiHing  (as 
the  OS  planum)  in  the  front  of  the  others  and  articulating  with  the 
anterior  third  of  the  internal  vertical  plate  of  the  maxilla — the  os  pla 
num  thus  extending  anteriorly  in  front  of  the  lower  endoturbiual  nuich 

further  than  the  length  of  the  latter. 

109 


110 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


In  the  elongated  sknlls  of  Geomys  bursarius  and  tuza  the  lower  part 
of  the  sphenoidal  fissure,  on  the  floor  of  the  orbit,  differs  from  its  con- 
dition in  any  of  the  other  groups  (fig.  55).     In  all  of  the  others  a  fenes- 


I 


Fig.  55. — Side  view  of  r^knll  of  Geomys  hursariiis  from  outside,  zygomatic 
sawed  off  to  sliow  bottom  of  orbit.  Animal  a  fully  adult  S  ,  from  Knoxville,  I 
(This  Hgnre  should  be  compared  with  the  corresponding  view  of  Cratoc/eomys 
riam'u  fig.  4.) 

1.  Infraorbital  foraiiien. 

2.  Posterior  (orbital)  opening  of  infraorbital  canal. 

3.  Vacuity  in  front  of  prespbenoid  and  ascending  wing  of  palatine. 

4.  Vacuity  in  prespbenoid,  l)ebind  ascending  wing  of  palatine. 

5.  Optic  foramen  (in  orbitoax>benoid  bone). 

fl.  Foramen  rotundum  and  foramen  ovale  (whicb  have  hero  coale.'iced). 

7.  External  auditory  meatus. 

8.  Spbenoidalfi.ssnre  (upper  part). 
.\scendiiig  wing  of  vertical  plate  of  palatine. 
Alisplicnoid. 
Condyle  of  exoccipital. 
External  pterygoid  plate  of  palatine  bone. 
Frontal. 
Hamular  ])rocess  of  pterygoid  bone. 

/.  Lachrymal. 
n.  Mastoid  proce.s.s  of  raa.stoid  bulla. 

6.  il.Tstoid  bulla. 
«.  Mastoid  process  of  squamosal. 
X.  Maxilla. 
/(.  Nasal. 

Parietal. 

Premaxilla. 

Paroccipital  process  of  exoccipital. 

Prespbenoid. 

Pterygoid. 

Supraocciiiital. 
sq.  Squamosal. 
tb.  Tympanic  or  nudital  bulla. 


arch 
owa. 
mer- 


ajA. 

as. 

c. 

epl. 

St. 

h. 


pa. 
pmx. 
pp. 
ps. 
pt. 
so. 


I 


truin  (fig.  4,")*  penetrates  tlie  iiiterorbital  septum,  which  at  this  point 
consists  of  the  presphenoid  oul^'.  In  Geomys  bursarius  and  tuza  the  basal 
part  of  the  sf^henoidal  fissure  is  unusually  broad,  and  the  septum  at 

*  In  some  cases,  particularly  in  Orthoyeomys  and  Zjigoyeomys,  this  fenestrnm  is  sub- 
divided into  two  or  even  three  parts,  but  they  all  invariably  penetrate  the  prespben- 
oid; they  are  never  in  front  of  it. 


JAN.,  1895]  THE    GENUS    GEOMYS.  Ill 

its  bottom,  which  here  consists  of  both  palatine  and  pres]ihenoid,  is 
l)i'r(orated  by  two  fenestra,  whicli  hiok  completely  throngh  the  sknll 
from  orbit  to  orbit.  The  posterior  is  the  usual  opening-  in  the  anterior 
part  of  the  prespheiioid  (flg.  55,^) ;  the  other  is  in  front  of  the  pre- 
sphenoid  and  is  bounded  anteriorly  by  a  process  from  the  maxilla,  which 
here  rises  to  join  the  frontal  (tig-.  55,'*).  Hence  in  Geomys  hursarhis 
there  are  three  openings  in  the  bottom  of  the  orbital  fossa,  arranged 
seriatim,  one  in  front  of  the  other.  Tlie  first  is  the  posterior  outlet  of  the 
infraorbital  canal  (fig-.  55,-);  the  second  is  the  vacuity  here  mentioned, 
which  penetrates  the  skull  in  front  of  the  pres])henoid  (fig.  55,^);  the 
third  is  the  usual  fcnestrum  in  the  anterior  part  of  the  presphenoid 
(fig.  55,'*).  The  ojiening  in  front  of  the  presplienoid  is  completely  sur- 
rounded by  the  maxilla  and  ascending  wing  of  the  palatine — the  former 
bounding  it  in  front,  the  latter  behind — for  the  ascending  wing  of  the 
vertical  plate  of  the  palatine  (fig.  55,  ajH)  here  rises  along  the  front  of 
the  presphenoid  between  the  two  fenestra  in  question  and  articulates 
with  the  maxilla,  the  orbital  plate  of  the  frontal,  and  the  orbitosphe- 
noid.     (See  also  fig.  10.) 

Tlie  condition  here  described  has  not  been  observed  except  in  the 
elongate  skulls  of  Geomys  bursarius,  tuza,  a.i\d per sonat us,  and  is  imper- 
fectly developed  in  the  latter.  It  reaches  its  highest  development  in 
Geomys  bursarius,  and  does  notocccurin  the  closely  related  G.  lutescens, 
which  has  a  short  skull.  A  condition  simulating  it  sometimes  exists 
in  Orthogcomys,  in  Avhich  there  are  several  (usually  two  or  three)  small 
jierforations  in  the  anterior  part  of  the  presphenoid,  but  the  relations 
of  the  ascending  wing  of  the  palatine  are  not  the  same.  Very  young 
specimens  of  Cratogeomys  resemble  the  adult  of  Geomys  in  the  presence 
of  a  fenestrum  in  front  of  the  presphenoid  and  ascending  wing  of  the 
palatine,  but  the  fenestrum  disappears  as  the  animal  matures,  a  vestige 
of  it  remaining  as  a  foramen  (on  each  side),  which  opens  from  the  floor 
of  the  orbit  obliquely  forward  and  downward  into  the  narial  passage. 

The  genus  Geomys,  even  as  here  restricted,  comprises  three  series  or 
groups  of  species:  (1)  the  texcnsis-brericeps  series,  (2)  the  tuza  series, 
and  (3)  Geomys  busarius. 

(1)  The  texcnsis-breviceps  series  inhabits  Texas,  Louisiana,  Arkansas, 
and  the  Great  Plains,  and  includes  eigiit  species  and  subspecies,  as 
follows:  arenarius,  tcxensis,  lutescens,  breviceps,breviceps sagittaHs,  brevi- 
ceps  (ittwateri,  personatiis,  and  personatus  fallax.  Most  of  these,  par- 
ticularly arenarins,  texensis,  and  brericeps,  are  small  generalized  forms 
suggesting  relationship  with  Ihomomys  and  Pappogcomys.  Indeed, 
these  animals  are  very  much  alike  in  many  ways  and  the  skulls  agree 
in  general  form,  lightness,  in  the  small  rounded  brain  case,  slender 
and  nearly  parallel  zygomata,  narrow  pterygoids,  and  many  other 
characters,  though  dilfcringconspicuoiisly  in  the  teeth.  It  seems  evident 
that  they  are  but  little  removed  from  the  trunk  line  of  the  group,  and 
that  both  the  tuza  and  the  bursarius  series  are  offshoots  from  the  bred- 


112  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.8. 

cejys  stem.  Geomys  hreviceps  seems  to  be  the  central  or  parent  type 
from  wWcb  three  widely  different  species  originated,  tuza  on  the  east, 
bnrsariiis  on  the  north,  and  luteseeiis  on  the  west.  To  tlie  eastward 
only  ai  narrow  gap  separates  the  range  of  hreviceps  from  that  of  niobi- 
lensis  of  the  tuza  series,  which,  though  specifically  distinct,  was  evi- 
dently derived  from  the  hreviceps  stock.  Still  further  east  mohileusis 
passes  in  totuza.  On  the  west  hreviceps  shades  toAvard  and  probably 
will  be  found  to  intergrade  with  lutescens.  On  the  north  only  a  nar- 
row hiatus  separates  it  from  hnrsarins,  the  most  specialized  type  of 
the  series.  Specimens  of  hursarins  from  southern  Missouri  suggest 
that  the  gap  between  it  and  hreviceps  is  not  very  wide;  if  continuity  of 
range  between  the  two  forms  is  anywhere  found  this  gap  may  be 
bridged  even  at  the  present  time  (see  map  4). 

(2)  The  tuza  series  inhabits  the  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States  south 
of  the  Savannah  Kivcr  and  east  of  the  Mississippi  (mah  4,  A),  and  com- 
prises three  forms,  tuza,  tnza  mohilensis,  and  tuza  floridanus.  They  are 
locally  known  by  the  singularly  inappropriate  and  misleading  name 
'Salamander.'  The  members  of  the  tuza  series  agree  among  themselves 
and  differ  from  the  remaining  forms  of  the  genus  Geomys  in  having 
longer  and  more  naked  tails,  and  in  numerous  cranial  characters.  The 
shape  of  the  skull  in  potile  is  decidly  convex,  the  rostrum  long  and 
decurved,  the  nasals  long  and  slender  and  constricted  in  the  middle,  giv- 
ing them  a  somewhat  hour-glass  shape.  The  interparietal  is  perma- 
nently distinct  from  the  supra-occipital  and  is  normally  much  larger 
than  in  any  of  the  other  groups,  though  in  G.  mohilensis  it  is  nearly 
obliterated  in  old  age  by  the  encroachment  of  tlie  ridges  that  unite  to 
form  a  sagittal  crest. 

The  tuza  group  differs  not  only  from  hursarius,  but  from  all  other 
known  members  of  the  family,  in  the  disproportionate  length  of  the 
upper  premolar  in  relation  to  the  other  molarilbrm  teeth.  It  is  merely 
double  the  length  of  m-^.  The  lower  premolar  is  much  shorter,  particu- 
larly in  jioridanus. 

(3)  Geomys  hursarins  inhabits  the  u])per  Mississippi  Valley  (map  4,  b) 
and  stands  alone  at  the  end  of  the  northern  branch,  just  as  Geomys  tuza 
occupies  the  end  of  the  eastern  branch  of  the  restricted  genus  Geomys. 
The  skull  is  elongated  and  angular,  the  frontal  compressed  between  the 
orbits,  the  palatopterygoids  broadly  Ungulate,  and  the  sagittal  crest 
high;  but  the  most  important  departure  fi'om  its  allies  is  found  in  the 
anterior  part  of  the  craniofacial  axis,  and  consists  mainly  in  the  broad 
articulation  of  the  ascending  wings  of  the  palatine  bones  with  the  hori- 
zontal shelf  of  the  orbitosphenoids,  and  in  the  presence  of  a  fenestrura 
looking  completely  through  the  skull  in  front  of  the  presphenoid.  G. 
hursarius  presents  the  extreme  of  differentiation  occurring  in  the  bisul- 
cate  series  inhabiting  the  United  States. 

The  following  brief  tabular  statement  of  some  of  the  cranial  char- 
acters of  the  three  members  of  the  ^»vrt  group  may  facilitate  the  identi- 
fication of  specimens: 


JAN.,  1895]  KEY    TO    SPECIES    OF    GEOMYS.  113 

IHfferentiftI  cr(iiti((l  iharaitcm  of  the  ineinhcr.'s  nf  llie  tiiza  t/roiqi. 


Tcraporal  impvossions 

Frontal  (iiiteroibitally) 

Ascending  brauclies  of  premaxilla 

Palato]iteryg(>id    

Audital  bnllii! 

Interparietal 


Mobilensis. 


Tuza. 


Floridanus. 


United  in  a  sagittal  crest . . !  Distant 1  Distant. 

Very  broad !  Narrow ;  Narrow. 

Motleratu ;  Moderate i  Very  broad  and 

j  !      blunt. 

Narrow,  sides  i)arallel-    ...    Lingulate-ctineate    Lingnlate   eune 

i  I      '^^^' 

Small Small i  Large. 

Deeply  notched  posteriorly   Not  notched i  Not  notched. 


KEY  TO  SPECIES  AND  SUBSPECIES   OF  GEOMYS  BY   CRANIAL  AND  DEN- 
TAL CIIARACTERS. 

[Based  on  skulls  of  adult  males  only.) 

(1)  .TUGAL  equal  to  or  shorter  thai)  basioecipital  (measured  from  condyle), 
a'  Sagittal  erestprenenl. 

ft'  Zygomata  strongly  angular  (standing  out  at  right  angles) ;  jugal 
broadly  rounded  anteriorly. 

Size  large ;  audital  biilbe  nornial persouaiits 

Size  medium;  audital  buUie  short  and  swollen  (almost  8ubglobular)./rt?/ax 

h-  Zygomata  rounded ;  jugal  narrow  anteriorly  ;  size  small safjittaJis 

a-  Saijiltal  crest  absent. 

Temporal  ridges  prominent ;    squamosal  arm  of  zygoma  ending  in 

a  knob arenarins 

Temporal  ridges    not    prominent;  squamosal  arm    of   zygoma  not 

ending  in  a  k  nob iexensis 

(2)  Jugal  longer  than  hasioccipital  (measured  from  condyle). 

c'  Sagittal  crest  strongly  dcreloped — long  and  high;  size  larg<«t hursarius 

c-  Sagittal  crest  feebly  developed  or  absent;  size  medium  or  small. 

(P  Nasal  bones  hour-glass  shaped;  strongly  constricted  near  middle. 

e'  Temporal  impressions  uniting  in  sagittal  crest mobilensis 

e'^  Temporal  impressions  not  uniting  in  sagittal  crest. 

Audital  bulhe  small;  not  swollen;  nasals  broad  posteriorly tnsa 

Audital  bulhe  large,  swollen;  nasals  narrow  posteriorly  ..  .floridanii't 
rf^  Nasal  bones  not  hour-glassed  shaped;   slightly  or  not  constric- 
ted near  middle. 
/'  Frontal  strongly  depressed  interorbitally  ;  zygomata  l)r()adly 

rounded;  nasals  very  narrow  posteriorly,  notched  behind. ftrtr(cej;s 
/^  Frontal    slightly    or    not    depressed;    zygomata    angular, 
strongly  divergent  anteriorly. 
Temporal  ridges  prominent,  divergent  anteriorly;  nasals 

abruptly  narrow  and  convex  posteriorly attwateri 

No  temporal  ridges;  temporal  impressions  parallel  or 
meeting  in  sagittal  ridge;  nasals  truncate  or  emargi- 
uate  posteriorly liitescens 

GEOMYS  TUZA  (Ord). 
(Frontispiece  and  pi.  7.  fig.  1;  pi.  13,  tig.  9;  i)I.  15,  fig.  12.) 

Mas  tnza  Ord,  Guthrie's  Geog.,2d  Am.  ed.,  Ii,  1815,  292  (based  on  Mitchill's  "unde- 

scribed  little  <iuadruped  of  Georgia'" — atm postea). 
Geomys  pinetis  Rafinesque,  Am.  Monthly  Magazine,  vol.  ii,  No.  I,  Nov.,  1817,  45  (type 

of  geuus  Geomys). 
Undescrihed  little  quadruped  of  Georgia,  Mitchill,  New  York  Medical  Repository,  V, 

1802,  89.     (Descr.  orig.  on  which  the  name  .Vns  tuza  of  Ord  was  based.) 

7433— No.  8 8 


114  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

Eamster  of  Gcoryia,  Audersou,  2d  Am.  from  8tli  London  ed.  of  Bewick's  Hist,  of 
Quadrupeds,  1848,*  326  (accompanied  by  figure  Avith  claetik  pouches  properly 
turned  in). 

Type  locality. — Pine  barrens  uear  Augusta,  Georgia,  t 

Geographic  distribution. — Pine  barrens  of  (leorgia  ( and  probably 
northern  Florida  also),  within  the  Anstroriparian  fannal  area  (map  4). 

General  characters. — Size  medinni  or  rather  large;  tail  long  atid 
naked;  feet  moderately  well  haired;  a  small  naked  pad  on  end  of  nose. 

Color. — Upper  parts  cinnamon  brown,  strongly  tinged  with  fulvons 
in  fresh  pelage;  only  a  faint  trace  of  darker  median  dorsal  stripe; 
under  parts  dull  ochraceous  buff;  hairs  of  feet  whitish. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  rather  large  and  angular  (PI.  7,  fig.  1),  its 
upper  surface  convex  in  i^roflle  (due  in  part  to  the  strongly  decurved 
rostrum  and  in  part  to  the  absence  of  sagittal  crest);  zygomata  diver- 
gent anteriorly,  the  maxillary  root  sloping  strongly  backward;  temporal 
impressions  never  uniting  in  a  sagittal  ridge,  but  forming  permanent 
temporal  ribs,  which  in  the  males  are  elevated  on  both  sides  and  sepa- 
rated by  an  interspace  or  sagittal  area  3  to  4  mm.  in  width.  In  the 
females  the  intersj)ace  is  broader  and  usually  thickened  so  that  it  is 
flush  with  the  top  of  the  temporal  imj^ressions.  Interparietal  very 
large  and  broad.  The  frontal  is  narrow  interorbitally;  postorbital 
prominences  marked;  palatopterygoids  lingulate-cuueate,  the  base 
slightly  or  not  excavated  on  outer  side;  audital  bulhe  small,  normal; 
basioccipital  strongly  wedge-shaped,  truncate  anteriorly. 

Skulls  of  (t^.  tuza  may  be  distinguished  from  those  of  mohilensis  by  the 
presence  of  distant  temporal  ridges  instead  of  a  sagittal  crest;  by  the 
narrow  frontal  (interorbitally);  by  the  lingulate-cuneate  (instead  of 
narrow  strap-shaped)  palatopterygoids,  and  by  the  very  large  inter- 
parietal which  is  not  notched  behind  (fig.  G  e).  Skulls  of  tuza  differ  from 
those  oi Jioridanus  in  much  narrower  ascending  branches  of  premaxilla, 
broader  nasals  posteriorly,  more  strongly  wedge-shaped  basioccipital, 
and  much  smaller  audital  bulhe.  The  relationship  with  Jloridanns  is 
much  closer  than  with  mohilensis.  The  protile  of  the  top  of  the  skull 
is  more  convex  than  in  either  of  the  others. 

Measurements. — Average  of  ten  males  from  type  locality  (Hollywood, 
Georgia,  11'  miles  soutli  of  Augusta):  Total  length,  2G9;  tail  vertebni?, 
89,5;  hind  foot,  34.4. 


*  The  copy  cited  by  Coues  (Monograj)hs  of  N.  Am.  Rodentia,  1877,  615  footnote)  has 
the  same  pagination,  but  a  somewliat  different  title  page  (different  publisher)  and  is 
not  dated.  The  eighth  Loudon  edition  of  Bewick  was  published  in  1824.  The 
only  mammals  described  in  the  American  reprint  not  in  the  original  are  the  grizzly 
bear,  hamster  of  Georgia,  and  mammoth. 

iThe  tj'ps  specimen  was  sent  Dr.  Mitchill  from  Augusta,  Ga.,  in  July,  1801,  by 
.Josiah  Meigs,  president  of  the  University  of  Georgia.  In  the  letter  that  acco.iipa- 
nied  the  spccimeu  Mr.  Meigs  said:  "For  the  space  of  about  100  miles,  between 
8avannali  and  Augusta,  the  land  on  each  side  of  the  road  is  almost  covered  l»y  the 
heaps  of  loose  earth  raised  by  it." — New  York  Medical  Repository,  Y,  1802,  89. 


JAN.,  1895.] 


GEOMYS    TUZA.  115 


Average  of  nine  females  from  same  j)]ace:  Total  length,  249;  tail 
vertebra',  82 ;  liiud  foot,  32. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  C,  p.  208. 

Specimem  examined. — Total  number  32:  twenty  from  type  locality, 
Hollywood,  12  miles  south  of  Augusta,  Georgia;  and  twelve  from 
Butler,  Georgia,  (latter  not  typical). 

General  reniarls. — SpeL-imens  from  Butler,  near  the  western  border  of 
Georgia,  are  intermediate  between  fuza  and  mobilensis.  In  color  they 
resemble  the  latter,  while  in  cranial  characters  they  are  nearer  the 
former. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the  first  description  of  this  species — and 
not  a  bad  description  either,  considering  it  was  written  nearly  a  century 
ago — was  from  the  pen  of  a  member  of  Congress,  the  Hon.  John  Mil- 
ledge,  Ilepresentativ^e  from  Georgia.  It  was  published  by  Dr.  Mitchill 
in  the  New  York  Medical  Repository  in  1802  (vol.  v,  p.  89),  and  runs  as 
follows:  ''One  of  the  little  animals  that  burrows  in  the  pine  land,  only 
known  in  Georgia,  was  caught  by  Mr.  Stephen  Pierce,  living  midway 
between  Savannah  and  xVugusta.  Its  body  is  of  the  length  and  thick- 
ness of  a  common-sized  rat,  amd  of  the  same  color:  the  head  between 
that  of  a  rat  and  a  mole,  with  small  whiskers  and  short  snout:  the  tail 
without  hair,  but  shorter  than  that  of  a  rat :  the  fore  feet  like  those  of 
a  mole,  with  nails  near  an  inch  long:  the  hind  feet  like  those.of  a  rat, 
but  the  nails  not  of  the  same  length,  each  foot  having  five  claws :  very 
sparkling  small  eyes:  also  short  ears:  teeth  like  a  squirrel,  and  full  as 
long.  On  both  sides  of  the  jaw,  externally,  are  sacks  or  wallets,  where 
it  deposits  its  food,  and  each  will  contain  as  much  as  can  be  put  in  a 
large  tablespoon.  Little  or  no  fur,  and  the  hair  of  the  length  of  a  wood 
rat.  The  whole  face  of  the  pine  country  is  covered  with  little  mounds 
made  by  this  animal,  of  the  circumference  of  a  peck,  and  from  6  to  8 
inches  high.  It  is  by  no  means  active,  but  remarkably  fierce.  No 
common  wooden  place  of  confinement  can  hold  it  long,  as  it  gaaws  its 
way  out.  It  lives  entirely  on  roots,  and  is  very  fond  of  the  sweet 
potato,  and  often  i^roves  injurious  to  the  planter  by  getting  under'his 
stacks.  It  ai^pears  to  move  nearer  the  surface  in  the  spring  and  fall 
than  at  any  other  season.  It  is  surprising,  that  though  the  work  of 
this  creature  is  seen  throughout  the  country,  in  the  region  of  the  long- 
leaf  pine,  and  in  that  region  only,  yet  sach  is  its  skill  in  burrowing,  and 
acuteness  of  hearing,  that  there  is  no  animal  in  all  our  State  so  seldom 
caught  or  seen." 

CxEOMYS  TUZA  FLORIDANUS  (Aiul.  and  Bach.). 
(PI.  7,  figs.  3  and  4;  PI.  10,  fig.  1;  PI.  14,  fig.  16.) 

Pseudostomn  Jior'ulana  And.  and  Bach.,  Quadrupeds  of  Xorth  Am.,  Vol.  iii,  1854,  242- 

24.5. 
Geomtjn  tiiza  Goode  (not  Ord),  Powell's  Report  Colorado  R?ver,  1875,  281-285  (habits). 

Type  locality. — St.  Augustine,  Florida.* 

*Auilubon  and  Bachman  did  not  discriminate  between  the  Georgia  and  Florida 
animals,  but  all  of  their  Florida  specimens  came  from  St.  Augustine. 


116  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

General  characters.^^umhiv  to  G.  tnza,  but  much  (linker  in  color; 
fore  feet  larger;  tail  sHghtly  more  hairy;  <lifi(er.s  also  in  cranial 
characters. 

Color. — Upper  parts  dull  sooty-plumbeous,  becoming  cinnamou-drab 
on  the  sides;  under  parts  plumbeous,  more  or  less  washed  Avith  buffy; 
an  irregular  white  patch  under  chin  and  throat. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  long,  with  very  angular  zygomatic  arches, 
much  as  in  tuza  and  mobilensis.  G.  floridanus  differs  from  G.  tuza  in 
broader  and  blunter  ascending  branches  of  premaxilla,  narrower  nasals 
posteriorly,  somewhat  broader  jugals  anteriorly,  more  rectangular  (less 
strongly  wedge-shaped)  basioccipital,  and  much  larger  audital  bulhe; 
from  mohilensis  in  much  larger  audital  bulhe,  narrower  frontal,  less 
spreading  and  more  depressed  arches,  much  broader  ascending  branches 
of  premaxilla,  .less  flattened  brain  case,  lingulate-cuneate  instead  of 
narrow  palatopterygoids,  and  in  the  presence  of  temporal  ridges  instead 
of  a  sagittal  ridge.  The  angular  process  of  the  mandible  is  nuich  less 
deeply  notched  at  base  anteriorly.  In  G.  floridanus  the  interspace 
between  the  two  grooves  of  tlie  upper  incisor  is  broader  than  in  either 
tuza  or  'mobilensis,  and  the  head  of  the  jugal  is  more  deeply  mortised 
into  the  maxillary  arm  of  the  zygoma. 

i^pccimens  examined. — Total  number  25,  from  the  following  localities 
in  Florida:  Chattahoochee,  2;  Pomona,  4;  Gainesville,!;  San  Mateo,  0; 
Tarpon  Springs,  12. 

Measurements. — Average  of  three  males  from  San  Mateo,  Florida 
(measured  in  flesh  by  Dr.  W.  L.  Ralph) :  Total  length,  288;  tail  vertebr;e, 
94  ;  hind  foot,  35.5.  Average  of  three  females  from  same  locality :  Total 
length,  235;  tail  vertebrie,  77 ;  hind  foot,  33.  For  cranial  measurements 
see  Table  C,  p.  208. 

General  remarls. — The  foregoing  description  has  been  drawn  up  from 
specimens  from  San  Mateo,  Putnam  County,  Florida,*  only  25  miles 
from  St.  Augustuie,  the  type  locality  of  the  species.  Specimens  from 
further  south  on  the  peninsula  are  somewhat  different. 

The  best  and  almost  the  only  authentic  account  of  the  habits  of  this 
species  is  from  the  pen  of  the  eminent  director  of  the  TT.  S.  National 
Museum,  Dr.  C.  lirown  Goode,  by  whom  it  was  contributed  to  Cones' 
monographic  paper  on  the  group,  published  in  1875. f  Dr.  Goode  kept 
a  number  in  confinement  for  several  weeks  and  was  thus  enabled  to 
make  the  "following  interesting  observations  on  their  habits.  He  says: 
"  They  may  easily  be  coniined  in  a  wo®den  box,  with  sides  8  or  10  inches 
high,  having  dry.  sand  2  or  3  inches  dee»p  on  the  bottom.  No  cover  is 
necessary;  I  have  never  seen  one  look  up  from  the  earth,  and  have 

*These  specimens  Averekindly  presented  to  me  by  Dr.  W.  L.  Ralph,  of  Utica,  Ne 
York,  who  collected  them  himself  and  measured  them  m  the  flesh. 

t  Abstract  of  results  of  a  study  of  the  genera  Geomt/s  and  Tliomomys.  Powell's  Expi. 
Colorado  River,  4^,  187.5,  21.5-28.J.  Addendum  B.— Notes  on  the  "Salamander"  of 
Florida,  by  G.  Brown  Goode,  281-285. 


JAN.,  1895]  GEOMYS   TUZA   PLORIDANUS.  117 

rarely  known  them  to  attempt  to  escape.  They  require  no  water,  and 
no  food  except  sweet  potatoes.  A  single  potato  of  moderate  size  will 
feed  a  salamander  for  three  days. 

"  The  senses  of  sight  and  hearing  seem  in  them  to  be  very  dull.  An 
object  may  be  held  within  a  short  distance  of  their  eyes  without  attract- 
ing their  attention;  but  the  moment  one  is  touched,  he  turns  with  a 
jump,  snapping  fiercely,  much  to  the  detriment  of  fingers  which  may  be 
near.  If  two  are  confined  in  the  same  cage,  the  one  does  not  seem 
aware  of  the  presence  of  the  other,  unless  they  accidentally  come  in 
contact.  Their  eyes  are  small,  dull,  and  without  expression.  Their 
sense  of  smell  I  judge  to  be  very  delicate,  from  the  manner  in  which 
they  approach  the  hills  of  potatoes.  Their  motions  are  surprisingly 
quick  and  energetic,  their  activity  never  ceasing  from  morning  to  night. 

"  They  are  very  pugnacious,  and  a  rough-and-tumble  combat  between 
two  vigorous  males  woald  seem  terrific,  if  their  size  could  be  magnified 
a  few  diameters  in  the  eye  of  the  spectator.  Every  muscle  of  their  com- 
pact, elastic,  stout  bodies  is  brought  into  action,  and  they  plunge  and 
bite  with  wonderful  ferocity.  A  battle  is  usually  followed  by  the  death 
of  one  or  both.  I  have  examined  them  after  death  and  found  the 
whole  anterior  part  of  the  body  bruised  almost  to  the  consistency  of 
paste,  the  bones  of  the  legs  crushed  in  four  or  five  places.  When  two 
come  together  in  the  cage,  their  salutation  is  a  plunge  and  a  bite. 

"  I  watched  their  burrowing  with  much  interest.  They  dig  by  grub- 
bing with  the  nose  and  a  rapid  shoveling  with  the  long  curved  fore 
paws,  assisted  by  the  pushing  of  the  hind  feet,  which  remove  the  dirt 
from  beneath  the  body  and  propel  it  back  with  great  power  a  distance 
of  8  or  10  inches.  When  a  small  quantity  of  earth  has  accumulated  in 
the  rear  of  the  miner,  around  he  whirls  with  a  vigorous  flirt  of  the  tail 
and  joining  fore  paws  before  his  nose,  he  transmutes  himself  into  a  sort 
of  wheelbarrow,  pushing  the  dirt  before  him  to  a  convenient  distance, 
and  repeating  the  act  until  the  accumulation  is  remo^'ed,  then  resuming 
his  mining.  Any  root  or  twig  which  blocks  his  way  is  quickly  divided 
by  his  sharp  chisel-teeth.  *  *  *  Tlie  direction  of  the  burrows  may 
easily  be  traced  by  the  loose  hillocks  of  white  sand  which  are  thrown 
up  along  the  line  at  intervals  of  3  or  4  feet.  These  are  the  -dumps' 
made  by  the  burro wer  in  throwing  out  his  refuse  accumulations.  Each 
consist  of  about  a  peck  of  loose  sand,  and,  by  the  casual  observer, 
might  easily  be  mistaken  for  an  ant-hill.  No  opening  is  visible,  but  by 
digging  under  the  hill  a  hole  is  found,  the  mouth  of  the  adit  to  the 
mam  tunnel,  which  may  be  3  feet  below  the  surface  if  made  in  cold 
weather,  but  perhaps  not  more  than  (>  inches  if  in  summer.  One  of  the 
mounds  is  thrown  up  in  a  very  few  moments.  I  have  seen  30  raised  in  a 
single  night  on  the  line  of  one  tunnel;  this  would  represent  nearly  100 
feet  of  tunneling.  I  have  seen  150  in  one  continuous  row  raised  in 
about  two  days ;  this  would  make  between  400  and  500  feet  of  burrow 
completed  in  that  short  time,  apparently  by  one  little  animal,  an  amount 


118  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

of  work  which  may  seem  incredible  to  one  who  lias  not  watched  the 
restless  movements  of  these  animated  plows,  which  are  seemingly  as 
well  adapted  for  piercing  tlie  sand  as  birds  are  for  -cleaving  the  air. 
The  bnrrows  are  about  2i  inches  in  diameter.  *  *  *  The  nests  are 
large  chambers,  1  or  2  feet  from  the  main  tunnel,  with  which  they  are 
connected  by  side  passages,  which  leave  nearly  at  right  angles.  Here 
the  miners  lay  up  a  supply  of  provisions  and  the  chambers  are  often 
found  to  contain  a  half  bushel  of  sweet  potatoes  cut  up  into  chunks 
as  large  as  peach  stones,  and  of  convenient  size  to  be  carried  in  the 
pockets.  *  *  *  In  these  side  chambers  the  salamanders  rear  their 
young,  building  a  nest  of  grass,  i)ine  needles,  and  live-oak  leaves.  1 
found  them  breeding  in  April." 

Dr.  Goode  remarks  that  the  name  '  salamander,'  by  which  the  species 
is  universally  known  in  the  South,  "  luiiy  allude  to  the  safety  enjoyed 
by  these  little  animals  in  their  subterranean  abodes  at  the  time  of  the 
devastating  fires  which  sometimes  consume  the  pine  forests.  After  such 
a  conflagration  has  passed  over  their  heads,  destroying  every  other  kind 
of  life,  they  are  seen  at  work  among  the  ashes,  very  good  types  of  the 
salamander  of  fable." 

Mr.  Morris  M.  Green,  who  obtained  specimens  for  the  Division  at 
Pomona,  Putnam  County,  Florida,  in  June,  1S89,  furnished  the  follow- 
ing notes  respecting  their  habits :  "  The  hills  of  the  '  salamander,'  as  the 
Florida  Geomys  is  called,  are  abundant  in  the  pine  woods  and  clearings, 
on  rather  low  and  moist  land.  Their  tunnels  were  from  4  to  24  inches 
below  the  surface;  the  hills  were  thrown  up  at  intervals  of  from  2  to  6 
feet,  and  contained  about  a  peck  of  dirt  each.  The  night  and  early 
morning  seemed  to  be  their  favorite  time  for  working.  It  is  very  easy 
to  trap  a  'salamander'  when  fresh  mounds  are  found.  By  sweeping  to 
one  side  the  heaps  of  dirt,  traces  of  the  hole  through  which  the  earth 
was  brought  and  its  direction  can  be  easily  found.  A  minute's  work 
with  the  spade  will  usually  expose  the  tunnel  lying  to  one  side  of  the 
hill.  Place  a  steel  traj)  in  the  tunnel,  and  cover  up  the  breach  with  a 
piece  of  pine  bark  or  some  palmetto  'fans.'  If  the  breach  is  left  open, 
the  animals  will  carry  dirt  to  shut  out  the  light,  and  thus  clog  the  trap, 
whereas  if  the  opening  is  closed  they  will  step  in  the  trap  and  are 
caught.  A  break  is  often  repaired  within  half  an  hour,  or  it  may  be 
left  for  nearly  a  day.  In  mending  an  opening  it  is  astonishing  how 
compactly  the  earth  is  packed;  in  one  case  an  animal  closed  an  opening 
so  securely  that  the  tunnel  could  not  be  found  at  all  until  another  shaft 
was  sunk  in  search  of  it. 

"A  'salamander'  caught  in  a  trap  is  a  picture  of  fury  and  spite,  bit- 
ing at  everything  within  reach  of  its  jaws,  and  sometimes  breaking  its 
front  teeth  in  venting  its  rage  on  a  trap. 

"  In  the  cheek  pouches  of  one  were  some  pieces  of  pine  roots,  and 
some  grasses  were  found  in  the  tunnels.  The  animals  do  serious  injury 
to  orange  and  pear  trees  by  gnawing  tlie  roots.     Sometimes  the  roots 


i 


JAN.,  1895.] 


GEOMYS    TUZA    MOBILENSIS.  119 


are  gnawed  off  so  completely  that  the  tree  can  be  pusbed  over  with  one 
hand.  They  also  feed  on  sweet  potatoes.  But  when  an  animal  enters 
a  garden  or  an  orchard,  and  betrays  itself  by  throwing  up  hills,  there 
is  no  excuse  for  not  ridding  the  place  of  it,  as  it  may  be  easily  caught 
in  a  steel  trap.  It  is  claimed  that  the  'salamander'  works  near  the 
surface  from  September  to  March,  retiring  deeper  in  the  ground  during 
the  hot  season." 

GEOMYS  TUZA  MOBILENSIS  subsii.  nov. 

(PL  7,  figs.  2,  5,  aud  6;  pi.  10,  fig.  2;  pi.  14,  fig.  15;  text  fig.  6,  f  and  g.) 

Typ6  from  Mobilf,  Bay,  Alabama.  No.  ^^U  i  ad.  U.  S.  Nat.  Museum,  Department 
of  Agriculture  collectiou.  Collected  April  26,  1892,  by  Russell  J.  Thompson. 
(Original  No.  50.) 

Geographic  (listribution. — Soutliern  Alabama  and  adjacent  part  of 
northwest  Florida,  witiiin  the  Austroriparian  zone  (map  4). 

General  characters. — Similar  to  G.  tuza,  but  somewhat  smaller,  aud 
much  darker  in  color;  tail  shorter,  nearly  naked;  feet  scant  haired. 

Color. — Upper  parts  dark,  generally  sepia  or  bistre,  washed  on  sides 
of  face  and  body  with  golden  brown  or  ochraceons,  intimately  mixed 
with  black-tipped  hairs;  top  of  head,  between  eyes  and  including  ears, 
dusky,  with  an  ill-delined  dorsal  band  of  the  same  jolor.  Under  parts 
dark  plumbeous,  faintly  Avashed  with  dull  pale  fulvous.  Hairs  of  feet 
whitish.     More  or  less  white  about  throat  and  pouches. 

Cranial  charactcrs.-^SkuW  very  long  aud  angular  (pi.  7,  lig.  2);  fron- 
tal broad  aud  high;  top  of  skull  in  profile  strongly  convex;  isygomatic 
arches  broadly  spreading,  divergent  anteriorly,  and  angular;  brain 
case  broad  and  tlat;  palatopterygoids  narrow,  their  sides  parallel; 
temporal  impressions  in  adult  males  meeting  in  a  low  but  well-developed 
sagittal  ridge;  interparietal  deeply  excavated  posteriorly  (trousers- 
shaped),  reduced  in  advanced  age  by  meeting  of  temporal  ridges  (fig. 
6, /and  g).  G.  mobilensis  differs  from  G.  tuza  in  the  great  breadth  of 
the  frontal  interorbitally;  the  narrow  palatopterygoids;  the  presence 
of  a  sagittal  ridge  in  adult  males,  and  the  very  different  shape  of  the 
interpariteal  (fig.  G).  It  differs  from  florid  anus  in  much  smaller  audita! 
bulkv,  broader  frontal,  lower  and  more  depressed  brain  case,  more 
divergent  zygomatic  arches,  narrower  ascending  branches  of  premax- 
illa  and  much  narrower  palatopterygoids.  G.  mobilensis  differs  from 
G.  brcrieejys^  its  nearest  neighbor  on  the  west,  in  general  form  of  the 
skull  and  in  numerous  details :  in  profile  the  top  of  the  skull  is  strongly 
convex  instead  of  concave;  the  zygomatic  arches  are  more  angular  and 
more  divergent  anteriorly;  the  frontal  is  nnich  broader  interorbit- 
allj'-;  the  brain  case  flatter;  the  nasal  bones  broader  and  constricted  in 
front  of  the  middle;  the  angular  process  of  the  mandible  deeply  notched 
anteriorly. 

Measurements  (taken  in  flesh). — Ty2)e  specimen:  Total  length,  2G0; 
tail  vertebrae,  82 ;  hind  foot,  33. 


120  NORTH    AMEIRICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

Aiwrage  of  four  males  from  type  locality:  Total  length,  250;  tail 
vertebr;e  81 ;  liind  foot,  33.5. 

Avcrmje  of  four  females  from  same  place:  Total  length,  229;  tail 
vertebrae,  7(!;  hind  foot,  30.5, 

For'crauial  measurements  see  Table  0,  p.  208. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  23 :  9  from  Point  Clear,  Mobile 
Bay,  Alabama,  2  from  Brewton,  Alabama,  and  12  from  Milton,  Florida. 

General  remarks. — Geoniys  mobilensis  is  an  inhabitant  of  the  low- 
lands bordering  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  east  of  Mobile  Bay.  How  far  its 
range  extends  to  the  east  and  north  has  not  been  ascertained.  In  size 
and  coloration  it  seems  to  bear  the  same  relation  to  its  neighbor  {G. 
tuza)  of  the  adjacent  pine  barrens  of  Georgia  that  G.  hrericeps  of  the 
lowlands  of  Louisiana  and  Texas  bears  to  its  relative  of  the  higher  and 
drier  ground  further  west  {G.  lutescens). 

It  seems  a  pity  that  such  a  strikingly  marked  animal  as  mobilensis 
must  stand  as  a  subspecies,  but  there  is  no  reasonable  doubt  of  its 
complete  iutergradation  with  tuza  in  western  Georgia. 

GEOMYS  BURSARIUS  (Sliaw). 

(Pl.l;  pi.  9,  figs.  8  and  9;  pi.  10,  fig.  6;  pi.  13,  fig.  11;  pi.  14,  fig.  2;  pi.  15,  fig.  11;  pi. 
17,  fig.  3;  pi.  18,  fig.  1;  pi.  19,  fig.  3;  text  fig.  55.) 

Mhs  hursariiis  8haw,  Trans.    Linnean  Soc,  v.  1800,   227-228,  pi.  8;    Genl.  Zoology, 

Mammalia,  Vol.  ii,  pt.  1.,  1801,  100-101,  pi.  138. 
? Miis  hidovicianus  Ord.  Guthrie's  Geography,  2d  Am.  ed.,  1815,292  (Nomen  nudiDn). 
BipJostomafusva  Rafinesqiie,  Am.  Monthly  Magazine,  Vol.  ii,  No.  i,  Nov.  1817,  45. 
Geomys  ci neren  Rafincsqne,  Am.  Monthly  Magazine,  Vol.  ii,  1817,  45.     {Miis  I) ur sarins 

renamed.) 
Saccophorus  hiiysarius  Kuhl,  Beitriige  ziir.  ZooL,  1820,  65. 
MnssaccalHs  Mitchill,  New  York  Medical  Repository,  Vol.  vi,  n.  s.,  1821,  249.     (Type 

from  Lake  Superior,  probably  Minnesota.) 
Psendostoma  biirsariKS  Say,  Long's  Expd.  to  Rocky  Mts.,  i,  1823,  406. 
Asromi/s  caxadensis  hicht.,  Abh.  Akad.  Wiss.  Berlin  (1822),  1825,  20,  fig.  2. 
Geomijs'/  biirsariiis  Richardson,  Fauna  Boreali-Americana,  i,  1859,  203. 
Geomys  canadensis  LeConte,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  vi,  1852,  158. 
Geomys  orcfionensis  LeConte,   Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  vi,  1852,  160.     (Locality 

erroneous.) 

Type  locality . — Unknown;  somewhere  in  Upper  Mississippi  Valley. 

Geographic  distribution. — Upper  Mississippi  Valley  from  a  short  dis- 
tance south  of  the  Canadian  boundary,  in  longitude  97°  (Warren,  Min- 
nesota, and  Grand  Forks,  North  Dakota),  southward  to  eastern  Kan- 
sas (Neosho  Falls),  southeastern  Missouri  (Williamsville  and  Hunter), 
and  southern  Illinois  (Belleville);  east  nearly  to  Lake  Michigan  (Win- 
nebago and  Fond  du  Lac,  Wisconsin,  and  Cook  County,  Illinois); 
west  in  the  Dakotas  and  Nebraska  to  the  ninety-eighth  or  ninety- 
ninth  meridian  (Valley  City  and  Hamlin,  North  Dakota;  Burch, 
Mitchel,  and  Scotland,  South  Dakota;  Niobrara,  Ericson,  and  Kearney, 
Nebraska).  The  species  belongs  to  the  Upper  Sonoran  and  Transition 
zones.     See  map  4,  b. 


JAN.,  1895]  GEOMYS    BURSARIUS.  121 

General  characters. — Size  large;  coloration  dark;  tail  raedium  or 
rather  long,  scant  haired,  the  terminal  half  nearly  naked. 

Color. — Dark  liver  brown  or  chestnnt  above  and  beloAv,  somewhat 
[)aler  on  the  belly  (belly  very  rarely  whitish);  fore  feet  white;  hind  feet 
soiled  white;  hairs  of  tail  usually  brown  on  basal  part  and  white  on 
terminal  part. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  long,  large,  and  angular  (pi.  1);  zygomata 
spreading,  widely  divergent  anteriorly,  angular;  a  well -developed 
sagittal  crest;  rostrum  long  and  narrow  for  size  of  skull;  frontal  nar- 
row and  rounded  interorbitally;  palatoptery golds  broadly  Ungulate, 
tapering  posteriorly,  not  notched  at  base  on  outer  side  (pi.  14,  fig.  2). 
The  skull  of  G.  hursarins  does  not  require  close  comparison  with  any 
other  species,  though  the  young  and  females  are  sometimes  difticult  to 
distinguish  from  lutescens.  The  skull  of  the  female  differs  from  that 
ot  the  male  in  much  smaller  size,  shorter  rostrum,  broader  interorbital 
region,  fuller  brain  case,  in  the  absence  of  distinct  sagittal  and  lamb- 
doidal  crests,  and  in  the  less  development  of  processes  and  ridges  for 
nuiscular  attachment.  Skulls  of  G.  bursarius  differ  from  those  of  lutes- 
cens chiefly  in  greater  length  and  angularity,  the  ratio  of  zygomatic 
breadth  to  basilar  lentli  of  Hensel  rarelj''  exceeding  73  percent  in 
adults;  while  in  I ntesceiis  this,  ratio  runs  from  75  to  79.  The  brain 
case  is  higher  posteriorly  and  the  sagittal  crest  is  much  more  highly 
developed.  G.  hnrsarius  (in  common  with  lutescens)  differs  from  per- 
sonatus  notably  in  the  angle  of  the  anterior  part  of  the  zygomatic  arch 
and  in  the  length  of  the  Jugal.  In  both  bursarius  and  lutescens,  even 
in  old  age,  the  anterior  root  of  the  zygoma  slopes  back  at  a  consider- 
able angle;  in  personatus  it  stands  ont  at  nearly  a  right  angle.  In 
bursarius  and  lutescens  the  Jugal  is  much  longer  than  the  basioccipital ; 
in  personatus  it  only  equals  the  basioccipital. 

Dental  cliaravters. — Face  of  upper  incisors  strongly  bisulcate;  small 
sulcus  fine  and  close  to  inner  edge  of  tooth ;  principal  sulcus  much 
larger  and  on  or  slightly  external  to  median  line;  enamel  face  rounded 
externally  and  between  sulci  (fig.  22^,  and  pi.  15,  fig.  11).  Molariform 
teeth  much  smaller  than  in  the  other  sections  of  the  genus;  crown  of 
last  upper  molar  suborbicnlar,  without  heel. 

Upper  molariform  series. — The  upper  premolar  curves  and  slopes 
strongly  forward  and  is  concave  anteriorly;  the  last  molar  curves 
strongly  backward  and  is  concave  posteriorly.  The  intermediate  molars 
curve  both  backward  and  outward;  the  first  only  slightly  backward, 
the  second  strongly;  both  are  concave  externally;  their  roots  divari- 
cate, the  first  sloping  forward,  the  second  backward.  (A  second  and 
greater  point  of  divergence  is  between  the  premolar  and  first  molar.) 
Tlie  ])remolar  is  nearly  one-third  longer  than  the  last  molar.  The  inter- 
mediate teeth  are  about  as  long  as  the  premolar — sometimes  longer. 

Lower  molariform  series. — All  the  teeth  are  short  compared  with  those 
of  the  upper  series;  premolar  longest,  largest,  heaviest,  and  curves 


122 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  8. 


strouffly  forward;  last  molar  smallest,  shortest,  and  curves  strongly 
backward;  the  intermediate  teeth  intermediate  in  length*  Premolar 
strongly  concave  anteriorly  and  nearly  as  concave  ontward ;  nij  slightly 
concave  anteriorly,  strongly  concave  outward,  and  somewhat  twisted 
on  its  axis;  nij  strongly  concave  outward  and  faintly  anteriorly,  with 
a  slight  twist;  nis  strongly  concave  posteriorly  and  moderately  so  out- 
wardly. 

Average  measurements  of  26  specimens  of  both  sexes  from  eastern 
North  Dakota  (measured  by  J.  Alden  Loring) :  Total,  270;  tail  vertebriie 
80;  hind  foot,  35.  Average  of  C  males  from  same  localities:  Total,  21)0; 
tail  vertebrae,  90;  hind  foot,  37.  Average  of  10  females:  Total,  2G5; 
tail  vertebra^  78;  hind  foot,  34.  Average  total  length  of  20  males  and 
20  females  from  Elk  Eiver,  Minnesota,  measured  in  tlesh  by  Vernon 
Bailey :  Males,  284;  females,  243.  In  both  cases  many  of  the  specimens . 
are  not  full  grown,  hence  the  measurements  are  toe  small.  Unfortu- 
nately no  satisfactory  series  of  measurements  is  available.* 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  A,  p.  204. 

General  remarls. —  Geomys  Jmrsarhis  is  a  well-marked  species,  easily 
distinguishable  by  color  alone  from  all  the,  other  bisuicate  forms.  It  is 
also  the  largest  species  inhabiting  the  United  States,  although  varying 
considerably  in  size  in  different  localities.  The  largest  form  inhabits 
the  region  about  Knoxville,  Iowa,  where  the  males  average  a  foot  in 
length. 

Geomys  hursarius  is  of  much  greater  economic  consequence  than  all 
the  other  species  combined,  for  the  reason  that  its  home  is  in  the  fertile 
prairie  region  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  from  central  Missouri  northward, 
covering  the  whole  State  of  Iowa,  nearly  the  whole  of  Illinois,  and  the 
richest  and  most  densely  populated  agricultural  lands  of  eastern  Kan- 
sas, eastern  Nebraska,  eastern  South  and  North  Dakota,  Minnesota, 
and  southern  Wisconsin. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  116,  from  the  following  localities: 

North  Dakota:  Portland,  18;  Erie,  3;  Oasselton,2;  Buflalo,  2;  Valley 
City,  3. 

*Dr.  C.  E.  McChesney,  U.  S.  Army,  iu  a  paper  on  the  Mammals  of  Fort  Sisseton, 
Daliota,  has  recorded  a  valuable  series  of  measurements  of  this  species,  all  taken  at 
that  locality.  While  his  measurements  are  not  strictly  commensurate  with  ours,  and 
while  many  of  his  specimens  were  not  full  grown,  his  means  are  important,  particu- 
larly as  showing  the  average  sexual  diiference.  Reduced  to  millimeters  his  most 
important  means  are : 


Mea,n  of— 


Tliirty-tliree  males,  Fort  Si.sset.on,  South  Dakota 
TJiirty  five  female.s,  Fort  Si.s.setoii,  South  Dakota 
Sixty-oight  specimeu.s,  both  sexe.s 


Head and 
body 

Tail  ver- 
tebrai . 

Hind 
foot. 

214 
182 
198 

79 

72.5 

76 

35 
32 
33 

(Bull.  U.  S.  Geol.  andGeog.  Survey,  Terr,  iv,  No.  1,  Feb.,  1878,  p.  213.) 


JAN.,  1895]  HISTORY    OF    GEOMYS    BUESARIUS.  123 

Soiitb.  Dakota:  Flandreau,  1;  Fort  Sissetou,  1;  Travare,  2;  Scot- 
land, 1. 

Minnesota:  Ortouville,  2;  Browns  Valley,  1;  Elk  River,  39. 

Iowa:  Council  Bluffs,  1;  Kuoxville,  16. 

J^ebraska:  Xiobrara,  3;  Verdigris,!;  Columbus,  1;  Ames,!;  Blair, 
1;  Norfolk,  2. 

Kansas:  Onaga,  3. 

Missouri:  Hunter,  Carter  County,  4;  Williamsville,  Wayne 
County,  8. 

EARLY   HISTORY   OF    GEOMYS   BURSARIUS. 

The  early  history  of  this  gopher  is  somewhat  obscure.  It  was  origi- 
nally described  by  Shaw  m  the  year  1800  and  was  named  Mm  bursa 
rins.  *  The  description  is  very  brief  and  is  as  follows :  "  Ash-coloured 
rat,  with  short  round  nearly  naked  tail,  pouched  cheeks,  and  the  claws 
of  the  forefeet  very  large,  formed  for  burrowing  in  the  ground."  Shaw 
states  further:  "  This  quadruped  was  taken  by  some  Indian  hunters  in 
the  upper  parts  of  interior  Canada,  and  sent  down  to  Quebec.  It  is 
now  in  the  possession  of  Governor  Prescot."  The  description  is  accom- 
panied by  a  full-size  engraving  of  the  animal,  with  cheek  pouches 
turned  inside  out  and  distended.  The  skin  evidently  was  greatly 
overstuffed.    No  grooves  are  shown  on  the  upper  incisors. 

The  next  year  (1801)  Shaw  redescribed  the  same  specimen  as  follows: 
"  It  is  about  the  size  of  a  brown  or  Norway  rat,  and  is  of  a  pale  greyish- 
brown  colour,  rather  lighter  beneath;  the  length  to  the  tail  is  about  9 
inches,  and  that  of  the  tail,  which  is  but  slightly  covered  with  hair, 
about  2 inches:  the  legs  are  short;  the  fore  feet  strong,  and  well  adapted 
fov  burrowing  in  the  ground,  having  five  claws,  of  which  the  three  mid- 
dle ones  are  very  large  and  long;  the  interior  much  smaller,  and  the 
exterior  very  small,  with  a  large  tubercle  or  elbow  beneath  it.  Tlie 
claws  on  the  hind  feet  are  comparatively  very  small,  but  the  two  mid- 
dle are  larger  than  the  rest,  and  the  interior  one  is  scarce  visible:  the 
teeth  are  extremely  strong,  particularly  the  lower  i)air,  which  are  much 
longer  than  the  upper:  the  ears  are  very  small."  (General  Zoology, 
vol.  IT,  part  1,  Mammalia,  1801,  pp.  100-101.)  He  gave  a  new  engrav- 
ing of  the  animal,  stating  that  in  the  figure  previously  published  (in 
the  Transactions  of  the  Linneau  Society)  "the  claws  on  the  fore  feet 
are  represented  as  only  three  in  number,  and  are  somewhat  too  long, 
weak,  and  curved.  The  engraving  in  the  present  plate  is  a  more  faith- 
ful representation,  and  is  accompanied  by  an  outline  of  the  head,  in  its 
natural  size,  as  viewed  in  front,  in  order  to  shew  the  teeth  and  cheek- 
IKHU'lies."  This  plate  contains  three  figures:  a  side  view,  as  in  the 
earlier  engraving;  a  front  view,  reduced,  and  a  natural-size  front  view 
in  outline.    The  cheek  pouches  are  everted,  as  before,  jirotruding  from 

"Transactions  of  the  Linnean  Society,  London,  vol.  V,  1800,  pp.  227-228;  descrip- 
tion read  before  the  society  June  4,  1799. 


124  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

the  sides  of  the  face  as  great  bursie.  Although  the  teeth  are  distinctly 
shown  in  these  engravings,  no  trace  of  a  groove  is  apparent,  unless  an 
incomplete  dotted  line  near  the  middle  of  each  upper  incisor  in  the  out- 
line figure  was  intended  to  indicate  it.  The  size  of  the  incisors  in  this 
figure  agrees  exactly  with  the  size  of  these  teeth  in  specimens  of  Tho- 
momys  talpoides  from  Manitoba,  and  the  size  and  shape  of  the  fore  feet 
and  claws  are  as  in  Thotnomi/s,  thus  dittering  widely  from  the  same 
parts  in  Geomys,  in  which  the  teeth  and  claws  are  very  much  larger  and 
heavier. 

The  color  of  the  body  (which  he  describes  as  "  pale  greyish-brown, 
rather  lighter  beneath  "),  the  size  and  shape  of  the  forefeet  and  claws, 
the  size  of  the  incisors,  the  absence  of  the  deep  median  furrow  so  con- 
spicuous in  Geomys  (which  could  hardly  have  been  overlooked  both  in 
the  description  and  figure),  together  with  the  statement  that  the  animal 
came  from  the  interior  of  Canada,  all  indicate  that  the  species  now 
known  as  Thomomys  talpoides  was  the  animal  Shaw  had  before  him. 

The  only  point  mentioned  by  Shaw  in  either  of  his  descriptions  of 
the  type  specimen  of  ^  Mus  hursarim^  that  does  not  apply  strictly  to 
Thomomys,  to  the  exclusion  of  Geomys,  is  the  length  of  the  animal, 
which  he  gives  as  9  inches.  This  is  easily  explained  on  turning  to  the 
figure,  which  shows  the  specimen  to  be  greatly  overstuffed— a  common 
error  in  taxidermy  resulting  from  the  exceedingly  loose  and  distensible 
skins  of  these  animals,  which  are  nearly  always  stretched  in  taking  off 
from  the  body. 

Eecapitulating,  Shaw's  description  and  figures  seem  to  establish  the 
following  points: 

(1)  The  type  specimen  of  31us  bursarius  came  from  the  "upper  parts 
of  interior  Canada,"  the  home  of  Thomomys.  No  member  of  the  genus 
Geomys  reaches  Canada,  its  northernmost  known  point  being  Warren, 
Minnesota. 

(2)  The  type  specimen  of  i¥<6s  bursarius  was  "ash  coloured"  or  "pale 
greyish-brown,  rather  lighter  beneath,"  exactly  as  in  Thomomys.  The 
color  of  the  only  species  of  Geomys  inhabiting  the  Upper  Mississippi 
Valley  is  dark  chestnut  or  liver-brown,  both  above  and  beloAv. 

(3)  The  detailed  description  given  by  Shaw  in  his  General  Zoology 
makes  no  mention  of  grooves  in  the  incisors,  though  these  teeth  are 
described  with  particularity.  In  Geomys  the  upper  incisors  are  deeply 
furrowed;  in  Thomomys  they  are  plane. 

(4)  Not  one  of  the  four  figures  of  the  type  specimen  of  Mus  bursa- 
rius published  by  Shaw  shows  any  trace  of  the  grooved  incisors  of 
Geomys,  and  two  of  these  figures  are  front  views,  one  natural  size. 

(5)  The  size  of  the  teeth,  fore  feet,  and  claws  in  Shaw's  natural-size 
figure  agree  with  these  parts  in  Manitoba  specimens  of  Thomomys  and 
are  very  much  smaller  than  in  Geomys. 

From  the  above  facts  it  would  appear  that  the  animal  described  by 
Shaw  under  the  nameilf«.s-  bursarius  is  the  gray  pocket  gopher  of  Man- 


JAN.,  1893]  HISTORY    OF    GEOMYS    BURSARIUS.  125 

itoba  aucl  the  Dakotas  {Thomomys  talpoides  of  recent  authors)  aud  not 
the  red  pocket  gopher  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  ( Geomys  bursarius  of 
recent  authors).  This  view  would  necessitate  a  slight  change  in  nomen- 
clature: Tli<)m(>)iiys  taljwides  Auct.  would  become  Thomomys  bursarius 
(Shaw),  aud  Geomys  bursarius  Auct.  would  become  either  Geomys  fuscus 
(Eafinesque)  1817,  or  Geomys  sacc((fus  (Mitchill)  1821.*  Fortunately  no 
change  in  the  generic  name  would  be  required,  since  Kafinesque  based 
his  genuL,>  Geomys  on  G.pinetis  [=■  G.  tuza]  of  the  pine  barrens  of  Georgia. 

Clear  as  the  case  seems  to  have  been  left  by  Shaw,  it  became  shrouded 
in  obscurity  by  the  writings  of  subsequent  authors. 

In  1820  Heinrich  Kuhl  published  his  Beitriige  zur  Zoologie,  in  which 
he  described  the  genus  Saccophorus,  basing  it  on  the  Mus  bursaritts  of 
Shaw.  lie  states  that  the  specimen  examined  by  him  was  formerly 
in  Bullock's  Museum,  but  then  in  Paris  (''in  Museo  Bullokiano,  nunc 
Parisieiisi,"  p.  6.")),  but  does  not  intimate  that  it  was  Shaw's  specimen. 
In  the  diagnosis  of  the  genus  he  states  that  the  upper  incisors  have 
two  sulci,  of  which  the  external  is  broader  and  deeper,  thus  describing 
the  condition  in  typical  Geomys. 

Lichtenstein,  in  a  paper  written  in  1822,  but  not  published  until  1825, 
says:  '•  When  I  was  in  London  in  the  summer  of  1819  I  saw  in  the 
Bullock  collection  the  specimen  described  by  Shaw"  (UberiiussereBack- 
entaschen  an  Nagethiereii,  Abh.  K.  Akad.  Wiss.  Berlin  [for  1822],  1825, 
14-15).  He  then  goes  on  to  describe  another  specimen,  assumed  to 
belong  to  the  same  species,  which  he  says  he  had  recently  received 
from  North  America. 

The  iirst  positive  statement  I  have  been  able  to  find  to  the  eftect  that 
Shaw's  specimen  had  grooved  incisors  was  made  by  liichardson  more 
than  a  cpiarter  of  a  century  after  the  publication  of  Shaw's  last  descrip- 
tion. Richardson  states  that  the  engraving  of  Shaw's  Mus  bursarius 
published  in  the  Linnean  Transactions  was  drawn  by  MaJ.  Davies,t 
and  that  ''the  specimen  figured  by  Major  Davies,  in  the  Linnean  Trans- 
actions, was  of  a  pale  gray  colour,  and  9i  inches  long  from  the  nose  to 
the  root  of  the  tail,  which  measured  2i  inches.  The  belly  was  ])aler 
than  the  back,  and  the  cheek-pouches  were  covered  with  very  short 
pale  hairs.  Its  superior  incisors  were  deeply  grooved  in  the  middle, 
aud  more  faintly  close  to  their  inner  margins"  {Ibid.,  203).  As  to  the 
final  disposition  of  this  specimen  he  says:  "The  identical  specimen 


*  Diplostoma  fitsca  Kafinesque,  Am.  Monthly  Mag.  ii,  1817,  45,  is  little  more  than 
a  noiiien  nudum,  the  only  specific  description  being  "entirely  brown,  length  12 
inches."  But  the  generic  (liagno.si.s,  though  full  of  errors,  leaves  no  doubt  as  to  the 
animal;  aud  the  locality  assigned,  "Missouri  Territory,"  is  sufficiently  exact  in  con- 
nection with  the  size  and  color  of  the  species.  If,  however,  this  name  is  not  con- 
sidered available,  the  next  in  point  of  date  seems  to  be  Mus  saccaius  Mitchill,  Medi- 
cal Repository,  vol.  vi,  1821,  248-250;  type  "from  the  region  bordering  on  Lake 
Superior,"  doubtless  Minnesota,  where  the  animal  is  abundant.  The  bisulcate  upper 
incisors  are  described  in  detail  by  Mitchill. 

t  Fau^ia  Boreuli- Americana,  1829,  199. 


126  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

described  by  Shaw,  *  *  *  on  the  dispersion  of  Mr.  Bullock's  col- 
lection, passed  into  the  hands  of  M.  Teniniinck"  {Ibid.,  p.  199). 

That  this  x^ai'ticular  specimen  is  now  in  the  Leiden  Museum  is 
certain,  for  it  is  mentioned  by  Dr.  F.  A.  Jentink,  the  able  director  of 
the  Eijks  Museum,  in  his  Catalogue  Systematique  des  Mammiferes,  xii, 
1888,  J).  93.  In  response  to  a  letter  of  inquiry.  Dr.  Jentink  has  had 
the  kindness  to  write  me  as  follows:  "On  the  underside  of  the  stand 
[of  the  si)ecimeii  above  mentioned]  I  see  the  following  words  written 
with  pencil:  'Mus  bursarius,  Cabinet  Bullock,  Londres.'  So  you  may 
be  sure  of  the  fact  that  this  specimen  truly  has  been  bought  from  Bul- 
lock's auction.  As  to  the  animal  itself  and  its  identity  with  Shaw's 
description,  you  may  judge  if  1  tell  yoTi  that  it  has  the  cheek  pouches 
turned  inside  out  and  distended,  but  not  in  the  extraordinary  way  as 
represented  in  Shaw's  figure  138,  vol.  ii,  p.  1.  The  incisors  are  deeply 
grooved.  Shaw's  figure  represents,  without  doubt,  an  overstuffed  speci- 
men; meanwhile  our  specimen  seems  to  be  in  excellent  proportions  and 
very  well-preserved  condition.  Length  of  the  animal,  9.8  inches,  meas- 
ured from  the  upi3er  lip  along  the  dorsal  line  of  the  l)ody ;  tail  about 
2.8  inches.  The  color  of  our  specimen  is  a  desert  color,  more  reddish 
toward  head  and  hinder  j)arts  of  the  body." 

In  1857  Baird  made  the  following  statement,  evidently  based  partly 
on  the  remarks  of  Richardson,  already  quoted,  and  partly  on  an  erro- 
neous translation  of  the  statements  of  Kuhl  and  Lichtenstein.  Baird 
says:  '-The  same  skin  referred  to  by  Shaw  was  subsequently  investi- 
gated by  Kuhl,  and  then  by  Lichtenstein.  It  was  for  a  time  in  the 
celebrated  museum  of  Mi-.  Bullock,  of  London,  and  is  said  to  have 
been  purchased  by  Temminck  at  the  sale  of  this  collection,  and  is  doubt- 
less now  in  the  Leyden  Museum."  (Mammals  of  North  America,  1857, 
370.)  But  Kuhl  does  not  say  that  his  specimen  was  the  same  as  Shaw's, 
and  Lichtenstein  distinctly  states  that  the  animal  described  by  him  was 
not  Shaw's  specimen  (which  he  says  he  saw  in  London  in  1819),  but  one 
that  he  "  received  a  short  time  ago  with  other  North  American  mam- 
mals." 

If  it  is  true  that  the  specimen  described  by  Kuhl  is  really  the  same  as 
that  described  by  Shaw  twenty  years  earlier,  and  afterwards  mentioned 
by  Lichtenstein  as  having  been  seen  by  him  in  London  in  1819,  it  would 
be  certain  that  no  other  animal  thfin  the  furrowed-toothed  pocket  gopher 
of  the  Upper  Mississippi  Valley  {Geomy.s)  could  be  meant.  But  unfor- 
tunately Kuhl  says  nothing  on  this  point,  and  it  must  be  admitted  that 
the  conspicuous  discrepancies  between  his  description  and  Shaw's  are 
hard  to  reconcile  on  the  assumption  that  they  refer  to  the  same  speci- 
men. Sliaw  says  the  body  (jf  his  animal  as  stuffed  measured  9  inches, 
and  the  tail  2  inches.  Kuhl  says  the  body  measured  7^  inches,  and  tail 
2^  inches.  Shaw  described  his  animal  as  "ash-coloured,"  and  "pale 
greyish-brown,"  while  Kuhl  says  that  his  inclined  to  rufous  ("rufes- 
cens  ") — the  proper  color  for  Oeomys. 


JAN.,  1895.]  GEOMYS    LUTESCENS.  127 

Is  it  not  i)0ssible  that  Uicbiu'dsoii,  in  translating"  the  Latin  of  Knbl 
or  the  (Jerman  of  Lichtenstein,  fell  into  the  same  error  as  Baird?  At 
all  events  it  .should  not  be  forgotten  that  liichardsoii  wrote  nearly 
thirty  years  later  than  Shaw — an  interval  sufficiently  long -to  allow 
additional  specimens  to  reach  England  and  also  to  favor  slips  of  mem- 
ory. It  should  be  further  remembered  not  only  that  Lichtenstein  had 
a  specimen  additional  to  that  described  by  kShaw,  but  also  (and  much 
more  important)  that  there  a])j)ears  to  be  no  ground  for  the  assump- 
tion that  Kuhl's  description  was  taken  from  Shaw's  specimen;  in  fact 
the  marked  discrepancies  between  them  seem  to  jirove  the  contrary,  as 
pointed  out  above. 

Shaw\s  and  Richardson's  descriptions  are  utt^irly  irreconcilable  on 
the  assumption  that  they  refer  to  the  same  specimen,  but  would  be  per- 
fectly intelligible  if  it  can  be  shown  that  a  second  specimen  found  its 
way  into  the  Bullock  collection  between  the  years  1800  and  1819. 

The  matter  is  still  further  complicated  by  Richardson  himself,  who, 
writing  in  1831,  says:  "  We  lately  received  several  specimens  of  the 
Mus  burftai'liis  of  Shaw  (which  is  a  true  Gcomys^  with  pouches  oiiening 
internally)  from  the  banks  of  the  Saskatchewan."  (Zoology  of  Beechey's 
Voyage  of  the  Blossom,  1839,  9,)  This  statement  shows  that  Richard- 
son's ideas  respecting-  the  status  and  distribution  of  the  several  mem- 
bers of  the  group  were  badly  confused,  for  it  is  now  well  known  (as 
before  stated)  that  no  species  of  Geomys  reaches  the  plains  of  the  Sas- 
katchewan ;  indeed  the  genus  has  not  been  found  to  enter  Canada  at 
all.  The  use  of  the  generic  name  Geomys  by  Richardson,  however,  has 
no  significance,  since  he  applied  the  name  to  Thomomys  as  well  as 
Geomys^  and  it  is  certain  that  his  Saskatchewan  animal  is  Thomomys 
talpoides  Auct.  His  identification  of  the  species  with  Mus  bursarius 
of  Shaw  would  be  in  accord  with  my  belief  that  Shaw's  animal  could 
have  been  no  other  than  the  common  Thomomys  of  Manitoba  and  the 
northern  plains  generally,  except  for  his  previous  statement,  already 
quoted  from  Fauna  Boreali-Americana,  that  the  Bullock  specimen  had 
grooved  incisors  and  was  the  identical  specimen  described  by  Shaw. 
These  conflicting  statements  by  the  same  author  I  am  utterly  unable 
to  reconcile. 

GEOMYS  LUTESCENS  Merriam. 
(PL  9,  figs.  5  and  7;  pi.  14,  fig.  14.) 
GeomyKburmrins  lutescens  Merriam,  N.  Am.  Fauna,  No.  4,  Oct.  8,  1890,  .51. 

Tyjye  locality. — Sand  hills  on  Biedwood  Creek,  Lincoln  County, 
Western  Nebraska.     (Type  in  U.  S.  National  Museum.) 

Geoymphic  distribution.— The  Upper  Sonoran  belt  of  the  Great  Plains 
from  southwestern  South  Dakota  southward  to  Colorado,  Texas,  cover- 
ing the  sand-hill  region  of  western  Nebraska,  extreme  eastern  Wyom- 
ing (between  the  North  Platte  and  Cheyenne  rivers)  western  Kansas^ 


128  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.8. 

■eastern  Colorado,  western  Oklahoma,  and  western  Texas,  ranging  east 
to  or  a  little  beyond  the  ninety-ninth  meridian  (map  4,  C). 

General  characters. — Size  medium  or  rather  large;  coloration  jjale; 
tail  moderate;  scant  haired;  skull  short. 

Color, —  Upper  parts  in  winter  drab,  liberally  mixed  with  black-tip- 
ped hairs  along  the  median  line,  forming  a  distinct  dorsal  band  from 
end  of  nose  to  rump;  in  summer  pale  buffy-ochraceous  or  very  pale  dull 
fnlvons  without  dorsal  band.  Under  parts  buffy,  usually  white  in  the 
young  and  sometimes  white  in  adults.  Along  the  eastern  and  south- 
ern limits  of  its  range  the  upper  parts  are  decidedly  more  fulvous  than 
in  the  typical  animal. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  intermediate  in  size  between  hrerlceps  and 
bursarius;  zygomata  broadly  and  squarely  spreading,  strongly  diver- 
gent anteriorly;  nasals  normally  elongate  w^edge-shaped,  as  in  hursarius, 
but  sometimes  broadening  in  posterior  third ;  tem])oral  impressions  nor- 
mally uniting,  at  least  posteriorly,  in  a  low  sagittal  ridge  (pi.  9,  tig.  7), 
but  sometimes  remaining  apart,  separated  by  an  interspace  1  to  3  mm. 
broad  (pi.  9,  tig.  5)  [this  form  is  connnonest  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
the  range  of  the  species] ;  interparietal  varying  from  subquadrate  in 
the  young  to  subtriaugular  in  adults,  its  size  decreasing  with  age  and 
the  posterior  suture  becoming  obliterated  by  ankylosis  with  the  supra- 
occipital;  palatoi)tery golds  usually  lingniate  and  tapering  posteriorly 
as  in  hvrsarins,  but  somewhat  narrower  and  sometimes  strap-shaped. 

Skulls  of  Geomys  late^scens  differ  from  those  of  G.  hursarius  chiefly  in 
smaller  size,  greater  relative  breadth  and  flatness  (the  braincase  as  well 
as  the  rostrum  being  considerably  shorter  than  in  true  hursarins  from  the 
Mississippi  Valley),  and  in  lacking  the  high  sagittal  crest  of  hursarius. 
Old  skulls  of  lutcsccns  have  strongly  spreading  zygomatic  arches  which 
are  very  much  broader  anteriorly  than  posteriorly,  and  as  a  rule  the 
premaxilla  extends  a  little  further  back  than  in  hursarius. 

Sknlls  of  lutrscens  bear  a  strong  resemblance  to  those  of  breviceps, 
from  wdiich  they  difl'er  in  having  the  frontal  region  less  depressed;  the 
zygomatic  arches  more  squarely  spreading  and  more  decidedly  angular 
anteriorly;  the  nasal  Ijones  broader  posteriorly;  the  ascending  branches 
of  the  premaxilla  longer  and  less  blouutly  rounded  posteriorly;  the 
temporal  impressions  normally  meeting  posteriorly  in  a  low  sagittal 
ridge  instead  of  remaining  distant;  the  occiput  more  truncate  (less 
bulging)  j)osteriorly ;  the  rostrum  normally  broader. 

The  cranial  characters  that  distinguish  lutescens  from  texensis,  aren- 
arius,  und  2)er so nat us  are  mentioned  under  tbe  heads  of  these  species. 

Measurements. — Average  of  28  specimens  of  both  sexes  from  western 
Nebraska:  Total  length,  256;  tail  vertebrae,  77;  hind  foot,  32.  Aver- 
age of  12  males:  Total  length,  270.5;  tail  vertebr;e,  84;  hind  foot,  33.5. 
Average  of  10  females:  Total  length,  210;  tail  vertebrae,  72;  hind  foot, 
31.5. 

For  cranial  measurements,  see  Table  A,  p.  204. 


JAN.,  1895]  GEOMYS   BREVICEPS.  129 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  of  tyj)icalor  nearly  tyj)ical  speci- 
mens 118,  from  the  following  localities: 

South  Dakota:  Pine  Ridge  Agency,  2;  llosebud  Agency,  3. 

Il^ebraska:  Chadron,  1;  Kennedy,  ISj  Valentine,  3;  E wing,  2;  Oak- 
dale,  2;  Crawford,  1 ;  Snake  River,  Cherry  County,  1;  Chirks  Canyon, 
Cherry  County,  7;  Dismal  River,  Thomas  County,  1;  Xiobrara  River, 
Sheridan  County,  1;  near  North  Platte,  Lincoln  County,  4;  Birdwood 
Creek,  1;  Myrtle,  3;  Sidney,  1;  Calloway.  4-  Kearney,  1. 

Wyoming:  Lusk,  3;  Uva,  1. 

Colorado:  Las  Animas,  G;  Denver,  1;  Pueblo,  4 j  Limon,  3;  Burling- 
ton,!; Chivington,  G. 

Kansas:  Trego  County,  3. 

Oklahoma:  Woodward,  3. 

Texas:  Canadian,  5;  Tascosa,  4;  Newlin,  3;  Childress,  12;  Vernon, 
9;  Colorado,  3. 

Number  of  non-typical  specimens  18,  from  the  following  localities: 

Kansas:  Garden  Plain,  4;  Belle  Plain,  5;  Cairo,  6;  Kiowa,  2;  Ellis,!. 

General  remarks. —  Geomys  lutescens  is  a  pallid  species  inhabiting  the 
arid  plains  west  of  the  ninety-ninth  meridian.  Its  characters  are  very 
constant  throughout  most  of  its  range,  and  if  it  intergrades  with  bur- 
sariiis  it  must  do  so  in  the  narrow  strip  between  the  ninety-eighth  and 
ninety-ninth  meridians.  In  southeastern  Kansas  an  aberrant  form 
exists  that  seems  to  be  an  intergrade  between  the  three  types,  hursarius, 
lutescens  and  brevicepSj  but  a  larger  series  of  specimens  than  at  present 
available  is  needed  to  prove  it.  This  animal  is  smaller  than  httescens, 
nearly  as  dark  above  as  hursarius,  and  paler  below  than  either.  Some 
specimens  indeed  have  the  belly  pure  white,  as  in  texensis.  Specimens 
of  this  ajiparently  intermediate  form  (mostly  immature)  have  been 
examined  from  Cairo,  Kiowa,  Garden  Plain,  and  Belle  Plain,  Kansas. 

Mr.  Vernon  Bailey  states  that  in  western  Nebraska,  where  typical 
lutescens  is  abundant,  the  light  sandy  soil  is  probably  improved  by  their 
diggings,  but  that  they  do  considerable  damage  in  grain  fields  and  to 
young  trees  on  the  tree  claims. 

GEOMYS  BREVICEPS  Baird. 
(PI.  9,  fig.  6.) 
Geomys  hrevxceps  Baiid,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  vii,  April,  1855,335. 

Type    locality. — Prairie    Mer    Rouge,    Morehouse    Parish, 
Louisiana. 

Geographic  distribution. — The  alluvial  lowlands  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley  and  Gulf  coast  in  southern  Arkansas,  Louisiana,  and  Texas,  and 
the  valley  of  the  Arkansas  River;  north  nearly  to  southern  Kansas, 
and  west  to  near  the  ninety-eighth  meridian,  where  it  is  replaced  by  G. 
lutescens.    It  is  therefore  a  memberof  the  Austroriparian fauna  (maplD). 

General  characters. — Size   small;  color  very  dark   both   above  and 
below;  tail  of  medium  length,  its  distal  half  nearly  naked. 
7433^.^No.  8 9 


130  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [Na8. 

Color. — Upper  parts  dark  russet  brown,  darkest  along  the  middle  of 
the  back  (but  no  trace  of  dorsal  band  in  Louisiana  specimens) ;  nose 
and  front  of  face  to  above  eyes  dusky,  more  or  less  tinged  with  rus.^et; 
sides  Avashed  with  pale  fulvous;  belly  dark  plumbeous,  more  or  less 
obscured  by  pale  bufify-fulvous  tips  to  the  hairs;  feet  and  throat  white; 
hairs  on  base  of  tail  dusky  (remainder  of  tail  practically  naked).  The 
color  of  the  back  is  hard  to  describe,  aud  the  term  used  ('  russet-brown ') 
is  intended  only  as  roughly  indicating  the  general  effect.  The  indi- 
vidual hairs  are  dark  plumbeous,  with  a  narrow  subapical  zone  of  dark 
fulvous,  tipped  with  sooty. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  similar  to  G.  lutescens  in  general  appear, 
ance  but  smaller;  zygomata  broadly  s[)roading;  frontal  flat,  depressed; 
nasals  narrow,  emarginate  posteriorly,  their  sides  nearly  parallel  for 
posterior  two-tliirds,  abruptly  divergent  anteriorly :  ascending  branches 
of  premaxilla  broad  and  bluntly  rounded  posteriorly;  interparietal 
small,  very  irregular,  and  much  cut  up  with  tortuous  windings  of  the 
sutures  as  in  true  'Wormian'  bones;  temporal  impressions  never 
uniting  in  a  sagittal  crest  but  permanently  distant,  the  interspace 
elevated,  forming  abroad  convex  band  (3  to  5  mm.  in  width)  along  the 
top  of  the  skull  posteriori}-;  jugal  longer  than  basioccipital,  bluntly 
rounded  anteriorly;  occiput  bulging  behind  lambdoid  suture,  but  not 
so  far  as  in  fcxensis;  i)tery golds  narrow,  tapering  posteriorly. 

Skulls  of  ?;>Tr/c('j9.S' may  be  distinguished  from  those  of  lutescens  by 
the  following  characters  (pi.  9,  fig.  G) :  Size  smaller;  nasals  narrower, 
shorter,  and  strongly  emarginate  posteriorly;  ascending  branches  of 
premaxilla  normally  shorter  and  more  bluntly  rounded  iwsteriorly; 
temporal  impressions  persistent,  distant,  the  bone  thickened  between 
them;  iaterparietal  'Wormian  'like;  zygomata  more  rounded;  inter- 
orbital  region  more  depressed.  Nevertheless,  the  cranial  resemblances 
are  striking  in  view  of  the  dissimilarity  of  the  animals  in  size  aud 
external  appearance.  Moreover,  skulls  of  hreviceps  from  the  western 
part  of  its  range  have  broader  nasals ;  and  skulls  of  lutescens  from  adja- 
cent territory  have  a  narrow  sagittal  area  (resulting  from  permanently 
distant  temporal  impressions).  It  is  probable,  therefore,  that  the  two 
forms  will  be  found  to  intergrade. 

Skulls  of  hreviceps  differ  from  those  of  texensis  in  larger  size,  much 
more  spreading  zygomata;  longer  and  very  much  narrower  nasals; 
broader,  flatter,  and  more  depressed  frontal  interorbitally;  much  longer 
jugal;  smaller  and  more  irregular  interparietal;  less  bulging  occiput; 
broader  and  more  bluntly  rounded  ends  to  ascending  branches  of  pre- 
maxdla.  Viewed  in  profile,  the  skull  of^hrericeps  is  flat  and  somewhat 
depressed  or  concave  between  the  orbits;  that  of  texensis  is  normally 
convex. 

Average  measurements  of  -40  specimens  of  both  sexes  from  type  locality 
(Mer  Rouge,  Louisiana):  Total  length,  219;  tail  vertebra^,  64;  hind 
foot,  27.    Average  of  15  males  from  same  place:  Total  length,  231;  tail 


I 


JAN.,  1895]  GEOMYS    BREVICEPS.  131 

vertebrae,  70;  hind  foot,  28.  Average  of  23  females  from  same  place: 
Total  leugtli  212;  tail  vertebra,  (51;  hind  foot,  2G.5. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  A,  p.  205. 

General  remarhs. — Tlie  type  form  of  Geoniys  hreviceps  inhabits 
northern  Louisiana,  east  of  the  Red  River,  the  exact  type  locality 
being"  Prairie  Mer  Rouge  in  Morehouse  Parish,  near  the  northern 
boundary  of  the  State  and  only  a  short  distance  west  of  the  Mississippi 
River.  The  species  as  a  Avhole  is  an  inhabitant  of  the  dark  alluvial 
soils  of  the  lowlands  bordering  the  Lower  Mississippi  and  its  tributa- 
ries and  the  Gulf  coast  of  Texas,  whence  it  spreads  westward  nearly  or 
quite  to  the  ninety-eighth  meridian.  To  the  southward  it  reaches 
Nueces  Bay.  On  the  west  it  probably  iutergrades  with  texensis  and 
lutescens.  On  the  north  there  seems  to  be  a  hiatus  between  its  range 
and  that  of  bursar  ins;  but  if  pocket  gophers  are  ever  found  in  northern 
Arkansas,  southwestern  Missouri,  southeastern  Kansas,  or  north- 
eastern Indian  Territory,  they  are  likely  to  prove  intergrades. 

Departures  from  the  type. — Specimens  from  extreme  points  in  the 
range  of  the  species  differ  much  from  the  type.  Two  of  these  forms 
are  here  named  as  subspecies  {G.  hreviceps  sagittalis  and  G.  hreviceps 
atticateri).  Others  are  regarded  as  slightly  aberrant  forms  not  merit- 
ing recognition  by  name;  others  still  as  intergrades.  The  following, 
contained  in  the  Department  of  Agriculture  collection,  seem  worthy  of 
mention : 

(1)  A  large  dark  form  inhabiting  the  valley  of  the  Arkansas  River. 
The  skulls  point  toward  intergradation  with  the  interior  animal. 
Specimens  from  Tulsa  and  Fort  Gibson,  Indian  Territory,  and  Fort 
Smith,  Arkansas,  resemble  hreviceps  in  coloration,  while  those  from 
Pouca  Agency,  Indian  Territory,  are  redder,  shading  strongly  toward 
lutescens. 

(2)  A  form  from  the  valley  of  the  Red  River  of  the  South,  along  the 
boundary  between  Texas  and  Indian  Territory  (specimens  from  Gaines- 
ville, Tex.,  and  from  Indian  Territory  opposite  Arthur,  Tex.).  A  small 
reddish  form  resembling  hreviceps  externally,  but  with  dark  belly  and 
a  short  tail.  The  skulls  are  more  like  texensis  in  general  form  (full 
brain  case  and  narrow  zygomata),  and  in  the  shortness  and  breadth 
of  the  nasals;  but  the  ascending  arms  of  the  premaxilla  are  even 
shorter  and  more  bluntly  rounded  posteriorly  than  in  hreviceps.  The 
frontal  and  interparietal  are  intermediate  between  the  two,*  Regarded 
as  an  intergrade. 

(3)  A  form  from  Slireveport,  Louisiana.  Much  redder  than  true 
oreviceps,  resembling  texensis  in  coloration  of  upper  parts,  but  with 
dark  beily.  The  skull  differs  from  typical  hreviceps  in  more  angular 
zygomata,  broader  nasals,  and  less  depressed  frontal.  Regarded  as  a 
slight  local  departure  from  hreviceps. 

*  Skull  No.  47590  <?  ad.  from  Gainesville,  Texas,  is  an  excellent  example  of  this 
form. 


132  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


(4)  A  foi'iii  fVoiu  Galvestou  Bay,  Texas  (specimens  from  Clear  Creek 
abd  Arcadia),  A  small,  dark,  llighly-colored  form  with  the  head  nearly 
black,  and  the  throat  and  fore  feet  ilsnally  Avholly  or  partly  white,  in 
sharj)  contrast  with  the  dark  of  the  surrounding  parts.  The  skull  differs 
from  that  of  typical  brevic&ps  in  smaller  size,  and  in  having  shorter  and 
broader  nasals,  llegarded  as  a  subspecies  and  described  under  the 
name  mgittalis.     (PI.  9,  fig.  4.) 

(5)  A  fbt'm  from  thft  Coastal  plane  of  Texas  (si)ecimens  from  Brenham, 
Milano,  Hearne,  Marquez,  and  Palestine.)  Usually  has  a  well-marked 
dark  dorsal  band,  and  the  skulls  differ  from  typical  hreviceps  in  having 
shorter  and  broader  liasals.  Skulls  of  old  males  from  these  localities 
are  unusually  short  and  have  broadly  spreading  zygomata.  The  nasals 
are  very  broad  posteriorly  in  comparison  with  true  hreviceps.  Eegarded 
as  an  aberrant  form,  perhaps  shading  toward  texensis  on  one  side  and 
toward  atticateri  and  saf/ittalh  on  the  other. 

(())  A  form  from  the  extreme  southern  limit  of  the  range  of  the  spe- 
cies on  and  near  the  Gulf  coast  of  Texas,  (Specimens  from  Eockport, 
Aransas  County;  Tallj^s  Island,  Aransas  County,  and  near  San 
Antonio.)  A  large  dark  form  with  a  dark  dorsal  band  in  some  pelages, 
and  peculiar  cranial  characters:  angular  and  strongly  divergent  zygo- 
mata, very  broad  ascending  arms  of  premaxilla,  and  so  on.  Eegarded 
as  a  subspecies,  and  described  under  the  name  attwateri  (pi.  9,  fig.  3). 

Specimens  examined,— Total  number,  274,  from  the  following  locali- 
ties : 

Typical  or  nearly  typical. — Mer  Eouge,  Morehouse  Parish,  Louisiana 
(type  locality),  42;  Pineville,  Eapides  Parish,  Louisiana,  2;  Provencal, 
Natchitoches  Parish,  Louisiana,  4 ;  Shreveport,  Caddo  Parish,  Louisi- 
ana, 8;  Camden,  Ouachita  County,  Arkansas,  1;  Benton,  Arkansas,  7; 
Fort  Smith,  Arkansas,  7;  Fort  Gibson,  Indian  Territory,  16;  Tulsa, 
Indian  Territory,  2. 

Not  typical. — Gainesville,  Cook  County,  Texas,  5;  Decatur,  Texas, 
1;  Indian  Territory,  near  mouth  of  Boggy  Eiver  (opposite  Arthur, 
Texas),  4;  Pouca  xVgency,  Oklahoma,  0;  Oklahoma  City,  Oklahoma,  3. 
The  following,  all  from  Texas:  Longview,  4;  Mineola,  14;  Terrell,  7; 
Troup,  1;  Palestine,  5;  Marquez,  5;  Hearne,  9;  Milano,  12;  Brenham,  7; 
Victoria,  1;  Inez,  3;  Navidad  Eiver,  1;  Houston,  9;  Matagorda  Bay,  9. 

Subspecies  sagittal  is. — INIouth  of  Clear  Creek,  Galveston  Bay,  4; 
Arcadia,  Galveston  Bay,  22. 

Snbsjwcies  atticateri. — Eockport,  Aransas  County,  40;  Tallys  Island, 
Aransas  County,  3;  Calaveras,  Wilson  County,  3;  San  Antonio  (18 
miles  south),  Bexar  County,  7. 

Mr.  Vernon  Bailey,  chief  field  naturalist  of  the  Division,  visited  the 
type  locality  of  Geomys  brcvicejys,  Prairie  jMer  Eouge,  Morehouse  Parish, 
Louisiana,  in  June,  1892,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a  series  of  duplicate 
types  of  the  species.  He  found  it  common  throughout  the  fields  of  the 
open  country  and  along  roads  and  fields  in  the  woods  of  the  flat  land, 


JAN.,  1895.] 


GiPiOMVg    feREViCEPg.  133 


except  wliere  flooded,  but  uot  in  standing-  timber  or  on  hilly  land.  He 
states:  "They  do  uot  seem  to  be  so  common  in  cultivated  land  as  in 
pastures  and  along  fences  and  roadways.  In  one  pasture  of  20  acres 
we  caught  fifteen  and  one  remained.  They  were  more  abundant  at  this 
point  than  elsewhere — probably  twice  as  numerous  to  the  area  as  they 
would  average  over  the  whole  prairie.  The  damage  done  in  tlie  pasture 
by  covering  grass  was  trifling.  This  species  does  not  seem  to  dig- 
extensively,  and  the  hills  are  small.  Usually  one  or  two  are  thrown 
up  in  a  night.  In  one  place,  where  a  gopher  had  run  his  tunnel  in  a 
straight  course,  I  counted  sixteen  hills  in  a  line  (>  rods  long  (measured). 
A  hill  of  average  size  measured  24  by  15  inches  in  diameter  and  5 
inches  in  height.  Probably  the  reason  the  gophers  do  not  dig  more 
extensively  is  that  food  is  abundant  and  the  soil  compact.  The  greatest 
damage  the  tiirmers  claim  from  gophers,  or  'salamanders'  as  they  are 
called  here,  is  that  they  carry  the  tubers  of  the  troublesome  cocoa  or 
nut  grass  from  place  to  place,  often  bringing  them  from  a  roadside  or 
waste  place  and  storing  a  large  quantity  in  their  burrows  m  gardens  or 
fields  and  leaving  them  to  grow  where  they  had  been  kept  out  with  great 
difticulty.  This  cocoa  grass  is  one  of  the  worst  plants  with  which  the 
farmers  are  troubled  and  is  very  difficult  to  get  rid  of  when  once  started 
in  the  land.  Small  tubers  are  borne  along  the  roots,  and  these  are 
carried  by  the  gophers,  though  I  have  not  found  them  in  their  pockets. 
The  stomachs  examined  contained  green  vegetable  matter.  White 
clover  seems  to  be  a  favorite  food.  Most  of  the  specimens  taken  were 
moderately  fat.  In  June  the  young  were  half  grown  to  nearly  full 
grown.  Of  27  specimens  which  I  examined,  12  were  males  and  15 
females.''* 

Mr.  C.  L.  Newman  writes  me  that  at  Camden,  Arkansas,  this  sj)ecies 
(specimen  received  for  identification)  is  abundant  in  sections  of  the 
Ouachita  River  Valley,  where  they  are  known  almost  exclusively  as 
'salamanders.'  He  says:  "They  seem  to  prefer  old  fields  that  have 
grown  up  in  pine.  I  know  of  a  place  about  a  mile  from  Camden  where 
the  surface  of  about  an  acre  of  ground  is  mulched  with  loose  earth 
brought  from  their  burrows.  Last  year  (1893)  I  caught  twenty-tliree 
from  about  6  acres  of  ground." 

*  Mr.  Veruoii  Bailey  coutribiites  the  following  notes  ou  a  specimen  examined  in 
the  flesh  at  Mer  Ronge,  La.,  in  June,  1892 :  "  Size  small ;  pelage  very  soft  and  silky ; 
skin  loose,  as  though  much  too  large  for  the  hody ;  body  soft  and  flabby;  soles  of 
feet,  nose,  and  end  of  tail  hairless,  smooth,  shining,  and  Avhite  Avhen  clean.  Lips 
hairy  over  the  edges,  but  roof  of  mouth  not  hairy  all  the  way  across,  a  narrow  line 
of  smooth  skin  extending  along  the  median  line  to  the  incisors;  eyes  small  for  a 
Gcomyn;  cornea  relatively  large,  measuring  3  mm.  across,  nearly  ecjualing  diame- 
ter of  ball;  no  apparent  lid,  eye  opening  3.5  mm.  by  2  nun.  (normally),  its  long 
axis  parallel  to  a  line  drawn  from  ear  to  tip  of  nose;  color  of  eye  appearing  shiny 
black;  ears  consist  of  a  circular  rim  1  mm.  high  and  about  5  mm.  in  diameter; 
opening  of  meatus  2  by  2.5  mm.,  slightly  elongated  vertically;  mustache  spreading 
forward  and  back;  distance  from  eye  to  end  of  nose  21  mm.;  from  eye  to  center  of 
ear,  17  mm." 


134  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

GEOMYS  BREVICEPS  SAGITTALIS  subsp.  nov. 

(PI.  9,  tig.  4.) 

Ti/jic  from  Clear  Creek,  Galveston  Bay,  Texas.  No.  MtJir  c?  f^tl-  U.  S.  Nat. 
Museum,  Department  of  Agriculture  collection.  C!ollected  March  28,  1892,  by 
William  Lloyd.     (Original  number  llSl.) 

Geographic  distHhiition. — Gulf  coast  of  Texas  about  (ralveston  Bay. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  brericepn^  but  smaller  aud  more  biglily 
colored;  head  very  dark;  throat  aud  fore  feet  i)ure  white  iu  sharj)  con- 
trast to  dark  of  surrounding-  parts.  The  skull  differs  in  having  a  dis- 
tinct sagittal  crest  and  in  other  particulars. 

('o?or,— Upper  parts  rich,  glossy,  russet  brown,  strongly  tinged  with 
fulvous,  becoming  dusky  along  the  middle  of  the  back  and  head  (but 
no  distinct  dorsal  band) ;  entire  head  and  nose  very  dark,  almost  black, 
but  washed  in  j)laces  with  fulvous;  inside  of  cheek  pouches,  chin, 
throat  (breast  also  in  some  specimens),  and  "fore  legs  pure  white  in 
sharp  contrast.  On  the  upper  side  of  the  fore  legs  the  dark  color  of 
the  sides  reaches  down  about  half  way  to  the  wrists  and  ends  abruptly 
with  a  sharp  line  of  demarkation.  The  under  side  of  the  fore  legs  is 
pure  white  to  elbow.  The  belly  varies  from  whitish,  strongly  washed 
with  buffy  ochraceous,  to  fulvous.  The  Arcadia  specimens  are  not 
exactly  like  those  from  the  mouth  of  Clea?"  Creek. 

Cranial  characters  (type  specimen). — Skull  similar  to  that  of  hreviceps 
but  smaller;  zygomata  more  divergent  anteriorly  (in  male);  nasals 
shorter  and  broader  posteriorly,  bringing  the  constriction  much  nearer 
the  middle;  aiulital  bulhe  smaller;  ascending  branches  of  premaxilla 
narrower  posteriorly;  temporal  impressions  meeting  in  a  well  marked 
vSagittal  crest  in  male.  In  the  female  the  temporal  impressions  never 
meet  in  a  sagittal  crest;  the  brain  case  is  smoothly  rounded,  and  the 
interparietal  persists  as  a  relatively  large  bone. 

In  the  Arcadia  males  the  temporal  impressions  do  not  meet  in  a 
sagittal  crest  as  m  the  type. 

Measurements  (taken  in  Hesh). — Type:  Total  length,  225;  tail  verte- 
brte,  70;  hind  foot,  27. 

Average  (of  5  males  from  Arcadia,  Galveston  County):  Total  length, 
220;  tail  vertebme,  G4;  hind  foot,  26. 

Average  (of  15  females  from  same  place):  Total  length,  190:  tail 
vertebni?,  54;  hind  foot,  23. 

For  cranial  measurements,  see  Table  A,  ]).  205. 

Specimens  examined, — Total  number  24:  4  from  Clear  Creek,  Galves- 
ton Bay,  and  20  from  Arcadia,  Galveston  County,  Texas. 

General  remarl's. — To  the  northwestward  sagiftalUs  passes  into  the 
coastal  plain  form  already  mentioned  under  the  head  of  G.  hreviceps. 
Old  males  of  this  form  sometimes  develop  remarkably  broad  skulls. 
The  broadest  skull  that  I  have  seen  in  the  restricted  genus  Geomys  is 
an  old  male  from  Brenham,  Wasliington  County,  Texas  (No.  63G12).  It 
aft'ords  the  following  measurements   and    ratios:    Basal   length,  40j 


JAN.,  1895.]  GEOMYS    BREVICEPS    ATTWATERI.  135 

basilar  leiigtli  ofHeiisel,  37;  zygomatic  breadth,  28.5,     Ratio  of  zygo- 
matic breadtli  to  basal  length,  71;  to  basilar  leugth  of  Ileusel,  77. 

GEOMYS  BREVICEPS  ATTWATERI  *  snbsp.  uov. 

(PL  9,  fig.  3.) 
Tfipe  from  Rockpout,  Aransas  County,  Texas.     No.  51382  ^  ad.  U.  S.  Nat,  Museum, 
Departmeut  of  Agriculture  colU'ction      Collected  November  IS,  1802,  by  H.  H. 
Keays.     (Original  No.  3G.) 

Geograpliic  (listribution. — Coastal  plain  and  islands  of  Texas  between 
Matagorda  and  Nueces  bays;  penetrates  the  interior  to  within  a  few 
miles  of  San  Antonio.  The  south  side  of  Nueces  Bay  is  the  home  of 
another  form  [G.  i)ersonat'US  fullax). 

General  characters. — Similar  to  G.  br€vice2)s,  but  larger  and  less  dark 
in  color;  feet  and  basal  third  to  half  of  tail  moderately  well  haired 
for  a  Geomys;  terminal  half  to  two-thirds  of  tail  nearly  naked ;  zygomatic 
arches  angular,  strongly  divergent  anteriorly. 

Color. — Upper  parts  russet  brown,  becoming  dusky  on  the  head  and 
usually  along  the  median  part  of  the  back;  under  parts  varying  from 
soiled  whitish  to  buflfy  ochraceous.  In  some  specimens  the  color  of  the 
ujiper  i)arts  is  less  fulvous  than  in  others,  and  the  dark  dorsal  band  is 
variable;  iu  some  specimens  it  is  absent,  sometimes  the  head  is  nearly 
black  from  end  of  nose  to  occii»ut,  the  blackish  area  limited  laterally 
by  the  eyes  and  ears,  the  sides  of  the  face  being  russet  in  rather  strong 
contrast.  The  type  specimen  is  in  this  pelage,  except  on  the  hinder  jiart 
of  the  back  and  rump  where  the  more  fulvous  summer  pelage  remains, 
without  trace  of  the  dorsal  band. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  similar  to  that  of  hreviceps,  but  frontal 
less  depressed  interorbitally;  zygomata  less  spreading,  strongly  diver- 
gent anteriorly,  more  angular,  more  depressed,  the  maxillary  arm  slop- 
ing strongly  backward;  ascending  branches  of  premaxilla  broader  and 
usually  more  abruptly  truncate  posteriorly;  nasals  shorter  and  normally 
convex  instead  of  emarginate  posteriorly.  The  nasals  are  normally  so 
narrow  posteriorly,  and  the  premaxillje  so  broad,  that  iu  some  cases  the 
latter  nearly  meet  behind  the  former  (as  in  the  type  si)ecimen,  pi.  9, 
fig.  3).  Normal  skulls  of  attwateri  differ  markedly  from  those  of  fallax 
in  the  form  of  the  zygomata,  the  maxillary  arms  sloping  strongly  back- 
ward instead  of  standing  out  at  right  angle,  and  the  outer  sides  being 
strongly  divergent  instead  of  nearly  parallel.  The  nasals  are  narrower 
and  contracted  posteriorly,  the  ascending  arms  of  the  premaxilla 
broader,  and  the  audita!  bulhe  less  swollen.  In  the  series  of  lifty-two 
skulls  of  Geomys  breviceps  attwateri  now  before  me,  three  depart  from 
the  normal  in  general  outline,  as  seen  from  above,  and  resemble /ai^aa; 
in  the  form  of  the  anterior  part  of  the  zygomatic  arches,  wliich  stand 
out  sc^uarely  from  the  cranial  axis  and  have  the  antero-external  angles 


*  Named  in  honor  of  Mr.  H.  P.  Attwater,  of  San  Antonio,  Texas,  who  collected  nearly 
all  of  the  specimens. 


lo6  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

broadly  rounded.  In  other  respects  tliey  are  typical  attwaterl.  All 
are  very  old  males,  collected  at  Kockport  by  Mr.  Attwater  (original 
Nos.  102,  118  and  110),  They  now  belong  to  the  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History  in  'New  York. 

Meamirements  (taken  in  flesh). — Type:  Total  length,  250 ;  tail  vertebr.ne, 
85;  hind  foot,  30.5, 

Average  of  10  males  from  type  locality:  Total  length,  255;  tail  ver- 
tebra, 80 ;  hind  foot,  30. 

Average  of  7  females  from  type  locality:  Total  length,  220;  tail  ver- 
tebrae, 08 ;  hind  foot,  28. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  A,  p.  205, 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  53,  from  the  following  localities 
on  or  near  the  Gulf  coast  of  Texas:  Rockport,  Aransas  County  (type 
locality),  40;  Tallys  Island,  Aransas  County,  3;  Calaveras,  Wilson 
County,  3;  San  Antonio  (18  miles  south),  Bexar  County,  7. 

General  remarks. —  Geomys  hreviceps  attivateri  is  a  medium-sized 
species  closely  resembling  its  near  neighbor  G.fallax  in  color,  though 
somewhat  darker,  and  with  the  hind  foot  shorter.  The  resemblance  to 
G.  hreviceps  is  much  closer  in  the  plumbeous  russet  pelage  than  in  the 
fulvous  pelage. 

Mr.  H.  P.  Attwater  has  kindly  contributed  the  following  memorandum 
respecting  the  habits  of  this  gopher  at  Rockport,  Texas :  "As  soon  as  the 
warm  weather  sets  in,  from  about  May  to  September,  very  few  gophers 
are  observed  working.  The  soil  is  sandy,  and  at  all  times  damp, 
dampness  known  as 'natural  subirrigation.'  In  the  hot  weather  the 
dampness  does  not  come  as  near  the  surface  as  in  the  cooler  months. 
I  have  thought  that  perhaps  the  gophers  travel  deeper  in  summer,  but 
now  think  the  chief  reason  why  they  do  not  throw  up  hills  in  summer, 
as  they  do  in  fall  and  winter,  is  that  during  the  summer  months  the 
soil  is  so  full  of  roots,  suckers,  bulbs,  etc.,  that  they  do  not  have  far  to 
go  before  finding  all  they  can  eat,  and  that  the  reason  they  work  so 
nuich  after  the  summer  months  are  over  is  because  they  are  hunting 
around  to  fiud  some  bulb  or  root  which  was  their  favorite  food  in 
summer,  and  which  they  commenced  to  find  about  the  month  of  May, 
and  was  over  with  in  September.  The  animals  are  very  abundant  all 
over  the  i)eninsulas  in  Aransas  County,  wherever  the  soil  is  sandy. 
There  is  hardly  a  foot  of  laud  that  has  not  been  'plowed'  several  times 
over  by  gophers,  and  I  believe  the  fertility  of  some  sections  has  been 
greatly  improved  by  them,  by  bringing  the  i)oorer  soil  up  to  the  top. 
I  have  noticed  that  the  richer  the  land  the  richer  the  gophers.  Of 
course  they  do  considerable  damage  to  vegetable  crops,  especially  to 
young  fruit  trees  and  cuttings  just  rooting.  The  samples  sent  you  of 
mulberry  trees  cut  by  gophers  were  from  the  Faulkners'  ranch,  on  St. 
Charles  j)eninsula,  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county.  Mr.  Sanmel 
Walker,  the  manager  of  tlie  ranch,  told  me  that  he  killed  over  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  gophers  in  his  young  pear  orchard  between  the  1st  of 


JAN.  1805.1  GEOMYS    TEXENSIS.  137 

March  and  April  15,  1893.  This  orchard  was  set  out  where  sweet 
potatoes  had  grown  the  year  before,  and  they  came  np  again  and  cov- 
ered the  gronnd,  and  I  think  the  potatoes  attracted  the  gophers  in  the 
first  place  more  than  the  pear  trees." 

GEOMYS  TEXENSIS  sp.  nov. 

(PL  9,  fig.  2;  pi.  13,  tig.  12.) 

Type  from  Mason,  Mason  County,  Texas.     No.  J^H  9  ad.  Merriam  collection.     Col- 
lected by  Rev.  Ira  B.  Henry,  December  17,  1885. 

Geographic  distHbution. — Mason  County,  central  Texas,  and  prob- 
ably thence  southerly  to  the  Kio  Grande;  limits  of  range  unknown 
(map  4,  E). 

General  characters. — One  of  the  smallest  known  species;  tail  short; 
terminal  third  nearly  naked. 

Color. — Upper  parts  liver-brown,  finely  mixed  with  black-tipped 
hairs,  much  as  m  G.  bursarius.  Under  parts  and  feet  while.  The  hairs 
of  the  belly  are  plumbeous  at  base  in  the  type  and  other  winter 
specimens;  in  summer  specimens  they  are  white  throughout.  Throat 
suffused  Avith  pale  bufty  fulvous,  forming  a  complete  collar.  In  some 
specimens  this  collar  is  interrupted  along  the  median  line.  The 
color  of  the  upper  jiarts  is  darker  in  winter  than  in  summer,  as 
usual  in  the  genus.  There  is  no  trace  of  a  dark  dorsal  band  in  adults, 
but  in  the  young  the  black-tipped  hairs  are  sometimes  concentrated 
along  the  middle  of  the  back,  forming  an  ill  defined  dark  streak. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  small  (smallest  of  the  known  species), 
smooth ;  zygomata  only  moderately  spreading  and  normally  but  slightly 
divergent  anteriorly;  nasals  short,  rather  broad  and  convex  or  trun- 
cate behind;  ascending  branches  of  lU'emaxilla  long,  normally  passing 
plane  of  lacrymals,  usually  straight  on  inner  edge  behind  nasals  and 
attenuate  on  outer  edge;  temporal  imjiressions  not  forming  distinct 
ridges  and  not  uniting  in  a  sagittal  crest,  usually  separated  by  inter- 
space 1-3  mm.  broad  in  adults;  jugal  short  (shorter  than  basioccipital) ; 
interparietal  broader  than  long,  normally  oval  or  elliptical  and  project- 
ing posteriorly  behind  plane  of  lambdoid  suture;  occiput  bulging 
posteriorly  more  than  in  any  other  United  States  species  (resembling 
Fappogeomys  bulleri  and  some  species  of  Thomomys). 

Skulls  of  texensis  differ  consi^icuously  from  those  of  G.  arenarius  in 
the  following  points:  jSTasal  branches  of  premaxilla  longer  and  more 
pointed  posteriorly;  jugal  more  slender;  no  distinct  knob  at  end  of 
squamosal  arm  of  zygoma;  no  distinct  tem^joral  ridges;  inter j)arietal 
projecting  posteriorly  behind  ijlane  of  lambdoid  suture;  occiput  more 
bnlging  posteriorly;  mandible  less  heavy.  G.  texensis  differs  from  G. 
breviceps  in  the  shape  of  the  nasal  bones  which  are  usually  short,  very 
broad  posteriorly,  with  the  sides  nearly  parallel.  In  G.  breviceps  they 
are  usually  longer,  strongly  wedge  shaped,  very  narrow  posteriorly, 
with  the  anterior  third  abruptly  broader  and  flaring.  In  te.vensis  the 
nasal  branches  of  the  premaxilla  reach  or  pass  the  plane  of  the  orbital 


138  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [m.R. 

fossa  aud  are  pointed;  in  hreviceps  they  usually  fall  short  of  this  plane 
and  are  bluntly  rounded.  In  texensis  the'jugal  is  shorter  than  tliehasioc- 
cijjhal;  in  brei^icips  it  is  longer.  In  hreviceps  the  outer  angle  of  the 
zygomatic  arch  is  evenly  rounded ;  in  texensis  it  is  angular  and  abruptly 
flattened  (or  even  excavated)  on  its  infero-external  face,  beginning  at 
the  angle  and  extending  posteriorly  under  the  jugal  (as  seen  from  the 
side).  The. inflated  mastoids  and  audital  bulhie  are  larger  in  hreviceps, 
in  which  species  the  mastoids  are  conspicuously  broader  than  in  texen- 
sis, the  exposed  part,  viewed  from  behind,  being  as  broad  as  high,  while 
in  texensis  the  breadth  is  only  about  half  the  height.  But  the  range 
of  individual  variation  is  so  great  that  much  confidence  can  not  be 
placed  on  this  character.*  In  hreinceps  the  frontal  is  flatter  and 
depressed  interorbitally,  forming  a  slight  concavity  in  the  plane  of  the 
upper  side  of  the  skull  when  seen  in  profile;  in  texensis  the  profile  is 
convex  at  this  point. 

Skulls  of  Geomys  texensis  difter  Irom  those  ot  6^.  bursar  ins,  in  addition 
to  their  much  smaller  size,  in  shorter  rostrum  and  brain  case,  less  promi- 
nent ridges  and  i^rocesses  for  muscular  attachments,  absence  of  sagittal 
and  lambdoidal  crests  fit  all  ages;  much  larger  iiiter])arietal;  uuich 
larger  andital  bulhe  (which  are  inflated  and  rounded  antero-laterally 
instead  of  flattened),  and  in  the  greater  length  of  theascending  branches 
of  the  premaxilhi  posteriorly.  Tlie  skull  as  a  whole  is  not  only  much 
smaller  than  that  of  hnrsariiis,  but  is  relatively  thin  and  smooth,  like 
that  of  Tltomomys.  The  arch  of  the  brain  case  is  low,  but  not  so  flat  as 
in  hreinceps,  and  the  temporal  impressions  never  mret  along  the  median 
line. 

Measurements. — Type  specimen  :  Total  length,  20."}  (measured  in  flesh) ; 
hind  foot,  28  (in  dry  skin  moistened  to  straighten  the  toes).  Tail  not 
measured  in  flesh,  but  short;  about  00  in  dry  skin.  Average  total  length 
of  28  specimens  from  tyi)e  locality  measured  in  flesh,  210. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  B,  p.  200, 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  31,  from  the  following  localities 
in  Texas:  Mason,  Mason  0(mnty  (type  locality),  28;  Laredo,  1;  Syca- 
more Tree  (on  liio  Grande),  1;  Del  Itio  (on  Eio  Grande),  1. 

General  remarls. — Geomys  texensis  is  a  small  white  bellied  species 
inhabiting  central  Texas.  Its  back  is  chestnut-bvown  or  liver-brown, 
much  as  in  the  large  dark-bellied  G.  hursarius,  with  which  it  requires 
no  comparison.  It  is  the  smallest  species  in  the  United  States,  about 
equaling  Pappogeoniys  hnlleri  of  Mexico.  The  only  bisulcate  species 
of  approximately  the  same  size  are  G.  hreviceps  of  Louisiana  and  its 
subspecies  saaittaUs  of  the  Gulf  coast  of  Texas,  and  G.  arenarius  of 
the  Upper  Rio  Grande  Valley  in  extreme  western  Texas  and  south-cen- 

*  The  actual  size  of  the  mastoid  is  often  hidileu  by  the  thin  outer  edge  of  the  exoc- 
cipital  which  overlies  its  iuner  border,  aud  which  is  not  always  alike  on  the  two 
sides.  Hence  it  sometimes  happens  that  the  exposed  part  of  the  mastoid  is  narrow 
ou  one  side  and  broad  ou  the  other. 


jAN.,iR9r,.]  GEOMYS   ARENARIUS.  139 

tral  New  Mexico,  with  all  of  which  it  may  iutergracle,  although  it  differs 
widely  from  them  all  in  color  aud  cranial  characters,  as  elsewhere 
shown.  On  the  north,  in  Oklahoma  and  southern  Kansas,  it  i)robably 
intergrades  with  G.  lutescens. 

Three  specimens  of  a  small  Geomys  from  as  many  points  in  the  Eio 
Grande  Valley  (Laredo,  Del  Kio,  and  Sycamore  Creek)  are  provision- 
ally referred  to  the  jjresent  species.  The  Laredo  >specimen  lacks  the 
skull  and  its  upper  parts  are  more  drab  than  usual.  The  specimens 
from  Del  Rio  and  the  mouth  of  Sycamore  Creek  are  too  immature  for 
positive  identitication.  They  differ  from  the  young  of  texensis  from 
the  type  locality  in  having  longer  tails,  somewhat  darker  backs,  and 
in  lacking  the  chestnut  tint  on  the  sides.  Their  skulls  seem  to  be 
intermediate  between  texensis  and  arenarins.  Mr.  William  Lloyd,  who 
collected  the  Sycamore  Creek  specimen,  states  that  the  species  is 
rare  there  and  was  found  only  in  a  belt  of  fine  sand  along  the  Rio 
Grande.  He  found  a  species,  presumably  the  same,  on  chalky  soil  near 
Comstock.  'Slw  Vernon  Bailey  collected  the  Del  Rio  specimen  in  the 
river  bottom,  where  the  species  was  rather  rare. 

GEOMYS  ARENARIITS  sp.  nov. 

(PL  9,  fig.  1;  pi.  13,  fig.  13.) 

Type  from  El  Paso,  Texas.  No.  \r.wxl  ,i  ad.  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Deiiartmentof 
Agriculture  collection.  Collected  Deci'ml)er  13,  1889,  by  Vernon  Bniley  (Orig- 
iual  No.  798). 

Geouraphic  distribution. — ^' alley  of  the  Upi)er  Rio  Grande,  from  El 
Paso,  in  extreme  western  Texas,  and  Juarez,  Chihuahua  (on  the  Mexi- 
can side  of  the  river  opposite  El  Paso),  north  to  Las  Cruces,  New  Mex- 
ico, and  west  to  Deming,  in  the  same  state  (map  -1,  a).  It  will  prob- 
ably l)e  found  to  follow  the  valley  somewhat  further  in  both  directions, 
and  to  the  east  may  intergrade  with  texensis.  So  far  as  now  known  its 
range  seems  to  be  separated  by  a  broad  interval  from  that  of  the  spe- 
cies inhabiting  central  and  southern  Texas,  the  westernmost  records  of 
which  are  Del  Rio  and  Comstock,  in  the  Rio  Grande  Valley.  Curiously 
enough  the  intervening  region  is  inhabited  by  a  widely  different  Pocket 
Gopher,  one  belonging  to  the  unisnlcate  series,  namely,  Cratof/eomi/s 
castanops.  The  ranges  of  all  the  other  bisulcate  species,  except  /«://, 
are  either  directly  continuous  or  contiguous.  In  faunal  position  G. 
arenarins  belongs  to  the  upper  edge  of  the  Lower  Sonoran  Zone. 

General  characters. — Size  medium;  tail  rather  long  and  unusually 
well  haired,  except  near  tip;  coloration  pale. 

Color. — Upper  parts  drab-brown,  finely  mixed  with  black-ti])ped 
hairs;  under  parts  and  feet  white.  In  some  specimens  the  color  of  the 
sides  encroaches  on  the  belly  and  is  only  partly  masked  by  the  white 
tips  of  the  hairs. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  resembling  Thomomys  talpoides;  size  rather 
small  (intermediate  between  texensis  ^nd  hreviceps) ;  zygomata  normally 


140  NORTH    AMERICAN   FAUNA.  [no  8. 

narrow  and  nearly  parallel  (in  one  S  from  El  Paso,  No.  58340,  they  are 
exceptionally  divergent  anteriorly) ;  no  sagittal  crest  at  any  age;  tem- 
poral ridges  prominent,  distant,  and  nearly  parallel  or  slightly  diver- 
gent anteriorly,  usnally  separated  by  a  flat  or  concave  interspace  4  to 
5  """  wide,  as  in  Thomomys  talpoides ;  squamosal  arm  of  zygoma  ending 
in  a  prominent  knob  over  middle  of  jugal  (diagnostic  of  the  species); 
jngal  short  (shorter  than  basioccipital);  interparietal  rather  large, 
normally  (but  not  always)  broader  than  long,  usually  siibquadrangular 
or  with  the  corners  rounded  anteriorly,  truncate  posteriorly  on  plane 
of  lambdoid  suture;  occiput  bulging  posteriorly,  but  not  solar  as  in 
texensis;  palatopterygoidsnormally  abruptly  narrow,  their  sides  nearly 
parallel  (but  form  somewhat  variable);  mandible  heavy  fur  size  of  skull. 
The  fenmles  diifer  fr<mi  the  males  in  having  shorter  nasals,  larger  par- 
ietals,  and  less  prominent  temporal  ridges.  As  a  rule  the  interspace  is 
somewhat  thickened  and  the  ridge  is  evideut  from  the  outer  side  only. 

The  skull  of  G.  arenarius  differs  from  that  of  texensis  in  the  follow- 
ing characters:  Jugal  heavier  and  broader;  temporal  ridges  much 
more  prominent  and  distant;  a  prominent  knob  at  distal  end  of  squa- 
mosal arm  of  zygoma;  top  of  skull  flatter;  frontal  broader  and  flatter 
interorbitally;  iuterparietal  truncate  posteriorly  on  plane  of  lambdoid 
suture;  occiput  less  bulging.  It  differs  from  lutesccns  in  much  smaller 
size,  narrower  and  uiore  parallel  zygomata;  shorter  jugal;  in  the 
presence  of  well-developed  distant  temporal  ridges,  ami  of  a  prominent 
knob  at  distal  end  of  squamosal  arm  of  zygoma;  shorter  and  somewhat 
narrower  nasals,  and  shorter  ends  of  ascending  arms  of  premaxilla 
behiud  the  nasals. 

Measureynenis [taken  in  flesh). — Type  specimen  (  S  ad.):  Total  length 
258;  tail  vertebrae,  88;  hind  foot,  33.  Average  of  8  males  from  type 
locality:  Total  length,  200;  tail  vertebr;Te,  83;  hind  foot,  32.  Average 
of  24  females*  from  type  locality:  Total  length,  250;  tail  vertebne,  78: 
hind  foot,  32. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  B,  p.  207. 

Sjyecimens  examined. — Total  number  43,  from  the  following  localities: 
Juarez,  Mexico,  3;  El  Paso,  Texas,  30;  Deming,  New  Mexico,  3;  Las 
Cruces  New  Mexico,  7. 

General  rcmarlxs. — In  color  and  external  appearance  Geomys  arenarim 
closely  resembles  the  typical  form  of  G.  Ititescens  (from  western  Ne- 
braska and  eastern  Wyoming),  differing  chiefly  in  smaller  size  and  in 
greater  length  and  hairiness  of  tail.  From  its  nearest  ally  in  central 
Texas  (G.  texensis)  it  differs  both  in  color  and  proportions,  having  the 
upper  parts  pale  drab  instead  of  reddish  brown,  and  the  tail  long  and 
hairy  instead  of  short  and  nearly  naked.  In  cranial  characters  it  may 
be  distinguished  from  all  other  species  by  the  presence  of  distant  tem- 


*  Some  of  tlae  si)eciinens  recorded  as  females  are  very  largo  and  were  probably 
males;  hence  the  averages  here  given  for  females  are  ijrobably  too  great. 


JAN.,  1895.]  GEOMYS    PERSONATUS.  141 

poral  ridges  or  ribs,  wliicli  are  nearly  parallel,  in  connection  with  the 
develoi)inent  of  a  prominent  knob  at  the  distal  end  of  the  squamosal 
arm  of  the  zygoma. 

This  fine  cpecies  was  discovered  by  my  assistant,  Mr.  Vernon  Bailey, 
at  El  Paso,  Texas,  in  December,  1889,  and  was  obtained  by  him  at 
Deming,  New  Mexico,  also.  Mr.  J.  Alden  Loring-,  who  was  sent  to  the 
Upper  Rio  Grande  Valley  to  work  out  its  range,  secured  a  large  series 
iVom  Las  Cruces,  New  Mexico,  and  Juarez,  Chihuahua,  Mexico,  as  well 
as  at  the  type  locality.  El  Paso,  Texas.  Mr.  Loring  says:  "They 
are  not  very  common  on  the  Mexican  side  of  the  river,  but  extremely  so 
on  American  soil,  where  they  seem  to  thrive  and  grow  fat.  The  places 
they  most  prefer  are  railroad  embankments  and  irrigation  ditches, 
where  they  were  found  both  in  sand  and  wet,  dark  clayey  soil.  Two 
were  seen  on  February  5  just  as  they  protruded  their  heads  from  their 
holes.  Their  faces  were  covered  with  dirt,  and  as  soon  as  they  had 
shaken  it  ott'  they  saw  me  and  quickly  dodged  back.  When  these 
Gophers  were  caught  I  noticed  that  they  walked  with  the  claws  of  the 
front  feet  partially  doubled  under,  which  did  not  aUow  the  sole  of  the 
foot  to  touch  the  ground." 

GEOMYS  PERSONATUS  True. 

(PI.  12,  fig.  4;  pi.  13,  fig.  14;  pi.  14,  fig.  4.) 

(ieomijs  personatus  True,  Proc.  U.  S.   National  Museum,  xi  (for   1M88),   Jau.  5,  1889, 
159-160. 

Type  locaUty. — Padre  Island,  Texas. 

Geographic  distribution. — The  Tamaulipan  fauna  of  Texas,  comprising 
Padre  Island  and  the  adjacent  mainland  southwesterly  to  Carrizo  on 
the  Rio  Grande  (map  4,  f). 

General  characters. — Size  large;  coloration  jjale;  tail  long,  scant- 
haired  on  proximal  half  and  nearly  naked  on  distal  half. 

Color. — Upper  parts  pale  drab  (darker  in  winter  from  more  liberal 
admixture  of  dark-tipped  hairs) ;  middle  of  face  from  nose  to  above  eyes 
inclining  to  dusky.  Under  parts  white,  sometimes  obscurely  clouded, 
from  the  presence  of  irregular  patches  of  hairs  with  plumbeous  bases, 
the  hairs  on  other  parts  of  the  belly  white  to  roots.  Tail  hairs  white, 
but  too  far  apart  to  give  color  to  the  nearly  naked  tail. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  large,  heavy,  with  well-developed  proc- 
esses and  ridges  and  a  high  sagittal  crest  (pi.  12,  fig.  4);  zygomata 
standing  out  at  right  angle  to  axis  of  skull;  jugal  bluntly  and  broadly 
rounded  anteriorly,  and  short,  not  longer  than  basiocciptal  (measured 
from  condyle);  nasals  long  and  narrow,  anterior  third  spreading; 
frontal  narrow  interorbitally,  the  orbital  borders  rounded;  basioccipital 
with  sides  parallel,  or  nearly  parallel.  In  profile  the  top  of  the  skull 
(including  the  sagittal  crest)  is  nearly  a  straight  line. 

Adult  skulls  of  Geomijs  personatus  may  be  easily  distinguished  from 
those  of  bursarius  and  liitescens  by  the  squareness  of  the  zygomatic 


I 


142  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

arches  anteriorly,  the  shortness  of  the  jugal  bone  anteriorly,  with  cor- 
responding prodnction  of  the  maxillary  arm  of  the  zygoma.  The  greatest 
length  of  the  jngal  in  personatus  is  only  eijual  to  the  length  of  the  basi- 
occipital  bone  (measured  from  the  condjde).  In  both  hursarius  and 
lutesccn.s  the  jugal  is  much  longer  than  the  basioccipital.  In  personatus 
the  skull  as  a  whole  is  relatively  as  well  as  actually  longer,  and  nar- 
rower across  the  zygomatic  arches,  than  that  of  IntcscenSj  from  which 
it  differs  further  in  the  following  particulars:  zygomatic  breadth 
usually  less  than  distance  from  foramen  magnuui  to  incisive  fora 
miua  (the  contrary  being  usually  true  in  lufescens);  ascending  branches 
of  premaxilla  extending  much  further  iiosteriorly ;  zygomatic  arches 
relatively  long,  only  moderately  spreading  anteriorly  (except  in 
extreme  age),  but  standing  out  at  right  angle  to  longitudinal  axis  of 
skull;  orbital  fossfe  elongated  antero-posteriorly  instead  of  subtri- 
angular;  length  of  frontal  along  median  line  usually  equal  to  length  of 
nasals  (ommonly  shorter  in  lutescens) ;  audital  bulhe  longer,  with  outer 
side  flattened;  inflated  mastoid  smaller.  Skulls  of  personatus  average 
longer  in  proportion  to  the  zygomatic  breadth  than  those  of  any  other 
known  bisnlcate  species,  except  the  Mexican  Zygogeomys  trichopus 
(the  ratio  of  zygomatic  breadth  to  basilar  length  ranging  from  68  to 
72  percent),  though  in  this  respect  they  differ  but  slightly  from  Geoniys 
hursarius. 

Measurements. — Of  13  specimens  (of  Ijoth  sexes)  from  type  locality 
(Padre  Island):  Total  length,  399;  tail  vertebr;^,  103;  hind  foot,  37. 
Average  of  4  males:  Total  length,  315;  tail  vertebrje,  111;  hind  foot, 
40.  Average  of  9  females:  Total  length,  293;  tail  vertebra}  100;  hind 
foot,  36. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  B,  p.  206, 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  33,  from  the  following  localities 
on  or  near  the  Gulf  coast  of  Texas:  Padre  Island  (type  locality),  15; 
nenr  Santa  Kosa,  8;  Sauz  Kancho,  6;  Carrizo,  3. 

Number  of  subspecies /aZ/aj?  22,  as  follows:  Nueces  Bay  and  River 
^south  side),  6;  Corinis  Christi,  15;  Las  Mottes,  1. 

Departures  from  the  type. — The  type  locality  of  Geomys  personatus  is 
Padre  Island.  Fairly  typical  specimens  are  at  hand  from  points  ou 
the  mainland  west  of  the  southern  part  of  this  island,  namely,  Santa 
Rosa  and  the  Arroyo  Colorado  (Sauz  Rancho),  and  also  from  Carrizo 
on  the  Rio  Grande,  though  the  latter  depart  somewhat  from  the  type. 
Singularly  enough,  specimens  from  the  lower  Nueces  River  and  Bay, 
and  from  Corpus  Christi  and  Las  Mottes,  differ  decidedly  from  the  typ- 
ical animal  in  smaller  size,  darker  color,  and  in  important  cranial  charac 
ters.  The  skull  is  much  smaller,  more  abruptly  truncate  posteriorly, 
with  more  spreading  zygomatic  arches,  and  much  more  globular  audital 
bulla'  (pi.  12,  fig.  3).  This  form  is  here  separated  sub-specifically  under 
the  name  Geomys  personatus  fa llax  (see  p.  144).  Intergradation  between 
personatus  and/aZ/aa;  probably  occurs  in  the  narrow  strii)  between  Santa 


JAN.,  1895]  GEOMYS    PERSONATUS.  143 

Rosa  and  Corpus  Christi  Bay,  since  the  single  specimen  from  Las 
Mottes,  a  few  miles  south  of  Nueces  Bay,  is  somewhat  larger  than  the 
Nueces  Bay  and  Corpus  Christi  specimens. 

Some  of  the  specimens  from  Santa  Rosa  are  fairly  ty])i<ml  jJer  son  at  us, 
though  all  have  more  swollen  audital  and  mastoid  bulhe.  One  adult 
skull  (No.  42,860)  from  the  Arroyo  Colorado  (Sauz  Rancho,  about  50 
miles  north  of  Brownsville)  has  a  very  narrow  rostrum,  narrow  zygo- 
mata, projecting  occiput,  very  much  swollen  mastoid  and  audital  bulhe 
(the  latter  almost  subglobular)  and  abnormally  short  and  narrow  jugal. 
Five  other  skulls  from  the  same  locality  are  young  and  apparently  less 
extreme.  The  adult  skull  may  be  regarded  as  abnormal,  or  as  pointing 
to  the  differentiation  of  an  incipient  race. 

General  remarJcs. — (Jeomys  personatus  resembles  G.  lutescens  in  sum- 
mer pelage  more  closely  than  any  other  form.  The  typical  animal  may 
be  distinguished  from  lutescens  at  all  seasons  by  larger  size,  longer  feet 
and  tail,  by  important  cranial  characters  (just  described  in  detail),  and 
by  the  white  of  the  under  parts.  In  summer  specimens  of  G.  lutescens 
the  belly  is  sometimes  pale,  but  rarely  white  except  in  the  very  young. 
The  color  of  the  upper  parts  in  summer  pelage  differs  but  little  in  the 
two  species,  being  drab  in  both,  with  the  nose  and  middle  of  the  fiice, 
as  far  back  as  the  eyes,  inclining  to  dusky;  but  in  winter  and  early 
spring  the  two  differ  notably,  the  dusky  face  markings  of  lutescens 
extending  posteriorly  over  the  head  and  back  to  the  rump,  forming  a 
distinct  dorsal  stripe.  In  this  pelage,  also,  the  under  parts  are  much 
darker,  the  fur  being  dark  plumbeous,  tipped  with  drab.  While  per- 
sonatus  is  the  larger  of  the  two  animals,  the  claws  of  the  fore  feet  are 
equally  large  (and  relatively  larger)  in  lutescens.  In  some  specimens  of 
personatus  the  claws  are  remarkably  long  and  slender — the  result,  doubt- 
less, of  the  unresisting  character  of  the  sand  in  which  the  animals  live. 

The  geographic  distribution  of  Geomys  personat\is  (including  sub- 
species fallax)  appears  to  coincide  with  the  limits  of  the  arid  tropical 
area  of  Texas — an  area  recognized  and  defined  by  me  in  1892,*  and  sub- 
sequently named  the  Tamaulipan  fauna  by  Allen.t  The  range  of  the 
species  has  been  ascertained  to  terminate  abrujitly  both  on  the  north 
and  on  the  west,  specimens  from  a  few  miles  north  of  Corpus  Christi 
Bay,  and  from  Laredo  on  the  Rio  Grande,  belonging  to  different  species. 

Mr.  William  Lloyd,  who  collected  the  si)ecimens,  statesthat  G. person- 
atus IS  abundant  in  a  patch  of  fine  sandy  soil  above  (!arrizo,  but  was 
not  found  elsewhere  in  the  neighborhood.  He  sti.tcs  further  that  in 
traveling  north  from  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande  it  was  first  met  on 
entering  the  great  sand  belt  on  the  north  side  of  the  Arroyo  Colorado 
(at  El  Sauz),  It  continued  throughout  this  sand  belt,  becoming  more 
abundant  to  the  northward.  On  Padre  Island  he  found  the  animals 
living  in  colonies,  perhaps  a  mile  or  more  a]>art,  and  common  from  the 


"Presidential  Address,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc,  Washington,  April,  1892,  p.  33. 
t  Bull.  Am.  Museum  Nat.  Hist.,  Kew  York,  Vol.  iv,  Jan.,  1893,  241-242. 


144  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

north  end  to  tlio  center  of  the  island,  but  not  within  20  miles  of  the 
south  end.  Mr.  Lloyd  says:  ''Their  habits  are  in  some  respects  pecu- 
liar, o\Yin!4'  i)erhaps  to  the  soft  sand  that  caves  iu  on  them,  or  to  fear 
of  the  coyotes,  or  for  both  reasons;  they  fill  uj)  their  tunnels  for  a  yard 
or  two  almost  immediately  after  they  throw  out  the  dirt.  They  can 
not  go  very  deep  iu  the  flats  or  they  would  reach  water;  in  fact,  the 
water  filled  some  of  the  tunnels  for  about  a  foot  until  they  curved 
upward.    Not  more  than  one  is  ever  found  in  a  hole. " 

GEOMYS  PERSONATUS  FALLAX  8ul)sp.  nov. 

(PI.  12  fig.  3.) 

Typo  from  south  side  of  Nueces  Bay_.  Texas.     No.  f  |?^i  <?  ad.     Collected  Novem- 
ber 30, 1891;  by  William  Lloyd.     (Original  No.  949.)     • 

Geographic  distribution.  —  South  shore  of  Nueces  Bay  and  lower 
Nueces  Eiver,  Texas;  further  south  passing  into  G.  personatus. 

General  characters. — Similar  in  external  appearance  to  G.  personatus 
of  Padre  Island,  but  much  smaller  (only  about  half  the  bulk  of  that 
species);  somewhat  darker;  tail  shorter  and  nearly  naked. 

Color. — Upper  parts  drab-brown,  darker  in  winter;  paler  and  more 
fulvous  in  summer;  nose  and  face  between  eyes  dusky;  sometimes  an 
ill-defined  dusky  band  along  the  middle  of  the  back.  Under  parts 
usually  marbled  with  pure  white  and  i^atches  of  dark  hair  (the  white 
hair  being  white  to  roots). 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  similar  to  that  of  personatus,  but  very 
much  smaller  (pi.  12,  fig.  3).  The  zygomata  stand  out  squarely  at  right 
angles  to  axis  of  cranium  and  are  widely  spreading,  their  outer  sides 
nearly  x^arallel;  the  temporal  impressions  meet  in  the  males  in  a  well- 
marked  sagittal  crest;  in  the  females  they  remain  apart,  separated  by 
an  interspace  about  3  millimeters  wide;  nasals  rather  broad  and  blunt 
posteriorly;  jugals  short  (not  longer  than  basioccipital) ;  mastoid  and 
audita!  bulhe  swollen,  the  latter  short  and  rounded;  palatoptery golds 
narrow,  their  sides  nearly  parallel.  Skulls  of  fall  ax  differ  from  those 
of  personatus  in  very  much  smaller  size,  shorter  (and  usually  blunter) 
ascending  arms  of  premaxilla,  more  squarely  truncate  occiput  (lamb- 
doid  crest  less  convex  posteriorly),  and  in  much  shorter  and  more 
swollen  audital  bulhc. 

Geomys  personatus  /aZ/aa?  differs  markedly  from  G.attivateri  (which 
it  approaches  in  size)  in  the  form  of  the  zygomata,  the  maxillary  arm 
standing  out  at  right  angle  instead  of  sloping  strongly  backward,  and 
the  outer  sides  of  the  arches  being  nearly  parallel  instead  of  strongly 
divergent  anteriorly.  It  differs  farther  in  having  more  globular  audital 
bullae,  broader  nasals,  narrower  ascending  branches  of  the  i)remaxilla, 
and  in  the  males  a  well-developed  sagittal  crest  instead  of  permanent 
temporal  ridges. 

Measurements. — Type  specimen :  Total  length,  250;  tail  vertebrai,80; 
hind  foot,  35.    Average  of  9  males  from  south  side  of  Nueces  Bay :  Total 


JAN.,  1895.1  GENUS    PAPPOGEOMYS.  145 

length,  263;  tail  veitebnu,  87;  kind  foot,  34.  Average  of  10  females 
from  same  locality:  Total  length,  236;  tail  vertebrse,  75;  hind  foot,  31. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  B,  p.  20r). 

S2)ecimens  examined. — Total  number  32,  from  the  following  localities 
on  or  near  Nueces  Bay,  Texas:  oS^ueces  Bay,  4;  Nueces  River,  10  miles 
from  mouth,  2;  Corpus  Christi  15;  Las  Mottes,  1. 

General  remarks. — Geomys  fallax  is  a  miniature  of  G.  2>ersonatus, 
both  in  external  appearance  and  in  the  general  form  of  the  skull.  It 
is  hardly  more  than  half  the  bulk  and  weight  oi personatus^  from  which 
it  differs  further  in  somewhat  darker  coloration  and  in  cranial  details. 
The  geographic  range  of  the  typical  form  is  remarkably  restricted, 
being  limited,  so  far  as  known,  to  the  south  side  of  the  lower  Nueces 
Kiver  and  Bay. 

In  his  notes  on  mammals  observed  in  southeastern  Texas,  Mr. William 
Llo3'd  states  that  this  species  "is  abundant  in  all  soils,  although  it 
prefeis  the  black  loam.  On  Nueces  Bay  they  burrow  in  the  sand  close 
to  the  water's  edge,  but  are  most  at  heme  on  the  highest  point  attain- 
able. I  have  seen  an  unbroken  line  of  hills  extending  from  70  to  100 
yards  across  patches  of  early  pease  and  onions.  They  cause  havoc 
among  the  sweet  potatoes,  coming  above  ground  to  eat  them  in  the 
daytime.  I  shot  a  marsh  hawk  that  was  flying  oft  with  a  gopher  which 
had  been  thus  engaged.  While  driving  along  the  road  cats  may  be 
seen  frequently  a  mile  from  the  house  intently  watching  the  gophers' 
holes.  The  gophers  are  known  to  be  great  pests  to  fruit  and  other 
trees;  in  more  than  a  dozen  instances  near  the  bay  I  have  seen  the 
huisachi  [Acacia  farnesiana)  leveled  by  their  work  in  chewing  the 
rootlets  and  digging  the  earth  away  from  the  roots." 

Genns  PAPPOGEOMYS  *  nob. 

(PI.  11,  lig.  1;  and  text  figs.  56,  .57  and  58.) 
Type  Geomys  hiiUcri  Thomas,  from  Talpa,  Mascota,  Jalisco. 

Dental  characters. — Upper  premolar  with  three  enamel  plates,  the 
posterior  absent;  m'  and  m^  with  two  enamel  plates  each,  as  in  Geomys. 
Last  upper  molar  an  imperfectly  double  prism;  a  single  sulcus  on  outer 
side,  behind  which  the  crown  is  narrowed,  forming  a  moderately  well- 
defined  heel;  outer  enamel  plate  bent  slightlj'  outward  near  its  anterior 
end.  Upper  incisor  unisulcate,  the  sulcus  median  and  deep  (no  trace 
of  minor  sulcus;  see  fig.  21^). 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  small,  short,  rather  smoothly  rounded ;  a 
broad  sagittal  area  (no  sagittal  crest  at  any  age,  pi.  11,  fig.  1);  zygo- 
mata slender,  rather  broadly  and  squarely  spreading,  without  trace  of 
angular  expansion;  occiput  bulging  posteriorly;  palatoi^terygoids  little 

''Pappof/eomys,  from  TrdTTTrof,  grandfather,  +  Geomys,  in  reference  to  the  apparent 
antiquity  of  the  type. 

7433— No.  8 10 


14G 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


more  tlian  vertical  lamelliv,  slightly  everted  iiiferiorly ;  orbital  plates  of 
frontal  separated  interiorly  by  full  breadth  of  cribriform  plate  as  in 
Tliomomys;  orbitosphenoids  broad,  articulating  firmly  Avith  alisphenoids 
and  sending  a  tongue  upward  to  nearly  fill  the  upper  x)art  of  the  sx)he- 
uoidal  fissure;  mesetlimoid  a  nearly  vertical  plate  much  higher  than 
long,  its  inferior  edge  dipping  down  between  wings  of  vomer  posteri- 
orly; endoturbinals  as  in  PlatygeomySj  the  first  sharply  triangular  and 
the  OS  planum  trimmed  closely  in  front  of  the  others. 


Fi(i.  56. — I'appoij'MiHys  biiUeri.    Vault  of  cranium  sawed  off,  showing  floor  of  brain  case. 
(For  key  see  tig.  9). 


Fm.  57.—Pappo(jeomt/s  bulleri.     Vortical  longitndiual  section  of  skull,  mesetbmoid  and  vomer 
in  place.     (For  key  see  fig.  7). 


Fig.  bS.—Pappogeomys  bulleri.    Mesothmoid  and  vomer  removed  to  show  endoturbinals. 
(For  key  see  fig.  10). 

External  eharacters.  —  iH/.e  small;  pelage  soft;  form  Thomomine. 

General  remarks. — Pappogcomys  holds  an  interesting  position  with 

eference  to  the  trunk  line  of  the  Geomyldw.     Tn  dental  characters  it 

combines  the  inolariform  enamel  pattern  of  Geomys  with  the  unisulcate 

incisors  of  Cratogeomys  and  Platy geomys;  and  in  cranial  characters  it 


JAN.,  1895]  PAPPOGEOMYS    BULLERI.  147 

exhibits  striking  resemblances  to  both  Geomys  aud  Thomomys  on  the 
one  hand,  aud  to  Craiogeomys  on  theotlier.  The  endoturbinals  are  not 
widely  different  from  the  Geomys  type,  while  the  orbitosphenoids  depart 
entirely  from  Geomys  and  surpass  Craiogeomys  in  the  extent  of  their 
development  aud  articulations.  They  cut  off"  and  shorten  the  sphe- 
noid fossa^,  which  in  Geomys  reach  forward  to  the  orbital  plates  of  the 
frontal  (pi.  17,  fig.  3),  The  shape  of  the  mesethmoid  plate  is  unique. 
The  form  of  the  skull  as  a  whole  is  very  like  the  simpler  forms  of 
Thomomys  and  Geomys — as  texensis  aud  arenarius — aud  the  permanently 
distant  orbital  plates  of  the  frontalis  a  decidedly  Thomoiuine character. 
The  resemblances  to  Geomys  aud  Thomomys  do  not  indicate  that 
Pappogeomys  has  descended  from  either  of  these  genera,  but  that  it 
occupies  a  place  near  the  trunk  line  and  below  the  point  from  which 
they  branched  off".  On  the  other  hand,  the  resemblances  to  Cratogeomys 
and  Platygeomys  are  prophetic,  indicating  a  position  near  the  base  of 
the  great  bram^h  that  afterward  gave  rise  to  these  more  specialized 
types. 

KEY  TO   SPECIES   OF   rAPPOGEOMYS. 

Mastoids  small,  truncal e  above hnUcri. 

Mastoids  large,  rounded  above albiiiasus. 

PAPPOGEOMYS   BULLERI   (Thomas), 

(PI.  11,  fig.  1;  pi.  13,  tig.  15;  pi.  14,  tig.  11.) 

Geomys  huUeri  Thomas,  Auuals  aud  Magazine  Nat.  Hist.,  6  series,  Vol.  x,  August,  1892, 

p.  196. 
(leomijs  neJsoni  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc., Washington,  vii,  September29, 1892, 164-165. 

Type  locality. — IsTear  Talpa,  west  slope  of  Sierra  de  Mascota, 
Jalisco,  Mexico  (altitude,  8,500  feet).    Type  in  British  Museum. 

Geographic  distribution. — Lower  slopes  of  Sierra  Nevada  de  Oolima 
and  Sierra  de  Mascota,  Jalisco,  Mexico  (map  3'). 

General  characters.* — Size  smallest  of  the  known  unisulcate  species,  • 
of  which  it  is  a  generalized  type;  skull  small  aud  smooth,  resembling 
Thomomys;  tail  naked;  a  naked  pad  on  end  of  nose,  partly  inclosed  in 
a  pale  patch. 

Color. —  Upper  parts  rich  rusty  chestnut;  underparts  paler.  An 
innnature  but  full-grown  specimen  (Xo.  33585)  is  dusky  in  color,  aud 
one  in  the  molt  has  the  anterior  parts  chestnut  and  the  posterior  dusky. 

Cranial  characters. — The  skull  of  Pappogeomys  bulleri  is  small  and 
smoothly  rounded,  with  broadly  distant  and  rather  feeble  temporal 
ridges.    The  maxillary  arms  of  the  zygomata  stand  out  at  right  angles 

"  The  following  description  is  based  wholly  on  specimens  from  the  north  slope  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada  de  .lalisco.  They  are  larger  than  Thomas's  type  and  only  speci- 
men of  (i.  bnlleri,  and  may  prove  subspecihcally  separable,  in  which  case  the  name 
nehoni  will  be  available. 


148  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

to  the  axis  of  the  skull;  the  zygomata  are  slender,  rather  widely  spread- 
ing, without  trace  of  expanded  angle,  and  their  outer  sides  are  nearly 
parallel  (sometimes  broader  posteriorly  than  anteriorly).  The  occiput 
bulges  far  behind  the  lambdoid  suture  and  is  smoothly  rounded  (except 
in  old  males,  in  which  it  is  less  inflated  and  is  marked  by  a  median  ver- 
tical ridge).  In  all  of  these  respects  it  agrees  with  the  closely  related 
P.  alhinasus  and  differs  from  all  other  known  Mexican  species.  The 
frontal  is  broad  and  rather  tlat  interorbitally ;  the  nasals  narrow  and 
truncate  posteriorly;  the  ascending  branches  of  the  premaxilla  short, 
bluntly  rounded  posteriorly,  and  barely  reaching  plane  of  orbits.  The 
pterygoids  are  parallel  lamelhe,  their  inferior  edges  slightly  everted — 
a  transition  step  in  the  development  of  the  horizontal  shelf  of  Crato- 
geomys  from  the  simple  lamella  of  Thomomys.  The  hamular  processes 
articulate  directly  with  the  audital  bulliie.  P.  bullerl  differs  from  the 
nearly  related  P.  alhinasus  in  smaller  size,  smaller  mastoids  (which  are 
truncate  above  instead  of  rounded),  narrower  rostrum,  narrower  and 
longer  nasals,  narrower  ascending  branches  of  premaxilla,  and  much 
shorter  angular  process  of  mandible. 

Dental  characters. —  Upper  incisors  narrow,  with  a  single  median  fur- 
row; molariform  series  only  slightly  heavier  than  in  G.  texensis;  last 
upper  molar  with  a  large  heel,  which  equals  or  exceeds  the  anterior 
prism  in  antero-posterior  diameter. 

Measurements. — Average  of  2  males  from  north  slope  of  Sierra  Nevada 
de  Colima,  Jalisco  (measured  in  flesh) :  Total  length,  236 ;  tail  vertebra", 
81.5;  hind  foot,  33.  Average  of  4  females  from  same  locality:  Total 
length,  215.5;  tail  vertebr;B,  72.5;  hind  foot,  30.* 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  F,  p.  214. 

Specimens  examined. — Six,  all  from  the  north  slope  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  de  Jalisco,  Mexico. 

General  remarks. — This  species  Avas  described  almost  simultaneously 
by  Mr.  Oldfield  Thomas  and  myself,  but  his  description  has  priority  of 
publication  by  about  a  month.  Hence  his  name,  hulleri,  has  precedence 
over  my  nelsoni.  Mr.  Nelson  states  that  the  species  "  was  found  only 
in  some  fields  at  the  upper  ranch  at  the  foot  of  the  main  north  slope  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada  de  Colima,  Jalisco,  in  the  upper  border  of.  the  lower 
pine  belt,  at  about  (3,500  feet  altitude,  where  it  was  common,  and  was 
found  in  company  with  the  large  species,  Geomys  gymnurus.^^ 

Pappogeomys  hulleri  greatly  resembles  the  bisulcate  Geomys  texensis, 
from  which  its  dental  characters  distinguish  it  at  a  glance.  It  is  evi- 
dent that  both  bulleri  and  texensis  have  undergone  but  little  modifica- 

*  lu  my  original  description  of  (f.  nelsoni,  the  measurements  were  taken  "  from 
dry  skin  of  type  [  (?  ],  slightly  overstaffed,"  the  field  measurements  not  having  been 
received  (Proc.  Biol.  Soc,  Washington,  vii,  Sept.  29,  1892,  164.)  The  measurements 
as  published  were:  Total  length,  250;  tail  vertebr;ie,  80;  hind  foot,  30.  The  flesh 
measurements  of  the  same  specimen  are:  Total  length,  238;  tail  vertebrse,  83;  hmd 
foot,  33.  Mr  'J'homas'  measurements  of  his  type  specimen  of  bulleri  are:  Head  aud 
body,  135;  tail,  63;  hind  feet,  with  claw,  27,6. 


JAN.,  1895.] 


PAPPOGEOMYS    ALBINASUS.  149 


tioii  since  they  left  the  main  trunk  Hue  of  the  group,  aud  that  both 
branched  off  from  points  not  very  remote  from  the  place  where  Tho- 
momys  left  the  same  stock. 

PAPPOGEOMYS  ALBINASUS  sp.  nov. 

Type  from  Guadalajara,  State  of  Jalisco,  Mexico.  No.  i^^f  9  ad.  U.  S 
National  Museum,  Department  of  Agriculture  collection.  Collected  at  Atema- 
jac,  a  suburb  of  Guadalajara,  May  21,  1892,  by  E.  W.  Nelson  (Original  No.  2654). 

Geographic  distribution. — The  plain  of  Guadalajara;  limits  of  range 
unknown,  Mr.  Nelson  states:  "This  species  occurs  very  sparingly  on 
the  open  plain  about  Guadalajara,  and  diggings  of  a  small  gopher, 
l^robably  the  same  species,  were  seen  near  Ahualulco,  some  35  miles 
farther  west.  The  range  in  altitude  of  these  locahties  lies  between 
4,000  and  5,100  feet.'' 

General  characters. — Size  small;  naked  nasal  pad  well  developed; 
tail  naked.  Animal  similar  to  P.  huUeri  of  Thomas,  but  somewhat 
larger;  nasal  pad  and  white  patch  above  it  more  elongated;  color  paler; 
whiskers  finer  and  less  conspicuous. 

Color. — Uniform  pale  plumbeous  above  and  below,  irregularly  washed 
with  pale  chestnut,  palest  below;  a  small  dark  patch  around  each  ear; 
an  elongated  white  i)atch  on  nose  inclosing  nasal  pad  and  reaching 
posteriorly  nearly  to  plane  of  eyes. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  small,  smoothly  rounded  like  Thomomys; 
zygomatic  arches  parallel,  .slender,  angle  not  expanded;  temporal 
impressions  widely  distant;  zygomatic  breadth  slightly  exceeding 
greatest  breadth  of  cranium  posteriorly.  Skull  similar  to  that  of  P. 
hnUeri,hnt  differing  in  larger  size;  much  larger  mastoids,  wliicli  are 
rounded  above  instead  of  truncate;  broader  muzzle;  shorter  and 
broader  nasals;  broader  ascending  branches  of  premaxilla,  and  more 
elongated  angular  processes  of  mandible. 

Measurements  in  flesh. — Type  specimen  9  ad.  Total  length,  226;  tail 
vertebrte,  G8;  hind  foot,  31. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  F,  p.  211. 

General  remarks. — The  only  known  species  requiring  comparison  with 
P.  alhinasus  is  the  related  P.  hulleri  of  Thomas,  a  smaller  and  much 
more  highly  colored  animal,  differing  in  the  cranial  characters  above 
pointed  out.  '  Future  investigations  may  show  that  the  ranges  of  the 
two  meet,  and  that  the  animals  intergrade,  in  which  case  alhinasus  will 
become  a  subspecies  of  hulleri. 

Unfortunately,  only  a  single  specimen  of  Pappoyeomys  alhinasus  is  at 
hand.  But  since  its  type  locality,  Guadalajara,  is  an  attractive  and 
accessible  locality.  It  is  probable  that  a  large  series  of  specimens  will 
be  obtained  in  the  near  future. 


150  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

Genus  CRATOCJEOMYS  '  nob. 

(PI.  2;  pi.  10,  fig.  .5;  pi.  12,  figs.  I  and  2;  pi.  13,  fig.s,4-8,   and  17;  pi.  14,  figs.  6  and  7; 

pi.  15,  figs.  (5  and  i»;  pi.  17,  tig.  5;  pi.  18,  fig.  4  ;  pi.  19,  fig.  6.) 
Type  Geomys  merriami  Thomas,  from  the  Valley  of  Mexico  (pi.  2). 

Dental  characters. — Upper  premolar  with  three  enamel  plates  (the  pos- 
terior absent),  its  shaft  strongly  convex  forward;  upper  and  lower  pre- 
molars subequal  in  leugtli.  First  and  second 
upper  molars  with  one  enamel  plate  each  (pos- 
terior absent) ;  posterior  curvature  of  m'  and  m'^ 
and  anterior  curvature  of  nii  and  m2  strong. 

Last  upper  molar  an  imperfectly  double  prism ; 
a  deep  sulcus  on  outer  side;  no  sulcus  on  inner 
side;  crown  of  tooth  normally  broader  than 
long,  variable  in  form,  usually  more  or  less  ob- 

FiG.59. — Cratogeomysiner-  ,     .  -,   ,    •  i  •  -,  ,  , 

riami.  Crowns  of  moiari  cordatc  or  subtriaugular ;  inucr  and  outcr  cnainel 
form  teeth:  a,  upper;  b,  platcs  Variable;  inner  plate  normally  at  least 
^""^^^  two-thirds  as  long   as  anterior   plate,  obliquely 

transverse,  normally  covering  posterior  face  of  tooth. 

Upper  incisor  with  a  single  sulcus,  median  or  slightly  on  inner  side, 
and  usually  rather  open  (fig.  21',  2P,  and  pi.  15,  fig.  9). 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  large  and  massive;  zygomata  heavy  and 
rather  broadly  spreading ;  orbitosphenoids  short  and  broad,  articulating 
with  alisphenoids  anteriorly;  niesethmoid  a  half  crescent,  its  apex 
pointing  to  presphenoid;  endoturbinals  together  forming  a  compact 
plate,  strongly  convex  below,  straight  above,  its  anterior  border  sloping 
strongly  backward  without  any  extension  of  the  os  planum  in  front  of 
the  folds  (pi.  19,  fig.  C) ;  first  endoturbinal  moderately  expanded  and 
elongated;  second,  third,  and  fourth  subequal;  vomerine  edge  of  os 
planum  curving  down  below  plane  of  roof  of  narial  passage;  floccular 
fossa  circumscribed  and  separated  from  internal  auditory  meatus  by  a 
distinct  ridge;  ridge  separating  inner  from  superior  face  of  petrous 
sharp  and  incurved,  and  sometimes  rising  high  posteriorly  (pi.  17,  fig. 
5,  and  pi.  18,  fig.  4). 

The  following  additional  characters,  of  more  or  less  weight,  are  intro- 
duced with  special  reference  to  antithesis  with  Platygeomys:  t  Breadth 
of  cranium  posteriorly  (above  mastoids)  much  less  than  zygomatic 
breadth ;  breadth  of  occipital  plane  not  more  than  twice  its  height ;  lamb 
doid  crest  broadly  convex  i^osteriorly ;  squamosal  expansion  chiefly 
toward  the  median  line  (in  C.  merriami  in  advanced  age  they  comx)letely 
cover  and  conceal  the  parietals,  above  which  they  meet  in  a  median 
crest) ;  mandible  longer  than  broad  (including  incisors) ;  angular  process 

*  Cratogeomys,  from  uparo^,  strong,  powerful,  -f-  Geomijs,  in  reference  to  the  great 
size  and  strength  of  the  animals. 

t  Many  of  the  characters  already  given  in  the  generic  diagnosis  are  also  in  strong 
contrast  to  those  of  riuti/geomys. 


f 


JAN.,  1895-1  KEY    TO    SPECIES    OF    CRATOGEOMYS.  151 

of  maiulihle  short,  nearly  sessile,  truncated  externally,  and  forming  a 
shelf  (•onii)letely  around  the  base  of  the  outer  side  of  the  incisor  knob; 
S(iuaniosal  arm  of  zygoma  covering  nearly  or  quite  two-thirds  of  jugal, 
which  latter  tills  but  a  narrow  gap  in  zygomatic  arch  (except  in  one 
species,  C.fulvescens,  in  which  the  jugal  is  abnormally  short  posteriorly, 
its  anterior  relations  being  normal);  free  part  of  ui)per  edge  of  jugal 
half  or  less  than  half  the  length  of  basioccipital  on  median  line:  paroc- 
cipital  j)rocesses  relatively  light;  incisors  heavy  in  contrast  to  those 
of  riaty(/comys  (except  in  fulvescen,s  and  castanops);  antero-posterior 
diameter  of  incisors  greater  than  transverse  (except  lufiilvescens  and 
castano2)s) ;  enamel  face  of  lower  incisors  forming  a  conspicuous  bead 
on  outer  side  of  tooth,  behind  which  the  tooth  is  strongly  beveled,  the 
transverse  diameter  being  much  greater  through  the  enamel  face  than 
posteriorly  (except  in  fulvescens  and  castanops). 

In  Cratogeomys  a  marked  depression  extends  obliquely  across  the 
sq^iamosals  from  the  root  of  the  zygoma  to  the  occiput  near  the  median 
line.  In  the  gymmirus  series  no  such  depression  exists,  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, a  distinct  bulge  or  elevation  occupies  this  part  of  the  skull. 

Cratocjeomyti  splits  naturally  into  two  sections:  The  merriami  series, 
comprising  merriami,  perotensis,  estor,  oreocetes,  audperegrinus;  and  the 
castanops  series,  comprising  castanops  and  fulvescens.  In  the  merriami 
series  the  top  of  the  skull  seen  in  profile  is  a  nearly  straight  line;  the 
zygomata  are  not  strongly  decurved,  and  the  outer  angle  is  only  mod- 
erately expanded.  In  the  castanops  series  the  top  of  the  skull  is  decid 
edly  convex,  the  zygomata  are  strongly  decurved,  and  the  outer  angle  is 
broadly  expanded.  Numerous  other  cranial  differences  exist,  and  it  is 
probable  that  the  castanops  series  will  be  eventually  separated,  at  least 
subgenerically,  from  Cratogeomys  proper. 

KEY  TO  SPECIES  OF  CRATOGEOMYS. 

(1)  Basioccipital  )'w/rtHr/i«/«r,  its  sides  parallel 

Rostrum  and  brain  case  long castanops 

Rostrum  short ;  brain  case  broad gohlinani 

(2)  Basioccipital  truncate  wedge-shaped  (sides  approximating  anteriorly), 
rt'  Sagittal  crest  well  devoloped. 

¥  Lower  incisor  strongly  beveled  on  outer  side merriami 

If  Lower  incisor  not  beveled  on  outer  side. 

c'  Top  of  skull  strongly  convex  in  i)rofile fulvescens 

c-  Top  of  skull  nearly  dat  in  profile. 

Nasals  normal  (rather  long  and  narrow) ])erotensi8 

Nasals  short,  narrow  posteriorly  and  broad  anteriorly estor 

a^  No  sagittal  crest.* 

Outer  face  of  upper  incisor  strongly  beveled oreocetes 

Outer  face  of  upper  incisor  not  beveled peregrinus 

*  The  only  specimens  seen  of  oreocetes  and  pe)-egrinua  are  females ;  it  is  possible 
that  the  old  males  may  have  a  crest. 


152  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

CRATOGEUMYS  MERKIAMI  (Tlioiiiits). 

(PI.  2;  pi.   10,  fig.  5;  pi.  13,  fig.  4;  pi.  11,  (ig.  7;  pi.  1.5,  figs.  (>  ami  9;  pi.  17,  fig.  5; 
pi.  18,  fig.  4;  ].l.  19,  fig.  6). 

Geornys  merriami  Thomas,  Aunals  &  Magazine  Nat.  Hist.,  Ser.  6,  Vol.  xii,  October, 
1893,  271-273.     (Type  in  l^ritish  Museum.) 

Type  from  "southern  Mexico" — probably  the   Valley  of  Mexico. 

Geofp-aphic  (listrUmtion. — South  end  of  Valley  of  Mexico  and  adjacent 
mountain  slopes  from  just  below  the  lower  edge  of  the  lower  pine  belt 
up  to  an  altitude  of  10,000  or  11,000  feet;  east  to  Atlixco  (Puebla),  north 
to  Irolo  (Hidalgo),  and  west  to  Lerma,  in  Toluca  Valley  (map  4,  i). 

General  characters. — Size  largest  of  the  genus  Gratogeomys;  tail  and 
hind  feet  moderately  haired  but  not  so  well  covered  as  in  G.fulvescens; 
skull  massive;  incisors  huge. 

Color. — Upper  parts  dull  chestnut  brown,  mixed  with  black-tipped 
hairs,  varying  to  glossy  slate  black;  underparts  similar  but  paler;  the 
rusty  specimens  have  a  dark  patch  around  and  behind  each  ear,  which 
is  not  apparent  in  the  slate-black  ones. 

Granud  characters. — Skull  large  and  massive,  the  zygomatic  arches 
widely  spreading  anteriorly  and  rapidly  Jiarrowing  posteriorly  (pi.  2); 
incisor  teeth  larger  and  heavier  than  in  any  known  Mexican  species,  not 
excepting  Flatygeomys  gymnurus ;  anteroposterior  diameter  of  incisors 
much  greater  than  transverse;  lower  incisors  with  a  strongly  marked 
bevel  on  the  outer  side  immediately  behind  the  enamel;  behind  the 
bevel  the  tooth  is  abruptly  narrower;  outer  edge  of  eimmel  forming  a 
conspicuous  bead.  In  adult  males  the  squamosals  completely  cover  the 
parietals  and  meet  in  a  median  crest  above  the  sagittal  crest  proper. 
The  mandible  of  the  Lerma  skull  (No.  50110)  is  longer  and  narrower 
across  the  angular  processes  than  that  of  specimens  from  the  slopes  of 
the  Valley  of  Mexico.  Skulls  from  Irolo  differ  from  the  typical  form  of 
the  Valley  of  Mexico  in  having  the  mastoids  considerably  larger  and 
fuller  posteriorly,  occupying  more  of  the  occipital  plane.  The  audital 
bullae  also  are  somewhat  more  swollen.  The  mastoids  do  not  extend 
out  so  far  laterally  as  in  typical  merriami;  the  postpalatal  pits  are  not 
so  deep;  the  coronoid  processes  of  the  mandible  are  more  spreading 
(directed  more  strongly  outward),  and  the  heel  of  the  last  upper  molar 
is  shorter.  The  Irolo  skulls  agree  with  typical  merriami  and  differ  from 
the  Atlixco  specimens  in  having  the  frontal  reach  further  forward  along 
the  median  line  than  on  the  sides.  Skulls  from  Atlixco  differ  from  t^'pi- 
cal  ?He>Tia'Wuntlie  following  particulars :  The  nasals  extend  farther  back, 
reaching  or  passing  plane  of  frouto-maxillary  suture;  the  frontal 
reaches  as  far  forward  laterally  as  on  median  line  (in  merriami  it  resiches 
much  further  forward  on  median  line) ;  as  a  rule  the  coronoid  processes 
of  mandible  are  lower  and  more  abruptly  curved  backward,  with  the 
coronoid  notch  correspondingly  narrower. 

The  massiveness  of  the  incisor  teeth  in  true  merriami  is  much  more 
extreme  than  in  any  of  the  other  species,  and  is  coihdinated,  as  already 


.,AN.,lH9i.]  CRATOGEOMYS    MERRIAMI.  153 

poiuted  out,  with  ;i  much  greater  development  of  tlie  squamosal  and  of 
the  various  prominences  and  ridges  for  muscular  attachment. 

Variations  in  pelage. — Gratogeomi/.s  merriami  exhibits  both  the  melan- 
istic  and  chestnut  color  phases,  and  also  intermediate  pelages.  In  four 
adult  specimens  from  Tlalpam,  three  are  dark  brown,  faintly  washed 
with  fawn  color  or  very  pale  fulvous;  the  fourth  is  bright  chestnut  or 
reddish-brown  on  the  rump  and  sides,  while  the  newer  hair  of  the  back 
is  intimately  mixed  with  blackish.  One  specimen  from  Amecameca 
has  a  white  spot  above  the  tail,  as  in  the  Irolo  specimens. 

All  of  the  three  specimens  from  Irolo  have  an  irregular  white  patch 
at  the  base  of  the  tail  above,  and  one  has  a  small  irregular  patch  on  the 
rump  and  another  on  the  belly  between  the  hind  legs. 

In  the  Irolo  specimens  the  tail  is  less  hairy  and  the  hind  feet  more 
hairy  than  usual,  and  the  hairs  of  the  hind  feet  are  white. 

One  of  the  eight  specimens  from  Atlixco  has  the  white  spot  at  the 
base  of  the  tail,  though  not  so  large  as  in  the  Irolo  and  Las  Vigas  speci- 
mens. The  hind  foot  is  scant  haired  in  the  Atlixco  specimens,  which 
peculiarity  is  jirobably  seasonal,  since  the  Atlixco  specimens  were  col- 
lected in  July,  while  those  from  Irolo  were  collected  in  March.  The 
tails  are  less  hairy  than  usual  in  the  Irolo  and  Atlixco  specimens. 

Measurements  (taken  in  flesh). — Average  of  11  males  from  the  south 
end  of  the  Valley  of  Mexico  and  adjacent  slopes  (Amecameca,  Tlalpam, 
Ajusco,  Salazar,  Huitzilac,  and Lerma) :  Total  length, 380 ;  tail  vertebme, 
112;  hind  foot,  50.  Average  of  7  females  from  same  localities:  Total 
length,  344;  tail  vertebrae,  105;  hind  foot,  46. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  D,  p.  210. 

Speeinie)is  examined. — Total  number  31,  from  the  following  localities: 
State  of  Mexico,  Tlalpam,  4;  Amecameca,  9;  Ajusco,  2;  Salazar,  1; 
Lerma,  1;  State  of  Morelos,  Huitzilac,  3;  State  of  Hidalgo,  Irolo,  3; 
State  of  Puebla,  Atlixco,  8. 

General  remarks. — Mr.  Nelson  states  that  this  large  and  j)owerful  spe- 
cies is  common  in  the  south  end  of  the  Valley  of  Mexico,  where  it  inhabits 
the  soft  soil  of  the  bordering  slopes  and  ranges  on  the  west,  south,  and 
east  sides  of  the  southern  two-thirds  of  the  basin.  Owing  to  the  hard 
rock  and  clayey  character  of  the  middle  and  northern  parts  of  the 
valley  it  does  not  occur  there.  On  the  west  side  it  ranges  up  to  the 
summit  of  the  Sierra  de  Las  Oruces  (where  he  secured  a  specimen  at  an 
altitude  of  11,000  feet  near  Salazar),  and  thence  down  the  west  slope 
into  the  border  of  the  valley  of  Toluca,  where  a  specimen  was  taken  at 
Lerma.  South  of  the  Valley  of  Mexico  it  ranges  up  over  the  Sierra  de 
Ajusco  to  an  altitude  of  10,000  feet,  and  across  to  Huitzilac  on  the 
south  slope  within  the  borders  of  the  state  of  Morelos.  On  the  east 
side  of  the  valley  it  ascends  the  basal  slopes  of  Mounts  Popocatapetl 
and  1/taccihuatl.  On  the  southeast  slope  of  Poi)ocatapetl  it  occurs  at 
Tochimilco  and  on  the  adjacent  plain  about  Atlixco,  Puebla.  It  was 
also  found  at  Irolo,  Hidalgo,  at  the  extreme  north  end  of  tlie  Sierra 


154  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8 

Nevada  de  Iztaccihuatl.     Wherever  found  in  aiuriciiltiual  land  it  is  very 
destructive  to  (!orn,  wlieat,  an<l  other  crops. 

('RATO(}E()MY!S  PEROTENSIS  sp.  iiov. 
(  PI.  8,  ii-r.  fi. ) 

Type  from  Cofre  de  Perote,  Vkua  Cuu/  (altitude  l),r>00  feot).  No;  54299  9  ad. 
U.  S.  Nat.  Museum,  Departmeut  of  Agriculture  collection.  Collected  May  28, 
1893,  by  E.  W.  Nelson.     (Original  No.,  4889.) 

Geographic  distribution. — Cratogeomys  perotensis  inhabits  the  west 
and  higher  slopes  of  the  Cofre  de  Perote,  which  are  wooded,  and  prob- 
ably descends  to  the  northward  to  meet  tlie  range  of  C.  estor.  Mr. 
Nelson's  specimens  were  obtained  at  the  altitudes  of  0,500  and  12,000 
feet  (map  4). 

General  characters. — Size  rather  large  (smaller  than  merriami  but 
larger  than  estor);  no  naked  nose  pad;  hind  feet  and  tail  rather  well 
haired. 

Color. — Upper  parts  dark  russet  fulvous,  everywhere  finely  mixed 
with  black-tipped  hairs;  a  small  dusky  patch  behind  each  ear;  an 
irregular  white  patch  at  base  of  tail  in  some  specimens  (in  eight  out  of 
thirteen);  under  parts  dark  plumbeous,  more  or  less  washed  with 
fulvous;  hind  feet  usually  dark  proximally  and  white  distally,  but 
sometimes  all  white  (and  not  always  symmetrical  on  the  two  feet).  Not 
one  of  the  thirteen  specimens  is  in  the  slaty- plumbeous  ijelage  so  com- 
mon in  G.  merriami.  Tliis  species  has  the  tail  more  hairy  than  in  the 
others  of  the  merriami  series,  and  in  a  number  of  specimens  it  is  irregu- 
larly blotched  with  dusky  and  white,  a  iieculiarity  not  observed  in  any 
other  species. 

Cranial  characters. — Unfortunately  the  maleoH perotensis  is  unknown,* 
all  of  the  thirteen  specimens  collected  by  Mr.  Nelson  on  the  Cofre  de 
Perote  being  females.  The  skull  of  the  female,  however,  furnishes 
excellent  characters.  It  agrees  witli  merriami  in  general  form,  in 
having  the  i)rofile  of  the  top  of  the  skull  a  nearly  straight  line  (not 
convex  as  in  fulvescens  and  castanops)  and  in  having  a  well  developed 
sagittal  crest.  Whether  or  not  the  S(juamosals  completely  overlap  the 
parietal  in  the  adult  male,  as  they  do  in  merriami,  is  not  known,  but 
they  probably  do.  Aside  from  its  much  smaller  size,  the  skull  of  the  2 
perotensis  may  be  distinguished  at  a  glance  from  that  of  merriami,  and 
from  all  other  known  species  of  Cratogeojnys,  by  the  slender ness  of  the 
jugal  anteriorly.  The  jugal  is  not  at  all  enlarged  anteriorly,  and  is 
deej^ly  mortised  into  the  maxillary  arm  of  the  zygoma  (see  pi.  13,  fig.  5)« 

*  Unless  one  of  the  specimens  obtained  near  Las  Vigas  (No.  54311)  belongs  to  this 
species  instead  of  estor.  It  is  an  immature  male,  too  young  to  place  the  identity 
beyond  question,  but  has  the  characters  a  young  male  perotensis  would  be  expected 
to  possess.  The  skull  as  a  whole  is  larger  than  the  adult  female  o{  perotensis  (and 
hence  considerably  larger  than  estor);  the  rostrum  and  nasals  arc  longer;  the  jugal 
is  broader  anteriorly,  and  the  si|uamos:ils  have  already  crei>t  up  over  part  of  the 
parietals  and  would  undoubtedly  meet  in  advanced  age. 


TAN,  1895]  CRATOGEOMYS    ESTOR.  155 

111  some  instances  the  squamosal  arm  of  the  zygoma  reaches  so  far  for- 
ward and  the  maxillary  arm  so  far  backward  that  the  two  nearly  meet 
above  the  jugal.  The  nasals  end  on  or  near  the  plane  of  the  front  of 
the  zygoma,  and  the  ascending  branches  of  the  premaxilla  reach  back 
past  the  plane  of  the  lachrymals,  thus  leaving  a  long  median  projec- 
tion of  the  frontal  between  the  hinder  ends  of  the  premaxillaries. 
Skulls  of  jyerotensis  may  be  distinguished  from  those  of  estor  (from  the 
lower  northeast  slopes  of  the  same  mountain)  by  larger  size,  much 
greater  length  of  rostrum  and  nasals,  slenderness  of  Jugal  anteriorly, 
greater  length  of  sagittal  crest,  and  by  the  form  of  the  frontal  between 
the  orbits,  which  is  broadly  rounded  instead  of  flat. 

Measurements  (taken  in  flesh). — Type :  Total  length  300;  tail  vertebrpe 
79;  hind  foot  40. 

Average  measurements  of  twelve  females  from  type  locality:  Total 
length  310;  tail  vertebra)  88 ;  hind  foot  41.5. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  D,  p.  210. 

Specimens  examined. — Thirteen,  all  from  Oofre  de  Perote,  Vera  Cruz. 

CRATOGEOMYS  ESTOR  sp.  nov. 

(PI.  «,  figs.  4  and  5.) 

Type  from  Las  Vigas,  Vera  Cruz  (altitude  8,000  feet).  No.  54308  ^  ad.  U,  S.  Nat. 
Museum,  Department  of  Agriculture  collection.  Collected  June  12,  1893,  by  E. 
W.  Nelson.     (Original  No.  500.5. ) 

Geograpliic  distribution. — The  pine-covered  hills  and  flats  forming 
the  extreme  northeastern  foothills  of  the  Cofre  de  Perote,  and  also 
the  belt  of  i)ine  forest  connecting  the  timber  of  the  mountain  witli  the 
wooded  hills  of  the  north.  Its  range  is  chiefly  east  and  north  of  that 
of  perotensis.  G.  estor  thus  reaches  the  extreme  eastern  edge  of  the 
table-laud.  Mr.  Xelson's  specimens  were  obtained  at  an  altitude  of 
about  8,000  feet  (map  4,  k). 

General  characters. — Size  medium  (smaller  than  perotensis);  naked 
nasal  pad  small  or  absent;  hind  feet  and  tail  rather  well  haired,  as  in 
perotensis. 

Color. — Upper  parts  dark  russet  fulvous,  everywhere  finely  mixed 
with  black-tipped  hairs;  a  small  dusky  patch  behind  each  ear;  an  irreg- 
ular white  patch  at  base  of  tail  above  (on  all  ten  specimens)  and  some- 
times one  below  also;  under  parts  dark  plumbeous,  more  or  less  washed 
with  fulvous;  hairs  of  hind  feet  whitish,  usually  to  ankle.  Not  one  of 
the  ten  specimens  is  in  the  melanistic  or  slaty-pluinbeoiis  pelage  so 
common  in  merriami. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  similar  to  that  of  perotensis  in  general  form 
and  profile,  the  top  of  the  skull  a  nearly  straight  line — not  strongly 
convex  as  in  fulvescens  and  castanops.  Contrasted  vf\t\i  perotensis  (the 
only  species  witli  which  it  requires  comparison)  G.  estor  ditters  in  the 
following  characters:  Size  smaller  (  <?  of  estor  about  equaling  9  of 
perotensis);  rostrum  much  shorter;  nasals  shorter  ami  broader  ante- 


156  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

lioily;  juji'al  broader  anteriorly  and  less  deeply  i^mbeded  between  forks 
of  maxillary  arm  of  zygoma;  frontal  broader  iiiterorbitally  on  top  of 
skull,  and  tiat  instead  of  broadly  rouuded;  sagittal  crest  shorter  ante- 
riorly  and  perhaps  not  present  iu  the  female.  The  female  with  distant 
temporal  impressions  (No.  54300)  figured  on  pi.  8,  fig.  4,  is  not  fully 
adult;  in  advanced  age  the  sagittal  area  is  probably  nearly  or  quite 
obliterated  by  union  of  the  temporal  ridges. 

Measurements  (taken  in  flesh). — Type  (  £  ad.):  Total  length  315;  tail 
vertebme  94;  hind  foot  41. 

Average  measurements  of  four  males  from  type  locality:  Total  length 
313;  tail  vertebnp.  89;  hind  foot  42. 

Average  measurements  of  four  females  from  same  place:  Total 
length  277 ;  tail  vertebra?  75 ;  hind  foot  37. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  D,  p.  210. 

Specimens  examined. — Ten,  all  from  Las  Vigas,  Vera  Cruz. 

General  remarks. — C.  estor  resembles  C.  perotensis  so  closely  in  color 
and  external  characters  that  the  two  are  practically  indistinguishable 
except  in  size,  estor  being  decidedly  the  smaller.  In  cranial  characters, 
however,  they  are  quite  distinct,  as  pointed  out  above. 

Mr.  Nelson  states  that  wherever  the  pine  forests  are  cleared  away 
and  the  ground  cultivated  within  the  range  of  this  species,  the  animal 
nuiltiplies  rapidly  and  becomes  exceedingly  destructive  to  crops. 

CRATOGEOMYS  OREOCETES  sp.  nov. 

(PI.  8,  figs.  1  and  2.) 

Typo  from  Mount  Popocatapetl,  Mexico  (altitude,  11,000  feet).  No.  57963  9  yg. 
ad.  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Department  of  Agriculture  collection.  Collected 
January  7,  1894,  by  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman.     (Original  No.  47.) 

Geographic  distribution. — The  boreal  higher  slopes  of  Mount  Popo- 
catapetl, above  the  range  of  Cratogeomys  merriami  (abo/e  11,000  feet 
altitude.) 

General  characters. — Incisor  sulcus  broadly  open  and  wholly  on  inner 
side;  size  rather  large;  pelage  soft;  nasal  pad  small;  hind  feet  and  tail 
sparsely  haired. 

Color  (of  type  specimen). — Dusky,  darkest  on  head  and  along  median 
part  of  back;  tips  of  hairs  washed  with  i^ale  brown;  a  golden  brown 
patch  under  each  eye;  forefeet  dusky ;  hind  feet  white.  Apparently 
the  specimen  is  just  beginning  the  change  from  the  plumbeous  to  the 
brown  pelage. 

Cranial  characters. — Zygomatic  arches  narrow,  their  sides  nearly  par- 
allel; anterior  angle  moderately  expanded  (about  as  iu  Heterogeomys 
/tis/>?rfws);  temporal  ridges  strongly  developed;  nasals  wedge-shaped, 
not  inflated  anteriorly,  ending  posteriorly  in  front  of  jflane  of  anterior 
face  of  zygoma;  ascending  branches  of  premaxiila  just  reaching  plane 
of  orbit,  not  divaricating  behind  nasals;  frontal  flat  (orbital  edge 
rounded),  rather  broad  interorbitally  and  posteriorly,  reaching  forward 


..AN.,1S05.]  CRATOGEOMYS  OREOCETES.  157 

between  premaxillte  much  further  than  laterally;  supraorbital  promi- 
nences not  strongly  developed;  temporal  ridges  anterior  to  interpari- 
etal straight,  inclosing  an  elongated  wedge-shaped  interspace  (but  very 
diiierent  from  the  interspace  between  the  strongly  curved  ridges  of 
H.  hispidus)',  interparietal  elongated  autero  posteriorly,  very  much 
longer  than  broad;  jugal  long  and  large,  forming  an  important  part  of 
arch;  lambdoid  crest  strongly  and  evenly  convex  iiosteriorly ;  occipital 
plane  flat,  sloping  slightly  forward  from  below  upward  ;  j^osterior  ends 
of  palatals  excavated  laterally;  pterygoids  uarrow  linguhe  with  parallel 
sides,  as  in  C.  merriami;  audital  bulhe  relatively  short  and  swollen, 
more  subglobular  than  in  H.  Jmpidus;  brain  (;ase  rising  abruptly  from 
posterior  roots  of  zygomata,  much  as  in  hispidus  (not  flatly  rounded  as 
\\\i\x<A  merriami  group  and  in  peregrinus).  Under  jaw  short  and  rather 
narrow,  as  in  hispidus;  angular  processes  short. 

Dental  characters. — Face  of  upper  incisors  unisulcate,  the  groove 
wholly  on  inner  side  and  broadly  open,  as  in  merriami — not  narrow  and 
deep  as  in  H.  hispidus  and  M.  heterodus;  breadth  of  enamel  face  of  upper 
incisor  slightly  greater  than  anteroposterior  diameter  of  tooth;  outer 
side  of  tooth  strongly  beveled  immediately  behind  enamel,  as  in  the 
lower  incisor  of  merriami.  Lower  incisor  narrow,  the  transverse  diame- 
ter less  than  the  anteroposterior.  Crown  of  last  upper  molar  much 
broader  than  long;  no  distinct  heel ;  the  inner  side  convex,  the  outer 
side  eniarginate  and  longer.  The  curvature  of  the  prism  of  this  tooth 
is  much  less  than  in  the  merriami  series  and  less  than  in  H.  hispidus. 

The  premolar  is  the  longest  tooth  and  is  slightly  convex  anteriorl}^; 
ni'  and  m^  are  hardly  shorter  and  are  subequal  (or  nV^  maybe  slightly 
the  shorter);  both  are  strongly  convex  anteriorly;  m^  is  more  than 
two-thirds  the  length  of  m'^  and  is  only  moderately  convex  anteriorly. 

ilAeaswremew/s  (taken  in  flesh). — Type  specimen:  Total  length,  318; 
tail  vertebrfB,  91';  hind  foot,  43. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  D,  p.  211. 

General  remarks. — Cretogeomys  oreocetes  does  not  require  close  com 
parison  with  any  known  species.  From  its  nearest  neighbor  of  the 
lower  slopes  of  the  same  mountain  {C.  merriami)  it  differs  conspicuously 
in  smaller  size,  narrower  zygomata,  shorter  and  more  globular  audital 
bullip,  and  in  the  presence  of  strongly  developed  temi^oral  ridges. 

From  C.  peregrinus,  which  inhabits  the  corresponding  boreal  slopes 
of  the  neighboring  mountain,  the  lofty  Iztaccihuatl,  it  may  be  distin- 
gnished  by  its  narrower  and  higher  craninm,  by  the  beveled  outer  face 
of  the  upper  incisor,  the  convex  (instead  of  notched)  inner  border  of 
crown  of  last  upj)er  molar,  and  other  characters  mentioned  under  that 
species. 

The  measurements  of  the  sknll  of  C.  oreocetes  (see  table  D)  show  that 
the  posterior  breadth  of  the  cranium  is  nearly  equal  to  the  zygomatic 
breadth.  This  is  due  to  the  narrowness  of  the  zygomatic  arches — not 
to  any  unusual  breadth  of  the  cranium  posteriorly. 


l.")8  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no  8. 

CRATOGEOMYS  PEREGRINUS  sp.  uov. 

(I'l.  S,  fijr.  3.) 

Ty]tc  from  Mount  IzTACCiiirATL,  Mexico  (altitude  11,500  foet).  No.  57964  9  old. 
U.  >S.  National  Museuiu,  Department  of  AgTiculture  colh^ction.  Collected  Jan- 
nary  9,  1894,  by  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman.     (Original  No.  .50.) 

Geographic  distribution. — The  boreal  liiglier  vslopes  of  Mount  Iztacci- 
biiatl,  above  the  rauge  of  (Jratogeomys  merriami  (above  11,500  feet  alti- 
tude). 

General  characters. — Size  medium  or  rather  large;  hind  foot  and  tail 
scant  haired;  nasal  pad  small;  forefoot  large  (with  claws  nearly  equal- 
ing hind  foot  with  claws).     Color  i^eculiar. 

Color  (of  type  and  only  specimen). — Steel  gray  from  the  intimate 
adnnxture  of  dusky  and  whitish  hairs;  under  parts  paler  than  upper; 
thjoat,  sides  ot  face,  and  fore  feet  darker.  The  hairs  of  the  hind  foot 
are  whitish ;  of  the  tail  dusky. 

Cranial  characters. — The  skull  of  the  type,  a  very  old  female,  has  the 
posterior  part  of  the  cranium  very  Hat  and  broad,  and  the  zygomata 
broad  and  bowed  outward,  suggesting  Flati/geomys  fiimosus.  In  other 
respects  the  resemblances  are  more  in  the  direction  of  Cratogeomys 
merriami,  with  a  few  characters  pointing  toward  Heterogeomys.  The 
zygomatic  arches  are  widely  spreading,  not  divergent  anteriorly  but 
broadest  across  the  middle  (breadth  anteriorly  slightly  less  than  great- 
est breadth  of  squamosals  jjosteriorly) ;  tlie  anterior  roots  stand  out  at 
nearly  a  right  angle;  the  antero-external  angle  is  moderately  expanded 
and  sharply  angular  when  seen  from  the  side;  rounded  as  seen  from 
above.  Thejugal  is  rather  large  and  forms  an  important  part  of  the 
arch  as  in  C.  merriami.  The  muzzle  and  nasals  are  short,  the  latter 
broad  anteriorly  and  truncated  posteriorly  about  on  the  plane  of  the 
anterior  face  of  the  zygomata.  The  ascending  branches  of  the  premax- 
illa  are  broad  and  blunt  ^posteriorly,  barely  reach  the  plane  of  the 
orbits,  and  do  not  approximate  or  divaricate  behind  the  nasals.  The 
frontal  reaches  furthest  forward  along  the  median  line;  the  suture  at 
base  of  maxillary  root  of  zygoma  (on  top  of  skull)  is  nearly  a  straight 
line.  There  is  no  sagittal  crest,  but  the  temporal  ridges  approximate 
immediately  in  front  of  the  interparietal,  from  which  jDoint  they  divar- 
icate in  both  directions;  anteriorly  they  slope  slightly  outward  in  nearly 
a  straight  line  to  a  point  about  opposite  the  i^osterior  part  of  the  post- 
orbital  prominences  of  the  frontal  where  they  become  less  distinct 
and  curve  abruptly  outward.  The  iutersi^ace  is  an  elongated  wedge, 
as  in  C.  oreoeetes,  and  is  not  depressed  below  the  level  of  the  temporal 
ridges,  a  result  perhaps  of  the  extreme  age  of  the  animal.  In  shape 
it  differs  widely  from  that  of  the  genus  Heterogeomys.  The  great 
breadth  of  the  cranium  i)osteriorly  is  due  to  lateral  expan.sion  of  the 
squamosals,  as  iu  Platygcomys.  The  greatest  breadth  across  squa- 
mosals (over  mastoids)  is  slightly  greater  than  the  zygomatic  breadth 
anteriorly.    The  interparietal  is  not  covered  by  the  parietals  and  is 


jAN.isnvi  CRATOGEOMYS    CASTANOPS  159 

elongated  aiitero-posteriorly.  The  plane  of  the  occiput  is  moderately 
smooth  and  slopes  forward;  it  is  low  and  broad,  the  breadth  being 
about  two  and-a  half  times  the  height.  The  mastoid  bulhe  are  much  as 
in  merriami,  except  that  the  inferior  border  is  shorter  and  the  inner  side 
is  armed  Avith  a  short  blunt  spine  projecting  inward  and  slightly  back- 
ward. (This  may  be  abnormal,  but  the  points  are  symmetrical  on  the 
two  sides.)  The  audital  bulhe  are  rather  short  and  tumid  (much  as  in 
oreocetes)  and  the  anterior  projection  which  abuts  against  the  basi- 
sphenoidis  sharply  set  oft'  by  a  deep  notch  on  the  upper  side.  The  palato- 
pterygoids  are  lingulate,  slightly  broader  than  in  merriami,  the  sides 
nearly  parallel ;  mandible  short  and  narrow,  resembling  that  of  oreo- 
cetes, from  Avhich  it  ditters  in  having  the  angular  processes  even  shorter 
and  the  coronoids  more  hooked. 

Dental  characters. — Upper  incisors  with  a  single  very  broad  and  open 
groove  (broader  even  than  in  oreocetes),  its  deepest  point  on  the  iuaer 
side  of  the  median  line;  breadth  of  enamel  face  greater  than  antero- 
posterior diameter  of  tooth.  Lower  incisors  narrow,  the  breadth  of  the 
enamel  face  being  considerably  less  than  the  anteroposterior  diameter 
of  tooth.  Crown  of  last  upper  molar  not  distinctly  heeled,  its  inner 
border  about  half  the  length  of  outer  and  deeply  notched;  outer  side 
broadly  concave. 

Measurements  (taken  in  flesh). — Type  specimen :  Total  length,  304;  tail 
vertebra^,  87 ;  hind  foot,  42. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  J3,  p.  1*11. 

CRATOGEOMYS  CASTANOPS  (Baiicl). 
(PI.  12,  iig.  1;  pi.  l.S,  fig.  17:  pi.  U,  fig.  6.) 

Pseudostoma  castanops  Baird,  Report  Stansbury's  Exp'd.  to  Great  Salt  Lake,  June 
18.52,  313.     (Type  from  near  Bents  Fort,  Colorado.) 

Geomys  castanops  Baird,  Mammals  of  North  America,  1857,  381-386. 

Geomijs  clarUi  Baird,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  vii,  18.5.5,  332.  (Ty])e  from  Pre- 
sidio Del  Norte,  on  tlie  Rio  Grande,  Chihuahua,  Mexico.) 

Type  locality:  "  Prairie  road  to  Bents  Fort,"  near  the  present  town 
of  Las  Animas,  Colorado,  on  the  Arkansas  Eiver.  (Type  in  U.  S. 
National  Museum.) 

Ueographic  distribution. — Isolated  areas  on  the  Great  Plains  from 
the  Arkansas  River  in  Colorado,  southward  through  eastern  New  Mex- 
ico (west  to  Albuquerque),  and  western  Texas  to  Santa  Rosalia,  Chi- 
huahua, and  Jaral,  Coahuila  (map  4,  h). 

General  Gharacters. — Size,  medium;  coloration,  yellowish-brown;  tad 
of  medium  length;  rather  scant  haired. 

Color. — Upper  parts  yellowish  brown  or  buffy  ochraceous  tinged  with 
yellowish,  more  or  less  mixed  with  black- tip])ed  hairs,  which  are  much 
more  numerous  in  winter  pelage;  under  parts  butfy. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  very  broad  and  heavy;  zygomatic  arches 
widely  spreading  anteriorly  and  strongly  decurved;  profile  of  skull 
convex  on  top;  end  of  maxillary  root  of  zygoma  greatly  expanded, 


160  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

forming  a  broad  plato,  into  which  the  euhirged  head  of  the  Jugal  is 
received;  sides  of  basioccipital  parallel.  C.  castanops  differs  from  C. 
fulvesccns  m  havinij  tlie  basioccipital  narrow,  its  sides  excavated  and 
j)arallel ;  the  nasals  and  nasal  branches  of  the  premaxilla  more  produced 
posteriorly;  the  hitter  cutting  the  plane  of  the  orbits,  and  in  lacking 
the  thickened  sockets  of  the  upper  incisors. 

Measurements  (taken  in  flesh.) — An  adult  male  from  Las  Animas, 
Colorado  (practically  type  locality):  Total  length,  295;  tail  vertebrae, 
95;  hind  foot,  37. 

Average  of  3  females  from  same  locality:  Total  length,  256;  tail 
vertebra',  77 ;  hind  foot,  33. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  D,  p.  211. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  43,  from  tlie  fcdlowing  localities: 
Olney,  Colorado,  2;  Las  Animas,  Colorado  (type  locality),  G;  Chico 
Springs,  New  Mexico,  2;  Albuquerque,  New  Mexico,  3;  Eddy,  New 
Mexico,  3 ;  Sierra  Bianca,  Texas,  1 ;  Marfa,  Texas,  3 ;  Eagle  Pass,  Texas, 
13;  Samalayuca,  Chihuahua,  Mexico,  2;  Gallego,  Chihuahua,  Mexico,  2; 
Santa  Rosalia,  Chihuahua,  Mexico,  4;  and  Jaral,  Coahuila,  Mexico,  5. 

General  remarks. — Coues  has  already  shown  that  clarTcii  can  not  be 
distinguished  from  castanops,  and  the  examination  of  a  much  larger 
series  than  heretofore  available  confirms  this  determination.  The 
peculiar  line  of  demarkation  in  the  type  specimen*  described  by  Baird 
as  separating  the  color  of  the  head  and  neck  from  that  of  the  rest  of 
the  upi)er  parts,  is  now  well  known  as  the  molt  line  (which  progresses 
from  before  backward) ;  and  the  alleged  differences  in  the  feet  and  skull 
donot  hold  good  in  the  ample  series  (forty-three  specimens)  now  at  hand. 
The  species  i^resents  considerable  geographic  variation  in  size  (mostly 
sporadic),  as  usual  in  members  of  the  family  having  an  extensive  range. 
The  only  notable  departure  from  the  type  observed  in  the  present  series 
is  in  two  specimens  from  Chico  Springs,  N.  Mex.  These  specimens  are 
smaller  than  the  type  form,  brighter  and  more  '  yellowish-chestnut' 
in  color,  and  the  fore  feet,  hind  feet,  and  tail  are  distinctly  blackish. 
The  tail  furthermore  is  well  covered  with  hair  for  its  entire  length. 

Mr.  Vernon  Bailey  tells  me  that  Gratogeomys  castanops  is  a  very  inju- 
rious species  to  orchards  and  nurseries.  Along' Onion  Creek,  30  miles 
southwest  of  Marfa,  in  Presidio  County,  Texas,  he  found  them  eating 
the  roots  of  fruit  trees  where  "two  or  three  soon  sjioil  an  orchard  if 
left  in  it;  the  owners  did  not  know  how  to  get  rid  of  them." 


GRATOGEOMYS  CASTANOPS  GOLDMANI  subsp.  iiov. 

Type  from.  Canitas.  Zacatecas,  Mexico.  No,  57965  9  yg.  ad.  U.  S.  National  Museum, 
Department  of  Agriculture  collection.  Collected  December  24,  1893,  by  E.  A. 
Goldman.     (Original  No.  286.) 


*  The  type  specimen,  formerly  in  the  Patent  Office,  is  now  in  the  National  Museum, 
but  is  in  very  poor  condition,  ha\'iug  been  exposed  to  the  light  for  nearly  forty  years, 
as  a  result  of  which  it  is  so  faded  that  no  trace  of  the  original  color  remains. 


JAN.,  1895.]  CRATOGEOMYS    FULVESCENS.  161 

General  characters, — Similar  to  C.  castaiiops  in  size  and  external 
appearance,  but  differing  in  cranial  characters.  Tail  and  hind  feet 
rather  well  haired  for  a  Pocket  Gopher. 

Color. — Upper  parts  dull  butiy-ochraceous,  moderately  mixed  with 
black- tipped  hairs;  under  parts  paler. 

Cranial  characters. — Unfortunately  all  of  the  five  specimens  at  hand 
of  this  form  are  females.  Compared  with  females  of  C.  castanops  the 
skulls  diHer  in  being-  broader,  shorter,  and  flatter,  with  less  decurved 
zygomata,  and  decidedly  shorter  and  broader  nasal  bones.  The  short- 
ening is  chiefly  in  the  rostrum;  the  broadening  chiefly  in  the  brain 
I  case.  The  basioccipital  averages  longer  and  somewhat  larger  and  its 
'  sides  are  less  truly  parallel,  being  a  little  broader  jjosteriorly  than 
anteriorly.  The  plane  of  the  occiput  is  narrow  and  much  elongated 
transver.sely.  The  coronoid  process  of  the  mandible  is  long,  depressed, 
and  reaches  far  back. 

Measurements  (taken  in  flesh). — Type:  Total  length,  270;  tail  verte- 

I  brje,  90;  hind  foot,  35, 

Average  measurements  of  three  females  from  type  locality:  Total 
length,  257;  tail  vertebrie,  83;  hind  foot,  34.3. 
For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  D,  p.  211. 
Specimens  examined. — Total  number  5,  all  from  Oaiiitas,  Zacatecas. 

CRATOGEOMYS  FULVE8CENS  sp.  uov. 

(PI.  12,  fis.  2.) 

Type  from  Chalchicomula,  State  ok  Pueisla,  Mexico.  No.  58168  <?  ad.  U.  S. 
Natioual  Museum,  Department  of  Agriculture  collection.  •  Collected  January 
15,  1894,  by  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman.     (Original  No.  5651.) 

I  Geographic  flistrihution. — The  basin-like  plain  of  eastern  Puebla, 
Mexico,  from  Esperanza  north  to  Perote  and  west  to  the  northeast 
base  of  Mount  Maliuche  in  Tlaxcala  (map  4,  j). 

General  characters. — Ui^per  incisors  unisulcate;  forefeet  shorter  than 
hind  feet.  Similar  in  general  ap])earance  to  G.  castanops,  but  larger; 
color  darker;  tail  rather  longer,  darker,  and  slightly  more  hairy. 

Color. — Upper  parts  grizzled  yellowish  brown,  liberally  mixed  with 
dark-tipped  hairs;  under  parts  buffy-fulv^ous  or  ochraceous-bufl'.  Com- 
pared with  castanops  the  general  color  is  darker,  owing  to  more  bounti- 
ful admixture  of  dark-tipped  hairs. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  rather  massive;  zygomata  squarely  S])read- 
ing,  angles  broadly  expanded;  alveoli  of  upper  incisors  thickened; 
profile  of  top  of  skull  very  convex ;  rostrum  decurved  anteriorly. 

The  fronto-maxillary  suture  is  peculiar,  its   anterior   end  usually 
reaching  or  nearly  reaching  the  plane  of  the  front  of  the  zygoma — in 
all  the  allied  species  the  frontal  ends  about  opposite  the  middle  of  the 
anterior  root  of  the  zygoma. 
7433— :No.  8 11 


162  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.«. 

The  lieigbt  of  the  roof  of  the  cranium  above  the  palate,  and  of  the 
brain  case  above  the  posterior  roots  of  the  zygomata,  are  much  greater 
than  in  any  other  member  of  the  genus,  and  the  breadth  of  the  skull 
posteriorly  is  much  less. 

Contrasted  with  C.  castanops  the  skull  of  fulvescens  differs  in  the  fol- 
lowing particulars:  size  larger;  rostrum  broader;  sockets  of  upper 
incisors  thicker,  bulging  externally;  nasals  and  ascending  branches  of 
l^remaxilla  shorter  i^osteriorly,  the  former  hardly  reaching  plane  of 
front  of  zygoma,  the  latter  not  reaching  jilane  of  orbits;  basioccipital 
much  broader  and  wedge-shaped,  as  usual  in  the  genus  (in  castanops 
the  basioccipital  is  narrower  and  its  sides  are  parallel,  see  pi.  12,  flgs.  1** 
and  2^). 

MeasuremenU  (taken  in  flesh). — Type  specimen  (  t?  ) :  Total  length, 
318;  tail  vertebra^,  102;  hind  foot,  43.5. 

Average  of  three  males  from  type  locality :  Total  length,  327 ;  tail  ver- 
tebra?, 105;  hind  foot,  43. 

Average  of  six  females  from  type  locality:  Total  length,  302;  tail  ver- 
tebra?, 97 ;  hind  foot,  30.0. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  I),  p.  211. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  11,  from  the  following  localities: 
Chalchicomula,  Puebla,  9;  Perote,  Vera  Cruz,  2. 

General  rem^arlcs. — C.  fulvescens  does  not  require  close  comparison 
with  any  known  species  except  C.  castanops,  which  it  resembles  in  the 
grizzled  yellowish-brown  color  of  its  upper  parts.  It  is  more  fulvous 
than  castanops,  from  which  it  difl'ers  further  in  larger  size  and  in  the 
cranial  characters  above  i)ointed  out.  Specimens  from  Perote  are  more 
-ellowish  and  less  fulvous  than  those  from  Chalchicomula. 

Mr.  Nelson  states  that  this  species  inhabits  the  sandy  open  i)lain  from 
an  altitude  of  8,000  feet  in  the  lower  parts  of  the  basin  up  to  9,000  feet 
on  the  west  slope  of  Mount  Orizaba.  He  states  further:  "In  this  dis- 
trict its  range  is  almost  identical  with  that  of  Dipoilomys  phiUipsi. 
Like  the  latter  species  it  follows  up  the  cultivated  land  into  the  low^er 
border  of  the  pine  forest  on  Mount  Orizaba,  and  is  common  also  about  the 
northeast  base  of  Mount  Malinche.  These  gophers  are  particularly 
numerous  in  cultivated  ground,  and  are  very  destructive  to  corn  and 
grain  of  all  kinds." 

Genus  PLATYGEOMYS  "  uob. 

( PI.  3;  pi.  10,  tig.  8;  pi.  13,  tigs.  1-3;  pi.  14,  tig.  9;  pi.  15,  tig.  7;  pi.  17,  tig.  4;  pi.  18, 

fig.  o;  pi.  19,  fig.  7.) 

Type  Geomi/s  (ji/mintnis  Merriam,  from  Zapotlan,  Jalisco,  Mexico. 

Dental  characters. — Upper  premolar  Avith  three  enamel  plates  (the 
posterior  absent),  its  shaft  nearly  straight.  First  and  second  upper 
molars  with  one  enamel  plate  each  (posterior  absent). 

*  PJatijgeoniijs,  from  TrXatvi,  broad,  wide,  +  Geomys,  with  reference  to  the  great 
breadth  of  the  cranium. 


JAN.,  1895]  GENUS   PLATYGEOMYS.  163 

Third  upper  molar  an  incomplete  double  prism,  the  outer  side  abruptly 
narrowed  behind  the  anterior  prism;  axis  of  heel  anteroposterior; 
inner  enamel  plate  nonnally  less  than  two-thirds  as  long  as  anterior 
plate;  not  covering  posterior  face  of  tooth;  outer  plate  normally  as  long 
as  inner  and  usually  reaching  posterior  edge  of  heel. 

Upper  incisor  strongly  unisulcate^  the  sulcus  median  or  slightly  on 
inner  side  (fig.  2P). 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  large,  heavy,  and  flat;  hinder  part  of 
cranium  extraordinarily  broad  and  flat,  the  great  breadth  due  chiefly  to 
lateral  expansion  of  the  squamosals,  which  not  only  project  as  a  thin 
shelf  beyond  the  brain  case,  increasing  the  size  of  the  glenoid  fossa 
both  anteriorly  and  posteriorly,  but  also  completely  arch  over  and 
conceal  the  postglenoid  notch,  curving  with  only  a  shallow  con- 
cavityfrom  the  posterior  angle  of  the  zygomatic  arch  to  and  beyond 
the  extreme  tip  of  the  transversely  elongated  mastoid;  zygomatic 
arches  massive,  broadly  spreading  anteriorly,  the  antero-external  angle 
expanded  vertically  into  a  triangular  plate  between  the  strongly  pro- 
duced and  decurved  external  angle  and  the  evenly  rounded  orbit  (the 
resulting  plate  made  up  in  part  of  the  distal  end  of  the  maxillary  arm 
of  the  arch,  and  in  part  of  the  anterior  end  of  the  jugal,  which  is 
usually  expanded);  jugal  normally  large  and  broad,  forming  an  impor- 
tant part  of  the  arch;  pterygoids  vertical  lamelhe  with  inferior  border 
everted;  orbitosphenoids  larger  than  in  Cratof/eonii/s  but  not  normally 
articulating  with  alispheuoid;  mesethmoid  a  little  more  than  a  half 
crescent,  its  anterior  border  strongly  rounded  above  (pi.  18,  fig.  5); 
endoturbinals  together  forming  an  elongated  oblique  plate  which  is 
sharply  pointed  antero-superiorly,  owing  to  the  elongation  of  the  upper 
endoturbinals  (pi.  19,  tig.  7) ;  no  extension  of  os  planum  in  front  of  lower 
endoturbinals  and  no  curving  down  of  vomerine  edge  of  os  planum 
below  ijlane  of  roof  of  narial  passage;  floccular  fossa  ill  defined  and  not 
separated  from  internal  auditory  meatus  by  a  distinct  ridge;  ridge 
separating  superior  from  inner  surface  of  petrous  only  feebly  developed 
(pi.  17,  fig.  4;  and  pi.  18,  fig.  5). 

In  addition  to  the  above-described  generic  characters,  most  of  which 
are  in  strong  contrast  to  those  of  Cratogeomys,  the  following  points  are 
selected  with  special  reference  to  antithesis  with  Crafof/eomyfi  (which 
see) :  Breadth  of  cranium  posteriorly  (above  mastoids)  equal  to  or 
greater  than  greatest  zygomatic  breadth ;  breadth  of  occipital  plane  at 
least  two  and  a  half  times  its  height ;  lambdoid  crest  sinuous,  presenting 
three  posterior  concavities;  squamosal  expansion  chiefly  away  from 
median  line — not  covering  inner  part  of  parietals;  mandible  very  much 
broader  than  long*  (including  incisors);  angular  processes  of  mandible 


*  The  extraordinary  breadth  of  the  mandible  across  the  angular  processes  is  not  due 
alone  to  the  great  length  of  these  processes,  but  in  part  to  tlieir  position.  They 
are  higher  and  more  nearly  on  a  level  with  the  mcisor  protuberance  than  in  any 
other  torm,  and  the  jaw  as  a  whole  is  Hatter. 


164  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

extraordinarily  long  and  spreading,  reaching  ont  so  far  laterally  that 
the  knob  over  root  of  incisor  is  midway  between  condyle  and  end  of 
angular  process  fpl.  3) ;  squamosal  arm  of  zygoma  covering  about  half 
(iu  fumosus  more  than  half)  of  upper  edge  of  jugal,  which  latter  enters 
broadly  into  formation  of  zygomatic  arch;  free  part  of  upper  edge 
of  jugal  equal  to  length  of  basioccipital  on  median  line  (except  ni 
fufnosus);  paroccipital  processes  large  and  expanded,  forming  recurved 
flanges;  incisors  slender  in  contrast  to  those  of  the  merriami  series; 
anteroposterior  and  transverse  diameters  of  incisors  subequal ;  enamel 
face  of  lower  incisors  forming  an  inconspicuous  bead  on  outer  side  of 
tooth,  behind  which  the  tooth  is  not  beveled,  the  transverse  diameter 
through  the  enamel  face  being  inappreciably  greater  than  posteriorly. 

KEY  TO  SPECIES  OF  PLATYGEOMYS. 

1"  Zygomatic  arches  parallel  or  hatred  outward  in  the  middle fumosus, 

1"  Zygomatic  arches  strongly  divergent  anteriorly: 

Jugiil  only  slightly  expanded  auteriory planiceps. 

Jugal  broadly  expanded  anteriorly  : 

Nasals  strongly  wedge-shaped;  narrow  posteriorly;  reaching 

plane  of  zygoma gymnurus. 

Nasals    not    wedge-shaped;    broad    posteriorly;    not    reaching 

plane  ol  zygoma tylorh  inus. 

PLATYGEOMYS  GYMNURUS  Merriam. 

(Pl.3;  pi.  10,  fig.  8;  pi.  13,  fig.  2;  pi.  15,  fig.  7;   pi.  17,  fig.  4;  pi.  18,  fig.  5;  pi.  19,  fig.  7.) 

Geomys  gymnurus  Merriam,  Proc.  P.iol.  Soc.  Washington,  vii,  Sept.  29,  1892,  166-167. 

Tyjie  locality. — Zapotlan,  Jalisco,  Mexico.  (Type  in  U.  S.ISratioual 
Museum.) 

Geographic  distrihution. — Valley  of  Zapotlan  and  adjacent  slopes  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada  de  Colima,  Jalisco,  and  the  volcano  of  Colima  down 
to  the  upper  edge  of  the  plain  of  Colima,  Mexico. 

General  characters. — Size  very  large;  a  naked  pad  on  end  of  nose; 
tail  naked;  feet  sparsely  haired;  hinder  part  of  cranium  extraordiua. 
rily  broad. 

Color. — Upper  parts  dark  reddish-brown  or  chestnut,  varying  to  sooty 
plumbeous  or  slate-black,  slightly  paler  below.  The  rusty  specimens 
have  a  dusky  xiatch  about  each  ear  and  a  larger  one  on  the  nose.  The 
depth  of  the  chestnut  seems  to  increase  with  the  age  of  the  hair,  speci- 
mens in  the  molt  having  the  new  hair  very  dark  and  only  washed  on 
the  tips  with  chestnut.  The  hairs  of  the  hind  feet  are  scattered  and 
nearly  colorless.  Tlie  young  are  glossy  slate-black,  with  the  sides  and 
rump  consi)icuously  sprinkled  with  whitish  bristles. 

Cranial  characters. — The  skull  of  Platygeomys  f/ymnurus  differs  from 
all  others  of  the  family  (except  the  related  P.  tylorhinus  and  planiceps 
here  described)  in  the  extraordinary  breadth  and  flatness  of  the  hinder 
l^art  of  the  brain  case,  the  result  of  lateral  exj)ansion  of  the  squa- 


JAN.,  1895.]  PLATYGEOMYS    GYMNURUS.  165 

raosals,  which  completely  arch  over  and  conceal  .the  postglenoid  notch, 
curving  with  a  shallow  concavity  from  the  posterior  angle  of  the  zygo- 
matic arch  to  the  extreme  tips  of  the  transverely  elongated  mastoids, 
which  they  overreach.  The  breadth  of  the  cranium  here  equals  or 
exceeds  the  greatest  zygomatic  breadth.  Corr  elated  with  this  unpre 
cedented  breadth  of  the  posterior  part  of  the  cranium  is  an  even  more 
extreme  lateral  extension  of  the  angular  processes  of  the  mandible. 
The  zygomatic  arches  are  widely  spreading  anteriorly,  with  broadly 
expanded  subtriangular  outer  angles.  The  jugals  are  large,  broadly 
expanded  anteriorly,  enter  largely  into  the  outer  wall  of  the  orbital 
fossa,  and,  as  a  rule,  terminate  anteriorly  in  a  straight  edge,  which 
articulates  witli  the  lower  third  of  the  ascending  or  maxillary  arm  of 
the  zygoma  without  being  mortised  into  it  as  usual  in  the  group; 
still  the  front  of  the  jugal  rests  on  a  strong  shelf  of  the  maxillary 
arm,  and  is  commonly  overtopped  by  a  sliort  spicule.  The  exposed 
part  of  the  upper  edge  of  the  jugal  forming  part  of  the  outer  wall  of 
tbe  orbital  fossa  is  usually,  though  not  always,  as  long  as  the  basi- 
occipital  (on  median  line),  and  as  a  rule  the  posterior  half  of  the  jugal  is 
overlapped  by  the  squamosal  arm  of  the  zygoma.  Tlie  fronto-maxillary 
suture  is  straight  or  slightly  convex  outward,  while  its  continuation  as 
the  premaxillo-maxillary  suture  (on  top  of  the  skull)  is  strongly  con- 
cave inward,  the  result  being  that  the  suture  at  the  base  of  the  maxil- 
lary arm  of  the  zygoma,  taken  as  a  whole,  is  shaped  like  the  letter  S 
somewhat  drawn  out.  In  tylorhinus  and  planiceps  it  is  broadly  and 
uniformly  convex  inward.  The  nasals  end  posteriorly  on  or  a  little 
behind  the  anterior  plane  of  the  zygoma,  and  are  strongly  wedge- 
shai^ed  and  much  narrower  posteriorly  than  in  tylorhinus.  The  nasal 
branches  of  the  j)reniaxilla  may  or  nmy  not  reach  the  plane  of  the 
orbits;  they  a])proximate  slightly  behind  tlie  nasals,  « 

The  occipital  plane  is  exceedingly  broken  and  irregular;  the  lamb- 
doid  crest  overhangs  it  as  a  sinuous  ledge  throughout  its  entire 
lengtli;  the  greatly  enlarged  paroccipital  processes  stand  out  like 
broad  flanges  from  the  exoccipitals,  projecting  strongly  outward  and 
backward,  forming,  in  conjunction  with  the  middle  part  of  the  lamb- 
doid  crest,  a  remarkable  basin-shaped  inclosure,  outside  of  which,  and 
far  anterior  to  the  great  paroccipital  flanges,  are  the  transversely- 
elongated  mastoids  (pi.  15,  fig.  7).  In  striking  contrast  is  the  smoothly 
planed- off  occiput  of  Heterof/eomys  his2)i(lus  (pi.  lo,  fig.  4). 

The  shape  of  the  lambdoid  crest  is  peculiar;  it  is  deeply  sinuous, 
with  three  concavities  directed  forward  (of  which  the  median  is  deep, 
the  lateral  shallow),  and  two  strong  convexities  directed  backward; 
at  each  end  it  terminates  in  a  club-shaped  knob  directed  outward. 
Looking  at  the  skull  from  above  there  is  nothing  to  indicate  the 
limits  of  the  brain  case,  the  broad  squamosals  being  convex  upward 
behind  the  zygomata,  without  trace  of  the  lateral  depression  that 
marks  off"  the  brain  case  in  Cratogeomys  and  most  other  members  of 
I  the  family. 


166  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

Measurcniciits  (tiikeii.iii  flesli). — Average  of  three  males  from  type 
locality  (Zapotlan,  Mexico):  Total  leiigMi,  o5li.G;  tail  vertebra',  105.3; 
bind  foot,  ~)3.'.'>.  Average  of  three  females  from  same  place:  Total 
length,  341;  tail  vertebne,  91 ;  hind  foot,  40.G. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  E,  p.  211*. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  10,  from  the  following  localities 
in  Jalisco,  Mexico:  Zai^otlan,  7;  Sierra  Nevada  de  Colima,  3. 

General  remarks. — Plati/f/eomys  (jymnnnis  may  be  regarded  as  the 
type  (for  it  is  the  largest  and  most  extreme  in  cranial  peculiarities)  of 
a  remarkable  series  of  Pocket  Gophers  inhabiting  southern  Mexico 
from  the  Sierra  Nevada  de  Colima  of  Ja.lisco  eastwarTl  to  the  north 
slope  of  the  Volcan  Toluca  in  the  State  of  Mexico,  and  Tula  in 
Hidalgo.  Externally  these  animals  difler  so  little  from  the  larger  spe- 
cies of  Gratof/eomys  as  to  be  distinguished  with  difficulty,  but  in  cranial 
characters  they  may  be  told  at  a  glance.  The  number  of  recognizable 
forms  now  known  is  four,  of  which  one  {fumosus)  is  very  distinct  from 
the  others;  the  remaining  three  are  closely  related  {(jyninurus,  tylo- 
rliinns,  and  planiceps)  and  two  of  them  {tylorhiniis  and  planiceps)  may 
be  found  to  intergrade  when  specimens  are  obtained  from  intermediate 
localities  along  the  line  of  their  distribution,  in  which  event  the  latter 
must  be  reduced  to  subspecific  rank.  Still  another  form  that  might 
be  deemed  worthy  of  separation  is  the  Patzcuaro  animal  mentioned 
under  the  head  of  P.  tylorhinus. 

All  the  members  of  the  gymnurus  series  have  the  upper  parts  more 
or  less  plentifully  sprinkled  with  long,  slender,  bristle-like  hairs  which 
protrude  far  beyond  the  ordinary  fur.  In  fumosus  these  hairs  are  very 
conspicuous,  owing  to  the  marked  contrast  of  their  whitish  color  with 
the  blackish-slate  of  the  body;  the  same  is  true  of  the  young  in  {/ym- 
nurvs,  but  in  the  adult  they  harmonize  so  well  with  the  prevailing 
reddish-brown  or  chestnut  tints  that  they  may  be  easily  overlooked. 
They  are  most  abundant  in  the  Patzcuaro  specimens  of  iylorliimis. 

Mr.  Nelson  states  that  the  rangxi  of  Platygeomys  {/ymnvrvs,  so  far  as 
determined  by  him,  is  limited  to  the  valley  of  Zapotlan  and  slopes  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada  de  Colima  and  base  of  the  adjacent  volcano  of  Colima, 
and  the  immediate  vicinity.  On  the  north  slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
de  Colima  he  found  them  up  to  an  altitude  of  11,000  feet,  among  the  firs 
and  alders,  where  a  specimen  was  secured.  Thence  to  the  base  of  the 
mountain  they  are  rather  common  on  open  grassy  slopes,  and  range 
out  over  all  of  the  adjacent  valley  of  Zai)otlan.  In  this  latter  district 
they  were  usually  found  in  fields,  where  they  do  much  damage  to  corn 
and  wheat.  Zapotlan  Valley  has  an  altitude  of  about  4,500  feet,  and 
is  an  open  basin-like  ijlain  just  below  the  pines  and  oaks  of  the  moun- 
tains. On  the  extreme  upper  border  of  the  phiin  of  Colima,  near  the 
southwest  base  of  the  volcano,  at  an  altitude  of  about  3,500  feet,  he 
saw  numerous  diggings  of  a  gopher,  which  was  probably  this  species. 


1 


JAN.,  1895.]  PLATYGEOMYS    TYLORHINUS  167 

PLATYGEOMYS  TYLORHINUS  sp.  nov. 

(PI.  13,  fig.  1.) 
Type  from  TrLA,  Hidalgo,  Mkxico.    No.  51883  <?  ad.  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  collection.     Collected  March  13,   1893,  by  E.  W.  Nelson. 
(Original  No.  4442.) 

Geographic  distribution. — Tula,  Hidalgo,  and  tbeiice  southwesterly 
along  the  north  slope  of  the  Sierra  Madre  to  the  vicinity  of  Patzcuaro, 
Michoacan. 

General  characters. — Size,  large;  tail  nearly  naked;  a  naked  pad  on 
end  of  nose;  coloration  dark.  Similar  to  P.  gymnnrus,  hut  smaller, 
with  shorter  and  more  hairy  hind  feet,  which  are  distinctly  white  in 
contrast  to  dark  of  ankles  and  legs;  .skull  remarkably  broad  and  flat, 
as  in  P.  gymmirns.  but  lighter  and  differing  further  in  important 
characters. 

Color. — Upper  parts  chestnut  or  liver-brown,  as  in  Geomyshursorius; 
under  parts  similar  but  slightly  paler,  the  plumbeous  showing  through 
in  places;  legs  and  ankles  ccmcolor  with  body;  hind  feet  white  in 
contrast. 

Cranial  characters. —  Skulls  of  P.  tylorhinvs  differ  from  those  of 
P.  (lymnurns  in  smaller  size,  narrower  rostrum,  and  shorter  nasals, 
which  do  not  reach  plane  of  zygomatic  arches.  The  most  conspicuous 
difference  is  in  the  shape  of  the  nasals:  instead  of  being  wedge-shaped, 
as  in  fjymnnrus,  they  are  much  broader  i)osteriorly  and  abruptly 
truncated  behind,  and  the  premaxilhe  do  not  approximate  behind 
them.  The  skull  as  a  whole  is  much  less  massive  and  the  maxillary 
arm  of  the  zygoma  less  thickened  than  in  gymnnrus.  The  jugal  is 
enlarged  throughout  and  expanded  anteriorly  into  a  broad  plate  which 
abuts  against  the  sides  of  the  maxillary  part  of  the  zygomatic  arch, 
which  latter  is  hardly  excavated  to  receive  it,  sending  out  a  small  shelf 
below  and  a  short  spicule  above,  much  as  in  gymnurus.  The  suture 
at  the  base  of  maxillary  root  of  zygoma  is  broadly  convex  inward;  in 
gymnurus  it  is  shaped  like  a  drawn-out  S.  As  usual,  the  skull  of  the 
female  is  much  smaller  than  that  of  the  male,  and  the  jugal  is  narrower. 

Measurements  [t'A\L&\\  in  flesh). — Type  specimen,  5  ad.:  Total  length, 
345;  tail  vertebric,  100;  hind  foot,  45.  Average  of  two  9  specimens 
from  type  locality:  Total  length,  298;  tail  vertebrae,  91.5;  hind  foot, 
39.5. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  E,  p.  212. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  9,  from  the  following  localities 
in  Mexico:     Tula,  in  Hidalgo,  4;  Patzcuaro,  in  Michoacan,  5. 

General  remarlis. — Sjiecimens  from  Patzcuaro,  State  of  Michoacan, 
are  intermediate  in  size  and  form  of  nasals  between  gymnurus  axid  tyi)i- 
cal  tylorhinns  from  Tula,  but  exceed  the  latter  in  the  expansion  of  the 
jugal  and  whiteness  of  the  hind  feet.  The  hind  feet  are  more  hairy, 
and  the  ankles  are  dark  plumbeous  instead  of  chestnut,  causing  the 
white  to  stand  out  in  stronger  contrast.     Skulls  of  the   Patzcuaro 


168  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

.inimal  differ  further  from  those  froui  Tula  in  having  smaller  and  shorter 
pterygoid  lamelliie  (as  seen  from  the  side),  leaving  more  space  between 
their  posterior  edge  and  the  audital  bullte.  The  posterior  ends  of  the 
palatals  are  smaller,  thicker,  and  have  the  outer  edge  straighter.  In 
the  Tula  skulls  the  palatals  are  thinner  and  broader,  with  the  outer 
edge  irregularly  sinuous.  In  the  Patzcuaro  animal  the  jugals  are  con- 
spicuously broader  anteriorly  than  in  those  from  Tula,  but  as  in  the 
latter  they  are  much  less  expanded  in  the  female  than  in  the  male. 

There  is  an  average  difference  in  external  characters  by  which  tlie 
Patzcuaro  specimens  may  be  distinguished  from  specimens  from  Tula 
and  the  Volcano  of  Toluca.  They  are  darker  and  richer  in  color  (the 
chestnut  being  more  ferruginous),  and  the  head  is  mainly  slate  black, 
more  or  less  faintly  washed  with  rusty.  This  color  does  not  cover  the 
head  uniformly  but  is  disposed  in  a  tolerably  regular  pattern  from 
which  there  is  little  variation  in  the  series  of  specimens  at  hand.  The 
slate-black  covers  the  muzzle,  reaching  back  along  the  median  line  as 
far  as  the  plane  of  the  eyes,  and  sends  a  broad  arm  backward  on  each 
side  to  the  shoulders,  inclosing  the  eye  and  ear.  The  chestnut  of  the 
back  comes  forward  over  the  top  of  the  head  to  about  the  plane  of  the 
eyes,  and  on  the  sides  of  the  face  below  the  eyes  to  and  sometimes 
including  the  cheeks.  Possibly  there  is  something  seasonal  in  this 
pelage;  all  of  the  Patzcuaro  specimens  were  collected  at  the  same 
time — the  latter  half  of  July. 

Mr.  Nelson  contributes  the  following  information  respecting  the  local 
distribution  of  P.  iylorhinus:  "I  found  this  species  common  along  the 
north  slope  of  the  mountains  about  Lake  Patzcuaro  and  thence  to  the 
vicinity  of  Lake  Cuitzeo,  in  Michoacan.  All  of  this  district  lies  in  the 
zone  immediately  below  the  pines  (from  about  5,500  to  6,800  feet  alti- 
tude), and  is  largely  cultivated  to  wheat  and  corn.  The  gophers  are 
particularly  numerous  in  the  fields,  where  they  do  considerable  damage 
to  crops.  They  range  up  into  the  lower  border  of  the  forest  where 
Zygogeomys  trichopns  is  found.  Beyond  Lake  Cuitzeo  no  work  was  done 
to  the  northeast  until  Tula,  Hidalgo,  was  reached.  There  these  animals 
were  found  in  small  numbers  at  an  altitude  of  about  6,000  feet,  in  tlie 
vicinity  of  the  town.  They  were  only  noted  about  the  borders  of  small 
basin-like  sinks,  where  the  land  was  under  cultivation.  Not  being " 
numerous  here  their  depredations  in  the  grainfields  were  of  little 
moment.  The  district  from  Lake  Cuitzeo  to  Patzcuaro  has  a  cool  cli- 
mate, with  abundant  rains  during  the  summer  months.  Tula  lies  in  a 
much  more  arid  and  warmer  zone." 

PLATYGEOMYS  PLANICEPS  sp.  nov. 

(PI.  13,  fig.  3;  pi.  14,  fig.  9.) 
fAscomys  mexicanns,  Liclit.,  Brants  Muizen,  1827,  27-31  (in  part). 
Type  from  north  slope  Volcan  Toluca,  Mexico.    No.  55906  ^  U.  S.  National  Museum, 

Department  of  Agriculture,  collection.    Collected  September  12,  1893,  by  E.  W. 

Nelson.     (Original  No.  5466.) 


JAN.,  1895.] 


PLATYGEOMYS    PLANICEPS.  169 


Geographic  lUstribution. — N'orthern  and  eastern  slopes  of  tlie  volcano 
of  Toluca  and  adjacent  part  of  tbe  valley  to  the  city  of  Toliica,  from  an 
altitude  of  8,600  feet  up  to  tbe  vicinity  of  timber  line. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  I*,  tiflorhinus,  from  wbicb  it  differs 
inappreciably  in  external  appearance  except  in  tbe  greater  lengtb  of 
tbe  tail.  Ui)per  incisors  unisulcate;  skull  broad  and  flat;  size  large; 
tail  nearly  naked;  a  naked  pad  on  end  of  nose;  forefeet  with  claws 
shorter  than  bind. 

Color. — Upper  parts  chestnut,  as  in  Ujlorhlnus  from  Tula;  under 
parts  similar  but  paler,  the  plumbeous  basal  fur  showing  through  in 
places;  legs  and  ankles  concolor  with  body;  hairs  of  hind  feet  whitish, 
but  scant.  Nose  below  eyes  blackish ;  a  large  blackish  spot  around  each 
ear.  One  specimen  is  dark  plumbeous,  washed  with  chestnut,  and  has 
the  head  markings  described  under  the  Patzcuaro  specimens  of  tijlor- 
hinus. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  similar  to  that  of  tylorhinus,  from  which  it 
differs  chiefly  in  the  form  of  the  jugal  bone,  which  is  narrow  throughout 
or  very  slightly  expanded  anteriorly  —  not  broadly  expanded  as  in 
tylorhinus.  It  differs  further  from  tylorhinus  in  having  the  nasals  less 
squarely  truncate  posteriorly  (and  ending  about  on  plane  of  middle 
of  maxillary  root  of  zygoma);  the  ascending  branches  of  premaxilla 
rounded  posteriorly  and  ending  near  anterior  plane  of  orbits  —  not 
passing  nasals  so  far  as  in  tylorhinus;  the  cranium  very  broad  and 
flat;  occipital  plane  more  than  two  and  a  half  times  as  broad  as  high. 
The  rostrum  is  narrow,  but  not  narrower  than  in  some  specimens  of 
tylorhinus  from  Tula. 

Measurements  (taken  in  flesh). — Type  specimen  $  :  Total  length,  372; 
tail  vertebnie,  121 ;  hind  foot,  40.  Average  of  two  females  from  type 
locality:  Total  length,  336.5;  tail  vertebme,  100;  hind  foot,  43. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  E,  p.  212. 

Specimens  examined. — Three,  all  from  the  north  slope  of  the  Volcan 
de  Toluca,  State  of  Mexico. 

General  remarlcs. — This  animal  may  prove  to  intergrade  with  tylo- 
rhinus of  Tula,  in  which  case  it  must  be  reduced  to  subspecific  rank. 
The  number  of  specimens  at  hand  (only  three)  is  not  sufficient  to  deter- 
mine the  constancy  of  the  characters  that  distinguish  it  from  tylorhinus. 
The  chief  differences,  as  above  stated,  are  the  longer  tail  and  narrower 
jugal.  The  jugal  is  always  narrower  in  females  than  in  males,  and  two 
of  the  three  specimens  are  females.  The  raa,le  (type  specimen),  while 
full  grown,  is  not.  old,  and  its  jugal  may  be  abnormally  slender,  though 
there  is  nothing  about  the  skull  to  suggest  this  belief.  In  the  light  of 
the  present  material  no  course  seems  open  but  to  recognize  the  animal 
as  a  distinct  species.  It  may  be  remarked,  however,  that  it  is  the 
poorest  species  described  in  the  present  paper. 

Respecting  its  local  distribution  Mr.  Nelson  states :  "  On  the  slopes 
of  the  Volcano  of  Toluca  this  species  is  not  very  numerous,  but  is  found 


170  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 


[no.  8. 


scattered  in  small  uiiinbers  continuously  from  the  base  of  the  mountain 
up  to  the  vicinity  of  timber  line,  usually  in  open  parts  of  the  pine  forest 
and  in  small  grassy  parks.  It  is  more  common  in  the  valley  of  Toluca, 
where  it  inhabits  fields  and  grassy  meadows  and  is  very  destructive 
to  crops," 

PLATYGEOMYS  FUMOSUS  Merriam. 
(PI.  11,  fig.  4,  and  pi.  14,  fig.  8.) 

Geoniys   fnmosiin   Merriam,  Proc.   Biol.   Soc.   Washington,  vii,   September  29,  1892, 
165- IfiG 

Type  locality. — Colima  City,  Mexico.  (Type  in  TJ.  S.  National 
Museum.) 

Geographic  (Ustribution. — Plain  of  Colima,  Mexico.  (Altitude  1,500  to 
2,000  feet.)  ' 

General  characters. — Size  medium,  about  equalling  Geomys  hursarius 
(smaller  than  the  other  species  of  Platygeomys)',  pelage  rather  soft, 
sparingly  mixed  with  long  Avhitish  bristles,  which  are  most  abundant 
on  the  rump;  tail  and  hind  feet  nearly  naked;  nasal  pad  not  strongly 
developed;  color  very  dark. 

Color. — Upper  parts  everywhere  plumbeous  slate  or  dark  sooty- 
brown,  faintly  washed  in  places,  particularly  along  the  sides,  with  pale 
reddish-brown;  color  of  upper  j^arts  fading  in  worn  pelage  to  pale  dull 
liver  brown,  usually  in  irregular  patches;  underparts  scant  haired, 
pale  plumbeous,  sometimes  indistinctly  wa.shed  with  pale  brownish.  A 
young  specimen,  about  half  grown  (No.  341SG  S  ),  is  rich  slate  black 
above,  conspicuously  lined  with  whitish  bristly  hairs,  which  are  most 
abundant  on  the  rump,  and  more  so  on  the  sides  than  along  the  middle 
of  the  back.  There  is  also  a  fiiint  brownish  tinge  on  the  sides  of  tlie 
neck.  The  scant  hairs  of  the  belly  are  very  i^ale  plumbeous  or  even 
soiled  whitish. 

Cranial  characters. — Skulls  of  Platygeomys  fumosus  agree  with  those 
of  the  other  members  of  the  gymnurus  group  in  the  extreme  breadth 
of  the  hinder  part  of  the  cranium,  due  to  the  expansion  of  the  squamo- 
sals beyond  the  parieties  of  the  brain  case,  and  in  the  great  lateral 
production  of  the  angle  of  the  mandible.  P.  fumosus  departs  from 
the  gymnurus  series  markedly  in  the  form  of  the  zygomatic  arches, 
which,  when  looked  at  from  above,  are  rounded  instead  of  sharply 
angular  anteriorly,  and  have  the  sides  nearly  parallel  or  bowed  out- 
ward, so  that  they  are  broadest  across  the  middle  instead  of  anteriorl}^ 
In  gymnurus  they  are  usually  widely  divergent  anteriorly.  P.  fumosus 
differs  further  from  the  other  members  of  thi^, gymnurus  series  m  greater 
interorbital  breadth  of  frontals;  strongly  wedge-shaped  nasals;  more 
elongated  postpalatal  pits  (which  reach  the  plane  of  front  of  last 
molars),  and  in  having  the  anterior  end  of  Jugal  more  deeply  embedded 
between  the  terminal  forks  of  the  maxillary  arm  of  the  zygoma. 


,AN..l895.]  PLATYGEOMYS    FUMOSUS.  171 

The  jugals  are  but  slightly  (sometimes  not  at  all)  expanded  anteri- 
orly, in  which  respect  the  species  agrees  with  P.  planicejys,  from  tlie 
A^olcauo  of  Toluca.  It  differs  from  the  latter  greatly  in  the  extent  to 
which  the  Jngal  enters  into  the  formation  of  the  zygomatic  arch;  the 
jugal  being  so  far  overlapped  by  the  maxillary  and  squamosal  roots  of 
the  arch  that  its  free  upper  border  is  short — less  than  half  the  length  of 
the  basioccipital  iu  median  line.  It  differs  from  planiceps  further  in 
broader  rostrum,  less  spreading  and  more  strongly  decurved  zygomata, 
and  shorter  and  broader  ascending  arms  of  the  premaxilla,  which  are 
bluntly  rounded  off  opposite  the  middle  of  the  maxillary  root  of  the 
zygoma. 

Measurements. — Average  of  seven  males  from  type  locality:  Total 
length,  287.5;  tail  vertebrae,  82.2;  hind  foot,  42.     Average  of  three 
females  from  type  locality:  Total  length,  277;  tail  vertebrae,  75.3;  hind 
foot,  39.C. 
I    For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  E,  p.  213. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  eleven;  all  from  Colima  City, 
Colima,  Mexico. 

General  remarks. — Platygeomys  fumosushelongfi,  to  the  gymnurus  series, 
3f  which  it  is  the  smallest  species  yet  described.  It  differs  markedly 
from  the  other  members  of  the  series  in  having  the  zygomatic  arches 
rounded  and  nearly  parallel  instead  of  sharj)ly  angular  and  strongly 
diverging  anteriorly;  and  differs  further  in  having  the  sides  and  rum]) 
beset  with  whitish  bristles  that  ])rotrude  far  beyond  the  fur. 

The  original  description  of  this  species  was  faulty  in  several  respects 
and  is  here  corrected.  The  material  collected  by  Mr.  Nelson  since  the 
original  description  was  published  has  thrown  a  flood  of  light  not  only 
on  the  affinities  of  this  species  but  also  on  the  whole  group.  It  is  now 
dearth  at /Vwo.sns  is  not  related  in  any  way  to  hispidus,  authentic  skulls 
of  which  are  now  available  for  the  first  time. 

Mr.  Nelson  found  this  species  limited  in  distribution.  His  notes  state 
that  it  was  rather  numerous  in  damp  saline  flats  overgrown  with  cocoa- 
nut  palms,  wild  fig  trees,  mesquites,  and  acacias,  in  the  valley  of  the 
Colima  River  near  the  city  of  Colima.  In  the  vicinity  of  Armeria,  at 
m  altitude  of  about  200  feet,  a  few  hills  were  seen  but  none  of  the 
inimals  were  caught.  Thence  up  the  course  of  the  Armeria  river,  on 
the  plain  of  Colima  the  hills  became  more  and  more  numerous,  especially 
between  the  altitudes  of  800  and  2,500  feet.  The  animals  seem  to  live 
m  isolated  and  limited  colonies,  between  which,  in  apparently  equally 
favorable  ground  they  occur  singly  and  rarely.  One  colony  of  con- 
siderable size  occupies  an  open  grassy  area  in  the  limestone  belt  between 
Colima  and  the  volcano ;  others  were  seen  along  the  sandy  border  of  tlie 
Armeria  river  bottom  in  a  growth  of  low  bushes,  and  in  some  thick 
thoruy  woods  on  a  dry  bench  bordering  the  Colima  river  a  few  miles 
below  the  city. 


172 


NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  8, 


Genus  ORTHOGEOMYS*  nob. 
(PI.  19,  figs.  1  and  2;  text  figs.  60-64;  map  8\) 
Type  Geomi/s  scalops  Thomas,  from  Teiiuaxtepec,  Mexico. 

Dental  eharactcr.s. — ITpper  premolar  with  three  or  four  enamel  plates, 
the  posterior  when  present  restricted  to  inner  fourth;  tm'  and  m^  with 
two  enamel  plates  each.  Third  upper  molar  with  an  elongated  heel  and 
deep  outer  sulcus;  inner  sulcus  variable;  both  inner  and  outer  enamel 
plates  normally  reaching  posterior  end  of  heel,  the  inner  plate  usually- 
covering  the  posterior  half  of  the  inner  side  of  the  tooth,  leaving  a  broad 
cement  band  in  front  of  it  (fig.  34,  ",  «,  and  »).  In  0.  scalops  the  outer 
plate  is  often  divided,  presenting  an  anomalous  condition  in  the  family 
(fig.  62).  Posterior  curvature  of  m'  and  m-  and  anterior  curvature  of 
mi  and  m.,  strongly  developed.     Shaft  of  upper  pm  straight. 

Upper  incisor  unisulcate,  the  sulcus  widely  open  and  slightly  on  inner 
side,  but  sometimes  reaching  middle. 


Fifi.  &0.—Orthof)eomys  .icalops.    Longitudiual  vertioal  median  aoction  of  skull,  mesetlimoid  and  rome 

in  place.     (For  key  see  tig.  7.) 


I 


Fig.  r,i.—Oitho<ienm>is  xcalops.    Mesetlimoid  and  vomer  removed,  showing  endoturbinals. 
(For  key  see  fig.  10.) 

*  Orthogeom)i«,  from  ofjfioc,  straight,  -\-  Geomi/s,  in  reference  to  the  unusual  shap 
of  the  skull. 

tThe  posterior  plate  is  present  in  both  upper  premolars  of  the  type  and  only  know 
specimen  of  0.  latifrons,  but  is  altogether  absent,  or  present  as  a  very  narrow  stri 
on  one  side  only,  in  0.  scalops  an<l  O.  nelsoni. 


ljAN..l895.]  KEY    TO    SPECIES    OF    OKTHOGEOMYS.  173 

Skull  as  a  whole  miicli  elongated;  froutal  extraordinarily  broad  and 
dat,  much  broader  than  muzzle,  with  sides  nearly  i)arallel  (not  exca- 
vated or  concave  laterally  between  the  orbits,  fig. 
17^);  orbital  plates  of  frontal  not  meeting  inferiorly 
behind  cribriform,  but  broadly  separated  by  orbi- 
tosphenoids,   as    in   Pappogeomys   and    Thomomys. 
Zygomata    narrow  or   only   moderately  spreading. 
Brain   case   subcylindric,  as    seen  from  above,  in       ¥\(i.Q2.-orthogeomys 
I'ontinuation   of^  the   general   form  of   the    froutal    f^eaiopa.  Last  upper  mo- 

,  ,  1         1         r,  1^^  ^         1         i        /'A    1   -j^  1  lar.     h,     divided    outer 

ind  nnizzle.  Angle  or  mandible  short.  Urbitosphe-  ^,nau^el  piate. 
loids  rather  large,  articulating  with  the  anterior 
:)art  of  the  alisphenoids  and  sending  a  tongue  upward,  partly  filling 
]he  upper  i)art  of  the  sphenoidal  fissure  (fig.  60).  Mesethmoid  a  half 
•rescent,  as  in  Cratogeomys;  endoturbiuals  as  a  whole  quadrangular, 
he  anterior  border  essentially  parallel  to  cribriform  plate;  first  endo- 
urbinal  only  slightly  expanded  and  rounded  anteriorly,  as  in  Geomys; 
hird  endoturbinal  larger  and  much  broader  than  second — a  unique 
;oudition  in  the  family  (fig.  61).  The  palatopterygoids  are  long  and  nar- 
ow,  and  of  nearly  equal  breadth  throughout;  the  basal  third  or  less,  is 
)alatine;  the  distal  two-thirds  or  more,  pterygoid.  The  foramen  rotun- 
limi  and  foramen  ovale  are  nearer  together  than  usual,  and  sometimes 
nerge  into  a  single  large  opening  which  communicates  directly  with 
:be  alisphenoid  canal. 

External  characters. — Size  large;  pelage  very  coarse,  hispid  or  setose; 
lasal  pad  present  or  absent. 

Cranial  characters. — The  chief  cranial  characters  that  distinguish 
h-thogeomys  from  the  other  genera  having  essentially  the  same  enamel 
)attern  of  the  molariform  series  (Heterogeomys  and  Macrogeomys)*  are 
he  great  breadth  of  the  frontal  interorbitally,  absence  of  interorbital 
constriction,  absence  of  conspicuous  postoibital  prominences  or  ridges, 
arge  size  and  extended  relations  of  orbitosphenoids,  peculiar  form  of 
■ndoturbiuals,  and  shape  of  the  palatopterygoids.  The  great  length 
md  narrowness  of  the  cranium  as  a  whole  is  matched  by  Macrogeomys 
htlichocephalus^  but  the  nearly  uniform  breadth  of  the  upper  part  of 
lie  skull  and  the  form  of  the  zygomata  and  palatopterygoids  are  very 
lifl'ereut.  Tlie  posterior  position  of  the  lateral  enamel  plates  of  m^, 
)0th  of  which  normally  reach  the  end  of  the  heel,  is  a  distinctive 
•haracter. 

KEY  TO  SPECIES  OF  OKTHOGEOMYS. 

^elage  setose;  muzzle  short latifrons. 

^elage  not  setose;  muzzle  long: 

i      Frontal  inflated  ou  orbital  margin  anteriorly ;  m^  normal — 

j  Nasals  broad  posteriorly grandis. 

I  Nasals  narrow  posteriorly nelsoni. 

I      Frontal  inflatioa  slight  or  absent;  m'  with  outer  enamel  plate  divided.. scaZo^^s 

*  It  has  been  stated  in  the  preceding  footnote  that  the  upper  premolar  of  Ortho- 
'eomys  normally  has  only  three  enamel  plates,  while  in  Heierofieomys  and  Macro- 
•eomys  four  are  always  present.  Hence  the  enamel  pattern  can  hardly  be  said  to  be 
he  same. 


174  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


ORTIIOGEOMYS  SCALOPS  (Thomas). 

(PI.  19,  figs.  1  and  2,  aucl  text  tigs.  60-62.) 

Geomysscalops  Thomas,  Auuals  aucl  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  Othsenes,  XIII,  May,  1894, 437-438. 

Type  from  Tehuantepec,  Mexico.     (Type  in  British  Museum). 

Gcof/raphic  distribution. —  Extreme  southern  Mexico,  in  State  of 
Oaxaca,  and  probal)]y  adjacent  part  of  Chiapas. 

Mr.  Nelson  states  that  on  the  pme-covered  slopes  of  the  Cerro  kSan 
Felipe,  a  few  miles  north  of  the  city  of  Oaxaca,  he  found  the  diggings 
of  this  gopher  extending  ui)ward  from  an  altitude  of  about  7,000  feet 
to  the  summit  (altitude  about  10,500  feet),  always  in  pine  or  oak  timber 
or  in  the  small  openings  that  occur  in  the  forest. 

General  characters. — Size  rather  large;  pelage  hispid j  naked  nasal 
pad  large  (measuring  20  mm.  in  length  in  fresh  specimen);  tail  naked; 
hind  feet  naked,  except  for  a  few  scattered  colorless  hairs ;  ear  opening 
surrounded  by  a  brpad,  thickened  rim. 

Color. — Type  specimen  in  worn,  faded  i^elage:  "Smoky-brown,  tend- 
ing rather  toward  rufous  (very  near  'Front's  brown'  of  Eidgway)."— 
Thomas.  An  adult  specimen  from  Cerro  San  Felipe,  Oaxaca,  col- 
lected June  21,  1894,  by  E.  W.  Nelson,  is  in  good  pelage  and  is  dark 
seal-brown  (almost  black  in  places)  with  an  evident  gloss. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  of  adult  9  very  long  and  narrow;  frontal 
very  broad  interorbitally,  not  constricted  in  front  of  postorbital  pro- 
cesses; zygomata  little  spreading,  flattened,  elongated  autero-poste- 
riorly,  the  outer  sides  ])ara]lel;  occipital  plane  sloping  forward;  paroc- 
cipital  flanges  turned  backward,  but  not  reaching  plane  of  occipital 
condyles;  palatopterygoids  narrow,  of  nearly  uniform  breadth  through- 
out, the  pterygoids  forming  distal  two  thirds,  but  not  reaching  base  of 
notch  (see  pi.  19,  fig.  2).  Interiorly  the  ])remaxilla  reaches  far  behind  the 
incisive  foramina.  Contrasted  with  latifrons,  which  it  greatly  resem- 
bles, scalo2)s  diflers  in  having  the  rostrum  much  longer,  the  nasals 
broader,  more  arched  anteriorly,  and  longer,  and  the  jugal  broader 
anteriorly.  The  resemblances  and  difterences  are  such  as  to  at  once 
suggest  sexual  variation — the  skull  of  0.  latifrons  differing  from  that  of 
scalops  in  the  way  that  female  skulls  usually  differ  from  males  in  the 
Geomyidw — smaller  size,  shorter  rostrum,  and  narrower  jugals.  But, 
unfortunately  for  this  hypothesis,  the  specimen  of  scalops  is  an  adult 
female,  as  shown  both  by  the  collector's  label  and  by  the  conspicuous 
teats  on  the  dry  skin.  Furthermore,  the  grooving  of  the  upper  incisors 
is  very  different  and  the  external  characters  are  marked. 

Since  the  above  was  written  I  have  received  nine  additional  speci- 
mens of  0.  scalo2)s  from  Mr.  Nelson,  all  collected  in  the  Cerro  San  Felipe, 
near  the  city  of  Oaxaca,  during  the  last  week  of  August  and  1st  of  Sep- 
tember, 1894.  Two  of  these  are  adult  males.  Their  skulls  differ  from 
those  of  the  female  in  slightly  larger  size;  more  spreading  and  some- 
what heavier  zygomata,  which  divaricate  anteriorly  instead  of  being 
parallel;  in  a  more  decided  tendency  to  inflation  of  the  anterior  part  of 


JAN.,  1895.]  ORTHOGEOMYS    GRANDIS.  175 

the  border  of  the  frontal :  the  development  of  a  long  sagittal  ridge,  and 
of  much  larger  jiaroccipital  processes,  which  reach  backward  behind 
the  plane  of  the  condyles. 

]Male  skulls  of  scalops  from  Cerro  San  Felipe,  Oaxaca,  differ  from 
males  of  nelsoni  from  Totoutepec  and  Mount  Zempoaltepec,  Oaxaca 
in  the  following  characters.  Size  smaller,  muzzle  mucii  narrower,  the 
narrowness  especially  marked  in  the  ascending  branches  of  the  pre- 
maxilla 5  nasals  decidedly  broader  posteriorly  and  less  eveidy  acum 
inate,  spreading  more  abruptly  in  front  of  the  middle ;  zygomatic  arches 
more  slender  and  more  divergent  anteriorly;  frontal  intlation  less 
pronounced;  paroccij)ital  processes  much  larger  ami  directed  more 
strongly  backward,  exceeding  the  plane  of  the  condyles ;  occipital  plane 
less  Hattened,  and  marked  by  three  ridges,  a  median  ridge  and  two 
lateral;  palatoptery golds  shorter;  groove  of  upper  incisors  narrower. 

Dental  characters. — Molars  as  in  the  genus.  Upper  incisors  with  a 
single  deep  and  rather  broad  furrow  wholly  on  inner  side:  outer  side 
strongly  convex.  In  latifrons  the  groove  is  relatively  shallow  and 
median,  or  nearly  so.  The  outer  enamel  plate  of  the  last  upper  molar 
is  usually  divided,  making  four  instead  of  three  plates  for  this  tooth, 
a  condition  not  observed  elsewhere  in  the  family  (tig.  62). 

Measurements. — Type  specimen  (measured  by  Thomas  from  dry  skin): 
Head  and  body,  270;  tail,  95;  hind  foot,  45.2  (without  claw,  40). 

Average  of  two  males  from  Cerro  San  Felipe,  Oaxaca  (measured  in 
flesh):  Total  length,  369;  tail  vertebrae,  103.5;  hind  foot,  50.* 

Average  of  eight  females  from  same  place:  Total  length,  360;  tail 
vertebrne,  109 ;  hind  foot,  50. 

Cranial  measurements. — Type  specimen  (measured  hj  Thomas) :  Basal 
length,  63;  basilar  length  of  Hensel,  56.7;  greatest  zygomatic  breadth, 
40.8;  nasals,  length  20,  greatest  breadth,  S;  least  breadth  of  muzzle 
above  maxillo-premaxillary  suture,  15;  interorbital  breadth,  14.2; 
between  tips  of  postorbital  j)rocesses,  10.2;  postglenoid  breadth,  26.7; 
greatest  squamosal  breadth,  39;  basion  to  occipital  crest,  18.4;  between 
tips  of  paroccipital  processes,  27.5;  palate  from  gnathion,  47;  diastema, 
24.5.  Upper  molar  series  on  crowns,  12.6;  breadth  of  m',  4;  least 
height  of  muzzle  on  diastema,  12. 

For  other  cranial  measurements  see  Table  F,  p.  214. 

specimens  examined. — Total  number  13:  10  from  Cerro  San  Felipe, 
Oaxaca,  Mexico;  3  from  mountains  15  miles  west  of  city  of  Oaxaca. 

General  remarks. — Orthogeomys  scalops  seems  to  be  more  closely 
related  to  0.  grandis  than  to  0.  nelsoni. 

ORTHOGEOMYS  GRANDIS  (Tliouias). 
(Text  fig.  (>3.) 
Geomii>s  (jratuUsThomtiH,  Auuals  aud  Magazine  Nat.  Hist.,  6  ,ser.,  XII,  October,  1893, 
pp.  270-271. 

Type  locality. — Duexas  Guatemala.     (Type  m  British  Museum). 

*A  larger  series  of  males  would  undoubtedly  result  in  larger  average  measure- 
ments, as  neither  of  our  specimens  are  very  old. 


176  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

Oeographic  distribution. — "Cominou  all  over  the  liighlaud«  [of  Guate- 
mala!, and  traces  of  their  presence  are  to  be  met  with  almost  every- 
where in  the  neighborhood  of  Dueiias." — Biologia  Centrali- Americana, 
Mammalui,  1880,  IGO. 

General  characters. — Size  very  large;  upper  incisors  deeply  unisul- 
cate,  the  sulcus  on  inner  side  and  widely  open ;  tail  naked ;  fore  and  hind 
feet  "very  thinly  haired,  the  few  scattered  bristles  whitish;"  pelage 
coarse.  The  following  quotation  is  from  Mr.  Thomas's  description  of 
the  type  specimen: 

Color. — "Smoky  chocolate  brown  throughout,  except  on  the  muzzle, 
cheeks,  and  chin,  where  the  hairs  are  white  or  pale  whitish  brown. 
A  few  white  hairs  scattered  over  the  back." 

Cranial  characters. — "  Skull  large  and  heavily  built.  Ascending 
processes  of  premaxillaries  surpassing  the  nasals  by  about  a  quarter  of 
an  inch ;  the  space  between  them  behind  the  nasals  less  than  the  breadth 
of  one  of  them.  Interorbital  space  broad,  as  broad  as  the  muzzle,  its 
edges  anteriorly  rounded  and  inflated  in  a  manner  quite  unique.  Zygo- 
mata not  very  widely  expanded  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  skull. 

"Incisors  pale  yellow  or  whitish,  in  marked  contrast  to  the  deep 
orange  found  in  the  allied  species.  Their  single  groove  deep  and  very 
widely  open,  so  that  its  greatest  width  on  the  cutting  edge  amounts  to 
2  mm.;  in  position  the  bottom  of  the  groove  is  internal,  the  breadtb 
of  the  inner  portion  of  the  tooth  being  about  13  to  45  percent  of  the 
whole;  owing,  however,  to  the  great  breadth  of  the. groove  itself,  it 
considerably  overlaps  the  median  line,  but  the  above  percentage  is 
taken  strictly  from  the  bottom  of  the  groove.     Molar  teeth  large."* 

Measurements  of  type  specimen  (from  dry  skin). — Head  and  body,  320; 
tail,  135;  hind  foot,  with  claw,  57 ;  without  claw,  50;  longest  foreclaw,  23. 

For  cranial  measureinents  see  Table  F,  (i^.  214). 

General  remarks. — This  animal,  though  long  known  from  Guatemala, 
had  been  confounded  with  Idspiilus  until  recently  separated  by  Mr. 
Thomas,  who,  struck  by  its  larger  size  and  some  other  external  differ- 
ences, removed  the  skull  from  one  of  Mr.  Salvin's  original  Duefias 
si)ecimens  and  discovered  the  remarkable  cranial  peculiarities  above 

mentioned. 

ORTHOGEOM.Y.S  NELSONI  sp.  iiov. 

(Text  lig.  63.  ) 
Type  from  Mt.  Zempoaltepec,  Oaxaca,  Mexico.    (Altitude  8,000  feet.)    No.  66751 
(?   ad.  U.  S.  Natioual  Museum,  Department  of  Agriculture  Collection.     Collected 
July  8,  1894,  by  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A.  Goldman.     Original  No.  6376. 

Geographic  distribution. — Mt.  Zempoaltepec  in  the  State  of  Oaxaca, 
Mexico,  and  the  adjacent  region,  including  Gomaltepec  and  Totontepec. 

General  characters. — Size,  largest  of  the  known  species  of  the  family, 
slightly  exceeding  0.  grandis  of  Guatemala,  which  it  closely  resembles, 
differing  chietly  in  the  fronto-nasal  region  of  the  skull.  Ears  larger 
than  in  any  other  member  of  the  family;  naked  nasal  pad  large;  tail 
naked  except  at  base. 

*  Annals  and  Magazine  Nat.  Hist.,  XII,  October,  1893,  270-271. 


JAN.,  189.0 


OKTHOGEOMYS    NELSONI. 


177 


Color. — liuiform  dull  dark-brown;  hardly  paler  below. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  large,  'ong,  and  heavy,  resembling  both 
scalops  and  gramUs,  but  differing  from  both  in  the  shape  of  the  nasal 
bones,  wliich  are  very  much  narroa-er pos- 
teriorly. Mr,  Oldfield  Thomas  has  had 
the  kindness  to  compare  his  type  of 
grauflis  with  the  type  and  other  skulls 
of  nelsoni  sent  him  for  the  purpose,  and 
has  taken  the  trouble  to  give  nie  a  sketch 
of  the  fronto-nasal  region  of  grandis, 
with  a  number  of  detailed  measurements 
which  show  the  differences  between  the 
two  forms.  In  addition  to  the  striking 
narrowness  of  the  nasals  posteriorly, 
nelsoni  differs  from  grandis  further  in 
the  following  points  :  the  ascending  arms 
of  the  premaxilla  reach  much  further 
backward,  cutting  the  plane  of  the  orbit; 
the  articular  face  of  the  maxillary  root 
of  the  zygoma  (on  top  of  the  skull)  is 
much  longer,  measuring  11.5  instead  of 
8.7mm. ;  the  frontal  is  both  narrower  and 
shorter  between  the  nasal  branches  of 
the  premaxilla;  the  muzzle  is  narrower, 
the  frontal  broader,  and  the  frontal  in- 
flations are  more  anterior  and  less  ex- 
treme. The  mandible  differs,  not  only  from  grandis,  but  from  all  known 
members  of  the  family  in  the  absence  of  the  capsular  inflation  over  the 
root  of  the  incisor,  between  the  condyle  and  angular  process.  It  is 
entirely  wanting  in  the  type,  and  only  family  apparent  in  the  adult 
female  from  the  same  locality.  It  is  larger,  but  still  abnormally  small, 
in  an  old  male  from  near  Totontepec  (No.  CG753).  The  skull  of  the  latter 
specimen  is  the  largest  I  have  seen  of  the  species  and  the  jugal  is 
broader  anteriorly  than  in  the  specimens  from  Mount  Zempoaltepec. 

Skulls  of  0.  nelsoni  differ  from  those  of  O.  scalops  in  larger  size,  much 
broader  muzzle,  heavier  zygomata,  longer  nasals,  which  are  much  nar- 
rower posteriorly  and  truly  cuneate  in  form;  much  broader  ascending 
branches  of  premaxilla;  broader  and  decidedly  more  inflated  frontal; 
U-shaped,  instead  of  V-shaped  postglenoid  notch;  flatter  occipital 
plane,  with  less  backward  extension  of  the  paroccipital  processes. 

Measurements. — Type  specimen,  an  adult  $  from  Mount  Zempoalte- 
pec: total  length,  397;  tail,  lL'3;  hind  foot,  53.  Another  male,  from 
near  Totontepec,  is  even  larger:  total  length,  435;  tail,  140;  hind  foot, 
55.  An  adult  female  from  INIount  Zempoaltepec  measures:  total  length, 
380;  tail,  118;  hind  foot,  52. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  F,  p.  214. 
7433— No.  8 12 


Fig.  63. — Orlhogeom>/s  nelaoni  cT  type 
(natural  size).  From  Mouut  Zempoalte- 
pec, Oaxaca,  Mexico. 


178         •      NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

Specimens  examined. — Five,  all  from  the  State  of  Oaxaca,  southern 
Mexico:  Mount  Zempoaltepec,  2;  near  Toton tepee,  2;  Comaltepec,  1. 

General  remarks. — In  color  the  specimens  of  0.  nelsoni  (lifter  mate- 
rially from  Mr.  Thomas's  description  of  grandis.  They  are  in  ^vorn 
l)elage,  and  are  very  dark-brown,  but  the  muzzle  and  cheeks  are  not 
paler.  In  fresh  pelage  they  would  i)robably  resemble  0.  sealo2)s  in 
being  rich  seal-brown,  almost  black.  The  feet  are  evidently  more  hairy 
than  those  of  grandis^  and  the  ears  are  larger  than  in  any  other  mcDi- 
ber  of  the  family,  measuring  about  5  mm.  in  height  in  the  dry  skin. 

ORTHOGEOMYS  LATIFRONS  sp.  nov. 
(PI.  11,  figs.  5  and  6;  text  fig.  64.) 

T(/2)f/ro»i  Guatemala.    Exact  locality  unknown.    No. .    U.  S.  National  Museum 

(No.  2  World's  Fair  exhibit  of  Gnateniala). 

General  characters. — Size  medium  (rather  small  for  the  tropical 
American  species);  incisor  groove  median  or  nearly  so;  tail  long  and 
absolutely  naked ;  hind  feet  naked,  except  a  few  scattering  hairs;  fore- 
feet scant  haired ;  nasal  pad  small  or  absent ;  pelage  hispid,  scant  and 
unusually  long,  unlike  any  known  species  of  the  family.  The  indi- 
vidual hairs  are  bristles,  very  much  coarser  and  longer  than  those  of 
Geomys  liispidns.  There  is  no  under  fur.  The  belly  is  so  sparsely 
haired  that  the  bare  skin  shows  through. 

Color. — Everywhere  uniform  dull  sooty-brown. 

Cranial  cliaracters — Unfortunately  the  skull  of  the  type  and  only 
known  specimen  of  this  remarkable  animal  is  defective,  the  entire 
occipital  region  and  the  audita!  bulhe  being  absent.  The  anterior  part 
of  the  skull  is  perfect,  including  all  of  the  teeth  and  one  of  the  zygo- 
matic arches.  The  upper  surface  of  the  cranium  is  remarkably  smooth 
and  free  from  lateral  indentations  or  projections,  and  is  of  almost  uni- 
form breadth.  Seen  from  above,  the  muzzle,  frontal,  and  brain  case 
pass  into  one  another  without  interruption  or  constriction,  the  frontal 
being  a  trifle  wider  than  the  muzzle  and  the  cylindrical  brain  case  a 
trifle  broader  than  the  frontal.  There  is  only  a  faint  attempt  at  a 
postorbital  prominenc^e,  and  it  is  below  the  level  of  the  top  of  the 
skull  and  is  made  up  of  ttie  alisphenoid  and  squamosal.  The  muzzle 
is  short.  The  zygomata  are  narrow  and  slender,  without  any  enlarge- 
ment or  expansion  at  any  point;  they  are  broader  i^osteriorly  than 
anteriorly,  and  the  maxillary  arm  slopes  strongly  backward.  The 
jugal  is  small  and  slender  and  the  arch  is  incomi)lete  without  it.  The 
I)alatopterygoids  are  broken  off.  The  ascending  branches  of  the  pre- 
maxilla  slightly  surpass  the  plane  of  the  orbits.  Inferiorly  the  pre- 
maxilla  slightly  passes  the  ])osterior  end  of  the  incisive  foramina.  The 
nasals  are  small,  short,  and  narrow,  but  slightly  broader  anteriorly 
than  posteriorly,  and  without  trace  of  inflation.  The  angles  of  the 
mandible  are  short  and  flat.  Unfortunately  the  i)alatopterygoids  and 
audital  bulhe  are  broken  off,  along  with  the  whole  of  the  occipital 
region,  hence  additional  important  characters  may  exist  that  are  not 
apparent  in  the  single  specimen  at  hand. 


JAN,  1895]  GENUS    HETEROGEOMYS.  179 

Dental  characters. — The  single  groove  of  the  upper  incisors  is  median, 
open,  and  rather  shallow,  and  the  face  of  the  tooth  slopes  toward  it  from 
both  sides.  It  thus  differs  widely  from  the  deep  and  abrupt  groove  of 
G.  scalops,  which  is  wholly  on  the  inner  side.  The  face  of  the  incisors  is 
orange;  in  scalops  it  is  pale  yellowish  or  straw-color.  The  long  axes  of 
the  crowns  of  the  individual  molars  are  not  quite 
transverse,  but  slope  slightly  backward  toward 
the  median  line.  In  most  species  they  slope  for- 
ward. The  heel  of  the  last  upper  molar  is  short, 
but  is  sharply  circumscribed.  In  addition  to  the 
usual  deep  sulcus  on  the  outer  side,  the  inner  ' 
side  is  abruptly  narrowed  (tigs.  34"  and  64).     The 

.       ,  Fig.  64. — Orthogeomys  lati- 

enamel  plates  are  peculiar:  Inner  enamel  plate  /;oris(tyiie).  downs  of  mo- 
covering  considerably  more  than  half  of  inner  lariform  teeth.-  «  upper;  h 
side  of  tooth,  its  anterior  end  bent  outward  at  ^'^^^' 
nearly  a  right  angle;  its  posterior  end  curved  towar<l  the  median  line 
and  reaching  the  hindermost  part  of  the  heel;  outer  enamel  plate  cover- 
ing about  five-sixths  of  the  outer  side  of  the  tooth,  its  anterior  third 
bent  outward  at  right  angles,  its  posterior  half  sloping  strongly  back- 
ward to  the  end  of  the  heel,  forming  nearly  a  right  angle  with  the  mid- 
dle part  and  thus  making  two  sharp  angles  instead  of  one — a  unique 
condition.  The  posterior  interspace  is  very  narrow  and  is  on  the 
median  line  of  the  tooth  behind.  The  inner  interspace  is  twice  as  broad 
as  the  i)osterior. 

Measurements  (from  dry  skin,  not  overstuffed). — Total  length,  320; 
head  and  body,  235;  tail.  100;  hind  foot  with  claw,  44;  hind  foot  with- 
out claw,  39. 

General  remarTis. — Externally  Orthogeomys  latifrons  may  be  distin- 
guished from  all  other  known  members  of  the  Geonnjidw  by  the  char- 
acter of  the  pelage,  M'hich  is  setose,  the  individual  hairs  being  long- 
bristles.  In  cranial  characters  it  closely  resembles  0.  scalops,  but  dif- 
fers in  the  much  shorter  muzzle  and  nasals  (which  latter  are  not  at  all 
inflated  anteriorly),  and  narrower  jugal.  The  upper  incisors  are  very 
uidike.  In  latifrons  the  face  is  orange,  the  -groove  median,  or  nearly 
median,  and  relatively  shallow,  and  both  sides  slope  similarly  into  it. 
In  scalops  the  face  is  pale  j^ellowish  or  straw  color,  the  groove  wholly 
on  the  inner  side  and  deep  and  abrupt,  and  the  outer  side  is  strongly 
(roundly)  convex. 

Genus  HETEROGEOMYS  *  uob. 

(PI.  4;  pi.  14,  tig.  12;  pi.   15,  tig.  2;  pi.  17,  tig.  1;  pi.  18,  fig.  3;  pi.  19,  tig.  5;  text 

tigs.  6~)  and  66;  map  3^.) 

T'lpi  (leovii/n  hispidiis  LeConte,  from  near  .Talapa,  Vkra  Cruz,  Mexico. 

Dental  characters. —  Upper  premolar  with  four  enamel  plates,  the  pos- 
terior restricted  to  inner  or  lingual  half.     Upper  aud  lower  premolars 

*  Hetcrogeomys,  from  trepur,  different,  -f-  Geomys. 


180  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

siibequai  in  length.  First  and  second  npper  molars  witli  two  enamel 
plates  each,  the  posterior  complete.  Third  npper  molar  a  double  prism ; 
crown  much  longer  than  broad;  posterior  loop  or  heel  strongly  devel- 
oped; outer  sulcus  deep;  inner  sulcus  slight;  inner  enamel  plate  cover- 
ing half  or  more  than  half  of  inner  side  of  tooth  and  falling  short  of 
hinder  end  of  heel;  outer  enamel  plate  very  long,  covering  the  whole 
of  the  outer  side  of  the  tooth  behind  the  anterior  cement  band,  and 
curving  inward  posteriorly  to  the  median  line  of  the  tooth.  At  the 
lateral  sulcus  the  outer  enamel  band  bends  outward  at  right  angles. 
Posterior  curvature  of  m'  and  m-  and  anterior  curvature  of  mi  and  m2 
slight.  Shaft  of  upper  pm  straight  or  faintly  convex  forward.  Upper 
incisor  unisulcate,  the  sulcus  wholly  on  inner  side  of  median  line  and 
sometimes  on  inner  third;  deep  and  abrnj^t  (fig.  20^). 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  as  a  whole  high  and  narrow;  frontal  broad 
and  fiat;  its  sides  biconcave  interorbitally;  distance  between  orbits 
much  greater  than  length  of  basioccipital  on  median  line;  temporal 
impressions  anteriorly  defining  a  marked  frontal  shield  (  fig.  17')  ; 
orbital  i)late  of  frontal  usually  perforated  by  a  foramen  above  apex  of 
sphenoidal  fissure;  zygomatic  arches  variable,  outer  sides  nearly 
parallel,  antero-exterual  angle  sharp  and  moderately  expanded;  infe- 
rior surface  of  palatopterygoids  cuneate-lingulate,  long  and  slender, 
the  palatal  arms  much  elongated,  the  pterygoid  part  small  and  ter- 
minal; postpalatal  pits  deep;  nasals  nnich  arched  anteriorly  to  support 
the  large  nasal  callosity;  occipital  i^lane  but  little  more  than  twice  as 
broad  as  high,  very  flat,  sloping  strongly  forward  from  below  upward, 
squamosal  part  very  high  above  mastoid  bullae;  orbitosphenoids  shield- 
shaped,  rather  narrow  and  long,  not  articulating  with  alisphenoids  ;  * 
upper  part  of  optic  foramen  disappearing  in  advanced  life  (pi.  17,  fig.  1) ; 
endoturbinals  peculiar,  the  first  greatly  expanded,  its  anterior  face 
vertical  or  slightly  emarginate  (pi.  19,  fig.  5).  Mesethmoid  rather 
small  and  strongly  convex  anteriorly  (pi.  18,  fig.  3).  Sijuamosal  expan- 
sion slight;  fronto-maxillary  suture  reaching  orbit  in  front  of  lachry- 
mal (instead  of  behind,  as  usual).  Mandible  short  and  compact;  angu- 
lar processes  short. 

KEY  TO  SPECIES  OF  HETEROGEOMYS. 

Zygomata  broadly  spreading,  divergent  anteriorly ;  nasals  short torridiis. 

Zygomata  not  broadly  spreading  and  not  divergent  anteriorly  ;  nasals  rather 

Ion"' hispidits. 


*  In  immature  skulls  of  S^fitero(7eomi/s  the  orbitosphenoid  seems  to  articulate  ante- 
riorly Avith  the  maxilla  as  well  as  the  frontal,  but  careful  examination  shovrs  it  to  be 
separated  by  the  narrow  descending  arm  of  the  frontal.  In  rare  cases,  irregular 
absorption  of  the  exceedingly  thin  plate  may  permit  the  orbitosphenoid  to  reach 
the  maxilla, 


JAN.,  1895. J  HETEROGEOMYS    HISPIDUS.  181 

HETEROGEOMYS  HISPIDUS  (LeConte). 
(PI.  4;  textlig-.  65;  pi.  13,  lig.  20 ;  i>l.  U,  tig.  12;  pi.  15.  fig.  4.' 
Geomys  hispidus  LeConte,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Pliila.,v,  S  eptember.  1852,  158. 

Type  locality. — N"ear  Jalapa,  Vera  Cruz,*  Mexico.  (Type  in  Acad.  Nat. 
Sciences,  Pliila.) 

Geographic  distribution. —  The  'Tierra  Templada,'  or  middle  belt, 
along  the  basal  slope  of  the  table-laud,  in  the  State  of  Vera  Cruz, 
Mexico,  between  the  altitudes  of  4,000  and  4,500  feet.  Mr.  Nelson  found 
the  species  common  about  Jalapa  and  Jico,  aud  in  less  abundance  from 
near  the  city  of  Orizaba  north  to  Huatusco.  The  U.  S.  National 
Museum  contains  a  specimen  from  Necostla  (near  Orizaba). 

General  characters. — Size  large;  upi)er  incisors  deeply  unisulcate,  the 
sulcus  wholly  on  inner  side;  tail  naked;  a  large  naked  ])ad  on  end  of 
nose;  forefeet  with  claws  shorter  than  hind;  pelage  harsh  and  stift', 
unlike  any  other  species  known  to  occur  in  Mexico  except  torridus. 

Color. — Upper  parts  everywhere  uniform  dark  seal-brown;  i  hardly 
paler  below. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  as  a  whole  high  and  narrow;  frontal 
very  broad  and  flat,  depressed  and  biconcave  interorbitally,  concave 
both  longitudinally  and  transversely;  distance  between  orbits  much 
greater  than  length  of  basioccipital  on  median  liui^;  temporal  im^jres- 
sions  forming  elevated  semicircular  ridges  sei)arated  in  both  sexes  by  a 
distinct  interval,  and  extending  from  postorbital  prominences  to  outer 
angles  of  interparietal,  anteriorly  defining  a  marked  frontal  shiehl,  and 
posteriorly  inclosing  a  broad  interparietal;  zygomatic  arches  narrow, 
the  maxillary  arms  sloping  strongly  backward,  outer  sides  nearly 
parallel  (sometimes  broadest  across  the  middle  instead  of  anteriorly), 
antero-external  angle  sharp  and  moderately  expanded,  but  not  in  the 
usual  way;  angle  not  produced  downward;  expansion  oval  in  shape 
and  encroaching  on  orbital  fossa,  which  is  correspondingly  narrowed 
at  this  point;  inferior  surface  of  i:»alatine  bones  greatly  elongated  i^os- 
teriorly,  forming,  on  either  side  of  the  postpalatal  notch,  narrow  Ungu- 
late extensions  which  are  terminated  by  short  and  narrow  pterygoids; 
postpalatal  pits  deep;  ascending  branches  of  premaxilla  broad  and 
bluntly  rounded  posteriorly;  premaxilla  extending  far  enough  posteri- 
orly to  inclose  incisive  foramina;  nasals  inflated  anteriorly  and  then 
contracted  at  nares;  anterior  nares  larger  than  in  the  other  groups; 
occipital  plane  a  little  more  than  twice  as  broad  as  high,  very  flat  (free 

"  The  type  specimen  was  collected  by  Mr.  Pease  in  1847  on  the  road  followed  by 
Scott's  army  "between  Vera  Cruz  and  the  City  of  Mexico,"  which  road  passes  through 
Jalapa.  Mr.  Nelson  found  the  species  abundant  about  Jalapa,,  which  is  in  the 
'Tierra  Templada,'  about  halfway  down  the  slope  from  the  table-land  to  the  coastal 
plain.  He  ascertained  further  that  the  species  does  not  occur  on  the  table-land, 
which  is  inhabited  by  other  genera. 

tThis  color  maybe  otherwise  described  as  very  dark  plumbeous,  faintly  tinged 
with  purple. 


182 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  8. 


from  the  projections  and  irregularities  coinnioii  to  other  forms),  sloping 
strongly  forward  from  below  upward;  brain  case  larger,  more  clearly 
defined,  and  higher  above  posterior  root  of  zygoma  than  in  any  other 
group;  squamosal  expansion  minimum,  neither  extending  out  far  later- 
ally nor  iucreasing  length  of  glenoid  fossa  anteriorly — the  usual  shelf 
like  projection  into  the  orbito-temporal  fossa  from  the  posterior  root  of 
the  zygoma  being  nearly  obsolete;  fronto-maxillary  suture  reaching 
orbit  in  front  of  lachrymal  (instead  of  behind  it  as  usual).  Tliis  arrange- 
ment broadens  the  frontal  anteriorly,  shortening  and  apparently  weak- 
ening the  attachment  of  the  maxillary  root  of  the  zygoma.  ^landible 
short  and  compact,  little  spreading  posteriorly;  angular  j)rocess  short; 
prominence  over  root  of  incisor  low  and  flattened  posteriorly;  condylar 
process  long  and  only  slightly  sloping  inward. 


(65.) 


(66.) 


Fig.  65.—Heterogeomyshispi(his.    Jico,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico.     (Nat.  size.) 

Fig.  66. — Heteroacomya  torridus.    Motzorongo,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico.    (Nat.  size.) 

Dental  characters. — Front  face  of  incisors  perfectly  flat,  not  rounded 
off  on  edges  as  in  Gcomt/s,  PlatygeomyN,  and  Zj/(/o(jeomi/s.  Upper 
incisors  deeply  unisulcate,  the  groove  narrow  and  wholly  on  inner 
side.  Lower  incisors  without  bevel  or  groove  on  outer  face.  Molars 
larger,  heavier,  and  less  flattened  antero-posteriorly  than  in  Geomys 
or  Zygogeomys;  crown  of  last  upper  molar  elongated  posteriorly  and 
abruptly  narrowed  behind  lateral  sulcus,  tlie  crown. of  posterior  prism 
longer  than  anterior,  to  which  it  forms  a  distinct  heel.  Isthmus  con- 
necting anterior  and  posterior  lobes  of  uj)per  premolar  decidedly  on 
inner  side  of  tooth. 

Measurements  (taken  in  flesh). — Average  of  two  males  from  near  type 
locality  (Jico,  7  miles  south  of  Jalapa,  Vera  Oruz) :  Total  length,  345; 


fl 


JAN.,  1895.]  HETEROGEOMYS    TORRIDUS.  183 

tail  vertebme,  92.5;  bind  foot,  53.     Average  of  three  females  from  same 
place:  Total  lengtli,  310.0;  tail  vertebrti',  85.3;  hind  foot,  47.3.* 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  F,  p.  1*15. 

Specimens  eiamined. — Total  number  9,  from  the  following  localities 
in  the  State  of  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico:  Jico,  0;  Huatusco,  1;  Necostla,  1; 
locality  unknown,  1. 

General  remarks. — Through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Witmer  Stone  and 
other  officers  of  the  Academy  of  ISTatural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  the 
type  specimen  of  Geomys  hispidus  has  been  sent  me  for  examination. 
In  size,  character  of  j)elage,  and  all  other  respects  except  color,  it 
agrees  almost  exa(;tly  with  Mr.  Nelson's  specimens.  The  color,  Avhich 
LeConte  described  as  "reddish-brown"  and  Baird  as  "red dish- brown  or 
dull  chestnut,"  was  probably  the  result  of  museum  exposure,  the  skin 
being  mounted  and  exposed  to  the  light.  It  was  collected  by  Mr.  Pease 
in  1817,  during  tlie  march  of  Scott's  army  from  VeraCruz  to  the  City  of 
Mexico,  and  consequently  had  been  in  the  collection  five  years  before 
it  was  described  by  LeConte.  The  fading  has  continued,  the  specimen 
now  being  much  paler  than  when  seen  by  Baird  in  1855. 

In  view  of  the  large  number  of  species  of  Pocket  G-ophers  now  known 
to  inhabit  southern  Mexico,  it  is  exceedingly  gratifying  to  be  able  to 
settle  the  status  of  his2)uliis  by  actual  comparison  of  the  type  sijecimeu 
with  the  series  collected  by  Mr.  Nelson  at  or  very  near  the  original  type 
locality.  The  skull  of  the  type  specimen  has  never  been  removed,  and 
the  cranial  characters  of  the  species  have  remained  unrecorded  until 
the  present  time.  The  series  of  skulls  obtained  by  Mr.  Nelson  there- 
fore were  examined  with  unusual  interest  and  the  result  was  a  complete 
surprise.  They  show  not  only  that  the  animal  is  a  strongly  marked 
species,  but  that  it  is  generically  distinct  from  Geomys,  as  already 
pointed  out. 

The  naked  nasal  pad  is  more  largely  developed  in  this  species  than 
in  any  of  the  others,  and  its  large  size  is  clearly  correlated  with  the 
inflated  nasal  bones.  For  this  reason  it  shows  to  unusual  advantage 
in  the  type  specimen,  which  is  mounted  with  the  skull  inside,  the  arched 
nasals  keeping  it  stretched  in  its  natural  relations.  In  this  specimen 
it  measures  12.5  mm.  in  length  by  10  in  breadth. 

Mr.  Nelson  states  that  H.  hispidus  is  confined  to  the  district  suitable  to 
the  cultivation  of  coffee  and  sugar  cane  and  is  said  to  be  very  injurions 
to  cane  i^lantations. 

HETEROGEOMYS  TORRIDUS  sp.  uov. 
(PI.  15,  fig.  2;  pi.  17,  fig.  1;  pi.  18,  fig.  3;  pi.  19,  fig.  5;  text  fig.,  G6.) 
Type  from  Chichicaxtle,  Vera  Cruz.     No.  63629   9   ad.,  U.  S.  Natioual  Museum, 
Department  of  Agriculture  collection.     Collected  February  15,  1894,  by  E.   W. 
Nelson.     (Original  number,  5850.) 

Geographic  distribution. — Lowlands  of  Vera  Cruz,  from  Chichicaxtle 

*The  measurements  of  the  feet  of  the  mounted  type  specimen  as  taken  by  me  now, 
nearly  half  a  century  after  its  capture,  are :  T'orefoot  from  basal  pad  to  tip  of  longest 
claw,  42.5;  hind  foot  from  heel  to  tip  of  longest  claw,  45.5. 


184  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

and  Motzoroiigo  to  Catemaco,  aud  tlieuce  into  Guatemala;  penetrating 
the  interior  to  lieyes,  Oaxaca,  and  (xLiatemala  City,  Guatemala. 

Mr.  Nelson  tir^t  observed  this  species  on  the  way  from  Mirador  to 
the  coast,  from  an  altitude  of  about  1,500  feet  near  Santa  Maria,  down 
to  the  border  of  the  sand  hills  along  the  coast  at  Antigua,  The  next 
l)oint  where  it  was  noted  was  on  the  route  from  the  city  of  Cordoba  to 
the  hacienda  of  Motzorongo.  At  an  altitude  of  800  feet  at  this  latter 
place  it  was  again  found  in  abundance.  The  easternmost  locality  at 
which  it  was  obtained,  by  Mr.  Nelson  is  Catemaco,  in  the  district  of 
Tuxtlas.  He  afterwards  secured  it  at  Reyes,  in  northern  Oaxaca,  at  an 
altitude  of  6,700  feet.     The  range  of  the  species  is  strictly  tropical. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  H.  hispidus.  Size  large;  tail  naked; 
naked  nasal  pad  large;  hind  feet  nearly  naked;  fore  feet  scant  haired. 

Color. — Everywhere  dark  seal-brown,  only  slightly  paler  below;  in 
worn  pelage  chocolate  brown. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  large,  heavy  and  rather  broad,  resembling 
that  of  H.  hisjjidus^  from  which  it  differs  in  the  following  particulars: 
Pituitary  fossa  deeper  aud  (usually?)  perforate;  zygomata  much  more 
squarely  spreading  anteriorly  (the  maxillary  arm  standing  out  at  more 
nearly  a  I'ight  angle  instead  of  sloping  strongly  backward);  temporal 
impressions  uniting  iwsteriorly  in  old  of  both  sexes,  but  not  rising  in 
a  sagittal  crest;  audital  bullii3  smaller,  narrower  anteriorly,  and  not 
sending  u})  a  point  or  ridge  toward  hamular  process  of  pterygoid;  ascend- 
ing arms  of  premaxilla  averaging  broader  and  shorter  posteriorly.  The 
skull  of  the  male  differs  from  that  of  the  female  in  larger  size  and  greater 
angularity.  The  zygomata  reach  out  much  further  sideways,  are  much 
broader  anteriorly  than  across  the  middle,  and  the  outer  angle  stands  out 
prominently  (in  the  female  it  turns  downward).  The  jugal  is  consid- 
erably larger  and  broader  anteriorly  in  the  male. 

Measurements  (taken  in  tiesh). — Type  specimen  (  9  ad.  from  Chichi- 
caxtle):  Total  length,  323;  tail  vertebroe,  88;  hind  foot,  52. 

Average  of  four  adult  males  from  Motzorongo:  Total  length,  348; 
tail  vertebrti?,  9(3.5;  hind  foot,  49.2. 

Average  often  adult  females  from  Motzorongo:  Total  length,  317; 
tail  vertebrfB,  81.5 ;  hind  foot,  45.5.  The  9  from  Eeyes,  Oaxaca,  is 
decidedly  larger,  measuring:  total  length,  332;  tail,  98;  hind  foot,  49,5. 

The  mounted  specimen  in  the  World's  Fair  exhibit  from  Guatemala, 
which  is  considerably  overstuffed,  now  measures:  Total  length,  380; 
tail  vertebrae,  85;  hind  foot,  46.     It  is  a  female. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  F,  p.  215. 

/Specimens  examined. — Total  number  27:  2  from  Guatemala;  1  from 
Reyes,  Oaxaca,  and  24  from  the  following  localities  in  Vera  Cruz,  Mex- 
ico: Chichicaxtle  (type  locality),  1;  Motzorongo,  22;  Catemaco,  1. 

General  remarks. — Heterogeomys  torridus  differs  but  little  externally 
from  true  his^ndns.  Even  in  color  the  type  specimen,  which  is  in  worn 
pelage,  except  on  the  head,  is  only  a  shade  paler  than  si)ecimens  of  his- 


JAN.,  1895]  GENUS    MACROGEOMYS.  185 

pidus  in  worn  pelage.  The  differences  in  cranial  characters,  however, 
are  marked  and  constant.  Still  it  is  quite  possible  that  mtergrades 
maybe  found  in  the  exceedingly  narrow  belt  separating  the  two  forms. 
It  should  be  observed  that  the  type  specimen  has  a  hind  foot  4  mm. 
longer  than  the  largest  female  from  Motzorongo,  and  that  the  skull, 
also,  is  larger.     The  type  is  a  very  old  individual. 

Two  specimens  of  a  Heterogeojnys  from  (xuatemala,  belonging  to  the 
U.  S.  ^national  Museum  collection,  are  here  referred  to  the  present 
species.  One  of  these,  a  young  adult  (No.  AV~A)  "^^s  collected  many 
years  ago  near  Guatemala  City  by  Dr.  Van  Patten;  the  other  was 
recently  presented  to  the  Museum  by  the  Guatemala  Commissioners  to 
the  World's  Fair.  The  exact  locality  where  it  was  obtained  is  unknown. 
It  is  an  old  female,  and  the  temporal  impressions  meet  over  the  middle 
part  of  the  sagittal  suture  (which  is  obliterated,  as  in  all  adults  of  the 
species).  The  specimen  obtained  by  Dr.  Van  Patten  (probably  also  a 
female)  is  younger,  and  the  temporal  impressions  are  still  distant.  The 
two  Guatemala  skulls  differ  from  those  from  Vera  Cruz  in  having  the 
postorbital  prominence  obsolete  or  nearly  so. 

Mr.  Nelson  states  that  in  Vera  Cruz  this  species  is  one  of  the  most 
injurious  of  the  genus  to  the  agriculturist.  At  Catemaco  he  found  it 
in  small  numbers  among  the  dry  hills  and  plains  on  the  western  border 
of  the  lake,  but  in  the  forest  on  the  eastern  shore  it  swarms  in  countless 
numbers.  At  one  point  the  ground  was  fairly  honeycombed  with  their 
tunnels,  so  that  he  sank  to  the  knee  at  nearly  every  step. 

Hefergeomys  torrid ks  becomes  sexually  mature  at  a  remarkably  early 
age.  Several  of  the  young  females  were  mothers,  and  one  in  particular, 
though  hardly  half  grown,  has  long  ]^endant  teats  that  have  evidently 
been  nursed.  This  specimen  (Xo.  03040)  is  still  m  the  woolly  pelage  of 
the  very  youiig,  and  its  skull,  barely  half  the  size  of  the  adult,  has  not 
yet  attained  tlie  mature  form.  The  animal  could  hardly  be  more  than 
three  months  old.  Its  measurements  m  the  tiesli  are :  Total  length,  259 ; 
tail  vertebra^,  71;  hind  foot,  43. 

Genus  MACROGEOMYS  *  uob. 

(PI   5;  pi.  11,  figs.  2  aud  3;  pi.  13,  figs.  18,  19,  22,  and  23;  pi.  14,  figs.  3  and  10.) 
Type  Geomiifs  heierodus  Peters,  from  Costa  Rica. 

Dental  characters. — Upper  premolar  with  four  enamel  plates,  the  pos- 
terior restricted  to  inner  third;  m'  and  m^  with  two  enamel  plates 
each.  Last  upper  molar  witli  an  elongated  heel  and  deep  outer  sulcns; 
inner  emargmation  variable  (slight  in  heierodus;  deep  in  doUchoceph- 
alus);  inner  enamel  plate  covering  half  to  two-thirds  of  inner  side  of 
the  tooth,  its  posterior  end  nearly  reaching  hinder  end  of  heel.  Outer 
enamel  plate  variable,  the  posterior  limb  double  the  length  of  the  ante- 
rior.    In  ili.  heterodus  it  covers  half;    in  dolichoceiihalus  aud  eostari- 


'  Maciogeomys,  from  /uaKpw,  large,  great,  -f  Geomys,  in  reference  to  the  large  size 
of  the  animals. 


186  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

censis^  three-fourtlis  of  the  outer  side  of  thetootli.  The  posterior  loop 
or  heel  is  greatly  developed,  sittaiuiiig  the  maximuiu  size  known  in  the 
family  (about  half  or  more  than  half  the  length  of  the  tooth  and  uar 
row,  the  constriction  about  half  the  breadth  of  tlie  anterior  prism). 

Posterior  curvature  of  m^  and  ni''  and  anterior  curvature  of  mj  and  in? 
strongly  developed.  Shaft  of  both  upper  and  lower  premolar  strongly 
convex  forward  and  very  large  and  heavy. 

Upper  incisor  unisulcate,  the  sulcus  wholly  on  iyner  third  of  face, 
narrow  and  deep;  face  of  tooth  flat  on  both  sides  of  sulcus  (fig.  20', 
and  pi.  15,  tig.  8). 

Cranial  characters. — Frontal  broad,  flat,  depressed  or  concave  along 
the  median  line,  deeply  excavated  laterally  between  the  orbits,  the 
notch  immediately  succeeded  by  a  strongly  developed  postorbital  proc- 
ess (much  larger  than  in  any  other  member  of  the  family,  fig.  17'). 
Palatopterygoids  broad,  short,  and  truncated  posteriorly,  the  horizontal 
part  composed  almost  wholly  of  the  palatal,  the  pterygoid  simply  cap- 
ping the  end  and  abruptly  upturned  at  right  angles  (fig.  11^).  Nasals 
moderately  convex,  slightly  or  not  inflated.  Brain  case  rising  high 
above  posterior  root  of  zygoma.  Unfortunately  there  are  no  skulls  of 
Macrogeomys  in  the  Department  collection:  hence  I  have  been  unable 
to  make  sections  to  ex])ose  the  mesethmoid  and  turbiuals. 

The  lambdoid  crest  is  straight  or  slightly  convex  posteriorly  (not 
sinuous  as  in  riatygeomys)  and  the  occipital  jdane  Is  flat  and  slopes 
strongly  forward,  as  in  Ileterogeomys. 

External  characters. — Size  large;  naked  nasal  pad  well  developed; 
tail  naked;  pelage  soft,  almost  silky,  and  with  a  tendency  to  become 
wavy;  color  pattern  unique-,  bicolor :  muzzle  and  sides  of  rump  abruptly 
whitish ;  rest  of  upper  parts  dark  chocolate  or  sepia  in  marked  con- 
trast. (The  color  pattern  of  the  adult  M.  costaricensis  and  cherriei  is 
unknown.) 

General  remarlcs. — Macrogeomys  requires  comparison  with  only  two 
genera,  Hcterogeomys  and  Orthogcomys,  from  both  of  which  it  may  be 
distinguished  at  a  glance,  whether  viewed  from  above  or  below.  The 
most  striking  points  of  diflerence  are  the  remarkably  short  and  broad 
palatopterygoids  and  the  strongly  developed  postorbital  processes. 

KEY  TO  SPECIES  OF  MACROGEOMYS. 

AudUal  hidla  normal,  outer  side  not  flattened. 

Skull  short  and  broad ;  zy "omata  divergent  anteriorly heterodus. 

Skull  long  and  narrow ;  zygomata  parallel dolhlioeephalus. 

AudUal  huUa pccurmr,  the  outer  side  flattened  and  disk-shaped. 

Jugal  normal,  entering  largely  into  zygoma cherriei. 

Jugal  small,  the  zygoma  complete  above  without  it costaricensis 

MACROGEOMYS  HETERODUS  (Peters). 
(PL  11,  fig.  2;  pl.U,  fig.  3). 
Geomiis  heterodus  Peters,  Monatsber.  K.  Preuss.  Akad.  Wiss.,  Cerlm  (1864),  1865,  177. 
(Tran.slation  of  original  description  appended  to  present  article,  p.  189.) 

Type  locality. — Costa  Rica.    Exact  locality  unknown. 


,AN..1895.]  MAOROGEOMYS  HETERODUS.  187 

GetK/raphic  distribution. — The  Ira/Ai  range  and  perhaps  other  parts  of 
Costa  Eica. 

General  eharacters. — Si/e  large;  face  of  upper  incisors  deeply  unisul- 
cate,  tlie  sulcus  narrow  and  wholly  on  inner  side  of  median  hue;  enamel 
face  of  incisors  orange;  naked  nasal  pad  large;  tail  absolutely  naked; 
hind  feet  naked,  with  a  few  stift' hairs  about  the  toes;  fore  feet  nearly 
naked  (shorter  than  hind);  pelage  moderately  coarse,  but  not  hispid  as 
[in  G.  hispidus;  no  external  ears.  Coloration  peculiar,  the  muzzle  and 
^ides,  including  sides  of  rump,  being  conspicuously  paler  than  rest  of 
ipper  parts. 

Color. — Upper  parts  uniform  sepia  or  hair  brown;  muzzle,  under 
i)arts,  and  sides  all  round  abruptly  much  paler,  the  pale  color  (a soiled 
i-ray)  reaching  higher  on  the  sides  of  rump  than  elsewhere  and  includ- 
ing base  of  tail. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  large,  heavy,  and  rather  short;  zygomata 
jroadly  spreading,  their  sides  divergent  anteriorly,  maxillary  arms 
;loi)ing  backward  less  strongly  than  in  (lolichocephalus;  antero  external 
ingle  well  marked,  moderately  expanded ;  jugal  large  and  broad,  its 
ipper  surface  not  covered  by  squamosal  and  maxillary  arms;  frontal 
jroad  and  flat,  concave  along  tlie  median  line  between  the  orbits  and 
leeply  notched  on  the  sides  immediately  in  front  of  the  large  post- 
)rl)ital  processes,  which  latter  are  capped  by  the  apex  of  the  alisphenoid 
md  overlapped  posteriorly  by  the  anterior  edge  of  the  squamosal. 
S^asalsbroadly  wedge-shaped  and  not  inflated.  The  ascending  branches 
»f  the  premaxilla  slightly  exceed  the  plane  of  the  orbits.  Inferiorly  the 
)remaxilla  reaches  but  does  not  inclose  the  posterior  end  of  the  incisive 
"or9jmina.  The  zygomatic  breadth  is  considerably  greater  than  the 
■greatest  squamosal  or  mastoid  breadth.  The  occipital  plane  is  flat 
except  a  vertical  median  ridge)  and  slopes  moderately  forward ;  the 
ambdoid  crest  is  straight,  slightly  incurved  near  median  line.  The 
lalatopterygoids  are  broadly  U-shaped  and  shortly  truncate  posteri- 
orly, the  pterygoids  abruptly  upturned  at  right  angles  to  the  palatals. 
The  basioccipital  has  the  sides  parallel  for  the  anterior  half  and  is 
broadly  wedge-shaped  posteriorly.  Audital  and  mastoid  bullii^.  normal. 
The  enamel  face  of  the  upper  incisors  is  flat,  with  the  sulcus  deep,  rather 
narrow,  and  wholly  on  inner  side.  Traces  of  the  fine  inner  sulcus  may 
ilso  be  seen  in  the  only  specimen  at  hand.  The  heel  of  the  last  upper 
molar  is  narrow,  much  elongated,  and  slopes  strongly  outward. 

Macrof/eomys  heterodus  differs  from  3f.  dolichoceplialus,  the  only  known 
sjiecies  Avitli  which  it  requires  comparison,  in  the  very  different  form 
of  the  skull  as  a  whole,  it  being  nuich  shorter  and  broader,  and  in  the 
following  details:  Jugal  broadest  anteriorly  and  not  covered  by  squa- 
mosal and  maxillary  arms  of  zygoma;  zygomata  divergent  anteriorly 
(mstead  of  ])arallel);  nasals  shorter  and  not  inflated;  orbital  borders 
of  frontal  not  inflated  anteriorly;  muzzle  and  diastema  much  shorter; 
palatopterygoids  less  broad  at  base;  occipital  plane  broader  and  lower; 


188  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  fms. 

mastoid  biillai  iiiiiTower  vertically.     Mandible  iiuich  slioiter.     Heel  of 
last  upper  molar  longer  and  narrower,  the  outer  eaamel  plate  reach- 
ing  little  moie  than  halfway  from  sulcus   to  end  of  lieel;  in   fJolicho 
cephalus  it  reaches  all  the  way. 

Measurements. — Peters  recorded  no  measurements  for  his  type  speci- 
men, but  Dr.  Matschie  lias  kindly  measured  it  for  me  and  finds  the  total 
leugtli  325  mm.  He  states  that  the  tail  is  defective.  The  specimen  in 
the  U.  S.  ^National  Museum,  from  the  Irazu  Mountains,  wliich  is  the 
subject  of  the  foregoing  description  (a  well  made  dry  skin),  affords  the 
following  measurements:  Total  length,  325;  head  and  body,  280;  tail, 
65;  hind  foot  with  claw,  45;  hind  foot  without  claw,  41. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  F,  p.  215. 

General  remarks. — The  only  species  kn(>wn  to  me  with  which  hetero- 
dus  needs  comparison  is  dolichocrplialits,  which  agrees  with  it  in  the 
abrupt  paleness  of  the  nnizzle  and  sides  of  the  rump.  But  heterodm 
differs  from  dolicliocephnlus  m  liaving  the  entire  under  parts  and  lower 
sides  of  the  same  pale  color  as  the  muzzle  and  sides  of  the  rump.  It 
differs  further  (in  the  specimens  at  hand)  m  the  tint  of  the  upper 
parts,  which  is  sepia  or  hair  brown  instead  of  chocolate  brown,  and  in 
the  cranial  characters  above  pointed  out. 

Unfortunately,  Peters's  description  ot  his  G.  lieterodus  from  Costa  Rica 
is  brief  and  unaccompanied  by  measurements,  cranial  characters,  or 
exact  locality  (see  next  page).  That  his  animal  is  the  same  as  hispidm 
of  LeConte  (from  Vera  Cruz),  as  assumed  by  Coues  and  Alston,  is 
exceedingly  improbable  on  geographic  grounds  (in  view  of  the  remark- 
ably restricted  ranges  of  all  the  tropical  American  species  row  known) 
and  impossible  in  view  of  the  wide  difference  in  coloration.  Peters 
described  heterodits  as  bicolnr,  the  upper  i)arts  "dark  brown,"'  the  muz- 
zle, rump,  and  underi^arts  "brownish  gray  or  white.''  Hispidus  is  eon- 
color  and  uniformly  dark.  Fortunately  the  type  of  Peters's  heterodus  is 
extant.  It  is  still  in  the  Berlin  Museum,  and  Dr.  Paul  Matschie  of  that 
museum  has  had  the  kindness  to  send  me  additional  notes,  accompanied 
by  full  cranial  measurements,  which  suffice  to  place  its  identity  beyond 
question. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  F.  W.  True,  Curator  of  Mammals  in  the 
United  States  National  Museum,  I  have  been  able  to  examine  several 
specimens  of  the  G  corny  Ida-  from  Costa  Rica  and  Guatemala.  Among 
those  from  Costa  Rica  is  one  which  agrees  in  every  way  with  Peters's 
original  description  of  heterodus,  and  also  with  the  additional  particu- 
lars concerning  Peters's  type  specimen  kindly  furnished  me  by  Dr. 
Matschie.  This  specimen  was  recently  presented  to  the  museum  by 
the  Costa  Rica  Government  through  its  commissioners  to  the  World's 
Columbian  Fxposition  at  Chicago  in  1893.  It  consists  of  a  well-pre- 
pared skill,  from  which  Mr.  True  has  kindly  had  the  skull  extracted. 
It  is  the  only  specimen  of  heterodus  I  have  seen,  and  is  the  subject  ot 
the  foregoing  description.     Mr.  George  K.  Cherrie,  of  the  Costa  Rica 


JAN.,  1895)  MACROGEOMYS    DOLICHOCEPHALUS.  189 

National  Museum,  in  res{)onse  to  a  letter  of  iuqiiiiy,  coutributes  the 
f'ollowiDjj  important  statement  respecting  this  specimen:  "It  is  No. 313 
of  tbe  collection  of  the  '  Museo  Nacional,'  an  adult  male;  was  collected 
October  15,  181)0,  near  Rancho  Iledondo,  a  point  on  the  Irazu  range 
between  the  volcanoes  Irazu  and  Barba,  at  an  altitude  of  about  1,400 
meters.  The  specimen  was  purchased  from  a  'peon'  and  mounted  by 
myself.  October  is  the  last  month  of  the  rainy  season,  and  the  month 
in  which  it  rains  hardest.  I  might  also  add  that  the  species  is  abundant 
in  the  locality  given  above." 

Peters's  original  description  of  hcterodus  is  as  follows:  "Our  museum 
has  received  through  Dr.  Hoffmann  and  Dr.  v.  Frantzius  the  skin  with 
the  perfect  skull  of  a  new  species  of  Geomi/s  from  Costa  Rica,  whereby 
the  geographical  distribution  of  this  genus  in  Central  America  is  estab- 
lished. This  species  agrees  best  with  G.  mexicanus  Licht.  in  size,  pro- 
portion of  tlie  limbs,  nakedness  of  the  tail,  and  the  nature  of  its  hairy 
covering,  which  latter,  however,  appears  to  be  somewhat  shorter  and 
stifter.  The  color  is  dark  brown  except  on  the  belly,  rump,  and  muzzle, 
which  are  brownish  gray  or  white.  It  is,  however,  readdy  distinguished 
by  the  position  of  the  deep  longitudinal  groove  of  the  upper  incisors, 
which  does  not  run  along  the  middle  but  between  the  inner  and  middle 
thirds  of  the  teeth,  for  which  reason  I  propose  to  name  the  species  Geoniys 
heterodusy  (Monatsber.  K.  Preuss.  Akad.  Wiss.,  Berlin,  1864, 177.) 

Dr.  Paul  Matschie  has  kindly  sent  me  the  following  cranial  meas- 
urements of  Peters's  type  specimen  of  heterodiis,  which  is  in  the  Berlin 
Museum  (No.  2864) : 

Greatest  basal  length  (condyle  to  front  of  premaxilla),  61;  basal 
length  (basion  to  gnathion),  58 ;  basilar  length  of  Hensel  (basion  to  alveo- 
lous  of  incisor),  51.2;  greatest  breadth  across  squamosals,  38;  least 
breadth  between  postglenoid  notches,  27.5;  least  interorbital  breadth, 
11;  breadth  across  postorbital  processes,  15.25;  height  of  cranium  above 
palate,  24;  height  above  basion,  17;  length  of  upper  molar  series  on 
alveoli,  14;  length  of  diastema,  22.5;  length  of  single  mandible  (condyle 
to  front  of  jaw  between  incisors),  44;  breadth  across  angular  processes, 
40;  distance  from  condyle  to  end  of  angular  process,  13;  breadth  of 
muzzle  just  in  front  of  zygoma,  15. 

MACROGEOMYS  DOLICHOCEPHALUS  sp.  uov. 

(PI. 5;  pi.  10,  fig.  7;  pi.  13,  fig.  19.) 

Type  from.  San  Jose,  Costa  Rica.     No.    jH^tAV    J    ad.     Collected  Janiiary,   1866,  by 
Jo86  C.  Zeledon. 

Geographic  distributum. — Vicinity  of  San  Jose,  Costa  Rica.  Range 
unknown. 

General  characters. — Size  large.  Animal  similar  to  .1/.  hcterodus;  face 
of  upper  incisors  deeply  unisulcate,  the  sulcus  narrow  and  wholly  on 
inner  side  of  median  line  (pi.  15,  fig.  8) ;  enamel  face  of  incisors  orange; 


190  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  |no.8. 

naked  nasal  pad  large;*  tail  absolutely  naked;  bind  feet  naked,  with  a 
few  stiff  hairs  about  the  toes;  fore  feet  nearly  naked  (shorter  than  hind); 
pelage  moderately  coarse,  but  not  hispid  ;is  in  Jleterof/comys  hi.spuhis; 
no  external  ears.  Coloration  ])eculiar,  the  muzzle  and  sides  of  rump 
conspicuously  paler  than  rest  of  ui)per  parts,  as  in  heterodus. 

Color. — Upper  parts  dull  chocolate  browu,  except  muzzle  and  lower 
part  of  rump,  which  are  buffy  iu  couspicuous  contrast,  but  without  liue 
of  demarkation.  (The  buffy  of  the  rump  surrounds  the  base  of  the  tail 
and  reaches  further  anteriorly  on  the  sides  than  along  the  middle  of  the 
back.)  Under  parts  simihir  to  back  but  paler,  without  line  of  demar- 
kation ;  wrists  and  ankles  pale.    No  dark  patch  around  ears. 

Cranial  characters. — The  skull  of  Macrof/eomys  dolichocephalus,  in 
addition  to  the  generic  characters  which  associate  it  with.  M.  heterodm, 
is  remarkable  for  its  length  and  narrowness,  the  zygomatic  breadth  in 
an  old  male  (the  type  specimen)  beiug  only  58  percent  of  the  total 
length  (from  condyle  to  point  of  premaxilla),  and  tlie  greatest  squamo- 
sal or  mastoid  breadth  only  57  percent.  The  opposite  extreme  is  found 
in  the  genus  Platygeomys,  in  wh4ch  the  corresponding  ratios  in  P.  gym- 
mtrus  are  71  and  75. 

The  zygomata  are  not  ouly  very  narrow,  but  present  the  appearance 
of  having  been  drawn  out  while  in  a  plastic  condition.  The  maxillary 
arms  slope  strongly  backward  and  are  broadly  rounded  off'  without 
tra(.'e  of  angle  or  of  angular  expansion  at  the  usual  place,  though 
there  is  a  shght  expansion  about  the  middle  of  the  outer  side  of  the 
ai-ih,  encroaching  on  the  orbitotemporal  fossa,  which  it  constricts  in 
the  middle  opposite  the  large  postorbital  processes — a  step  toward  the 
differentiafion  ot  these  two  fossie  from  one  another.  The  jugal  is 
broad,  short  anteriorly,  narrower  at  both  ends  than  iu  the  middle, 
and  is  overlapped  by  the  maxillary  and  squamosal  arms  of  the 
zygoma,  which  nearly  or  quite  meet  above  it.  The  frontal  is  grooved 
medially  between  the  orbits  and  is  somewhat  inflated  along  the 
margin  of  the  orbits  behind  the  lachrymal  bones,  in  this  respect 
resembling  0  grandis  of  Thomas,  though  the  inflation  is  much  less 
extreme.  The  sides  of  the  frontal  are  deeply  notched  immediately  in 
front  ot  the  large  postorbital  processes.  The  nasals  are  wedge-shaped 
as  iu  heterodus,  but  longer  and  slightly  inflated  anteriorly;  they  are 
broadest  near  junction  of  middle  and  anterior  thirds  (in  the  S  only). 
The  ascending  branches  of  the  preuiaxilla  barely  reach  the  plane  of 
the  orbits.  Inferiorly  the  premaxilla  reaches  the  posterior  end  of,  but 
does  not  inclose,  the  incisive  foramina,  as  in  hcterodus.  The  zygomatic 
breadth  is  only  a  trifle  greatei  than  the  mastoid  breadth.  The  0(;<'i])ital 
plane  is  flat,  high,  and  slopes  strongly  forward;  the  lambdoid  crest  is 
slightly  convex  posteriorly.    The  palatopterygoids  are  very  broad  and 


''In  an  alcoholic  specimeu  (No  1466  U.  S.  Nationul  Museum)  the  nasal  pad  or  cal- 
losity 18  broad  and  rather  short,  not  reaching  posteriorly  behind  plane  of  upper 


incisors. 


JAN,  1895]  MACROGEOMYS    BOIJCHOCEPHALUS.  191 

short.  (Ill  the  male  skull  the  pterygoids  are  broken  off;  m  the  female 
they  are  abruptly  upturned,  as  in  heterodns.]  The  basioccipital  lias  the 
sides  parallel  in  the  anterior  half  and  is  broadly  wedge-shaped  poste- 
riorly. The  height  of  the  cranium  above  the  palate  is  unusually  great, 
and  the  zygomata  do  not  descend  below  a  plane  drawn  midway  of  the 
height  of  the  skull.  The  audital  bulhe  are  normal  and  rather  short, 
l)lump,  and  well  rounded  anteriorly.  The  brain  case  seen  from  above 
is  subcylindric  in  shape,  in  which  respect  it  resembles  Ortliogeomys. 
The  nasals  end  in  front  of  the  plane  of  the  zygomatic  arches,  while  the 
premaxillai  reach  the  plane  of  the  orbits,  causing  an  unusual  elongation 
of  the  median  part  of  the  frontal  in  order  to  articulate  with  the  nasals. 
The  mandible  is  long  and  narrow.  The  enamel  face  of  the  upper  incisors 
is  flat,  the  sulcus  deep,  narrow,  and  wholly  on  inner  side  (fig.  20'). 

A  young  female  of  M.  doUcliocephalus  (Xo.  30820)  differs  from  the  old 
male  above  described  (36295)  in  the  following  particulars:  The  skull  as 
a  whole  is  very  much  smaller  (see  table  of  cranial  measurements) ;  nasals 
very  much  shorter,  flatter,  and  broadest  anteriorly  (instead  of  at  junc- 
tion of  middle  and  anterior  thirds) ;  temporal  impressions  distant  (inter- 
space 3  to  4  mm  broad);  brain  case  less  cylindrical  (owing  in  part  to 
gTeater  depth  of  constriction  running  obliquely  upward  from  posterior 
root  of  zygoma  to  occiput,  and  in  part  to  a  slight  bulging  upward  of  the 
middle  of  the  brain  case) ;  basiocciiiital  narrower.  The  top  of  the  skull 
in  profile  is  not  a  straight  line,  tlie  brain  case  presenting  a  slight  con- 
vexity behind  the  orbits,  while  the  interparietal  and  occipital  crest  fall 
below  the  plane  of  the  upper  surface  as  a  whole.  In  both  sexes  the 
ciuterior  part  of  the  nasals  is  strongly  decurved. 

M.  (lolichocepha(u.s  differs  markedly  from  J/,  heterodns,  the  only  species 
rtitii  which  it  requires  comparison,  in  the  general  form  of  the  cranium, 
.vhich  is  narrow  and  greatly  elongated;  in  the  narrow,  drawn  out 
'Tgomata,  without  trace  of  angular  projection  or  expansion ;  in  the  nar- 
•ower  jugal,  which  is  covered  above  by  the  anterior  and  posterior  arms 
'f  the, arch,  Avhich  meet  ot  nearly  meet  above  it;  in  having  the  zygo- 
nata  parallel  (instead  of  divergent  anteriorly);  the  nasals  longer  and 
iomewhat  inflated  anteriorly;  the  muzzle  and  diastema  much  longer; 
he  palatopterygoids  broader  at  base;  the  occipital  plane  higher  and 
ess  broad;  the  mastoid  bull*  much  higher  vertically;  and  the  mandible 
'inch  longer. 

Measurements  (of  type  specimen,  $  ad.,  from  dry  skin):  Total  length, 
ibout  380  (approximate,  as  the  tail  was  not  wired  and  is  shrunken); 
lead  and  body,  310;  tail,  about  75  (approximate  only);  hind  foot,  48; 
\  ithout  claw,  45. 

Measurement  of  a  young  female  from  Costa  Rica,  preserved  in  alcohol 
^^'  HiU  ?  yg.  ad.,  U.  S.  National  Museum,  collected  bv  Jose  C.  Zeledon 
ind  received  in  October,1884):  Total  length,310;  tail,  74;  hind  foot,  with 
law,  49;  without  claw,  43;  forefoot,  with  claw,  45;  without  claw,  33. 

For  cianial  measurements  see  Table  F,  p.  215. 


192  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [mg. 

General  rpmarl-s. — Extern;illy  Macrogeomys  ilolirhocephalns  resembles 
31.  lirierodus  in  the  peculiar  paleness  of  the  muzzle  and  sides  of  the 
rump  (in  strong'  contrast  to  the  color  of  the  rest  of  the  upper  parts),  but 
differs  from  heterodus  in  not  havin.i;-  the  lower  pait  of  the  sides  and  belly, 
of  the  same  pale  tint.  On  the  other  hand,  the  pale  color  of  the  rump 
reaches  a  little  further  forward  on  the  dorsal  surface.  There  is  a  slight 
difference  also  iu  the  tint  of  the  upper  parts,  the  color  being  dull  choco- 
late brown  iu  (loHchocephaJus,  while  it  is  sepia  or  hair  brown  in  heterodus. 
The  important  cranial  differences  have  been  ]>ointed  out. 

The  alcoholic  specimen  already  mentioned  (No.  14GC6)  is  a  female,  and 
although  not  fully  adult,  has  borne  young,  as  shown  by  the  large  pen- 
dent ni])ples.  The  teats  are:  pectoral. y,  inguinal  |  =  |,  as  usual  in  the 
group.  The  pectoral  pair  are  situated  on  the  sides  immediately  behind 
the  fore  legs.  The  inguinal  pairs  are  not  on  the  belly  at  all,  but  on  the 
mner  side  of  the  fA<V///s  just  below  and  outside  of  the  belly. 

The  great  callosity  at  the  hinder  edge  of  the  wrist  is  made  up  of  two 
large  tubercles  resembling  kernels  of  corn  placed  side  by  side  and  cov- 
ered by  common  integument. 

M4.CROGEOMYS  COSTARICEXSIS  sp.  nov. 

(PI.  11,  fig.  3;  pi.  13,  fig.  23;  pi.  14,  fig.  10.) 

Type  from  Pacuare,  Costa  Rica.    No.  iMH  j"'^'-  U.  S.  National  Museum.    Collected 
in  1876  by  Juan  Cooper.     (Original  No.  96.) 

General  characters. — Ui^per  incisors  with  a  single  dee])  sulcus  wholly 
on  inner  side;  pelage  in  type  specimen  (immature)  short  aud  silky, 
suggesting  the  fine  crinkled  pelage  of  Didelphi.s  miirina;  tail  and  hind 
feet  naked;  a  conspicuous  naked  pad  on  end  of  nose. 

Color, — Upper  parts  uniform  dark-brown,  not  paler  on  nose  and 
rump;  underparts  abruptly  whitish.  The  type  and  only  known  speci- 
men has  a  large  symmetrical  white  spot  on  top  of  the  head,  occupying 
about  three-fourths  of  the  area  bounded  by  the  eyes  and  ears.* 

Cranial  characters  (of  immature  skull,  pi.  11,  fig.  3). — Similar  iu  a 
general  way  to  an  immature  9  skull  of  M.  dolichocephalus  (Xo.  36820), 
from  which  it  differs  in  the  foUowiug  particulars:  Nasals  very  much 
broader  throughout,  particularly  posteriorly;  space  between  posterior 
ends  of  ascending  arms  of  premaxilla  about  twice  as  broad;  zygomata 
standing  out  more  squarely,  nearly  at  right  angles  to  axis  of  skull, 
with  anterior  angle  abruptly  rounded;  jugal  narrower;  palatoptery- 
goids shorter  and  broader;  basioccipital  very  much  broader  and  wedge- 
shaped,  its  inferior  surface  not  excavated  by  audital  bullae ;  audital 

*The  white  crown  patch  of  costaricensis  was  at  first  believed  to  be  abnormal, 
ailing  in  the  same  category  with  the  irregular  white  blotches  frequently  fouud  ou 
the  throat  and  sometimes  at  the  base  of  the  tail,  iu  various  species  of  pot  ket 
gophers.  But  the  fact  that  the  spot  is  bilaterally  symmetrical,  and  is  repeated  in 
the  only  specimen  known  of  a  closely  allied  species,  cherriei,  points  to  its  perma- 
nence, at  least  as  a  mark  of  the  young 


JAN.  1895.]  MACROGEOMYS   COSTARICENSIS.  193 

bulla  peculiar,  compressed,  the  outer  side  strongly  flattened'  more 
smoothly  rounded,  somewhat  disk-shaped,  and  separated  from  the 
mastoid  bulla  interiorly  by  a  distinct  groove.  The  only  other  known 
species  of  the  family  having  a  similar  audital  bulla  is  Macrogeomys 
cherriei  of  Allen.  Both  are  known  from  single  specimens  only,  and 
both  are  too  young  to  show  all  of  the  characters  of  the  adult.  Their 
specific  distinctness  will  be  apparent  at  a  glance  at  the  accompanying 
cut  (fig.  67)  showing  the  differences  in  the  jugals.  The  palatoptery- 
golds  also  are  different.  The  palatopterygoids  of  71/.  costaricensis  are 
shown  on  pi.  14,  fig.  10,  but  the  figure  is  inaccurate;  in  the  specimen 
they  are  sliorter  and  broader,  more  nearly  as  in  fig.  3  of  the  same 
plate.  The  pterygoids  of  cherriei  are  broken,  but  the  remaining  base 
shows  that  they  are  considerably  more  slender. 

In  M.  costaricensis  the  jugal  is  much  shorter  than  the  basioccipital 
(measured  from  condyle)  and  is  wholly  inferior,  the  maxillary  and 
squamosal  roots  of  the  zygoma  meeting  above  it  and  on  its  inner  side, 
so  that  when  ^•iewed  from  the  inner  side  it  appears  only  as  a  narrow 
edge  with  the  apex  upward  (fig.  67,  *).  In  position  and  relations, 
therefore,  it  resembles  Zygogeomys  trichopus,  though  considerably 
broader  than  in  that  species. 


Fig.  67.— Zygomatic  arches  of  Jilacrogcomyg  costaricensis  (3  and  4),  and  If.  cherriei  (1  and  2).     1  and  3 

outer  side ;  2  and  4  inner  side. 

Measurements. — Type  specimen  (probably  not  more  than  two-thirds 
grown)  from  dry  skin:  Total  length,  330;  tail  (apparently  stretched), 
100  from  point  assumed  to  be  over  first  caudal  vertebra,  80  from 
apparent  base;  hind  foot,  37  (without  claw,  33). 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  F,  i>.  215. 

General  remarlcs. — This  singular  species,  for  the  privilege  of  describ- 
ing which  I  am  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  F.  W.  True,  Curator 
of  Mammals  in  the  U.  S.  National  Museum,  is  represented  in  the 
collection  by  an  immature  specimen  only.  At  first  it  was  supposed  to 
be  the  young  of  M.  (lolic/iocephahis,  but  comparison  of  its  skull  with 
that  of  dolichocephalus  shows  numerous  points  of  specific  difference,  as 
above  mentioned.  While  the  peculiar  texture  of  its  pelage  may  be 
due  in  part  to  immaturity,  this  explanation  fails  when  applied  to  the 
cranial  characters  which,  as  described  above,  are  numerous  and  strik- 
ing and  of  such  a  nature  that  most  of  them  would  be  accentuated  by 
age.  In  external  appearance  the  animal  bears  a  striking  resemblance 
to  the  young  type  of  Macrogeomys  cherriei. 
7433— No.  8 13 


194  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.8. 

MACEOGEOMYS   CHERRIEI    (Alleu^ 

(PI.  15,  fig.  1.) 
Geomys  cherriei  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  V,  337-338,  Dec.  16, 1893. 

Type  from  Santa  Clara,  Costa  Rica.  No.  G64  S  im.  Museo  Nacional 
de  Costa  Rica.     Collected  in  October,  1892,  by  George  K.  Clierrie. 

General  characters. — Naked  nasal  pad  large;  tail  and  hind  feet  naked. 
Similar  to  Macrogeomys  costaricciisis  in  size  and  coloration,  including 
the  white  head  patch,  but  differing  in  important  cranial  characters. 

Color  (of  type,  jnv.). —  Upper  parts  very  dark  plumbeous  or  sooty 
brown.;  under  parts  abruptly  paler,  with  distinct  line  of  demarkation; 
top  of  head  between  eyes  and  ears  pure  white. 

Cranial  characters  [i^rom  skull  of  type,  but  little  more  than  half  grown, 
pi.  15,  fig.  1).— The  skull  of  ili.  cherriei  agrees  with  Heterogeomys 
hispidus  in  general  form,  in  the  widely-seiiarated  temporal  imjiressious; 
the  broad  and  fiat  frontal,  depressed  between  the  orbits;  the  flat 
forward-sloping  occipital  plane;  the  form  of  the  zygomata;  the  inflated 
nasals,  and  the  short  and  compact  under  jaw,  with  short  angular  pro- 
cesses. But  it  is  so  young  that  one  must  be  cautious  in  placing  much 
stress  on  characters  that  vary  with  age.  It  differs  from  H.  hispidus 
and  agrees  with  71/.  costaricensis  in  the  convexity  of  the  anterior  part 
of  the  roof  of  the  brain  case;*  m  the  peculiarly  flattened  and  smoothly 
rounded  audital  bulla?,  which  are  separated  from  the  mastoid  bullae  by 
a  distinct  inferior  transverse  groove;  and  in  the  h>ng  heel  of  the  last 
upper  molar.  It  differs  from  costaricensis  in  the  size,  form,  and  rela- 
tions of  the  jugal  (as  shown  in  fig.  07),  in  narrower  palatopterygoid 
lingular,  and  in  a  narrower  gap  behind  the  nasals  (between  posterior 
ends  of  ascending  branches  of  prcmaxilla).  -The  jugal  is  large  and 
long,  and  nearly  half  of  its  upper  edge  enters  into  the  orbital  fossa;  it 
is  not  covered  anteriorly  by  the  maxillary  arm  of  the  zygoma,  and  its 
total  length  is  greater  than  that  of  the  basioccipital  (measured  from 
condyle).  In  M.  costaricensis  the  jugal  is  much  shorter  than  the  basi- 
occipital (measured  from  condyle),  and  is  completely  covered  by  the 
maxillary  and  squamosal  arms  of  the  zygoma,  which  meet  above  it  (fig. 
07).  It  differs  further  from  costaricensis  in  the  shape  of  the  horizontal 
part  of  the  zygomatic  arch,  which  is  not  strongly  convex  upward,  and 
lacks  the  constriction  tending  toward  the  separation  of  the  orbital 
from  the  temporal  fossa.  The  large  orbitotemporal  fosstii  are  broadest 
across  the  middle — ^just  Avhere  they  are  narrowest  in  costaricensis. 

Measurements. — Hind  foot,  with  claws,  39  mm.  (in  dry  skin).  No 
measurements  were  recorded  from  the  flesh,  and  the  specimen  is  far 
from  full  grown. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  F,  p.  215. 

General  re»mr7c,s.— Through  the  courtesy  of  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen,  Curator 
of  Mammals  in  the  American  Museum  of  Natural   History  of  New 

*  It  18  probable  that  the  saddle-shaped  frontal  ot  costaricensis  and  cherriei  is  the 
resxalt  of  immaturity,  since  a  .young  skull  of  G.  trichopus  (No.  50104)  shows  the  same 
peculiarity,  though  m  less  degree. 


lAT.Jsns.]  GENUS   ZYGOGEOMYS.  195 

.  1  k,  I  have  been  able  to  examine  the  only  specimen  known  of  this 
sjKcies.  It  belongs  to  the  Museo  Nacional  de  Oosta-Kica,  and  was 
loiiiicd  Dr.  Allen  by  Mr.  George  K.  Cherrie,  who  collected  it  at  Santa 
Chira,  Costa  Eica,  in  October,  1892.  It  is  a  male,  and,  like  the  type  of 
cosfaricensis,  is  immature.  It  resembles  the  latter  in  having  a  large 
pure-white  patch  on  top  of  the  head,*  in  the  large  size  of  the  naked 
nasal  pad  or  callosity,  and  in  the  nakedness  of  the  tail  and  feet.  The 
hind  feet  are  absolutely  naked;  the  forefeet  are  naked  except  for  the 
presence  of  a  few  long  hairs  about  the  toes.  The  color  of  the  upper 
parts  is  somewhat  darker  than  in  co.staricensis.  The  specimen  is  so 
young  that  some  hesitancy  is  felt  in  its  generic  assignment.  It  may 
hen  Ecterof/eomys  instead  of  a  3Iacrogeomys,  though  this  is  exceedingly 
improbable. 

Genus  ZYGOGEOMYS  t  nob. 
(PI.  6;  pi.  13,  fig.  24;  pi.  14,  fig.  1;  pi.  15,  fig.  10;  pi.  17,  fig.  2;  pi.  18,  fig.  2;  pi.  19,  fig.  4.) 

Type  Zy(/ogeomys  tncJiopus  sp.  no  v.,  from  Xahuatzin,  Michoacan, 
Mexico. 

Generic  characters. — Upper  premolar  with  four  enamel  plates,  the  pos- 
terior restricted  to  lingual  third ;  upper  and  lower  premolars  subequal  in 
length;  shaft  of  upper  premolar  slightly  convex  forward. 

First  and  second  upper  molars  with  two  enamel  plates  each,  the 
posterior  failing  on  outer  side.  Third  upper  molar  an  incomplete  dou- 
ble prism;  crown  nuich  longer  than  broad;  heel  well  developed,  broad, 
narrowed  on  outer  side  only;  sulcus  on  middle  of  outer  side;  absent 
ou  inner  side.  Inner  enamel  plate  covering  two-thirds  to  three-fourths 
of  inner  side  of  tooth,  straight,  reaching  end  of  heel  posteriorly;  outer 
enamel  2)lttte  covering  about  half  or  a  little  less  than  half  of  outer  side  of 
tooth,  its  anterior  half  bent  strongly  outward.  Interspaces  broadly 
open,  the  posterior  broadest,  directed  backward,  and  often  forming  a 
sort  of  everted  lip  (fig.  27^). 

Upper  inclHors  bisulcate;  principal  sulcus  on  inner  side  of  median 
line;  minor  sulcus  on  inner  convexity  (see  fig.  22^  and  pi.  15,  tig.  10). 

Cranial  characters.^ — Cranium  as  a  whole  long  and  narrow,  the  zygo- 
mata not  widely  spreading,  slender,  antero  external  angle  rounded  and 
not  expanded;  zygomatic  arch  normally  complete  without  jugal,  the 

*  The  white  crown  patch  of  cherriei  and  costaricensis  was  at  first  believed  to  ba 
almoraial.  lint  the  fact  that  the  .spot  is  bilaterally  symmetrical,  and  is  repeated  in 
the  only  specimen  known  o{  Macrogeomys  cosfariceiisis,  which  is  likewise  young,  sug- 
gests its  possible  permanence,  at  least  as  a  mark  of  immaturity. 

'\ Zy(io(ieomiis,  with  reference  to  the  unique  cliaracter  of  the  zygomata. 

! Owing  to  the  extreme  difficulty  of  discriminating  generic  from  specific  charac- 
ters 111  animals  presenting  such  extraordinary  cranial  variations  as  the  Mexican 
GeoDujida,  it  is  thought  best  in  descriptions  of  genera,  of  which  only  a  single  species 
IS  known,  fo  record  all  of  the  characters  that  seem  entitled  to  more  than  specific 
woiglit,  The  generic  diagnosis  here  given,  therefore,  errs  on  the  side  of  fullness. 
The  fill  lire  discovery  of  additional  species  will  promptly  reduce  the  number  of 
characters. 


196  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 

maxillary  and  squamosal  arms  comiug  in  contact  above  it;  jugal  rudi- 
meutary,  inferior  and  chiefly  external;  rostrum  long  and  narrow;  tem- 
poral impressions  meeting  in  a  short  but  well-developed  sagittal  crest; 
palatine  bones  contracted  at  base  of  pterygoids;  pterygoids  vertical 
lamellae  as  in  Thoinomys,  meeting  or  nearly  meeting  in  median  line 
behind  palate.  Premaxilla  not  inclosing  incisive  foramina,  which  is 
bordered  posteriorly  by  the  maxilla. 

Mandible  rather  long  and  slender,  much  as  in  Geomys  hursar'ms; 
orbitosphenoids  relatively  larger  than  in  any  other  genus  of  the  fam- 
ily, closing  the  upper  part  of  the  sphenoidal  fissure  (except  a  foramen 
at  apex)  and  ankylosed  broadly  with  the  alisphenoid  (pi.  17,  fig.  2),  as  in 
some  species  of  Thomomys;  sphenoid  fosste  corresi^ondingly  shortened, 
reaching  only  halfway  from  horizontal  part  of  alisphenoid  to  base  of 
cribriform  plate;  mesethmoid  quadrangular,  much  longer  than  high 
Cpl.  IS,  fig.  2) ;  endoturbiuals  collectively  subquadrate,  but  with  antero- 
superior  corner  rather  sharply  elongated,  projecting  into  posterior 
emargination  of  nasoturbinal;  the  os  planum  spreading  forward  in 
front  of  fourth  endoturbiual  about  as  far  as  length  of  latter  {\A.  10,  fig.  4). 

General  remarks. — Zygogeomys  presents  the  unique  combination  of 
distinctly  bisulcate  incisors  with  remarkably  short  sphenoid  fossai  and  a 
type  of  zygomatic  arch  heretofore  unknown  in  the  whole  order  Eodentia. 
It  presents  further  an  exceptional  degree  of  coossification  of  the 
component  elements  of  the  skull.  The  occipitals,  parietals,  frontal, 
ethmoid,  squamosals,  alisphenoids,  maxilla,  palatines,  and  pterygoids  are 
ankylosed  together ;  and  the  basisphenoid,  presphenoid,  and  orbitosphe- 
noids are  ankylosed  together.  Furthermore,  the  two  resulting  complex 
masses  are  firmly  united  by  ankylosis  of  the  orbitosphenoids  with  the 
alisphenoids.  The  coossification  is  sometimes  carried  even  further  by 
the  fusion  of  the  anterior  and  posterior  arms  of  the  zygoma,  and  the 
union  of  the  premaxilla  with  the  maxilla  and  nasals.  The  sutures  that 
remain  open  are  between  the  basioccipital  and  basisphenoid;  between 
the  frontal  on  the  one  hand  and  the  nasals,  premaxillaries,  and  maxil- 
lary root  of  the  zygoma  on  the  other;  between  the  maxilla  and 
frontal  anteriorly,  and  maxilla  and  alisphenoid  posteriorly.  The 
result  of  these  extensive  ankyloses  is  that  in  old  age  all  of  the 
bones  of  the  cranium  except  the  mandible  are  inseparably  bound 
together — if  not  directly  in  every  case,  then  in  a  roundabout  manner. 
Zygogeomys  thus  occupies  an  anomalous  position  in  the  family. 

ZYGOGEOMYS   TRICHOPUS  sp.  nov. 

(PI.  6;  pi.  13,  fig.  24;  pi.  14,  fig.  1;  pi.  15,  fig.  10.) 

Tj/pefrom  Nahuatzix,  Michoacan,  Mexico.    No.  50107  i  ad. ,  U.  S.  National  Museum, 
Department  of  Agriculture  collection.     Collected  October  11,  1892,  by  E.  W. 
Nelson  (original  No.  3571). 
Geographic  distrihution. — The  Sierra  Madre  of  Michoacan,  from  Patz- 
cuaro  to  Nahuatzin ;  strictly  limited  to  the  pine  zone,  between  the  alti- 
tudes of  6,800  and  9,500  feet  (map  3  =). 


jAN.,1895.]  ZYGOGEOMYS    TRICHOPUS.  197 

General  characters. — Size  large;  tail  rather  long,  entirely  naked  from 
base;  a  conspicuous  naked  pad  at  end  of  nose;  fore  feet  and  claws 
shorter  than  liiud;  upper  surfaces  of  both  fore  and  hind  feet  densely 
covered  with  hair,  completely  hiding  the  skin;  color  very  dark.  Cra- 
nial characters  marked ;  maxillary  and  squamosal  arms  of  zygoma  meet- 
ing above  the  jugal,  which  is  greatly  reduced. 

Color. — Upper  parts  varying  from  dark  slate  to  rich  seal-brown, 
glossy,  and  finely  mixed  with  a  very  thin  wash  of  ferruginous,  espe- 
cially on  the  sides;  underparts  dark  plumbeous  washed  with  fulvous; 
upper  surfaces  of  hind  feet  slate-gray,  sometimes  varying  to  white;  an 
irregular  patch  of  white  on  throat.  Some  specimens  lack  the  ferrugi- 
nous wash  and  are  glossy  slate-black.  Some  have  an  almost  metallic 
luster. 

Cranial  characters.* — Skull,  as  a  whole,  long  and  narrow;  zygomatic 
arches  contracted,  slender,  not  expanded  at  antero-exterual  angle;  com- 
plete without  jugal,  which  is  much  reduced  in  size,  the  maxillary  and 
squamosal  arms  meeting  above  itt ;  rostrum  and  nasals  long  and  narrow; 
temporal  impressions  meeting  in  a  short  but  well-develoj)ed  sagittal 
crest;  palatine  bones  contracted  at  base  of  pterygoids;  pterygoids  ver- 
tical lamellne  as  in  Thomomys;  occipital  jjlane  nearly  vertical,  about 
twice  as  broad  as  high;  mastoid  bullne  fuller  and  more  rounded  poste- 
riorly than  in  Geomys;  audital  bullae  of  moderate  size,  similar  to  those 
of  Geomys  hursarius;  premaxilla  ending  below  at  middle  of  incisive  for- 
amina (instead  of  surrounding  them,  as  usual  in  the  family) ;  postpalatal 
pits  rather  narrow,  elongated  and  shallow,  reaching  anterior  plane  of 
last  molar;  mandible  rather  long  and  slender,  much  as  in  Geomys 
hursarius;  angular  processes  moderate;  condylar  process  rather  short; 
coronoid  process  long,  its  tip  overhanging  front  of  condyle. 

Measurements  (taken  in  flesh). — Type  specimen,  $  ad. :  Total  length, 
346 ;  tail  vertebrae,  115 ;  hind  foot,  40.  Average  of  three  adult  males  from 
type  locality :  Total  length,  342.6;  tail  vertebrae.  111;  hind  foot,  45.8. 
Average  of  seven  females  from  tyi^e  locality:  Total  length,  322.7;  tail 
vertebrae,  105.8;  hind  foot,  42.8. 

For  cranial  measurements  see  Table  C,  p.  209. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  12,  from  the  following  localities 
in  Michoacan,  Mexico:  Nahuatzin,  10;  Patzcuaro,  2. 

General  remarks. — Mr.  Nelson  found  these  remarkable  animals  pretty 
generally  distributed  over  the  wooded  mountain  slopes  except  where 
the  timber  is  dense.  They  are  most  numerous  about  the  borders  of 
small  grassy  parks  and  in  the  more  open  parts  of  the  forest.  In  places 
where  the  land  has  been  cleared  in  these  mountains  they  infest  the  culti- 

*  Owing  to  tlie  circumstance  that  only  a  single  species  of  this  remarkable  genua 
18  known,  it  is  unsafe  to  attempt  to  discriminate  sharply  between  generic  and  spe- 
cific characters.     For  this  reason  many  of  the  characters  given  in  the  generic  descrip- 
tion are  here  repeated. 
I    tin  some  specimens  the  union  is  not  quite  complete. 


198 


NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


tNOig. 


vated  fields  and  do  considerable  damage  to  the  corn,  wheat,  and  pota- 
toes of  the  Indian  farmers. 

Geuus  THOMOMYS  Max  Wied,  1839. 

(Text  fit^s.  31%  32b,  aud  68-71.) 

Type  TJwmomys  riifescens  Max  Wied.     Type  locality  iiiiknown. 
Thomomya  Max  Wied,  Nova  Acta  Acad.  Caes.  Leop. -Carol.     Vol.  XIX,  pt.  i.,  1839, 
377-384. 

Upper  and  lower  molars,  including  m^,  with  two  enamel  plates  each, 
one  anterior  aud  one  posterior  (figs,  31^  aud  32'').  Upper  incisor  with 
sulcus  normally  very  small  and  close  to  inner  edge  of  tooth  (fig.  23,  p. 
72),  or  absent.  In  a  few  species  it  is  relatively  hirge  and  deep,  as  in 
T.  monticola  of  Allen. 

Orbital  plates  of  frontal  not  meeting  inferiorly  behind  cribriform  plate 
of  ethmoid,  but  broadly  separated  by  orbitosphenoids  (fig.  71, /ro). 

Figs.  68-71.— T7tomom?/s  hxdbivorus.     ?  Salem,  Oregon. 


68.  Vertical  longitudinal  section  of  front  of  skull,  showing  turbinated  bones.    For  key  see  fig.  10. 


69.  Vertical  longitudinal  median  section  of  skull,  mesethmoid  and  vomer  in  place.    For  key  see  fig- 7. 

The  accompanying  cuts  (figs.  68-71)  show  the  relations  of  the  several 
bones  forming  the  floor  of  the  brain  case,  and  also  those  of  the  nasal 
chamber,  in  Thomomys  bulbivorns  of  Richardson.  In  this  s])ecies  the 
incisors  project  much  further  forward  than  usual.  The  various  species 
differ  considerably  iu  important  cranial  characters,  as  will  be  shown  in 
a  special  paper  on  the  species  of  Thomomys.  The  geographic  distribu- 
tion of  the  group  as  a  whole  is  shown  on  n)ap  1,  A. 


I 


JAN.,  1895.] 


THE    GENUC    THOMOMYS. 


199 


Externally  Thomomys  differs  from  all  tlie  otlier  genera  of  the  Geo- 
myida'  in  tlie  relatively  small  size  of  the  fore  feet.  In  this  respect,  and 
in  the  faint  sulcation  of  the  incisors,  the  presence  of  two  enamel  plates 
oil  each  of  the  molars,  above  and  below,  and  in  numerous  cranial  char- 
acters it  is  much  less  highly  specialized  than  most  members  of  the 
family. 


70.  Thomomys  bulbivonis,  from  Salem,  Oregon.    Skull  from  above ;  vault  of  cranium  sawed  ofFto  show 
floor  of  brain  ease.    For  key  see  fig.  9. 


71.  Anterior  part  of  floor  of  brain  case,  much  enlarged.    (Same  specimen  as  flg.  70.) 
ale  Anterior  opening  of  alisphenoid  canal. 

as  Alisplienoid  l>oue. 

bs  Basisi)beiioi<l. 

cr  (/ribriform  plate  of  ethmoid, 

/(•  Frontal. 

fro  Orbital  or  descending  plate  of  frontal.     It  should  be  observed  that  this  plate  does  not  meet 
its  fi^llow  inferiorly  behind  the  cribriform  plate  as  in  most  of  the  other  genera. 

of  Optic  fdriunrn. 

OS  Orl)itiis]ili(n<iid. 
ptf  Pterygoid  fossa. 

sf  Upper  iiart  of  sphenoidal  fissure. 


APPENDIX 


(A  )    Status  of  Geomys  mexicanus  Auct. 

The  earliest  description  that  I  have  seen  of  any  member  of  tlie 
family  GeomyUliv  was  ])ublislied  by  Fernandez  in  1051,  and  relates  to 
a  Mexican  aninial  called  by  him  the  Tucan  or  Indian  mole.*  Nearly  a 
century  and  a  half  later  Kerr  bestowed  the  name  Borex  mexicanus  upon 
Fernandez's  Tucan  without  having  seen  a  specimen  (Kerr,  Animal 
Kingdom,  1792,  207-208).  It  is  not  surprising  that  Kerr  followed 
Fernandez  and  Button  in  placing  the  animal  among  the  moles,t  misled 
by  its  projecting  incisors  and  habit  of  throwing  up  little  mounds  of 
earth  along  the  course  of  its  subterranean  galleries. 

The  animal  seems  to  have  been  first  referred  to  the  genus  Geotmjs  by 
LeConte  in  1852  (Proc.  Phila.  Acad.  Kat.  Sciences,  1852,  p.  IGO). 

In  1827  Lichtenstein  described,  under  the  name  Ascomys  mexicanus^ 
three  specimens  of  pocket  gophers  collected  by  Deppe  on  the  table- 
land of  Mexico,  but  the  exact  locality  whence  they  came  is  unknown 
(Brants  Muizen,  1827,  27-31).  The  specimens  differed  greatly  among 
themselves  in  color,  as  originally  described  by  Lichtenstein,  and  their 
cranial  measurements,  kindly  famished  me  by  Dr.  Matschie,  show  that 
they  belong  to  at  least  two  different  genera.  The  case  as  it  stands, 
therefore,  seems  to  be  as  follows :  Lichtenstien's  mexicanus  is  composite  | 


*Following  is  a  trauslation  of  the  original  description:  "On  the  Tucan,  or  a 
certain  kiml  of  Indian  mole.  Chap.  xxiv.  [The  Tncan]  is  apparently  a  species  of 
mole  9  inches  in  length,  and  e(iualing  the  humerus  of  man  in  size;  it  is  fleshy,  fat, 
and  furnished  with  such  short  legs  that  it  almost  touches  the  ground  with  its  helly ; 
hair,  fulvous;  tail,  short;  claws  and  nails,  long;  snout,  murine;  ears,  small  and 
round;  front  [teeth],  two  above  and  same  in  number  below,  considerably  exserted 
and  curved  inward;  [the  other  teeth],  though  much  smaller,  are  very  strong.  When 
fat  the  flesh  is  edilde,  of  pleasant  taste,  but  causes  stupor.  '  ■  *."— (Francisco 
Fernandez,  Historiic  Auimalium  et  Miiicralium  Nova'  Hispania;, Liber  i,  1651,  pp. 7-8.) 

tAU  the  American  moles  were  at  that  time  placed  with  the  shrews  in  the  genus 
■S'ojTJT,  the  genera  Scalops,  Scapanits,  and  Condijlura  not  having  been  proposed  until 
souietimc  later. 

t  From  the  cranial  measurements  kindly  furnished  me  by  Dr.  Matschie,  and  now 
for  the  tirst  time  published,  it  is  evident  that  one  of  Lichteustein's  specimens  was  a 
Platygeomys  closelj  related  to,  if  not  identical  with,  the  animal  here  described  as 
■P.  planiceps. 

201 


202 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


and  is  preoccupied  by  mexicanus  of  Kerr  (1792).  The  latter  is  unident- 
ifiable, the  vague  description  applying  equally  well  to  several  species. 
It  being-  clearly  impossible  to  use  the  name  mexicanus,  it  should  be 
dropped  from  the  group. 

Cranial  measurements  of  hco  of  Lichten stein's  ti/pe  specimens  of  Ascomys  mexicanus. 
[Measured  by  Dr.  Paul  M.itschie.] 


1558. 


1559. 


Greatest  basal  length  (condyle  to  front  of  premaxilla)  . 

Basal  length  (basion  to  gnathion) 

Basilar  length  ot  Hensel  (basion  to  alveolus  of  incisor). 

Greatest  zygomatic  breadth 

Gre;;te.st  breadth  posteriorly  across  squamosals 

Least  breadth  between  postglenoid  notches  

Least  interorbital  breadth 

Height  of  cranium  aliove  palate 

Height  of  cranium  above  basion 

Length  of  upper  molar  series  on  alveoli 

Length  of  diastema 

Length  of  single  mandible  without  teeth 

Breadth  across  angular  processes 

Distance  trora  condyle  to  end  of  angular  process 

Breadth  across  muzzle  just  in  front  of  zygoma 


14.5 

25.5 

42.5 

54 

20 

13 


55 
52 
48 
35.5 
40 
28 
9  5 
20 
17 
13 
21 
36 
37 
16 
11 


(B.)  Tables  of  Average  Measurements  of  the  Various 

Species. 

Average  measurements  of  the  species  of  Geomys. 
[All  measurements  are  in  millimeters  .and  from  fresh  .specimens.] 


Name  of  species. 


G.  bursarius . 

O.  hitescens  . . 
G.  breviceps . . 

G.  sagittalis . . 

6.  attwateri. . 

G.  texensis . . . 
6.  arenarmt . 
G.  personatus 
G.  fallaz 

G.  tuza  

G.  mobilensis 
G.Jiondanus. 


Locality. 


Southeastern  North  Dakota. . . 

Elk  River,  Minnesota 

Hunter  and  Williamsville, Mis- 
souri   

Western  Nebraska* 

Childress,  Texas 

Mer  Eouce,  Louisiana  * 

Benton,  Arkansas 

Fort  Gibson,  Indian  Territory. 

Miueola,  Texas .*. . 

Molano,  Texas 

Galveston  Bay,  Texas  ' 

Houston,  Texas 

Kockport,  Aransas  County, 
Texas  * ." . . 

Mason,  Texas  * 

El  Paso,  Texas  * 

Padre  Island,  Texas* 

South  side  Nueces  Bay,  Corpus 
Christi,  Texas  *. .. ' 

Augusta,  Georgia  * 

Butler,  Georgia^ 

Mobile  Bay,  Alabama  * 

San  Mateo,  Florida 


Number  of 
specimens. 


!  <^ 


Total 
length. 


Tail 
VertebrsB. 


Hind  foot. 


40 

20 

20  : 

12 

4 

8  ■ 

22 

12 

10 

10 

4 

0  1 

38 

15 

23 

7 

4 

3 

14 

5 

9 

14 

6 

8 

11 

5 

6 

20 

5 

15 

9 

5 

4 

17 

10 

7 

''8 

32 

8 

24 

13 

4 

9 

13 

9 

10 

19 

10 

9 

10 

5 

5 

8 

4 

4 

6 

3 

3 

296 

284 

256 
270 
257 
231 
243 
233 


265 
243 

223 
246 
228 
213 
206 
209 


220.5,  193. 
216.2  206 
220  I  196 
226   208 


255 
(t) 
260 
315 

263 
269 
257 
250 
288 


220 


;250 
293 

236 
249 
241 
229 
235 


78 


37 


74  63 

84  72 

81. 5  08 

70     I  61 

74     I  66. 3 

68. 2i  61.7 

67. 8,  57.  2 

63.  8:  60.  3 

64    I  54 

64  57 


80 


83 
111 


33 
33.5 

30 

28 

29 

27.8 

26.3 

26.4 

26 

25 

30 


34 


30 

31.5 

28 

26.5 

27 

26.3 

24.1 

24.5 

23 

24 

28 


32 
40 

34  ' 
34.4 
33.8 
33.6 
35.5 


t32 
36 

'    31 
32 

3i'.6 
30.5 
33 


'Type  locality. 

(Average  of  28  specimens  of  both  sexes:  total  length,  210;  hind  foot,  28. 

ISome  of  the  .specimens  of  arenarius  recorded  as  females  are  very  large  and  were  probably  m.'ileB; 
hence  the  averages  here  given  for  females  ari'  probably  too  gieat. 
§The  specnuens  from  Butler.  Ga.,  are  clearly  intermediate  between  tuza  and  mobileiuis. 


JAN.,  1895.] 


AVERAGE    MEASUREMENTS. 


203 


Average  measurements  of  the  species  of  Craiogeomys. 


LAll  measurements  are  in  millimeters  and  from  fresh  specimens.] 


Locality. 

Number  of 
specimens. 

Total 
length. 

Tail 
vertebrae. 

Hind  foot. 

Name  of  species. 

3 

o 

H 

d 

? 

d 

? 

d 

? 

d 

? 

C.  merriami 

Valley  of  Mexico,  Mexico 

18 
7 
3 

12 
8 
1 
1 
4 
3 

11 
4 

4 

"i 

7 
3 
3 
12 
4 
1 
1 
3 
3 

380 
328 

'sis' 
'295' 

344 
289 
324 
310 
277 
318 
304 
256 
259 

113 
94.5 

'89'" 

"95"" 

105 
85 
91 
88 
75 
92 
87 
77 
77 

50 

47 

"'42' 

"37' 


46 
43  5 

42  6 

C.  perotensis 

Cofre  de  Perote,  Mexico 

41.5 
37 

C.  oreoeetes  

C.  peregrinug 

C.  castanops 

Mount  Popocatapetl,  Mexico  . . 
Mount  Iztaccihuatl,  Mexico... 

43 
42 
33 

Albuquerque,  New  Mexico 

34 

C.  castanops  gold 

mani 

C.  fulveicens 

Cauitas,  Zaeatecas,  Mexico.... 
Chalchicomula,  Puebla,  Mexico. 

3 
9 

"3' 

3 

6 

327 

257 
302 

ios   ' 

82.7 
97 

"43" 

34.3 
39.6 

Average  measurements  of  the  species  of  Platygeomys,  Orthogeomys,  Heterogeomys,  Pappo 

geomys,  and  Zygogeomys. 

[All  measurements  are  in  millimeters  and  from  fresh  specimens.] 


Xocality. 

Number  of 
specimens. 

Total 
length. 

Tail 
vertebr*. 

Hind 
foot. 

Name  of  species. 

1 
^ 

cT 

9 

d 

? 

d         ? 

d 

9 

Platygeomys  gymnu- 
run. 

P.  tylorhinus 

P.  planiceps 

Zapotlan,  Jalisco,  Mexico  . . . 

Sierra  Nevada  de  Colima, 
Jalisco,  Mexico. 

Tula,  Hidalgo,  Mexico 

Patzcuaro,  Michoacan,  Mex- 
ico. 

N.  slope  Vole.  Toluca,  Mex- 
ico, Mexico. 

Colima  City,  Mexico 

Cerro  San  Felipe,  Oaxaca, 
Mexico. 

Mount  Zempoaltepec,  Oax- 
aea,   Mexico. 

Jico,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico 

Motzorongo,    Vera     Cruz, 

Mexico. 
Chichicaxtle,      Vera    Cruz 

(type),  Mexico. 
Sierra   Nevada  de  Colima, 

Jalisco,  Mexico. 
Guadalajara,  Jalisco 

Nahuatzin,  Michoacan 

6 

2 

3 
5 

3 

10 
10 

3 

5 

14 
1 
6 
1 

10 

3 

1 
3 

1 

7 
2 

2 

2 

4 

2 

3 

3 
2 

2 

2 

2 
3 

8 

1 
3 

10 
1 
4 
1 
7 

353 

345 
348 

372 

287.5 
369 

416 

345 

348 

236 

343 

322 

298 
331.5 

336.5 

277 
360 

380 

311 

317 

323 

216 

226 

323 

105        9: 

85 

100         91.5 
101.5     91.5 

121       100 

82         7.1 

53.5 

45 
49.5 

46 

42 
50 

54 

53 

49 

33 

46 

49.5 

49 

39.5 
45.5 

43 

39  5 

Orthogeomys  sealops . . 

Orthogeomys  nelsoni. . 

Heterogeomys   hispi- 
dus. 

103.5 
131 

92 

96.  5 

81 
111 

109 
118 

85 

81.5 

88 

72 

68 
106 

50 
52 
47 
45.5 

Pappogeomys  bulleri  . 

Pappogeomys     albi- 

nasus. 
Zygogeomys  trichopus 

52 
30 
31 
43 

204 


NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA. 


[no.  8. 


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JAN.,  1895. 


CRANIAL   MEASUREMENTS. 


205 


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206 


NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


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CRANIAL   MEASUREMENTS. 


207 


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to  Ift'  ift  ift  ift  ift  vft  ift  ift 


Ift      Ift  ift      Ift 
t»  CD  t»  ^  CO  CD  CO  CO  O 


Ift  Ift         Ift 
00  GO  OS  00  OS  t>  C 


Ift  Ift  Ift  Ift  fl? 
MC^!M!n(M(N(MdC^l 


t^OOiftiftiftCOiftift-^ 
CM(MC^iMiMS^(MCg(M 


t~-t-CDCDtftiftiftlft--i* 

COCOfCCOCOCOCQCCCC 


Ift  Ift 

O  O*  O  OS  Oi  00  c 


>  CO  CO  coco 


CO<MC<J(M^f-(i— (OO 


JOOCCOOOO 


-c-s  ii-r  ~  2 -s  ■* -a 

"b  \)  "o  V)  "doch-ocm- 

ino"^t*ascot>cceo 

inxxcox-fxinm 
Niomwiocsmmw 


208 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


^    a 


Cj     ^ 


Ratios  to  basal 
length. 

•a^'BiBd  sAoq-B 
mniuBaj      jo     ^qSpH 

Ferct. 
37 

38.3 
38.5 
38.3 

in 

35.2 
36.3 
37.  5 
37.7 

GO     •                    »IA 

•qapeaaq 
1 1;  B  o  in  u  11  b  s  :}e9;'B8J£) 

I'erct. 
56 

56.5 
55.2 
56.4 

52.9 
56.5 
57.3 
50.1 

58.1 

56 
SS.5 

•mpB9jq  oi^BraoS.^z 

Perct. 

64 

62.6 

65.6 

67 


CO 

3 

61.7 
62.6 
64.5 
63.2 

00      '                          Ok 

^  :         ^i 

•BiuoSiz 
JO  ^oo.i  ■}»  0[zzmu  JO   qjpBOjg; 

o  o  O)  o  OS  ca  o  S3  a>  ci  00  0000              cocsoooiosos              oa 

•8S9D0.ld   jBin.g                    1                      "".      "^      "^              '"."^ 
III!  oj  9i.?l)noa  raojj  oouBjsfo;  '            SSl^SS^Jl^SSS"""'^ 

in              icin 
co-^cicir-idoi                Cir* 

r-iF^ 

•eassaao.id  .iT;[nSni3  esojoB 
gjqipnBW  JO  i[ipB3iq  ^sa4U9.iQ 

in                 in      in     "5     in 

coT).rH(M— iooi>r~E^int-:>r 

cocococococococ-miMcioics 

in  in  in  in  in  in  in 

-r  r^  c-i  ci  o  00  t~              -^M 

CO  CO  CO  ?;  CO  N  eo              cms 

.IIB'I  f 

•.Hqiptiwtu  JO 
[Siiis  JO  q:>gn9(  iS9jB9Jf) 

in                                 inin             in 

i>  t^  in  in  "4<  in  in  (M  cj  (M  "<  o  o              oo  t^  cd  in -^  m  os             ooe 

eococococococococococococo              cocomcoi-ococm             ceee 

'ijni^lK'Bip  JO  q^SaQT^ 


in      o  in  in  m  m      mm 

ooo>o>05Ci05t^cdcDminm 


mm  iCi\n 

o  o  rH  o  o  t>  m 


CI  Cl  (M  W  iM  r 


's      2 


'is 


•[[OaAIB    JO 

89U9S  .iLqoiu  jgddu  JO  qjSng'j 


in  in         in  in     in  in 

ooooooocJosooioioi 


j  tnuasBra 

i  nacQ'BJojjodti  joij9jni  9Aoqc 
inniunio    jo  ^qSiaq   jfi9}Ba.if) 


in         in  in         in  in  in  in 
cocococowcococi^c^e^cqtM 


m   in   in  in  in 

O  .— '  O  -^  0>  03  C3 


^14  Tf  CO  'sff  CO  CO  CO 


•gj^iBd  9AoqB 
raniUBJO  JO   ^qSiaq  ie9:)B9JQ 


in     in     in         tn  ^^     minin 
odosooootroooo^dcdt^toinin 


in      in  in 
00  00  00  00  i>  «o  ® 


j                 -q^pBejq  iBijiqiojg^ai 

in              in              ininininin              mm                              ia 

1  qDjon  p[on9[Sjeod  i^b  qi^pBajjr 

mmm      irari      ^o              \o          xd                         in 

i-lr-»OOC505a:OSOaioic3o6                     0^^0  00  050100                    oo» 
<M<M(MC0r-«f-1r-l^-Mi-'r-li-t.-<                     CIC3(M.-l-^r-l^                    Mr-" 

!        •(spt048Btn  jaAo)  siBsoai 
'  -BnbsssojoB  qjpB9jq  je9jB8J9 

mm                       m                    **            mmm      m             m 
onoo:dcc^cO!D-*'*'^'i«^co               t'00L--^t-^-tmco              i>» 

C<IMWWMC>JC^(M(M(M1MC0C^                     (MMW(MCO!MCa                    MM 

inininin         in             in             in                     m.m 
•q)pB9jq  oi^BtnoS^CZ                c.i -h  ^- ^  cJ oi  o  t- =d  t~  t- 1- m"             rn-^^^oir^o             coo 

COCOCOCOOlMCOnCMNlNINIM                     COCOCOCOIMIMOl                    mCO 

lasaaH  Jo  q^Snai  jBXjsBa: 

mm         mmm                     mm 

tOCO^<^CO^'*000500t>00                     t^!D'*mMOt-                    «« 
^ -* -^ -^  Tjl -.ijl  ^  Tf  ^  CO  CO  rO  CO                     -.11 '^ -^  Tii  ^  ..J.  CO                    ^^ 

•(B]|txBrn9.id  JO 
■;aoij  o;  uoisBq)  q;S'n9[  jBSBg; 

mm                         m                     mm                       >o 

o  05  00  t- t-^  t~  t~  ^  CO  CO  .-1 -^  .-H               t-coJoooiricoo              ocd 
m -^ -i^i '.^ -^ -^ -^ -♦■.#.# -^  .* -^              m  ■* -^ -^  ■«* -^  ■.*             "O** 

•  (BnixBtnaad  jo  ^uoaj  oi  9jAp 
•  -uool'    q}ga9[  xBSBq  ^s9}B9jq 

c4oi— ioooot^t30-*-*co              coMo'--oo'ine<i             ejij 

m  m  m  m  m  m  m -^  Ti*  ^  ..* -^ -^              mmmm-^-^-v             'O'D 

.'  cS 


■  •3  a 

5  cs  o 


r 


^3  "O  \>  "t)  "O  "X; 'bCH■0^-CM■CH-CM■CM- 


'^  '^'^  '^  "^  'w 

<d  ^  c^  ^  cj  ^ 

tl^^'o*D't)O^■0f 


Sis 


r-<C^OSiMCOTj4'r)<C3inOCO'*^ 

m  m  CO  CO  :o  X  in  CO  m  :c  o  CO  to 
cocoGCroccroooaooocOGOoooo 
mmm'^omcommmtAmmm 


■^  1— '  C»  i-(  O  CO  o 

^  th  ^  ro  i-i  fM  CO 
m  m  m  1-*  m  ^^  — 
CD  CO  CO  "^  •— <  ■-f  -^ 


CRANIAL    MEASUREMENTS. 


209 


.-H  C^l  .-H  Irt  CO 
-»ll  CD  I>  l-^  00 


coerce  CD 

(M  o  oj  oi  w 


(O  CO  ^tr~  CO 

CD  CD  iC  CO  CD 
CD  CD  CD  CD  CD 


OC^OOOt-OOCD'^^l 


Tf-^-^corocococococo 


C^  M  W  M  (M  (M  (M  CI  ^  --i 


-cooooocdi>t-<o»cift 


(>J  W  (M  (M  C^  CI  WCl  W  1-t 


csodooooodoooooocooo 


O  ifS  kO  lO  »C  lO  lA  '^  f^  1-H 
(M  <M  (M  CJ  CI  fM  O-i  a  C-1  W 


irtlOCOC^COCO^tMOOS 

cococococococococcc-i 


c3cic3ctCSc3acSc3c3 
"X  ^^Y)^DCH-OfC>^•OCHOt- 


ooooioooooao 


;  ic  in  m  o  iC)  I 


7433— No.  8- 


-14 


210 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


O     -3 


't^ 


=     a 


ft      2 


uiniutjjo  JO  :niSi9H 


*j  -*  i;^  lo  00 


■q^P'eajq 

1 1!  8  O  m  B  U  b  S   ^S9JB9Jf3 


■q:(P'B9j:q  onuraoS^/tz 


h  CO  CO  o  -^  m 
fv  «o  <©  CD  «)  ;o 

"S  Ift  CO  30  t^  1-1 

S  Js  o  »o  OS  (ri 
c,    CO  t-toco  t~ 


OS  35  CO 

oo  ^ 


ncooo 
ift  «  M 


■-HO  o 


■v.moSJi.'i 
JO  jooj  :»«  a]zzura  jo  qjpBSJfx 


•ss9.io.xcI  jn^nS 
-nu  oij  ajXpuo.i  luojj  gDnB^eiQ 


lo  lo  »o      mm 


lo  m  irt  I 

I  M  ^  00  CO  r?  c 


lO  in  u> 

Cl  N  rH  -.;  1-H 


3         Irt  lO  O         »0         lO  in 

It— t>cj6cdt-cii>-»ocoiO'^if5mtA 


•eassaoojd  aBiuSnu  seoaon 
9[qiptrein  jo  q-jpuo.iq  ^sajuaafj 

■aiqtpnBiu  jo 
j|Bq  9|Snts  ji)  i[}Stia[  ^S9:>B9a:£) 


C0CS0C0t-»-»O00.—  t^COCOWWt-tlMO 


•BHia^SBip  JO  q^Snai 


(Mt>»ocoiO".*^»r:»-4<  —  ^ooososco 


irtift  miom  »cinm 

OOCSCO'cOCOldcOlO-'l'^COlMOvlN^OS 
C>J  CT  (N  CM  Ca  (M  Cl  C-1  M  <M  IN  IM  IM  e-l  (M  « 


in  o  -^  lo  CM 


O  T-l  O  Wt- 


O  O  OS  OS  L^ 
-#  tXCO  coto 


in  in 

^  CO  T-l  ^  cs 
C^  ■>!  CM  CM  CM 


•IJ09Ap!  UO 

89U98  JBiotu  jodtin  JO  q^Snaq; 


in  in      inin      minm  inin 

1  CO  CO  T)(  CO  CM  C-l  C-i  CM  cm'  C'l  Cl  CM  r.i  rH 


•uiiiusuui 
uouiBJOj  JO  di[  jouajni  aAoqB 
luuiuBJo"  jo'  iqStaq  ijS9:>B9Jf) 


■a^KHid  9AoqB 
iminBjD  JO  jqSieq  ^eaijBgjf) 


•qjpBa.iq  ^B:)iq.io.i9q.ni 


■qojon  piona^Sjeod  jb  qjpBaag 


(spiojsBni  jaAo)  sjBsoiu 
-Biibs  ssojDB  qipuaaq  isajBOjf) 


in  in  ic  in      in  in      in 

i-HodosOSOSOSODOOQOt-OOt-h^t-cdi 


ininininin  ininin 

<»ioint-cD'^-^in'<*cocococococM— < 

CM  CM  CM  CM  CM  C^l  C^l  C^l  C^l  CM  CM  C^l  CM  CM  CM  CM 


OSOSOOGOCCOSOOCSCTSCSOt^QOOSr^OSQO 


COTHOSOf--rH^.—  C:CSCC»-<OCSC 

cooocMcocororcro^iTiocococi'; 


■q}pB9jq  oi^buioSjCz 


in  in      in  in  m  in 

00  CM  OS  1— "  •—  co'  OS  CO  ci  OS  t~  CO  r-  00  in  CO 

■^■<*rOrl'-^-<J«^3-«#Tj«COCOC^COCOCOCO 

in      in  in  in      in  in  in  m 

o>t^c^iiniri-^#-^incMO^^ooo>QOin 

■<J<-.*-#-*.-ttiT*irtf-*-f-^-.S''^C0COCO 


l.jenajj.J''  qiSuaj  .ib^isbc[ 

(BjiixBuiaad  JO 
}aoaj  oj  uojSBq)  q^Sna^  ]BSBa 


in      in  in  in  »o 
5 1-  '*  '^'  CO  ci  ^  . 


cocoininininininininininin 


in  tn  in  in  in  in  m 

ocd-ri-'^cO'.^c^ioOQOt-co'cd 
t^cocococococococDininini-n 


in  in 

CM  CM  r-!  O  -H 


in   in   m 
CO  t- 1.^  t-  «J 


mm  in   m 

CM  cm'  cm'  Cl  i-i 
CM  e^i  CM  e  I  CM 

m  m  m   in 
t- 1-^  t-I  t- 1- 


i-Qomco  m 

Ol  CM  Ol  OI  CM 


CO  m  -•#  ^co 

CO  CO  CO  CO  CO 


OS  OS  00  00  t- 

coco  CO  CO  CO 


in   m  in 

O  »-(  OS  OS  o 

m  in  -*  '^  -^ 


m  in  in  in  m 


(BinxBinaid  JO  juo.ij  oj 
9] ipuoo)  qjSuai  iBSBqtfsajBa.iQ 


in         m  m  m  m      in  in  m 

'iHooot>t^t^m.»*co.-'Ooc50si>^ 
t-i-cocococDcDcococococomminm 


m  m 
od  00  t 


m  in 
■CD  ■* 


imninm  io 


Is 


gS-2 


"  ?  o 


«>1hJ 


1^3 


r:  o  o-w-r 


be'* '3  "*  "^  "C^ 
jrcS  C5  C3  c;  IS  cS 

"10  "D  "D  *D  "ID  *ti  "b  "d  "b  "c'oCH-CH-O-OO 


Cm-O+CHOCh- 


i.-^  CD  ^  05  0> 

G>  o  as  aa  oc 

(N  •?<  C^  C^  !M 


in  »o  to  lo  lo 


JAN.,  1895.1 


CRANIAL    MEASUREMENTS. 


211 


to  o 


C5  CO  rH 

ocio 


OS  l^ 


in      in 

1-1  o  o  o  O  (M  »-i 


oo 


in  lO      »n      in 
tJ<  c^  ^  i-«  -^  ■.*  c^i 


in  in 

in 

in 

r^  oo 

coco 

CO 

ss 

CO  (M  ^  .-1  00 
CO  CO  CO  C^  CO 

to 

CO 

CO  CO 

o  --<to  to  « 

Tjl  .^  ro  CO  CO 

CO  CO  (N  *-l  00  00  CD 
CO  CO  CO  CO  CO  CO  CO 


00  00  CO  CO  m 

CO  CO  CO  CO  CO 


(M 

o 

(M 

m              mm 

•H  OS  00  00  (M  TJ  rH 
C)  >-i  ■-.  ^  C-1  (M  Ol 

mm 

00  00 

CO  «  O  O  OS 

:=3 

m 
o 

m 

mm          mm 

O  OS  O  O  OS  o  o 

m 

OS  OS 

in 

(M  N  — '  CS  => 

mm 
mm 

m 

m 

mm      m  t^  lo 
lo  "*  ■*  CO  m'  m"  m 

m 
coco 

m  m 
r- 1^  to'  in  to 

m 

?3(M 

o 

m 

(M 

in  tn  in      in  ^ 

O  OS  00  00  ^  CJ  o 
5<1  rH  — 1  r-1  IM  C-l  M 

m 

00  00 

m          m 

oi  (M  (M  <3  — 1 
!M  <N  <M  CJ  « 

m  m 

00 

"^ 

mm      m 
I-  i~  t-^  -.o  t-  I-  t- 

m  m 

o      m  m 
t^  X  t-^  to  t^ 

CO  <M  r-1  i-HM  -^  Ol 
(M  (M  !M  (M  CM  CM  W 


CO  O  (M  ■<*  CO 
C^  C<I  <M  tM  CM 


O  00  t^  CD  CO  CI  O 
CO  C^7  C-I  Ol  CO  CO  CO 


■^  CO  O  O  OJ 

CO  CO  CO  CO  CQ 


m 

m 

lo      m  ; 

m 

inmtn 

oox 

coco 

C-J 

CO 

s? 

00  (M  1-)  O  t^     '  -# 

CO  CO  CO  CO  CO      'CO 

CO  h 

o  comm^ 

■>J<COCOCO  CO 

m 

m 

m           m 

m 

m 

^ 

to  CO  .-1  o  cs  c:  t- 

ooo  t- t^m 

m  '^  ■'^  •'^  ^ 

m      m  in 

m 

m  m 

m 

m 

.H  t- -*  .*  CO  CO  o 

m  •'31  ^  -^  in  m  m 

to  ^ 

mco.-trt  OS 

-^  O  t-^  l^  C>  CD  CO 

irt  lO  Tf  -rf  O  lO  tC 


OO  CD  -^  -^  CM 

lO  o  ift  »o  m 


^    i    o 


c       tj  o 


C3   C8 

tj  o 


is  a 


^■a^  °  = 


•o-o 


^►? 


\)CH-00'SD'b"D 


00  ^  "  I*  00  00  OS 

to  to  to  !0  O  -f  -+ 

CO  CO  CO  CO  ^  o  o 

I-  L^  t^  r^  ir; .-(  r-i 


5  a 

CO 

Chal 
Chal 

'■■6 

•  ca 

cS  ^iCi  eS  cS 

O+CH- 

"OtlOOtOl 

ujin 

CO  to  '=r 
00  00  ? 

m'nta 

ic5 

m 

212 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


•S      ^ 


rO^" 


■&\'ei'eil  oAoqu  ratim 

•UJO  JO  JuSiaq  !J89'J'B9jr) 


_  00  t™  oot-^ 


•qipBSjq 
1 «  8  o  at  B  n  b  s  ^eai^'Bejf) 


«ooc»oo 

b;  CO  OS  in  c^ 
0  t^i>  t^r* 


•q^pBejq  di'^BmoSi^z 


JO  ^ooa  "JB  9[zziini  jo  q^p^ajg 


J        00        OS 


ici^ioiriioin-*-^ 


ri  :s  (7J  »n  ^  I 


00  OS  O  OS  OS  o 
CO  CO  CO  CO  CO  ^ 


OSOSCO  (MCOOO 
OS  1^  ITS  "^<  CO *t-^ 

co  to  CO  t-  r-  t^ 


CO  CO  (M  N         CO 

00  00  00  -^  O  -rl* 
00  00  00  l>  t^  l^ 


C-J  -H  O  CO  ■*  « 


•SSaOO.Kl  JB[1I§ 

■ni?  o)  ojA'piioo  uio.ij  0DnB}8i(i 


•8aS89.>Ojd  JBinSuF  srojob 

9iqtpiiBni  JO  qjpnajq  :)89jB9J[0 


O         lO         1/0 

^COOOOOSOSO 
(M  <M  <M  CJ  (M  .-I  i-H  CJ 


t^cocor^t*coos(M 

liO  CO  to  UO  O  »f5  -^  m 


OOliOCOOSOOt-t-t 


CT  (M  o  m  00  ^  o  CO 

1.0  -^  "^  to  '^  ITT  U5  Tj* 


■9]qtpaBiu  JO 
j[Bq  ajSnis  jo  q)Sn9x  589j'B9jy 


C0lO(M^(Nf-li-H<N 


iMm->a<'*COOOO 
■^COCO"^'^**'^^ 


■BtnajeBtpjo  qfjSnai 


•[I09A|B  no 
891.198  .iB{c'iu  ,i9adii  JO  qjSaa'j 


eooin-^cocoiMM 


•mil  USB  in  n9ia 

-BIOJ    JO    CllI    ,I0T.I9jni    9AOqB 

luninBJO   jb  iqSraq  }e9j'B9J£) 


•ajBJBCl  9A0qB 

tnnmBJO  jo  jq§i9q  ^e9!j'B9J£) 


•qjpB9jq  ]'BHtqJ0J9^ui 


O  iO  uo 
oososooooi-^oo'oo 


-<1<OSOiO-^COCOCO 
(M  rH  (M  (M  IM  (M  (M  CI 


M  ci  o  CO  CO  w  oi  ci 


lo  1(0  in  lO      m      m 

o6lO'*OSt~OCOOCO 


W(NC<IMC^C^C<IC 


ocs'oooososos 


in    in  in   in 

cor-to-^cococ^ico 

M  (N  IM  e<l  M  IM  (N  CJ 

in  in      in  in 

00C--C^OSOSQ0t^t~- 


•8988900.1(1 

|BjTqjoj8od     esoJoB     qjxiBajq 
•q.i)on  pionaiS^sod  ib  qj^JBOig; 


Tjiinro-eficoocM^ 

cocococococococo 


•(epiO^SBlU  J9A(>)  8IBK01U 
-BUbS  SSOJOB  q}pB9jq  JS9JB9.iy 


in  in  in  ic  in 

00  ci  t^  t^  CO  -^I  '^  ci 


— <C:-COOa.-IIM<M00 
COtMCJCOCOCOCOlM 


-fC0C0C0»*^'*O 
■^COCO"^^^^'^ 


in  in 

CO  OS 


•qjpB9jq  gf^BoioSjtz 


ini^CO-*CO'*COC;i  COCOCOCOtMNr-io  MOO 


■I9sn9g;  jo  q^jSngj  jB^isBa 


t^t-I^COCD-^COCO 

in  in  in  in  in  in  in  in 


•^t'lnt^coweoN 

m-^'^ininininin 


•(B|JIXBlU9jd  JO 

inojj  oj  uoi8Bq)  qjSiigi  ^BSBg 


■  (BntxBra9jd  JO  jaoaj  oj 
aijCpnoo)  qiSa9i  ][B8Bq  ^pajBQjQ 


(MMC<IiHOOSQOt^ 

cococococoininin 


oooQOCjococoin^ 
in  in  TT  CO  CO  in  in  in 


cocDinm-*CQiMo 

CO  CO  CO  CO  CO  CO  CD  CO 


.-ICO-HCO'*i-IO<3S 

coo  in  CO  CO  CO  coin 


:::3  o  o  o  o 


2; 


3 

a  ci    •    - 


3i 


a^ 


"b  *b  "^o  *X5  "b  V)  Of  Of 


Tt<»-<O^OSCOtftCO 

lO  m  •-'^  o  lO  in  to  lO 


"oOfOf  V.  "000*0 


QOCOCOOCOOOOCOOO 
QOQOQO'-'^-'—  t-    --H 


as 


a;    22 


a  a 

cj  c« 

"o  o 


"do 


JAN.,  1895.] 


CRANIAL    MEASUREMENTS. 


213 


00l>  <— I        '^  CO  oo 

|>  l>  C."  00  O  OS  oc 

CO  CO  TP  CO  -T  CO  CO 


05  O  O  <M  ■M  O  00 


CO  ift -^         t-  '^  'Tf* 

OS  CO  no  M'  c^i  csi  w 

C)  t-  l>  t^  t*  l>  t^ 

in      in  ifj  lO)  \o  to 
CO  CO  c^  ^i  c^i  ^  c^ 


«D  «0  irt  Tj(  CO  O  r-l 


00 1*  r^  »n  lO  lO  '* 

CO  CO  CO  CO  CO  CO  CO 


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CQ  O  O  OSOS  OS  00 

CM  N  CI   —'  l-H   r-l   rH 

CO  ci  Oi  C^  Ol  tA  1-^ 


iO        kO        lO  lO 
CO  iiO  lO  lO  lO  '<*i  CO 


1—1  O  O  Oi  O  C^  OS 
(N  M  IM'-H  CN  ^  r-1 


lA  m  kO  lO  lO 

Oi  00  00  00  00  00  00 


iC  ifl  lO        lO 
O  CJ  00  00  OS  t^  00 


00  I>  CO  CC  CO  -^  CO 
CO  CO  CO  CO  CO  CO  CO 


00  Ol  00  t^  CO  Ift  lO 
CO  CO  CO  CO  CO  CO  CO 


^-1  00  t>  CO  Ift  iC  - 
*0  -^  -^  -^  -^  Tji  ' 


Wi  CO  .-H  O  OS  05  OS 
lO  lO  UO  lO  '^  -^  -^ 


OS  CO  T*  CO  (N  W  T-1 

lo  w  lo  lo  in  to  lo 


o  o  o 
'o'o'o 


"S -3 -a  ■« -a 'c!  SD 

0!  rt  c3  cS  S  ce  >-i 

'D^^^'bo+CH■o^- 

tH  t~  CCI  00  (M  "*  in 
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214 


NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  8. 


?         125 


't^> 


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mniu^.ij   JO    !mS!9H 

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do 

a 

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ss 

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to 

in  »  OS 
ci  to  c-i 

<0  CO  CD 

CO  00  IM 

ift  ifioo 
coeo^ 

- 

i         3 

00  I> 

(4 

■qip^aaq  oi!jT;tnoSj?z 

00 

oi 

CO 

cqoo 

■BUIOS^Z 

JO  nooj  'iv  apznra  jo  q^pBajg; 

in 

00 

oooo 

o> 

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in 

t^co 

f-i  i-t 

•esaoojcl  jBinSntj 
0}    ex^piioo    tnojj    eon'B'jstQ; 


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eiqipirem  jo  qjBOjq  LtsaiuaJf)  i 


•jospui  'jiioqim  aiqipniitnjo 
j[Bq  a^Snib- JO  qjSuat  isa^uaaf) 


CI         CJ  Cl 


Ol         (M  C^l 


mm 

CO  CD  CO  m  '^ 


coffjco  doo 

-f   ^  -^   Tj<  CO 

m  m  m  m 
m  CD  m-Hico 


•emaisBip  jo  j\%Su.9'j 


■iloaAiB  no  eaijas  JB[oni  aacldj2 


•noistjq 
9AoqB    tnninBJo    jo    ^qSjajj 

•9JBlBd 

OAoqB    mnmB.io     jo    jqSiaH 


mm 

CO  CO 


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m  CO  m  '*  CO  -^ 

(M  (M  <M  IM  C-l  O) 


m  m  m  -^ 

cs  o  OS  o  o  CX) 


mm 
m  m 


m  CO  m  CO  m 

(M(NM(M(M 


•q5X)B9jq  iB^jq.ioiajni 


•sassaoojd 
icjiqjojeod  naaii^gfi  q^ptjajjf 

qo^on  ptonaiSjsod  ^b  i^pBaag; 


•<#mm  mo-* 


mm  m  c<i 

CO  oc  t^OO  00  CO 


t-  00  t-QOOS  CD 


m  m 

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BIBSOUI 

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lasnag  jo  q:)Sua[  jb[tsb{[ 


•(not  I 

-qjBnS  o}  noiSBq)  q^gngi  |BSBa'  j 

•(nounBuS  oi  0|^tp 
■noa)  qjSaaj    \t3sv(\  ^eajBaaf) 


OIM  Ot-IOOS 
■*  -^  Tj«  ^  ■*  CO 

m  m  00 

c-i  ^  r^  oo  t^  d 

'^  ■*  CO  CO  CO  ^ 


OS  t~  00  t^  m  CO 
m  m  m  m  m  m 


■*  CO  CO  ca  O  CO 

CD  CD  CO  CD  CD  CD 


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JAN. 

1895.) 

in 

.~5  1.0 

00 
CO 

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c> 

lato 

IN 

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CRANIAL    MEASUREMENTS. 


215 


id  in 

lO  CO 


<  C>  c6  yi 


3  »ft  C^  CC 


- 

in  in 

.n 

5         55 

e-ito 

lO 

CO 

CO 

00  CO 

to 

ic  to  O^  C<l 

in 

\f^  in 

m  in 

in 

to                   -^lO 

00  00 
'T  CO 

1- 

co 

CJ  003  0COO 

-r  ^  CO  CO  CO 

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OCqOOQO 

in              in 

lOiO 

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« 

INDEX. 


[Kames  of  genera  and  species  are  in  heavy  type.] 


Adaptation  to  subterranean  life.  15. 
Alispbenoid  bone,  43-45. 
canal,  36,43. 
Ascomys  (synonym  of  (.eoiiiys),  109. 
canadensis,  120, 
niexirauus  2ul . 
Basioccipital,  40. 
Basisphenoid,  43. 
Brain  case,  floor,  35. 
Callosity,  nasal,  16. 
Canal,  alispbenoid,  43. 

infraorbital,  39,  55. 
Cheek  pouches,  18. 

muscles.  101. 
Color  phases,  19. 
Cranial  variations,  63-68. 
Cranium.     (-SVe  Skull.) 
I'ratogeonijs : 

Genus,  defined,  150-151. 
Key  to  species,  151. 
Cratogeoniy  i'astanoi)s,  159, 160. 

cranial        m  e  a  s  u  r  e - 
meiits,  211. 
castanops  goldmani,  160,161. 

cranial    iiieas- 
uremeuts,  211. 
estor,  155, 156. 

cranial  measurements,  210. 
fulTeseens,  101,162. 

cranial     measure- 
ments, 211. 
merrlanii,  151-153. 

cranial        measure- 
ments, 210. 
creocetes,  156,  157. 

cranial     measurements, 
211. 
peregrinus,  158,  159. 

cranial  measurements, 
211. 
perotensis,  154, 155. 

cranial  measurements, 
210. 
Cribriform  plate,  50. 
Dental  armature,  69. 
Digastric  muscle,  100. 
Diplostoma  (synonym  of  (ieonijs),  109. 
fusca,  120. 


Dynamics  of  cutting  machine  as  a  whole,  88-97. 
incisors,  89,  90. 
molars,  90-93.  . 
Ectoturbinal,  52. 
Enamel  in  incisors,  70. 
in  molars,  78-83. 
in  premolars,  78. 
Enamel  cap  in  young  teeth,  84-87. 
Enamel  organ,  87. 
Eudoturbinal,  52. 
Ethmoid,  50-52. 
Exoccipital,  41. 
Feet,  15. 

Fissui-e,  sphenoidal,  36. 
Floor  of  brain  case,  35. 
Food,  19. 

treatment  of,  98. 
Foramen  ovale,  39,  45. 

rotundum,  39,45. 
Fossa,  olfactory,  35. 
pterygoid,  36. 
sphenoid,  35. 
spheno-pterygoid,  36. 
Frontal,  49,  65. 

descending  plates,  35, 49. 
Geographic  distribution,  26. 
Geoinys: 

Genus  defined,  109-112. 
Key  to  species,  113. 
Oeoniys  arenarius,  139-141. 

cranial  measurements,  207. 
breviceps,  129-133. 

craiiial  measurements.  205. 
breviceps  attwateri,  135-137. 

cranial    measure- 
ments, 205. 
breviceps  sagittalis,  134. 

cranial    measure- 
ments, 205. 
bullori,  147. 

cranial  measurements,  214. 
bursarius,  120-127. 

cranial  measurements,  204. 
canadensis,  120. 
castanops,  159. 

cranial  measurements,  211. 
clierriei,  194. 

cranial  measurements,  215. 

217 


218 


INDEX. 


(■eoinys  cinerea,  120. 
clarkii,  159. 
f^niosu8,  170. 

cranial  measurements,  2i;t. 
grandis,  175. 

cr.anial  measurements,  214. 
gymnurus,  164. 

cranial  measurements,  212. 
heterortus,  186. 

cranial  measurements,  215. 
hispidus,  181. 

cranial  measurements,  215. 
lutescens,  127-129. 

cranial  measurements,  204. 
nierriaiiii,  152. 

cranial  measurements,  210. 
mexicanus,  201-202. 

•   ci'anial  measurements,  202. 
nelsoiii,  147. 
oregoneiisis,  120. 
per!«onatu8, 141-144. 

crani.al  measurements,  206. 
fallax,  144-145. 

cranial  ineasurements,  206. 
pinetis,  113. 
scalops,  174. 

cranial  measurements,  214. 
texensis,  137-139. 

cranial  mea-surements,  206. 
tuza,  113-115. 

cranial  measuremeuts,  208. 
tuza  floridanus,  115-119. 

cranial  measurements,  208. 
tuzaiiiobilensis,  119-120. 

cranial  measurements,  208. 

Heterogeomys: 

Genus  defined,  179-180. 
Key  to  species,  180. 
Heterogeoniysi  liispidus,  180-183. 

cranial  measureuu^nts. 215 
torridus,  183-185. 

cranial  measurements,  215. 
Incisor  teeth,  70-72. 

in  young,  83. 
Infraorbital  canal,  39. 
Interparietal,  41-43. 
Jaw,  60. 

movements,  102-103. 
muscles,  98-101. 
stroke,  97. 
Jugal,  57. 
Key  to  genera,  23. 

Key  to  species  of  Cratogeoniys,  151. 
fteomys,  113 
Heterogeomys,  180. 
Macrogeomys,  186. 
Orthogeomys,  173. 
Pappogeomys,  147. 
Platygeomys,  164. 
Lachrymal,  57. 
Lambdoid  crest,  39. 
Macrogeomys : 

Genus  defined,  185-186. 
Key  to  species,  186. 


Macrogeomys  clierriei,  193-195. 

cranial  measurements,  215. 
costaricensis,  192-193. 

cranial  me  asu  re- 
ments,  215. 
dolichocephalus,  189-192. 

cranial    measure- 
ments, 215. 
tieterodns,  186-189. 

cranial  measurements, 
215. 
Mandible,  60. 

Masseter  muscle,  99-100. 

influence  on  skull,  105-107. 
influence  on  teeth,  107-108. 
Mastoid  bulla,  33,  46-60. 

process,  60. 
Maxilla,  54-56. 
Maxillo-turbinal,  34. 
Meatus  auditorius,  33-59. 
Mesethmoid,  50. 
Molar  teeth,  74-83. 

in  young,  85. 
Morphology  of  skull,  33-63. 
Month,  division  into  two  chambers,  17. 
Mns  biirsarins,  120. 
ludoricianus,  120. 
saccatus,  120. 
tuza,  113. 
Muscles,  cleido-mastoid,  102. 
digastric,  100. 
external  pterygoid,  100. 
internal  pterygoid,  100. 
latissimus  dorsi,  102. 
masseter,  99-100. 

influence  on  skull  and  teeth, 
104-108. 
rhomboideus,  102. 
sterno-niastoid,  102. 
temporal,  99. 

transverse  mandibular,  100-101. 
trapezius,  102. 
Muscles  of  cheek  pouches,  101. 
head  and  neck,  102. 
jaw,  98-101. 
Xarial  passage,  39. 
Kasal  Itones,  57-58. 
callosity,  16. 
Nasoturbiual,  34. 
Occiput,  05. 
Orbitosphenoid,  48-49. 
Orthogeomys : 

Genus  defined,  172-173. 
Key  to  species,  173. 
Orthogeomys  grandis,  175-176. 

cranial  measurements,  214. 
latifroiis,  178-179. 
nelsoni,  176-178. 

cranial  measurements,  214. 
scalops,  173-^75. 

cranial  measurements,  214. 
Os  planum,  50. 
Osteodentine,  87. 
Palate,  34. 
Palatine  bones,  53. 


INDEX. 


219 


Palato-pterygoid  jdate,  34. 

Pappogeoiiiys: 

fc.     Genus  defined,  145-147. 

Key  to  species,  147. 
Pappou:eoiiiys  albiiinsus,  147. 

cranial    measurements, 
214. 
biiUeri,  147-149. 

cranial  mea.surements.  214. 
Parietal,  46. 

Paroccipital  process,  3.5. 
Periotic  capsule,  58-60. 
Phylogenetic  tree,  24. 
Platygeomys: 

Genus  defined,  102-164. 
Key  to  species,  161. 
Platygeoinys  fumosus,  170-171. 

cranial  measurements.  213. 
gyniniiruis,  164-160. 

cranial    measurements, 
212. 
plaiiioeps,  108-170. 

cranial      measurements, 
212. 
tylorliinus,  167-168. 

cranial    raeasnreraents, 
212. 
Postorbital  process,  35. 
Pouches,  cheek,  18. 

method  of  filling,  18. 
muscles,  101. 
Premaxilla,  56. 
Premolars,  72-74. 

deciduous,  83. 
permanent,  in  yoiing,  84. 
Presphenoid,  37, 47. 
Process,  angular,  67. 
mastoid,  60. 
paroccipital,  35. 
postorbital,  35. 
Progression  backward,  16. 
Psendostoma  (synonym  of  Oeoniys),  109. 
bursarius,  120. 
rastaiiops,  159. 
floridana,  115. 
Pterygoid  bones,  52-53. 
muscles,  100. 
plate,  external,  36,  54. 
Saccophorns  (synonym  of  Geoiiiys),  109. 

bnrsarius,  120. 
Sagittal  area,  39. 
crest,  39. 
Skull,  alisphenoid  bone,  43-45. 
alisphenoid  canal,  36,  43. 
basioccipital  l)one,  40. 
basisphenoid  bone,  43. 
bony  palate,  34. 
changes  with  age,  61-63. 
coossification  of  paired  bones,  63. 
cribriform  plate,  50. 
ectoturbinal  bones,  52. 
endoturbinal  bones,  52. 
ethmoid  bone,  50-52. 
exoccipital  bone,  41. 
external  pterygoid  plate,  54. 
floor  of  brain  case,  35. 


Skull,  foramen  ovale,  39,  45. 

foramen  rotundum,  39,  45. 

frontal  bone,  49. 

infraorbital  canal.  39  55. 

interparietal  bone,  41-43. 

jugal  bone,  57. 

laclirymal  bone,  57. 

lambdoid  crest,  39. 

list  of  bones,  40. 

mandible,  60. 

mastoid  bulla,  31. 

maxilla,  54-56. 

mesethmoid,  50. 

morphology,  33-63. 

narial  passage,  39. 

nasal  bones,  57-58. 

orbitosphenoid  bone,  48-49. 

OS  planum,  50. 

palatine  bones,  53. 

palatopterygoid  plate,  34. 

parietal  bones,  46. 

paroccipital  process,  35. 

periotic  capsule,  58-60. 

postorbital  process,  35. 

premaxilla,  56. 

presphenoid  bone,  47. 

pterygoid  bone,  52-53. 

pterygoid  fossa,  36. 

sagittal  crest,  39. 

.sphenoid  fossa,  36. 

sphenoidal  fissure,  36. 

spheno-pterygoid  fossa,  36. 

squamosal  bone,  45. 

supraoccipital  bone,  41 . 

tentorium  (absent),  39. 

turbinals,  34,  57. 

turbinated  bones,  34,  .57. 

tympanic  bulla,  33. 

tynipano-periotic  capsule,  58-60. 

vomer,  52. 

vomerine  sheath,  56. 

zygomatic  arch,  34. 
Sorex  mexicanus,  201. 
Species,  number  and  distribution,  27. 
in  Mexico,  30. 

United  States,  28. 
Sphenoid  bones  : 

Alisphenoid,  34,  43-45. 
Basisphenoid,  33, 43. 
Orbitosphenoid,  34,  48-49. 
Presphenoid,  33,  47. 
Sphenoul  fossa,  35. 
Sphenoidal  fissure,  36. 
Spheno-pterygoid  fossa,  36. 
Squamosal,  45. 
Supraoccipital,  41. 
Tail,  an  organ  of  touch,  16. 
Teeth,  69-88. 

changes  from  wear,  86-87. 

dental  formula,  69. 

dynamics,  88-97. 

of  cutting  machine  as  a  whole, 
88-97. 
incisors,  89, 
molariform  teeth,  90-97. 

enamel,  78-83. 


220 


INDEX. 


Teeth,  enaDiel,  dynamics,  93-97. 
incisors,  70-72. 

dynamics,  89. 
young,  83. 
manner  of  attachment,  88-90. 
molars,  74. 

dynamics,  90-93. 
enamel  plates,  78-80. 
young,  85-  87. 
last  upper  molar,  76-77. 
enamel,  78-83. 
premolars,  72-74. 

deciduou.s,  83. 
enamel  plates,  78. 
permanent  young,  84. 
Temporal  impression-s,  39,  42. 

muscle,  99. 
Tentorium  (absent),  39. 


Thoiiioniys,  198-199. 

Tongue,  18. 

Turbinals,  57. 

Tympanic  bulla,  33,  58-59. 

Tympano-periotic  capsule,  58-60. 

Typo  localities,  25. 

Variation : 

Cranial,  03-68. 

Individual,  21. 

Seasonal,  20. 

Sexual,  20. 
Vomer,  52. 

Vomerine  sheath,  56. 
Zygogeomys,  genus  defined,  195-196. 
Zygogeomys  trichopus,  196-197. 

cranial  measurements, 209. 
Zygomatic  arch,  34. 


222 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


platj:  1. 

(All  natural  size.) 


Geoviyshur  sari  IIS  (Shaw).    Knoxville,  Iowa. 
(No.  2772  (?  ad.  Merriam  collection.) 


North  American  Fauna,  No. 8. 


Plate  I 


Senj.  Mortimer,  del 


Geomys    bursarius  (Shaw) 
Knoxville,  Iowa. 

No.2772.  tfad. 


B  Meisel,  pf^tc  kch 


224  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 


PLATE  2. 

(All  natural  size.) 

Cratogeomijs  merriami  (Thomas).     Lerma,  Mexico. 
(No.  50110  S  ad.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  8. 


Plate  2. 


¥at  .size. 

Geomys     merriami     Thomas 
Lerma,  Mexico. 

No.  50110. o-  ad. 


B  Metsel.  pAete.  HA. 


226  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 


PLATE  3. 

(All  natural  size.) 

Platiifjeoinys  fiymnurus  Merriam.     Zapotlaii,  Jalisco,  Mexico, 
(,No.  45611  ^  ad.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.} 


North  American  Fauna,  No. 8. 


Plate   3 


B  Mflzssl.  photo  liin 


Geomys    gymnurus    Merriam 

Zapotlan,  Mexico. 

No.^SSII.a"  ad. 


228  NORTH  AMEKICAN  FAUNA.  [no.8. 


PLATE  4. 

(All  natural  size.) 

Heterogeomys  hispidus  (LeCoute).     Jico,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico. 
(No.  55343  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 


North  American  Fauna,  No. 8. 


Plate  4 


Ifa^t.i 


B-M'ftset,  photo  litk 


Geomys    hispidus.    LeConte 
Jico.Vera  Cruz.  Mexico. 

No,  55343. <?  ad. 


230  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 


PLATE  5. 
(All  natural  size.) 

Macrogeomys  dolichocephahis    sp.  nov.     San  Jose,  Costa  Rica. 
(No.  36295  (?  ad,,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 


North  American  Fauna,  No. 8. 


Plate   5 


BMezseLpka'aMA 


GEOMYS      D0LICH0CEPHALU5    sp.nov. 
San  Jose',  Costa   Rica. 

No  36295. 


232  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no. 8. 


PLATE  6. 

(All  natural  size.) 

Zygof/eomys  irlcliopus  sp.  nov.     Nalmatziu,  Micboacaii,  Mexico. 
(No.  50107  i  ad.,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  8. 


Plate  6 


Geomys    trichopus    Merriam 
Nahuazin.Michoacan,  Mexico. 


B  Affzsei.  pho^o  Hch 


234  NORTH    AMERICAN    FT^ANA.  [no.8. 


PLATE  7. 
(All  iKitnral  size.) 

1.  (ieomjia  tma  (Ord)  ^  ad.     Augusta,  Ga.     (Type  locality). 

(No.  58639  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

2,  5.6.   (i.  Iiiza  mohihnsis  ^  ad.     Mobile  Bay,  Alabama.     (Tyjte  locality 

(No.  46024  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 
3  and  4.   G.  tuza  fioridaintu  ^  ad.     8an  Mateo,  Fla. 

(No.  6512  c?  ad.  aud  6514  ^  old,  Merriam  collection.) 


North  American  Fauna,  No. 8. 


Plate  7 


I.GEOMYS  TUZAo-      2,5&6.G.MOBILE:NSISo-     3&4.G.TUZA  FLORIDANUSo- 


236  NORTH  AMEHICAN  FAUNA. 


platp:  8. 

(All  iiaturul  size) 

1  &■  2.   Cralogeomys  oreocefes  sp.  nov.  9  iul.  Mount  I^opocatapetl,  Mexico.     Ti/jje. 

(No.  57963  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 
3.  C.  pcretjrinu.s  HI),  iiov.   9  ad.  Mount  Iztaccilmatl,  Mexico.      Tii2)e. 

(No.  57964  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 
4  &  5.   C.  estor  sp.  uov.  Las  Yigas,  YGVix  i'vnz,  Mexico. 

(4  =  No.  54306  9  ad.  and  5  =54308  <?  ad.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 
6.   C.  perotens'is  sp.  uov.   9  ad.  Cofre  de  Perotc,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico. 

(No. 54299  II.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 


North  American  Fauna,  No. 8. 


Plate  8 


B  Meisel.  phtih  Uch 


I  8:2   I  ad.  GEOMYS  OREOCETES 
4S&5c'G.  ESTOR 


3   ?  ad.  G.  PEREGRINUS 
6   ?  ad.  G.  PER0TEN5I5 


238  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [m.8. 


PLATE  9. 
(All  uiitiiral  size.) 

1.  Geoniys  arenariiis  ^  ad.  El  Paso,  Texas. 

(No.  58339  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

2.  G.  texensis  $  Mason,  Texas. 

(No.  4161  Merriam  collection.) 

3.  G.  atttvateri  ^  ad.  Rockport,  Aransas  County,  Texas. 

(No.  51382  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

4.  Gr.  sagittalis  ^  ad.  Galveston  Bay,  Texas. 

(No.  44957  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 
5  &  7.   G.  lutescens  ^  ad.  Cherry  County,  Nebraska. 

(5  =  25640  <?  yg.  ad.;  7=25471  <?  old,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mns.) 
6.   G .  breviceps  $  ad.  Mcr  Rouge.  Louisiana. 

(No.  46673  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ) 

8.  G.  biirsarhis  9  3,d.  Knoxville,  Iowa. 

(No.  2024  Merriam  collection.) 

9.  <T,  bitrsarius  $  ad.  Knoxville,  Iowa. 

(No.  2625  Merriam  collection.) 


North  American  Fauna,  No. 8. 


Plate  9 


BMfZsei.  phatc  lith 


I.GEOMYS  ARENARlUSo-ad.   2.G.TEXENSISo-ad.  3.G.  ATTWATERIo- ad.      4.G.SAGnTALISo-ad. 
5&7.G.  LUTESCENSo-ad  6,G.  BREVICEPSo'ad.  8  5  ad.9o-ad.  G.  BURSARIU5 


240  NORTH    AMP:RICAN    FAUIn^A.  lNo.8| 


PLATE  10. 
Under  side  of  mandible. 

(All  natural  size.) 

1.  Geomys  iuza  flnridauus  (Baelnnaii).     San  Mateo,  Florida. 

(No.  6511  (?  Merriam  collection.) 

2.  G.  tuzamobilcnsis  HT[>.  nov.     Mobile  Bay,  Alabama. 

(No.  46023  (?  U.  S.  Nat.  Mns.) 

3.  Cralof/eomys  oreocetes  sp,  nov.     Mount  Popocata]ietl,  Mexico. 

(No.  57963  5  U.  S.  I\at.  Mus.) 

4.  C.  peregrinits  sp.  nov.     Mount  Iztaccilmatl,  Mexico. 

(No.  57964  $  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

5.  C.  merriami  (Thomas).     Amecameca,  Mexico. 

(No.  57970  <?  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.)- 

6.  Geomys  btirsariiis  (Shaw).     Knoxville,  Iowa. 

(No.  2772  (J  Merriam  collection.) 

7.  Macroyeomys  dolichoccphalus  sp.  nov.     Sau  .lose,  Costa  Rica. 

(No.  36295  ^  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

8.  Platyyeomys  yymnuriis  Merriava.     Zapotlan,  .Jalisco,  Mexico. 

(No.  45611  J  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 


North  American  Fauna,  No 


Plate  10 


IGE0MY5TUZAFL0RIDANU5/     2  G.  M0BILENS15  •     3.G.0RE0CETES  i      4.G.PEREGRINUS  ^ 
5.G.MERRIAM[o'      6.G.  BURSARlUSo-     7.  G.DOUCHOCEPHALUSn-       8.G.GYMNURU5   • 


242  NOltTU   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.8. 


PLATE  11. 

(All  inilnral  size.) 

1.  VappoaeonuiH  hnUeri   (Thomas),     ^^ierra  Nevada  de  Coliiiia,  .Jalisco,  Mexico. 

(No.  4.5(>22  i  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

2.  MacrofjeomijHheterodus  (VateTH).     Costa  Kica,  Mexico. 

(No. c?    U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

3.  HeterogeoiiiijH  costaricenHis  sp.  nov.      Pacuare,  Costa  Rica. 

(No.  225.51,  sex   ?,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.)     Tyj)'!. 

4.  Plaiyf/eomnHfumosus  Merriam.     Coliuia  City,  Mexico. 

(No.  4.5211  <?  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

5.  Ortliof/eomijs  latifrons  fill.  nov.     Guatemala. 

(No.  ,  sex  ?,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.)     Tt/pe. 

6.  O.  latifrons  (uuder  side  of  maiulil>le  of  sauie  skull  as  5.) 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  8. 


Plate  11 


l^Mu3ler,cl€i, 


B.ifeiseU  ph^to  Int^ 


1.GE0MY5     BULLERI   -    2.  G.  HETER0DU5  '/       3.  G  .  C05TARICEN  51  5 
4.  G.   FUMOSUS-  5  &  6.  G.  LATIFRONS 


244  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  Ino.8. 


PLATE  12. 

(All  natural  size.) 

Cratogeomys  castanops  (Baird).     Las  Auiiuas,  Colorado.     (Type  locality.) 

(No.  47368  ^  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

1".  Basioccipital  of  same  specimen. 
Cratogeomys  fulvescens  sp.  nov.     Chalcliicomula,  Mexico.     (Type  locality.) 

(No.  53498  <?  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

2".  Basioccipital  of  same  specimen. 
Geomys persovai us  fallax  suhs]).  nov.     Corpus  Christi,  Texas.     Ty2}e. 

(No.  43845  ^  ad.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

3".  Left  audital  bulla  of  same  skull. 
Geomys personatus  Tvne.     Padre  Island,  Texas.     (Type  locality.) 

(No.  43294  ^  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

4*.  Left  audital  bulla  of  same  skull. 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  8. 


Plate  12 


I.    GEOMYS     CA5TAN0P5 
3.    G.   PERSONATUS      FALLAX 


2.  G.    FULVE5CEN5 
4.  G.  PER5  0  NATUS 


246  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  8. 

PLATE  13. 
Left  zygoma,  showing  variations  in  jugal  bone. 

(All  natural  size.) 

1.  riatygeomys  tylorhinm  sp.  nov.     Patzcuaro,  Mexico. 

(No.  47183  S  U.  S.Nat.  Mus.) 

2.  r.  gymnnrus  Merriam.     Zapotlan,  Mexico. 

(No.  45611  (?  U.S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

3.  P.  plan iceps  s]^.  nov.     Tula,  Hidalgo,  Mexico. 

(N0.559U6  <?  U.S.Nat.  Mus.) 

4.  Cratogeomys  merriami  (Thomas).     Lerma,  Mexico. 

(No.  50110  <?  U.S.Nat.  Mus.) 

5.  C.  perotensis  sp.  nov.     Cofre  de  Perote,  Mexico. 

(No.  54295  9  U.S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

6.  C.  estor  sp.  nov.     Las  Vigas,  Mexico. 

(No.  54308  <?  U.S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

7.  C.  estor  sp.  nov.     Las  Vigas,  Mexico. 

(No.  54306  9  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ) 

8.  C.  oreoceteH  sp.  nov.     Mount  Popocatapetl,  Mexico. 

(No.  57963  9  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

9.  Geomys  fnza  (Ord).     Augusta,  Georgia. 

(No.  63842  S  U.  S.Nat.  Mus.) 

10.  G.  tuza  floridanus  (Aud.  and  Bach.).     San  Mateo,  Florida. 

(No.  6514  ^  Merriam  collection.) 

11.  G.  buraarius  (Shaw).     Knoxville,  Iowa. 

(No.  2624  (?  Merriam  collection.) 

12.  G.  texensis  sp.  nov.     Mason,  Texas. 

(No.  4161  ^  Merriam  collection.) 

13.  G.  arcnarhi8  sp.  nov.     El  Paso,  Texas. 

(No.  25015  J  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

14.  G.  personatusTrwd.     Padre  Island.,  Texas. 

(No.  43294  ^  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

15.  Papjmgeomys  hulleri  (Thomas).     Sierra  Nevada  de  Colima,  Mexico. 

(No.  45618  9  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

16.  Orthogeomys  latlfrons  sp.  nov.     Guatemala.     Type. 

(No. U.  S.  Nat.  Mus  ) 

17.  Cratogeomyscastanops  {Y^a^x^).     Las  Animas,  Colorado. 

(No.  47368  <?  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

18.  Macrogeomysheterodtis  (Peters).    Costa  Rica. 

(No. U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

19.  Macrogeomys  dolichocephalus  sp.  nov.  San  Jose,  Costa  Rica. 

(No.  36295  <?  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

20.  Heterogeomys  Mspidua  (LeConte).     Jico,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico. 

(No.  55343  $  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

21.  Heterogeomys  torridus  sp.  nov.     Guatemala. 

(No.. —  S  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

22.  Macrogeomys  eherriei  (Allen).     Santa  Clara,  Costa  Rica. 

(No.  664  im.  Costa  Rica  Nat.  Museum.) 

23.  Macrogeomys  costaricensis  sp.  nov.     Pacuare,  Costa  Rica. 

(No.  22551  im.  U.  S.Nat.  Mus.) 

24.  Zygogeomys  Irichopua  sp.  nov.    Nahuatzin,  Michoacan,  Mexico. 

(No.  50107  c?  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 


North  American  Fauna,  No. 8. 


Plate  13 


v^^^^^ 


FMuOer, 

dil 

Nat  size 

B  Meisel  phah  bh 

I.GeOMYS  TYL0RHINU5  o" 

9. 

TUZA  d" 

17. 

CA5TAN0P5  .^• 

2. 

GYMNURU5  / 

10. 

TUZA   FL0R1DANU5  -f 

18. 

HETERODUS  c 

3. 

PLAN1CEP5  S 

11. 

BUR5AR1US  / 

19. 

D0LICH0CEPHALU5  / 

4. 

MERRIAMl    d" 

12. 

TEXEN5IS  d- 

20. 

HISPIDU5  ..• 

5. 

PER0TEN51S  J 

13. 

ARENARIU5  c^ 

21. 

HISPIDUS  .(form) 

6. 

E5T0R   >/ 

14. 

PERSONATUSo' 

22. 

CHERRIEl 

7. 

EST  OR  ? 

15. 

BULLERI   V 

23. 

C05TARICENSI5 

8, 

OREOCETES  ? 

16. 

LATIFR0N5 

24. 

TRICH0PU5  d" 

248  NORTH    AMERICAN   FAUNA..  [no.  8. 


PLATE  14. 
Posterior  molars  and  palatopterygoids. 

(All  double  natural  size.) 

1.  Zi/f/of/eomys  trichopus  sp.  nov.     Nahuatziu,  Michoacan.  Mexico. 

(No.  50107  c?  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ) 

2.  Geouii/s  hi(rsariiis  (Shaw).     Knoxville,  Iowa. 

(No.  2624  cJ  Merriain  collection. ) 

3.  Macrof/eojnys  helerodas  (Peters).     Costa  Rica. 

(No. U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ) 

4.  Gcomys  pemonatns  True.     Padre  Island,  Texas. 

(No.  43294  (?  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ) 

5.  Geinnijii peraonatun  fallar  subsp.  uov.     Corpus  Cliristi,  Texas. 

(No.  43292  9  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ) 

6.  Cratogeomiis  castdiiopn  (I5aird).     Las  Animas,  Colorado, 

(No.  47368  c?  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.  j 

7.  Cralogeomijs  mvrriami  (Thomas).     Lerma,  Mexico. 

(No.  50110c?  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ) 

8.  Flatyfjeomiis  fumosus  Merriam.     Colima,  Mexico. 

(No.  45213  c?  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ) 

9.  Plat\igcomy>i  planicepn  sp.  nov.     Volcan  Toluca,  Mexico, 

(No.  55906  i  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ) 

10.  Macrogeomi/8  cosfaricciD^iii  sp.  nov.     Costa  Rica.      Type. 

(No.  22551  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

11.  rappogeoniys  httlleri  (Thoiuas).     Sierra  Nevada  de  Colima,  Jalisco,  Mexico, 

(No.  45618  5  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ) 

12.  Ileteroyeomyn  hispidus  (LeConte).     .lico.  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico, 

(No.  55017  9  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ) 

13.  Geomys  texeiisis  sp.  nov.     Mason,  Texas. 

(No.  4168  9  Merriam  Collection. ) 

14.  Geomys  liitmccns  Merriam.     Woodward,  Oklahoma. 

(No.  48566  (?  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ) 

15.  Geomys  tn~a  inobilensis  sp.  nov.     Mobile  Bay,  Alabama. 

(No.  46025  J  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. ) 

16.  Geomys  tuza  jloridanus  (And.  and  Bach.).     San  Mateo,  Florida. 

(No.  6511 1?  Merriam  Collection. ) 


North  American  Fauna, No. 8. 


Plate  14 


i    ^^ 


GeOMYS     TR1CH0PU5      ITOb. 

BUHSARius  (Shaw) 
HETER0DU5    Peters 

PER50NATU5      Tfue 
PER50NATU5     FALLAX     nOb. 
CA5TAN0P5        Bait'd 

MERRiAMi     Thomas 
FUM05US       Merriam 


B  Afeisel.  pho  to  U(h 

9.  G.    PLANICEP5     nob. 

10.  C05TARICEN5I5       nOb. 

11.  BULLERi      Thomas 

12.  HI5P1DU5    LeConte 

13.  TEXEN5I5       nob. 

14.  LUTESCENS    MeiTiam 

15.  M0B1LEN5I5      nOb. 

16.  TUZA  FLORlDANUS(BaCl"llTian) 


2r)0  NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no. 8.    i 

\ 


PLATE  15. 
(All  n.itnral  size.) 

1.  Macrof/eonujs  cherriei  (Allen).     Santa  Clara,  Costa  Rica. 

(No.  664  iiii  Museo  Nacional  de  Costa  Rica).     Type. 

2.  netcrogeomys  torridus  sp.  iiov.     Cliichicaxtle,  Vera  Cruz.  Mexico, 

(No.  63629  9  ad.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.).     Type. 

3.  Occiput  of  Macrogeomys  dolichocephalus  sp.  nov.     San  Jose,  Costa  Rica, 

(No.  36295  (?  ad.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.).     Type. 

4.  Occiput  of  Heierogeomys  liispidus  (LeCoute).     .Tico,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico. 

(No.  55343  <?  ad.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

5.  Occiputof  Pappogcomys  hidleri  (Thomas).     Sierra  Nevada- de  Col inia.  .Jalisco,  Mex- 

ico.    (No.  45618  9  yg.  ad.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

6.  Occiput  of  CVrt/or/eowu/s  werrirtmi  (Thomas).     Lcrma,  Mexico. 

(No.  50110  c?  ad.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

7.  Occiput  of  I'latygeomys  gymnuriis  Merriam.     Zapotlau,  Jalisco,  Mexico. 

(No.  4.5611  S  ad.  U.  Nat.  Mus.) 

8.  Upper  incisors  of  Macrogeomys  dolichocephalus. 

9.  Upper  incisors  of  Crafogeomys  merriaml. 

10.  Ujiper  incisors  of  Zygogeomys  frichopus. 

11.  Upper  incisors  of  Geomys  hursarius. 

12.  Upper  incisors  of  Geomys  tuza. 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  8. 


Plate  15 


Mezsel,  pho(c  iith 


I.  GeOIMYS    CHERRIEl      2.G.T0RR1DU5      3  &  8.  G.   D0LICH0CEPHALU5 
4.G.HI5PIDU5     5.G.BULLER1    6  &  9.  G.  MERRIAM  I     7.   G.   GYMNURUS 
10. G.     TRICH0PU5      II    G.   BUR5ARIU5        12,  G.     TUZA. 


252  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA,  [no, 8. 

PLATE  16. 
1  and  2.  Hetcrogeomys  iorrUhis  jiiv.     Motzorongo,  Mexico  (No.  636-43  IT.  S.  National 
Museum). 
Molariforin  teeth,  showiiij;'  deciduous  premolars  in  situ;  also  unworn  m  3,  and 
immature  pattern  of  crowns  in  m  1  and  2. 

1.  Left  upper  series. 

2.  Left  lower  series. 

Ix.  Permanent  upper  jjremolar,  uncovered   to  show  unworn  enamel 

crown. 
a,  Permanent  premolar  not  yet  in  place;   h,  deciduous  premolar;   c, 
third  u])per  molar;  d,  third  lower  molar. 
3,  4,  and  9.   Geomi/i^  hiirsdriiis ]nv.     Elk  River,  Minn.  (No.  4909  Merriam  coll.) 

Molariform  teeth,  showing- deciduous  premolars  in  situ;  also  unworn  m  3,  and 
immature  pattern  of  crowns  in  m  1  and  2. 

3.  Left  upper  series. 

4.  Left  lower  series. 

4x.  Transverse  section  of  m;  about  three-fourths  down,  showing  that 
the  tooth  is  a  single  prism  below,  and  that  the  enamel  is  confined 
to  its  posterior  border. 

9.  Left  lower  series  from  outer  side,  showing  relations  of  permanent  and 

deciduous  premolar,  bilophiodont  crown  of  mj,  and  forms  of  mi 
and  lUo  (which  show  the  manner  in  which  the  change  occurs  from 
the  double  prism  above  to  the  single  prism  below). 
a,  Permanent  premolar  not  yet  in  place;  b,  deciduous  premolar;    c, 
third  upper  molar;  d,  third  lower  molar. 
5,  6,  and  7.  Heierocjeomys  torridus  juv,  (same  specimen  as  in  fig.  1). 

Right  upper  premolar,  showing  unworn  enamel  cap  and  relations  of  enamel 
and  cement.     The  cement  bands  are  shaded. 

5.  Outer  side  of  tooth. 

6.  Inner  side. 

7.  Posterior  face. 

a,  Outer  cement  band  of  anterior  prism;   h,  postero-external  cement 
band  of  posterior  prism;  c,  inner  cement  band  of  posterior  prism; 
d,  inner  cement  band  of  anterior  prism ;  e,  lower  end  of  enamel, 
showing  position  of  enamel  organ. 
8.  Mncrof/eomi/s  lieterodus  ad. 

Right  upper  premolar,  s^^owini;' relation  of  cement  bauds  (unshaded)  to  enamel 

(shaded)  ir      atur"  tooth  after  the  enamel  cap  [shown  in  figs.  5, 

6,  and  7]  has  w" .      ,ft'. 

10  and  11.  Zygogeomijs  trichopns  ^vw .     Nahuatzin,  Mexico  (No.  50104  U.  S.Nat.  Mus.). 

Crowns  of  molariform  series  showing  permanent  enamel  pattern  and 'osteo- 

dentine'  islands. 

10.  Left  ui)per  series. 

11.  Left  lower  series. 

12  and  13.  Jhterogeoiinjs  liisjjidus  ad.     Motzorongo,  Mexico. 

Right  upper  premolar,  after  the  enamel  cap  of  the  young  tooth  has  worn  off, 
showing  permanent  enamel  pattern. 

12.  Outer  side  of  the  tooth  (should  be  compared  with  5,  whichshows  same 
side  of  same  tooth  before  the  wearing  down  of  the  enamel  cap  begiiib). 

13.  Crown  of  same  tooth. 

a.  Outer  cement  band  of  anterior  prism. 
h.  Postero-external  cement  band  of  posterior  prism. 
Shaded  bauds  show  the  enamel. 
14-17.    Vruiogeomys  cantanops  i\w.     Las  Animas,  Colorado. 

14  and  15.  A  very  young  individual,  but  older  than  Nos.  1  and  4.  The 
deciduous  premolars  have  been  shed,  but  the  enamel  caps  of  the 
permanent  premolars  (a)  and  the  last  true  molars  (m^c  and  mjd) 
have  not  yet  worn  down  far  enough  to  show  the  enamel  pattern  of 
the  adult  tooth  (which may  be  seen  in  figs.  16  and  17).  The  crown 
of  the  last  lower  molar  (d)  is  still  a  double  prism. 
16  and  17.  Another  immature  individual  of  the  same  species,  but  enough 
older  than  14  and  15  to  show  the  permanent  form  and  enamel  pat- 
tern of  the  adult  teeth. 
18  and  19.  Geomys  hiirsnrius  ini.     Elk  River,  Minnesota. 

Crowns  of  molariform  series  showing  permanent  enamel  pattern. 

18.  Left  upper  series. 

19.  Left  lower  series. 

20  and  21.  Macvogeomys  cherriei  im.     Santa  Clara,  Costa  Rica.     Type. 

Crowns  of  molariform  series  showing  permanent  enamel  pattern. 

20.  Left  upper  series. 

21.  Left  lower  series. 


North  American  Fauna,  No. 8. 


Plate  16 


..    .r:-i^--ofa  B  Mersel.  phalo  Ink 

1.2.5,6,7,  IE  &  13  Heterogeomys  hispidus  3,4.9,18  &  19.  Geomys  bursarius 

8.  HeTEROGEOMYS    HETER0DU5     lO&ll.    ZYGOGEOMYS   TRICHOPUS 

I4,I5.I6&I7  Cratogeomys  CASTANOPS    ZOSc  ZI.Keterogeomys  cherriei 


254 


NORTH   AMERICAN   FAUNA. 


[no. 


PLATE  17. 

(All  natural  size.) 

Skulls  seen  from  above ;  vault  of  cranium  cut  away,  showing  door  o 

brain  case. 


1.  Hetcrogeomtia  torridus.     Motzorongo,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico 
2-  Ziiyogeomijs  Irichopus.     Nahuatzin,  Michoaeau,  Mexico. 

3.  Geomys  hitrsarius.     Portland,  North  Dakota. 

4.  riati/geoviiis  t/yinuunis.     Zapotlan,  .Jalisco,  Mexico. 

5.  Cratof/eomys  merriami.     Amecauieca,  Valley  of  Mexico. 


Key  to  pi.  17. 


tV    Hva 


Fia.  9. — Young  skull  of  Cratogeomys  merriami,  vault  of  cranium  cut  to  show  floor  of  brain  cage, 


ae    Anterior  opening  of  alispbenoid  can 

as   Alisphenoid  bone. 

bo    Basioccipital. 

bs    Basispheuoid. 

f      Condyle  of  exoccipital. 

cr    Cribriform  plate  of  ethmoid. 

em  External  auditory  meatus. 

ex    Exoccipital. 

//    Floccnlar  fossa. 

fr    Frontal. 

fro  Descending   or   orbital  plate  of  frontal  (the 
animal  is  so  young  that  theplate.s  of  the 
two  sides  have  not  yet  united  below). 
■;'     Jugal. 

I      Lachrymal. 


ma  Meatus  auditorius  internus, 

mb  Mastoid  bulla. 

n  Nasal. 

of  Optic  foramen. 

OS  Orbitosphenoid. 

pet  Petrous  part  of  periotic. 

pm,z  Ascending  arm  of  premaxilla. 

ps  Presphenoid. 

ptf  Spheno-pterygoid  fossa. 

sf  Apex  of  sphenoidal  fissure. 

SO  Snpraoccipital. 

sq  Squamosal. 

^6  Superior  face  of  tympanic  or  audital  bull 

zmx  Zygomatic  root  of  maxilla. 


n 


North  American  Fauna,  No. 8. 


Plate  17 


BM^zseLpho'c  'M 


'•    HeTEROGEOMYS   T0RR1DU5  Sp,  nOV.  2.ZYG0GE0MY5   TRICH0PU5   Sp.  QOV. 

3.  Geomys  BUR5ARIU5  (Shaw)  4.  Platygeomys  gymnurus  (Merriam) 
5  Cratogeomys    merriam  I    (Thomas) 


b'56 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


I  NO.  8. 


PLATE  18. 
(All  natural  size.) 

Vertical  median   longitiidiiial  section  of  skull  (mesethmoid  and  right 
half  of  vomer  in  place). 

1.  Geomys  hiirsariits  $  .     Kuoxville,  Iowa. 

2.  Zijiiocicomy^  trichopus  9.     Naluiatzlu,  Mirhoacan,  Mexico. 

3.  Heieroyeonn/.s  torridus  ^.     yg.  ad.     Motzorongo,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico 

4.  Cndof/eomys  merriami  $  .     Tlalpam,  Valley  of  Mexico. 

5.  riatygeomys  (jymnurus  ^  .     Zapotlau,  Jalisco,  Mexico, 

Key  to  pi.  18. 


Fig.  7. — Longitudiual  vertical  median  section  ot  skull  of  Crator/eomys  merriami,  showing  interior 
of  brain  case  and  nasal  chamber.    Vomer  and  mesethmoid  in  place. 

pa      Parietal. 

pet     Petrous  part  of  periotic  capsule 
2)1      Palatine. 
pinx  Premaxilla. 
p.i      Prcsphenoid. 
Pterygoid. 
Supraoccipital. 
Squamosal. 

Tympanic    bulla,    (antero-superior    part, 
■wliich  alone  appears  within  the  brain 
case.) 
Vomer. 

Vomerine  sheath  of  maxilla. 
First  endoturbinal  (Below  and  somewhat 
behind   it   the  anterior  ends  of   the  sec- 
ond,   tliird,     and     fourth    cndotiu'bjnals 
may  be  seen.) 


1 

Anterior  palatine  foramen. 

2 

Incisive  foramen. 

3 

Meatus  auditorius  internus. 

4 

Floccular  fossa. 

5 

Upper  part  of  sphenoidal  tissure. 

as 

Alisphenoid. 

bo 

Basioccipital. 

bs 

Basisphenoid. 

c 

Condyle  of  e.xoccipital. 

fr 

Frontal. 

h 

Haraular  process  of  pterygoid. 

ip 

Interparietal. 

me 

Mesethmoid  plate. 

mt 

Maxillo-turbinal. 

vix 

Maxilla. 

n 

Nasal. 

nt 

Naso-turbinal. 

op 

Lower  border  of  os  planum. 

pt 


It 


North  American  Fauna,  No.8. 


Plate  18 


^MuIUr.iel 


B  Mfi^eU  pfutp  luh 


I-GEOMYS  BUR5AR1U5  2.  ZYGOGEOMYS   TRICH0PU5  S.HETEROGEOMYS  TORRIDUS 
4.  GRATOGEOMYS  MERRIAMI    5.  PLATYGEOMYS    GYMNURUS 


258 


NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


PLATE  19. 

(All  natural  size.) 

1.  Orthogeomys  scalops  9  ad.     Oaxaca,  Mexico  (skull  from  above). 

2.  Orthogeomijs  scalops  9  a-d.     Same  specimen  (l»ase  of  cranium). 

3-7.  Median  longitudinal  section  of  nasal  chamber  (vomer  and  mesetbmoid  removed) 
showing  turbinated  Ijones. 

3.  Geomys  bm'sariiis  ^  .     Knoxville,  Iowa. 

4.  Zygogeomi/s  trichopus  9  •     Nahuatzin,  Michoacau,  Mexico. 

5.  Heterogeomys  forridiis  J  .     Motzorongo,  Mexico. 

6.  Cratogeomys  mcrnami  ^  .     Tlalpaia,  Valley  of  Mexico. 

7.  Platygeomys  gymnitrus  J.     Zapotlan,  Jalisco,  Mexico. 

Key  topi.  19. 


n\  It        ;i^t 


Fig.  10. — Longitudinal  vertical  median  section  of  front  part  of  skull  of  Oeomys  bursarius. 
moid  and. vomer  removed  to  show  turbinated  bones. 


Meseth- 


1      Anterior  palatine-foramen. 
3     Incisive  foramen. 

3  Vacuity  in  front  of  pre.spheDoid  (present  in  Oeomys  bursarius  and  tuza  only.    It  is  partly  over- 

lapped posteriorly:by  the  ascending  wing  of  the  vertical  plate  of  the  palatine,  ap.). 

4  Presphenoid  fenestrum.    Present  in  all  species. 

5  Upper  part  of  sphenoidal  fissure. 
It     First  or  superior  endoturhiual. 

2t     Second  endotiirbinal. 

3t     Third  endoturbinal. 

it     Fourth  endoturbinal. 

ap   Ascending  wing  of  vertical  plate  of  palatine. 

fr    Frontal. 

mt  Maxillo-turbinal. 

mic  Maxilla  (the  upper  pointer  rests  on  the  maxillary  .surface  of  the  narial  passage,  the  lower  on  the 

sawed  body  of  the  bone). 
n     Nasal. 
nt    Naso-turbinal. 
op    Os  planum. 

pi    Palatine  (the  upper  pointer  rests  on  the  palatine  face  of  the  narial  passage,  the  lower  ou  tlie 
sawed  horizontal  body  of  the  bone). 
pmx   Premaxilla. 
ps    Presphenoid. 
vr    Vomerine  ridge  of  os  planum  (unites  with  the  lateral  wing  of  the  vomer). 


North  American  Fauna,  No. 8. 


Plate  19 


FtTidUr,  M.  B  Mfisel  phot:,  UiK 

&  2  OrtHOGEOMYS  SCAL0P5    ?  3.  GE0MY5  BUR5ARIU5   4.  ZYGOGEOMYS   TRICH0PU5 
5.  HETEROGEOMYS   T0RRIDU5    6.  CRAT0GE0MY5  MERRIAMI 
7.  PLATYGEOMYS   GYMNURUS 


NoBTH  Amebican  Fauna,  No 


Maps  1  <fe  2. 


MAP  1.  -A  DISTRIBUTION  OF  GENUS  THOMOMYS. 

B  DISTRIBUTION  OF  GENUS   OEOMTS  (B  =  G.  buraanua  group  ;  B'=  G. 
tuza  group.) 
MAP  2.-DtSTRIBUTI0N  OF  GENUS  CRAT0GE0MY8. 


PLATE  XII. 

[All  double  natural  size.] 

Figs.    1-  3.  Sorex  {Atophyrax)  hendirii  palmeri.     Oregon  City,  Oregon.     Type. 
(No.  56898,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 
4-  5.  Sorex  {Microsorcx)  hoyi.     Elk  River,  Minn. 

(No.  2520,  Merriam  collection.) 
()-  7.  Sorex  calif ornicus.     Walnut  Creek,  Contra  Costa  County,  Calif. 

(No.  44428,  U.S.  Nat.  Mus.) 
8-  9.  Sorex  ienelbis.    Lone  Pine,  Owens  Valley,  California.     Type. 

(No.  32495,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 
10-11.  Sorex  merriami.    Fort  Custer,  Mont.    Type. 

(No.  4861,  2  ,  Merriam  collection.) 
12-13.  Sorex  macrodov .     Orizaba,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico.     Type. 
(No.  58272,  <?,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

124 


Noilh  American  Fauna,  No    10 


Plate  XII 


1-3.  Sorex  bendirii 2'alvier/.  (1,7.  8.  californicus.  10,11.  S.merriami. 

4.5.  S.hoyi.  H.O.  S.tenellus.  12,13.  S.macrodon. 


NORTH    AM.    FAUNA,    No,    II 


Frontispiece 


Bridled  Weasel,  Putorius  frenatus. 
Valley  of   Moxico 


r 


Black-footed  Ferret,  Putorius  nigripes 

Western    Kansas. 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT   OE  AGRICULTURE 

DIVISION  OF  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  MAMMALOIiY 


I^ORTH  AMERICAN   FAUNA 


N^o.   11 


[Actual  (late  ofpublicatiou  June  30,  1896] 


%. 


SYNOPSIS  OF  THE  WEASELS  OF  NORTH  AMERICA 


C.  HART    MERRIAM 


WASHINGTO>^^ 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
18  90 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

Washington,  D.  C,  ilfay  9,  1896. 
Sir:  I  have  the  lioiior  to  traiisinit  herewith  for  publication,  as  Ko. 
11  of  North  American  Fauna,  a  Synopsis  of  the  Weasels  of  North 
America. 

Respectfully,  C.  Hart  IMerriam, 

Chief  of  Division  of  Ornithology  and  MammaUxjy. 
Dr.  Chas.  W.  Daeney,  Jr., 

Acting  Secretari)  of  Agriculture. 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Iiitioductiou 5-7 

Siibjifeints  Putoriiis  (the  ferrets) 7-9 

Subgenus  Ictis  (the  weasels) 9 

List  of  North  American  weasels 10 

Descriptions  of  species - , 10-32 

Table  of  cranial  measurements '63 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

(All  natural  size.) 


PLATES. 


Frontispiece.     Heads  of  Black-footed  Ferret  and  Bridled  Weasel. 

1.  Skulls  of  Putoriiis  nigripes  and  F.  putorius. 

2.  Skulls  of  rutoriiis  arciicus,  alascensis,  c'lvoytnmi,  streatori,  and  rixosiis. 

3.  Skulls  of  Putorhts  frcnaius,  lonnicauda,  and  tropiculis. 

4.  Skulls  of  Puiorius  noi'eboraveiisis,  rvashingtoni,  iwul  jieninanhi. 

5.  Skulls  of  Putoriiis   longicauda,    cicognani,    iiocchoracensifi,   rixosiis,  j^eninsuhr,  and 

arcticiis. 

TEXT  FIGURES. 

1.  Puiorius  nigrijics,  ,}  old.     Trego  Count j^,  Ivans. 

2,  3.  Putorius  cicognani,  ^  ad.     Elk  liiver,  Minnesota. 

4-6.  Putorius  vuvchoracensis,  $  ad.     Adirondacks,  New  York. 
7-9.  Putorius  longicauda,  ^  ad.     Fort  Sisseton,  S.  Dakota. 
10, 11.  Putorius  longicauda  sjyadix,  J  .     Elk  River,  Minnesota. 
12-14.  Putorius  arizoncnsis,  $  ad.     Boulder  County,  Colo. 

15.  Putorius  freiiaf us,  9  ud.     Cofre  de  Perote,  Vera  Cruz.  Mexico. 

16.  Putorius  tropicalis,  $  ad.     Jico,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico. 

4 


fl 


No.  IL  NORTH  AMEEIGAN  FAUNA.  June,  1896. 


SYNOPSIS  OF  THE  WEASELS  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 

By  C.  Hart  Merriaaf. 

The  preseut  sj-nopsis  includes  the  one  ferret  and  all  of  tlie  weasels 
yet  d iscovered  in  jSTorth  America  north  of  Panama.  Of  the  true  weasels 
(subgenus  Ictis  )  no  less  thau  22  species  and  subspecies  are  here  recog- 
nized, 11  of  which  are  described  for  the  first  time. 

Until  very  recently  the  group  has  been  in  a  state  of  chaos,  but  now, 
thanks  to  Outram  Bangs's  excellent  paper  entitled  ^A  review  of  the 
weasels  of  eastern  Nortli  America,"  the  obscurity  that  has  so  long- 
surrounded  our  eastern  species  has  been  cleared  away  and  the  task  of 
revising  the  whole  group  is  rendered  comiiaratively  easy.  Additional 
material  is  needed  from  certain  parts  of  the  West,  particularly  from 
southeastern  Alaska  and  the  middle  and  northern  parts  of  the  Great 
Basin,  and  much  remains  to  be  learned  respecting  the  extent  to  which 
intergradation  exists  between  allied  forms  having  contiguous  ranges. 

Excepting  the  circumpolar  type,  represented  in  America  by  the  weasel 
of  the  barren  grounds  {ruforixs  arcUcus  nob.),  and  in  Eurasia  by  the 
closely  related  P.  erminea,  the  weasels  of  North  America  fall  naturally 
into  two  groups,  characterized  by  important  cranial  differences,  and 
having  com])lementary  geographic  ranges.  The  first  is  a  boreal  group 
comprising  five  forms:  richordsoni,  alascensis,  cicognani,  streatori,  and 
rixosKS,  the  southernmost  of  which  {cicognani)  reaches  only  the  northern 
United  States.  The  other  is  an  austral  group  comprising  tlwfrcnatiia 
and  longicauda  series  and  including  P.  peninsula',  of  Florida.  Of  this 
series  only  a  single  species  (P.  arizonen.ns)  reaches  the  lowermost  of  the 
boreal  zones,  and  this  only  in  the  mountains. 

Between  these  two  groups  are  two  very  interesting  species,  novehora- 
censis  and  irojjicalis — the  former  inhabiting  the  eastern  United  States, 
the  latter  the  tropical  belt  of  Mexico.  Mr.  Bangs  has  already  shown 
that  the  female  of  P.  7ioreboracensis  resembles  P.  cicognani,  while  the 
male  resembles  P.  longicauda.  The  case  of  P.  iropicalis  is  exactly 
parallel,  the  female  resembling  cfcognani,  while  the  male  resembles 
frenatus. 

'  Proc.  P.iol.  Soc.  Washington,  X,  pp.  1-24,  Feb.  25,  1896. 


6  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [Noll, 

Among  mammals  the  female  is  often  less  specialized  than  the  male 
and  consequently  bears  more  resemblance  to  the  ancestral  stock,  thus 
giving  a  clew  to  the  line  of  descent  when  this  can  not  be  determined 
from  the  iiuile  alone.  In  the  present  instance  the  females  of  novehora- 
censis  and  tropieaJis  have  small,  smoothly  rounded  skulls  without  sagit 
tal  crests  and  with  narrow  audital  bulhe  and  inflated  squamosals,  as 
in  the  cicognani  series,  wiiile  the  males  have  large  angular  skulls  with 
well-developed  sagittal  crests,  relatively  broad  audital  bulhe,  and  iiat 
squamosals,  as  in  the  loiif/icauda-frenatus  series.  The  inference  is  that 
the  austral  longivmuhi-frenatus  series  was  derived  from  the  boreal 
cieognani  stock,  and  that  the  differentiation  took  place  in  the  South. 
P.  norehoraeensis  occupies  middle  ground  geographically,  and  may  have 
become  differentiated  from  cicognani  under  existing  conditions  in  the 
area  it  now  inhabits;  but  P.  fropicalix,  which  inhabits  tropical  Mexico, 
must  either  have  originated  from  the  cicognani  stock  when  the  latter 
was  driven  southward  by  the  cold  of  the  Glacial  epoch,  or  must  have; 
accomplished  a  very  remarkable  migration. 

Turning  now  to  the  weasel  of  the  tundras  {F.  arcticus),  the  female  is; 
also  found  to  resemble  the  cicognani  type,  indicating — at  least  so  far 
as  the  American  species  go — that  the  whole  group  (subgenus  Ictis)  has 
si^rung  from  an  ancestral  type  related  to  7*.  cicognani. 

Probably  cicognani  itself  is  a  strongly  specialized  ty])e,  although  the 
specialization  took  place  a  long  time  ago  and  seems  to  have  been  in 
the  direction  of  greater  simplicity.  The  tendency  has  been  toward  a 
narrowing  of  the  skull  as  a  whole  and  the  obliteration  of  its  promi- 
nences and  angles.  The  zygomata  have  been  reduced  and  drawn  in 
close  to  the  sides  of  the  cranium,  and  the  brain  case  has  been  nar- 
rowed, elongated,  and  smoothly  rounded  off,  as  if  to  enable  the  head  to 
pass  through  small  openings.  The  body  as  a  whole  has  undergone 
parallel  modification,  presenting  the  extreme  degree  of  slenderness 
known  among  the  mammalia.  This  type  of  weasel  seems  to  have  been 
developed  for  tlie  express  purpose  of  preying  ui)on  field  mice  or  voles, 
its  narrow  skull  and  cylindrical  body  enabling  it  to  enter  and  follow 
their  runways  and  subterranean  galleries.  The  extreme  development 
of  the  type  is  presented  in  P.  rixosus  and  P.  streatori^  whose  exceed- 
ingly small  size  and  almost  serpentine  form  make  it  possible  for  them 
to  traverse  the  burrows  of  even  the  smaller  mice. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the  geographic  range  of  the  cicognani 
group  is  almost  coincident  with  that  of  the  field  mice  of  the  subgenus 
Microtuft.  Farther  south,  where  these  mice  occur  sparingly  or  not  at 
all,  the  cicognani  series  of  weasels  is  replaced  by  the  larger  and  more 
powerful  longicauda-frcnatuH  series.  Where  the  ranges  of  the  twO' 
overlap,  as  on  the  northern  plains,  the  large  weasel  (P.  longicanda) 
preys  chiefiy  on  pocket  gophers  [Thomomys  and  Geomys)  and  ground 
squirrels  {Spcrniopliilus  franlUni  and  S.  13-lincatufi),  while  the  smaller 
species  {cicognani  and  rixosus)  prey  chiefly  on  mice. 


June,  1896.]  SYNOPSIS    OF    THE    WEASELS    OF    NORTH    AMERICA.  7 

Similarly  in  the  far  Nortli,  where  the  frozen  tundras  are  inhabited  by- 
lemmings  as  well  as  voles,  two  weasels  are  present:  the  tiny,  narrow- 
skulled  rixosus,  which  feeds  mainly  on  mice,  and  the  large,  broad-skulled 
arcticus,  which  feeds  chiefly  on  lemmings  and  rabbits. 

It  seems  clear,  therefore,  that  the  different  types  of  weasels  have  been 
developed  by  adaptation  to  particular  kinds  of  food. 

It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  sj)ecimens  of  the  South  American 
weasels  are  not  available  for  study  in  connection  with  the  North  Amer- 
ican species.  The  only  one  I  have  seen  is  P.  offinis  Gray,  which  ranges 
from  Costa  Rica  to  northern  South  America.  While  differing  specif- 
ically from  frenat lis  it  clearly  belongs  to  the  same  group. 

Except  in  winter,  weasels  are  usually  so  difficult  to  procure  in  any- 
thing like  satisfactory  series  that  but  few  are  available  from  most  of 
the  localities  represented  in  collections.  As  a  rule,  the  number  is  too 
small  to  afford  reliable  average  measurements;  hence  the  averages  here 
given  are  subject  to  correction. 

The  skull  drawings  in  PI.  I  and  those  in  the  text  (except  figs.  10, 
11,  15,  and  IG)  were  made  by  Benjamin  Mortimer.  Those  in  Pis.  II  to 
V,  inclusive,  were  drawn  by  Dr.  James  C.  McOonnell  under  the  super- 
visi(m  of  the  author.  About  half  of  the  skulls  shown  in  the  latter 
plates  were  used  by  Mr.  Bangs  in  his  paper  already  referred  to. 

Except  where  the  contrary  is  distinctly  stated,  all  the  measurements 
ill  this  paper  were  taken  in  the  flesh  by  the  collector.  It  is  hardly 
necessary  to  add  that  all  measurements  are  in  millimeters. 

Genus  PUTORIUS  Cuvier,  1817. 

Key  to  subgenera  (for  American  forms  only) : 

Size  large,  about  equaling  tlie  mink  (Luh-eola);  facial  bar  black;  legs  and  feet 
abruptly  darker  than  upper  parts subgenus  Putorius. 

Size  medium  or  small,  never  more  than  lialf  as  large  as  the  mink  (Liitreola); 
facial  bar  white  or  absent;  legs  and  feet  concolor  with  or  paler  than  upper 
parts subgenus  Ictis. 

Subgenus  PUTORIUS  Cuvier,  1817. 

P«7on«s  Cuvier:  Rt-gne  Animal,  I,  147-149,  1817. 
Cynonijionax  Coues :  Fur-Bearing  Animals,  99,  147-148,  1877. 

PUTORIUS  NIGRIPES  Aud.  &  Bach.  Black-footed  Ferret. 

(PI.  I,  figs.  1,  la,  lb.) 

1851.  Putorius  nUjrlpes  Aud.  &  Bach. :  Quadrupeds  N.  Am.,  Vol.  II,  pp.  297-299,  pl. 

93,  1851. 
1877.  Coues:  Fur- Bearing  Animals,  149-153,  1877. 

Type  locality. — Plains  of  the  Platte  River,  in  Nebraska. 

GeograpMc  range. — Great  Plains,  from  western  North  Dakota  and 
northern  Montana  to  Texas ;  not  known  west  of  eastern  base  of  Rocky 
Mountains. 

Characters. — Size  of  the  mink;  ears  rather  large;  color  buffy,  with  a 


8 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[Xo.ll 


(lark  area  in  middle*  of  hack;  fore  and  liind  feet,  end  of  tail,  and  baud 
across  fa'ce  (inelnding-  eyes)  black. 

Color. — Ground  color  pale  yellowisli  or  buli'y  above  and  below, 
clouded  on  top  of  head  (and  sometiiiies  on  neck  also)  by  dark-tipped 
liairs;  face  crossed  by  a  broad  baiid  of  sooty  black,  which  includes  the 
eyes;  feet,  lower  part  of  legs,  terminal  third  of  tail,  and  preputial 
region,  sooty  black;  back,  about  midway  between  fore  and  hind  legs, 
marked  by  a  large  patch  of  dark  umber-brown,  which  fades  insensibl}' 
into  the  buffy  of  surrounding  parts;  muzzle,  lips,  chin,  a  small  spot 
over  each  eye,  a  narrow  band  behind  black  facial  bar,  and  sides  of 
head  to  and  including  ears,  soiled  wliite;  anterioi-  margin  of  ear  near 
base  clouded  with  dusky. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  large  and  massive,  very  broad  between 
orbits,  and  deeply  constricted  behind  postorbital  processes,'  whicb  are 
strongly  develo])ed;  zygomata  strongly  bowed  outward;  audital  bulhe 
obliquely  flattened  on  outer  side;  a  jn'ominent  bead  over  lachrymal 
opening. 

Compared  with  our  American  weasels,  the  skull  of  l*ittorins  nigripes 

may  be  told  at  a  glance 
by  its  great  size,  the 
basilar  length  in  adult 
males  averaging  about 
05  mm.,  and  in  females 
about  02  mm.  Com])ared 
with  P.  crersmanni  of 
s^  southern  Siberia,  it  may 
be  distinguished  by  the 
greater  postmolar  pro- 
duction of  the  palate, 
and  by  other  minor  cra- 
nial characters.  From 
the  common  polecat  of  Europe  {Tutor i no  putorins)  it  differs  in  several 
important  characters,  as  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  PI.  I.  In  P.  imto- 
rivs  the  postorbital  region  is  very  broad,  the  postmolar  part  of  the 
palate  exceedingly  long,  and  the  anterior  part  of  the  audital  bulLne,  very 
different. 

Remarl\s. — The  black-footed  ferret  bears  no  resemblance  whatever  to 
any  other  American  mammal,  but  is  very  closely  related  to  the  Sibe- 
rian Pntorins  crersmanni.  It  differs  from  the  latter  in  having  much 
shorter  and  coarser  fur,  larger  ears,  and  longer  postmolar  extension 
of  the  palate. 

In  some  specimens  of  Ptitorius  oiifiripcs  the  ]>ale  buffy  of  the  under 
parts  is  clouded  across  the  breast  between  the  fore  legs,  suggesting  the 
dark  breast  of  P.  eversmanni.     The  dark  facial  mask  encircles  the  eyes 

'This  coustrictioD  deepens  -witli  age,  as  in  all  the  Aveasels.  It  is  verj'^  deep  iu  tlie 
slinll  slio^vn  in  the  accompanying  text  figure  (fig.  1),  which  is  that  of  an  old  indi- 
vidual; much  less  deep  in  the  younger  specimen  shown  on  PL  I,  fig.  1. 


'Fm.l — I'liforiiis  nigripps  ^  ad.    Trego  Connty,  Kans. 


JUNE,1S00.]  SYNOPSIS    OF    THE    WEASELS    OF    NORTH:    AMERICA.  9 

(incliuling-  the  wliitisli  suprnorbital  spot)  and  dips  slightly  forMavd 
before  passing-  transversely  across  tlie  face,  so  that  its  ])osterior  border 
is  in  front  of  the  plane  of  the  outer  angles  of  the  eyes.  Its  anterior 
border  sometimes  extends  forward  almost  to  the  nasal  pad,  but  this  is 
unusual.  The  black  of  the  feet  "reaches  up  and  covers  the  fore  ]eg  to 
the  elbow,  except  along-  the  outer  side,  and  the  hind  leg-  to  near  the 
knee,  excei)t  ])osteriorly. 

,}[casKr('m(')ifs.^ — Average  of  3  males:  Total  length,  570;  tail  A^erte- 
br;c,  133;  hind  foot,  (JO.  Average  of  2  females:  Total  length,  500;  tail 
vertebra^,  1-0;  hind  foot,  55. 

Craiiidl  nicasnrenioifs. — Average  of  4  skulls  of  adult  males:  Basal 
length,  04;  basilar  length  of  I iensel,  02.5;  zygomatic  breadth,  43;  mas- 
toid breadth,  37;  breadth  across  postorbital  processes,  22.5;  iiiteror 
bital  breadth,  18;  breadth  of  constriction,  12.5;  palatal  length,  33; 
postpalatal  length,  31.5.  Average  of  2  skulls  of  adult  females: 
Basal  length,  G0.5;  l)asi]ar  length  of  Heusel,  58.5;  zygomatic  breadth, 
39;  mastoid  breadth,  34.5;  breadth  across  postorbital  processes,  20; 
interorbital  breadth,  1G.5;  breadth  of  ccnstriction,  12;  palatal  length, 
31;  postpalatal  length,  20. 

Subgenus  ICTIS  Kaup,  1829. 

Icth  Kanp:  Entwickeluiigs-Ciescliiclite  mul   Naturliches  System  der  EuropJiiscben 

TLierwelt,  ])p.  40-41,   1829.     (Contaius  only  a  single  species,   Mitsiela  nil.'/arin.) 

ScLulze:  Faunsp  Saxonica>,  Jlauimalia,  p.  170,  1893. 
ArctogaU  Kaup :  Entwickcluugs-CJescliicbte   und  Naturliches  System  der  Euroi)ai- 

sclien  TLierwelt,  p.  30,  1829.     (Contains  two  species,  cvmlnea  and  hoccamela.) 
firt/e  Wagner:  Sujiplement  Sclireber's  Saugtliiere,  II,  p.  234,  1841.     (Contains  four 

species, /iV'/u(fy(s,  crmiiiea.  hoccamela,  and  luthjaris.) 

The  names  Icti.';  and  Arefof/alc  were  proposed  simultaneously  in  the 
same  publication.  Each  is  accompanied  by  a  diagnosis  and  included  spe- 
cies. The  two  names,  therefore,  according  to  Canon  18  of  the  A.  O.  U. 
Code  of  i^omenclature,  are  e(|ually  pertinent.  In  se(iuenc(;  of  pagiim- 
tion  Arctogalc  conies  10  pages  ahead  of  letis.  let  is  contaius  a  single 
species  {rulg((ri.s  =  niralis  Linn.),  while  ArctogaU'  has  two  {erminea 
and  hoccaDicla).    The  reasons  for  choosing  Trtis  instead  of  .1  rctogaJe  are : 

(1)  The  type  of  Ictis  is  fixed  beforehand,  since  it  contained  only  a  single 
species,  while  in  Arctogale  the  type  must  be  established  arbitrarily; 

(2)  Arctogale  is  now  in  current  use  for  another  genus  of  small  carniv- 
ora;2  to  transfer  it  to  a  different  group  would  lead  to  much  confusion, 
and  would  be  a,  great  and  seemingly  unnecessary  calamity.  Hence, 
since  there  is  no  rule  to  the  contrary,  the  better  course  seems  to  be  to 
adopt  Ictis  and  allow  Arctogale  to  t\ill  into  synonymy. 

'The  number  of  specimens  of  which  reliable  flesh  measurements  are  available  is 
too  small  to  afford  satisfactory  averages. 

'•'Jrcfojra/ta'eters,  1864,  a  genus  of  Viverrida-;  (Jray,  Proc.  Zool.  Soc.  London,  18()4, 
pp. 508, r,42-543 ;  Blanford,  Fauna  P.ritish  India,  .Alanimalia,  p.  114, 18S8;  Flower  and 
Lydekker,  Introduction  to  Study  of  Mammals,  p.  533.  1891;  Lydekker,  Royal  Nat. 
Hist,,!,  p.  401,1893-94. 


10  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.lt. 

rurtliermore,  Ictis  has  been  already  revived  by  Schulze  (Faunae 
Saxonicjie,  Mammalia,  170,  1893),  thou.yh  used  by  bim  iu  a  much  more 
comprebensive  sense  tban  tbat  originally  intended.' 

List  of  North  American  IVeaiiels  with  type  localities. 


No. 

Name. 

Type  locality. 

1 

Northeastern  North  America  (north  of  lat.  4P) 

2 
3 
4 

Fori  Franklin,  Great  Bear  Lake. 

Skajiit  Valley,  Wasliington. 
Osier,  Saskatchewan. 
Point  Barrow,  Alaska. 
Kafliak  Lsland,  Ala.ska. 

5 
6 
7 
8 
9 

rixosvs 

arcticus 

areticus  kadiaccnsls 

Trout  Lake,  Mount  Adams,  "Washington. 
Tarpon  Springs,  Florida. 
Carlton  House,  Saskatchewan. 
Fort  Snelling,  Minn. 

10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 

peninsvlce 

longicauda 

longicauda  spadix 

Fla'^stalf,  Arizona. 

Black  Hills,  South  Dakota. 

Southern  California. 

Rogue  Eiver  Vallev,  Oregon. 

Valley  of  Mexico. 
Pinabete,  Chiapas,  Mexico. 

frenatus  leucoparia 

tropicalis  

affinis 

Patzcuaro,  Michoacan,  Mexico. 
Jico,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico. 
Colombia,  South  America. 

PUTORIUS  CICOGNANI  Bonap.     Bonaparte's  Weasel. 

(PI.  II,  figs.  3,  3ft,  4,4a.) 

1829.  Mustela  (Putoritis)  vulgaris  Richardson:  Fauna  Boreali-Americana,  Mammalia, 
pp.  45-46,  1829. 

1838.  Mustela  cirognanii  Bonaparte:  Iconografla  Fauna  Italica,  I,  fasc.  XXII,  p.  4, 

1838;  Charlesworth's  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  37,  Jan.,  1838. 

1839.  Fatorins  cicoguanii  Ricbanlson  :  Zoology  Beecliey's  Voyage,  p.  10*,  1839. 
1857.       Baird :  Mammals  North  America,  pp.  161-163,  1857. 

1891.      Mearns:  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  Ill,  p.  235,  May,  1891. 

1896.  Pidorius  riehardsoni  cicognani  Bangs :  Proc,  Biol.  Soc.AVash.,  X,  pp.  18-21,  Feb.  25, 

1896. 
1877.  Putoriiis  vulgaris  Cones:  Fur- Bearing  Animals,  pp.   102-109,  1877.     Merriam: 

Mammals  Adirondacks,  pp.  54-56,  1882  (habits) ;  and  most  recent  authors. 

Type  locality. — Nortbeastern  Nortb  America. 

Geograpliic  (UsirihuUon. — Boreal  forest  covered  parts  of  North  Amer- 
ica from  New  England  and  Labrador  to  coast  of  sontheastern  Alaska 
(Jnneau,  Wrangel,  and  Loring),  and  soutli  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  to 
Colorado  (Silverton).  It  occurs  in  the  interior  of  British  Columbia  (at 
Sicamous),  but  in  the  Puget  Sound  region  is  replaced  by  a  smaller  and 

1  Schnlze  included  in  Ictis  the  two  European  weasels,  vulgaris  and  erminea,  and 
also  the  mink,  lutrcola,  and  polecat,  imtoria. 


'juNE,l89G.]  SYNOPSIS    OF    THE    WEASELS    OF    NORTH    AMERICA. 


11 


darker  form,  P.  fitreatori.  In  the  United  States  it  is  common  in  New 
England  and  New  York,  and  in  the  forest-eovered  parts  of  Minnesota. 
It  probably  oocnrs  also  in  northern  Michigan  and  Wisconsin. 

Gciirral  characters. — Sixe  small;  tail  slender  and  rather  short;  color 
of  under  parts  covering-  toes  and  inner  sides  of  botli  fore  and  hind  feet;: 
color  of  npi)er  ])arts  never  encroaching  on  belly,  ])nt  ending-  along-  a. 
straight  line. 

Color. — Upper  T)arts  in  ftummer  pelage :  uniform  dark  brown,  hardly 
darker  on  head;  end  of  tail  blackish;  no  dark  spot  behind  corners  of 
mouth;  under  i)arts,  usually  including  ui)per  lip,  white,  more  or  less 
tinged  with  yellow.  In  winter  pelage:  i^ure  white  with  a  strong  yellow- 
ish tinge  on  rump,  tail,  and  under  parts;  end  of  tail  black. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  sraall.^  light,  narrow,  and  elongated  witlr- 
out  marked  postorbital  processes,  and  only  a  slight  postorbital  constric- 
tion; zygomata  narrow,  and  jiot  bowed  outward;  brain  case  elongate 
and  subcylindric;  audital  bulliB  small,  narrow,  and  siibcylindric,  almost 
continuous  anteriorly  (except  in  old  age) 
with  the  greatly  inflated  sipuimosals; 
palate  narrow;  the  tooth  rows  more 
nearly  parallel  than  in  the  other  spe- 
cies; skull  of  female  similar  to  that 
of  male,  but  smaller.  Contrasted  with 
riehanhoniy  the  skull  of  cicognani  is 
smaller,  the  audital  bullae  decidedly 
smaller,  and  the  dentition  lighter.  In 
nearly  every  series  of  eii-ognani  there  are 
one  or  two  old  males  whose  skulls  are 
abnormally  large  and  closely  resemble 
skulls  of  riehardsoni,  except  that  the 
audital  bulhe  are  always  smaller. 

Measurements. — Average  of  5  males  from  Ossipee,  N.  H. :  Total 
length,  278;  tail  vertebne,  SO;  hind  foot,  30.5.  Average  of  3  females: 
Total  length,  230;  tail  vertebra?,  69;  hind  foot,  30.5. 

PUTORIITS  CICOGNANI  RICHARDSONI  (Boiiap.).     RichcariLsoii's  Weasel. 

1829.  Mnstela  (_Putoriiis)  erminea  Ricliardson:  Fauna  Boreali-Amcricana,  p]).  46-47, 
1829.  (lu  part:  specimen  from  Fort  Franklin,  Great  Bear  Lake.  Not  M. 
erminea  Linn.) 

1838.  Musteta  richarilsoiii  Bonap. :  Charles  worth's  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  Vol.  XI,  p.   38, 

1838.     (l)aseil  on  Richardson's  specimen  from  Great  Bear  T^ake). 

1839.  Piiioriiis  richard.'ioni  U'igIi.  :  Zool.  Beechey's  Voyage  of  Blossom,  Mannniilia,  10*, 

1839. 
1896.       Bangs:  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washn.,  X,  pp.  1-24,  Feb.  2;-),  1896.     (In  part.) 

Type  locality. — Fort  Franklin,  Great  Bear  Lake. 

Geographic  (listrihut'ton. — Iludsoniau  timber  belt  from  Hudson  Bay 
to  interior  of  Alaska  and  British  Columbia. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  P.  cicognani  but  larger;  tail  of 
medium  length,  its  terminal  third  black. 


Figs. 


i  aud  3. — P.  cicognani  cf   ad.  Elk 
Eiver,  Minnesota. 


12  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.n. 

Color. — TTppor  parts  dull  clioeolate  brown,  tliis  color  reacliiiig  down 
on  both  fore  and  liind  feet  to  base  of  toes;  underparts  whitish,  more 
or  less  suffused  witli  yellowish,  the  pale  color  extending  out  in  a  very 
narrow  aud  sometimes  interrujjted  strip  along  inner  side  of  hind  feet 
to  toes;  tail  concolor  all  around  except  at  tip,  which  is  black  for  about 
one-third  the  total  length  of  tail.  In  n-intcr  pelage:  white  all  over 
except  termiual  third  of  tail,  which  is  black;  ruraj)  and  belly  more  or 
less  tinged  with  yellowish. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  long,  narrow,  and  .subcylindric  like  that  of 
cieognani,  from  which  it  differs  chiefly  in  larger  size,  larger  audita! 
bulhe,  and  heavier  dentition. 

Remarls. — P.  richardsoni,  as  pointed  out  by  Mr.Bangs,  is  simply  a  more 
northern  form  of  eieoguani,  with  which  it  intergrades  completely.  It 
inhabits  the  Hudsonian  timber  zone  while  cieognani  inhabits  the  Cana- 
dian. On  the  north,  where  the  timber  ends  and  the  tundra  begins,  the 
range  of  richardsoni  meets  that  of  arcficns.  The  two  species  differ 
widely  in  both  cranial  and  external  characters.  The  light  subcylindric 
skulls  of  richardsoni  J  with  the  narrow  frontals  and  appressed  zygomata, 
require  no  comparison  with  the  broad  massive  skulls  of  arcticus  with 
their  broadly  flattened  frontals  and  widely  spreading  zygomata.  The 
external  differences  are  almost  as  marked.  In  richardsoni  the  under- 
parts are  nearly  white  or,  at  most,  only  tinged  with  pale  yellowish;  tlie 
color  of  the  upjier  parts  covers  both  fore  and  hind  feet,  reaching  the 
base  of  the  toes;  the  tail  is  relatively  long,  coucolor  except  at  the  tip, 
which  is  black  for  about  one  third  its  length.  In  arcticus  the  under 
parts  are  deep  yellow;  the  color  of  the  upi)er  parts  stops  short  of  tbe 
fore  feet  and  reaches  only  halfway  down  the  hind  feet;  the  tail  is  short, 
yellow  below  on  its  basal  half,  and  has  a  long,  black  pencil  covering  at 
least  half  its  entire  length.^ 

Measurements. — (From  dry  skin  of  male  from  Fort  Simpson):  Total 
length,  390;  tail  vertebra',  05;  hind  foot,  43  (probably  45). 

PUTOKHTS  KICHARDSONI  ALASCENSIS  siibsp.  nov.     .Tiuipaii  "Weasel.  . 
(PI.  II,  figs.  2.  2a.) 

Type  from  Jmiean,  Alaska.     Xo.  74423,    ^   ad.,  IT.  S.  National  Museum,  Dept.  Agric. 
coll.     Collected  August  22,  1895,  by  Clark  P.  Streator.     Original  number  4806. 

General  characters. — Similar  in  size  and  general  appearance  to  P. 
richardsoni,  but  white  tips  of  fore  and  hind  feet  more  extensive  and 
interorbital  region  very  much  broader. 

Color. — Upper  parts  dull  chocolate  brown,  this  color  reaching  down 
on  fore  legs  to  wrists  and  on  hind  legs  to  middle  of  iipper  side  of  feet; 

1  It  is  not  strange  that  Mr.  Bangs  failed  to  discriminate  between  arellcns  and 
rii;harchoui.  Tiie  available  material  is  scanty  and  mostly  of  poor  quality,  aud  most 
of  the  skins  had  the  skulls  inside.  Through  the  kindness  of  INIr.  F.  W.  True,  cura- 
tor of  mauHuals  in  the  United  States  National  Museum,  tbe  skulls  have  been  removed 
and  placed  at  my  disposal. 


JUNE,  1896.]  SYNOPSIS    OF    THE    WEASELS    OF    NORTH    AMERICA.  13 

tei'iniual  third  of  tail  black;  uuder  i)arts,  iuchiding^  upper  li]),  fore  feet, 
and  distal  half  of  hind  feet,  soiled  white,  tinged  with  yellowish.  Winter 
pelage  probably  white. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  similar  to  that  of  P.  richardsoni,  but  very 
much  broader  between  orbits  and  across  muzzle;  postorbital  processes 
more  strongly  developed;  constriction  deeper. 

EemarlxS. — Mr.  Streator  obtained  two  males  of  this  new  weasel  at 
Juneau  in  the  latter  part  of  August.  He  obtained  also,  at  the  same  place 
and  time,  three  females,  which  in  color  aud  markings  agree  with  the 
males,  but  are  hardly  half  as  large.  Their  skulls  are  as  small  as  those 
of  true  cicognani,  which  they  closely  resemble.  If  they  are  the  females 
of  ulascensis,  as  seems  probable,  then  this  weasel  exhibits  as  great 
sexual  difference  in  size  as  P.  noveuoracensls,  in  which  respect  it  stands 
unique  as  a  member  of  the  cicognani  group.  The  only  alternate  possi- 
bility is  that  cicognani  and  alascensis  occur  together  at  Juneau,  and  that 
of  the  5  specimens  collected  there  by  Streator  the  2  males  are  alascensis 
and  the  3  females  cicognani. 

Measurements. — Average  of  two  males  from  Juneau,  Alaska:  Total 
length,  .335;  tail  vertebrse,  95;  hind  foot,  48,  Average  of  three  females 
from  same  place:  Total  length,  270;  tail  vertebra;,  77;  hind  foot,  34. 

PUTORIUS  STREATORI  sp.  uov.      Puget  Sound  Weasel. 

(PI.  II,  figs.  5,  5(t,  6,  6a.) 

Type  from  Mouut  Vernou,  Skagit  Valley,  Washington.     No.  76646,  ^^  a<l.,  U.  S.  Nat. 
Mils.,  Dept.  Agric.  coll.    Coll.  Feb.  29, 1896,  by  D.  R.  Luckey.     (Original  number  3  ) 

Geographic  (listribution. — Puget  Souud  and  coast  region  of  Washing- 
ton and  Oregon;  south  at  least  to  Yaquina  Bay  (Newport),  Oregon. 
Confined  to  a  narrow  strip  along  the  coast. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  Putorius  cicognani.,  but  smaller  and 
darker,  with  color  of  upper  i)arts  encroaching  on  belly. 

Color. — Upper  i^arts,  including  upper  lip  and  fore  and  hind  feet, 
uniform  dark  chocolate  brown,  darkest  on  head,  and  encroaching  far 
on  belly  aud  throat  (often  meeting  along  middle  of  belly);  terminal 
third  of  tail  black;  under  parts  narrowly  and  irregularly  white,  faintly 
tinged  with  yellowish.  In  winter  pelage  at  low  altitudes  the  color  of 
the  upper  parts  is  paler  (almost  drab  brown)  and  the  toes  may  become 
white;  at  higher  altitudes  the  whole  animal  changes  to  white,  ^  except 
the  end  of  the  tail,  which  always  remains  black. 

Cranial  characters. — Sku,ll  of  male  similar  to  that  of  male  cicognani, 
but  smaller,  slightly  broader  in terorbi tally,  and  with  somewhat  more 


'Mr.  R.  E.  Darrell,  of  Port  Moody,  British  Columbia,  writes  me :  "  I  have  discovered 
that,  although  the  weasels  do  not  change  color  down  near  salt  water,  they  do  chang'?  to 
the  white  winter  coat  in  the  mountains."  Specimens  in  the  Department  collection 
from  Mount  Adams,  Washington,  killed  in  February  and  March,  are  in  the  white 
winter  pelage.  The  type  and  a  female  from  the  same  locality  (Mount  VernoUj, 
Skagit  Valley)  are  in  the  drab-brown  wuiter  pelage. 


14  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [No.ll. 

prominent  postorbital  processes  and  smaller  aiidital  bulla',  Sknll  of 
female  very  mucli  smaller  and  more  delicate  tliau  that  of  male, 
resembling"  female  o£  cicognani,  but  snmller. 

Rniwrks. — Futorins  streatori  is  a  dark  Pacific;  Coast  form  of  cicognani^ 
with  which  it  may  be  found  to  intergrade.  It  differs  conspicuously 
from  cicogncmi  in  the  color  of  the  under  parts,  the  dark  chocolate  brown 
of  the  back  and  sides  encroaching  far  on  the  throat  and  usually  meet- 
ing along  the  median  line  of  the  belly,  thus  reducing  the  white  to  a 
narrow  and  irregular  strip,  which  expands  on  the  anterior  part  of  the 
throat,  on  the  breast  behind  the  fore  legs,  and  immediately  in  front  of 
the  hind  legs,  and  stops  abruptly  on  the  under  surface  of  the  thighs. 

Five  winter  specimens  from  Sumas,  British  Columbia,  kindly  loaned 
by  ]\[r.  Outram  Bangs,  point  toward  intergradation  with  eicognani.  In 
three  out  of  the  five,  the  toes  of  both  fore  and  hind  feet  are  white,  and 
the  color  of  the  ujiper  jjarts  is  much  paler  than  in  summer  pelage. 
Two  of  these  specimens  have  the  bellies  broadly  white,  as  in  eicognani. 
They  are  also  much  larger  than  streatori.  Specimens  from  Sicamous, 
in  the  interior  of  British  Columbia,  are  fairly  typical  eicognani^  having 
the  nnder  parts  broadly  white;  the  upper  lip,  a  strip  along  the  inner 
border  of  the  hind  feet,  and  the  toes  of  both  fore  and  hind  feet,  while. 
Specimens  from  southeastern  Alaska  (Juneau,  Wrangel,  and  Loriug) 
must  also  be  referred  to  eicognani,  and  not  streatori. 

Measurements. — Unfortunately,  no  flesh  measurements  are  available 
from  the  type  locality.  Specimens  from  Trout  Lake,  near  Mount  Adams, 
Washington,  are  slightly  smaller  than  the  Mount  Vernon  specimens, 
and  measure  as  follows:  Average  of  two  adult  males:  Total  length, 
270;  tail  vertebne,  83;  hind  foot,  33.  An  adult  female:  Total  length, 
210;  tail  vertebra',  51;  hind  foot,  24. 

PUTORIUS  RIXOSUS  Bangs.     Bang's  Weasel. 

(PI.  II,  tigs.  7,  7a.) 

1857.  rutorius  pusillus  Baird:  Mammals  N.  Am.,  pp.  159-161,  1857.     (In  part:  speci- 
men from  Pemhina.) 
1896.  rutorius  rixosus  Bangs:  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  Vol.  X,  pp.  21-22,  Feb.,  1896. 

Tyjw  locality. — Osier,  Saskatchewan,  Canada. 

Geographic  distribution, — Boreal  America  from  Hudson  Bay  to  coast 
of  Alaska  (St.  Michaels);  south  to  northern  Minnesota  (Pembina)  and 
Montana  (Sun  River). 

General  characters. — Smallest  weasel  known;  tail  short  and  without 
black  til) ;  only  American  weasel  lacking  the  black  tip. 

Color. — Summer  pelage:  Upper  parts  dark  reddish  brown;  tip  of  tail 
not  darker ;  under  parts  white.  In  ivinter  pelage:  Pure  white  all  over, 
including  end  of  tail. 

Cranial  charaeters. — Skull  (of  type  specimen,  9  ad..  No.  642  Bangs' 
Coll.')  very  much  smaller  than  the  smallest  female  of  any  other  known 

•  I  am  inclebted  to  Mr.  Bangs  for  the  privilege  of  examining  this  specimen.  Unfor- 
tunately, the  hasioccipital  is  broken  otf ;  hence  the  basilar  length  is  estimated. 


jDNE.isne.]  SYNOPSIS    OF    THE    WEASELS    OF    NORTH    AMERICA.  15 

species  (total  length  from  occiput  to  front  of  preninxillic,  28.05  ^asal 
length,  liG.ii;  zygomatic  breadth,  14;  length  of  palate,  11;  interorbital 
breadth,  5.5;  breadth  across  postorbital  processes,  7.5;  length  of  aiidi- 
tal  bnlla^,  9.5).  The  skull  is  a  miniature  of  P.  cicognani  except  that  tlie 
postorbital  processes  are  more  i)romiuent,  the  braiu  case  more  com- 
pressed, and  there  is  a  distinct  sagittal  ridge. 

MeaHuremenis. — Tjq^e  specimen,  female,  measured  in  flesh:  Total 
length,  150;  tail  vertebra^,  31;  hind  foot  in  dry  skins,  20-22. 

PUTORIUS  ARCTICUS  sp.  nov.     Tuuclia  Weasel. 
^  (PI.  II,  tigs.  1,  1«;  PI.  V,  figs.  6,  6«.) 

Tijpc  from  Point  Barrow,  Alaska.     No  ^liiTn  <?  ^^-  U-  S.  Nat.  Mus.     Collected  July 
16,  1883,  by  John  Murdoch.     Original  number,  1672. 

GeodrapMc  distrihution. — Arctic  coast  and  tundras.  Specimens  ex- 
amined from  Anderson  Kiver,  Franklin  Bay,  old  Fort  Good  Hope,  lower 
Mackenzie  River,  Point  Barrow,  and  St.  Michaels. 

General  characters. — Size  large;  ears  small;  tail  short  but  with  very 
long  black  pencil;  underi)arts  yellow  (including  underside  of  basal  half 
of  tail). 

Color — (Type  specimen,  male  adult.)  Upper  parts,  including  upper 
lip,  dark  yellowish  brown ;  chin  white ;  under  parts  deej>  ochraceous  yel- 
low, broadly  including  inner  and  posterior  sides  of  fore  legs,  whole  of 
fore  feet,  distal  half  and  inner  side  of  hind  feet,  and  under  side  of  tail 
to  or  nearly  to  black  tip;  black  tip  very  long,  covering  at  least  half  of 
tail  (including  long  terminal  hairs);  color  of  upper  parts  not  encroach- 
ing on  belly.  In  icinter  2iela(je,  white  all  over  except  long  black  tip  of 
tail;  the  white  tinged  with  yellow  posteriorly. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  rather  large,  broad,  and  massive;  frontal 
very  broad  interorbitally;  muzzle  broad  and  blunt;  postorbital  proc- 
esses moderately  develoj^ed;  postorbital  constriction  marked;  zygo- 
mata strongly  bowed  outward;  brain  case  subtriangular  and  rather 
short;  audita!  bulhe  subcylindric;  postglenoid  space  smaller  than  in 
richardsoni  and  hardly  iuHated  except  in  female.  Contrasted  with 
P.  richardsoni,  the  skull  of  P.  arcticus  is  somewhat  larger,  ]nuch  broader, 
and  more  massive;  braiu  case  subtriangular  instead  of  subcylindric; 
zygomata  bowed  far  outward  instead  of  appressed;  postorbital  pro- 
cesses more  prominent;  i)ostorbital  constriction  much  deeper;  frontal 
much  broader  interorbitally;  palate  broader  posteriorly;  dentition 
heavier.  Adult  male  skulls  of  P.  arcticus  resemble  certain  old  males 
of  washingtoni,  but  differ  in  much  greater  breadth  of  frontal  between 
orbits,  broader  muzzle,  and  blunter  jiostorbital  processes.  P.  arcticus 
resembles  true  erminea  of  Sweden  much  more  closely  than  it  does  any 
American  species. 

Rcmarhs. — Putorius  arcticus,  which  has  been  heretofore  confounded 
with  erminea  or  richardsoni,  is  one  of  the  most  strongly  characterized 
species  of  the  genus.     It  is  a  large  animal  with  deep  ochraceous  yellow 


16  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [N'o.ll. 

under  i)arts  aud  a  rather  short  tail  which  ends  in  a  remarkably  long 
black  pencil.  The  skull  differs  from  all  other  American  weasels  in  the 
great  breadth  of  the  frontal  region  and  the  breadth  aud  bluntuess  of 
the  muzzle,  in  both  of  which  respects  it  resembles  true  erminca.  The 
only  American  species  wliose  skull  approaches  it  at  all  is  P.  washhuf- 
toni,  as  mentioned  above.  In  exterjuil  characters  the  differences  are 
too  great  to  require  comparison. 

It  is  interesting  to  find  in  this  country  an  Arctic  circumpolar  weasel 
which,  though  S[)ecifically  distinct,  is  strictly  the  American  representa- 
tive of  the  Old  World  erminea.  The  ])attern  of  coloration,  as  described 
above  (under  color),  is  precisely  as  in  enninea,  but  the  tints  differ 
materially.  The  upper  pai'ts  in  erminca  lack  the  golden  brown  of 
((rcticHs,  and  the  under  parts  are  very  much  paler  aud  of  a  different 
tint,  being 'i)ale  sulphur  yellow  instead  of  ochraceous.  Moreover, 
arcilcuH  lacks  the  whitish  border  to  the  ear  which  is  present  in  erminea. 
In  winter  pelage  the  two  seem  to  be  indistinguishable  except  by  cranial 
characters. 

A  small  form  of  arcticns  oc(;urs  ou  Kadiak  Island,  xVlaska.  It  has 
smaller  aud  narrower  audital  bulhc,  less  spreading  zygomata,  less 
divergent  tooth  rows,  and  decidedly  shorter  postmolar  production  of 
l)alate.  It  is  probably  wortLy  of  recognition  as  subspecies  l((diacensis. 
An  adult  male  (No.  G52!)0)  collected  April  25,  1804,  by  B.  J.  Bretherton, 
measured  in  the  flesh:  Total  length,  318;  tail  vertebr;i',  80;  hind  foot, 
41.  It  is  in  the  white  winter  i)elage,  just  beginning  to  change,  aud  the 
terminal  half  of  the  tail  is  black. 

MeaHnrcmentti. — From  dry  skin  of  tyi)e,  male  adult.  Point  Barrow, 
Alaska:  Total  leugth,  380;  tail  vertebrte,  75;  pencil,  55;  hind  foot,  48 
(at  least  50  in  the  flesh). 

PUTORIUS  NOVEBORACENSIS  De  Kay.     New  York  Weasel. 

(PI.  IV,  figs.  1,  la,  2,  2a;  PI.  V,  tigs.  3,3a. 

1810.  J'lttorius  iioveboracensisDe  Kay:  Catal.  Mammalia  New  York,  p.  18,  1810  {nomen 

nudum);  Zoology  of  New  York,  Mammalia,  p.  36,  1842. 
1840.       Emmons:  Rept.  Quadrupeds  Massachusetts,  p.  45,  1840. 
1857.       Baird :  Mammals  N.  Am.,  pp.  166-169, 1857. 
1896.       Bangs:  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wa8li.,X,  pp.  13-16,  Feb.  25,  1896. 
1877.  Futorlas  ( Gale)  erminea  Cones :  Fur-Bearing  Animals,  pp.  109-136  ( in  part),  1877. 
Futo7-iHs  erminca  Thompson,  Aud.  &  Bach,  (part),  Allen,  Merriam,  aud  most  recent 
authors. 

Type  locality. — New  York  State. 

Geographic  distribution. — Eastern  United  States  from  southern  Maine 
to  North  Carolina,  and  west  to  Illinois, 

General  characters. — Male  large;  female  small;  tail  long  aud  busby, 
much  longer  than  in  cicoynani,  but  shorter  than  in  lonyicaiula;  the 
black  terminal  part  longer  than  in  any  other  species  except  articus, 
covering  oue-third  to  one-half  the  tail  and  measuriug  50  to  75  mm. 
Animal  turns  white  in  winter  in  northern  part  of  range.  Extraordinary 
sexual  difference  in  size  aud  crauial  characters. 


JtTNE,189G.]     SYNOPSIS    OF    THE    WEASELS    OF    NORTH    AMERICA. 


17 


Color. — Smnmer  peUuiv:  Uiiper  parts,  including  fore  and  liiud  feet 
and  anal  region,  and  often  encroaching  irregularly  on  belly,  ricli  dark 
chocolate  brown,  sometimes  suggesting  sealbrown ;  under]>arts  (usually 
including  ujtper  lip)  white,  more  or  less  washed  with  yellowish;  no 
yellow  on  under  side  of  tail  or  on  hind  feet,  the  color  of  under  parts 
stopping  short  of  ankle.  Wintir  pelage:  In  southern  jjart  of  range 
similar  to  summer  pelage,  but  upper  parts  paler,  nearly  drab  brown. 
Northern  specimens  white  all  over  except  terminal  third  of  tail,  which 

is  jet  black;  throat,  belly,  posterior 
half  of  back  and  tail  always  suilused 
Avith  yellowish. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  of  male 
large,  heavy,  and  elongate;  sagittal 
ridge  present  in  adults;  postorbital 
l)rocesses  and  constriction  mod- 
erately developed;  zygomata  not 
hoired  oittirard;  audital  bulla'  rather 
narrowly  oval,  usually  rounded  an- 
teriorly as  well  as  posteriorly.  Skull  of  female  very  small,  light,  and 
narrow,  Avith  brain  case  elongate  and  subcylindric,  much  as  in  cicognani; 
audital  bulhe  sjuall,  narrow,  and  not  rising  abruptly  anteriorly  from 
intlated  squamosals,  which  latter  are  elongated  and  strongly  inflated  as 
in  cfcognani.  Skulls  of  males  may  be  distinguished  from  those  of  male 
longicauda  by  shorter  postorbital  processes,  less  nmrked  postorbital 
constriction,  less  triangular  brain  case,  lower  sagittal  ridge,  very  much 
narrower  zygomata,  which  are  not  bowed  outicard,  narrower  palate,  and 
narrower  audital  bulhe,  which  are  more  rounded  anteriorly.  The  resem- 
blance to  F.  icashingtoni  is  very  much  closer,  but  male  skulls  oi  noreho- 


FlG.  4. — Putorius  nuvcb'iracoisi';  cT  ;id, 
daulis,  New  York. 


Adiron- 


5  and  li.  —  I'uturins  tiiireboraceimis.    Adirondacks,  Kew  York. 


racensiH  may  be  distinguished  by  larger  size  and  much  larger  audital 
bnllffi.  The  female  skull,  owing  to  the  inflation  of  its  squamosals 
inferiorly,  needs  no  comparison  with  either  washingtoni  or  longicauda, 
but  is  with  difllculty  separated  from  cicognanl  in  regions  where  the  two 
species  overlap.  The  postorbital  processes  are  longer  and  the  car- 
nassial  and  sectorial  teeth  larger  in  the  females  of  norehoraceHsis  than 
in  cicognanl  from  the  same  localities. 

Bemarls. — Futorins  uorehoraccnsis  may  usually  be  distinguished  from 
P.  cicognanl  l)y  larger  size  and  also  by  the  longer  and  more  bushy  tail, 
16932— No.  11 2 


18  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.U. 

aiul  greater  length  of  the  l)lack  terminal  part.  Females  of  nonhora- 
ccn.si.s,  however,  sometimes  resemble  males  of  cicognanl  rather  closely. 
They  may  be  distinguished  not  only  by  the  greater  length  of  the  tail 
but  also,  if  in  summer  pelage,  by  the  absence  of  yellow  from  the  under 
side  of  the  tail  and  inner  sides  of  the  hind  feet,  which  parts  in  cicognani 
usually  show  more  or  less  yellow. 

Measurements. — Average  of  10  males:  Total  length,  407;  tail  ver- 
tebra>,  140;  hind  foot,  47.  Average  of  10  females:  Total  length,  324; 
tail  vertebra',  108;  hind  foot,  34.5. 

PUTOKIUS  WASHINGTON!  sp.  iiov.     Wushiugton  Wetisel. 

(PI.  IV,  figs.  3,  3a,  4,4a.) 

Tyi)e  from  Trout  Lake,  base  of  Mouut  Adams,  State  of  Wasliingtou.  No.  7(5022,  J^ 
ad.,  U.  S.  Nat.  Miis.,  Dept.  Agriculture  collectiou.  Collected  December  15,  1895,  by 
D.  N.  Kaegi. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  P.  novehoracensis  in  size  and  general 
appearance,  but  with  longer  tail  and  shorter  black  tix).  Female  very 
much  smaller  than  male,  as  in  novehoracensis. 

Color. — Color  in  summer  pelage  unknown  (probably  dark  chocolate 
brown).  There  are  two  winter  pelages,  probably  dependent  on  alti- 
tude. In  drah  winter  pelage:  Upper  parts  uniform  drab  brown;  end 
of  tail  black;  under  parts  white,  more  or  less  suffused  with  pale  yel- 
lowish. The  color  of  the  upper  x)arts  encroaches  on  the  sides  of  the 
belly  as  in  novehoracensis,  and  a  brown  spot  is  present  behind  the  cor- 
ners of  the  mouth,  which  may  or  may  not  be  confluent  with  the  brown 
of  the  cheeks.  In  the  type  and  two  other  specimens  the  hind  legs  and 
feet  are  the  same  color  as  the  upper  parts  except  that  the  toes  are 
tipped  with  whitish  and  the  tips  of  the  fore  feet  are  white.  In  another 
specimen,  collected  January  22,  the  white  is  more  extensive,  covering 
all  of  the  fore  feet  and  about  half  of  the  hind  feet.  In  summer  pelage 
the  legs  and  feet  are  doubtless  the  same  color  as  the  upper  parts,  the 
white  of  the  belly  stopping  high  up  on  the  thighs.  In  white  wintev 
l^elage:  White  all  over  except  black  tip  of  tail;  tail,  rump,  and  belly 
strongly  suffused  with  yellow.  In  one  specimen  (No.  76004,  male, 
February  7,  1890)  the  yellow  reaches  forward  over  the  back  nearly  to 
the  shoulders;  in  another  (No,  76588,  male,  February  4, 1896)  the  whole 
back  is  white. 

Cranial  characters. — The  skulls  of  the  two  sexes  differ  greatly:  that 
of'the  male  resembles  novehoracensis  closely  iu  size  and  general  char- 
acters, but  differs  in  having  the  audital  bulla-  much  shorter  and  the 
X)ostorbital  processes  less  strongly  developed.  Thoi^ostorbital  constric- 
tion is  equally  marked.  The  skull  of  the  female  is  very  much  smaller 
than  that  of  the  male,  averaging  about  38  mm.  in  length,  while  the 
male  averages  45  mm.  Contrasted  with  the  female  of  novehoracensis 
the  brain  case  is  broader»posteriorly  and  less  cylindric.  The  audital 
bulhe  are  more  sharply  separated  from  the  squamosal  inflation  and  the 
latter  is  only  slightly  marked,  not  reaching  tJie  plane  of  the  bullie.  The 


JrNE,l896.j     SYNOPSIS    OF    THE    WEASELS    OF    NORTH    AMERICA.  19 

resembliiiice  therefore  to  P.  cicognani  is  much  less  marked  in  the  female 
ica.shitujtoiii  than  in  the  female  novehoracensin. 

Eemarls. — This  new  species  is  represented  in  the  collection  by  14: 
skulls  and  6  skins,  of  which  the  greater  number  are  males.  The  female 
is  darker  than  the  males,  and  the  top  of  the  head  is  darker  anteriorly 
than  the  rest  of  the  upper  parts,  while  in  the  males  it  is  concolor  with 
the  back.  These  differences  are  probably  seasonal,  the  female  not 
having  comi)leted  the  change  from  summer  to  winter  pelage,  though 
collected  December  11.     All  are  from  the  Mount  Adams  region. 

MeasnremenU. — The  skins,  which  are  well  made,  afford  the  following 
approximate  measurements:  Male,  total  length,  240;  tail  vertebra',  155; 
hind  foot,  44.  Female,  total  length,  300 ;  tail  vertebra?,  120 ;  hind  foot,  37. 

PUTORIUS   PENINSULA    Rhoads.     Florida  Weasel. 

(PI  .  IV,  figs.  5,  5a;  PI.  V,  tig.  5.) 

rutorius ptninsuhv  Rhoads:  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  June  1894,  152-155. 
Bangs:  Proc.  Biol.  .Soc.  Wash.,  X,  pp.  10-13,  Feb.  25,  1896. 

Type  /oca^i^j/.—' Hudsons,'  14  miles  north  of  Tarpon  Sjmngs,  Fla. 

Geographic  distribution. — Peninsula  of  Florida;  limits  of  range 
unknown. 

General  characters. — Size  rather  large,  about  equaling  male  of  Puto- 
rius  noveboracensis ;  skull  similar  to  that  of  longicanda^  but  with  very 
large  audital  bulla*. 

Color. — Upper  parts  dnll  chocolate  brown,  darkest  on  head;  upper 
li])  and  chin  whitish;  rest  of  under  i)arts,  including  fore  feet  and  toes 
of  hind  feet,  yellowish;  a  brown  spot  behind  corners  of  mouth ;  a  small 
tuft  of  white  hairs  under  anterior  root  of  ear.  The  color  of  the  under 
parts  covers  the  belly  broadly  and  is  not  encroached  ui^on  by  the  color 
of  the  upper  jyarts.  Irregular  and  inconstant  white  markings  are  some- 
times present  between  and  behind  the  eyes. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  rather  massive,  resembling  that  of  longi- 
canda, hwtvfith  higher  sagittal  crest;  less  spreading  zygomata;  narrower, 
higher,  and  more  swollen  audital  bulhe,  and  less  prominent  postorbital 
l)rocesses.  Contrasted  with  P.  norehoracensis  the  postorbital  constric- 
tion is  deeper,  the  l)rain  case  higher  and  moresubtriangular,  the  audital 
bnlla;  higher  and  more  swollen,  the  upper  carnassial  tooth  decidedly 
larger,  and  the  molar  smaller.  The  upi)er  molar  is  peculiar :  It  is  short, 
hardly  expanded  at  either  end,  and  implanted  at  right  angles  to  the 
premolar  series. 

Measurements. — An  adult  female  from  Tarpon  Springs,  Fla. :  Total 
length,  374;  tail  vertebrje,  127;  hind  foot,  44.5. 

PUTORIUS  LONGICAUDA  Bonaparte.     Long-tailed  Weasel. 
(PI.  Ill,  figs.  3,  3a,  4,  4a;  PI.  V,  figs.  1,  la.) 

1829.  Musfehi  (FiitoriHS)  erminea  Kichardson:  Fauna  Boreali-Americaua,  pp.  46-47, 

1829  (in  i)ait:  Spocinien  from  Carlton  House). 
1838.  Miislehi  lonyicauda  Bonaparte:     Charlesworth's   Magazine    Nat.    Hist.   N.   S., 

II,  p.  37-38,  1838  (based  on  Richardson's  long-tailed  variety  of  erminea  from 

Carlton  House). 


20 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[Xo.  n. 


Fl(i.7. 


-Puturius  longiraudu. 
S.  Dak. 


Fort  Sissetou, 


1839.  Putorius  loiigicauda  Rich. :  Zool.  Beecbey's  Voyage  of  Blossom,  p.  10,"  18"0. 

1857.       Baird:  Mammals  N.  Am.,  pp.  169-171,  1857. 

1877.       Cones:  Fur- Bearing  Animals,  pp.  136-142,  1877. 

1896.       Bangs:  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  X,  pp.  7-8,  Feb.  25,  1896. 

Type    locality. — Carlton    Hoase,    on    Noitli    Saskatcliewan    River, 
Canada. 

Geognqjhic  (lutribnUon. — Great  Plains  from  Kansas  nortli\vai<l. 
General  cliaracters. — Size  large  (adult  males  averaging  al)out  4.">()  mm. 

in  total  length) ;  tail  veiy  long  (ver- 
tebra* 155  mm.  or  more  in  males), 
its  bla(-k  ti])  ratlier  short;  under 
l)arts  always  strongly  yellowish  or 
ochraceous. 

Color. — Upper  parts  pale  yel- 
lowish brown,  or  pale  raw-umber 
brown,  becoming  darker  on  head; 
terminal  part  of  tail  black;  chin 
and  upper  lip  all  the  way  round 
white;  rest  of  under  parts  varying 
from  strong  buff'y  yellow  to  ochraceous  orange,  the  color  extending  from 
throat  jjosteriorly,  including  upper  side  of  fore  feet,  inner  side  of  hind 
feet,  and  upiier  side  of  hind  toes;  under  side  of  tail  more  or  less  suffused 
with  yellowish;  soles  of  hind  feet  brownish.  In  worn  summer  pelage 
the  color  of  upper  parts  is  decidedly  paler,  and  in  some  old  specimens 
the  upper  and  lower  surfaces  are  not  sharply  differentiated.  The 
orange  tinge  of  the  under 
parts  is  strongest  on  the 
throat. 

Cran ia I  c h a r a cter ,s . — 
Skull  large,  broad,  and 
massive,  with  well-devel- 
oped postorbital  proc- 
esses, strongly  marked 
postorbital  constriction, 
and  a  moderate  sagittal 
crest;  zygomata  bowed 
strongly  outward;  brain 
case  subtriangular  as  seen 
from  above ;  audital  bulla; 
rather  broad  and  subrect- 
angular;  palate  broad; 
dentition  heavy;  audital  bulla-  anteriorly  rising  abrui)tly  from  s((ua- 
mosal,  which  is  not  inflated  in  either  sex;  skull  of  female  similar  to 
male,  but  smaller,  and  with  only  a  slight  sagittal  ridge.  Contrasted 
with  male  skulls  of  novehoracensh  and  tcasJiingfoni,  the  male  of  lotif/i- 
cauda  is  broader  and  relatively  shorter,  with  more  spreading  zygomatic 
arches,  longer  postorbital  processes,  deeper  postorbital  constriction, 


Figs.  8  and  9.—/'.  Inmiicaiifla  rf  ad.     Fort  Sisseton,  S.  Dak. 


JiNE,  1896  1     SYNOPSIS    OF   THE    WEASELS   OF   NORTH    AMERICA. 


21 


1111(1  imicli  broader  and  more  rectangular  audita!  bulliv^,  wbicli  as  a  rule 
are  broadly  truncate  iustead  of  narrowly  rounded  anteriorly. 

Mt'dsnrements. — Average  of  4  males  from  jjlaius  of  Saskatcbewan  aud 
Alberta :  Total  lengtb,  450 ;  tail  vertebne,  1 65 :  bind  foot,  51.  Average 
of  3  females:  Total  lengtb,  o87;  tail  vertebr*,  144:  bind  foot,  44. 

Pl'TORIUS  LONGICAFDA  SPADIX   Bangs. 
J'ulurius  loiniiciuida  ■'<pudix  Ban.irs:  Proc.  Piol.  Soc.  Wash.,  X,  pp.  8-9,  Feb.  25,  1896. 

Ty]}e  locaJitij. — Fort  Snelling,  near  Minneapolis,  Minn. 

Geographic  di.stribntio)i. — Edge  of  timber  belt  in  Minnesota,  along 
boundary  between  Transition  and  Boreal  zones. 

General  cliaracters. — Similar  to  P.  lonr/icauda,  but  mucb  darker. 

Color. —  Swrnner  pelage :  Upper  parts  chocolate  browu,  darkest  on  tbe 
bead,  but  paler  tlian  in  nove- 
horacevsis ;  cbin  and  upi)er  lip 
whitish  all  round;  rest  of  under 
parts,  including  upper  surfaces 
of  fore  feet  and  toes  of  hind 
feet,  butfy  yellow ;  terminal  part 
of  tail  black.  Winter  pelage: 
Snow-white  everywhere  except 
bbick  tip  of  tail  and  a  yellow- 
ish suffusion  on  rest  of  tail,  and 
sometimes  also  on  under  side  of 
bind  i'i^et. 

Cranial  charaeters. — As  in  P. 
longieauda. 

Measurements.^ — Average  of  G 
males  from  Fort  Snelling,  iMinn. :  Total  length,  460;  tail  vertebrae,  166.5; 
liiiid  foot,  54.5.  Average  of  3  females:  Total  lengtb,  356;  tail  verte 
bra-,  132;  hind  foot,  43.5. 

PUTORIUS  SATURATUS  .sp.  uov.     Cascade  Mountain  Weasel. 

Tjipe  from  Siskiyou,  near  soutlieru  boundary  of  Oregon  (altitude,  about  4,000  feet). 
No.  65930,  cT ad.,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mas.,  Department  of  Agricultnrc  colli-ctiou.  CoUei'ted 
.June 6,  1894,  by  Clark  P.  Streator.     Orig.  No.  3905. 

General  charaeters. — Similar  to  P.  arizonensis,  but  larger  and  darker, 
with  belly  more  ocliraceous,  and  with  distinct  spots  behind  the  (!orners 
of  the  mouth. 

Color. — Color  of  upiier  jiarts  in  summer  pelage  (June)  dark  raw 
umber  brown,  becoming  much  darker  on  the  top  of  the  head  and  nose; 
terminal  part  of  tail  black;  a  brown  spot  at  corner  of  mouth  which 
may  be  confluent  with  brown  of  cheeks ;  color  of  upper  parts  extending 
over  outer  side  of  forearm  to  wrist,  and  over  hind  foot  to  toes;  chin 


Fjgp.  lu  aiul  11. 


■  Putorius  I.  spaiiix  ?  ad.    Elk  Kiver, 
Miiiuesota. 


'These  measnrenieuts  were  taken  iu  the  liesh  by  Dr.  E.  A.  Mearns,  to  whom  I  am 
indebted  for  them. 


22  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  rXo.ll. 

white;  rest  of  uiuler  parts  ocliraceons  or  orange  yellow,  including  the 
fore  feet,  and  reaching  narrowly  do\A'n  the  under  side  of  hind  leg  to 
ankle,  whence  it  may  or  may  not  extend  in  a  nariow  line  along  inner 
side  of  foot  to  toes;  under  side  of  tail  more  or  less  suffused  with  goldeu 
chestnut;  anal  region  chestnut  brown;  in  «'orn  pelage  the  colors  are 
everywhere  much  paler. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  similar  to  tliat  of  P.  arizonoisi.s  but  with 
postorbital  processes  broader  at  base  and  less  peg  like. 

RemarTcs. — This  handsome  weasel  rei)laees  lowjicauda  on  the  Cascade 
and  Siskiyou  mountains  of  Oregon  and  Washington,  reaching  a  short 
distance  into  British  Columbia.  The  only  specimens  examined  have 
come  from  Siskiyou,  Oregon,  and  Chilliwack,  British  Columbia  (the 
latter,  No.  3553,  collection  of  E.  A.  and  O.  Bangs). 

MeasnremenU. — Average  of  2  males  from  Siskiyou  Mountains,  Ore- 
gon: Total  length,  423;  tail  vertebrae,  164;  hind  foot,  48. 

PUTORIUS  ARIZONENSIS  Mearns.     Mountain  Weasel. 

rutoiius  arisonensis  Mearns:  Bull.  American  Miiseniu  Nat.  Hist.,  Vol.  Ill,  No.  2,  pp. 

234-235,  May,  1891. 
Fiitorius  loxgicauda  Merriam :  Mamnjals  of  Idaho,  N.  Am.  Fauna,  No.  5,  pp.  83-84,  Aug. 

1891  (from  mountains  of  Idaho). 

Type  locality. — San  Francisco  forest,  Arizona  (a  few  miles  south  of 
Flagstaff). 

Geoyraphic  diHribution. — Broadly,  the   Sierra  Kevada  and   Rocky 

Mountain  systems,  reaching  British 
Columbia  in  the  Itocky  Mountain  re- 
gion, but  not  known  north  of  the  Sis- 
kiyou Mountains  in  the  Sierra-Cascade 
system. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  Pnto- 
rius  longicauda  in  color  and  markings, 

n.j.  12,-P.  arizunensig  d  ad.    Boulder         |j„(-  much  Smaller  in  sizC. 

Color. — Upper  parts  from  occiput  to 
black  tip  of  tail,  raw  umber  brown;  head  decidedly  darker;  end  of  tail 
black;  chin  and  upper  lip  all  round  white;  rest  of  under  parts  includ- 
ing upi^er  surfaces  of  fore  feet  and  inner  half  of  hind  feet  and  ujjper 
surfaces  of  hind  toes  ochrace<ms  or  ochraceous  yellow,  varying  in  tint. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  similar  to  tliat  of  lonyicauda  but  decidedly 
smaller  and  less  triangular;  narrower  across  mastoids  and  more  bulg- 
ing in  parietal s. 

Eemarls. — Putorins  arizonensis  is  a  mountain  form  of  longicauda^ 
wliich  it  closely  resembles  except  in  size.  The  type  specimen,  collected 
by  Dr.  Mearns  on  the  pine  plateau  of  Arizona  a  few  miles  south  of 
Flagstaff,  is  an  immature  female  and  is  of  unusually  small  size.  A 
male  obtained  by  him  near  the  same  place  is  of  the  normal  size,  as  is 
another  male  in  the  Department  collection  from  Springerville,  Ariz., 


JuxE,l8<)G.]     SYNOPSIS    OF    THE    WEASELS    OF    NORTH    AMERICA. 


23 


collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson.  Specimens  from  the  iiortbern  Eocky 
Mountain  region  (St.  Mary  Lake,  Montana,  and  Salmon  River  and 
Palisimeroi  Mountains,  Idaho)  dil'fer  in  color  from  the  typical  animal 
from  Arizona  and  Colorado,  and  agree  with  aUeni  from  the  Black  Hills 
in  having  the  upper  parts  strongly  sntiused  with  golden  brown,  the 
yellow  of  the  under  parts  yellow^  rather  than  ochraceous,  and  the  under 
side  of  the  tail  strongly  yellow  on  the  basal  half  or  two-thirds.  The 
skulls,  however,  lack  the  tiattened  audital  bulhe  of  alleni.  Specimens 
from  the  Sierra  Nevada  in  California  are  hardly  distinguishable  from 
the  Kocky  Mountain  animal.  The  only  apparent  external  differences 
are  that  the  yellow  of  the  under  jjarts  reaches  uj)  farther  under  the 
chin,  the  white  of  the  upper  lip  is  less  extensive,  and  the  under  side  of 
the  tail  is  more  suffused  with  yellowish.  But  none  of  these  characters  is 
constant.  In  one  specimen  from  Donner,  Calif.  (No.  2650,  female,  Mer- 
riam  Coll.),  even  the  white  upper  lip  is  as  marked  as  in  Eocky  Mountain 
specimens;  it  reaches  all  the 
way  round,  fills  the  space  under 
the  nasal  pad  to  the  nostrils, 
and  broadens  strongly  under 
the  eyes.  In  cranial  charac- 
ters also  the  differences  are 
slight  and  inconstant.  The 
jjostorbital  processes  are  longer 
and  more  slender,  often  becom- 
ing peg  like  in  old  males.  The 
audital  bulhe  average  smaller 
and  more  convex  anteriorly, 
and  in  the  female  are  decidedly 
narrower  and  more  subcylin- 
dric.  But  in  an  adult  fenmle 
from  Fort  Klamath,  Greg.,  the  bulhe  are  nearly  as  broad  as  in  Rocky 
Mountain  females.  The  three  female  skulls  I  have  seen  of  the  Sierra 
form  are  decidedly  smaller  than  females  from  the  Eocky  Mountains, 

The  Sierra  specimens  show  a  strong  tendency  to  grade  into,  or  at 
least  toward  xantlwgenys.  In  nearly  half  the  specimens  examined  white 
hairs  are  present  between  the  eyes,  and  in  several  they  are  sufidciently 
numerous  to  form  a  conspicuous  white  spot,  though  the  spot  is  not 
large  and  rectangular  as  in  true  xanthogenys.  The  white  cheek  spots  I 
have  not  seen  in  Sierra  specimens,  but  the  brown  spots  behind  the  cor- 
ners of  the  mouth  are  sometimes  present  (as  in  No.  30055,  male,  from 
Upper  Cottonwood  Meadows,  near  Mount  Whitney,  Calif.). 

A  specimen  from  St.  George,  Utah,  an  old  female,  differs  in  some 
respects  from  typical  arizonensis.  The  skull  is  small  and  relatively 
short,  and  the  shortening  is  mainly  in  the  palate  and  rostral  part,  which 
measures  2  mm.  less  than  the  average  of  adult  females  of  arizonensiH  of 


Figs.  13  and  14. — P.  arizonensis  cT  ad. 
Colo. 


Boulder  County, 


24  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  11. 

the  same  size.  Moreovei',  tlie  ])ostorbital  ]>rocesses  are  longer  and  more 
slender  than  in  any  feniahvof  arizoiwusi.s  1  have  examined  from  either 
the  Rocky  ]\rountain  or  Sierra  systems.  Externally  the  St.  (leorge 
specimen  diflers  from  typical  ariz<>ne)i.sis  iu  the  following  })articulars: 
Yellow  of  nnderparts  more  strongly  tinged  with  ochraceous;  wliiteof 
npi)er  lip  narrow  and  not  reaching  aronnd  anteriorly;  brown  of  npi^er 
X)arts  reaching  down  on  outer  side  of  arm  to  wrist;  a  small  bi^»wu  spot 
bearing  two  bristles  just  behind  each  corner  of  mouth.  In  this  respect, 
and  this  only,  it  resembles  xanthoffcnys ;  there  is  no  trace  of  white  on 
the  cheeks  or  between  the  eyes. 

Meusnrements. — Average  of  5  nudes  from  the  Rocky  MountaiDs: 
Total  length,  385;  tail  vertebne,  144;  hind  foot,  44.5.  Average  of  4 
females:  Total  length,  358;  tail  vertebra^,  130;  hind  foot,  40. 


PUTORIUS  ALLENI  sp.  nov.     T.lack  ] fills  Weasel. 

Type  fi'om  Custer,  Black  Hills,  Soutli  Dakota.     No.  ;}f3ft,  <?  ad.,  Merriain  collection. 
Collecteil  July  12,  1888,  hj  Vernon  Bailey.     Original  No.  90. 

Geogra'phiv  disfnhiition. — Black  Hills,  South  Dakota. 

Characters. — Similar  to  i*.  arizonensis  in  size  and  general  characters, 
but  upper  parts  nu)re  suffused  with  yellowish  and  audital  bulhe  Hatter. 

Color. — Upper  parts  from  occi])ut  to  black  tip  of  tail  golden  or  yel- 
lowish-brown, in  some  lights  with  an  olivaceous  tinge;  head  dark 
brown,  without  yellowish  tinge;  upper  lip  and  chin  white;  rest  of 
nnderparts,  including  inner  sides  of  legs,  whole  of  fore  feet,  toes  of 
hind  feet  and  under  side  of  basal  part  of  tail,  intense  buffy  yellow. 

Cranial  cJiaracters. — Skull  similar  to  that  of  arizonensis,  but  audital 
bulla^  much  flatter  and  somewhat  smaller;  brain  case  slightly  flatter 
and  bulging  laterally  immediately  behind  constriction;  frontal  some- 
what broader  interorbitally ;  skull  as  a  whole  shorter.  The  skull  of  an 
old  female  (No.  7441,  Am.  Mus.  JSTat.  Hist.)  is  much  smaller  than  the 
male,  and  the  audital  bulla?  are  narrow  and  not  flattened.  In  both 
sexes  the  postorl)ital  processes  are  strongly  develoj^ed. 

Roitarls. — Putorius  aUeni  is  an  isolated  and  only  slightly  differen- 
tiated form  of  F.  arizoncnsis,  from  which  it  is  completely  cut  off'  geo- 
gra])hically.  It  is  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  the  large  weasel  of  the 
plains,  P.  Jnngicanda.  In  worn  summer  pelage  the  color  differences 
that  distinguish  it  from  arizone».sis  are  not  apparent. 

I  take  ])leasure  in  naming  the  species  in  honor  of  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen, 
of  the  American  IMuseum  of  Natural  History,  New  York,  who  has 
recently  published  an  important  paper  on  the  mammals  of  the  Blaci< 
Hills,  and  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  the  loan  of  three  additional 
Sjiecimens. 

Measurements  (of  type  specimen,  male  adult). — Total  length,  372;  tail 
Aertebriie,  137;  hind  foot,  44. 


June,  1800]    SYNOPSIS    OF    TH.E    WEASFXS    OF    NORTH    AMERICA.  25 

PUTOKIUS  XANTHOCtENYS  ((iray).     California  Wca.s.l. 

1843.  Musiela  jioiihotjoiys  Gray  :  Annals  and  Magazine  Nat.  Hist.,  XI,  j)]!.  118, 1813. 
1857.  Putorius  xanthogniys  Baird:  Mannnals  N.  Am.,  pp.  17(5-177, 1857. 
1877.  Fuforiiis  (Gale)  hi'asiliensix  frenatiis  Cones:  Fur-Bearint;'  Animals,  ])]>.  lJi!-146, 
1877  (in  part). 

Type  loealify. — ►Soiitlirrn  ( 'alifornin,  inobably  vicinity  of  San  Diego. 

Geographic  distrihiitton. — Sonoran  and  Tinnsition  iannas  of  ( -alifor- 
iiia,  on  both  sides  of  the  Sierra  ISTevada. 

(ieneral  characters. — Size  medium;  tail  long';  face  conspicuously 
marked  with  whitish,  but  vest  of  head  not  black;  under  i)arts 
ochraceous. 

Color. — Upper  jiarts  from  back  of  head  to  terminal  i)art  of  tail  in 
summer pehigc  raw-umber  brown,  tinged  with  golden:  in  n-i liter  pelaije., 
drab  brown,  without  yellowish  suffusion :  head  always  darker,  becom- 
ing dusky  over  nose;  a  large  rectangular  s[)ot  between  ej'es,  and  a 
broad  oblique  band  between  eye  and  eir,  whitish;  end  of  tail  black; 
a  brown  spot  behind  c  orners  of  mouth ;  chin  white ;  rest  of  under  parts, 
iiiclnding-  fore  feet  all  round  and  inner  side  and  toes  of  hind  feet,  vary- 
ing from  l)uliy  ochraceous  to  ochraceous  orange.  In  some  specimens 
the  ochraceous  covers  the  greater  part  of  the  hind  feet  as  w^ell  as  the 
toes. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  of  the  longicauda  type  and  practically 
indistinguishable  in  size  and  characters  from  /'.  arizonensis;  skull  as  a 
whole  short  and  broad ;  zygomata  bowed  outward;  postorbital  processes 
strongly  developed;  sagittal  ridge  distinct;  andital  bulhe  moderate, 
usually  truncate  anteriorly;  skull  of  female  similar  to  that  of  male, 
but  smaller. 

Remarls. — Putorias  xanthogcnys  inhabits  the  San  Joaquin  and  Owens 
valleys  and  the  t\  hole  of  southern  California  except  the  liigiier  moun- 
tains. In  ascending'  the  mountains  it  gradually  loses  the  facial  mark- 
ings and  seems  to  grade  into  P.  arizonensis^  the  weasel  o,f  the  mountain 
summits. 

Measurements. — Average  of  7  males  from  southern  California:  Total 
length,  402;  tail  vertebra',  150;  hind  foot,  43.5.  Average  of  3  fenuiles: 
Total  length,  3G8;  tail  vertebras  135;  hind  foot,  40.5. 

rUTORIU.S  XANTHOGENYS  OREGONENSIS  snbsp.  nov.     Orejion  AVeasel. 

Tijpe  from  Grants  Pass,  Rogue  River  Valley,  Oregon.  No.  f|"is,  9  ad.,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mns., 
Dept.  Agric.  Coll.  Collected  December  19,  1891,  by  Clark  P.  Streator.  Original 
number  1404. 

(leof/raphic  distribution. — liogue  Iviver  Valley,  Oregon;  limits  of 
range  unknown. 

(ieneral  characters. — Similar  to  F.  xanthogenys  but  decidedly  larger, 
darker  m  color,  and  with  face  markings  much  restricted. 

Color. — LTpi)er  parts  m  winter  pelage  pale  chocolate  brown,  slightly 
darker  on  head;  a  small  and  ill-delined  ])atch  between  eyes,  and  a  imr- 


26  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.ll. 

row  veriical  bar  between  eye  and  ear,  -white;  throat  white;  rest  of 
under  parts,  including  fore  feet  and  inner  sid(^s  and  distal  half  of  hind 
leet,  i)ale  yellowish;  terminal  one-lifth  oi'  tail  black;  rest  of  tail  above 
and  below  concolor  with  back  and  without  the  yellowish  tinge  which 
is  characteristic  of  xanthogcnys. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  similar  to  that  of  .rantliogriii/s  but  larger 
and  decidedly  broader.  The  slvull  of  the  type,  an  adnlt  female,  com- 
pared with  skulls  of  xantliogenys  of  the  same  sex  and  age  I'roni  south- 
ern California,  differs  in  the  following  particulars:  Skull  everywhere 
broader;  muzzle,  palate,  interorbital  breadth  and  constriction  very 
much  broader;  zygomata  more  si^readiug. 

3feasuremcnts. — Type  specimen,  female  adult:  Total  length,  41L*;  tail 
vertebra^,  155;  hind  foot,  44.  ,■, 

PUTOEIUS  FEENATUS  (LicliteBsteiu).     Bridled  Woasel. 
(PL  III,  tigs.  1,  la,  lb,  2.) 

1813.  Mustela  IjraslUensiti  Sevastianoff :  Mem.  Acad.  Imp.  Sci.  St.  Petersburg,  IV, 
356-363,  Table  iv,  1813.  (Name  ou  plate  only;  diagnosis  in  text.)  Preoc- 
cupied by  Mustela  ij-asiUensis  [an  otter]  Gmeliu,  1788. 

1832.  Mustela  frenaia  Liclitenstein :  Darstellung  neuer  oder  wenig  bekanuter  Sau- 
gethiere,  PI.  XLII  and  corresjionding  text  (unpaged),  1832. 

18.57.  rutorius  frenatus  Baird:  Mammals  N.  Am.,  173-176,  1857. 

Tyj)e  locality. — Valley  of  Mexico,  near  City  of  Mexico. 

General  characters. — Size  large;  tail  long;  its  black  tip  relatively 
short;  head  black,  with  conspicuous  white  markings. 

Color. — Top  of  head  blackish,  interrupted  between  eye  and  ear  by  a 
broad,  whitish  band,  which  is  nearly  confluent  with  a  x)atch  of  same 
color  between  the  eyes;  rest  of  upper  parts  brown;  a  dark  spot  behind 
corners  of  mouth;  chin  and  throat  whitish;  rest  of  under  parts  ochra- 
ceous  yellow;  forefeet  to  or  above  wrists  whitish  or  jjale  bufly  yelloAV- 
ish,  continuous  with  and  shading  into  ochraceous  of  under  parts;  color- 
of  under  parts  extending  down  on  inner  side  of  hind  legs  and  feet  to 
toes,  which  are  whitish  or  yellowish  white. 

Cranial  char<tcters. — Skull  large  and  massive,  with  strongly  devel- 
oped postorbital  processes,  deep  postorbital  constriction,  marked  sagit- 
tal crest,  and  peculiar  audital  bulhe,  which  are  obliquely  truncated 
anteriorily  (the  inner  side  reaching  farthest  forward)  and  abruptly 
highest  on  inner  side,  falling  away  suddenly  on  outer  side  so  as  to 
form  a  rounded  ridge  along  the  inner  side  of  the  longitudinal  axis  of 
the  bulla.  The  skull  oi  frenatus  resembles  that  of  longicaucla,  but  is 
considerably  larger,  and  differs  in  the  form  of  the  audital  bulla*  just 
described,  and  also  in  the  extent  of  the  postglenoid  space,  which  is 
much  larger  than  in  longicauda.  The  dentition  is  heavy  and  the 
upper  carnassial  tooth  relatively  shorter  than  in  longicauda.  The 
ramus  of  the  under  jaw  is  much  more  convex  interiorly. 

Jiemarl's. — Liclitenstein,  in  his  original  (lescrii)tion  oY  j\h(stelaj'rcnata, 
states  that  the  tail  is  about  one-third  longer  than  that  ol'  the  European 


Juml896.1     SYNOPSIS    OF    THE    WEASELS    OF    NORTH    AMERICA.  27 

weasel  {erminea) ;  that  only  its  extreme  tip  is  black ;  that  tlieliead,  ears, 
aD(l  crown  are  black,  this  (loloring'  f^idiiiij  into  the  reddish  brown  of  the 
upper  iKirts  on  (he  back  of  the  head  behind  the  ears;  that  the  facial 
markings,  throat,  and  breast  are  white;  the  remainder  of  the  under 
parts  ocher  yellow.  The  white  spot  between  the  eyes  is  described  as 
heartshaped,  and  in  the  colored  plate  it  is  shown  to  be  nearly,  but  not 
quite,  continent  with  the  white  i^atc^h  between  the  eye  and  ear.  Tlie 
colors  in  the  plate  are  not  good,  as  the  whole  under  parts  are  white 
instead  of  ocher  yellow,  and  the  black  tip  of  the  tail  is  not  shown.  The 
specimen  seems  to  have  been  in  worn  pelage.  Liclitenstein  had  two 
specimens,  both  collected  by  Depi)e  near  the  City  of  Mexico. 

Fortunately,  the  Department  collection  contains  two  specimens  col- 
lected by  E.  W.  Xelson  at  Tlalpam,  in  the  Yalley  of  Mexico,  which  may 
be  considered  topotyi)es  of  frcnatus,  for  they  not  only  came  from  the 
same  locality  as  Lichten stein's  types,  but  also  agree  essentially  in  every 
detail  with  his  excellent  description.  The  only  points  in  Avhicli  the 
description  fails  to  agree  absolutely  with  the  specimens  is  that  in  the 
hitter  the  white  of  the  throat  is  less  x)ure  and  the  black  tip  of  the  tail 
perhaps  a  tritic  more  extensive  than  one  would  infer  from  the  descrip- 
tion; but  the  throat  is  white  in  contrast  with  the  strongly  ochraceous 
yellow  of  the  rest  of  the  under  parts,  and  a  si)ecimen  in  the  United 
States  National  Museum  from  the  City  of  Mexico  (No,  lOGO,  9  ad., 
J.  Potts)  has  both  throat  and  breast  white,  as  in  the  original  description. 

The  statement  that  only  the  extreme  tip  of  the  tail  is  black  was  made 
in  comparison  with  the  European  weasel  {erminea),  in  which  nearly  half 
of  the  tail  is  black.  Hence  the  description  agrees  entirely  with  the 
S])ecimens  in  hand.  One  point  not  mentioned  in  the  description  is 
shown  in  the  plate,  namely,  that  the  hind  feet  and  toes  are  in  large 
part  whitish  or  yellowish  white.  The  quantity  of  white  is  variable. 
In  a  young  male  from  Tlalpam  (No.  508U7)  it  is  restricted  to  the  inner 
side  of  the  foot,  hardly  reaching  the  toes,  while  in  an  adult  male  from 
the  same  locality  (No.  50826)  it  includes  the  toes.  The  whitish  sjiot 
between  the  eyes  is  also  variable,  both  in  form  and  extent.  Liclitenstein 
described  it  as  lieart-sha]>ed,  and  his  figure  shows  that  it  is  narrow 
where  it  approaches  closest  to  the  stripe  between  the  eye  and  ear,  with 
which  it  is  nearly,  but  not  quite,  contluent.  This  is  precisely  its  coii- 
■  dition  m  the  adult  male  from  Tlalpam,  which  may  be  considered  a 
duplicate  type  of  the  species.  In  this  specimen  the  median  white  S])ot 
is  almost  divided  by  the  dark  color  of  the  forehead,  which  pushes  down 
between  the  eyes,  so  that  the  whitish  spot  might  be  described  as  a 
narrow  stripe  over  each  eye,  the  two  becoming  confluent  below.  In 
the  young  specimen  the  white  spot  is  subrcctangular  and  not  divided 
by  tlie  black  of  the  forehead. 

Note  on  Putorivs  hrasiliejisis. — In  1813  a  Ilussian  naturalist,  Sevas- 
tiauoff,  gave  the  name  ^MuHteJa  bra.silien.sis'  to  a  weasel  brought  to 
St.  Petersburg  by  Capt.  A.  J.  Krusensteru  oji  his  return  from  a  voyage 


28  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  INo.lL 

arouud  the  world.  The  aiiiuuil  Avas  said  to  liave  come  from  Brazil,  but 
110  definite  locality  was  ijiveii.  In  the  iininerous  ])nl)licatioiis  that  have 
since  api)eared  relating  to  the  mammals  of  Brazil  and  adjacent  terri- 
tory, no  weasels  are  mentioned  as  inhabiting  that  country,  and.  the 
species  described  from  the  mountains  to  the  westward  differ  so  widely 
from  Sevastianoflf's  hrasilien.sis  that  it  is  almost  certain  his  animal  did 
not  come  from  Brazil,  The  original  description  (including  measure- 
ments) agrees  in  every  respect  with  P.  frenaivH  of  Lichtenstien  from 
the  Valley  of  Mexico,  indicating  that  tlie  two  animals  are  identical. 
On  this  assumption  the  well-known  and  appropriate  name  frenafus 
would  have  to  fall  before  the  earlier  and  inappropriate  ^hrasilie)isu.^ 
Fortunately,  however,  Sevastianoff  placed  his  animal  in  the  genus 
Mustela,  and  the  name  ilf».S'^e/rt  hrasiliotsis  is  preoccupied  by  Gmeliu 
for  a  South  American  otter.  (Syst.  ISTat.,  ed.  13,  ]).  93,  1788.)  Hence, 
unless  some  earlier  name  is  found,  frenatus  will  stand  for  the  Mexican 
bridled  weasel. 

Measurements. — An  adult  male  from  Tialpam,  Valley  of  Mexico  (type 
locality):  Total  length,  505;  tail  vertebra^  203 ;  hind  foot,  53.  Average 
of  G  males  from  Brownsville,  Tex. :  Total  length,  188 ;  tail  vertebra',  192; 
hind  foot,  51.  Average  of  3  females  from  Brownsville:  Total  length, 
438;  tail  vertebra?,  187;  hind  foot,  41.5. 

PUTOKIUS  FKENATU8  (tOLDMANI  sul.sp.  nov. 

Tijpe  from  Pinahete,  Cliiapas,  Mexico.  No.  77519,  ^  ad..  V .  .S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Dept.  Agric. 
coll.  CoHei-ted  Feb.  10,  1896,  by  E.  A.  (4ol(linan.  Altitude  about  8,200  feet  (  =  2,500 
meters).     Original  number  9279. 

Geof/raphh'  (lisfrihution. — Mountains  of  southeastern  Chiapas;  limits 
of  range  unknown. 

General  characterfi. — Similar  to  P./renaUis  in  size  and  general  char- 
acters, but  tail  and  hind  feet  longer;  light  markings  more  restricted; 
black  of  head  reaching  much  farther  back  on  neck;  color  of  upper  parts 
darker  and  more  extensive,  encroaching  on  sides  of  belly  and  covering 
fore  and  hind  feet;  black  tip  of  tail  longer. 

Color. — Upper  parts,  including  whole  of  fore  and  hind  feet,  dull,  dark 
chestnut  brown,  washed  with  black  on  the  neck  from  shoulders  forward, 
and  becoming  pure  black  on  the  head;  face  marked  by  a  whitish  i)atch 
between  the  eyes,  and  a  narrow,  oblique  band  between  eye  and  ear;  a 
blackish  spot  behind  angle  of  mouth;  color  of  under  i)arts  salmon 
ochraceous,  reaching  wrists  interiorly,  but  not  reaching  heels;  terminal 
third  of  tail  black. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  rather  large;  zygomata  moderately  spread- 
ing; squamosal  inflation  moderate,  but  large  for  a  member  of  the/re- 
natns  series;  audital  bulla'  small,  steep  on  inner  side,  and  only  slightly 
elevated  anteriorly  above  squamosal  inflation.  The  skull  as  a  whole 
resembles  that  of  frenatus,  but  differs  conspicuously  in  the  greater 
length  and  inflation  of  the  postglenoid  part  of  the  squamosal,  greater 
breadth  of  the  basioccipital,  and  in  the  size  and  form  of  the  audita! 


Jlne,1896,]     synopsis    of    the    WEASELS    OF    NORTH    AMEIilCA.  2!) 

bill  lie.  The  latter  are  very  narrow,  low  anteriorly  where  they  meet  the 
iiitlated  squamosal  without  an  abrupt  step,  and  high  along  the  inner 
side. 

Kemarloi. — Mr.  E.  W.  Nelson  writes  me  that  this  tine  weasel  is  found 
sparingly  in  the  forest  about  Pinabete,  Chiapas,  at  an  altitude  of  7,0(10 
to  8,000  feet  (2,100  to  2,500  meters).  The  type  specimen  was  shot  in 
the  afternoon  while  hunting  on  a  lieavily  wooded  hill  slope.  It  was 
heard  making  long,  slow  leaps  over  the  dry,  crisp  leaves.  Coming  to  a 
log,  it  stood  up  and  rested  its  fore  feet  on  the  log,  in  which  position  it 
was  shot  by  Mr.  (ioldman. 

A  specimen  from  Cerro  San  Felii)c,  Oaxaca,  is  intcrniediiitc,  both 
ill  coloration  and  cranial  characters,  between  typical  freiKitKn  and 
(johlmdni ;  hence  there  is  little  room  for  doubt  that  complete  inter- 
gradation  exists  between  the  two. 

Measurements. — Type  specimen,  male  adult:  Total  length,  50f;  tail 
vertebrie,  201 ;  hind  foot,  58. 

PUTORIUS  FRENATUS  LEUCOPARIA  sulisp.  nov. 

Type  from  Patzcuaro,  JSIiohoacau,  Mexico.     No.   'm\i,  ^  ad.,  U.  S.  Nat.  Miis.,  Dept. 
Agric.  coll.     Collected  July  27, 1892,  l)y  E.  W.  Nelson.     Original  number  2i»G0. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  Putorius  frenatus,  hut  slightly  larger; 
black  of  head  extending  posteriorly  over  neck;  white  face  markings 
much  more  extensive;  the  spot  between  the  eyes  very  much  larger  and 
broadly  confluent  on  both  sides  with  whitish  area  between  eye  and  ear, 
which  area  also  is  much  more  extensive  in  all  directions  than  in 
frenatus. 

Color. — Upper  parts  from  shoulders  to  black  tip  of  tail,  dark  brown; 
neck,  crown  of  head,  nose,  ears,  and  sides  of  face  to  a  little  behind  the 
eye,  black ;  black  of  head  between  eyes  and  ears  divided  by  a  broad 
band  of  bufty  white  which  is  broadly  confluent  with  butty  yellow  of 
throat  and  chin;  a  narrow  border  of  whitish  on  upper  lip;  rest  of 
under  parts  ochraceous  yellow  (including  whole  of  forefeet,  inner  sides 
of  hind  legs  and  feet,  and  terminal  half  or  nearly  half  of  upper  surfaces 
of  hind  feet,  where  the  color  becomes  paler,  being  butty  ochraceous,  as 
on  the  throat). 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  similar  to  that  of  fniKd us,  Imt  larger; 
audital  bulhe  much  narrower;  postorbital  processes  less  strongly 
developed. 

Remarlcs. — This  handsome  weasel  presents  the  maximum  of  black 
and  white  markings  known  in  the  froiatus  group,  the  black  of  the  head 
reaching  back  over  the  neck  and  the  white  face  markings  covering  a 
large  area.  In  the  type  specimen  a  white  stripe  50  mm.  in  length 
extends  down  the  middle  of  the  nape  from  a  point  between  the  ears 
more  than  halfway  to  the  shoulders.  This,  liowever,  is  probably  ab- 
normal, though  a  trace  of  it  exists  in  a  female  from  the  same  locality. 
This  form  is  the  poorest  subspecies  described  in  the  present  paper. 


30  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [Xo.li. 

Me<(siircments. — Average  of  2  males  from  Patzcuaro  (type  locality): 
Total  length,  ~iU);  tail  vertebra",  201;  liiiid  foot,  53.  An  adult  female 
from  same  place;  Total  length,  400;  tail  vertebra-,  150;  bind  foot,  42. 

rUTORIUS  TROPIC ALIS  sp.  uov.     Tropiuul  Bridled  Weasel. 

(PI.  Ill,   tigs.,  5,  rm,  6,  (irt.) 

Type  iVom  Jico,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico  No.  oliW,  <^  ad.,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mu.s.,  Dept.  Agric. 
coll.  Collected  July  9, 1893,  by  E.  W.  Nelson.  Altitude  6,000  feet  (  =  1,800  meters). 
Original  number  5195. 

Geographic  <lisfribution. — Tlie  tropical  coast  belt  of  southern  Mexico 
and  Guatemala  from  Vera  Cruz  southward. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  FutoriuH  frenaiasj  but  much  smaller 
and  darker,  with  the  white  face  markings  less  extensive,  the  belly  pale 
orange  instead  of  ochraceous,  and  under  side  of  tail  very  much  darker. 

Color. — Upper  parts  deep  umber  brown  with  a  fulvous  tone;  head, 
ears,  and  neck,  black,  passing  gradually  into  brown  of  back  just  iu 
front  of  the  shoulders;  terminal  one-fourth  (or  a  little  more)  of  tail, 
black;  face  markings  as  in  froiatus,  but  less  extensive  and  whiter; 
under  parts  ochraceous  buff  on  throat  and  fore  feet,  becoming  rich 
orange  buff  on  belly  and  inner  side  of  thighs,  whence  (becoming  paler) 
the  color  reaches  out  in  a  narrow  interrupted  stripe  along  the  inner 
side  of  the  hind  feet  to  the  toes,  which  are  irregularly  bufiy. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  of  male  similar  in  general  to  that  of  frc- 
natiis,  but  smaller,  relatively  longer,  with  less  spreading  zygomata,  less 
strongly  developed  postorbital  processes,  and  probably  broader  postor- 
bital  constriction  (the  type  skull  was  infested  with  parasites) ;  audital 
bullae  smaller  and  very  much  narrower;  carnassial  teeth  and  upper 
molar  smaller.  The  skull  of  the  female  is  very  much  smaller  than  that 
of  the  male,  and  has  the  smoothly  rounded  brain  case  of  the  cicognani 
group,  without  trace  of  a  sagittal  ridge.  The  squamosals  are  strongly 
inflated,  resembling  thosG  of  cicognani  and  the  female  of  novehoracensis. 
It  differs  from  the  female  frenatus  in  much  smaller  size,  very  much 
smaller  audital  bulhe,  more  inflated  squamosals,  smoothly  rounded 
brain  case  without  trace  of  sagittal  crest,  and  broader  interorbital 
constriction,  which  is  immediately  behind  x)ostorbital  processes  instead 
of  one-fifth  the  distance  from  the  processes  to  the  occipital  crest  (fig.  15). 

Remarls. — On  first  examining  the  skins  of  this  weasel  sent  home  by 
Mr.  Nelson,  I  supposed  it  to  be  merely  a  tropical  subspecies  of frenatm; 
but  on  comparing  the  skulls  I  am  forced  to  accord  it  full  specific  rank. 
The  difference  is  greatest  in  the  females,  and  is  really  very  remarkable, 
as  may  be  seen  from  the  accompanying  figures  (figs.  15  and  16).  The 
female  of  frenatus  (fig.  1(>)  resembles  the  male  of  the  same  species  (pi.  Ill, 
fig.  1),  while  the  fennile  of  trojricalis  (fig.  15)  resembles  the  cicognani 
group — representing  another  section  of  the  genus.  The  case  is  parallel 
to  that  of  r.  noveljoracensis  already  described.  The  female  of  trojncalis, 
like  that  of  novehoracensis,  shows  arrested  development  or  absence  of 


Ju.NE,lS96.]     SYNOPSIS    OF    THE    WEASELS    OF    NORTH    AMERICA. 


31 


Fig.  15 — P.  frenatus 


Fin.  10. — 1'.  Iriqncalis  ? . 


the  specialization  that  characterizes  the  male,  while  the  females  of 
icashin(/toni  and  frenaUis  have  advanced  further  and  are  moie  like 
the  male.  In  the  case  of  the  female  skulls  of  frenatus  and  tropicalis 
here  figured,  it  is  interesting  to  know  that  they  were  taken  within 
a  few  miles  of  one  another — frenatus  on  Cofre  de  Perote.  at  an 
altitude  of  about  12,500  feet; 
tropicalis  at  Jico  on  the  plain 
below,  at  an  altitude  of  5,000  or 
G,000  feet.' 

The  Department  collecti<ui 
contains  four  specimens  of  this 
weasel,  all  collected  by  Mr,  Nel- 
son in  A'era  Cruz.  Three  of 
t-liem,  two  adult  males  and  one 
old  female,  are  from  Jico;  the 
fourth,  an  immature  female,  is 
from  Catemaco,  and  presents  the 
extreme  of  differentiation  in  in- 
tensity of  color.  The  hind  feet 
are  dark  tliroughout  and  the  color  of  the  upper  parts  is  peculiarly  dark 
and  rich,  as  in  P.  affinis. 

Measurements. — Average  of  two  adult  males  from  Jico,  Vera  Cruz 
(type  locality):  Total  length,  442;  tail  vertebrie,  175;  hind  foot,  50. 
An  old  female  from  same  place:  Total  length,  333;  tail  vertebrt^,  121; 
hind  foot,  37. 

PUTORIUS  AFFINIS  (Gray). 

Musfehi  affinis  Gray:  Aimals  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  -ith  ser.,  XIV,  p.  375,  Nov. 

Type  locality. — "New  Granada"  [=  Colombia]. 

General  characters. — Size  large;  tail  long;   color  very  dark 
black  anteriorly;  facial  markings  obsolete  or  nearly  so. 

Color. — Upper  jiarts  nearly  pure  black  on  head  and  neck,  fading 
imi)erceptibly  to  rich  blackish  brown  on  back,  rump,  and  tail;  black 
tip  of  tail  long,  but  not  strongly  contrasted  with  dark  color  of  rest  of 
tail;  under  parts  narrowly  ochraceous  orange,  narrowest  behind  angle 
of  mouth,  where  it  is  encroached  on  by  the  blackish  of  the  cheeks.  Face 
usually  unmarked,  but  a  whitish  streak  sometimes  present  in  front 
ot  ear. 

Cranial  characters. — The  only  skull  of  this  weasel  I  ha\e  seen  is  from 
a  skin  (No.  13770,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.)  collected  by  Dr.  Van  Patten,  at  San 
Jose,  Costa  Rica.  It  is  immature,  but  differs  strikingly  from  frenatus 
in  the  greater  breadth  of  the  frontal  region  and  the  flatness  of  the 
audital  bulla'.     The  constriction  is  little  marked,  which  may  be  due  to 


1S74. 


almost 


'The  ditiereuce  in  size  of  the  two  species  is  well  shown  by  the  iie.sh  measurements 
of  these  two  specimens.  Femaile  frenaf us,  Cofre  cle  Perote:  Total  length,  418;  tail 
vcrtebrre,  100;  hind  foot,  45.  Female  trojncalis,  Jico:  Total  length,  333;  tad  verte- 
bra-, 121 ;  hind  foot,  37, 


32  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.il. 

parasites  in  the  frontal  sinuses.  The  young  skull  af!'ords  the,  following 
measurenieuts:  Basal  length,  50:  zygomatic  breadth,  29',  postjjalatal 
length,  20;  i>alatal  length,  24 ;  iuterorbital  breadth,  12;  breadth  across 
postorbital  i)rocesses,  15;  breadth  of  constriction,  14. 

General  ronarls. — There  are  several  specimens  from  Oosta  Kica  iu 
the  National  Museum  collection  which  ajiparently  belong  to  this 
species.  In  these  specimens  the  color  of  the  upper  parts  is  exceed- 
ingly dark  from  the  color  of  the  tips  of  the  hairs;  but  the  color  imme- 
diately underlying  the  black  tips  is  deep  fulvous  brown,  giving  a  very 
rich  tone  to  the  pelage.  The  orange  of  the  under  parts  is  narrow  and 
does  not  reach  the  feet;  on  the  hind  legs  it  stops  on  the  thighs,  and  on 
the  forelegs  it  stoi)s  short  of  the  wrists. 

McdsxrciiK'itts  (from  dry  skins  in  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.). — Total  length, 
about  510;  tail  vertebra\  about  180;  hind  foot,  about  52. 


JUKE,189C.]  SYNOPSIS    OF    THE    WEASELS    OF    NORTH    AMERICA.  33 

Tahh  of  averarje  cranial  meanHrementu  of  North  American  WcaseU. 


F.  cicognani 


Locality. 


P.  richardsoni. 
P.  alascensis . . . 
P.  ttreatori 


P.  rixosux 

P.arcticvs 


P.kadiace7isis 

P.  novehoracetuis 

P.xvashiiiijtoni  .. .. 

P.peninndce 

P.  longicaxida 

P.  spadix 

P.  saturattis 

P.  arizonensis 

P.  alleni 

P.xanthorienys... 

Pfrenatus 

/'.  tropicaUs 


Ossipee,  N.  H 

Elkliiver,  Minn 

Do... 

Mount  Forest,  Ontario. . 

Great  Slave  Lake 

Juneau,  Alaska — 

Skagit  Talley,  "SVash  . . . 

Do 

Trout  Lake,  Wash 

Do 

Osier,  Saskatchewan  . . . 
Point  B:!rrow,  Alaska  . . 
Franklin    Bay,   Arctic 

Coast. 
St.  Michaels,  Alaska  . . 

Do 

Kailiak Island,  Alaska. 
Adirondacks,  X.  T , 

Do 

Trout  Lake,  "Wash 

Do 

Tarpon  Springs,  Fla... 
Carlton     House,      Sas- 
katchewan. 

Do 

ElkEiver,  Minn 

Do 

Siskiyou  Mountains, 
Oregon. 

Springei-ville,  Ariz 

Boulder  County,  Colo.. 
Sierra  Kevada,  Cal 

Do 

Black  Hills,  S.  Dak.... 

Do 

Southern  California 

Do 

Tlalpam,  Mexico 

Cofre  de  Perote,  Mexico 
.Tico,  Tera  Cruz,  Mexico 

Do.. 


M 


^K 


pa 


38.  5^  37.  5 
40.  2   39 
33.5,  32.5 
32.5^  31.5 


40 
42 
34 
29.5 


33.5   32.5 

28.  sj  28 
2G.5126 

44.5   43 

43.5'  42 


43 
38 
'42 

47 


42 
37 
'41 
45.5 


38.5   37.5 
44.2   43 
38.  3   37. 5 
45.5   44 
48       47 


17.5 

24 

24.5 

20 

16.5 

18 

15.5 

14.2 

29.5 

27.5 

26.5 

22.5 

24 

27 

20 

26 

2L5 

27 

30.5 


^ 


§"2 


18.5   10.5 
19.5   n 
16     '  10 
16     i     9 
20.5   11.5 
21     I  14 


f^  -< 


13     i 

''    I 
IG.  5 

13.51 

13.5 

23     I 

22. 5  j 

22.  5 

19 

20.5 

23.5 

18.  5I 

23     I 
I 
20 

24 

26 


8.7  25.5 
26.5 

7.8  22 

7  j  21.5 
9.7   27 

11     i  28.5 

8.5j  23 

7.5   20 

8  22 
6.5  19 
5.5,  17.5 


11 

10 

9.8| 
8.5' 
7.5 
14.5'  12.5' 


16.5 

17 
14 
14 
18 
19 
15 
12 
14.5 


22 

22.5 

19. 5 

18 

23 

24 

20 

18 

19.5 


B 

4 

4 


13 

13.  5| 

12 

12.5 

14.5' 

11 

12.5 

10.5 

14 

15.5 


11  28.5 

12  28 
10       24. 5 
10.  5  >  27 
11.3   30 

25.3 


10.2 


27.5 

24 

29 


42.5   26       23       12       10.5   26.5 


46.5 

43 

44 


29.5   26     !  14.5   11.5 


26     I  23.5    13 
29       25       14 


41 
43 

44.  5'  43.  5, 
39.5   38 
42     I  40.8 
38.5   37.5 


42.5 
41 


43.5 
47.5 


26 

28.5 

28 

22.5 

27 

23 

27.5 

24 

33.5 

25.5 

28 

22.5 


23 

23 

23 

20.5 

22 


23.5 

..; 

27.5. 
23 

24.5 

19.5; 


12.5 

13 

14.5 

1L3 

13.2 

12 

13.5 

12 

15.5 

13 

15 

12 


10.5 
11 

10.5 
10.5 
10.5 

9 
11 

9 

9.5 

9.5 
12 
10 
10.5 

9 


28 
28.5 

26.5 
27 
28 
24 


12.5    16.5 
11      '15 
20.5   24 

19.5   24 
19.  5I  24 
16.  5'  21 
17. 5' '24 
21.5   25.5 
16     '  22.5' 
21       23     ! 
17.8   20.5 
21     [  24.5 
23       25 

20.5   22.5 
23.5   24 
20.5'  23.5 
21       24 

20       22 
20.5   23.5' 


21 
18 

26.2   20 

24.5'  18- 

27.5 

26 

33.5 

29 

32 

24.5 


23     I 

21  ! 

22  I 
20.5 

20.5  23.2 
19.5'  22  j 
24.5   27.5 


19.5 

22 

16 


25 

27 
21.5 


'  Estimated. 


10932— No.  11- 


IIsTDEX. 


[Synonyms  iu  italics.] 


Arctogale,  9. 

('yuoinyonax  (synonym  of  Piitoriias),  7. 

Gale  (synonym  of  Ictis),  9. 

Ictis,  subgenus,  9. 

list  of  species,  10. 
iluatela  hrasiliensis,  20. 
tieognani,  10. 
erniinea,  9. 
enninea,  11. 
frenata,  26. 
longicauda,  19. 
ricliardsoni,  11. 
vulgaris,  9. 
rulgaris,  10. 
xanthogenys,  25. 
Putorius,  genus,  7. 

key  to  subgenera,  7. 
list  of  species  with  type  localities,  10. 
subgenu.s,  7. 

table  of  cranial  measurements,  33. 
T'utdiius   atlinis,  31-32. 

alascensis,  12-13. 
alleni,  24. 
arctic.us.  1.5-16. 
ari/.onensis,  22-24. 


Putorius  boccamela,  9. 

cicognani,  10-11. 
erminea,  15, 16. 
erminea,  16. 
eversmanni,  8. 
frenatus,  26-28. 
goldmanui,  28-29. 
kadiacensis,  16. 
leucoparia,  29. 
longicauda,  19-21. 
nigripes,  7-9. 
noveboracensis,  16-18. 
oregonensis,  25-26. 
peninsula^,  19. 
piigilhts,  14. 
putorius,  8. 
richardsoni,  11-12. 
rixosns,  14-15. 
saturatus,  21-22. 
spadix,  21. 
streatori,  13-14. 
tropicalis,  30-31. 
vulgaris,  10. 
washingtoui,  18-19. 
xanthogenys,  25. 


35 


PLATE  I. 

Fig.  1.  Putorius  nigripts,  $  ad.,  Trego  County,  Kaus. 
(Xo.  4143,  Merriam  coll.) 

1.  Upper  side  of  skull, 
la.  Under  side  of  skull. 
1?).  Side  view  of  skull. 

2.  Putorius  2)utorius,  $  ad.,  Brunswick,  Germany, 
(No.  4661,  Merriam  coll.) 

2.  Upper  side  of  skull. 
2a.  Under  side  of  skull 

36 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  11. 


Plate  I. 


1.  Putorius  nigripes  cf  ad.    Trego  County,  Kansas. 

2.  Putorius  2)utoi-ius  (f  ad.    Brunswick.  Germany. 


PLATE  II. 

Fig.      1.  I'liforius  arcticus.     Poiut  Barrow,  Altvska  (type). 
S  ad.,  No,  23010,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus. 
2.  Piiiorius  alascensis.     Juueaii,  Alaska  (type). 

^  ad.,  No.  74423,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Dept.  Agric.  coll. 
3  aud  4.   Puiorius  cicotinani. 

3.  ^  ad.,  Biicksport,  Me.,  No.  4247,  Bangs  coll. 

4.  5  ad.,  Mount  Forest,  Ontario,  No.  789,  Bangs  coll. 
5  aud  6.  Puiorius  strcatori.     Mount  Vernon,  Skagit  Valley,  Wash. 

5.  ^  ad.,  No.  76646,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Dept.  Agric.  coll.  (type). 

6.  5  ad.,  No.  76623,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Dept.  Agric.  coll. 
7.  Puiorius  rixosus.     Osier,  Saskatchewan. 

5  ad.,  No.  642,  Bangs  coll.  (type). 
38 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  11. 


Plate  II. 


1.  Putorius  arcticus. 

2.  P.  alascensis. 


7.  P.  rixosus. 


3,  4.  P.  cicognaui. 
5,  6.  P.  streatori. 


PLATE    III. 

Figs.  1  and  2.  Putorius  frenatus. 

1.  (?  ad.,  Tlalpam,   Mexico,   No.   50826,    U.    S.   Nat.   Mus.,   Dept. 

Agric.  coll. 

2.  9  ad.,  Cofre  dc  Perote,  Vera  Cruz,   Mexico,  No.  54278,  U.  S. 

Nat.  Mus.,  Dept.  Agric.  coll. 
3  and  4.  Putorius  longicauda.     Carlton  House,  Saskatchewan  (type  locality), 

3.  <?  ad.,  No.  73183,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Dept.  Agric.  coll. 

4.  9  ad..  No.  75483,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Dept.  Agric.  coll. 
5  and  6.  Putorius  tropicalis.     Jico,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico. 

5.  S  ad.,  No.  54994,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Dept.  Agric.  coll.  (type). 

6.  9  ad.,  No.  54993,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Dept.  Agric.  coll. 
40 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  1 1 


Plate  III 


1,  2.  Futorius  J'renati 


3,  4.  P,  loiKjicauda. 


G.  P.  tropicaUs 


PLATE  IV. 

Figs.  1  and  2.  ritiorius  noveboracensis.     Adiroudacks,  New  York. 

1.  S  ad.,  No.  3843,  Merriam  coll. 

2.  9  ad.,  No.  5598,  Merriam  coll. 

3  and  4.  Putoriu8  tvashingtoni.     Trout  Lake,  Washington. 

3.  <?  ad.,  No.  76322,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus..  Dept.  Agric.  coll.  (type), 

4.  5  ad.  No.  67321,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Dept.  Agric.  coU. 
5.   Puforiiis peninsula'.     Tarpon  Springs,  Fla. 

9  ad..  No.  2.379.,  Ehoads  coll. 
42 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  1  1 . 


Plate  IV. 


1,  2.  Jr'uturius  )Lovcbonict')isis.  y,  4.  f,  wushiiKjtoni.  5.  F,  peninsula:. 


PLATE  V. 

Fig.  1.  Putorius  longicaiida  (Bonap.)- 

1.  S  'iil-j  Cai'ltou  House,  SaskatclieTvan,  No.  73183,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus., 

Dept.  Agric.  coll. 
la.  Q  ad.,  Carltou  House,  Saskatchewan,  No.  75483,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus., 
Dept.  Agric.  coll. 

2.  Putorius  cicofjuani  (Rouap.). 

2.  J,  Bucksport,  Me.  No,  4247,  Bangs  coll. 

2a.    9,  Mount  Forest,  Ontario  No.  789,  Bangs  coll. 

3.  Putorius  noveboracensis  De  Kay. 

3.  S  ad.,  Adirondacks,  New  York  No.  3843,  Merriam  coll. 
3a.    9  ad.,  Adirondacks,  New  York  No.  5598,  Merriam  coll. 

4.  Putorius  rixosHs  nob. 

9  ad.  (type),  Osier,  Saskatchewan,  No.  642,  Bangs  coll. 

5.  Putorius  2>eniH8nlw  l»hoads. 

9  old,  Tarpon  Springs,  Fla.  No.  2379,  Khoads  coll. 

6.  Putorius  aicficus  sp.  nov, 

6.      <? ,  St,  Michaels,  Alaska  No,  313213,  U.  S,  Nat.  Mus. 
6rt,    9,  St.  Michaels,  Alaska  No.  36246,  U,  S.  Nat.  Mus. 
44 


k- 


North  Ameiican  Fauna,  No.  11. 


Plate  V. 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT   OF   AGRICULTURE 
DIVISION  OF  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  MAMMALOGY 


NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA 


INTo.   1 


o 


[Actiuil  tUite  of  publication,  July  23,  18116.] 


GENERA  AND  SUBGENERA  OF  VOLES  AND  LEMMINGS 

]".Y 

GERRIT     S.     MILLER,    Jr. 


Prepared  under  the  directiuu  of 

Dr.    C.    HART     MERRIAM 
CHIEF  OF  DIVISION  OF  ORNITHOLOGY  AND  MAMMALOGY 


WASHINGTOi^ 

GOVERNMENT     PRINTINO     OFFICE 
189G 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


United  States  Depart3Ient  of  Agriculture, 

Division  of  Ornithology  and  Mammalogy, 

Washington,  D.  C,  ^laij  12,  189G. 
Sir  :  I  have  the  bouor  to  trausmit  herewith,  and  recommend  for  pub- 
lication, the  manuscript  of  l!^o.  12  of  North  American  Fauna,  treating 
of  the  Genera  and  Subgenera  of  Voles  and  Lemmings,  and  comprising 
results  of  investigations  carried  on  in  the  Division  of  Ornithology  and 
Mammalogy  by  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr. 

Eespectfully, 

C.  Hart  Merriam, 

Clilef  of  Division. 
Dr.  Chas.  W.  Dabney,  Jr., 

Acting  Secretary  of  Agriculture. 

3 


CONTENTS. 


PagR 

Introduction.... 7 

The  subfamily  Microtincr  and  its  main  divisions 8 

List  of  genera  and  subgenera  of  Microthup 9 

Geographic  distribution 9 

Habits 10 

Nomenclature 11 

History  of  former  classifications 19 

Characters  on  •svhicli  the  jiresent  classification  of  the  sul)geuera  oi  Mi  trot  us  is 

based 24 

Keys 28 

Descriptions  of  living  genera  and  snl)geuera 32 

Descrijitions  of  extinct  genera  and  suijgenera 73 

Note  on  'Arvicohi '  iniermedius  Newton 75 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PLATES. 


1.  Skulls  of  Microtus  macropiiH,  3/.  pinetorum,  M.  arvalis,  M.  curtatiis,  M.  oregoni,  M. 

tvrresiris,  M.   albicauda,   21.  fertilis,   Evotoinys  (lapperi,  Pheuacomys  oramonds, 
Lemmus  nigrijjes,  Sijnaptonujs  u'ranrjeli,  S.  helaletcs,  Dicrostonyx  torquatus. 

2.  Hony   palates    of   Phenacomys.    Mlcrotns,    Laguru-s,    Pitymys,    Arvicola,  Alticola, 

Anteliomys,  Eothenomys,  Evotomys,  Xeofiiei;  Dicrostonyx,  Lemmus,  Fiber. 

3.  Mandil)les  of  Sy'naptomy.<<.  Phenacomys,  Microtus.  Evotomys. 

TEXT  FIGURES. 

1.  First  upper  molar  of  six  specimens  of  Microtus  pennsylvanicus. 

2.  Second  upper  molar  of  six  specimens  of  Microtus  pennsylvanicus. 

3.  Third  upper  molar  of  eighteen  specimens  of  Microtus  pennsylvanicus. 

4.  First  lower  molar  of  eighteen  specimens  of  Mierotus  pennsylvanicus. 

5.  Second  lower  molar  of  four  specimens  of  Microtiis  i)ennsylvanicus. 

6.  Third  lower  molar  of  four  specimens  of  Microtus  pennsylvanicus. 

7.  Palatal  view  of  skull  of  Microtus  arvalis  and  Evotomys  gapperi. 

8.  Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth  of  Synaptomys  cooperi. 

9.  Palatal  view  of  skulls  of  Synajjtomys  aud  Mictomys. 

10.  Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth  of  Synaptomys  innuitus. 

11.  Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth  of  Lemmus  lemmus. 

12.  Left  front  foot  of  Lemmus  lemmus. 


6  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

13.  Enamel  pattern  of  Dicrostonyx  from  Ungava. 

14.  Ear  of  Dkrostonjix  and  Lemmus. 

15.  Left  front  foot  of  three  sjjecimens  of  iJicrostonyx  from  Alatska,  showing  seasonal 

change  in  form  of  middle  claws. 

16.  Side  view  of  molars  of  adult  and  young  Phenacomya.  \ 

17.  Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth  of  Fhevacomys  celatua. 

18.  Side  view  of  molars  of  adult  and  youug  Evoiomys. 

19.  Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth  oi  Evotomys  gapperi. 

20.  Side  view  of  molars  of  adult  Microtus. 

21.  Left  front  foot  of  Microtus  terrestris. 

22.  Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth  of  Microtus  {Eothenomys)  melanofjaster. 

23.  Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth  of  Microtus  (Anteliomys)  chiiiensis. 

24.  Audital  bulla'  of  Microtus  (Microtus)  arralis  and  M.  (Layurus)  2}allidus. 

25.  Enamel  iiattern  of  molar  teeth  of  Microtus  (Layurus)  luteus,  M.{L.)  lagurus,  and 

M.  (L.)  palUdus. 

26.  Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth  oi  Microtus  (Jliicola)  alhicanda. 

27.  Audital  bullfe  of  Microtus  (Alticola)  albicauda  and  M.  {Hyperacrius)  fertilis. 

28.  Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth  of  Microtus  {Hyperacrius)  fertilis. 

29.  Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth  of  Microtus  (Pedomys)  austerus, 

30.  Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth  of  Microtus  (Phaiomys)  strauchi. 

31.  Enamel  iiatteru  of  molar  teeth  of  Microtus  {Pitymys)  pinetorum  and  M.  (P.)  savii. 

32.  Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth  of  Microtus  (Chilotus)  oregoni. 

33.  Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth  of  Microtus  (Microtus)  arvalis,  M.  (M.)  nivalis,  M. 

(M.)  penufsylvanicus,  and  J/.  (M.)  ratticeps. 

34.  Enamel  pattern   of  molar  teeth  of  Microtus  (Arvicola)  terrestris   and  M.   (A.) 

macropus. 

35.  Enamel  pattern  of  front  lower  molar  of  type  of  Microtus  arvicoloides. 

36.  Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth  of  Microtus  (Xeofiber)  alleni. 

37.  Dorsal  view  of  skull  of  Fiber. 

38.  Side  view  of  molars  of  adult  Fiber. 

39.  Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth  of  Fiber  zibethicus. 

40.  Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth  of '^/'luco/a'  interrnedius. 


No.  12.  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  July,  1896. 


THE  GENERA  AND  SUBGENERA  OF  VOLES  AND  LEMMINGS. 

By  Gekrit  S.  Miller,  Jr. 

The  followiug  revision  of  the  genera  and  subgenera  of  voles  and  lem- 
luiugs  is  chiefly  the  result  of  a  study  made  in  the  Division  of  Ornithol- 
ogy and  Mammalogy  of  the  collections  belonging  to  the  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture.  This  material  has  been  supplemented  by 
specimens  from  my  own  i^rivate  collection  and  those  of  Mr.  Outram 
Baugs,  Mr.  S.  N.  lihoads,  and  Dr.  C.  Hart  Merriam.  I  have  also  had 
access  to  the  voles  and  lemmings  in  the  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  the  United  States  iSlational  Museum,  and  the  British  Museum. 
Thanks  are  due  to  all  who  have  placed  material  at  my  disposal,  and 
especially  to  Mr.  Oldlield  Thomas,  curator  of  mammals  in  the  British 
Museum. 

Hitherto  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  com])are  in  detail  the  voles 
and  lemmings  of  the  Old  and  New  Worlds.  This  is  the  necessary  result 
of  the  poor  quality  and  small  number  of  specimens  from  the  opposite 
side  of  the  Atlantic  to  be  found  in  museums  and  private  collections  in 
both  Europe  and  America.  In  consequence  of  this  lack  of  material, 
writers  who  have  been  thoroughly  acquainted  with  indigenous  voles 
and  lemmings  have  either  made  no  comparison  of  these  with  exotic 
forms,  or  have  reached  faulty  or  at  least  incomplete  conclusions  with 
regard  to  groups  occupying  widely  separated  geographic  regions. 

For  determining  the  relationships  of  the  different  voles  and  lemmings 
the  collection  in  the  British  Museum  offers  exceptional  facilities.  It 
contains  representatives  of  all  the  recent  genera  and  subgenera  found 
in  the  Old  World,  and  lacks  only  one  of  those  peculiar  to  America. 
The  collection  is,  moreover,  especially  rich  in  specimens  identified  by 
the  more  prominent  writers  on  the  subject — a  circumstance  of  the 
utmost  importance. 

The  drawings  for  the  illustrations  in  this  paper,  except  fig.  9  and 
Pis.  I  and  II,  were  made  under  my  constant  supervision  by  Mr.  F. 
Miiller.  Pis.  I  and  II  were  prepared  by  Dr.  James  0.  McOonnell. 
Figs.  4,  5,  8,  and  10  of  PI.  II  were  drawn  in  ink  by  Dr.  McConnell  from 
pencil  drawings  made  at  the  British  Museum  by  Mr.  Hollick.  Fig.  7 
of  the  same  plate  is  by  Dr.  ]McConnell  from  a  pencil  drawing  by  Mr.  A. 

7 


8  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [X0.12 

Westergreii.  The  tracings  of  the  enamel  pattern  of  Microtus  htteiis 
and  ]\L  lagnrns  are  enlarged  from  flgs.  10,  11,  15,  and  16  of  PI.  XIII  of 
Biicbuer's  'Wissensclmftliclie  Eesnltate  der  von  N.  M.  Przewalski  nacb 
Central-Asien  nnternommenen  Eeisen.'  In  fig.  22  the  enamel  patterns 
of  the  front  lower  molar  and  middle  and  back  upper  molars  are  enlarged 
from  Mr.  Hollick's  pencil  drawing  of  a  specimen  from  Fokien,  China 
(British  Mnsenm  Register  92. 10. 12.  52),  the  other  teeth  from  fig.  1,  PI. 
XLYI  of  Milne-Edwards's  '■  Recherches  jiour  servir  a  1'  Histoire  Natnrelle 
des  Mammiferes.'  Fig.  23  is  compounded  in  the  same  way  from  Mr. 
Hollick's  drawing  and  the  original  figure  published  by  Thomas. 

THE   SUBFAMILY   MICROTINyE   AND   ITS   MAIN   DIVISIONS. 

The  subfamily  Microtince^  is  a  group  of  murine  rodents  closely  related 
to  the  Keotomincc,  Cricefince,  and  MyotaJpincv.'^  It  is  distinguished  from 
the  first  and  second  by  cranial  and  dental  characters;  from  the  last 
chiefly  by  peculiarities  in  external  form.^  While  it  is  not  the  purpose 
of  the  present  paper  to  discuss  the  relationships  of  the  Microtina'  to 
any  of  these,  it  is  important  to  consider  in  some  detail  the  larger  divisions 
of  the  subfamily  itself  before  taking  up  the  genera  and  subgenera. 

The  members  of  the  subfamily  Microtina'  fall  naturally  into  two 
supergeneric  groups,  the  Lemmi  and  Microti,  or  lemmings  and  voles. 
The  former  includes  the  genera  Synaptomys,  Lemmus,  and  Dicrostonyx, 
the  latter  the  genei'a  Phenacomys,  JEvotomys,  Microtus,  and  Fiber. 

Lemmi. — Skull  generally  broad  and  massive;  lower  incisors  short, 
with  roots  ending  on  inner  side  of  molars  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  1);  crowns  of 
maxillary  teeth  scarcely,  if  at  all,  narrower  posteriorly  than  anteriorly 
(figs.  10, 11,  and  12);  tail  usually  shorter  than  hind  foot  (in  Synaptomys 
slightly  longer);  palms  and  soles  usually  without  distinct  tubercles. 

Microti. — Skull  comparatively  slender  and  lightly  built:  lower 
incisors  long,  with  roots  ending  on  outer  side  of  molars  (PI.  Ill,  figs.  2 
and  3);  crowns  of  maxillary  teeth  distinctly  narrower  posteriorly  than 
anteriorly  (figs.  17,  19,  21-35);  tail  usuallj'  much  longer  than  hind  foot 
(in  the  Asiatic  species  of  Lngurus  distinctly  shorter) ;  palms  and  soles 
always  with  distinct  tubercles. 

In  external  appearance  the  lemmings  and  voles  differ  considerably. 
The  former  are  mostly  thick-set  animals,  with  powerful  fossorial  feet, 
long,  dense  fur  and  very  short  tails,  while  the  latter  are  more  slender, 
with  longer  tails  and  with  the  fur  and  feet  not  so  highly  modified. 


^  =^  ArrieoUna'  Auct.  This  name,  however,  must  be  abaudoned,  together  with  the 
generic  name  Arvicola  (see  p.  14). 

'^  =  Sij)hneinct3  Auct.  As  SipJineus  (Brants,  1827)  must  give  place  to  Myotalpa  (Kerr, 
1792)  (see  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  New  York,  VII,  p.  183,  1895)  it  is  neces- 
sary to  make  a  corresponding  change  in  the  name  of  the  subfamily. 

•The  characters  separating  the  Miiotalpinw  from  the  Microtiniv  are  of  much  less  im- 
portance than  those  separating  the  latter  from  auy  of  its  other  allies.  So  close,  indeed, 
is  the  resemblance  between  the  two  that  it  may  eventually  prove  necessary  to  unite 
them  under  one  name.     Lack  of  material  jjrevents  auy  final  conclusion  at  present. 


Jl-LY,  1896.1 


LIST    OF    GENERA    AND    SUBGENERA. 


9 


Altbougb  the  voles  and  leuimiiigs  may  usually  be  distinguished  at  a 
glauce,  there  are  certain  genera  and  subgenera  the  exact  position  of 
which  is  not  at  first  apparent.  Thus  the  species  of  Lagnrns,  although 
volCvS,  so  closely  resemble  lemmings  in  exteriml  appearauce  that  their 
true  relationships  have  been  only  very  recently  detected.  On  the 
other  hand,  Synaptomys,  a  true  lemming,  has  much  the  superficial 
appearance  of  certain  forms  of  Microtus. 


LIST    OF    GENERA    AND    SUBGENERA    OF   MICROTIN^. 


Genera. 
Synaptomys. 

Lemmus. 

Dicrostonyx. 

Phenacomys. 

Evotomys. 

Microtus. 


Subgenera. 
Mictomys. 


Eotbenoruys. 

Anteliomys. 

Lagurus. 

Alticola. 

Hyperacrius. 

Pliaiomys. 

Pedomys. 

Pityrays. 

Chilotus. 

Microtus. 

Arvicola. 

Neofiber. 


Fiber. 


Tyi)es. 
Synaptomys  cooperi. 
Synaptomys  inuuitus. 
Lemmus  lemmus. 
Dicrostonyx  torquatus. 
Pbenacomys  intermedins. 
Evotomys  rutilus. 
Microtus  arvalis. 
Microtus  melanogaster. 
Microtus  cbinensis. 
Microtus  lagurus. 
Microtus  stoliczkanus. 
Microtus  fertilis. 
Microtiis  blythii. 
Microtus  austerus. 
Microtus  pinetorum. 
Microtus  oregoni. 
Microtus  arvalis. 
Microtus  terrestris. 
Microtus  alleni. 
Fiber  zibetbicus. 


The  following  groups  are  known  to  occur  in  both  hemispheres: 

Lemmus.  Microtus  (gouns  and  subgenus). 

Dicrostonyx.  Lagurus. 

Phenacomys?  Pitymys. 

Evotomys.  Arvicola. 

The  following  groups  have  been  found  in  the  Old  \Torld  only: 
Eothenomys.  Alticola. 

Anteliomys.  Hyperacrius. 

Phaiomys. 

The  following  groups  have  been  found  in  America  only: 
Synaptomys.  Cbilotus. 

Mictomys.  Neofiber. 

Pedomys.  Fiber. 

GEOGRAPHIC    DISTRIBUTION. 

The  subfamily  Microfinw  is  distributed  throughout  the  extratropical 
region  of  the  Northern  Hemisphere.  In  the  north  some  members  of 
the  group  approach  the  extreme  limit  of  mammalian  life,  while  in  the 
south  a  few  si)ecies  enter  the  northernmost  edge  of  the  tropics.  The 
subfamily,  which  is  clearly  boreal  in  origin,  reaches  its  highest  develop- 


10  NORTH  AMEKICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

ment  in  temperate  Europe,  Asia,  and  North  America.  Altliougli  it  is 
probable  that  no  species  are  common  to  both  continents,  five  f?enera 
and  four  subgenera  of  the  genus  MlcrotKs  have  a  circumpohxr  distribu- 
tion. On  the  other  hand,  no  genera  are  peculiar  to  the  Old  World,  and 
only  two  are  confined  to  America.  Asia  has  five  subgenera  of  Microtm 
not  found  in  America,  and  America  has  three  not  known  to  occur  in  the 
Old  World. 

HABITS. 

The  voles  and  lemmings  occur  in  great  abundance  throughout  the 
region  which  they  occupy.  They  live  in  an  endless  variety  of  situa- 
tions, from  sea  beaches  to  marshes  and  Alpine  mountain  tops,  and  from 
open  ijlains  to  the  densest  forests.  They  are,  perhaps,  most  numerous 
in  Avell-watered  grass  lands.  In  localities  where  they  are  abundant 
most  of  the  species  make  their  presence  Icnown  by  trails  or  runways 
traced  through  the  vegetation  near  their  barrows.  Occasionally,  how- 
ever, they  occupy  hollows  in  decaying  logs  or  among  loose  rocks,  and 
use  natural  crevices  instead  of  beaten  paths.  While  the  great  majority 
of  species  spend  much  of  their  time  on  the  surface,  protected  by  the 
overhanging  vegetation,  a  few  live  almost  exclusively  underground, 
and  in  consequence  of  this  habit  have  ac(iuired  numerous  modifications 
which  fit  them  for  the  needs  of  a  subterranean  life.  Others  are 
amphibious  and  never  occur  at  any  great  distance  from  water.  At 
least  one  member  of  the  subfamily^  is  said  to  live  among  the  branches 
of  trees.  The  food  is  chiefly  vegetable,  though  most  species  occasion- 
ally eat  animal  food.  The  vegetable  food  consists  principally  of  grass 
stems,  though  roots,  bark,  leaves,  seeds,  and  fruit  are  at  times  eaten  in 
varying  (quantities.  xVs  voles  are  readily  caught  in  traps  baited  with 
meat,  it  is  probable  that  flesh  forms  part  of  their  normal  food.  Mollusks 
are  eaten  freely  when  they  can  be  obtained. 

The  voles  and  lemmiugs  breed  very  rapidly  during  the  warmer  part  of 
the  year.  The  number  of  young  in  a  litter  varies  from  one  or  two  to  ten. 
Five  is,  perhaps,  the  average  number  in  the  majority  of  species,  though 
it  is  probably  less  in  those  in  which  the  females  have  only  four  mamma?. 

'  Phenacomys  longicauda  True,  from  Oregon.  In  the  original  description  of  the 
species  (Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mu.s.,  XIII,  pp.  303-304,  Nov.  15,  1890)  Mr.  True  quotes  as 
follows  from  a  letter  from  Mr.  Anrelius  Todd,  who  collected  the  type  specimen:  "It 
lives  exclusively,  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  ascertain,  among  the  boughs  and 
branches  of  the  Oregon  pine  trees  (Abies  douglasi),  making  a  nest  of  a  size  smaller 
than  a  robin's  ne.st.  It  is  usually  situated  on  the  ui:)per  side  of  a  medium-sized 
branch,  perhaps  6  inches  in  diameter,  and  is  composed  of  the  leaves  of  the  tree 
deftly  split  in  two  from  one  end  to  the  other  and  dried.  The  nest  is  neatly  and 
rather  ingeniously  made,  and  the  sameness  of  the  material  is  a  novelty.  *  *  * 
The  mouse  is  almost  exclusively  arboreal  in  its  habits,  but  I  think  that  I  have  reason 
to  believe  that  they  sometimes  come  to  the  ground  for  food,  as  I  have  seen  tracks  iu 
the  snow  around  the  trees  which  I  think  were  made  by  these  little  animals.  They 
could  be  tracked  up  and  down  the  tree,  but  to  no  great  distance  from  it,  and  were 
most  likelv  in  search  of  food." 


July,  1896.]  NOMENCLATURE.  11 

The  5'oung-  are  boru  in  nests  made  of  soft  vegetable  libers.  The  nests 
are  usually  placed  iu  a  burrow  or  beneath  shelter  of  some  kind  and 
vary  witli  the  size  of  the  animals,  but  are  usually  about  200  mm.  in 
diameter.  The  species  of  Fiber  make  nests  containing  several  bushels 
of  material.  These  are  conspicuous  objects  in  the  marshes  where  the 
animals  live.  Under  conditions  the  nature  of  which  is  not  understood 
the  rate  of  increase  in  certain  species  is  occasionally  so  enormously 
accelerated  that  an  area  becomes  overcrowded  and  the  animals  wander 
into  the  surrounding  country  in  search  of  food.  So  far  as  known,  such 
'lemming  mig'ratious'  and  'vole  plagues'  are  phenomena  peculiar  to  the 
Old  World.' 

NOMENCLATURE. 

Before  considering  the  characters  of  the  genera  and  subgenera  of 
Microtintc  it  is  necessary  to  examine  a  considerable  jDart  of  the  mass  of 
technical  literature  to  which,  during  the  past  hundred  and  forty  years, 
the  animals  in  question  have  given  rise.  Since  Linmieus  published  the 
tenth  edition  of  the  Systema  ]Satura)  more  than  fifty  names  have  been 
used  for  the  less  than  two  dozen  namable  superspecific  groups  recog- 
nizable in  the  subfamily.  In  considering  their  claims  to  recognition 
the  names  may  be  best  taken  up  chronologically. 

Mns  Linnajus,  1758  (Syst.  Xat.,  Ed.  10,  p.  59),  contained  the  following 
species:  Porcellus,  leporinus,  lemmus,  marmota,  monax^  crieetiis,  terres- 
tris,  ampMMus^  rattus,  musculus,  aveUanarius,  sylvaticus,  striatusj  lon- 
gi2)€s,jaculus,  volans.     Since  two'^  of  these  {lemmus  and  terrestris)  are 

■An  account  of  the  migrations  of  Lemmus  hmmus  in  Norway  is  given  by  Prof.  R. 
C'ollett  in  Christiania  Videnskabs-Selskabs  Forbandlinger,  1895,  No.  3. 

For  description  of  a  vole  plague  in  Scotland,  see  Report  of  the  Departmental 
(  omiiiittce  appointed  by  the  Board  of  Agriculture  to  inquire  into  a  Plague  of  Field 
Voles  iu  Scotland.     London,  1893. 

-Appareutly  three,  but  terrestris  and  ampliihius  are,  as  Lataste  has  already  shown, 
the  same  animal.  The  Mus  amphiiius  of  Linnams  is  nothing  more  than  a  hgment  of 
the  imagination  based  on  Ray's  misconception  that  there  is  a  large  aquatic  vole  with 
webbed  feet. 

Since  the  matter  is  of  importance  as  determining  the  validity  of  the  current  name 
of  one  of  the  most  common  European  mammals,  I  ([uote  Linn;eus's  descriptions  in  full : 

"[Mus]  terrestris,  7.  M.  cauda  mediocri  subpilosa,  palmis  subtetradactylis, 
idautis  pentadactylis,  auriculis  vellere  brevioribus. 

"Mus  cauda  longissima  pilosa,  auribus  subrotundis  vellere  brevioribus.  Fn.  svec. 
29.    Syst,  Nat.,  10,  n.  5. 

"Mus  agrestis,  capite  graudi,  brachiuros.     Raj.  quadr.  218. 

"Habitat  iu  Earop;i'  terra  et  aqua. 

"Corpus  fuscum  subtus  pallidum,  at  non  albicans.  Caput  crassius,  ore  gibbo. 
Cauda  magis  pilosa,  quam  iu  Ratto,  sed  corpore  dimido  brevior,  a  pedibiis  fere  longior. 

"Hortos  Talpje  instar  misere  effodit  palmis  licet  jiarvis;  natat  in  fossis  et  urinatur 
plantis  licet  fissis ;  Radices  arborum  decorticat,  ])lantaruui  consumit  s.  aufert ;  Pullos 
anatum  in  pisciuis  occidit. 

"  [Mus]  amphibius,  8.     M.  cauda  elongata  pilosa,  plantis  palmatis. 

"Mus  major  aquaticus  s.     Rattus  aquaticus.  Raj.  quadr.  217. 

"Mus  aquaticus.  Beil.  aquat.  3.5.  t.  36. 


12  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

Microtiiies,  it  is  necessary  to  see  whether  the  name  can  be  applied  to 
any  genus  of  the  subfamily.  Linnaeus  of  course  designated  no  type, 
but  subsequent  usage  has  fixed  the  n;mie  on  the  congeners  of  31}is  mns- 
cuIks.  As  no  sound  principle  of  nomenclature  is  thus  violated,  the 
name  Mus  should  be  kept  in  its  present  signification. 

Castor  Linn.Teus,  1758  (Syst.  ^N^at.,  Ed.  10,  p.  58),  was  originally  pro- 
posed for  the  species  fiber  and  moschatus,  but  in  the  twelfth  edition 
of  the  Systema  others  were  included,  among  them  the  muskrat.  The 
name,  however,  could  by  no  process  of  subsequent  elimination  be  applied 
to  the  latter. 

GJis  Brisson,  17G2  (Regn.  Anim.,  pp.  13,  113),  is  clearly  l)ased  on 
the  dormice,'  although  the  genus  includes  'la  Marmotte  de  Bahama,' 
'laMarmotte  d'Amerique,'  'la  Marmotte  de  Pologne,'  'la  Marmotte  des 
Alpes,'  and  'la  Marmotte  de  Strassbourg,'  in  addition  to  'le  Loir,'  'le 
Lerot,'  and  'le  Croquenoix.'  The  name  must,  therefore,  take  the  place 
of  Myoxns  Schreber,  1781,  commonly  used  for  the  dormice.^  As  none  of 
the  species  of  Brisson's  Glis  are  Microtines,  the  name  would  not  be  men- 
tioned here  were  it  not  for  its  bearing  on  Glis  Erxleben,  1777.^  (See  p.  13.) 

CunicuJns  Brisson,  1762  (Eegn.  Anim.,  p.  13),  must  also  be  consid- 
ered, because  it  invalidates  the  use  of  Cuniculus  Wagler  as  the  generic 
name  of  a  lemming  (see  page  16).*  The  genus  contained  an  assemblage 
of  forms  which  are  now  put  in  six  genera  distributed  among  five  fami- 
lies.    Dr.  C.  Hart  Merriam  has  recently  shown  (Science,  n.  s.,  I,  p. 

[Continuation  of  note  from  page  11.] 

"Habitat  in  Europ.-p,  Africne  fossis,  ripis,  piscinis,  hortis. 

"  Species  mihi  iion  rite  cognita. 

"Fodit  ad  fossas  et  radicis  arborum,  natat,  urinatiir,  consumit  radices,  Hortis  et 
satis  infestus,  capitur  Nassis  e  virgulis  confectis  sub  aqua  demersis." 

The  description  of  Mus  terrestris  is  extended  and  applies  to  the  water  rat  in  every 
particular,  while  the  diagnosis  of  M.  ampldh'ms  is  very  brief  and  contains  a  glaring 
error  in  the  assertion  that  the  animal  has  webbed  feet.  That  the  common  water  rat 
was  the  animal  which  Linnivus  had  in  mind  when  he  described  Mus  ierresiris  is 
shown  by  the  length  and  accuracy  of  the  description  and  by  his  choice  of  the  sjiecific 
name  {Mus  terrestris  is  the  Latin  e([uivalent  of  the  Swedish  jordratta).  That  he 
never  saw  'Mus  amphibius'  is  clearly  indicated  by  the  statement:  "Species  mihinou 
rite  cognita."  It  is  thus  evident  that  there  is  no  excuse  for  retaining  the  specific 
name  amphibius,  even  though  the  error  through  which  it  is  now  generally  ;ised  has 
passed  current  for  nearly  a  century. 

'In  the  Tabula  Synoptica  Quadrupedum  secundum  Ordines  Sectiones  et  Genera, 
on  pages  12  and  13,  the  name  is  introduced  as  follows: 

Cauda  longa,  vestita  pilis  ita  dispositis  at  caudum  iilanum  efflciant Sciurus 

Cauda  longa,  vestita  pilis  ita  dispositis  at  caudum  rotundam  efificiaut GU$ 

-See  Merriam,  Science,  n.  s.,  I,  p.  376,  April  5,  1895. 

'^Glis  Brisson  also  antedates  Glis  Storr  (Prodr.  Meth.  Mamm.  1780,  p.  39),  proposed 
for  Mus  tamaricinus,  M.  longipes,  M.  cafer,  M.  sagitta,  M.  jaculus,  M.  nitidula,  M. 
avellayrarius,  and  M.  gJis. 

•"In  the  synoptic  table  (pp.  12,  13)  the  name  is  introduced  as  follows: 
Cauda  brevissima  vel  nulla: 

Auriculis  longis Lepus 

Auriculis  brevibus  vel  nullis Cutiicuhts 


July,  1806]  NOMENCLATUKE.  13 

376,  1895)  that  by  elimination  Gimiculus  cauda  longissima  Brissou 
[  =  I)i})us  (tiactaga  Olivier;  becomes  the  type.  The  name  is  thus  unten- 
able for  any  of  the  2Iurlda\  although  Lemmm  lemmus  is  one  of  the  spe- 
cies included  by  Brisson  in  the  genus. 

GUs  Erxleben,  1777  (Syst.  Eegn.  Anim.,  p.  358),  contained  marmota, 
monaXj  canadensis,  tscherkessicus,  zemnii,  lemmus,  migratorius,  barahensis, 
arenarius,  lagurus,  and  ceconomicus  [—Mus  songarus  Pall.].  Although 
this  genus  contains  two  lemmings,  the  name  need  not  be  considered, 
since  it  is  preoccuijied  by  GUs  Brisson,  1702. 

Arctomys^  Schreber,  1780  (Plates  to  Schreber's  Siiugth.,  CCVII- 
CCIX,  1780),  contained  the  following  species:  marmota,  moiiax,  hohac, 
empetra,  and  citiUus.  Of  these  the  first  four  belong  to  the  genus  A rc/oMiys 
as  now  understood,  and  the  last  to  Spermoijliilus.  The  latter  genus  was 
defined  in  1823  by  F.  Cuvier  (Dents  des  Mammiferes,  1823,  1G0-1G2, 
255),  who  restricted  the  nauie  Aretomys  to  the  group  to  which  it  is  now 
applied.    Aretomys  Schreber  is  mentioned  here  only  on  account  of: 

Lagomys  Storr,  1780  (Prodromus  Methodi  Mammalium,  p.  39). 
Although  Storr  and  Schreber  bear  the  same  apparent  date,  it  appears 
safe  to  take  Schreber  as  the  earlier,  since  Storr  alludes  to  the  genus 
Aretomys,  aud  refers  directly  to  the  ^^[us  glareolus  Schreberi,'  a  species 
published  at  the  same  time.^  Storr  evidently  proposed  Lagomys  merely 
as  a  substitute  for  Aretomys,  a  name  which  he  considered  inappropri- 
ate, because  the  animals  to  which  it  was  applied  resemble  hares  rather 
than  bears.^  It  is  thus  a  synonym  of  Aretomys  and  requires  no  further 
consideration.^ 

Myoeastor  Kerr,  1792  (Animal  Kingdom,  1,  Mamm.,  Syst.  Cat.  Nos. 
458-521),  included  the  coypu  and  muskrat.  Xo  type  was  designated, 
but  subsequent  elimination  fixed  the  name  on  the  coypu.     (See  i>.  14.) 

Ondatra,  Link,  1795,  (Zool.  Beytrage,  Vol.  I,  Pt.  II,  p.  76),  contained 
the  same  species  as  Myoeastor  Kerr,  of  which  the  name  is  thus  a 
synonym. 

Lemmus  Link,  1795  (Zool.  Beytrage,  Vol.  I,  Pt.  II,  p.  75),  has  escaped 
the  notice  of  recent  writers.     Vague  references  to  it  occur  in  works 


'This  name  is  apparently  antedated  by  Marmota  Blumenbach  ("Haudb.  d.  Natur- 
gesch.,  1779,"  fide  Agassiz).  I  have  been  unable  to  verify  the  reference,  and  do  not 
know  what  species  were  included  by  Blumenbach  iu  the  genus. 

-On  the  dates  of  the  parts  of  Schreber's  S.'iugthiere,  see  Sherborn,  Proc.  Zool.  Soc, 
London,  1891,  587. 

■"Sequuntur  in  eundeni  finem  nomina  specierum,  laudato  Pallas  pariter  ad  mures 
tractaruni,  quae  luihi  genus  constituerunt,  Lagomys,  nee  Aretomys  dictum,  nam 
Lepori  aptius  quam  Urso,  comparari  jiosse  videantur.  Dicendie  species  nomini- 
bus  111.  Pallas  ieque  adhibitis,  ha>c  suut;  J/,  arenarius,  M.  songarus,  AT.  furaii- 
culus,  J/,  cricitus,  M.  accedula,  M.  phwiis,  21.  lagurus,  21.  gregaVis,  21.  socialis,  21. 
oeconomus,  2f.  rutilus,  21.  glareolus  Schreberi,  J/,  monax,  21.  marmofa,  21.  empetra,  21. 
arctovvjs,  J/,  citillus,  21.  lemmus,  21.  torquatvs,  2T.  hudsonius,  21.  taljnnus,  2f.  capensis, 
21.  aspalax,  21.  typclus"  (sic). 

^Lagomys  Storr  of  course  antedates  Lagomys  Cuvier,  1800,  the  current  name  for  the 
pikas. 


14  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

of  the  early  part  of  the  preseut  century,  but  of  late  all  traces  have  dis- 
appeared, Lataste  (Le  Naturaliste,  Tome  II,  p.  47.'3, 1882).  after  a  long 
and  fruitless  search,  concluded  tliat  the  name  had  probably  never  been 
published,  and  that  the  references  of  the  older  authors  were  merely  to 
Link's  manuscript.  Mr,  Oldfield  Thomas  has  discovered  Link's  book 
and  linds  that  the  genus  Lemmus  contained  the  species  socialis,  hif/urus, 
Jemmus,  torqi<ati(s,  f/lareolxs,  and  hndso^iiKS,^  representing  the  modern 
genera  Lemrnvs,  Dk-rosiony.i\  Microfns,  and  Evotnmys.  As  the  name 
Lemmus  has  been  restricted  by  subsequent  authors  to  the  species 
lemmus  and  its  near  allies,  a  group  to  -which  no  other  generic  name  has 
been  specially  applied,  it  must  be  retained  in  this  sense,- 

Microtus  Schrank,  1798  (Fauna  Boica,  p.  72),  included  M.  terrcstris, 
M.  amphihius  [=M.  terrestris  Linn.),  and  ilf.  '(/regarius.''  The  Microtus 
terrestris  of  Schrank  is  not  the  Mus  terrestris  of  Linnanis,  but  the  com- 
mon field  mouse  of  Central  Europe,  Microtus  arralis  (Pallas).  J/,  gre- 
gurius  Schrank,  apparently  based  en  one  specimen  from  Bettbrnnn,  is 
probably  a  young  21.  arralis.  The  third  species,  M.  amphihius,  is  the 
water  rat,  Microtus  terrestris  (Linnaeus).  Thus  the  genus  Microtus 
originally  contained  two  species,  arralis  and  terrcstris.  As  the  latter 
was  made  the  type  of  Arvicola  by  Lacepede  in  1801.  arralis  nmst  be 
taken  as  the  type  of  Microtus. 

Fiber  Cuvier,  described  in  1 798  but  not  named  until  1800  (Tabl.  f^lem. 
de  I'Hist.  ^i\t.  d.  Anim,  111,  1798;  Lecons  d'Anat.  Comp.  I,  Tabl.  I, 
1800),  is  the  first  and  only  generic  name  based  exclusively  on  the  musk- 
rat,  Cuvier,  in  establishing  this  genus,  eliminated  Fiber  zibethicus  from 
Myocastor,  and  thus  fixed  the  latter  name  on  ^1/.  coypu.     (See  page  l-").) 

Arvicola  Lacepede,  1801  (Mem.  de  I'lnst.,  III.,  Paris,  1801,  489-^),  was 
based  on  Arvicola  amphihius  {  =  2[us  terrestris  Linn.)  alone,  and  not  on 
the  European  voles  in  general,  as  often  supposed.^  Although  the  name 
Arvicola  can  not  be  used  in  a  generic  sense,  it  is  available  fur  the  sub- 
genus of  which  Microtus  terrestris  is  the  type. 

Hypurhcus  Illiger,  1811  (Prodr.  Syst.  Mamm.  et  Avium,  ]i.  87),  con- 
tained the  species  lemmus.  ampliibius  {=terrestris),  and  arr((lis,  or  the 
modern  genera  Lemmus  and  Microtus.     As  no  type  was  designated,  and 

'  Mr.  Thomas  has  kiudly  seut  me  a  co^jy  of  the  original  diagnosis.  It  is  as  follows: 
"Gen.  8  Lemmus,  Lemming.  Die  Thiere  dieses  Gesr-hlechts  kommen  mit  den  vorigen 
[Mils']  sehr  ueberein,  aber  die  Ohren  sind  viel  kleiner  nnd  abgerundet,  der  Korper* 
gedrungener,  die  Beiue  verhiiltnissmiissig  kiirzer,  der  Schwanz  sehr  kurz.  AucBj- 
weichen  sie  in  der  Lebensart  von  den  vorigen  ab.  Sie  niiheru  sich  Arctomys.  Hieher 
gehitren:  Mus  socialis,  Ingurus,  lemmus,  torqudfus,  (jlareoJus,  liudsoiiius." 

-See  note  on  the  names  llraclnjurus,  Mi/odes,  Hijpudaus,  and  Lemmus,  in  Actes  de  la 
Societc  Scientitiqne  du  Chili,  Tome  V,  iip.  XX.  XXI,  1895. 

3 This  is  sometimes  quoted:  "Tableau  des  divisions,  etc.,  de  la  class  des  mamnii- 
feres,  1799."     The  paper  was  "lu  le  21  prairial  an.  7,'' though  not  published  untill801. 

■•Lacepi'de's  description  is  as  follows:  "44  Cnmpagnol.  Deux  iucisives  superieurs 
non  comprimees;  deux  incisives  inferieurs  tranchantes;  molaires  sillonn<^es;  jjoint 
d'abajoues;  queue  velue.     Camjiagnol  aciuatiqae — Arvicola  amiihibius." 


JcL\M896.]  NOMENCLATURE.  15 

as   both  Lemmus  and  Microtus  were  included  in  the  then  undivided 
geuus  Ijcmmn.s  Liuk,  the  uame  Hypmhvus  juust  lapse  into  sjniouymy. 

Myodcs  Pallas,  1811  (Zoog.  Eosso  -As.,  I,  p,  172),  embraced  ten  spe- 
cies, now  placed  in  four  geiiera.  The  species  are:  Lemmus,  forquatvs, 
lagums,  a^conomns,  arvaJis,  saxatUi.s,  gra/aUs,  sociali.s,  alliarivs,  and 
rntiJus:  the  genera :  Lemmus  {lemmus),  Dicrosfonyx  {torquatus),  Microtus 
{a'cono7nus,  arralis,  saxatiUs,  grecjaUs,  sociaUs,  alUarius,  Jagurus),  and 
Evotomys  ( rut  this).  Since  Myodes  contained  species  of  exactly  the  same 
modern  genera  as  Lemmus  Link  and  no  groups  not  included  in  the  lat- 
ter, the  name  is  a  synonym  of  Lemmus. 

Braehyiirus  Fischer,  ISlo  (Zoognosia,  I,  3d  ed  ,  pp.  14,  iil;  JU^  1814,  p. 
5.5),  contained  the  species:  arralis,  rutilus,  am2)hihius,  lemmus,  torquatus, 
alUarius,  hJumenbachii,  fulvus  Geoffroy,  niloticus  Geoffroy:  also  the 
' species  dubia- ' :  zemni, gregar'ms, sociaUs,  lagurus,  wcouomus.  The  uame 
is  a  pure  synonym  of  Lemmus  Link,  uidess  it  may  be  applied  to  some  of 
the  exotic  or  dubious  species.' 

Ahnceola  Blainville,  1817  (Xouv.  Bict,  d'Hist.  Xat.,  IX,  p.  287),  i:)ro- 
posed  for  '  le  Genre  Campaguol '  is  probably  an  erratic  misprint  for 
Arvicola.     Xo  type  is  mentioned. 

Mynomes  Rafinesque,  1817  (American  Monthly  ^Magazine,  II,  p.  15) 
was  based  on  Wilson's  figure  of  the  common  meadow  mouse  of  the  east- 
ern United  States.  The  name  is  thus  a  synonym  of  Microtus  Schrank 
as  Microtus  arralis  and  M.  2)cnnsylranicus  can  not  be  separated  sub- 
generically. 

Psammomys  LeConte,  1830  (Ann.  Lye.  Xat.  Hist.,  :N".  Y.,  Ill,  p.  132) 
is  tlie  first  name  proposed  for  the  subgenus  containing  Microtus  pine- 
tor  nm.  It  is,  however,  preoccupied  by  Psammomys  Cretzschmar,  1828 
(Atlas  zu  der  Eeise  im  Xordl.  Afrika.  Iste  Abtli.,  Zool.  (182G),  Heft  XI 
1828,  p.  50.  Type  Psammomys  ohesus  Cretzschmar)  and  so  can  not  be 
used  here.  The  date  of  Psammomys  LeConte  is  usually  quoted  as  1829, 
but  the  paper  on  this  genus,  although  read  on  December  21,  1829,  was 
probably  not  published  until  after  the  end  of  January,  1830,  since  papers 
read  January  11-25,  1830,  are  included  with  it  in  one  signature. 

Pitymys  McMurtrie  and  Ammomys  Bonaparte  both  appeared  in  1831. 

McMurtrie  (American  ed.  Cuvier's  Eegne  Animal,  I,  p,  434)  pointed 
out  that  Psamiuomys  LeConte  is  preoccupied,  and  for  this  name  substi- 
•  tuted  Pitymys.  Bonaparte  (Saggio  Distrib.  Metod.  degli  Anim.  Vert., 
p.  20,  footnote)  after  showing  that  LeConte's  name  Psammomys  is  not 
tenable,  proposed  to  change  it  to  Ammomys,  thus  preserving  the  original 
meaning  of  the  word.^     It  is  impossible  to  tell  which  name  is  the  earlier, 

j  'This  name  has  been  supposed  to  be  preoccupied  bv  ISrachi/unis  Spix  (Lataste 
i  Ann.Mus.CiY.St.Nat.  diGenova,  XX,  p.  264;  Biiclmer,  Wissenscb.  Result,  der  von 
j  N.  M.  Przewalski  unternomm.  Reisen,  I,  p.  127).     Spix's  uame,  however,   dates  from 

1823  and  woukl  in  no  way  invalidate  Jirachiptrus  Fischer,  were  the  latter  on  other 

grounds  tenable. 

Preudiamo  la  liberta  d'  iutrodurre  una  piccola  mutazioue  ortografica  uel  noma 
dato  al  nuovo  genere  dal  8ig.  LeConte,  la  quale  nou  ne  canibia  per.,  il  siguificato." 


1()  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [X0.12. 

but  in  the  imcertainty  Pitymys  slioiikl  be  retaiued  as  tlie  one  adopted 
by  all  subsequent  writers. 

Cuniculus  Wagier,  1830  (Nat.  Syst.  d.  Anipliibien,  p.  31),  included 
three  species  {G.  lemnius,  C.  torquatus,  aud  ('.  <(.sp((Iax)  now  referred  to 
three  genera  and  two  subfamilies.  The  name  has  been  commonly 
applied  to  torquatus  and  its  congeners,  but  its  use  is  invalidated  by 
Cuniculus  Brisson,  published  fifty-eight  years  before. 

Hemiotomys  DeSelys-Longchamiis,  1830  (Essai  monograph,  sur  les 
Campagnols  des  environs  de  Liege,  p.  7),  was  i)roposed  as  a  section  of 
Arvicola  (=Microtus)  to  include  the  species  fulvus  {=arvalis)  and 
ainpMhius  {  =  terrestris).  As  each  of  these  had  already  received  a  ten- 
able subgeneric  name,  Hemiotomys  lapses  into  synonymy. 

Pinemys  Lesson,  1830  (Hist.  i!^at.  d.  Mamm.  et  Ois.  decouv.  depuis 
1788,  Compl.  ffiuvres  de  Buffon,  V,  p.  130),  based  on  Psammomys  pine- 
torum  LeConte,  is  a  synonym  of  Pitymys  McMurtrie. 

Lagurus  Gloger,  1811  (Gemeinniit/.  Hand-  u.  Hilfsbuch  d.  Natuige- 
schichte,  1,  pp.  XXXI,  97),  is  the  earliest  available  name  for  the  sub- 
genus of  which  Mus  lagurus  Pallas  is  the  type.^     (See  footnote,  p.  1!>.) 

Dicrostonyx  Gloger,  1811  (1.  c,  pp.  XXXI,  97),  is  the  tenable  name 
for  the  genus  usually  known  as  Cuniculus  Wagler.^  This  name  has 
escaped  notice  until  very  recently.^ 

Neodon  Hodgson,  1819  (Ann.  &  Mag.  Xat.  Hist.,  2d  ser.,  Ill,  p.  203), 
is  a  synonym  of  Micnrtus,  as  its  type,  N.  .siTclci^nensis  Hodgson,  can  not 
be  separated  subgenerically  from  Microtus  arvalis. 

'■'■  Myolemmus  Pomel,  1851  (Ann.  Sci.  Soc.  Auv'ergne),-'  is  a  synonym 
of  Dicrostonyx  Gloger.  This  statement  is  made  on  the  authority  of 
Trouessart  (Cat.  Mamm.  viv.  et  foss.,  Rodentia,  Ft.  II,  p.  150,  1881),  as 
I  have  had  no  opportunity  to  verify  the  reference. 

Misothermus  Hensel,  1855  (Zeitschr.  der  Deutsch.  geolog.  Gesellsch., 
VII,  p.  492),  is  stated  by  the  author  to  be  based  on  Myodcs  torquatus 
Pall.  It  is  thus  antedated  by  Myolemmus  Pomel  and  Dicrostonyx 
Gloger. 

Pedomys,  CMlotus,  and  Synaptomys  are  three  names  proposed  by 
Baird  in  1857  (Mamm.  X.  Am.,  pp.  510,  517,  558).  All  are  tenable  for 
the  groups  to  which  they  were  applied.  Pedomys  and  Chilotus  are  sub- 
genera of  Microtus.  Their  types  are  Microtus  austcrus  and  2[.  orcgonus, 
respectively.     ^Synaptomys  is  a  genus,  with  aS'.  cooper!  as  the  type. 

'Gloger'e  description  is  as  follows:  "  Theils  aaf  dem  Ural  und  anderen  Gebirgen, 
tlieils  audi  in  tieferen  Gegeudeu  Sibiriens,  giebt  es,  drei  oder  vier  andere  Artcn  niit 
kleiueu,  rundlicbeu  oder  spitzigen  Daumniigelu  uud  von  einfacherer  F.'irbnng 
(Laf/urus),  die  ziim  Tbeile  nicbt  weuiger  zum  Wauderu  geneigt  scheinen.  Z.  B.  L. 
migratorhts/' 

•Gloger  says:  "Von  den  uordamerikaniscben  Lemiuiugeu  zeicbuen  sicb  niauclie 
durch  eiu  Paar  hocbst  sonderbare  (gleicbsam  doppelte)  Vorderkralleu  aiis,  die  2  od»T 
gar  3  Spitzeu  iiber  einander  zu  habeu  sebeinen,  weil  sie  uuter  den  Nageln  grosse, 
barte  Ballenbervorragungen  besitzen.  Sie  kuunen  daber  Gabelkraller  (Dicrostonyx) 
beissen." 

^For  a  paper  on  Gloger's  generic  names  for  maunuals,  see  Tbomas,  Ann.  A.  Mag- 
Nat.  Hist.,  6tb  ser.,  XV,  Feb.  1, 1895. 


July,  1890.]  NOMENCLATURE.  17 

Falu(Ucola  Bhisius,  1857  (Fauna  der  Wirbelth.  Deutscbl.,  Bd.  I, 
Siiugetbiere,  p.  333),  a  subgenus  o£  Arricola  {  =  2Ucrotus),  contained  tbe 
species:  amphibii(s  {  —  terrestr is),  nivalis,  and  ratticeps.  As  tbe  first  is 
a  member  of  tbe  subgenus  ArincoJa  and  tbe  otbers  eacb  a  true  Micro- 
tiis,  tbe  name  can  not  be  used.  Moreover,  it  is  preoccupied  by  PalKdi- 
co/«  Wagler,  1830  (Xat.  Syst.  d.  Ampbibien,  p.  200,  type  Bufo  alhifrons 
Spix). 

Agricola  Bbisius,  1857  (L  c,  p.  331),  was  proposed  as  a  subgeneric 
name  for  2[icrotus  (ig  rest  is.  Tbe  differences  between  tbis  sjiecies  and 
the  albes  of  M.  arvaJis  are  too  sligbt  to  entitle  the  groups  to  rank  as 
distinct  subgenera;  but  assuming  that  it  Mere  desirable  to  separate 
them  tbe  name  Agricola  would  be  antedated  by  Mynomes  Kafinesque, 
1817,  based  on  2Fivrotns  pcnnsylninicus,  a  ibrm  whose  supersi)ecific 
characters  are  exactly  similar  to  those  of  M.  agrestis. 

Phaiomys  Blyth,  1803  (Journ.  Asiat.  Soc.  Bengal,  XXXII,  p.  89),  is 
the  first  and  only  tenable  name  proposed  for  tbe  subgenus  having 
Microtiis  hJythi  as  the  type. 

Ochetomys  Fitzinger,  1807  (Sitzungsb.  K.  Akad.  Wiss.  Wien,  LVI, 
June,  1807,  p.  47),  included  the  water  rats  of  Euro[)e.  It  is  thus 
equivalent  to  ArvicoJa  Lacepede. 

Fraticola  Fatio,  1807  (Les  Campagnols  du  Bassin  du  Leman,  p.  30), 
is  a  subgenus  of  Arvicola  {=jMicrofus)  containing:  amphihius  {  =  terres- 
tris),  nivalis,  arvalis,  ratticeps,  and  campestris  {=arvalisF).  As  all  of 
these  are  species  either  of  AHcrottis  Schrank,  or  Arvicola  Lacepede, 
the  name  Fraticola  can  not  stand.  Fraticola  is,  moreover,  preoccupied 
in  ornithology. 

Sylvicola  Yiitio,  1807  (1.  c,  p.  03),  based  on  Microtus  agrestis  is  exactly 
equivalent  to  Agricola  Blasius,  1857.  The  name  is  preoccupied  in  ornith- 
ology, entomology,  and  conchology. 

Terricola  Fatio,  1807  (1.  c,  p.  73),  contained  Microtus  suhterraneus  and 
M.  savli.  The  name  is,  however,  preoccupied  in  conchology  by  Terricola 
Fleming,  1828. 

Isodelta  and  Anaptogonia  Cope,  1873  (Proc.  Am.  Philos.  Soc,  XII,  p. 
87),  are  the  tenable  names  for  two  extinct  subgenera  found  iu  the  Post- 
pliocene  cave  deposits  of  Pennsylvania.     Their  types  are  Microtus 
.  speothen  and  M.  hiatidens,  respectively. 

Evotomys  Coues,  1874  (Proc.  Acad.  Xat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  180),  is  the 
tenable  name  for  the  genus  of  which  Mus  rutilas  is  the  type. 

Micrurns  Forsyth  Major,  1870  (Atti  della  Societa  Toscana  di  Sci. 
Natural!,  Ill,  fasc.  I,  p.  120),  founded  on  Mina  Palumbo's  description  of 
Arvicola  nehrodensis  (a  Fityniys),  is  preoccupied  by  Micrnra  Ehrenberg, 
1831,  a  genus  of  Vermes. 

Alticola  Blanford,  1881  (Journ.  Asiat.  Soc.  Bengal,  L,  pt.  2,  jj.  93),  is 
the  only  name  proposed  for  the  Asiatic  subgenus  with  Microtus  stolicz- 
'  kanus  as  type. 

!       Eremiomys  and  Borioilon  Polyakoff,  1881  (Mem.  Acad.  Imp.  Sci.  St. 
10933— Xo.  12 2 


18  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

Peterribourg,  XXXIX  su})pl.,  p.  34),  based,  respectively,  on  Mns  lagurus 
Pallas  and  Mus  torquatns  Pallas,  are  synonyms  of  Lai/urus  Gloger  and 
Dicrostonyx  Gloger. 

Keofiher  True,  1884  (Science,  IV,  p.  34),  was  described  as  a  genus 
with  iV".  alloii,  the  only  known  species,  as  type.  Recently  it  has  been 
shown  that  the  characters  of  the  animal  are  not  enough  to  separate  it 
generically  from  Microtu.s,  of  which,  however,  Neofihcr  forms  a  well- 
marked  subgenus.^ 

LasioiJodomys  Lataste,  1887  (Annali  del  Mus.  Civ.  di  Storia  iSTatuvale 
di  Genova,  ser.  2a,  Vol.  IV,  p.  208),  is  a  synonym  of  Phaiomys  Blyth, 
1803,  the  species  on  which  the  two  names  were  based,  Microtus  hrandtl 
Radde  and  Microtus  hJythl  Blanford  (  =  .!/.  leucnrus  Blyth  nee  Arvicola 
leucuriis  Gerbe),  respectively,  being  in  no  way  separable  subgenerically.^ 

Phenacomys  Merriam,  1889  (Xorth  Am.  Fauna,  No.  2,  p.  28),  is  the 
tenable  name  for  the  genus  of  which  Phenacomys  intermedius  is  the  type. 

CampicoJa  Schulze,  1890  (Schriften  Xaturwiss.  Vereins  d.  llarzes  in 
Wernigerode,  V,  p.  24),  is  a  subgenus  formed  for  the  reception  of  the 
species  Microtus  arralis,  M.  suhterrancus,  and  31.  camjycstris.  It  is 
thus  a  compound  of  two  subgenera,  Microtus  {ari-aUs  and  campestris) 
and  Pitymys  {suhtcrraneus),  each  of  which  has  previously  received  a 
teuable  name.  Campicola  is,  moreover,  preoccupied  in  ornithology 
(Swainson,  1827). 

Bramns  Pomel,  1892  (Comptes  Eeudus,  Paris,  CXIV,  p.  1159),  is 
based  on  a  mandible  and  the  teeth  of  both  jaws  of  a  rodent  from  the 
Quaternary  phosphorites  of  Trara  de  Xedroma  near  Ain-Mefta,  Tunis. 
Although  the  author  compares  this  fossil  with  the  bones  and  teeth  of 
the  water  rat,  he  points  out  such  striking  differences  between  the  two 
that  it  is  very  doubtful  whether  Bramus  can  be  considered  a  member 
of  the  subfamily  Microtincc.     (See  p.  73.) 

Aulacomys  Eboads,  1894  (American  Naturalist,  XXVIII,  p.  182), 
although  based  on  an  abnormal  specimen,  is  the  tenable  name  for  a 
group  of  American  water  rats,  should  tbe  latter  be  considered  sub- 
generically  distinct  from  Arvicola.  The  peculiarities  of  the  original 
si>ecimen  of  Microtus  arvicoloides,  the  type  of  Atilacomys,  are  such  that 
the  group  was  originally  given  full  generic  rank. 

Mictomys  True,  1894  (Proc.  U.  S.  Xat.  Museum,  XVII,  Xo.  999, 
p.  242,  Advance  Sheet,  April  20),  was  proposed  as  a  full  genus  with 
Mictomys  innuitus  True  for  tlie  tyi)e  and  only  known  species.  The  name 
is  tenable,  but  the  group  is  only  a  subgenus  of  8yna})tomys.'^ 

Tetramerodon  Rhoads,  1894  (Proc.  Acad.  Xat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  282),  is 
the  most  recent  synonym  of  Microtus.     The  author,  as  Blasius  had 

iTrue,  Report  of  the  Smithsoniaa  Institution  for  1884,  Part  II,  pp.  325-330.  PI.  II. 
Merriam,  North  American  Fauua,  No.  5,  p.  60,  1890.  Chapman,  Bull.  Am.  Mns.  Nat. 
Hist.,  New  York,  VI,  p.  334,  1894. 

2  See  Actes  de  la  Societe  Scientifique  du  Chili,  IV,  p.  CLXXXYIII,  1894. 

3  See  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  X,  p.  .57,  1896. 


July,  1896.] 


HISTOKY    OF    CLASSIFICATIONS. 


19 


aheatly  done  nearly  forty  years  before,  divides  the  subgenus  Arvicola 
( =  Mierotus)  into  two  groups,  based  on  tlie  structure  of  the  middle 
upper  molar.  To  the  species  with  this  tooth  formed  of  five  prisms  he 
restricts  the  name  Mynomes,  while  to  those  with  the  same  tooth  made 
up  of  only  four  prisms  he  applies  the  new  name  Tetramerodon.  The 
character  in  question  is  far  too  trivial  to  serve  alone  as  the  basis  for  a 
subgenus.  If,  however,  the  advisability  of  subdividing  the  genus  along 
such  narrow  lines  be  admitted,  the  name  Tetramerodon  still  becomes  a 
synonym  of  Microtus,  since  ^[.  arvalis,  the  type  of  the  latter,  is  itself 
a  species  with  the  middle  upper  molar  four  parted. 

HISTORY    OF   FORMER    CLASSIFICATIONS. 

The  most  important  studies  of  the  various  groups  of  Microtina',  but 
more  especially  of  the  subgenera  of  Microtis,  are  those  of  De  Selj^s 
Lougchamps  (183G  to  1862),  Blasius  (1857),  Baird  (1857),  Fatio  (1867), 
Coues  (1874),  Blanford  (1881),  and  Lataste  (1887).  The  names  used  by 
these  authors  for  the  subdivisions  of  Microius  adopted  iu  the  present 
classification  are  shown  in  the  accompanying  table: 

Table  of  Xames  used  hij  ^Infhors  for  the  Suhijenera  of  Microtus. 


Names  used  I      De  Selys      |    jjlasius, 
111  the  i)res-  i  Longchamps,         ,0='- 
ent  paper.    I  1836  to  1862.  |        ^''^'• 


Baii'il. 

1857. 


Arvicola Memiotomys    Palitdicola 

I  A rvicola Arvicola 

Micrntus '\  i       (part). 

My  names  ..    Agricola  .. 


Pltymys 


Microtus .. ..    Arvicola 
I       (part). 


Pedo)iiys. . 
Phaioinys. 


Fatio,  Coues, 

1867.        !        1874. 


Praticola 
(part). 

j  Praticola 

(part). 
Hemioto-  \  Sylvicola.. 
inys. 


Blaiiforil, 
1881. 


Myonovies    Xeodon, 
(part). 


Pitymys  ..    Terricola.A  Pityviys 


Pedomys. 


Cliilutiis I ' Chilotus 

Lagnrvs ' 

A  Iticola 

Ilyiieracrius ' ' 


Eofhenomyx. 


Antelioinyi: 
y>'0  fiber 


Pedomys. 


Paludicola 


ChilotKS 


Lataste, 
1887. 


Arvicola. 


2Iicrotus. 
Pitymys. 


Lasiopodo- 
mys. 


Allicola  . .. 
A  Iticola 

part  .-. 
X e  0  don 

(part). 


De  Selys  Longchamps  imblished  two  extended  papers  on  the  Euro- 
pean Microtinw,  and  later  a  note  supplementary  to  the  first  of  these. 
The  first  paper  appeared  in  1836  under  the  title  'Essai  Monographique 
sur  les  Campagnols  des  environs  de  Liege.'  In  this  the  author  showed 
that  hitherto  the  voles  had  been  divided  into  two  groups,  according 
to  their  habits,  the  aquatic  species  being  separated  from  those  that  are 


20  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [Ko.  12. 

strictly  terrestial.  This  proved  nusatisfactory  because  tlie  two  were 
found  to  intergrade  imperceptibly.  Heuce  he  proposed  to  rearrauge 
tlie  si)ecies  according  to  the  length  of  the  ears.  The  first  division,  or 
that  in  which  the  ears  are  extremely  short  or  apparently  absent,  he 
named  Hemiotomijs,  This  the  author  subdivided  into  two  sections, 
neither  of  wliich  he  named.  The  first  contained  one  species,  Arvicola 
fulvus  {^=Microtns  arvalis),  distinguished  by  its  short  tail  and  by  the 
supposed  absence  of  external  ears.  The  second  contained  the  water 
rat.  To  Arvicola  {=Microtus)  proper  were  referred  the  three  species, 
arvalisj  suhferraneus,  and  rufescens  {  =  Ei'otomys  glareolns).  Six  years 
later,  in  liis  Etudes  de  Micromammalogie,  De  Selys  Longchamps  fol- 
lowed the  same  system  of  classification,  but  considerably  extended  it 
and  included  species  from  Asia  and  iSTortli  America.  This  later  scheme 
is  as  follows: 

The  genus  is  first  divided  into  two  sections,  one  of  which  consists  of 
species  with  ears  shorter  than  the  fur  and  with  very  small  eyes,  the 
other  of  species  with  the  ears  as  long  as  tlie  fur  and  with  tlie  eyes  well 
developed.  The  first  section  contains  two  groups,  (1)  Hcmioiomys  with 
the  European  water  rats  and  the  American  Arvicola  riparius  {=Microtus 
pemisylvanicus),  and  (2)  Microtus  with  the  species/wZyws,  savU,  ceconomus, 
and  certain  American  forms  not  mentioned  by  name.  The  second  sec- 
tion is  divided  into  three  groups:  (1)  Arvicola  with  the  species  suhter- 
ranens,  arvalis,  gregalis,  alliarius,  duodecimcostatus,  and  socialis;  (2) 
2[yodes  with  the  two  species  ruhidus  {  =  Evoiomys  (/lareolus)  and  rntilits 
[z=Evotomys  rutilus) ;  (3)  Mynomes  with  the  species 2}ratrnsis  {=:Microti(s 
pennsylimnicus).  These  groups  and  sections  the  author  considers  in  no 
way  entitled  to  rank  as  genera  or  subgenera.  He  names  them  merely 
for  convenience.  ^  In  a  postscript  published  at  the  time  of  distribution 
of  the  last  copies  of  the  Essai  Monographique,  twenty-six  years  after 
its  appearance,  the  author  makes  a  few  corrections  in  the  classification 
previously  adopted.  He  points  out  that  his  Arvicola  fulvus  is  merely 
a  young  specimen  of  ^rl.  arvalis  that  by  accident  had  lost  its  external 
ears,  and,  furthermore,  that  the  species  suhterraucus  should  be  trans- 
ferred to  the  section  Microtus. 

The  classification  as  finally  perfected  is  as  follows: 

Genus  Arvicola: 

Group  Hemiotoimjs  (water  rats). 
Group  Microtus  {suhierranens  and  savii). 
Group  Arvicola  (typical  voles). 
Group  Mrjodes  (glareolus). 
Group  Mynomes  (2)eiiusijlca)ticiis). 

'  Je  dois  pr6venir  que  je  m'opposerais  entierement  a  relcvation  d'aueune  de  ces 
sections  au  raug  de  genre  ou  de  sous-genre.  Toutes  passent  de  I'une  a  I'autre  par 
des  nuances  inseusibles  dans  la  longueur  de  la  queue  et  des  oreilles;  et,  quant  au 
caractere  tiro  de  la  racine  des  dents,  il  est  probable  qu'il  existe  a  uu  degrd  plus  ou 
moins  fort  chez  d'autres  espoces.  Si  je  me  suis  perniis  d'imposer  a  ces  gioupes  des 
nonis  latins  pris  parmi  les  synonvmes  du  genre,  ce  n'est  nullement  pour  qu'ils  puissent 
etre  iutroduits  dans  la  nomenclature  binaire,  mais  pour  donner  anx  strangers  I'id^e 
des  divers  noms  que  j'ai  employes  en  franvais.     (Micromammalogie,  p.  87.) 


JrLY,lS9G.]  HISTORY    OF    CLASSIFICATIONS.  21 

The  groups  Hemiotomys,  3licroti(S,  aiul  Arvicola  of  De  Si'lys  Loug- 
cliainps  are  exactly  ecjuivalent  respectively  to  tiie  subgenera  Arvicohi, 
ritymi/s,  aud  Microtus  of  the  present  j)aper,  while  Myodes  is  the  same 
as  the  genus  Evofomys.  The  grouj)  Mynomes  based  on  Eafiugsque's 
description  of  Mijiiovics  2}>'f<t('>'''^is  {  =  Microfiis peuHsylvcmicus)  sliould  be 
united  with  Arricola  (Microtus,  as  now  understood),  a  course  whicli  the 
author  no  doubt  would  have  followed  had  he  been  acquainted  with  the 
type  species, 

Blasius  published  in  1857,  in  his  'Fauna  der  AVirbelthiere  Deutsche 
lands,'  a  classitication  of  the  voles  based  primarily  on  the  pattern  of 
enamel  folding  in  the  first  and  second  molars  of  the  lower  jaw  and  the 
second  molar  of  the  upper  jaw.  This  system  differs  in  many  ways  from 
that  of  De  Selys  Lougchamps,  and  is  as  follows: 

Genus  Arvicola: 

Subgeims  Hypudcvus  {{/larcoJiis). 

Subgenus  raludicola  {amphihius  l—terreNfris'\,  iiivali'^,  ratliceps) 

Subgenus  Agricohi  {agrestis). 

Subgenus  Arvicola : 

A.  Arvicola  (campestris,  arvalis). 

B.  Microtus  De  Selys  j)art  (subterraneiis,  savii). 

The  subgenus  Arvicola  Blasius  subdivides  into  two  sections,  A. 
Arvicola  and  B.  Microtus  De  Selys  (part).  The  former  includes  the 
species  campestris  and  arvalis,  the  latter  suhterraneus  and  savii.  The 
subgenus  Hypudwus  and  the  section  Microtus  are  equivalent,  resj^ec- 
tively,  to  the  genus  Evotomys  and  the  subgenus  Titymys  of  the  present 
paper.  Of  the  other  groups,  the  restricted  Arvicola  contains  the  tyi)ical 
species  of  the  subgenus  Microtus,  Agricolay  a  slightly  aberrant  form  of 
the  same,  and  Paludicola,  the  subgenus  Arvicola  and  two  aberrant 
members  of  the  subgenus  Microtus.  Blasius's  subgenera  Faludicola  and 
Arvicola  are  excellent  illustrations  of  the  unnatural  results  of  a  system 
of  classification  based  on  one  set  of  characters.  While  there  is  a  general 
similarity  between  the  enamel  pattern  of  the  three  species  associated  in 
the  former,  Microtus  tcrrestris  differs  from  M,  rattice^JS  and  j\[.  nivalis 
in  the  form  of  the  skull,  the  number  of  plantar  tubercles,  the  quality  of 
the  fur,  and  in  the  presence  of  large  musk  glands  on  the  sides.  In  the 
subgenus  Arricola  Blasius  associates  two  of  the  most  distinct  subgenera 
of  the  genus  Microtus  {Microtus  and  Fitymys),  and  treats  the  differences 
in  the  number  of  mamma'  and  footpads,  form  of  skull,  and  size  of  eyes 
as  matters  of  trifiing  importance  in  comparison  with  the  general  simi- 
larity of  the  enamel  pattern.  On  the  other  hand,  the  author  recognizes 
Agricola  as  a  full  subgenus,  when  the  chief  character  on  which  the  group 
is  based  is  the  presence  of  a  minute  supplemental  postero-internal  prism 
on  the  middle  upper  molar. 

The  classification  adopted  by  Baird  (Mamm,  K.  Am.,  1857)  is  based 
OH  a  combination  of  characters,  and  is  thus  much  more  satisfactory 
than  the  artificial  arrangement  published  almost  simultaneously  by 


22  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

Blasius.     His    classification  of    tlie  subdivisious  of  Microtus   is  as 
follows: 

GenusylrricoZrt  ; 

Subgenus  Hiipnilcvus  (t/appcri). 
Subgeiins  Arricola  (typical  voles). 

Section   Memiotomys  {most  of  the  American  species  and  the  Euroj)can 

ag7-esiis). 
Section  Chilotus  (oregoni). 
Section  Pedomijs  (aimterus). 
Section  Pifymys  (piuetonim). 

Baird's  subgenera  Hyjjudwus  and  Arricola  are  equivalent  to  the 
genera  Eroiomys  and  Microtus  of  tlie  present  paper,  while  his  sections 
Chilotus,  Pedomys,  and  Pityniys  are  equal  to  the  subgenera  of  the  same 
names.  The  section  Ilemiotomys  of  Baird  is  the  Arvicola  of  De  Selys 
Lougcliamps,  and  the  subgenus  Microtus  of  the  present  paper. 

In  1867  ratio  published  a  classification  of  the  European  voles  in  a 
paper  entitled  'Los  Cam])agiiols  du  ]>assin  du  Leman.'  This  arrange- 
ment is  essentially  the  same  as  that  of  Blasius.  Fatio,  however,  recog- 
nizes Hyimdcvus  {■=Erotomys)  as  a  full  genus,  and  raises  the  second  of 
Blasius's  two  sections  of  the  subgenus  Arricola  to  the  rank  of  a  sub- 
genus, while  the  first  he  unites  with  Microtus  terrestris,  M.  nivalis, 
and  M.  ratticeps  to  form  the  subgenus  J*raticola.  He  also  arbitrarily 
changes  the  names  of  certain  groups.     His  classification  is  as  follows: 

Genus  Hypudtvus  (ylareolus). 
Genus  Arvicohi. 

Subgenus  rraticoJa  (' nmjiltihins,'  nivalis,  arralis,  ratticeps,  campesiris). 

Subgenus  Sylricola  {ayrestiis). 

Subgenus  Tcrricola  {siihterrantus,  savii). 

The  subgenus  Tcrricola  and  the  genus  Hypudcvus  are  equal,  respec- 
tively, to  the  subgenus  Vitymys  and  the  genus  Evotomys  of  the  present 
paper.  The  subgenus  Sylricola  is  equivalent  to  the  subgenus  yl^r/co/fl 
of  Blasius,  like  it  containing  the  x)entamerodont  species  of  the  subgenus 
Microtus.  The  subgenus  I'raticola  includes  the  type  species  of  both 
Arvicola  and  ^licrotns,  together  with  three  other  tetramerodont  species 
of  the  latter. 

In  1874  Dr.  Coues  published,  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Academy  of 
Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  an  abstract  of  his  monograph  of 
the  North  American  Murida^,  which  appeared  in  full  in  Volume  XI 
of  the  Eeport  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  of  the  Terri- 
tories (Monographs  of  North  American  Eodentia).  Here  he  presented 
a  classification  of  the  xVmerioan  Microtinw  based  primarily  on  Baird's 
review  of  the  group.  The  differences  between  the  arrangements  adopted 
by  Baird  and  Coues  are  so  slight  that  a  few  words  only  are  necessary 
in  regard  to  the  latter.  Dr.  Coues  recognizes  the  red-backed  mice  as  a 
distinct  genus,  which  he  calls  Erotomys,  after  showing  that  the  name 
Hypuda'us  generally  used  for  the  group  is  untenable.  The  subgenera 
of  Jlicrotns  adopted  by  Dr.  Coues  are  exactly  equivalent  to  Baird's 


JuLv,iso6.]  HISTORY    OF    CLASSIFICATIONS.  23 

sections  of  liis  typical  subgeuus  Arvicola.  Dr.  Cones  points  out 
Baird's  eri-or  in  the  application  of  tbe  name  Eeiniotomys  De  Sclys 
Longcliamps,  and  substitutes  for  tbe  latter  tbe  equally  untenable 
Mynomes  Eafinesque. 

In  1881  Bbmford  proposed,  in  tbe  Journal  of  tbe  Asiatic  Society  of 
Ben,£;al  (Vol.  L,  Pt.  II,  pp.  88-117),  a  classification  of  tbe  voles  of  tbe 
Hiiiiidayas,  Tibet,  and  Afghanistan.  Tbe  species  occurring-  in  tbis 
region  be  arranges  in  three  sections,  thus:^ 

Genus  Arvicola: 

Section  I'ah((HcoIa,  {hhjilii,  mandrianus). 

Section  AUicola  (sloliczkaniis,  strachci/i,  roylei,  hlanfordi,  ici/nnei}. 

Section  Xeodou  {.nkkimensis,  mdanoyaster). 

Blanford's  'sections' P<//Hf?/cr)/«  and  Xeodou  are  excellent  instances 
of  unnatural  classifications  based  on  single  characters.  Microtus  hlythi 
and  ^r.  mandrianus  are  species  of  Fhaiomys,  a  subgenus  which  difters 
from  the  water  rats  or  from  Microtus  (Microtns)  nivalis  and  31.  (M.)  rat- 
ticeps  (all  of  which  were  included  b3'  Blasius  in  Paludicola)  in  many 
important  characters.  Because  there  is  a  general  likeness  in  the  pat- 
tern of  enamel  folding  they  are  united  under  one  superspecific  name. 
Again,  Blanford  places  in  the  section  Neodon  the  species  Microtus  siJxl-i- 
>«e»i/.s',  which  is  a  slightly  abnormal  member  of  tbe  subgenus  J/ /cro/»s, 
and  Microtus  mchinogastcr,  a  species  with  the  bony  j^alate  formed  exactly 
as  in  the  red-backed  mice  {Evotomys).  These  members  of  widely  dif- 
ferent groups  are  brought  together  on  account  of  a  very  superficial 
likeness  in  enamel  pattern.  Blanford's  section  Alticola  is  probably 
equal  to  the  subgenera  Alticola  and  Ryperacrius  of  the  present  paper, 
thongh  it  is  still  a  matter  of  doubt  whether  it  actually  included  any 
members  of  the  latter. 

The  most  recent  classification  of  the  subgenera  of  Microtus  is  that 
proposed  by  Lataste.  Tbis  author  has  published  two  important  papers 
on  the  subject,  the  first  in  Le  Xaturaliste  (Tome  II,  pp.  323,  324,  332- 
334,  342,  343,  347-349,  1883),  and  the  second  in  the  Annali  del  Museo 
Civico  di  Storia  Xaturale  di  Genova  fSerie  2a,  Vol.  IV,  pp.  259-274, 
1887).  While  recognizing  the  unsatisfactory  nature  of  the  artificial 
classification  adoi)ted  by  Blasius,  Lataste  subdivides  the  voles  in 
accordance  with  a  system  fully  as  arbitrary  as  that  followed  by  any  of 
his  predecessors.  According  to  Lataste  the  characters  derived  from 
tbe  teeth  of  the  voles  are  of  no  value  except  in  distinguishing  between 
genera.2    Tbe  subgenera  he  arranges  according  to  tbe  number  of  maiu- 

'  Ijlanford  adopted  Biasing's  classification  of  the  voles  at  large  (pp.  91,  92).  Except 
in  the  case  of  Paludicola,  however,  he  supposed  that  none  of  the  European  sec- 
tions of  the  genus  Microtus  are  represented  in  the  region  with  which  he  deals. 

""Chez  les  Eongeurs  du  uioins,  sinon  chez  tons  les  Mammiferes,  les  characteres  do 
la  denture  me  serablent  d'ordre  gcnerique  quand  ils  sont  sxiffisamnient  nets  ct 
tranches,  mais  sans  aucune  importance  taxouoini(£ue  quand  ils  sont  aussi  mininies 
que  ceux  que  I'on  invoque  d'ordinaire,  a  la  suite  de  Blasius,  chez  les  Campagnols,  et 


24  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

rnip  and  plantar  tiibeicles.  Altbougli  tliis  system  leads  to  a  tolerably 
satisfactory  arrangement  of  tlie  European  voles,  it  can  not  be  applied 
to  the  genns  at  large,  since  it  would  unite  sucli  distinct  groups  as 
Arvieohi  and  Chilotus,  or  JS/'eoJiher  and  Piiymys.  Lataste's  classification 
is  as  follows : 

Genus  Alicrotus: ' 

Siibgeuus  Myodes  {rtitilus,  glareohis). 

Subgenus  Microtus  (grefjalis,  arvaJis,  afffesiis,  ratiiceps,  pennsiilvanicus,  nhalia)- 

Subgenus  Arvieohi  (ierrestris,  mnsigiiani). 

Subgenus  Pityniys  (p'nietorum  suliterrmieiis,  socialis,  middcndorffi). 

Subgenus  Lasiopodomys  (hrnndti). 

The  subgenera  Myodes  and  Lasiopodomys  are  equal,  respectively,  to 
tlie  genus  Evotomys  and  the  subgenus  Fhaiomys  of  the  present  paper. 
The  subgenera  Microtus  and  Arvieohi  coincide  with  groups  here  recog- 
nized under  the  same  names,  while  the  subgenus  Pifymys  is  essentially 
the  same  as  that  defined  on  page  58.  Lataste,  however,  includes  in 
ritymys  the  species  middeiidorffii,  which  is  probably  not  a  member  of 
that  group  as  now  understood. 

CHARACTERS   ON   WHICH   THE   PRESENT   CLASSIFICATION   OF   THE 
SUBGENERA   OF   MICROTUS   IS   BASED. 

In  the  discussion  of  the  systems  of  classification  hitherto  adopted, 
the  impracticability  of  subdividing  the  genus  Microtus  according  to 
the  variations  in  any  one  set  of  characters  has  been  shown.  The 
highly  artificial  systems  of  Blasius  and  Lataste  give  the  best  examples 
of  the  unnatural  results  to  which  any  such  course  must  inevitably  lead. 
In  the  present  paper  the  classification  used  is  based  on  an  assemblage 
of  characters.  The  more  important  of  these,  or  the  ones  least  adapted 
to  the  special  needs  of  the  different  animals,  and  hence  least  likely  to 
vary,  are:  Form  of  skull,  structure  of  bony  palate,  pattern  of  enamel 
folding,  number  of  mamma*,  number  of  plantar  tubercles,  and  presence 
or  absence  of  musk  glands  on  the  sides.  Characters  of  less  importance, 
because  more  readily  modified  to  fit  a  species  to  the  special  requirements 
of  its  environment,  and  hence  more  unstable,  are:  Quality  of  fur,  hair- 
iness of  soles,  length  of  tail,  form  of  front  feet,  size  of  eyes,  and  form 
of  external  ear.  It  is  only  through  careful  consideration  of  all  these 
that  a  satisfactory  arrangement  of  the  species  can  be  obtained. 

Nearly  all  of  the  characters  now  used  have  been  recognized  in  classi- 
fications already  proposed.  In  every  case,  however,  they  have  been 
assigned  degrees  of  importance  different  from  those  which  they  now 
receive.  To  take  the  three  most  consi^icuous  examples:  De  Selys 
Loiigchamps  arranged  the  voles  with  regard  to  their   external  form; 

qui  portent  sur  les  extr^mit^s  mal  definies  et  6mineniment  variables,  soit  j^osterieur 
d(i  la  derniore  molaire  snperieure,  eoit  anterieur  de  la  prcmii-re  molaire  inforieure." 
(Ann.  del  Mus.  Civ.  di  Genova,  Ser.  2a,  Vol.  IV,  p.  260  footnote.) 
Compare  with  this  the  oiiinion  expressed  by  Biichner.     (See  footnote,  p.  25.) 
'  To  Lataste  is  due  the  credit  of  recognizing  tlie  true  status  of  the  name  MkroUia. 


,u-LY,l896.]  CHARACTERS    OF    ENAMEL    PATTERN.  25 

Blasins  based  liis  classification  on  the  pattern  of  enamel  folding  ^itli- 
ont  regard  to  external  characters,  and  Lataste  snbdivided  the  group 
according  to  the  numbers  of  mammte  and  plantar  tubercles,  disregard- 
ing everj^thing  else.  The  impossibility  of  reaching  satisfactory  results 
by  any  of  these  methods  has  been  pointed  out  by  Biichuer,  who,  how- 
ever, takes  an  equally  extreme  position  in  his  reluctance  in  any  way  to 
subdivide  the  genus  Microtus. 

Biichuer  was  first  to  recognize  the  important  fact  that  tlie  enamel 
pattern,  while  variable  within  certain  limits  and  hence  of  little  value 
taken  by  itself,  is  nevertheless  of  considerable  systematic  importance 
when  considered  in  connection  with  other  characters.' 

In  about  75  per  cent  of  the  specimens  of  a  given  species  the  enamel 
pattern  conforms  to  a  type  which  maybe  considered  normal.^  Among 
the  abnormal  specimens  constituting  the  remainder,  the  variation,  how- 
ever, is  very  considerable.  In  the  accompanying  illustrations  (figs.  1, 
2,  3,  4,  o,  and  6)  are  shown  some  of  the  conspicuous  aberrations  in  the 
form  of  the  teeth  of  Microtus  pennsylvanicus.^  In  the  descriptions  which 
follow  the  normal  enamel  pattern  is  alone  considered. 


1  After  meutiouing  Lataste's  view  (see  footnote,  p.  23),  Biichner  says:  "Meiner 
Ausiclit  uach  liefert  im  Gegentheil  der  Ban  der  Backenziihue,  obwolil  derselbe 
zn  weileu  aucli  im  Bereiche  einer  Art  leicbt  variirt,  eiu  vorziiglielies  Merkmal,.  welches 
allein  geuommen  fiir  die  Charalvteristik  eiuer  Art  nicht  geniigt,  iu  Yerljiudung  aber 
niit  (leu  iibrigen  Merkiualen  sebr  grosse  Dieuste  leistet  und  von  bedentendem  sys- 
tciuatiscben  Wertbe  ist."  (Wissenschaftlicbe  Resultate  der  von  N.  M.  Przewalski 
nach  Ceutral-Asien  nuternommenen  Reisen.  Zool.  Theil,  Bd.  I,  Siiugethiere,  Lief.  3, 
1889,  p.  97.) 

-Among  285  specimens  of  Microtus  pennsylvanicus  71,  or  21.9  per  cent  have  tbe 
enamel  pattern  in  some  way  abnormal.  Of  these,  26,  or  9.1  per  cent,  have  the  first 
outer  triangle  in  ia^3  communicating  more  or  less  freely  with  the  inner  triangle 
(fig.  3);  one  has  the  second  outer  triangle  opening  into  the  posterior  loop  (fig.  3); 
two  have  the  posterior  loop  of  very  unusual  shape  (iig.  3) ;  one  has  a  second  inner 
closed  triangle  iu  in3  (fig.  3),  and  14,  or  4.9  per  cent,  show  a  distinct  fourth  salient 
angle  on  the  outer  side  of  the  same  tooth.  In  the  first  lower  molar  24,  or  8.3  per 
cent,  liave  6  closed  triangles  (fig.  4),  one  has  only  3,  still  another  has  7  (fig.4), 
while  in  5,  or  1.7per  cent,  there  are  4  (fig.4).  Of  these  28.5  specimens  m  3  is  abnormal 
in  44  cases,  or  15.4  per  cent,  iiTl  in  31  cases,  or  10.8  per  cent.  C4rouping  the  abnor- 
mnlities  according  to  their  frequency,  they  may  be  arranged  as  follows: 

m_3  has  first  outer  triangle  open  in  26  cases,  or  9.1  per  cent. 

m  1  has  one  additional  triangle  in  24  cases,  or  8.3  per  cent. 

in  3  has  an  additional  salient  angle  on  the  outer  side  in  14  cases,  or  4  per  cent. 

Ill  1  has  one  less  triangle  than  usual  in  5  cases,  or  1.7  per  cent. 

Ill  3  has  the  posterior  loop  of  very  unusual  shape  in  2  cases,  or  0.7  per  cent. 

m  3  has  the  second  outer  triangle  abnormal  in  1  case,  or  0.35  per  cent. 

Ill  3  has  an  additional  inner  triangle  in  1  case,  or  0.35  2)er  cent. 

iiU  has  two  additional  closed  triangles  in  1  case,  or  0.35  per  cent. 

Ill  1  lias  two  less  closed  triangles  than  usual  in  1  case,  or  0.35  per  cent. 

■*  The  drawings  here  reproduced  are  all  from  specimens  taken  iu  the  eastern  and 
central  parts  of  the  United  States  and  adjoining  British  Provinces.  They  are 
selected  from  the  series  of  about  170  l)elonging  to  the  United  States  Department  of 
Agriculture. 


26 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[No.  12. 


Tlie  value  of  the  structure  of  the  bony  palate  as  a  taxonomic  charac- 
ter was  first  pointed  out  by  Cones,'  who,  however,  considered  it  of  rather 
more  importance  than  it  really  is.  It  was  at  first  supposed  that  the 
bony  palate  of  all  the  members  of  the  genus  Microtus  differed  in  a  con- 
stant way  from  those  of  Evotomys.  Mr.  Oldfield  Thomas  has,  however, 
recently  described  a  Microtus  {M.  chinoisis) 
in  which  the  palate  structure  of  JEvotomys  is 
almost  exactly  reproduced ;  and  on  further 


.J.J 


Fig.  1. — First  upper  molar 
iu  six  specimens  of  J/t- 
crotiis  pennsiilvaiiiens. 


Fig.  2.— Second  up- 
per molar  in  .six 
specimens  otMicro- 

tuS2H'nnsi/lra»!ciis. 


Fig.  3. — Third    ujiper    molar    iw 
eighteen  specimens  of  Microtus 

pennnjhmnictis. 


study  it  appears  that  several  well-marked  types  may  be  recognized 
among  the  species  of  the  genus.  These  forms  of  jialate  furnish  char- 
acters of  considerable  worth  iu  defining  many  subgenera.  In  all, 
several  structures  remain  sufficiently  constant  to  serve  as  convenient 
landmarks.     The  anterior  portion  of  the  bony  palate,  or  that  formed 

exclusively  by  thepremaxillaries  and 
maxillaries,  has  no  special  interest,  as 
it  shows  very  trifling  variations.  All 
the  characters  of  importance  are  de- 
rived from  the  part  lying  behind  the 
maxillo-palatine  suture.  This  suture 
in  the  typi'  al  palate,  or  that  occurring 


Fig.  4. — First  lower  molar  iu 
eighteen  specimens  of  Microtus 
peniLsijlranicxis. 


Fig.  5. — Second  lower 
molar  in  foiir  speci- 
mens of  Microtus  penn- 
sylvanicus. 


Pig.  6.— Third  lower 
molar  in  four  specimens 
oi  Microtus  pcimmjlran- 
icug. 


in  true  Microius  and  iu  the  great  majority  of  species  and  subgenera 
(lig.  7  A)  forms  a  broad,  U  -shaped  loop,  the  convexity  of  which  is  directed 
forward  and  whose  apex  lies  about  opposite  the  middle  of  the  second 
molar.  From  this  point  the  suture  on  each  side  sweeps  rapidly  back- 
ward and  outward  until,  at  the  level  of  the  anterior  edge  of  the  posterior 
molar,  practically  the  whole  width  of  the  palate  is  occupied  by  the  pala- 
tine, and  the  maxillaries  are  reduced  to  a  narroAV  rim  around  the  edges 
of  the  alveoli. 


Monogr.  N.  Am.  Rodeiitia,  p.  133,  1877. 


July,  180G.] 


CHARACTERS    OF    BONY    PALATE. 


27 


I'ntil  just  before  acquiring-  its  greatest  width,  the  surface  of  the  pal- 
atine is  on  the  same  level  with  the  rest  of  the  bony  palate,  but  imme- 
diately on  reaching  this  point  it  changes  abruptly  at  the  sides,  more 
gradually  iu  the  median  line,  to  the  level  of  the  anterior  border  of  the 
nteri^terygoid  fossa,  which  lies  about  0.5  mm.  dorsad  of  the  maiu  part 
of  the  bony  palate.  In  the  median  line  the  palatiue  slopes  gently  dor- 
socauda<l  to  the  edge  of  the  interpterygoid  fossa,  a  distance  usually  of 
about  1  mm.,  but  at  the  sides  it  l)realis  away  suddenly,  and  tlie  spaces 
between  the  median  sloping  ridge  and  maxillaries  are  occuijied  by  con- 
spicuous pits  (fig.  7  A,  Lp).  The  floor  of  each  pit  is  continuous  with 
the  backward  projection  of  the  palatine,  which  runs  out  to  join  the 


Fig.  7. — Palatal  view  of  skull  of  MicroHis  {Microtis)  aivalis  (A)  and  Evotomyg  gappeii  (B).  (x  3). 
i./a.,  interpterygoid  fossa  (reference  line  crosses  pterygoid  fossa);  i.fn.,  incisive  foramen;  l.hr., 
lateral  bridge;  Z.  r/r.,  lateral  groove ;  L^J-,  lateral  pit;  in.  r.,  median  ridge;  wz.,  maxillary ;  ^jL,  ^/Z'., 
palatine;  pmx.,  premaxillary ;  lit.,  pterygoid  (reference  line  crosses  jiterygoid  fossa);  s.  in.  »•.,  slop- 
ing portion  of  median  ridge. 


pterygoid  of  its  side  (fig.  7  X^pt.).  The  ventral  outline  of  the  inter- 
pterygoid fossa  (fig.  7  A,  i.fa.)  forms  three  sides  of  a  figure,  which  is 
nearly  a  parallelogram,  open  at  one  end,  the  longer  axis  parallel  with 
the  main  axis  of  the  skull,  and  the  length  more  than  double  the  width. 
In  front  and  for  a  short  distance  at  the  sides  the  fossa  is  limited  by  the 
palatines  (fig.  7  A,  j>/',),  l)ut  the  greater  i)art  of  its  boundary  is  formed 
by  the  pterygoids  (fig.  7  X^pt.).  The  open  end  lies  between  the  haniu 
lar  processes  of  the  pterygoids.  Extending  back  from  the  incisive  for- 
au)iua  are  two  distinct  lateral  grooves  (fig.  7  A,  /.  </r.),  which  traverse 
the  bony  palate  longitudinally,  leaving  between  them  a  ridge  which  pos- 
teriorly is  continuous  with  the  sloping  median  ridge  already  described. 
In  these  grooves  open  numerous  foramina,  larger  and  more  crowded 
just  in  front  of  the  region  from  which  the  bony  palate  slopes  away  to 


28  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

the  level  of  the  pterygoids.  Tlie  median  ridge  just  here  widens 
abruptly  and  sends  out  on  each  side  a  short  process,  which  is  met  l)y  a 
similar  one  arising  from  the  jjalatine  on  the  op])osite  side  of  the  groove 
(fig.  7  A,  /.  hr.).  These  processes  usually  meet  and  fuse,  thus  com- 
pletely obliterating  the  groove,  though  they  are  frequently  separated 
by  a  narrow  space.  In  Uvotomys  (fig.  7  B)  tlie  sloi>ing  part  of  the 
median  ridge  has  disappeared,  together  with  the  lateral  pits,  but 
traces  of  the  median  ridge  (fig.  7  B,  m.  r.),  tlie  lateral  grooves  (fig. 
7  B,  /.  gr.),  and  the  bridges  (fig.  7  B,  /.  br.)  may  still  be  recognized. 

At  different  times  subgeneric  weight  has  been  given  to  the  form  of 
the  external  ear,  and  to  the  proportional  length  of  the  tail  to  the  head 
and  body.  Neither  one,  however,  is  of  any  value,  except  in  special, 
isolated  cases.  The  form  of  the  ear  is  essentially  the  same  in  all  the 
subgenera,  though  there  are  slight  modifications  in  length  and  in  the 
development  of  the  valvular  fold  by  which  the  meatus  is  closed. 

The  relative  length  of  the  tail  is  far  too  variable  to  serve  as  a  useful 
diagnostic  character. 

KEYS. 

The  following  keys  to  the  genera  and  subgenera  of  Mkrothuv  are 
wholly  artificial  and  do  not  bring  the  groups  together  according  to 
natural  affinities.  Since  analytical  keys  are  of  no  value  except  as  aids 
in  identifying  specimens,  it  is  necessary  that  they  should  be  based  on 
characters  that  may  be  studied  without  difficulty  in  ordinary  museum 
material.  Such  material,  however,  is  usually  so  imperfect  that  a  single 
key  made  with  reference  to  one  set  of  characters  (as,  for  instance,  the 
form  of  the  bony  palate  or  the  number  of  mammse)  might  be  of  little 
use.  Hence  several  keys  are  here  introduced,  each  based  primarily  ou 
a  special  set  of  structures.  Of  the  tliree  keys  to  the  genera,  No.  1  is 
made,  so  far  as  possible,  with  reference  to  the  skull  alone;  No.  2,  with 
reference  to  the  teeth,  and  No.  3,  with  reference  to  external  characters. 
Of  the  keys  to  the  subgenera  of  Microtus^  No.  5  is  based  primarily  on 
characters  derived  from  the  structure  of  the  bony  i)alate,  and  is  thus 
useless  for  the  identification  of  specimens  the  skulls  of  which  are  not 
available  for  stud}'.  Key  No.  G  is  based  on  the  pattern  of  enamel  fold- 
ing and  may  be  used  with  specimens  having  broken  skulls.  The  lines 
in  italics  inserted  in  parentheses  in  this  key  are  for  the  identification  of 
individuals  with  abnormal  enamel  patterns.  These  usually  occur  in  the 
proportion  of  about  one  to  four  (see  p.  25).  Hence,  one  fourth  of  any 
given  lot  of  specimens  will  agree  with  the  characters  given  in  paren- 
theses-, the  great  majority,  however,  with  those  in  heavy  type.  Key 
No.  7,  based  primarily  on  the  mammie  and  footpads,  is  made  almost 
exclusively  with  reference  to  external  characters.  It  is  necessarily 
incomplete,  since  the  number  of  mamnuTB  and  footpads  is  in  several 
instances  unknown.  It  is,  of  course,  impossible  to  use  this  key  except 
with  alcoholic  si)ecimens  or  freshly  killed  animals.     Key  No.  8 — if  it 


JULY.1S9C.]  KEYS    TO    GENERA.  29 

may  be  called  a  key — is  a  rough  grouping'  of  the  subgenera  of  Micrgtus 
according  to  the  essential  characters  used  iu  the  chissilicatiou  here 
adopted.  The  keys  are  in  all  cases  based  on  the  characters  of  adults 
only. 

1.  KEY  TO  THE  GENEEA  OF  MICKOTlNJi. 

[Based  primarily  on  tlie  sliull.l 

Skull  of  adult  more  thau  50  mm.  loug Fiher 

Skull  of  adult  less  than  45  mm.  loug. 

Molars  rooted;  skull  always  less  than  30  mm.  long. 

Posterioi'  border  of  j)alate  a  thin-edged  shelf,  contiuuous  between 

alveoli  of  posterior  molars Evotomys 

Posterior  border  of  palate  not  forming  a  shelf Phenacomys 

Molars  rootless;  skiiU  often  more  than  30  uuii.  long. 

Middle   part   of  zygoma  expanded  so  as   to   form  an   oblique 

plate  about  4  mm.  broad Leminus 

Middle  part  of  zygoma  only  slightly  expanded. 

Rostrum  about  \  total  length  of  skull Synajitomys 

Eostrum  more  thau  ^  total  length  of  skull. 

Postorbital  process  of  squamosal  peg-like Dicrostonyx 

Postorbital  process  of  squamosal  shelf-like Microlua 

2.  KEY  TO  THE  GE2fEEA  OF  MICEOTIX^. 

[Based  priniarily  on  tlu-  teeth.] 

Length  of  maxillary  tooth  row  in  adult  more  than  14  mm Fiher 

Length  of  maxillary  tooth  row  iu  adult  less  than  13  mm. 

Roots  of  lower  incisors  or  inner  (liugual)  side  of  molar  roots. 

Upper  iueisors  grooved Synaptomys 

Upper  incisors  not  grooped. 

m  1  with  3  closed  triangles Lemmus 

m  1  with  7  closed  triangles Dicrostonyx 

Roots  of  lower  incisors  on  outer  side  of  molar  roots, 
^lolars  rooted. 

Teeth  weak;  triangles  tending  to  remaiu  open;  salient  angles 

rounded Evotomys 

Teeth  strong;  triangles  (dosed;  salient  angles  sharp Phenacomys 

Molars  rootless Microtus 

3.  KEY  TO  THE  GEXEBA  OF  MICEOTIXJ^;. 

[Based  primarily  ou  external  characters.] 
Tail  tlattened  laterally Fiber 

Tail  terete. 

Tail  shorter  than  hind  foot. 

Thumb  with  strap-shaped  nail Lemmus 

Thumb  without  strap-shaped  uail. 

External  ear  rudimentary Dicrostonyx 

External  ear  well  developed Microtus  (Asiatic  species 

of  subgenus  Laynrits) 
Tail  longer  thau  hind  foot. 

Upper  incisors  grooved Synaptomys 

Ujiper  incisors  not  grooved. 

Color  usually  reddish;  molars  weak,  with  triangles  tending 

to  remain  opeu  and  with  salient  angles  rounded Erotomys 

Color  brownish,  grayish,  or  yellowish;  very  seldom  reddish; 
molars  strong,  with  closed  triangles  and  sharp  salient  angles. 

Molars  rooted Phenacomys 

Molars  rootless Microtiia 


30  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  []^'o.i2. 

4.  KEY  TO  SUBGENEKA  OF  STXAPTOMYS. 

Miuulibnlar  molars  with  closed  triangles  on  outer  side Synaptomys 

Mandibular  molars  without  closed  triangles  on  outer  side Mictomys 

5.  KEY  TO  THE  SUBGENERA  OF  MICEOTUS. 

[Based  primarily  on  the  bony  palate.] 

Palate  normal  or  nearly  so  (see  p.  27). 

Third  lower  molar  with  all  triangles  closed.. La(jnrns 

Third  lower  molar  normally  without  closed  triangles. 
Claws  small,  those  on  front  feet  always  .'ihortest. 

Plantar  tubercles  6 - Micrntus 

Plantar  tubercles  5. 

Tail  more  than  30  per  cent  of  total  length it-rirola 

Tail  less  than  30  per  cent  of  total  length. 

nTl  with  5  closed  triangles Cliilotus 

inl  with  3  closed  triangles Pedomys 

Claws  large,  those  on  front  feet  usually  longest. 

Fur  long  and  soft Fhaiomys 

Fur  dense  and  nude-like ntymys 

Palate  highly  abnormal. 

Palate  ending  in  a  broad  median  plate  cut  off  from  maxillaries  at  the  sides. 

Third  lower  molar  with  all  triangles  clo.sed Neofiher 

Third  lower  molar  without  closed  triangles. 

Skull  flat ;  andital  bulhe  small Hyperacriits 

Skull  high ;  audital  bulla}  large Jlticola 

Posterior  border  of  palate  continuous  between  maxillaries. 

Posterior  border  of  palate  straight Fothenomys 

Posterior  border  of  palate  with  median  projection JvicUomys 

6.  KEY  TO  THE  SUBGENERA  OF  MICROTUS.' 

[Based  iirimarily  on  tlie  t(*th.] 
{m  1  with  6  or  7  closed  irianglcn.) 
{Plantar  tiihcreles  5.) 

(Small ;  not  aquatic  ;  fur  short Cirilotns) 

{Large ;  aquatic  ;  fur  long -^ rricola) 

{Plantar  tnbercles  6 Jlicrotus) 

m  i  with  5  closed  triangles. 

m  3  with  3  closed  triangles. 

m  3  with  triangles  always  closeu Neofiber 

m  3  with  triangles  normally  open. 
Plantar  tubercles  6. 

Fur  not  specially  modified,  claws  moderate. 

Posterior  loop  of  m  3  short  cr  strongly  curved;  palate  normal.   Microtus 
{Posterior  loop  of  m  3  long  and  straight  :  palate  ahnormal.) 

{Skull  hroad  and  flat ;  plantar  tubercles  -T Eyperacrins) 

{Skull  not  broad  and  flat ;  plantar  tubercles  6 Jlticola) 

{Fur  rcry  long  and  soft,  aspect  lemming-like,  claws  rery  long.   Phaiomys) 
{Plantar  tnbercles  5.) 

{Small ;  not  aquatic  :  fur  short -. Chilotns) 

{Large ;  aquatic  ;  fur  long Jrricola) 

'  Characters  in  heavy-faced  type  are  those  of  specimens  with  normal  enamel  pat 
tern;  characters  in  italics  (inserted  in  parentheses)  are  those  of  specimens  with 
abnormal  enamel  pattern. 


July,  189b-.]  KEYS   TO    SUBGENERA.  31 

m  3  with  2  closed  triangles. 

Triangles  in  m  3  alternate  and  closed. 

Aquatic ;  soles  naked ;  tail  long Neofiber 

Not  aquatic ;  soles  hairy ;  tail  short Lagurus 

Triangles  in  m  3  normally  opposite  and  open. 

Claws  small,  those  on  hind  feet  always  longest. 
Mammffi  8 ;  foot  pads  5. 

Small ;  not  aquatic ;  fur  short Chilotus . 

{Large;  aquatic;  fur  Ion;/ Jrvivola) 

{Mamma  4;  foot  pads  5;  sk>iU  liir/h Pedomys) 

{Claws  large,  those  on  front  feet  of  lev  longest.) 

{ Fur  short  and  dense J'itjjmys) 

( Fur  long  and  soft I'haiomys) 

m  1  with  4  closed  triangles. 

m  3  with  posterior  loop  elongated  in  axis  of  jaw. 

Skull  broad  and  fiat ;  plantar  tubercles  5 Hyperacrius 

Skull  not  broad  and  flat ;  plantar  tubercles  6 Alticola 

(m  3  with  posterior  loop  rounded  or  crescentiv. } 

{m  3  with  3  closed  triangles ^ficrotus) 

(m  3  irith  2  closed  triangles Jrricola) 

m  1  with  3  closed  triangles. 

(m  3  with  3  closed  triangles.) 
{Plantar  tubercles  6.) 

{Posterior  loop  of  m  3  .^hort  or  stronghj  citrred:  palate  normal  . . .   Microtus) 

{Posterior  loop  of  m  3  long  and  straight:  palate  ahnormal Alticola) 

{Plantar  tubercles  5.) 

{Mamnue  S;  palate  normal Arvicola) 

{Mam mce  4;  p)alate  abnormal Hyperacrius) 

m  3  with  2  closed  triangles. 

Sole  almost  naked Arvicola 

Sole  hairy. 

(Palate  abnormal Hyperacrius) 

Palate  normal. 

Claws  long,  all  about  equal  in  length Phaiomys 

Claws  short,  those  on  front  feet  shortest Pedomys 

(m  S  with  1  closed  triangle Hyperacrius) 

m  1  with  0  closed  triangles. 

m  2  and  m  3  of  approximately  the  same  form Eothenomys 

m  2  and  m  3  very  different  in  form Anteliomys 

7.  KEY  TO  THE  SUBGENERA  OF  MICROTUS. 
[Based  prim.irily  on  inamiiiie  ami  foot  pads.] 

^lanmia'  10 Phaiomys 

Mamma'  8. 

Plantar  tubercles  6. 

Palate  normal Microtus 

Palate  abnormal A  Iticola 

Plantar  tubercles  5. 

Conspicuous  musk  glands  on  sides Arricola 

No  musk  glands  on  sides. 

Color  dark  brown Chilotus 

Color  light  grayish  or  yellowish Lagurus 


32  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [Xo.12. 

Maiuiu;e  4. 

Size  very  large -  - - Xiojiber 

Size  medium  or  smal'. 

Plantar  tubercles  6 AnteUomija 

Plantar  tubercles  5. 

Skull  not  flattened I'edonuis 

Skull  flattened. 

Palai e  normal I'Hymija 

Palate  abnormal Hijjicracrins 

8.  SUBGENERA  OF  MICROTUS  GROUPED  BY  ESSENTIAL  CHARACTERS. 

Palate  normal. — Microtus,  Pedomys,  Pltymys,  ChUotus,  Phaiomys,  Ai-vicola,  Lagunts. 

Palate  abnormal. — Xeojiher,  JUirola,  Hyperacrius,  Eoihenomys,  Anteliomys. 

Third  lower  molar  always  with  closed  triangles. — Neofiher,  Lagurus. 

Third  lower  molar  normally  without  closed  triangles. — Microtus,  Pedomys,  Pitymys, 
ChUotus,  Phaiomys,  Arvicola,  Eothenomys,  Anteliomys,  Alticola,  Hyperacrius. 

First  lower  molar  normally  with  5  closed  triangles  and  9salieut  augles. — Microtus, 
ChUotus,  Xeojiher,  Lagurus. 

First  lower  molar  normally  with  3   or  4  closed  triangles  and  9  salient  iingles  — 
Pedomys,  Pitymys,  Phaiomys,  Alticola,  Hyperacrius. 

First  lower  molar  normally  with  3  closed  triangles  and  7  salient  angles. — Arvicola. 

First  lower  molar  without  closed  triangles. — Anteliomys,  Eothenomys. 

Third  upper  molar  normally  with  3  closed  triangles  and  7  to  8  salient  angles. — 
Microtus. 

Third  upper  molar  normally  with  2  closed  triangles  and  6  salient  angles. — Xeojiher, 
Arvicola,  Pitymys,  Pedomys,  Phaiomys,  ChUotus. 

Third  upper  molar  without  closed  triangles. — Anteliomys,  Eothenomys. 

Mammic  10. — Phaiomys. 

Mammse  8. — Arvicola,  Microtus,  Alticola,  ChUotus,  Lagurus. 

Mamm;e  4. — Xeojiher,  Pitymys,  Pedomys,  Anteliomys,  Hyperacrius. 

Plantar  tubercles  6. — Microtus,  Phaiomys,  Anteliomys,  Alticola. 

Plantar  tubercles  5. — Xeojiher,  Arvicola,  Pitymys,  Pedomys,  ChUotus,  Lagurus,  Hyper- 
acrius. 

DESCRIPTIONS   OF  LIVING    GENERA   AND    SUBGENERA. 

Genus  SYNAPTOMYS  Baird. 
Synaptomys  Baird,  Mamm.  N.  Am.,  p.  558, 1857.     Type  Synapiomys  cooperi  Baird. 

Geographic  (listrihiition  ofty^ye  species. — Boreal,  Transition,  and  north- 
ern edge  of  Upper  Anstral  Zone  in  eastern  Kortli  America  from  the 
Atlantic  coast  to  Minnesota. 

Geographic  (listribution  of  genus. — jSTortli  America  from  northern  edge 
of  Lower  Austral  Zone  northward. 

Essential  characters : 

Upper  incisors  with  distinct  longitudinal  grooves. 

Lower  incisors  with  roots  on  inner  (lingualj  side  of  molars. 

Molars  rootless. 

Enamel  pattern  characterized  by  great  depth  of  reentrant  angles  en  outer  side 
of  maxillary  teeth  and  on  inner  side  of  mandibular  teeth. 

m  1  with  three  closed  triangles  and  two  transverse  loops,  or  with  four  trans- 
verse loops  and  no  closed  triangles. 

m  3  with  four  transverse  loops  and  no  closed  triangles. 

Feet  not  specially  modified. 

Soles  and  palms  with  well-developed  tubercles. 

Thumb  with  large  flattened  ligulate  nail. 

Tail  very  slightly  longer  than  hind  foot,  terete. 

External  ear  well  developed. 


July,  1896.]  GENUS    SYNAPTOMYS.  33 

Skull. — The  skull  of  Si/najjtomy.s  (fig.  9  and  PL  I,  figs.  12, 13)  is  moder- 
ately broad,  flat,  aud  massive,  much  less  so  than  iu  the  other  Lemmi. 
Eostrum  short  (nasal  bones  about  one-fourth  occipito-nasal  length)  and 
strougly  deflexed;  zygomatic  arches  not  broadly  flaring  as  iu  Lemmus 
and  Dicrostonyx,^  though  more  so  than  in  the  voles;  middle  portion  of 
zygoma  very  slightly  expanded,  the  outer  surface  nearly  vertical;  brain 
case  not  greatly  broadened  or  flattened,  and  seldom  if  ever  conspicu- 
ously ridged  or  furrowed;  interparietal  with  rounded  corners,  the 
antero-posterior  diameter  more  than  half  the  transverse  diameter; 
pterygoids  short;  interpterygoid  fossa  about  one-sixth  basilar  length 
of  skull;  posterior  border  of  bony  palate  ending  nearly  as  in  typical 
Microtus.  (See  p.  2G,  PI.  II,  fig.  5,  and  fig.  7,  p.  27.)  Front  edge  of 
squamosal  forming  a  narrow,  shelf-like  postorbital  process. 

Teeth. — Anterior  faces  of  upper  incisors  with  distinct  longitudinal 
grooves.  Lower  incisor  terminating  posteriorly  a  little  in  front  of  the 
hinder  edge  of  the  back  molar.  Throughout  its  length  each  mandibu- 
lar incisor  lies  wholly  on  the  inner  (lingual)  side  of  the  molar  series. 
(PI.  Ill,  fig.  1.) 

The  molars  are  all  rootless.  The  upper  molar  series  is  about  one-third 
the  basilar  length  of  skull,  the  lower  series  slightly  less.  The  enamel 
pattern  (figs.  S  and  10)  is  characterized  by  the  great  depth  of  the  outer 
reentrant  angles  in  the  maxillary  teeth  and  of  the  inner  reentrant 
angles  in  the  mandibular  teeth.  Of  the  maxillary  teeth  m  1  and  m  2 
show  no  important  peculiarities  of  form  except  that  the  outer  reentrant 
angles  cut  across  to  the  enamel  of  the  extreme  inner  side,  a  feature 
shared  by  Lemmus  alone.  The  posterior  upi)er  molar,  however,  like 
that  of  Lemmus,  differs  widely  from  the  corresponding  tooth  in  all  other 
Microtina'.  It  is  formed  of  four  transverse  loops.  The  first  and  second 
of  these  loops  are  isolated  by  two  deep  reentrant  angles  on  the  outer 
side  of  the  tooth,  while  the  third  is  formed  by  an  equally  deep  dein-es- 
sion  on  the  inner  side.  The  reentrant  angles  and  closed  triangles  on 
the  inner  side  of  the  mandibular  molars  are  greatly  developed  at  the 
expense  of  those  on  the  outer  side.  In  the  subgenus  Mictomijs  the  lat- 
ter wholly  disappear  except  in  the  last  tooth.  This  has  a  reentrant 
angle  near  the  middle,  but  no  closed  triangle. 

External  form. — In  general  appearance  Synaptomys  resembles  the 
Microti  much  more  closely  than  it  does  the  Lemmi,  a  fact  which  has 
given  rise  to  the  rather  inappropriate  names  'lemming- vole'  and  'false 
lemming.'  The  species  of  Synaptomys  are  thick-set  microtines  with 
large  heads,  ears  that  just  appear  above  the  moderately  long  fur,  short 
tails,  aud  small  feet.  In  color  they  are  all  dull  brownish,  darker  on  the 
back,  paler  on  the  belly.  The  palms  and  soles  are  tuberculate,  as  in 
the  voles. 

General  reniarks.—  Synaptomys  differs  from  all  the  other  genera  of 

'Tlip  ratio  of  zygomatic  breadth  to  basilar  l<'njj;th  is  approximately  70  in  SynaptomySy 
75  iu  Lemmus  aud  Dicrostonijx,  and  65  iu  Microtus. 
16933— No.  12 3 


34  NOKTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

Microthuc  in  its  grooved  incisors.  From  tlie  other  leniniiiig'S  it  may  be 
known  by  its  numodified  external  form,  and  from  the  A'oles  by  the 
characters  of  its  molars. 

Subgeuns  SYNAPTOMYS  Baird. 
Sijna2)tomi/s  Baird,  Mamm.  X.  Am.,  p.  558,  1857.     Type  Si/napiomiis  cooperi  ]5aird. 

Geo(/rapMc  distribution  of  type  species. — Boreal,  Transition,  and  north- 
ernmost edge  of  Austral  zone  in  eastern  United  States  and  adjoining 
British  Provinces;  west  to  Minnesota,  south  to  Iowa,  Indiana,  Ohio, 
and  Maryland. 

Geograpliic  distribution  of  subgeuns. — Boreal  zone  to  northern  edge  of 
Lower  Austral  zone  in  eastern  Canada  and  eastern  United  States; 
west  to  Minnesota,  south  to  Kansas  and  Virginia. 

Essential  cliaractcrs : 

Eostrum  very  heavy. 

Palate  nearly  as  in  trne  Microtus. 

Mandibular  molars  Avith  closed  triangles  on  outer  side 

Mamm*  6. 

Sl-uU. — The  skull  of  true  ^Synaptomys  (flg.  9  and  PI.  I,  flg.  13)  differs 
from  that  of  Mictomys  in  the  remarkably  heav^^  rostrum  and  in  certain 
slight  details  in  the  form  of  the  bony  palate.  The  latter  is  almost 
exactly  as  in  typical  Microtus,  the  slight  peculiarities  in  form  being 
well  within  the  limits  of  variation  in  the  latter. 

Teeth. — The  incisors  in  true  Synaptomys  are,  like  the  rostrum,  exces- 
sively strongly  built.  The  grooves  are  usu- 
ally sharply  defined  and  placed  near  the 
outer  edges  of  the  teeth. 

The  maxillarj^  teeth  differ  in  no  way  from 
those  of  the  species  of  Mictomys.     In  the 
Fig.  8.-Enamei  pattern  of  molar     molars  of  the  lowcr  jaw,  howevcr,  the  outer 

teeth  of  Synaptomys  cooperi.  (s  5.)  ^  „  ■,,,■,'•  ,    i  1 

edge  of  each  tooth  is  cut  by  a  deep  reen- 
trant angle  which  isolates  a  large  outer  triangle  (fig.  8). 

Mammw. — The  nitmber  of  mamm;e  in  Synaptomys  has  been  variously 
recorded  as  four  and  six.  Dr.  Cones,  in  his  monograi)h  of  the  American 
Microtinw,  states  that  he  finds  six,  four  pectoral  and  two  inguinal,  in  a 
female  from  Brookville,  Ind.'  Quick  and  Butler,^  however,  noted  only 
four,  two  pectoral  and  two  inguinal,  in  specimens  from  the  same  local- 
ity. Mr.  Vernon  Bailey  records  six  mammae  in  a  female  collected  for 
the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  at  Ann  Arbor,  Mich., 
and  I  find  the  same  number  in  an  alcoholic  specimen  taken  at  Eogerfe- 
ville,  Tenn.  It  is  probable  that  six  is  the  normal  number,  and  that 
Quick  and  Butler  overlooked  the  ]»osterior  pair  on  the  breast,  as  these 
are  smaller  than  the  others,  at  least  in  the  alcoholic  specimen  from 
Tennessee. 

1  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Rodentia.  p.  236. 

2  American  Naturalist,  XIX,  p.  114. 


July,  1896.] 


SUBGENUS    MICTOMYS. 


35 


General  remarlxS. — The  characters  distiugiiishing-  the  subgenera  Syn- 
aiitomys  and  Mictomys  are  discussed  under  the  latter. 

Three  species  of  true  Synapiomys  are  now  known:  *S'.  cooperi  Baird, 
S.fatuHs  Bangs,  and  *S'.  hdaletes  Merriam.^ 


Subgenus  MICTOMYS  True. 

1894.  Alictomtjs  True,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XVII,  No.  999,  p.  242.  Advance  sheet, 
April  26,  1894  (full  genus).     Type  Mictomj/s  inriuitus  True. 

1896.  Mictomys  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  X,  p.  57,  March  19,  1896 
(subgenus). 

Geographic  distribution  of  type  species. — Synaptomys  inmiitus  is  known 
from  the  type  locality  only,  Fort  Chimo,  Ungava,  Labrador. 

Geographic  distribution  of  subgenus. — Hudsonian  zone  from  Labrador 
to  Alaska,  south  to  northern  California. 

Essential  characters : 

Eostrum  slender. 

Palate  not  as  in  true  Miciotus. 

Mandibular  molars  without  closed  triangles  ou  outer  side. 

Mammte  8. 

Slcull. — The  skull  of  Mictomys  is  in  general  much  like  that  of  Synap- 
tomys proper,  but  the  whole  rostral  part  (including  incisors)  is  dispro- 
portionally  slender  and  weak 
(fig.  9,  and  PI.  I,  fig.  12).  The 
bony  palate  is  formed  on  the  same 
plan  as  that  of  true  Synaptomys 
or  of  Microtus  i^roper,  but  differs 
from  both  of  these  in  the  prolon- 
gation of  the  median  ridge  as  a 
spine  projecting  into  the  inter- 
pterygoid  fossa. 

The  i^terygoids  are  usually 
longer  and  more  slender  than  in 
Synaptomys,  and  the  hamular  i^ro- 
cesses  less  strongly  bent  outward. 

Teeth. — The  incisors  in  Mictomys  are  much  smaller  in  proportion  to 
the  size  of  the  skull  than  in  the  subgenus  Synaptomys.  The  grooves 
in  the  upper  incisors  are  usually  nearer  the  middle  of  the  tooth,  and 
less  well  defined  than  in  true  Syna2)tomys. 

The  maxillary  teeth  (fig.  10)  are  exactly  as  in  the  subgenus  Synap- 
tomys. The  lower  molars,  however,  difter  from  those  of  true  Synaptomys 
in  the  absence  of  reentrant  angles  on  the  outer  borders  of  all  but  the 
hindermost.  Even  in  this  the  reentrant  angle  is  never  deep  enough  to 
isolate  an  outer  triangle. 

Mamma\ — In  the  type  of  Synaptomys  innuitus  there  are  eight  mammse, 
two  more  than  have  been  recorded  in  Synaptomys  i^roper.     ^Yhether 


Fig.  9. — a.  Hitnaptoiiiys  helaleteg;    b.  Si/Haptomys 
v:rancjeli. 


See  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  X,  p.  57, 1896. 


36  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [X0.12. 

tliis  difference  is  constant  or  otherwise,  it  is,  liowever,  impossible  to 

say. 

General  remarlxS. — Mictomys  was  lirst  described  as  a  full  genus,  but 
tbe  characters  ou  which  it  rests  are  of  no  more 
than  subgeueric  importance.  The  group  is 
distinguished  from  true  Syna;ptomys  by  the 
slender  rostrum  and  incisors,  slightly  different 
form  of  bony  palate,  creuulate  outer  border  of 

Fig.  10— Enamel  pattern  of    lower  molars,  and  probably  by  the  number  of 

molar  ic.ih    Synaptomys  in-      ^^.^^^^^^^  ^^^^^ 
nmtus.     (x5.) 

Four  species  of  Mictomys  have  thus  far  been 
described,  Synaptomys  innnitns  (True),  ^S.  wravgeli  Merriam,  /S'.  dalli 
Merriam,  and  S.  truei  Merriam.^ 

Genus  LEMMCS  Link. 

1795.  Lemmus  Link,  Zool.  Beytriige,  I,  Pt.  II,  ]).  75,  1795.     Type  by  elimination  Mas 

lenunus  Liuu. 
1811.  Ml/odes  Pallas,  Zoogr.  Rosso- Asiat.,  I,  p.  172, 1811  (part). 
1877.   Ml/odes  Cones,   Mouogr.  N.  Am.  Rodentia,  p.  237,  1877,  anil  most  subseijuent 

anthers. 

Geographic  distribution  of  type  species. — Arctic  region  in  Asia  and 
eastern  Europe. 

Geographic  distribution  of  genus. — Arctic  region  in  both  hemis- 
pheres. 

Essential  characters  : 

Upper  incisors  without  grooves. 

Lower  incisors  with  roots  on  inner  (lingual)  side  of  molars. 

Molars  rootless. 

Enamel  pattern  as  in  tSijnajytomys. 

Feet  highly  modified. 

Palms  and  soles  without  well-developed  tubercles. 

Thumb  witli  large  flattened  '  strap-shaped  '  nail. 

Tail  shorter  than  hind  foot,  terete. 

External  ear  small  but  well  developed. 

SI-hU. — The  skull  of  Lemmus  (PI,  I,  tig.  G)  is  perhaps  the  most  highly 
modified  in  the  family  Microtina\  The  rostrum,  like  that  of  Synapto- 
mys^ is  short  in  proportion  to  the  length  of  the  skull  (nasal  bones  con- 
tained about  three  and  one-half  times  in  occipito-nasal  length),  the 
dorsal  profile  bent  abruptly  downward.  Zygomatic  arches  very  ab- 
ruptly and  broadly  tlaring,  each  expanded  near  the  middle  into  a  wide, 
strongly  oblique  plate.^  Brain  case  broad,  flat,  and  subquadrate  iu 
outline,  but  dwarfed  in  appearance  by  contrast  with  the  large  zygomata. 
Pterygoids  short  (about  as  iu  Synaptomys).  13ony  i)alate  terminating 
essentially  as  in  Synaptomys,  but  lateral  pits  very  deep  and  anterior 

'  See  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  X,  p.  61,  1896. 
^  These  plates  may  be  nearly  5  mm.  across  iu  the  widest  part. 


Jl-LY,  1896.] 


GENUS    LEMMUS. 


37 


Fig.    11.— Enamel   pattern    of    molar 
teeth,  Lemmus  leinmus.     (x5.) 


edgeof  interpterygoicl  fossa  carried  forward  over  (dorsad  to)  overliang- 
iiig  edge  of  palate  (PI.  11,  fig.  14).  The  anterior  edge  of  the  squamosal 
forms  a  narrow  but  distinct  shelf-like  postorbital  process,  much  as  in 
Synaptomys^  but  more  strongly  developed. 

Teeth. — The  dentition  of  Lemmus  is  essentially  the  same  as  that  of 
Synaptomys.  The  upper  incisors  are,  however,  much  more  slender  in 
proportion  to  the  size  of  the  skull,  and  are  without  the  peculiar  grooves 
always  present  in  Synapiomys.  In  the  pattern  of  enamel  folding,  the 
only  difference  between  the  two  genera  is  that  the  third  transverse  loop 
in  the  hindermost  maxillary  tooth  is  iso- 
lated by  a  single  reentrant  angle  in  l>iynap- 
iomys,  and  by  the  contact  of  two  reentrant 
angles  in  Lemmus  (fig.  11). 

External  form. — In  external  form  the 
species  of  Ljemmus  diflter  very  widely  from 
all  other  microtiues  except  Dicrostonyx. 
The  head  is  disproportionately  large  for 

the  short  thick  body,^  while  the  tail  is  reduced  to  a  mere  rudiment  only 
about  two-thirds  as  long  as  the  hind  foot.  The  feet  are  highly  modified 
to  fit  the  animals  to  their  fossorial  habits.  While  the  hind  feet  are 
unusually  large  and  strong,  the  front  feet  are  even  more  specialized. 
The  thumb  is  provided  with  a  large  ligulate  nail  and  the  fingers  are 
armed  with  long,  sharp  claws  (fig.  12).  The  claws  are,  however,  sim- 
ple in  form  and  are  not  subject  to  the  periodic  changes  that  occur  in 
those  of  Dicrostonyx. 
In  the  alcoholic  specimens  that  I  have  examined  the  palms  show  no 
trace  of  tubercles,  but  the  soles  bear  indications  of  sev- 
eral very  small  and  exceedingly  rudimentary  pads  close 
to  the  base  of  the  toes.  The  fur  is  remarkably  long  and 
dense,  the  palms  and  soles  densely  furred,  and  the  tail 
provided  with  a  pencil  of  stiff  bristle-like  hairs  longer 
than  the  tail  vertebrie. 

General  remarls. — The  species  of  Lemmus  are  true 
lemmings  with  highly  modified  skull  and  external  form. 
With  these  characters  they  combine  the  dentition  of 
Synaptomys  without,  however,  the  peculiar  incisors  of 
the  latter.  Ljemmus  difiers  from  Synaptomys  in  its  highly 
modified  skull  and  external  form  as  well  as  in  the  dental  character  just 
mentioned.  From  Dk-rostonyx  it  is  distinguished  by  cranial  and  dental 
characters  and  by  the  well-developed  external  ears  (fig.  15),  as  well  as 
by  the  simple  claws  and  large  thumb  nail. 

The  species  of  Lemmus  at  present  recognized  are  L.  lemmus  (Lin- 
iiieus),  Tj.  ohensis  (Brants),  L.  sehistieolor  (Lilljeborg),  and  L.  niqripes 
(True). 


Fig.  12.— Left  front 
foot,  Lemmus 
li'mmux  (hair  re- 
moved). 


This  peculiarity  is  carried  even  further  iu  Lemmus  than  in  Synaptomys. 


38  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

Genus  DICROSTONYX  Gloger. 

1830.  Cuniculus  Wagler,  Nat.  Syst.  d.  Amphibien,  p.  31, 1830  (part). 
1877.  Cuniculus  Cones,  Moiiogr.  X.  Am.  Rodeutia,  p.  243, 1877. 

1841.  Dicroxioniix  Gloger,  Gemeinn.  Hand-  u.  Hilfsbucli  d.  Naturgesch.,  pp.  XXXI,  97, 
1841.    Type,  an  American  species,  probably  Mus  hudsonius  Pall. 

1854.  "  MyoJemmus  Pomel,  Ann.  Sci.  Soc.  Auvergne,  1854  "  (fide  Trouessart). 

1855.  Misothermus  Hensel,  Zeitscbr.  der  Deutsch.  geolog.  Gesellscb.,  VII,  p.  492, 1855. 

Type  Myodes  forquatus  Pall. 
1881.  Borioikon  Polyakoff,  Mem.  Acad.  Imp.  Sci.  St.  Petersbourg,  XXXIX,  snppl.  p.  34, 
1881.     Type  Jlyodex  torquatus  Pall. 

Geographic  distribution  of  type  species. — Arctic  America. 
Geographic  distribution,  of  genus. — Arctic  region  in  both  liemisplieres. 
Essential  characters: 

Upxier  incisors  without  grooves. 

Lower  incisors  with  roots  on  inner  (lingual)  side  of  molars. 

Molars  rootless. 

Enamel  pattern  characterized  by  approximate  equality  of  reentrant  angles. 

m  1  with  7  closed  triangles  and  2  transverse  loops. 

m  3  with  3  or  4  closed  triangles  and  2  transverse  loops. 

Feet  highly  modified. 

Palms  smooth;  soles  with  rudimentary  tubercles. 

Thumb  with  a  rudimentary  nail. 

Tail  shorter  than  hind  foot,  terete. 

External  ear  rudimentary. 

STciill. — The  skull  of  Dicrostonyx  (PI.  I,  fig.  14)  in  a  general  way 
resembles  that  of  Lemmus,  but  is  smaller  and  more  lightly  built.  The 
zygomata  are  less  broadly  flaring  and  the  expansion  uear  the  middle  is 
comparatively  slight.  The  outer  face  of  the  expanded  portion,  as  in 
Lemmus,  is  strongly  oblique.  The  rostrum  is  also  lighter  and  more 
slender.  While  the  pterygoids  are  proportionally  longer  than  in  Lem- 
mus, the  posterior  edge  of  the  bony  palate  is  formed  exactly  as  in  the 
latter  (PI.  II,  figs.  12  and  14),  The  anterior  edge  of  the  squamosal 
gives  off  a  conspicuous  peg-shaped  postorbital 
process  very  different  from  the  postorbital  ])r()C- 
ess  in  Lemmus  or  any  of  the  other  Microtinc:. 
These  pegs  are  especially  conspicuous  when  the 
skull  is  viewed  from  the  ventral  aspect. 
Fig.  i3.-Enamei  pattern  of  Tccth. — lucisors  csseutially  as  in  Lemmus. 
molar  teeth,  Dicrostoni/x  from    ]\iolars  Tootlcss.    Pattern  of  cuamel  folding  ( lig. 

Uugava,  Labrador.     (x5.)  ^  ^,  -, .  m,  ,   r.  .-•      .       ^     •   -,  <•  i  i  j-i 

13)  very  different  from  that  of  either  of  the  other 
genera  of  Lemmi  and  in  some  respects  resembling  that  of  the  Jlicroti. 
The  reentrant  angles  on  the  opposite  sides  of  the  teeth  are  approxi- 
mately equal  in  depth,«thus  producing  closed  triangles  of  nearly  the 
same  size  on  the  two  sides.  The  first  lower  molar  contains  seven  closed 
triangles  in  addition  to  a  transverse  loop  at  each  end.  The  second 
lower  molar  contains  a  posterior  loop  followed  by  four  alternating 
closed  triangles  and  an  anterior  transverse  loop,  which  is  much  flattened 


JCLY,  1896.] 


GENUS   DICROSTONYX. 


39 


\T" 


'^^^^ 


Fig.  14. — Ear,  (a)  Dicrostonyx,  (b)  Lemmus 
(double  natural  size' 


aud  so  small  that  the  tips  of  the  salient  angles  do  not  reach  to  the  level 
of  the  tips  of  tlie  other  salient  angles  of  the  tooth.  Occasionally  the 
anterior  outer  triangle  opens  into  the  transverse  loop.  The  posterior 
lower  molar  has  a  posterior  transverse  loop  followed  by  three  large 
closed  or  nearly  closed  triangles  (two  on  the  inner  side),  and  a  fourth 
smaller  triangle  on  the  outer  side.'  The  maxillary  teeth  have  each  a 
large  anterior  loop.  This  is  followed  in  the  first  hy  five  alternating 
closed  triangles  and  a  small  postero- 
external loop,  in  the  second  by  four  ^,^;Sxt>.  a. 
closed  triangles  and  a  small  postero- 
external loop,  and  in  the  third  by  fonr 
closed  triangles  and  a  small  ronnded 
terminal  loop. 

External  form. — In  external  form  the 
species  of  Dicrostonyx  are  even  more 
specialized  than  the  members  of  the 
genus  Lemmus.  As  in  the  latter,  the 
head  is  very  large,  the  tail  is  reduced  to 
a  stub,  shorter  than  the  hind  foot,  and 
the  feet  are  highly  modified  for  digging. 
The  external  ears  are,  however,  mere  naked  folds  of  integument  lying 
just  behind  the  meatus  (fig.  14  a).  The  fur  is  long  and  dense,  much  as  in 
Lemmus.  The  palms  and  soles  are  densely  furred,  and  the  tail  is  pro- 
vided with  a  stiff  pencil  of  bristle-like  hairs,  longer  than  the  tail  vertebrae. 
The  hind  feet  are  very  broad,  the  breadth  at  base  of  toes  being  about 
one-half  length  of  foot.-  On  the  hind  foot  there  are  several  minute, 
faintly  developed  tubercles  near  the  base  of  the  toes.    The  palms  are^ 

however,  perfectly  smooth.  The  claws  on 
the  hind  feet  are  large  and  well  formed, 
though  in  no  way  different  from  those  of 
Lem rims.  Those  on  the  front  feet  are  very 
highly  modified,  and  present  seasonal 
changes  in  size  and  form  unknown  else- 
where among  the  2licrotiniv.  The  thumb 
(fig.  15)  is  greatly  reduced  in  size.  The 
thumb  nail  is  so  small  as  readily  to  escape 
notice,  but  the  ball  of  the  thumb  projects 
as  a  distinct  tubercle,  the  surface  of  which 
is  covered  with  a  thick  layer  of  corneous  tissue.  The  claws  on  the 
second  and  fifth  fingers  are  large,  though  not  peculiar  in  form.  The 
two  middle  claws,  on  the  contrary,  while  in  summer  not  different 
from  those  of  Lemmus,  are  in  winter  very  greatly  enlarged  (fig.  15),  and 

'lu  IJicrostoiiyj-  torquatus  there  is  a  niiiuite  supplemental  anterior  internal  loop 
wbich  is  absent  in  the  species  that  occurs  in  Labrador. 
-In  Lemmus  this  breadth  is  only  about  one-third  length  of  foot. 


Fig.  15. — Left  front  foot  of  three  speci- 
mens of  Z)icro*<o)ii/a;  from  Alaska,  show- 
ing successive  stages  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  claws  (hair  removed). 


40  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [X0.12. 

wliollj'  unlike  those  of  any  other  microtiue.  Dr.  Coues's  description 
of  tlie  claws  of  Bicrostonyx  is  so  interesting  that  it  may  be  quoted 
almost  entire.     He  says  (Monogr.  IsT.  Am.  Eodentia,  pp.  248,  240) : 

The  two  middle  fore  claws  attain  their  maximum  of  development  iu  winter.  In 
spring  and  early  summer  these  claws  do  not  appear  very  different  from  those  of 
Mijodi's  [=  Lemmus'],  though  averaging  larger,  more  bulbous  at  base  underneath,  with 
the  terminal  portion  slenderer,  straighter,  and  sharper.  This  bulbous  portion  under- 
neath grows  out  simultaneously  with  increase  in  length  and  amount  of  curvature  of 
the  main  jiortion  of  the  claw,  until  it  equals  or  even  exceeds  the  length  of  the  latter, 
and  is  quite  as  stout,  or  even  stouter,  being  somewhat  broad  and  pad-like.  At  this 
period  it  runs  the  whole  length  of  the  claw,  from  which  it  is  separated  by  a  groove 
along  the  sides,  and  by  a  notch  at  the  end,  both  of  varying  depth.  The  claw  then 
looks  nearly  like  two  claws,  one  underneath  the  other.  The  pad  woubl  then  seem  to 
gradually  sever  its  connection  with  the  main  claw  by  progressive  increase  iu  depth 
of  the  constriction  marked  by  the  lateral  groove  and  terminal  notch,  as  well  as  by 
loosening  from  the  base,  when  it  appears  like  an  excrescence ;  it  is  finally  lost.  Thus 
the  process  appears  to  be  a  jieriodical  one,  like  the  shedding  of  the  horns  of  rumi- 
nants, and  not  continually  progressive  with  age;  and  would  seem  to  be  connected 
with  the  particularly  fossorial  habits  of  the  quasi-hibernating  animal  that  digs  gal- 
l,eries  under  ground  in  which  to  reside  during  the  cold  season,  as  compared  with  its 
freer  and  more  active  mode  of  life  in  summer.  At  the  period  of  the  maximum 
development  of  the  claws  these  equal  or  surpass  half  an  inch  in  length.     »     *     # 

General  remarls. — Divrostonyx  is  so  readily  distinguished  by  its 
peculiar  dentition,  highly  modiiied  feet,  and  rudimentary  external  ears, 
that  it  requires  no  detailed  comparison  with  any  other  genus. 

While  Dicrostonyx  torquatus  (Pallas)  is  the  only  species  now  recog- 
nized, there  are  doubtless  several  others. 

Genus  PHENACOMYS  Merriam. 
1889.  Phenacomi/s  Merriam,  North  Ameijican  Fauna  No.  2,  p.  28,  October  30,  1889. 

GeograijliiG  distribution  of  type  species. — Phenacomys  intermedins  is 
known  only  from  the  type  locality,  Kamloops,  British  Columbia. 

Geographic  distribution  of  genus. — Boreal  North  America;  also 
recorded  from  the  bone  breccia  of  Ber.emend,  southern  Hungary,  and 
the  Forest  Beds  of  Norfolk  and  Suffolk,  England  (Nehring,  Naturwis- 
senschaftliche  Wochenschrift,  Xr.  28,  ]).  346,  July  15,  1894.)^ 

Essentia  I  cha ra cters  : 

Upper  incisors  without  grooves. 

Lower  incisors  with  roots  on  outer  side  of  molars. 

Molars  rooted. 

Enamel  pattern  characterized  by  approximate  equality  of  reentrant  angles  in 
maxillary  teeth  and  great  depth  of  reentrant  angles  on  inner  side  of  mandibular 
teeth. 

m  1  "with  five  closed  triangles. 

m3  with  two  or  three  closed  triangles, 

'  I  have  not  seen  the  original  description  of  the  remains  from  Beremend  (described 
by  Nehring  in  Naturwissenschaftliche  Wochenschrift,  1883).  The  teeth  from  the  For- 
est Beds  represent  an  animal  which  is  certainly  not  Phenacomys.  (Seenoteou  JrricoZa 
iniermcdiKS  Newton  ou  page  T.o.) 


Jtn-r,  1896.] 


GENUS    PHENACOMYS. 


41 


Fig.  16. — Side  view  of  molars, 
Phenacomijs.  (a)  young,  (6) 
adult.     (x3.) 


Bony  i)alate  not  terminating  in  a  tliin-edged  sbelf  continuous  between  alveoli 
of  posterior  incisors. 
Feet  not  specially  modified. 
Thumb  with  a  small  pointed  nail. 
Tail  longer  than  hind  foot,  terete. 
Fur  not  specially  modified. 

Sl-nJl. — The  skull  of  rhenaeomys  (PI.  I,  fig-.  5)  dififer.s  very  slightly  in 
general  form  from  tlmt  of  typical  Microtus.  The  brain  case  is,  how- 
ever, flatter  and  more  quadrate  (but  no  more 
so  than  in  the  subgenera X^(;r/?(r».s'  iindl'iti/iuys), 
and  the  zygomata  bend  down  somewhat  more 
abruptly  in  front.  The  expansion  of  the  zygo- 
ma at  the  region  of  contact  between  the  malar 
and  the  zygomatic  process  of  the  maxillary  is 
rather  more  abrupt  than  is  usual  in  MicroUis, 
but  the  difference  is  very  trifling.  The  postor- 
bital  processes  of  the  squamosals  are  slightly 
more  prominent  and  angular  than  in  il//c>-o/*^s 
arvalis or  M.])ennsylvaniciis,hut  scarcely  more 
developed  than  in  71/.  agrestis,  and  consider- 
ably less  so  than  in  M.  alien  i.  The  audital 
bullne  are  proportionally  about  the  same  size 
as  or  slightly  smaller  than  in  Microtus  arvalis. 
They  are  more  globular  and  less  '  subfusiform ' 
than  in  the  typical  species  of  true  Microtus,  but  closely  resemble  those 
of  M.  agrestis.  The  palate  (PI.  II,  fig.  1)  is  formed  essentially  as  in  the 
members  of  the  subgenus  Lagurus  (PI.  II,  figs.  3  and  4). 

Teeth. — The  teeth  of  Phenaconiys  differ  in  many  ways  from  those  of 
the  other  voles.  In  young  individuals  the  molars  (fig.  10)  are  rootless, 
but  by  the  time  the  animals  are  full  grown  each  molar  has  developed 
two  distinct  roots,  which,  however,  remain  open  until  an  advanced  age, 
though  not  so  long  as  in  the  genus  Evotomys. 
The  pattern  of  enamel  folding  (fig.  17)  is  essen- 
tially the  same  as  that  of  the  voles  of  the  sub- 
genera Fedomys  and  Fhaiomys.  (See  pp.  50  and 
57.)  The  differences  are  to  be  found  in  the  lower 
molars  where  the  reentrant  angles  on  the  inner 
side  are  proportionally  deeper  and  those  on  the 
outer  side  proportionally  shallower  than  in  Ted- 
omys.  There  is  a  corresponding  difference  in  the  size  of  the  closed 
triangles  on  the  opjiosite  sides  of  the  teeth.  The  anterior  outer  loop 
in  the  second  lower  molar  is  especially  reduced. 

In  PItenacomys  the  root  of  the  lower  incisor  runs  back  between  the 
roots  of  the  second  and  third  molars,  and  terminates  on  the  outer  side 
of  the  tooth  row  in  the  ascending  ramus  of  the  jaw,  at  about  the  level  of 
the  middle  of  the  posterior  molar,  and  distinctly  below  the  dental  fora- 
men, (PI.  Ill,  fig.  2.)  While  exactly  this  condition  is  not  found  else- 
where except  in  Evotomys,  it  is  somewhat  closely  approached  in  Fiber. 


Tig.  17.— Enamel  pattern  of 
molar  teeth,  Phenacomys 
cclatvs.     (x5.) 


42 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[Xo.  12. 


External  form. — In  external  form  the  species  of  Fhenacomys  show  no 
peculiarities  to  distinguish  them  from  the  other  voles.  The  body,  tail, 
feet,  ears,  and  eyes  are  usually  jiroportioned  about  as  in  Microtns  arra- 
lis  or  ]\[.  ansierus.  In  F.  longicauda,  however,  the  tail  is  proportionally 
longer  than  in  any  of  the  other  known  species. 

General  remarTcs. — Phenacomys  is  readily  distinguished  from  Microtns 
by  the  rooted  molars.  From  Uvotomys,  rhenacomys  is  separated  by 
certain  characters  in  the  form  of  the  skull,  and  more  especially  of  the 
bony  palate,  as  well  as  by  peculiarities  in  the  teeth.  The  differences 
between  the  three  genera  may  be  comjiared  in  detail  as  follows: 


Mierottis. 

£votomys. 

Phenacomys. 

Koot  of  lower  incisor  above  den- 

Eoot of  lower  incisor  below  den- 

Root of  lower  incisor  bolow  den- 

tal foramen. 

tal  foramen. 

tal  foramen. 

Molars  rootless  throughout  life.. 

Molars  rooted  in  the  adult,  the 

Molars  rooted  in  the  adult,  the 

roots   closed  in  extreme  old 

roots  closed  in  extreme  old  age. 

Molars    large    and    strong,    the 

age. 
Molars  small  and  weak,  the  sal- 

Molars large  and  strong,  the  sal- 

salient angles  sharp. 

ient  angle  rounded. 

ient  angles  sharp. 

Reentrant  angles  on  oviter  and 

Reentrant  angles  on  outer  and 

Reentrant  angles  on  inner  side  of 

inner  sides  of  lower  molars  ap- 

inner sides  of  lower  molars 

lower  molars  verj'  much  deeper 

proximately  equal  in  depth. 

approximately  equal  in  depth. 

than  those  on  outer  side. 

Skull  strong  and  angular 

Skull  weak  and  rounded 

Skull  strong  and  angular. 

Posterior  border  of  bony  palate 

Posterior  border  of  bony  palate 

Posterior  border  of  palate  never 

extremely  variable. 

a  thin-edged  shelf  continuous 
between  alveoli  of  posterior 
molars. 

a  thin-edged  shelf. 

Middle  portion   of  zygoma  dis- 

Middle   portion    of    zygoma 

Middle    portion   of    zygoma  dis- 

tinctly expanded. 

scarcely  expanded. 

tinctly  expanded. 

Since  the  discovery  of  the  genus  Phenacomys  the  following  species 
have  been  described:  P.  intermedins  Merriam,  P.  celatus  Merriam,  P. 
ungara  Merriam,  P.  latimanus  Merriam,  P.  orophilus  3Ierriam,  P.  longi- 
caiida  True,  P.  trnei  Allen,  and  P.  oramontis  Ehoads.  The  status  of 
these  forms  is  wholly  a  matter  of  conjecture. 


C4enus  EVOTOMYS  C'oues. 

1839.  Myodes  DeS61y8  Lougcbamp.s,  fitudes  de  Micromammalogie,  p.   87,  1839  '(sec- 

tion). 
1883.  Ifyodcs  Lataste,  Le  Natnraliste,  Tome  II,  p.  349,  1883  (subgenus). 

1840.  H'jpuda'us  Keyserling  and  Blasius,  Die  Wirbelthiere.     Europa.s,  p.  34, 1810  (sub- 

genus).    Type  Miis  glareolns  Scbreber.     (Not  Hypnduus  Illiger,  1811.) 
1857.  Hypudaus  Baird,  Mamm.  N.  Am.,  p.  513,  18.57  (subgenus). 
1874.  Evotomys  Coues,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Pbila.,  p.  186,  1874  (genusj.     Type  J/h« 

rutilus  Pall 

Geographic  distribution  of  type  species. — xVrctic  region  in  Europe  and 
Asia,  possibly  in  America  also. 

Geographic  distrihntion  of  genus. — Boreal  Xorth  America,  Asia,  and 
Europe. 


JCLY,  1896.] 


GENUS    EVOTOMYS. 


43 


Essential  characters: 

Upper  incisors  ■without  grooves. 

Lower  incisors  with  roots  on  ourer  side  of  molars. 

Molars  rooted. 

Enamel  pattern  characterized  by  approximate  eiiuality  of  reentrant  angles. 

m  1  with  five  closed  or  nearly  closed  triangles. 

m  3  with  three  closed  triangles. 

Feet  not  specially"  modified. 

Thumb  Avith  a  small,  pointed  claw. 

Fur  not  specially  modified. 

Tail  longer  than  hind  foot,  terete. 

Sicull. — The  skttll  of  Urotomi/s  (PI.  I,  tig.  -t),  as  compared  with  that 

of  the  other  voles,  is  characterized  by  a  general  weakness  and  lack  of 

angularity.     All    the    outlines    are    full    and 

rounded,  and  the  ridges  and  furrows  are  slightly 

developed,  even  in  extreme  old  age.     The  in- 

terorbital   region  is   broader  and   the  audital 

bulliie  are  larger  and  more  inflated  than  usual  in 

Microtus  and  Phenacomys.     On  the  other  hand, 

the  zygomata   are  very   slender   and  scarcely 

widened  in  the  region  of  contact  between  the 

jugal  and  the  zygomatic  process  of  the  maxillary. 

The  mandible  also  is  slender  and  weak.     The 

bony  palate  terminates  in  a  thin-edged  shelf, 

continuous  between  the  alveoli  of  the  posterior 

incisors  (fig.  7  and  PI.  II,  fig.  10).     The  structure 

is  very  different  from  that  found  in  Flienacomys 

and  in  typical  Microtus} 

Teeth. — The  incisors  are  exactly  as  in  Phenacomys.     The  lower  incisor 

runs  back  along  the  lingual  side  of  the  first  and  second  molars,  but 

crosvses  the  line  of  the  molar  tooth  row  between  the  second  and  third 

molars,  terminating  in  the  ascending  ramus  of  the  mandible  at  about 

the  level  of  the  middle  of  the  posterior  molar  and  distinctly  below  the 

dental  foramen.  The  molars  are  rootless  in  the  young  (fig.  18),  but  in 
the  adult  each  is  provided  with  two  distinct  roots 
which  eventually  becomefull}-  closed.^  In  one  very 
old  individual  the  crowns  of  the  lower  molars  are 
completely  worn  away,  so  that  each  root,  with  the 
exception  of  the  anterior  root  of  m  3  (which  lias 
been  shed)  stands  alone  like  a  simple,  round-topped 
tooth  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  1).     The  molars   are  all  very 

narrow  and  weak,  in  this  character  strongly  contrasted  with  the  strong, 

broad  teeth  of  Microtus  and  Phenacomys. 

'  For  detailed  comparison  of  the  palates  of  Evoioniys  and  Microtus  see  pages  26-28. 

^lu  the  original  description  of  the  genus  Phenacomys  (North  Am.  Fauna  No.  2, 
p.  30)  it  is  stated  that  "  Phenacomijs  has  genuine  rooted  molars,  not  half-rooted 
molars  like  those  of  Ecofomys,  which  grow  from  persistent  pulps."  Erotomys,  how- 
ever, has  as  perfectly  rooted  molars  as  Phenacomys,  though  the  roots  do  not  close  sa 
early  in  life. 


Fig.  18.— Side  view  of  molars, 
Evotomys.  (a)  youny:,  ^&) 
adult.     (x3.) 


FiQ.  19.— Enamel  pattern 
of  molar  toetli,  Evotumyg 
gapperi.    (x5.) 


44  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

In  the  number  and  arranoement  of  triangles  the  enamel  pattern 
{fig.  19)  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  tetramerodont  species  of  Microtus 
(see  p.  Co).  The  salient  angles  are,  however,  for  the  most  part  rounded, 
and  so  placed  that  the  triangles  are  seldom  fully  closed. 

External  form. — In  external  form  Evotomys  does  not  differ  essentially 
from  Microtus,  although  the  ears  are  usually  larger.  The  red  or  rufous 
color  of  most  of  the  species  gives  them  a  very  different  appearance 
from  the  other  voles. 

General  remarks. — The  characters  which  separate  Evotomys  from  Mi- 
crotus and  Phenacomys  have  been  presented  in  such  detail  under  the  lat- 
ter that  it  is  unnecessary  to  consider  them  further.  The  peculiar  bony 
palate  of  Evotomys  has  been  considered  one  of  the  best  generic  charac. 
ters.  Since  the  discovery  that  it  is  perfectly  reproduced  in  two  subgenera 
of  Microtus  [Anteliomys  and  Eothenomys)  it  loses  much  of  its  importance. 

The  genus  Evotomys  is  represented  in  Europe,  Asia,  and  North 
America  by  numerous  species  and  subspecies  whose  interrelationships 
are  at  present  little  understood.  Among  the  American  species  may  be 
mentioned  E.  (japperi  (Vigors),  E.  fuscodorsaUs  Allen,  E.  galei  Merriam, 
E.  idahoensis  Merriam,  E.  californicus  Merriam,  and  E.  occidentalis  Mer- 
riam ;  among  those  found  in  the  Old  World  are  E.  rutilus  (Pallas),  E. 
glareolns  (Schreber),  and  E.  rufocanns  (Sundevall). 

Geiinw  MICROTUS  Schrank. 

1798.  Microtus  Schrank,  Fauna  Boica,  I,  Iste  Abtb.,  p.  72,  1798.     Typt-  by  elimination 

Microtus  terrestris  Schrank  =  J/h8  arvalis  Pall. 
1883.  Microtus  Lataste,  Le  Naturaliste,  Tome  II,  p.  348,  1883. 
1801.  Arvicola  Lacdpede,  Mem.  de  ITustitut,  III,  p.  489,  1801.     Type  ' Arvicola  amplii- 

hiu8'^=Miis  terrestris  Linn. 

Geographic  distribution  of  type  species. — Central  Europe  and  parts  of 
Asia. 

Geographic  distribution  of  genus. — In  both  hemispheres  the  genus 
Microtus  ranges  from  near  the  northern  limit  of  mammalian  life  to  the 
edge  of  the  tropics. 

Essential  characters  : 

Upper  incisors  without  grooves. 

Lower  incisors  with  roots  on  outer  side  of  molar  series. 

Molars  rootless. 

Enamel  pattern  characterized  by  approximate  equality  of  reentrant  angles. 

m  1  usually  with  five  closed  or  nearly  closed  triangles. 

m  3  with  one,  two,  or  three  closed  triangles. 

Tail  nearly  always  longer  than  hind  foot,  terete. 

Feet,  fur,  eyes,  and  ears  very  variable. 

Thumb  never  with  a  well-developed  ligulate  nail. 

Skull. — The  skull  of  Microtus  varies  greatly  in  shape  among  the  dif- 
ferent subgenera.  Eull  descriptions  will  be  given  under  each  of  these. 
Considering  the  genus  at  large  it  is  difficult  to  frame  any  diagnosis  by 
which  the  skull  may  be  in  every  case  distinguished  from  that  of  the 
other  voles.     Most  of  the  characters  which  at  various  times  have  been 


Jl-LV,  ISSIO.J 


GENUS    MICROTUS. 


45 


adult  Microtus  alleni.     (x  2.) 


brouyht  forward  for  this  purpose  prove  to  be  either  wholly  iueoustant 
or  coustant  only  when  particular  subgenera  are  held  in  view. 

Tecih. — Although  the  skull  of  Microtus  presents  no  tangible  diag- 
nostic characters,  the  teeth  are  readily  distinguishable  from  those  of 
all  other  members  of  the  subfamily.  The  upper  incisors  are  never 
grooved  except  in  oc<;asional  abnormal  specimens.  The  root  of  the 
lower  incisor  crosses  the  line  of  the  molar 
series  between  the  second  and  third  molars, 
causing  a  greater  displacement  of  the  roots 
of  the  latter  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  3)  than  occurs  in 
anj'"  other  genus.  It  terminates  in  the  ascend- 
ing ramus  of  the  mandible  at  a  point  slightly 
above  and  behind  the  dental  foramen  (PI.  Ill, 
fig.  3).  The  molars,  even  in  extreme  old  age, 
are  never  rooted  (fig.  20).  This  character 
alone  distinguishes  them  from  the  molars  of 
the  other  voles.  The  pattern  of  enamel  folding- 
varies  considerably  in  the  different  subgenera,  and  forms  one  of  the 
numerous  charactets  by  which  the  latter  may  be  separated.  Detailed 
descriptions  of  the  enamel  i)atterus  are  given  in  the  accounts  of  the 
subgenera. 

External  form. — In  external  form  the  members  of  the  genus  jl/icro^Hs 
vary  excessively.  Some  resemble  lemmings  so  closely  that  they  have 
been  associated  with  these  by  certain  writers.  Others  are  modified  for 
an  aquatic  life  and  in  consequence  have  more  the  appearance  of  musk- 
rats  {Fiber).  Still  others  pass  most  of  their  time  under 
ground.  In  these  the  ears,  eyes,  and  tail  are  reduced, 
the  front  feet  enlarged,  and  the  fur  so  modified  as  to 
suggest  that  of  the  moles.  The  great  majority  of  spe- 
cies, however,  show  none  of  these  special  adaptations, 
but  resemble  in  a  general  way  the  members  of  the  genera 
Phenacomys  and  Evotomys.  Whatever  may  be  the  modi- 
fications in  form,  the  tail  is  almost  invariably  longer 
than  the  hind  foot  and  the  thumb  is  armed  with  a  small 
or  rudimentary  i)ointed  nail  (fig,  21). 
General  remarks. — The  characters  of  Microtus,  as  contrasted  with 
Evotomys  and  Phenacomys^  have  already  been  given  (p.  42)  and  need  not 
be  repeated  here. 

-Subgenus  EOTHENOMYS  ^  Miller. 
New  subgeuus.     Type  Arvicola  mc1a»o<jaster  Milue-Edwards. 

Geographic  (UstriMition  of  type  species. — Moupin,  western  Sechuen, 
and  western  Fokien,  China.     (Blanford.) 

Geographic  distribution  of  subgenus. — Microtus  melanogaster  is  the  only 
known  species  of  Eothenomys,  hence  the  geographic  distribution  of  the 
subgeuus  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  type  species. 


FlCJ.21.— Left  front 
foot,  Microtxta 
terrcstris. 


^'H(b?,  the  morniug  (eastern);  Qev,  from;  yui??,  mouse. 


46  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.i-. 

Essential  characters : 

Palate  abuormal. 

m  3  without  closed  triangles. 

m  1  witli  triangles  frequently  open  and  8  or  9  salient  angles. 

m  3  -with  triangles  usually  open  and  G  salient  angles. 

Mamma',  (number  not  known). 

Plantar  tubercles,  5. 

Sole  hairy. 

Claws  on  hind  feet  longest. 

Fur  apparently  somewhat  modified. 

SJiidl. — In  tlie  spechneus  of  Eothenomys  that  I  have  examined  the 
skull  is  not  in  sufficiently  good,  condition  to  permit  of  auj^  detailed 
description.  The  peculiar  structure  of  the  bony  palate  taken  in  con- 
nection with. the  teeth  is,  however,  of  itself  enough  to  characterize  the 
group. 

Bony  palate. — Unfortunately  in  the  two  specimens  of  Microtus  melano- 
(jaster  that  I  have  seen    (82.6.16.11    and  92.10.12.5,  British  Museum 
Register)  the  basal  part  of  the  skull  is  so  injured  that  the  form  of  the 
interpterygoid  fossa    can   not  be  determined. 
The  bony  palate,  however,  is  sufficiently  pre- 
served  to   show  the   essential  details  of   its 
structure  (PI.  II,  fig.  11).     That  part  of  the  pal- 
ate which  lies  in  the  level  of  the  roof  of  the 
riQ.  22— Enamel  pattern  of    moutli  cuds  abruptly  oppositc  the  front  end  of 

molar   teeth     Microtu.    (Eo.      ^       ^      ^  j        .^^        Straight-cdged  Shclf 

the7iomys)inclanogaster.  (yi 5.)  ii  o  e> 

which  extends  without  notch  or  projection  from 
alveolus  to  alveolus.  Although  the  form  is  thus  strikingly  different 
from  that  of  the  typical  microtine  palate,  the  vestiges  of  the  structure 
there  i^resent  may  still  be  recognized.  The  lateral  grooves  and  median 
ridge  are  present,  though  slightly  developed.  The  former  terminate  in 
two  depressions  lying  just  in  front  of  the  Avide,  flat,  lateral  bridges 
which  comjdetely  obliterate  the  iDOsterior  ends  of  the  grooves,  and 
together  with  the  terminal  part  of  the  median  ridge  form  the  edge  of 
the  palatal  shelf.  The  palate  in  all  its  essential  characters  is  thus 
exactly  like  that  of  Evotomys. 

Enamel  jyattern  in  general. — The  enamel  pattern  in  Eothenomys  (ftg. 
22)  is  in  many  ways  remarkable.  The  triangles  in  all  the  teeth  tend  to 
remain  open,  the  points  of  the  salient  angles  are  blunt  and  rounded  as 
in  Evotomys,  the  triangles  on  the  outer  and  inner  sides  of  the  teeth  are 
subequal  in  size,  and  the  maxillary  teeth  are  especially  noticeable  for 
their  likeness  to  each  other.  The  figures  published  by  Blanford^  fail 
to  do  justice  to  the  teeth  of  this  species.  These  are  better  represented 
in  Milne-Edwards's  original  iilate,^  in  which  there  is  also  a  hint  at  the 
palate  structure. 

ijourn.  Asiatic  See.  Bengal,  L,  pt.  II,  PI.  II,  fig.  A. 

2Recherches  p.  servir  a  I'histoire  nat.  d.  Mammiferes,  Vol.  I,  PL  XLVI,  figs.  Ic 
and  Id. 


July,  1896.]  SUBGENUS    ANTELIOMYS.  47 

Front  loicer  molar. — The  lirst  lower  molar  Las  the  usual  trausverse 
posterior  loop  autl  a  moderately  loug  rounded  anterior  loop,  with  a 
strong  salient  angle  at  each  side  of  the  base.  It  has  five  lateral  tii- 
angles,  three  on  the  inner  side,  two  on  the  outer  side.  These  may  be 
perfectly  isolated,  or  more  often  Avidely  open.  Except  for  the  greater 
tendency  to  equality  in  the  triangles,  the  teeth  in  the  lower  jaw  do  not 
differ  very  greatly  from  the  mandibular  teeth  of  true  Microtus. 

Baclx  upper  molar. — The  posterior  maxillary  tooth  most  nearly  resem- 
bles that  of  Fedomys.  The  anterior  loop  is  followed  by  two  lateral 
triangles,  subequal  in  size  and  more  or  less  completely  isolated  from 
each  other  and  from  the  anterior  loop.  The  third  lateral  triangle  is 
reduced  to  a  strongly  developed  salient  angle  on  the  inner  side  of  the 
posterior  trausverse  looj).  A  second  salient  angle  is  formed  on  the 
outer  side  of  this  loop,  which  thus  appears  as  a  crescent  joined  near 
the  middle  of  its  coucavitj'  to  the  rest  of  the  tooth. 

Other  teeth. — The  middle  upper  molar  has  a  posterointernal  loop 
nearly  as  large  as  the  postero- external  loop,  the  two  placed  opposite 
each  other.  The  result  is  a  tooth  of  practically  the  same  shape  as  the 
one  behind  it.  The  anterior  upper  molar  is  likewise  provided  with  a 
very  large  postero- internal  loop  opposite  the  loop  on  the  outer  side, 
normally  terminating  the  tooth.  Tiius  it  very  closely  resembles  the 
two  other  maxillary  teeth,  differing  only  in  its  one  more  closed  triangle 
at  the  front  end. 

Mamma\ — The  number  of  mammae  in  Eothenomys  is  unknown. 

Feet. — The  feet  are  moderately  hairy,  in  this  respect  not  differ- 
ing from  true  Microtus.  Blanford  states  that  there  are  five  well- 
developed  pads  on  the  sole  and  a  rudimentary  sixth.  The  claws  are 
not  greatly  developed  on  any  of  the  feet;  those  on  the  hind  feet  are  the 
longest. 

Fur. — A  skin  in  the  British  Museum  has  the  fur  of  a  iieculiar,  dense, 
mole-like  quality  suggestive  of  Pitymys.  The  specimen  appears  to  be 
in  worn  coat,  however,  and  this  character  may  not  be  normal. 

General  remarls. — Eotheaomya  is  such  a  Avell-jnarked  subgenus  that 
it  is  surprising  to  find  that  it  has  hitherto  received  no  name.  In  tooth 
pattern  it  agrees  iu  a  general  way  with  Microtus  siMimensiSj  a  circum- 
stance which  induced  Blanford  to  place  it  in  the  subgenus  '■Xeodon  ;^ 
but  the  palate  structure  is  widely  different  from  that  of  the  subgenus 
Microtus,  to  which  ^[.  sil'lcijnensis  I'eally  belongs,  while  the  similarity 
in  the  enamel  pattern  of  the  two  species  is  very  superficial. 

Snbgeuns  ANTELIOMYS  i  Miller. 
New  subgenus.     Type  Microtus  dtinensis  Tlioiuas. 

Geographic  distribution  of  type  species. — Microtus  chinensis  is  known 
from  one  specimen  collected  at  Kiating-fu,  west  Sze-chuen,  China. 

' 'yJrr?)/\/o?,  eastern;  /iv?,  mouse. 


48  NORTH  AMEEICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

Geographic  distribufion  of  subgenus. — Microtus  chinensis  is  the  ouly 
known  si^ecies  of  the  subgenus. 
Essential  characters : 

Palate  abnormal. 

m  3  without  closed,  triangles. 

HI  1  with  triangles  mostly  open,  and  with  9  salient  angles. 

Ill  3  with  triangles  mostly  open,  and  with  9  salient  angles. 

Mamma',  4. 

Plantar  tubercles,  6. 

Sole  moderately  hairy. 

Claws  on  hind  feet  longest. 

Fur  not  specially  modiiied. 

Skull. — As  remarked  by  Mr.  Tliomas  in  the  original  description  of 
Microtus  chinensiSy  the  skull  of  Anteliomys  resembles  in  a  general  way 
that  of  Evotomys.  Unfortunately,  I  am  nnable  to  add  any  more  deiiuite 
information  concerning  its  characters. 

Bony  palate. — The  palate  of  Anteliomys  (PI.  II,  tig.  8)  is  similar  to  that 
of  Eothenomys,  except  that  the  median  ridge  is  produced  backward  as  a 
distinct  spike  lying  perfectly  in  the  plain  of  the  roof  of  the  mouth. 

Just  in  front  of  the  strongly  developed  lateral 
bridges,  the  posterior  edges  of  which  form  the 
back  rim  of  the  bony  palate,  lie  two  pits,  iu 
which  terminate  the  lateral  grooves.  These 
pits  communicate  freely  over  (dorsad  to)  the 
riG.23.— Enamel  pattern  of  mo-     lateral  bridgcs  with  the  anterior  end  of  the 

lar    teeth,    Microtus    (Aiiteli-       i  i  ,  •  i   x- 

'     . '     .     ,  , ,  broad  mesopterygoid  lossa. 

owyx)  chmensis.     (x  5.)  ^  ••'  ^ 

Enamel  pattern  in  (/encral. — The  enamel  pat- 
tern in  Anteliomys  (fig.  23)  is  characterized  by  rounded  angles,  imper- 
fectly closed  triangles,  and  great  complexity  in  the  prisms  of  the  back 
upper  molar. 

Front  lower  molar. — The  anterior  lower  molar  is  made  up  of  four 
transverse,  perfectly  isolated  loops.  The  anterior  loop  is  much  the 
largest  and  contains  three  salient  angles  (two  on  the  inner  side).  Each 
of  the  succeeding  looi)S  has  two  salient  angles.  The  tooth  thus  con- 
tains exactly  the  same  elements  as  the  corresi)onding  one  in  Microtus, 
the  difference  in  form  being  due  to  the  fact  that  in  Anteliomys  the 
prisms  are  placed  ojiposito  each  other  instead  of  alternately.  The 
Ijrisras  on  the  opposite  sides  of  the  tooth  are  nearly  equal  in  size, 
thus  producing  the  bilaterally  symmetrical  appearance  found  to  a  less 
degree  developed  in  Alticola  and  Eothenomys.  The  figures  iu  the 
original  description  of  Microtus  chinensis^  give  a  very  poor  idea  of  the 
teeth. 

Back  npper  molar. — The  posterior  maxillary  tooth  is  like  that  of  true 
Microtus  except  that  the  posterior  loop  is  greatly  lengthened  and  on 
the  lingual  side  cut  by  two  reentrant  angles,  of  which  the  anterior  is 

'  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  Ser.  6,  Vol.  VIII,  p.- 118,  August,  1891. 


July,  180G.]  SUBGENUS    LAGURUS.  49 

the  deeper.  TJiere  is  a  salient  augie  at  the  outer  base  of  the  posterior 
loop  and  the  outer  border  is  faintly  crenulate.  A  tooth  with  nine  well- 
developed  salient  angles  is  the  result. 

Other  teeth. — The  front  maxillary  teeth  are  exactly  as  in  tetranierodont 
Microtus.  The  back  molars  of  the  lower  jaw  are  likewise  in  no  way 
peculiar.  Tliey  both,  however,  have  the  prisms  on  the  two  sides  oppo- 
site, tlius  lacking  all  ch)sed  triangles. 

There  is  nothing  worthy  of  note  in  the  form  of  the  incisors. 

Mamma'. — In  the  unique  type  specimen  of  Microtus  chinensi-s,  which  is 
a  female,  there  are  four  teats,  all  inguinal. 

Feet. — The  sole  is  well  haired  from  heel  to  tubercles.  There  are  six 
pads  on  tlie  sole,  all  well  develoi)ed. 

Fur. — The  fur  is  not  specially  modified. 

General  remarls. — In  its  i>alate  structure  AnteUomys  is  related  to 
Fothenomys,  and  more  remotely  to  Alticola,  together  with  Avhich  it 
bridges  the  gap  (so  far  as  the  palate  alone  is  concerned)  between  Micro- 
tits  and  Erotomijs.  Tliese  facts  were  in  part  noticed  by  Mr.  Thomas, 
who  says  in  the  original  account  of  il/.  chinensis  : 

Iji  some  respects  it  seems  to  be  .■uiuecteiit  between  Evotomijs  and  the  rest  of  the 
voles,  the  structure  of  its  palate  and  some  of  its  dental  characters  [opposite  prisms 
and  rounded  anj^les]  showing  striking  affinities  to  the  former,  far  as  itsrootless  teeth, 
fewer  mamma-,  and  difterent  external  form  separate  it  from  any  of  the  known  mem- 
bers of  that  group. 

The  enamel  r)attern  is,  however,  very  difterent  from  that  of  Frotomys, 
while  the  resemblance  to  that  of  its  nearest  relative,  FotJtenomys,  is 
almost  equally  remote. 

Mirrotn.s  chinensis  is  the  only  species  of  Anteliomys  thus  far  known, 
i\u](iSii  2Iicroti(s  m?V/r7e«fZor/f/^"  (Polyakofty  from  Siberia- proves  to  be 
a  member  of  the  same  group.  The  figure  of  the  teeth  in  the  original 
description  of  M.  mid  (lend  or ff it  is  suggestive  of  Microtus  chinensis, 
though  the  triangles  are  very  strongly  isolated.  Neither  the  palate 
structure  nor  the  number  of  mammte  is  given  by  Polyakoff,  so  it  is 
impossible  to  come  to  any  conclusion  on  the  subject  of  the  animal's 
true  status. 

Subgenus  LAGURUS  Gloger. 

1841.  Lagurus    Gloger,    Gemeinu.    Hand-u.    Hilfsbuch   d.    Naturgesch.,   p.    97,    1841 

(genus).     Type,  Lagurus  viigratorius  Gloger^ If hs  lagurus  Pallas f^ 
1895.  Lagurus  Merriam,  Am,  Naturalist,  XXIX,  p.  758,  Aug.,  1895  (subgenus). 

'  Mem.  Acad.  Imp.  Sci.,  St.  Petersbourg,  XXXIX  suppl.,  p.  70,  1881. 

-Polyakoff  gives  the  following  localities:  Taimur,  Vilui  River,  Ayan,  and  Kara 
River. 

^In  restoring  the  generic  name  Lagurus  (Aim.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  6th  ser.,  XV, 
Feb.  1,  1895)  Mr.  Thomas  gives  the  species  lagurus  as  the  type.  It  appears  highly 
probal)le,  however,  that  Gloger's  Lagurus  migraiorius  is  the  Llypudaus  migratorius 
of  Lichtenstein  (Eversmann's  Reise  nach  Buchara,  p.  123,  1^2^)^=^  Microtus  {Lagurus) 
luteus  (Eversmaun). 

16933— Xo,  12 4 


50 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[No.  12. 


1881.  Eremiomiis  Polvakoft',  Mem.  Acad.  Imp.  Sci.,  St.  Petersbourg,  XXXIX  ^uppl.,p. 
34,  1881  (genus).     Type  J/(ts  latjnrns  Pall. 

Geographic  distnhution  of  type  species. — Plateaus  of  western  and 
central  Asia. 

GcoyrapMc   distribution  of  suhgenua. — The  range  of  the  subgenus 
Lagurus  is  very  imperfectly  known,  but  probably  extends  over  a  large 
liart  of  the  Boreal  region  in  Asia  and  in  western  Xortli  America. 
Essential  characters: 

Palate  slightly  abnormal. 

m  3  normallj'  witli  2  or  3  tightly  closed  triaugles. 

m  1  normally  with  5  closed  triangles  and  8  or  9  salient  angles. 

m  3  normally  with  '2  or  3  closed  triaugles  and  5  or  6  salient  angles. 

Mamma',  8. 

Plantar  tubercles,  5. 

Sole  very  hairy. 

Claws  on  hind  ieet  longest. 

Fur  not  specially  modihed. 

Slaill. — The  skull  of  Lagurus  (PI.  I,  fig.  7')  may  be  at  once  recognized 
by  the  form  of  the  audital  bulla?  (fig.  24).  These  are  larger  than  in  any 
other  subgenus  of  Microtus,  and  are  especially  remarkable  on  account 
of  the  way  in  which  they  project  backward  behind  the  x)lane  of  the 

occiput.  Aside  from  the  audital  bullae, 
the  skull  does  not  differ  very  notice- 
ably from  that  of  I'iti/niys  or  Chilotus. 
As  compared  with  that  of  Pitymys, 
however,  tlie  rostrnm  is  considerably 
more  slender.  The  dorsal  outline  is 
flat,  as  in  Chilotus. 

Bony  palate. — The  bony  palate  (PI. 
II,  fig.  1')  is  normal  in  structure  but 
there  is  less  diiference  than  usual  between  the  levels  of  the  portions 
lying  in  front  of  and  behind  the  lateral  bridges.  A  peculiar  flat  palate 
with  shallow  lateral  pits  and  broad,  ill-defined  median  sloping  ridge 
is  the  result.  This  form  of  j)alate  is  much  like  that  of  Fhenacomys 
(PI.  II,  fig.  1). 

Efiamel  pattern  in 
general. — The  enamel 
pattern  of  Lagurus 
(fig.  25)  is  character- 
ized by  the  tight  clos- 
ure of  all  triangles, 
notably  in  the  back 
lower  molar,  and  the 
great  width  of  the  reentrant  angles 


Fig.  24.— Audital  buUsB,  (a)  Microtus  {Mi 
crotui)  arvalis ;  (6)  M.  (Lagurus)  pallidus 
(X  2.) 


Fig.  25.— Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth :    (a)  Microtug  (Lagurus) 
pallidus;  (b)  21.  (L.)  lagurus;  (c)  M.  (L.)  luteus.    (x5.) 


The  latter  peculiarity  gives  the 


'See  also  Naturwissenschaftliche  Resiiltate  der  von  N.  M.  Przewalski  unternom- 
meneu  Reiseu,  PI.  XIII,  figs.  1,  2,  3, 12, 13,  and  14. 


July,  1896.]  SUBGENUS    LAGURUS.  51 

teetb  a  drawn-out  appearance,  wliicli  is  liighly  cliaracteristic.  Wide 
reeutraut  angles  occur  in  the  teeth  of  the  young-  of  all  Microti;  in 
Laf/urus  this  embryonic  character  is  retained  by  the  adults. 

Front  lower  molar. — The  number  of  loops  and  triangles  in  the  first 
mandibular  tooth  is  the  same  as  in  true  Microtus.  In  Microtus  prze- 
icalslcii  and  Microtus  Inteiis  the  anterior  loop  is  simple  and  much 
reduced,  while  in  Microtus  lagiirus  and  M.  pallid  us  the  loop  is  exactly 
as  in  Microtus  arvalis. 

Bad-  tipper  molar.— The  posterior  maxillary  tooth  differs  considerably 
in  form  among  the  various  species.  In  certain  American  species  the 
loops  and  angles  are  arranged  exactly  as  in  M.  (Arvicola)  terrestris, 
while  in  M. przeicalslvH  and  M.  lutens  the  tooth,  although  retaining  the 
same  number  of  elements,  is  remarkably  like  that  of  some  of  the  spe- 
cies of  Alticola.  (See  PI.  XIII,  Wissensch.  Eesnltate  der  von  K. 
M,  Przewalski  nach  Cent.-Asien  nntern.  Keisen.  Zool.  Theil,  Ed.  I, 
Lief.  3.)  This  resemblance  to  Alticola  results  from  the  unusual  elonga 
tion  of  the  i)osterior  loop.  In  Microtus  lagurus  there  are  three  tightly 
closed  triangles,  and  the  terminal  loop  has  a  well  developed  salient 
angle  on  each  side  at  the  base. 

Other  teeth. — In  the  Old  World  species  (fig.  25)  the  back  lower  molar 
contains  four  tightly  closed  triangles.  The  American  species,  however 
(fig.  25),  so  far  as  known,  have  only  three  closed  triangles  in  this  tooth. 
The  other  molars  are  always  formed  as  in  tetramerodont  Microtus. 
There  is  nothing  peculiar  about  the  incisors. 

Mam)tia\ — In  2[icrotus  pallidus,  or  a  closely  related  form,  there  are 
eight  mamnipe,  four  pectoral  and  four  inguinal.  I  have  been  able  to 
find  no  statement  of  the  number  of  mamm;^  in  the  Asiatic  species. 

Feet. — Soles  densely  hairy  as  in  Phaioinys  and  the  lemmings;  plantar 
tubercles,  five;  claws  moderately  developed,  those  on  hind  feet  longest. 

Fur.-^ThQ  fur  is  full  and  soft,  but  not  highly  modified.  In  color 
most  of  the  species  are  dull  yellowish  or  grayish.  The  marking  of 
Microtus  lagurus  is  unique  in  the  genus  Microtus  on  account  of  the 
strongly  developed  and  sharply  defined  dark  dorsal  streak. 

(General  remarhs. — The  subgenus  Lagurus  is  a  strongly  characterized 
group,  but,  as  Dr.  Merriam  has  remarked,'  the  species  show  no  pecul- 
iarities to  separate  them  generically  from  Microtus  arvalis.  In  Microtus 
lagurus,  M.  luteus,  and  M.  przeicalslii,  the  tail  is  usually  shorter  than 
the  hind  foot,  thus  adding  to  the  superficial  resemblance  to  the  lem- 
mings.   No  other  voles  have  the  tail  so  short. 

The  subgenus  Lagurus  is  represented  in  the  Old  World  by  Microtus 
lagurus  (Pallas),  21.  luteus  (Eversmann),  and  M.  przeicalsldi  (Biichner). 
In  America  there  are  probably  numerous  species  and  subspecies. 
Among-  these  may  be  mentioned  Microtus  pauperrimus  (Cooper),  il7. 
curtatus  (Cope),  and  M.  pallidus  (Merriam). 

'American  Naturalist,  XXIX,  p.  758,  August,  1895. 


52  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [Jfo.i2. 

Subgenus  ALTICOLA  Blanford. 

1884.  AUicoIa  Blanford,  Jouru.  Asiat.  Soc.  Bengal,  L,  Pt.  II,  p.  89,   1884.      Type 
Arvicola  stolicskaiius  Blanford. 

Geographic  distribuiion  of  type  species. —  "  High  plateaus  of  Northern 
Ladali  (Western  Tibet)"  (Blanford). 

Oeographic  disirihuiion  of  subgenus. — Boreal  Zone  in  the  Himalayas. 
Essential  characters : 

Palate  abnormal. 

m  3  without  dosed  triangles. 

m  1  with  4  or  .5  closed  triangles  and  7  salient  angles. 

m  3  normally  with  2  closed  triangles  and  5  or  6  salient  angles;  posterior  loop 
produced  backward  iu  line  of  jaw. 

Mamnut,  §. 

Plantar  tubercles,  6. 

Sole,  hairy. 

Claws  on  hind  feet  longest. 

Fur  long  and  soft  but  not  highly  modified. 

Skull. — The  skull  in  this  subgenus  (PI.  I,  fig.  10)  shows  no  striking 
peculiarities  to  distinguish  it  from  that  of  trne  Microtus.     The  general 
shape  is  usually  much  as  in  Microtus  arvalis, 
but  the  zygomatic  arches  are  more  flaring  and 
the  brain  case  is  somewhat  broader  and  flatter. 
The  rostrum   is  proportionally  longer  than  iu 
rio.26.-Enan,eipatternofmo-    Microtus  propcr,  and  the  audital  bnllaj  (fig.  27) 
lar  teeth,  Microtus  {.AUicoia)    are  more  inflated  aud  papery. 
aibicauda  {type),   (x 5.)  i5oH7/ ^;o /a ^6.— The  median  palatal  ridge  (PI. 

II,  fig.  4)  widens  at  a  point  opposite  the  space  between  the  second  and 
third  molars  and  is  approached,  as  in  the  typical  microtine  palate,  by 
outgrowths  from  the  opposite  sides  of  the  lateral  grooves.  These  out- 
growths, however,  do  not  meet  the  median  ridge,  but  leave  the  lateral 
grooves  open.  Just  at  its  widest  point  the  median  ridge  is  squarely 
truncated.  The  sloping  terminal  ridge  is  entirely  lacking  and  the  si)ace 
that  it  usually  occupies  forms  the  anterior  end  of  the  very  long  rectang- 
ular interpterygoid  fossa.  A  structure  of  nuich  the  same  appearance 
could  be  produced  by  widening  tlie  anterior  end  of  such  a  hastate 
interpterygoid  fossa  as  that  often  present  in  'Aulacomys''  (PI.  II,  fig.  7) 
until  the  whole  space  acquired  an  equal  breadth.  The  floors  and  median 
w^alls  of  the  lateral  pits  would  then  be  so  encroached  upon  as  to  oblit- 
erate the  pits,  while  a  few  slight  further  modifications  would  give  a 
l^alate  indistinguishable  from  that  of  AUicoia.  The  palate  of  Alticola 
resembles  that  of  JS^eofiber  more  closely  than  it  does  that  of  any  other 
subgenera  excei)t  Hyperacrius. 

Enamel  pattern  in  general. — The  enamel  pattern  in  Alticola  (fig.  26) 
differs  in  many  ways  from  that  of  any  subgenus  of  Microtus.  In  gen- 
eral it  is  characterized  bj^  {a)  a  tendency  to  reduction  in  the  number  of 
prisms  in  the  variable  teeth;  (&)  by  a  peculiar  irregularity  and  iiulefl- 
niteness  in  outline  j  (c)  by  a  strong  tendency  toward  bilatei'al  symmetry 


July,  1896.]  SUBGENUS    ALTICOLA.  53 

caused  by  tlie  approximately  equal  size  of  tlie  triangles  on  the  opposite 
sides  of  the  teetli,  and  (d)  by  the  form  of  the  posterior  upper  molar. 

While  the  figures  published  by  Blanford  '  in  his  paper  on  the  voles  of 
the  Himalayas,  Tibet,  and  Afghanistan  are  in  many  ways  inaccurate, 
they  give  an  excellent  idea  of  the  general  appearance  of  the  teeth  in 
the  voles  of  this  group. 

Front  lower  molar. — The  tirst  mandibular  molar  has  normally  four 
closed  triangles  and  seven  or  eight  salient  angles.  Earely  a  fifth  closed 
triangle  is  isolated  at  the  inner  basal  angle  of  the  anterior  loop.  The 
form,  relative  position,  and  degree  of  isolation  of  the  triangles  and 
transverse  loops  vary  greatly  witli  the  different  species.  Any  one  of 
the  reentrant  enamel  folds  may  fail  to  reach  the  enamel  of  the  opposite 
side,  and  consequently  any  of  tlie  triangles  may  be  open  at  one  or  both 
ends. 

BacTi  upper  molar. — The  posterior  maxillary  tooth  varies  in  form  in  the 
dift'erent  species.  It  is,  however,  always  recognizable  by  the  backward 
prolongation  of  the  posterior  loop  in  the  line  of  the  jaw,  a  character 
which  is  found  elsewhere  in  HyperacrhiSj  OhilotuSy  and  Laguru.s  only, 
and  in  all  but  the  first  of  these  developed  to  a  much  less  degree.  This 
attenuate  posterior  loop  is  followed  by  three  or  four  more  or  less  incom- 
pletely isolated  lateral  triangles,  these  by  an  anterior  loop  of  the  usual 
form.  The  tooth  is  most  complex  in  M.  roylei  and  i¥.  hhmfordi,  in  each 
of  which  it  has  six  salient  angles  and  two  or  three  closed  triangles. 

Other  teeth. — Except  for  the  stronger  tendency  to  bilateral  symmetry 
combined  with  slight  irregularity  of  outline  the  other  molars  do  not 
differ  from  those  of  ordinary  tetramerodont  Microtiis. 

Mamma\ — The  number  of  mamnnt^  in  the  species  of  Alfivola  has 
apparently  not  been  recorded.  Blanford  does  not  mention  it  in  his 
descriptions  of  any  of  the  species,  and  Mr.  G.  E.  H.  Barrett-Hamilton, 
who  has  made  at  my  re<xuest  a  special  examination  of  the  material  in 
the  British  ^Museum,  is  able  to  add  nothing  on  the  subject.  In  an 
adult  nursing  female  of  a  sjiecies  of  Alt icola  closely  allied  to  Microtus 
albicauda  (Xo.  62162,  U.  S.  Nat.  ]Mus.  Ladak  side  of  Kara  Korum 
Pass,  Kashmir)  there  are  eight  well-developed  mamma?.  Hence  there 
is  little  doubt  that  eight  is  the  normal  number  in  the  subgenus. 

Feet. — The  feet  are  very  hairy,  the  long  hairs  on  the  dorsal  surface 
often  nearly  concealing  the  claws.  Plantar  tubercles  six.  The  claws 
on  all  the  feet  are  long  and  slender,  those  on  the  hind  feet  longer  than 
those  in  front. 

Fur. — As  in  most  high  boreal  micro  tines  the  fur  is  long  and  full. 
Otherwise  it  is  not  peculiar. 

General  remarls. — The  subgenus  Alt  icola  is  one  of  the  best  character- 
ized groups  in  the  genus  Microtus.  The  pattern  of  enamel  folding  is 
uulike  that  of  any  of  the  other  subgenera,  except  Hyperacrius,  while 
the  palate  structure  is  approached  by  that  of  Hyperacrius  and  the 

'  Jouru.  Asiatic  Soc,  Bengal,  L,  Pt.  II,  PI.  I,  tigs.  B,  C,  D,  and  E. 


54  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

otherwise  widely  difterent  Xeojiher  ouly.     The  tendency  to  bilateral 

symmetry  in  the  molars  is  sliared  by  three  other  Asiatic  subgenera, 

Hi/peracriufi,  Uothcnomi/s,  and  AnteJloiny.s. 

Alticola,  like  Ei/jieracriu.s,  is  apparently  a  strictly  boreal  subgenus. 

The  following  species  are  known :  Mkrotus  stoliczlcanus  Blanford,  M. 

roylii  (Gray),   .If.  stracheyi  (Thomas),  Tlf.  hlanfordi  (Scully),    and  M. 

albieauda  (True). 

Subgenus  HYPERACRIUSi  Miller. 

New  subgenus.     Type  Jrvicola  fertHis  True. 

Geographic  distrihuiUm  of  type  species. — "Central  Kashmir,  the  Pir 
Panjal  Range  and  the  Kaj  Nag  Mountains."     (True.) 

Geoyraplilc  distrlhiition  of  suhgenns. — Mountains  of  central  and  south- 
western Kashmir  at  elevations  ranging  mostly  from  7,000  to  12,000  feet. 

JEssential  characters : 

Palate  abnormal. 

m  3  without  closed  triaugies. 

Ml  1  noruially  witli  4  or  5  closed  triaugies  aud  7  salient  angles. 

m  3  normally  with  1  or  2  closed  triangles  and  4  salieut  angles. 

Mammji'  4. 

Plantar  tubercles  5. 

Sole  hairy. 

Claws  on  hind  feet  longest. 

Fur  short  and  dense. 

Skull. — The  skull  in  the  subgenus  Byperacrlus  (PL  I,  fig.  11)  differs 
from  that  of  Alticola  in  its  longer  rostrum,  strongly  cuneate  nasals, 
narrower  interorbital  constriction,  more  abrui^tly  flaring  zygomata,  and 

flatter  brain  case.  The  whole  dorsal 
outline  of  the  skull  is  depressed  so 
that  the  zygomata  are  more  nearly  on 
the  level  with  the  top  of  the  skull 
than  in  any  other  subgenus  oi  Micro- 
tus.    The  audital  bullne  (fig.  27)  are 

Fig.  27.— Audita]  bullae,    (a)  Microhis  {Alti-      proportionally    Smaller    than    in    Alti- 
cola) albieauda;    (h)  M.  {Hinjeracnus}  fer-  7         ,  ^r-  ,  -jf,  rri  , 

tiiis    (x2)  cola,  true  lUicrotus,  or  rdymys.    ihe 

brain  case  is  much  more  depressed 
than  in  Microtus  i)roper  (flatter  even  than  in  Fitymys),  and  viewed  from 
above  it  has  a  peculiar  subcircular  outline  not  known  elsewhere  in  the 
genus.  Parietals  proi^ortionally  smaller  than  in  Microtus  proper; 
squamosals  and  interparietal  proportionally  larger.  The  latter  in  old 
individuals  has  much  the  same  shape  as  in  fully  adidt  Arvicola, 
Keojiher,  aud  Fiber. 

Bony  palate. — The  bony  palate  is  exactly  as  in  Alticola. 

Enamel  pattern  in  general. — The  enamel  pattern  (fig.  28)  has  the  gen- 
eral appearance  of  that  of  Alticola. 

Front  loicer  molar. — The  first  mandibular  tooth  is  indistinguishable 
from  the  corresponding  tooth  iu  Alticola. 

*  Oi  vnepdnpioi,  inhabitants  of  the  heights. 


July,  1800]  SUBGENUS    PEDOMYS.  55 

Bad'  upper  molar. — The  last  maxillary  tooth  has  the  same  general 
form  as  that  of  Alt  i  col  a,  but  is  simpler  iu  structure,  thus  recalling 
the  corresponding  tooth  in  Lcuiurus  (flg.  25).  There  are  usually  only 
two  lateral  triangles  and  four  salient  angles.  The  posterior  loop  is 
lengthened  in  the  axis  of  the  jaw  as  in  AliicoJa. 

Ma  mm  (('.—There  are  four  maramte,  all  inguinal. 

Feet. — The  feet  are  well  haired,  but  rather  less  densely  than  in  ^1/^/- 
cola.  Plantar  tubercles  five — the  faintest  possible  trace  of  a  sixth 
sometimes  present.  Claws  on  all  four  feet  well  developed,  those  on 
hind  feet  longest. 

Fur. — The  fur  is  much  shorter  and  more  dense  than  in  Alticola. 

MisceUaiicous  characters. — The  ears,  and  a])parently  the  eyes,  also, 
are  smaller  than  in  Alticola.  The  whiskers  are  very  short,  reaching 
scarcely  to  the  ears,  while  in  Alticola  they  are  probably  longer  than  iu 
any  other  subgenus  of  Microtus. 

General  remarls. — Hyperacrius  is  most  closely  related  to  Alticola,  from 
which  it  differs  chiefly  in  its  highly  modified  skull  and  reduced  number 
of  footpads  and  mammjc.  Minor  differences  are  to  be  found  in  the  rela- 
tive size  of  the  ears  and  in  the  character  of  the  feet.  Hyperacrius 
appears  to  be  modified  for  a  more  strictly  underground  life  than  Alticola. 
It  requires  no  close  comparison  with  any  other 
subgenus,  though  it  bears  a  superficial  likeness 
both  in  external  form  and  in  cranial  characters  to 
Pitymys.  The  structure  of  the  bony  palate  and 
the  pattern  of  enamel  folding  readily  distinguish  fig.  28.-Enamei  pattern  of 
it  from  the  latter,  however.  '""i-'^"'  ^'^^'^i''  ^ierotus  (Hy- 

v\  hether  Microtus  irynnei  may  be  associated 
with  Microtus  fertil is  in  the  subgenus  Hyperacrius  is  a  matter  of  doubt. 
Atmy  request  Mr.  G.  E.  11.  Barrett-Hamilton  has  examined  the  speci- 
mens of  AW/coZa  in  the  British  Museum  with  special  reference  to  the 
relationships  of  M.  a-ynnei.  He  finds  that  this  species,  as  already 
noticed  by  Blanford,  has  only  five  plantar  tubercles,  but  that  in  other 
characters  it  does  not  agree  with  the  brief  diagnosis  of  Hyperacrius,  that 
I  sent  him.  The  fur  is  long,  as  iu  the  species  of  Alticola,  and  the  skull 
apparently  lacks  the  peculiar  form  seen  in  Hyperacrius.  The  number  of 
mamm^cannot  be  determined  in  M.  wynnei  nor  in  any  of  the  species 
of  Alticola  in  the  British  Museum.  For  the  present  it  is  not  safe  to 
attempt  to  refer  ilitcrofws  ^cynnei  definitely  to  one  subgenus  or  the  other. 

Subgeuns  PEDOMYS    Baiid. 
1857.  Pedomys  Baird,  Mamm.  N.  A.,  p.  517,  1857.     Type  Jrvicola  aiis1e7-us  LeCoute. 

Geographic  distribution  of  type  species. — Transition  and  Upper  Austral 
zones  in  the  central  United  States  and  adjoining  British  Provinces. 

Geographic  (listribution  of  subgenus. — The  range  of  this  subgenus  is 
the  same  as  that  of  Microtus  austerus,  the  only  known  species. 
Essential  characters: 
.  Palate  normal, 
m  3  without  closed  triautfles. 


56  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

ui  1  normally  witli  3  closed  truiuglcs  and  8  or  9  salient  angles. 

ni  3  normally  with  2  closed  triangles  and  6  salient  angles. 

Mamma-  4. 

Plantar  tubercles  5. 

Sole  thickly  haired  between  heel  and  tubercles. 

Claws  moderate  in  length,  those  on  hind  foot  longest. 

Fur  not  specially  modified. 

Sl'uIL — The  skull  of  Microins  austerus,  the  ouly  kuown  si^ecies  of 
Pedomys,  is  remarkable  for  the  subcyliiidric  brain  case,  and  great  depth 
of  all  that  part  back  of  the  rostrnm.  While  the  skull  of  Pedomy.s  is  not 
strikingly  different  from  that  of  true  Microtus,^  it  is  very  unlike  the 
flattened  skulls  of  Phaiomys,  Pitymys,  and  CJiilohis,  the  other  groups  of 
small  voles  resembliug*  Pedomys  in  tooth  cliaracters  and  in  number  of 
mamma?  and' footpads. 

Bony  palate. — The  bony  palate  is  typical,  though  the  interpterygoid 
fossa  is  seldom  squarely  truncate  anteriorly. 

Enamel  pattern  in  general. — The  enamel  i)attern  (fig.  29)  is  charac- 
terized by  simplification  in  the  structure  of  the  variable  teeth. 

Front  loircr  molar. — The  first  mandibular  molar  has  a  posterior  trans- 
verse loop  followed  by  three  closed  triangles  and  an  anterior  loop. 

The  anterior  loop  is  deeply  indented  by  two 
reentrant  angles,  one  on  each  side.  These 
sometimes  cut  deep  enough  to  isolate  a  fourth 
or  even  a  fifth  closed  triangle,  but  this  rarely 
takes  i)lace.  There  is  often  a  very  faintly  de- 
FiG.  29.— Enamel  pattern  of  mo-  vclopcd  reentrant  angle  close  to  each  side  of 
lar  teeth,  Microtus  (redomys)     ^^^  ^{^-^  ^^^  ^^^^  autcrior  loop.     lu  cascs  wlicre 

these  are  strongly  marked  a  front  tooth  pre- 
cisely resembling  that  of  Microtns  is  the  result. 

Bacli  upper  molar. — The  posterior  maxillary  tooth  is  exactly  like  that 
of  Neojiher^  Pitymys,  Phalomys,  Chilotus,  and  typical  Arrlcola,  havhig 
an  anterior  transverse  loop,  two  closed  triangles  and  a  short  posterior 
loop,  from  the  outer  base  of  which  a  third  closed  triangle  may  some- 
times be  cut. 

Other  teeth. — With  the  exception  of  the  two  teeth  just  described,  the 
dentition  of  Pedomys  is  like  that  of  the  tetranierodont  species  of  the 
subgenus  Microtus. 

Mam))ia'. — There  are  four  mamm.e,  all  inguinal. 

Feet. — Soles  densely  hairy  between  heel  and  tubercles;  pads  five, 
with  no  indication  of  a  rudimentary  sixth. 

General  remarls. — Pedomys  agrees  in  tooth  pattern  with  Pitymys, 
Chilotns,  and  Phalomys,  but  dilfers  from  all  three  in  the  shape  of  the 
skull,  and  from  the  last  in  the  short  claws  and  unmodified  fur  also. 

Subgenus  PHAIOMYS  P.lytli. 

1863.  Phaiomi/s  Blyth,  Jouru.  Asiat.  Soc.  Bengal,  XXXII,  p.  89, 1863.     Type  I'liaiomys 
leucttriis  Plyth^l/^/cro^Ms  blythl  Blaudibrd. 

'A  skull  of  Microtns  ratticeps  from  Norway  exactly  resembles  skulls  of  M.  austerus 
except  that  the  rostrum  is  more  slender. 


July,  1896.]  SUBGENUS    PHAIOxMYS.  57 

1887.  Lasiopodomys  Lataste,  Annali  dtl  Mvis.  Civ.  di  Storia  Naturale  di  Geuova,  ser. 
2a,  Vol.  IV,  i>.  268, 1887.     Type  Arricola  In-anti  Radde. 

Ge(i(ircq)hic  distribution  of  type  sjjecies. — -'Banks  of  Tslio  Morari  and 
Pankoug  lakes,  Western  Tibet,  also  between  Seh  and  the  PankongLake 
at  elevations  above  13,0C0  feet."     (Blanford.) 

GeiKirapltic  distyihutioii  of  sulxjcnus. — High  i)lateau  region  of  central 
and  southern  Asia.     Probably  does  not  occur  below  the  Boreal  zone. 

Esse ntial  cha racters : 

Palate  normal. 

m  3  Avitliout  closed  triangles. 

m  1  normally  with  3  to  5  closed  triangles  and  8  or  9  salient  angles. 

m  3  normally  with  2  to  3  closed  triangles  and  6  salient  angles. 

Mamma'  j^robably  10. 

Plantar  tubercles,  6. 

Sole  very  hairy. 

Claws  very  long  and  of  abont  0(jual  length  on  all  four  feet. 

Fur  remarkal)ly  long  and  soft. 

*S'A-»7/.— Tlie  skull  of  Phaiomys  as  compared  with  tliat  of  Pedomys  is 
readily  distinguished  by  its  very  different  form.  The  brain  case  in 
Pedowys  is  higb,  long,  and  almost  cylindrical,  while  that  of  Phaiomys 
is  short,  broad,  and  flat.  The  zygomatic  arches  are  more  broadly  flar- 
ing in  Phaiomys  than  in  Pedomys,  while  the 
upper  incisors  are  usually  more  promiuent. 
The  latter  character  is,  however,  inconstant. 

Bony  palate. — The    bony  palate  is   perfectly 
normal  and  requires  no  detailed  description. 

Enamel  pattern  in  yeneral. — The  enamel  ]iat-  i^k;.  30.— Enamel  pattern  of 
tern  (fig.  30)  is  exactly  like  that  of  Pedomys,       moi^r  teeth,  Microtus  (Phai- 

J.  XI      i.    .  1  .         "  .  .  1  •      —  .>  omi/s)  strauchi.    (x  5.) 

except  that  the  outer  reentrant  angles  m  m  3 

are  somewhatlessdeveloped,  while  the  anterior  outer  reentrant  angle  in 
m  2  usually  divides  tlie  anterior  loop  into  two  closed  triangles.  These 
dijferences,  however,  are  trivial  and  inconstant. 

Other  teetli. — In  some  of  tbe  members  of  the  subgenus  the  incisors 
are  directed  more  forward  than  usual.  The  character  is,  as  already 
stated,  wholly  inconstant. 

Mamma'. — There  is  still  doubt  as  to  the  normal  number  of  mamma? 
in  the  subgenus  Phaiomys.  Milne-Edwards  found  only  four  in  a  skin 
of  .1/.  mandrianus ;  Biichner  found  six  in  a  skin  of  M.  straxchi,  and  ten 
in  a  skin  of  M./uscus.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  ten  will  prove  to  be 
the  correct  number.^  In  the  specimen  of  M.  fuscns  just  referred  to 
there  were  six  pectoral  mamma*,  the  rest  inguinal. 

Feti. — The  feet  are  large  and  densely  haired.  The  number  of  tuber- 
cles on  the  sole  is  still  a  matter  of  doubt.     Biichner  records  six  in  both 

*  That  Phaiomys  probably  has  a  large  number  of  mammae — at  least  more  than  four — 
■was  suspected  by  Lataste,  who  in  1887  (Annali  del  Museo  Civico  di  Storia  Xatnrale 
di  Genova,  Serie  2a,  Vol.  IV,  p.  270)  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  Blyth  found 
ten  embryos  in  a  female  Microtiis  blyihi. 


58  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

31.  hramlti  and  M.  strauchi,  but  I  am  able  to  find  only  five  iu  a  skin  of 
the  latter,  even  after  tliorouglily  relaxing  the  foot.  It  is  probable  that 
six  is  tlie  real  number,  as  Bilchner's  determinations  were  made  from 
alcoholic  vspecimens.  The  claws  on  all  four  feet  are  large  and  about 
e(]ual  in  length.  That  on  the  thumb  is  well  develoj)ed — in  this  resi)ect 
perhaps  surpassing  all  other  subgenera  of  Microtiis. 

Fur. — The  fur  is  long  and  soft,  suggesting  that  of  a  lemming  rather 
than  that  of  a  vole. 

General  remarls. — In  many  respects  Fhaiomys  resembles  Fedomys  so 
closely  that  I  should  hesitate  to  sei)arate  the  two  groups  were  they  not 
already  named.  There  are,  however,  such  differences  between  them 
that  it  is  impossible  to  call  them  the  same,  while  in  all  probability  more 
satisfactory  material  than  that  now  available  would  show  additional 
characters.  In  external  ai)pearance  the  two  subgenera  differ  consider- 
ably. While  Fedomys  is  a  typical  vole,  Fhaiomys  bears  a  general  resem- 
blance to  the  lemmings.  The  peculiar  aspect  of  the  species  of  Fhaiomys 
is  caused  by  their  short  tails,  large  feet,  and  long,  soft  fur.  The  like- 
ness between  the  species  of  Fhaiomys  and  the  yellowish  species  of  the 
subgenus  Lagurus  is  even  more  striking.  From  the  latter,  however, 
they  are  readily  separable  by  dental  characters. 

Mlcrotus  hlythi (Blanford),  M. mandarinus  (Milne-Edwards),  M.  strauchi 
Biichner,  Jlf.  /?/,s'c?/s  (Biichner),  and  M.  hrandti  (Iladde),  are  perhaps  the 
best-known  species  of  the  subgenus  Fhaiomys. 

Subgeuns  PITYMY8  Mclvlurtrie. 

1830.  J'sammomys  LeCoute,  Ann.  Lye.  Nat.  Hist.,  New  York,  HI,  p.  132,  1830  (genus). 

Type  rsammomijs pinetorum  Le  Conte  (uoc  rsammomys  Cretzsclimar  1828). 

1831.  Pltymijs  McMurtrio,  American  edition,  Cuvier  Ri-gne  Animal,  I,  p.  434,  1831 

(genus).     Type  rsammomys  pinetorum  LeCoute. 
1857.  rUymys  Bainl,  jMamm.  N.  Km.,  p.  517,  1857  (section; 
1887.   Tilymys  Latasto,  Aunali  del  Mus.  Civ.  di  Storia  Naturale  di  Cenova,  serie2rt,  IV, 

p.  266,  1887  (subgenus). 

1831.  Ammomys  Bonaparte,  Saggio  Distrib.  Metod.  degli  Auim.  "\'ert.,  p.  20,  footnote, 

1831  (genus).     Tj'pe  Psammomys  2>i»etornm  Le  Conte. 
1836.  Finemys  Lesson,   Hist.  Nat.  d.   Mamm.   et  Ois   d(^coiiv.   depuis   1788,  Compl. 

Oouvres   de  Bufl'ou,   Y,  p.   436,  1836  (genus).     Type  rsammomys  piuetorum 

LeConte. 
1867.   TerricoJa  Fatio,  Les  Canipaguols  du  liassin  du  Leman,  ji.  36,  1867  (subgenus) 

{sul)terranens  and  savii). 
1876.  Micrunis  Forsyth  Major,  Atti  dclla  Societa  Toscana  di  Sci.  Nat.,  Ill,  fasc.  I, 

p.  126,  1876  (subgenus).     Type  Arricola  nehrodensrs  Mina  Palumbo. 

Geoyraphic  distribution  of  type  s2)eeies. — Austral  Zone  in  the  eastern 
United  States. 

Geographic  distribution  of  subgenus. — Central  and  southern  Europe, 
eastern  United  States,  i)arts  of  Mexico. 
Essential  characters : 
Palate,  normal, 
m  3  without  closed  triangles, 
m  1  uormallv  with  5  closed  triangles  and  9  salient  angles. 


July,  189(3.]  SUBGENUS    PITYMYS.  59 

111  3  normally  with  2  or  B  closed  triangles  and  6  salient  angles. 

Maninne,  4. 

Plantar  tubercles,  5. 

Sole  moderately  liairy. 

Claws  on  front  feet  longest. 

Fur  short,  dense,  and  mole  like. 

Sk-ulL — The  skulls  of  the  species  of  Pitj/mys  differ  considerably  among 
themselves.  In  Microtus  i)metorum  (PI.  I,  fig.  2),  the  most  highly  modi- 
fied, the  brain  case  is  very  broad  and  flat  and  the  interorbital  region  is 
remarkably  wide.  The  brain  case  is  like  that  of  Lagurus,  but  the  broad 
anterior  x^art  of  the  skull  is  very  different  from  the  latter.  The  dorsal 
outline  is  strongly  arched,  esj)ecially  anteriorly  from  the  region  between 
the  orbits  to  the  tips  of  the  nasals.  The  arching  is,  however,  no  more 
strongly  marked  than  in  Microtus  arvaUs.  In  Microtua  suhUrraneus 
the  skull  is  like  that  of  2[.  pinetorum^  but  the  i^eculiarities  are  less 
accentuated.  In  the  Mexican  species  of  Fiiymys  the  brain  case  is 
narrower  and  higher  than  in  J/,  pinctorum,  and  the  anterior  part  of 
the  skull  is  less  heavily  built.  The  zygomatic 
processes  of  the  inaxilhe  stand  out  more 
nearly  at  right  angles  with  the  side  of  the 
skull,  thus  ])ringiug  the  broadest  part  of  the 
zygomatic  arch  farther  forward  than  in  21. 
pinetorum. 

Bony  pahde, — The  palate  is  normal,  though 
the  region  between  the  posterior  molars  is  in 
M. pinetorum  rather  flatter  than. usual  in  true  -pm.  si.— Enamel  pattern  of 
Microtus,  and  the  anterior  outline  of  the  inter-  ^"^^^  teeth,  (a)  Jiicrotus 
pterygoid  tossa  is  otten  somewhat  hastate.  j^  {P)savii    (x5 ) 

Enamel  pattern  in  general. — With  the  excep- 
tion of  the  front  lower  molar  and  back  upi:)er  molar,  the  enamel  ])attern 
(fig.  31)  is  that  of  tetramerodont  Microtus. 

Front  lower  molar. — The  anterior  mandibular  tooth  contains  the  same 
number  of  looj)s  and  angles  as  the  corresponding  tooth  in  Microtus 
arralls.  As  a  rule,  however,  the  first  and  second  triangles  are  not 
comx)letely  isolated  from  each  other  or  from  the  anterior  loov).  The 
tooth  is  therefore  exactly  as  in  Fedomys. 

Back  upper  molar. — The  i)osterior  maxillary  tooth  is  simplest  in  the 
American  species  of  the  subgenus.  In  these  it  is  like  the  back  upper 
tooth  in  Fedomys  and  Arvlcola,  which  contain  two  closed  triangles 
and  an  anterior  and  posterior  loop.  In  M.  subterranetis,  however,  the 
tooth  is  formed  exactly  as  in  M.  arralis,  while  in  M.  saril  it  is  some- 
what intermediate.  In  the  last-named  species  the  terminal  loop  is 
slightly  larger  than  in  M.  pinetorum^  and  a  third  closed  triangle  is 
usually  cut  oft'  from  the  outer  base. 

Other  teeth. — There  is  nothing  peculiar  about  the  incisors  or  remain- 
ing molars. 

Mamma'. — In  Fitymys  there  are  only  four  nuimmte — all  inguinal. 


60  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

Feet. — The  soles  are  moderately  hairy.  They  have  five  well-devel- 
oped tubercles,  l)ut  no  trace  of  a  sixth.  The  claws  are  well  developed 
on  all  the  feet,  those  on  the  front  feet  either  equaling  or  exceeding 
those  on  the  hind  feet. 

In  M.  pinetorum  the  front  feet  are  much  larger  and  the  front  legs 
shorter  than  in  true  Microfus.  These  peculiarities  are  less  developed 
in  M.  suhtemmeus  and  M.  savii.  Of  the  other  species  1  have  not  seen 
alcoholic  specimens,  and  so  am  unable  to  say  which  of  those  mentioned 
they  most  closely  resemble. 

Fur. — The  fur  in  all  the  Icnown  species  is  remarkably  short  and  dense. 
This  character  is  most  noticeable  in  M.  pinetorion,  which  has  an  almost 
mole-like  coat. 

Miscellaneous  eharacters. — The  tail,  eyes,  and  external  ears  are  much 
reduced  in  all  the  species  of  nti/mys.  These  characters,  as  well  as  the 
peculiarities  of  the  fur  and  front  feet,  are  distinctly  adaptive  and  fit 
the  animals  for  their  underground  life. 

General  remarks. — While  Pitijinys  agrees  with  P<;^Z(:>^>?_(/s  in  the  number 
of  mammie  and  footpads,  it  is  readily  distinguished  by  its  highly  mod- 
ified fur,  small  eyes  and  ears,  and  flattened  skull.  The  type  and  most 
extremely  developed  species  is  further  characterized  by  its  greatly 
shortened  front  legs. 

Pitymys  is  represented  in  Anierica  by  Microtus  ijinetoruin  (Le  Conte) 
and  several  forms  related  to  21.  qiiaxlater  (Ooues).  In  Europe  a  num- 
ber of  species  and  subspecies  occur.  Among  these  the  best  known 
are  M.  suhterr<iHeus  (De  Selys  Longchamps)  and  J/,  savii  (De  Selys 
Longchamps). 

Subgenus  CHILOTIIS  Bairtl. 

1857.   Chilotu-s  Baird,  Mamni.  X.  Am.,  j).  510,  1857.     Type,  Arvicola  oregoni  Baclimau. 

Geographic  distribution  of  type  species. — Oregon,  Washington,  aud 
British  Columbia. 

Geographic  distrihution  of  suhf/enus. — The  range  of  the  subgenus 
Chilotus  is  coincident  with  that  of  the  tyjie  aud  only  known  species. 

Fssential  characters : 

Palate  noimal. 

m  3  normally  without  closed  triangles. 

m  1  with  5  closed  triangles  and  9  or  10  salient  angles. 

m  3  with  2  or  3  closed  triangles  and  6  salient  angles. 

Mamm;e  8. 

Plantar  tubercles  5. 

Sole  moderately  hairy. 

Claws  on  hind  feet  longest. 

Fur  short  and  dense. 

Slnlh— The  skull  of  Chilotus  (PI.  I,  fig.  8)  is  low  and  flat,  the  dorsal 
outline  nearly  straight,  and  the  brain  case  not  widened,  as  in  Fedomys. 
As  compared  with  Fedomys,  the  rostrum  is  remarkably  long  and  slender 
in  proportion  to  the  rest  of  the  skull. 


jrLv,i89C.l  SUBGENUS   CHILOTUS.  61 

Bony  pen  ate. — The  palate  is  normal  and  calls  for  no  further  remark. 

Enamel  pattern  in  general. — The  enamel  folding  (flg.  32)  is  like  that 
of  the  tetramerodont  species  of  Microtns,  except  that  the  back  upper 
tooth  is  a  little  simplified. 

Front  lower  molar. — The  first  mandibular  molar  is  exactly  like  that 
of  typical  Microtus. 

BacJc  upper  molar. — The  back  maxillary  tooth  contains  a  transverse 
anterior  loop,  two  lateral  closed  triangles,  and  a  somewhat  lengthened 
terminal  loop.  The  latter  has  at  each  side  of  its  base  a  conspicuous 
augle,  the  outer  one  of  which  is  often  isolated  as  a  third  closed  triangle. 
The  tooth  has  six  salient  angles,  two  to  each  of  the  transverse  looi)S 
and  one  to  each  of  the  closed  triangles. 

Other  teeth. — As  already  stated,  the  remaining  teeth  are  formed 
exactly  as  in  tetramerodont  Microtus.  One  specimen  from  British 
Columbia  has  the  lateral  triangles  closed  in  the  back  lower  molar. 

2ramma\ — There  are  eight  mamune,  four  pectoral  and  four  inguinal. 

Feet. — Soles  moderateh^  hairy  from  heel  to  tubercles;  plantar  tuber- 
cles five,  all  "well  developed;  claws  on  hind  feet 
longest ;  front  feet  not  modified  like  those  of  typical 
Pitnmy.s. 

Fur. — The  fur  is  shorter  and  more  dense  than 
iu  true  Mi  c  rot  us,  hwt  the  modification  is  not  car-  na.  32.— Enamel  pattern  of 
ried  so  far  as  in  Microtns  {Pitymys) pinetornm.  mov.ivte^th. Microtis icu- 

General  remarls. — Chilotus  combines  the  mam-      "  us)  01  egom.   (x  .) 
mic  and  foot  pads  of  Arricola  with  the  nearly  typical  enamel  iiattern  of 
Mierotus  and  has  a  form  of  skull  peculiarly  its  own.     In  general  it  is 
modified  in  the  same  direction  as  Fitymys,  but  to  a  much  less  degree. 

Great  stress  has  been  laid  on  the  form  of  the  ear  as  a  character  of 
this  subgenus.     In  the  original  description^  Baird  says: 

A  speciiiK'U  in  alcohol,  from  Steilacoom,  received  since  the  preceding  descriiitiou 
■was  prepared,  is,  in  size,  niucli  as  described,  The  ears  are  low,  orbicular,  the  mem- 
brane thickened,  the  margins  or  conchal  portion  much  inflected  or  incurved,  like  a 
half-open  apple  blossom,  the  concha  being  inflected  all  round.  The  antitragus  is 
well  developed,  but  rather  low.  The  surfaces  of  the  ear  appear  perfectly  naked, 
with,  however,  a  ciliatiou  of  long  hairs  toward  the  roots  of  the  concha,  on  the  dorsal 
surface.  A  close  examination  of  the  auricle  in  the  dried  specimen  shows  a  i'ew  scat- 
tered, very  short,  white  hairs. 

•  The  structure  of  the  ear,  though  in  many  respects  similar  to  that  of  A.  innetorum, 
is  yet  essentially  different.    Thus  the  upper  and  lower  roots  of  tht;  margin  of  the  ear 

'  meet  auteriorlj'  so  as  to  form  even  a  low  rim  to  the  meatus  anteriorly,  completely 
Inclosing  the  aperture ;  the  edge  of  the  concha  is  inflected ;  the  region  inside  the 
auricle,  around  the  meatus,  naked,  and  the  antitragus  so  much  develoijed  as  to  be 
capable  of  completely  closing  the  meatus.  In  A.  pinetorum  the  roots  of  the  upper 
and  lower  margins  of  the  ear  are  widely  separated,  by  a  space  of  a  quarter  of  an 
inch,  the  space  between  these  roots  and  anterior  to  the  meatus  perfectly  plane ;  the 
edges  of  the  concha,  or  of  the  auricle,  not  inflected  at  all ;  the  inner  space  around 
the  meatus  partly  hairy ;  the  antitragus  A-ery  slightly  developed,  not  valvular,  nor 
capable  of  closing  the  meatus  at  all. 

'  Mamm.  X.  Am.,  p.  538,  1857. 


62  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [X0.12. 

Through  Mr.  True's  kinduess  I  have  been  able  to  examine  one  of  the 
alcoholic  specimens  on  which  Baird  based  this  description.  This  speci- 
men (No.  2533,  from  Tomales  Bay,  Cal.')  is  in  good  condition  and  shows 
most  of  the  peculiarities  to  which  attention  was  called.  The  thicken- 
ing of  the  edge  of  the  auricle  is,  however,  due  to  disease  or  to  the 
action  of  the  parasites  which  often  attack  the  rims  of  the  ears  in  the 
voles  and  other  small  rodents.  The  anterior  base  of  the  ear  is  not  essen- 
tially different  from  the  same  region  iu  Plfymys,  though  the  valvular 
fold  is  slightly  more  developed.  It  is  ])robable  that  by  means  of  this 
fold  the  meatus  in  Fitynn/s,  as  well  as  in  most  if  not  all  of  the  voles, 
can  be  tightly  clnsed. 

Subgeuus  MICROTUS  Schraiik. 

1798.  ^icroms'Sclirauk,  Fanua  Boica,  I,  Iste  Abtli.,  p.  72, 1798.     Type  l>y  i-liminatiou 

Microtus  terresfris  Schrauk  ^  Mhs  arralis  Pall. 
1817.  Mynomes  Rafinesque,  Am.  Monthly  Magazine,  II,  p.  4.5,  1817.     Type  Mynomes 

praiensis  Raf.  ^^  Arvicola pcnns)jlvaiiicus  Ord. 
1836.  Hemiofomifs  DeSolys  Loiigchamps,  Essai  Monographique  sur  les  Caiupagnols 

(les  environs  de  Liege,  p.  7,  1836,  part  (included  arralis  and  ierrestris). 
1857.  Remiotomi/s  Baird,  Mamra.  N.  Am.,  p.  515, 1857. 
1819.   Keodon  Hodgson.  Ann.  and  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  2d  ser.,  Ill,  p.  203,  1849.     Type 

Neodon  sikkimensis  Hodgson. 
1857.  Paludicola  Blasius,  Fauna  der  Wirbelthiere  Deutschlauds,  I,  p.  3.33,  1857,  part 

(included  ierrestris,  niralis,  and  rafficej)s). 
1857.  AgrieoJa  Blasius,  Fauna  der  AVirbeltliiere  Deutsclilands,  I.  ]).  334,  18.57.     Type 

Arricola  agrestis. 
1867.  Praticola  Fatio,  Les  Campaguols  du  Bassin  du  L^mau,  p.  36,  1867,  part  (included 

ierrestris,  nivalis,  arvalis,  raiiiceps,  and  eampestris). 
1867.  Sylvicola  Fatio,  Les  Campaguols  du  Bassin  du  L^man,  p.  63,  1867.     Tyjje  Jrfi- 

cola  agrestis. 
1890.   Camjncola  Schulze,  Schriften  Naturwiss.  Vereins  d.  Harzes  in  Wernigerode,  V, 

p.  24, 1890,  part  (included  arvalis,  snhterraneiis,  and  eampestris). 
1894.   Tetramerodon  Rboads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Pliila.,  p.  282,  1894.     Type  Arricola 

tetramerus  Rlioads. 

Geographic  distrihution  of  type  species. — Central  Europe. 
Geoiirapliic  distribution  of  suhyenus. — Boreal  region  of  both   hemi- 
spheres, south  to  Mexico,  northern  India,  and  southern  Europe. 
Essential  characters : 

Palate  normal. 

m  3  without  closed  triangles. 

m  1  normally  with  5  closed  triangles  and  9  salient  angles. 

m  3  normally  with  3  closed  triangles  and  7  or  8  salient  angles. 

Mamnuc,  8. 

Plantar  tubercles,  6. 

Sole  moderately  hairy. 

Claws  of  hind  feet  longest. 

Fur  not  specially  modified. 

Sladl. — In  true  Microtus  (PI.  I,  fig.  3)  the  skull  lacks  the  peculiar 
modifications  found  in  such  subgenera  as  Layiirus,  Fitymys,  Chilotus, 

'  No.  2529  from  Steilacoom,  Wash.,  also  mentioned  by  Baird,  is  lost. 


July,  1806.] 


SUBGENUS    MICROTUS. 


63 


and  others.  Withiu  certain  limits,  liowever,  tlie  skull  varies  consider- 
ably in  size  and  form,  so  that  it  is  difficult  to  frame  any  accurate  diag- 
nosis. The  skull  of  Microtus  arralis  figured  on  Plate  I  represents  the 
form  characteristic  of  the  great  majoritj  of  species.  One  of  the  most 
notable  departures  from  this  type  is  seen  in  the  skull  of  Microtus  nitvdis, 
which  has  an  unusually  low,  broad  brain  case,  and  flat  dorsal  outline. 

Bony  palate. — The  bony  palate  in  the  subgenus  Microtus  (fig.  7  A,  and 
PI.  II,  fig.  '■>)  shows  in  its  most  perfect  development  the  form  which  may 
be  considered  the  normal  one  in  the  genus,  since  it  is  characteristic  of 
most  of  the  subgenera  and  of  the  vast  majority  of  species.  As  this 
palate  has  already  been  described  (pp.  2G-27)  it  is  necessary  here  to  notice 
a  few  departures  from  the  type  form  only.  In  young  individuals  the 
sloping  ridge  is  broader  than  in  the  adults,  while  in  very  old  individuals 
it  often  becomes  very  abrupt  and  at  the  same  time  greatly  narrowed. 
Tliese  two  extremes,  Avhich  are  usually  characteristic  of  immaturity  and 
old  age,  occur  as  the  normal  condition  in  the  adults  of  certain  species. 
In  Microtus  nivalis  the  ridge  is  broad  and  fiat,  while  in  M.  agrestis,  M. 
ratticeps,  and  most  of 
the  American  species 
it  is  narrow  and  ab- 
rupt. Occasionally  (es- 
pecially in  M.  ayrestis 
and  M.  ratticeps)  the 
anterior  edge  of  the 
interpterygoid  fossa  is 
encroached  upon  bj" 
the  projecting  median 
ridge.  The  latter,  on 
the  other  hand,  may  be  slightly  cleft  in  the  median  line,  thus  fore- 
shadowing the  first  step  in  the  series  of  changes  which  lead  to  the  very 
different  palate  of  Evotomys. 

Enamel  pattern  in  f/eneral. — The  enamel  pattern  in  the  subgenus 
Microtus  (fig.  3.j)  is  characterized  by  the  large  number  of  loops  and 
angles  in  the  first  lower  molar  and  last  upper  molar. 

Front  hncer  molar. — The  first  lower  molar  normally  contains  a  pos- 
terior transv^erse  loop,  five  closed  triangles,  two  of  which  are  on  the  outer 
side  and  three  on  the  inner  side,  and  finally  an  anterior  loop  which  is 
usually  more  or  less  deeply  cut  by  two  reentrant  angles,  one  on  each 
side  of  the  loop,  the  outer  of  which  is  always  the  more  posterior  of  the 
two.  With  these  loops  and  triangles  are  usually  associated  nine  well- 
developed  salient  angles,  two  formed  by  the  posterior  transverse  loop, 
one  by  each  of  the  five  closed  triangles,  and  one  by  each  side  of  the 
base  of  the  anterior  loop.  That  part  of  the  anterior  loop  which  lies  in 
front  of  the  reentrant  angles  may  develop  a  salient  angle  on  its  inner 
side,  less  frequently  one  on  the  outer  side.  Very  rarely  the  Ioojd  may 
be  cut  by  a  third  reentrant  angle.     This  condition  occurs  in  adult  spec- 


FlG.  33. — Enamel  pattern  of  molar  teeth,  (a)  Microtus  {Microtus) 
arvalis ;  {b)  3r.  {M.)  nivalis  :  (c)  M.  {M.)  pennsijlvanictis  ;  (d)  M. 
(2[.)  ratticeps.     (xS.) 


64  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [Xo.:2. 

imens  of  Microtus  agrestis,  M.  pennsylvanicus,  also  in  the  type  of  M. 
(Ariucola)  arvieoloidcs  {f\g.  35),  and  probably  in  any  other  species  with 
the  tootli  formed  after  tLe  pattern  of  Microtus  arvalis.  The  other  varia- 
tions in  the  form  of  the  front  lower  molar  are  the  result  of  the  greater 
or  less  development  of  the  reentrant  angles  normally  present  at  the 
anterior  end.  Sometimes  the  fourth  reentrant  angle  (counting  from 
behind)  on  the  lingual  side  of  the  tooth  fails  to  meet  the  third  on  the 
opposite  side.  Very  rarely  the  anterior  outer  triangle  opens  in  a  like 
manner  into  the  anterior  inner  triangle,  and  the  latter  at  the  same  time 
communicates  with  the  anterior  loop,  thus  producing  a  tooth  like  that 
normally  present  in  Pedomys  and  I'itymys.  liather  frequently  a  sixth 
closed  triangle  is  cut  off  from  the  outer  basal  corner  of  the  anterior  loop, 
and  occasionally  a  seventh  triangle  is  isolated  at  the  inner  side  of  the 
greatly  reduced  loop. 

The  variations  just  described  are  purely  individual  and  occur  in  the 
species  having  the  tooth  of  the  typical  form.  Two  notable  variations 
from  this  form  are  normally  found  in  Microtus  ratticcps  and  M.  nivalis. 
In  the  former  (fig.  33f?)  the  fifth  triangle  opens  into  the  short,  unindeuted 
anterior  loop.  There  is  here  an  actual  reduction  in  the  elements  of  the 
ooth,  which  has  only  eight  salient  angles,  thus  resembling  the  corre- 
sponding tooth  in  Fedomys.  In  M.  nivalis  (fig.  33t),  while  there  are  five 
closed  triangles  and  nine  salient  angles,  the  anterior  loop  is  small  and 
crescentic,  much  resembling  the  posterior  loop  in  the  maxillary  teeth 
of  Eothenomys. 

Bad'  upper  molar. — The  last  upper  molar  is  noiinally  made  up  as 
follows :  An  anterior  transverse  loop,  succeeded  by  three  closed  trian- 
gles, two  smaller  ones  on  the  outer  side  and  a  larger  one  on  the  inner 
side,  these  in  turn  by  a  posterior  loop  of  variable  shape.  The  tooth 
usually  contains  seven  salient  angles,  two  to  each  of  the  transverse 
loops  and  one  to  each  of  the  three  closed  triangles. 

Variations  in  the  form  of  this  tooth  are  numerous.  Beginning  at  the 
anterior  end  where  the  structure  is  most  definite,  it  is  found  that  the 
first  outer  triangle  very  frequently  opens  into  the  large  inner  trian- 
gle, less  often  into  the  anterior  loop.  The  second  outer  triangle  very 
rarely  opens  into  the  inner  triangle,  but  is  rather  frequently  in  commu- 
nication with  the  posterior  loop.  The  i>osterior  loop  varies  in  form  and 
size,  the  variations  being  partly  individual  and  partly  characteristic  of 
species.  For  the  present  it  is  unnecessary  to  discriminate  in  all  cases 
between  the  two  categories.  The  most  usual  form  and  that  found  in 
the  type  species,  Microtus  arralis  (fig.  33a)  is  an  irregular  crescent  with 
the  concavity  directed  inward  and  backward  and  the  j)osterior  tip  thick- 
ened, the  whole  joined  to  the  rest  of  the  tooth  nt  a  point  on  the  con- 
vexity midway  between  the  middle  and  the  anterior  extremity.  This 
nearly  crescentic  form  is  usually  distorted  by  the  elongation  and  straight- 
ening of  the  anterior  limb,  so  that  the  resulting  shape  is  more  like  that 
of  the  letter  J.     The  thickened  posterior  extremity  of  the  loop  is  often 


JvLv,  1^'jf,]  SUBGENUS    MICROTUS  65 

extended  and  cut  by  a  reentrant  angle  on  the  lingual  side,  so  that  the 
crescent  is  modified  into  the  form  of  a  rude  E.  Occasionally  the  ante- 
rior extremity  of  the  crescent  is  isolated  as  a  second  inner  triangle. 
The  convex  side  of  the  crescent  may  develop  a  more  or  less  prominent 
salient  angle.  This  condition  is  normal  in  Microtus  ratiiceiys  and  Micro- 
txs  dtrotorrhiniis,  but  occurs  also  in  other  species.  In  the  aberrant 
Microtus  nivalis  the  structure  of  this  tooth  is  simplified  so  that  it  is 
essentially  as  in  Arvicola,  Pedomys^  and  Fitymi/s. 

Other  teeth. — The  first  and  second  upper  molars  contain  each  an  ante- 
rior transverse  loop  and,  respectively,  three  and  t^YO  closed  triangles. 
In  Microtus  agrestis,  M.  sihlimcnsls,  M.  pennsylrcmicus,  M.  tcrra'novce, 
and  .1/.  aztecus  the  inner  edge  of  m2  is  i)roduced  into  a  conspicuous 
loop,  which  frequently  becomes  isolated,  so  as  to  form  a  closed  triangle 
about  half  the  size  of  the  others.  The  European  species  with  m2 
formed  in  this  way  have  been  placed  in  a  subgenus  called  Agricola  or 
SylricoJa,  while  the  American  species  have  been  referred  to  Mynomcs 
in  a  restricted  sense.  The  American  species  with  m  2  exactly  as  in 
2Iicrotus  arvalis  have  received  the  name  Tetrameroclon.  While  the 
name  Tctramerodon  can  not  be  used  in  a  subgeneric  sense,  it  is  fre- 
quently convenient  to  speak  of  the  voles  with  the  enamel  pattern  of 
M.  (irvaJis  as  the  tetramerodont  species  to  distinguish  them  from  their 
pentamerodont  allies.  In  Microtus  sillimensis  a  supplemental  triangle 
is  developed  in  m  1  as  well  as  in  m  2.  On  account  of  this  peculiarity  the 
animal  has  been  made  the  type  of  the  genus  or  subgenus  '■Xeodon.^ 
Neither  Xeodon  nor  Agricola  are  worthy  of  recognition  as  subgenera 
distinct  from  Microtus.  Their  characters  are  of  trifling  importance, 
while  in  other  species  of  Microtus  (as,  for  instance,  M.  nivalis,  M.  guen- 
theri,  and  occasionally  .1/.  pennsylvanicus)  intermediate  conditions  can 
be  found. 

Mamma'. — In  the  subgenus  Microtus  the  mammaj  are  always  eight, 
four  pectoral  and  four  inguinal.  Xo  exceptions  to  this  number  are 
known. 

Feet. — There  are  six  turbercles  on  the  sole.  Five  of  these  are  always 
well  developed,  but  the  sixth  is  variable  in  size,  being  especially  large 
in  M.  ratticeps.  The  sole  is  always  moderately  hairy  from  heel  to 
tubercles.  It  is  never  densely  furred  as  in  Vhaiomys  or  naked  as  in 
Xeojioer.  The  claws  on  all  four  feet  are  moderately  developed,  those 
on  the  hind  feet  always  slightly  larger  than  those  on  the  front  feet, 
the  latter  never  specially  developed  for  digging  (cf.  Pitymys). 

Fur. — The  fur  is  moderately  full  and  soft,  neither  long  and  silky  as 
in  Fhaiomys  nor  dense  and  mole-like  as  in  Pitymys. 

General  remarks. — The  subgenus  Microtus  needs  comparison  with  the 
groups  having  normal  or  very  slightly  abnormal  palates:  Arvicola, 
Pedomys,  Pitymys,  Chilotus,  Fhaiomys,  and  Lagurus.  From  all  the 
others  it  differs  too  widely  to  give  rise  to  confusion.  Lagurus  is  dis- 
tinguished from  Microtus  by  the  tightly  closed  triangles  in  the  posterior 
16933— Xo.  12 5 


66  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

mandibular  tooth,  Arvicola  by  tlie  presence  of  large  musk  glands  on 
tLe  sides,  Fedomys  and  IHtymys  by  reduction  in  the  numbers  of  both 
mamma'  and  jdantar  tubercles,  Chilotiis  by  reduction  in  the  latter  only, 
and  I'haloniys  by  an  increase  in  the  number  of  mammte  and  by  the 
very  large  claws.  More  extended  comparisons  will  be  found  under 
each  of  these  subgenera. 

This  subgenus  is  the  most  widely  and  generally  distributed,  as  well 
as  the  one  containing  the  largest  number  of  si^ecies.  Although  the 
si)ecies  of  MicrotifKe  are  still  very  imperfectly  known,  there  is  little 
doubt  that  the  members  of  the  subgenus  Mierotus  greatly  outnumber 
the  species  of  all  the  other  genera  and  subgenera  together.  Conspicu- 
ous representatives  of  the  subgenus  Mierotus  are  (in  the  Old  World) : 
Microtvs  arvalis  (Pall.),  M.  a[/restis  (Pall.),  71/.  raUlceps  (Keys.  &  Bias.), 
M.  nivalu  (Martins),  71/.  {/uentheri  (Dansford  &  Alston),  71i.  silJcimensis 
(Hodgson)  5  (in  America) :  Ilicrotus  pennsylvanicus  (Ord),  71/.  terrwnovce 
(Bangs),  71/.  .rantliOf/natJnt.s  (Leach),  7li.  ehrotorrhinus  (Miller),  71/  Jongi- 
cauda  (Merriam),  71/.  mor/oUo^iensis  (Mearns),  71/  townsendi  (Bachmau). 

Subgenus  ARVICOLA  Laceiii-de. 

1801.  ArritoJa  Lact_^pecle,  Mem.  de  I'Institut,  Paris,  III,  p.  489,  1801  (genus).     Type, 

'Arvicola  anqjhibius^  =  Mus  terrestris  Linn. 
1883.  Arvicola  Lataste,  Le  Natnraliste,  Tome,  II,  p.  349,  1883  (subgenus). 
1836.  Hemiotomys  De  S^lys  Longchamps,  Essai  Mouograpbique  sur  les  Campagnols 

des  environs  de  Liege,  p.  7,  1836,  part  (included  arvalis  and  ierresiris). 
1857.  Paludicola  Blasius,  Fauna  der  Wirbeltbiere  Deutscblands,  I,  p.  333,  1857,  part 

(included  terrestris,  niralis,  and  ra if icejis). 
1867.  Oclietomys  Fitzinger,  Sitzungsber.  K.  Akad.  Wiss.  Wien,  LVI,  p.  47,  1867.     (No 

type  mentioned,  but  genus  intended  to  include  all  the  water  rats  of  Europe.) 
1867.  PraticoJa  Fatio,  Les  Campagnols  du  Bassin  du  Leman,  p.  36, 1867,  part  (included 

terrestris,  nivalis,  arrnlis,  ratiiceps,  and  caynpestris). 
1894.  Aulaconuis  Rhoads,  American  Naturalist,  XXVIII,  p.  182, 1894.    Type,  Aitlacomys 

arvicoloides  Rhoads. 

GcograpMc  distribution  of  type  species. — Northern  Euroi^e. 
Geographic  distribution   of  subgenus. — Noi'thern   x^ai't  of   Xorthern 
Hemisphere,  exclusive  of  America  east  of  the  Eocky  Mountains. 
Essential  cliaracters : 

Palate  slightly  abnormal. 

m  3  occasionally  with  closed  triangles. 

m  1  normally  with  3  to  5  closed  triangles  and  7  to  9  salient  angles. 

m  3  normally  with  2  or  3  closed  triangles  and  6  to  8  salient  angles. 

Mamma^  8. 

Plantar  tubercles  5. 

Sole  almost  naked. 

Claws  on  hind  feet  longest. 

Fur  slightly  modified. 

Musk  glands  iiresent  on  sides  of  body. 

STculI. — The  skull  of  the  larger  Old  World  species  of  Arvicola  (PI.  I, 
fig.  9)  is  nearly  as  large  as  that  of  Neofiber.    In  the  American  species 


July,  1896. 


SUBGENUS   ARVICOLA. 


67 


(PI.  I,  tig'.  1)  it  is  smaller,  though  considerably  larger  than  in  most 
species  of  jl7/cro/ Mi'  proper.  Aside  from  its  large  size  and  prominent 
ridges,  the  skull  of  Arvicola  differs  from  that  of  Microtus  in  its  broader, 
shorter  brain  case,  more  widely  flaring  zygomatic  arches,  and  propor- 
tionally slender  rostrum.  The  peculiar  appearance  of  the  rostrum  is 
heightened  by  the  fact  that  the  incisors  project  more  than  usual.  Some 
of  these  characters  are  more  noticeable  in  the  American  species,  though 
the  latter  show  no  cranial  peculiarities  of  sufficient  importance  to  sep- 
arate them  subgenerically  from  those  of  the  Old  World.  In  the  Amer- 
ican species  the  skull  is  usually  more  lightly  built  and  less  strongly 
angular  than  in  the  typical  members  of  the  genus  (compare  figs.  1  and 
Oofri.  I). 

Bonii  palate. — The  bony  palate  is  usually  normal,  but  ocasionally 
the  median  sloping  ridge  is  divided  in  the  median  line,  so  that  the 
iuterpterygoid  fossa  is  hastate  anteriorly  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  7).     This  condi- 
tion occurs  most  frequently  in  the  Ameri- 
can species,  but  even  among  these  it  is 
inconstant. 

Enamel  pattern  in  (jeneral. — The  enamel 
pattern  in  iy\)ic,2i\  Arvicola  (tig.  34Z>)  is  char- 
acterized by  the  great  reduction  in  the 
number  of  closed  triangles  and  salient 
angles  in  the  front  lower  molar  and 
back  upper  molar.  In  these  peculiarities, 
though  closely  approached  by  Pitymys, 
Pedomys,  and  Phaiomys,  it  presents  the 
extreme  conditions  found  in  the  genus. 
The  third  lower  molar  shows  the  tendency 
to  closure  of  the  lateral  triangles  charac- 
teristic of  all  the  larger  members  of  the  genus.  The  pattern  of  enamel 
folding  in  the  molar  teeth  of  the  American  species  of  Arvicola  (fig.olrt) 
is,  on  the  other  hand,  exactly  like  that  of  the  tetramerodont  species  of 
the  subgenus  Microtus  (e.  g.,  Microtus  arvalis  and  most  of  the  western 
American  species). 

Front  lower  molar. — In  the  typical  species  the  simplification  in  the 
structure  of  the  teeth  is  carried  furthest  in  the  first  lower  molar.  This 
tooth  normally  contains  a  i)osterior  transverse  loop  followed  by  three 
closed  triangles  (one  on  the  outer  side,  two  on  the  inner  side)  and  a 
terminal  transverse  loop  which  is  deeply  constricted  in  the  middle. 
Each  transverse  loop  forms  two  salient  angles  and  each  lateral  triangle 
one,  making  seven  in  all.  Deviations  from  this  form  are  very  rare.  In 
one  or  two  specimens  I  have  seen  a  fourth  triangle  isolated  on  the  outer 
side,  thus  producing  a  tooth  much  like  the  corresponding  one  in  Micro- 
tus {2Ilcrotus)  ratticeps,  a  species  which  has  the  last  upper  molar  very 
complicated  in  structure.  The  front  lower  molar  in  typical  Arvicola 
differs  from  that  of  the  other  groups  in  which  it  has  only  three  closed 
triangles  in  the  reduced  number  of  salient  angles — seven  instead  of 


Fig.  34.— Enamel  patteru  of  molar  teeth, 
(a)  Microtun  (Arvicola)  macropus ; 
(h)  M.  (A.)  terrestris.     (x5.) 


68  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

uiue.     Since  this  tootli  in  the  Americau  species  lias  the  same  structure 
as  in  Microtus  arralis,  no  special  description  is  necessary. 

Bade  upper  molar. — In  the  typical  species  the  last  upper  molar  has 
an  anterior  transverse  loop,  a  closed  triangle  on  each  side,  and  a  very 
short,  simple  terminal  loop.  With  these  loops  are  associated  six  salient 
angles,  two  on  each  of  the  terminal  loops  and  one  on  each  closed  triangle. 
Rarely  the  posterior  terminal  loop  is  reduced  by  the  isolation  of  the 
outer  basal  angle  as  a  third  closed  triangle,  but  this  seldom  happens, 
while  the  resulting  form  of  tooth  is  quite  difierent  from  that  found  in 
any  member  of  the  subgenus  Microtus  except  the  aberrant  Jf.  nivalis.  In 
the  American  species  this  tooth  is  formed  exactly  as  in  Microtus  arralis. 

Mammw. — There  are  eight  niammie  in  Arvicola,  as  in  Microtus. 

Feet. — In  Arvicola  the  soles  are  very  sparsely  haired  or  almost  naked 
between  the  tubercles  and  the  heel. 

The  tubercles  are  only  five  in  number,  as  the  small  one  which  in 
Microtus  lies  midway  between  the  large  proximal  tubercle  and  the  base 
of  the  fifth  toe  is  absent.  Claws  moderately  developed,  those  on  hind 
feet  slightly  the  larger. 

Fur. — The  fur  is  close,  dense,  and  long,  the  under  fur  especially  thick 
and  woolly.  It  thus  resembles  the  fur  of  Neofiher^  though  the  modifica- 
tion is  not  carried  so  far  as  in  the  latter. 

Miscellaneous  characters. — The  species  of  Arvicola  are  provided  with 
a  large  musk  gland  on  each  side  of  the  abdomen.  These  glands  lie 
immediately  in  front  of  the  hind  legs  and  are  very  conspicuous  in  alco- 
holic specimens.  In  a  half-grown  male  Microtus  terrestris  from  St. 
Petersburg,  Russia,  each  gland  is  13  mm.  long  by  6  mm.  wide.  They 
are  regularly  oval  in  outline,  the  long  axis  parallel  with  the  long  axis 
of  the  body.  The  surface,  which  is  slightly  raised  above  that  of  the 
surrounding  skin,  is  closely  and  irregularly  wrinkled,  and  has  much 
the  appearance  of  very  finely  honeycombed  tripe.  Each  gland  bears  a 
sprinkling  of  fine  hairs  much  shorter  than  the  fur,  but  at  first  sight 
appears  to  be  naked.  In  dried  skins  the  positions  of  the  glands  are 
indicated  by  tufts  of  grease-soaked  fur. 

General  remarks. — The  subgenus  Arvicola  is  distinguished  from  all 
other  groui)S  with  similar  enamel  pattern  or  with  like  numbers  of 
mammte  and  foot  pads  by  the  presence  of  the  large  glandular  masses 
on  the  sides  of  the  body.  The  species  are  all  water  rats,  and,  with  the 
exception  of  Microtus  [Neojiber)  allem.,  they  considerably  exceed  the 
other  members  of  the  genus  in  size. 

Although  this  subgenus  is  now  for  the  first  time  recorded  from 
America,  at  least  three  species  of  Arvicola  inhabiting  the  western 
United  States  have  been  described  within  the  past  five  years.  These 
are  3[ierotns  macropus  (Merriam),  M,  arvicoloides  (Rhoads),  and  M. 
principalis  Rhoads.  Microtus  macropus  was  supposed  to  be  "one  of 
the  western  members  of  the  subgenus  or  section  Mynomes,^'  that  is,  a 
tetramerodont  Microtus.^    Microtus  arvicoloides  was  made  by  its  descri- 


'  North  American  Fauna  No.  5.  p.  60,  July,  1891. 


July.  1896]  SUBGENUS    NEOFIBER.  69 

ber  the  type  of  a  new  genns,  Aulacomys,^  while  M.  principalis,  closely- 
allied  to  botli  M.  maeropns  and  M.  arvicoloides,  was  referred  by  the  same 
author  to  true  J/icro/M.v.'-  This  coufusion  arose  from  the  fact  that  the 
subgeiieric  aud  generic  determinations  were  based  chiefly  on  dental 
characters.  Hence  Mierotus  maeropns  and  M.  principalis  were  naturally 
considered  members  of  the  subgenus  Mierotus,  since  both  have  the 
enamel  pattern  characteristic  of  the  tetramerodont  species  of  that  group. 
The  teeth  of  the  type  and  only  kuown  specimen  of  Mierotus  arvico- 
loides,  on  the  other  hand,  show  certain  characters  which,  although  clearly 
abnormal,  led  to  an  entire  misunderstanding  of  the  animal's  true  rela- 
tionships. The  first  of  these  abnormal  characters,  and  the  one  which 
suggested  the  name  Aulaeoniys,  is  seen  in  the  upper  incisors.  Each  of 
these  has  a  narrow  longitudinal  median  groove.  They  can  not,  however, 
be  considered  as  entitling  the  species  to  generic  rank,  since  similar 
though  fainter  grooves  are  occasionally  found  in  almost  any  species  of 
Mierotus,  while  they  are  absent  in  the  vast  majority  of  specimens  of 
'■Aulaeomys.''  The  second  abnormality  in  the  type  of  Mierotus  arvico- 
loides  is  in  the  form  of  the  front  lower  molar.  This  tooth  (fig.  35)  has 
two  reentrant  angles  on  the  outer  side  of  the  anterior 
loop  instead  of  one  as  usual  in  Mierotus.  The  supi)le- 
mental  reentrant  angle,  like  the  grooves  in  the  incisors, 
is  purely  an  individual  character,  which  may  crop  out    ^^^"'  ^^--^^J^iormai 

'■  "^  '  ^  L  front  lower  molar 

in  any  species  of  Mierotus,  with  the  front  lower  molar       of  type  specimen  of 
formed  as  in  M.  arvalis,  and  which  is  absent  in  all  the       'Mdacomys- arvico- 

•  >       I      7  ITT  loides.     (x4.) 

other  thirty  or  more  specimens  ot  ^ Aulaeomys^  that  1 
have  seen.  The  subgenus  Aulaeomys  if  retained  as  distinct  from  Arvi- 
eoJa  must  rest  on  characters  of  enamel  pattern  alone,  since  in  all  other 
peculiarities  it  agrees  perfectly  with  the  latter.  The  difterences  in 
enamel  folds  are  rather  considerable,  since  ^Aulacomys^  has  the  highly 
complicated  pattern  of  true  Mierotus,  while  the  species  of  typical  Arvi- 
cola  have  the  simplest  pattern  of  any  known.  While  it  seems  highly 
inadvisable  to  base  subgeneric  divisions  on  such  characters,  the  deci- 
sion rests  on  purely  individual  judgment. 

In  the  Old  World  numerous  species  and  subspecies  are  probably 
confused  under  the  name  ^Arvieola  amphibius.''  Mierotus  musignani  (De 
Sclys  Longchamps)  and  M.  monticola  (De  Selys  Longchamps)  appear  to 
be  especially  distinct  from  ^1/.  terrestris  (Linn.). 

Snbgeuus  NEOFIBER  True. 

1884.  Xeqfiber  True,  Science,  IV,  p.  34,  July  11,  1884  (full  genus).     Type  Neofiher  alleni 

True. 
1891.  Neofiher  Merriam,  North  American  Fauna,  No.  a,  p.  59,  July,  1891  (snl)geuus). 

Geoyraphical  distribution  of  type  species. — Florida.  "Doubtless  a  com- 
mon animal  in  favorable  localities  throughout  the  State."     (Chapman.) 

'American  Naturalist,  XXVIII,  p.  182,  February.  1894. 
^American  Naturalist,  XXIX,  p.  940,  October,  1895. 


70  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA,  [No.  12. 

Geographical  distrihutioyi  of  suhgenvs. — The  range  of  the  subgenus 
Neofiher  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  tyi)e  and  only  known  species. 
EssentUd  characters  : 

Palate  abnorm:il. 

m  3  with  all  triangles  closed. 

m  1  with  5  closed  triangles  and  9  salient  angles. 

m  3  with  2  closed  triangles  and  (3  salient  angles. 

MamniiTB  4. 

Plantar  tubercles  ;">. 

Sole  naked. 

Claws  on  hind  feet  longest. 

Fur  highly  modified. 

SJx-idl. — The  skull  of  Xeo fiber  is  characterized  by  its  large  size,  great 
dei^th  through  the  frontal  region,  and  conspicuous  development  of 
postorbital  processes.  The  ratio  of  fronto-palatal  depth  to  basilar 
length  is  about  41  in  Xeojiher,  while  in  true  Microtus  it  is  onlj^  about 
35.  As  the  occiput  in  Xeojiher  is  not  correspondingly  high  the  dorsal 
outline  of  the  skull  curves  gently  and  regularly  from  front  to  back, 
with  the  higliest  point  Just  behind  the  orbits.     When  viewed  from 

above  the  skull  of  Neofiber  differs  from  that 
of  Microins  chiefly  in  the  larger  scpiamosals, 
smaller  parietals  and  interparietal,  and  in 
the  sharp-pointed  postorbital  processes. 
The  latter  project  over  the  orbital  cavity 
as  square-cornered  shelves,  which  are  espe- 

FiQ.  S6.— Enamel  pattern  of  molar      cially  UOticeablC  whcil  vicWcd  from  bclOW. 

teeth,  Microtus  (Xeofiber)  aiieni.        Palate.— T\\&  bouy  pahitc  iu  Xcofiber  (PI. 

II,  fig.  9)  differs  widely  from  that  of  MicrotuSy 
and  exactly  resembles  that  of  Fiber  (p.  72). 

Enamel  liattem  in  general. — In  general  the  enamel  pattern  of  Xeo- 
fiber (fig.  36)  is  characterized  by  a  tendency  to  reduction  in  the  number 
of  angles  in  the  variable  teeth  and  to  the  tight  closure  of  all  triangles. 
The  latter  peculiarity  gives  the  teeth  the  greatest  possible  strength. 

Front  lower  molar. — The  first  molar  in  the  lower  jaw  exactly  resem- 
bles the  corresponding  tooth  in  Microtus  except  that  the  anterior  loop 
is  rather  shorter  than  in  the  typical  members  of  that  subgenus.  In 
one  specimen  (jS"o.  23153,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.)  the  anterior  loop  has  two 
indentations  on  the  outer  side,  thus  suggesting  Anaptogonia. 

Back  upper  molar. — The  third  maxillary  tooth  is  like  that  in  the 
subgenera  Fitymijs,  Fedomys,  Fhaiomys,  Chilotus,  and  typical  Arvicolafi 
as  it  has  only  two  closed  triangles  and  six  salient  angles. 

Other  teeth. — The  back  lower  molar  has  all  the  triangles  tightly  closed, 
in  this  respect  differing  from  all  other  subgenera  except  Lagnriis. 
Closed  triangles  are  sometimes  formed  in  the  third  lower  molar  of 
almost  any  of  the  larger  voles,  but  Xeofiber  awd  Lagurns  are  the  only 
groups  in  which  they  are  always  present.  (Outside  the  subgenus 
Lagurns,  most  of  the  known  species  of  which  are  small,  the  tendency  to 


July,  1896.]  GENUS    FIBER.  71 

closure  of  tlie  triangles  in  this  tooth  increases  with  the  size  of  the 
animals  until  in  such  large  species  as  Microtus  alleni  and  the  niembers^ 
of  the  genus  Fiber  they  are  always  tightly  closed.  Microtus  terrestrisj. 
the  only  species  approaching  ^1/.  alleni  in  size,  has  closed  triangles  in 
m  o  very  often,  while  in  one  specimen  the  tooth  is  formed  exactly  as  in 
Xeofiber.  M.  'princiimlis  Rhoads,  another  large  species,  also  rather 
frequently  shows  closed  triangles  in  this  tooth.  The  incisors,  like  those 
of  Fiber,  are  short,  broad,  and  very  strong,  in  this  respect  reaching  the 
opposite  extreme  from  that  attained  by  ^Anlacomy.s.^ 

2famm(c. — Ajiparently  the  number  of  mamm.Te  in  Neojiber  has  never 
been  stated  in  print.  Mr.  Outram  Bangs  writes  me,  however,  that  he 
found  four  inguinal  teats  in  an  adult  female  Microtus  alleni  which  he 
took  in  Brevard  County,  Fla.,  during  February,  1895. 

Feet. — Soles  wholly  naked,  foot  pads  five,  as  in  Arvicola;  claws  on 
hind  feet  longest. 

Fur. — The  fur  is  modified  to  meet  the  requirements  of  an  aquatic  life 
in  the  same  way  and  to  almost  the  same  extent  as  in  the  genus  Fiber. 
The  under  fur  is  exceedingly  thick,  woolly,  and  dense,  while  the  longer 
hairs  are  very  glossy  and  lustrous.  This  condition  is  suggested  in 
Arvicola,  where,  however,  the  moditication  is  not  carried  so  far. 

Miscellaneous  characters. — Whether  Xeofiber  is  i^rovided  with  musk 
glands  like  those  of  the  other  water  rats  is  at  present  uncertain.  Col- 
lectors have  failed  to  notice  them,  but  they  might  easily  escape  detec- 
tion in  the  thick  fur  unless  specially  searched  for.  The  only  alcoholic 
specimen  that  I  have  examined  is  not  iwW  grown.  This  shows  no  trace 
of  the  glands  even  when  the  skin  of  the  sides  is  raised  and  examined 
from  beneath. 

General  remarks. — In  Xeofiber  are  combined  the  mandibular  enamel 
pattern  of  Lagurns  with  the  maxillary  enamel  pattern  and  external 
characters  of  typical  Arvicola,  complicated  by  a  reduction  in  the  num- 
ber of  mammae  as  in  Pedomys  and  Pitymys. 

Genus  FIBER  Cuvicr. 

Fiber  Cnvier  [Tabl.  Ele'm.  de  I'Hist.  Xat.  des  Auiin..  p.  141,  171»8],  Lemons  d'Auat. 
Comp.,  I,  tabl.  I,  1800.     Type  Castor  zihethicus  Liuii. 

Geographic  distribution  of  type  species. — Xorth  America  iu)rtli  of  the 
southern  border  of  the  United  States. 

Geographic  distribution  of  genus. — The  range  of  the  genus  Fiber  is 
essentially  the  same  as  that  given  for  the  type  species. 

Essential  characters  : 

Upper  incisors  witli  antorior  faces  smooth. 
Lower  incisors  with  roots  on  outer  side  of  molars. 
Molars  rooted. 

Enani(d  pattern  characterized  by  approximatf  e(iuality  of  reentrant  angles  on 
outrr  and  inner  sides  of  molars. 
Feet  modified  for  swimming-. 
Tail  flattened  laterally. 


72 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[No.  12. 


Fig.  37.— Skull   of   Fiber  zibethicus 
(natural  size). 


Sl-ull. — The  skull  (fig.  37)  differs  very  slightly  from  that  of  Microtus 

except  that  it  is  cousiderably  larger  than  in  any  known  species  of  the 

latter,  and  has  a  proportionally  longer  ros- 
trum. The  bony  palate  (PI.  II,  fig.  12)  re- 
sembles that  of  the  species  of  Altk-oUi  and 
J^eofiher  in  the  extension  forward  of  the  in- 
terpterygoid  fossa  and  suiipression  of  the 
sloping  part  of  the  median  ridge.  The  pos- 
terior border  is  thus  squarely  cut  off  imme- 
diately behind  the  lateral  bridges.  A  vestige 
of  the  sloping  ridge  usually  persists  in  the 
form  of  a  median  spine  projecting  into  the 
ill  terpterygoid  space.  The  skull  of  Fiber  is 
peculiar  in  the  expansion  of  the  squamosals 
on  the  dorsal  surface  of  the  skull  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  x)arietals.  The  postorbital  proc- 
esses of  the  squamosals  form  prominent 
triangular  projections  closely  resembling 
those  of  Keofiher.  The  interparietal  is 
squarish  in  outline   and  usually  somewhat 

longer  transversely  than  antero-posteriorly. 

Teeth. — The  molars  are  all  rooted  in  the  adults  (fig.  38),  though  the 

roots  on  the  back  lower  tooth  are  usually 

less  w^ell  developed  than  those  on  the 

others.     Otherwise  the  teeth  are  exactly 

as    in  MicrottLS.     The  enamel  pattern 

(fig.  30),  most  closely  resembles  that  of 

Microtus  [Xeofiber)  aUeni,  but  differs  in 

the  larger  anterior  loop  of  the  first  lower 

molar.      This  loop  is  cut  by  two  deep 

reentrant  angles,   which    often   isolate 

two  additional  closed  triangles,  making 

seven  in  all. 
Feet. — The  feet  are  large  and  so  formed 

that  they  can  be  turned  edgewise  when  carried  forward,  thus  producing 

the  least  possible  resistance  to  the  water  Avhile  the  animal  is  swimming. 

This  character  is,  however,  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent, reproduced  in  the  more  aquatic  species 
of  Microtus  and  can  not  be  considered  diag- 
nostic of  Fiber. 

Miscellaneous  characters. — Thetail  is  strong- 
ly compressed  laterally,  making  an  effective 
rudder.  The  peculiar  form  of  the  tail  is 
scarcely  noticeable  in  the  young  even  when 
large  enough  to  leave  the  nest,  but  develops 

rapidly  as  the  animals  increase  in  size. 

The  fur  of  the  species  of  Fiber  is  highly  modified  to  produce  a 


Fig.  38.— Sick'  view  of  molars,  Fiber  zibeth- 
icus.    (X  li.) 


Fig.  39.— Enamel  pattern  of  molar 
teeth,  Fiber  zibethicus.     (x  2^.) 


JvLY,  1896.]  GENUS    BRAMUS.  73 

tliorougiily  waterproof  covering.  The  long  Lairs  are  remarkably  close 
and  glossy,  wliile  the  under  fur  is  very  dense.  In  the  character  of  the 
fur  Fiber  is  approached  by  some  of  the  aijuatic  species  of  Microtus, 
esi>ecially  M.  (Arricola)  terrestris  and  M.  (Xeojiher)  alleni. 

General  remarls. — Fiber  is  very  closely  related  to  Microtu.s,  from 
which  it  is  distinguished  by  its  tlattened,  rudder-like  tail,  and  rooted 
molars. 

In  addition  to  the  well-known  musk  rat,  Fiber  sibethicus,  three  forms, 
whose  interrelationships  are  not  yet  understood,  are  uow  recognized. 
These  are:  Fiber  zibethicns  paUidns  Mearns,  F.  obsciirus  Bangs,  aud 
F.  riralicins  Bangs. 

DESCRIPTIONS    OF   EXTINCT    CtENERA    AND    SUBGENERA, 

Three  extinct  rodents  referred  by  authors  to  the  family  Microtinec 
have  been  made  the  types  of  superspecific  groups.  Two  of  these,  from 
the  Postpliocene  of  Pennsylvania,  are  subgenera  of  TIf /cro/».sf;  the  third, 
from  the  Quaternary  i)hosphorites  of  Trara  de  Nedroma,  near  Ain- 
Mefta,  Tunis,  is  a  genus  of  doubtful  affinities.  As  these  groups  are 
necessarily  based  almost  wholly  on  dental  characters,  it  is  impossible 
to  describe  them  in  tlie  same  manner  as  the  living  genera  and  sub- 
genera. It  is  furthermore  impossible  to  form  a  clear  judgment  of  the 
validity  of  the  groups  in  question  without  examination  of  the  actual 
specimens.  Such  examination  I  have  not  been  able  to  make.  Hence 
the  few  conclusions  here  reached  are  necessarily  incomi»lete  and 
unsatisfactory. 

The  genus  Bramus  Pomel  (Comptes  Rendus,  Paris,  CXIY,  p.  1159, 
1892),  from  the  Quaternary  Phospliorites  of  Tunis  is  represented  by 
one  species,  Bramus  barbarus  Pomel.  Of  this  animal  the  mandible  and 
the  teeth  of  both  jaws  are  known. ^  These  show  characters  which  sug- 
gest the  Casioridce. 

'Les  molaires  montrent  sur  leur  couroiine  la  structure  de  celles  flu  r<ifc  d'eau,  dont 
dies  out  ii  peu  pres  les  diuiensious.  Ou  y  voit  une  double  serie  d'eucoches  et  d'angles 
alteruatifs  qui  oorrespoudeut  lateralemeut  a  des  aretes  saillautes,  5  eu  dedans  et  4  eu 
dehors  a  la  premiere  dent  iuferieure,  3  de  ehaque  cote  aux  deux  suivantes  iuferieures 
et  aux  deux  premieres  sup^rieures  et  2  seulement  avec  arete  post^rieure  a  la  troisieme 
d'en-liaut.  Chez  Arvkola  cette  derniere  est  beaucoup  plus  conipliqu^e,  ayant  trois 
paires  d'aretes  et  un  fort  contrefort  posterieur.  Dans  la  fossile  les  sillons  sout  moins 
profonds,  a  angles  moins  A-ifs,  ainsi  qne  les  aretes,  et  les  lignes  d'email  ne  se  soudeut 
pas  d'un  cote  a  I'autre  de  la  couronne,  ainsi  qu'elles  le  font  chez  Arvicola ;  il  eu  rosulte 
nue  lign.  ni^diane  continue  de  dcntiue  sur  la  couronne,  au  lieu  d'une  s^rie  alternative 
de  petits  triangles  hordes  d'email;  de  sorte  que  la  dent  (V Arvicola  est,  en  realite, 
formee  de  deux  rangces  de  prismes  distiucts,  tandis  que  celle  du  fossile  est  nn  prisme 
unique  fortemcnt  sillonne  sur  les  cotes.  II  y  a  plus  de  ressemblance  avec  certains 
Gerbilles,  qui  out  cepeudant  les  molaires  bien  moins  prismaticjues  et  antrenient 
coustituees. 

Les  molaires  des  Arvicola  ne  sent  jamais  radiculees  sauf  peut-ctre  chez  les  tres 
vieux  sujets.  Dans  notre  fossile,  je  les  ai  trouvees  toujours  radiculees  des  qu'elles 
percent  ralvoole  dentaire;  leur  fut,  quoique  franchement  prismatique,  est  bieu  moins 
allonge.     Ses  deux  racines,  a  la  vdrite,  sout  tres  longtemps  ouvertes  a  leur  extremite, 


74  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

The  iiiolar.s,  which  are  rooted,  do  not  differ  essentially  in  enamel  pat- 
tern from  those  of  living  species  of  2ficrotus,  except  that  the  back 
npper  tooth  is  remarkably  simple  in  structnre,  and  the  reentrant  angles 
in  all  the  teeth  are  so  shallow  that  the  triangles  are  open.  While  the 
front  lower  molar  has  nine  salient  angles,  as  in  tyi^ical  Mkrotus,  the  pos- 
terior maxillary  tooth  has  only  four  and  a  very  small  terminal  looj). 
The  author  remarks  that  the  open  triangles  give  the  teeth  of  Bramns  a 
resemblance  to  those  of  some  of  the  Gerhiilida',  but  this  likeness  must 
be  very  superficial.  The  most  remarkable  character  of  Bramus  is  the 
form  of  the  mandible,  Avhich  is  like  that  of  Castor  and  very  unlike  that 
of  any  of  the  ]\[uri(la'.  It  is  probable  that  Bramus  is  the  tyi3e  of  a  group 
differing  too  widely  from  any  of  the  recent  Mlcrotimv  to  be  united  with 
them  in  one  subfamily. 

The  subgenera.  Imdelta  and  Anaptogonia  were  described  by  Prof. 
E.  D.  Cope  in  1873  (Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc,  XII,  p.  87).  Both  are 
based  on  teeth  from  the  Postpliocene  deposit  in  Port  Kennedy  Cave, 
Pennsylvania.  Anaptogonia  is  very  different  from  any  of  the  living 
subgenera  of  Microtus — so  different  that,  as  Professor  Cope  suggests, 
it  may  be  eventually  recoguized  as  a  distinct  genus.  Isodelia,  on  the 
other  hand,  is  hardly  separable  from  Fitymys,  since  the  characters 
pointed  out  as  diagnostic  of  the  two  groups  are  not  beyond  the  range 
of  variation  among  the  species  of  one  subgenus. 

The  original  description  of  Microtus  hiatidens,  the  type  of  the  sub- 
genus A«fl^^O(/oj(«V/,  is  as  follows: 

Represented  by  several  molar  teeth.  These  are  several  times  as  large  as  the  teeth 
occupying  the  same  position  in  any  of  the  species  alreadj^  mentioned  in  this  essay, 
and  suggest  the  genus  Fiber.  The  distinctive  features  of  the  latter  are  the  com- 
pressed, oar-lilve  tail,  with  rooted  molars,  and  it  is  evident  that  the  relationship  of 
this  species  is  not  to  it.  Perhaps  it  is  neither  an  J r/coZa  (sic.)  l^Microtits']  nor  a 
Fiber,  since  it  diifers  in  the  structure  of  the  teeth  from  the  known  species  of  both. 
None  of  the  triangles  are  isolated,  but  are  connected  by  a  narrow  striii  of  dentine, 
which  is  narrow  posteriorly,  but  widens  anteriorly  until  it  opens  out  into  the  ter- 
minal loop.  Thus  the  sectional  nsmie  Anaplof/onia  maybe  found  ultimately  appli- 
cable to  a  separate  genus.  The  separation  of  the  enamel  folds  merely  carries  to  the 
highest  degree  that  which  is  seen  in  the  anterior  part  of  the  tooth  of  ^.  sigmodus. 

In  the  inferior  m  1  the  triangles,  which  do  not  open  on  one  side  to  the  anterior 
loop,  are  IJ,  then  one  on  each  side,  and  the  short,  wide,  terminal  loop,  which  is 
bilobed  or  emarginate  in  the  middle  of  the  end.  The  ridges,  Avhich  are  very  promi- 
nent and  acute,  are,  therefore,  i ;  at  the  extremity  there  are  two  short  ones,  between 

mais  elles  sont  de  bonne  heure  parfaitement  distinctes  I'uue  de  I'autre.  La  troisifeme 
molaire  iuferieure,  un  peii  plus  arqu^e  que  dans  ArvicoJa,  ne  descend  pas  a  la  face 
interne  de  Tincisive,  nuiis  reste  tout  h  fait  au-dessus,  et  ses  racines  seules  s'insiuueut 
un  peu  lat^rulement  sur  cette  face. 

L'os  maudibulaire  presente  des  diltereuoes  beaucoup  plus  importantes.  Son 
apophyse  angulaire,  restaut  presque  dans  le  plan  general  de  l'os,  ne  fait  en  ai'riere 
qu'uue  l(5gere  saillie  bordaut  la  branche  montante,  (ju'elle  suit  tres  haut  sous  le 
condyle  pour  se  terminer  en  simple  petit  cran.  II  y  a  une  grande  analogie  de  forme 
avec  ce  que  I'on  voit  chez  les  Castors.  Dans  Arvicola,  au  contraire,  I'apophyse 
angulaire  est  basse  et  se  rejette  oblitiuement  en  arriere  en  forme  de  cuilleron  forte- 
ment  crocliu  et  tordu,  rappelant  du  reste,  sauf  cette  torsion  la  disposition  de  cette 
partie  chez  les  autres  Murides. 


July,  isnfi.]  ARVICOLA    INTERMEDIUS    NEWTON.  75 

■which  a  third  and  more  promiuent  oue  rises  a  little  below  the  grinding  snrfaec.  A 
little  more  attrition  would  give  the  distal  loop  a  trilobate  outline,  and  a  little  more, 
an  acuminate  one,  from  the  loss  of  the  lateral  angles;  finally  the  median  ridge 
disappears  also. 

Tbe  subgenus  Isodelta  is  cousidered  by  Professor  Cope  to  show  au 
exaggeration  of  the  characters  of  Pitymy.s.  Tbe  type  and  only  known 
species,  Microtus  .sjyeothen,  is  described  as  follows: 

This  species  is  represented  by  the  entire  dentition  of  the  left  ramus  mandibuli, 
with  a  few  fragments  of  the  adjacent  bone.  As  already  pointed  out,  its  characters 
entitle  "it  to  rank  as  a  listinct  section  of  the  genus.  Thus,  the  triangles  of  the  inner 
side  of  the  anterior  inferior  molar  are  one  less  than  in  any  species  of  the  section 
Anicola  l  =  Mic7-otus'].  The  anterior  loop  presents  two  well-mai-ked  angular  basal 
areas,  while  its  terminal  portion  is  regularly  rounded.  «  *  *  That  this  is  not  one 
of  the  species  of  Plti/miis,  in  which  the  basal  lobe  of  the  anterior  trefoil  has  been  cut 
off  by  unusual  inflexion  of  the  enamel  angle,  is  demonstrated  by  the  structure  of  the 
second  molar,  Avbich  is  precisely  that  of  typical  Arvicola  [==  J/)c/o/hs],  all  the  tri- 
angles from  the  posterior  being  isolated  and  alternating,  producing  the  formula 
1 1  0.  The  third  molar  has  the  usual  formula,  1-1-1,  the  posterior  two  lobes  being 
crescentic,  the  anterior  trapezoid. 

NOTE    ON    ARYICOLA   INTERMEDIUS   NEWTON. 

In  a  paper  entitled  '  Tbe  Vertebrata  of  tbe  Forest  Bed  Series  of 
Norfolk  and  Suftblk' ^  Mr.  E.  T.  Newton  describes  nanierous  remains 
of  a  niicrotiue  rodent  with  well-developed  fangs  on  tbe  molar  teeth  and 
intermediate  in  size  between  Arvicola  amphibius  [  =  Microtus  ferres- 
tris]  and  tbe  smaller  voles.  This  animal,  which  Mr.  Newton  named 
Arvicola  intermcdius,  has  been  recently  referred  to  the  genus  Phena- 
comi/s.-  While  the  species  is  certainly  not  an  Arvicola  [=Microtus],  it 
appears  to  be  equally  far  removed  from  Phenacomys  and  ])robably  from 
Evotomys  and  Fiber  also.     The  teeth  are  described  as  follows: 

I  have  now  before  me  about  40  vole  jaws  from  the  "  Forest  Bed ''  which,  altliough 
dithering  somewhat  in  size,  agree  precisely  in  the  patterns  of  their  teeth.  Only  14 
of  these  allow  the  bases  of  their  teeth  to  be  seen,  but  nine  of  these  have  more  or 
less  distinct  fangs;  the  other  five  have  no  fangs,  but  are  most  probably  immature, 
as  in  other  particulars  they  agree  precisely.  I  have  likewise  some  hundreds  of  iso- 
lated molar  teeth,  and  a  very  large  proportion  of  these  are  fanged.  *  *  *  The 
great  variation  in  the  size  of  these  fanged  teeth  would  lead  one  to  suspect  that  they 
represent  more  than  one  species,  but  there  are  no  sufficient  grounds  for  their  separa- 
tion. *  *  *  The  patterns  of  the  grinding  teeth  are  so  nearlj^  like  those  of  J. 
(unphihins  as  scarcely  to  need  description,  and  it  is  on  the  presence  of  fangs  in  the 
adult  that  the  chief  distinction  between  the  two  species  I'ests;  nevertheless,  there 
are  a  few  points  deserving  of  notice.  In  one  of  the  largest  and  most  perfect  man- 
dibular rami  (figs.  3,  3a)  the  entire  molar  series,  measured  along  the  alveolar  margin, 
180.33  inch  (8.5  mm.).  Mr.  Reeves's  specimen,  from  the  Bramertuu  Crag  (tig.  12),  is  a 
little  larger.  The  first  molar  has  the  five  inner  and  four  outer  angles  alternating, 
but  the  anterior  two  are  not  so  prominent  as  is  usually  the  case  in  A.  ampliihins,  and 
the  front  of  the  tooth  is  somewhat  more  rounded  (fig.  3/^).  In  the  Bramerton  jaw 
this  is  especially  the  case  (fig.  12a).  All  the  anterior  lower  teeth  from  the  "Forest 
Bed"  series  which  I  have  seen  have  the  infoldiugs  of  the  enamel  behind  the  ante- 
rior prism  less  deep  than  in  those  examples  of  A.  anipMhius  which  I  have  been  able 


'Memoirs  of  the  Geological  Survey,  England  and  Wales.     London,  1882. 
=  Nehring,  Naturwissenschaftliche  Wochenschrift,  Xr.  28,  July  15,  1894. 


76  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.  12. 

to  examine;  aud  hence  tlie  dentinal  portion  of  tlie  anterior  prism  is  more  widely 
continent  with  the  second  inner  and  outer  prisms;  it  is,  in  fact,  an  exaggeration  of 
the  form  indicated  hy  Blasins,  tig.  186  (Slingethiere  Deutschlands,  p.  345).  The  second 
molar  has  three  inner  and  three  outer  angles  alternating.  The  third  molar  has  like- 
wise three  inner  and  three  outer  angles,  hut  the  alternation  of  the  prisms  is  so  slight 
that  the  opposing  inner  and  outer  prisms  are  confluent.  ^  *  '^  I  am  not  acquainted 
with  any  specimen  which  shows  the  three  upper  molars  in  place,  hut  Mr.  Savin  has 
two  specimens  which  retain  the  first  and  second  upjier  grinders  (fig.  1),  and  Mr. 
Reid  hag  obtained  several  isolated  specimens  of  last  upper  molars.  The  anterior 
upper  molar  (tig.  la)  has  three  inner  and  three  outer  angles  alternating;  the  second 
tooth  has  three  outer  and  two  inner  angles  alternating.  The  third  upper  molars 
vary  somewhat;  in  some  only  three  inner  and  three  outer  angles  can  he  counted 
(fig.  2a),  while  others  have  three  inner  and  four  outer  angles.  The  widely  confluent 
character  of  the  front  prisms  of  the  lower  anterior  molar  is  repeated  in  these  hinder 
upper  ones.  It  will  he  noticed  that  in  all  Blasius's  figures  of  the  last  upjier  teeth 
(I.e.,  p.  345)  the  anterior  inner  fold  (cement  space)  and  the  two  anterior  outer 
folds  extend  across  the  teeth  and  meet  the  enamel  of  the  opposite  side,  while  in 
one  case  (fig.  190)  the  two  inner  folds  pass  across.  Now,  in  most  of  the  teeth  under 
consideration  it  is  only  the  one  anterior  inner  and  one  anterior  outer  fold  which  pass 
across;  in  some  instances  the  second  outer  fold  passes  farther  inward,  hut  I  do  not 
think  that  in  any  instance  it  touches  the  opposite  side. 

The  teetli  of  '■Arvicola''  intermedius  dift'er  in  nuuierous  characters 
from  tbose  of  Fiber,  Uvotomys,  aud  Phenacomys,  the  only  known  living 

microtines  witb  rooted  molars.  The  small 
size  of  the  remains  and  the  simple  struc- 
ture of  the  first  lower  molar  are  sufficient 
to  indicate  that  the  animal  is  not  closely 
related  to  Fiber,  although  the  chara(;terof 
the  roots  of  the  molars,  as  shown  in  tigs. 

TlG.40.-Enamelpatternofmolarteeth,      5    g    ^^,j(^|  7  ^^f  p|^  XIII,  is  StrOIlgly  SUggeSt- 

Arvicola  intennedius.    From  Newton.  ^    ^         <=< 

ive  of  this  genus.  The  figure  of  the  inner 
side  of  the  lower  jaw  (PI,  XIII,  fig.  3ff)  suggests  that  the  posterior  molar 
is  strongly  displaced  by  the  shaft  of  the  incisor,  as  in  Microtus.  This 
character  alone  would  show  that  the  species  is  neither  an  Evotomys  nor 
a  PhenacomyH  ;  but  the  peculiarities  of  the  enamel  pattern  furnisli  addi- 
tional reasons  for  its  exclusion  from  these  genera.  The  enamel  pattern 
(fig.  40)  is,  as  Mr.  Newton  remarks,  almost  exactly  like  that  of  Mierotns 
terresiris  (see  fig.  34).  It  thus  lacks  the  deep  reentrant  angles  on  the 
inner  side  of  the  lower  molars  characteristic  of  Phenacomy.s,  and  the 
rounded  salient  angles  aud  opposite  triangles  characteristic  of  Fvo- 
tomys.  The  last  lower  molar  in  particular  is  noticeably  different  from 
that  of  either  Evoiomys  or  PJienacomy.s.  '■Arricolu '  intcnuediu.s  is  appar- 
ently still  further  removed  from  Erotomys  by  the  large  size  of  the  teetli 
as  compared  with  the  jaw.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  animal 
represents  a  genus  distinct  from  any  now  living.^  In  the  absence  of 
si)ecimens.  however,  nothing  would  be  gained  by  an  attempt  to  name 
aud  define  the  group. 

'  Whether  the  rooted  microtine  teeth  mentioned  hy  Nehring  (Naturuissenschaftliche 
Wochenschrift,  Nr.  28,  .Tuly  1894)  and  hy  Forsyth  Major  (Atti  80c.  Ital.  Bci.  Nat., 
XV,  p.  389)  belong  to  animals  congeneric  with  Jri-icola  intermedius  is  purely  a  matter 
of  conjecture. 


INDEX 


[Synonyms  in  italics.] 


i  Aijricola.  11,10,21,62. 
i   Alticola,  9,  17.  19,  23,  5l'-54. 
I  Alviccola,  15. 
'  Arnmomys,  15,  58. 
(  Anaptogonia,  17,  74-75. 
1   Antelioniys,  9. 
Arctomys,  13. 
Arvicola,  9, 14. 
Arvicola,  14. 

atiiphibuis,  14. 
intermedins,  75-7t) 
Arvicoiince,  8. 
Avlacomys,  18,  (59. 

Bainl,  classification  adopted,  by,  21-22. 
Blanlord,  classification  adopted  by,  23. 
Blasius,  classification  adopted  by,  21. 
Bony  palate,  26-28. 
BorioUcon,  17,  38. 
Brachyurus,  15. 
Bramus,  18,  73-74. 

barbarus,  73-74. 
Biiclmer,  opinion  on  taxononiic  value  of  enamel 

pattern,  25. 
Camjiicola,  18,  62. 
Castor,  12. 

Chilotus,  9, 16, 19,  22,  60-62. 
Coues,  classification  adopted  by,  22-23. 
Cuniculns,  12. 
Cuniculus,  16,  38. 
De  Selys-Longcliaiiips,  classification  adopted  Tiy, 

19-21. 
Dicrostonyx,  8,  9. 10,  38-40. 

ton^uatus,  9,  40 
Enamel  pattern,  25. 
Eothenomys,  9.  45-47. 
Eremiomyg,  17,  50. 
Evotomys,  8,  9, 17,  22,  28,  42-44. 
californicus,  44. 
fuscodorsalis,  44. 
galei,  44. 
gapperi,  44. 
glareoliis,  44. 
idahoensis,  44. 
occidentalis,  44. 
rufocauu.s,  44. 
rntilus,  9,  44. 
Fatio,  classification  adopted  by,  22. 
Fiber,  8,  9, 14,  71-73. 
obscurus,  73. 
rivalicius,  73. 
zibethicus,  9,71-73. 
Glis,  12. 
Glis,  12, 13. 

Hemiotomys,  16, 19,  20, 22,  62. 
History  of  classifications,  19-24. 


Hyperacrius,  9. 

Hypudceus,  14,  21,  22. 

Interpterygoid  fossa,  27. 

Isodelta,  17,  74-75. 

Keys,  28-32. 

Lagomys,  13. 

Lagurus,  9, 16. 49-51. 

Laiiox>odumys,  18,  24,  57. 

Lataste,  classification  adopted  by,  23-24. 

Lateral  bridges,  27. 

Lateral  grooves,  27. 

Lemuii,  8. 

Lemmings,  8. 

Lenimus,  8,  9, 13,  36-37. 

lenimus,  9.  37. 

nigripes,  37. 

obensis,  37. 

.scliisticolo7-,  37. 
5VIarinota,  13. 

Maxillo-palatine  siituri'.  26. 
Microti,  8. 

Microtina?,  geographic  distribution,  9-10. 
habits,  10-11. 

lists  of  genera  and  subgenera,  9. 
subfamily  and  divisions,  8-9. 
Microtus,  8, 9, 14, 19,  20,  21,  24,  44-71. 

agrestis,  66. 

albicauda,  54. 

alleni,9,  69-71. 

arvalis,  9,  62,  66. 

arvicoloides.  08-69. 

austerus,  9,  55-.56. 

blanfordi.  54. 

blythii,  9,57.58. 

braudti,  58. 

characters  on  which  present  classifica- 
tion of  subgenera  is  based,  24-28. 

chinensis,  9,  47-49. 

chrotorrhinus,  66. 

curtains,  51. 

fertilis,  9,  54-55. 

fuscus,  58. 

(genus),  44-15. 

guentheri,  06. 

hiatidens,  74-75. 

iagurus,  9,  49,  51. 

longicauda,  66. 

Inteus,  49,  51. 

macropus,  69. 

mandarinus,  58. 

melanogaster,  9,  45-47. 

middendortfi,  24,  49. 

mogollonensis,  66. 

monticola,  69. 

77 


78 


INDEX. 


Microtiis  musiguaui,  09. 

nivalis,  GO. 

oregoni,  9,  60-C'J. 

pallidas,  51. 

liaunerriruus,  51. 

peunsylvfinicns,  66. 

(peutamerodont  t>i)ecie.s),  65. 

piueturuni,  9,58,59. 

principalis,  C9. 

przewal-sliii,  51. 

quasiater,  60. 

ratticeps,  66. 

roylii,  54. 

.savii,  60. 

sikkiiuensis,  65,  66. 

speotlien,  75. 

stolifzkanii.s,  9,52,5-1. 

stradiej-i,  54. 

.straucbi,  58. 

(subgenus),  62-66. 

subterraneus,  60. 

terrsenova?,  66. 

terre.stris,  9,  66,  69. 

(tetramerodont  species),  65. 

townsendi,  66. 

wyunei,  55. 

xantliognatlius,  66. 
Micruriis,  17,  58. 
Mictomys,  9, 18,  35-36. 
Misothermus,  16,  38. 
Mu8, 11. 

amphibins,  11. 
terrestris,  11. 
Mijnomes,  15, 19,  20,  21, 23,  62. 
Myocastor,  13. 
Myodes,  15,  20,  24. 
Myolemmus,  16,  38. 
Myotalpa,  8. 
Myotalpiuae,  8. 


iVeodow,  16, 19,23,62,65. 

Neofiber,  9, 17, 19,  69-71. 

Nomenclature,  11-19. 

Ochetomys,  17,  66. 

Ondatra,  13. 

Palatine  bone,  27. 

Paludicola,  17, 19,  21,  23,  62. 

Pedouiys,  9, 16, 19,  22,  55-56. 

Pentamerodout  species  of  Mierotus,  65. 

Pbaiomys,  9, 17,  56-58. 

Pbenacomys,  8,  9, 18,  40-42. 

celatus,  42. 

intermedius,  9,42. 

latimanus,  42. 

longicauda,  10,  42. 

oramontis,  42. 

orojihilus,  42. 

truei,  42. 

ungava,  42. 
I'incmys,  16,  58. 
Pitymys,  9,  15, 19,  22,  24,  58-60. 
Praticola,  17,  22,  62. 
I'aaminomys,  15,  58. 
Siphneince,  8. 
Sijfhneus,  8. 
Sylvicola,  17,  22,  62. 
.Synaptomys,  8,  9, 16,  32-36. 

cooperi,  9,  35. 

dalli,  36. 

fatuus,  35. 

helaletes,  35. 

innuitus,  9. 

(subgenus),  34-36. 

truei,  36. 

wrangeli,  36. 
Terricola,  17,  58,  62. 
Tetramenidon,  18,62. 
Tetramerodont  species  of  JUiCrotus,  65. 
Voles,  8. 


PLATE  I. 

[Enlarged  cmo  aiul  om-half  times.! 

Fig.    1.  Microius  {Arricola)  macropny.     AVood  Rivt-r,  Idaho. 
(No.  31630,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

2.  Microtus  (Pilymys)  jjinetoriiiu.     Wasliiugton,  D.  C. 

(No.  30332,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mns.) 

3.  Microtus  (Microtus)  arralis.     Cepiu,  m^a..  Esszek,  Slavouia. 

(No.  3035,  collectiou  of  Gerrit  8.  Miller,  jr.) 

4.  Evotomys.     Portland,  N.  L)ak. 

(No.  35835,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

5.  Phenacoviys  oramontls  Rlioads.     Mount  Baker  Range,  British  Columbia. 

(No.  3562,  collection  of  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr.) 

6.  Lemmus  nigripes.     St.  George  Island,  Alaska. 

(No.  42680,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

7.  Microtus  (Lagurus)  curtatus.     Reese  River,  Nevada. 

(No.  32498,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

8.  Microtus  (Chilotus)  oregoni.     Sinnas,  British  Columbia. 

(No.  4160,  collection  of  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr.) 

9.  Microtus  (Arricola)  terrestris.     Braunschweig,  Germany. 

(No.  1934,  collection  of  C.  Hart  Merriam.) 

10.  Microtus  (AUicola)  alhicauda.     Type.     Braldu  Valley,  Ballistan. 

(No.  36916,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

11.  Microtus  (Hyperacrius)  fertilis.     Pir  Panjal  Range,  Kashmir. 

(No.  35511,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

12.  Synaptomys  (Miciomys)  wrangeli.     Wrangel,  Alaska. 

(No.  74720,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

13.  Synaptomys  (Synaptomys)  hclaleies.     Dismal  Swamp,  Virginia. 

(No.  75172,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

14.  Dicrostonyx  torquatus.     Petschora,  Russia. 

(No.  3621,  collection  of  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr.) 
80 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  12. 


Plate  I. 


^  5 
|| 

5  5 


C  "  ij 


t-occi 


Q  fc^is^-l 


16933—^0.  12 6 


PLATE  II. 

[Enlarged  two  aud  oue-half  times.] 

Fig.    1.  Bony  palate  of  Phenacoinys.     Salmon  River  Mouuiains,  Idaho. 
(No.  31249,  U.  S.  Nat.Mus.) 

2.  Bony  palate  of  Microius  {Lmjurus)  pallidiin.     Reese  River,  Nevada. 

(No.  32498,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

3.  Bony  palate  of  ^('cro/MS  (/'(7//7H^8)  j>j«e<or((r«.     Washington,  D.  C. 

(No.  30.332,  U.  »S.  Nat.  Mus.) 
t.   l>ony  palate  of  Microius  (Alticula)  hlanfurdi.     Nultar  Valley,  Kashmir. 
(British  Museum  Register,  81.  3. 1.  23.) 

5.  Bony  palate  of  MicnAiis  (Microtus)  arvalis.     Geneva,  Switzerland. 

(British  Museum  Register,  79.  9.  25.  52.) 

6.  Bony  palate  of  Microtus  {Lag urns)  lagurus.     Gurjeff,  Russia. 

(No.  3619,  collection  of  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr.) 

7.  Bony   palate   of  Microtus    (Arvicola)    arvicoloides.     Type.      Lake    Kichelos, 

Washington. 
(No.  1358,  collection  of  S.  N.  Rhoads. ) 

8.  \ionj -pal&te  of  Microtus  {Anteliomys)  chlnensis.     Type.     Western  Sze-chuen, 

China. 

(British  Museum  Register.) 

9.  Bony  palate  of  Microtus  {Xeojiher)  alleiii.     Florida. 

(No.  23452,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

10.  Bonj  iihIaIg  of  Erotomi/s  glarcoJ us.     Ghristiania,  Norway. 

(British  Museum  Register,  84.  10.  31.  11.) 

10.     View  perpendicular  to  plain  of  palate. 

10ft.  View  from  below  and  behind  at  strong  angle  with  jilain  of 
palate. 

11.  Bony  jialate  of  Microtus  {Eothenomijs)  met anog aster.     Western  Fokien,  China. 

(British  Museum  Register,  92. 10. 12.  52.) 

12.  Bony  palate  of  Dicrostonyx  torquatus.     Petschora,  Russia. 

(No.  3621,  collection  of  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr.) 

13.  Bony  palate  of  Fiber.     Lake  George,  New  York. 

(No.  67689,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

14.  Bony  palate  of  Lemmus  lemnius.     Vola.     (From  St.  Petersburg  Museum. ^ 

(No.  3620,  collection  of  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr.) 

14.     View  perpendicular  to  i)laiu  of  palate. 

14a.  View  from  below  and  behind  at  strong  angle  with  plain  of 
palate. 
82 


North  American   Fauna,  No    12. 


Plate  II, 


2-2 
^  p 


P  2 
•S  ? 


Oh -J 


PLATE  III. 

[Enlarged  two  and  two-thirds  times.] 

Fig.  1.  Synaptomys  cooperi.     Roan  Mountain,  North  Carolina. 
(No.  50865,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mas.) 

1.  Left  mandible  from  beneath  ;  bone  cut  away  to  expose  roots  of 

teeth. 
la.  Left  mandible  from  inner  side;  bone  cut  away  to  expose  roots  of 
teeth. 

2.  Pheiiacomys  oramontis  Rhoads.     Mount  Baker,  British  Columbia. 

(No.  3562,  collection  of  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr.) 

2.  Left  mandible  from  beneath ;  bone  cut  away  to  expose  roots  of 

teeth. 
2a.  Left  mandible  from  inner  side;  bone  cut  away  to  expose  roots  of 
teeth. 

3.  Microiii8 pennsylvanicus.  West  Tisbury,  Mass. 

(No.  1885,  collection  of  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr.) 

3.  Left  mandible  from  beneath;  bone  cut  away  to  expose  roots  of 

teeth. 
3a.  Left  mandible  from  inner  side;  bone  cut  away  to  exi)ose  roots  of 
teeth. 

4.  Evotomys  yapperi.     Seekonk,  Mass. 

(No.  193,  collection  of  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr.) 

Left  mandible  showing  effect  of  excessive  wear  on  teeth. 
84 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  12. 


Plate  III. 


^ 


1.  Synajjtomys. 

2.  Phenacamys. 


3.  Micrdtiis. 

4.  Evotomys. 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 
DIVISION  OF  BIOLOGICAL  SURVEY 


NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA 


IN"©.   13 


[Actual  tlate  of  jjublicatioii,  October  16,  1897.] 


.■.^: 


y^ 


REVISION  OF  THE  NORTH  AMERICAN  BATS  OF  THE 
FAMILY  VESPERTILI0N1D.E 

BY 

GERRIT     S.     MILLER,    Jr. 


Prepared  under  the  direction  of 

Dr.    C.    HART    MERRIAM 

CHIEF  OF  DIVISION  OF  BIOLOGICAL  SUllVEY 


washii!^gto:n^ 

G-OVERNMENT    PRINTING    OFFICE 
189  7 


LETTER   OF   TRANSMITTAL. 


U.  IS.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

Division  of  Biological  Survey, 

Washinf/ton,  D.  C,  July  1,  1897. 
Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith,  and  recommend  for  pub- 
lication, the  manuscript  of  No.  13  of  North  American  Fauna,  comprising 
a  monographic  revision  of  the  bats  of  the  family  Vespertilionidfv  inhab- 
itiug  North  America  north  of  Panama,  by  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr.  It  is 
based  mainly  on  material  belonging  to  the  Biological  Survey,  Avhere 
tlie  work  has  been  done. 

The  Department  is  constantly  in  receipt  of  bats  sent  for  identifica- 
iou  and  of  letters  of  inquiry  concerning  these  animals;  but  heretofore, 
owiDg  to  the  chaotic  state  of  the  literature  relating  to  this  group  and 
the  uncertainty  respecting  the  status  of  the  various  species,  it  has  been 
impossible  to  answer  such  inquiries  with  any  degree  of  certainty.  The 
present  paper  is  intended  to  remove  these  difficulties. 
Eespect  fully, 

C.  Hart  Merriam, 

Chief,  Biological  Survey. 
Hon,  James  Wilson, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture. 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Material 7 

Changes  iu  color  of  s])ecimens  preserved  in  alcohol 8 

8exnal  variation 8 

Agt?  variation 8 

fieograpliic  variation 9 

(Geographic  distribution 10 

Migration 10 

Measurements 11 

Illustrations 12 

Nonieuclature  of  North  American  Vespertiliouidie 12 

1.  Generic  and  subgeneric  names 12 

2.  Specific  and  subspecilic  names 20 

Lists  of  North  American  Vespertilionidic 38 

Descriptions 41 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PLATES. 


1.  Ears  of  Myotis  velifer,  il.  californicus,  M.  ynmanensis,  M.  Ilijisanodes,  M.  evotis, 

Xycticeius  humeralis,  Ehogeessa  gracilis,  B,  tumida,  Corynorhinus  viacrotis  town- 
seiidii,  Euderma  maculatum,  Jntrozous  pallidiis. 
Uropatagia  of  Ehogeessa  fjvacilis,  I\.  tumida,  Xycticeius  hnvieralis. 

2.  Uropatagia  of  Ahjotis  californicus.  M.  yumanensis,  21.  evotis,  M.  thysauodes,  M.  relifer. 

3.  Wiugs  of  Plecotus,  Corynorhinus,  Euderma,  aud  Lasiurus. 

TEXT  FIGURES. 

1.  "Wings  of  Vespertilio  serotinus. 

2.  Anterior  part  of  rostrum  of  species  of  Phyllostomatidw  aud  Vespertilionida;. 

3.  ^IvLzzie  of  Antrozous. 

4.  Abnormal  front  teeth  of  Antrozous. 

5.  ^\i\\\\B  of  Antrozous. 

6.  Teeth  of  Antrozous. 

7.  Muzzles  of  riecot us  and  Corynorhinus. 

8.  Skulls  of  two  subspecies  of  Corynorhinus. 

9.  Teeth  of  two  subspecies  of  Corynorhinus. 

10.  Upper  incisors  of  three  specimens  of  Corynorhinus. 

11.  Skulls  of  My  Otis  myotis,  M.  thysanodes,  aud  M.  nigricans  (top). 

12.  Skulls  of  Myotis  myotis,  M.  thysanodes,  and  M.  nigricans  (side)., 

13.  Ear  of  Myotis  snhulatus,  M.  Jccenii,  M.  lucifugus,  and  M.  alascensis. 

14.  Teeth  of  Myotis  yumanensis,  M.  lucifugus,  M.  lucifugus  longicrus,  M.  relifer, 

15.  Teeth  of  Myotis  californicus,  M.  subulatus,  M.  evotis,  M.  thysanodes. 

16.  Maxillary  teetli  of  four  specimens  of  Myotis  thysanodes. 

17.  Abnormal  premolar  of  Myotis  thysanodes. 

18.  iiknW  of  Lasionycteris  noctivagans. 

19.  Teeth  of  Lasionycteris  noctiragans. 

20.  Ear  of  Pipistrellus  suhfavus  aud  P.  hesperus. 

21.  Skull  of  Pipistrellus  hesperus  and  P.  subflacus  (top). 

22.  Skull  of  Pi2ns1r  ell  us  hesperus  and  P.  siihflarus  (side). 

23.  Tee1h  of  Pipistrellus  hes2)erus  and  P.  suhfiarus. 

24.  Skull  of  Vespertilio  hahamensis,  V.  fuscus,  aud  V.  serotinus  (top). 

25.  Skull  of  Vespertilio  hahamensis,  V.  fuscus,  and  V.  serotinus  (side). 

26.  Teeth  of  Vespertilio  serotinus,  aud  four  subspecies  of  V.  fuscus. 

27.  Ear  of  Lasiurus  horealis  aud  L.  teliotis. 

28.  Skull  of  Lasiurus  horealis  and  L.  teliotis  (top). 

29.  Skull  of  Lasiurus  teliotis  and  L.  horealis  (side). 

30.  Teeth  of  Lasiurus  teliotis  and  L.  borealls. 

31.  Skull  of  L^aslurus  cinereus. 

32.  Teeth  of  Lasiurus  cinereus. 

33.  Skull  of  Dasypterus  intermedins. 

34.  Teeth  of  Dasypterus  intermedlus. 

35.  Skull  of  Xycticeius  humeralis. 

36.  Teeth  of  Xycticeius  humeralis. 

37.  Incisors  of  Ehogeessa  aud  Xycticeius  (front"). 

38.  Incisors  of  Ehogeessa  aud  Xycticeius  (crowns). 

39.  Skull  of  ii'/(o_^e('8s«  tumida. 

40.  Teeth  of  Ehogeessa  tumida  and  E.  gracilis. 

6 


No.  13.         NOETH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  October,  1897. 


REVISION  OF  THE  xNORTH  AMERICAN  BATS  OF  THE  FAMILY 

VESPERTILIONID.E. 

By  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  Jr. 

Writers  on  American  bats  have  published  a  large  mass  of  facts  con- 
ceruiug  the  distribution  and  comparative  anatomy  of  members  of  the 
family  Vesperfilionida'.  Unfortunately,  however,  no  work  has  yet 
appeared  in  which  the  numerous  species  by  which  this  group  is  now 
known  to  be  represented  in  North  America^  are  treated  from  the  stand- 
point of  the  systematic  zoologist.  In  other  words  it  has  hitherto  been 
impossible  for  anyone  not  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  extensive 
and  scattered  literature  of  North  American  bats  to  identify  specimens 
correctly.  The  present  paper  has  been  prepared  with  special  reference 
to  the  loug-felt  want  of  a  ready  means  to  accomplish  this  object. 

MATERIAL. 

The  greater  part  of  the  material  on  which  this  revision  is  based  is 
contained  in  the  collection  of  the  Biological  Survey  of  the  IT.  S.  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture.  This  collection  of  bats,  which  consists  of  more 
than  0,000  specimens,  chiefly  in  alcohol,  has  been  brought  together  dur- 
ing the  past  few  years  by  the  held  naturalists  of  the  Survey.  In  addition, 
the  writer  has  examined  the  bats  in  the  United  States  National  Museum, 
the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  and  several  private  collec- 
tions, making  a  total  of  about  2,700  specimens  of  North  American 
Vesp(rtilio)tlda'.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  so  few  South  American  bats 
are  contained  in  the  museums  of  the  United  States  that  no  definite  con- 
clusions can  be  reached  concerning  the  relationships  of  several  Mexican 
Species  to  the  forms  occurring  farther  south.  For  this  reason  certain 
questions  of  nomenclature  must  for  the  present  remain  in  a  condition 
of  uncertainty.  It  is  also  to  be  regretted  that  comparatively  fi^w  well- 
prepared  skins  are  available  for  comparison.  Without  good  series  of 
dry  specimens  it  is  impossible  to  determine  the  limits  of  individual 
variation  in  color,  as  conclusions  of  the  most  general  kind  only  can  be 
based  on  specimens  that  have  been  subjected  to  the  action  of  alcohol. 
Series  of  bat  skins  as  extensive  as  those  by  which  most  groups  of  small 
North  American  mammals  are  now  represented  will  doubtless  i)rove 


'In  the  present  paper  the  term  North  America  is  used  to  indicate  the  whole  of  the 
North  American  continent  and  the  West  Indies. 


8  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 

the  existence  of  several  well-marked  geograpliic  races  in  addition  to 
those  now  recognizable. 

In  tlie  lists  of  specimens  examined  it  lias  not  been  thought  necessary 
to  distinguish  between  those  contained  in  the  IS^ational  Museum  proper 
and  those  in  the  collection  of  the  Biological  Survey.  Specimens  from 
other  collections,  however,  are  always  specially  designated. 

CHANGES   IN   COLOR   OF   SPECIMENS  PRESERVED   IN    ALCOHOL. 

Bats  which  have  been  kept  in  alcohol  for  a  i)eriod  of  more  than  a 
few  mouths  become  so  altered  in  color  that  they  furnish  reliable  char- 
acters of  size  and  form  only.  The  rate  and  amount  of  change  appear 
to  vary  with  different  species  as  well  as  with  the  strength  of  the  jire- 
servative  fluid  and  the  amount  of  exposure  to  light.  1  have  seen  two 
lots  of  specimens  of  one  species  collected  at  the  same  place  and  on 
practically  the  same  date  and  su[)posedly  treated  in  the  same  way,  yet 
after  six  years'  immersion  in  alcohol  those  in  one  bottle  still  retained 
essentially  their  normal  color,  as  proved  by  comparison  with  skins  col- 
lected at  the  sanie  time,  while  those  in  another  bottle  were  so  bleached 
as  to  show  scarcely  a  semblance  of  their  original  appearance. 

While  the  details  of  the  changes  produced  by  alcohol  are  not  known, 
it  may  be  said  that  a  gradual  bleaching  and  ultimate  entire  loss  of 
color  is  the  general  rule,  though  as  a  preliminary  step  browns  are  often 
very  noticeably  reddened.  The  subject  is  one  that  merits  exj^erimental 
study. 

SEXUAL    VARIATION. 

The  range  of  sexual  variation  in  North  American  Vesjiertilionida'  is 
always  slight  and  in  many  cases  scarcely  api)reciable.  For  tlie  most 
part  it  consists  in  the  slightly  greater  a\'erage  size  of  the  females. 
Even  this  is  often  trifling  or  absent,  as  in  the  case  ot  Myotis  hicifiifjus 
longicnts  from  Nicasio,  Cal.,  six  males  of  which  average:  Total  length, 
Ito.l;  tail  vertebrie,  45.8 ;  forearm,  37.8;  ear,  11.8;  tragus,  7.3;  while  six 
females  from  the  same  locality  average:  Total  length,  9G.3;  tail  ver- 
tebra:', 44.1 ;  forearm,  37.3;  ear,  12.1;  tragus,  7.2.  In  general,  however, 
it  is  necessary  to  take  this  factor  into  consideration  when  comparing 
specimens  from  widely  se])arated  localities,  I  know  of  no  instances 
of  constant  sexual  differences  in  color  among  North  American  Vesper- 
tiIionid(v,  and  only  one  of  differences  in  cutaneous  structures,  that  of 
L'hofjeissa  gracilis^  in  which  the  only  known  male  has  in  each  ear  a 
distinct  glandular  swelling,  absent  in  the  two  females  that  I  have 
examined  (see  PI.  I,  fig.  7). 

AGE   VARIATION. 

Young  bats  when  nearly  full  grown  often  present  characters  different 
enough  from  those  of  the  adults  to  cause  confusion  in  identification. 
The  fur  of  such  immature  specimens  is  usually  shorter  and  more  woolly 


GEOGRAPHIC    VARIATION. 


than  that  of  the  adults  and  the  color  darker  and  duller.  The  immature 
skull  ditters  in  size  and  form  from  that  of  the  adult,  but  as  the  sutures 
disappear  at  an  early  age,  it  is  often  somewhat  ditticult  to  recognize. 

I  have  found  that  the  best  guide  to  the  age  of  those  bats  that  I  have 
studied  is  the  condition  of  the  linger  joints.  In  specimens  young 
enough  to  furnish  unreliable  characters  these  are  always  large  and 
looselj'  formed,  with  epiphyses  sei^arate  from  the  ends  of  the  j)halanges 
and  metacarpals,  both  of  which  are  distinctly  enlarged  for  some  dis- 
tance from  the  joint  (tig.  I  a).  In  adults  the  tinger  joints  are  small  and 
compact,  the  epiphy- 
ses no  longer  visible, 
and  the  ])halanges  of 
essentially  the  same 
diameter  throughout 
(tig.  1  h).  These  dif- 
ferences are  equally 
a))parent  in  alcoholic 
specimens  and  in 
dried  skins. 

GEOGRAPHIC   VARIA- 
TION. 

As  comi)ared  with 
other  small  mammals, 
bats  show  remarka- 
bly little  geogra])hic 
variation  in  size,  pro- 
portion s,  or  color. 
Thus  bleeding  indi- 
viduals of  Xycticeius 
humeral  is  from  Car- 
lisle, Pa.,  Dismal 
Swamp,  Virginia,  and 
the  extreme  southern 
point  of  Texas  are 
alike  in  color,'  while 
in  size  they  agree  almost  as  closely  as  any  three  lots  of  specimens 
from  one  locality.'-  The  onl}-  difference  that  can  be  found  is  a  slight 
northward  increase  in  size  of  the  ears.  Specimens  of  Myotis  Uici- 
fufiihs  from  Washington,  D.  C,  are  not  distinguishable  from  a  series 
taken  on  Kadiak  Island,  Alaska,  and  skins  of  Lasiurus  clnereus  from 
Minnesota  are  exactly  like  others  from  southern  California.  While 
such  constancy  of  characters  in  wide  ranging  species  is  unparalleled 
among  American  mammals,  the  only  ones  of  which  it  is  yet  possible  to 

1  So  far  as  cau  be  ascertained  from  comparison  of  specimens  in  alcohol. 
^See  table  of  measurements  on  page  120. 


Fig.  1. — W)u<rs  of  Vespertilio  serotinus:  a,  adult ;  h.  immature  (natural 
size). 


10  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

speak  with  certaiuty,  the  explanation  of  the  fact  is  probably  very  sim- 
ple. Living  throughout  the  warmer  part  of  the  day  in  cool,  dark,  ami 
for  the  most  part  damp  situations,  bats,  even  in  widely  separated  locali- 
ties, are  exposed  to  comparatively  little  variation  in  temperature. 
Feeding  at  a  distance  above  the  surface  of  the  ground  and  during  the 
hours  between  sunset  and  sunrise,  when  colors  are  scarcely  distin- 
guishable, they  are  jiractically  freed  from  that  necessity  for  protective 
coloratioii  which  binds  the  color  of  most  mammals  so  closely  to  that  of 
their  surroundings.  From  this  reduction  in  the  force  of  two  of  the 
most  powerful  factors  in  the  production  of  geographic  variation — dif- 
ferences in  temperature  and  need  for  protective  coloration — the  com- 
parative constancy  in  the  characters  of  bats  naturally  results. 

GEOGRAPHIC    DISTRIBUTION. 

From  the  peculiar  habits  of  bats  it  results  that  the  ranges  of  these 
animals  are  less  closely  limited  by  life  areas  than  in  the  case  of  most 
mammals.  To  be  more  accurate,  the  frequent  dampness  and  usual  low, 
even  temperature  of  the  retreats  occupied  by  bats  during  the  hot 
part  of  the  day  expose  the  animals  to  essentially  similar  conditions 
wherever  they  may  be,  so  that  a  given  region  of  like  environment  is 
much  more  extended  geographically  for  a  bat  than  for  most  other 
mammals.^ 

Therefore,  although  many  species  seemingly  disregard  the  laws  of 
geographic  distribution,  their  independence  is  more  apparent  than  real. 

MIGRATION. 

A  factor  which  introduces  much  uncertainty  into  the  study  of  the 
distribution  of  bats  is  the  little  understood  migrations  which  some 
species  are  known  to  make.  That  many  bats  migrate  is  a  well-estab- 
lished fact,  but  the  extent  to  which  migration  aff'ects  the  apparent  dis- 
tribution of  species  is  not  known. 

Although  there  are  probably  earlier  references  to  the  subject,  the 
first  mention  of  bat  migration  that  I  have  seen  is  by  Dobson,  in  bis 
Catalogue  of  the  Chiroptera  in  the  British  Museum,  published  in  1878. 
In  his  remarks  on  the  geographic  distribution  of  Pipistrellus  abramuSj 
Dobson  says:  "Found  during  the  summer  months  in  the  Pahearctic 
region  throughout  middle  Europe;  *  *  *  evidently  migrates  north- 
ward, *  *  *  asithasnever  been  taken  in  Europe  in  winter"  (p.  227). 
In  1888  Dr.  C.  Hart  Merriam  published  evidence  in  the  Transactions  of 
Idae  Eoyal  Society  of  Canada  (V,  Section  V,  p.  85),  which  showed  con- 
clusively that  two  American  bats,  Lasiom/ctcri.s  noctivagans  and  Lasi- 
urus  cinereus^  perform  regular  periodical  migrations.     Xo  details  of  the 

'Analogous  condiMons  are  found  in  sphagnum  bogs  and  heavy,  damp  woodlands, 
in  which  animals  of  northern  affinities,  such  as  shrews,  lemmings,  and  red-backed 
mice,  extend  far  south  of  the  normal  limit  of  their  kind. 


MEASUREMENTS.  11 

extent  or  exact  dates  of  tbe  northward  aud  southward  movements 
could  then  be  giveu  further  than  that  the  known  southern  records  of  the 
hoary  bat  (Soutli  Carolina,  Georgia,  Bermuda  Islands)  were  all  during 
autumn  and  winter,  and  that  the  silver-haired  bat  occurred  in  spring 
aud  fall  about  the  lighthouse  on  Mount  Desert  Eock,  30  miles  oft'  the 
coast  of  Maine,  a  treeless  islet  where  bats  were  at  other  times  unknown. 
In  August  and  September,  1890  and  1891,  I  liad  an  opportunity  to 
watch  the  appearance  and  disappearance  of  three  species  of  bats,  Lasi- 
onycteris  noctivagans,  Lasiurus  hoi-ealis,  and  LaHiurus  cinereus^at  High- 
land Light,  Cape  Cod,  Massachusetts.  The  animals,  which  were  not  to 
be  found  during  tlie  early  summer,  suddenly  became  numerous  shortly 
after  the  middle  of  August  aud  remained  abundant  for  about  a  month, 
when  they  as  suddenly  disappeared.  The  regularity  with  which  this 
phenomenon  occurred  on  the  two  successive  years  over  which  my  obser- 
vations extended  shows  that  the  migration  of  bats  is  probably  as  defi- 
nite as  to  dates  aud  paths  as  that  of  birds.  ^ 

MEASUREMENTS. 

For  general  purposes  of  identification,  ten  measurements  are  useful. 
Theseare :  Total  length,  tail  vertebni^,  tibia,  foot,  forearm,  thumb,  longest 
finger,  height  of  ear  from  meatus,  width  of  ear,  and  height  of  tragus. 
The  lengths  of  the  separate  phalanges  of  the  fingers  are  important  in 
special  cases  only. 

The  tables  which  accompany  the  descriptions  of  the  different  forms 
contain  average  measurements  of  specimens  selected  from  as  wide  a 
range  of  localities  as  possible.  Whenever  the  full  complement  of  meas- 
urements is  given,  it  is  to  be  understood  that  all  have  been  taken  from 
alcoholic  specimens  by  the  writer.  When  the  total  length,  lengtli  of 
tail,  and  the  three  measurements  of  the  ear  are  omitted,  the  measure- 
ments have  been  taken  from  the  dried  skin.  In  a  few  cases  the  skin 
measurements  are  supplemented  by  the  collector's  measurement  of  total 
length  and  tail  veitebra\  The  use  of  specimens  preserved  in  alcohol 
introduces  a  source  of  error  in  two  measurements — total  length  and 
length  of  tail.  According  to  the  strength  of  the  preservative  fluid,  both 
body  and  tail  are  to  a  varying  degree  shrunk  or  relaxed,  so  that  consid- 
erable discrepancies  in  the  averages  of  specimens  taken  at  different 
localities  by  different  collectors  may  result.  In  general,  it  is  probable 
that  these  two  measurements  as  given  in  the  tables  are  a  trifle  shorter 
than  they  would  have  been  if  taken  from  fresh  material. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  detailed  measurements  of  individuals  can  not 
be  published,  since  averages  are  of  use  for  comparison  with  averages 
only,  and  it  often  happens  that  a  single  specimen  must  be  identified. 
Averages,  moreover,  give  no  indication  of  the  normal  range  of  indi- 
vidual variation  at  a  particular  locality. 


'A  detailed  accouut  of  the  migration  of  bats  on  Cape  Cod  was  iiublislied  in  Science, 
N,  S.,  V,  No.  118,  pp.  541-543,  April  2,  1897. 


12  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Tlie  illustrations  in  this  paper  are  reproductions  of  pen-and-ink 
drawings  made  under  iny  constant  supervision  bj''  Mr.  Frank  Miiller. 
Special  difficulty  lias  been  encountered  in  obtaining  satisfactory  repre- 
sentations of  the  external  ear  and  of  the  crowns  of  the  teeth. 

The  ears  of  alcoholic  specimens  are  generally  sufficiently  altered  in 
form,  by  pressure  and  by  the  action  of  the  preservative  tluid,  to 
retain  only  approximately  the  appearance  which  they  had  in  the  living 
animal.  This  is  especially  the  case  with  such  large-eared  species  as 
AnirozouH  imlUdns,  Corynorhinus  viacrotis,  Myotis  erotis,  and  others. 
In  the  impossibility  of  reproducing  their  original  appearance,  it  has 
been  thought  best  to  represent  the  ears  in  a  uniform  but  somewhat 
unnatural  i)osition,  with  the  conch  flattened  and  the  external  basal 
lobe  tui-ued  outward.  This  will  account  for  the  apparently  undue 
width  of  certain  drawings. 

The  crown  views  of  the  teeth  were  first  sketched  with  the  aid  of  a 
camera  lucida  and  afterwards  corrected  and  finished  by  the  use  of  hand 
lenses.  The  great  difficulty  in  obtaining  accurate  and  uniform  results 
arose  from  the  impossibility  of  kee])ing  specimens  in  exactly  com- 
parable positions  and  from  the  considerable  changes  in  outline  result- 
ing from  every  slight  variation  in  the  angle  of  vision.  Therefore  the 
drawings  are  not  wholly  satisfactory.  They  are  published,  however, 
in  the  belief  that,  such  as  they  are,  they  nmy  help  to  an  understanding 
of  the  characters  of  the  species. 

NOMENCLATURE    OF    NORTH    AMERICAN   YESPERTILIONIDyE. 

To  arrive  at  final  conclusions  in  regard  to  the  nomenclature  of  the 
VesjiertUionuJw  of  North  America,  it  will  be  necessary  to  consider  in 
detail  all  names  that  have  been  based  on  those  members  of  the  groui) 
that  inhabit  the  region  in  question,  and  also  a  few  based  on  allied  Old 
World  species.     The  names  may  best  be  taken  up  alphabetically. 

1.  Generic  aud  Subgeneric  Names. 

Adelonycteris  H.  Allen,  1892  ( Proc.  Acad.  Js^at.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1891,  p.  4G6, 
Jan.  19, 1892),  was  proposed  as  a  substitute  for  Vesjferus  Keys.  &  Bias., 
preoccupied  in  Entomology  by  Vesperus  Latreille,  1829.  The  name  is, 
however,  a  synonym  of  YespertiUo  Linmeus,  1758,  Eptesicus  Eatinesque, 
1829,  and  also  of  Cneph(vus  Kaup,  1829. 

Aeorestes  Fitzinger,  1870  (Sitzungsber.  Math.-Xat.  CI.  K.  Akad.Wiss., 
Wien,  LXII,  Abth.,  I,  i)p.  427-430),  is  a  synonym  of  Myotis  Kaup,  1829. 
The  group  included  three  South  American  species,  Myotis  viUosissimus, 
M.  nif/ricans,  and  M.  albescens. 

Antrozous  H.Allen,  1862  (Proc.  Acad.  Xat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  248),  is  the 
only  generic  name  based  on  Vespertilio  paUidus  Le  Conte. 


NOMENCLATURE.  13 

Atalapha  Eafinesque,  1814  (Precis  des  Decouv.  et  Travaux  Somio- 
lofticiues,  p.  12),  is  clearly  based  ou  a  Sicilian  bat.'  The  use  of  the 
name  for  a  geuus  coufiiied  to  America  is  therefore  impossible. 

Brachyotus  Kolenati,  1856  (Allgem.  Deutsch.  Naturhist.  Zeitg.,  Dres- 
den, Xene  Folge,  II,  pp.  l.'U,  174-177),  is  a  subgeiieric  name  based  on 
three  European  species  of  '  Vespertilio''  {my.stacinus,  dauhentonii,  and 
dasycneme)  with  ears  shorter  than  head. 

Cateorus  Kolenati,  1856  (Allgem.  Dentsch.  jSTaturhist.  Zeitg.,  Dresden, 
Xeue  Folge,  II,  pp.  131, 102-103),  a  subgeneric  name  based  ou  '■Yefiperus' 
serotinus,  is  a  synonym  of  Vespertilio  Linufeus. 

Cnephaeus  Kaup,  1829  (Skizzirte  Entw.-Gesch.  u.  Natiirl.  Syst.  d. 
Europ.  Thierw..  Ister  Theil,  p.  103),  is  a  generic  name  based  on  Yesper- 
tilio  serotinus  Schreber,  a  species  congeneric  with  Ves2)ertilio  fuscus  of 
America.     The  name  is  a  synonym  of  Vespertilio. 

Cnephaiophilus  Fitzinger,  1870  (Sitzungsber.  K.  Akad.  Wiss.,  Wien, 
LXII,  Abth.  I,  p.  81),  is  a  genus  composed  of  very  heterogeneous  ele- 
ments among  which  no  type  is  mentioned.  The  species  referred  to  it 
are  macellus  ('Borneo'),  peUucidus  ('S.  E.  Asia,  Philippines'),  ferriigi- 
?^e^^s•('Mittel  Amerika,  Surinam'),  and  the  North  American  noctivaf/ans. 
Whether  or  not  the  name  may  be  available  for  some  of  the  other  spe- 
cies, it  certainly  is  not  for  the  one  which  comes  within  the  limits  of  the 
present  paper,  since  this  was  already  provided  with  the  generic  name 
Lasioni/eteris. 

Comastes  Fitzinger,  1870  (Sitzungsber.  Math.-Xat.  CI.  K.  Akad. 
Wiss.,  Wien,  LXII,  Abth.  I,  p.  5Go),  is  a  synonym  of  Myotis  Kaup, 
unless  it  may  eventually  be  shown  that  the  sijecies  on  which  it  was 
based,  capaccinii,  megapodius,  dasycneme  and  limnopMlus,  are  subgeu- 
erically  distinct  from  Myotis  myotis. 

Corynorhinus  II.  Allen,  1865  (Proc.  Acad.  Xat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  173), 
proposed  as  a  generic  name  for  Flecotus  maerotis  Le  Coute  and  F. 
toirnsendi  Cooper,  is  the  only  available  name  for  the  group  of  which 
CorynorJiinus  maerotis  is  the  only  known  species. 

Dasypterus  Peters,  1871  (Monatsber.  K.  Akad.  Wiss.,  Berlin,  1870,  p. 
912,  published  187J ),  was  established  as  a  subgenus  of  Atalapha  {  =  Lasi- 
tirns)  to  contain  the  species  intermedia,  eyregia,  ega,  and  caudata.  It 
has  recently  been  raised  to  full  generic  rank  by  Dr.  Harrison  Allen. 

Eptesicus  Eafinesque,  1820  (Annals  of  Nature,  p.  2),  originally  cou- 

'II.  G.  ATALAPHA  (Chanve-sonris).  Incisivesnullesaux  deux  nii'ichoires,  canines 
et  uiachelieres  aigues:  aucuue  crete  sur  le  nez.  queue  lU'esqu'entierement  unie  aux 
membranes. 

2.  Atalaplia  sicitla. — Oreilles  de  la  longueur  de  la  tete,  et  auriculoes,  une  verrne 
sous  la  ir-vre  inferieure;  corps  roux  brnnutre  en  dessus,  roux  cendro  en  dessous,  ailes 
et  museau  noiratre,  queue  saillaute  par  une  pointe  obtuse. — Obs.  J'ai  observo  cette 
espece  en  Sicile,  elle  ditt'cre  de  V Atalapha  ameruona  (Vexprrtilio  tiorehoracenxis  Lin.), 
autre  espece  du  menie  genre,  par  ees  deux  premiers  et  son  dernier  caractere. 


14  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

taiued  two  species,  E.  melanopn  aud  E.  mydas.^  Eptesimis  melanops  is 
without  doubt  the  Yespertilio  fuscus  of  Beauvois.  E.  mydas,  however, 
cau  not  be  identified  (seep.  32).  The  first  species  must  therefore  be 
taken  as  the  tyi)e.  Since  this  species  is  congeneric  with  Vespertilio 
murinus  Linna'us  {=Vesperiigo  discolor  batterer),  the  type  of  the  genus 
Vespertilio,  the  name  Eptesicns  is  a  synonym  of  Vespertilio. 

Euderma  IT.  Allen,  1892  (Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  1891,  p.  467, 
published  Jan.  10,  1892),  is  the  tenable  name  for  the  genus  of  which 
Eistiotns  maculatus  J.  A.  Allen  is  the  type  and  only  known  species. 

Histiotus  Gervais,  1855  (Exped.  Comte  de  Castelnau  Am.du  Sud,  Zool., 
Mamniif.,  p.  77,  PI.  XII),  was  based  on  the  South  American  Plecotus 
velatus  of  Geofifroy.  Euderma  maculatnm  was  originally  described  as  a 
member  of  this  genus,  the  name  of  which  has  not  otherwise  appeared 
in  the  literature  of  North  American  Vespertilionida\ 

Hypexodon  Eatiuesque,  1819  (Journal  de  Physique,  de  Chlmie,  d'His- 
toire  naturelle  et  des  Arts,  LXXXVIII,  p.  417),  can  not  be  identified 
with  any  known  group  of  bats.  The  characters  which  Rafinesque 
assigns  to  the  type  species^  may  be  those  of  a  mutilated  aud  distorted 
specimen  of  someof  the  small  species  of  Xycticeius,  Pipistrellvs,  ovMyotis. 

Hypsugo  Kolenati,  1856  (Allgem.  Deutsch.  Xaturhist.  Zeitg.,  Dres- 
den, Xeue  Folge,  II,  pp.  131,  167-l(i9),  is  a  synonym  of  Pipistrellus 
Kaup.  It  was  based  on  '  Vesperugo''  maurvs  Blasius  aud  '  V. '  Tcrascheni- 
nil'oivii  Eversmann. 

Isotus  Kolenati,  1856  (Allgem.  Deutsch.  Naturhist.  Zeitg.,  Dresden, 
Xeue  Folge,  II,  pp.  131, 177-179),  is  a  subgeneric  name  based  on  two 
European  species  of  '  Vespertilio  '  {nattercri  and  eiliatus)  which  have  the 
ear  about  equal  in  length  to  the  head.  It  is  of  course  a  synonym  of 
Myotis  Kauj),  1829,  and  of  Selysius  Bonaparte,  1841. 

Lasionycteris  Peters,  1865  (Monatsber.  K.  Preuss.  Akad.Wiss.,  Berlin, 
1865,  p.  648),  is  the  first  name  proposed  for  the  genus  of  which  Vesper- 
tilio noctivagnns  Le  Conte  is  the  only  known  species. 

Lasiurus  Gray,  1831  (Zoological  Miscellany,  Xo.  1,  p.  38),  is  the  first 


'The  original  diagnosis  of  the  genus  Eptesicns  is  as  follows: 

"  I.  N.  G.  EPTESICUS.  Four  acute  foie-teeth  to  the  upper  jaw,  in  two  equal  ])air8, 
separated  by  a  great  interval  and  a  large  flat  wart,  each  pair  has  two  unequal 
teeth,  the  outside  tooth  is  much  larger  and  unequally  bifid,  the  outside  one  much 
larger,  inside  tooth  small  and  entire.  Six  fore-teeth  to  the  lower  jaw,  equal  very 
small,  close  and  truncate.  Canine  teeth  very  sharp,  curved  and  long.  Grinders 
unequally  trifid.  Snout  plain,  nose  without  appendages.  Ears  sei>arated,  auricu- 
lated.  Tail  mncronate. — This  genus  apjiears  to  differ  from  all  those  of  Geoffroy  and 
Cuvier,  among  the  extensive  tribe  of  Bats.     The  name  means  house-flyer." 

-1.  Nouveau  genre.  HYPEXODON.  (Chauvc-sourits.)  Museau  nu  ;  narines  rondes, 
saillantes;  incisives  snporienres  nulles,  6  inferieures  omarginoes,  uue  verrue  ala  base 
extdrieure  des  canines  inferieures.  Queue  eugagee  dans  la  membrane.  Le  reste 
comme  le  genre  VesperlU'io. — I  espece  H.  iiu/stax,  entiJ'rement  fauve,  dessus  de  la  tcte 
brun,  ailes  et  membranes  nolres,  queue  mucrouee,  des  moustaches,  oreilles  brunes 
auriculecs,  nervures  inferieures  et  transversales;  longueur  totale,  3  pouces,  dont  la 
queue  2  pouces.     En  Kentucky. 


NOMENCLATURE.  15 

name  based  on  the  bats  of  the  American  genus  commonly  but  wrongly 
called  Atalapha.  It  was  introduced  as  follows :  "  The  bats,  the  Vesper- 
tilionc.s  of  Geoffroy,  might  for  convenience  be  divided  into  three  genera, 
the  true  bats,  VesperUUo  *  *  *,  the  Facliyotus  *  *  *,  and  the 
hairy  tailed  species  of  America  (Za-s'/ ;n- its)."  As  the  only  hairy-tailed 
American  bats  known  in  1838  were  members  of  the  modern  genus 
Lasiurus,  this  brief  statement  may  be  taken  as  a  definite  indication  of 
the  author's  meaning.  In  1838  Gray  referred  the  species  pruinosus 
{=cinen'U.s),  lashiriis  (=  borealis),  and  hlos-sevillei  (=  horealis,Jif1e'Dobsou) 
to  the  group,  which  he  then  regarded  as  a  subgenus  or  section  of 
ScotophiluH  (Mag.  Zool.  &  Bot.,  II,  p.  4!)8,  Edinburgh,  1838). 

Marsipolaemus  Peters,  1872  (Monatsber.  k.  Preuss.  Akad.  Wiss.,  Berlin, 
p.  200),  was  proposed  in  a  subgeneric  sense  for  a  Mexican  bat,  Vesperns 
aJhigularis  Peters,  about  the  size  of  Ve,s2)ertilio  fuscus,  with  the  denti- 
tion of  that  species,  but  with  the  outer  border  of  the  ear  continuous 
with  a  fold  of  skin  which  extends  back  from  the  corner  of  the  mouth, 
under  and  behind  which  a  distinct  pocket  is  formed.  I  have  never 
seen  this  bat,  and  am  unable  to  say  what  value  is  to  be  placed  on  the 
characters  described.     (See  \^.  101.) 

Meteorus  Kolenati,  1856  (Allgeni.  Deutsch.  Katurhist.  Zeitg.,  Dresden, 
Neue  Folge,  II,  pp.  131,  107-101>),  is  a  synonym  of  Yespertilio  Linn;eus. 
It  was  proposed  as  a  subgenus  of  '•Yesperus''  to  include  the  species 
nilssimi,  (lificojor,  .s((vii,  Ieucip2)e,  and  arisiippe. 

Myotis  Kanp,  1829  (Skizzirte  Entw.  Gesch.  u.  Natiirl.  Syst.  der  Euroj). 
Thierw.,  Ister  Theil,  p.  106),  is  the  first  name  based  on  the  large,  long- 
eared,  thirty- eight  toothed  bat  wrongly  called  YespertUio  miirinus  by 
Schreber.^  It  is  therefore  the  tenable  name  for  the  genus  of  which  this 
animal  is  the  type.  As  the  Yespertilio  murinus  of  Schreber  is  not  the 
Yespertilio  murinns  of  Linna'us,  another  specific  name  must  be  applied 
to  the  former.  The  name  w^/oif/s  Bechstein- is  available  for  this  i>ur- 
pose.  Hence  the  Yespertilio  murinus  of  Schreber  and  of  European 
writers  in  general  nmst  stand  as  Myotis  myotis  (Bechstein). 

Nannugo  Kolenati,  1856  ( Allgem,  Deutsch.  Naturhist.  Zeitg.,  Dresden, 
Neue  Folge,  II,  pp.  131,  169-172),  is  a  synonym  of  Pijnstrell us  Kanp, 
1829.  It  was  proposed  as  a  subgenus  of  ^Yesperugo''  to  include  the 
European  species  jnpistrellus,  IcuhlH,  and  nattereri. 

Noctula  Bonaparte,  1837  (Iconografia  Fauna  Italica,  I,  fasc.  XXI, 
under  Yespertilio  alcythoe),  based  on  Yespertilio  serotinus  Schreber  is  a 
synonym  of  Yespertilio  Linnteus. 

Nycticeius  Rafinesque,  1819  (Journal  de  Physique,  de  Chimie,  d^His- 
toire  Xaturelle  et  des  Arts,  LXXXVIII,  p.  417),  contained  two  species, 

'Kaup  says:  "  Fledermihise  von  riesenmiissiger  Grosse,  mit  nacktem  Gesiclit, 
getreuiiteu,  kopfslangeii  Ohreii,  langeu  lanzettformigen  Ohrendeckelu,  iind  38 
Ziihnen." 

-resperiilio  mi/otis  Beclisteiu,  Gemeiniiiitz.  Naturgesch.  Deutschlauds,  Bd.  I,  p. 
1145,  1791  (fide  Blasius). 


16  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

N.  humeralis  Eaf.  aud  N.  tesselatus  Bat  JSTotliiug  in  the  description' 
indicates  which  of  these  the  author  considered  as  the  type.  Nycticeiiis 
tesselatus  Raf.  is  Lasiurns  horealis  (Miiller),  and  ^.  humeralis  may  with 
some  degree  of  probability  be  identified  with  the  small  brown  bat  more 
generally  known  as  Nycticejus  crepuscularis  Le  Conte,-  There  is  cer 
tainly  nothing  in  the  diagnosis  of  the  genus  or  in  the  description  of 
yespertlUo  humeralis  previously  published  in  the  American  Monthly 
Magazine  that  precludes  this  possibility,  while  the  size,  the  number  of 
incisors,  and  the  naked  uropatagium  point  directly  toward  it.  As 
horealis  was  removed  to  tlie  genus  Lasiurus  by  Gray  in  1838,  humeralis 
becomes  the  type  of  Nycticeius.  The  orthography  of  this  name  has  had 
several  emendations,  as  Xycticcus,  Kycticejus,  Xyeticea,  and  Nycticeyx. 

Nyctilestes  Marsh,  1872  (Amer.  Journ.  Sci.  &  Arts,  3d  ser.,  IV,  p. 
215),  is  a  fossil  genus  based  on  part  of  a  lower  jaw  and  molars  from 
Eocene  or  Lower  Miocene  strata  near  Henrys  Fork,  Wyoming.  The 
remains  present  no  characters  to  distinguish  them  generically  from 
Vespertilio.     Only  one  species,  Nyctilestes  serotinus,  has  been  described. 

Nyctitherinm  Marsh,  1872  (Amer.  Journ.  Sci.  &  Arts,  3d  ser.,  IV.  p. 
127),  is  a  genus  based  on  the  fragments  of  two  lower  jaws  found  with 
teeth  in  place,  from  Tertiary  strata  at  Grizzly  Bnttes,  Wyoming.  The 
original  description  indicates  no  characters  by  which  these  teeth  may  be 
distinguished  from  those  of  small  species  of  Fipistrellus  or  Vespertilio. 

Nystactes  Kaup,  1829  (Skizzirte  Entw.-Gesch.  u.  Natiirl.  Syst.  der 
Europ.  Thierw.,  Ister  Theil,  p.  108),  based  on  Vespertilio  bechsteinii 
Leisler  is  strictly  synonymous  with  the  same  author's  Myotis? 

Pachyotus  Gray,  1831  (Zool.  Misc.,  ISo.  1,  p.  38),  was  first  used  as  the 
name  for  a  genus  made  by  the  combination  of  Xycticeius  aud  !Scotophi- 
lus.  Later  (Mag.  Zool.  &  Bot.,  II,  p.  498,  1838)  Gray  transferred  it  to 
Vespertilio  villosissimus  Geoffroy  in  a  subgeueric  sense.  The  name  is 
of  course  untenable.* 

Fipistrellus  Kaup,  1829  (Skizzirte  Entw.-Gesch.  n,  Xatiirl.  Syst.  der 
Europ.  Thierw.,  Ister  Theil,  p.  98).  This  name  was  based  on  Vespertilio 
pipistrellus  Schreber,  a  species  strictly  congeneric  with  the  '  Vesper ugo 

12.  NYCTICEIUS.  (Chaiive-souris.)  Diftere  du  genre  pr^cMent  iHypexodon']  par 
2  iucisives  superieures  separees  par  un  graucl  iutervalle,  accoldes  aiix  cauiues  et  h 
creuelures  aigui-s,  6  incisives  iuf6rieures  trouqu(?es.  point  de  verrues  aux  cauiues.— 
Ce  genre  coutient  an  moius  2  espi'ces,  X.  humeralis  et  N.  tesselatus,  que  j'ai  dojii 
d^crits  dans  VAmeriva))  Monthly  Mafjaziue,  sous  la  denomination  geuerique  Vespertilio, 
avec  plusieurs  autres  uouvelles  espt'ces  de  ces  contrces. 

•See  Tliouias,  Anu.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  1891,  528. 

•  Kaup  says :  "  Fledermiiuse  luit  sehr  laugen  getrennteu  Ohren,  langem  zugespitzem 
Ohreudeckel,  38  Ziihncn  uud  spitzmausiilinlicliem  Kiissel." 

■■The  original  reference  is  as  follows:  ''The  bats,  the  VespertiJiones  of  Geott'roy, 
might  for  convenience  be  divided  into  three  genera,  the  true  bats,  Vespertilio,  with 
thin  ears  and  membranes  aud  a  hairy  face,  the  Pachyotus,  with  thick  ears  and  mem- 
branes and  bald  swollen  cheeks,  including  the  genera  Nycticejus  and  Scotophilus,  aud 
the  hairy-tailed  species  of  America  {Lasiurus)." 


NOMENCLATURE.  1 7 

georgianus''  of  tlie  United  States,  It  autedates  the  name  Vesx)erugo  by 
exactlj'  ten  years, 

Plecotus  Geoflfroy,  1818 '  (Description  de  I'lOgypte,  Mamniiferes,  p.  112), 
included  tbree  species,  TOreillaid  de  Daubeuton,'  'la  barbastelle,'and 
a  new  species  from  Timor.^ 

As  no  American  bats  are  congeneric  with  the  species  originally 
included  in  this  genus,  the  name  can  not  be  used  for  any  of  the  genera 
now  under  consideration.  It  has  been  applied  to  the  species  of  Cory- 
norhinus. 

Rhogeessa  H.  Allen,  1866  (Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  285),  was 
proposed  as  a  genus  to  contain  the  species  B.  parvnla  II.  Allen  and  R. 
tumida  H.  Allen.  The  group,  whose  validity  has  not  been  questioned, 
has  received  varying  treatment  at  the  hands  of  difl'ereiit  writers. 
Dobson  placed  it  as  a  subgenus  under  '  Vesper ugo,^  but  Thomas  has 
recently  pointed  out  its  close  relationship  to  Xyeticeius.  The  latter 
disposition  appears  to  be  the  more  natural. 

The  name  has  been  amended  to  Bhogoessa  by  Marschall  (Nomenclator 
Zoologicus,  Mamm.,  p.  11,  1873). 

Scotophilns  Leach,  1821  (Trans.  Linn.  Soc.  London,  XIII,  pt.  l,p.  00), 
type  iS.  Jxuhlii  Leach,  is  a  genus  peculiar  to  the  Old  World,  where  it 
apparently  replaces  the  Lasiiirus  of  America.  Jt  is  mentioned  here 
merely  because  the  mime  has  been  used  for  the  North  American  species 
of  Laslurus,  Vespertilio,  Lasionyeteris,  and  npisfrellns  at  times  when 
these  bats  were  supposed  to  be  congeneric  with  Old  World  species. 

Selysius  P.onaparte,  1841  (Iconografia  Fauna  Italica,  I,  Introduzione 
[p.  .'>] ),  is  a  synonym  of  Myotis  Kaup,  1829.  It  was  based  on  the 
common  European  YesperUlio  mystacmus  of  Leisler. 

Synotus  Keyserling  and  Blasius,  1839  (Wiegmann's  Archiv  f.  Natur. 
geschichte,  r)ter  Jahrgang,  Bd.  I,  pp.  .'>0.">,  30(>),  was  based  on  the  bar- 
bastelle,  a  European  bat  representing  a  genus  not  known  to  occur  in 
America.  The  mime,  however,  has  been  applied  to  the  American  genus 
afterwards  called  Gorynofhiniis.  It  is  antedated  by  Barbastel la  Grtky, 
1821  (London  Medical  Kepository,  XV,  \}.  309.  Type  Vesper tilio  barbas- 
tellus  Schreber). 

Taphozous  (leoli'roy,  1818'  (Description  de  l'l5gypte,  Mammiferes,  p. 
113),  based  on  '  Le  lerot-volant'  and  'le  V.  lepturus,^  which  are  without 
representatives  in  America.  The  red  bat  {LasiKvui'i  borenUs)  was,  how- 
ever, included  in  this  genus  by  ( Jodnuin  under  the  name  Taphozous  ru/us.-^ 

'  See  Sherborn,  Proc.  Zool.  Soc.  Londou,  1897,  p.  288. 

4  2  5-5 

-Dents  incisives  g;    canines   ., ;    niolaires   ,,_,..     'Nez  simple  et  saillauf ;  clianfrein 

large  el  mciplat.  Oreilles  plus  (jrandcs  que  la  tote,  et  rdunies;  oieilloii  iut<_^rieur. 
Membrane  inteifcmorale  ctendue  et  a  angle  saillaut.  Queue  longue  et  toute  entiero 
enveloppt'c. 

Obs.     Les  trois  espices  do  ce  genre  sont,  Foreillard  do  Danbenton,  la  barbastello 
et  uue  noiivelle  osptcc  de  Timor. 
^Fauua  Americana,  p.  23,  1825. 
2772 No.  13 2 


18  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Fitzinger '  refers  to  a  '  Taphozous  hracJimanus  Ciodmau '  amoug  the  syn- 
oiiyins  of  Last  urns  ^vk/ks^  (=  horealis).  This  name,  however,  I  have  been 
unable  to  And  in  any  of  Godnian's  writings. 

Vesperides  Coues,  1875  (in  Coues  and  Yarrow,  Zool.  of  Wheeler's 
Exped.,  p.  83),  was  proposed  as  a  subgenus  of  YesperUUo  based  on  Yes- 
IwriUio  noetivagans  Le  Conte.  The  name  is  antedated  by  Lasionycteris 
refers,  18G5. 

Vespertilio  LinucTUS,  1758  (Syst.  Nat.,  10th  ed.,  I,  p.  31),  eontaiued 
seven  species:  vampiirus,  spectrum,  persiyiciUatus,  spasma,  leporinus, 
auritus,  and  murinus.  These  have  all  been  removed  to  other  genera,  as 
follows:  vampyrus  to  Ptcropus  in  1702  (Brissou,  llegn.  Anim.,  ed.  II, 
pp.  13, 153),  leporinus  to  NoctiUo  in  1700  (Linna'us,  Syst.  Nat.,  12th  ed., 
p.  88),  spasma  to  Mcgaderma  in  1810  (Geoffroy,  Ann.  Mus.  d'Hist.  Nat., 
XV,  p.  197),  anritus  to  Plecotus  in  1818  (Geoffroy,  Descript.  de  I'Egyjjte, 
Mammiferes,  p.  112),  murinus'^  to  Eptesicns  in  1820  (Eafines(iue,  Annals 
of  Nature,  1820,  p.  2),  perspicillatus  to  Artihens  in  1821  (Leach,  Trans. 
Linn.  Soc.  London,  XIII,  p.  75),  and  spectrum  to  Vumpyrus  in  1821 
(Leach,  Trans.  Linn.  Soc.  London,  XIII,  p.  79). 

The  only  European  species  are  anritus  and  murinus,  one  of  which 
nuist  therefore  become  the  ty])e  of  the  genus.  The  species  anritus  was 
removed  to  the  genus  Plecotus  by  Geottroy  in  18!  8,  leaving  murinus  as 
tyi)e  of  the  genus  YcspertiUo.  The  YespcrtHio  mnriuns  of  Linnanis  is, 
however,  a  totally  different  animal  from  the  bat  afterwards  described 
under  the  same  name  by  Schreber.  To  understand  the  case  fully  it  is 
necessary  to  go  back  to  the  first  and  second  editions  of  Linuicus's 
Fauna  Suecica.  In  the  first  ho  records  only  one  bat,  the  'Laderlapp,' 
'Fliidermus' or  'Nattblacka,'  Yespertilio  caudatus,  naso  oreque  simplici 
(No.  18,  p.  7, 174G).  In  the  second  edition  he  mentions  two,  Y.  caudatus, 
naso  oreque  simplici,  anriculis  duplicatis,  capite  majoribus,  and  Y.  cau- 
datus, naso  oreque  simplici,  anriculis  capite  minoribus  (No.  2,  pp.  1,  2, 
1701).  In  the  tenth  edition  of  the  Systema  Naturae  these  had  been 
given  binomial  names,  Yespertilio  auritns  and  T'.w?/ri/y?(,s,  respectively. 
The  account  of  the  teeth  of  the  latter  in  the  second  edition  of  Fauna 
Suecica  is  as  follows :  ^ 

Deutes  priiiiores  superiores  6,  aciiti  tlistantes. 
iiiferiores  4,  acuti  coiitigiii. 
Laniarii  superiores  2,  anteriore  innjore. 

inferiores  3,  antico  iiiaximo. 
Molares  utriuque  3,  tricuspidati. 

'  Sitziingsber.  K.  Akad.  Wiss.  Wien,  LXII,  Iste  Abtli.,  p.  402,  1870. 

"Altliougli  Rafiuesque  did  not  actually  place  the  species  murinus  iu  the  genus 
JEptesicus  he  based  the  latter  ou  a  strictly  cougouerio  forui. 

»In  tbcfirst  edition  the  dental  formula  is  the  same,  except  that  the  lower  iucisors 
are  said  to  be  five  in  number,  an  error  corrected  iu  the  second  editiou. 


NOMENCLATURE.  19 

It  therefore  appears  that  the  Vespertilio  murimis  of  Linnaeus  is  a  bat 
with  ears  shorter  than  the  liead,  and  with  the  deutal  formula: 
.  2-21        i_i  i_i  ;3_3 

*' 3^  '^'1-1 '^'"'2-2 ''"'313  =  ^^- 

The  only  common  Scandinavian  bats  which  combine  these  characters 
are  the  two  usually  known  as  Vespernyo  nilssoni  and  Vesperuyo  discolor. 
To  these  strictly  congeneric  European  species  and  their  exotic  repre- 
sentatives the  generic  name  Vespei't'dio  must  be  applied,  regardless  of 
its  long  misuse  for  a  different  genus. 

The  current  misidentification  of  Linuaeus's  Vespertilio  murinus  has 
been  recognized  by  at  least  three  writers  on  European  bats,  Nilsson, 
Blasius,  and  Lilljeborg.  Nilsson^  discusses  the  matter  at  considerable 
length  and  arrives  at  the  conclusion  that  the  name  murinus  nuist  be 
substituted  for  discolor^  while  the  bat  commonly  known  as  murinus 
must  take  the  si^ecific  name  myotis  Bechstein.  As  this  author  unites 
the  genera '  Vesperugo '  and  '  Vespertilio^^  he  has  nothing  to  say  in  regard 
to  tlie  validity  of  the  generic  names  used  by  Keyserling  and  Blasius. 

Blasius'  regarded  Nilssou's  identitication  of  Vespertilio  uinrinus  a^s 
doubtful,  though  he  admitted  that  the  animal  described  by  Linnaeus 
under  that  name  could  not  have  been  the  one  generally  called  Vesper- 
tilio muriuKs  by  European  authors  at  large,  lie  therefore  reasoned 
that  Linua?us's  name  might  be  disregarded  as  undeterminable  and  in 
no  way  invalidating  Schrcber's  later  application. 

Lilljeborg  alone  questioned  the  tenability  of  the  generic  name  Vesper- 
tilio for  the  thirty-eight  toothed  bats  of  Europe.^     He  says: 

*  *  ■  As  regards  modifying  the  Linuii'iiu  _i;cueric  name  Vespertilio,  it  may  be 
viri!;ed  that  Liuna-us  did  not  include  in  it  any  of  the  species  referred  to  it  by  Keyser- 
liiij;  and  Blasius.  Furtber,  it  would  have  been  more  correct  to  apply  the  name 
respcrtilio  to  the  preceding  genus  ['  f'cspcn<(jo'],  since  one  of  the  si)ecies  included  in 
the  genus  )»y  Liuun-us  (  i'espertilio  murinus)  agrees,  in  all  important  characters  at 
least,  with  the  genus  mentioned,  as  shown  above.  As,  however,  the  niodihcatiou  of 
the  name  introduced  by  Keyserling  and  Blasius  has  become  time-sanctioned,  it  will 
be  retained,  although  we  consider  the  objections  against  it  reasonable.' 

Vesperugo  Keyserling  and  Blasius,  1839  ( Wiegmann's  Archiv  f.  Natur- 
gesch.,  5ter  Jahrgaug,  Bd,  I,  p.  312),  was  proposed  as  a  genus  to  contain 
the  following  species  up  to  that  time  commonly  associated  with  Vesper- 

'  In  Linna'us's  statement  the  figures  4  and  6  are  evidently  transposed. 

'Skandinavisk  Fauna,  I,  Diiggdjuren,  2ded.,  1847,  pp.  17-20. 

'Naturgesch.  d.  Siiugetbiere  Deutschlands,  pp,  74,  84,  1857. 

SSveriges  och  Norges  Ryggradsdjur,  I,  Diiggdjuren,  p.  144,  footnote,  1874. 

■'■'*  *  *  I  afsecnde  pa  tilliimpningen  hlir  af  det  Linneanska  genus-namnet 
Vespertilio,  kan  deremot  inviludas,  att  Liun6  icke  uti  detta  genus  upptagit  en  enda  af 
de  arter,  som  Keyserling  &  Blasius  derunder  beskrifvit,  och  att  det  hade  varit 
riittare,  att  auviinda  detta  namn  ffir  furegaende  sliigte  [' fesper;;*;©'],  emedau  en 
af  de  af  Linne  uti  si.  Vespertilio  npptagna  arterna — Vespertilio  murinits  Lin. — 
atmin^,toue  till  hufvudsaklig  del,  euligt  hvad  ofvan  blifvit  antVirdt  tillhur  niimde 
sliigte.  Da  cmellertid  den  af  Keyserling  &-  Blasius  infiirda  tilliimpningen  af 
naoinet  vuuuit  hiifd,  vilja  vi  bibehalla  den,  ehuruviause  inviiudningen  vara  befogad. 


20  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

tilio:  serotinus, dhc(>l(>t\  iiils.soni,  sdnii,  leHcippc, (iri.stippe, noctula,  leishri^ 
lultliij  alboUmhatus,  nathmii,  iiiid  pipistrellus.  The  first  six  were  [)lace(l 
iu  tlie  new  subgenus  Ves2)erus,  the  others  in  the  subgenus  Vesperiujo. 
Hence  the  ty[)e  must  be  a  member  of  the  second  group.  This  group, 
however,  ccmtaiiis  two  modern  genera,  the  first  represented  by  the  spe 
cies  itoctuht  and  leisleri,  the  second  by  JctiJilii,  '■  albolimbatus''  {^^Jcuhlii, 
fide  Dobsou),  '•  natluisW  [^=abramus,  fide  Dobson),  and  pipistreJliis. 
These  had  ah^eady  been  named  Ptrrygi.stes  and  PipistrelluH,  respectively, 
by  Ivaup  iu  ISl*!).     Hence  Vespenujo  is  untenable  in  any  connectiou. 

Vesperus  Keyserling  and  Blasius,  1839  (Wiegraann's  Archiv  f.  Natur- 
gesch.,  oter  Jahrgang,  Bd.  I,  p.  31.")),  pr()[)Osed  as  a  subgenus  of  M'c.s- 
pcn((jo^  to  incUide  the  species  svrotiiiK.s,  discolor,  nilssoni,  savii,  leueippc, 
and  aristippe,  is  antedated  by  Cnephwus  Kaup,  1829,  Eplesieus  Eafines- 
(pie,  1820,  and  Vcspertilio  Linnu'us,  1  TaS.  It  is  moreover  preoccupied  iu 
Entomology  by  Vesperus  Latreille,  1829. 

2.  Specific  and  Subspecific  Names. 

Affinis  (Vespertilio).  H.  Allen,  Mouogr.  Bats  N.  Am,,  p.  53,  1864. 
The  type  of  Dr.  Harri.son  Allen's  Vespertilio  affinis,  now  in  the  United 
States  National  JNIuseuin,  proves  to  be  a  tyi)ical  example  of  Myotis 
luci/iKjus.  It  is  therefore  in  no  way  related  to  the  VespertUio  nitidm 
or  V,  (ilbrsceibs  of  Dr.  Allen's  second  monograph. 

Albescens  (Vespertilio).  E.  (rcoftVoy,  Ann.  Mus.  d'llist.  Nat.,  Paris, 
VIII,  p.  204, 1806.  This  is  a  South  American  species  of  Vli//o<u,  i)roba- 
bly  closely  related  to  M.velifer  (J.  A.  Allen).  The  measurements  given 
by  Azara  and  <|uoted  in  the  original  descrii)tion  are:  Total  length,  80 
mm.;  tail,  33;  extent  of  wings,  235;  ear,  14.  The  name  albescens  has 
been  used  by  Dr.  Harrison  Allen  for  Myotis  yumanensis,  M.  evotis,  M. 
cali/oruicus  {^Vespertilio  albescens  vielanorh inns''),  M.  reli/er,  M.  titysa- 
nodes  (under  M..velifer),imd  M.  hicifnyus  ('  Vespertilio  albescens  affinis''), 
which  he  unites  as  subspecies. 

Albigularis  (Vesperus).  Peters,  Monatsber.  K.  Preuss.  Akad.  Wiss., 
Berlin,  p.  2(30,  1872,  Vesperlilio  aibigularis  (Peters)  is  the  ty[)e  of  the 
subgenus  MarsipoUvmus.  The  characters  given  in  the  original  descrii)- 
tion  indicate  a  well  marked  species,  with  which,  however,  I  am  wholly 
unacqmxinted.     The  type  was  collected  in  ftlexico. 

Alleni  (Rhogeessa).  Thomas,  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat,  Hist.,  (Uh  ser,,  X, 
p.  477,  1892.     This  is  the  only  name  for  this  species. 

Americana  (Atalapha).  Kafinesque,  Precis  des  Decouv.  Somiologiques, 
p.  12,  1814,  This  is  a  synonym  of  Lasinrus  borealis  (Miiller),  though 
proi)erly  speakiug  the  name  is  a  nomen  nudum  (see  p.  10(5). 

Arquatus  (Vespertilio).  Say,  Long's  Expedition  to  the  Kocky  Moun- 
tains, I,  p,  107,  footnote,  1823.  Tlie  description  clearly  indicates  Ves- 
pertilio  fuscus  Beauvois. 

Auduboni  (Vespertilio).  Harlan,  Featherstonehaugh's  Monthly  Ameri- 
can Journal  of  Geology  and  Natural  History,  I,  p.  220,  PI.  II,  November, 
1831,     Both  description  and  plate  indicate  the  silver-haired  bat. 


NOMKNCLATURPL  21 

Austroriparius  (Vespertilio  lucifugus).  lihoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Soi. 
Pbila.,  1).  227,  May,  1897.  Vc.sjX'rtUio  Jucifngus  austroripariuH  Rlioads 
is  a  synonym  of  Myolis  lud/w/ns  (Le  Coiite).  The  type,  a  two-thirds 
grown  young  from  Tarpon  Si)ri'ngs,  Florida,  shows  nuinerons  characters 
by  which  it  may  be  distinguished  from  northern  adults,  but  the  full 
grown  topotypes  are,  as  originally  determined  by  Dr.  Harrison  Allen 
(see  IMioads,  I.e.),  indistinguishable  from  northern  si)ecimensof /*<c//«- 
(jKs  that  have  been  immersed  in  alcohol  for  a  similar  period.  Even  if  it 
Avere  assumed  that  the  Tarpon  Springs  bat  difilerod  in  some  way  not 
now  discoverable  from  the  '  IncifiKjus  of  North  Carolina  and  northward,' 
there  could  be  little  doubt  that  the  southern  form  was  the  one  originally 
described  by  Le  Conte.     (See  page  G3). 

Belli!  (ScotopMlus).  (iray.  List  Si)ec.  IVlamm.  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  30,  1843. 
Scotophilus  hellii  (Iray  is  anoinen  nudum  probably  based  on  one  of  the 
West  Indian  forms  of  Vespertilio  fiiscus.  Gray's  account  is  as  follows: 
"Bell's  Bat.  Scotophilus  Bellii.  ^/Inspirits.  West  Indies. — Pre 
sented  by  Thomas  Bell,  Esq.,  F.  R.  S." 

Borealis  (Vespertilio).  Midler,  Natursyst.  Suppl.,  p.  21, 1776.  Midler's 
Vespertilio  borealis  is  the  first  name  based  on  the  red  bat,  Lasiurus 
borealis. 

Brevirostris  (Vespertilio).  IVIaximilian,  Wiegmann's  Archiv.  f.  Natur- 
geschichte,  1801,  Bd.  I,  p.  19.5.  VespertUio  brevirostris  of  Maximilian  is 
probably  Myotis  lucifu(/ns  (Le  (\)nte).  The  original  measurements 
are:  Total  length,  3";  extent,  9"  4'";  ear  from  crown,  5J'";  tragus,  Lj'". 

Calcaratus  (Vespertilio).  Rafinesque,  American  Monthly  Magazine, 
III,  ]).  445,  1818.  No  known  bat  agrees  with  the  description  of  Rati- 
nesque's  Vespertilio  calearatus^  which  is  as  follows:  "Tail  one-third, 
body  dark  brown  above,  dark  fallow  beneath,  wings  black,  shafts  rose- 
coloured,  a  spur  at  the  inner  side  of  the  elbow,  hind  feet  black.  Length 
4  inches,  breadth  12." 

Californicus  (Vespertilio).  And.  &  Bachm.,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci. 
Phila.,  VIII,  Pt.  II,  p.  285,  1842.  This  is  the  earliest  name  based  on 
the  small  western  bat  commonly  known  as  Vespertilio  nitidiis  H.  Allen. 
The  original  description  is  as  follows  : ' 

r.  ralifoi-niciis  (C'aliforni.in  bat). — V.  fnsco  Iiitosceiis,  vellere  loiijioet  iiiolli;  trago 
lnii<j;itu(lino  diniidiuni  anris  cxccdcntc. 

('aliforiiian  hat. — Witb  long  silky  bair.s;  tragus  more  tban  balf  tbo  Icugtb  of  the 
ear;  cobjr  light  yellowish  brown. 

Descripfiou. — Anterior  upper  fore  teeth  bilol)ate.  Head  small;  nose  sharp;  ears 
of  moderate  .lize,  erect,  rather  narrow,  and  pointed.  Trat/iis  Ihuar,  atleuiiatcd.  \\'ings 
of  moderate  length,  which  together  with  the  ears  are  naked,  [nterfemoral  mcmhranc 
Willi  a.  few  scattered  liairs;  feet  small;  nails  slightly  hooked.  Tail  projecting  a  little 
beyond  the  intei'fomoral  membrane. 

Color. — The  peliige,  which  is  uniisualhj  lonf/  for  the  size  of  thehody,  and  very  soft  and 
glossy,  is,  on  the  upper  surface,  dark  pluml>eous  from  the  base,  and  hroadly  tipt  with 


'  I  have  italicized  statements  specially  applicable  to  '  f.  nitidus.' 


22  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

lif/hf  }iellowisli  hrown;  on  the  under  siirfiico  the  color  is  a  little  darker,  owing  to  the 

outer  extremities  of  the  hairs  being  more  narrowly  edged  with  the  prevailing  color 

on  the  back,  exhibiting  the  darker  shades  beneath.     The  enrs  and  tragus  are  Idack- 

ish — the  nose,  chin,  wings,  and  interfemoral  membrane  dark  brown. 

Hah. — We  have  obtained  but  a  single  specimen,  which  was  captured  at  California. 

2-2  1-1 

DenCition. — Incisors^.     Canines  :.  |. 

DimenHons. — Length  of  head  and  body,  1  inch  7  lines  [40  mm.]  ;  length  of  tail,  1 
inch  5  lines  [35.8]  ;  length  of  spread,  7  inches  C>  lines  [190]  ;  height  of  ear  ]>nHteriorly, 
3  lines  [6.35]  ;  height  of  tragus,  2  lines  [3.8]. 

The  only  other  small  bats  known  to  occur  in  California  are  Pipistrellus 
hesperus,  Myotis  thysaiiodes,  M.  ynmanensis,  M.  evotiSj  and  M.  lucifiu/ns 
lonyicrus.  That  YespertUio  californicus  can  not  be  Pipistretliis  hesperus 
is  shown  by  the  description  of  the  tragus.  From  Myotis  tliysanodes  it  is 
separated  by  its  small  size  and  nnfriiiged  interfemoral  membrane;  from 
M.  yumanensis  by  its  small  feet;  from  M.  evofis  by  its  short  ears,  and 
from  M.  lucifugus  longicrus  by  its  light  color  and  small  size.  Myotis 
thysanodes  and  71/,  lt(cifiigns  lonr/icrtis  are  moreover  comparatively  rare 
bats  in  California,  while '  YespertUio  nitidns''  is  one  of  the  most  common 
and  universally  distributed  species. 

Carolii  (Vespertilio).  Temminck,  Monographies  de  Mammal.,  II,  p. 
237  (13me  Monogr.),  1835-41.  The  YespertUio  enrol H  of  Temminck  is 
without  doubt  Myotis  lucifugus  (Le  Conte).  That  it  is  a  Myotis  is  shown 
by  the  number  of  teeth,  six  molars  in  each  jaw,  while  that  it  is  not  M. 
svhulatus,  the  only  other  s[)ecies  known  to  occur  in  the  vicinity  of  Phil- 
adelphia or  New  York,  is  shown  by  the  short  ear,  11.5  mm.  in  length.' 

Carolinensis  (Vespertilio).  Geoffroy,  Ann.  du  Mus.  d'llist.  Nat.,  Paris, 
VIII,  p.  193,  1806.- 

This  species  is  YespertUio  fuscus  Beauvois.     Dr.  Harrison  Allen  in 


'The  essential  part  of  the  original  description  is  as  follows: 

"Taille  et  formes  de  notro  pipistrellc,  mais  les  oreiiles  plus  longues.  *  *  » 
oreilles  uK^diocres,  ovoides,  un  pen  docoupoes  a  Icnr  herd  exterleur,  sans  lobe  on 
prolongement  en  avant;  tragus  en  feiiille  de  saule  *  *  *.  Dents  iucisives  4  par 
paire  en  haut  et  6  en  bas;  molaires  6  partout;  les  deux  premiferes  fausses  molaires 
de  la  machoire  suporieure  tri's  petites,  courtes  et  pointues. 

"Pelage  bicnlore  partout.  Jones,  cotes  du  cou  et  toutes  los  parties  snpdrieures 
d'un  brun-roussfitre  a  base  des  polls  noirs ;  en  dcssous  d'un  blanc  jannatre  h  la  jtoiutc 
et  brun-fonco  a  la  base     *     "     *. 

"Longueur  totale  3  ponces  5  lignes,  dont  la  queue  prend  1  ponce  4  lignes;  enver- 
gure  8  ponces  0  lignes;  autibrachinm  1  ponce  4  lignes;  hauteur  de  I'oreille  depnis  le 
crane  jusqu'an  bout  5  lignes;     *     *     *. 

"Pairie,  L'Am(5rique  sci)tentri()nale,  dans  les  environs  de  Philadelpbie  et  de  New- 
York." 

'^The  original  description  is  as  ft)llow8: 

"2.  Vesp[ertiUo1  carolinensis.  Le  vespertilion  de  la  Caroline  est  nioius  grand  (|ne 
Iepr6c6deut  ['  r.  mnrinns'  ],  mais  d'ailieurs  il  Ini  ressemble  beaucoup.  II  a  ses  oreilles 
et  oreillons  de  meme  forme  et  de  mcmc  dimension  relative;  son  jioil  est  anssi  dedeux 
couleurs,  cendre-noirati-e  d'abord  et  brnn-marron  h  la  pointe.  L'extrcmitt?  des  poils 
est  en  dessous  d'un  jaun(^  tirant  sur  le  ventre;  enlin  les  oreilles  sont  garnies  de  poils 
dans  presquo  L'l  moitie  de  leui-  longnenr.  <t  l-i  qurue  a  nue  petite  portion  (|ni  u'est 
)ias  euveloppee  par  la  membrane  iuterfemorale.     Ces  considerations  reunies  a  cellea 


NOMENCLATURE.  23 

liis  recent  monograph  lias  applied  the  uaiue  carolinensis  to  the  Georgian 
bat  {Fipistrellns  subjfavus),  but  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  Geof- 
froy's  animal  was  the  large  brown  bat.  The  head  and  skull  are  both 
figured,  the  former  on  PI.  I,  the  latter  on  PI.  II.  These  are  only  a  trifle 
smaller  than  the  head  and  skull  of  Ves2)ertilio  serotinus  figured  on  the 
same  plates,  and  very  much  larger  than  the  figures  of  the  head  and 
skull  of  Pipistrellus  iripisireUus^  a  species  of  about  the  same  size  as  F. 
suhjiavus.  The  teeth  are  very  indistinctly  shown  in  the  figure,  but  in 
the  two  copies  which  I  have  examined^  I  can  find  no  indication  of  the 
second  upper  premolar  of  J'ipistrelhis. 

Chrysonotus  (Vespertilio).  J,  A.  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus,  Nat.  Hist., 
N.  Y.,  VIII,  p.  240,  November  21,  1896.  VesperHUo  chrysonotus  J.  A. 
Allen,  from  Kinney  Ranch,  Wyoming,  is  a  pale  example  of  Myotis 
evotis  (H.  Allen),  with  mutilated  tail.     (See  p.  80.) 

Ciliolabrum  (Vespertilio).  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  IV, 
p.  I,  1886.  Vespertilio  ciliolabrum,  Merriam,  is  the  oidy  name  based  on 
the  pallid  race  of  Myotis  californicus  inhabiting  the  plains  of  South 
Dakota,  Kansas,  and  Texas.     The  type  was  taken  at  Banner,  Kansas. 

Cinereus  (Vespertilio).  Beauvois,  Catalogue  Baisonne  du  Museum  de 
Mr.  C.  W.  Peale.  Philadelphie,  p.  18,  1796.  VespcrtU'to  cinereus 
Beauvois  (originally  misspelled  lincreus)  is  the  first  name  based  on  the 
hoary  bat,  Lasiurus  cinereus.  The  description  is  so  detailed  and  accu- 
rate as  to  leave  no  doubt  as  to  the  animal  that  Beauvois  had  in  mind.^ 
The  type  came  from  Pennsylvania,  somewhere  near  Philadelphia,  where 
the  species  undoubtedly  occurs  during  migrations. 

Crassus  (Vespertilio).  F.  Cuvier,  Nouv.  Ann.  Mus.  d'  Hist,  Nat.,  Paris, 
I,  p.  18,  1832.     I  can  not  identify  F.  Cuvier's  Vespertilio  crassus.    The 


tiroes  de  la  teinte  differonte  dii  pel.age,  m'ont  paru  dtablir  avec  assez  de  certitude  la 
non-ideiitito  d'fspf'cc  de  cc  vespertilion  avec  le  7n>triniis ;  c'est  ce  qii'indiqnent  en 
outre  les  pioiioitioiisdii  crane.  Le  chanfrein  est  ])liis  court  et  plus  largo  dans  Ic  ves- 
pertilion de  la  Caroline.  Eu  voici  les  dimensions:  longueur  du  corps,  (jl  millimetres; 
lie  la  (juene,  28;  de  I'envcrgure,  259. 

"Cette  espece  n'a  point  encore  6t6  ddcrite:  elle  m'a  etc  remise  par  M.  Bosc,  (|ui  se 
Test  procurt^e  lors  de  son  scjour  i\  la  Caroline.  Ce  savant  naturaliste  a  bieu  vonlu 
ui'informer  qu'elle  y  est  excessivement  coumiune.  On  la  reconnoitra  anx  caracteres 
suivans:  Orcilles  ohh>n[/iics,  de  hi  loufjiienr  de  la  trie,  reliics  en  part'ie;  oreiUon  tn  dcml 
cu'itr.     Pelade  d'un  bniu  niarron  en  drssiis,  jaiindtre  oi  dcsnoiis." 

'In  the  Harvard  College  library,  Cambridge,  Mass.,  and  in  the  Smithsonian  library, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

•17.  Cliauve-souris  grise.  Deux  premieres  <leuts  superienres  fort  petites  A:  pen 
apparentes.  Tete  blanehatre;  oreilles  roudes,  plates,  blanches,  le  pouitour  noir,  une 
appendice  a  la  base.  Polls  du  corps  gris,  vers  la  base ;  noirs  vers  la  pointe  &,  hlaucs 
a  I'cxtremitt?;  de  sorte  que  ranimal  a  Fair  d'etre  mouchete,  de  blanc.  Cos  polls 
s'etendentjusqne  sur  la  membrane  qui  enveloppe  la  queue.  La  membrane  ailifonno 
est  »?galement  velue  en  dessous  a  la  partie  anterieure,  aiusi  qu'au  dessus  a  la  base  de 
I'ongle  saillant.  Cettc  membrane  est  environ  une  fois  plus  graude  que  dans  I'espece 
precedente  [I'espertillo  fiisrus'}.  FA\e  a  de  donze  a  quatorze  ])ouces  d'envergeure. 
Le.s  nariues   scut  emargiuees. 

(irey  Bat.      FespertUio  linereus  [sic]. 

Elle  ne  .se  trouve  point  dccrite  diins  les  auteure.  Cette  chauve-Souris  se  trouve 
dans  la  Pensilvanie. 


24  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

animal  maybe  Ni/cHceius  humrrali.s^  but  tbere  is  iiotbing  in  tbe  original 
description'  to  indic;ate  tliis  witb  certainty.  Fortunately  tbe  name  is 
not  needed  as  all  tbe  species  now  known  to  inbabit  tbe  eastern  United 
States  were  already  named  at  tbe  time  wben  it  was  publisbed. 

Creeks  (Vespertilio).  F.  Cuvier,  Nouv.  Ann.  Mus.  d'Hist.  Nat.,  Pari-, 
I,  p.  18,  1832.  Vcsjjertilio  creels  F.  Cuvier  is  anotber  unidentifiable 
species.  Le  Conte,  bowever,  wbo  sent  tbe  type  specimen  to  Cuvier, 
states  tbat  tbe  animal  is  tbe  same  as  Ni/eticea  crrpusculari-s  Le  Conte 
{^=^N.  Jill  mend  is  llatinesque).  IS^otbing  in  tbe  original  description-  con- 
tradicts tbis  assertion. 

Crepuscularis  (Nycticea).  Le  Conte,  MoMurtrie's  Cuvier,  Animal 
Kingdom,  I,  p.  131,  1831.  Tbis  bat  is  tlie  Xycticeins  humeraUs  of  liatiu- 
esque. 

Cubanus  (Vesperus).  Gundlacb,  Monatsber.  K.  Preuss.  Akad.  Wiss., 
Berlin,  p.  150,  186L  The  descrii)tion  of  tbis  species  indicates  a 
Nycticeius  closely  related  to  N.  humeralis.  As  I  bave  seen  no  Cuban 
specimens,  I  am  unable  to  say  wbetber  tbe  animal  is  specifically  distinct 
from  tbe  mainland  form  (see  p.  121). 

Cubensis  (Scotophilus).  Gray,  Ann.  Nat.  Hist.,  IV,  p.  7,  1839.  >>coio- 
'pliihtH  cuhcnsl,s  Gray  is  evidently  tbe  Cuban  VtHpertUio.  Tbe  original 
description  is  as  follows: 

Fur  blackish  brown  (in  spirits);  win>j:8  dark,  blackisli;  nnrtor.side  of  the  inter- 
fenioral  membrane  whitish,  with  scattered  hairs;  feet  hirge;  heel  bono  short,  taper- 
ing; ears  moderate,  entire;  tragus  ovate-lauceolate.  Body  and  head  2|;  tail  V\;  fore 
arm  If.     Hab.  Cuba. 

Tbis  is  the  first  name  based  on  tbe  animal  to  wbicb  it  refers. 

Cyanopterus  (Vespertilio).  Kafines(jue,  American  Montbly  Mag.,  Ill, 
J).  415, 1818.  lvafines(iue's  Vespertilio  eijanopierns  can  not  be  identified 
witb  any  known  bat.    Tbe  original  description  is  as  follows: 

Tail  one-third,  2  iucisores  above,  fi  beneath,  body  dark  gray  above,  bluish  gray 
beneath,  wings  of  a  dark  bluish  gray,  shafts  black,  ears  auriculated,  longer  than 
the  head.     Length  3  inches,  breadth  10. 


'Ala  tcte  des  Murinoides,  deux  fausses  molaires  auomales  de  chaque  cote  des  deux 
machoires;  I'oreille  obtuse  el  Toreillon  en  couteau. 

Tontes  les  jtarties  supi'^rieures  du  corps  sont  d'nn  brun-marron  grisatro,  et  les  ]iar- 
ties  inforieures  blondes ;  les  polls,  a  leur  origine,  sont  plus  fonces  qu'a  h-ur  extr(5mit.\ 

Des  moTistaches  garnissent  les  cotes  de  la  Itivre  supdrieure  et  rextr(5mit6  de  la 
machoire  infcricure. 

Longueur  du  corps,  du  bout  du  muse.au  a  Torigino  de  la  queue,  2  pouces;  de  la 
queue,  1  ponce  8  lignes;  euvergure,  S  pouces  S  lignes. 

Cette  espece  est  due  a  M.  Lesueur,  qui  I'a  envoyce  de  New-York,  sous  le  uom  (pie 
je  lui  ai  conserve. 

'5»  Le  V.  Creeks,  V.  Creels. 

A  la  tete  du  Serotinoides,  point  de  fausses  molaires  auomales  a  la  machoire  supe- 
rienre,  et  une  seule  arinferieure;  I'orielle  est  echancree,  et  I'oreillon  en  couteau;  les 
parties  supdrieures  sont  d'un  bruu  Jauuatre,  les  parties  inferieures  d'un  gris  sale,  les 
polls  de  toutes  ces  parties  sout  noirs  a  leur  base.  Des  moustaches  garnissent  les  cotds 
du  museau  et  le  dessous  de  I'extremite  di;  la  mAchorio  inferieure. 

Longuer  du  corps,  du  bout  du  museau  a  I'origiue  de  la  queue,  2  pouces;  de  la 
queue,  1  pouce  6  lignes;  euvergure,  9  pouces. 

De  G^orgie.     Dfi  aiix  recherches  de  M.  li'  major  Ijcconte. 


NOMENCLATURE.  25 

Cynocephalus  (Nycticea).  Le  Coute,  McMnrtrie's  Cuvier,  Animal 
Kingdom,  I,  p.  432,  1831.  Tliis  is  a  free-tailed  bat,  the  common  Nyc- 
tinomus  of  the  southeastern  United  States. 

Domesticus  (Vespertilio).  Green,  Donghty's  Cabinet  of  Natural  His- 
tory, II,  p.  290,  1832.  The  description  refers  without  much  doubt  to 
Myotis  lucifugus  Le  Conte,  named  only  one  year  previously.  Type 
locality  a  village  in  western  Pennsylvania  near  a  stream  which  enters 
the  Ohio  a  few  miles  from  Pittsburg. 

Dutertreus  (Vespertilio).  Gervais,  in  Eamon  de  la  Sagra's  Tlist.  de  Tile 
de  Cuba,  Mamm.,  p.  G;  Atlas,  Tome  II,  1840.  This  is  VeapertUio  fus- 
cus  cuhcnsis  (Gray),  as  shown  by  the  number  of  teeth,  32,  and  by  the 
size,  forearm  47  mm, 

Erythrodactylus  (Vespertilio).  Temrainck,  Monographies  de  Mamm., 
IT,  p.  238  (13me  Monogr.),  1835-41.  Temminck  describes  his  Vefsper- 
tilio  erythrodactylus  as  a  bat  with  short,  roundish  ears,  long  tail,  inter- 
femoral  membrane  hairy  on  basal  half  above,  four  upper  incisors,  and 
general  reddish-brown  color.' 

This  is  a  combination  of  characters  normally  possessed  by  no  known 
North  American  bat.  The  type  is  said  to  have  come  from  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Philadelphia.  It  is  probably  Pipistrellus  suhfJarus  reddened 
by  alcohol  (see  p.  8). 

Evotis  (Vespertilio).  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  North  Am.  Bats,  p.  48,  1864. 
This  is  the  first  name  for  the  large  eared  Mi/otis  of  the  western  United 
States. 

Exilis  (Vespertilio).  11.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  283, 
1866.  Vespertilio  exilis  is  a  synonym  of  Myotis  californicus.  The  type 
came  from  Cape  St.  Lucas. 

Frantzii  (Atalapha).  Peters,  Monatsber.  K.  Preuss.  Akad.  Wiss., 
Berlin  (1870),  p.  008,  1871,  Peters's  Atalapha  frantzii  from  Costa 
Rica  is  the  small,  scantily  furred  southern  race  of  Lasiurus  horealis. 
It  had  previously  been  described  as  Atalapha  mexicana  by  Saussure. 


'Taille  nioiiulre  que  la  pipisireXle.  Tout  rantibracliiuiii,  la  base  des  doigts  ot  la 
inciiibrane  iutcrtligitale  da  premier  doigt  ron<;eatre;  les  autros  membranes  noires. 
Oieilles  poiliies  depiiis  la  base  jns(iu'a  plus  de  moitie  de  la  loujiueur,  petites  ovoides ; 
tragus  cu  I'euille  do  saule;  queue  tres  lougue  a  graud  bout  libre;  membrane  iuter- 
ff'inorale  en  dessus  moitio  poilue;  par  dcssous,  rayoe  de  ^eines  en  losange,  d'ou  nais- 
sent  des  soies  tr.-s  oonrtes  disposoos  a  claire-voie.  Dents  ineisives  4  par  paire  en 
liaut  et  6  en  bas;  uiolaires  5  partout,  vsenleuRut  line  fausse  molaire  a  la  macLoire 
supi'rieurc. 

I't'lage  ]f)ng,  fin  et  soyeux;  en  dessus  tricolorc,  an  dessous  bicolore.  Toutes  les 
parties  Buporieures  d'une  teinte  brune-rougeatre;  mais  un  pen  jaunatre  a  la  tote  et 
an  ecu  ;  les  poils  dtaut  noirs  a  la  base,  puis  JauuAtre  et  le  bout  brnn-rougeatre ;  moitie 
do  I'iuterfonuirale  tr^s  poilue;  en  dessous  bruu  foucc  a  la  base  et  brun-roussatre  an 
bout;  membranes  des  tlancs  et  iuterfemorale  couvertes  de  poils  rares. 

liOngueiir  totale  2  ponces  10  lignes  ou  3  ponces  pour  maximum,  dout  la  queque 
piend  1  ponce  4  lignes;  antibrachinni  1  ponce  2  ligues  :  euvergurc  7  ponces  G  lignes 
on  8  ponces  an  maximum.     *     *      ■ 

I'atrie.    L'Amerique  septentriouale  dans  les  environs  de  Philadelphie. 


2G  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 

Funebris  (Lasiurus),  ritziiiger,  Sitzmigsber.  K.  Akad.  Wiss.,  Wien, 
Iste  Abth.,  LXII,  p.  40,  1870.  Lasiurus  funebris  Fitziiiger,  based  on 
the  XycticeJKs  norehoracensis  of  Temuiinck,'  from  Tennessee  and  ]\Iis- 
souri,  is  a  synonym  of  Lasiurus  horealis  (Miiller),  as  shown  by  the 
reference  to  the  reddish-brown  color  and  wliite  shoulder  spot. 

Fuscata  (Atalapha).  Eafinesqne,  Annals  of  Nature,  p.  2,  1820.  IJafi- 
nesque's  Atalapha  fuscata  can  not  be  identilied.  The  original  descri[)- 
tion  is  as  follows: 

Ears  loiigers  than  the  head,  anriculated  and  blackish;  tail  three-sevenths  of  total 
length,  jutting  only  hy  an  obtuse  point;  body  bro^Ynish  above,  grayish  beneath 
shoulders  and  cheeks  dark  brown  ;  hind  feet  blackish,  hairy  above;  "wings  blackish 
brown. — Found  in  the  northern  j^arts  of  the  state  of  New  York  and  in  Vermont. 
Total  length  three  and  an  half  inches.  My  genus  Atalapha  (Prec.  dec.)  contain  all 
the  Bats  without  fore  teeth ;  there  are  3  or  4  species  of  them  in  tiie  United  States  all 
blended  under  the  name  of  VespcrtiJio  (or  KnctiUo)  novehoracensis  by  the  writers. 

Fuscus  (Vespertilio).  Beauvois,  Catalogue  Eaisonne  du  Museum  de 
Mr.  C  W.  Peale.  Philadelphie,  p.  18, 1796.  Vespertilio  fuscus  13eanvois 
is  the  first  name  based  on  the  common  brown  bat  of  the  eastern  United 
States.2  The  original  description  is  faulty,  as  it  contains  a  glaring 
error  with  respect  to  the  number  of  upper  incisors,  which  are  said  to  ho 
only  two.  Nevertheless  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  animal  that 
Beauvois  intended  to  describe,  since  only  one  brown  bat  of  the  size  of 
Mijotis  myotis  ('la  chauve-souris  ordinaire  de  France')  inhabits  the 
region  about  Philadelphia. 

Georgianus  (Vespertilio).  F.  Cuvier,  Nouv.  Ann.  Mus.  d'Hist.  Nat., 
Paris,  I,  p.  1(5,  1832.  The  specific  name //eor///rf^r?;.v  long- passed  current 
for  the  small  ripistrellus  inhabiting  the^astern  United  States.  In  1893 
H.  Allen  substituted  for  it  the  older  name  carolinensis  Geoft'roy.  As 
already  shown,  however,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  Geoft'roy's  animal 
was  Vespertilio  fuscus.  It  is  equally  certain  that  Cuvier's  name  can 
not  be  applied  to  the  Georgian  bat,  since  his  description  probably 
refers  to  a  Myotis,  while  in  the  same  paper  Cuvier  accurately  describes 
the  Georgian  bat  as  Vrspcrtilio  suhfarus.  Le  Conte,  wlio  collected  the 
specimens  on  which  several  of  Cuvier's  siiecies  were  based,  describes 
the  Georgian  bat  under  the  name  georgianus,"  find  expressly  states  that 


'Monographles  de  Manimalogie,  II  (13me  Monogr.),  p.  1.58. 

-16.  Chauve-souris  brune.  Deux  preiuiires  dents  snperieures,  distantos  Tunc  de 
I'autre,  &  voisines  des  canines,  une  fois  plus  courtes  que  ces  dernii'res:  orcilles  nues, 
noiratres,  ov.ales,  avec  un  appondice  a  leur  base;  queue  prcs(|u'aussi  longuequole 
corps  (la  tt'te  excepte)  memltrune  ailiforme  noiratre:  polls  du  corps  bruns  en  dessus, 
grisatres  en  dessotis. 

Brown  bat.      Vesprrillio  fuscus. 

Cette  Chauve-souris  est  la  plus  commune  que  Ton  tronvcdans  les  enviroAS  deriiil- 
adelphie.  Ella  ressemblc  bcaucoup  a  la  chauve-souri.s  ordinaire  de  France,  niaiti  cu 
difftro  cssentiellement  par  )c  nombre  des  dents  de  la.  m.achoire  supc^rieure. 

^Proc.Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Thila..  VII  (1851-5.-)),  p.  131,  185(1. 


NOMENCLATURE.  27 

this  was  tlie  animal  that  tlic  riciich  autlior  had  in  hand.  The  evi- 
dence is  so  strongly  against  this  view  that  Le  Conte's  statement  may  be 
safely  disregarded.' 

Greenii  (ScotopMlus).  Gray,  List  Spec.  Mamm.  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  30, 1843. 
Gray's  ScotopMlus  greenii  is  a  nomen  nudum  which  refers  without  much 
doubt,  however,  to  Vespertilio  fuscus.  The  name  is  introduced  as  fol- 
lows: "Green's  Bat.  Scotophilus  Greenii.  a  In  spirits. — N^ortli 
America.     Presented  by  Jacob  Green,  M.D." 

Gryphus  (Vespertilio).  F.  Cnvier,  Nouv.  Ann.  Mus.  d'Hist.  Nat.,  T,  p. 
15,  1832.  Dr.  Harrison  Allen  has  recently  used  the  name  '■yesperiiUo'' 
(jryplius  for  the  '  T.'  lucifuyus  and  'F.'  ftuhuJatus  of  his  first  monograph 
which  he  unites  as  subspecies.'^  The  combination  of  characters;  two 
premolars  in  each  jaw,  light  yellow  color,  aiul  hairy  lips,^  is  not  known 
in  any  bat  inhabiting  the  eastern  United  States.  Hence  the  description 
is  wholly  undetenninable.  Le  Conte  refers  the  name  to  Vespertilio  fus- 
cus,^ but  this  determination  is  very  doubtfnl. 

Henshawii  (Vespertilio  nitidus).  U.  Allen,  INFonogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  103, 
1893.  VcHpertiJio  nitidus  hcnshan-ii  11.  Allen  is  a  synonym  of  Myofis 
eaUfornicus,  based  on  pale  examples  of  the  latter  from  near  Wingate, 
N.  Mex. 

Hesperus  (ScotopMlus).  H.  Allen,  INIonogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  ]>.  43,  1864. 
This  is  the  first  name  based  on  the  common  Pipistrelliis  of  the  south, 
western  United  States. 

Humeralis  (Vespertilio).  Bafinesque,  Americau  Monthly  Mag.,  Ill, 
p  44."),  1818.    While  there  is  nothing  absolutely  diagnostic  in  the  original 


'The  ()ri.i:;in.al  description  of  Vespertilio  georgianus  is  as  follows: 

"Ala  t(*te  (lea  MuriiioTdes;  I'oreille  est  dchancrt^e  et  Foreillon  en  ali'iio.  Toiitcs 
les  parties  siiporieures  du  corps  sont  colorccs  par  nn  melange  do  iioir  et  de  blond 
jauni'itre.  Le  noir  i)aroit,  parccqiie  la  pointe  despoils  qui  est  blonde  ne  recouvre 
pas,  a  cause  de  sa  brevitc,  lo  reste  do  la  longueur  dc  ces  polls  qui  est  noir.  Les  par- 
ties iuferieures  sont  grises,  niais  molauge'es  de  noir,  par  la  nu'ino  cause  qui  fait 
paro'itre  cette  couleur  aux  parties  supi'rieures.  Des  moustaches  garuissent  les  cAtrs 
des  li'vres  superieures,  ot  le  dessous  de  rextremitc  do  la  iiiachoire  inferieure. 

"Longueur  du  cori»s,  du  bout  du  uiuseau  a  I'origiue  de  la  queue,  1  pouce  G  lignes; 
dc  la  queue,  1  pouce  2  lignes;  envergure,  7  ponces. 

"De  Goorgie.     Du  aux  rccherches  de  M.  le  major  Leconte." 

"Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  j).  75,  1893. 

"•The  description  is  as  follows: 

"A  latete  des  Muriuoidoset  deux  fansses  niolaires  anomales  fort  petites  de  chaque 
cot*^.  des  deux  machoires;  I'oreille  est  dchancrce  et  roreillou  en  couteau.  Toutes  les 
parties  snp(5rieures  du  corps  sout  d'un  blond  jaunatrc,  les  parties  infcrieures  sont 
grises,  mais  les  polls  des  nns  et  des  autres  sont  noirs  a  lour  extr(^nute  inferieure.  Les 
parties  uues  sont  viohUres.  Des  moustaches  garuissent  les  cotes  de  la  levre  supe- 
rieuro  et  le  dessous  de  rextromitc  de  la  machoiro  inferieure.  Longueur  du  corps,  de 
rextremite  du  museau  a  rorigino  de  la  (lueue,  1  pouce  9  lignes;  do  la  queue,  1  jjouce 
2  lignes;  envergure,  7  ponces  10  lignes. 

"Des  environs  de  New  York.     Du  aux  vecherches  de  M.  Millifrl-." 

M'roc.  Acad.  Nat.  8ci.  Phila.  Vll  (1854-55),  p.  134,  1856. 


28  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

description'  of  this  species,  its  subsequent  treatment  is  such  as  to  leave 
no  reasonable  doubt  that  Raflnesque  liad  in  mind  the  bat  afterward 
named  Ni/ctieea  crcpuscularlH  by  Le  Conte.  In  1819  Raflnesque  based 
the  genus  Nycticeius  on  two  of  liis  species  of  Vespertilio  which  differed 
from  all  others  known  to  him  in  the  possession  of  only  two  incisors 
in  the  upper  jaw.  One  of  these,  V.  tesselatns,  was  the  red  bat,  Lasiurus 
borealis.  The  other,  V.  humeralis,  must  have  been  the  twilight  bat,  as 
there  is  nothing"  in  tlie  description  that  precludes  it,  and  no  other  small 
si)ecies  with  two  ui)per  incisors  is  known  in  the  eastern  United  States. 

Incautus  (Vespertilio).  J.  A.Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  VIII, 
]).  239,  November  21,  1896.  Vesperiilio  iiieautus  J.  A.  Allen,  is  a  syno- 
nym of  Myotis  velifer  (J.  A.  Allen),  based  on  specimens  of  the  latter 
from  San  Antonio,  Tex.     (See  p.  59.) 

Intermedius  (Lasiurus).  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  (18G2), 
p.  14:(),  1863.  This  is  the  only  specific  name  based  on  the  bat  now 
known  ns  JJasyptcrus  intermedius. 

Keenii  (Vespertilio  suhulatus).  Merriam,  American  Naturalist,  XXIX, 
p.  800,  September  1,  1894.  W'sjK-rtilio  .siibidafiis  keenii  is  the  only  name 
based  on  the  dark  form  of  Myotis  snhnlatus  occurring  on  the  Queen 
Charlotte  Islands,  Uritish  Columbia. 

Lanceolatus  (Vespertilio).  ^^aximilian,  Reise  in  das  Innere  Nord- 
America,  I,  p.  364,  footnote,  1839.  The  specific  name  lanceolatus  was 
proposed  Dy  Maximilian  as  a  substitute  \'ov  sn hn lain s,  shon\d  the  animal 
which  he  designated  by  the  latter  name  i)iove  to  be  different  from 
Say's.'^  Maximilian's  siilmlatus  is  described  at  considerable  length  and 
is  probably  the  VespertiUo  Ineifnr/ns  of  Le  Conte.  The  following  meas- 
urements are  given:  Total  length.  3"  V";  extent,  8"  9'";  tail,  1"  3'"; 
ear,  0'";  tragus,  2.^". 

Lasiurus  (Vespertilio).  Schreber,  Siiugthiere,  Abth.  I,  PI.  LXII  B, 
published  with  Abth.  IV,  I  left  34,  1781.''  The  figure  of  Vespertilio 
lasiurus  is  a  good  representation  of  the  red  bat  (Lasiurus  horenlis  Mid- 
ler, 1776).  Dobson^ cites  this  name  as  dating  from  1775,  in  which  case 
it  would  be  the  earliest  for  the  species.  This  is,  however,  a  mistake.  PI. 
LXII  appeared  with  Abth.  I  in  1774,  but  PI.  LXII  B,  was  not  pub- 
lished until  1781  with  Abth.  IV,  Heft  34.  The  species  is  mentioned  in 
Abth.  I  (p.  170)  as  'Die  nordamerikanische  Fledermaus.' 

Lasurus  (Vespertilio).     Boddaert,  Elenchus  Animalium  I,  p.  71,  1785. 


'Tail  tluee-seM!ntli8,  upper  incisores  2,  remote,  lower  6,  body  dark  brown  above, 
slioulders  black,  ,i;ray  beiieatb,  wiugs,  tail,  ears,  and  snout  blackisb,  eyes  under  tlio 
bair,  ears  longer  tban  tbe  bead,  elliptical,  anriculatod.  Lengtb  3  1-2  inches, 
breadth  11. 

-Diese  Fledermaus  bescbrieb  icb  in  nieinem  Tagebucbe  nnter  der  Benennnng  leap. 
Janceolaina,  sie  bat  abcr  viel  Aebnlicbkeit  mit  Say's  V.  fiiihiihitns.  Zu  Betblelieni  in 
Peuusylvanien  erbielt  icb  zwei  Excniplare     *     *     *     _ 

^For  date  of  publication  see  Sberborn,  Proc.  Zool.  8oc.  London,  1891,  p.  589. 

■•Catal.  Chiroptera  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  269,  1878. 


NOMENCLATURE.  29 

Vcsju'iiilio  hisnrus  Boddaertis  probably  a  misprint  for  V.  hi,sinri(.s,  siuco 
reference  is  made  to  tSclireber's  plate. ^ 

Lecontii  (Plecotus).  Cooper,  Ann.  Jjyceiim  Xat.  Hist.  New  York,  IV, 
}),  72,  1848.     Concerning"  Plecotus  lecontii,  Cooper  says: 

The  uauie  inacroiis  1  have  venturetl  to  supersede,  as  being  in  nowise  distinctive  of 
the  species,  but  in  reality  derived  from  a  generic  cliaracter,  which  in  some  species 
is  more  developed  than  iu  tlie  present.  Tiie  ears  Ijeing  therefore  rather  miudl  for  the 
genus,  this  name  becomes  contradictory ;  and  no  American  naturalist  will  regret  the 
op])ortunity  thus  afforded  of  paying  a  well  merited  tribute  to  the  discoverer  of  so 
many  rare  and  remarkable  animals  of  this  country. 

The  name  is  of  course  a  synonym  of  macrotis  Le  Conte. 

Leibii  (Vespertilio).  And.  .S:  Bach..  Jonrn.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Pliila., 
VIII,  rt.  II,  p.  281,  1842.  Vespertilio  leibii  And.  &  Bach.,  from  Erie 
County,  Mich,  [now  Ohio]  is  probably  Myotis  lucifuffus  Le  Conte.  The 
measurements  are  as  follows:  "  Length  of  head  and  body  1  inch  7  lines; 
tail  1  inch  4  lines;  spread  7  inches;  height  of  ear  posteriorly  2.]  lines; 
tragus  I  line." 

Longicrus  (Vespertilio).  True,  Science,  VIII,  oSTo.  20.3,  p.  ."iS8,  Dec.  24, 
1886.  Vespertilio  loiujicrus  True,  is  the  only  name  based  on  the  com- 
mon western  subspecies  of  Myotis  sithulatKs. 

Lucifugus  (Vespertilio).  Le  Conte,  MclMurtrie's  Cuvier,  Animal  King- 
dom, I,  !>.  431,  1831.  The  original  description  of  Vespertilio  lueifwjus 
Le  Conte  is  as  follows: 

Anterior  upper  fore-teeth  bilobate;  body  above  dark  brown,  beneath  cinereous; 
nose  sub-bilobate;  face  with  a  nakedish  prominence  on  each  side;  ears  oblong, 
naked,  tragus  sub-linear,  half  as  long  as  llie  ears;  tail  projecting  a  little  beyond  the 
membrane;  length  to  the  insertion  of  the  tail  two  inches  and  a  quarter;  tail  one 
inch  and  a  quarter. 

From  this  alone  it  would  be  impossible  to  identify  the  animal  that 
the  writer  had  in  mind.  Fortunately,  Le  Conte  treated  the  species  in 
more  detail  in  a  paper  published  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Academy 
of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia  for  1855  (pp.  431-138).  Here  he 
recognizes  three  species  of  '  VespertiHo''  with  thirty  eight  teeth  as  occur- 
irng  in  the  eastern  United  States.  These  are  V.subulatus,  V.lncifuijus, 
and  Y.  (/corf/ianiis.  V.  (jcorgianHs  is  clearly  Pipisirellns  suhflarKs,  which 
Le  Conte  placed  with  the  thirty-eiglit-toothed  species  through  an  error 
in  counting  the  teeth.  P.  lucifugus  and  V.  snbulatHS  of  Le  Conte  are 
evidently  based  on  individual  variations  in  the  shorter-eared  of  the  two 
eastern  species  of  4///o/ /.v.  The  only  differences  in  Le  Confers  descrip- 
tions of  the  two  forms  are  the  following:  P.  subulatns:  Ear  slightly 
emarginate;  length  2.0;  tail  1.1;  extent  9.4;  head  .9;  ears  .4;  oriUon 
.3.  V.  IncifiKjus:  Ears  so  much  emarginated  as  to  appear  hooked; 
length  3.8;  tail  l.C;  extent  11.7;  head  .75;  ears  .45;  orillou  .2. 


'  Boddaert's  account  is  as  follows: 

"  Lasurus.  16.  V.  cauda  longissima,  rostro  oblicjuo  truncato,  hi  Joufjne  (Jiieite. 
Schreb.,  tab.  52.  B    lomjtaUed  Bat." 

Habitat:  "Quare  Doct.  Krxlebeu,  Zimmermauu,  Pennant  hune  notabilem  vesper- 
tilionem  omiserunt,  mihi  latet." 


30  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Macleayii  (Scotophilus).  (iray,  List  Spec.  Maiiim.  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  80, 
1843.  i^c'otopliilii.s  iii<iclc(ii/ii  Gray  is  a  iioineii  iiuduiu,  probably  based 
on  YesperiUio  i'uHvns  cubeusis.  Gray  says  merely:  "MacLeay's  Bat. 
SooTorHiLUS  MacLeayii  a  In  spirits.  Male.  Cuba. — Presented  by 
W.  S.  MacLeay,  Es(i.'' 

Macropus  (Vespertilio).  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Pliila,,  p.  288. 
1866.  Vespertilio  macropiis  H.  Allen  is  a  synonym  of  Myotis  yumaneum 
(H.  Allen).  Tbe  name  is,  moreover,  preoccupied  by  Vespertilio  macropus 
Gould,  1854.' 

Macrotis  (Plecotus).  Le  Coute,  McMurtrie's  Cuvier,  Animal  King- 
dom, 1,  !>.  431,  1831.  Plecotus  macrotis  Le  Oonte  is  the  first  name  cer- 
tainly applied  to  tlie  bat  now  known  as  Corynorhinus  macrotis. 
llafinesque's  Vesiurtilio  megalotis  may  have  been  the  same  animal,  but 
his  description  is  so  poor  that  it  is  impossible  to  determine  what  he 
refers  to. 

Maculatus  (Histiotus).  .1.  A.  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  TsTat.  Hist.,  New 
York,  111,  }).  1 '.»."),  1891.  Histiotus  maculatus  is  the  name  under  which 
the  bat  now  known  as  Eiulerma  m<{culatiim  Mas  first  described. 

Megalotis  (Vespertilio).  Patines(|ue,  American  ^Monthly  INIag,".,  Ill,  p. 
•446,  1818.  There  is  nothing-  in  the  original  description-'  of  Bafines(iue's 
Vespertilio  megalotis  by  which  the  si)ecies  can  be  identified.  It  is  pos- 
sibly tlie  animal  afterwards  named  Plecotus  macrotis  by  Le  Conte. 

Melanops  (Eptesicus).  Kafinesque,  Annals  of  Nature,  p.  3,  1820. 
When  Kafinesque  transferred  his  Vespertilio  phaiops  to  the  geiuis 
Eptesicus^  he  clianged  the  specific  name  to  melanops,  thus  adding 
another  to  the  synonyms  of  Vespertilio  fuscus. 

Melanorhinus  (Vespertilio).  Merriam,  North  American  Fauna,  No.  3, 
p.  40,  September  11,  1890.  Vespertilio  melanorhinus  Merriam  is  a  syn- 
onym of  Myotis  calij'ornicus,  based  ou  a  specimen  of  the  latter  from  San 
Francisco  Mountain,  Arizoiui. 

Melanotus  (Vespertilio).  liafiuesque,  American  Monthly  Mag.,  Ill,  p. 
445,  1818.  Ivafines(iue's  Vespertilio  melanotus  is  hopelessly  indetermi- 
nable.    The  original  description  is: 

Tail  oue-tliird,  brown  iibove,  gray  Ijeueath,  body  bhuki.sh  aljove,  whitish  beueath, 
wing.s  dark  gray,  shafts  black,  ears  aiiriculated,  rouuded.  Length  4  1-2  inches, 
breadth  12  1-2. 

Melas  (Eptesicus).  Le  Conte,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,yil  (1854-55), 
p.  438,  1856.  In  a  paper  on  the  bats  of  the  United  States  published  in 
185(5,  Le  Conte  refers  to  Eptesic^is  melas  Rafinesque  as  an  unidentified 
species.  I  have  been  able  to  tind  no  such  name  in  any  of  llafinesque's 
writings  and  therefore  suppose  that  Eptesicus  melas  is  a  misprint  for 
E.  my  das,  especially  as  the  latter  is  not  mentioned  by  Le  Conte. 

'Mammals  of  Australia,  III  (fide  Dobson). 

-Tail  three-eighths  of  total  length,  body  dark  gray  above,  pale  gray  beneath,  ears 
very  large,  duplicated,  auricules  nearly  as  long.     Length  4  inches,  breadth  12  inches. 


NOMENCLATURE.  31 

Merriami  (Vesperugo).  Dobson,  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  ITist.,  XVIII,  p. 
124,  1886.  Vcspvruyo  merriami  Dobson,  Avas  based  on  a  speciiueu  of 
ripiNtrelhi.s  hesperus  from  I{ed  IJhiff,  Tehama  County,  Cal.,  wrongly 
supposed  to  have  been  taken  at  Locust  Grove,  N.  Y. 

Mexicana  (Atalapha).  Saussure,  Kevuc  et  Mag.  de  Zool.,  2e  ser.,  XIII, 
J).  1)7,  1861.  Atalaplia  mexicana  Siuissure  is  the  first  name  based  on 
the  southern  race  of  Lasii(rns  horvalis,  afterwards  descril)ed  by  Peters 
as  Aialapha  franizH. 

Mexicanus  (Vespertilio).  Saussure,  Revue  et  Mag.  de  Zool.,  2e  ser., 
W\.  ]).  282,  July,  1860.  Under  the  name  VcKpertiUo  mcxieanns  Saus- 
sure described  the  large,  dark  Mexican  form  of  Myoiis  californicns, 
which  had  hitherto  received  no  name. 

Miradorensis  (Scotophilus).  II.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Xat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p. 
287,  1866.  ^cotopJtilus  miradorenHiH  B.  Allen  is  the  only  name  based 
ou  the  large  southern  form  of  Vespertilio  fu.scKs. 

Monachus  (Vespertilio).  liafinesque,  American  Monthly  Mag.,  Ill,  p. 
445,  1818.  Theorigiinil  description  of  Ilalinesque's  Vcspcrt i I io  monachus 
leaves  no  doubt  that  it  refers  to  Lasinrus  borealis  (Miiller).  It  is  as 
follows: 

Tiiil  oue-fouitb,  liairy  Jiljove,  friuged  hiterally,  body  jialc.  fallow  above  and  Itelow, 
head  and  ueck  covei-ed  with  a  longer  fur  of  a  dark  red  fallow,  ^viugs  dark  gray, 
shafts  red,  hiud  feet  black,  uose  red,  ears  concealed  in  the  fur.  Length  4  inches, 
breadth  12. 

Monticola  (Vespertilio).  And.  »S:  Bach.,  Jouru.  Acad.  Xat.  Sci.  Phila., 
I,  Xo.  7,  p.  92,  October,  1841.  Vespertilio  monticola  is  probably  Pipis- 
trellus  snbfiavns  (F.  Cuvier),  though  the  description  is  not  wholly  per- 
tinent to  this  species.    The  original  account  is  as  follows : 

Vespa-tUio  monticola  (Mountain  bat). — V.  vespertilione  subulata  brevior;  uuriculns 
breviori))UB ;  tragus  nonexcedentibus,  diniidiani  longitudinem  auiicula' ;   colore  fulvo. 

Mountain  Hat. — Smaller  than  Say's  bat  (  T.  snhnlatns);  cars  shorter;  tragus,  less 
than  half  the  length  of  the  ear;  color,  yellowish  brown.  Upper  fore  teeth  bilobate, 
cars  moderate,  nakeil,  erect,  rather  broad  at  base;  tragus  linear,  subulate,  body 
small;  wings  long;  tail  i)rojecting  a  line  beyond  the  interfcmoral  membrane,  which 
is  slightly  sprinkled  with  hair  above  and  beneath. 

Color. — The  nose  and  chin  are  black;  cars  light  brown;  Aving  membranes  dark- 
brown.  The  whole  of  the  fur  of  the  body,  above  and  beneath,  is  from  the  roots,  of 
a  uniform  yellowish-brown  color. 

The  species  differs  from  Say's  bat  not  only  in  color,  but  in  the  much  shorter  ears  and 
tragus.  The  size  and  sha]ie  of  the  tragus  wo  have  found  an  invaluable  guide  in  our 
American  bats;  the  ears  of  the  j)resent  S](ecies,  when  alive,  are  always  erect;  while 
those  of  Say's  Bat  arc  folded  backward  like  those  of  the  long-eared  Bats — I'lv- 
coliis.     *     *     » 

IHmcnsiovs. — Length  of  head  and  body,  1  inch  8  lines;  length  of  tail,  1  inch  6 
lines;  length  of  spread,  8  inches;  height  of  ear  posteriorly,;}  lines;  height  of 
tragus,  1:^  lines. 

N.  B. — The  tragus  in  Say's  Bat  is  four-and-a-half  lines  in  height.  Several  sjieci- 
mens  of  this  Bat  were  obtained  during  the  summer,  on  the  mountains  of  \'irginia,  at 
the  Grey  Sulphur  Springs.     They  were  uniform  in  size  and  color. 


32  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  | 

Mydas  (Eptesicus).  Eafiiiesquo,  Annals  of  Nature,  p.  '^,  1820.  The 
description  of  I'Jpfc.sicns  nii/iht.s  leaves  the  species  hopelessly  indeter- 
minable.    It  is  as  follows: 

Fulvous  above,  grey  beueath ;  wings,  ears  and  tail,  pale  brown,  shafts  whitissb; 
ears  double  the  length  of  the  head;  tail  naked,  slightly  inucronate,  nearly  as  long 
as  the  body. — I  have  observed  it  in  the  barrens  of  Kentucky  dying  in  the  houses. 
Total  length  three  inches,  of  which  the  tail  includes  live-twelfths.  Ears  three- 
(luartera  of  an  inch  long.  I  mentioned  it  under  the  name  of  J'esp.  miidas  in  my 
account  of  the  Bats  of  the  western  states,  (Am.  Mag.  v.  3).  I  have  since  iustitutcd 
two  other  general  with  them,  Hi/pexodoii  and  Xycliceiiis  (Prodr.  70  N.  G.  An);  the 
others  are  probably  Atalaphes.  I  know  already  lifteen  species  of  Bats  in  the 
ITnited  States,  almost  iill  new  ones. 

No  bat  is  known  to  occur  in  Kentucky  that  combines  the  characters 
attributed  to  this  animal. 

Mystax  (Vespertilio).  Uafinesiiue,  American  Monthly  Mag.,  Ill,  p. 
445,  1818.  This  species  which  Kafinesque  had  already  referred  to  as 
Noctilio  Dii/stax,^  is  described  as  follows: 

Tail  two-fifths  of  total  length,  upper  incisores  none,  lower  6,  2  warts  at  the 
lower  .jaw,  body  entirely  fallow,  to]>  of  the  head  browniish,  oars  brown,  auricu- 
lated,  longer  than  the  head.     Length  5  inches,  breadth  14. 

In  the  diagnosis  of  the  geiuis  i/y^>f\rof/o?j,  based  on  this  species,  some 
further  characters — such  as  'nostrils  round,  projecting,'  and  'lips 
whiskered' — are  added,  which  only  serve  to  increase  the  impossibility 
of  identifying  the  aninuil. 

Nigricans  (Vespertilio).  Maximilian,  BeitrJige  Naturgesch.  Brasil.,  II, 
p.  26(>,  1826.  Mi/olis  ui(/ric<(ns  (Maximilian)  is  a  species  closely  related 
to  M.ca I {/'(>)•)( icus,\yhi{!,]\  it  re[)laces  in  the  tropical  fauna  from  southern 
Mexico  southward.  The  name  was  applied  to  M.  californicns  by  Dr. 
Harrison  Allen  in  his  recent  monograph  (18!>.'>).  In  the  original  desciip- 
tion  Maximilian  cites  Scliinz  ('Thierreich  u.  s.  w.  1>.  I.  p.  179')  as 
authority  for  the  name.  As  I  have  been  unable  to  verify  this  reference 
I  do  not  know  wliether  the  name  was  actually  ])ublished  before  1826. 

Nitidus  (Vespertilio).  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  (1862), 
p.  247,  1863.  Vespertilio  nitidus  H.  Allen,  is  the  common  small  brown 
bat  of  the  western  United  States  and  therefore  the  name  is  a  synonym 
of  V.  caUfornicus  Aud.  &  Bach.,  1842. 

Noctivagans  (Vespertilio.)  Le  Conte,  McMurtrie's  Cuvier,  Animal  King- 
dom, I,  p.  431,  1831.  This  is  the  first  name  based  on  the  silver-haired 
bat,  Lasionycteris  noctivagann. 

Noveboracensis  (Vespertilio).  Erxlebcn,  tSyst.  llegni  Anim.,  I,  p.  155, 
1777.  Erxleben's  Vespertilio  norehoraceiisis  was  based  on  the  New 
York  bat  of  Pennant  (Sym>i).  (»)uadr.,  p.  367),  'Die  nordamerikanische 
Fledermaus'  of  Schreber  (Siingthiere,  I,  p.  176),  aud  'Der  Neujorker'  of 
Midler  (Natursyst.  Suppl.,  p.  20).  It  is  therefore  the  red  bat,  Lasturus 
borealis.  ' 

Noveboracus  (Vespertilio).  Boddaert,  Elenchus  Animalium,  I,  p.  71, 
1785.     This  is  the  red  bat,  TAisinrus  iiorealis  Miiller.     Boddaert  meu- 


1  American  Monthly  Mag.,  Ill,  p.  354. 


NOiMKNCLATURE.  33 

tioiis  the  white  shouhler  marks  characteii.stic  of  the  species  and  refers 
to  Schreber  and  Pennant. 

Obscurus  (Vespertilio).  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Xat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  281, 
1866.  VespertHio  obsourns  VI.  Alien,  is  one  of  the  numerous  synonyms 
of  Mijotis  califoraicus.    The  type  specimens  came  from  Lower  Oaliforuia. 

Oregonensis  (Vespertilio).  II.  Allen,  Mongr.  Bats  jST.  Am.,  p.  01, 1864. 
The  wording  of  Dr.  Allen's  account  of  Vespertilio  oreyonensis  is  so 
ambiguous  as  to  leave  some  doubt  as  to  whether  he  intended  to  apply 
the  uame  to  specimens  from  Fort  Yuma  and  Cape  St.  Lucas  (Nos.  r)105, 
5537,  and  5402)  or  to  a  skin  labeled  oref/oitensis  by  Le  Conte.  In  either 
case  the  name  is  a  synonym  of  V.  californicus  Aud.  &  Bach.  Under 
V.  nitidus  he  says : 

Nos.  5105,5537,  and  5102,  four  specimens  in  ull,  present  the  following;-  peculiarities: 
The  fur  is  longer  tliau  in  others  of  tiio  collection.  On  tlie  back  the  base  of  the  hair 
is  blackish;  upper  tliird  pale  yellow,  tuining  to  a  delicate  light-yellowish  russet 
brown ;  on  the  belly  the  hair  is  dark  brown  at  the  base,  with  light  tips;  the  hairs  on 
the  interfemoral  uienilirane  are  also  of  a  light  color.  In  other  n'spects  the  charac- 
ters arc  the  same  as  the  other  specimens.  The  diied  specimen.  No.  .5512,  labeled  by 
Dr.  I.e  Conte  J\  ovegonensis,  though  never  described  by  him,  probably  belongs  to  this 
variety.  If  the  individuals  having  the  above  coloration  should  be  found  to  consti- 
tnte  a  new  species,  this  name  will  be  reserved  for  it. 

Pallidus  (Vespertilio).  Le  Conte,  Proc.  Acad.  ISIat.  Sci.  Phila.,  VII, 
(1854-55)  p.  4.')7,  1856.  Vespertilio  pallidus  Le  Conte  is  the  only  name 
based  on  the  Eastern  form  of  Antrozous,  the- type  of  the  genus.  Le 
Conte  stated  that  his  species  came  from  California,  but  this  is  evidently 
an  error,  as  pointed  out  by  Baird  and  Harrison  Allen.  The  type,  now 
in  the  United  States  National  Museum,  is  labeled  'Fort  Clark,  Texas.' 
It  agrees  in  all  respects  with  skins  taken  in  the  same  region  by  Dr.  E. 
A.  Mearus. 

Parvula  (Rhogeessa).  II.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  285, 
1866.  I\}io(/ei'ssa parrula  H.  Allen,  from  the  Tres  Marias  Islands,  IVIexico, 
is  [)robab]y  distin(;t  from  any  of  the  members  of  the  genus  that  occur 
on  the  mainland.     The  type  is  now  mislaid  or  lost. 

PfeifFeri  (Atalapha).  (xundlach,  .^lonatsber.  K.  Preuss.  Akad.  VViss., 
Berlin,  p.  152,  1861.  Gundlach's  Atalapha  p/eifl'eri  is  the  only  name 
based  on  the  Cuban  form  of  Lasiuru.s  borealis. 

Phaiops  (Vespertilio).  Ilaflnesque,  American  Monthly  Mag.,  Ill,  p.  445, 
.1818.  Under  the  name  Vespertilio  phaiops^  Bafinesque  gave  an  accurate 
description  of  Vespertilio  fuscus  Beau  vols.     He  says: 

Tail  one-third  of  total  length,  naked,  mucronate,  Ijody  dusky  bay  above,  pale 
beneath,  face,  ears  aud  wings  blackish,  4  incisores  in  the  u])per  Jaw,  2  on  each  side, 
divided  by  a  large  Hat  wart,  unequal,  the  outside  oiu!S  larger  aud  bilobed,  G  small 
incisores  at  the  lower  jaw.     Length  41-2  inches,  breadth  13. 

Priscus  (Nyctitherium).  Marsh,  American  Jonrn.  Sci.  &  Arts,  od  ser,, 
IV,  p.  128,  1872.  Ni/ctitJtcrium  priscus  Marsh  is  a  name  based  on  a 
fragment  of  a  fossil  lower  jaw  from  the  Eocene  or  lower  Miocene  near 
Henrys  Fork,  Wyoming. 

Propinqims  (Vesperus).  Peters,  Monatsber.  K.  Preuss.  Akad.  Wiss., 
2772— No.  13 3 


34  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Berlin,  p.  2(52,  1872.  Vespcrns  propinquvs  Peters  from  Santa  Ysabel, 
Guatemala,  is  the  small  southern  form  of  YeHpe^'tlUo  fusimn,  I  can  find 
no  other  uauie  based  on  this  animal. 

Pruinosus  (Vespertilio).  Say,  Long's  Expedition  to  the  llocky  Moun- 
tains, I.,  p.  107,  footnote,  1823.  Vespertilio  pruinosus  Say,  is  the  hoary 
bat,  Lasiurus  cineyeus  (Beauv.).  It  was  described  from  a  speciuien 
taken  at  l^^ngineer  Cantonment,  Washington  County,  Nebraska, .')  miles 
above  the  mouth  of  the  Boyer  River  and  not  far  from  Council  Bluffs, 
Iowa. 

Pulverulentus  (Vespertilio).  Temmiuck,  Monogr.  de  Mamm.,  II,  p.  23.5, 
(13*'  Monogr.),  1835-1841.  Under  the  name  VespertiUo  pnJrerulentus 
Temminck  gives  an  accurate  description  of  a  specimen  of  Lasionycteris 
noctivagans  tiiken  on  the  Missouri  River. 

Rafinesquii  (Plecotus).  Lesson,  Manuel  de  Mammalogie,  p.  06,  1827. 
Plecolus  rajinesqnii  Lesson  is  a  name  based  on  Rafinesque's  indetermi- 
nable Vespertilio  megalotis? 

Rubellus  (Vespertilio).  Beauvois,  Catalogue  Raisonne  du  Museum  de 
Mr.  C.  W.  Peale.  Philadelphie,  p.  18,  1796.  Vespertilio  rubellus  Beau- 
vois is  the  red  bat,  Lasiurus  boreaUs  (Miiller).^ 

Rubra  (Vespertilio).  Ord,  in  Guthrie's  Geography,  2d  American  ed., 
II,  p.  291,  1815  (Rhoads'  Reprint,  1801).  This  is  another  synonym  of 
Lasiurus  horealis  (Miiller).  The  name  a^jpears  in  a  nominal  list  of 
North  American  bats.  In  a  footnote,  however,  Ord  says:  "Described 
by  Mr.  Wilson.  See  American  Ornithology,  Yol.  VI,  p.  00."  Wilson's 
description,  as  well  as  his  figure  on  plate  50  (fig.  I)  of  the  1812  edition, 
refers  unquestionably  to  the  red  bat. 

Rufus  (Vespertilio).  Warden,  Description  des  Etats-Unis de  I'Amerique 
Sei^tentrionale,  V,  p.  000, 1820.  Warden's  Vespertilio  rufus  is  another 
synonym  of  Lasiurus  boreal  is  based  on  Wilson's  description  and  figure. 

Salarii  (Vespertilio).  F.  Cuvier,  Nouv.  Ann.  Mus.  d'Hist.  Nat.,  Paris, 
1,  p.  15,  1832.     Like  most  of  the  species  described  in  the  same  paper, 

'  The  origiual  descriptiou  is  as  follows : 

"Pelage  (run  giis  foine  on  tlessiis,  ct  d'mi  gris  pale  en  tlessous;  oreilles  tri'S  gran- 
tles  et  doubles,  poiirvucs  d'oreilloiis  anssi  loDgs  qu'elles;  uV-st  peut-Otre  (^u'uiie  va- 
ridte  de  uotre  oreillard.     llabite  les  Etats-l'iiis." 

^18.  Chauve-Sonris  roiigeatrc  Deux  premiores  deuts  plus  petites  que  les  canines, 
mais  appareutes,  tote  ainsi  quo  le  corps  d'une  couleur  rougeatre  uioh'o  do  quelqiies 
polls  blancliatres.  Oreilles  couleur  de  obair,  nues,  ropli^es  et  appeudiouliees  a  leur 
base.  Nariuos  omarginoos  et  distantes  I'uue  de  I'autre.  Vespertilio  rubellus.  Eed- 
isb  bat. 

Les  polls  du  corps  foruiout  quelques  Ibis  des  zones  rougeatres  et  blanches.  La 
niembrauo  aili  forme  est  voluo  on  d  ess  us  a  la  partie  antorieure,  ot  couverte  de  poils 
roux  dossus  ot  autour  de  la  queue.  L'iudividu  (^ue  nous  dcorivons  est  d'autant  plus 
curieux  qu'il  a  etc  pris  avec  trois  petits  qu'il  porlo  sur  sou  ventre.  Co  qu'il  y  a  de 
plus  particulier,  c'ost  ([ue  d'eux  d'eutr'oux  ressemblent  parfaitemont  a  la  more  pour 
la  couleur  et  I'autre  est  tout  a  fait  roux.  La  membrane  alliforme  est  couvertes  de 
raie  nn  pen  trausparentos  qui  vues  au  jour,  representent  des  quarr<^s  en  forme  de 
Lozaugo.  La  couleur  noiro  do  cotte  mombrano  contraste  avec  los  oouleurs  du  corps 
ot  oolle  des  divisions  dos  pattes  de  devant,  qui  sout  de  couleur  de  chair,  lorsquc  I'ani- 
nial  est  en  vie. 


NOMENCLATUKE.  35 

Vespertilio  salarii  is  indetermiuable,  No  known  North  Ameiicaii  but 
combines  Iiairy  lips,  reddisli  brown  color,  and  two  premolars  in  each 
jaw.' 

Seminola  (Atalapha  borealis).  lihoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p. 
32,  1895.  This  is  the  dull  mahogany-brown  race  of  Lasiurus  horeaJis 
peculiar  to  the  Austroripariau  fauna.  No  other  name  has  been  based 
on  this  animal. 

Septentrionalis  (Vespertilio  gryphus).  Trouessart,  Catalogus  Mamma- 
lium  tam  Viventium  quam  Fossilinm,  p.  131,  1897.  Trouessart's  Ves- 
pertilio (jryplius  var.  septentrionalis  is  the  only  name  unquestionably 
based  on  the  Myotls  commonly  known  as  Vespertilio  subnlatus  Say.  It 
is  merely  a  latinization  of  'northern  form  of  Vespertilio  gryphus,''  the 
designation  applied  by  Dr.  Harrison  Allen  in  his  Monograph  of  1893 
to  the  V.  suhulatus  of  his  first  monograph. 

Serotinus  (Nyctilestes).  Marsh,  Am.  Jouru.  Sci.  &  Arts,  3d  ser.,  IV, 
p.  21"),  1872..  The  name  Nyctilestes  serotinus  was  applied  by  Marsh  to 
the  fossil  jaw  of  a  bat  found  by  him  at  Grizzly  Buttes,  Wyoming. 

Subflavus  (Vespertilio).  Cuvier,  Nouv.  Ann.  Mus.  d'Hist.  Nat.,  Paris, 
I,  p.  17,  1832.  Vespertilio  suhjiavus  is  one  of  the  few  North  American 
bats  named  by  F.  Cuvier  that  can  be  identified.  It  is  without  doubt 
the  Georgia  bat  {Fipistrellus  suhjiavus),  commonly  known  as '  Vesperugo 
(jcorgianus.''  The  peculiar  col-oring  of  this  species,  unique  among  the 
bats  of  the  eastern  United  States,  is  very  accurately  described.'-^  This 
is  the  first  account  of  an  American  bat  in  which  this  color  pattern  is 
referred  to.  The  mixture  of  dark  and  light  hues  in  Cuvier's  V.  georgi- 
anus  is  due  to  the  shortness  of  the  fur  in  his  specimen,  which  allows 
the  dark  bases  of  the  hairs  to  appear  irregularly  on  the  surface.  This 
is  not  at  all  the  case  with  the  small  Fipistrellus  of  the  eastern  United 
States.    In  this  bat  the  hairs  are  tricolored,  dark  at  the  bases,  yellowish 

'The  original  description  is  as  follows : 

"A  la  tote  dcs  Muriuoules  et  deux  fausses  niolaires  de  chaque  cote  des  deux  uia- 
rhoires;  Toreille  est  I'chaiicrc'e  et  roreillou  en  coutean.  Toutes  les  parties  sup(5ri- 
enres  du  corps  sout  d'un  brim-inanon  grisfitre,  et  les  parties  iuferieures  gris- 
l>l:iucliatres.  Aux  parties  brunes  les  polls  soiit  plus  Ibuces  a  leur  luoitic  iufcrieure 
•|u'a  leur  suporieure;  ils  sont  iioias  dans  cette  iuferieure  aux  parties  gris.  Les  par- 
tiis  nues  sont  brunes,  des  moustaches  gainissent  les  cotes  de  la  levre  superieure 
et  le  dcssous  de  I'extremite  de  la  niachoire  iuferieure. 

"Longueur  du  corps,  du  bout  du  niuseau  a  I'origine  do  la  queue,  1  pouce  6  lignes; 
de  la  queue,  1  pouce  7  lignes;  envergure,  7  pouces  7  lignes. 

''Des  environs  de  Ne\y  York.     Du  aux  recherches  de  M.  Milbert."' 

-The  original  description  is  as  follows: 

"A.  la  tete  des  Muriuoules ;  I'oreille  est  ochancrde,  et  I'oreillou  en  demi-cu-ur.  Les 
parties  sup(?rieures  du  corps  sont  d'un  blond  gris  clair,  legircinent  ondulees  de 
brunatre ;  les  parties  infdrieures  d'un  blanc  jaunatre;  les  jjoils  des  parties  supdri- 
eiues  sont  noirs  a  leur  base,  blancbatres  dans  la  })]us  grande  partie  de  hnir  longueur, 
et  brunatres  a  leur  pointe;  cenx  des  parties  inferieures  sont  noirs  a  leur  ufoiti^  in- 
fdrieure,  et  d'un  blanc  jauiniitre  a  leur  autr(^  luoitid,  Des  moustaches  garnissent  les 
I    cotes  do  la  li-vre  superieure,  et  le  dessons  de  I'extr^mitd  de  la  machoire  iufcrieure. 

"Longueur  du  corjis,  du  bout  du  museau  a  I'origine  de  la  queue,  1  pouce  G  lignes; 
I    de  la  queue,  1  pouce  .S  lignes;  envergure,  7  ponces. 

"De  Georgie.     Du  aux  recherches  de  M.  le  major  Lecoute." 


36'  NORTH    AMEKICAN    FAUNA. 

ill  tlie  middle,  and  dark  at  the  extreme  tips.  Tliis  is  exactly  what 
Cuvier  describes  as  the  character  of  the  fur  of  his  'Bloiidiu'  {F.suhjiavm). 
Subulatus  ( Vesper tilio).  Say,  iu  Long's  Exped.  to  llocky  Mts.,  II,  p.  65 
footnote,  1823.  The  original  description  of  VespertiUo  subulatus  leaves 
the  species  undeterminable.     It  is  as  follows: 

Ears  longer  than  broad,  nearly  as  long  as  the  head,  hairy  on  the  hasal  half,  a  lUtlo 
veutricose  on  the  anterior  edge,  and  extending  near  to  the  eye;  tragus  elongated, 
subulate;  the  hair  above  blackish  at  b;ise,  tip  dull  cinereous;  the  iuterferniorai 
membrane  hairy  at  base,  the  hairs  unicolonred,  ami  a  few  also  scattered  over  its  sur- 
face, and  along  its  edge,  as  well  as  that  of  the  brachial  membrane;  hair  l)eneath 
black,  the  tip  yellowish-white;  hind  feet  rather  long,  a  few  set;i'  extending  over  the 
nails;  only  a  minute  portion  of  the  tail  protrudes  beyond  tije  membrane.  Total 
length,  2i'',   inches.     Tail,  1-,  inches. 

While  there  is  nothing  in  this  account  that  refers  unquestionably  to 
the  longer  eared  of  tbe  two  species  of  Myotis  inhabiting  the  eastern 
United  States,  the  name  has  jiassed  current  for  this  animal  so  long  that, 
after  careful  consideration  of  all  the  evidence,  I  am  unwilling  to  substi- 
tute for  it  Trouessart's  nunie  scptentrioxdlis,  the  only  one  une(|uivocally 
based  on  the  species.  Say's  Vespertilio  suhuhitus  came  from  the  Arkan- 
sas River,  near  the  present  town  of  La  Junta,  Colorado.  The  bats  of  this 
region  are  not  well  known,  but  at  present  Mijotls  crotis,  M.  californivus 
ciliolahrum,  and  M.  lucifuyus  1o)if/icrus  are  the  only  members  of  the 
genus  Myotls  which  nuiy  confidently  be  expected  to  occur  there.  From 
the  known  range  of  Myotls  subulatus  to  the  north  and  west,  however, 
its  regular  occurrence  in  Colorado  is  by  no  means  impossible.  Appar- 
ently Le  Coiite  was  the  hrst  subsecpient  writer  to  define  the  name 
subulatus,  and,  as  has  already  been  shown,  his  animal  was  an  individual 
variation  of  the  shorter  eared  of  the  two  eastern  si)ecies.  If  this  deter- 
mination be  taken  as  final,  there  can  be  no  (juestion  as  to  the  necessity 
of  adopting  the  name  septcntrioiiaUs  for  the  longer  eared  animal,  but  at 
present  the  power  of  the  'first  reviser'  is  so  much  in  question  that  too 
much  should  not  be  staked  on  it.  Harrison  Allen,  in  1804:,  applied  the 
name  subulatus  to  the  longer  eared  of  the  two  forms,  and  in  this  sense 
it  passed  unchallenged  until  18i>o,  when  the  same  author  united  the 
lucifugus  and  subulatus  of  his  earlier  monograph  under  the  s])e('itic 
name  yrypfius.  This  change  has  not  been  generally  adopted,  so  that  ill 
retaining  the  specific  name  subulatus  I  am  merely  continuing  the  usage 
of  the  past  thirty-four  years,  not,  however,  Mithout  grave  misgivings 
that  the  reasons  for  so  doing  are  in  reality  unsound. 

Teliotis  (Atalapha).  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc,  XXIX,  p.  1, 
February  11,  1891.  Atalaphu  teliotis  II.  Allen  is  the  only  name  based 
on  the  Calilbrnian  form  of  JAisiurus  borealis. 

Teniiidorsalis  (Vespertilio).  II.  xVlleii,  Troc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p. 
283,  1866.  This  is  a  synonym  of  Myotis  californicus  based  on  a  speci- 
men (Xo.  5533,  U.  S.  Xat.  Mus.)  from  Cape  St.  Lucas,  Lower  California. 

Tesselatus  (Vespertilio).  Rafinesqne,  American  Monthly  Mag.,  HI, 
p.  445,  1818.  Ilafinesque's  Vespertilio  tesselatus  is  Lasiurus  borealis 
(Milller).     The  original  description  is  as  follows: 

Tail  half  of  total  length,  hairy  above,  upper  incisores  2,  remote,  lower  0,  body 
fallow  above,  head  pale,  dirty  fulvous  beneath,  with  a  faint  fallow  collar,  with  2 


i- 


NOMENX'LATURE.  37 

hairy  white  spots  above  near  the  thumb,  membraue  blackish,  netted  of  fulvous  inter- 
nally and  clotted  of  same  externally,  shafts  fulvous,  nose  bilobate,  oars  nearly  con- 
cealed by  the  hair.     Leno^th  4  inches,  breadth  12. 

Townsendi  (Plecotus).  Cooper,  Ann.  Lyceum  ISTat.  Hist.  New  York,  IV, 
p.  73,  1837.  Plecotus  townseudi  Cooper  is  tiie  only  name  based  on  the 
form  of  Corynorhimis  inliabiting  the  northwestern  United  States. 

Tumida  (Rhogeessa).  H.  Allen,  Troc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  28G, 
1866.  h'hoffel'ssa  tumida  H.  Allen  is  the  only  name  based  on  the  small 
Mexican  bat  to  which  it  is  now  applied. 

Ursinus  (Vespertilio).  Temminck,  Monographies  de  Mammalogie,  II 
(13''  Monogr.),  p.  235,  1835-41.  The  description  of  Temminck's  Yesper- 
tilio  ursinus  refers  without  much  (juestion  to  Vespertilio  fuscus  lieauv., 
though  the  statement  is  made  that  there  is  no  false  molar  in  the  upper 
jaw.    Color,  size,  and  external  characters,  however,  agree  with  Y.  fuscus. 

Velifer  (Vespertilio).  J.  A.  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  New 
York,  in,  p.  177,  1890.  The  name  Yespertilio  velifer  has  been  applied 
by  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen  to  a  largo  species  oi'  jUyotis  occurring  in  Mexico  and 
the  south westein  United  Stales.  The  animal  is  closely  related  to  the 
Vespertilio  albescens  of  Dobson  and  may  eventually  prove  to  be  the  same 
as  T^.  albescens  (leoff'roy. 

Velox  (Nyctitherium).  Marsh,  Am.  Journ.  Sci.  cS;  Arts,  3d  ser.,  lY, 
p.  127,  1872.  Nyetitherium  velox  is  a  fossil  bat  from  the  Eocene  or 
lower  Miocene  near  Henry  Fork,  Wyoming. 

Veraecrucis  (Vesperugo).  AVard,  American  Naturalist,  XXY,  p.  745, 
August,  1891.  Ycsperugo  verwerueis  Ward  is  the  only  name  based  on 
a  form  o^  Plpistrellus  occurring  in  southern  Mexico. 

Virginiauus  (Vespertilio).  And.  &  Bach.,  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila., 
I,  No.  7,  J).  1)3,  October,  1841.  Yespertilio  rir(/inianns  can  not  be 
identified  with  any  degree  of  certainty,  though  it  is  without  much 
doubt  one  of  the  small  species  of  Myotis.  The  original  description  is 
as  follows : 

Vi'sperlUlo  riyi/iiiianiis  (Virginian  bat). — V.  vespertiliono  monticola  pnulnlnm  lon- 
gior,  anririiluH  itaiiluliuii  lougioribus  inagis<iu('  acutis;  dcntibus  i»rinioril)ns  maxiliie 
sii])eri()rissiin])licil)us;  iuteri'eiiiorali  meiiilirana  niida  ;  corporesuprai'uligineo-fusco; 
Hubtus  cinereo-l'iiscato. 

flrfiinian  hat. — A  little  larger  than  the  Monntain  Bat;  ears  a  little  longer  and  more 
pointed ;  upper  fore  teeth  simple ;  interfemoral  membrane  naked ;  sooty  brown  above, 
ash  brown  beneatli. 

r>  '^-'^  1-1 

Dentition. — Incisors  "^  -  .    Canines         . 
(J  1-1 

In  size  tiiis  species  is  intermediate  between  V.  caroltnensis  and  V.  sninlatns.  The  eai" 
is  naked,  less  rounded,  and  more  pointed  tlian  eitiier  of  the  other  closely  allied  species. 
Tho  tragus  is  very  narrow,  linear,  and  less  than  half  the  length  of  the  car.  The  tail 
18  inclosed  in  the  interfemoral  membrane,  except  the  penultimate  joint,  Avhich  is  free. 
The  anterior  upper  fore  teeth,  instead  of  being  sub  simple,  as  in  the  J'.  caroUnensis, 
or  bilobate,  as  in  V.  snhnlatus  and  T.  montanns,  are  simple. 

Color. — Tlie  nose,  upper  lip  and  upper  Jaw  are  black;  wings  dark  brown.  Tlie 
back  is  sooty  brown;  on  each  slioiilder,  at  the  insertion  of  the  wing,  there  is  a  cir- 
cular black  spot  about  1  lines  in  diameter;  on  the  under  surface  ciuerious  brown. 


38 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


Dimensions. — Length  of  head  and  hody,  2  inches  5  lines;  length  of  tail,  1  inch; 
length  of  spread,  8  inches  8  lines;  height  of  ear  posteriorly,  4  lines;  height  of 
tragus,  IJ  lines. 

^Hal). — Mountains  of  Virginia. 

Volans  (Vespertilio).  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Thila.,  p.  282, 
1866.  Vespertilio  volans  H.  Allen  is  another  of  the  numerous  syno- 
nyms of  Myofis  vcdifornieus.  The  name  was  based  on  a  specimen  from 
Cape  St.  Lucas,  Lower  Oalifornisx. 

Yumanensis  (Vespertilio).  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  58, 1864. 
j\lyotis  yumanensis  of  U.  Allen  is  the  small,  lar.ye-footed  bat,  to  which 
the  same  author  a  few  years  later  applied  the  name  macropus,  and 
finally  in  his  second  Monogra]>h  regarded  as  identical  with  Myotis 
alheseens  (Geoftroy). 

In  a  paper  published  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Philadelphia  Acad- 
emy of  Natural  Sciences  for  18GG,  Dr.  Allen  gives  a  revised  description 
of  M.  yumanensis,  based  on  a  Fort  Yuma  specimen  not  mentioned  in 
the  original  account  of  the  species.  This  specimen  was  Tlf.  ealifornicus, 
as  shown  by  the  very  small  hind  foot  which  measured  only  two  lines, 
or  4.2  mm.,  about  half  as  much  as  the  foot  of  M.  yumanensis. 

LISTS    OF   NORTH   AMERICAN   VESPERTILIONIDiE. 

Forty-six  species  and  subspecies  of  Vesj)€rtilionida^  are  here  recog- 
nized as  occurring  in  America  north  of  Panama  and  in  the  West  Indies. 
This  numl  )er  will  probably  be  materially  increased  when  the  West  Indian 
and  Central  American  species  are  better  known,  and  when  adequate 
series  of  skins  from  the  nm inland  ])ermit  the  definition  of  certain  geo- 
graphic races  which  doubtless  exist  but  wliose  characters  can  not  be 
determined  from  the  material  now  in  collections.  Tlie  North  American 
forms  now  known,  with  the  names  used  for  them  by  Harrison  Allen  in 
1804,  Dobson  iu  1878  and  Harrison  Allen  in  1803,  are  as  follows: 

Co7)ipi(ratirc  taMe  of  names  used  for  Xorlh  American  Tcspcrtilionida'. 


H.  AHen,  1864. 


Names  used  in  the  present 
paper. 

Antrozoii8pallidna(LeCniite)    Aiilrozoiis      pallidns 
(part). 

Antrozons  pallidus  jiacificns     Antrozons      pallidas 


]VIeri'iaiii. 

Eiidcrnia  niacnlatum  (J.  A. 
Allen). 

Corynorliinus  macroti.s    (Lo 
Coiite). 

Corynorliinus  macrotis   jial- 
lescens  subsp.nov. 

Corynorliinus  macrotis  to \vn- 
sendi  (Cooper). 

Myotis  velifer  (J.  A.  Allen) . . 


ilyotis  lucifugus  (Le  Conte). 


(part). 


Synotus  luacrolis.. 
SynotiKs  townsendi 


Vespertilio  lucifugus. 


Dobson,  1878. 


Antrozons  iiallidus  . 


IMecotns  macrotis . 


H.  Allen,  1893. 

Antrozons   pallidus 

(part). 
Antrozons    pallidus 

(part). 

Euderni.a  maculata. 

Corynorliinus  macrotis. 

Coryiiorliiinis    town- 
sendi. 


Vespertilio     albcscen.s 
velifer  (part). 

Vespertilio      gryplms 
^^  ..,.  ,..  I)     lucifugus. 

^  espertiho  carolii  ....    Vespertilio    albescens 

1 1,     atbnis. 


TABLE    OF    NAMES.  39 

Comparative  table  of  names  used  for  North  American  VespertHionidce — Coutiuued. 


Names  used  in  the  present 
paper. 

Myotis  lucifusfus  longicrus 
(True). 

jrv<)ti.s  lucifugus  alascensis 
subsp.  nov. 


RfyotisyunianensisCH.  Allen) 


Myoli.s  yumanensla   satura- 
tu.s.  subsp.  nov. 


Mvotis  californicus  (Au<l.  & 
Bach.). 


Myoti.s    californicus   ciliola- 
brum  (Merriaui). 

Myotis  californicus caurinus 
subsp.  uov. 

yotia    calilbniicus    niexi- 
caiius  (Saussure). 

Myolis  nigricans  (^faxiuiil- 

i:iii). 

Myotis  snbulatus  (Say) 

Myotis     snbulatus      keenii 
(Mcrriani). 

Myotis  evotis  (H.  Allen) 


H.  Allen,  1864. 


Vespertilio  yunianen- 
sis. 


Vespertilio  nitidus. 


Myotis  thy  sanodea  sp.  nov. 


Lasionycteris     noctivagans 
(Le  Coute). 


Vespertilio  suljiilatus 


Vespertilio  evotis. 


Scotophihis    noctiva- 
gans. 


Pijiistiellus     hesperus     (H.      Scotophihis  hesperus 
Allen).  i 

Pipistrellus  hesperus austra-  ' 

lis  subsp.  nov. 

I'ipistrellus    sul)tlavus     (F.      Scotophihis      georgi- 
Cuvier).  anus. 

I'ipistrellus     suhtlavns     ob- 

scurus  subsp.  nov. 

ripistrellus     v  e  r  a'  c r  r  c  i  s  I 

(Ward). 

Vespertilio  fuscus  Beauvois.,  .Scotoi)hihis  fuscns... 


Vespertilio    fuscus    niirado- 
rensis  (H.  Allen). 

Vespertilio    fuscus    projiin- 
quus  (Peters). 

Vespertilio  fuscus  baliamen- 
sis  subsp.  nov. 

Vespertilio  fuscus  cubensis 
(Gray). 

Vespertilio  albigularis   (Pe- 
ters). 

Lasiurus  borealis  (Miiller) . . . 

Lasiurus  borealis  seminolus 
(Rhoads). 

Lasiurus    borealis    pfeitferi 
((iundlach). 

I-:isiurus  borealis  teliotis  (H. 
Allen). 


Lasiurus     novebora- 
censis. 


Dobson,  1878. 


H.  Allen,  1893. 


Vespertilio  nitidus  ... 


Vespertilio     nitidus 
longicrus. 


(■Vespertilio  albescens. 

Vespertilio  n  i  t  i  <1  u  s 
!     aiacropus. 

Vespertilio  nitidus  (pe- 
[    domorphic    variety). 


Vespertilio  nitidus. 
Vespertilio     n  i  t  i  d  u  s 
henshawi. 

i  Vespertilio     albescens 
luelanorliinus. 
Vespertilio     niiiricans 
(part). 

Vespertilio  nitidus  cil- 
iolabrum. 


Vespertilio  nigricans  .  I  Vespertilio     nigricans 
j      (part). 

Vespertilio  snbulatus. j  Vesi)ertilio       grypbus 
(northern  form). 


Vespertilio  evotis 


Vesperugo      noctiva- 
gans. 


Vespertilio     albescens 
evotis. 

Vespertilio     albescens 
velifer  (part). 

Lasionycteris  noctiva- 
gans. 

Vesperugo  hesperus. 


Vesperugogeorgianus     Vesperugo     caridinen 
i      sis. 


Vesperugo   serotinus     Adelonycteris  fuscus. 
var.Ve.sperus  fuscus. 


Vesperugo  propinquus 


Vesjierugo  albigularis 

Atalapha     novebora-  i  Atalapbanoveboracen- 


Atalapha     novebora- 
censls  var.  pfeiti'eri. 


Atalapha  teliotis. 


40  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Comparatire  table  of  names  used  for  North  American  Vespertilionida' — Contiiinod. 


Names  used  in  the  present 
paper. 

H.  Allen,  1864. 

Dobson,  1878. 

H.  Allen,  1893. 

Atalapha  novebora- 
censis  var.  frantzii. 

(Saussure). 

Ltiwiurus  oinerons  (Beauvois) 

Lasinrn.s  cincreus 

Atalaplia  cinerca 

Atalapha  cinerea. 

Da^^vl>te^us  interinodins  H. 
Allen. 

Lasiurnn  intermedins. 

Atalapha  inte;  media . . 

Da.sypterus      interiiio- 
diuH. 

Nv(ticeiu.s  Iniiiierali.s    IJafl 
iicsf]iie. 

Nyctice.jus  crepuscn- 
iaris. 

Nycticejus  crcpuscu- 
laris. 

Nycticejus  hiinierali.s. 

mis  (Guudlacli). 

Yo.speiMii;o  parvulus.. 

Kliogeessa  parvula  H.  Allen. 

Ubogeijssa  alleui  Thomas 

1 

1 

List  of  Xortli  American  Vrsperliliovidn',  urith  tiipe  localities. 

Name  of  species  Tyjie  locality. 

A)itro:oHs  pallidus  (Lo  Conti-) El  Paso,  Toxms. 

AnIrozoHs  paJlidus pacificns  Meniam Old  FortTejou,  Canada  dc  las  Uvas,  Cali- 
fornia. 

Eiulerma  macuhitum  (.T.  A.  Allen) Near  Pirn,  Ventura  County,  California. 

Coriinorhinus  macrolis  (Le  Conte) Georgia  (prob.ibly  near  Rieeboro). 

Cortinorhinnsmacrotis pallescensH\x\iH\}.\\o\ AKeam  Canon,  Navajo  Couuty,  Arizona. 
('(ivjinorliiniis  maerotis  toirnsendi  (Cooper)..  Columbia  River,  Oregon. 

ilijolis  velifer  (.T.  A.  Allen) Santa  Cruz  del  Valle,  near  Guadalajara, 

Jalisco,  Mexico. 

Afnotis  liicifiif/iis  (he  Conte) Georgia  (probably  near  Rieeboro). 

]\Ii/olis  hicifiu/iis  ahisccnsin  sulisp.  nov Sitka,  Alaska. 

Alyolis  litcifitgiis  lonf/icriis  (True) Pnget  Sound. 

Mi/otis  i/iimaneiisis  (II.  Allen) Old  Fort  Yuma,  California. 

Mjiotis  yumancnsis  saturatiis  snbsp.  nov llamiltou,  Washington. 

Mi/oiis  cali f or nicn s  {A.nd.  &  Racli.) California. 

Mi/otis  californiciis  caiirinns  subsp.  nov Massett,  Queen  Charlotte  Islands,  British 

C<dunibia. 
J^ljioiis  calif ornicus  ciliolahriim  (Merriara).. Trego  County,  Kansas. 
il///o/is  c«///o/'«('cMs  JHPXiCrtHM.s  (Sanssure).  ..Mexico    (probably  Vera  Cruz,  Puebla,  or 

Oaxaca). 

jMi/otis  nic/ricans  (Maximilian) Fazenda  de  Aga,  near  Iritiba  River,  Brazil. 

]\f!l<)tis  NiihHhitiis{Sa.y) Arkansas  River,  near  La  Junta,  Colorado. 

]\fijotis  siihuhiliis  l:eenii  (Mcrriam) Massett,  Queen  Charlotte  Islands,  Britislj 

Columbia. 

Myotis  erotis  (H.  Allen) Monterey,  Caliibrnia. 

Mi/otis  thysaiiodcs  sp.  nov Old  Fort  Tejon,  California. 

Lasionycleris  vociirayans  {he  Conte) Eastern  United  States  (exact  locality  un 

known). 

ripistrcUus  licsperns  (11.  Allen) Old  Fort  Yuma,  California. 

ripistrellus  licsperns  a«s/m7is subsp.  uov.  ..Barranca  Ibarra,  Jalisco,  Mexico. 

ripistrcUns  snbflarus  (F.  Cuvier) Georgia  (probably  near  Rieeboro) . 

ripistrcllnssnhjlavits  ohscurus  subsp.  nov  ..Lake  George,  New  York. 

ripistrellns  vera-crucis  ( Ward) Las  Vegas,  Jalapa,  Vera  Crnz,  Mexico. 

Vespertiliofuscns  Beauvois Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. 

Vesperiilio  fiiscus  miradorensis  ( H.  Allen) . .  Mirador,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico.  •?. 

VesperiiUo  fascns  propinquns  (Peters) Santa  Ysabel,  Guatemala.  ■ ; 


FAMILY    VESPERTII.IONID^.  41 

List  of  North  American  Vespertiliouidw,  ivith  type  localities— Continued. 

Name  of  species.  Tyi  e  Ideality. 

Vespertilio  fiiscus  iahamcnsis  snbsp.  nov.  ..Nassau,  New  Providence,  Baliainis. 

Vespcviiliofuseus  cuiensis  (Gray) Cuba. 

YvsperMio  aUngniaris  (Peters) Mexico. 

Lasinrus  horeaUs  (Miiller) New  York. 

Lasiiirus  horenlis  seminohis  (Rlioads) Tarpon  Springs,  Mniida. 

Lasiurits  horealis  pfeifferi  (Gundlac^li ) Cuba. 

Lasiurus  horealis  teliotis  (H.  Allen) (California. 

Ladiivus  horealis  mexicaniis  (Sans^nre) Mexico  (probably  Vei'a   Cruz,  Puebla,  or 

Oaxaca). 

Lasinrus  cinercus  (Beauvois) Pliiladelpbia,  Pennsylvanin. 

Busupier us  intermedins  ]i  Allen Matamoras,  Tamaulipas,  Mexico. 

Nycticeins  hnmeralis  Raiines(|uo Kentucky. 

Nycticeiiis  humeral  is  CH/)rt(/»s((iuudlach).  ..Cuba. 

L'hoyei'ssa  tumida  H.  Allen Mirador,  Vera  Cruz,  ]\Ioxico. 

Bhofiei'ssa  parvula  H.  Allen Tres  Marias  Islands,  Mexico. 

lihofiel'ssa  firarilis  sp.  nov Piaxtla,  Puebla,  Mexico. 

Ehogeissa  alleni  Thomas Santa  Kosalia.nearAutlan,. Jalisco,  Mexico. 


DESCRIPTIONS. 

FAMILY  VESPERTILIONID.^. 

Characters. — Bats  with  turbinal  l)Oiie.s  folded,  bony  ])alate  defective 
anteriorly  owing  to  the  absence  of  pahital  processes  to  the  i)renuixillie 
(fig.  L'/>);  molars  with  cons])icnous  W- 

shaped  cusps;  tail  included  nearly  to         p^'^'^g^SkSk  /V^      ?\:=iv 

til)  in  large  iutei'fenioral  membrane;        f'^^C^Sl         M     Km3     \ 
muzzle    and    nostrils    variable,    but      Mjr^f^iM      §     A  1/ 

former  never  provided  with  distinct  '/nrx'  /«^  "or^ 

noseleaf.  (^^nt^  (^^^   )v^ 

Rcmarls. — 'Mie  family  as  thus  de-        (^Mw^        Lij  C  ^ 

fined  is  represented  in  North  Amer-      / •filiilllla    /^illlilllf 'lltei  / 
ica  by  tliree  well-marked  subordinate    f,„.  2._A,,tenor  p.nrt  of  nostrum  of  .paces 
groups,  each  of  which  may  be  ranked      ot  (a)  Ph!/Uvf:toinati<i<r  mid  (ht  ]  mpn-tu- 
as  a  subfamily.     Specimens  from  the       '°'"'^"'- '    ^'• 

region  in  (juestion  may  be  referred  to  their  proper  groups  by  tiic  fol- 
lowing wholly  artificial  key. 

KFA'  TO  Tni-;  SUBFAMILIES  OF  NOltTU  AIMEKICAN  VESrKRTILlOKID.E. 

Lower  incisors  4 Autrozoinw  (p.  41) 

Lower  incisors  G. 

Ears  Joined  at  anterior  base riccoliud'  (p.  46) 

Ears  separate Vesperliliouino'  (p.  54) 


Subfamily  ANTROZOIN.^. 

This  subfamily  is  represented  by  the  genus  Antrozons  peculiar  to 
southwestern  North  America.  Its  members  may  therefore  be  recog- 
nized by  their  generic  characters. 


42 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


Genus  ANTROZOUS  H.  Allen. 

1862.  Antrozous  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  247. 
ISGi.  Antrozous  H.  Allen,  Mouogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  67. 
1>^1H.   Antrozous  Dobson,  Catal.  Chiioptera  IJrit.  Mns.,  p.  170. 
1893.  Antrozous  IT.  Allen,  IMonogr.  liats  N.  Am.,  p.  64. 

Type  species. — Antrozous  paUidus  (Le  Conte). 

Geof/raphic  ilisirihniton. — Austral  zones  from  Texas  to  the  Pacific, 
and  from  tlie  Columbia  lliver  to  (^iieretaro  on  the  tableland  of  Mexico. 

1-1 


Generic cliar<(cte>s. — Dental  formula:  i,  ,^  ,>;  c,  -i  ~,\ 


3-3    ^, 


Fig.  3 Muzzle  of  A7itrozous paUidus  (<  2). 


mammje  2;  muzzle  truncate; 
nostrils  surrounded  by  a 
horseshoe-shaped  ridge  (fig, 
3);  lower  lip  free  in  front. 

Remarls. — The  genus  An- 
trozons  differs  so  widely 
from  all  others  occurring  in 
America  that  it  needs  no 
comparison  with  any  of 
these.  In  many  ways,  how- 
ever, it  resembles  Xycfoph- 
ilus  of  the  Old  World.' 
While  adult  Auirozons  in- 
variably has  only  two  lower 
incisors  in  each  mandible, 
an  immature  individual  from 
Silver  City,  N.  Mex.,  has  a 
third  on  the  right  side  (fig. 
4).  Tlie  outer  lower  incisor 
is  probably  normally  i)resent 
in  the  young,  though  very 
early  crowded  out  by  the 
growth  of  the  others. 

One  species  and  one  sub- 
species are  known,  both  of 
which  occur  in  the  United 
States. 


KEY  TO  TUE  SUBSPECIES  OF  AXTKO/OITS. 

Forearm  18  mm.  to  'f?>  mm. ;  color,  whitish  drab  gray paUulus  (p.  43) 

Forearm  56  mm.  to  6(>  mm. ;  color,  pale  yellowish,  drab-brown pacijicus  (p.  45) 


.Sec  11.  All. Ml,  :\Ionogr.  Bats  N.  Am.  (1893),  p.  65. 


ANTROZOUS    PALLIDUS. 


43 


ANTROZOUS  PALLIDUS  (Lo  Coiitc).     Pale  Bat. 

1856.  J'es2>eftirto  palUdns  Le  Confce,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  VII  (185-4-1855)  p.  -J37. 

1862.  Antrozoits  jialUdus  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  247. 

1864.  Antrozoun paUidus  H.  Alleu,  Monoyr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  68  (part). 

1878.  Antrozons pallidus  Dobson,  Catal.  Chiroptera  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  171  (part). 

1893.  AntrozoHS paUidm  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Ana.,  p.  66  (part). 


Tjipe  locaUUi.—m  Paso,  Texas.  (Type  Xo.  54G7,  U.  f^.  National 
Museum.) 

Geographic  distribution, — Lower  Austral  zone  tluouuliont  the  desert 
regioii  of  eastern  California,  i^evada,  Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and  western 
Texas. 

General  characters. — Size  large  (average  length  of  forearm  about  50 
mm.) ;  ears  large,  reaching  20  mm.  beyond  tip  of  nose  when  laid  forAvard ; 
color  very  pale  drab-gray. 

Ears. — The  ears  (PI.  I,  fig.  10)  are  larger  than  in  any  other  North 
American  Vespcrtilionda'  except  the  species  of 
riccotina'.  Laid  forward  they  extend  about  20  mm. 
beyond  the  tip  of  the  nose.  The  anterior  bases  are 
rather  close  together,  but  separate.  In  form  the 
ear  is  so  simple  as  to  call  for  no  very  detailed 
description.  Anterior  l)order  strongly  convex  im- 
mediately above  well-marked  anterior  lobe,  then 
almost  straight  to  narrowly  rounded-ort"  tip.  Pos- 
terior border  slightly  concave  immediately  below 
tip,  then  gently  convex  to  base.  Posterior  basal 
lobe  very  slightly  developed.  A  transverse  ridge 
4  mm.  in  length  extends  obli<iuely  upward  and  for- 
ward from  near  posterior  base  of  tragus. 

Tragus  long,  straight,  and   slender.      Anterior 
border  nearly  straight  to  narrow  tii).      Posterior 
border  at  first  almost  i)arallel  with  anterior  bor- 
der, then  slightly  convex  to  notch  above  well-developed  basal  lobe. 
Whole  posterior  margin  of  tragus  faintly  crennlate. 

McmJn'ioies. — Tlie  membranes  are  tiiick  and  leathery,  much  more  so 
than  in  any  of  the  North  American  Vcspertilioniiuc  which  approach  this 
species  in  size.  Wing  membranes  attached  at  base  of  toes ;  interfemoral 
membrane  at  base  of  terminal  caudal  vertebra.  Free  border  of  inter- 
femoral membrane  considerably  hmger  than  calcar. 

Feet. — The  feet  are  broad  and  strong,  about  half  as  long  as  tibia. 
Toes  armed  with  large  claws  and  sprinkled  with  a  few  short  hairs  on 
dorsum  of  i>halanges. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  is  sparse  and  short,  that  on  middle  of  back 
only  about  8  mm.  in  length.  It  is  closely  confined  to  the  body,  and 
extends  on  ears  and  membranes  in  a  narrow  border  along  extreme 
base  only. 


Fig.  4. — Abnormal  front 
teeth  oi  All  trozoiis  pit  l- 
luliia,  sliowiii}!  tlirco 
incisoiH  on  riglit  side. 
No.  61)119  I'min  Silver 
City,  N,  Mex.  (      10). 


44 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


On  the  back  the  fur  is  pale  drab  gray,  most  of  the  hairs  Avitli  faintly 
dusky  tips.     Belly  grayish  wliite,  tinged  with  drab  on  sides. 

Shull. — The  skull  of  typical  Antrozoiis pallldus  (fig.  5)  varies  in  greatest 
length  from  18  mm.  to  20  mm.,  and  in  zygomatic  breadth  from  11  mm.  to 
12.5  mm.  P>rain  case,  rostrum,  and  palate  broad.  Length  of  bony 
l)iilate  behind  molars  (exclusive  of  median  spine)  usually  less  tiian 
width  at  base  of  median  spine. 

Teeth. — Tlie  teeth  (fig.  (>  r()  are  large  and  strong.  Upper  premolar 
transversely  long  and  narrow.  First  lower  premolar  small  and  closely 
wedged  between  canine  and  second  i^remolar. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  16. 


Flfi.  Ti. — Slcnlls  of  (n)  Aiitrozoiai  palUdus  and  (6)  Antrozous  jmllidus  pacificus  (X  2). 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  61,  from  the  following  localities: 

Arizona:  iVlontli  of  Colorado  River,  1;  Yuma,  5. 

California:  Old  Fort  Yuma,  1;  Owens  Valley,  2;  Panamiut.  Valley,  1;  Walker 

Basin,  2. 
Nevada:  Amargosa  Desert,  1;  Timpahute  Mountains,  2. 
New  Mexico:  Silver  City,  4  (skins). 
Texas:  Conistock,  6;  Devils  River,  8;  El  Paso,  1  (skin,  type);  Fort  Hancock, 

20  (3  skins);  Painted  Cave,  3;  Paisano,  1;  Sycamore  Creek.  6. 

Oeneral  remarlcs. — In  the  original  description  of  Antrozous  paJlidus 
the  animal  is  said  to  be  a  native  of  California,  but  both  Baird '  iuid 
Harrison  Allen  ^  have  shown  that  the  type  specimen  came  from  El  Paso, 


1  Rept.  Mcx.  Pound.  Siirv.,  l\,  p.  5,  1859. 
^Mouogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  69,  1864. 


ANTROZOUS    PALLIDUS    PACIFICUS. 


45 


Texas.    Tlie  type,  uow  iu  the  United  States  National  Musenm,  is  in  good 
preservation  and  clearly  referable  to  the  Eastern  form. 

Typical  Antro.zous  paUidus  is  readily  distiiignishable  from  .1.  j>. 
pacijicus  by  its  smaller  size,  j)aler  color,  shorter,  broader  skull,  and 
narrower  upper  premolar. 


ANTROZOUS  PALLIDII.S  TACIFICUS  Meniam. 

1864.  Anirozous  paUulns  11.  Allcu,  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  68  (part). 
1878.  Antrozoiis  pitUidiis  Dobsoii,  C'atiil.  Chiioptera  13rit.  Mus.,  p.  171  (part). 
1893.  Jntrozoiis 2>(tfl>(liis  H.  Alk'ii,  Monogr.  Bats.  N.  Am.,  p.  G'o  (part). 
1897.  Jnlrozoim  jxdUdu-i  pacificus  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Hoc.  Wasliiugtou,  XI,  p.  180, 
July  1,  1897. 

Type  locality. — Old  Fort  Tejon,  Cahada  de  las  Uvas,  California. 

Geoijraphic  distribution. — Austral  zones  in  the  United  States  west  of 
the  Ivocky  Mountains,  south  to  Lower  California  and  (^ueretaro. 

Gencvid  (7/<n-rtrfer.s'.— Slightly  larger  than  typical  Aiitrozoiis  pallidus 
(total  length  about  120  mm,,  average  length  of  forearm  about  54  mm.); 
color,  yellowish  drab  brown. 

Ears^  membranes,  (Did  distribution  of 
fur. — Essentially  as  in  typical  j>^f//?V//fS. 

Color. — Color  uniform  yellowish  drab 
throughont  to  base  of  liairs;  under 
parts  clear  and  unmixed  with  darker; 
back  strongly  but  irregularly  shaded 
by  the  dusky  tips  of  the  hairs. 

81'uU. — Tlie  skull  of  A  ntrozous  palli- 
dus  x>aei_ficuM{Q.g.  5  b)  varies  in  greatest 
length  from  20  mm.  to  22  mm.,  and  in 
zygomatic  breadth  from  13  mm.  to  14 
nun.  r>rain  case,  rostrum,  and  bony 
palate  considerably  narrower  than  in 
typical  p((llidus.  Supraoccipital  region 
more  pointed  and  overhanging  than  in  tyi)ical  pallidus.  Length  of  bony 
palate  behind  molars  (exclusive  of  median  spine)  usually  eipial  to  or 
greater  than  width  at  base  of  median  spine. 

Teeth. — Teetli  (fig.  (Jb)  essentially  as  in  true  pallidus  except  that  all 
are  larger  and  the  up])er  premolar  is  conspicuously  broader  and  shorter. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  46. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  59,  from  the  following  localities: 

Calilornia:  Alhambra,  1;  licar  Valley,  8;  Berkeley,  1;  Diilzura,  6;  Fort 
Crook,!;  Fresno,  3;  OldFortTejou,  6;  Peso  Creek,  1  (skin);  Santa  Barbara, 
3;  Santa  Ysabf  1,  4  (3  skins);  Witch  Creek,  2. 

Lower  California:  Cape  St.  Lucas,  3;  Comondu,  .5  (skins) ;  San  Fernando,  5 
(Miller  coll.). 

Oregon:  Fort  Dalles,  1  (skin) ;  Twelve  Mile  Creek,  1. 

Qneretaro :  .lalpan,  7. 

Utah:  St.  Thomas,  1. 


Fig.  6. — Teeth  of  (a)  Antrozo'us pallidus  and 

(h)   Antrozous  pallidus  ^jnci/i'cws  (  \  5). 


46 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


(ieneral  rcDKo-Ks. — Antrozoun  jyallidus  pacifiens  needs  no  comparison 
with  typical  palliflns  t'lutlier  than  that  already  given  under  the  latter. 

Arerai/e  measureineids  of  suhxpecies  of  Antrozous paJVidns. 


Subspecies. 


jHlllidus 


pacificus 


Locality. 


Texas  :  El  Paso 

Uomatock 

Fort  Hancoc-.k 

Sycamore  Creek 

IJucretaro :  Jalpau 

■Califoruia :  Santa  T  sabel 

Dulzura 

Oregou :  Fort  Ualles 

Twelve  Mile  Creek  , 


1 ' 

4?9 
6?? 

6?? 

4?9 
1  ? 
1       1 


O       CS 


8 

^  .i 


20.5 


105  44. 2  21 
11546  ^20 
109  44.6  20.6:10 
114!47.8'22.610. 


10 


J....I22 
118  46.7  22.2 
21 
20 


Eh 


49 

51 

49 

51 

54.5 

54.5 

53.5 

55 

56 


9 

8.5 
8.3 
8.9 
9.4 
9.5 
9.5 
9 
10 


28  18.4111. 6  ' 

30  |20  |l4 
28.  518.  G  13 
30  119  14 


'  Typo. 

Subfamily  PLECOTIN.^. 

This  subfamily  is  represented  in  I^orth  America  by  two  genera,  Cory- 
norhinus  and  Eaderma  which  may  be  recognized  among  the  other 
Vespertilionidw  of  the  region  by  their  huge  ears,  joined  together  across 
the  forehead.  None  of  the  North  American  Yes])ertilionincv  show  this 
peculiarity. 

Genus  EUDERMA  H.  Allen. 

1891.  HistiotKn  J.  A.  Alleu,  Bull.  Am.  Miis.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  HI,  p.   19.5  (not  Oervais 

IS-).-)). 

1892.  Eudcrma  H.  Allen,  Pioc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  I'liila.,  1891,  p.  467,  Jan.  12,  1892. 

1893.  Eiidcnna  II.  Allen.  Mouogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  00. 

Type  speclen. — Eudcrma  macidatum  (J.  A.  Allen). 
G('0(jra])liic  distrihidion. — The  genus   Eaderma  is  at  present  kiiowu 
from  one  specimen  taken  in  Ventura  County,  California. 


Generic  eharaeters. — Dental  formula :  i. 


1-1 


;imi, 


3-3 


,>^,^=31. 


2-2 
^'3  3' ^'1-1'^^'"' 2:2 
Ears  (PI.  I,  fig.  11)  even  larger  than  in  Corl|norl^^nus,yn\^(i([  together 
across  forehead  and  with  posterior  base  of  tragus  united  with  external 
basal  lobe.     Face  without  evident  glandular  swellings. 

liemarli's. — The  genus  Euderma  resembles  Corynorhinns  more  closely 
than  any  other  American  bat,  but  differs  in  the  presence  of  two  less 
premolars,  in  the  simple  nostrils,  and  in  the  more  complicated  structure 
of  the  ear.     Only  one  species  is  known. 

EUDERMA  MACULA  rUM  (J.  A.  Allen). 

1891.  RlsUoius  maculafus  J.  A.  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  111.  p.  19.5,  February 

20,  1891. 
1893.   Euderma  maculata  H.  Allen,  Mouogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  61. 


EUDERMA    MAC U  LATUM.  47 

Type  localiUj. — N^ear  Pirn,  Veatura  Coiiuty,  California  (probably  at 
mouth  of  Oastac  Creek').  Type  iu  American  Museum  of  Natural  His- 
tory (No.  trifiif f.)     Skull  now  lost. 

Geo(jniphic  distribution. — Emlerma  nKtculatiim  is  known  from  the  type 
locality  only. 

(reneral  cJiaracters. — Size  large;  ears  about  three -fourths  as  long  as 
forearm;  color  blackish  blotched  with  white. 

Ears. — Ears  very  large  (PI.  I,  fig.  11),  fully  three- fourths  as  long 
as  forearm,  joined  together  across  forehead  by  a  low  band  of  mem- 
brane; auterior  basal  lobe  continuous  with  keel  wbich  extends  upward 
from  anterior  base  of  tragus  and  fades  into  substance  of  ear  at  about 
terminal  part  of  lower  fourth,  beyond  which  it  continues  to  tip  as  a 
well-detiued  line;  anterior  border  of  ear  nearly  straight  through  lower 
half,  then  gently  convex  to  broadly  rounded  off  tip;  posterior  border 
slightly  con'cave  immediately  below  tip,  then  convex  to  base;  posterior 
basal  lobe  joined  to  base  of  tragus  by  a  low  band,  below  which  a  distinct 
pocket  is  formed;  back  of  this  band  a  conspicuous  ridge  extending 
inward  toward  meatus;  ear  membrane  marked  by  about  fifteen  trans- 
verse ridges;  anterior  margin  of  ear  sprinkled  with  wliitish  hairs. 

Tragus  nearly  straight  on  anterior  border,  convex  on  posterior  border 
except  at  posterior  base,  where  it  is  straight  for  a  distance  of  2  mm.  (the 
resulting  form  strongly  suggests  a  table  knife  with  short  blade). 

Membrancfi. — The  membranes  are  broad  and  ample,  the  wing  mem- 
brane (PI.  Ill,  fig.  3)  attached  at  base  of  toes,  the  iuterfemoral  mem- 
brane at  base  of  terminal  caudal  vertebra.  Free  border  of  iuterfemoral 
membrane  apparently  longer  than  calcar. 

Feet. — The  feet  are  moderately  large,  a  little  less  than  half  as  long 
as  tibia.  Toes  sparsely  sprinkled  with  short  bristly  hairs  on  dorsal 
surface  and  armed  with  strong  claws.  Calcar  indistinct  in  the  dried 
skin,  but  apparently  short  and  without  keel  or  terminal  lobule. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  is  full  and  soft,  about  12  mm.  in  length  on 
middle  of  back.  It  extends  on  extreme  base  of  ear,  and  on  membranes 
forms  a  very  narrow  border  close  to  body. 

Back  very  dark  sepia,  almost  black;  occiput  and  fore  part  of  neck 
distinctly  less  dark;  hairs  on  sides  and  on  middle  of  back  faintly  anuu- 
lated  with  gray  near  tips ;  patch  at  base  of  tail  and  on  each  shoulder 
pure  white;  whole  ventral  surface  of  body  white,  the  blackish  bases  of 
the  hairs  showing  through  irregularly;  fur  everywhere  blackish  at 
base;  ears  and  membranes  light  brown. 

^Icull  and  teeth. — As  the  skull  of  Eudcrnia  maculatum  is  lost,  I  quote 
the  descriptions  published  by  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen  and  Dr.  Harrison  Allen. 
The  former  writes : 

SkuU  and  f?ei(/i7(o?i.— Basilar  length,  16.5  inm.  (0.65  in.);  total  length,  19  mm.  (0.75 
iu.);  zygomatic  width,  10.9  mm.  (0.43  in.);  height,  7.6  mm.   (0.30  in.);  length  of 


'This  information  was  given  to  members  of  a  Biological  Survey  party  by  the  col- 
lector of  the  type  specimen. 


48  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

lower  j;i\v,  12.7  iiim.  (()..50  in.) ;  licij^lit  at  coiidyh!,  o.3  iimi.  (().V.>  in.) ;  iKiii^lit  at  coi-o- 

noid  process,  ,S.<S  mm.    (0.15  in.);  len,utU  of  upper  tooth   row,  G.8()  mm.   (0.27  in.); 

lengtli  of  lower  tooth  row,  7.6  mm.  (0.30  iu.). 

"     ,    ,  ,.  1       •      •  2-2  .  1-1  1-1  3-3       14 

Dental  lormiila:  mnsors,     ^   ;  canines,  j_j  ;  premolars, .,_.;;  molars,  .^_^  =  ^^  =  32. 

The  skull  is  thin  and  jiajiery,  heinj^  evidently  that  of  a  young  animal.  The  facial 
portion  is  narrow  and  pointed;  the  brain  case  is  (juadrato,  llatttimul  above,  but  rises 
abruptly  at  the  frontal  border,  the  forehead  being  suddenly  depressed. 

The  lower  border  of  the  zygomatic  arch  is  curved  upward;  the  iqjper  border  is 
greatly  expanded  vertically,  the  upper  border  of  the  malar  forming  a  high  angular 
process  at  the  middle  of  arcli ;  the  zygomatic  process  of  the  8(iuamosal  is  short,  and, 
with  the  malar,  passes  forward  in  a  line  nearly  parallel  with  the  axis  of  the  skull, 
with  only  a  very  slight  outward  curvature.  The  tympanic  bulhe  are  enormously 
expanded,  having  an  autero-iiosterior  length  of  5.81  mm.  (0.23  in.),  and  a  transverse 
breadth  of  3.3  mm.  (0.13  in.),  their  length  fully  ecinaling  one-third  of  the  length  of 
the  skull.  In  other  respects  Ihe  ventral  aspect  of  thoskull  ))resentsuotliing peculiar. 
The  lower  jaw  is  narrow,  the  coronoid  process  small,  rising  luit  little  above  the  con- 
dyle; the  angle  is  well  developed. 

The  dentition  is  weak,  the  incisors  and  canines  being  very  small,  relatively  to  the 
molar  series.  The  outer  upper  incisor  is  about  one-half  the  size  of  the  inner;  both 
have  a  small  outer  cusp  at  the  base.  The  upper  canine  is  about  equal  in  size  to  the 
anterior  half  of  the  upper  premolar.  The  molars  iiresent  nothing  distimtive.  The 
lower  incisors  are  sliglitly  double-notched  (trifid) ;  the  lower  canines  are  very  small ; 
the  tirst  premolar  is  about  half  the  size  of  the  second. 

Ill  liis  original  accouut  of  tlie  genus  Euderma^  Dr.  Ihinison  xillen 
describes  the  skull  and  teeth  as  follows: 

Skull. — Hraiu-case  low,  <|uadrate,  the  height  one-half  the  bimastoid  diameter. 
The  metencephalon  as  long  as  mesencephalon  and  pro-encephalon.  Sagittal  crest 
rudimentary,  does  not  extend  beyond  a  line  answering  to  the  middle  of  the  zygoma  — 
the  remaining  portions  of  the  j)0^terior  temporal  crest  Avidely  separated — the  ante- 
rior not  detined.  Dorsum  of  face-vertex  with  a  shallow  concavity  whicli  is  not 
sharply  defined;  orbit  with  inflated  inner  wall  and  rugose  elevated  upper  border; 
lachrymal  tubercle  marked.  Infra-orbital  canal  short;  the  foramen  on  line  with 
interval  between  second  premolar  and  lirst  molar.  Line  of  the  upper  margin  of  the 
anterior  nasal  aperture  if  produced  would  intersect  the  second  premolar;  tympanic 
boue  apparently  incomplete  above. 

The  paroccipital  process  bold,  tren<-liant;  sterno-mastoid  impression  deeply  con- 
cave; mastoid  composed  entirely  of  the  S(|Uaniosal  elenjent.  Zygoma-  (juite  as  iu 
Cori/iiorltinns — the  squamosal  part  twice  as  wide  as  maxillary  ;  sphenopalatine  fora- 
men present,  of  large  size.  Occipital  crest  trenchant.  Tympanic  bone  greatly 
inflated,  e(iuals  one-third  the  length  of  the  skull,  not  touching  basi-occipital,  or 
basi-spheuoid;  excavate  anteriorly.  It  extends  to  a  line  which  answers  to  the 
middle  of  the  glenoid  cavity.  The  mesopterygoid  fossa  as  long  as  one-third  the 
distance  from  the  posterior  palatal  border  to  the  incisors.  The  sphenoidal  foramen 
is  at  the  bottom  of  a  deeiJ  recess.  The  coronoid  process  is  round,  small,  raised 
scarcely  one-third  the  height  of  the  ascending  ramus ;  lower  border  of  the  horizontal 
ramus  near  the  angle  slightly  concave.  The  angle  is  raised  from  the  plane  on  which 
the  mandible  rests      *     "     * 

Uppir  tectli. — Incisors  contiguous,  slightly  inclined  toward  the  median  line,  but 
the  lateral  tooth  separated  from  the  canine  by  a  moderate  interval.  Central  incisor 
cuspidate,  with  a  small  cuspule  in-ojected  midway  on  the  posterior  surface ;  a  distinct 
cuspule  also  arises  from  the  ciuguluui  posteriorly.  Lateral  incisor  oiiehalf  the  size 
of  the  central,  and  cuspidate,  with  a  small  cuspule  arising  from  the  ciugulum  on 
the  anterior  and  a  .second   on  the  posterior  portion.     Canine  not  larger  than  the 


CORYNORHINUS.  49 

secoud  ])rem(>lar,  the  buccal  surface  is  abruptly  convex.  The  first  premolar  is  small, 
not  wedged  in,  with  coiu])lete  cingulum.  The  space  between  it  and  canine  narrower 
tban  that  between  it  and  second  i)remolar.  The  second  premolar  as  long  as  the 
canine  and  slightly  tinted.     Molars  as  in  Corynorhiniis. 

Lower  teeth.  —  Incisors  crowded,  trifid,  i.  o.,  the  main  cusp  possesses  a  well-devel- 
oped cusi)ule  on  each  side  of  the  base,  the  cingulum  on  the  posterior  side  being- 
large.  The  first  and  second  teeth  overlap  for  a  distance  eqmiling  one-half  of  their 
diameters.  The  third  incisor  retains  a  posterior  cuspule  which  is  larger  than  the 
anterior  and  separated  from  the  main  cusj)  by  a  wide  interval.  The  canine  is  small 
and  jirojects  but  a  slight  degree  above  the  incisors.  It  exhibits  a  marked  cuspule 
on  the  cingulum  anteriorly. 

Measurements  (from  skin). — Total  length,  110;  tail  vertebra',  50; 
tibia,  21;  foot,  0;  forearm,  50;  thumb,  6.8;  longest  finger,  91;  ear  from 
meatus,  31;  width  of  ear,  22;  tragus,  13;  greatest  width  of  tragus,  5. 

Specimens  examimd. — One,  the  type  (Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  New  York). 

General  remarJcs.  —JEuderma  maculatum  differs  so  widely  from  all 
other  known  bats  that  no  comparison  with  any  is  necessary.  Its  pecul- 
iar color  at  first  suggests  albinism,  but  since  the  fur  is  everywhere  dark 
at  base,  even  in  the  white  areas,  the  i)atteru  is  probably  normal.  It  is 
useless  to  hazard  any  conjecture  as  to  its  probable  geographic  range 
or  exact  faunal  x>osition. 

The  following  note  on  this  bat  is  kindly  furnished  by  Dr.  C.  Hart 
Merriam : 

The  type  of  this  remarkable  genus  and  species,  recently  described  by  Dr.  J.  A. 
Allen,  is  believed  to  have  been  olitaiued  at  the  mouth  of  Castac  Creek  in  the  Santa 
Clara  Valley,  near  San  Fernando,  Cal.  The  type  specimen  remains  the  only  one  thus 
far  collected,  but  the  s^tecies  probably  ranges  over  much  of  the  Low^er  Souoran 
Desert  region  in  summer.  While  in  Vegas  Valley,  Nev.,  I  was  told  by  the  Stuarts, 
the  owners  of  X'^egas  Ranch,  that  a  very  large  bat  ''with  ears  like  a  jackass  and  a 
white  stripe  on  each  shoulder"  is  abundant  at  that  place  in  the  summer,  liut  docs  not 
occur  in  spring  or  fall.  They  stated  that  it  had  not  yet  arrived  at  the  date  of  our 
visit,  May  1,  1891. 

Genus  CORYNORHINUS  H.Allen. 

1831.  riccottis  Le  Conte,  McMurtrie's  Cuvier,  Animal  Kingdom,  I,  Appendix,  p.  431 

(not  I'lrcotus  Ceoffroy  1818). 
1861.  Synotns  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  ji.  62  fnot  Synotm  Keyserling  &.  Blasius 

1839). 
1865.  Cory iiorhin  118  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  173. 
1878.  Pleeotnii  Dobson,  Catal.  Chiroptera  lirit.  Mus.,  i».  177  (part). 
1893.  Corynorliinus  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Rats  N.  Am.,  p.  53. 

Type  species. — Corynorhiuus  macrotis  (Le  Oonte). 

Geof/raphic  distribution. — Austral  zones  throughoutthe  United  States, 
and  in  Mexico  south  at  least  to  Vera  Cruz.  Limits  of  range  imper- 
fectly known. 

Generic  characters. — Dental  fornuila: 

S-3'    ^'1=1'    ^^'*'3-3'^"'3-3  =  ^^- 
Skull  (fig.  8,  p.  52)  slender  and  highly  arched,  the  rostral  portion  relatively 
smaller  and  weaker  than  in  any  other  North  American  geuus  of  the 
2772— No.  13 1 


50 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


family  (with  the  possible  exception  of  Uuderma,  the  only  known  skull 
of  which  is  now  lost).  Ears  very  long-,  (PI.  I,  fig.  9),  joined  together 
across  forehead,  and  with  tragus  free  from  external  basal  lobe.  Kegion 
between  eye  and  nostril  occupied  by  a  prominent  thickened  ridge  which 
terminates  in  a  conspicuous  club-shaped  enlargement  (fig.  7).  First 
phalanx  of  third  finger  shorter  than  second  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  2). 

General  remarks. — Corynorliinus  differs  widely  from  the  other  known 
American  genera  of  Ve.spertilioiiida',  but  somewhat  closely  resembles 
the  Old  World  riecotus.     From  the  latter  it  is  separated  by  its  ditfer- 


FlG.  7. — Muzzles  of  (a)  Plecolrig awl  (h)  Corynorhinvs  (y2). 

ently  formed  nostrils,  conspicuously  glandular  muzzle,  and  differently 
proportioned  fingers  (fig.  7,  and  PI.  Ill,  figs.  1  and  2).  The  genus  is 
represented  by  one  species  which  may  be  divided  into  three  subspecies, 
differing  from  each  other  chiefly  in  color.  All  of  these  occur  in  the 
United  States.  The  material  by  which  this  genus  is  now  represented 
in  collections  is  very  unsatisfactory. 

KEY  TO  THE  SUBSPECIES  OF  CORTNORHINUS. 

Fur  everywhere  distinctly  bicolor macrotis  (p.  51) 

Fur  uot  (listiuctly  bicolor. 

Color  yellowish  gray lyaUescens  (p.  52) 

Color  blackish  browu  townsendii  (p.  53) 


CORYNORHINUS    MACROTIS.  51 

CORYNORHINUS  MACROTIS  (Le  Coute).     Big-eared  Bat. 

1S31.  riceotiis  miurotis  Le  Coute,  McMiirtrie's  Cuvier,  Animal  Kiugdoni,  I,  Ai)pi]Klix, 

p.  431  ((ieorgia). 
1837.  riecotus  htonlii  Cooper,  Aiiu.  Lye.  Nat.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  IV,  p.  72.     (Name  proposed 

as  substitute  for  murrotis.) 
18G1.  Syiiofus  macrotis  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  \k  (i3. 
1865.  Corijnorhinus  macrotis  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat,  Sci.  PLila.,  p.  173. 
1893.  Conjnorhinus  macroti'i  H.  Allen,  Moiiogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  55. 

Type  locality. — Georgia  (see  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  I'liila.,  1S55,  p.  434), 
probably  near  the  Le  Conte  IMantation,  5  miles  south  of  liiceboro. 

Geoyraphw  distribution. — Lower  Austral  zoue  in  the  eastern  United 
States. 

General  characters. — Size  large  (forearm  41  mm,  to  42  mm.,  ear  about 
32);  fur  everywhere  distinctly  bicolor;  general  color  yellowish  brown. 

Ears. — The  ears  of  typical  Gorynorhinus  macrotis  do  not  appreciably 
difter  from  those  of  the  other  subspecies.  They  are  so  different  from 
those  of  all  other  North  American  bats  as  scarcely  to  recpiire  detailed 
description.  They  may  be  instantly  recognized  by  their  lengtli,  much 
more  than  half  that  of  forearm,  and  by  the  form  of  the  tragus.  This 
is  simple,  with  a  large  basal  lobe,  and  wholly  free  from  the  auricle.  In 
Euderma  maculatum,  the  only  other  JSTorth  American  bat  with  ears 
approaching  those  of  Gorynorhinus  in  size,  the  tragus  is  joined  to  the 
external  basal  lobe. 

Membranes. — The  membranes  are  broad  and  ample.  In  texture  they 
are  remarkably  thin  and  delicate  for  so  large  a  bat.  Wings  (PI.  Ill, 
tig.  2)  attached  at  side  of  metatarsus  just  below  base  of  toes.  Uro- 
patagium  extending  to  extreme  tip  of  tail. 

Feet. — The  feet  are  slender,  less  than  half  as  long  as  tibia',  and  armed 
with  strong  claws.  Calcar  a  little  shorter  than  tibia,  and  about  equal 
to  free  border  of  interfemoral  membrane.  It  is  witliout  vestige  of  keel 
oil  posterior  border.  The  termination  is  obscure  and  without  lobule. 
Back  of  toes  sprinkled  with  long  bristly  hairs. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  is  soft  and  silky,  that  on  middle  of  back 
averaging  about  12  mm.  in  length.  In  distribution  it  shows  no  striking 
peculiarities.  It  extends  a  short  distance  on  the  dorsal  base  of  the  ear, 
but  scarcely  reaches  the  wings  or  interfemoral  membrane. 

Back  uniform  yellowish  brown,  much  as  in  Myotis  Incifuyus;  the 
hairs  everywhere  sepia  through  a  little  more  than  the  basal  half  and 
with  very  indistinctly  pale  tips.  Belly  grayish  white;  throat  and  chest 
darker  and  more  tinged  with  yellowish.  Throughout  the  ventral  sur- 
face the  fur  is  very  sharply  bicolor,  the  dark  bases  of  the  hairs  consider- 
ably darker  than  on  the  back.  The  light  tips  are  too  short  wholly  to 
conceal  the  dark  under  fur.     Ears  and  membranes  light  brown, 

81cull  and  teeth. — The  skull  (fig.  8)  and  teeth  (fig.  9)  have  been  suffi- 
ciently described  under  generic  characters.  An  adult  skull  from 
Houma,  La.  (  $  No,  45894,  United  States  National  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  collection),  measures:  Greatest  length,  16;  zygomatic  breadth, 


52 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


U;  breadth  of  lostrum  at  posterior  border  of  large  premolar,  5;  man- 
dible, 10.(5;   upper  tootb  row  (exclusive  of  iucisors),  5.1';    lower  tooth 
row,  (5.8. 
Measurements. — !See  table,  page  54. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  9, 
from  the  following  localities: 

Alabama:  Grceusboro,  1  (skin,  MLTriam  coll.). 

Kentucky:  Bowling  Green,  1. 

Louisiana:  Houma,  4  (skins). 

Mississippi:  Bay  St.  Louis,  1. 

South  Carolina:  Hardteville,  1  (skin,  Miller 

coll.). 
Virginia:  Dismal  Swamp,  1  (skin). 

General  remarks. — Tyi^ical  Gorynorhinus 
macrotis,  like  the  western  subspecies,  is  dis- 
tinguishable at  a  glance  from  all  other  North 
American  bats  by  its  generic  characters. 
Among  the  forms  of  Gorynorhinns  it  maybe 
distinguished  by  its  conspicuously  bicolored 
iur.  The  liniits  of  this  animal's  range  are 
not  well  understood,  but  it  is  probably  a 
characteristic  sjiecies  of  the  Austroriparian 
fauna. 

CORYNORHINUS  MACROTIS  PALLESCENS 
STibsp.  nov. 

1864.  Synotus  iown-seniJi  It.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.  Am. 

Bats,  p.  65  (not  Plevotus  totvnsvndi  Cooper,  1837), 

1893.   Coryuorhiuus  townsendi  II.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  ji.  58. 

Ty2)e  from  Keam  Canon,  Navajo  County,  Arizona.     Adult  9  (skin),  No.  65534,  U.  S. 

Nati<mal  Museum  (Biological  Survey  t-ollection).     Collected  August 3,  1894. 

by  Dr.   A.   K.   Fisher.      Collector's  No.,  1715. 

Qeo(jrapliic  distribution. — Probably  through- 
out the  Austral  zones  from  California,  Colorado, 
and  western  Texas  to  southern  Mexico. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  typical  ma- 
crotis, but  much  paler  in  color;  fur  nowhere 
distinctly  bicolor. 

Golor. — Back  yellowish  drab  gray,  becoming 
paler  about  head,  the  hairs  with  faintly  defined 
light  ijlumbeous  bases  and  faintly  darker  tii)s. 
Belly  slightly  i^aler  than  back,  but  hairs  with 
out  distinctly  lighter  tips  and  with  darker 
basal  area  so  ill  defined  as  to  be  scarcely  visible 
light  brown. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  54. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  30,  from  the  following  localities 

Arizona:  Fort  Huachuca,  2;  Keam  Canyon,  1  (skin). 
California:  Dulzura,  1;  Owens  Lake,  1;  Owens  Valley,  1. 


Fig.  8  — Skulls  of   (a)    Oorynorh^nus 
to%vnsendii  and  (b)  C.  macrotis  {    2). 


Km.  9.— Teeth  of  (a)  Gorynorhi- 
nus toumsenilii  and  (b)  C.)na- 
crotis  ( X  5). 

Ears  and  membranes 


OORYNORHINUS    MACROTIS    TOWNSENDII.  53 

Colorado:  Larimer  County,  1  (skiu,  Miller  coll.). 

Guanajuato:  Santa  Rosa,  17. 

Miclioacan:  Patzcuaro,  1. 

Oaxaca:  Oaxaca,  1. 

San  Luis  Potosi :  Hacienda  La  Parada,  1. 

Texas  :  East  Painted  Cave,  1. 

Utah:  1. 

Vera  Cruz  :  Jico,  1. 

General  remarls. — Corynorhinvs  macrofis  pallescens  differs  from  tine 
macrotu  in  its  iiuicli  ])aU»r,  more  uniforni  coloration.  vVliile  this  form 
is  represented  in  the  National  Musenm  by  numerous  specimens  in  alco- 
hol, the  series  of  skins  is  very  incomplete.  Until  this  series  can  be 
o;reatly  increased  the  limits  of  distribution  of  the  subspecies  must 
remain  ])urely  a  matter  of  conjecture. 

The  differences  in  form  of  the  inner  upper  incisor  which  have  been 
suppot-ed  to  distinguish  this  race  from  true  macrotis^  appear  to  be 
inconstant.  While  the  few  specimens  of  typical  macrotis  that  1  have 
seen  have  this  tooth  without  exception  bicuspidate,  western  specimens 
vary  greatly.  In  a  series  from 
Santa  Kosa,  Guanajuato,  both  ex- 
tremes are  represented,  while  sev- 
eral specimens  are  with  difficulty 
referred   to   one   or   the   other 

(tig.  10).  FlQ.  10. — Left  upper  incisors  of  Corynorhiniis  ma- 

This    is    the     bat    to    which     Dr  croUs  pnlleaccns  fmm  Santa  Ro.sa,   Guanajuato, 

TT         •  n  1  !•     1      1  Mexico. 

Harrison   Allen    has   applied  the 

name  foivtisendi.    True  fonmsendi,  however,  the  type  of  which  came 

fro'.n  the  Columbia  River,  is  the  diirk  northwest  coast  form. 

CORYNORHINUS  MACROTIS  TOWNSENDII  (Coo])(n). 

1837.  Plccotiis  townsendii  Cooper,  Ann.  Lye.   Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  IV,  ]».  73.     (Columbia 

River.) 
1878.  Plecotns  macroiis  Dobson,  Catal.  Chiroptera  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  ISO  (not  Pleeotus 

macroth  Le  Conte,  1831). 

Type  locolity. — Columbia  River,  Oregon. 

Geoyraphh-  disfribiitiou. — Humid  coast  district  of  Oregon,  Washing- 
ton, and  southern  British  Columbia. 

General  char  act  ers. — Similar  to  typical  macrotis^  but  much  darker ;  fur 
nowhere  distinctly  bicolor. 

Color. — Back  uniform  dark  brown,  the  hairs  indistinctly  light  plum- 
beous at  base,  and  very  faintly  tipped  with  yellowisli.  Belly  dark 
brown,  the  hairs  light  plumbeous  at  base.  Ears  and  membranes 
blackish. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  54. 

Spechnens  examined. — Total  number,  3,  from  the  following  localities: 

British  Columbia:  Comox,  1  (skin). 
Oregon:  Creswell,  1;  Gold  Beach,  1. 

'H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  58,  1893. 


54 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


General  remarlis. — GorynorMnus  macroUs  toumsendii  is  the  dark  north- 
west coast  representative  of  the  species.  In  coloration  it  bears  a  close 
resemblance  to  the  other  bats  ijeculiar  to  the  same  region.  It  is  so 
different  in  general  appearance  from  macroUs  and  pallescens  that  it 
needs  no  special  comparison  with  them.  More  material  is  necessary 
before  the  exact  relationship  of  this  form  to  the  others  can  be  determined. 

While  this  is  the  true  toirnsendii  of  Cooper,  it  is  not  the  bat  to  which 
Harrison  Allen  has  applied  the  name.  The  latter  is  G.  macrotis  pal- 
lescens. It  was  on  a  specimen  of  this  form  from  Vancouver  Island  that 
Dobson  based  his  descri])tion  of  '■Flecotns^  macroUs  in  the  Catalogue  of 
Chiroptera  in  the  British  Museum. 

Average  measurements  of  subspecies  of  Corynorhinus. 


Siibspecies. 


pallescens . . . 


I^ocality. 


Soutli  Carolina :  Harrteeville 

Kentucliy :  Bowling  Green 

Louisiana :  Houma 

Arizona :  Keam  Canyon 

Fort  Huacliuca 

Coloi  ado :  Larimer  County 

Texas:  East  Painted  Cave 

Guanajuato :  Santa  Rosa 

British  Columbia :  Comox 

Oregon  :  Gold  Beach 

Creswell 


1? 

IcT 

4?? 

19' 

1,/ 

1? 

1? 

10 

1? 
1? 
1? 


105  52 

106  !48.  5  21. 


105 
95 


90     |45 
59.3  48.1 


105 
100 


Ph 


41 
43.4 
41.5 
42.  G 

44 

41 

41.9 

42 

44 


73 

77 

73 

76 

71 

77 

73  33 

77  33.9 

76.. 

80  33 

77  34 


20 
23.7 


14.6 
12.7 


'  Type. 

Subfamily   VESPERTILIONIN.^. 
This  subfamily  contains  the  great  majority  of  North  American  Yes- 
pertilionidw.    Those  of  its  members  that  occur  in  the  region  in  ques- 
tion may  be  known  by  their  simple  muzzles  and  nostrils,  separate  ears, 
ample  interfemoral  membranes,  and  six  incisors  in  the  lower  jaw. 

KEY  TO  GENERA  OF  VESPERTlLIONINiE  OCCURRING  IN  AMERICA  NORTH  OF 

PANAMA. 

[Based  on  dental  characters  only.] 
Upper  incisoTS  2. 

Upper  premolars  2. 

Mandilmliir  tooth-row  more  than  8  mm Dasypiiriis  (p.  115) 

Mau(lil)ular  tooth-roAv  les.s  than  7  mm. 

Third  lower  incisor  much  smaller  than  second  or  i\vst . .  Iihof/ei'ssa  (p.  122) 

Third  lower  incisor  abont  0(iual  to  second  or  first Xycticeius  (p.  118) 

Upper  premolars  4 Lasimnis  (p.  105) 

Upper  incisors  4. 

Upper  premolars  2 Vespertilio  (p.  95) 

Upper  premolars  more  tlian  2. 
Upper  premolars  4. 

Lower  premolars  4 Fipistrellus  (p.  87) 

Lower  jiremolars  6 Lasioni/rteris  (p.  85) 

Upper  jiremolais  6 Myotia  (p.  55) 


MYOTIS. 


55 


Fig.  11. — Skulls  of  (a)  Myotig  myotis,  (h)  M.  thysanodes,  and  (c) 
M.  ni(jricans  (  >  2). 


Genus  MYOTIS  Kaup. 

1829.  Myotis  Kaup,  Skizzirte  Entw.-Gescli.  u.  Natiirl.  Syst.  tl.  Enrop.  Thierw.,  I,  p. 

106.     Tj'pe  VespertiUo  murUms  Schreber  (not  V.  mnrinus  Liuu.). 
1829.  Nyatactes  Kaup,  Skizzirte  Eutw.-Gesch.  u.  Natiirl.  Syst.  d.  Europ.  Tliierw.,  I,  p. 
108.     Type    Vesiieriilio 
hechsteinii  Leisler. 
1839.    VespertiUo  Keyserling  »fe 
Blasius,     Wiegmann's 
Archiv  f.  Naturgescb., 
5ter  Jahrg.,  Bd.  1,  p. 
306  (not  VespertiUo 
Linn:eus,  1758). 
1841.  Selysius  Bonaparte,  Icon- 
ografia  Fauna  Italica, 
I,  Introduzione  []>.  3]. 
Type  VespertiUo  mysta- 
einus  Leisler. 
18.56.  lirachyotKS  Kolenati,  All- 
gem.  Deutscli.  Natur- 
hist.   Zeitg.,  Dresden, 
Neue    Folge,    II,    pp. 
131,  171-177.     Based  on  the  species  mystaciniis,  daiihentonii,   and  dasycneme. 
1856.  Isotns  Kolenati,  Allgeni.  Deutsch.  Naturhist.  Zeitg.,  Dresden,  Neue  F<dge,  II, 

pp.  131,  177-179.     Included  the  species  nattereri  and  emarginatus. 
1864.   Vespei'tiUo  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  46.      (Not  VespertiUo  Linn.,  1758.) 
1870.  Aeorestes  Fitzinger,  Sitzungsber.  Math. -Nat.  CI.  K.  Akad.  Wiss.,  Wien,  LXII, 

Abth.  I,  pp.  427-436.     Included  the 
species  viUosissimus,  aUicsccns,   and 
iiigricans. 
1870.   Comastes   Fitzinger,     Sitzungsber. 
Math. -Nat.     CI.     K.    Akad.    Wiss., 
Wieu,   LXII,  Abth.  I,  pp.  565-.579. 
(Included     caparcinii,     mcyopoilius, 
(hisycneme  and  liitniophilit'i.) 
1878.    VespertiUo  I)ol)Soii,  (!atal.  Chiroptcra 
Brit.  Mus.,  p.  284    (not    I'espertiUo 
Linnieus  1758). 
1893.    I'espertiUo  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N. 
Am.,  p.  70.      (Not   VespertiUo  Linn., 
18.58). 

Type  species. — Myotis  myotis  (Bech- 
steiu)=  VespertiUo  murines  Sclireber 
et  Auct.,  uec  Linn. 

Geogyaphic  distribution. — Temiier- 
ate  and  tropical  parts  of  both  liemis 
pberes. 

Generic  characters. — Dental  form- 
ula : 


Fifi.  12. — Skulls  of  (a.)  Myotis  nigricans,  (6)  M. 
tliysanodes,  and  (c)  M.  myotin  (X2). 


2-2 


1-1 


m. 


3-3 


=38. 


3-3 
7  3_3;  ^7  i_i5  P'"i  3_3J  ""J  3_3- 

Remarks. — The  North  American  members  of  the  genus  Myotis  are  all 
small,  delicately  formed  bats,  whicb,  aside  from  their  dental  formula, 


56  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

shared  hy  no  other  American  genus  of  Vespertilionidw,  are  usually 
recognizable  by  their  slender  forms,  long  tails,  hairy  faces,  narrow  ears, 
and  tapering,  straight,  or  recurved  tragi.  As  I  have  had  no  opportu- 
nity to  study  any  of  the  Old  World  species  except  M.  myotis,  I  can 
make  no  attempt  to  define  the  genus  in  detail,  but  the  dental  formula, 
coupled  with  the  characters  of  the  family,  is  sufficient  to  distinguish 
the  genus  among  American  bats.  The  species  of  Myotis  differ  greatly 
among  themselves,  especially  in  size  (see  figs.  11  and  32).  It  may 
eventually  prove  necessary  to  divide  the  genus  into  two  or  more  sub- 
genera. 

KEY  TO  NORTH  AMERICAN  FORMS  OF  MYOTIS. 

Free  border  of  nropatagium  conspicuously  fringed ilnjsanodcs  (p.  80) 

Free  border  of  nropataginm  not  conspicnonsly  iVinged. 
Forearm  more  tban  40  mm. 

Ear  wben  laid  forward  extending  barely  beyond  nostril relifer  (p.  5fi) 

Ear  wben  laid  forward  extending  7  to  10  mm.  beyond  nostril erotis  (p.  77) 

Forearm  less  tban  40  mm. 

Ear  wben  laid  forward  extending  7  to  10  mm.  beyond  nostril erotis  (p.  77) 

Ear  wben  laid  forward  extending  less  tban  6  mm.  beyond  nostril. 

Fnr  on  back  not  distinctly  bicidor nUjricans  {]>.  74) 

Fur  on  back  distinctly  bicolor. 
(ieneral  color  wbitisb  gray. 

Foot  8  to  10  mm   yiimanensis  (p.  06) 

Foot  .">  to  7  mm ciliolahnnn  (p.  72) 

General  color  never  wbitish  gray. 
Forearm  30  to  35  mm. 

C<dor  ligbt  yellow isb  gray colifoniiciifi  (p.  69) 

Color  yellowisb  brown. 

Forearm  31  to  33  mm cauriniis  ( ]>.  72) 

Forearm  32  to  36  mm merican us  (p.  73) 

Forearm  34  to  40  mm. 

Tibia  less  tban  15  mm ..saiuralns  (p.  68) 

Tibia  15  to  19  nnn. 

Ear  and  tragus  slender,  tbe  latter  9  mm.  or  more,  in  length. 

Color  ligbt  brown siihulatus  (p.  75) 

Color  blackish leeiiii  (ii.77) 

Ear  and  tragus  short  and  broad,  the  latter  8  nnn.  or  less  in  length. 

Tibia,  17.5  to  20  nun lonrficnts  (p.  64) 

Tibia  15  to  17  nnn. 

Ear  12  to  14  mm liicifiifius  (p.  59) 

Ear  14  to  16  mm ahtscoisis  (p.  63) 

MYOTIS  VELIFER  (J.  A.  Allen). 

1890.    Vespcrniio  relifer  J.  A.  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mns.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  Ill,  p.  177,  D<'C.  10, 

1890. 
1896.    Vespn-tiVio  incantns  J.  A.  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mns.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  VIII,  p.  239,  Nov. 

21,  1896.     (Texas.) 

Type  locality. — Santa  Cruz  del  Valle,  near  Guadalajara,  Jalisco, 
Mexico. 

Geoyrapliic  (Ustrihution. — Near  border  line  between  upper  and  lower 
Sonoran  zones  from  Missouri  and  Indian  Territory  south  to  Hidalgo, 
northern  Michoacan,  and  the  City  of  Mexico. 


MYOTIS    VELIFER.  57 

General  characters. — Largest  species  of  Myoti.s  known  to  occur  in 
Mexico  or  the  United  Sttites.  Lengtli  90  to  lOo,  forearm  40  to  47. 
Calcar  slender,  without  well-developed  lobe.  Free  border  of  uropata- 
gium  naked.    Ears  short,  reaching  tip  of  nose.    Wings  from  metatarsus. 

Ears. — The  ears  are  short  and  pointed ;  laid  forward  they  reach  to  or 
just  beyond  nostril.  Auricle  concave  on  both  sides  iiiinudiately  below 
the  narrowly  rounded  oif  tiip  (most  strongly  so  on  the  posterior  border). 
Anterior  l^order  straight  or  very  slightly  convex  through  the  basal  two- 
thirds  of  its  lengtli,  then  concave  or  almost  straight  to  tip;  posterior 
border  strongly  concave  directly  below  tip,  then  still  more  strongly  con- 
vex to  basal  notch,  tlie  widest  part  of  the  ear  at  about  mid  height.  Basal 
notch  well  defined,  isolating  a  prominent  basal  lobe,  which  is  slightly 
notched  on  the  lower  side  and  joins  the  side  of  the  face  in  a  line  which 
if  continued  would  coincide  with  the  margin  of  the  upper  lip. 

Tragus  moderately  long  and  broad,  the  anterior  <  dge  straight  or  very 
slightly  convex  toward  the  tip;  posterior  border  with  a  well  developed 
lobe  at  base;  just  above  the  lobe  the  tragus  attains  its  greatest  width; 
the  two  borders  are  usually  parallel  for  a  short  distance,  after  which 
the  posterior  border  bends  rapidly  forward  to  the  tip,  below  which  it 
may  be  either  straight  or  very  slightly  concave. 

Mnnhrancs. — Tlie  membranes  are,  for  an  American  Myotis,  rather 
thick  and  opaque.  The  uropatagium  is  sparsely  haired  both  dor- 
sally  and  ventrally  on  its  proximal  fourth;  the  free  border,  which  is 
distinctly  shorter  than  the  calcar,  wholly  naked.  Wing  from  point 
between  aidde  and  base  of  toes,  but  nearer  the  latter.  When  drawn 
away  perpendicularly  from  the  leg,  the  wing  appears  to  be  attached  to 
the  ankle. 

Feet. — Feet  (PI.  II,  fig,  0)  large  and  strong,  half  as  long  as  tibiae  Toes 
(without  claws)  slightly  longer  than  sole,  scarcely  united  by  memlmme 
at  extreme  base,  all  sprinkled  with  long,  stift'  hairs.  Caltar  long,  slen- 
der, usually  terminating  indistinctly,  but  sometimes  with  a  more  or  less 
well  defined  lobule  at  tip. 

Ffir  and  color. — There  is  nothing  i)eculiar  about  the  distribution  of 
the  fur  to  distinguish  this  bat  from  other  American  members  of  the 
genus. 

In  color  the  fur  is  dull  sepia  throughout,  paler  on  the  belly,  the  hairs 
everywhere  dusky  slate  at  base.  Individual  variation  is  trifling  and 
is  mostly  confined  to  the  belly.  This  is  usually  dull  broccoli  brown, 
but  in  some  specimens  by  admixture  of  yellow  it  becomes  more  nearly 
isabella  color. 

8J:uU. — Skull  stronger  and  more  heavily  built  than  in  any  other 
Myntis  found  in  Mexico  or  the  United  States,  but  not  actually  larger 
than  that  of  M.  thysanodes.  Greatest  length  (5  specimens)  10  to  10.4; 
zygomatic  breadth,  10  to  11;  interorbital  constriction,  4  to  4.2;  width 
of  rostrum  at  anterior  root  of  mj^,  0  to  0.2;  length  of  mandible,  12  to 
13.     When  viewed  from  above,  the  brain  case  is  subcircular  in  outline 


58 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


but  truncate  posteriorly  and  slightly  longer  than  broad.  Forehead 
moderately  elevated  above  muzzle;  occiput  high  and  compressed,  with 
well-developed  ridges.  Distance  from  posterior  border  of  last  upper 
molar  to  tip  of  hamular  equal  to  or  less  than  distance  between  alveoli 
of  posterior  molars. 

Teeth. — Upper  incisiors  diverging  at  tips,  the  inner  tooth  of  each  pair 
much  the  larger.  First  and  second  premolars  in  the  tooth  row  or 
second  displaced  slightly  inward  and  partly  concealed  by  the  anterior 
edge  of  the  third,  the  relative  size  of  the  two  teeth  variable,  but  first 
always  the  larger.  The  second  premolar  is  always  much  shorter  than 
the  first,  but  the  cross  section  of  the  crown  is  sometimes  nearly  equal 
in  the  two  teeth.  On  the  other  hand,  in  rare  cases  the  area  of  cross  sec- 
tion in  the  first  is  nearly  double  that  of  the  second.  Third  upper  jire- 
raolar  triangular  in  outline,  posterior  margin  longest,  the  outer  margin 
abruptly  convex  anteriorly,  the  anterior  and  posterior  borders  slightly 
concave;  inner  apex  of  triangle  bluntly  rounded  and  not  reaching  to 
level  of  inner  margins  of  molars.  Crowns  of  first  and  second  upper 
molars  trapeziform  in  outline,  the  anterior  edge  longest,  and  the  i^oste- 
rior,  outer,  and  inner  edges  successively  shorter.  Anterior  edge  slightly 
convex,  posterior  edge  slightly  concave.  Crown  of  first  molar  consid- 
erably shorter  in  proportion  to  its  width  than  second  (fig.  14  d,  j).  6L). 
Inner  mandibular  incisors  smallest,  their  crowns  compressed  and  trifid; 
middle  incisors  similar  but  larger;  outer  incisors  about  as  large  as  the 
two  others  together,  their  crowns  irregularly  terete,  and  with  four  indis- 
tinctly developed  tubercles,  one  of  which  is  much  larger  than  the  others. 
First  and  second  premolars  perfectly  in  line,  the  first  considerably  larger 
than  the  second,  though  not  much  wider  in  cross  section.  Third  pre- 
molar as  broad  as  long,  trapeziform,  the  posterior  margin  longest. 

Mcafiurenienfs. — In  the  following  table  average  measurements  are 
given  of  20  specimens  of  MyoUs  velifer  from  six  localities. 

Average  inea>iurements  of  20  specimens  of  Myotis  relifer  from  6  locaHties. 


Locality. 

o  ^ 

g 

o 
H 

>  ^ 

'5 
H 

3 

1 

£ 

o 

a 

§ 
1-) 

C3 

a 

CS 

i 

o 

3 

5 

3 

IcT 

4 

1' 

4 

;! 

99 

97 

94 

98.8 

95.2 

93.3 

93.6 

44.8 

42 

40 

42 

44.4 

41.3 

39.6 

18.5 

18.3 

17.0 

16.5 

18 

18.1 

17.9 

9.5 

8.9 

8.6 

9 

8.4 

9.3 

9.8 

45 

43.6 

42 

41.5 

43 

43 

42.6 

7.2 

7.2 

6.4 

6.4 

7 

6.9 

7 

73.4 

71.3 

71 

69 

62 

67 

69.3 

16 

16.1 

15.4 

10.6 
10.3 
11 

9 

8.5 

Mexico :  Ixtapalajiii 

9 

7.8 

Missouri :  Marble  Cave 

15.6 

10.1 

8.1 

'Type  of  'incautus.^ 


MYOTIS    LUCIFUGUS.  59 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  46,  from  the  following  localities : 

Arizona:  San  Bernardino  Rancli  (Monument  77,  Mex.  Bound.  Line),  5  (skins). 

Hidalgo:  Tulancingo,  4  (1  skin). 

Indian  Territory :  Fort  Reno,  3. 

Jalisco:  Guadalajara,  2  (skins,  Merriam  Coll.) ;  Santa  Cruz  del  Valle,  3  (skins, 

Am.  Mns.  Nat.  Hist.) ;  Hacienda  San  Marcos,  Tonila,  1  (skin,  Am.  Mus. 

Nat.  Hist.). 
Mexico:  Lerma,  1;  Ixtapalapa,  1;  City  of  Mexico,  1  (skin). 
Michoacan:  Patzcuaro,  11  (3  skins). 
Mi^<sou^i :  Marble  Cave,  Stono  County,  3. 
San  Luis  Potosi:  Abualulco,  1. 
Texas:  Mouth  of  Pecos  Eiver,  4;   New  Braunfels,  1;  San  Antonio,  4  (skins, 

Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  including  type  of  ^incaHtus'). 
Vera  Cruz:  Las  Vigas,  1. 

General  remarlcs. — Through  the  kindness  of  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen,  I  have 
been  able  to  examine  two  of  the  original  specimens  of  Myotis  relifer 
from  Santa  Cruz  del  Valle,  Guadalajara,  Jalisco,  and  four  specimens 
(iucludiiig  the  type)  of  '  VesperUUo  ineautus''  from  San  Antonio,  Texas. 
After  comparing  the  specimens  of  '■ineautus''  with  seven  M.  relifer 
from  various  parts  of  Mexico,  I  can  find  no  characters  to  separate  the 
two  even  subspecifically.  In  size  as  well  as  in  cranial  and  dental 
characters  they  agree  i^erfectly,  while  the  difference  in  color  is  too 
sliglit  to  be  described  by  words.  As  the  specimens  from  Mexico  were 
all  taken  in  midsummer  and  those  from  Texas  were  killed  in  October 
the  variation  in  color  is  probably  seasonal. 

The  large  size  of  this  bat  distinguishes  it  at  a  glance  from  all  other 
Mexican  or  United  States  species  except  M.  tkysanodes.     From  the  latter 
the  darker  color,  slender  ciilcar,  naked  free  border  of  interfemoral  mem 
brane,  and  shorter  ears  and  tragus  separate  it  without  difficulty. 

Myotis  velifer,  while  totally  different  from  all  other  bats  found  in 
Mexico  or  the  United  States,  is  doubtfully  distinct  from  the  South 
American  ]\[.  albescens.  Mr.  Oldfield  Thomas,  who  has  compared  for 
me  specimens  of  the  former  with  the  albeseens  in  the  British  Museum 
so  named  by  Dobson  after  examination  of  the  type,  writes  that  M.  vel- 
ifer and  jIA.  albescens  are  iiractically  identical.  It  is  best,  however,  to 
retain  the  name  velifer  for  the  bat  occurring  in  Mexico  and  the  United 
States  until  the  South  American  species  has  been  positively  i<lenti tied. 

Dr.  Harrison  Allen  refers  to  this  bat  in  his  recent  monograph  as 
Vespertilio  albescens  velifer.  Under  the  same  name  he  mentions  a 
specimen  of  71/.  thysanodes  from  'Dalyura'  (=Dulzura),  Oal. ;  while  the 
Texan  specimens  of  velifer  in  the  Biological  Survey  collection  he  has 
labeled  '  V.  albescens  f ' 

MYOTIS  LUCIFUGUS  (Le  Conte).      Little  Brown  Bat. 

1831.   Vespertilio  hicifwius  LeConte,  McMurtrie's  Cuvier,  Animal  Kingdom,  T,  Append., 

p.  431.    (Southern  Georgia.) 
1856.   Vespertilio  snbitlatus  Le  Conte,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  (18.54-55),  p.  435. 
1864.    Vespertilio  nffinis  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  53. 
1864.   Vespertilio  lucifugus  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  55. 


60 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


1S78.   Vespertilio  carolii  Do1)Sou,  Catal.  Chiroptera  Brit.  Mns.,  p.  325. 

1893.   VespcrtiUo  gnjphiis  Var.    (a)    Vespertilio  gryphus  lucifufjus  H.  Allen,  Monogr 

Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  78. 
1893.   VespertiUu  albescens  affinis  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  93. 
1897.    Vespertilio  Incifugus  austroriparim  Khoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  227, 

May  1897.     (Tarpon  Springs,  Florida.) 

Type  locality. — Georgia,  probably  soutliern  Liberty  County. 
Geogrftphic  distribution. — The  wliole  of  North  America  north  of  the 
southern  boundary  of  the  United  States,  except  in  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains and  on    the  Pacific  coast  of  ('alifornia,  Oregon,  Wasliingtou 
British  Columbia,  and  southern  Alaska. 

General  characters. — Size  medium;  length  80  to  90;  forearm  36  to 
40;  tibia  14.6  to  16.6.  Calcar  vslender,  indistinct,  about  equal  in  length 
to  free  border  of  uropatagium,  usually  terminating  in  a  iaintly  indicated 

lobule;  keel  very  slightly  developed,  if 
at  all.  Free  border  of  uropatagium 
naked.  Ears  short,  laid  forward  they 
reach  about  to  nostril. 

Ears. — The  ears  (fig.  13,  c)  are  short 
and  ])()int('<],  reaching  when  laidforward 
barely  to  tip  of  nose.  The  anterior  bor- 
der is  straight  from  base  through  lower 
third,  then  for  a  short  distance  strongly 
convex,  and  finally  straight  to  narrowly 
rounded  off  tip.  Posterior  border  gently 
con<;ave  from  just  below  tip  to  about 
middle,  where  it  becomes  convex  and 
continues  so  to  basal  notch.  Basal 
notch  moderately  developed,  isolating 
a  broad  but  not  conspicuous  basal  lobe. 
Tragus  short,  blunt,  bent  slightly 
forward.  Anterior  border  straight  or 
slightly  concave  from  base  to  tip.  Pos- 
terior border  straight  or  slightly  con- 
vex immediately  below  tip,  then  more 
strongly  convex  to  notch  above  large  and  prominent  basal  lobe.  Greatest 
width  of  tragus  through  basal  lobe  or  at  about  middle  height,  accord- 
ing to  convexity  of  posterior  border. 

Membranes. — Membranes  rather  thick  and  leathery,  entirely  naked 
except  where  fur  of  body  extends  in  a  narrow  line  at  the  base  of  the 
wings  and  uroi^ataginm.  On  the  latter  the  fur  occupies  about  the 
basal  fourth  on  the  dorsal  side,  rather  less  ventrally.  The  wings  are 
attached  at  the  base  of  the  toes. 

Feet. — The  feet  are  large  and  strong,  slightly  more  than  half  length 
of  tibite.  Toes  longer  than  sole,  joined  by  membrane  at  base  to  a 
point  Slightly  beyond  middle  of  proximal  phalanges.  The  membrane 
extends  farther  on  first  digit  than  on  fifth. 


FiQ.  13.— Ear  of  (a)  Myotis  subulatns,  (h) 
M.  keenii,  (c)  M.  liieifmjns,  .and  (rf)  M. 
alascensin  (  '  '_'). 


MYOTI8    LUCIFUGUS. 


61 


Fur  and  color. — The  distribution  of  the  fur  in  Myotis  lucifugus  is  in 
no  way  peculiar.  Tlie  Irairs  are  everywhere  dusky  slate  at  base. 
General  color  dull  brown  with  a  distinct  gloss  in  certain  lights,  the 
ventral  surface  paler  and  more  yellowisli.  The  exact  shades  are  vari- 
able. Thus  in  three  specimens  taken  at  Washington,  1).  C,  in  June, 
the  color  ot  the  back  is  respectively  wood  brown,  raw  umber,  and 
sepia,  the  belly  in  each  pale  wood  brown  tinged  to  a  varying  degree 
with  gray.  In  the  majority  of  individuals  the  color  tends  toward 
sepia.  Seven  skins  from  Elk  Eiver,  Minn.,  and  three  from  Kadiak 
Island,  Alaska,  are  indistinguishable  in  color  from  those  taken  at 
Washington.     Ears  and  membranes  light  brown. 

SJcuU. — The  skull  of  Myotis  lucifugus  is  characterized  by  the  broad 


Fig.  14. — Teeth  of  (a)  Myotis  yumanensit,  (h)  M.  lucifugus,  (c)  M.  lucifugji.s  lonijknis,  aud 
(d)  M.  vcUfcr  (X  5). 

muzzle  and  palate  and  gradually  sloping  forehead.  In  most  specimens 
the  face  line  begins  to  rise  almost  from  the  tip  of  the  muzzle;  iu  others, 
however,  there  is  a  short  flat  area  back  of  the  nasal  opening.  The 
l)rain  case  is  broad  and  inflated  at  the  back,  less  so  in  front,  produc- 
ing in  many  individuals  a  wedge  shaped  outline.  Distance  from  pos- 
terior molar  to  tip  of  hamular  less  than  distance  between  j)osterior 
molars. 

The  skull  of  Myotis  lucifugus  differs  from  that  of  M,  suhulatus  in  its 
slightly  smaller  size,  broader  palate  and  muzzle,  and  less  abruptly 
elevated  face  line. 

Tee/Zi. —Upper  incisors  diverging  at  tips  (fig.  14  i).  Crown  of  first 
bicuspidate,  and,  when  viewed  from  below,  nearlj^  rectangular   and 


62  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

iibout  twice  as  long  as  broad.  Larger  cusp  i)laced  at  extreme  anterior 
end;  tbe  smaller  one  on  tbe  inner  edge  near  posterior  border.  Crown 
of  second  incisor  subterete,  nnicuspidate.  Crown  of  first  premolar 
longer  than  second  when  viewed  from  tbe  side,  sligbtly  larger,  or  iu 
rare  cases  very  mucli  larger  tbaii  tlie  latter  in  cross  section;  tbe  two 
teetb  in  line,  or  second  sligbtly  dis^daced  inward.  There  is  nothing 
characteristic  in  the  form  of  tbe  third  premolar  or  of  the  molars. 
JVIaxillary  incisors  as  nsnal  in  tbe  genus,  tbe  middle  pair  and  tbe  next 
compressed  and  tritid,  tbe  outer  much  larger  and  subterete.  First 
maxillary  premolar  with  crown  longer  than  the  second  when  viewed 
irom  tbe  side,  and  one  fourth  to  one-third  larger  in  cross  section;  the 
two  teetb  perfectly  iu  line,  or  second  slightly  displaced  inward.  Third 
premolar  subquadrate,  nearly  as  broad  as  long.  The  lower  molars 
show  no  distinctive  characters. 

As  compared  with  M.  siilmlatus,  the  species  with  which  it  is  most 
likely  to  be  confused,  Myoiis  lucifuyus  shows  numerous  differences  in 
dental  characters.  The  tooth  row,  as  a  whole,  is  shorter,  and  the  indi- 
vidual teetb  relatively  smaller.  Tbe  first  and  second  premolars  in  each 
jaw  are  actually  smaller,  and  in  most  specimens  more  nearly  ec^ual  iu 
size  in  cross  section,  in  M.  suhulatua  tbe  premolars  are  so  large  that  the 
second  is  often  crowded  inward  from  tbe  tooth  row,  a  condition  rarely 
seen  in  M.  luci/ugns.  The  form  of  tbe  third  lower  premolar  is  very 
difi'erent  in  the  two  species.  When  viewed  from  tbe  side,  this  tooth 
is  conspicuously  broader  in  proportion  to  its  heigh  in  71/.  snhulatu.s. 
When  viewed  from  above,  the  tooth  is  much  larger  in  M.  subiilidus,  and 
distinctly  longer  than  broad,  whde  in  M.  luci/iujus  it  is  nearly  as  broad 
as  long. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  (J5. 

JSpecimens  examined. — Total  number  5615,  from  tbe  following  localities: 

Alabama:  Greeusboro,  1  (skiu,  Merriain  coll.)- 

Alaska:  Kadiak  Lslaiul,  9. 

Conuecticnt:  1  (Merriani  coll.). 

District  of  Columbia:  Wasbiugton,  20  (majority  in  Merriam  coll.). 

Florida:  Tarpon  Springs,  7  (two  skins,  Rboads  coll.,  type  and  topotypea  of 

*  aiistroriparius') . 
Illinois:  Warsaw,  141;  West  Nortb field,  2. 
Kentucky :  Mammotb  Cave,  218. 
Maine:  Eastport,  1. 
Maryland:  Seneca  River,  1. 
Massachusetts:  Woods  Hole,  1. 
Minnesota:  Elk  River,  7;  Fort  Snelling,  4. 
Newfoundland:  Bay  St.  George,  4  (skins.  Bangs  coll.). 
New  York :  Adiroudacks,  1  (Merriam  coll.) ;  Big  Moose  Lake,  1  (Merriam  coll.) ; 

Catskill  Mountains,  2;  Howes  Cave,  2.5  (Merriam  coll.);  Lake  George,  1; 

LocustGrove,  9  (Merriam  coll.);  Lyons  Falls,  4  (Merriam  coll.) ;  Oneida  Lake, 

63  (Miller  coll.);  Peterboro,  1  (Merriam  coll.);  Sing  Sing,  1  (Merriam  coll.); 

AVest  Point,  1. 
Nortb  Carolina:  Roan  Mountain,  1. 
Nova  Scotia :  Halifax,  1 . 


MYOTIS    LUCIFUGUS    ALASCENSIS.  63 

Ontario:  Gravenliuist,  1  (Miller  coll.);  James  Bay,  2;  North  Hay,  Lake  Nipis- 

siiig,  1  (Miller  coll.). 
Peunsylvania:  Bradford,  1;  Center  County,  19. 
Qnel>ec:  Godbout,  I  (Merriani  coll.);  Ottawa,  2  (Merriani  coll.). 
South  Carolina:  Beaufort,  3. 
Virginia:  Riverton,  1. 

General  rcmarlis. — Myotis  lucifugns  resembles  M.  velifcr  more  closely 
tluui  it  does  any  other  North  American  species.  From  the  latter  it  is, 
liowever,  readily  distinguishable  by  its  much  smaller  size.  From  M. 
siibulatus,  the  only  species  of  the  genus  with  which  it  is  associated  in 
the  eastern  United  States,  it  may  be  at  once  recognized  by  its  shorter 
ear  and  shorter,  less  acuminate  tragus. 

This  bat  is  the  Vespertilio  gryiilms  lucifugus  of  Dr.  Harrison  Allen's 
recent  monograph.  Dr.  Allen's  'northern  form  of  Vespertilio  (jryphns'' 
is  M.  suhulatuK. 

Through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  S.  N.  Ilhoads  I  have  examined  the  type 
and  six  topotypes  of  Vespertilio  lucifugus  austroriparius  from  Tarpon 
Springs,  Fla,  1  can  find  no  characters  by  which  these  specimens  may 
be  distinguished  from  those  taken  at  other  parts  of  the  range  of  Mijotis 
lucifugus.  The  two  skins,  one  of  which  is  the  type,  are  those  of  partly 
grown  individuals  whose  immaturity  is  clearly  indicated  by  the  soft, 
pai)ery  skulls  in  which  the  nasal  sutures  are  still  clearly  visible,  and 
by  the  imperfectly  formed  joints  of  the  fingers  (see  fig.  1,  p.  9).  These 
specimens  differ  from  northern  adults  in  smaller  size,  shorter  fur,  and 
duller,  browner  color.  Three  adult  topotypes  in  alcohol  show  only  one 
of  these  peculiarities — the  shortness  of  fur — and  in  the  fourth  this  also 
is  absent.  The  fifth  alcoholic  specimen  is  immature.  That  the  adult 
specimens  of  My ot is  from  Tarpon  Springs  are  not  smaller  than  Af.  luci- 
fugus from  other  localities  is  clearly  shown  by  the  table  of  measurements 
on  page  05.  The  short  fur  of  three  of  the  adults  is  evidently  a  seasonal 
character,  since  all  showing  this  peculiarity  are  in  worn,  ragged  coat, 
while  the  only  one  in  fresh  pelage  (killed  September  12)  has  fur  of 
the  ordinary  length.  The  fur  of  all  these  specimens,  after  nearly  five 
years  immersion  in  alcohol,  has  lost  the  warm,  glossy  appearance  char- 
acteristic of  freshly  killed  individuals.  It  can  be  perfectly  matched, 
however,  among  the  series  of  alcoholic  specimens  collected  in  Center 
County,  Pa.,  during  the  winter  of  1893. 

MYOTIS  LUCIFUGUS  ALASCENSIS  subsp.  nov. 

Tfipe  from  Sitka,  Alaska.  Adult  9  (in  alcohol),  No.  77416,  U.  S.  National  Museum 
(Biological  Survey  collection).  Collected  August  5,  1895,  by  C.  1'.  Streator. 
Collector's  number,  4754. 

Geographic  (listrihution. — Humid  coast  district  of  southern  Alaska 
and  northern  British  Columbia. 

General  characters. — More  like  typical  lucifugus  than  like  longicrus, 
but  darker  in  color  and  with  longer  ears. 

Ears. — As  shown  in  the  table  of  measureuients  on  page  G5  the  ears 
of  this  form  average  distinctly  larger  than  those  of  the  typical  sub- 


64  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 

species.  1  cau  uot  see,  liowever,  tliat  they  differ  appreciably  in  form 
(fig-.  i3d). 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  is  distributed  as  in  true  hicifuyuH.  In  color 
it  is  evidently  darker  thau  that  of  the  typical  form,  but  the  exact 
differences  can  not  be  determined  from  specimens  in  alcohol.  Ears  and 
membranes  blackish. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  05. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  IG,  from  the  following  localities: 

Alaska:  Fort   Wrangel,  1  (skiu,  Merriaui  coll.);  Loriug,  4  (1  skin);  Sitka,  8 

(3  skins). 
British  Columbia :  Massett,  Queen  Charlotte  Islands,  3. 

General  remarls. — Myotis  lucij'iujus  alascensis  is  distinguishable  from 
both  typical  M.  hicifiKjus  and  M.  lucijuijus  lon<jicrus  by  its  longer  ears 
and  darker  color.  From  il/.  luci/ugus  longicrus  it  differs  further  in  its 
much  shorter  tibia. 

MYOTIS  LUCIFUCUS  LONGICRUS  (True). 

188G.    I'espertUio  louf/icrus  True,  Science,  VIII,  p.  588,  Dec.  24,  1886. 

1893.    J'esjK'rlilio  nitldus  loni/icru.s  II.  Alien,  ^louogr.  Data  N.  Am.,  p.  103. 

1893.    VeispertUio  alhtsceiis  (melauic  phase)  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  92  (part). 

Ty2)e  locality. — Puget  Sound. 

Geographic  distribution. — Boreal  and  Transition  zones  from  Puget 
Sound  east  to  Wyoming;  south  at  least  to  Arizona  and  southern  Cali- 
fornia, and  probably  much  farther. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  typical  Myotis  luci/ugus,  hat  larger 
(length,  94:  to  103;  forearm,  37  to  -10;  tibia,  17.8  to  19),  and  with  longer 
tibia  and  proi)ortioually  shorter  ear  and  forearm. 

Ears. — The  ears  are  more  rounded  and  proportionally  slightly  sliorter 
than  in  typical  M.  luci/ugas,  the  inner  side  of  the  conch  usually  more 
hairy.    Tragus  as  in  M.  luci/ugus. 

The  membranes  and  feet  differ  in  no  way  from  those  of  the  true 
31.  luci/ugus^  except  that  the  feet  appear  shorter  in  proportion  to  the 
tibia'. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  shows  no  peculiarities  in  distribution.  In 
color  it  is  darker  and  duller  than  in  the  tyj)ical  subspecies  (especially 
in  specimens  from  northern  California),  but  the  difference  is  apparently 
never  very  striking,  while  two  skins  from  Arizona  are  indistinguishable 
from  specimens  of  luci/ugus  taken  at  Washington,  D.  C. 

Sicull. — The  skull  of  Myotis  luci/ugus  longicrus  does  not  differ  appre- 
ciably in  size  or  form  fiom  that  of  true  luci/ugus. 

Teeth. — In  dental  characters  Myotis  luci/ugus  longicrus  agrees  closely 
with  typical  31.  luci/ugus.  While  there  appear  to  be  no  constant  and 
imj)ortant  differences  between  the  teeth  of  the  two  forms,  the  third 
upper  premolar  averages  slightly  larger  in  longicrus,  and  there  are 
usually  trilling  differences  in  the  relative  sizes  of  the  lower  premolars 
(fig.  14c). 

Measurements. — See  table,  on  page  05. 


MYOTIS   LUCIFUGUS   LONGICRUS. 


65 


Specimens  examined. — Total  number  97,  from  the  following  localities: 

Arizona:  San  Francisco  Mt.,  2;  Cliiricaliua  Mts.,  1  (skiuj. 

California:  Nevada  City,  4;  Js'icasio,  72;  Owens  Lake,  1;  Point  Keyes,  1;  San 

Eniigdio,  1 ;  Walker  Pass,  2. 
Chihnalma:  San  Francisco  Water  Canyon,  San  Luis  Mts.,  1. 
Colorado:  Grand  Junction,  1. 

Nevada:  Cottonwood  Range,  1  (skin);  I'anaca,  1. 
New  Mexico:  Santa  Fe,  1. 
Oregon:  East    base  Cascade    Mts.,  near  Mt.  Tbielson,  1  (skin);  Beaverton,  2 

(Miller  Coll.). 
Washington  :  Cape  Flattery,  1 ;  Colville,  1 ;  Geyser  Basin,  1 ;  Fort  Townsend,  I. 
Wyoming:  Lake  Fork,  1. 

General  remarks. — MyoUs  Ivcifi<gvs  longicrus  is  a  well-marked  geo- 
graphical race  of  ,1/.  lucifunn.s,  replacing  the  typical  form  of  the  latter 
ill  tlie  western  United  States  throughout  the  region  west  of  the  Great 
Plains.  The  northern  and  southern  limits  of  its  range  can  not  at  pres- 
ent be  determined. 

A  single  skin  from  Cofre  de  Perote,  Vera  Cruz,  is  probably  referable 
to  .1/.  lucifiKjns  longicrus.  The  tibia,  however,  is  slightly  shorter  than 
in  true  longierns,  and  more  material  from  southern  localities  may  show 
the  necessity  of  recognizing  another  geographic  race. 

.^fyotis  lucifugns  longicrus  is  the  bat  to  which  the  'melanic  form  of 
Vespcrtilio  albescens-^  of  Dr.  Allen's  recent  monograph  for  the  most  part 
lefers.  Under  this  name,  however,  Dr.  Allen  also  included  dark- 
colored  specimens  of  il/.  californicus. 

Measurements  of  subspecies  of  Myotis  lucifugus. 


Subspecies. 

Ijricalit.y. 

o  aJ 

si, 

3  ft 

.a 
a 

3 

o 

i 

a 
'3 

o 

o 

a 

£ 

o 

.a 
H 

■-fl 

u 

a 
o 

il 

$ 

o 

3 

S 
H 

lucifugus 

4 

89.5 

40 

16 

8  7 

38  8 

fi  "> 

63  7 

13  7 

<»  4 

7  1 

District  of  Ciihinil)ia:  Washing- 

2?? 

86.5 

37.5 

9 

38.9 

6.7 

12.2 

9.4 

7.5 

ton. 

Peiiiisylvauia :  Centre  County 

6 

85.3 

:i7.6 

15.5 

7.  3  37.  6 

5.6 

60.2 

13.3 

9.7 

7.2 

10 

4?? 

6 

1?' 

86.3 
87.7 

38.4 
37  '' 

16.5 
15  5 

8.7  38 
9     36.7 

6.6 
6  1 

61.5 
61  ' 

13.2 

9.1 

8 

Newfountllaml :  liny  St.  Goorgo. . . 

88.6 
91 

38.3 
39 

16.1 
16 

9. 1  36. 1 
9     38 

6.4 

60 

13.6 
16 

8.5 
10.6 

7 

alancensin 

Sitka 

8 

Sitka 

8?? 

86.3 

38.6 

16 

8.  4  36.  6 

6.2 

59 

15.2 

9.5 

7.6 

3 
3 

80 
85.6 

35 
37.6 

15 
16.9 

8 
8.9 

34.6 
37 

6.2 
6.2 

57.6 
60 

14.8 
14.9 

8.9 
9.9 

7 

British  Cnlunibia:  Massett 

7 

lonijicriig 

Washington:  Puget  Sound 

1? 

97 

44 

19 

8 

38.5 

6 

65 

12 

10 

7 

California :  Nioasio 

10 

95.3 

43.6 

18.7 

7.7 

37.6 

5.5 

65.3 

12 

9.8 

7.3 

1? 
1? 

102 

46 

19  6 

8 

39  6 

6 

71 

13 

9.8 

7.4 

Owens  Lake 

96 

45 

17.8 

8.4 

6 

69 

12.6 

9 

7.4 

Walker  Pass 

2?? 

97 

44.6 

18.5 

7.4 

39.6 

6 

69 

12.6 

10 

7.4 

19 
Id- 
ler 

2 

100 
97 

45 
4'i 

18.8 
19 

7.6 
8 

40 

38 

5 

7 

69 
71 

13.4 
1'^.6 

9.6 
9 

7.4 

7.4 

94 
93.5 

43 

41 

18.4 
17.3 

8 
7.7 

39.6 
38.5 

5.6 

68 
68 

12 
13.5 

9 
9.5 

7.4 

Arizona:  San  Francisco  Mountain 

8.2 

2772— No.  13- 


'  Type. 


66  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 

MYOTIS  YUMANENSIS  (H.  Allen). 

1864.    }'ei<2)erlilio  i/iimaiiensix  II.  AUoii,  Mouogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  58. 

1860.    Vespertilio  mavropns  II.  Allen,  I'roc.  Ac;i<l.  Nat.  Sci.  Pliila.,  p.  2X8,  (nee.  Gould, 

1854). 
1893.    I'espertilio   nitidiis    (ixdouiorjiliic    variety)    H.    Allen,  Monogr.    Bats   N.   Am., 

pp.  72,  73. 
1893.    Vespertilio  albescens   II.   Allen,   IVIonoi^r.   liats  N.  Am.,  p.  S7,  (part,  ne(-  fieofif., 

1805). 
1893.    Vespertilio  nitidus  macropiis  H.  Allen,  Mouoyr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  100. 

Ty2)€  locality. — Old  Fort  Yuma,  California. 

Geof/rapJiic  (listrihution, — Austral  zones  and  lower  edge  of  Transi- 
tion zone  from  the  southwestern  United  States  to  San  Luis  Potosi  and 
Michoacan,  Mexico. 

General  characters. — Size  small;  length  74-88;  forearm  32-37 ;  calcar 
distinct,  considerably  longer  than  free  border  of  interfemoral  mem- 
brane, terminating  in  a  well-marked  lobule;  free  border  of  uropatagium 
naked;  ears  moderate;  wings  from  base  of  toes,  but  on  account  of 
extent  of  web  l)etween  toes  api)arently  from  side  of  metatarsus;  feet 
very  large  and  strong  as  compared  with  otlier  small  American  species. 

Uars. — The  ears  (PI.  I,  fig.  2)  are  moderately  long;  laid  forward  they 
reach  just  beyond  the  tip  of  the  nose.  The  anterior  border  is  straight 
for  a  short  distance  at  base,  then  strongly  convex,  and  finally  straight  or 
even  slightly  concave  just  below  tip.  The  tip  is  narrow  and  abruptly 
rounded  off.  The  posterior  border  is  concave  from  the  tip  to  the 
widest  ])art  of  the  auricle,  just  below  mid  height,  then  strongly  convex 
to  basal  notch,  which  isolates  a  well-marked  rounded  lobe. 

Tragus  slender,  acutely  pointed.  Anterior  border  slightly  concave 
at  base,  then  straight  or  very  faintly  concave  to  tip.  Posterior  border 
crenulate,  straight  or  slightly  concave  from  tip  to  broadest  i)oint  at 
about  lower  third.  A  very  large  lobe  at  base;  this  lobe  so  large  that 
the  greatest  breadth  of  the  tragus  is  often  through  it. 

Membranes. — The  membranes,  especially  the  urojiatagium,  are,  for  so 
small  a  bat,  thick  and  leatliery.  The  interfemoral  membrane  (PI.  II, 
fig.  2)  is  furred  at  the  base,  both  dorsally  and  ventrally,but  otherwise  is 
naked  excei)t  for  a  sprinkling  of  short  hairs  along  the  veins.  Wings 
from  base  of  toes,  but  on  account  of  the  cousincuous  webbing  of 
the  latter  the  membrane  appears  to  be  attacihed  to  the  side  of  the 
metatarsus. 

Feet. — The  feet  (PI.  II,  fig.  2)  are,  for  so  small  a  bat,  very  large,  broad, 
and  strong,  more  than  half  as  long  as  the  short  tibite,  the  whole  leg 
and  foot  suggesting  a  small  NycUceiiis  rather  than  a  Myotis.  Toes 
(without  claws)  as  long  as  sole,  united  by  membrane  at  base  to  distal 
fourth  of  proximal  phalanges.  Calcar  strong  and  distinct,  much  longer 
than  free  border  of  uropatagium,  usually  terminating  in  a  distinct 
lobule.     Keel  on  posterior  edge  very  slightly  developed. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  shows  no  peculiarities  in  distribution.  On 
the  middle  of  the  back  it  averages  about  0  mm.  in  length. 


MYOTIS    YUMANENSIS.  67 

Color  i^ale  wood  biowii,  varying  to  broccoli  brown ;  belly  dirty  whitish ; 
the  fur  everywhere  light  plumbeous  at  base;  ears  and  membrane  very 
light  brown ;  the  uropatagium  and  wing  membranes  edged  with  whitish. 

Specimens  from  the  type  locality  are  the  palest  that  I  have  seen. 
Those  from  Fort  Yerde,  Arizona,  and  apparently  also  alcoholic  specimens 
from  Tulare  and  other  localities  in  southern  California,  are  slightly 
(hirkcr,  but  still  very  different  from  M.  yumanensiti  saturatus. 

SLidl. — The  skull  of  Myotis  yumani'n.si.s  resembles  that  of  31.  lucifufjus 
in  form,  but  is  distinguished  from  the  latter  by  its  smaller  size,  and 
shorter,  broader  palate.  The  brain  case  is  broader  and  flatter  than  in 
31.  li(cifi((ii(.s.  From  the  skull  of  3r.  colifornicns  that  of  3[.  yiinKinensi.s 
is  readily  distinguished  by  its  slightly  larger  size  and  very  much 
broader,  more  robust  form,  the  rostrum  in  i^articular  being  noticeably 
broader. 

Teeth. — The  teeth  of  31yotis  yumancnsis  (fig.  14  a)  more  closely  resem- 
ble those  of  ilf.  Incifugus  than  any  other  species.  They  are,  however, 
smaller,  and  the  crowns  of  the  molars  are  longer  in  pro])<ntion  to  their 
width.  The  crown  of  the  third  lower  premolar  is  only  slightly  longer 
than  broad,  thus  resembling  the  corresjjouding  tooth  in  31,  Incifugus, 
and  differing  from  31.  valiJhrnicKS,  which,  like  31.  .snbuhdns,  has  the 
crown  of  this  tooth  very  distinctly  longer  than  broad. 

31e(i.surements. — See  table,  ])age  69. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  142,  from  the  following  localities: 

Arizona:  Fort  Verdi-,  6  (skins);  White   Monutains,  1  (skin,  Am.  Mus.  Nat. 

Hist.). 
California:  Fort  Iveadiuy,  1;  Fort  Ynma,  5  (skins);  Fresno,  8;  Horse  Shoe 

Bend,  Colorado    Kivia-,   1;   Keeler,  7;    Lone  Pine,  2;   Mount  Whitney,  1; 

Nt'vada  City,  2;  Nicasio,  1;   Owens  Lake,  5;   Owens  Valley,  1;  Old  Fort 

Tejon,  13;  San  Lnis  Key,  8;  Tulare,  45;  Walker  Pass,  Kern  County,  1. 
Michoacau :  Patzcuaro,  13. 
Nevada:  Pyramid  Lnke,  1. 

San  Luis  Poto.si :  .Icsus  Maria,  7;  Hda.  La  Parada,  3;  Ahualulco,  9. 
Utah:  Provo  City,  1. 

General  remaHs. — Myotis  yumanensis  needs  comparison  with  ilf.  cali- 
fornicvN  only.  From  the  latter  it  is  readily  distinguished  by  its  much 
larger  foot  and  longer  calcar.  More  detailed  comparison  of  the  two 
will  be  found  under  71/.  calif oruicus. 

This  is  the  species  to  which  Dr.  Harrison  Allen's  recent  account  of 
VespcfUlio  albescens  for  the  most  part  refers.  His  so-called  larger 
melanic  form  of  albescens  is  3Iyotis  hicifuqus  longicrus  (True).  Speci- 
mens of  31yoiis  californicus,  3f.  tltysanodes,  and  31.  velifer  in  the  Biologi- 
cal Survey  collection  have  been  labeled  by  Dr.  Allen  1".  albescens,  the 
last  two,  however,  with  a  query.  This  bat  is  ahso  the  Vesjiertilio 
macropus  and  Y.  nitidus  macropus  of  Dr.  Allen.  The  name  macropns, 
however,  is  preoccupied  by  Vespertilio  macropus  Gould,  1854.' 

3[yotis  yumanensis  is  a  much  smaller  bat  than  31.  albescens,  and  does 


1  Mammals  of  Australia  {Jide  Dobson). 


68  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

not  agree  with  the  descriptions  of  the  latter  given  by  GeofiFroy  or  Dob- 
son.  Mr.  Oldfiekl  Thomas,  after  ('X)m[)aring  specimens  of  jI/^.  yuni«nen- 
sis  with  the  M.  albescens  identified  by  Dobson  in  the  British  Museum, 
writes  me  that  the  two  are  in  no  way  closely  related. 

Lack  of  an  ade(piate  series  of  skins  prevents  any  determination  of 
the  extent  of  individual  color  variation  in  this  species.  Specimens 
taken  at  Fort  Verde,  Arizona,  in  May  and  August,  are  slightly  darker 
than  those  killed  at  the  type  locality  in  April,  while  two  July  skins 
from  Tatzcuaro,  Miclioacan,  are  nearly  as  dark  as  the  lightest  examijles 
of  M.  yumanensis  satnratus. 

MYOTIS  YUMANENSIS  SATURATUS  subsp.  uov. 

Type  from  Hamilton,  Wasliingtou.  Adult  ^  (skin),  No.  iJloi'?  U-  S.  National  Mnseum 
(Biological  Survey  collection).  Collected  September  13,  1S89,  by  T.  S.  Palmer. 
Collector's  number,  392. 

Geographic  distribution. — Transition  zone  in  Oregon,  Washington, 
and  British  Columbia. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  typi(;al  Myotis  ymnanensis,  but  fur 
longer  and  color  much  darker. 

Fxr  and  color. — Fur  distributed  as  in  the  typical  subspecies.  On  the 
middle  of  the  back  it  averages  about  D  mm.  in  length.  Back  dark  glossy 
yellowish  brown  (the  exa(;t  shade  usually  between  the  'sepia'  and 
'mummy  brown'  of  liidgway's  Nomenclature  of  Colors,  PI.  Ill);  belly 
isabella  color;  chin,  throat,  and  sides  darker  than  belly;  fur  every, 
where  deep  blackish  plumbeous  at  base;  ears  and  membranes  blackish. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  01). 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  19,  from  the  following  localities: 

British  Columbia:  Kamloops,  1  (skin) ;  Kultus  Lake  (near  Chilliwack),  1  (skin, 
Miller  coll.);  Mount  Lehman,  1  (skin,  Aiu.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.);  Port  Moody,  1 
(skin);  Shuswap,  1  (skin);  Sumas,  3  (skins.  Miller  coll.). 

Oregon  :  Crooked  River,  1' ;  Lone  Rock,  2' ;  Twelve  Mile  Creek,  1 '. 

Washington:  Chelan,  3';  Hamilton,  2  (skins);  Lake  Cushman,  1  (skin) ;  Neah 
Bay,  1. 

General  remarlcs. — Myotis  ynmanensis  saturatus  is  readily  distinguish- 
able from  true  ynmanensis  by  its  much  darker  color.  In  this  character, 
however,  it  closely  api)roaches  the  typical  form  of  ]\[.  lncifugns,fvom 
whi(;h  it  differs  chiefly  in  smaller  general  size  and  much  smaller  skull. 
From  j1/.  lucifugus  longicrus  it  differs  very  noticeably  in  its  shorter  tibia 
as  well  as  in  other  characters. 

'These  specimens  may  be  nearer  true  yitmanethtis  than  safin-ntns.  In  alcohol,  liow- 
ever,  their  color  appears  much  too  dark  for  the  typical  subspecies. 


MYOTIS    CALIF0RNICU8. 
Measurements  of  subspecies  of  Myotis  jiududkhsis. 


69 


Subspecies. 


Locality. 


H 


yumanennu 


California :  Fort  Yuma 

Tulare 

Arizona :  Fort  Yerilc 

San  Luis  Potoai:  Jesus  Maria 

Miclioacan :  Patzcuaro 

British  Columbia:  Sumas 

Washington:  Chelan 

Hamilton 


4 
10 
4 

5?? 
8 
3 
3 


83.  7  35.  5 
80.  5  36.  6 


79.2 
81 

80.6 
82.3 

77 
77 


36.7 

34.9 

36.3 

36.5 

35 

30 


14.1 
15 

15.7 

15.5 

14.6 

14 

15 

15 


8.7|32.7.  5.2 
8.734.2'  6 
8.8  33.9.. 
7.934.4J  6.5 
8.  3  34. 1'  5. 7 
8.6  34.6J  5.3 
8.  3  35.  3!  6 
8.6  33     [5 


56.5. ...I... 
56.  4  14.  2  9 
55.  5 


57.8 
7 
57 
59.3 


14.  4    '.).  1 
14.2   9 


14.3   8.9 


7.6 
7.6 


'  Type. 
MYOTIS  CALIFORNICU8  (Aud.  &  Hach.). 

1842.    Vespiriilio  californicux   Ami.   &    Bach..  .lomn.   Acad.  Nat.  Sci.    Pliila.,  p.  280 

(California). 
1862.    VesprrWio  nitidu^    H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Pbila.,  p.  247  (Monterey, 

California). 
1864.    Vesperlilio  nitidiis  H.  Allen,  Mono.i;r.  N.  Am.  liats,  p.  60. 
1864.   Vespertilio  oregonensis  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.Am.  Bata,  p.  61  (Cape  St.  Lucas  and 

Fort  Tejon). 
1866.    Vesperlilio    ohscurua    H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,    p.  281    (Lower 

California). 
1866.   Vespcrfilio  volans  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  282  (Cape  St.  Lucas). 
1866.    VespertUio  exilis  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  283  (Cape  St.  Lucas). 

I'espert'dio  tenuidorsalis  H.Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  283  (Cape  St. 

Lucas). 
Vesperlilio  yumanensis  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  283  (nee  H.  Allen, 

1864). 
VespertUio  nifidus  Dobson,  Catal.  Chiroptera  Brit.  Mns.,  p.  318. 
Vesperlilio  melanorhintis  Merriam,  North  American  Fauna,  No.  3,  ]>.  46,  Sept.  11, 

1890  (San  Francisco  Mt.,  Arizona). 
1893.    Vespertilio  albescens  melaiiorhivus  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  91. 
1893.   Vespertilio  nifidus  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bat.s  N.  Am.,  p.  94. 
1893.    Vespertilio  nitidus  henshawi  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  103  (Wingate,  N. 

Mexico). 
1893.    Vesperlilio  niurieans  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  97  footnote  (nee  Maxi- 
milian 1826). 

Type  locality — <■  California.' 

Geographic  distribution. — Austral  zones  and  lower  part  of  Transition 
zone  throughout  the  western  United  States  and  Lower  California,  east 
to  Wyoming  and  Texas.     South  limit  of  range  not  known. 

General  characters. — Smallest  species  of  Myotis  known  to  occur  in  the 
United  States.  Length,  70  to  87;  forearm,  30  to  36.  Calcar  about  as 
long  as  free  border  of  uropatagium,  very  slender  but  distinct  and  with 
a  more  or  less  well  developed  lobule  at  tip,  outer  edge  with  a  distinct 
keel.  Legs  slender,  the  small  feet  reaching  when  extended  backward 
to  within  about  5  mm.  of  tip  of  tail.     Free  border  of  uropatagium  naked. 


1866. 


1866. 


1878 
1890 


70  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Ears  moderate,  reaching  just  beyoud  tip  of  nose.  Wings  from  base  of 
toes.     Fur  on  back  distinctly  darker  at  base  than  at  tip. 

Ears. — The  ears  are  moderately  long  (Pi.  I,  fig.  2),  reaching  when  laid 
forward  1  to  3  mm.  beyond  tip  of  nose.  The  anterior  border  of  the 
auricle  is  straight  or  slightly  convex  at  the  base,  then  strongly  convex 
to  a  i)oint  somewhat  beyond  the  middle,  after  which  it  is  straight  or 
even  a  little  concave  to  the  narrowly  rounded  otf  tip.  Posterior  border 
concave  from  tip  to  point  slightly  below  the  middle,  after  which  it  is 
convex  to  basal  notch.  Basal  lobe  strongly  developed  and  notchetl  on 
its  lower  border. 

Tragus  varying  much  in  shape,  but  with  anterior  border  usually 
straight,  or  nearly  so,  and  posterior  border  strongly  convex  and  with 
small  basal  lobe. 

Membranes. — The  membranes  are  thin  and  delicate.  Uropatagium 
(PI.  II,  tig.  1)  furred  on  basal  third,  otherwise  naked,  except  for  a  few 
hairs  along  the  veins.  Wings  from  base  of  toes,  naked,  except  for  a 
narrow  strip  along  side  of  body. 

Feet. — The  feet  are  small  and  weak  (PI.  II,  fig.  1),  distinctly  less  than 
half  as  long  as  tibia.  Calcar  slender  but  distinct,  shorter  than  free 
border  of  uropatagium,  usually  terminating  in  a  distinct  lobule.  The 
posterior  border  is  provided  with  a  keel  beginning  abruptly  about  2 
mm.  from  the  base  and  fading  away  gradually  at  about  middle  of  calcar. 
This  keel  is  supported  by  1  to  3  cartilaginous  outgrowths  from  the 
calcar. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fnr  is  soft,  full,  and  long,  that  on  middle  of  back 
averaging  about  8  mm.  in  length. 

Color  light  yellowish  gray,  paler  on  the  belly,  the  fur  everywhere 
dark  plumbeous  at  base.     Membranes,  ears,  lips,  and  muzzle  blackish. 

ShttU. — The  skull  of  Myotis  californicns  is  smaller  and  more  lightly 
built  than  that  of  any  other  North  American  Myotis.  The  brain  case 
is  moderately  rounded,  and  the  long  narrow  muzzle  fades  gradually 
into  the  gently  sloping  forehead.  The  skull  is  thus  very  different  from 
tlvAt  of  M.  yumanensis J  the  only  species  with  which  M.  californicns  is 
likely  to  be  confused.  In  form  it  resembles  the  skulls  of  M.  evotis 
and  M.  thysanodes,  but  the  latter  are  among  the  largest  of  the  species 
found  in  the  region  inhabited  by  31.  californiciis. 

Teeth. — The  teeth  of  Myotis  caUfornieus  (fig.  15,  a)  are,  like  the  skull, 
small  and  delicate.  In  general  they  closely  resemble  the  teeth  of  ]\f. 
suhvlatiis,  and  differ  from  those  of  M.  yumancnsis  in  numennis  details, 
as  in  the  shape  of  the  third  upper  molar  and  tliird  lower  premolar,  the 
former  being  distinctly  narrower  and  the  latter  longer  in  proportion  to 
its  width  than  in  M.  yumanensis. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  74. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  152, from  the  following  localities: 

Arizona:  Camp  Grant,  2;  Oracle,  5;  Prescott,  1  (skiu.  Am.  Mua.  Nat.  Hist.); 
SaataCat.iliua  Mountains,  1  (skiu);  Tinujas  Altas,  Yuuia  County,  3;  White 
Mountains,  1  (skin,  Am.  Mas.  Nat.  Hist.). 


MYOTIS    CALIFORNICUS. 


71 


Califoruiii :  Amargosa  River,  Moliave  Desert,  1;  Banning,  1;  Calito,  1;  Colo- 
rado Desert,  1 ;  Death  Valley,  14  (including  Bennett  Wells,  1 ;  Funeral 
Mountains,  1;  Saratoga!  Springs,  6);  Dulzura,  15  (6  skins, Miller  coll.);  East 
Fork  Kaweah  River,  3;  Fort  Crook,  1;  Fort  Tejon,  11;  Old  Fort  Yuma,  1; 
Jacumba,  San  Diego  County,  1;  Kern  River  (25  miles  above  Kernville),  1; 
Monterey,!;  Mount  Shasta,  1;  Nicasio,  7;  Petaluma,  1 ;  Point  Reyes,  5;  San 
Clemeute  Island,  3;  Santa  Barbara,  1;  Santa  Ysabel,  San  Diego  County,  23; 
Tfjon  Pass,  1;  Tres  Pinos,  1 ;  Twin  Oaks,  San  Diego  County,  1;  Witch  Creek, 
San  Diego  County,  7. 

Chihuahua:  East  side  of  San  Luis  Mountains,  3. 

Lower  California:  Cape  St.  Lucas,  2  ('  T.  (A)8curu>i^  H.  Allen) ;  San  Fernando,  3 
(Miller  coll.). 

Nevada:  Colorado  River,  2;  Cottonwood  Range,  4 ;  Gold  Mountain,  Esmeralda 
County,  2;  Pahrump  Valley,  1;  Panaca,  Lincoln  County,  1;  Vegas  Valley, 
Lincoln  County,  1. 

New  Mexico:  Fort  Defiance,  1;  Fort  Wingate,  2;  Silver  Citj'  1  (skin). 

Oregon:  Elgin,  1;  John  Day  River,  3;  Twelve  Mile  Creek,  2. 

Texas:  Paisano,  1. 

Washington:  Almota,  Whitman  County,  1;  Blue  Creek,  1;  Chelan,  1. 

Wyoming:  Bitter  Creek,  Sweetwater  County,  2  (skins.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.); 
isullLake,  1. 


^^^^A^S^^msgs^J^ 


Flo.  1.5.— Teetli  of  (a)  Myotit  califdrnicu.i,  (h)  M.  siibvlahts,  (c)  if.  evoflfi,  ami  (</)  M.  thysanodefi  (  X  5.) 

General  remarls. — Typical  Myotis  californicus  varie.s  considerably  in 
<'-ol()r,  size,  and  proportions,  bnt  may  always  be  recognized  among- 
North  American  and  Mexican  species  by  its  small  size,  slender  form, 
delicate  membranes,  long  tail  and  legs,  small  feet,  and  pale  yellowish 
color.  il/?/o^/.s'if/?f»j^nje«.s/.s',theonlyotlier  species  of  eqnally  small  size,  has 
conspicuously  shorter  legs,  larger  feet,  shorter  tad,  and  thicker  mem 


72  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

braiies.    The  species  resembling  M.  caUfornicns  in  form  are  all  conspic- 
uously larger. 

In  his  recent  monograph  Dr.  Harrison  Allen  uses  the  name  Vesper- 
tilio  nitidus  for  Myotis  ealifornicns.  As  subspecies  of  californicits  he 
includes  M.  yumanensis  (='  Yespertilio  nitiflus  maeropu-s^),  M.  ealifor- 
nicns ciliolabrum,  and  M.  lucifiu/us  longieriis  {=^  Vespertilio  nititlus 
longicrus^).  Vespertilio  melaHorhinns,n  synonym  of  71/.  ealifornicns,  he, 
however,  refers  to  '  V.  albescens^  {=]\[.  yumanensis)  as  a  subspecies, 
*  Vespertilio  albescens  melanorhinusJ 

MYOTIS  CALIFORNICU8  CAURINUS  snbsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Masaett,  Qiieeu  Charlotte  Islands,  liritisli  Columbia.  Atliilt,  ^  (in  alco- 
hol), No.  72219.,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (P.iological  Survey  collection).  Collected 
iu  1895  by  .J.  H.  Keeu. 

Geographic  distribution. — The  humid  coast  district  of  British  Colum- 
bia, Washington,  and  Oregon  (possibly  ;ilso  of  northern  California). 

General  characters. — Similar  to  typical  M.  c«i(/brnicws,  but  very  much 
darker  in  color. 

Ears,  membranes,  feet,  andfnr. — As  in  typical  calif ornicus. 

Color. — Very  deep,  frequently  almost  blackish  sepia  throughout, 
slightly  yellowish  on  belly,  the  fur  everywhere  blackish  plumbeous  at 
base. 

Measuremeiits. — iSee  table,  page  74. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  14,  from  the  following  localities: 

British  Columbia:  Port  Moody,  1;  Massett,  9. 

Oregon:  Marmot,  1  (skin). 

Washington:  Fort  Steilacoom,  1;  Pnget  Sound,  I;  Tenino,  1. 

General  remarks. — In  color  Myotis  ealifornicns  caurimis  closely  re- 
sembles dark  specimens  of  }[.  californicus  mexicanns.  It  is  readily 
distingnishable  from  the  latter,  however,  by  its  much  smaller  size. 

MYOTIS  CALIFORNICUS  CILIOLABRUM  (Merriam). 

1886.   Vespertilio  ciliolahrum  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  IV,  p.  1. 
1893.   Vespertilio  nitidus  ciliohthnim  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  101  (i)art). 

Type  locality. — Trego  County,  Kansas. 

Geographic  distribution. — Trego  County,  Kansas,  and  central  South 
Dakota.     Limits  of  range  wholly  unknown. 

General  remarks. — Similar  to  typical  M.  californicus,  but  very  much 
paler  in  color. 

Uars. — In  form  the  ears  of  Myotis  californicus  ciliolabrum  are  as  in 
typical  M.  ealifornicns.     They  average,  however,  slightly  larger. 

Membranes. — The  membranes  are  thin  and  translucent.  Wings  from 
base  of  toes,  and  entirely  naked  except  a  narrow  line  close  to  the  body. 
Uro])atagium  thinly  haired  on  proximal  fifth  ventrally  and  on  proximal 
half  dorsally,  otherwise  naked,  but  with  a  few  hairs  along  the  veins. 

Feet. — The  feet  are  moderately  large,  about  half  the  length  of  the  tibia, 


MYOTIS    CALIFORNICUS    MEXICANUS.  73 

tlie  toes  longer  tlian  the  sole.  A  distinct  wart  at  lieel.  Calcar  slender, 
distinct,  about  e(|ual  to  freeborder  of  interfenioral  membrane,  terminat- 
ing in  a  small  but  distinct  lobule  and  noticeably  keeled  along  posterior 
edge.    The  keel  is  supported  by  1  to  3  cartilaginous  processes. 

Fur  and  color. — Except  for  its  unusual  extension  on  the  back  of  the 
uropatagium  the  fur  shows  no  peculiarities  in  distribution. 

In  color  tlie  fur  is  ]>ale  yellowish  white  throughout.  Tlie  ears,  muzzle, 
and  chin  are  dark  brown  in  strong  contrast.  Membranes  light  brown 
with  pale  edges. 

Measurements. — See  tal)le,  page  74. 

Specimens  e.r  a  mined. — Total  number  L">,  from  the  following  localities: 

Knnsas:  Trego  County,  <i. 

South  Dakota:  Carroll  Draw,  I'ine  Ridnc  Indian  Keservation.  7  (skins  Am. 
Mus.  Nat.  Hist.). 
(JeneraJ  remarks. — Myotis  californicns  ciUoJahrnm  is  a  i)ale,  whitish, 
race  of  M.  cali/ornicit.s,  presenting  the  opposite  extreme  from  M.c.  can- 
rinus.  Except  in  coh)r,  1  can  not  find  that  it  differs  in  any  constant 
characters  from  typical  californ tens.  The  specimens  from  Gran t  Conn ty , 
N.  Mex.,  referred  to  in  the  original  description  of  j\I.  c.  ciliolahrum  are 
undoubtedly  true  californicns,  as  are  those  from  Death  Valley  referred 
to  this  subspecies  by  Dr.  Harrison  Allen. 

MYOTIS  CALIFORNICUS  MEXICANUS  (Saussnre). 

18(j0.    Vcspertilio  mexicatnis  Saussnre,  Revue  et  Mag.  de  Zool.,  2e  ser.,  XII,  p.  2S2. 
1X66.    ]'espertino  (iffiiis  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Pliila.,  p.  282  (Mirador,  Max.). 

Type  locality. — Unknown,  but  probably  Vera  Cruz,  Puebla,  or 
Oaxaca. 

(ieographic  distribution. — Austral  and  Transition  zones  in  central 
and  southern  Mexico  (San  Ijuis  Potosi,  Michoacan,  and  Oaxaca). 
Limits  of  range  not  known. 

(ieneral  characters. — Slightly  larger  than  typical  Myotis  californ inis, 
and  averaging  somewhat  darker  and  yelh)wer  in  color. 

Ears,  membranes,  feet,  and  fur. — As  in  typical  californicns. 

Co/or.— Dull  yellowish  brown,  slightly  i)aler  on  the  belly.  IMem- 
branes  and  ears  in  dry  skins  blackish.  Two  immature  specimens  fiom 
Reyes,  Oaxaca,  are  considerably  darker  than  any  of  the  adults,  but  other 
wise  a  series  of  thirteen  skins  sliows  very  little  individual  variation. 

Skull  and  teeth. — As  in  typical  californicns. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  74. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  51,  from  tlie  following  localities: 

Michoacan:  Patzcnaro,  44  (8  skins). 
Oaxaca:  Cuicatlan,  1;  Reyes,  5  (.skins). 
San  Luis  Potosi:  Hacienda  La  Parada,  1. 


74  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Average  measurements  of  subspecies  of  Myotis  californicus. 


Subspecies. 


californicus.. . 


caunnus. 


ciliolahrym . 


inexicamis. 


Locality. 


California:  Saratoga  Springs 

Death  Valley 

Arizona :  Oracle 

British  Columbia:  Massett.. 
Ma.ssett. . 

Kan.sas :  Trego  County 

Trego  County 

Miclioacan :  Patzcuaro 


■oQ 


P  p. 


ScTcT 
5 

Id' 
9 

1?' 

5 

10 


80 

77.8 

82 

75 

77 

75 

80.2 

81.5 


>  Si 


H 


39 

38.8 

39 

34 

34.5 

34 

36.'; 

38.: 


14.2 

13.9 

14.4 

14 

13.8 

l.j 

14  G 


5.4  31.3    4 
5.7  31     I  4.1 


4.2    5.9 


32     I  4. 

32  5 
32. 1    4.  3 

33  I  6 
32.8    5.4 
34.1   4.4 


a 

0 

a 

a 

a 

0 

p  s 

p 

0 

58 

14.2 

9.9 

55.4 

12.9 

9.9 

57 

14 

10 

54 

12.8 

8 

54.1 

13.2 

Q.r> 

59 

14 

9 

57 

14.6 

10 

60 

14 

9.6 

8 
8.3 


7.1 
8.« 


'  Typo. 

MYOTIS  NIGRICANS  (Maximilian). 

1826.    VesperHlio  nigricans   ''Schinz,  Tliierreicli  11.  s.  w.,  B.  J,  p.  170"   Maximilian, 

Beitriige  7,ur  Naturgesch.  v.  Biasilien,  II,  p.  266. 
1878.    Vespcrtdio  nigricans  Dobson,  Catal.  Cliiroptera  Brit.  Mns.,  p.  310. 
1893.    VespertiJio  nigricans  H.  Alleu,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  06. 

Type  locality. —  Fnzenda  de  Aga,  near  the  Iritiba  River,  southeastern 
Brazil. 

Geof/rapliic  distrlhution. — Tropical  America,  north  to  extreme  south- 
ern Mexico  (Chiapas).     Limits  of  range  not  known. 

General  ehararters. — About  the  size  of  typical  Myotis  calif ormcus,  but 
with  slightly  larger  foot  and  smaller  ears;  fur  on  back  not  distinctly 
darker  at  base  than  at  tip. 

Ettr.s. — The  ears  are  slightly  smaller  than  in  3T.  californicus,  but  not 
different  in  form. 

Membranes. — As  in  71/.  californicus. 

Feet. — The  feet  are  relatively  larger  than  in  M.  californicus,  but  smaller 
than  in  ]\[.  yumancnsis.  Calcar  about  as  long  as  free  border  of  uropa- 
tagiura,  terminating  in  a  small  but  distinct  lob6;  keel  obsolete. 

Fur  and  color. — Fur  short,  that  on  middle  of  back  averaging  a  little 
less  than  0  mm.  in  length,  nearly  unicolor  on  back  but  distinctly  bicolor 
on  belly.  Back  clove  brown  (lighter  than  No.  2  on  PI.  Ill  of  Ridgway's 
Nomenclature  of  Colors),  the  hairs  just  perceptibly  darker  at  base  and 
with  glossy  tips,  which  in  certain  lights  produce  a  slightly  grizzled 
appearance.  Belly  light  broccoli  brown,  the  basal  half  of  the  hairs 
deep  plumbeous.  Ears  and  membranes  blackish  in  dry  skins.  A  series 
of  ten  skins  from  Iluehuetan,  Chiapas,  shows  no  variation  in  color, 

Skull. — The  skull  of  Myotis  niyricans  (figs,  lie  and  V2a)  is  slightly 
smaller  than  that  of  M.  californicus,  and  has  a  shorter  rostrum  and 
less  frontal  concavity  in  the  dorsal  outline.  The  differences  are  slight, 
but  very  evident  when  series  are  compared. 

Teeth. — The  teeth  of  Myotis  nigricans  do  not  differ  appreciably  from 
those  of  M.  californicus. 


MYOTIS    SUBULATUS. 


75 


Measurements.— TliQ  average  measurements  of  10  specimens  of  Myotis 
igricans  from  Huehuetau,  Chiapas  are  given  iu  the  following  table: 

Arerage  measurements  of  10  sjfecimeus  of  Myotis  nigricans. 


o  a 

.4 

o 

fl 

o 

!S 

a 

bo 

-^ 

« 

a 

a> 

Locality. 

■  2 
3  3 

s 

^5 

C3 

4J 

g 

g 

.2  3 

o 

3 

^^ 

H 

H 

H 

o 
6.9 

O 

H 

o 
1-1 

^ 

Iiiapas,  Huehuetan 

10?? 

76.7 

35 

1.3.6 

33.5 

4.4 

57 

12.7 

8.6 

6.6 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  34;  all  from  Huehuetan,  Chiapas 
iltitude  about  300  feet). 

General  re)nark-s. — Jiryotis  nigricans  differs  from  JA,  ealifornicus  in 
nmerous  characters,  each  of  which  is  trivial  in  it<elf  but  which  with 
he  others  goes  to  mahe  up  a  sum  quite  different  from  that  shown  by 
ny  other  ^orth  American  bat.  The  constancy  in  color  of  tlie  10  skins 
y  which  this  species  is  represented  in  the  Biological  Survey  collection 
^  very  remarkable. 

MYOTIS  SUBULATUS  (S.iy).     Say's  Bat. 

■^23.  ?  Vespertilio  siibulaius  Say,  Long's  Exped.  to  Rocky  Mts.,  II,  p.  65,  footnote 

(Arkansas  River,  near  La  Junta,  Colorado). 
•<64.   T espertilio  subnlatus  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  ]>.  51. 
■!7S.    Vespertilio  subnlatus  Dobson,  Catal.  Cliiroj^tcra  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  324. 
■!93.    VespertiJio   griiphns   var.   (b).  Northern  fonii  of  Vespertilio  gryphns,  H.  Allen, 

Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  80. 
^97.    Vespertilio  gryphns  var.  sepfenlrionalis  Tronessart,  Catal.  Mamni.  t.  \'ivent.  q. 

Fi>8s.,  p.  131.     (Only  name  undoulitedly  based  on  this  animal.) 

Type  l(>c<(Jity. — Arkansas  liiver,  near  La  Junta,  Colorado. 

Geographical  (listributioii. — North  America  east  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
ains. 

General  characters. — Size  medium;  length  SO  to  90;  forearm  34  to 
7.  (Jalcar  slender,  slightly  btiiger  than  fre<'  border  of  uropatagium, 
Piniinating  indistinctly  or  with  a  slightly  developed  lobule;  keel  rudi- 
lentary  or  absent.  Free  border  of  uropatagium  naked.  Ears  long, 
t-aching  2  to  5  mm.  beyond  tip  of  nose.  •  Wings  from  base  of  toes. 

Ears. — The  ears  (fig.  13 «)  are  long  and  slender,  reaching  when  laid 
()rward,2  to  5  mm.  beyond  tip  of  nose.  Anterior  border  straight  fiom 
•ase  to  near  middle,  then  for  a  varying  distance  moderately  convex^ 
inally  straigiit  to  narrowly  rounded  off  tip.  I'osterior  border  concave 
loin  point  immediately  below  tip  to  about  middle,  where  it  becomes 
onvex  and  continues  so  to  basal  notch.  Basal  notch  strongly  marked, 
solating  a  narrow  and  very  conspicuous  lobe. 

Tragus  slender,  straight,  or  slightly  bent  backward.  Anterior  bor- 
ler  straight  throughout  or  slightly  convex  near  tip.  Posterior  border 
!traight  or  evenly  and  slightly  concave  from  tip  to  widest  i)oint,  which 
s  opposite  or  slightly  above  level  of  anterior  base.     Basal  lobe  small. 


76  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

width  of  tragus  throiigli  lobe  always  iinicli  less  than  width  at  base  o 
anterior  edge. 

Membranes. — The  membranes  are  thin  and  translucent,  naked  except 
for  a  narrow  line  close  to  the  body.  On  the  uropatagium  the  furrec 
region  occupies  the  basal  fourth  dorsally,  rather  less  ventrally,  other 
wise  the  membrane  is  naked  except  for  scattered  hairs  along  the  veins 
Wings  from  base  of  toes. 

Feet. — The  foot  is  moderately  large,  about  half  as  long  as  tibia.  Toe; 
longer  than  sole,  united  by  membrane  at  base  to  a  little  beyond  niiddl* 
of  proximal  phalanges,  and  sprinkled  with  coarse  hairs  on  dorsal  sur 
face.  Calcar  slender,  equal  to  or  slightly  longer  than  free  edge  of  inter 
femoral  membrane,  terminating  indistinctly  or  with  an  ill-detiued  lobe 
Keel  rudimentary  or  absent. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  is  full  and  soft,  but  shows  no  peculiaritie 
in  distribution.  In  color  it  apparently  does  not  differ  from  typical  M 
lucifugns;  but  too  few  skins  are  now  available  to  determine  the  limit 
of  variation. 

*9/.w?/.— The  skull  of  Myotis  subulaUis  resembles  that  of  Af.  evotia  s 
closely  that  it  is  impossible  to  distinguish  with  certainty  between  th 
two.  In  M.  suhidatiis  the  skull  is  very  slightly  smaller,  but  the  diffei 
ence  is  trilling  and  intangible.  The  skull  of  M.  snbuhttHS  does  nc 
closely  resemble  that  of  M.  Incifngus. 

Teeth. — The  teeth  of  Myotis  subulatus  (fig.  15  ^>)  agree  in  form  aii 
relative  size  with  those  of  M.  evotis,  and  I  am  unable  to  find  any  difi'ei 
ences  by  which  to  separate  them.  They  differ,  however,  in  man 
details  from  the  teeth  of  A[.  lucifufins. 

Measurements. — See  table  on  page  77. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  53,  from  the  following  localities 

Alberta:  Near  Red  Deer,  1  (skin,  Miller  coll.). 

Illinois:  Cliii-ano,  1. 

Indiana:  Brookville,  1;  Wheatland,!. 

Kentucky:  P]ubanks,  2. 

Maine:  Eastport,  2. 

Maryland:  Forest  Glen,  Montgomery  Connty,  2  (Miller  coll.). 

Massachnsetts :  Woods  Hole,  1. 

Minnesota:  Elk  River,  2. 

Missouri:  Marble  Cave,  9. 

New  York:  Hanimondville,  12  (Merriam  coll.);  Hemlock  Lake,  1;  Hijjblan, 

Falls,  1;  Lake  George,  3;  Peterboro,  2  (Miller  coll.). 
Ontario:  Mount  Forest,  1  (skin.  Miller  coll.);  North  Bay,  1  (Miller  coll.). 
Pennsylvania:  Meadville,  1. 

Quebec:  Godbont,  1  (Merriam  coll.);  Ottawa,  3  (Merriam  coll.). 
Tennessee:  Bellamys  Cave,  1. 
Virginia:  Alexandria,  1. 

West  Virginia:  Aurora,  2  (Merriam  coll.).  ' 

Wisconsin:  Bayfield,  1. 

General  remarls. — Myotis  snbnlafns  may  be  distinguished  from  M 
lucifugns,  the  only  s])ecies  with  which  it  is  likely  to  be  confused,  by  it] 
narrower  skull,  longer  ears,  and  longer,  more  sharply  pointed  tragus 


MYOTIS    EVOTIS. 


MYOTIS  SUBULATUS  KEENII  (Meniaiu). 


77 


1895.   respertilio  nubulatus  keeiiii  Merriaiu,  Americau  Naturalist,  XXIX,  p.  860,  'Sep- 
tember 1,  18115. 

Type  locality. — Massett,  Queen  Charlotte  Islands,  Britisli  Columbia. 
Type  in  U.  B.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection).  Adult 
9,  No.  7i'922  (in  alcohol). 

Geographic  ditstribution. — Myofis  suhiilatiis  Ixcenii  is  at  present  known 
Ironi  the  type  locality  only.  It  doubtless  occurs  throughout  most  of 
:he  humid  northwest  coast  district. 

General  characters. — About  the  size  of  typical  Myotis  suhulatus,  but 
vvith  longer  tail  and  ears;  color  much  darker  than  in  true  .subnlatus. 

Uars. — The  ears  of  ilf.  stihiilatu.s  licenii  (fig.  13  h)  average  distinctly 
oiiger  than  those  of  typical  suhulatus  from  the  eastern  United  States, 
jut  do  not  difl'er  in  form. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  appears  to  be  longer  than  in  true  srbulatus, 
lud  considerably  darker  in  color,  but  with  alcoholic  specimens  only  for 
■oniparison  it  is  impossible  to  determine  the  degree  of  difference 
jetween  the  two  forms.     IVIembranes  and  ears  blackish. 

Measurements. — See  table  below. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  o,  all  from  the  type  locality. 

General  remarks. — Myotis  suhulatus  Iceenii  is  a  well-marked  race,  char- 
icterized,  like  the  other  bats  of  the  humid  northwest  coast  district,  by 
larkuess  of  color.  In  addition  to  its  color  differences  it  has  longer  ears 
han  its  eastern  lepreseutative,  in  this  respect  showing  much  the  same 
variation  as  M.  lucifugus  alascensis. 

MeasuremcntH  of  suhspecies  of  Myotis  suhtilaiiis. 


Subspecies. 


■mhulatus . 


keenii. 


Locality. 


New  Tiirli  :  Haniniomlville  . . . 

Quebec :  (iodbout 

Mi.ssouri :  Marble  Cave 

IJritisb  C'olumbia:    Mas.sett  .. 
Massett  .. 


o  ^ 

rd 

ei 

a 

3 

a 
u  2 
o  s 

II 

o 

H 

il 
> 

'a 

3 

o 
o 

i 

s 

13 
.a 

H 

■■a 

a 
o 

61 

16.3 

o 
10.2 

10 

85.6 

38.8 

17.2 

7.5 

35.7 

6.3 

'■idd 

80 

36.8 

16.4 

7. 5  33. 8 

6.5 

58 

15.6 

0.8 

8 

85.3 

.38.5 

17.1 

8     35.3 

6.2 

61 

16.7 

10.7 

!?■ 

86 

41 

16.4 

8.8  36 

6 

60 

17.4 

11 

3 

84.3 

40.6 

16.3 

8. 3  35.  3 

6 

58 

17.8 

10.8 

9.6 
9.8 


1  Type. 

MYOTIS   EVOTIS  (H.  Alleu).     Long-eared  Bat. 

1H64.   VespcrHlio  evotis  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  48. 
1878.    VespcrtUio  erotis  Dobsou,  Catal.  Cliiroptcra  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  324. 
1893.    VeapertUio  albescens  eroiis  H.  Alleu,  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  89. 
1896.   VesperHUo  chrysonotus  J.  A.  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  VIII,  p.  240,  No- 
vember 21,  1896.     Kinney  Ranch,  Sweetwater  County,  Wyoming. 

Type  locality. — Not  stated,  and  no  type  designated.     In  the  original 
description  specimens  are  mentioned  from  the  upper  Missouri  Eiver, 


78  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

and  the  Pacific  coast  from  Paget  Sound  to  Cape  St.  Lucas.    Monterey, 
Cal.  (one  of  the  localities  given),  may  be  selected  as  the  type  locality. 

Geographic  (list rihnt ion. — Austral  and  Transition  zones  from  the 
Pacific  Coast  to  the  eastern  edge  of  the  Rocky  Mountains;  south  to 
Vera  Cruz. 

General  characters. — Size  large;  length  85  to  02;  forearm  3()  to  43. 
Calcar  longer  than  free  border  of  uropatagium,  slender,  distinct,  and 
with  a  more  or  less  well-develo[)ed  lobule  at  the  tip.  Free  border  of 
uroijatagium  naked  or  very  indistinctly  ciliate.  Ears  very  long,  reach- 
ing 7  to  10  mm.  bej^ond  tip  of  nose.     Wing  from  base  of  toes. 

Ears. — The  ears  (PL  1,  tig.  0)  are  long  and  slender;  laid  forward  they 
reach  considerably  (7  to  10  mm.)  beyond  tip  of  nose.  Anterior  l)order 
of  auricle  regularly  convex  from  base  to  a  point  slightly  beyond  mid- 
dle, thence  straight  or  nearly  so  to  the  tip.  Posterior  border  slightly 
concave  immediately  below  tip  of  ear,  then  gradually  and  moderately 
convex  to  base,  liasal  lobe  strongly  developed,  and  notched  on  the 
lower  border.  The  auricle  is  usually  marked  with  three  or  four  distinct 
cross  ridges. 

Tragus  long,  slender,  and  iwinted.  The  anterior  border  straight  or 
slightly  concave  from  base  to  about  mid  height,  then  moderately  con- 
vex, the  terminal  third  or  fourth  usually  straight.  Posterior  border 
with  a  small  but  distinct  lobe  at  base.  Above  this  lobe  the  nmrgiu 
bends  abruptly  outward  for  a  varying  distance,  sometimes  forming  a 
sharp  and  conspicuous  angle  with  the  lower  end  of  the  concavity  which 
extends  downward  from  the  tip  of  the  tragus,  in  other  cases  sei)arated 
from  the  latter  by  a  region  of  varying  extent  in  which  the  posterior  and 
anterior  borders  are  parallel.  These  variations  bring  about  striking 
contrasts  in  the  form  of  the  lower  part  of  the  tragus  in  different  indi- 
viduals, and  suggest  the  existence  of  more  than  one  species  or  race. 
Si)ecimens  from  approximately  the  same  region,  however,  show  both 
extremes  and  intermediate  conditions. 

Membranes. — The  membranes  are  thin  and  light.  Uropatagium  hairy 
on  basal  fifth,  otherwise  naked  except  for  a  few  hairs  along  the  nerves 
and  on  the  free  border.     Wing  from  base  of  toes  (PI.  II,  figs.  3  and  4)- 

Feet. — The  feet  are  moderately  large,  slightly  less  than  half  as  long 
as  tibia\  Toes  (without  claws)  distinctly  longer  than  sole  and  united 
by  membrane  through  basal  third  of  proximal  phalanges.  Whole  dor- 
sal surface  of  foot  sprinkled  with  stiff  hairs.  Calcar  distinct,  ecpial  to 
or  longer  than  free  border  of  uropatagium,  terminating  in  a  lobule  of 
varying  distinctness.     Posterior  border  never  distinctly  keeled. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  is  full,  soft,  and  not  peculiar  in  distribution. 
It  is  light  yellowish  brown,  paler  ventrally,  the  hairs  everywhere  dusky 
slate  at  base.  The  absence  of  a  series  of  skins  of  this  bat  makes  it 
impossible  to  describe  the  color  accurately  or  compare  it  in  detail  with 
that  of  its  allies,  M.  thysanodes  and  M.  subulatus.  A  skin  from  Shuswap, 
British  Columbia,  has  the  fur  of  the  back  dull,  pale  raw  umber,  the 


MYOTIS    EVOTLS. 


79 


dusky  bases  of  the  hairs  showing  through  along  the  sides.  The  belly- 
is  hght  broccoli  brown.  In  front  of  tlie  shoulder  and  Just  below  it  is 
a  small  tawny  olive  area  which  contrasts  strongly  with  the  color  of  the 
belly.  In  another  specimen  (No.  1382,  collection  of  Dr.  C.  Hart  Mer- 
riaiu,  San  Bernardino  Mountains,  California,  August  14,  1885,  F. 
Stephens)  the  color  is  similar  but  a  shade  paler  and  yellower  through- 
out, the  dark  bases  of  the  hairs  nowhere  showing  through.  No  dark 
shade  in  front  of  shoulder.  This  specimen  is  i»ractically  indistingnish- 
able  in  color  from  the  palest  examples  of  M.  titysanodes,  but  the  fur  is 
nmch  darker  at  base  and  the  general  color  is  slightly  clearer  yellow, 
with  the  tips  of  the  hairs  more  glossy.  Other  skins  are  duller  and 
less  yellow. 

Skull. — The  skull  of  Myotis  ecotis  equals  that  of  71/.  thysanodes  in 
length  and  mastoid  breadth,  but  is  narrower  across  zygomata  and  has 
the  occiput  less  elevated.  The  occipital  outline  is  rounded  as  in  M. 
thysanodes,  and  the  occipital  crest  is  very  sliglitly  developed.  Fore- 
head rising  above  the  muzzle  gradually,  in  tliis  respect  also  resem- 
bling M.  thysanodes.  Rostrum  more  sk'nder  than  in  M.  velifer  or  M. 
thysanodes.  Pterygoids  and  posterior  part  of  i)a]atines  as  in  71/. 
thysanodes. 

The  skull  of  Myotis  evotis  is  easily  distinguished  from  that  of  all  other 
North  American  species  except  71/.  suhulatus.  From  the  latter,  how- 
ever, it  ditfers  merely  in  very  slightly  larger  size. 

Teeth. — In  dental  characters  Myotis  evotis  does  not  differ  essentially 
from  71/.  thysanodes.  The  premolars  apparently  show  less  tendency  to 
crowding,  but  I  can  find  no  tangible  difference  in  form  or  relative  size 
(fig.  15  c). 

Measurements. — The  measurements  of  8  specimens  of  Myotis  evotis 
from  eight  localities  are  given  in  the  following  table: 


Measurements 

of  S  specimens  of  Myo 

is  evotis  from  8  localit 

ies. 

S 

S 

a 

t3 

fee 

^ 

■-a 

a 

© 

Locality. 

a 

? 

c4 

a 

a 

4^    t^ 
11   (D 

c  s 

3 

o 

o 

CS 

^ 

m 

H 

H 

H 

f^ 

Ph 

H 

I-] 

W 

F= 

H 

Washington:  Easton 

cT 

85 

41 

19 
18 

8 
8.6 

36 
40 

7 
7 

62 
64 

19.4 

11.8 

10.8 

Wyoming:  Kinney  Ranch 

California:  Inyo  Mountains  ... 

89 

43 

20 

7 

38 

8 

63 

23 

14.6 

13 

Owens  Lake 

? 

91 

43 

17.6 

8 

38 

6.4 

63 

22 

13.4 

12.4 

San  Joaquin  Kiver. 

cf 

92 

43 

19 

8 

38 

6 

62 

22 

13.6 

12 

Twin  Oaks 

9 

90 
85 

42 
40 

18.6 
18 

8 
7.6 

37 
36.6 

6.4 

7 

62 
62 

21 
22 

13 
14.6 

11 

Nevada :  Pahranagat  Valley  . . . 

12 

Vera  Cruz :  Perote 

cT 

91 

42 

20 

9 

40.4 

6 

67 

20 

12 

11 

'Tj 

rpe  of 

Vesper 

tllio  ch 

rysonc 

itus  J. 

A.  All 

en. 

80  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  3li,  from  the  followiug  localities: 

Arizona:  Chiricahna  Monutains,  1  (skin,  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.);  San  Francisco 
Mountain,  1;  Si)ringervilli',  2  (skins);  Whitt;  Mountains,  2  (skins.  Am.  Mu8. 
Nat.  fiist. ). 

British  Columbia:  Shuswap,  1  (skin). 

California:  Dulzura,  3  (2  skins.  Miller  coll.,  1,  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.);  Inyo 
Mountains,  1;  Owens  Lake,  1;  San  licrnardino  Mountains,  1  (skin.  Mcrriam 
coll.);  North  Fork  San  Joaquin  Kivor,  1;  Twin  Oaks,  San  Diego  County,!. 

Chi-hnahua:  San  Lnis  Mts.,  1  (skin). 

Colorado:  Loveland,  4  (2  skins,  Miller  coll.). 

Montana:  Hot  Springs,  1. 

Nevada:  Cottonwood  K'ange,  1;  Paliranagat  Valley,  1. 

New  Mexico:  Vermejo  River,  1  (skin). 

Oregon:  Blue  Creek,  1;  Harney,  1;  Twelve  Mile  Creek,  1. 

Vera  Cruz:  Perote,  1. 

Washington:  Easton,  1;  Colville,  1. 

Wyoming:  Bull  Lake  (east  of  Fremont  Peak),  1;  Kinney  Ranch,  Sweetwater 
County,  1  (skin.  Am.  Mus,  Nat.  Hist.,  type  of  F.  rliri/aonotns  J.  A.  Allen). 

General  remarlis. — Myotis  evotis  is  so  totally  distinct  from  all  other 
bats  occurring-  in  Mexico  or  the  United  States  tliat  no  detailed  com- 
parison with  any  is  needed.  The  only  species  Avith  which  it  could  be 
contused  are  M.  thysanodes  and  M.  sKhuIaiti.s.  Tlie  ears,  however,  are 
much  larger  than  m  either  of  these,  and  the  free  border  of  the  uropata- 
giun)  is  never  densely  haired,  as  in  M.  tliysanodes. 

Through  the  kindness  of  I)i'.  J.  A.  Allen,  I  have  before  me  the  type 
of  YespcrtUio  ehrysonoius  from  Kinney  IJanch,  Wyoming.  I  am  unable 
to  find  that  it  differs  in  any  way  from  Myotis  erotis.  The  tail  is  muti- 
lated so  that  it  gives  no  characters.  The  forearm  is  only  2  mm.  longe 
than  in  the  largest  evotis  from  the  United  States  that  I  have  seen,  a 
difference  too  trivial  to  be  taken  into  account.  In  color  the  type  of 
chrysonotus  is  a  barely  perceptible  shade  yellower  than  skins  of  evotis 
from  the  San  Bernardino  Mountains,  California,  and  Vermejo  IJiver, 
New  Mexico,  but  the  difference  is  wholly  inconsequential. 

MYOTIS  THYSANODES  sp.  nov.     Fringed  Bat. 

1893.    VespertUio  albescens  relifer  (variety)  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  93.     Dul- 
zura, California. 
1893.    VespertUio  albescens  erotis  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  90  (part,  specimen 

No.  29827,  from  old  Fort  Tejon,  California). 
Type  from  Old    Fort   Tejon,    California.      Adult    9    (in  alcohol).     No.  29827,  U.  S. 
National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection).     C(dlectod  July  5,  1891,  by  T.  S. 
Palmer.     Original  number,  235. 

Geographic  distribution. — Lower  Sonoran  zone  from  near  the  southern 
border  of  the  Western  United  States  to  San  Luis  Potosi  and  Michoacau. 

General  characters. — In  size  nearly  equal  to  Myotis  velifer.  Length, 
<S5  to  95;  forearm,  40  to  4G.  Calcar  thick  and  distinct,  usually  termi- 
nating in  a  well-marked  pointed  projection.  Free  border  of  uropata- 
gium  thickened  and  densely  haired.  Ears  moderately  long;  laid  for. 
ward  they  reach  3  to  5  mm.l)eyond  nostril.  Wings  from  point  between 
i'likle  and  base  of  toes,  but  nearer  latter. 


MYOTIS    THYSANODES.  81 

Uars. — The  ears  (PI.  J,  fig.  5)  are  moderately  long  and  obtusely 
pointed;  laid  forward  they  reach  3  to  .">  mm.  beyond  the  tij)  of  the  nose. 
Anterior  border  of  auricle  straight  or  slightly  convex  through  basal  half, 
then  more  convex  for  a  short  distance,  after  which  it  is  nearly  straight 
to  the  rounded  tip;  posterior  border  at  hrst  straight  or  slightly  (con- 
cave, sloping  rapidly  backward  to  the  widest  point  at  about  mid-height, 
below  which  tbe  border  becomes  convex  and  continues  so  to  the  well- 
marked  basal  notch.     Basal  lobe  distinct  and  moderately  large. 

Tragus  long  and  slender,  the  anterior  border  straight  or  slightly  con- 
cave at  base,  then  straight  or  slightly  convex  to  near  the  tip,  just  below 
which  the  border  is  always  convex.  Posterior  border  with  a  well- 
developed  lobe  at  base,  widest  part  of  tragus  through  this  lobe  or 
immediately  above  it.  A  more  or  less  developed  notch  above  the  lobe. 
Beyond  this  notch  the  border  is  at  first  strongly  convex,  then  slightly 
concave  below  the  tip,  which  is  thus  always  bent  backward.  Posterior 
border  indistinctly  crenulate. 

Memhriuies. — The  membranes  are  moderately  thick  and  dark  colored. 
Uropatiigium  noticeably  more  leathery  than  wing  membranes,  distinctly 
thickened  at  free  edge,  sparsely  haired  on  proximal  fourth  both  above 
and  below,  the  rest  of  the  membrane  with  a  few  scattered  hairs,  which 
become  more  abundant  toward  the  free  border,  where  they  form  a  con- 
spicuous fringe  both  above  and  below  (PI.  II,  fig.  5).  Wing  from  side 
of  foot,  just  below  base  of  toes. 

Feet. — Feet  (PI.  II,  tig.  5)  large  and  strong,  half  as  long  as  tibia?. 
Toes  (without  claws)  slightly  longer  than  sole,  scarcely  united  by  mem- 
brane at  extreme  base;  all  sparsely  haired.  Calcar di.stinct  and  thick, 
considerably  longer  than  free  border  of  interfemoral  membrane,  termi- 
nating distinctly,  but  usually  without  well-developed  lobule. 

Fur  and  color. — There  is  nothing  peculiar  in  the  distribution  of  the 
fur  in  this  species,  except  the  thickly  haired  border  of  the  uropatagium. 

In  color  the  fur  is  everywhere  light,  dull,  yellowish  brown,  distinctly 
paler  ventrally,  the  hairs  everywhere  dusky  slate  at  base.  The  color 
is  subject  to  considerable  individual  variation  in  shade.  The  palest 
specimens  are  yellowish  wood  brown  inclining  to  clay  color;  the  darkest 
specimens  dull  raw  umber.  The  belly  varies  from  clear  gray  scarcely 
tinged  with  yellow  to  a  strong  yellowish  gray,  and  in  other  specimens  to 
dull  brownish  gray.  The  exact  shades  are  very  variable  and  impossible 
to  describe  accurately. 

SlcuU. — Skull  (fig.  11  ft,  and  fig.  12  h)  large,  exactly  the  same  size  as 
that  of  i¥.  i-elifer,  but  more  lightly  built.  Brain  case  oval  in  outline, 
abruptly  rounded  posteriorly,  occipital  region  inflated  and  lacking  well- 
formed  ridges.  Forehead  moderately  elevated  above  muzzle.  Distance 
from  posterior  border  of  last  upper  molar  to  tip  of  hamular  greater 
than  width  between  alveoli  of  posterior  molars. 

Although  the  skull  of  this  species  and  that  of  M.  velifcr  are  equal  in 
size,  that  of  the  former  is  easily  distinguished  by  its  more  inflated  brain 
2772— No.  13 G 


82 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


Fig.  16.— Maxillary  teeth  of  four  speci- 
mens of  Mifotis  thysanodes,  showing  in- 
dividual variation  in  form  ;uirt  position 
of  premolars:  a,  specimen  from  Patzcu- 
aro,  Michoacan ;  b,  c,  and  d,  from  Ha- 
cienda La  Parada,  San  LuisPotosi(    5). 


case,  forehead  more  abruptly  elevated  above  muzzle  and  rounder  less 
angular  occiput.  When  viewed  from  above,  the  posterior  margin  of 
the  brain  case  is  rounded  in  M.  thysanodes,  truncate  in  M.  velifer.  When 
viewed  from  behind,  the  brain  case  in  M.  thysanodes  is  broader  in  pro- 
portion to  its  height  than  in  M.  velifer  and  lacks  the  conspicuous 
occipital  crest  of  the  latter.  The  posterior  part  of  the  palate,  from  the 
last  molars  to  the  tips  of  the  hamulars,  is  shorter  in  proportion  to 

the  distance  between  the  hindermost 
molars  in  31.  velifer  than  in  M.  thysanodes. 
Teeth. — Upper  incisors  diverging  at  the 
tips.  First  and  second  upper  premolars 
very  variable  in  relative  position  and 
size.  The  first  is  always  much  longer 
than  the  second  and  has  the  crown  at 
least  one-fourth  larger  in  cross  section. 
The  cross  section  of  the  first  may,  how- 
ever, be  nearly  twice  that  of  the  second. 
In  some  specimens  these  two  small  pre- 
molars are  perfectly  in  the  line  of  the 
tooth  row,  the  first  in  contact  with  the 
canine,  the  second  touching  the  first,  but 
separated  from  the  third  by  a  distinct 
space.  In  others  the  second  premolar 
while  perfectly  in  line  is  in  contact  with  the  third  as  well  as  with  the 
first.  Rarely  the  second  premolar  lies  slightly  external  to  the  tooth 
row,  while  very  commonly  it  is  displaced  to  a  varying  degree  inward, 
so  much  so  in  some  cases  as  to  be  almost  hidden  from  the  outer  side  by 
the  close  approximation  of  the  first  premolar  and  the  anterior  edge  of 
the  third.  These  variations  are  independent  of  age  and  sex.  The 
extremes  with  intermediates  of  all  degrees  occur  among  a  dozen  of  the 
females  collected  by  Mr.  Nelson  at  Hacienda  La  Parada,  San  Luis 
Potosi,  August  16,  1892;  while  specimens  with  teeth  much  worn  or 
Avholly  unworn  may  have  the  premolars  in- 
differently greatly  crowded  and  displaced  or 
wholly  in  the  tooth  row  (fig.  15  d,  fig.  16,  and 
fig.  17.) 

Third  premolar  triangular  in  outline,  the 
outer  border  abruptly  convex  in  front,  and 
equal  to  posterior  border;  anterior  and  poste- 
rior borders  concave;  inner  apex  rounded,  not  extending  back  to  level 
of  inner  margins  of  molars.  First  and  second  molars  trapeziform,  the  an 
terior  edge  longest,  the  posterior  outer  and  inner  margins  successively 
shorter.  Anterior  border  straight  to  near  inner  edge,  where  it  is  bent 
abruptly  backward,  posterior  border  very  slightly  concave.  First 
molar  shorter  and  broader  than  second,  and  with  anterior  border  nearly 
straight. 


Flu.  17. — Abnormal  premolar  of 
Miiotis  thysanodes  (No.  52228) :  a, 
crown ;  h,  side  ( X  20) . 


MYOTIS    THYSANODES. 


83 


Central  lower  incisors  with  crowns  compressed  and  trifid,  the  next 
pair  similar  but  larger,  the  outer  incisors  still  larger  and  with  crowns 
indistinctly  terete  and  quadrituberculate.  First  and  second  mandibu- 
lar premolars  variable  in  position  and  in  relative  size,  the  first  always 
the  larger.  The  second  is  shorter  than  the  first,  but  in  some  specimens 
its  crown  has  a  cross  section  nearly  equal  to  that  of  the  latter.  The 
first  is  always  in  contact  with  the  canine  and  usually  with  the  second 
premolar  also,  but  may  be  separated  from  the  latter  by  a  narrow  space. 
The  second  premolar  is  either  wholly  in  the  line  of  the  tooth  row  and 
not  touching  the  third,  in  line  and  touching  the  latter,  or  more  or  less 
displaced  inward.  Third  i)remolar  trapeziform,  slightly  broader  than 
long. 

In  dentition  Myotis  thysanodes  shows  many  points  of  difference  from 
M.  velifer.  One  of  the  most  striking  of  these  is  the  great  variability 
in  the  size  and  position  of  the  first  and  second  upper  premolars  (figs. 
16  and  17),  which  in  M.  velifer  are  comparatively  constant.  Other  dif- 
ferences may  be  seen  in  the  form  of  the  third  upper  and  third  lower 
premolars.  The  crowns  of  the  upijer  molars  are  proportionally  broader 
in  M.  velifer  than  in  .1/.  thysanodes. 

Measurements. — Average  measurements  of  23  specimens  of  Myotis 
thysanodes  from  four  localities  are  given  in  the  following  table: 


Average  measurements  of  £3  specimcnH  of  Myotis  thysanodes  from  4  localities. 


Locality. 

a 

11 

"Si 

a 

1 

Tail  vertebra;. 
Tibia. 

i 

o 

a 
u 

1 

s 

H 

1^ 

a 

o 

a 

Vl 

o 

1 

t 

California :  Old  Fort  Tejon 

01(1  Fort  Tejon 

'1 

10 
.3 
10 

87 
87 
89 
90.4 

36  18 

37  17. 6 
37      i  16.7 
36.9     17.4 

8 
8 

8.9 
8.9 

41      1     6 
41.2       6.3 
41.8  1     6.7 

69 

69.2 
71.5 
73.6 

18 

17.6 
18.3 
18.5 

12 
11.8 
11.9 
12.2 

11 

10.5 

10.8 

San  Luis Potosi:  Hda.LaParada 

42.7 

6.7 

10.5 

'Type. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  88,  from  the  following  localities : 

California:  Dulzura,  1  (skin,  Miller  coll.);  Old  Fort  Tejon,  16. 
Chihuahua:  East  side  San  Luis  Mountains,  2  (skins). 
San  Luis  Potosi :  Hacienda  La  Parada,  62  (6  skins). 
Michoacan:  Patzcuaro,  5  (2  skins). 

Jalisco :  La  Laguna,  Sierra  de  Juauacatlau,  1  (skin) ;  Sierra  Nevada  do  Colima, 
1  (skin,  Am.Mus. Nat.  Hist.). 

General  remarks. — Myotis  thysanodes  needs  no  close  comparison  with 
any  other  species  occurring  in  Mexico  or  the  United  States.  Its  large 
size  separates  it  from  all  others  but  M.  velifer,  while  from  the  latter  the 
ciliated  free  border  of  the  uropatagium,  peculiar  thickened  calcar, 
larger  ears  and  paler  color  together  with  the  cranial  and  dental 
characters  readily  distinguish  it. 


84  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 

lu  certain  respects  M.  fhysanodes  resembles  M.  evotis.  The  color  is 
very  much  the  same,  while  the  ears  in  tliese  two  species  reach  their 
maximum  (leveloi)ment  amon^-  the  species  of  this  genus  found  in  Nortli 
America.  The  free  border  of  tlie  interfemoral  membrane  in  J/,  evotis 
shows  a  sligiit  tendency  to  the  ciliation  so  conspicuous  in  M.  thysanofles. 
Myotis  crotis  is,  however,  a  smaller  animal  and  lias  ears  proportionally 
longer  than  in  M,  thysanodes,  while  the  free  border  of  the  interfemoral 
membrane  is  never  distinctly  ciliate. 

That  this  species  is  the  same  as  the  South  American  Myotis  albescens 
is  exceedingly  unlikely.  Dobson,  who  has  seen  the  type  of  the  latter, 
gives  for  it  the  following  characters,  which  do  not  in  the  least  apply  to 
the  present  species:  "Ears  shorter  than  the  head;  laid  forward,  the 
tips  do  not  reach  to  the  end  of  the  muzzle;  calcaneum  feeble,  termina- 
tion indistinct;  above  dark  brown."  Moreover,  Mr.  Oldfleld  Thomas, 
who  has  compared  specimens  of  Myotis  thysanodes  v^'ith  the  albescens  in 
the  British  Museum,  writes  me  that  the  two  do  not  in  the  least  resem- 
ble each  other,  and  that  M.  albescens  is  allied  rather  to  M.  vclifer.  For 
further  discussion  of  the  question,  see  under  the  latter  species. 

In  Dr.  Harrison  Allen's  recent  monograph  (p.  93)  a  specimen  of  this 
species  in  my  collection,  taken  at  Dulzura,  [misspelled  Dalyura],  Cal., 
is  recorded  as  a  variety  of  'F.  albescens  velifer.''  A  specimen  from  Old 
Fort  Tejon,  Calilornia,  in  the  Biological  Survey  collection,  is  labeled  by 
Dr.  Allen  '  V.  snbnlatusj'  while  fifteen  others  of  the  same  species  from  the 
same  locality  are  marked  '  V.  albescens?.^  One  of  the  latter  (Xo.  20827), 
however,  is  recorded  as  '  V.  albescens  evotis^  (p.  90). 

Dr.  T,  S.  Palmer  has  kindly  furnished  me  with  the  following  account 
of  the  (jolony  from  which  the  type  of  Myotis  thysanodes  was  taken: 

In  July,  1<S9I,  -while  one  of  the  parties  of  the  Death  Valley  Expedition  was  collect- 
ing at  Old  Fort  Tejon,  California,  several  species  of  hats  were  ohserved.  The  most 
ahundant  was  a  small  VenpertUlo  [^^Mijotis'],  which  could  be  seen  at  dusk  flying  about 
the  oak  trees  near  the  old  barracks  in  great  numbers,  and  passing  in  and  out  of  the 
ruined  buildings.  A  long  two-story  adobe  building,  with  the  roof  still  intact,  seemed 
to  be  the  center  of  attraction,  and  about  sundown  bats  could  be  seen  streaming  forth 
from  a  window  in  one  of  the  gables.  On  the  morning  of  July  5  an  examination  was 
made  of  the  attic  of  this  building,  and  the  bats  were  found  clinging  to  the  ridgepole 
and  the  rafteis,  literally  by  thousands.  Individuals  of  all  ages,  from  recently  born 
young  to  adults,  were  hanging  together  in  bunches  as  big  as  a  bushel  basket.  Others 
found  concealment  in  cracks  and  crevices,  but  very  few  were  flying  about.  Evidently 
the  colony  had  occiipied  the  attic  for  several  years,  but  it  was  too  dark  to  see  whether 
more  than  one  species  was  present. 

A  sack  was  carried  along  under  the  ridgepole  and  specimens  swei)t  into  it  from  sev- 
eral of  the  larger  bunches.  In  this  way  more  than  a  hundred  bats  were  collected  in 
a  few  minutes.  As  soon  as  they  were  disturbed  they  uttered  a  peculiar  8<iueakiug 
note  and  flew  about  in  a  confused  manner  in  their  eft'orts  to  escape.  The  sack  was 
carried  out  under  one  of  the  oak  trees  and  the  specimens  examined;  160  had  been 
captured,  and  of  these  25  were  preserved'  and  the  remainder  allowed  to  escape. 
Some  of  the  bats  which  had  been  given  their  liberty  attempted  to  fly  back  to  their 
retreat,  but  da/ed  by  the  sunlight  took  refuge  in  the  branches  of  the  nearest  tree; 


'  Sixteen  proved  to  be  Myotis  thysanodes;  the  others  were  M.  yumanensis. 


LASIONYCTERIS. 


85 


others  made  no  attempt  to  escape,  except  to  crawl  up  the  trunks  of  tlio  trees,  wlicre 
they  remained  until  dark.  Some  of  the  young  ones  failed  to  find  their  way  back  to 
the  building,  and  remained  about  the  spot  for  several  days. 


Genus    LASIONYCTERIS    Peters. 


1864.  ScoiopMlus  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.  Am .  Bats,  p.  27  (part,  not  Seotophilus  Leach,  1821 ) . 

1865.  Lasionycteris  Peters,  Monatsber.  K.  Akad.  Wiss. 

Berliu,  p.  648.     Type  WnpertUio  noctiragans 

Le  Coute. 
1870.  Cnephaiophihis  Fitzinger,  Sitzungsber.  K.  Akad. 

Wissensch.,  Wieu,  LXII,  Abth.,  I,  p.  8  (part). 
1875.   Vespcrides  Coucs  in  Cones'  and  Yarrow's  Zool- 
ogy of  Wheeler's  Exped.,  p.  83.     Type  T'es- 

perfilio  noctivagans  Le  Conte. 
187N.    Vesperugo  Dobsou,  Catal.  Chiroptera  Brit.  Mus., 

p.  183  (part). 
1893.  Lasiomjcleris  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p. 

104. 


Fig.  18. — Skull  of  Lasionycteris  noc- 

tivarians  (>:2.) 


»»,  o  Q — 36. 


Type  species. — Lasionycteris  noctivagans  (Le 
Coiite). 

Geographic  distnhntion. — Tlie  range  of  tlie 
genus  Lasionycteris  is  tlie  same  as  that  of  the  type  and  only  known 
species. 

Generic  characters. — Dental  formula :  «',  q^ ;  c,  ^pr ;  pm,  '^t 

Skull  (fig.  IS),  flattened;  rostrum  very  broad  in  pioportion  to  brain 
case,  strongly  concave  on  each  side  back  of  the  nasal  aperture;  dorsal 
profile  of  skull  nearly  straight  and  sloping  gradually  from  external 
nares  to  occiput,  whicli  is  scarcelj-  angular,  and  always  without  sagittal 
crest.  Ears  short,  nearly  as  broad  as  long ;  when  laid  forward,  reaching 
barely  to  nostril;  basal  lobe  very  large.  Tragus  short,  straight,  and 
bluntly  rounded  at  tip,  width  much  more  than  half  length  of  anterior 

margin.  Back  of  iu- 
terfemoral  mem- 
brane furred  on  basal 
half.     Mamma',  2. 

General  remarJis. — 
Among  the  Ameri- 
can YespertiUonida' 
the  genus  Lasionyc- 
teris is  readily  distin- 
guished by  its  dental  formula,  combined  with  its  short,  broad  ears, 
broad  tragus,  and  partially  furred  uropatagium. 

The  genus  Lasionycteris  is  peculiar  to  North  America,  where  it  is 
represented  by  one  widely  distributed  species  whose  characters  are 
remarkably  constant  throughout  its  range. 


Fig.  19. — Teeth  of  Lasinmjcfens  noctivagans  (X5). 


86 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


LASIONYCTERIS  N0CTIVAGAN8  (Le  Coute).     Silver-liaired  Bat. 

1831.  Vesperfilio  iiociivuf/anfi  Le Conte,  McMmtrie's  Cuvier's  Animal  Kingdom,  I,  p.  31, 
June,  1831. 

1831.  VespertUio  auduhoni  Harlan,  Monthly  Amer.  .Journ.  Geol.  and  Nat.  Hist.,  I,  p. 
220,  PI.  II,  November,  1831  (Philadelphia,  Pa.;. 

1835.  respertiUo  jmlverulenlus  Temmiuck,  Monogr.  de  Mammalogie,  II,  p.  325  (Mis- 
souri River). 

1864.  Scotopliihis  noctiva{/ans  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  39. 

1865.  Lasiunycteris  noctivu(ians  Peters,  Monatsber.   K.  Preuss.  Akad.  Wiss.,  Berlin, 

p.  648. 
1878.    Vespenigo  noetivagans  Dobson,  Catal.  Chiroptera  Brit.  Mas.,  p.  238. 
1893.  Lasionycteris  noctii-aganx  H.  Allen,  Mouogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  105. 

Type  locality. — Eastern  United  States. 

Geographic  (listrihution. — North  America,  from  Atlantic  to  Pacific; 
probably  not  breeding  south  of  the  Transition  Zone. 

General  characters. — See  generic  characters  given  on  page  85. 

Color. — The  fur  is  deep,  blackish,  chocolate  brown  throughout,  many 
of  the  hairs  on  the  back,  belly,  and  furred  part  of  interfemoral  mem- 
brane tipped  with  silvery  white.  The  white  tips  are  most  numerous 
on  middle  of  back.  They  are  absent,  or  nearly  so,  from  face,  crown,  and 
throat. 

Skidl  and  teeth. — The  cranial  and  dental  characters  of  Lasionycteris 
7ioctivagans  have  been  sufficiently  described  in  the  diagnosis  of  the 
genus. 

Measurements. — The  average  measurements  of  21  specimens  of  Lasi- 
onycteris noctivagans  from  eight  localities  are  given  in  the  following 
table : 


Average  measurements  of  21  specimens  of  Lasionycteris  nociivaqans  from  S  localities. 


,a 

S 

p 

a 

S 

fcr 

XI 

t(3 

e 

© 

Locality. 

> 

.2 

.a 

e 

s 

II 

3 

09 

a 

O 

o 

.a 

o 

IT" 

^"^ 

H 

H 

H 

fe 

1^ 

H 

hi 

Nl 

ts 

H 

New  York:  Sing  Sing 

10 

10.5. 8 

42.4 

17.1 

7.9 

41.1 

5.3 

73.4 

15.9 

14.1 

6.7 

Montana :  Elatbead  Lake 

2?? 

100.5 

41 

16.2 

7.5j 

42 

4.5 

75 

15.6 

14.1 

6.2 

IcT 
2?? 

97 
95.5 

38 
32.5 

16 
16 

8 
8.4, 

39 

40 

4.6 
6.2 

68 

16 

15.8 

12 
11.8 

6 

Nevada :  Badger 

6 

Oregon:  Blue  Mountains 

Id 

97 

39 

16.4 

8 

41 

6 

15.4 

11 

.5.6 

Ci'ooked  Kiver 

IcT 

95 

41 

17 

7 

41.4 

5 

16 

12 

6 

ElKiu 

3 

101 
98 

43 
44 

16.3 
15 

8.9^ 

8.6 

43 
41 

4.3 
6 

16 
16 

13.3 
13 

5.7 

6 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  105,  from  the  following  localities ; 

Alberta:  Henry  House  2  (skins). 

British  Columbia:  Sumas,  1  (skin,  Miller  coll.). 

California:  Nevada  City,  1;  Nicasio,  2. 

Colorado:  Rifle,  1. 

Massachusetts:  Nantucket,  1;  North  Truro.  6  (skins.  Miller  coll.). 

Montana:  Flathead  Lake,  2. 


PIPISTRELLUS.  87 

Nebraska:  Platte  River,  1. 

Nevada :  Badger,  2. 

New  York:  Lake  George,  6  (2  skins);   Leyden,  14;   Locust  Grove,  4;   Lyon> 

Falls,  4;  Sing  Sing,  47  (20  young). 
North  Carolina;  Magnetic  City,  1  (skin). 
Oregon:  Beaverton,  1  (skin,  Miller  coll.);  Blue  Mountains,  1;  Crooked  River, 

1;    East  base  Cascade  Mountains,  near  Mount  Thielsou  1  (skin);  P^lgin,  3; 

Harney,  1;  Salem,  1. 
Pennsylvania:  Carlisle,  1. 

General  remarlts. — Lasionycteris  noctivagans  is  one  o.f  the  most  easily 
recognized  of  Nortli  American  bats.  Its  peculiar  color  alone  is  suffi- 
cient to  distinguish  it  from  all  others  found  in  the  region  where  it  occurs. 

Genus    PIPISTRELLUS   Kaup. 

1829.  Pipistrellus  Kaup,  Skizzirte  Entwick.-Gesch.,u.  Natlirl.  Syst.  d.  Europ.  Thierw., 

Th.  I,  p.  98.     Type  VespertUio  pipiatreUus  Schreber. 
1839.   Vesperugo   Keyaerling   &    Blasius,   Wieginann's   Archiv   f.   Naturgesch.,   oter 

Jabrg.,  Bd.  1,  p.  312  (part). 
1856.  Nannugo  Kolenati,  Allgem.  Deutscb.  Naturbist.  Zeitg.,  Dresden,  Neue  Folge 

II,  131,  169-172.     Based  on  natltusii,  pipistrellua,  and  kuhlii. 
1856.  Hypsugo  Kolenati,  Allgem.  Deutscb.  Naturbist.  Zeitg.,  Dresden,  Neue  Folge, 

II,  pp.  131,  167-169.     Included  the  species  maurus  and  krasclieninikowii. 
1864.  Scotopliilus  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  27  (part,  not  Scotophilus  Leach). 
1878.   Veaperugo  Dobson,  Catal.  Chiroptera  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  183  (part). 
1893.   Vesperugo  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  121. 

Type  species. — Pipistrellus  pipistrellus  (Schreber). 

Geographic  distribution  of  genus. — The  greater  ])a,vt  of  the  Eastern 
Hemisphere,  and  throughout  the  southern  half  of  North  America.  Exact 
limits  of  tlistribution  not  known. 

Generic  characters. — Dental  formula: 

.  2-2        1-1  2-2         3-3      o, 

*' 3=3 '^' 1-1 '^'"'212'"*' 3=3=  ^'^^ 
Skull  (figs.  21  and  22)  small  and  lightly  built,  varying  somewhat  in  form 
among  the  different  species.  Braincase  usually  more  inflated  than  in 
Vesperiilio  and  Lasionycteris,  but  rostrum  proportionally  as  broad  as  in 
these  genera.  Ears  (fig.  20)  distinctly  longer  than  broad  and  tapering 
to  a  narrowly  rounded  tip.  Tragus  straight  or  slightly  curved  for- 
ward. Back  of  interfemoral  membrane  sprinkled  with  hair  on  basal 
third.    Mammai,  2. 

General  remarks. — The  members  of  the  genus  Pipistrellus  may  be 
recognized  by  their  dental  formula  and  small  size.  The  bats  of  the 
European  g,eui\s,  Pterygistes  '  {Pterygistes  noctula  and  P.  leisleri),  which 
have  the  same  dental  formula,  are  large,  heavily  built,  and  altogether 
different  in  appearance.'^ 

'Pterygistes  Kaup,  Skizzirte  Entwick.-Gesch.  u.  Naturl.  Syst.  d.  Europ.  Tbiervv.,Th. 
I,  p.  100,  based  on  f'espertilio  prater  us  Knh]  (^  J'.  Hoc<«/a  Schreber)  and  V.  leisleri  Knhl 

^For  remarks  on  the  generic  characters  of  '  Noctulinia '  (^Pterygistes),  .see  H.  Allen, 
Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Museum,  1893,  p.  30. 


88  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

In  America  the  genns  is  ropresentetl  by  three  species,  all  of  which 
are  strictly  coiijjeueric  with  PiplstreJlus  pipistreUu.s.  Of  the  American 
species  P.  subjlarvs  resembles  P.  pipisfrcJJns  most  closely,  but  is  dis- 
tinguishable at  a  glance  by  its  much  longer  thumlt. 

KEY  TO  AMERICAN  FORMS  OF  I'lriSTllELLUS. 
Tragus  blunt  with  tip  bent  forward: 

Forearm  about  31  mm. ;  colors  very  pale hcspcriis  (p.  88) 

Forearm  about  28  mm. ;  colors  darker aiistralis  (]i.  90) 

Tragus  tapering  and  straight: 

Forearm  30  to  32 rrracntcls  (p.  93) 

Forearm  33  to  36— 

Color  yellowish  brown sxhjiavus  (p.  90) 

Color  drab  brown ohscurus  (]>.  93\ 

PIPISTKELLUS  KIvSPEKUS  (H.Allen). 
1864.  Scoiopliilu's  hespenis  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.  Am.  P>ats,  p.  43. 
1878.   Vesprrngo  liesperus  Dobson,  Catal.  Chiroptera  Brit.  Museum,  p.  228. 
1886.    VesperiKjo  merriami  Dobsou,  Ann.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  .5th  ser.,  XVIII,  p.  124. 
1893.    resperitgo  luspenifi  H.  Allen.  Monogr.  Hats  N.  Am.,  ]).  128. 

Type  locality. — Fort  Yuma,  Cal,  Type  No.  5406,  CJ.  S.  National  Museum. 
Oeofjriipliic  (listrihiition. — Lower  Austral  zone  in  the  Western  United 
States  from  western  Texas  to  the  Pacific  Coast.     Limits  not  known. 
General  characters. — Size  very  small  (forearm  about  26);  thumb  short 

(about  one-eiglith  of  forearm);  ear  shorter 

#and  more  bluntly  rounded   than  in  other 
^-r;^  American  members  of  the  genus,  reaching 

/^)''  I'A  barelj'-  to  nostril  when  laid  forward ;  tragus 
jim^Mi  Wunt  and  distinctly  bent  forward  at  tip; 
Vwf''^^m^4  feet  very  small,  about  half  as  long  as  tibia: 
W''W^0'  barely  1  mm.  of  tip  of  tail  free  from  mem- 
■.i^^^^'^  /  brane;  color  very  pale. 
^  Pars. — The   ears   (fig.   20  h)   are    short, 

FiG.2o.-Ear  of  (rr)  ripistreiius  ml-    reaching  barely  to  nostril  when  laid  for- 

flavvs  a^A  (fi)  r.hesverus  (X2).  ,         m,  ,•■,-,  n  •    i       • 

ward.  The  anterior  border  of  auricle  is 
strongly  convex  from  well  develoi)ed  basal  notch  to  region  about 
middle,  where  it  becomes  straight  and  remains  so  almost  to  narrowly 
rounded  tip.  Posterior  border  concave  immediately  below  tip,  then 
strongly  convex  to  basal  notch.  Basal  lobe  well  developed,  separated 
from  auricle  by  a  deep  notch  and  joining  fiice  at  point  below  line  of  lips, 
and  slightly  behind  posterior  corner  of  eye.  The  fur  of  the  head  extends 
over  dorsal  surface  of  ear  to  slightly  beyond  the  basal  third.  Otherwise 
the  ear  is  naked  except  for  a  sprinkling  of  fine  hairs  on  inner  surface. 

Tragus  less  than  half  length  of  ear,  broadest  just  below  tip;  ante- 
rior border  straight  throughout  greater  part  of  its  length,  but  strongly 
concave  immediately  below  tip;  posterior  binder  strongly  convex  from 
tip  almost  to  notch  above  well  developed  basal  lobe. 

jMemhranes.—T\\Q  membranes  are  thin  and  delicate.  Uropatagium 
very  sparsely  furred  at  extreme  base,  otherwise  naked  except  for  a  few 
scattered  hairs  which   are  most  numerous  on  the  basal  half.     Wing 


PIPISTRELLUS    HESPP:RUS. 


89 


membranes  attached  at  base  of  toes.     Uropatagiuui  exteiuliiig  almost 
to  extreme  tip  of  tail. 

Feet. — Foot  small,  distinctly  less  tlian  half  as  long-  as  tibia,  naked  or 
with  a  few  almost  invisible  whitish  hairs  on  dorsal  surface.  Calcar 
about  as  long  as  tibia,  scarely  keeled  on  posterior  edge,  terminal  lobe 
absent  or  very  indistinct. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  extends  on  basal  third  of  ears,  but  barely 
reaches  extreme  base  of  interfemoral  membraue,  and  ou  wing  mem- 
branes invades  merely  a  very  narrow  strip  close  to  body. 

Color  light  yellowish  gray  or  whitish  gray,  the  fur  everywhere  deep 
plumbeous  at  base.  In  some  specimens  the  hairs  on  the  back  have  faint 
dark  subterminal  areas  which,  however,  are  visible  on  close  inspection 
only.  Ears,  muzzle,  face,  and  membranes  black.  A  narrow  whitish 
border  on  wing  membrane  between  foot  and  fifth  finger. 

This  species  is  apparently  much  more  constant  in  color  than  P.  suh- 
Jiavus,  but  the  absence  of  a  good  series  of  skins  leaves  the  range  of 
individual  variation  in  color  a  matter  of  uncer- 
tainty. 

Skull. — The  skull  of  PijristreUus  lieaperus 
(figs.  21  r(,  and  22  h)  is  very  small,  thin,  and 
papery.  That  of  an  adult  male  from  Fort 
Bowie,  Arizona,  measures  11.4  mm.  inoccipito- 
nasal  length,  0  mm.  in  zygomatic  breadth,  and 
4  mm.  in  occipital  depth.  The  dorsal  outline 
is  nearly  straight  from  external  .nares  to  occi- 
put, though  there  is  a  slight  concavity  between 
the  orbits  and  a  slight  convexity  over  the  brain  case.  Muzzle  broad 
and  nearly  flat,  slightly  concave  ou  each  side  of  median  line.  In  gen- 
eral the  skull  of  PlpistreUus  hesperus  suggests  a  miniature  of  that  of 
Lasionycteris. 

Teeth. — The  teeth  of  Pipistrelhis  liesperus  (fig.  23 «)  do  not  differ 
materially  from  those  of  P.  suhjianis.  The  anterior  upper  premolar  is 
minute  (much  smaller  than  the  smaller  upper  incisor)  and  usually 
thrown  out  of  the  tooth  row  by  the  second  premolar,  the  anterior  edge 
of  which  is  generally  in  contact  with  the  canine. 

Measurement H. — See  table,  page  95. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  127,  from  the  following  localities: 

Arizona:  Beaverdam,  1;  Fort  Bowie,  1  (skin);  Grand  Cauon,  2;  Guadalupe 
Canon,  Cochise  County,  4  (skins);  Little  Colorado,  2 ;  Dos  Cabezas,  l(skin); 
Keam  Canon,  Navajo  County,  1  (skin);  New  River,  Maricopa  County,  1; 
Yuma,  2. 

California:  Borax  Flat,  Mohave  Desert,  3;  Colorado  Desert,  1  (skin);  Death 
Valley,  4;  Funeral  Mountains,  Inyo  County,  1 ;  Furnace  Creek,  Death  Valley, 
1 ;  Grapevine  Spring,  Death  Valley,  1 ;  Independence,  1 ;  Hot  Springs  Valley, 
Inyo  County,  2;  Jacumba,  San  Diego  County,  2  (skins);  Keeler,  1;  Kern 
River,  3 ;  Kernville,  1 ;  Lone  Pine,  3 ;  Owens  Lake,  1 ;  Palm  Springs,  3 ;  Paua- 
mint  Valley,  Inyo  County,  6;  Pananiint  Mountains,  4;  Poso  Creek,  Kern 
County,!  (skin);  Saline  Valley.  Inyo  Connty,   1;   San  Emigdio,   1;   Santa 


Fig.  21.— Top  view  of  sknil  of 

(a)   Piplstiellus   hespervs  and 
(6)  P.suhflavus  (.-2.) 


90  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Ysabel,  Sau  Diego  County,  18;  Three  Rivers,  7;  Twiu  Oaks,  2;  Vallecitas,  San 

Diego  County,  3 ;  Whitewater,  1  (siiiu) ;  Yosemite  Valley,  1 ;  Old  Fort  Yuma, 

1  (type). 
Colorado:  Grand  Junction,  4. 
Lower  California:  Sau  Fernando,  7  (Miller  coll.). 
Nevada:  Gold  Mountain,  Esmeralda  County,  1;  Pahranagat  Valley,  1;  Vegas 

Mountains,  1;  Vegas  Valley,  Lincoln  County,  1. 
New  Mexico:  Dog  Spring,  Grant  County,  7  (skins) ;  Fort  Wingate,  1;  Grant 

County,  1  (skin). 
Texas:  Chinate  Mountains,  1;  El  Paso,  4  (1  skin);  Paisano,  5;  Pecos  River,  1. 
Utah  :  St.  George,  2. 
Washinton:  Alniota,  1. 

General  rcmarlcs. — Pipistrellus  hesperus  is  readily  distinguishable 
among  North  American  bats  by  its  dental  formula,  small  size,  blunt 
tragus,  and  pallid  color.  It  needs  no  comparison  with  any  other  species. 
At  the  southernmost  extremity  of  its  known  range  a  subspecies  slightly 
different  from  that  occurring  farther  north  has  been  differentiated. 
Otherwise  the  species  is  remarkably  constant  in  all  its  characters. 

PIPLSTRELLUS  HESPERUS  AUSTRALIS  subsp.  nov. 

Ti/jje  from  Barranca  Hiarra,  .Jalisco,  Mexico;  altitude  about  3,000  feet.  Adult  9  (in 
alcohol),  No.  52112,  U.  S.  National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection).  Col- 
lected May  14,  1892,  by  E.  W.  Nelson.     Original  number,  2614. 

General  characters. — Slightly  smaller  than  true  Pipistrelltis  hesperus; 
fur  shorter;  color  apparently  darker  and  browner. 

Ears,  membranes,  and  feet. — As  in  the  typical  subspecies. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  is  shorter  than  in  specimens  of  true  hesperus 
taken  in  April  and  May,  but  in  distribution  it  shows  no  peculiarities. 

Color  darker  and  browner  than  in  specimens  of  true  hesperus  that 
have  been  immersed  in  alcohol  for  a  similar  length  of  time.  Until  skins 
of  the  southern  animal  are  examined  the  actual  color  differences  between 
the  two  forms  can  not  be  determined. 

Measurements. — The  measurements  of  the  type  and  the  averages  of 
four  specimens  from  the  type  locality  are  given  in  the  table  of  measure- 
ments on  page  95. 

Specimens  examined. — Four,  all  from  the  type  locality. 

General  remarls. — Pipistrelliis  hesperus  austraUs  is  a  fairly  well 
marked  subsi)ecies  characterized  by  slightly  smaller  size,  shorter  fur, 
and  darker  color  than  in  the  typical  form.  The  material  by  which  it  is 
represented  is  so  poor,  however,  that  all  the  characters  can  not  be 
determined  with  certainty. 

PIPISTRELLUS  SUBFLAVUS  (F.  Cuvier).     Georgian  Bat. 

1832.  iVespertiUo  georgiaiius  F.  Cuvier,  Nouv.  Ann.  Mus.  d'Hist.  Nat.,  Paris,  p.  16. 
(Not  determinable.) 

1832.  Fesjjer<iKo  s»&/?arMS  F.  Cuvier,  Nouv.  Ann.  Mus.  d'Hist.  Nat.,  Paris,  p.  17.  (De- 
scription good.) 

1835-41.  VespertUio  eri/flirodactyhis  Tommiuck,  Monogr.  de  Mamm.,  II,  13rae  Monogr., 
p.  238. 

1861.  Svotoj>hihi)i  j/eorgiauiis  11.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  35. 


PIPISTRELLUS  SUBFLAVUS.  91 

1878.   Vespenigo  i/eoriiianiis  ])obson,  Catal.  Chiroi»tera  Brit.  Mns.,  p.  235. 
1893.   Vespenigo  caroJineiisis   H.  Allen,  Mouogr.   Bats  N,  Am.,  p.  121  (not  Vespertilio 
carolinensis  Geoff.). 

Type  locality. — Eastern  United  States;  probably  Georgia. 

Geographic  distribution. — Austral  zones  and  casually  parts  of  Transi- 
tion zone  in  tbe  Eastern  United  States,  from  tbe  Atlantic  Coast  west  to 
Iowa  and  eastern  and  soutbern  Texas. 

General  characters. — Size  small  (forearm,  about  34);  tbumb  long 
(febout  i  forearm) ;  ear  wben  laid  forward  reacbiiig-  sligiitly  beyond  nos- 
tril; tragus  straight,  tapering  to  a  broadly  rounded  tip;  feet  small, 
slightly  more  than  half  as  long  as  tibia;  terminal  2  mm.  of  tail  free 
from  membrane;  liairs  on  back  mostly  distinctly  tricolored;  general 
color  light  yellowish  brown,  undulated  with  darker  brown. 

Ears. — The  ears  (fig.  20  a)  are  considerably  longer  than  in  P.  hesperus, 
reaching,  when  laid  forward,  just  beyond  nostril.  In  general  form  the 
ear  is  much  as  in  P.  hesperns,  but  the  auricle  is  slightly  narrower,  and 
the  basal  lobe  is  smaller  and  separated  from  auricle  by  a  slight  notch 
0Dl3^  On  dorsal  surface  of  ear  the  fur  of  head  extends  scarcely  to  basal 
third.  Otherwise  the  ear  is  naked  except  for  a  sprinkling  of  fine  hairs 
on  inner  surface. 

Tragus  about  half  length  of  ear,  broadest  opposite  anterior  base  and 
thence  tapering  gradually  upward  to  bluntly  rounded  tip  which  is 
turned  slightly  backward.  Anterior  border  slightly  concave  at  base, 
then  gently  convex  to  tip.  Posterior  border  slightly  concave  imme- 
diately below  tip,  then  strongly  convex  almost  to  notch  above  well 
developed  basal  lobe. 

Membranes. — The  membranes  are  thin  and  delicate.  Uropatagium 
thinly  furred  on  basal  fourth,  otherwise  naked  except  for  a  few  scat- 
tered hairs  along  veins  on  lower  side.  Wing  membranes  attached  at 
base  of  toes.  Uropatagium  attached  at  base  of  terminal  caudal 
vertebra. 

Feet. — Foot  large,  distinctly  more  than  half  as  long  as  tibia,  covered 
with  consj)icuous  light-brown  hairs  on  dorsal  surface.  Calcar  dis- 
tinctly longer  than  tibia,  scarcely  keeled  on  posterior  edge,  terminal 
lobe  absent  or  very  indistinct. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  extends  on  base  of  ears  and  interfemoral 
membrane  and  on  wing  membranes  to  line  joining  knee  and  middle  of 
forearm. 

Color  light  yellowish  brown,  uniform  on  the  ventral  surface,  but  on 
the  back  clouded  to  a  varying  degree  with  darker  brown.  The  hairs 
on  the  back  appear  to  be  of  two  kinds.  The  main  body  of  the  fur  is 
made  up  of  short  hairs  (about  0  mm.  in  length),  which  are  deep  plum- 
bens  from  base  to  a  little  below  middle,  then  yellowish  brown  almost 
to  extreme  tip,  which  is  dark  brown.  Intermixed  with  these  shorter 
hairs  are  others  which  are  much  longer  (about  10  mm.  in  length)  and 
clear  yellowish  brown  to  extreme  tip. 


92 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


Typical  PipistrellHs  suhflarKs  presents  a  wide  range  of  individual 
variation  in  color.  This  is  due  to  the  extent  of  the  terminal  dark  bands 
on  the  hairs  of  the  ])ack,  and  also  to  the  exact  shade  of  the  yeUowish 
subterniinal  bands.  The  yellowest  specimens  that  I  have  seen  were 
taken  at  Washington,  D.  (J.,  during  May  and  June. 

^kull. — The  skull  ot  Pipisfrelliis  suhfarits  (figs.  21a  and  22//)  is 
larger  than  that  of  P.  hesperns.  That  of  an  adult 
male  from  Washington,  I).  C,  measures  13  mm.  in 
oceii)ito  nasal  length,  S  mm.  in  zygomatic  breadth, 
and  r>  mm.  in  occipital  depth,  Tlie  dorsal  outline 
is  nearly  straight  from  the  anterior  nares  to  a  point 
immediately  behind  the  orbits,  then  strongly  con- 
vex to  occiput.  Muzzle  narrow  and  arched,  the 
concavities  on  each  side  nearly  obsolete.  In  gen- 
eral the  skull  of  Pipistrelltis  suhflavus  suggests  a 
Fig.  22.— Side  view  of  skull  miniature  of  that  of  the  smaller  forms  of  Vespertilio. 
ona)PipMushesi,eru.        Teeth.— 'Hh^  tccth  of  PipistreUiis  suhflavus  (fig. 

and  (h)  l'..sul)flavt(s  {    2).  -L  j  \    e> 

23  h)  are  larger  than  those  of  P.  hesperus  but  essen- 
tially similar  in  form.  The  anterior  upi)er  premolar  is  large  (about  the 
size  of  tlie  larger  upper  incisor)  and  generally  fully  in  the  tooth  row. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  057. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  2i;>,  from  the  following  local- 
ities : 

Alabama:  C4roensboro,  2. 

District  of  Columbia:  Washington.  17  (11  skins). 

Indian  Territory  :  Stihvell,  l;^.  , 

Louisiana:  Mer  Rouiie,  10;  Houma,  2  (skins). 

Maryland :  Marshall  Hall, 

5  (skins);    St.  Georges 

Island,  2  (skins). 
Mississii)pi :       Washing- 
ton, 8. 
Missouri :    Marble  Cave, 

Stone  County,  70. 
New  York :  Sing  Sing,  33. 
North  Carolina:  Raleigh, 

7      (skins);      B  or  tie 

County,  2  (skins). 
Pennsylvania :     Carlisle, 

7  (1  skin). 

Tennessee :  Hickman  County,  1  (skin) ;  Arlington,  3 ;  Big  Sandy,  10;  Danville,  4. 
Texas :  Clear  Creek,  Galveston  County,  1 ;  Brownsville,  1. 
Virginia:  Cedarville,  6  (skins.  Miller  coll.) ;  Fredericksburg,  6  (skins);  Hanip- 

sliire  County,  1  (skin);  Wytheville.  2. 

General  remarls. — The  Georgian  bat,  Pipistrellus  suhflavus,  is  so 
readily  distinguished  among  the  species  of  the  region  it  inhabits  that 
detailed  com])arisons  are  scarcely  necessary.  Its  dental  formula,  small 
size,  relatively  large  thumb,  distinctly  tricolored  fur  and  general  yel- 
lowish color  are  unmistakable  characters. 


Fig.  23.— Teeth  of  (a)  Pipistrelhis  hespems  aad  (6)  P.siibflavus 
(X5). 


PIPISTRELLUS    VER.ECRUCIS.  93 

PIPISTRELLUS   SUBFLAVUS  OBSCURU>S  subsp.  uov. 

Type  from  Lake  Giorge,  Warren  County,  N.  Y.  Adult  9  (skin)  No.  67723,  U.S. 
National  Museum  (Biological  Survey  collection).  Collected  September  6,  1894,  by 
Walter  K.  Fisher.     Original  number,  198. 

General  characters. — Size  and  proportions  as  in  typical  snhfavus,  but 
color  duller  and  less  yellow,  and  dark  tips  of  shorter  liairs  on  back 
more  conspicuous. 

Ears,  membranes,  feet,  and  fur. — As  in  typical  svhflavus. 

Color. — Fur  everywhere  blackish  slate  at  base.  Middle  baud  ou 
shorter  hairs  of  back  dull,  pale,  wood  browu  or  Isabella  color.  Tii)s  of 
these  hairs  dusky  brown,  and  much  more  consx)icuous  than  iu  true  sub- 
fiavus.  Long  hairs  of  back  pale  wood  brown.  Belly  uuiforni  Isabella 
color,  iu  some  specimens  inclining  toward  wood  brown,  but  seldom  show- 
ing any  ai)proach  to  the  bright  yellowish  browu  of  true  subjiavus. 

A  melanistic  si^ecimeu  is  dark  chocolate  brown  throughout.  Two 
others  are  rich  reddish  brown.  Iu  all  three  of  these  abnormal  individ- 
uals the  characteristic  variegation  of  the  fur  of  the  back  still  persists. 

Shidl  and  teeth. — I  cau  find  no  cranial  or  dental  characters  to  distin- 
guish Pipistrelhis  subjiavus  obscuriis  from  the  typical  subspecies. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  95. 

Specimens  examined. — Thirty  four  (seven  skins),  all  from  the  type 
locality. 

General  remarks. — Pipistrellus  subjiavus  obscurus  is  readily  distin- 
guishable from  true  subjiavus  by  its  darker,  duller,  less  yellow  color. 
The  difference  is  especially  noticeable  on  the  ventral  surface,  which  is 
generally  a  rich  yellowish  wood  browu  in  tjincal  s  ubfavus,  dull  Isabella 
color  in  obscurus.  The  darker  hue  of  the  back  in  obscurus  is  due  partly 
to  diflterences  in  the  color  of  the  long  hairs,  and  of  the  middle  bands 
of  the  short  hairs,  and  partly  to  the  more  extended  dark  tips  of  the 
short  hairs.  Like  the  typical  form,  Pi^ristrcllus  subjlarus  obscurus 
varies  considerably  in  color,  so  that  individual  specimens  of  either  sub- 
species, especially  those  that  are  not  fully  adult,  are  sometimes  difficult 
to  identify.  When  series  are  compared,  however,  the  difl'erential  char- 
acters at  once  become  apparent. 

PIPISTRELLUS  VER^CRUCIS  (Ward). 
1891.    reaperuyo  vcrwcriicis  Ward,  Am.  Naturalist,  XXV,  p.  745,  August,  1891. 

Ty2)e  locality. — Las  Vegas,  Jalapa,  Vera  Cruz. 

Geographic  distribution. — This  species  is  known  from  the  type  locality 
Jiily. 

Characters. — As  I  have  seen  no  specimens  of  Pipistrellus  verwcrucis, 
I  copy  the  original  description. 

I  All  six  specimens  were  indistinguishable  one  from  another  in  point  of  color.  The 
ollowing  color-description  is  taken  from  a  dried  skin,  whereas  all  the  rest  oi"  the 
lescriptiou  is  taken  from  a  specimen  preserved  in  alcohol. 


94  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Hairs  of  back  clove-browu  for  basal  half,  followed  by  two  equal  zones  respectively 
broccoli-brown  and  clove-l>rown;  some  of  hairs  furthermore  tipped  with  light  Van- 
dyke-brown, giving  a  decidedly  "rusty"  tone  to  the  back.  Ventral  surface ;  bases 
of  hair  slightly  lighter  than  those  of  back,  followed  by  light-hair  brown,  producing 
a  grayish  or  smoky  effect. 

Wing  membranes  naked,  except  a  very  limited  area  on  upper  surface  along  sides 
of  body,  not  exceeding  3  or  i  nun.  in  width  ;  and  on  lower  surface,  the  area  included 
between  a  line  passing  from  the  middle  of  humerus  to  the  knee  and  the  side  of  the 
bodj'  is  scantily  haired. 

Interfemoral  membrane  wilh  a  small,  triangular  patch  of  hair  on  its  upper  sur- 
face, covering  base  of  tail,  and  extending  to  one-fourth  of  its  length. 

Legs  and  arms  naked.  Wing  extending  from  base  of  outer  toe.  Antebrachial 
membrane  losing  itself  at  middle  of  radius.  Two  caudal  vertebr;e  free  from 
membrane. 

Black  glandular  prominences  between  eyes  and  nostrils  well  developed,  fringed 
with  longish  hairs  on  both  upper  and  lower  edges,  and  with  three  or  four  long, 
black,  bristly  hairs  growing  from  its  upper  surface. 

Inner  edge  of  ear  conch  evenly  convex.  Outer  edge  coming  up  in  an  even,  sweep- 
ing curve  from  angle  of  mouth  to  level  of  tip  of  tragus,  where  it  meets  a  slightly 
concave  line  leading  up  to  the  obtusely  rounded  tip.  A  nearly  semi-circular  anti- 
tragus  is  developed  from  that  part  of  the  conch  passing  below  the  tragus.  Bone  of 
inner  margin  of  tragus  concave,  thus  throwing  this  organ  forward,  followed  by  a 
straight  margin.  Bone  of  outer  margin  with  a  subtriangular  lobe,  followed  by  a 
deep  notch,  above  which  the  greatest  width  is  (quickly  reached.  From  here  a  nearly 
straight  line  leads  to  the  tip,  which  is  obtusely  rounded. 

Measurements  in  millimeters:  Length  of  head  and  body,  from  tip  of  nose  to  base 
of  tail,  37.5;  length  of  tail,  36;  length  of  tail  beyond  membrane,  3;  length  of  head, 
15;  height  of  ear,  from  notch  between  antitragus  and  conch  to  tip,  10;  height  of 
tragus,  inner  margin,  4.5;  height  of  tragus,  outer  margin,  6;  greatest  width  of 
tragus,  2;  length  of  antitragus,  2;  height  of  antitragus  (approximately),  .75;  length 
of  forearm,  31;  length  of  thumb,  including  claw  and  excluding  metacarpus,  7,5. 
Second  digit — metacarpal,  29.  Third  digit — metacarpal,  30.5;  first  phalanx,  11.5; 
second  phalanx,  11;  cartilaginous  tip,  5.  Fourth  digit — metacarpal,  29;  first  pha- 
lanx, 10;  second  phalanx,  7;  cartilaginous  tiji,  2.5.  Fifth  digit — metacarpal,  28; 
first  phalanx,  8.5;  second  phalanx,  5;  cartilaginous  tip,  1.  Interspace  between 
tips  of  third  and  fourth  digits,  1() ;  interspace  between  tips  of  fourtii  and  fifth  digits. 
37;  interspace  between  tip  of  fifth  digit  and  juncture  of  membrane  with  foot,  42; 
extent  of  outstretched  wings,  212;  length  of  tibia,  13.5;  length  of  foot,  9;  length 
of  calcaneum,  about  8. 

0^0     i_i     9_g     S-^ 

^^^^^^'o'l-l'i-jU^^^^tsi]. 

Middle  upper  incisors  separated  by  1.5  mm.,  inclined  forwards  and  inwards;  a 
large  internal  cusp  on  posterior-external  edge  halfway  up  from  base  to  tip.  Outei 
incisors  simple,  conical,  inclined  parallel  to  their  respective  inner  mates,  separated 
from  canines  by  about  .75  mm.  Lower  incisors  tri-lobate,  evenly  spaced.  UppW 
canines  long,  simple,  slightly  recurved.  Lower  canines  straight,  with  basal  cu8p> 
on  forward  edge  only.  First  upper  premolar  interior  to  tooth  line,  visible  from  tht 
exterior.     Second  upper  premolar  longer  than  any  of  its  corresponding  molars. 

A  prominent  conical  oxcresc"ence  is  on  the  lower  gum,  opposite  the  space  between 
the  premolars,  in  front  of  which  the  point  of  the  upper  canine  passes.  Two  muc!) 
less  prominent  excrescences  are  on  the  upper  gum  immediately  above  this  lowei 
one.  Type  No.  527  i ,  Las  Vegas,  V[era  Cru]z,  February  19,  1891.  Collectors,  H.  L. 
Ward  and  C.  M.  Teran. 

General  remarks. — Pipistrellns  rera'eriicis  differs  from  P.  snhflaviisw 
its  smaller  size,  relatively  longer  tliumb,  and  browner,  less  yellow  coloi 


VESPERTILIO. 


95 


No  specimens  of  tbis  species  have  been  obtained  by  the  held  agents  of 
the  Biological  Survey,  nor  are  any  known  to  be  in  American  museums. 

Average  measurements  of  Xorth  American  forms  of  Pipistrellns. 


Locality. 


ht'iperus Washington :  Almota 

California :  Fort  Yuma  . . . 

Santa  Tsabel . 

Colorado:  Grand  Junction 

Texas :  Paisano 

auitialis Jalisco:  Barranca  Ibarra. 

Barranca  Ibarra. 

vera'cnteis I  Vera  Cruz :    Las  Vegas, 

Jalapa. 

suhflavus Louisiana :  Mer  Rouge  . . . 

Missouri :  Marble  Cave . . . 
District     of      Columbia : 
Washington. 
obsctirus New  York :  Lake  Georsje. 


1? 
'IcT 
10 
4 
3 

'1? 
4 
'1 

10?? 
10 

5?? 

10 


77     32    jl2 
70     '28     |11 
72.8  32     111.  5 
74.6|31     12 
79     34. 5 1 12.  8 
64     '28     jll.4 
63.2  26.8110.7 
73.  5^36     13.  5 


B 

j 

0 

bO 

S 

a 
■■a 

a 

^ 

H 

s 

q 
5 

a 

0 

0 

cS 

l=H 

H 

h-! 

w 

85.1 
84.6 
84 


40.7  15.3 
39.  8i]6. 1; 


37.8 


84.  8  38.  9 


15.2 


5 

5.5i 

5.5; 

5.4; 

5 

5.1; 

9 

7.9 
8.1 
7.8 


30 

4 

28 

3.8 

31.6 

4 

3L3 

4 

32.5 

4 

29 

4 

28.6 

3.9 

31 

7.5 

34.6 

6.8 

33.7 

6.8 

34 

6.8 

36 

6.8 

52     12.4   9 


48 

51.4 

52 

55.5 

47 

45 

58 


10     j  8.6 

n.ej  8.7 

12.1!  9.3 

12.  4l  9.6 

10.4!  8.4 

10.7  8 


60.814.2 

9.8 

00 

13.9 

9.5 

62.8 

14 

9.6 

60.  6 

14 

10 

5.4 

4.6 

5.2 

5.4 

5.1 

5 

4.5 

6 

6.6 
6.4 


'  Type ;  measurements  by  original  describer. 


Genus   VESPERTILIO    Linnseus. 

1758.   Vespertilio  Liniupus,  Systema  Natiine,  10th  ed.,  I,  pp.  31-32.     Type  by  elimina- 

tiou  VespertiUo  miiriniis  LiiinaMis  (not  F.  muriniis  Scbreher,  1775). 
1820.  Eptesiciis  Ratinesque,  Annals  of  Nature,  p.  2.     Tyjie  Eptcs'wiis  meJanops  Rati- 

uesqiie  {^VesperiiJio  fuscus  Beauvois). 
1829.  Cnephn'us  Kaup,  .Skizzirte.  Entw.-Gescb.  n.  Natiirl.  Syst.  d.  Europ.  Tbierw.,  I,  p. 

103.     Typo  Vespertilio  serotinus  8cbrebei'. 
1839.   Vesperngo  Keyserliug  &  Blasiua,  Wiegmann's  Arcbiv  f.  Naturgescb.,  5ter  Jabrg., 

Bd.  l,p.312(part). 
1839.   T'esperiis  Keyserling  &  Blasins,  Wiegmann's  Arcbiv  f.  Naturgescb.,  5ter  Jabrg., 

Bd.  1,  p.  313.     Based  on  tbe  32-tootbed  species  of  '  Vesperugo.' 
1841.  Xoctala  Bonaparte,  Iconografia   Fauna  Italica,  I,  fasc.  XXI,  under    Vespertilio 

alcytlioe.     Type  '  Vesperugo'  serotinus. 
1856.  Cateorns  Kolenati,  Allgem.  Deutscb.  Naturbist.  Zeitg.,  Dresden,  Neue  Folge, 

II,  p]).  131, 162-163.     Type  '  Vesperugo'  serotinus. 
1856.  Meieorus  Kolenati,  Allgem.  Deutscii.  Naturbist.  Zeitg.,  Dresden,  Neue  Folge, 

II,  pp.  131,  167-169  (included  nilssoni,  discolor,  stirii,  leucippe,  aristippe). 
1861.  Scotophilus  H.  Allen,  ^Monogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  27  (part). 
1878.   T'cspcrugo  Dobson,  Catal.  Cbiroptera  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  183  (part). 

1892.  Adelongcteris  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  (1891),  p.  466,  Jan.  19,  1892. 

(Proposed  as  a  substitute  for  f >8j>erHs,  preoccupied  in  Entomology). 

1893.  Adelonycteris  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats,  N.  Am.,  p.  111. 

Type  species. —  Vespertilio  mtirinus  liinni^ns  {=V.  discolor  batterer) 
I  — not  V.  murinus  Schreber. 

j     Geographic  (Ustribviion. — Boreal,  Austral  and  parts  of  Tropical  re- 
gions in  both  hemispheres. 


9G  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

2-2      1-1  1-1        3-3 

Generic  characters. — Dental  formula :  *,  .ya ;  c, ,  .  ;  pm,  .^^ ;  t^h  .>  q=32. 

Skull  (figs.  24  aud  25)  large  and  heavily  built;  rostrum  broad  in  propor- 
tion to  l)rain  case  (less  so  than  in  Lasioiiyctcris),  scarcely  concave  at  sides 
back  of  nasal  aperture;  dorsal  iirofile  nearly  straight,  rising  gradu- 
ally from  external  nares  to  occiput,  which  in  the  adult  is  strongly 
angular  and  provided  with  a  conspicuous  sagittal  crest.  Ears  short, 
considerably  narrower  than  long,  basal  lobe  well  developed,  but  not 
excessively  large.  Tragus  straight,  short,  directed  slightly  forward, 
broadest  near  the  middle  and  tapering  to  a  moderately  sharp  point. 
Back  of  interfemoral  membrane  wholly  naked  except  for  a  sprinkling 
of  hairs  on  basal  fourth.     Mammae,  2. 

General  remarks. — The  genus  Vespertilio  contains  the  largest  Ameri- 
can sjiecies'of  the  Yespertilionine  group.  Aside  from  the  dental  for- 
mula, the  large  size  of  Vespertilio  fiiseus,  the  only  known  North  Ameri- 
can species,  is  sufficient  to  distinguish  the  genus  among  those  occurring 
in  the  region  now  under  consideration. 

The  North  American  species  is  separable  into  at  least  five  tolerably 
well-marked  subspecies  as  follows: 

KEY  TO  THE  SCTBSPECIES  OF  VESPERTILIO  FUSCUS. 

Size  small  (total  length,  96  to  107;  forearm,  40  to  45;  longest  finger,  68  to  77). 

Breadth  of  mnzzle  greater  than  half  length  of  head propinqiius  (p.  100) 

Breadth  of  mnzzle  less  than  half  length  of  head bahamensis  (p.  101) 

Size  large  (total  length,  105  to  122;  forearm,  43  to  52;  longest  finger,  77  to  96). 

Membranes  and  ears  thick  and  leathery,  the  ears  distinctly  thickened  along 

anterior  border fnscus  (p.  96) 

Membranes  and  ears  thin,  the  ears  scarcely  thickened  along  anterior  border. 

Forearm,  47  to  50;  longest  finger,  85  to  89  (average  86) cubeniiis  (p.  102) 

Forearm,  50  to  52;  longest  finger,  85  to  96  (average  90)  ..miradorensis  (p.  99) 

VESPERTILIO  FUSCUS  Beanvois.     Brown  Bat. 

1796.  Vespei-liUo  fnsGun  Beanvois,  Catal.  Feale's  Mnseuni,  p.  14.  (Philadelphia,  Pa.). 
1806.    Vespertilio  carolinensis  GeofiVoy,  Ann.  Mns.  d'Hist.  Nat.,  Paris,  VllI,  p.  193. 

(Carolina.) 
1818.    Fesprrtilio  phaiops  liafiuesixne,  Am.  Monthly  Mag.,  Ill,  p.  445.     (Kentueky.) 
1820.  Eplesiciis  mclanops  Rafinesqne,  Annals  of  Natnrc,  p.  2.     (Kentucky.) 
1823.    J^'spcrtilio  arquatus  Say,  Long's  Expedition  to  Rocky  Mountains,  I,  p.   167, 

footnote. 
1835.    Vespertilio  MJ'si»MS  Teinmincl\,  Monogr.  de  Manuualogie,  II,  \}.  235. 
1843.  Scotophihis  greenii  Gray,  List  Spec.  Mamm.  Brit.  Mns.,  p.  30  (nomen  nudum). 
1864.  ScoiopIiih(sfit.scii>i  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.  A.  Bats,  p.  208. 
1878.    Vesper  It  I/O  serotinus  var.   Vesper  us  fiiscus  Dobson,  Catal.  Chiroptera  Brit.  Mus., 

p.  193. 
1893.  AdeJonijcteris fmcus  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  A.,  ]}.  112. 

Type  locality. — Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Geographic  distribution. — Austral,  Transition,  and  (lower  edge  of) 
Boreal  zones  throughout  the  United  States  and  adjoining  British 
provinces. 

General  characters.— ^izii  large;  total  length,  110  to  112;  tail  verte- 
bra, 41  to  52;  forearm,  43  to  40;  longest  finger,  77  to  84;  ear,  11.0 to  14; 


VESPERTILIO    FUSCUS. 


97 


ears  and  membraues  thick  and  leatliery;  crowns  of  upper  molars  nar- 
row; color  variable,  but  seldom  very  dark. 

Ears. — Ears  short,  reaching  barely  to  nostril  when  laid  forward, 
furred  on  basal  third  above  and  sprinkled  with  hairs  on  most  of  inner 
surface,  but  especially  near  an  terior  bor- 
der. The  membrane  of  the  ear  is  heavier 
and  more  leathery  than  in  the  southern 
subspecies,  and  the  anterior  edge  is  dis- 
tinctly thickened. 

Membranes. — Membraues  naked,  broad 
and  ample,  that  of  wings  attached  to 
foot  a  little  beyond  base  of  toes.  Free 
edge  of  interfemoral  membrane  a  little 
shorter  than  calcar  and  terminating  at 
baseof  penultimate  caudal  A'ertebra.  The 
flight  membranes,  like  the  ears,  are 
thicker  and  less  membranaceous  tlian  in 
the  subpecies  occurring  in  or  near  the 
tropics. 

Feet. — Foot  about  half  length  of  tibia; 
calcar  slightly  longer  than  foot,  keeled 

on  outer 
edge,  and 
terminat- 
ing indis- 
tinctly or 
in  a  faintly 

defined   lobe.     Dorsum  of  toes  with   a 
few  short  bristle-like  hairs. 

Fur  and  color. — On  middle  of  back  the 
fur  is  about  1-5  mm.  long.  The  fur  ex- 
tends along  the  sides  in  a  line  about  10 
mm.  wide  on  wing  membranes  both  above 
and  below.  The  proximal  third  or  fourth 
of  uropatagium  is  furred.  Otherwise 
the  membranes  are  naked  except  for  a 
few  scattered  hairs  on  the  under  side  of 
the  interfemoral  membrane  and  on  the 
under  side  of  the  wings  close  to  the  lui- 
merus  and  forearm. 

Color  brown  throughout,  but  always 
paler  on  belly  than  on  back.     The  exact 
shade  varies  considerably,  but  is  usually 
a  clear  bister  or  sepia.    Sometimes,  how- 
Ears  and  membranes  blackish  in  dry 


Fig.  24. — Top  view  of  skull  of  («)  Yes23er- 
tilio  bakamensig,  (&)  Y.  fuaeus,  auil  (c) 
V.  serotinus  (X2). 


Fig.  25. — Side  view  of  skull  of  (a)  Tesper- 
tilio  bahainensis,  {b)  V.  fuscvs.  and  (c) 
y.  serotinus  (^  2). 


ever,  it  approaches  cinnamon, 
specimens. 

Sl-uU.—The  skull  of  typical  VesperliUo  f uncus  (figs.  24  Z>,  l'5  h)  averages 
2772— is^o.  13 -7 


98  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA, 

about  1S.5  intii.  in  occipito-iiasai  length  and  12.5  mm.  in  zygomatic 
breadth;  maudible,  14  mm.  It  has  no  tangible  characters  to  distin- 
guish it  from  the  skulls  of  the  other  large  subspecies. 

Teeth. — The  teeth  of  tyi)ical  Vespertiliofu.scus  (tig.  20  a)  do  not  differ 
appreciably  in  form  or  size  from  those  of  the  other  large  continental 
subspecies.  They  average  slightly  smaller,  however,  than  in  V.fu.seiis 
miradorcnsis,  and  the  crown  of  the  mi(hlle  upper  molar  is  usually 
narrower. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  103. 
>     Specimens  excDiiined. — Total  number,  330,  from  the  following  localities : 

Alabama:  Gieensboio,  1. 

Arkansas:  Fort  Towson,  1. 

Arizona:  Ajiaclie,  4;  Santa  Cataliua  Mountains,  3  (skins);  Chiricabua  Monu- 
taius, .1  (skin);  Gnadalupe  Canon,  Cocbise  County,  2  (skins);  Fort  Yerde, 
2  (1  skin);  Fort  Huacbuca,  0;  Huacbuca  Mountains,  4  (skins);  New  River, 
2;  San  Fraucisco  Mountain,  6;  Yuma,  1. 

Britisb  Columbia:  Asbcroft,  2  (skins). 

California:  Bear  A^alley,  San  Bernardino  County,  2;  Cassel,  2;  Cloverdale,  1; 
Dulzura,  3  (Iskin);  Horse  Corral  Meadows,  Fresno  County  (altitude,  8,000 
feet),  1;  Kern  Lakes,  Nortb  Fork  Kern  River  (altitude,  7,000  feet),  1;  Keru 
River,  6;  Kernville,  1;  Soutb  Fork  Kings  River.  2 ;  Lone  Pine,  7;  Little  Kern 
River,  3;  Mount  Sbasta,  2  (skins );  Mount  Wbitney,  2;  Nevada  City,  6; 
Nicasio,  63;  Owens  Lake,  1;  Old  Fort  Tejon,  1;  Pine  Yalley,  4  (skins);  Poso 
Creek,  Kern  County,  1  (skin) ;  Round  Valley,  1 ;  Raymond,  2;  Santa  Barbara, 
2;  Sequoia  National  Park,  9;  Sberwood,  1;  Twin  Oaks.  San  Diego  County, 
3;  Tbree  Rivers,  1;  Tebacbapi,  1;  Visalia,  2;  Walker  Basin,  Keru  County, 
4;  Yosemite  Yalley,  2. 

Colorado:  Loveland,  6  (skins.  Miller  coll.). 

Connecticut :  Norfolk,  2. 

District  of  Columbia:  Wasbington,  53  (33  skins). 

Georgia:  Riceboro,  1. 

Idabo:  Fort  Sberman.  1. 

Illinois:  Ricbland  County,  1;  Warsaw,  4. 

Kansas:  Fort  Riley,  2;  Neosbo  Falls.  1  (skin). 

Maine:  Eastport,  4. 

Massacbusetts:  Cambridge,  4;  Wilmington,!)  (skins). 

Mississippi :  Bay  St.  Louis,  2. 

Missouri:  Marble  Cave,  Stone  County,  5;  St.  Louis,  1. 

Montana:  Big  Snowy  Mountains.  1 ;  Prospect  Creek,  2;  Kalispell.  2;  Milk 
River,  1. 

Nevada:  Pyramid  Lake,  4;  Carson  Yalley.  1. 

New  Hampsbire:  Cbarlestown,  1. 

New  York:  Hammondville,  6;  Sing  Sing.  13. 

Ontario:  Toronto,  1  (skin). 

Oregon:  Anna  Creek,  3;  Des  Cbutes  River,  4  (skins);  Fort  Klamatb,  2. 

Pennsylvani;i :  Carlisle,  1;  Center  County,  2  (skins). 

Soutb  Dakota:  Smitbville,  5;  Custer,  1;  Cheyenne  River.  1;  Fort  Pierre,!; 
Fort  Meade,  1. 

Texas:  Brazos  River,  1. 

Utali:  Cacbe  County,  1;  Laketown,  1;  Ogden,  5;  St.  George,  4. 

Wasbington  :  Spokane  Bridge,  2;  Geyser  Basin,  1. 

General  remarl^s. — In  size  and  general  appearance  typical  Vesper- 
tilio  fuscKs  occupies  a  somewhat  intermediate  position  among  the  Xorth 
American   subspecies.     It  is  considerably  smaller  than  miradorensis 


VESPERTILIO    FUSCUS    MIRADORENSIS.  99 

and  luucli  larger  tbauj;roj>^;i(/«^^s' and  hahainensis.  Very  i)allid  speci- 
mens are  occasionally  taken  in  tlie  Southwestern  United  States,  but 
the  luiiiiber  of  skins  available  for  comparison  is  so  small  that  it  is 
impossible  to  determine  the  status  of  the  form  which  these  aberrant 
individuals  represent. 

YespcrtUlo  fuscus  and  Y.  serotinus  have  been  considered  by  many 
writers  as  races  of  a  circumpolar  species.  Six  specimens  of  the  sero- 
tiue — four  from  Budapest,  Hungary,  and  two  from  Berne,  Switzerland 
— kindly  sent  me  by  Mr.  Oldfleld  Thomas,  of  the  British  Museum,  prove 
conclusively  that  this  view  of  the  relationship  of  the  two  animals  is 
untenable.  The  differences  between  the  American  and  Europeau  forms 
are  so  great  that,  taken  in  connection  with  the  complete  geographic 
isolation  which  undoubtedly  exists,  they  leave  no  doubt  of  the  neces- 
sity of  recognizing  each  as  a  distinct  species.  Yespertilio  serotinus  is 
a  large  and  heavily  built  animal,  approached  in  size  by  T".  fuscus  mira- 
dorensis  alone  among-  the  races  of  Y.  fuscus.  The  adult  females  from 
Budapest  measure,  respectively:  Total  length,  131  and  131;  tail  ver- 
tebra-, 52  and  53;  tibia,  22.8  and  22.6;  foot,  10  and  11;  forearm,  52 
in  each;  thumb,  8.1  and  8;  longest  finger,  93  and  96;  ear  from 
meatus,  20  in  each;  width  of  ear,  13  and  11;  tragus,  9  and  8.6.  In 
addition  to  its  large  general  size  Y.  ser'otinus  has  relatively  much  larger 
skull  and  teeth  than  any  of  the  races  of  T^  fuscus  {see  figs.  24,  25,  and 
2G).  The  skull  of  an  adult  female  from  Budapest  (Xo.  4489,  Miller  coll.) 
measures:  Occipito  nasal  length,  21.4;  zygomatic  breadth,  15;  man- 
dible, 17;  upper  tooth  row  (exclusive  of  incisors),  8;  lower  tooth  row, 
10.  The  skull  is  considerably  broader  in  proportion  to  its  length  than 
in  Y.  fuseusj  and  the  audita!  bulla^  are  relatively  smaller.  The  teeth 
are  much  larger  than  those  of  Yespertilio  fuscus,  and  the  inner  lobes  of 
the  upper  molars  are  broader,  in  this  respect  approaching  T".  fuscus 
ciihensis.  The  upper  incisors  arc  separated  from  the  canines  by  a  wider 
space  than  in  fuscus,  and  tin's  space  subtends  a  distinct  groove  on-the 
surface  of  the  premaxilla  between  the  roots  of  the  canine  and  incisors. 
The  paroccii)ital  processes  are  much  more  strongly  developed  in  T'. 
serotinus  than  in  any  of  the  races  of  T".  fuscus. 

VESPERTILIO  FUSCUS  MIRADORENSIS  (H.  Allen). 
1866,  Scotophihts  miradorensis  11.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  287. 

Ty2)e  locality. — Mirador,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico.  Tyi^e  in  the  United 
States  i^ational  Museum,  but  now  mislaid  or  lost. 

Geographic  distrihution. — Costa  Eica,  Guatemala,  and  southern  Mex- 
ico.   Limits  of  range  not  known. 

General  characters. — Size  larger  and  color  darker  than  in  the  more 
northern  form.  Feet  and  distribution  of  far  as  in  true  fuscus ;  ears 
and  membranes  thinner  and  more  membranaceous. 

Color. — In  color  Yespertilio  fuscus  miradorensis  averages  darker  than 
tviie  fuscus,  thus  agreeing  with  the  other  southern  forms,  propinquus 
and  cuhensis. 


100  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Skidl. — The  skull  of  Vcs2)eftiIio/i(scHs  mirtidoycnsis  is  slightly  larger 
aiul  souiewliat  less  flattened  tliau  that  of  true  /hschs.  The  skull  of  au 
adult  male  from  Tehuacau,  Puebla,  measures:  Occipito-uasal  length, 
19.5  mm.;  zygomatic  breadth,  l."5;  mandible,  14..").  The  occiput,  although 
developing  even  more  strongly  marked  ridges  than  in  the  tyi^ical  sub- 
species, appears  less  sharply  'peaked'  behind  when  viewed  from  the  side. 

Teeth. — The  teeth  are  heavier  than  in  true  fuscm,  and  the  crown  of 
the  middle  upper  molar  is  broader  on  its  inner  side,  but  no  tangible 
dental  characters  can  be  established  to  separate  the  large  subspecies. 

MecLsiwements. — See  table,  page  103. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  17,  from  the  following  localities: 

Costa  Rica:  San  Josp,  1. 

Guateoiala:  Zuuil,  Qnezalteuango,  1. 

Mexico:  Valley  of  Toliica,  2  (skius);  Ixtapalapa,  2. 

Oaxaca:  Cerro  San  Felipe,  1;  Oaxaca,  1. 

Puebla:  Tehuacau,  3  (1  skin). 

Tlaxcala:  Mt.  Maliucbe,  1. 

Vera  Cruz:  Jico,  1;  Las  Vigas,  2;  Tuxpaugo,  2  (skins). 

VESPERTILIO  FUSCUS  PROPINQUUS  (Peters). 

1872.    Vespents  projniiquiis  Peters,  Monatsber.  K.  Preuss.  Akad.  Wiss.,  Berlin,  p.  2(32. 
1878.    I'esperiKjo propinqami  Dobsou,  Catal.  Chiroptera  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  203. 

Type  loi-aUty. — Santa  Ysabel,  Cruatemala. 

Geographic  distribution. — In  addition  to  the  type  the  only  known 
specimen  of  Vespertilio  fuscus  propinquus  is  from  Greytown,  Nicaragua. 

Goteral  characters. — Size  very  small  (total  length,  90  to  103;  tail 
vertebrae,  37  to  45;  longest  finger,  08;  ear,  14  to  15) ;  breadth  of  muzzle 
distinctly  more  than  half  length  of  head;  colors  dark. 

Ears. — The  ears  in  Vespertilio  fuscus  propinquus  are  proportionally 
shorter  and  broader  than  in  typical /h«c».s;,  and  the  tips  are  distinctly 
more  broadly  rounded.  They  are  haired  in  exactly  the  same  manner 
as  in  tv\x&  fuscus.  The  ear  membranes  are  thin  and  membranaceous, 
like  those  of  the  other  southern  races. 

Memhraues  and  feet. — Except  for  their  smaller  size,  the  membranes 
and  feet  are  exactly  as  in  trne  fuscus,  though  the  membranes,  like  the 
ears,  are  thinner  and  less  leathery. 

Ftcr  and  color. — The  fur  is  shorter  than  in  true  fuscus,  averaging  only 
about  7  mm.  on  back.  There  is  nothing  peculiar  in  its  distribution. 
In  the  single  alcoholic  specimen  that  I  have  seen  the  color  is  about  as 
in  V.  fuscus  miradorensis.  Peters,  however,  describes  the  color  of  the 
type  specimen  as  rust  red.'  This  is  much  brighter  than  the  Greytown 
specimen,  but  the  color  may  be  due  to  staining  while  in  alcohol. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  103. 

Spccitucns  examined. — I  have  seen  onl}'  one  specimen  of  Vespertilio 
fuscus  2)r(q)inq)( us.  This  Avas  collected  by  Mr.  Charles  W.  Eichmond  at 
Greytown,  Nicaragua  (  9  ad.,  Xo.  52790,  U.  S.  National  Museum, 
Dept.  of  Agriculture  collection). 

'  "Oben  rostroth,  dieHaare  an  der  Basis  sch\varz';)raun,  Bauchseite  blasser,  indeui 
die  au  der  Basis  srhwarzbrauuen  Haarc  bier  iiiebr  rostnelbe  Spitzen  baben."  ' 


VESPEKTILIO    FUSCUS    BAHAMENSIS, 


101 


General  remarls, — Among  the  races  of  Vcspertilio  /uncus,  V.  fuscus 
lirophiquus  differs  most  widelj-  in  size  and  in  form  of  bead  from  its 
nearest  geograpliical  ally,  Y.  fuscus  miradoreusis.  It  combines  the 
small  size  of  the  West  Indian  bahamensisy  the  broad  muzzle  of  true 
fuscus,  aud  the  delicate  ears  and  membranes  of  tlie  southern  races  in 
general.     Additional  material  may  show  that  it  is  speciflcally  distinct. 

VESPEETILIO  FUSCUS  BAHAMENSIS  siibsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Nassau,  New  Providence,  Bahamas.  Adnlt  cj  (iu  alcohol)  No.  76537,  U.  S. 
National  Musetnn  (Biological  Survey  collection).  Collected  iu  tlie  spring  of  1894 
by  C.  J.  Maynard. 

Geocirapliic  (listrihuiion. — This  form  is  known  from  the  type  locality 
only. 

General  characters. — Size  about  as  in  V.  fuscus propinquus ;  breadth 


Fio.  26. — Teeth  of  (a)  Ycspcrfilio  fxiseiis,  (h)  Y.  bahamensis,  (c)  T.  cube7uis,  (d)  T.  itiimdorensis,  and 

(e)  V.  serotinus  (x5). 

of  muzzle  less  than  half  length  of  head;  ears  narrower  than  in  propin- 
(pius,  about  as  in  typical /'/r.s■c/^s•. 

Ears. — Ears  smaller  than  in  tyincal  fuscus,  but  of  essentially  the 
same  shape,  thus  narrower  than  in  propinquus.  The  ear  membrane  is 
thinner  and  more  membranaceous  than  in  true  fuscus.  in  this  respect 
resembling  that  of  the  other  southern  races. 

Membranes  and  feet. — The  membranes  and  feet  are  as  in  typical 
fuscus,  allowance  being  made  for  the  smaller  size  of  bahamensis,  and 
the  difference  in  texture  of  the  membranes  common  to  all  the  southern 
races. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  is  shorter  than  in  true  fuscus,  averaging  only 
about  8  mm.  in  length  on  the  back.  It  is  distributed  exactly  as  in  the 
typical  subspecies.  So  far  as  can  l)e  determined  from  specimens  pre- 
served in  alcohol,  the  color  is  considerably  darker  aud  duller  than  in 
true  fuscus. 


102  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Skull. — The  skull  of  Vespertilio  fuscns  baliamensis  is  much  smaller 
and  more  lightly  built  than  that  of  typical  fuscus  (figs,  'l^a  and  2oa). 
The  skull  of  a  fully  adult  male  measures:  Occipito  nasal  length,  10.5; 
zygomatic  breadth,  11 ;  mandible,  12.G.  In  form  it  differs  from  that  of 
true  fuscns  in  its  narrower,  deeper,  more  cylindric  brain  case  and  less 
sharply  'peaked'  occiput. 

Teeth. — The  teeth,  like  the  skull,  are  smaller  than  those  of  tTiie  fnscits 
(flg.  26h).  In  a  fully  adult  male  the  upper  tooth  vow  (exclusive  of 
incisors)  measures  G.4  mm.;  the  mandibular  tooth  row,  7.8  mm.  Id 
form  the  teeth  differ  slightly  from  those  of  true  fuscus  in  the  greater 
breadth  of  the  inner  (lingual)  side  of  the  first  and  second  upper  molars. 

2Ieasurements. — See  table,  page  103. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number  90,  all  from  the  type  locality. 

General  remarks. —  Vespertilio  fuscus  haliamensis  needs  no  comparison 
with  typical  fuscus  or  with  Y.  fuscus  cuhensis,  from  both  of  which  it 
differs  widely  in  size.  Its  superficial  resemblance  to  V.  fuscus  pro- 
pinquns  is  closer.     Unlike  the  latter,  it  has  a  very  narrow  muzzle. 

VESPERTILIO  FUSCUS  CUBENSIS  (Gray). 

1839.  Scotojiliihis  cuhensis  Gray,  Auu.  Nat.  Hist.,  IV,  p.  7. 

1840.  Vespertilio  diiterireits  Gervais,  iu  Ramon  de  la  Sagra's  Hist,  de  I'lle  de  (.'aba, 

Maminiferes,  p.  6. 
1892.    Fesperiujo  fuscus  cubensis  Chapinau,  Bull.  Am.  Mas.  Nat.  Hist.,  IV,  p.  3ir>. 

Type  locality. — Cuba. 

Geographic  distribution. — Cuba. 

General  characters. — Externally  similar  to  Vespertilio  fuscus  mirado- 
rensis,  but  slightly  smaller  in  general  size,  and  with  much  smaller  ears. 
Skull  about  as  large  as  in  true  fuscus,  thus  much  smaller  than  iu 
miradorensis. 

Ears. — The  ears  are  delicate  and  papery,  like  those  of  the  other 
southern  races.  They  are  smaller  than  in  either  fuscus  proper  or  mira- 
dorensis. In  form  they  differ  nuxrkedly  from  those  of  true  fuscus  in 
their  general  narrowness,  and  especially  in  their  more  pointed  tips. 
The  characters  of  the  ears  have  already  been  described  by  Mr.  Chapman. 

Memhranes. — In  form  the  membranes  do  not  differ  from  those  of  the 
other  subspecies.     In  texture  they  agree  with  the  southern  forms. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  is  distributed  exactly  as  in  the  other  sub- 
species. In  color  the  specimens,  after  five  years'  immersion  in  alcohol, 
are  darker  and  redder,  especially  on  the  whole  ventral  surface,  than  any 
others  that  I  have  seen.  They  even  surpass  V.  fuscus  miradorensis  in 
darkness  and  richness  of  color. 

Skull. — The  skull  of  Vespertilio  fuscus  cuhensis  is  about  the  size  of  that 
of  \vn&  fuscus  or  a  little  smaller,  thus  distinctly  smaller  than  that  of  T'. 
fuscus  miradorensis,  the  form  to  which  cuhensis  bears  the  closest  super- 
ficial resemblance,  and  much  larger  than  that  of  hahamensis,  its  nearest 
geographical  ally.     In  form  the  skull  is  similar  to  that  of  true  fuscus 


VESPERTILIO    FUSCUS    CUBENSIS. 


103 


but  the  braiu  case  is  slightly  less  flattened.  The  sagittal  crest  is  well 
developed  as  in  the  other  large  subspecies. 

Teeth. — The  teeth  of  Vesperiilio  fuscus  cubcnsls  (fig.  26  c)  diiier  from 
those  of  true  fuscus  in  the  greater  breadth  of  the  inner  (lingual)  sides 
of  the  maxillary  molars.  These  teeth  are  also  distinctly  shortened  in 
their  transverse  diameter.  These  peculiarities  are  exaggerations  of 
the  conditions  found  in  miradorensis  and  haliamensis. 

Measurements. — See  table  below. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  11,  from  the  following  locality: 
Cuba:  Trinidad.  10';  ,  1. 

General  remarls. —  Vespertilio  fuscus  cuhensis  is  a  fairly  well  marked 
insular  form  apparently  most  closely  related  to  V.  fuscus  miradorensis 
of  southern  Mexico.  It  differs  much  less  from  this  large  continental  sub- 
species than  from  V.  fuscus  haliamensis,  its  nearest  geographical  ally. 

Averarje  iiieasnrcnienfs  of  subspecies  of  resperiilio  fuscus. 


Subspecies 


fURCHS 


prnpiiiijuus 
baliarinntiis 
cuhensis 


Massachusetts :  Cambridge 

Xew  York :  Sing  Sing 10 

District      of       Columbia :      5 

Washington. 
Mississippi:  Bay  St.  Louis.,  j  2 

California :  Xicasio 10 

Lone  Pine I  5 

Vera  Cruz:  Mirador ^\ 

Jico 1 

Las  Vigas 1 

Tiaxcala:  Mt.  Malinche i  1 

Piiebla:  Tehuacau 2 

Guatemala:  ZnDil i  1 

Costa  Rica:  San  Jose [  1 

Guatemala:  Sta.  Tsabel j^l 

Nicaragua:  Greytown 1 

In ew  Providence :  Xassaa . . .  '  1 

Nassau...  10 

Cuba :  Trinidad 10 


116  '47.  .5 
113. 9|44.  3 
110. 8!46. 5 


108.  5  42 
113     '47 

108. 6  46 
57 

118  48 
120  50 
120     50 

119  50. 
110  ... 
118  49 
105     45 

96     37 
103     44 

101. 7  42. 
110.7148. 


. 

/2 

g 

H 

1^ 

tH 

la  2 


h^  iw 


19.5,10.4  45     I  6.8  81 
19.  i;  9.7  45.3 

19.  l!  9.  7144.  8 


19.  5  10 
19.7  9. 
19.6  9. 
....  10. 

■22  10 
22  10 
21.611. 

5*20.  7|  9. 

.'20     110. 


22     !lO 

:18      10 

17  j  7. 

18  I  8 
6  17.  9'  8. 
519.9   9 


:47 

6  46.  4 

244.  8 

6  50 

50 

I 

51 

4  52 

8  50.  5 
4.50 

52 

40 
840 

42 
6  42.  7 

'48.4 


18 
7  J80  19. 
6.  5  80. 5I18. 


6.7  79.517. 

6  82  !l7. 
6. 179.4'l7 
8.3'. ...I... 


8     91     19. 

7     85    |l8 

6. 4  96  jl9 
7  |90  19 
6. 4....  18. 
0.  8  93     '20 

9.5  ....  15 

5  |08     '14 

6  '77  16. 
6  [74  15, 
6. 6'86    ;i6. 


13.3   8.3 

12.7!  8.3 
12.  81  8 


12.5^  7.8 
12.7,  8.1 
12.4  8.1 
3 


13 

13.6 

13 

13.3 
6112 

13.6 

11.4|) 

11       7.8 
811    Is 
6  11.  3'  7.6 
712.6,  8.4 


For  the  opiiortnnityofexaminingthe.se  .specimens  I  am  indebted  to  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen 

of  the  American  iluseniu  of  Natural  Hi.story. 
-Type. 


104  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

[Note. — The  following  specifs  is  not  rt-presfuttMl  in  any  of  the  extensive  collections 
of  l)at.s  recently  in.ide  in  Mexico.  As  I  have  never  seen  the  animal  aiul  hence  can 
form  no  opinion  as  to  the  weigiit  of  its  cliaracters,  I  have  not  attempted  to  include 
it  in  the  synopsis  of  the  North  American  forms  of  fesperlilio.  Dobsou's  description, 
based  on  an  examination  of  the  type,  may  be  iutrodnced  here,  however,  as  an  aid 
to  the  recognition  of  the  species.] 

VESPERTILIU  AL15IGULAKIS  (Peters). 
1872.    J'(S2>ertts  (Alarsipohrmus)  albujithirin  Peters,  Monatsber.  K.  Akad.  Wiss.,  Uerlin, 

p.  260. 
187i^.    VciiperiKjo  albitjiilaris  Dobson,  Catal.  C'hiroptera  Brit.  Mns.,  ^i-  207. 

"Ears  very  broad  and  broadly  rounded  oft'  above;  the  lower  Lalf  of 
the  outer  margin  of  the  ear  couch  broadlj'  folded  backwards,  as  in  T. 
novtuUii  separated  in  front  from  the  angle  of  the  mouth  by  a  Avart,  hut 
terminating  heloic  and  intefnal  to  it  under  the  lower  jan-  by  a  small  inter- 
nal prolongation;  tragus  broad  above,  attaining  its  greatest  width  above 
the  middle  of  the  inner  margin,  which  is  slightly  concave,  narrowe.st 
opposite  the  base  of  the  inner  margin,  a  prominent  triangular  lobe  at 
the  base  of  the  outer  margin.  oSTostrils  rather  wide  a])art,  opening  sub- 
laterally  ;  muzzle  broad  and  obtuse ;  crown  of  the  head  scarcely  elevated 
above  the  face-line. 

•'Wings  from  the  base  of  the  toes;  postcalcancal  lobe  long  and  nar- 
row; last  caudal  vertebra  free. 

"Fur  dark  brown  above,  the  extreme  tips  hoary,  as  in  V.  noctivagans^ 
paler  beneath,  the  chin  and  throat,  as  far  back  as  a  line  connecting  the 
posterior  margins  of  the  ears,  pure  irhite. 

"Upper  inner  incisors  long  and  broad  and  slightly  bifid  at  their 
extremities;  outer  incisors  very  short,  shortly  exceeding  the  cingulum  of 
the  inner  ones  in  vertical  extent;  the  single  upper  premolar  close  to  the 
canine;  lower  incisors  in  the  direction  of  the  Jaws;  first  lower  premolar 
half  the  size  of  the  second,  which  exceeds  the  molars  in  vertical  extent. 

"Length  (of  the  type  specimen,  an  adult  S  ),  head  and  body  2".35 
[59.7  mm],  tail  V'.o  [38  mmj,  head  0".l  [17.8  mm],  ear  0".65  x  0".13 
[10.5  mm  X  5;8  mm],  forearm  1'''.05  [11.9  mm],  thumb  0".35  [8.9  mm], 
third  finger  2".75  [09.8  mm],  fifth  finger  2"  [50.8  mm],  tibia  0".6  [15.2  mm], 
footO".35  [8.9  mm]. 

''Hah. — Mexico.     Type  in  the  collection  of  the  Berlin  Museum. 

"This  species  may  be  at  once  distinguished  from  all  other  species  of 
Y<spertilionidw  by  the  very  peculiar  manner  in  which  the  outer  margin 
of  the  ear-conch  terminates  under  the  jaw,  which  has  caused  tlie 
describer,  Dr.  Peters,  to  make  it  the  type  of  a  new  subgenus,  Marsipo- 
la'inus.  In  the  prolongation  of  the  ear  conch,  in  the  form  of  the  tragus, 
and  in  dentition  it  resembles  the  African  species  of  Chalinolohus.'" 

General  remarks. — This  species  is  very  difterent  from  any  of  those 
recently  collected  in  Mexico,  and  is  probably  well  worth}'  of  subgeueric 
or  even  generic  separation  from  Vespertilio.  Its  characters  are  so 
remarkable  and  Mexico  has  recently  been  so  thoroughly  explored  that 
doubt  is  thrown  on  the  accuracy  of  Peters'  information  concerning  the 
type  locality. 


LASIURUS.  105 

Genus  LASIURUS  Gray. 

1831.  Ldsiurus  Gray,  Zoological  Miscellany,  No.  1,  p.  38  ( based  ou  the  American  hairy- 
tailed  bats). 

1861.   Lasiunis  H.  Allen.  Monogr.  X.  Am.  Bats,  p.  14. 

1,^70.  Aialapha  Peters,  Monatslier.  K.  Akad.  Wiss.,  Berlin,  p.  907.  (Xot  Atalapliu  Rati- 
nesqne,  1814.) 

1878.  Aialapha  Dobson.  Catal.  Chiroptera  Brit.  Mns..  p.  2(37.  CSotAtalaplia  Ratinosqne, 
1814.) 

18i;'3.  AialaiihaU.  Allen.  Monogr.  BatsN.  Am.,  p.  141.    (Not  J/«/((j)/<a  Ratinesijne,  1814.) 

Type  species. — Lasinrus  horcalis  (Miiller  . 

Geof/raphic  distribution  of  genus. — The  wliole  of  Nortli  America  and 
South  America,  the  West  Indies,  Sandwich  Islands,  and  Galapagos 
Islands. 

1-1       1-1  2-2        3-3 

Generic  characters. — Dental  lormula:  r,  c,—,]  c,  ^.  ;  prtn.,  ry^;  m,  o-o=32; 

upper  incisor  in  contact  with  canine;  a  minute  upper  premolar  at  base  of 
canine  on  inner  (lingual)  side ;  dental  formula  otherwise  as  in  Dasypterus^ 
Nycticeius,  and  Ixhofjevssa ;  skull  (ligs.  28,  29,31)  broad,  short  and  deep, 
very  different  in  form  from  that  of  any  other  North  American  genus 
of  VespertiUonidcc  except  Dasypterus;  ear  (fig.  27)  broad,  blunt,  and 
rounded  at  tip,  hairy  on  most  of  dorsal  surface;  dorsal  surface  of  inter- 
femoral  membrane  furred  nearly  to  extreme  edge;  mamma',  1. 

The  members  of  the  genus  Lasiurris  are  recognizable  among  Xorth 
American  bats  by  their  thickly  furred  interfemoral  membranes.  Two 
distinct  species  are  known  to  occur  north  of  Paimma;  one  of  these  is 
divisible  into  at  least  five  well-marked  geographic  races. 

KEY  TO  XOKTH  AMERICAX  FOEilS  OF  LASIUEFS. 

Size  large  (forearm  more  than  .50  mm.)    ciiieniis  ip.  112) 

Size  small  (forearm  36-44). 

Underside  of  wing  membrane  very  sparsely  haired  along  forearm  .?»if.r/crt?i  us  (p.  Ill) 
Underside  of  wing  membrane  thickly  furred  immediately  back  of  forearm. 

Ear  small  and  Avith  slightly  develoiied  external  basal  lobe telioiis  (p.  110) 

Ear  large  and  with  well-developed  external  basal  lobe. 

Color  mahogany  brown seminolus  (p.  109) 

Color  varying  from  deep  rich  cherrj'  red  through  orange  and 
yellow  to  light  yellowish  gray. 

Color  deep  rich  cherry  red,  forearm  42-44 pfelfferi  (p.  110) 

Color  varying  from  yellowish  gray  to  light  red,  forearm 
36-43 borealis  (}).  10-5) 

LASIURUS  BOREALIS  (Miiller).     Red  Bat. 

1776.  J'esjycri'dio  horealis  Miiller,  Xatursyst.  Snppl.,  p.  21. 

1777.  Vespertilio  novehoracensis  Erxleben,  Syst.  Regui  Anim.,  I,  p.  l')~^. 

1781.   VespertUio  lasinrus  Schreber,  Siingthiere,  Abth.  I.  Taf.  LXII  B  (published  with 

Abth.  IV  Heft  4.     See  Sherborn,  Proc.  Zool.  Soc.  London.  1891,  p.  589). 
1785.   Vespertilio  noreboraciis  Boddaert,  Elenchus  Auimalinm,  I,  p.  71. 
1785.    VesperfiUo  lasnrus  Boddaert,  Elenchus  Animaliura,  I,  p.  71. 
1796.    Vespa-tUio  rubellus  Palisot  de  Beauvois,  Catal.  Peale's  Museum,  p.  204. 


106  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

1814.  Jtalapha   americana    Ratiuesque,    Pr(lcis    des    ddcouv.   soniiol.,    p.  V2  (nomeu 

nudum).' 

1815.  Vespertilio  7'iihra  Ord,  Gutlirie's  Geography,  2d  Am.  ed.,  II,  p.  291. 
1818.   Vespertilio  tesselatits  Ratiuesque,  American  Monthly  Mag.,  Ill,  p.  44.5. 
1818.    Vespertilio  monaclms  Raiinesque,  Am.  Monthly  Mag.,  Ill,  p.  445. 

1820.   Vesperiilio  rufus  Warden,  Description  des  I5tat8-Unis  de  I'Amdrique  Septentrio- 

uale,  V,  p.  606. 
1863.  Lasiurus  norehoracensis  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  15. 
1870.  Lasiurus  funehris  Fitzinger,  Sitzungsber.  k.  Akad.  Wissensch.  Wien,  LXII,  p.  46. 
1878.  Atalaplia  noveboraceusis  Dobson,  Catal.  Chiroptera  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  269. 

1893.  Atalapha  uovehoraccusis  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  142. 

1894.  Atalapha  horeaVis  Rhoads,  American  Naturalist,  XXVIII,  p.  523. 

Tifpe  locality. — Xew  York. 

Geographic  distribution. — The  typical  form  of  Lasiurus  borealis  ranges 
tbrongh  the'  Boreal,  Transitioii,  and  Anstral  zones  in  eastern  Xortli 
America  from  Canada  to  Florida  and  Texas,  west  at  least  to  Indian 
Territory  and  Colorado.  Southern  and  western  limits  of  range  not 
known.     Probably  breeds  throughout  its  known  range. 

General  characters. — Size  small  (forearm,  38  to  43;  longest  finger,  78 
to  88);  forearm  with  no  distinct  tuft  of  far 
near  proximal  end;  color  very  variable,  rang- 
ing from  bright  yellowi.sh  red  or  fawn  color  to 
yellowish  gray;    a  whitish  area  in   front  of 
shoulder. 
Ears. — The  ears  of  ty])ical  Lasiurus  borealis 
'~?  .#^  Cb    ^  tJ?'^/     (^^*  ^^^')  when  laid  forward   reach  a  little 
V  ^^^  more  than  halfway  from  angle  of  mouth  to 

Fig.  27. — Ear  of  (a)  Zn«iMn<s  6ow-  j_    -i        mi  i.      •         i        j         •         i.  i      i      i. 

au^anao,)L.M!otu^x2).  I'ostril.  The  autcrior  border  is  strongly  but 
irregularly  convex  from  free  point  of  anterior 
basal  lobe  to  tip,  a  distance  through  which  it  forms  almost  a  semicircle. 
The  posterior  border  is  slightly  concave  immediately  below  tip,  then 
evenly  convex  to  basal  lobe.  The  convex  portion  of  the  outline  of  the 
posterior  border  forms  the  arc  of  a  circle  with  considerably  longer  radius 
than  that  of  the  anterior  border.  Posterior  basal  lobe  strongly  devel- 
oped and  deeply  notched  on  anterior  border.  Inner  side  of  ear  naked 
except  for  a  few  scattered  hairs,  which  are  especially  numerous  along 
anterior  and  ijosterior  borders.  Outer  side  densely  furred  throughout 
basal  two-thirds,  naked  at  tip. 

Tragus  triangular  in  general  outline.  Anterior  border  straight  from 
base  to  slight  concavity  just  below  tip;  posterior  border  straight  from 
tip  to  widest  point  (opposite  anterior  base),  where  there  is  a  strong 
angle,  below  which  the  margin  is  straight  to  slightly  developed  basal 
lobe. 

'Raiinesque  says:  "J'ai  observe  cette  espt'ce  [A.  sicula  Eaf.]  en  .Sicile,  eiledift't>re 
de  V Atalapha  americana  (  Vespertilio  noveboracensis  Lin.),  autre  espf'ce  du  memo  geure, 
par  ses  deux  premier's  et  son  dernier  caractere." 


LASIURUS    BOREALIS.  107 

Membranes. — The  flight  membranes  are  attached  at  base  of  toes,  the 
iu'Oi)ataginm  at  extreme  tip  of  tail. 

Feet. — The  foot  is  small,  less  than  half  as  long-  as  tibia.  Dorsal  snr- 
face  of  toes  thickly  fnrred.  Calcar  about  twice  as  long  as  foot  and  con- 
siderably shorter  than  free  border  of  iuterfemoral  membrane.  It  is 
slightly  developed,  indistinctly  keeled,  and  seldom  lobed  at  tip. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  is  everywhere  full  and  soft.  On  middle  of 
back  it  is  about  7  mm.  in  length  and  on  neck  about  10  mm.  It  covers 
the  basal  two-thirds  of  dorsal  side  of  ear,  the  whole  dorsal  side  of  the 
iuterfemoral  membrane,  and  the  dorsal  side  of  the  flight  membrane  to  a 
line  running  from  ankle  to  middle  of  humerus.  There  is  a  narrow  strip 
of  fur  running  along  basal  third  of  lifth  metacarijal  and  a  squarish 
clump  at  base  of  thumb.  Xear  base  of  forearm  (in  position  occupied 
by  strip  of. fur  in  L.  cinereus)  there  are  numerous  fine  scattered  hairs, 
which  are  so  inconspicuous  as  readily  to  escape  notice.  On  the  ventral 
surface  the  fur  reaches  about  to  middle  of  uropatagium  and  on  flight 
membranes  to  line  joining  knee  and  elbow.  Beyond  elbow  a  sparse 
growth  of  hairs  covering  an  area  10  mm.  or  more  in  width  extends 
along  forearm  to  bases  of  fingers,  where  it 
becomes  much  more  dense.  The  ante- 
brachial membrane  is  covered  with  a  sparse 
coating  of  hairs  on  the  ventral  surface. 

In  color  typical  Lasii<rus  boreaJis  varies 
verj'  extensively,  but  never  shows  the  ma- 
hogany brown  of  seminolusov  the  intense  red 
of  the  tropical  races.  Red  specimens  are  ru- 
fous red  throughout  (the  exact  shade  some-    ^'»-  28.-TorTiew  of  sknii  of  (a)  Last- 

,  ,  ,  .  ufux  fjorcaUs  and  (b)  L.teliijtis{     2). 

Where  between  rutous  and  burnt  sienna), 

paler  and  more  fawn-colored  on  the  belly,  the  hairs  of  the  back  usually 
with  distinct  grayish  tips,  those  on  the  throat  and  chest  tipped  with 
whitish.  A  yellowish  white  patch  in  front  of  each  shoulder.  Frequently 
the  white  on  chest  tends  to  connect  the  shoulder  patches  by  a  Avhitish 
collar.  The  individual  hairs  on  the  back  are  blackish  at  base,  then 
light  rufous  to  the  narrow  subapical  baud  which  gives  the  characteris- 
tic color  to  the  back,  and,  finally,  grayish  white  at  extreme  tips.  Gray 
specimens  are  yellowish  gray  on  the  back  and  bufi'y  on  the  belly.  The 
red  usually  ijersists  as  a  faint  salmon  suffusion. 

Sk-iiJI. — The  skull  of  typical  Lasiurus  borealis  (figs.  28  a,  29  b)  has 
the  broad  rostrum  and  fiaring  zygomata  of  L.  cinereus.  The  dorsal 
profile  of  the  skull  is  nearly  straight  from  external  uares  to  highest 
point  of  occiput.  The  skull  of  an  adult  female  from  AVashington.  D.  C, 
measures:  Greatest  length,  13.8;  zygomatic  breadth,  10.2;  breadth  of 
rostrum  at  jjosterior  edge  of  large  premolar,  0;  mandible,  10;  upper 
tooth  row,  5.4: ;  lower  tooth  row,  0.4. 

Teeth. — The  teeth  (fig.  30  b)  are  large,  the  upper  molars  broad  on  the 


108  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

inner  (lingual)  side,  and  the  lower  molars  wide  in  tlieir  transverse 
diameter. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  115. 

Sx^ecimens  examined. — Total  number, 387,  from  the  following  localities: 

Alabama:  Mobile  Bay,  3;  Greensboro,  9  (2  skins,  Merriam  coll.). 

Arkansas:  Fort  Smitb,  1. 

District  of  Columbia:  Washington, -20  (6  skins). 

Florida:  Old  Town,  1  (skiu,  Miller  coll.);  St.  Marys,  1. 

Georgia:  Ricel)oro,  S. 

Illinois:  Mount  Carmel,  1  (skin);  Gluey,  3;  Warsaw,  2;  West  NortUfield,  1 
(skin). 

Indian  Territory :  Hartshorue,  1  (skiu);  Redland,  3. 

Kansas:  Cedar  Yale,  1. 

Kentucky :  Hickman,  2. 

Louisiana:  Lafayette,  1;  Nevr  Orleans,  2;  Pineville,  1;  Shreveport,  1. 

Massachusetts:  Nantucket,^  1. 

Mississippi:  Hancock  County,  1  (skin,  Miller  coll.);  Washington,  10. 

Missouri:  Golden  City,  1;  Marble  Cave,  Stone  County,  1. 

New  York:  Greene,  1;  Hartford,  1  (skin) ;  Oyster  Bay,  1  (skin) ;  SingSing.  86. 

North  Carolina:  Fort  Macon,  1  (skin);  Magnetic  City,  1  (skin);  Roan  Moun- 
tain, 1  (skin). 

Oklahoma:  Ponca,  2. 

Ontario:  North  Bay,  2  (Miller  coll.);  Toronto,  1  (skin). 

Pennsylvania:  Bainbridge,  1;  Carlisle,  1  (skin);  Kenneth  Square,  Chester 
County,  1. 

South  Carolina:  Mount  Pleasant  (near  Charleston),  7  (skins,  Miller  coll.) 

Tamaulipas:  Matamoras,  2. 

Tennessee:  Alexandria,  1;  Arlington,  2;  Big  Sandy,  11;  Clarksville,  1 ;  Dan- 
ville, 1. 

Texas:  Arthur,  3;  Brownsville,  1.58  (3  skins) ;  Clarksville,  1;  Corpus  Christi,  2; 
Fort  Clark,  1 ;  Nueces  Bay,  1 ;  Paris,  3 ;  Waco,  1  (skin.  Miller  coll. ) ;  Wichita 
Falls,  1. 

Virginia:  Amelia  Court-House,  1;  Berryville,  1  (skiu);  Dismal  Swamp,  2; 
Gainesville,  1. 

General  remarks. — Typical  Lasiitrus  horeaUs  presents  a  wide  range 
of  individual  Yariation,  but  may  always  be  distinguished  from  the 
other  subspecies  by  fairly  constant  charaeters.  It  never  shows  the 
mahogany  brown  coloring  of  L.horealis  seminolus  and  seldom  approaches 
the  brilliant  cherry  red  of  L.  borealis  pfeif'eri.  From  L.  boreal  is  teliotis 
it  differs  in  its  larger  ear  with  well-developed,  strongly-notched  external 
basal  lobe. 

Specimens  from  Brownsville,  Tex.,  where  the  animal  breeds,  are 
slightly  smaller  than  those  from  New  York,  and  the  ear  is  propor- 
tionally shorter  (see  table  of  measurements,  p.  115).  In  this  respect 
they  are  intermediate  between  true  borealis  and  teliotis,  though  the  ear 
is  formed  exactly  as  in  the  tyjncal  subspecies.  Specimens  from  Okla- 
homa and  Indian  Territory,  on  the  other  hand,  are  indistinguishable 
from  northeastern  specimens. 


LASIURUS    BOREALIS    SEMINOLUS.  109 

LA8IUKUS  BOKEALIS  SEMINOLUS  (Rhoads). 
1895.  Atalapha  horealis  scminola  Khosuls,  Proc.  Acud.  Nat.  Sci.  Pliila.,  ji.  32. 

Tij2)t'  locality. — Tarpon  Springs,  Fla, 

(rciif/raphic  (listrihiiUoii. — Lower  Austral  and  Tropical  zones  from 
South  Carolina  to  southern  Texas, 

(ieneral  cJun-acter.s. — In  size  and  jiroportions  similar  to  typical  Lasi- 
Hfus  boreaiis;  general  color  mahogany  brown,  slightly  frosted  with 
grayish. 

UarSj  memhranes,  feet,  and  distribution  of  fur. — In  all  external  char- 
acters except  color  Lasinrus  horealls  seminolus  agrees  with  typical 
horealis. 

Cidor. — General  color  rich  mahogany  brown  throughout,  the  back 
(especially  between  the  shoulders)  slightly  frosted  Avith  gray  and  the 
throat  and  chest  varied  with  whitish.  A  distinct  whitish  area  in 
front  of  shoulder  as  in  true  horealls.  Muzzle,  backs  of  ears,  and  fur 
bordering  forearm,  yellowish  brown.  CIumiD  of  fur  at  base  of  thumb 
whitish  or  yellowish.  On  middle  of  back  the  fur  is  about  12  mm.  in 
length.  In  this  region  the  colors  on  the  individual  hairs  are  arranged 
iu  four  bauds  as  follows:  Basal  band  deep  blackii^h  plumbeous  (this 
band  usually  broader  than  in  true  borealis),  middle  band  light  gray, 
siibapical  band  rich  mahogany,  extreme  tip  grayish  white. 

Color  variation  in  Laslurus  borealis  seminolus  is  much  less  than  in 
typical  borealis,  and  is  chietly  noticeable  in  the  amount  of  red  in  the 
mahogany  brown,  in  the  amount  of  white  on  the  throat  and  chest,  and 
in  the  shade  (»f  gray  in  the  broad  middle  band  on  the  hairs  of  the 
back.     This  is  often  strongly  suffused  with  yellowish. 

Skull  and  teeth. — As  in  typical  borealis. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  115. 

Hpeeimens  examined. — Total  number,  19,  from  the  following  localities: 

Florida:  Old  To%Tn,  3  (skius.  Miller  coll.);  Lake  Haraey,  2. 

Georgia :  Nashville,  1. 

Louisiana:  New  Orleans,  5. 

Mississippi :  Bay  St.  Louis,  3. 

Sontb  Carolina:  Mount  Pleasant  (near  Charleston),  4. 

Texas:  Bi'owusville,  1 . 

General  remarks. — Lasiurns  borealis  seminolus  appears  to  be  a  well- 
marked  subspecies  confined  to  the  Austroriparian  fauna.  The  single 
specimen  taken  at  Brownsville,  Texas  (No.  50970,  U.  S.  National 
Museum)  was  killed  on  September  8, 1891,  and  may  have  been  a  migrant. 
No  intermediates  between  seminolus  and  true  borealis  has  yet  come  to 
light,  but  tlie  perfect  agreenient  of  the  two  forms  in  all  charaters 
except  color  nmkes  me  unwilling  to  recognize  them  as  species.  The  pos- 
sibility that  seminolus  and  true  borealis  are  dichromatic  phases  of  one 
species  lacks  weight  on  account  of  the  total  absence  of  intermediate 
specimens,  and  also  from  the  fact  that  both  forms  have  not  yet  been 
found  breeding  at  any  one  locality. 


110  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 

LASIURUS  BOREALIS  PFEIFFERI  (Guiidlacli). 

1861.  Atalapha  pfcifferi  Gundlacb,  Monatsber.  K.  Preiiss  Akad.  Wiss.,  Berlin,  p.  1.52. 
1878.  Aialapha  iiovehoracensls  xav.  (i  (Jtalaplui  p/eiffcri)  Dobsou,  Catal.  Cbiroptera 
Brit.  Mus.,  p.  271. 

1892.  Jtala2)lin  vorchoracensis  pfeifferi  ('bapiuau,  liull.  Am.  Mas.  Nat.  Hist.,  IV,  i).  316. 

Type  locality. — Cuba. 

Geograpluc  (listrihution. — Cuba.     Jamaica?     Bahamas'? 

General  characters. — Slightly  larger  than  typical  Lasiurus  horealls^ 
but  similar  in  iiroportions;  color  brighter  and  more  intense. 

Ears.,  membrajies,  feet,  and  (listrihution  of  fur. — As  iu  the  typical 
subspecies. 

Color. — I  have  seen  no  skins  of  the  Cuban  red  bat,  and  am  therefore 
unable  to  give  a  detailed  description  of  the  animal's  color.  The  two 
specimens  collected  by  Mr.  Chapman  in  1892  have  now  been  in  alcohol 
for  five  years.  Hence  their  color  furnishes  no  trustworthy  basis  for 
comparison  with  that  of  continental  material.  When  compared  with 
alcoholic  specimens  from  the  eastern  United  States  they  are  appreci- 
ably brighter. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  115. 

Specimens  examined, — Two  from  Trinidad,  Cuba  (Am.  Mus.  Nat. 
Hist.). 

A  skull  from  Nassau,  Bahamas  (Miller  coll.),  and  an  imperfect  skin 
from  Spanish  town,  Jamaica,  may  be  referable  to  this  race,  but  it  is  not 
possible  to  identify  them  with  certaiut3^ 

General  remarlcs. — Lasiurus  horealis ifeifferi  is  a  tolerably  well-marked 
insular  form,  distinguished  from  typical  horeaUs  by  its  slightly  larger 
size  and  brighter  color. 

LASIURUS  BOREALIS  TELIOTIS  (H.  Allen). 

1891.  Atalapha  teliotis  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Am.  Pbilos.  Soc,  XXIX,  p.  1. 

1893.  Atalapha  teliotis  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  153. 

Type  locality. — Unknown,  probably  some  part  of  California  (type  in 
U.  S.  National  Museum). 

Geographic  distribution. — This  form  is  known  from  a  few  localities  iu 
California  and  Lower  California  from  the  head  of  the  Sacramento  Valley 
south  to  Comondu. 

General  characters. — Slightly  smaller  than  typical  Lasiurus  horealis; 
ear  proportion allj^  much  shorter  than  in  the  typical  subspecies,  and 
with  external  basal  lobe  greatly  reduced  in  size;  color  averaging 
brighter  than  in  the  typical  form. 

Ears. — The  ear  (fig.  27&)  is  similar  iu  form  to  that  of  typical  horealis, 
except  that  the  tip  is  slightly  narrower  and  the  external  basal  lobe  is 
reduced  in  size,  indistinctly  marked  off  from  the  rest  of  the  ear,  and 
scarcely,  if  at  all,  notched  on  its  anterior  border. 

Mcmhranes,  feet,  and  distribution  of  fur. — The  external  form,  with  the 
exception  of  the  size  and  shape  of  ears,  is  as  in  true  horealis. 

Color. — I  have  seen  only  four  skins  of  the  Californian  red  bat.    In 


LASIURUS    BOREALIS    MEXICANUS. 


Ill 


Fig.  29.— Side  vievv^  of  skull  of 
(a)  Lasiurus  teliotis  and  {h) 
L.  borealis  (X2). 


these  tlie  color  is  uniformly  slightly  darker  and  redder  than  in  ordinary 
red  specimens  of  true  honalis.  The  difference  is  especially  noticeable 
on  the  interfemoral  membrane,  rump,  and  lumbar  region.  One  skin 
(  S  )  from  Dulzura.  Cal.,  almost  lacks  the  grayish  tips  to  the  hairs  on 
the  back.  Another  (also  S  )  taken  at  the  same  jjlace  on  the  same  day 
(November  5,  1891)  shows  the  gray  tips  very 
distinctly  on  the  neck  and  fore  part  of  the  back. 

Skull. — The  skull  of  Lasiurus  borealis  teliotis 
(figs.  28  &,  29  a)  is  distinguishable  from  that  of  typ- 
ical borealis  by  its  smaller  size,  narrower  rostrum, 
and  less  flaring  zygomata.  That  of  an  adult 
male  from  Dulzura,  Cal.,  measures:  Greatest 
length,  12.1;  zj^gomatic  breadth,  9;  breadth  of 
rt)Strum  at  posterior  edce  of  large  premolar,  5.2; 
ui)i)er  tooth  row,  4.(5.  TLe  mandible  of  this  spec- 
imen is  lost.  That  of  another  adult  male  from 
the  same  locality  measures:  Length,  9;  lower 
tooth  row,  5.1. 

Teeth. — The  teeth  are  smaller  than  in  the  typ- 
ical subspecies,  the  upper  molars  are  narrower  on  the  inner  (lingital) 
side,  and  the  mandibular  teeth  are  narrower  in  their  transverse  diam- 
eter (fig.  30  «.) 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  115. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  10,  from  the  following  localities: 

California:    Exact   locality   unkuoAvn,    1   (type);    Bakersfield,   1;   Berryessa, 
Santa  Clara  Conuty,  1  (skin);  Dnlzura,  2  (skins,  Miller  coll.):  Fresno,  1; 
Santa  Ysabel,  San  Diego  County,  1;  Tehama,  1;  Three  Rivers,  1. 
Lower  California:  Comondu,  1  (skin). 

General  remarks. — Lasiurus  &ore- 
(/Zisfe/io/isisreadily  distinguishable 
from  typical  borealis  by  its  smaller 
ear,  with  less  developed  and  entire 
external  basal  lobe,  smaller  skull, 
with  narrower  rostrum,  and  weaker 
dentition.  From  X.  borealis  mexi- 
canus  it  differs  in  completely  furred 
dorsum  of  interfemoral  membrane  and  more  hairy  under  side  of  wing. 


Fir,.  30.— Teeth  of  (a)  Laiiunis  teliotis  and  (6)  L 
borealis  (X5). 


LASIURUS  BOREALIS  MEXICANUS  (Saussure). 

1861.  Aialapha  mexicana  Saussure,  Revue  et  Mag.  de  Zool.,  2e  st^r.,  XIII,  p.  97,  Mars., 

1861  (southern  Mexico). 
1871.  Atalaplia  frantzii  Peters,  Monatsber.  K.  Preuss.  Akad.  Wiss.,  Berlin  (1870),  p. 

908,  1871  (Costa  Rica). 
187X.  Aialapha  novehoracensis  var.  a  {AtaJapha  frantzii)  Dobsou,  Catal.  Chiroptera 

Brit.  Mus.,  p.  271. 

Type  locality. — Xot  stated,  Init  without  doubt  in  some  one  of  the 
States  of  southern  Mexico,  probably  Vera  Cruz,  Puebla,  or  (Jaxaca. 


112  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Geof/rapliic.  distyibntioii. — Ceutral  America  and  southern  Mexico. 
Limits  of  range  uuknown. 

General  characters. — Apparently  most  like  Lasiurus  horeaUs  tcUotis, 
but  feet,  iuterfemoral  membrane,  and  under  side  of  wings  much  less 
hairy. 

Ears. — In  dried  specimens  the  ears  api^ear  to  be  essentially  as  in 
L.  horeaUs  teliot is,  though  the  external  basal  lobe  may  be  slightly  more 
developed. 

Membranes  and  feet. — These  shoAv  no  distinctive  characters. 

Fur  and  color. — On  the  body  the  I'ur  shows  no  peculiarities  as  com- 
j)ared  with  the  other  subspecies.  On  the  iuterfemoral  membrane  it 
extends  thickly  to  about  the  middle,  then  becomes  more  sparse,  and 
finally  disappears,  leaving  the  edge  of  the  membrane  bare.  The  backs 
of  tbe  feet  are  scarcely  furred.  On  the  under  side  of  the  wings,  the 
area  behind  the  forearm  which  is  densely  furred  in  the  other  sub- 
species, is  merely  sprinkled  with  inconspicuous  hairs;  these  are,  how- 
ever, more  dense  at  the  bases  of  the  fingers.  The  antebrachial  mem- 
brane is  also  very  sparsely  furred. 

Color  as  in  L.  horeaUs  teliotis. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  115. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  8,  from  the  following  localities: 

Jalisco  :  ,  6. 


Tehuautepec  :  Guichicovi,  1  (skiuj. 

Vera  Cruz:  Peuuela  (uear  Cordova),  1  (skin). 

General  remarlis. — From  the  unsatisfiictory  material  at  my  disposal  it 
appears  that  ic/«/«r»s  horeaUs  mcxicanus  is  a  well-marked  race,  most 
like  teliotis,  but  differing  from  this,  as  well  as  from  all  the  other  known 
subspecies,  m  the  restricted  peripheral  distribution  of  the  fur. 

LASIURUS  CIXEREUS  (Beauvois).     Hoary  bat. 

1796.   Vesjurtilio  linereiis  Palisot  de  Beauvois,  Catal.  Peale's  Museum,  Philadelphia, 

p.  14.    (Obvious  misprint  for  chierens.) 
1823.   VespertUio  pruinosiis  Say,  Long's  Exped.  to  Rocky  Mts.,  I,  p.  167  (footnote). 
1864.  Lasiurus  cinereus  H.  Allen,  Mouogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  21. 
1878.  AtaJapha  cincrca  Dobson,  Catal.  Cbiroptera  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  272. 
1893.  Atalupha  ciuerea  H.  Alleu,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  155. 

Type  locality. — Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. 

Geographic  distribution. — Boreal  Xorth  America  from  Atlantic  to 
Pacific.  The  hoary  bat  breeds  within  the  Boreal  zone,  but  in  autumn 
and  winter  it  migrates  south  to  the  southern  border  of  the  United  States 
and  probably, much  farther. 

General  characters. — Size,  large  (forearm,  over  50  mm.);  prevailing 
color,  gray;  ears  with  black  rims;  forearm  with  distinct  patch  of  fur 
near  base. 

Ears. — The  ears  of  Lasiurus  cinereus  are  in  general  similar  to  those 
of  L.  horeaUs,  but  are  broader  in  proportion  to  their  length  (see  table  of 
measurements,  p.  115).    The  external  basal  lobe  is  less  developed  than 


LASIURUS    CINEREUS. 


113 


in  borealis  and  without  trace  of  notch  ou  anterior  border.  Margin  of 
ear  membrane  dark  brown  or  blackish.  Outer  side  of  ear  densely  furred 
to  a  little  beyond  middle.  Inner  side  with  conspicuous  patch  of  yellow- 
ish hairs  above  and  in  front  of  middle  and  a  border  of  similar  hairs  along 
lower  part  of  anterior  edge. 

Tragus  shaped  as  in  L.  borealis,  covered  with  sparse  coating  of  hairs 
on  outer  side. 

Membranes. — In  form  and  attachment  the  membranes  are  as  iu  L. 
borealis. 

Feet. — Foot  about  half  as  long  as  tibia;  dorsal  side  thickly  furred. 
Calcar  twice  as  long  as  foot  and  slightly  shorter  than  free  border  of 
interfemoral  membrane.  It  is  distinctly  though  narrowly  keeled  on 
posterior  edge,  aud  usually  lobed  at  tip.  The  terminal  lobe  is  very 
variable,  aud  may  be  well  developed  ou 
one  side  and  absent  ou  the  other. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  is  distributed 
much  as  iu  L.  borealis.  As  in  that  species, 
it  is  distinctly  longer  on  neck  than  ou  back, 
thus  forming  a  ruff.  On  the  neck  it  aver- 
ages about  15  mm.  iu  length,  ou  the  back 
11  mm.  General  color,  a  mixture  of  light 
yellowish  brown,  deep  umber  brown,  aud 
white,  the  yellowish  brown  clear  and  un- 
mixed on  throat,  head,  and  under  side  of 
membranes,  the  umber  brown  predominat- 
ing on  back  and  dorsal  surface  of  interfem- 
oral membrane,  where,  however,  the  hairs 
are  mostly  tipped  with  silvery  white,  some- 
times to  so  great  an  exteut  as  nearly  to 
conceal  the  dark  tints  beneath.  Lips, 
chin,  aud  cheeks  sprinkled  with  short  blackish  hairs.  Ventral  surface 
with  white  predominating  ou  belly,  between  which  and  yellow  of  throat 
is  a  baud  iu  which  the  umber  brown  is  more  conspicuous  than  else- 
where ou  the  under  parts.  Tufts  of  fur  at  bases  of  thumb,  fifth  finger, 
aud  forearm,  light  yellowish  brown,  like  fur  on  under  side  of  wing 
membraues.  On  middle  of  back  the  individual  hairs  are  colored  as 
follows:  Deep  plumbeous  at  base;  light  yellowish  brown  (shading 
toward  umber  distally)  through  middle  half;  umber  brown  subapically ; 
silvery  white  at  tip. 

Color  variation  is  considerable,  but  never  enough  to  obscure  the  char- 
acters of  the  species.  It  appears  to  be  wholly  independent  of  locality, 
as  skins  from  such  widely  separated  localities  as  Minnesota  aud  south- 
ern California  are  practically  indistinguishable. 

One  skin  from  the  Santee  Eiver,  South  Carolina,  has  the  dusky  tints 
throughout  the  pelage  so  intensified  and  extended  as  to  suggest  melan- 
277L*— Ho.  13 8 


Fig.  31. 


-Skull  of  Lasiurus  cinereus 

(X2). 


114 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


Fio.  32. — Teeth  of  Lamnrus  cine  mis  (    5). 


ism.    Another  from  Eureka,  (Jalifornia,  is  iu  a  similar  phase,  though 
not  so  extreme. 

Slcull. — The  skull  (fi!ii.  31)  resembles  that  of  Dasyptcrns  intermedius 
and  Lasiurus  horeaUs,  but  is  intermediate  between  the  two  in  size.  The 
rostrum  is  broad  and  short  and  the  zygomatic  arches  broadly  flaring. 
The  skull  of  an  adult  female  from  Santa  Ysabel,  California,  measures: 
GreatestJength,  1G.4 ;  zygomatic  breadth,  12 ;  breadth  of  rostrum  at  pos- 
terior border  of  large  premolar,  8;  mandible,  12.(5 ;  upper  to  )th  row,  G.4; 
lower-tooth    row,  8.     That  of    an   adult  female  from   Fort  ynelliiig, 

Minnesota,  measures: 
Greatest  length,  17; 
zygomatic  breadth,  12; 
breadth  of  rostrum  at 
posterior  edge  of  large 
preuiolar,  8;  mandible, 
13.0:  upper-tooth  row, 
7 ;  lower-tooth  row,  8. 

Teeth.— ThQ  teeth  of 
Lasiurus  cinereus  (fig. 
32)  are  large  and  strong,  but  the  minute  upper  premolar  is  proportion- 
ally smaller  than  in  L.  borealis. 
Measurements. — See  table,  page  115. 
Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  50,  from  the  following  localities: 

Alabama:  Mobile  Bay,  1. 

Alberta:  Eijibt  miles  N\V.  of  Red  Deer,  1  (skiu.  Miller  coll. ). 

Arizona:  Temi)e,  Maricopa  County,  1. 

California:  Berryessa,  Santa  Clara  County,  1 ;  Cloverdale,  I;  Eureka,  1  (skiu); 

Kern  River,  1;  Monterey,  1;   Nicasio,  1;    Pauamint  Mountains,  2;    Santa 

Ysabel,  1  (skiu). 
Cbibuabua;  San  Luis  Mountains,  1. 
Colorado:  Larimer  County,  3  (skins.  Miller  coll.). 
District  of  Columbia:  Washington,  1. 
Georgia:  Savannah  River,  1. 
Illinois:  Warsaw,  1. 

Kansas:  Little  Blue  River,  1;  North  Falls,  1. 
Louisiana:  Pineville.  1. 
Maryland:  Laurel,  1. 

Massachusetts:  North  Truro,  tJ  (skins,  Miller  coll.). 
Minnesota:  Fort  Snelling,  1. 

Nebraska:  Fort  Pierre,  1;  Fort  Union.  2;  Loui^  Fork,  1. 
Nevada :  Vegas  Valley,  1. 

New  Mexico:  Dog  Spring,  Grant  County,  2;  Dona  Ana,  1. 
New  York:  Westville,  Long  Island,  1;  Locust  Grove,  4. 
Nova  Scotia  :  Halitax.  1. 
Tamaulipas:  Matamoras.  1. 
Texas:  Brownsville.  9  (1  skiu.  Miller  coll.). 
Washington;  Almota,  1;  Fort  Walla  Walla.  1. 


DAS  YPTE  KITS. 


115 


Average  measurements  of  North  American  forma  of  Lasiurus. 


^'ame. 


Locality. 


borealis . 


seminulus . 


ji/eifferi  .. 
teliolis  

mi'xicanns 
cinereitg.. . 


Ontario :  North  Bay 

New  York :  Sing  Sing 

District  of  Columbia: 

Washington. 
Mississippi:  Washington. 

Texas :  Brownsville 

South  Carolina:  Charles- 
ton. 

Florida :  Lake  Harney 

Mississippi :  Baj'  St.  Louis 

Texas :  Brownsville 

Cuba :  Trinidad 

California :    .*  (type) 

Three  Rivers.. 

Tehama  

Bakersfield  . . . 

Jalisco 

New  York:  Locust  Grove. 
California:  PauamintMts. 

Cloverdale .... 

Monterey   

Kern  lliver... 


10 


10 
10 

2dd 

2dd 
3?? 

1? 

2dd 

1 

Id 

Id 

1? 

6 

4 

29? 

Id 

Id 

Id 


^     I 


H 


P^ 


106     47.5J19.5:  7.2 

110.4  50.9,19.6'  7.8 

103     ;47.5il9.2  7.4 

105.649. 119.2  7.4 


108.  9  52.  7 
100     46 


97.5,45 
104.3  50 

115     ^54 
106. 5  50. 


18.6   7.9 
19     ;  6.9 


fM 


39  6.7 
39.7  7 
38. 5'  6.3 

40.1  7.3 

40.6  6.4 

40  i  7 


96     47 
107     57 

100    '45 

113.3,57 
134.  5  57 
136     58 
130 
138 


140     158 


19.  3j  7 

19.3   7.6? 

I         i 
i20     I  9 

5^2L8J  7 

.20       6.6  39 

:....  8  37 
20  8  39 
19.6  8.6  40 
,20.  2   8. 1  41. 

5  23.  2  10     50. 

5  23.5  9  54 
,23  10  '|46 
24  9  55 
23     1  9     51 


9    (A 


1^ 


79.511.8 
81.7n.9 
79. 3  11.  2 


7.4 

7 
6.8 

7 

6.6 

6.4 

7 

7.4, 
10.6 
10 

10.4 
10 
10 


1L4 
11 

10.1 


6.5 

7 

6.5 


80.411.810.1  6.7 
82.810.51  9.8|  6.1 
81     il2.710.7   6.9 


79     11. 


79 

74  i  9. 

82  ,  9. 

76  [10 
86.5jl3 

107  18 

109  17. 
101  |l7 

110  '17 
103  !l8 


310 

|ll 
61L4 
5  10.  7 
7.6 
8j  9.8 
4  9.6 
9 

10.2 

17.2 
517.7 

15 

16 

17.6 


6.5 

6.5 

7 

6.8 

5.4 

6.4 

6 

6 

6.5 

9.5 

9 

9 

9 

9 


Genus  DASYPTERUS  Peters. 

1864.  Lasiurus  H.  Allen,  Mouogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  25  (part). 

1871.  Dasypterus  Peters,  Mouatsber.  K.  Akad.  Wi.ss.,  Berlin  (1870),  p.  912  (subgenus). 

1878.  AtaUtpha  Dobson,  Catal.  Chiroptera  Brit.  Mns.,  p.  267.     (Part — not  Atalapha 

Kafinesque,  1814.) 
1893.  Dasypterus  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  j).  137  (genus). 

Tyjye  species. — Dasypterus  intermedius  H.  Allen. 

Geographic  distribution  of  type  species. — Gulf  States  and  northeastern 
Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution  of  genus. — The  range  of  the  genus  is  the  same 
as  that  of  the  only  known  species. 

Generic  characters. — Dental  formula : 

.  1-1         1-1  1-1  3-3_.,.. 

''  313;  ^'?  r_v  ^^*'^'  2-2'  "*'  3=3  ~' 
upper  incisor  in  contact  with  canine;  skull  (fig.  33)  easily  distinguish- 
able from  that  of  any  other  American  genus  of  Vespertilionida;  except 
Lasiurus,  hy  its  extreme  shortness,  depth,  and  breadth;  ear  consider- 
ably higher  than  broad,  somewhat  tapering  at  ti]),  naked  on  half  of 
dorsal  surface;  dorsal  surface  of  interfemoral  membrane  furred  on 
basal  half  only;  mamma',  1. 


IKJ 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


General  remarlcs. — Without  seeiug  the  South  American  species  orig- 
inally associated  with  D.  intermedms  by  Peters,  it  is  impossible  to 
determine  whether  these  belong  in  the  genus  as  now  understood. 

DASYPTEKiry  INTEKMEDIU.S  H.  Alleu. 

1863.  Laaiuriis  intermedins  H.  Alleu.  Pioc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  (18(j2),  p.  14(i. 

1864.  Lusiuriis  intermedius  H.  Alleu,  Mouogr.  N.  A.  Bats,  p.  25. 

1878.  AtaJapha  intermedia  Dolisou,  Catal.  Chiroptera  lirit.  Mus.,  p.  274. 
1893.  DdsiiplevHs  intermedins  H.  Alleu,  Mouogr.  P>ats  N.  Am.,  p.  137. 

Type  locality. — Matamoras,  Tamaulipas,  Mexico. 
Geographic  distrihidion. — Gulf  States  and  northeastern  Mexico. 
General  characters. — Size,  large  (forearm,  45-50);  color,  light  brown. 
Uars. — The  ears  are  short,  reaching  barely  to  nostril  when  laid  for- 
ward. The  dorsal  surface  is  densely  furred  on  basal  half,  but  other- 
wise the  ear  is  naked  except  for  a  sprink- 
ling of  hairs  on  inner  side,  especially  along 
anterior  edge.  Beginning  at  lower  edge 
of  basal  lobe  the  anterior  margin  is  first 
strongly  convex,  then  nearly  straight  for 
a  distance  of  abont  0  mm.,  then  abruptly 
convex  (or  even  angular),  after  which  it 
continues  nearly  straight  to  narrowly 
rounded  oif  tip.  Posterior  border  slightly 
concave  immediately  below  tip,  then 
gently  and  evenly  convex  to  notch  above 
posterior  basal  lobe.  Posterior  basal 
lobe  well  developed,  slightly  notched  on 
lower  side,  and  joining  face  about  5  mm. 
behind  angle  of  mouth. 

Tragus  blunt  and  bent  forward,  anterior 
border  Jiearly  straight  to  slight  concavity 
just  below  tip.  Posterior  border  convex 
immediately  below  tii^,  then  straight  to  point  opposite  anterior  base. 
Here  a  sharp  angle  is  formed,  below  which  the  margin  is  irregularly 
crenulated  to  base. 

Feet. — The  foot  is  moderate  in  size,  a  little  less  than  half  as  long  as 
tibia.  Calcar  slightly  shorter  than  tibia,  very  indistinctly  keeled  and 
terminating  obscurely  or  in  an  ill-defined  lobe. 

Membranes. — Membranes  thick  and  leathery.  Wing  membrane  at- 
tached at  base  of  toes,  uropatagium  near  tip  of  last  caudal  vertebra. 
Free  border  of  uropatagium  slightly  longer  than  calcar. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  is  full  and  soft.  On  the  middle  of  the  back 
it  is  about  12  mm.  in  length.  The  fur  of  the  back  extends  on  basal  half 
of  outer  side  of  ear,  basal  half  of  dorsal  surface  of  interfemoral  mem- 
brane, and  base  of  wing  membranes.  On  the  latter  it  occupies  a  strip 
about  10  mm.  in  width.     There  is  a  sliiiht  tuft  of  hair  at  the  base  of  the 


Fig.  33. 


-Skull  of  Dasi/ptenis  intennc- 
dius  (X2.) 


DASYPTERlTft    TNTERMEDIUS. 


117 


tliiiiub,  and  in  many  specimens  a  faintly  indicated  tuft  near  proximal 
end  of  forearm.  On  the  ventral  surface  the  fur  barely  reaches  the 
uropatagium  except  along-  the  basal  fourth  of  tail.  A  thin  coating  of 
fur  occupies  the  under  side  of  the  wing  membrane  to  a  line  joining- 
elbow  and  knee.  Beyond  this  it  extends  in  a  strip  about  10  mm.  wide 
along  posterior  edge  of  forearm  to  bases  of  fingers.  The  greater  part 
of  the  propatagium  is  thinly  furred. 

Color  light  yellowish  brown  of  variable  shade,  the  hairs  throughout 
tlie  body  with  narrow  dark  plumbeous  bases  and  those  of  the  back 
with  faintly  dusky  tips.  The  general  effect  is  suggestive  of  the  color 
of  PipistreUiis  snhfanis. 

Sh(U  and  teeth. — The  skull  (fig.  33)  and  teeth  (fig-.  34)  have  been  suf- 
ficiently described  under  generic  characters.    The  skull  of  an  adult 


Fig.  34.— Teeth  o{  Dafttrpferus  intermedius  (X5). 

female  from  Brownsville,  Tex.  (Xo.  52r>40,  U.  S.  National  Museum), 
measures:  Greatest  length,  19.6;  zygomatic  breadth,  15;  breadth  of 
rostrum  at  posterior  edge  of  premolar,  9;  mandible,  15;  upper  tooth 
row,  8;  lower  tooth  row,  9.  The  skull  of  an  adult  male  from  Houma, 
La.,  measures:  Greatest  length,  18;  zygomatic  breadth,  13;  breadth 
of  rostrum  at  posterior  edge  of  premolar,  8;  mandible,  14;  upper  tooth 
row,  7;  lower  tooth  row,  8.0. 

Measurements. — Average  measurements  of  18  specimens  of  Dasypte- 
rus  intermediKS  from  five  localities  are  given  in  the  following  table: 

ArercKje  measurements  of  IS  specimens  of  Dasupierus  intermedins  from  5  localities. 


Locality. 

o  ^ 

a 

D 

O 
H 

1 

'3 

H 

o 
o 

1 

o 

e 

a 
to 

§ 

ID 

S 

ll 

O 

Texas:  Brownsville 

Louisiana :  Lafavette    

10?? 
2?? 
2cfcf 
3 
Id 

145 

126.5 

130 

127 

120 

65.9 

52 

61 

03.5 

54 

24.9 

20 

18.9 
20 
18 

10 
8.7 
9 
9 

8 

55 
48 
46 
45.5 

47 

8.9 

7 

6 

111 

96 
95.5 

18.8 
18.5 
18 

14.4 
15.5 
15 

8.8 
9  3 

9  4 

Florida:  Old  Town 

Mullet  Lake 

7 

95 

17 

U 

8 

118  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  iiiiiubei'  7li,  Jroin  the  following  localities: 

Florida:  Davenport,  1  (skin);  Mullet  Lake,  1;  Old  Town,  3. 

Lonisiana:  Lafayette,  2;  Houma,  2  (1  skin). 

Mississiiipi :  Hancock  County,  1  (skin). 

Tanianlipas:  Matanioras,  3  (2  skeletons). 

Texas:  Brownsville,  57  (2  skins);  Padre  Island,  1;  Cameron  Connty,  1. 

General  remarls. — Aside  from  its  generic  characters  Dasypterus 
intermedins  i.s  distinguishable  among  North  American  bats  by  its  large 
size,  small  ears,  and  yellowish  brown  color. 

Specimens  from  Louisiana,  Mississippi,  and  Florida  average  dis- 
tinctly smaller  than  those  from  Brownsville,  Tex.  (which  are  essen- 
tially topotypes).  More  extensive  material  than  that  now  available 
may  show  the  necessity  of  recognizing  two  subspecies,  a  larger  Tarn au- 
lipan  (typical)  form,  and  a  smaller  Austroriparian  form. 

Genus  NYCTICEIUS  Rafinesque. 

1819.  Xycticeiiis  Rafinesqne,  Jonrn.de  Physique,  LXXXVIII,  June,  1819,  p.  417. 

1827.  Nyciicens  Lesson,  Man.  de  ISIanim.,  p.  98. 

1827.  Nycticejiis  Temminck,  Monograpbies  de  Mamm.,  I,  p.  xviii. 

1830.  Nycticeyx  Wagler,  Natiirl.  System  der  Ampbibien,  p.  13. 

1831.  Nycticea  Le  Conte,  McMnrtrie's  Cuvier,  Animal  Kingdom,  p.  432. 
1864.  Nycticejus  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  N.  Am.  Bats,  p.  11. 

1878.  Nycticejus  Dobson,  Catal.  Chiroptera  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  266. 
1893.  Nycticejus  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  131. 

Type  species. — Nycticeins  humeraUs  Eafinesque. 

Geographic  distriimtion  of  type  species. — Austral  zones  in  the  Eastern 
United  States. 

Geographic  distribution  of  genus. — Austral  zones  in  the  Eastern  United 
States.    Cuba. 

Generic  characters. — Dental  formula: 

*'  3-3'  ^'  1-1'  •^*'*'  2-2'  *'*'3-3  —  ' 
upper  incisor  distinctly  separated  from  canine;  lower  incisors  scarcely 
crowded;  outer  lower  incisor  tricuspidnte  and  not  smaller  than  others; 
skull  low  and  narrow ;  uropatagium  furred  at  extreme  base  only ;  tragus 
blunt  and  bent  forward;  tip  of  tail  free  from  membrane;  mammae,  2. 
The  genus  Nycticeins  as  thus  defined  is  peculiar  to  America,  where  it 
is  represented  by  one  species.  It  differs  in  dental  formula  from  all 
other  genera  of  American  Vespertilionidw  except  Basypterus  and 
Rhogel'ssa.  From  the  former  it  is  distinguishable  by  its  differently 
shaped  skull,  wide  space  between  upper  incisor  and  canine,  and  essen- 
tially naked  uropatagium.  From  Rhogei'ssa  it  is  separated  by  details 
in  the  structure  of  teeth  and  skull,  as  well  as  by  external  characters, 

NYCTICEIUS  HUMERALIS  Rafinesqne.     Rafiuesqne's  Bat. 

1818.  VespertUio  humeralis  Rafinesque,  American  Monthly  Mag.,  Ill,  p.  445. 

1819.  Nyctieeins  humeralis  Rafinesque,  Journ.  de  Pbysi(|ue,  LXXXVIII,  p.  417. 
1831.  Nycticea  crepuscuJaris  Le  Conte,  McMnrtrie's  Cnvier.  Animal  Kingdom.  I.  p.  432. 


NYCTICEIUS    Hr.MKRALIS 


119 


18t)4.  Xiicticciiia  cnpiiscularin  i[.  AlU'ii,  ilonogr.  X.  Am.  Hats,  p.  11. 
1878.  Nycticejiis  crepnscularis  Dobsou,  Catal.  Chiroptera  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  266. 
1891.  XijcticeJHs  humeralis  Thomas,  Ann.  &  Ma<^.  Nat.  Hist..  6th  ser.,  VII,  p.  528. 
1893.  XtjcticeJHS  limncralis  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats,  N.  Am.,  p.  132. 

Ti/2)e  localittj. — Kentucky. 

Geof/rajjhic  distribution. — Austral  zones  in  the  eastern  United  States 
west  to  Arkansas  and  southern  Texas. 

General  characters. — Size,  medium  (total  length,  88  to  95;  forearm, 
34  to  38);  color,  dull  brownish,  slightly  paler  beneath. 

Ears. — The  ears  are  small  and  for  their  size  remarkably  thick  and 
leathery.  They  are  naked  throughout  except  at  extreme  base  above. 
Lower  anterior  half  of  inner  surface  with  a  few  short  scattered  hairs. 
Anterior  border  strongly  convex  immediately  above  small  but  dis- 
tinct anterior  basal  lobe,  then  very  slightly 
convex  to  narrowly  rounded  off  tip.  Poste- 
rior border  gently  concave  from  immediately 
below  tip  to  a  little  below  middle,  then  con- 
vex to  slightlj'  developed  external  basal  lobe. 

Tragus  short,  broad,  and  blunt,  bent  slightly 
forward;  posterior  base  with  distinct  lobule. 

Membranes. — The  membranes,  like  the  ears, 
are  thick  and  leathery.  Wing  membranes  at- 
tached at  base  of  toes,  uropatagium  at  middle 
of  terminal  caudal  vertebra. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  is  sparse  and  short, 
that   on  middle  of   back    averaging    about  G 
linn,  in  length.     It  is  closely  confined  to  the 
body,  barely  reaching  extreme  base  of  uropatagium  and  flight  mem- 
branes. 

Color  duU  umber  brown  above,  paler  below,  the  fur  everywhere 
plumbeous  at  extreme  base,  but  the  dark  basal  color  less  well  defined 
than  in  other  species  with  which  Nycticeius  is  found  associated.  The 
exact  shade  varies  slightly,  but  is  usually  burnt  umber  or  mummy 
brown  on  the  back  and  raw  umber  or  hair  brown  on  the  belly.  One 
skin  from  Hickman  County,  Tenn.  (No.  30037,  U.  S.  National  Museum), 
is  dark  sepia  above,  broccoli  brown  below. 

Slcull. — The  skull  (fig.  35)  is  short,  broad,  and  low.  That  of  an  adult 
female  from  Sans  Souci,  N.  C.  (No.  43037,  U.  S.  National  Museum),  meas- 
ures 14  ram.  in  greatest  length  and  10  mm,  in  zygomatic  breadth;  great- 
est length  of  mandible,  10.6.  Dorsal  profile  nearly  straight  from  external 
nares  to  occiput,  but  slightly  convex  over  front  part  of  brain  case. 
Occiput  never  developing  strongly  marked  ridges.  Length  of  bony 
palate  behind  molars  (exclusive  of  central  spine),  about  half  width  of 
interpterygoid  fossa. 

Teeth. — The  teeth  (fig.  30)  are  not  so  large  as  might  be  expected  from 
the  massiveness  of  the  skull.  Upper  tooth  row  of  adult  female  from 
Sans  Souci,  N.  C,  G;  lower,  0.8.     Upper  incisor  close  to  canine,  but 


Fig.  35.— Skull    of   Nycticeius 
humeralis  (X2). 


120 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


separated  from  it  by  a  space  less  tlian  half  as  great  as  the  diameter  of 
the  incisor.     Upper  molars  Diuch  narrower  on  the  inner  side  than  on 

the  onter  side.  Outer 
lower  incisor  with  trans- 
verse diameter  of  crown 
slightly  greater  than 
that  of  second  or  third. 
MeasuremenU. — In  the 
following  table  average 
measurements  are  given 
of  35  specimens  of  Nyc- 
ticekis  humeralis  from  the  United  States,  and  for  comparison,  Gund- 
lach's  measurements  of  a  dry  specimen  of  N.  humeralis  cuhmius. 


Fig.  36. — Teeth  of  XiicHceiv n humeralis  ("-'5). 


Average  vwosurements  of  36  specimens  of  XiicUceius. 


^ 

P 

o   • 

,a 

u 

HI 

^ 

^1  0 

tn 

-S 

« 

H 

<D 

Name. 

Locality. 

1 

> 

C8 

i 

B 

+2  ^ 

<c  fell 

O 

.a 

til 

!='S' 

o 

cS 

X: 

g 

o 

eS 

10 

El 

^ 

H 

H 

H 

1=^ 

bH 

H 

h) 

H 

H 

Pennsylvania :  Carlisle 

10 

93.5 

36.9 

13.8 

6.7 

36.2 

5.4 

64. 5'l3. 9 

C.l 

Virginia:  Dismal  Swamp 

5 

91.4 

35.8 

13.4 

7.7 

35.8   6.6  63.413.510.5 

6.2 

Tennessee :  Big  Sandy 

10 

92.2 

36.3 

13.7 

7.3 

34.3   5.5  63.413.1   9.9 

5.9 

10 

1 

92.3 

37.2 
.9 

13.6   7.2 
11        fi-7 

36.4   5.3  65.212.7!  8.8 

5  1 

cnbanus  

Cuba 

SO 

5.  5  55 



1 

Specimens  examinrd. — Total  number  154,  from  the  following  localities: 

Arkausas:  Fort  Smitlt,  .'i. 

District  of  Columbia:  Wasliington,  2. 

Florida:  Titnsville,  1;  Chattahoochee,  1. 

Georgia:  Ricoboro,  3. 

Indian  Territory:  Redland,  4. 

Kentucky:  Hickman,  7. 

Louisiana:  Mer  Rouge,  19;  Pineville,  1. 

Mississippi:  Bay  St.  Louis,  17;  Washington,  2. 

North  Carolina:  Bertie  County,  9;  Sans  Souci,  4  (skins). 

Pennsylvania:  Carlisle,  12. 

Tamaulipas:  Matamoras,  1. 

Tennessee:  Big  Sandy,  13;  Danville,  2;  Warner,  1;  Arlington,  4;   Hickman 

County,  1  (skin). 
Texas:  Brownsville,  32;  Paris,  3;  Arthur,  1 ;  Lomita  Ranch,  2;  Hidalgo,  1. 
Virginia:  Dismal  Swamp,  5;  near  Riverton,  1  (skin,  Miller  coll.). 

NYCTICEIUS  HUMERALIS  CUBANUS  (Gundlach). 

1861.    Vesperns  eiihauus  Gundlach,  Monatsber.  K.  Preuss.  Akad.  Wiss.,  Berlin,  p.  150. 
1877.  Nycticeins  ciihauiis,  Gundlacl),  Coutribncion  ;i  la  Mamalogia  Cubana,  p.  33. 

Type  locality. — Cuba. 
Geographic  (Hstributio n. — C uba . 


NYCTICEIUS    HUMERALIS    CUP.ANUS.  121 

Characters. — I  have  not  seen  specimens  of  XycHcchis  from  Cuba,  but 
Gundlach's  careful  description  of  the  animal  leaves  no  doubt  that  it  is 
distinct  from  the  form  occurring  on  the  mainland.  It  is  distinguished 
from  the  latter  by  smaller  size  and  apparently  also  by  paler  color.  A 
translation  of  Gundlach's  second  and  more  perfect  account  of  the 
animal  is  as  follows:  "Pelage  above  light  tawny  (the  fur  blackish  at 
base),  beneath  pale  reddish  tawny  (the  base  of  the  fur  likewise  black- 
ish). Face  and  flight  membranes  blackish  brown.  The  nose  appears 
somewhat  divided  by  the  projecting  nostrils;  between  the  nose  and  the 
eyes  there  is  on  each  side  a  i)rotuberance  with  bristly  hairs.  Ears  oval, 
lengthened  (8  mm.  high  in  front).  The  anterior  base  rounded  and 
spreading  outward;  the  posterior  at  the  angle  of  the  mouth  forms  a 
semicircle.  This  semicircle,  which  bends  inward  to  the  tragus,  forms 
another  rounded  enlargement.  Tragus  oblong,  scarcely  narrowed 
throughout,  somewhat  bent  in  the  form  of  a  sickle  forward  and  pro- 
vided with  a  tooth-shaped  lobule  at  the  base  of  the  exterior  border. 
Nails  tawny. 

"The  measurements  of  a  dry  specimen  are  as  follows :  Width  between 
extremities  of  wing,  0.180  m.;  total  length  of  body,  0.045;  length  of 
tail,  0.029;  length  of  head,  0.016;  length  of  ear,  0.012;  length  of  fore- 
arm, 0.030;  length  of  thumb,  0.005^;  length  of  second  or  index  finger, 
0.029i;  length  of  third  finger,  0.055;  of  fourth  finger,  0.046;  of  fifth  fin- 
ger, 0.040;  length  of  tibia,  0.011;  length  of  foot  to  the  end  of  nails, 
0.0003;  length  of  calcar,  0.013. 

"  This  is  a  rare  species.  I  have  only  observed  it  at  Habana  (Cerro)  in 
a  house  where  it  lived  in  a  crack  above  the  window,  and  in  the  field 
near  Cardenas,  where  I  killed  it  while  flying  about  at  dusk.  A  female 
contained  two  embryos  in  May."  ^ 


' Pelaje,  por  encinia  p;tlido-pardo  (los  polos  con  la  base  uogruzca),  por  debajo  palido 
bermejizo-pardo  (labase  de  los  pelos  tambiou  negruzca).  Cara  y  membranas  vola- 
doras,  morenas.  La  nariz  aparece  algo  dividida  por  las  ventanas  saltonas ;  entre  la 
nariz  y  los  ojos  hay  en  cada  lado  un  lollo  con  pelos  tiesos.  Orejas  ovales,  alargadas 
(por  delante  con  8  mil.  de  alto).  La  base  anterior,  redonda  y  extendida  bacia  fuera; 
la  posterior,  pelada  en  el  angulo  de  la  boca  y  extendida  en  Tin  semicircnlo,  ([ue  incli- 
nado  bacia  dentro  basta  la  orejnela,  forma  una  segnnda  ampliacion  redonda.  Ore- 
juela  oblonga,  adelgazandose  ap(^na.s,  algo  encorvada  en  forma  de  boz  bacia  delante, 
y  provista  en  la  base  del  borde  exterior  con  \\\\  lobnlo  deutiforme.     Unas  pardas. 

Las  mcdidas,  touiadas  de  nn  ejemplar  disecado,  son: 

Anchnra  entre  las  puutas  del  ala,  0.180  mil. ;  longitnd  basta  el  fin  del  cuerpo,  0.045; 
longitiid  del  rabo,  0.029;  longitnd  de  la  cabeza,  0.016;  longitnd  de  la  oreja,  0.012; 
lougitud  del  antebrazo,  0.030 ;  longitnd  del  pulgar,  0.005i ;  longitnd  del  seguudo  dedo 
6  iiidice,  0.0291;  longitnd  del  tercero  dedo,  0.055;  longitnd  del  quarto  dedo,  0.046; 
longitnd  del  qninto  dedo,  0.040;  longitnd  de  la  tibia,  0.011 ;  longitnd  del  pi<S  basta  el 
fin  de  les  nuas,  0.006J;  longitnd  del  espob'm,  0.013. 

Es  eapecie  rara.  La  be  observado  solamente  en  la  Habaua  (Cerro)  en  una  casa 
donde  vivia,  en  las  rendijas  sobre  una  ventana,  y  en  el  campo  cerca  de  Ciirdenas, 
donde  la  mate  al  oscurecer  volando.     Una  9  tenia  en  mayo  dos  embriones. 


122 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


Genus  RHOGEESSA  H.  Allen. 


1866.  Rhogeessa  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  p.  285  (genus). 

1873.  Iiho{joessa  Marscliall,  Nomeuclator  Zoologicns,  Mauim.,  p.  11. 

1878.  Iiho(/c(--isa  Dobsou,  Catal.  Cliiroptera  Brit.  Mus.,  i>.  24;")  (subgenus  of  '  Vesperitf/o'). 

1893.  Bhogeessa  H.  Allen,  Monogr.  Bats  N.  Am.,  p.  132  (genus). 

Type  species. — Rhogecssa  tumida  H.  Allen. 

Geof/raphic  disiribuiion. — Tropical  Mexico, 
Central  America,  and  probably  northern  South 
America  (known  from  Margarita  Island,  Vene- 
zuela). 

Generic  characters. — Dental  formula : 
.  1-1  1-1  1-1  3-3       ^,. 

*'3=3^  ^M-1'  ^''^2^  '"'3-3=^'^' 
lower  incisors  crowded,  the  outer  cusp  of  first 
and  secomi  obsolete;  third  lower  incisor  greatly 
reduced  in  size,  unicuspidate  (figs.  37  a  and  38«); 
upper  incisor  very  close  to  canine  or  in  contact 
with  it;  skull  small,  light,  and  papery,  narrow 
and  deep;  external  form  variable,  but  tragus 
always  straight  or  bent  backward,  and  tail  in- 
cluded to  tip  in  interfemoral  membrane. 

Remarks. — The  genus  Rhof/ei'ssa  has  received 
varying  treatment.  It  was  originally  described 
as  a  full  genus  whose  relationships  were  sup- 
posed to  be  with  Nyciiceius  and  Nyctinomns. 
In  1878  Dobson  referred  it  to  ^Vesperugo^  as  a 
subgenus.  This  view  has  been  adopted  by 
most  subsequent  writers  except  Mr.  Oldfield 
Thomas  and  Dr.  Harrison  Allen,  both  of  whom 
have  recognized  Rhogecssa  as  a 
full  genus  related  more  closely 
to  NycUceitis  than  to  any  of  the  genera  usually  included 
under  the  name  '  Vesperugo.^  Mr.  Thomas  has  pointed 
out  characters  in  which  Rhogecssa  resembles  Antro- 
zons.  These  characters,  the  reduced  size  of  the  outer 
lower  incisor  and  slightly  crenulate  i)osterior  border 
of  tragus,  seem  to  be  instances  of  parallel  develop- 
ment rather  than  indications  of  genetic  relationship.  The  genus 
Rhogecssa  is  closely  related  to  Nycficeius,  but  the  peculiarities  of  the 
lower  incisors  and  the  general  form  of  the  skull  are  enough  to  warrant 
its  recognition. 


Fig.  37.— Left  manflibnlar  in- 
cisors of  (a)  JOiogcetsa  and 
(b)  Nycticcius  (  ■  20). 


Fig.  38.— Cro-mi.s  of  in- 
cisors of  right  manili- 
ble  of  (a)  Rhogeessa 
and     (6)     Kyctieeim 

(20). 


RH0GEKS8A    TUMIDA.  123 

KEY  TO  SPECIES  OF  IJHOGEESSA. 

Lateral  mandibular  incisor  scarcely  one-twentieth  as  large  as  central 

incisors alleni  (p.  128) 

Lateral  mandibnlar  incisor  one-half  to  two-thirds  as  large  as  central 
incisors. 

Ear  laid  forward,  reaching  ahont  6  mm.  beyond  tip  of  nose <jraeilis  (p.  126) 

Ear  laid  forward,  rcacliing  abont  to  tip  of  nose. 

Fur  grayish  brown  at  base par  nil  a  (p.  125) 

Fur  yellowish  throughout. 

Forearm  about  30  mm tumida  (p.  123) 

Forearm  about  25  mm minutilht  (p.  125) 

RHOGEESSA  TUMIDA  H.  Allen. 

1866.  L'liof/eessa  tumida  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  286. 
1877.    Vesperugo parrnlus  Dobson,  Catal.  C'hiroptera  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  245. 

Type  locality. — Miiador,  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico. 

GeogyapMc  (li.stribntion. — Central  America  and  soutliern  Mexico. 

General  characters. — Size  small;  lengtli,  70  to  75;  tail,  30  to  33;  fore- 
arm, 27.4  to  30.  Calcar  strong,  distinct,  slightly  longer  than  free  border 
of  uropatagium,  terminating  in  a  small  but  evident  lobule  conspicuously 
keeled  on  tlie  posterior  border.  Free  border  of  uropatagium  naked. 
Ears  moderate,  laid  forward  tliey  reach  about  to  tip  of  nose.  Wings 
from  base  of  toes.  Legs  and  feet  short  and  strong,  the  feet  when  out- 
stretched reaching  to  within  5  mm.  of  tip  of  tail.  Fur  yellowish,  the 
hairs  on  the  back  with  dusky  tips. 

Ears. — The  ears  (PI.  I,  fig.  8)  are  moderately  long,  reaching,  when 
laid  forward,  about  to  tip  of  nose;  the  substance  of  the  conch  thick 
and  leathery.  Anterior  border  strongly  concave  from  base  to  a  little 
past  middle,  then  straight  to  narrowly  rounded-off  tip.  Posterior  border 
concave  just  below  tip,  then  gently  and  evenly  convex  to  base.  No 
indication  of  basal  notch. 

Tragus  directed  slightly  forward;  the  anterior  edge  nearly  straight, 
but  slightly  concave  at  base,  and  curved  a  little  backward  at  tip. 
Posterior  edge  faintly  crenulate,  concave  below  tip,  then  concave  to 
slightly  developed  basal  lobe.  Greatest  width  of  tragus  at  about 
middle  of  posterior  border. 

MemhranoH. — The  membranes,  especially  the  uropatagium,  are  remark- 
ably thick  and  leathery  for  so  small  a  bat.  Throughout  they  are  wholly 
naked  except  close  to  the  body  and  along  the  veins  on  the  interfemoral 
membrane.  Wings  from  base  of  toes.  Uropatagium  (PI.  I,  fig.  13) 
attached  at  tip  of  terminal  caudal  vertebra. 

Feet. — The  feet  and  legs  (PI.  I,  fig.  13)  are  short  and  strongly  built, 
in  this  respect  resembling  N.  humeralis.  The  foot  is  scarcely  oue-half 
as  long  as  the  tibia,  and  the  toes  are  slightly  longer  than  the  sole. 
The  toes  are  not  united  by  membrane  at  base.  Calcar  distinct  and 
strong,  slightly  longer  than  free  border  of  uropatagium.     Lobule  at 


124  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

tip  of  calcar  «niall  but  dist  inct.     Keel  well  developed  and  supported  by 
one  or  two  cartilaginous  outgrowths. 

Fur  and  color. — There  is  nothing  peculiar  in  the  distribution  of  the 
fur.  It  extends  in  a  very  narrow  line  on  the  wings  along  the  side  of 
the  body  both  dorsally  and  veutrally,  and  on  the  uropntagium  covers 
the  basal  fourth  dorsally  but  scarcely  reaches  the  membrane  on  the 
ventral  side. 

In  color  the  fur  is  dull  yellowish  brown  throughout,  scarcely  paler 
\rentrally,  the  hairs  dusky  at  tip.    Ears  and  membranes  dark  brown. 

Sliull, — In  general  appearance  the  skull  of  Rhogeessa  tumida  (fig.  39) 
stands  between  that  of  Kycticeius  humeralis  and  Plpisirellus  suhjiavuH. 
The  skull  of  an  adult  female  from  Santo  Domingo,  Oaxaca  (iSTo.  73-JG7, 
United  States  National  Museum,  Biological  Survey  collection),  meas- 
ures: Greatest  length,  13  j  zygomatic  breadth,  8.4;  breadth  of  rostrum 
at  anterior  edge  of  first  molar,  5;  mandible,  9;'  upper  tooth  row,  5.6; 
lower  tooth  row,  6.  That  of  an  adult  female  from  Patuca,  Honduras 
(No.  21017,  United  States  National  Museum),  meas- 
ures: Greatest  length,  12.4;  zygomatic  breadth,  8; 
breadth  of  rostrum  at  anterior  edge  of  first  molar, 
4;  mandible,  9.4;  upper  tooth  row,  5;  lower  tooth 
row,  6.  The  rostrum  is  relatively  narrower  than 
in  Kycticeius  and  the  occiput  is  more  elevated. 
The  muzzle  is  distinctly  concave  in  front  of  orbits 
instead  of  flat  or  almost  convex  as  in  Kycticeius. 
Teeth. — Upper  incisor  usually  in  contact  with 
riG.?.9.-skuiiotAv«)<7<>;>«sa  cauiuc,  though  occasionally  separated  by  a  narrow 
tuwida{x2).  space  (fig.  40«).    Maxillary  teeth  essentially  as  in 

Nyeticeius,  but  premolar  relatively  larger  and  i)osterior  molar  narrower 
in  proportion  to  its  length. 

Lower  incisors  greatly  crowded,  the  outer  cusp  pf  i  1  and  i  2  much 

smaller  than  middle  and  inner  cusp.     Outer  lower  incisor  uni  uspi- 

date,  about   one-half  the  size  of  i  1  or  i  2.      Other  mandibular  teeth 

essentially  as  in  Kycticeius,  but  premolars  more  crowded. 

Measurements. — See  table,  page  129. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  10,  from  the  following  localities: 

Colima:  Colima,  3. 

Costa  Rica:  — ,  1. 

Guatemala:  Huehiietau,  1. 
Guenevo  :  Amula,  1  (Merriam  coll.). 
Honduras :  Patuca,  2. 
Oaxaca:  Santo  Domingo,  1. 
Vera  Cruz:  Mirador,  1. 

General  remarks. — Rhogee'ssa  tumida  needs  comparison  with  R.  par- 
rula  and  R.  minutilla  only.  From  the  former  it  is  distinguished  by  its 
clear  yellowish  fur  without  darker  base,  and  from  the  latter  by  its  con- 
siderably larger  size. 


As  the  mandible  is  imperfect,  this  measurement  is  only  approximately  correct. 


RHOGEESSA    FARVULA.  125 

Dobson  aud  most  subsequeut  authors  have  wiougly  applied  the  spe- 
cific uanie  parvula  to  this  species.  So  far  as  known  R.  parvula  is 
restricted  to  the  Tres  Marias  Islands. 

[Tlio  followiug  species  is  not  North  Americau,  but  is  iutroduced  here  to  complete 
the  accouut  of  the  genus  I\hofjei!ssa.~\ 

RHOGEESSA  MIXUTILLA  Miller. 

1896.  Vesperiigo  parcidiis  Robinson,  Proc.  U.  S.  National  Museum,  XVIII,  p.  651  (not 

Ehof/ei'ssa  parvnla  H.  Allen). 

1897.  Rhogves=ia  minuiiUa  Miller,  Proc.  Biol.  Soe.  Washington,  XI,  p.  139,  May  13, 1897. 

Type  locality. — Margarita  Island,  Venezuela.  (Type  in  U.  S.  JS^ational 
Museum,  Xo.  6321G.) 

Geographic  distributiofi.— This,  species  is  probably  confined  to  Mar- 
garita Island. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  Ehof/ei'ssa  tumida,  but  considerably 
smaller  (forearm,  only  25  mm.). 

JEars. — The  ears  of  the  type  (when  relaxed  by  soaking  in  water) 
appear  to  be  smaller  and  narrower  than  in  B.  tumida,  but  otherwise  not 
peculiar. 

Membranes,  feet,  and  distribution  of  fur. — As  in  K.  tumida. 

Color. — Fur  everywhere  light  yellowish  brown  to  base,  the  hairs  on 
the  back  tipped  with  chestnut.  The  color  appears  to  differ  slightly 
from  that  of  i^.  tumida,  but  I  have  too  few  skins  to  make  an  adequate 
comparison. 

S'lcull. — The  skull  of  the  type  and  only  known  specimen  is  so  much 
injured  that  its  characters  can  not  be  determined  with  certainty,  but  it 
appears  to  be  smaller  and  relatively  narrower  than  that  of  R.  tumida. 
Greatest  length,  11.8;  length  of  mandible,  9;  upper  tooth  row,  5 ;  lower 
tooth  row,  5.6. 

Teeth. — The  teeth  are  essentially  as  in  R.  tumida. 

Measurements. — The  measurements  of  the  type  specimen  are  given  in 
the  table  on  page  129. 

Specimens  examined. — One,  the  type. 

General  remarJcs. — Rhogeessa  minutilla  is  a  small  insular  form  most 
closely  related  to  7^.  tumida,  but  apparently  perfectly  distinct.  So  far 
as  I  know  the  genus  Rhogel'ssa  has  not  yet  been  recorded  from  the 
mainland  of  South  America,  where,  however,  it  doubtless  occurs. 

RHOGEESSA  PARVULA  H.  Allen. 

1866.  EliogeVssa  parvula  H.  Allen,  Proc.  Acad.  N'at.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  285 

Tpye  locality. — Tres  Marias  Islands,  Mexico. 

Geographic  distribution. — Tres  Marias  Islands. 

Characters.— As  I  have  seen  no  specimens  of  this  species,  I  cpiote 
the  original  description  entire.     It  is  as  follows: 

"Ear  sub-acute  at  tip;  lips  whiskered;  eyes  very  small,  each  fur- 
nished with  a  wart  above;  similar  growth  seen  beneath  chin.  Fur 
above  silky,  not  thick,  of  a  light  greyish-brown  at  basal  third,  fawn- 


126  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

chestuut-brown  at  apical  two-tliirds;  that  of  head  same  color,  iimijing 
ou  to  the  ears  one-half  their  height.  Beneath,  basal  third  inclined  to 
greyish;  apical  two-thirds  grayish  fawn.  Membranes  almost  black, 
naked,  excepting  basal  fourth  of  interfemoral  membrane  behind,  which 
is  furnished  with  a  small,  short  patch  of  glistening  fur. 

"  Measurem  en  ts — 7841 . 

"Height  of  auricle  6"  [12.7  mm.];  height  of  tragus  3"  [6.4:];  length 
of  head  7"  [14.8J;  length  of  body  10"  [21.1];  length  of  tail  1'  2"  [30.o]; 
length  of  forearm  1'  1"  [27.4];  length  of  longest  finger  V  11"  [48.5]; 
length  of  thumb  2"  [4.2];  length  of  tibia  o"  [10.6];  length  of  foot  2h" 
[5.3];  expanse  6'  7"  [16.7]. 

"Two  individuals,  $  and  9  ;  Nos.  7841,  7842,  Museum  of  Smithsonian 
Institution.    Alcohol. 

"Tres  Marias,  Mexico,  Col.  Grayson." 

RHOGEESSA  GRACILIS  sp.  nov. 

Type  from  Piaxtla,  Puebla.  Adult  ^  (in  alcohol).  No.  706'J4,  U.  S.  Nat.  Museum, 
I5iological  Survey  collection.  Collected  Nov.  24,  1894,  by  E.  W.  Nelson  and  E.  A. 
Goldman.     Collector's  number,  7099. 

Geograpliic  distribution. — Southern  Mexico  (Puebla  and  '  Isthmus  of 
Tehuantepec'). 

General  characters. — Size,  medium;  length,  79  to  82;  tail,  38.6  to  41; 
forearm,  32  to  33.  Calcar  slender  but  distinct,  a  little  shorter  than  free 
border  of  uropatagium,  terminating  in  a  small  lobule,  distinctly  keeled 
on  the  posterior  border.  Free  border  of  uropatagium  naked.  Ears  long; 
when  laid  forward  extending  about  6  mm.  beyond  tip  of  nose.  Wings 
from  base  of  toes.  Feet  and  legs  long  and  slender,  the  outstretched 
feet  reaching  to  within  about  10  mm.  of  tip  of  tail. 

IJars. — The  ears  (PI.  I,  fig.  7)  are  long,  and  at  the  same  time  broadj 
laid  forward  they  reach  about  6  mm.  beyond  tip  of  nose;  the  substance 
of  the  conch  thin  and  translucent.  Anterior  border  strongly  convex 
from  base  to  a  little  below  middle,  then  straight  or  very  slightly  con- 
vex to  the  rather  broadly  rounded  oft  tip.  Posterior  border  concave 
below  tip  to  about  middle,  where  it  bends  abruptly  outward,  then  grad- 
ually convex  to  base.  A  very  faintly  indicated  basal  notch  and  basal 
lobe.  About  5  mm.  above  the  crown  and  an  equal  distance  from  the 
tip  of  the  ear  conch  in  the  male  is  developed  a  conspicuous,  flattened- 
pyriform,  glandular  thickening  with  the  large  end  toward  the  anterior 
margin  of  the  ear  and  the  main  axis  nearly  perpendicular  to  that  of  the 
auricle.  The  thickened  mass  is  5  mm.  in  length,  4  mm.  wide  at  the 
broad  end,  2  mm.  at  the  narrow  end,  and  1  mm.  thick.  It  is  most  con- 
spicuous on  the  dorsal  side  of  the  ear,  where,  although  not  different  in 
color  from  the  rest  of  the  ear,  it  is  noticeably  raised  above  the  surface, 
and  the  boundaries  are  sharply  marked.  On  the  inner  side  of  the 
ears  the  thickenings  are  less  definite  in  outline,  but  are  noticeably 
paler  than  the  surrounding  integument.  When  these  structures  are 
examined  with  a  lens  it  is  seen  that  they  are  thickly  covered  on  the 


RHOGEESSA    GRACILIS.  127 

outer  side  with  pores  lyiug  mostly  at  tlie  bases  of  tlie  fine  hairs  with 
which  the  surface  is  beset.  The  thickened  masses  are  of  exactly  the 
same  size  aud  shape  in  the  two  ears  and  are  placed  symmetrically  with 
respect  to  the  outlines  of  the  couchs. 

Tragus  slender  and  taper  pointed,  slightly  bent  backward  at  the 
tip,  and  broadest  opposite  anterior  base.  The  anterior  border  is 
slightly  concave  at  base,  then  evenly  convex  to  tip.  The  posterior 
border  is  strongly  concave  from  tip  to  a  point  slightly  above  the  middle, 
where  the  tragus  attains  a  width  nearly  equal  to  that  at  level  of  ante- 
rior base.  From  this  point  to  the  basal  lobe  the  posterior  border  is 
nearly  straight  and  about  parallel  with  the  lower  part  of  the  anterior 
border.  Basal  lobe  small  but  prominent.  Posterior  border  of  tragus 
crenulate,  especially  near  the  middle,  where  there  are  five  or  six  minute 
sharply  projecting  jioints,  from  the  bases  of  which  thickened  processes 
may  be  traced  a  sliort  distance  into  the  substance  of  the  tragus  when 
the  latter  is  held  to  the  light. 

Memhranes. — The  membranes  are  thin  and  semitransparent,  the  uro- 
patagium  not  different  in  texture  from  the  wings.  Throughout  they 
are  entirely  naked,  except  for  a  narrow  line  of  hair  on  the  wings  extend- 
ing along  sides  of  body  about  to  a  line  drawn  halfway  between  knee 
and  elbow.  On  the  uropatagium  there  is  also  a  narrow  hairy  area 
close  to  body  and  a  sprinkling  of  fine  haii'S  along  the  veins.  Wings 
from  base  of  toes.  Uropatagium  (PI.  I,  fig.  12)  attached  at  tip  of  ter- 
mimil  caudal  vertebra. 

Feei. — The  feet  are  small  and  weak,  distinctly  less  than  half  as  long 
as  the  slender  tibiae  (PI.  I,  fig.  12).  Toes  longer  than  sole,  cleft  to 
base.  Calcar  slender  but  very  distinct,  about  as  long  as  free  border 
of  uropatagium  aud  terminating  in  a  small  and  ill-defined  lobule. 
Keel  remarkably  well  developed,  extending  from  near  tip  of  calcar 
almost  to  base  and  supported  by  four  cartilaginous  processes. 

Fur  and  color. — The  fur  is  long,  that  on  middle  of  back  averaging 
about  9  mm.  It  extends  farther  on  the  membranes  than  in  B.  parvula^ 
but  otherwise  shows  no  peculiarities.  In  color  it  is  everywhere  light 
sepia  at  base,  then  dull  yellowish  brown,  that  on  the  back  tipped  with 
chestnut.  As  this  description  is  from  a  specimen  that  has  been 
immersed  in  alc(»hol  for  nearly  two  years  and  a  half,  it  ca)\  not  be  more 
than  approximately  accurate. 

SkulL — The  skull  of  Bhogeessa  gracilis  is  longer  and  more  slender 
than  that  of  R.  tumida,  and  the  forehead  appears  to  be  more  abruptly 
raised  above  the  face  line.  The  zygomata  are  less  widely  flaring  in 
front.  Apparently  the  occiput  is  considerably  narrower  than  in  B. 
tumida.  From  the  material  at  hand  it  is,  however,  impossible  to  deter- 
mine the  cranial  characters  with  accuracy,  since  of  the  skull  of  the 
female  topotype  there  remains  only  the  mandible  and  rostral  portion, 
while  the  skull  of  the  type  is  so  nuich  injured  that  it  would  not  hold 
together  if  removed  from  the  skin  and  cleaned. 


128 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


Fig.  40. 


-Teeth  of  (a)  lihogeessa  tumida  and  (6)  R.fjracUis 

(>5). 


Teeth. — The  teeth  of  Rhogel'sa  gracilis  (fig.  40)  differ  from  those  of 
B.  tionida  in  uiimerous  details.  The  crowns  of  the  upper  molars  are 
much  narrower  on  the  lingaal  side  and  the  posterior  upper  molar  is 
considerably  broader.  The  front  lower  preniolar  is  slightly  larger  than 
in  li.  tumida,  but  otherwise  the  mandibular  teeth  show  no  distinct 

differences. 

Measurements. — See  table, 
page  129. 

Specim  ens  ex  a  m  ined. — 
Total  number,  3,  from  the 
following  localities: 

Isthmus  ofTeluiantepec,  1. 
Puebla:  Piaxtla,  2. 

General  remarks. — Bhoge- 
i'ssa  gracilis  is  so  readily 
distinguished  from  the  other 
species  of  the  genus  by  its 
slender  form  and  very  large  ears  that  no  detailed  comparisons  are 
necessary. 

This  is  the  only  species  of  North  American  Yesperiilionida'  in  which 
I  have  found  any  sexual  differences  in  cutaneous  structures. 

RHOGEESSA  ALLENI  Thomas. 

1892.  L'hogeessa  uUeni  Thomas,  Ami.  &  Mag.  Nat.  Hist.,  6th  ser.,  X,  j).    477,  Decem- 
ber, 1892. 

Type  loealiti/. — Santa  Rosalia,  near  Autlan,  Jalisco,  Mexico.  Type 
in  British  Museum. 

Geographic  distrihiition. — Bhogeessa  alleni  is  known  from  the  type 
locality  only. 

Characters. — As  I  have  not  seen  the  type  and  only  known  specimen 
of  this  bat,  I  copy  Mr.  Thomas's  original  description: 

"Decidedly  larger  than  Bh.  parrula;  muzzle  obliquely  truncate  as 
in  that  species.  Ears  large,  laid  forward  they  reach  about  1  or  2  millim. 
beyond  the  nostrils;  their  inner  margin  very  convex  forwards  below, 
straight  or  even  slightly  concave  above;  tip  narrowly  rounded  off; 
outer  margin  concave  below  the  tip,  then  straight,  becoming  slightly 
convex  below,  outer  basal  lobe  but  little  marked.  Tragus  long,  its 
broadest  point  opposite  to  base  of  its  inner  edge;  inner  edge  straight 
or  slightly  concave,  tip  rounded,  outer  margin  slightly  convex,  the  edge 
indistinctly  crenulate,  somewhat  as  in  Antrozoiis  pallidns ;  a  marked 
lobule  at  the  base  of  the  outer  margin,  above  and  below  which  there  is 
a  concavity.  Thumb  very  short  and  thick,  no  longer  than  in  Bh.parvida. 
Posterior  edges  of  wing-membrane  bordered  with  white,  bifid  tip  to 
fourth  finger  unusually  distinct;  wings  from  the  base  of  the  fifth  toe; 
post-calcareal  lobe  small  and  narrow:  tip  of  calcar  projecting  slightly 
from  the  back  of  the  membrane;  tail  included  in  membrane  to  the 
extreme  tip.'' 


RHOGEESSA    ALLENI. 


129 


^^  Teeth. — Upper  incisors  one  on  each  side,  long,  slender,  nnicuspidj 
upper  premolars  large,  quite  close  to  tbe  canines;  no  trace  of  a  minute 
anterior  premolar.  Lower  incisors  six,  the  lour  median  ones  broad, 
tricuspid;  the  outer  ones  unicuspid,  exceedingly  minute,  i)ractically 
invisible  from  in  front,  and  scarcely  one-twentieth  of  the  size  in  cross 
section  of  the  median  incisors;  far  smaller  therefore  both  absolutely 
and  relatively  than  in  Eh.  parvula. 

"Dimensions  of  the  type  (an  adult  female  in  spirit): — 

"Head  and  body  47  millim;  tail  41;  ear  above  head  12.2,  from  notch 
10;  tragus,  inner  margin  7;  forearm  35;  thumb  5;  metacarpal  of  third 
finger  33.5;  lower  leg  15.5;  hind  foot  7.1;  calcar  15. 

"Skull  of  a  second  specimen:  Occiimt  to  gnathion  14.7;  greatest 
breadth  9.5;  distance  from  front  of  canine  to  back  of  m.  3  5.4." 

Measurements  of  specimens  of  lihogeissa. 


Xame. 


Locality. 


tumida Vera  Cruz :  Mii-ador 

Colima :  Colima 

C'olima 

Colima 

Oaxaca:  SaiitoDomingo. 
Guatemala:  Huehuetau. 

Honduras:  Patuca 

Patuca 

parvula i  Tres  Marias  Islands 

ininntilla Venezuela:      Margarita 

Islam). 

f/racilig Puebla :  Piastla 

Piaxtla 

Isthmus  of  Teliuantepec . 
alkni Jalisco:  Autlan 


8195'    J'  ad.  '65. 5  25. 4  10. 4   5.  129. 5   4. 8  57. 2  . 


-; 

, 

<u 

CS 

ffl 

p 

(O 

:p 

*" 

«M 

?.^ 

^ 

t[j 

'd 

o 

fA 

^ 

)7.2 

7.3 


12.  S   9.6  7 
12.4   9.4   7.4 


52102  9  ad.    75     34     12  5     29. 8  4     52 

52005  cfad.   170      Xi      11.4  5.4^0  4     52 

52060  cTad.    70     j30    ;11     |  5.428  4     51  jl2.6|9 

732G9  9a<l I. ...12  7     \s3  4.463  13. 6'  9. 6 

78600  cT  ad.    75     133     11. 4  6     30  -1. 6 .56  14       9 

21016  9  ad.    73     |30     12  6     30  4     55  12.6   9 

210171  ?  ad.  ]75     31      12.4  5.6  30  i     57  13     19 

7841  'rf  ad.    65.  5  29.  5  10.4  5.  3  27.4  4.148.5^ { 

63216  -'^  ad 25     11  5     25  3.6  51  111.8   8 


7U691  9  ad.  ,79  |38. 6 14  6 
70604  Vad.  82  41  1 14. 6  5 
11240'  ?  ad.  77  37  13  5 
1  sjad.    ....:41    i-...,  7.1 


4     60 
4.4  61 


58 


17 

16.6 

16 


11 

11.8 

II 


7 

7.2 

7 

7 

7 

6.4 

6.4 

10 
10 

9 

7 


'Type,  measurements  from  H.  Allen. 

2772— Is^o.  13 9 


'Typo. 


8  Type,  measurements  from  Thomas. 


INDEX  TO  GENERIC  AND  SPECIFIC  NAMES. 


[Names  iu  italicH  :ue  licre  I't-cognizecl  as  valid. 


abramus  {Fipiatnllufi),  lu. 
Ailelonycteri.s,  12,95. 

fiiscus,  39,  96. 
Aeorestes,  12,  55. 
atKiii.s  ( Vespertilio),  20,  38. 
agilis  (Ve.spertilio),  73. 
alancengif;  (ilifotie),  39,  40,  56,  63-64. 
albescens  (2[i/oti,s),  12,59,84. 
albescens  (  Vespertilio),  20,  39,  64,  66. 
alb!niilaris  (  Vesjiertilio),  20,  39,  41, 104. 
albigtilaris  (Vesperugo),  39. 104. 
albigularis  (Vespenis),  15,  20, 104. 
alboliinbatus  (Vesperugo),  20. 
alcytlioe  (X'cspertilio),  15,  95. 
allm!  (Rhnrjecssn),  20,  40,  41,  123,  128-129. 
aiuericaua  (Atalapha),  13,  20, 106. 
Antrozohtiv,  41. 
AntrozoHS,  12,  42. 

pacificus,  38,  40,  45-40. 

pallidus,  38,40,43-45. 
avi.stippe  (Vesperugo).  20. 
aristippe  (Vesperus).  15. 
anpiatus  (Vespertilio),  20,  96. 
Artibni^,\S. 
Atalapha,  13, 105, 115. 

araericaua,  13,  20, 106. 

borcalis,  106. 

laudata,  13. 

ciiierea,  40,  112. 

ega,  13. 

egregia,  13. 

frautzii,  25,  40,  111. 

fiis.;ata.  26. 

interniodia,  13,  40. 116. 

mexicana,31.  111. 

iioveboracensis,  39, 106. 

pfeitteri,  33.  39,  110. 

sewinola,  35, 109. 

sicula,  13. 

teliotis,  36,  39,  110. 
auduboni  (Vespertilio).  20,  86. 
awitdg  (Plecotus).  140. 
aiiiitns.  (Vespertilio),  18. 
mil  traliti  {I'ipi.strclliis),  39, 40,  90. 
aiistroriparius  ( Vesperrilio),  20,  60. 
Ixthaininsh  (  Vespertilio).  39,41,  101-102. 
Barbastella,  17. 

barbastellus  (Vespertilio).  17. 
beelisteiiiii  (Vespertilio),  16. 
belli  (Scotopbiliis),  21. 
blossevillei  (Scotophilus),  15. 


borealis  (Atalapha),  106. 
borealis  ( Laeiurus),  39,  41, 105-108. 
borealis  (Vespertilio),  21. 105. 
braelmiaiius  (Taphozous),  IS. 
Ijrachyotus,  13,  55. 
brevirostris  (Vespertilio),  21. 
calcaratus  (Vespertilio),  21. 
calif oniicHS  (J/i/ofis).  39.  40,  5().  69-72. 
ealifornicus  (Vespertilio),  21,  G9. 
caiiacciiiii  (Comastes).  13. 
carolii  (Vespertilio),  22,  38,  60. 
caroliuensis  (Vespertilio),  22,  96. 
carolinensis  (Vesperugo),  39,  01. 
Catcorus.  VJ,  95. 
caiidata  (Atalaplia).  l:i. 
caiiriniis  {Jliiotit),  39,  40,  56.  72. 
Clialinulobut!.  104. 
I   chrysonotus  (Vespertilio),  23,  77. 
ciliatus  (Vespertilio)  14. 
clliolabniia  (Myotis),  39,  40,  .56,  72-73. 
ciliolabruni  (Vespertilio),  23,  39,  72. 
ciiierea  (Atalapha),  40, 112. 
cinereus  ( Lasiiirui-),  40, 41, 105, 112-114. 
cinereus  (Vespertilio),  23, 112. 
Cuephieus,  13,  95. 
Cnepliaiophiliis,  13,  85. 

ferriigineiis.  13. 

niaeellus,  13. 

noctivagaua,  13. 

pellucidus,  13. 
Coiuastes,  13,  55. 

capaccinii,  13. 

dasyeuenie,  13. 

linmopbilus,  13. 

megapodius,  13. 
Cori/norhinus.  13.  49-50. 

wncrei'".  13.  38,  40,  51-52. 

pallescen.f.  "8.  40,  52-53. 

toimscndii,  38, 40,  52,  53-54. 
erassus  (Vespertilio),  23. 
ereeks  (Ve.spertilio),  24. 
erejiuscularis  (Nycticea),  24,  118. 
crepiiscularis  (Nycticejus),  40, 119. 
cubanug  (Xycticeitis),  iO,  41,  120-121. 
cubanus  (Vesperus),  24, 120. 
cubensis  (Scotophilus),  24,  102. 
cubensis  (  Venpertilio),  39,  41, 102,  103. 
cubensis  (Vesperugo),  102. 
cyanopterus  (Vespertilio), 24. 
cynocephalus  (Nycticea),  25. 
dasyeuenie  (Comastes),  13. 


131 


132 


INDEX. 


(lasyciu'me  (A'espertilio),  13. 
JDaiypterus,  13,  54, 115-116. 

intermedius,  40,  41, 116-118. 
daubeu'onii  (VeH]>ertilio),  ID. 
di.scolor  (Vespertili"),  19. 
discolor  ( V^esperiigo),  14, 19,  20. 
di.scolor  (Yesperiis),  15. 
dotnesticus  ( Vespcrtilio),  25. 
dutertreus  (Vespertilio),  25, 102. 
ega  (Atalaplia),  13. 
erjregia  (Atalapba),  13. 
Eptesicu-s,  13, 18,  95. 
nielanops,  14,  30,  96. 
nielas,  30. 
iiiydas,  14,  32. 
erytlirodactjlus  (Ve.spertilio),  25,  90. 
Enderma,  14,  46. 

maculatum,  14,  38,  40,  46-49. 
evoHs  (MyotU),  23, -39,  40,  56,  77-80. 
evotis  (Vespertilio),  25,  39, 77,  80. 
exili.s  (A'espertilio;,  25,  69. 
ferrugineiis  (Cnephaiophilus),  13. 
frantzii  (Atalaplia),  25,  40,  111. 
funebris  (Lasiiirus),  26. 106. 
fnseata  (Atalapba),  26. 
fuscus  ( Adelouycteri.s),  39,  96. 
fiiscus  (Scotopbilus),  39,  96. 
fnfcus  ( Vesperlilio),  26,  39,  40,  96-99. 
fuscus  (Vcsperus),  39,  96. 
georgianns  (Scotophilus),  39,  90. 
georgianus  (Vespertilio),  26,  29,  90. 
georgianus  (Vcsperugo),  39,  91. 
gracilis  {Khogecssa),  40,  41, 123, 126-128. 
greeuii  (Scotopbihis),  27,  96. 
gryphus  (Vespertilio),  27,  39,  60,  75. 
heiisbawii  (Vespertilio),  27,  39,  69. 
hesjients  {rijiistrellns).  39,  40, 88-90. 
hesperus  (Scotopbihis),  27,  39,  88. 
besperns  (Vesperugo),  39,  88. 
Histiotus,  14,  46. 

niaeulatus.  14,  30,  46. 
humcralis  (Xrjcticeitis),  16,  40,  41, 118-120. 
humeralis  (Vespertilio),  16, 27, 118. 
Hypexodoii,  14. 
mystax,  14. 
Hypsugo,  14,  87. 

incantus  (Vespertilio),  28.  56,  59. 
ijiteriuedia  (Atalapba),  13,  40, 116. 
interiiicdius  (Dasy2>terus),  40.  41, 116-118. 
iutennedius  (Lasiurus),  28,  40, 116. 
Isotus,  14.  55. 

keenii  ( 2ryotis),  39,  40, 56,  77. 
keenii  (^'espertilio),  28,  77. 
krascbeninikowii  (Vcsperugo).  14. 
ktihlii  (Scotox'hilus),  17. 
kublii  (Vesperugo),  15,  20. 
lanceolatus  (Vespertilio),  28. 
Lasionyctciis,  14.  54,  85. 

noctivag-ins,  39,  40,  86-87. 
Lasiurus,  14,  .54, 105, 115. 
horeaUs,  39,  41,  105-108. 
cinereus,  40,  41,  105, 112-114. 
funebris,  26. 106. 
intermedius,  28, 40, 116. 
mexicanvs.  40,  41, 105, 111-112. 
noveboracensis,  39, 106. 


Laxiurus,  pfeifferi,  39, 41, 105, 1 10. 
seminolus,  39,  41, 105, 109. 
teliotii,  39,  41, 105,  110-111. 
lasiurus  (Vespertilio),  28, 105. 
lasurus  (Vespertilio), 29, 105. 
lecontii  (Plecotus),  29,  51. 
leibii  (Vespertilio),  29. 
leisleri  (Pterygistes),  87. 
leisleri  (Vesperugo), 20. 
leporinus  (Vespertilio),  18. 
leptiirus  (Vespertilio),  17. 
leucippo  (Vesperugo),  20. 
leuci])pe  (Vesperus),  15. 
limnopbilus  (Comastes),  13. 
longicrus  (Myotis),  39,  40, 56,  64-65. 
longicrus  (Vespertilio),  29,  39,  64. 
lueifiigvs  (Myotis),  38,  40,  56,  59-63. 
lucifugus  (Vespertilio),  29,  38,  59,  60. 
luacellus  (Cuepbaiopbilus),  13. 
macleayii  (Scotopbilus),  30. 
macrojius  (Vespertilio),  30,  39,  66.  67. 
macrotis  [Corynorhirms),  13,  .38.  40,  51-52. 
macrotis  (Plecotu.s),  13,  30,  38,  51. 
macrotis  (Synotus),  38,51. 
maculatum  (Eudcrma),  14,  38,  40,46-49. 
maculalus  (Histiotus),  14,30,46. 
Marsipobvmns,  15,  20, 104. 
maurus  (Vesperugol,  14. 
Mcgaderma,  18. 
niegalotis  (Vespertilio),  30. 
melanops  (Eptesicus),  14,30,96. 
niegapodius  (Comastes>,  13. 
melanorbmns  (Vespertilio),  30,39,61). 
melauotus  (Vespertilio),  30. 
nielas  (Eptesicus).  30. 
merriami  (A'esperugo),  31,88. 
Meteorus,  15,  95. 
mexicana  (Atalajiba),  31,  111. 
mexicanus  (Lasiurus),  40,  41, 105, 111-112. 
mcxicanus  (ilyotis),  39,  40,  56,  73. 
7iiexicanus  (\'espertilio),  31,  73. 
minutilla,  (Rhogecssa),  123,125. 
miradoreniis  (Vespertilio),  39,40,99-100. 
miradoreusis  (Scotopbilus),  31,99. 
mouacbus  (Vespertilio),  31,106. 
inoiiticola  (Vespertilio),  31. 
nwrinus  (Tespcrtilio),  14, 15, 18, 19. 
iiiydas  (Eptesicus),  14,32. 
mydas  (Vespertilio),  32. 
Myotis,  15,  54,  55-56. 

alascensis,  39,  40,  56,  63-64. 

albescens,  12,  59,  84. 

caUfornievs,  39,  40,  56,  69-72. 

catirinus,  39, 40,  56,  72. 

ciliolahrum,  23,  39,  40,  56,  72-73. 

evotis.  23,  39,  40,  56,  77-80. 

keenii,  39,40,56,77. 

longicrus,  39,  40,  56,  64-65. 

hicifugus,  38,  40,  56,  59-63. 

mexicanus,  39, 40,  56,  73. 

myotis,  13, 15. 

nigricans,  12,  39,  40, 56,  74-75. 

saturatus,  39, 40,  56,  68-69. 

suhulatus,  36,  39, 40,  56.  75-76. 

thysanodes,  39,  40,  56,  80-85. 

velifer,  38,  40,  56-59. 


INDEX. 


133 


MyotU,  villosissimus,  ]2. 

yumancnsis  39,  40,  5t),  66-6S. 
myotis  (Myotin),  13,  15. 
niyotis  (Vespertilio).  15. 
mystaciims  (Vespertilio),  13,  17. 
niystiix  (Ilypexciloii),  H. 
iiiy.stax  (X(ictilio).  32. 
niystax  (Vespertilio),  32. 
Naimugo,  15,  87. 
iiatliusii  (Vcsperugo).  20. 
iiatiereri  (Vespertilio),  14,  15. 
ninricanf!  (Myotis).  12,  30,  40.  56,  74-75. 
nigricans  (Vespertilio).  32,  69,  74. 
iiil.ssoiii  (Vesperugo),  20. 
iiilssuui  ( Vesperii.s),  15. 
iiitidus  (Vespertilio),  32,39,60.69. 
X.cliU',  18. 

nij-stax,  32. 

novcljoraceiisis.  26. 
noctivagans  (Ciiephaiopliilus),  13. 
noctivagans  (Laiiionycterix),  ;!9,  40,  86-87. 
nottivagan.s  (St-otophilus),  39.  86. 
noctivagans  (Vespertilio).  14,  ^2,86. 
noctivagans  ( Vesperugo),  3?,  86. 
Xoctula,  15,95. 
noctnla  (Ptcryyistef,),  87. 
noctiila  (Vesperugo),  20, 104. 
Noctulinia,  87. 

novcboracensis  (Atalapba),  39,  106. 
uoveboraecusi.s  (Lasiurus),  39,106. 
novcboracensis  (Xoctilio),  26. 
novcboracensis  (Vespertilio),  32, 105. 
noveboracus  (Vespertilio),  32. 105. 
Xycticea.  16,  118. 

crepiisc'iilaris,  24. 118. 

cynocepbalus,  25. 
Xyc'.iccius,  15,  54,  118. 

cubanufi,40.  41,  120-121. 

huvieralii,  10,  40,  41,  118-120. 

tesselatus,  10. 
Nycticejus,  10,  118. 

crepuscularls,  40, 119. 
Xycticeus.  10, 118. 
Xycticeyx,  10,  118. 
Xyctikstes,  16. 

Si'rutiims,  10,  35. 
Xyctitherivm,  16. 

priicus,  33. 

velox,  37. 
Nyctopliiliis,  42. 
Nystactes,  16,  55. 
ohscunm  (Pipistrellus),  39,  40,  93. 
obscurus  (\'espertilio).  33,  69. 
oregonen^is  (Vespertilio),  33,  69. 
Pacliyotus,  15, 16. 

paci/icvt  {Antrozovs),  38,  40, 45,  46. 
palkfcens  {Corynoiiiintis),  38,  40.  52, 53. 
pallifiKg  (Antrozoui),  38,  40,  43-45. 
pallidns  (Vespertilio),  12,  33,  43. 
parvvla  (Phogecua).  17,  33,  40.  41,  123,  125-126. 
Varviilus  (Vesperugo),  40,  123.  125. 
pelh.citlus  (Cncpbaiophihis),  13. 
per.'^picniatus  (Vespertilio),  18. 
ptcifif  ri  (Atalapba),  33,  39,  ll(i. 
rfeiffeii  (I.athirva).  ?9.  41,  10.3,  110. 
pbaiops  (Vespertilio).  30,  33,  90. 


I'tpistielluf,  16,  54,  87-88. 

abramug,  10. 

australis,  39,  40,  EO. 

he>.perx(S,  39,  40,  88-90. 

obscurus,  39,  40,  93. 

pipistrellus,  88. 

iubfiavus,  35,  39,  40,  88,  90-92. 

vcrcecrucis,  39,  40,  88,  r3-95. 
pipistrelhis  {Pipigtrcllna).  ^9. 
pipistrellus  (Vesiiertilio),  16. 
pipistrellus  (Vesperugo),  15,  20. 
riecofiita;,4h46. 
Plecolut,  17, 18,  49. 

auritus,  140. 

lecontii,  29,  51. 

iuacroti.s,  13,  30,  38,  51. 

ratinesquii.  34. 

townsendii,  13,  37,  53. 

velatns,  14. 
priscus  {Nyctitherivm) ,  33. 
propinqxnis  (Veapertilio),  39.  40,  lOO-lol. 
propinquus  (Vesperugo),  30,  IdO-lOl. 
propinqiius  (Vespcrus).  33,  loO. 
proterus  (Vespertilio),  87. 
pruinosus  (.Scotopbilus),  15. 
pruinosus  (Vespertilio),  34, 112. 
Pterojiui,  18. 
PteryyUtes,  20.  87. 

leulcri,  87. 

noctida,  87. 
pulverulentua  (Vespertilio),  34,  80. 
ratinesquii  (Plecotus),  :'4. 
Rhogeesm  17.54,122-123. 

alleni.  20,  40.  41,  123, 128-129. 

gracilis,  40,  41,  123. 120-128. 

miiivUlla,  123,  125. 

parvula,  17,  33,  40,  41,  123.  125-120. 

tumida,  17,  37,40,  41, 123-125. 
Rhogoessa,  17, 122. 
rubellus  (Vespertilio),  34,  105. 
rubra  (Vespertilio),  34, 100. 
rut'us  (Tapbozous),  17. 
riifus  (Vespertilio).  34, 100. 
salaril  ( Vespertilio),  34. 
saturatus  (Myotis),  39,  40,  50,  08-6;). 
savii  (Vesperugo),  20. 
savii  ( Vesperus),  15. 
Scotopihihts,  17. 
Scotophilus,  85,  87,  95. 

bellil,  21. 

blossevillei,  15. 

cubensi-s.  24, 102. 

fuscus,  ;;9,  90. 

georgianus,  39, 90. 

grcenii,  27,  96. 

besperus,  27,  39,  88. 

kuhlii,  17. 

uiacleayii,  30. 

iniradorensis,  31, 99. 

noitivagans,  39,86. 

liruinosus,  15. 
Selysius,  17,  55. 
seininola  (Atalapba),  35, 109. 
seminolusiLayiuriis),  39,  41, 105, 1;;9. 
septentrionalis  (Ves])ertilio),  35,  75. 
serotimts  (Xyctileste.s),  16,35. 


134 


INDEX. 


sirotiniis  {Vespertilio),  99. 

serotimis  (Vesperugo),  20,39,95,06. 

serotinus  (Vesperus),  13. 

sicula  (Atalapba),  13. 

siiasnia  (Vespertilio),  18. 

siiectrum  (Vespertilio).  18. 

siibjiants  {FipistreUus).  35,  39, 40.  88.  90-92. 

subtiavus  (Vespertilio),  35.  90. 

itibulatia  (Myotis),  36.  39.  40,  56,  75-76. 

.snbulatns  (Vespertilio),  29,36,  39,  75. 

Synotus,  17,  49. 

macrotis,  38,  51. 

towiisendii,  38.  52. 
Taphozous,  17. 

braclimanus,  18. 

rufus,  17. 
teliotis  (Atalapba).  36.  39, 110. 
teliotis  (Lasiurus),  39.  41. 105, 110-111. 
tenuidorsalis  (V.esi)ertilio).  36,  69. 
tesselatus  (Xycticeius),  16. 
tesselatus  (Vespertilio),  36,  106. 
th!/ia7wdes  (J/i/ofi's).  39,  40,  56,  80-85. 
toirnsendii  ( Corynorhiniig),  38, 40,  52.  53-54. 
townseiulii  (Plecotns),  13.  37.53. 
to-wnsendii  (Sjnotus),  38,  52. 
tumida  (BhogeVssa).  17.  37,  40,  41, 123-125. 
ursimis  (Vespertilio),  37,  96. 
Tampynts,  18. 
vampyrus  (Vespertilio),  18. 
velatus  (Plecotns),  14. 
relifer  {2I;iotis).  38.  40, 56-59. 
velifer  ( Vesi>ertilio).  37,  38,  39,  56, 80. 
relox  {yyctitheriiim},  37. 
vercBcrucis  (Piputrelhis),  39, 40.  88, 93-95 
vera>crucis  (Vesperugo),  37,93. 
Tesperides,  18,  85. 
Vespertilio.  18,  54,  55,  95. 

affinis,  20,  3S. 

agilis,  73. 

albescens,  20,  39,  64,  66. 

alhigularis.  20,  39,  41. 104. 

alcytboe,  15,  95. 

arquatus.  20.  96. 

auduboni,  20.  86. 

auritus,  18. 

austroriparius,  21,  60. 

baha)iH'nsis.  39,41,  101-102. 

barbastellus,  17. 

becbsteinii,  16. 

borealis.  21, 105. 

brevirostris,  21. 

calcaratiis,  21. 

californicus,  21,  69. 

carolii,  22,  38.  60. 

carolinensis,  22, 96. 

cbrysoiiotus,  23, 77. 

ciliatus,  14. 

ciliolabrnm,  23.  39,72. 

cinereus,  23, 112. 

crassus,  23. 

creeks,  24. 

cubeiisis,  39, 41, 102-103. 

cyanopterns,  24. 

dasycneme,  13. 

daubentonii,  13. 

discolor,  19. 


VeiperliUn,  doniesticus.  25. 
diitertreiis,  2."),  102. 
erytlu  oclactylns,  25,  90. 
evotis.  25,  39,77,80. 
exilis,  25.  69. 
fuseuK,  26.  39.  40,  96-99. 
georgianiis,  26,  29,  90. 
grypbus,  27,  39,  60,  75. 
bensbawii,  27,  39,  69. 
liunieralis,  10.27.118. 
incaiitus,  28, 56,  59. 
keenii,  28,  77. 
lanceolatus,  28. 
lasiurns,  28, 105. 
lasurus,  29, 105. 
leibii.  29. 
leporinus,  IS. 
lepturns,  17. 
longicrus,  29,  39,  64. 
lucifngns,  29,38,59,60. 
niacropus,  30, 39,  66,  67. 
megalotis,  30. 
raelanorbinus,  30, 39, 69. 
melanotus,  30. 
niexicanns.  31,  73. 
miradoremis.  39,  40,  99-100. 
numacbus,  31, 106. 
nionticola,  31. 
imifinus.  14.  15,  18.  19. 
mydas,  32. 
myotis,  15. 
niystacinus,  13. 17. 
niystax,  32. 
nattereri,  14. 
nigricans.  32.  69,  74. 
nitidus.  32.39,66,69. 
uoctivagans,  14,32.86. 
noveboracensis,  32, 105. 
noveboracus,  32, 105. 
obscurus,  33,  69. 
oregonensis,  33,  69. 
pallidus,  12,  33, 43. 
perapicillatns,  18. 
pbaiops,  30,  33,  95. 
pipistrellus.  16. 
propinqmis.  39,40, 100-101. 
proterus,  87. 
pruiuosiis,  34, 112. 
piilrernlentns.  34,  86. 
nibellus,  34, 105. 
rubra,  34, 106. 
rufus.  34.  106. 
salarii,  34. 

septentrionalis,  35,  75. 
serotinus.  99. 
spasma.  18. 
spectrum.  18. 
subflavus.  35,  90. 
.subulatus,  29,  36,  39,  75. 
tenuidorsalis,  36.  69. 
tesselatus.  36,  106. 
urBinus,  37,  96. 
vampyrus.  18. 
vehfer.  37,38,39,56,80. 
villosissimus.  16. 
virginiauus,37. 


INDEX. 


135 


Veiipertilio.  volans.  38,  69. 

yumanensis.  3S.  39, 66.  69. 
Vespertilionidce,  41. 
Veirpertilionince.  41.  .54. 
Vespenigo,  19.  8.">.  87.  9.5. 

albigulari.s  39.  104. 

albolimbatus.  20. 

aristiiipe.  20. 

carolinen.sis.  .39.  91. 

cnbensis.  102. 

discolor.  14.  19.  20. 

georjianns.  39, 91. 

lie.*perus.  39.  88. 

kra.scheninikowii,  14. 

kablii,  15, 20. 

]ei8leri.  20. 

leucippe.  20. 

roaarus.  14. 

merriami.  31, 88. 

nathnsii.  20. 

uattereri.  14, 15. 

niUsoni.  20. 

noctiragans,  39.  86. 

noctala,  20, 104. 


Vesperngo.  parroluis.  40, 123. 125. 

pil»i»tr<-lln.«,  15.  20. 

propinquus.  39. 100-101. 

.sarii,20. 

serorintw.  20. 39. 95, 96. 

vera-cmcLs.  37.  93. 
Tespeni.-i,  20. 95. 

albignlari-s.  15, 20. 104. 

ari.stipi)e.  15. 

cubana.s.  24. 120. 

•Uscolor.  15. 

fn.-«-n.-.  39. 96. 

leacippe,  15. 

nilssoni,  15. 

propmqnn.s,  33.  lOO. 

savii.  15. 

serotinns,  13. 
viUogiigimusi  {ilyotii),  12. 
Tiilo.«is.«ijnn9  (Vespertilioi.  16. 
^nrginianiis  ( Vfesx)ertilio>..37, 
volan.s  ( Vespf-rtilio)  38.  69. 
yumanengia  {Mfiotiift.  39. 40, 56,  CC-Go. 
ynmanensis  ( Vesi)ertlIio),  38, 33,  C6,  CD. 


PLATE  I. 

[One  iiml  oiie-lialf  times  uatural  size.] 

Fig.  1.  Myoiis  relifer  (J.  A.  Allen).     Patzcnaro,  Micboacau,  Mexico. 
(No.  52179,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

2.  Mijotis  caVifoinicus  (•Audubon  ct  Bacbman).     Nicasio,  Cal. 

(No.  1512,  Meiriam  collection.) 

3.  Myoiis  niimaiiensis  (H.  Allen).     Tulare,  Cal. 

(No.  30709,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

4.  Nycticdiis  humeralis  Kafin('8(]ue.     Brownsville,  Tex. 

(No.  52613,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

5.  Myoiis  ihysanodes  Miller  (topotype).     Old  Fort  Tc.jon,  Cal. 

(29824,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

6.  Myoiis  eroiis  (H.  Allen).     Bull  Lake,  Wyoming. 

(No.  55846,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

7.  Ithogeiissa  gracilis  Miller  (type).     Piaxtla,  Puebla,  Mexico. 

(No.  70694,  T;.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 
X.  L'hoyei'ssa  tiimida  H.  Allen.     Colima,  Mexico. 

(No.  52065,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 
9.   Corynorliinits  macroiis  ioansendii  (Cooper).     Gold  Beacb,  Oregon. 

(No.  88542,  IT.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

10.  Antro^oiis  2)aUidiis  (Le  Coute).     .Sycamore  Creek,  Texas. 

(No.  24155,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

11.  Eudervia  macnlatuvi  (.1.  A.  Allen)  (type).     Veutura  County,  Cal. 

(No.  :j;ii';.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.) 

12.  lihogei'ssa  (jracilis  Miller  (type).     Piaxtla,  Puebla,  Mexico. 

(No.  70694,  \:.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

13.  lihogeiissa  iumida  H.  Allen.     Colima,  Mexico. 

(No.  52065,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

14.  Nyciiceius  humeralis  Ratinesqne.     I5rowusville,  Tex. 

(No.  52613,  U.  a.  Nat.  Mus.) 
136 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  13. 


Plate  I. 


1.  Myotis  velifer. 

2.  Myotis  californicus. 

3.  Myotis  !/iiinanensis. 

4.  Nyrficeiii.'i  Jnimeralis. 

5.  Mi/otis  tliyaanoden. 
0.  Myotis  (Totis. 

7.  RhoyeHssa  gracilis. 


8.  Rhogeessa  tumida 

9.  Corynorhinus  macrotis  townsendi. 

10.  Antrozous  pallidus. 

11.  Euderma  maculatum. 
\9.  Rhogeessa  gracilis. 
1.3.  Rhogeessa  tumida. 

14.  Nycticeius  humeralis. 


PLATE  II. 

[One  and  oiic-balf  times  uatiu-al  size.] 

Fig.  1.  Miioiis  californiciis  (Aiidubou  &  Bachmaii).     Nicasio,  Cal. 
(No.  1.512,  Merriani  collection.) 

2.  Mi/oiis  iinmatiensis  (H.  Allen).     Tulare,  Cal. 

(U.  S.  Nat.  Mas.) 

3.  Mi/ofls  ei'otiff  (H.  Allen).     Bull  Lake,  Wyoming. 

(No.  55846,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mns.) 

4.  Mi/otis  erotis  (H.  Allen).     Perote,  Vera  (!ruz,  Mexico. 

(No.  88.541,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mns.) 

5.  MijoHh  Ihijsanodes  Miller  (type).     Old  Fort  Tejou,  Californi£ 

(No.  29827,  IT.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

6.  Mjiotis  relifer  (J.  A.  Allen).  Patzcnaro,  Michoacan,  Mexico. 

(No.  52282,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 
138 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  13. 


Plate  II. 


1.  Mijol is  calif ornicus. 

2.  MyoTis  yumanenxis. 

3.  Myotisevotis  (.Bull  Lake,  Wyo.). 


4.  Myotis  evotis  fPerote,  Mexico). 

5.  Myotis  tliyscniodes. 

6.  Myotis  velifer. 


PLATE  III. 

[Two- thirds  natural  size.] 

Fig.  1.  Flecotiis  auritus  (Linn.).     Hollsteig,  Baden,  Germany. 
(No.  4495,  Miller  collection.) 

2.  Corijnorh'iuns  macroiis pallescens  Miller.     Owens  Lake,  Cal. 

(Xo.  28954,  U.  S.  Nat.  :\[us.) 

3.  Euderma  maciilatum  (J.  A.  Allen)  (type).     Ventura  County,  Cal. 

(No.  f  ;Ji?,  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.) 

4.  Lasiitriis  einereus  (Beauvois).     Vegas  Valley,  Nevada. 

(No.  27976,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 
140 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  13. 


Plate  III. 


1.  Plecotus  auritus. 

2.  Coryiiorhinus  niacrotis  pallfsceiis. 


:i.  Eudemia  maculatuin. 
■i    Lasiuras  cinereiis. 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  14. 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT   OF  AGRICULTURE 
DIVISION  OF  BIOLOGICAL  SURVEY 


FORTH  AMERICAN  FAUIA 


]sro.  14 


[Actual  data  of  publication,  April  29,  1899] 


t^Zi- 


NATURAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  TRES  MARIAS  ISLANDS,  MEXICO 

General  Account  of  the  Islands,  ^vith  Reports  on  Mammals  and 

Birds.     By  E.  W.  Nelson 
Reptiles  of  the  Tres  Marias,     liy  Lkoxhakd  Stejneger 
Notes  on  Crustacea  of  the  Tres  Marias.     By  Mary  J.  Rathbun 
Plants  of  the  Tres  Marias.     By  J.  N.  Rose 
Bibliography  of  the  Ties  Marias.     By  E.  W.  Nelson 


Prepared  under  tlie  direction  of 

Dr.    C.    HART     MERRIAM 

CHIEF   OK    DIVISION   OF   BIOLOGICAL    SUIIVEY 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT     PRINTING     OFFICE 
1899 


^AaJ^/L'  J>S 0<A^A.yiyvUAjjL^ 


570 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


TJ.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

Division  of  Biological  Survey, 

Washington,  D.  C,  January  25,  1899. 

Sir  :  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  for  publication  as  North 
American  Fauna  No.  14  a  report  by  E.  W.  Nelson  on  the  natural  his- 
tory of  the  Tres  Marias  Islands,  Mexico.  These  islands  are  the  largest 
off  the  west  coast  between  Cape  St.  Lucas  and  the  Isthmus  of  Panama, 
but  have  seldom  been  visited,  and  very  little  is  known  of  their  fauna 
or  flora.  For  several  years  Mr.  Nelson  has  had  charge  of  the  field 
work  of  the  Biological  Survey  in  Mexico,  and  in  May,  1897,  visited 
the  Tres  Marias.  During  the  course  of  this  visit  he  made  a  thorough 
collection  of  birds  and  mammals  and  also  secured  specimens  of  reptiles, 
fishes,  mollusks,  crustaceans,  and  plants,  so  that  his  report  contains  a 
fairly  complete  account  of  the  natural  history  of  the  islands.  In  work- 
ing up  the  material  collected,  Mr.  Nelson  has  had  the  assistance  of 
several  well  known  naturalists  in  the  United  States  National  Museum 
and  United  States  Fish  Commission,  who  have  prepared  reports  on 
special  groups,  as  credited  in  detail  on  page  13. 

Mention  should  be  made  also  of  the  unfailing  courtesy  and  interest 
of  the  Mexican  Government  in  the  investigations  conducted  by  the 
Biological  Survey  in  Mexico.  Letters  have  been  furnished  by  ofiQcials 
in  the  City  of  Mexico,  and  by  the  late  Mexican  minister  in  Washing- 
ton, Sefior  Don  Matias  Romero,  which  greatly  facilitated  the  work  in 
various  ways,  and  on  the  occasion  of  the  visit  to  the  Tres  Marias 
euabled  Mr.  Nelson  to  borrow  a  large  boat  at  San  Bias  and  secure 
comfortable  quarters  on  the  islands. 

Several  attempts  at  agriculture  have  been  made  on  the  Tres  Marias 
Islands,  but  the  results  have  thus  far  been  unsuccessful,  owing  to  the 
dry  climate  and  the  scarcity  of  permanent  water.  Corn  and  beans 
have  been  grown  on  a  small  scale,  but  the  crops  suffer  from  the  severe 
storms  which  occur  at  certain  seasons.  Experiments  have  been  made 
with  a  view  to  utilizing  the  native  species  of  agave  for  fiber  and  mes- 
cal, and  the  cultivation  of  cotton  has  also  been  tried  without  success. 
Recently  it  has  been  proposed  to  establish  an  American  colony  on  one 
of  the  islands  for  the  purpose  of  growing  coffee,  bananas,  Australian 

3 


4  LETTER    OF    TRANSMITTAL. 

chestnuts,  aud  date  palms,  and  to  engage  in  the  manufacture  of 
banana  and  chestnut  flour.  Such  a  scheme,  Mr.  Nelson  tells  me,  could 
only  result  in  failure,  as  the  islands  are  entirely  unsuited  to  growing 
these  products.  It  therefore  seems  desirable  to  publish  at  once  all  the 
information  in  the  possession  of  the  Department,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  it  available  to  those  who  may  be  interested  in  the  islands  or 
their  products. 

Eespectfully, 

C.  Hart  Merriam, 

Chief  J  Biological  ISurvey. 
Hon.  James  Wilson, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture. 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

General  d«^scription  of  the  Tres  Marias  Islands,  Mexico.     By  E.  W.  Nelson 7 

Mammals  of  the  Tres  Marias  Islands.     By  E.  W.  Nolson 15 

Birds  of  the  Tres  Marias  Islands.     By  E.  W.  Nelson 21 

Reptiles  of  the  Tres  Marias  Islands.     By  Leonhard  Stejneger 63 

Notes  on  Crustacea  of  the  Tres  Marias  Islands.     By  Mary  J.  Rathbun 73 

Plants  of  the  Tres  Marias  Islands.     By  J.  N.  Rose 77 

Partial  Bibliography  of  the  Tres  Marias  Islands.     By  E.  W.  Nelson 93 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PLATE. 
Map  of  the  Tres  Marias  Islands Frontispiece. 


FIGURES. 

Page. 

1.  Erythrina  lanata  Rose 81 

2.  Euphorbia  nelsoni  Millspangh 89 

5 


No.  14.  NOETH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.    April  29, 1899. 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  TRES  MARIAS  ISLANDS,  MEXICO. 

By  E.  W.  Nelson. 
INTRODUCTION. 

The  Tres  Marias  islands  are  situated  off  the  west  coast  of  Mexico, 
about  Go  miles  west  from  the  port  of  San  Bias.  These  islands  have 
been  known  since  early  in  the  history  of  the  i^ew  World,  and  in  1532 
were  named  Las  Islas  de  la  Magdalena  by  Diego  de  Mendo/a.  Many 
of  the  early  explorers  sailed  about  them,  and  Dampier  states  that 
they  were  familiar  to  the  buccaneers  who  visited  these  shores.  They 
are  mentioned  by  several  of  the  later  voyagers,  especially  the  English 
exploring-  expeditions  which  visited  the  west  coast  of  Mexico  in  the 
first  half  of  the  present  century.  During  all  this  time,  however,  they 
remained  uninhabited  and  nothing  definite  was  known  or  published 
concerning  their  character  or  products.  It  is  said  at  San  Bias  that  the 
first  men  who  lived  upon  the  islands  were  bandits,  who  took  refuge 
there,  and  had  a  secure  retreat  from  which  they  harried  the  mainland 
settlements  for  several  years.  Finally,  the  abundance  of  Spanish 
cedar  became  known,  a  settlement  of  woodcutters  was  established  on 
Marie  Madre,  and  this  island  has  since  been  continuously  inhabited. 

Col.  A.  J.  Grayson,  a  naturalist  who  lived  for  many  years  on  the  west 
coast  of  Mexico,  was  the  first  to  publish  any  detailed  information  about 
the  islands.'  Most  of  this  information  is  contained  in  the  various  paj)ers 
embodying  the  results  of  his  three  trij)s  to  the  Tres  Marias  in  1865,  '06, 
and  '67,  published  by  himself,  George  K.  Lawrence,  and  W.  E.  Bryant. 
In  1881  Alphonse  Forrer,  a  natural  history  collector,  spent  some  time  on 
Maria  Madre  collecting  specimens  for  the  British  Museum,  but  no  de- 
tailed account  of  his  work  has  been  published.  No  other  naturalist  is 
known  to  have  visited  the  islands  until  the  spring  of  1807.  In  April  of 
that  year  Mr.  E.  A.  Goldman  and  I  visited  the  port  of  San  Bias  for  the 

'  Mr.  John  Xantus,  who  spent  several  years  subsequent  to  1859  on  the  west  coast  of 
Mexico,  was  supposed  to  have  visited  the  islands,  on  account  of  several  specimens 
of  birds  which  he  sent  to  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  labeled  "Tres  Marias  Islands, 
1861."  But  as  no  one  else  has  collected  any  of  these  species,  and  as  Xantus  sent  in 
no  birds  which  have  been  taken  by  others  on  the  islands,  it  is  safe  to  concludt;  that 
he  did  not  visit  the  Tres  Marias. 

7 


8  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 

purpose  of  outfitting  an  expedition  to  the  Tres  Marias.  A  letter  to  the 
collector  of  customs  at  San  Bias,  kindly  furnished  me  by  the  Mexican 
Minister  in  Washington,  the  late  Don  Matias  Romero,  proved  of  the 
greatest  service.  The  collector  of  customs  rendered  every  assistance 
in  his  power,  including  the  loan  of  a  large  open  boat  25  feet  long,  and 
a  letter  to  his  deputy  which  secured  us  very  pleasant  quarters  in  the 
custom  house  on  Maria  Madre.  While  iireparations  for  the  trip  were 
in  progress  a  party  from  Socorro,  N.  Mex.,  consisting  of  Prof.  0.  L. 
Herrick,  his  son  Harry,  and  Dr.  T.  S.  Maltby  arrived  at  San  Bias,  also 
bound  for  the  Tres  Marias,  and  we  made  the  trip  together.  On  the 
evening  of  April  28  the  boat  crept  out  of  the  lagoon,  and  by  the  aid  of 
a  faint  land  breeze  edged  slowly  oft"  shore.  The  islands  came  in  sight 
the  next  morning,  but  it  was  impossible  to  reach  them  for  several  days, 
owing  to  calms,  head  winds,  and  the  lack  of  a  keel  to  the  boat.  The 
stock  of  water  was  on  the  point  of  exhaustion  when  Maria  Madre  was 
finally  reached,  three  days  later,  on  the  afternoon  of  May  2. 

The  landing  was  made  at  the  settlement  at  the  head  of  a  shallow 
bay  on  the  east  side  of  the  island.  Our  letters  secured  a  cordial 
welcome  from  the  customs  inspector  and  the  agent  of  the  owner  of  the 
islands.  In  a  couple  of  hours  the  outfit  was  snugly  installed  on  the 
broad  upper  verandas  of  the  custom  house,  where  our  headquarters 
were  located.  Collections  were  made  near  this  place,  the  island  trav- 
ersed both  on  foot  and  horseback,  and  on  May  20  a  boat  trip  was  made 
to  the  north  end  of  the  island  and  across  to  San  Juanito.  On  May  23 
the  party  returned  to  the  settlement,  and  two  days  later  proceeded  to 
Maria  Magdalena,  where  camp  was  made  near  the  beach  for  four  days. 
On  May  29  we  crossed  to  Maria  Cleofa,  where  we  remained  two  days, 
and  then  started,  May  31,  on  the  return  to  the  mainland.  The  wind  was 
fair,  and  a  quick  trip  was  made,  San  Bias  being  reached  on  the  evening 
of  June  1. 

When  Colonel  Grayson  visited  the  islands,  in  1865,  he  found  a  settle- 
ment on  Maria  Madre,  but  the  other  islands  uninhabited.  In  the 
spring  of  1897  there  was  a  branch  custom-house,  with  three  inspectors, 
at  the  main  settlement  on  Maria  Madre,  which  had  supervision  of  the 
shipment  of  salt  and  Spanish  cedar.  The  settlement  contained  about 
twenty-five  families,  all  of  whom,  except  the  customs  inspectors,  were 
in  the  service  of  the  owner  of  the  islands,  Senora  Gil  de  Azcona, 
who  lived  in  the  city  of  Tei)ic,  on  the  mainland.  In  May  and  June 
the  workmen  are  employed  in  salt-making  at  a  lagoon  near  the  south 
point  of  the  island,  where  there  is  a  small  group  of  houses.  The  rest 
of  the  year  they  are  occupied  in  cutting  cedar  and  hauling  it  to  the 
beach  for  shipment.  The  available  supply  of  this  valuable  timber  is 
now  approaching  exhaustion.  Subseqnent  to  Grayson's  visit  a  settle- 
ment of  woodcutters  was  made  on  the  northeast  side  of  Maria  Magda- 
lena, and  a  number  of  houses  were  built  and  a  field  cleared.  We 
found  the  place  deserted,  the  houses  in  ruins,  and  the  field  overgrown 
with  thorny  bushes. 


GENERAL    DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS.  \) 

The  amount  of  laud  suitable  for  agriculture  upon  the  islands  is  very 
limited  and  forms  but  a  small  percentage  of  tbe  total  area.  A  few 
cattle  are  raised  on  Maria  Madre,  but  tbe  scanty  berbage  and  great 
scarcity  of  water  during  the  long  dry  season  limit  this  industry  to  tbe 
most  insignificant  proportions.  Tbere  is  a  small  field  near  tbe  settle- 
ment, wbere  coarse  grass  is  grown  for  stock.  Attempts  bave  been 
made  to  grow  corn  and  beans  to  supply  tbe  residents,  but  tbe  fierce 
summer  storms  of  wind  and  rain,  called  'cbubascos,'  wbicb  beat  tbe 
crops  to  tbe  ground,  bave  rendered  tbese  efforts  futile.  At  present 
all  food  supplies  are  brougbt  from  tbe  mainland.  A  number  of  years 
ago  a  house  was  built  and  a  field  cleared  and  fenced  near  tbe  north 
end  of  tbe  island  for  tbe  purpose  of  growing  cotton.  A  warehouse 
was  also  built  at  tbe  main  settlement,  but  after  a  trial  tbe  owner  was 
forced  to  abandon  the  industry,  tbe  field  and  house  were  deserted,  and 
the  place  is  now  overgrown  with  bushes.  Subsequently  it  was  proposed 
to  utilize  the  agaves,  which  grow  abundantly  near  tbe  north  end  of  the 
island,  for  fiber  and  for  distilling  from  their  fleshy  bases  the  alcoholic 
product  known  as  'mescal.'  Machinery  was  obtained,  but  the  owner 
died  before  the  industry  was  exploited. 

In  winter  tbe  weather  is  dry  and  pleasant,  and  small  coasting  steam- 
ers stop  every  now  and  then  to  take  on  wood  for  fuel,  and  sailing 
vessels  call  for  Spanish  cedar  or,  in  spring,  for  salt.  In  May  the 
inhabitants  are  obliged  to  lay  in  a  stock  of  provisions  sufficient  for 
several  months,  as  they  are  practically  cut  off"  from  communication 
with  the  mainland  during  summer,  when  the  islands  are  avoided  on 
account  of  tbe  storms  that  sweep  over  them.  Many  objects  drift  out 
jfrom  the  Gulf  of  California  after  storms  and  are  cast  up  on  tbe  shores. 
In  September,  1890,  a  great  tornado  of  wind  and  rain  swept  over 
northern  Sinaloa  and  tbe  Gulf  of  California;  the  coast  lowlands  were 
devastated  by  tbe  flooded  rivers,  and  crops  and  forests  were  alike 
overwhelmed  and  swept  to  sea.  In  May,  1897,  tbe  shore  of  Maria 
Madre  was  still  strewn  with  cornstalks,  driftwood,  and  other  wreckage 
that  had  been  stranded  after  this  storm. 

Our  obligations  to  the  collector  of  customs  at  San  Bias  and  his  agent 
on  Maria  Madre  have  already  been  mentioned,  and  acknowledgments 
are  due  also  to  the  owner  of  the  islands,  Senora  Gil  de  Azcona,  whose 
letter  procured  us  the  use  of  horses  and  other  courtesies. 

PHYSIOGRAPHY. 

The  Tres  Marias  are  situated  between  latitude  21°  and  22°  and 
longitude  106°  and  107°  (see  frontispiece).  Between  the  islands  and 
the  mainland,  20  miles  offshore,  lies  Isabel  Island,  only  about  a  mile 
long  and  150  feet  high.  The  soundings  in  the  channel  between  the 
mainland  and  tbe  islands  gradually  deepen  to  less  than  300  fathoms, 
but  just  west  of  tbe  grouj)  the  sea  bottom  drops  rapidly  to  more  than 
1,500  fathoms.  Tbe  absence  of  a  deep  channel  shows  that  they  are 
continental  islands,  as  distinguished  from  the  oceanic  Eevillagigedo 
group,  farther  west. 


10  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

The  Tres  Marias  group  comprises  four  islands,  San  Juanito,  Maria 
Madre,  Maria  Magdalena,  and  Maria  Oleofa,  arranged  in  a  northwest 
and  southeast  direction.  Maria  Madre,  the  largest,  measures  about 
8  by  15  miles,  and  rises  over  2,000  feet  above  the  sea,  North  of  this, 
and  separated  from  it  by  a  channel  4  miles  wide  and  5  or  6  fathoms 
deep,  is  San  Juanito,  an  islet  3  or  4  miles  in  diameter  and  about  100 
feet  high.  Kext  southeast  of  Maria  Madre  is  Maria  Magdalena, 
roughly  triangular  in  outline  and  7  or  8  miles  across,  with  its  central 
summit  rising  to  an  altitude,  of  about  1,500  feet.  A  shallow  channel 
8  miles  wide  separates  it  from  Maria  Madre.  Southeast  of  Maria  Mag- 
dalena lies  Maria  Cleofa,  the  last  of  the  group.  It  is  irregularly 
rounded  in  outline,  about  3  miles  across,  and  its  altitude  is  apparently 
much  less  than  1,320  feet,  as  given  on  the  charts.  The  channel  between 
the  two  last-named  islands  is  about  12  miles  wide  and  much  deeper 
than  the  others. 

"With  the  exception  of  San  Juanito,  which  is  nearly  flat  with  a  narrow 
border  of  low  bluffs  along  the  north  shore,  the  islands  are  mountainous 
and  rise  in  successive  slopes  from  the  shore  to  the  culminating  point 
near  the  center.  The  interior  of  Maria  Madre  is  occupied  by  a  moun- 
tainous ridge  extending  almost  the  entire  length  of  the  island,  but 
descending  to  a  gently  sloping  area  near  each  end.  The  eastern  side 
of  the  island  has  the  longer  slope,  while  the  westward  or  seaward  face 
is  much  more  abrupt,  thus  corresponding  with  the  formation  of  the 
mountains  parallel  to  the  coast  on  the  adjacent  mainland.  Both  slopes 
of  the  island  are  scored  at  intervals  with  canyons  which  usually  descend 
in  a  nearly  direct  line  to  the  sea.  Maria  Magdalena  and  Maria  Cleofa 
are  occupied  by  a  central  mountainous  elevation,  from  which  canyons 
descend  in  all  directions  to  the  sea.  The  northeastern  points  of  both 
these  islands  are  low,  flat,  sandy  areas  of  limited  extent,  and  the  west- 
ern faces  are  rocky  and  precipitous.  Permanent  fresh  water  is  very 
scarce  on  all  the  islands.  There  are  three  little  streams  on  Maria 
Madre,  which  sink  several  miles  from  the  sea  during  the  dry  season, 
and  one  each  on  Maria  Magdalena  and  Maria  Cleofa. 

The  relative  situation  of  the  islands,  with  the  narrow,  shallow  chan- 
nels between  them,  shows  conclusively  that  at  one  time  they  formed  a 
single  island  at  least  45  or  50  miles  long,  and  at  a  still  earlier  stage  they 
must  have  been  connected  with  the  mainland.  One  of  the  strong- 
est proofs  of  this  former  connection  is  shown  by  the  correspondence 
between  the  fauna  and  flora.  The  breaking  down  of  the  original  island 
into  several  smaller  ones  and  the  evident  continuous  encroachment  of 
the  sea  appear  to  indicate  that  the  subsidence  is  still  in  progress.  The 
country  back  of  the  coast  on  the  mainland  was,  within  a  comparatively 
recent  period,  the  scene  of  great  volcanic  activity,  and  the  Tres  Marias 
bear  evidence  of  having  undergone  various  oscillations  in  level.  On 
Maria  Madre  there  are  great  beds  of  marine  deposits,  hundreds  of  feet 
above  sea  level,  containing  quantities  of  shells  and  corals  of  species 
now  living  along  the  shore.     Isabel  Island,  near  the  mainland,  is  of 


GENERAL    DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS.       11 

volcauic  origin  and  exhibits  similar  evidence  of  having-  once  been  a 
much  larger  island  which  is  now  sinking.  Apparently  it  consists  mainly 
of  the  remains  of  an  old  volcano,  and  a  small  crater  still  occupies  the 
center  of  the  island.  Although  no  craters  were  seen  on  the  Tres 
Marias,  yet  there  are  lavas  and  other  volcanic  rocks  on  all  the  islands, 
but  a  large  part  of  the  formation  is  made  up  of  other  rocks  elevated  by 
the  volcauic  uplift. 

FAUNA. 

The  Tres  Marias,  like  the  adjacent  coast,  lie  within  the  Arid  Tropical 
life  zone.  The  evidence  furnished  by  the  fauna  of  the  former  connec- 
tion of  the  Tres  Marias  with  the  mainland  is  as  follows:  Six  species 
of  land  shells  were  obtained,  which,  according  to  Dr.  William  H.  Dall, 
are  widely  distributed  on  the  mainland.  These  sj)ecies  are  Folygyra 
ventrosula  Pfr.,  Orthalicus  undatus  Brug.,  Orthalicus  undatus  melano- 

cheilus  Yal.,  LameUaris ?,  Opeas  suhula  Pfr.,  and  Glandina  turris, 

Pfr.  A  fresh- water  fish  taken  on  Maria  Magdalena  and  Maria  Cleofa 
has  been  identified  by  Prof.  B.  W.  Evermann  as  Agonostomus  nasiitus 
Giinther,  a  common  species  on  the  mainland.  In  fresh-water  pools  on 
Maria  Magdalena  two  or  three  individuals  of  another  small  fish  were 
seeu,  which  were  very  similiar  to  common  mainland  species  of  Atvaous, 
and  undoubtedly  belong  to  this  or  a  closely  allied  genus.  Six  of  the 
seven  species  of  lizards  inhabit  the  mainland,  and  only  one  is  peculiar 
to  the  islands;  the  mud  turtle  and  crocodile  are  also  found  on  the 
mainland,  as  are  the  eight  species  of  snakes.  Concerning  the  reptilian 
fauna  Dr.  Stejneger  remarks:  "Thus  most  of  the  species  are  common 
on  the  opposite  mainland  and  generally  distributed  over  tropical  Mexico 
and  Central  America.  Then  again  it  seems  as  if  the  species  are  i)rac- 
tically  identical  on  all  the  islands  of  the  group.  This  would  indicate 
a  comparatively  recent  severance  of  these  islands  from  each  other,  as 
well  as  from  the  opposite  mainland  of  Mexico." 

The  birds  and  mammals  seem  to  have  been  more  susceptible  to  modi- 
fying influences  than  other  forms  of  life.  Thirty-six  species  of  resident 
laud  birds  were  found  on  the  group,  of  which  twelve  are  identical  with 
those  on  the  mainland,  and  twenty-four  can  be  distinguished  specifically 
or  subspecifically.  We  found  ten  species  of  indigenous  mammals,  seven 
of  which,  acccording  to  Dr.  Merriam,  are  peculiar  to  the  islands,  but 
closely  related  to  sjjecies  living  on  the  mainland. 

ANIMALS   PECULIAR   TO   THE   TRES  MARIAS. 

So  far  as  known,  the  following  species  and  subspecies  (with  the  excep- 
tion of  Compsothlypis  insularis)  are  peculiar  to  the  islands : 

MAMMALS. 

Marmosa  insularis  Merriam.  Procyon  lotor  insularis  Merriam. 

Oryzomys  nelsoni  Merriam.  Ehogei'ssa  imrvula  H.  Allen. 

Peromyscus  madrensis  Merriam.  Glossopliaga  mutica  Merriam. 
Lepua  graysoni  Allen. 


12 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


Columha  flavirosirls  madrensls  Nelson. 
Leptotilit,  capitalis  Nelson. 
Biiteo  horcalis  fumoSHS  Nelson. 
rolyboriis  cheriwaij  pallidiis  Nelson. 
Psittacula  iyisularis  Ridgway. 
Trogon  amhiguus  goldmavi  Nelson. 
Drijohates  scalaris  graysoni  Baird. 
Nyctidromus  albicolJis  insularis  Nelson. 
Amazilia  graysoni  Lawrence. 
lache  Imvrencei  Ridgway. 
Platypsaris  agJaioc,  insularis  (Ridgway). 
My io^yagis placet! s  minimus  Nelson. 
Icterus  graysoni  Cassin. 


Cardinalis  cardinalis  mari(v.  Nelson. 
Piranga  hidentata  Jlammea  (Ridgway). 
Virco Jlaroriridis  forreri  (Von  Madnrasz). 
Virco  hypochryseus  sordidus  Nelson. 
Compsothlypis  insularis  (Lawrence).     Oc- 
curs also  on  the  mainland  near  San  IJlas. 
Granatellus  francesca;  Baiid. 
Thryotlioriis  lawrencii  (Ridgway). 
Thryothorus  lawrencii  magdalena  Nelson. 
Melanotis  cwrulescens  longirostris  Nelson. 
Myadestes  ohscurus  insularis  Stejneger. 
Merula  graysoni  Ridgway. 


Cneniidophorus  mariarum  Giinther. 


KKPTILES. 


FLORA. 


The  islands  were  visited  near  the  end  of  the  long  dry  season,  when 
most  of  the  herbaceous  plants  were  withered  and  lifeless,  but  repre- 
sentatives of  13G  species,  largely  shrubs  and  trees,  were  secured. 

The  general  appearance  of  the  vegetation  was  the  same  as  that  in 
similar  situations  on  the  mainland.  Among  the  most  notable  plants 
were  the  Spanish  cedar  (Cedrela),  three  species  of  wild  fig  {Ficus),  two 
of  Pithecolohium,  five  of  Solnnum,  two  of  Ipomoca,  a  Passijiora,  cassias, 
euphorbias,  a  large  agave,  a  large  cereus,  and  two  oj)untias. 

On  San  Juanito  the  vegetation  is  largely  made  up  of  bushes  and 
scrubby  trees  8  to  15  feet  high,  with  many  agaves  on  the  sandy  southern 
end.  Agaves  are  very  numerous  also  on  the  northern  end  of  Maria 
Madre.  On  the  latter  island  the  forest  is  rather  low  and  scrubby  near 
the  shore,  but  increases  in  luxuriance  farther  up  the  slopes,  especially 
along  the  bottoms  and  sides  of  the  canyons,  where  Spanish  cedars,  wild 
figs,  and  several  other  trees  attain  a  large  size.  In  its  primeval  con- 
dition, before  the  advent  of  woodcutters,  it  must  have  presented  a  fine 
example  ot  tropical  forest  growth.  Now,  only  a  few  specimens  remain 
to  show  what  the  original  condition  must  have  been.  Along  the  sum- 
mit of  the  island  the  dense  forest  is  made  up  of  slender-trunked  trees, 
called  'palo  prieto'  by  the  natives,  which  I  was  unable  to  identify. 
On  Maria  Magdalena  the  conditions  were  similar  to  those  on  Maria 
Madre,  but  a  larger  percentage  of  the  original  forest  still  remains  intact, 
although  the  Spanish  cedars  are  mainly  gone.  Maria  Cleofa  is  more 
rocky  and  sterile,  and  the  trees  are  stunted  and  brushy.  Several  spe- 
cies found  on  the  other  islands  appeared  to  be  wanting  here.  The 
report  on  the  plants  shows  that  the  flora  of  the  islands  is  very  similar 
to  that  of  the  mainland,  and  the  fact  that  several  new  species  were 
found  may  be  due  to  our  imperfect  knowledge  of  the  mainland  flora. 


GENERAL   DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS.       13 


PLANTS   DESCKIBED    FROM    THE    TRES    MARIAS. 


MgipMla  pacifica  Greeuman. 

Btlopirone  nelsoni  Greenman. 

Bujcus  pubescens  Greenman, 

Cordia  insularis  Greenman. 

Erythrina  lanata  Rose  sp.  nov.  (also  on 

mainland). 
Euphorhia  nelsoni  Millspaugli. 
Euphorbia    subcwriilea    tresmariw   Millsp. 

var.  nov. 


Gilibertia  msularis  Rose  sp.  nov. 
Pilocarpus  insularis  Rose,  sp.  nov. 
Ternostroemia  maltbya  Rose  sp.  nov.  (also 

on  mainland). 
Zanihoxylum  insularis  Rose  sp.  nov. 
Zanthoxylum  nelsoni  Rost,  sp.  nov. 


SUMMARY. 


The  following  statement  shows  the  number  of  species  of  animals  and 
plants  now  known  from  the  Tres  Marias : 


Laud  mammals  11 

Birds    83 

Reptiles 18 

Fresh- water  fish 2 


Fresh-water  shrimp 1 

Land  mollusks 6 

Plants 136 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 

Much  of  the  value  of  this  report  is  due  to  the  cordial  cooperation  of 
several  eminent  specialists.  Through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  F.  V.  Coville, 
curator  of  the  National  Herbarium,  Dr.  J.  N.  Rose,  assistant  curator, 
was  enabled  to  prepare  the  report  on  the  plants.  Dr.  Leonhard  Stej- 
neger,  curator  of  the  division  of  reptiles  of  the  National  Museum, 
Dr.  William  H.  Dall,  honorary  curator  of  the  division  of  conchology, 
and  Miss  Mary  J.  Rathbun,  assistant  in  the  division  of  invertebrates, 
reported  on  the  Tres  Marias  material;  and  Prof.  B.  W.  Evermanu, 
ichthyologist  of  the  United  States  Fish  Commission,  kindly  identified 
the  collection  of  fishes  from  the  islands  and  the  adjacent  mainland. 
Finally,  I  wish  to  express  my  great  indebtedness  to  Mr.  Robert  Ridg- 
way,  curator,  and  Dr.  Charles  W.  Richmond,  assistant  curator,  of  the 
division  of  birds  in  the  National  Museum,  for  having  so  freely  i)laced 
at  my  disposal,  not  only  the  material  in  their  charge  but  also  their 
knowledge  of  tropical  American  birds. 


I 


MAMMALS  OF  THE  TRES  MARIAS  ISLANDS. 

By  E.  W.  Nelson. 


Mammals  are  not  numerous  either  in  species  or  individuals  upon  the 
Tres  Marias.  So  far  as  known,  they  number  but  eleven  species,  of 
which  seven  are  peculiar  to  the  islands;  one  is  introduced,  and  the 
other  three  are  widely  ranging  bats.  A  sea  lion  and  two  species  of 
porpoise  were  found  near  the  shores,  and  whales  were  reported  to 
occur  during  certain  seasons.  As  with  the  birds,  one  of  the  most 
unaccountable  features  of  the  mammal  fauna  is  the  absence  of  a  num- 
ber of  species  that  are  common  on  the  adjacent  mainland.  Considering 
the  i^rimitive  condition  of  the  islands,  it  is  diificult  to  explain  the 
presence  of  field  mice,  the  pigmy  opossum,  rabbit,  and  raccoon,  while 
the  large  gray  opossum,  nasua,  skunk,  fox,  coyote,  deer,  xieccary, 
squirrel,  and  various  small  rodents  of  the  adjacent  mainland  remain 
unrepresented.  The  Tres  Marias  mouse  was  rather  common  above  200 
feet  on  all  of  the  larger  islands ;  the  rabbit  was  very  numerous  near 
the  north  end  of  Maria  Madre,  on  San  Juanito,  and  in  some  places  on 
Maria  Magdalena,  and  two  species  of  bats  were  abundant  in  caves  on 
Maria  Madre.  Aside  from  these  species,  mammals  were  uncommon 
and  diflicult  to  find.  One  cause  of  their  general  scarcity  may  be  the 
very  limited  supply  of  ijermanent  fresh  water,  and  the  absence  of  small 
species  from  a  broad  belt  near  the  shore  was  easily  accounted  for  by 
the  abundance  of  carnivorous  crabs. 

The  mammals  obtained  by  our  party  have  been  identified  by  Dr.  C. 
Hart  Merriam,  who  has  described  the  new  forms  and  given  critical 
notes  on  other  si^ecies.^  Of  the  land  mammals  taken,  five  were  new 
and  two,  Lepus  graysoni  and  Rhogeessa  parvula,  had  been  previously 
described.  We  failed  to  secure  two  species  of  bats  {Myotis  nigricans 
and  Lasiurus  horeaUs  mexicanns)  which  were  taken  by  Mr.  Forrer.  Not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  collections  were  made  in  several  branches 
of  natural  history,  I  feel  confident  that  representatives  of  all  the  resi- 
dent land  mammals  were  secured,  but  it  is  quite  possible  that  future 
work  may  add  other  bats  to  the  present  list. 

ANNOTATED   LIST   OF   SPECIES. 

Marmosa  insularis  Merriam.     Tres  Marias  Pigmy  Opossum. 

Marmosa  intiiilaris  Merriam.     Proc.  Biol.  Soc,  Washington,  XII,  pp.  14-15,  Jan. 
27,  1898.     Type  from  Maria  Madre  Island. 

These  pretty  little  opossums  were  not  found  except  in  the  high  inte- 
rior of  Maria  Madre,  between  1,200  and  1,800  feet  above  sea  level,  where 

1  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XII,  pp.  13-19, 1898. 

15 


16  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

they  were  apparently  ratber  commou  about  the  wild  fig  trees  in  the 
forest  and  were  feedin^^  upon  the  figs.  They  may  occur  also  on  the 
other  islands,  especially  upon  Maria  Magdaleua.  Two  men  living  on 
the  island  described  the  nests  of  these  animals  as  globular  masses  of 
dry  leaves  and  small  plant  stems,  lined  with  shreds  of  softer  vegetable 
matter.  The  nests  are  built  in  the  forks  of  bushes,  from  3  to  8  feet 
from  the  ground,  and  have  the  entrance  on  the  lower  side.  One  of 
the  men  found  a  nest  situated  as  described  and  about  3  feet  from 
the  ground.  He  saw  the  owner  peering  out  of  a  hole  near  the  lower 
side,  but  as  he  approached  the  head  vanished,  and  the  entrance  was 
suddenly  closed  by  the  opossum  drawing  some  of  the  nest  material 
across  it.  The  nest  was  quickly  thrust  into  a  game  bag,  and  when 
examined  was  found  to  contain  a  female  opossum  and  a  number  of 
young  clinging  to  her  fur  with  their  feet  and  tails  twined  closely 
about  hers.  The  weight  of  the  young  was  so  great  that  the  parent 
could  only  walk  very  slowly. 

Oryzomys  nelsoni  Merriam.     Nelson's  Rico  Rat. 

Oryzomys  nelnoni  Merriam.     Proc.   Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XII,  p.  15,  Jan.  27, 
1898.     Type  from  Maria  Madre  Island. 

This  rice  rat  is  probably  a  rare  species,  as  only  a  few  specimens  were 
secured  after  much  trapping.  They  were  found  only  in  damp  places 
near  springs  about  the  summit  of  Maria  Madre,  about  1,800  feet  above 
sea  level.  This  seemed  the  most  suitable  location  for  them  on  account 
of  the  juicy  herbaceous  vegetation  mingled  with  the  undergrowth. 

Peromyscus  madrensis  Merriam.     Tres  Marias  Mouse. 

Peromyscua  madrensis  Merriam.     Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XII,  p.  16,  Jan.  27, 
1898.    Typo  from  Maria  Madre  Island. 

This  is  the  mostly  widely  distributed  and  probably  the  most  numer- 
ous rodent.  Specimens  were  taken  on  the  three  large  islands,  but 
its  occurrence  on  San  Juanito,  where  land  crabs  are  very  numerous, 
is  doubtful.  They  were  generally  distributed  over  the  forest-grown 
slopes  bordering  the  shore,  above  the  belt  infested  by  crabs.  On 
Maria  Madre  they  were  most  common  about  the  wild  fig  trees  near  the 
summit  (1,500  to  1,800  feet),  where  the  pigmy  opossums  were  secured. 
Here  their  burrows  entered  the  ground  under  logs  or  projecting  roots, 
but  elsewhere  these  mice  were  found  living  beneath  rocks  and  small 
ledges.  They  are  apparently  restricted  to  the  forest,  and  while 
nowhere  so  abundant  as  were  the  rabbits  in  one  place  near  the  north 
end  of  Maria  Madre,  yet  they  were  much  more  generally  distributed. 

Mus  rattus  Linn.     Black  Rat. 

These  rats  were  found  in  small  numbers  about  the  houses  and  dis- 
tributed over  the  forested  parts  of  Maria  Madre  and,  as  on  the  main- 
land of  western  Mexico,  we  found  only  the  gray  form. 

Lepus  graysoni  Allen.     Tres  Marias  Cottontail. 

Lej)U8  graysoni  Allen,  Mon.  N.  Am.  Rodentia,  pp.  347-348,  1877.     Type  from  Tres 
Marias  Islands  (undoubtedly  from  Maria  Madre). 
The  cottontail  is  abundant  in  some  places  on  San  Juanito,  Maria 
Madre  and  Maria  Magdalena,  and  was  reported  to  occur  on  Maria 


MAMMALS    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS.  17 

Cleofa.  They  were  very  numerous  about  a  deserted  ranch  on  the  north 
side  of  Maria  Magdalena,  but  were  rather  scarce  elsewhere  on  that 
island.  We  found  them  extraordinarily  abundant  and  surprisingly 
tame  about  old  fields  on  an  abandoned  ranch  at  the  northern  end  of 
Maria  Madre.  Some  were  killed  with  stones  near  camp,  and  it  would 
have  been  easy  to  kill  over  a  hundred  in  a  morning.  They  would  sit 
in  their  forms  among  the  bushes  while  one  peered  at  them  from  a  dis- 
tance of  a  few  feet,  and  when  driven  out  into  au  open  space  they  often 
sat  quietly  while  the  camera  was  brought  up  and  focussed  within  a 
short  distance.  The  old  fields  at  this  ranch  had  been  long  abandoned 
and  were  covered  with  a  scattered  growth  of  bushes,  which  seemed 
more  suitable  for  the  rabbits  than  the  forested  areas,  where  they 
occurred  much  more  sparingly.  The  cottontails  frequented  the  wood 
roads  leading  from  the  shore  up  over  the  forested  slopes,  and  after  3 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  could  be  found  sitting  quietly  in  little  open 
places  in  the  undergrowth  waiting  for  the  nearer  approach  of  sunset 
before  coming  out  into  the  roads. 

The  skin  of  these  rabbits  was  surprisingly  delicate,  and  it  was 
diflScult  to  skin  them  without  tearing  it  in  many  places.  It  was  found 
almost  impossible  to  carry  a  specimen  by  the  hind  legs  even  a  short 
distance  without  having  the  skin  tear  and  slip  where  it  had  been 
grasped  by  the  hand. 

It  is  strange  that  the  rabbits  are  not  more  abundant  on  the  islands, 
considering  the  fact  that  the  raccoon  is  the  only  predatory  mammal, 
and  that  the  few  red-tailed  hawks  and  caracaras  are  the  only  birds 
that  prey  upon  them. 

Procyon  lotor  iusularis  Merriani.     Tres  Marias  Raccoon. 

Procyon  lotor  insularis  Merriam.     Proc.  Biol.   Soc.  Washington,  XII,  j).  17,  Jan- 
uary 27,  1898. 

The  raccoon  was  rather  common  on  Maria  Madre  and  Maria  Magda- 
leua,  but  no  sigus  of  them  were  seen  on  Maria  Cleofa,  where,  however, 
they  may  occur.  In  May  they  were  feeding  on  wild  figs  and  other 
fruits  and  on  the  crabs,  which  were  very  abundant  near  the  shore. 
Every  morning  freshly  made  raccoon  tracks  were  seen  in  trails  leading 
from  the  seashore  to  higher  parts  of  the  islands,  but  the  animals 
usually  passed  our  traps  without  paying  the  slightest  attention  to  the 
bait.  They  were  semi-diurnal  in  habits  and  several  were  seen  in 
the  woods  in  broad  daylight.  One  afternoon  one  was  seen  crossing 
the  bed  of  a  dry  wash  near  the  northern  end  of  Maria  Madre,  and 
instead  of  trying  to  escape  through  the  woods  it  climbed  a  wild-fig 
tree  on  the  bank  and  stood  looking  down  from  a  horizontal  branch 
until  shot. 

Zalophus  californianus  (Lesson).     Sea  Lion. 

A  large  seal  or  sea  lion,  called  '  lobo  mariuo '  or  sea  wolf  by  the  Mexi- 
cans, was  reported  to  occur  at  several  places  on  the  rocky  shores  of 
Maria  Magdalena  and  Maria  Cleofa.    We  first  heard  of  them  before 
13950— i^o.  14 2 


18  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

leaving  San  Bias  and  again  ui)ou  reacliing  the  islands.  It  was  evident 
that  the  sea  lions  had  been  hunted  for  sport  by  previcfas  visitors  until 
they  had  become  comparatively  scarce  and  are  now  in  a  fair  way  to 
become  extinct.  After  learning  the  location  of  the  most  frequented 
places  on  both  islands,  we  visited  them  under  the  guidance  of  a  tortoise- 
shell  hunter  who  was  very  familiar  with  the  shore,  but  we  saw  only  a 
single  sea  lion.  It  was  on  a  rocky  islet  off  the  shore  of  Maria  Cleofa, 
and  took  to  the  water  and  disappeared  before  we  could  get  a  shot. 
Our  guide  said  that  sometimes  the  sea  lions  leave  the  islands  for  a  few 
days,  and  this  may  account  for  the  failure  to  find  them  about  their 
usual  haunts.  The  consensus  of  opinion  among  the  residents  of  Maria 
Madre  was  that  these  animals  are  now  very  scarce.  Formerly  they 
were  found  in  many  places;  but  at  i)resent  a  rocky  i^oint  on  the  north- 
west side  aiid  a  jutting  reef  on  the  south  side  of  Maria  Magdalena 
and  some  islets  west  of  Maria  Cleofa  are  the  only  landing  places  used. 
It  is  possible  that  the  Guadalupe  Island  fur  seal  {Arcfocephalus 
toicnsendi  Merriam)  may  also  occur  at  times  about  the  islands. 

Rhogeessa  parvula  H.  Allen.     Tres  Marias  Rhogecssa, 

Rhogeessa  parvula  H.  Allen.     Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  1866,  p.  285.     Type  from 
the  Tres  Marias. 

These  little  bats  were  rather  common  on  Maria  Madre,  where  they 
live  in  the  forest  and  fly  at  dusk  along  the  trails  and  about  small  open 
places.  At  times  they  appear  in  such  situations  in  broad  day.  Two 
were  killed  while  flying  up  and  down  a  trail  in  the  brilliant  sunshine  in 
the  middle  of  the  forenoon,  and  I  saw  one  hawking  for  insects  among 
the  tree  tops  along  a  trail  two  hours  before  sunset.  As  a  rule,  however, 
they  only  come  out  Avhen  it  is  too  dark  for  one  to  see  more  than  an 
indistinct  form  as  they  flit  about  among  the  trees.  A  few  were  also 
seen  on  Maria  Magdalena. 

My  Otis  nigricans  (Maximilian).     Maximilian's  Black  Bat. 

According  to  Mr.  Oldfleld  Thomas,  a  specimen  of  this  bat  was  taken 
on  the  Tres  Marias  by  Mr.  Forrer.'    We  took  none,  and  they  probably 
occur  on  the  island  only  as  stragglers. 
Otopterus  mexicanus  (Saussnre).     Big-eared  Bat. 

A  colony  of  over  a  hundred  big-eared  bats  was  living  in  an  old  ware- 
house at  the  settlement  on  Maria  Madre,  and  others  were  found  in  sev- 
eral caves  situated  in  various  parts  of  the  island.  The  warehouse  where 
these  bats  were  found  had  a  large  open  window  and  wide  cracks,  so 
that  it  was  quite  light  inside,  yet  they  were  found  hanging  from  the 
ceiling  and  roof,  in  j)lain  view,  and  evidently  had  lived  there  a  long 
time.    The  specimens  were  mostly  females  heavy  with  young. 

Glossophaga  mutica  Merriam.     Tres  Marias  Glossophaga. 

Glossophafja  mutica  Merriam.     Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XII,  pp.  18-19,  Jan- 
uary 27,  1898.     Type  from  Maria  Madre  Island. 

This  was  by  far  the  most  numerous  bat  on  Maria  Madre,  where  it  was 
found  in  every  cave  sufficiently  deep  to  be  dark.     One  cave  was  among 

'  Biologia  Ccntrali- Americana,  Mammalia,  206,  1881  (under  y'es])crtilio  nigncans). 


MAMMALS    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS.  19 

some  huge  projecting  rocks  lying  at  the  water's  edge,  near  the  settle- 
ment. Manj^of  the  females  collected  contained  large  embryos.  These 
bats  were  feeding  on  the  fruit  of  the  wild  fig. 

As  surmised  by  Dr.  Merriam,'  the  record  of  Cheer onycter is  mexicana 
from  these  islands,  given  by  Mr.  Thomas  in  the  Biologia,  proves  to  be 
referable  to  the  present  species.  In  reply  to  a  letter  of  inquiry,  Mr. 
Thomas  states  that  he  discovered  the  mistake  in  identification  too  late 
to  correct  it  in  the  Biologia,  and  agrees  with  Dr.  Merriam  in  referring 
his  specimen  to  G.  mutica. 

Lasiurus  borealis  mexicanus  (Saussure).     Mexican  Red  Bat. 

Forrer  added  this  species  to  the  fauna  of  the  Tres  Marias  as  recorded 
by  Mr.  Thomas.-  We  did  not  see  any  red  bats,  and  I  doubt  their  being 
found  on  the  islands  except  as  stragglers  from  the  mainland.  Bats 
are  such  wide  ranging  animals  it  is  to  be  expected  that  several  addi- 
tional species  will  eventually  be  found  to  occur  on  the  islands. 

?  Phocaena  communis  (Lesson).     Common  Porpoise. 

Pori)oises  supposed  to  belong  to  this  species  were  common  around 
the  shores  of  the  Tres  Marias  and  also  in  bays  and  mouths  of 
streams  or  lagoons  along  the  coast  of  the  mainland.  They  were  always 
seen  in  the  belt  of  shallow  discolored  water  within  a  short  distance  of 
the  shore.  As  soon  as  blue  water,  with  a  depth  of  over  40  fathoms, 
was  reached,  the  other  porpoise  {Prodelphinus  lotigirostris)  was  encoun- 
tered. The  common  porpoise  was  seen  in  schools  of  10  to  oO  or  40  indi- 
viduals swimming  in  loose  order.  At  Maria  Madre  they  came  into  the 
shallow  bay  in  front  of  the  settlement  in  the  early  morning  and  followed 
close  along  shore. 

Prodelphinus  longirostris  (Gray).     Long-nosed  Porpoise. 

In  the  blue  water  between  the  mainland  and  the  islands  these  por- 
poises were  very  abundant  in  schools  of  from  100  to  200  individuals. 
They  are  much  slenderer  and  more  graceful  animals  than  the  preceding 
species.  While  swimming  about  their  feeding  places  at  sea  they  were 
accompanied  by  swarms  of  terns,  gannets,  and  shearwaters.  On  one 
occasion,  while  crossing  to  the  islands,  a  school  of  about  200  porpoises 
came  directly  toward  us  and  passed  under  and  on  all  sides  of  the  boat. 
While  they  were  passing,  the  water  was  broken  into  foam  on  every 
hand  by  their  glistening  black  bodies,  and  overhead  swarmed  a  shriek- 
ing crowd  of  sea  birds.  Mr.  Goldman  made  a  fortunate  rifle  shot  and 
killed  two  of  them,  but  one  sank  before  it  could  be  harpooned. 

'Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  AVashington,  XII,  pp.  13-19,  footnote,  January,  1898. 
^Biologia  Centrali-Americana,  Mamm.,  p.  205,  footnote. 


BIRDS  OF  THE  TRES  MARIAS  ISLANDS. 

By  E.  W.  Nelson. 

The  present  paper  is  based  mainly  upon  tlie  birds  found  on  the  Tres 
Marias,  but  for  the  sake  of  completeness  the  results  of  our  work  on 
Isabel  Island  have  also  been  introduced.'  The  situation  of  Isabel 
Island  between  the  mainland  and  the  Tres  Marias  renders  its  bird  life 
of  peculiar  interest  in  the  present  connection,  Mr.  Xantus  sent  speci- 
mens of  birds  to  the  National  Museum  labeled  'Tres  Marias,  1861,' 
but  only  one  of  these  can  be  an  authentic  island  species,  and  it  seems 
almost  certain  that  Xantus  did  not  visit  the  islands. 

Colonel  Grayson's  notes  on  his  three  visits  to  the  group  and  his 
trip  to  Isabel  Island  were  published  by  George  N.  Lawrence  in  the 
'Proceedings'  and  'Memoirs  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History,' 
while  the  descriptions  of  new  birds  in  his  collections  appeared  in  various 
publications  and  are  mentioned  in  the  bibliography  (see  pp.  93-94). 
Grayson  constantly  refers  to  the  'Tres  Marias  Islands,' but  the  internal 
evidence  of  his  writings,  in  addition  to  the  information  given  me  by  the 
inhabitants,  indicates  that  all  of  his  work  was  done  on  Maria  Madre. 

Mr.  A.  Forrer  visited  Maria  Madre  in  1881,  but  the  publication  of 
Vireo  Jiavomridis  forreri  by  Von  Madarasz  and  a  few  notes  in  the 
'Biologia  Cen trail- Americana'  and  in  some  of  the  British  Museum 
Catalogues  are  all  we  know  of  his  work  there. 

As  already  stated  in  the  general  introduction,  our  work  was  done  on 
Isabel  Island  on  April  22  and  23,  on  Maria  Madre  from  May  2  to  25, 
and  six  days  were  spent  working  about  Maria  Magdalena  and  Maria 
Cleofa.  It  is  quite  certain  that  the  bird  fauna  of  Maria  Madre  is 
now  fairly  well  known,  and  it  will  be  advisable  for  anyone  visiting  this 
group  in  the  future  to  give  attention  chiefly  to  the  two  smaller  islands. 
It  is  certain  that  a  large  proportion  of  the  birds  found  on  Maria  Madre 
occur  also  on  Maria  Magdalena,  but  some  of  the  species  living  in  the 
dense  forest  at  higher  altitudes  on  these  islands  probably  do  not  occur 
in  the  more  scanty  forest  of  Maria  Cleofa. 

At  present  83  species  and  subspecies  of  birds  are  kn6wn  from  the 
Tres  Marias,  and  further  observations  will,  no  doubt,  add  to  the  list 
various  stragglers  from  the  mainland.  The  bird  fauna  may  be  grouped 
under  the  following  headings:  Resident  land  birds,  3C  species  or  sub- 

'  The  notes  iu  the  following  pages  refer  to  Isabel  Island  only  when  so  stated. 

21 


22  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

species.  Visitant  land  birds,  26  species  or  subspecies.  Resident  water 
fowl,  13  species.    Visitant  water  fowl,  8  species. 

Of  the  36  resident  species  or  subspecies  of  land  birds  all  but  5  were 
observed  by  Colonel  Grayson,  These  exceptions  are:  Melopelia  leucop- 
tera,  Tyrannus  melanchoUcns  couchi,  Ornithion  imherbe,  Vireo  fiavoviridis 
forreri,  and  Thryothorus  lairrencii  magdalence. 

Twenty-four  of  the  36  resident  land  birds  are  specifically  or  subspe- 
cifically  distinct  from  their  mainland  representatives.  Of  this  number 
12  were  described  from  Grayson's  collections,  1  from  Forrer's,  and  11 
from  our  own.  A  study  of  our  collections  from  the  islands,  and  near 
San  Bias  on  tbe  mainland,  brings  out  the  interesting  fact  that  several 
species  from  the  latter  district  show  a  decided  approach  to  their  island 
representatives.  This  is  very  marked  in  Gompsotlilypis  which  is  very 
nearly  the  same  at  San  Bias  as  on  the  islands.  The  Polybortis  and 
Platypsaris  from  that  locality  seem  to  be  intermediate  between  the 
island  races  and  the  birds  of  the  mainland.  Specimens  of  Thryothorus 
felix  from  the  same  part  of  the  coast  are  much  nearer  T,  tawrencii  than 
they  are  to  typical  T.  felix. 

Among  the  24  species  or  subspecies  of  land  birds  peculiar  to  the 
islands  15  are  larger  than  their  relatives  of  the  nearest  mainland. 
These  are  Golumhaf.  madrensis,  Leptotila  capitaUs,  Psittacula  insularis, 
Dryohates  s.  graysoni,  Nyctidromus  a.  i7i,sularis,  Amazilia  graysoni, 
Icterus  graysoni,  Cardinalis  c.  mar  ice,  Firanga  h.  Jfarmnea,  Vireo  f. 
forreri,  Vireo  h.  sordidus,  Compsothlypis  insularis,  Qranatellus  francescce, 
Thryothorus  lawrencii  and  MerUla  graysoni. 

Six  of  the  island  birds  average  smaller  than  their  mainland  repre- 
sentatives. These  are  Polyhorus  c.  pallidus,  lache  lawrencei,  Platyp- 
saris a.  insularis,  Myiopagis  p.  minimus,  Melanotis  c.  longirostris,  and 
Trogon  a.  goldmani.  The  two  first  named  are  generally  smaller,  but 
Platypsaris  a.  insularis  has  a  longer  tarsus,  Myiopagis  p.  mittimus  a 
longer  bill  and  tarsus,  Melanotis  c.  longirostris  a  longer  bill,  and  Trogon 
a.  goldmani  a  longer  bill  and  tarsus. 

Although  Compsothlypis  insularis  also  occurs  in  a  limited  area  along 
the  coast,  I  have  considered  it  as  a  typical  island  species.  The 
difference  in  size  between  island  birds  and  their  mainland  repre- 
sentatives varies  greatly,  being  slight  in  some  and  very  well  marked 
in  others.  Nyctidromus  a.  insularis  is  a  larger  bird  than  alhicollis 
proper,  but  has  a  shorter  bill  and  tarsus.  Among  the  birds  peculiar 
to  the  islands  Thryothoriis  laivrencii  magdalenw  and  Myadestes  o.  insu- 
laris are  almost  the  only  ones  which  do  not  show  more  or  less  well- 
defined  differences  in  size  from  their  nearest  mainland  relative;  a  series 
of  the  first  named,  however,  may  show  that  it  also  differs. 

One  of  the  most  puzzling  features  of  the  fauna  of  these  islands  is 
the  absence  of  various  land  birds  found  on  the  adjacent  mainland. 
Although  the  physical  conditions  appear  so  much  like  those  of  the 
mainland,  yet  some  change  must  have  occurred  to  upset  nature's  fine 
balance  and  render  these  isolated  areas  unsuitable  for  many  species. 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TEES    MARIAS    ISLANDS.  23 

The  death  by  starvation  of  the  Louisiana  Tanagers  on  Maria  INIadre 
Island  (p.  52)  is  an  example  of  the  manner  in  which  the  island  fanua 
may  be  maintained  in  its  present  state.  As  the  climatic  conditions  on 
the  islands  and  on  the  mainland  are  very  similar  and  the  vegetation 
nearly  alike,  this  paucity  of  species  presents  one  of  the  curious  prob- 
lems of  distribution. 

It  would  be  hard  to  find  an  equal  area  of  similar  country  on  the 
mainland,  near  San  Bias,  where  so  few  species  of  land  birds  could  be 
found.  The  only  reasonable  explanation  seems  to  be  the  scarcity  of 
water  and  the  long,  dry  season,  which  combine  to  reduce  the  food  sup- 
ply and  perhaps  render  the  country  unsuited  to  some  species.  It  was 
very  surprising  to  find  a  total  absence  on  the  islands  of  such  com- 
mon and  widely  spread  mainland  genera  as  Conurus,  Moniotus,  Piaya, 
Campephilus,  Melanerpes,  Myiozetetes,  Cissolopha,  Cyanosjnza,  Pipilo, 
Pyrgisoma,  Saltator,  and  others.  The  absence  of  Pipilo  is  especially 
unexpected,  for  this  genus  is  represented  on  Socorro  Island,  which 
lies  very  much  farther  at  sea  off  the  same  part  of  the  coast. 

ANNOTATED   LIST   OF   SPECIES. 

?  Brachyrhamphus  brevirostris  (Vigors.)     Short-billed  Murrelet. 

Bracliyrliamplius  brevirostris  was  described  from  San  Bias  and  B. 
hypoleucus  from  Cape  St.  Lucas.  Colonel  Grayson  mentions  having  seen 
'guillemots'  at  Isabel  Island  (Mem.  Boston  Soc.  I^at.  Hist.,  II,  p.  318, 
1874)  and  ofi"  theTres  Marias  group  (Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV, 
p.  288,  1871).  This  led  me  to  anticipate  finding  at  least  one  of  the 
species  there,  and  it  is  with  some  disappointment  that  I  have  to  record 
our  failure  to  see  either  species  about  the  islands,  although  I  watched 
for  them  constantly.  From  this  experience  I  am  inclined  to  think  that 
they  breed  only  along  the  coast  of  Lower  California,  and  visit  these 
islands  sporadically. 

Larus  argentatus  smithsonianus  Coues.     American  Herring  Gull. 

A  single  immature  specimen  was  taken  on  San  Juanito  Island  May 
22,  and  a  few  others  were  seen.  These  birds  were  fiying  back  and  forth 
along  a  strip  of  beach  where  a  large  colony  of  blue-footed  gannets 
were  breeding,  and  the  gulls  probably  had  an  eye  on  the  nesting 
ground  for  the  i)urpose  of  capturing  any  unprotected  eggs.  They  were 
noted  singly  a  few  times  along  the  shores  of  the  Tres  Marias  and  at 
Isabel  Island.    No  fully  adult  individuals  were  seen. 

Larus  heermauni  Cassiu.     Heermann's  Gull. 

On  April  23  a  fine  adult  bird  of  this  species  was  shot  on  the  shore  of 
Isabel  Island.  In  company  with  its  mate  it  had  harried  a  blue-footed 
gannet  into  disgorging  a  number  of  small  fish  upon  a  rock  at  the  edge 
of  the  water,  and  was  i)icking  up  the  spoils  by  a  series  of  little  down- 
ward swoops  and  hoverings.  The  gannet  had  shuffled  into  the  water 
and  was  making  off,  with  backward  glances  at  its  tormentor,  when  I 
drew  near.    These  giills  are  bold  and  noisy  aggressors  when  they  wish 


24  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

to  take  advantage  of  the  gannets,  and  about  the  breeding  places  of  the 
latter  they  feed  largely  at  the  public  expense.  But  few  of  them  were 
seen  about  the  islands — two  or  three  pairs  at  Isabel  and  half  a  dozen 
pairs  about  the  Tres  Marias.  A  nest,  which  had  been  occupied  earlier 
in  the  season,  was  seen  on  the  ledge  of  a  rocky  islet  off  the  shore  of 
Maria  Oleofa  May  30,  and  full  grown  young  of  the  year  were  also  seen 
on  the  rocks. 

Sterna  maxima  Boddaert.     Royal  Tern. 

None  were  seen  at  Isabel  Island,  although  they  were  not  uncommon 
during  April  along  the  mainland  coast.  During  May  they  were  seen 
in  small  parties  about  the  shores  of  all  the  Tres  Marias  group,  where 
they  probably  breed  in  very  limited  numbers.  The  only  specimen 
saved  was  taken  May  31  from  a  flock  of  six  which  was  coasting  along 
the  beach  at  Maria  Cleofa. 

Sterna  elegans  Gambel.     Elegant  Tern. 

Sterna  (jaUricidata  Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  See.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  317  (1874). 

Colonel  Grayson  found  these  terns  on  Isabel  Island,  but  none  were 
seen  by  us. 

sterna  fuliginosa  crissalLs  (Lawr.).     Pacific  Sooty  Tern. 

Haliplana  fuliginosa  var.  crissalis  Lawr.  (ex  Baird  MS.),  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat. 
Hist.,  XIV,  pp.  285,  301,  June,  1871;  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  318, 
1874. 

These  handsome  terns  are  common  about  Isabel  Island  where  Colo- 
nel Grayson  found  them  breeding.  My  observations  from  the  last  of 
April  to  the  first  of  June  led  me  to  believe  that  at  this  season  Isabel 
Island  is  their  central  roosting  point.  During  the  week  w^e  were  cruis- 
ing about  Isabel  and  the  Tres  Marias  islands  many  flocks  were  seen. 
From  about  noon  until  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  or  later  the  flocks 
were  generally  flying  directly  toward  Isabel  at  an  altitude  of  from 
50  to  200  yards  above  the  water.  This  was  noted  also  near  the  islands, 
while  we  were  crossing  the  straits  between  the  Tres  Marias,  and  oft' 
the  mainland  near  San  Bias.  Many  of  the  birds  were  perched 
along  the  top  of  an  inaccessible  rock  just  oft"  Isabel,  and  were  also 
seen  alighting  on  the  cliffs  of  the  northern  and  northeastern  side  of 
the  island,  but  the  boat  was  too  unwieldy  for  us  to  venture  near  enough 
to  closely  examine  these  haunts.  The  birds  have  a  peculiar  shrill 
cry  which  they  often  utter  while  feeding  and  when  flying  about  at 
night.  The  night  before  we  landed  on  Isabel  Island  it  was  necessary 
to  anchor  about  midway  between  the  island  and  tbe  shore.  The  wind 
blew  strongly  in  the  afternoon  but  fell  at  sunset,  a  dead  calm  ensued, 
and  heavy  clouds  overspread  the  sky.  During  the  day  only  a  few 
sooty  terns  had  been  seen,  but  from  about  9  p.  m.  until  near  daybreak 
they  were  evidently  much  more  numerous,  for  their  cries  were  heard  at 
short  intervals.  Several  times  the  notes  were  uttered  directly  overhead 
and  the  birds  seemed  to  be  scarcely  higher  than  the  top  of  the  mast, 
where  they  apparently  paused  and  hovered  while  they  examined  the 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TRES    MA.RIAS    ISLANDS.  25 

boat  with  great  curiosity.  As  they  were  heard  every  night  while  we 
were  at  sea,  it  is  evident  that  they  were  both  diurnal  and  nocturnal 
in  habits. 

They  feed  well  out  at  sea,  and  were  not  found  anywhere  along  shore, 
except  when  they  came  to  their  roosting  place  on  Isabel  Island.  There 
were  no  signs  of  their  roosting  about  the  Tres  Marias,  although  they 
may  roost  on  some  of  the  outlying  rocky  islets.  Grayson  found 
them  in  small  numbers  farther  west,  about  the  Revillagigedo  Islands. 
During  our  trip  to  the  Tres  Marias  many  schools  of  large  fish  were 
encountered  swimming  close  to  the  surface  and  constantly  breaking, 
often  with  such  force  and  rapidity  that  the  water  boiled  and  foamed 
over  considerable  areas.  These  schools  of  fish  were  commonly  accom. 
panied  by  flocks  of  sooty  terns  and  gannets,  which  appeared  to  be 
animated  by  the  wildest  excitement.  The  terns  hovered  over  the 
foaming  sea,  uttering  shrill  cries  and  darting  down  into  the  water,  evi- 
dently after  food;  and  in  the  midst  of  the  turmoil  the  blue-footed  gan- 
nets swam  about,  beating  the  water  with  their  wings  and  adding  to  the 
noise  made  by  the  terns  and  leaping  fish.  While  on  Maria  Madre 
I  saw  a  flock  of  terns  some  distance  off  shore,  and  taking  a  canoe, 
managed  to  get  out  to  them,  and  directly  in  the  course  of  the 
school  of  fish  they  were  accompanying.  Letting  the  boat  drift,  I 
stood  up  and  watched  the  swarm  go  by.  Thousands  of  large  fish  and 
hundreds  of  terns  and  gannets  passed  the  boat  on  every  side,  amid  loud 
cries  from  the  terns,  a  rushing  sound  from  the  fish  and  gannets,  and  a 
bewildering  complexity  of  motion  in  sea  and  air  that  was  intensely 
exciting.  This  novel  sight  was  so  interesting  that  I  came  near  losing 
the  chance  to  secure  some  of  the  birds. 

These  terns  were  seen  also  following  schools  of  porpoises  off  shore — 
in  the  latter  case  accompanied  by  the  wedge-tailed  shearwater.  In  the 
passage  between  Maria  Magdalena  and  Maria  Cleofa  a  flock  of  sooty 
terns  was  seen  soaring  in  wide  circles  high  overhead  and  finally  start- 
ing off'  for  their  roosting  i^'ace  on  Isabel  Island. 

The  'variety  crissalis,'  named  in  manuscript  by  Professor  Baird  and 
published  by  Mr.  Lawrence,  was  characterized  as  "having  the  under 
tail  coverts  tinged  with  ashy,  instead  of  being  pure  white."  A  series 
of  17  specimens  from  the  west  coast  of  Mexico,  and  from  widely  scat- 
tered islands  of  the  Pacific  and  Indian  oceans,  agree  in  having  the 
posterior  part  of  flanks,  under  wing  coverts,  and  entire  crissum  dis- 
tinctly ashy,  not  a  single  individual  being  white  on  these  parts,  as  is 
commonly  the  case  with  birds  from  the  Atlantic  and  Gulf  coasts  of 
North  America.  Unfortunately  the  series  of  Atlantic  birds  at  hand 
is  very  small,  but  there  is  little  doubt  that  crissalis  is  a  valid  subspe- 
cies. Birds  from  the  west  coast  of  Mexico,  the  Galapagos  Islands, 
and  Hawaii  agree  in  having  an  average  shorter  bill  and  tail  than 
those  from  elsewhere.  Specimens  from  the  Indian  Ocean  have  even 
a  longer  bill  and  tail  than  thos^  from  the  Atlantic,  but  are  ashy  below, 


2G 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


like  those  from  western  Mexico.  Specimens  from  Ascension  Island,  oflf 
tlie  west  coast  of  Africa,  also  liave  a  light  ashy  shade  on  the  lower 
tail  coverts. 

The  following  average  measurements  show  the  sizes  of  these  birds 
from  various  parts  of  their  range: 

Table  of  measurements  of  Sterna  fuliginosus  and  Sterna  f.  crissalis.* 


Num- 

Name. 

Locality. 

ber  of 
speci- 
mens. 

Wing. 

Tail. 

Cul- 
men. 

Tarsus. 

sterna  fuliginosus  . . 

East   coast  of  North  America  and 
west  coast  of  Africa. 

7 

288.1 

151 

42.8 

23.5 

Sterna    fuliginosus 

West  coast  of  Mexico,  Hawaii,  and 

10 

288.  G 

143.  5 

41.8 

23.6 

crissalis. 

Galapagos  Islands. 

Sterna    fuliginosus 

Kruseustern  Islands  { west  of  Hawaii) . 

2 

292.5 

203.5 

39.5 

24.2 

crissalis. 

Sterna    fuliginosus 

Glorioso  Island  (Indian  Ocean) 

3 

2n2.6 

192 

43.3 

23.8 

crissalis. 

*  All  measurements  are  in  millimeters. 

In  the  foregoing  measurements  the  length  of  the  tail  is  unreliable, 
owing  to  its  variability,  on  account  of  wear  and  other  causes. 

Anous  stolidus  ridg-wayi  Anthony.     Pacific  Noddy  Tern. 

AnoHS  stolidus  Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  318,  1874. 
Anous  stolidus  ridgwaiji  Anthony,  Auk,  XII,  p.  36,  1898. 

Common  the  last  of  April  on  Isabel  Island,  and  a  few  seen  oft"  the 
Tres  Marias  during  May.  Between  San  Bias  and  the  islands  a 
number  of  these  birds  were  seen.  We  usually  saw  one  or  two  indi- 
viduals at  a  time,  and  did  not  find  them  in  flocks  anywhere  except 
when  congregated  on  the  rocks  at  their  roosting  i)laces.  At  sea  they 
usually  flew  close  along  the  surface  of  the  waves  with  long,  graceful 
wing  strokes.  From  their  dark  color  and  habit  of  keeping  close  to  the 
water  they  were  several  times  mistaken  for  black  petrels. 

They  were  found  in  considerable  numbers  on  the  ragged  faces  of 
clifls  and  rocks  along  the  northeastern  point  of  Isabel  Island,  and  were 
very  unsuspicious,  iiermitting  ns  to  approach  quite  near  in  the  boat. 
While  perched  on  the  black  lava  clift's,  their  dark  color  blended  so 
closely  with  the  background  that  it  was  very  difticult  to  distinguish 
them,  even  when  within  fair  gunshot.  The  day  we  left  the  island  we 
visited  their  resting  place  and  fired  a  dozen  or  more  shots  while  they 
were  on  the  rocks  or  flying  about,  but  the  noise  of  the  reports  did  not 
seem  to  give  them  much  alarm.  They  would  circle  out  a  short  dis- 
tance, and,  after  hovering  for  a  few  moments  over  their  killed  or 
wounded  companions  floating  in  the  water,  would  return  to  the  same 
part  of  the  cliff  from  which  they  had  just  been  startled.  They  were 
not  heard  to  utter  any  notes,  and  the  silence  with  which  they  would 
suddenly  appear  out  of  the  cliff*  and  then  return  and  vanish  again  in 
its  gloomy  face  inoduced  an  uncanny  eft'ect. 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TRER    MARIAS    ISLANDS.  27 

Colonel  Grayson  found  tliem  nesting  on  the  north  end  of  Isabel 
Island  in  April,  1869,  and  states  that  they  were  breeding  in  communi- 
ties on  shelving  rocks  beneath  overhanging  cliffs.  The  nests  were 
placed  close  together,  but  were  inaccessible.  A  single  egg  was  pro- 
cured, however,  which  was  white,  with  scattering  brownish  blotches, 
most  numerous  about  the  larger  end.  This  is  undoubtedly  the  teru 
which  Colonel  Grayson  reports  as  replacing  the  sooty  teru  ou  the 
Kevillagigedo  Islands,  and  which  he  described  as  being  black,  with  a 
hoiiry  forehead. 

Puflinus  cuneatus  Salvia.     Wedge-tailed  Shearwater. 

J'ti^inua  cuneatus  Salvin,  Ibis,  5tb  ser.,  VI,  p.  353,  July,  1888. 
rnjjinus  huudseni  Stejn.,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  XI,  p.  93,  Nov.  8,  1888. 

During  our  trip  to  and  from  the  islands  we  saw  100  or  200  wedge- 
tailed  shearwaters.  They  were  usually  seen  singly  skimming  along  over 
the  sea,  at  an  elevation  af  a  few  yards,  making  widely  sweeping  circuits 
and  pausing  occasionally  to  pick  up  bits  of  food.  When  about  midway 
between  Isabel  Island  and  the  Tres  Marias  we  encountered  several 
schools  of  small  porpoises  of  150  or  more  individuals,  which  traveled  in 
close  array,  frequently  gamboling  about  and  playfully  leaping  high  in 
the  air.  A  swarm  of  sooty  terns  followed  the  porpoises,  and  twice 
when  they  passed  near  us  I  saw  considerable  numbers  of  these  shear- 
waters among  the  terns.  Judging  from  the  numbers,  they  must  be 
rather  common  in  these  waters,  but  none  were  seen  near  the  islands. 

This  species  was  first  described  from  specimens  taken  ou  the  Kru- 
senstern  Islands,  in  the  Marshall  Group,  and  Mr.  A.  W.  Anthony  made 
the  first  record  of  its  occurrence  on  the  American  side  of  the  Pacific, 
at  the  Revillagigedo  Islands,  during  the  summer  of  1897  (Auk,  XV, 
Jan.,  1898,  p..39).  As  it  is  a  species  new  to  North  America,  a  detailed 
description  of  our  specimen  is  given,  in  order  to  facilitate  identification 
in  case  other  examples  should  be  taken. 

Description.— ^o.  156678,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Dept.  of  Agriculture  Goll. 
Ad.  S  ,  off  Maria  Mandre  Island,  May  2, 1897.  Collected  by  E.  W.  Nel- 
son and  E.  A.  Goldman. 

Top  and  sides  of  head  and  neck  grayish-brown;  forehead,  lores,  and 
space  from  latter  area  back  beneath  eyes  and  along  sides  of  neck  paler 
or  more  ashy,  thus  edging  the  darker  area  of  the  crown  and  upper  neck 
with  lighter.  Back,  including  rump  and  upper  tail  coverts,  mainly  dark 
brown,  but  mixed  with  numerous  feathers  of  a  decidedly  grayish,  almost 
ashy,  shade.  These  latter  feathers  undoubtedly  indicate  the  color  of 
dorsal  surface  in  fresh  ]>.. imaged  birds.  Wings  and  tail  blackish-brown. 
Entire  lower  surface  of  body  white,  shaded  with  dingy  ashy,  darkest 
on  sides  and  palest  along  median  portion.  Under  tail  coverts  mixed 
dark  brown  and  grayish-brown.  Border  of  the  wing  along  under  side 
brown  or  grayish-brown;  under  coverts  white  with  a  little  flecking 
of  pale  gray  ou  some  feathers.  In  the  flesh  this  specimen  had  a  horn- 
blue  bill  with  flesh-colored  feet  and  tarsi. 


28  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA." 

Dimensions. — Wing,  293;  tail,  135  (lengtli  of  middle  pair  of  tail  feath- 
ers beyoud  lateral  pair,  47);  culmen,  42;  tarsus,  50;  middle  toe,  with 
claw,  59. 

Hahiiat. — The  range  of  this  species  is  now  known  to  extend  across 
the  middle  North  Pacific  from  Japan  to  the  west  coast  of  Mexico. 

Oceanodroma  melania  (Bonap.)-     Black  Petrel. 

Common  between  Isabel  and  the  Tres  Marias.  Black  petrels  were 
by  far  the  most  numerous  of  the  petrels  seen,  and  outnumbered  all  the 
others  two  to  one.  Three,  and  possibly  four,  other  species  were  seen 
on  the  way  to  and  from  the  islands,  but  this  was  the  only  one  secured. 
They  circled  about  in  all  directions,  sometimes  coming  very  near,  but 
nothing  peculiar  in  their  liabits  was  observed.  They  were  quick  to 
see  little  fragments  of  fat  thrown  overboard  while  we  were  skinning 
other  waterfowl,  and  when  the  morsels  were  small  enough  ate  them 
greedily. 

Phaethon  aethereus  Linn.     Red-billed  Tropic  Bird. 

Tropic  birds  are  readily  distinguished  on  the  wing  by  their  graceful 
ternlike  flight  and  long  filamentous  tail  feathers.  Many  of  them  breed 
on  Isabel  Island  and  in  suitable  places  on  rocky  islets  near  San  Bias 
and  about  the  Tres  Marias.  The  last  of  April  fresh  eggs  and  nearly 
grown  young  were  found  on  Isabel,  and  by  the  last  of  May  the  young 
on  the  Tres  Marias  had  taken  wing  and  few  were  to  be  seen,  although 
we  were  told  by  the  tortoise  shell  hunters  that  many  breed  there  earlier 
in  the  season. 

Soon  after  landing  on  Isabel,  a  tropic  bird  was  found  sitting  on  its  sol- 
itary egg  at  the  end  of  a  little  hole  in  the  rock  close  to  the  beach.  The 
hole  was  only  about  15  or  18  inches  across  and  about  3  feet  deep,  so  that 
there  was  no  dififlculty  in  taking  the  bird  by  hand  after  a  little  maneu- 
vering to  avoid  its  sharp  beak.  During  a  stay  of  about  twenty-four 
hours  on  this  island  at  least  20  nests  containing  eggs  or  young  were 
examined.  A  single  Q,gg  is  laid  directly  on  the  rough  rock  or  loose 
dirt  forming  tlie  floor  of  the  nesting  site,  which  is  always  located  under 
the  shelter  of  over  arching  rock,  but  varies  greatly  in  situation.  The 
inner  ends  of  holes  in  clifl's  facing  the  sea  were  favorite  i^laces,  but  as 
the  number  of  such  situations  was  limited,  the  birds  were  forced  to 
utilize  small  caves  and  even  rock  shelters.  In  one  locality  five  or  six 
nests  were  placed  on  loose  earth  at  the  bottom  of  rock  shelters  so  situ- 
ated that  I  could  walk  directly  up  to  them  and  pick  up  the  birds. 
Whenever  a  nest  was  approached  the  parent  screamed  and  fought 
viciously,  rufiied  its  feathers  and  looked  very  fierce,  but  made  no  attempt 
to  escape.  They  protested  with  beak  and  voice  when  pushed  about, 
but  as  soon  as  I  went  away  a  few  yards  they  would  shuffle  back  to 
resume  their  former  position  over  the  egg.  The  young,  even  when 
quite  small,  were  eciually  fierce  in  resenting  any  intrusion.  One  nest 
was  found  on  the  beach  under  the  edge  of  some  great  rocks  that  had 
fallen  from  the  adjacent  clift'.     It  was  only  5  or  G  feet  above  high  tide 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS.  29 

and  would  have  been  overlooked  but  for  the  angry  cries  of  the  old 
bird  when  she  heard  me  walking-  over  the  roof  of  her  habitation.  At 
sunrise  the  old  birds  were  found  sitting  side  by  side  at  the  mouths  of 
their  nesting  places  waiting  to  enjoy  the  first  rays  of  sunlight.  Half 
an  hour  later  one  of  each  pair  started  out  to  sea  while  the  other  resumed 
its  place  on  the  nest.  When  disturbed  on  the  nest  their  cries  are  very 
shrill  and  strident,  consisting  of  a  series  of  short,  harsh,  clicking  or 
rattling  sounds  something  like  the  noise  of  an  old-fashioned  watch- 
man's rattle.  The  young  are  covered  at  first  with  fluft'y  white  down. 
Before  they  are  one-third  grown  the  first  plumage  begins  to  appear, 
and  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  adults,  except  that  the  black  barring 
on  the  back  is  broader. 

Sula  -websteri  Rothschild.     Webster's  Booby. 

Sula  hassana  Grayson,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  p.  302,  1871. 

Sula  wehsteri  Rothschild,  Bull.  Brit.  Orn.  Club,  VII,  No.  LIV,  p.  LII,  1898. 

This  booby  is  no  doubt  the  Sula  hassana  reported  from  Isabel  Island 
by  Grayson  but  not  seen  by  us.  Mr.  Anthony  found  it  the  most  abun- 
dant species  breeding  on  the  Eevillagigedo  Islands  during  the  summer 
of  1898. 

Sula  brevrsteri  Goss.     Brewster's  Booby. 

Sula  hretvsteri  Goss,  Auk  V,  p.  242, 1888. 

Brewster's  boobies  were  very  numerous  on  a  small  hill  at  one  side 
of  the  little  bay  where  we  landed  on  Isabel  Island  April  22,  but  there 
were  no  signs  of  their  breeding.-  They  came  in  from  sea  during  the 
first  half  of  the  afternoon  and  sat  about  on  rocky  parts  of  the  shore 
until  nightfall.  Scattered  individuals  were  also  seen  about  the  ledges 
and  tops  of  the  cliffs  facing  the  sea.  The  following  morning  at  day- 
break they  were  congregated  on  the  little  hill  already  mentioned  which 
is  probably  their  regular  roosting  place.  About  half  an  hour  after 
sunrise  they  began  to  start  out  to  sea  singly  and  by  twos  and  threes 
until  all  were  off  on  the  day's  fishing  expedition.  A  few  were  seen 
about  the  rocks  just  off  San  Bias,  and  were  said  to  breed  ou  the  large 
rock  (Piedra  Blanca)  midway  between  Isabel  and  San  Bias.  Only  a 
few  of  these  boobies  were  seen  about  the  Tres  Marias  until  an  islet 
was  visited  off  the  northwest  shore  of  Maria  Cleofa.  This  islet  rises 
from  150  to  200  feet  above  the  sea,  with  cliffs  on  all  sides.  The  sum- 
mit is  mainly  rolling,  with  an  elevated,  sloping  bench  on  one  end  At 
this  time.  May  30,  many  thousands  of  boobies  were  breeding  ou  the  bare 
top  of  this  rock.  The  eggs  were  laid  directly  on  the  surface,  with  no 
sign  of  a  nest.  The  sun  was  intensely  hot  and  heated  the  rocks  so  that 
they  were  uncomfortably  warm  to  the  touch.  The  birds  did  not  sit 
ui>on  the  eggs  during  the  hottest  hours,  but  while  standing  to  avoid 
contact  with  the  heated  rocks  kept  in  such  position  that  the  eggs  or 
young  were  shaded  from  the  sun,  and  thus  had  their  vitality  preserved. 
While  trying  to  secure  photographs  of  this  breeding  ground  a  few  of 
the  old  birds  flew  away  and  it  was  surprising  to  see  how  quickly  the 


30  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  T 

newly  hatched  young  succumbed  to  the  heat  when  the  parents  left  them 
exposed  to  the  rays  of  the  sun.  The  nests  were  spaced  at  intervals  of 
4  or  5  feet,  so  that  the  old  birds  were  safely  out  of  reach  of  one  another. 
Although  so  gregarious  in  their  breeding  habits,  they  appeared  to 
have  but  little  regard  for  one  another.  It  was  amusing  to  see  the  sav- 
age way  in  wbich  the  nest  owners  assisted  intruders  of  their  own  kind 
out  of  their  territory.  While  we  were  walking  among  them  some  of 
the  birds  would  often  waddle  off  to  one  side,  and  in  so  doing  neces- 
sarily trespassed  on  their  neighbors.  The  latter  at  once  raised  a 
hoarse  shrieking  and  set  upon  the  outsiders  with  wicked  thrusts  of 
their  beaks,  which  continued  until  the  victims  took  wing  and  escaped. 

We  were  also  subjects  of  this  proprietary  rage,  and  had  our  legs  nipped 
every  now  and  then,  despite  all  efforts  to  walk  circumspectly.  Our 
progress  over  the  breeding  ground  was  accompanied  by  a  wave  of 
hoarse,  nasal  cries  that  sometimes  became  almost  deafening.  Many  of 
the  birds  were  valiant  upholders  of  their  rights  and  sturdily  refused 
to  leave  their  nests,  which  they  defended  vigorously,  all  the  time  utter- 
ing loud  cries  of  rage. 

These  birds  show  very  little  individual  variation  in  color.  As  the 
species  is  not  well  known  the  following  descriptions  are  appended  from 
specimens  taken  on  Isabel  and  Maria  Cleofa. 

Adult  male. — Nearly  entire  head  white,  shading  gradually  on  poste- 
rior portion  into  drab  of  neck  and  then  insensibly  into  dark,  sooty  brown 
of  back.  On  lower  side  of  neck  the  drab  becomes  darkest  at  poste- 
rior border,  where  it  ends  abruptly  against  the  i)ure  white  of  lower 
parts.  Bill  light  horn  colorj  gular  pouch  in  life  livid  blue;  feet  green- 
ish yellow — the  latter  varying  in  intensity. 

Male  in  immature  plumage. — Dorsal  surface  uniform  dark  brown, 
slightly  paler  than  back  of  adult;  entire  lower  surface  still  paler  and 
more  dingy  brown.  Feathers  over  much  of  body,  especially  about 
head,  neck,  and  lower  parts,  narrowly  edged  with  grayish  brown,  giving 
a  faint  wavy  barring.  Bill  bluish  horn  color,  with  darker  shade  of 
same  about  base  and  on  gular  pouch;  feet  and  tarsi  dull  fleshy  yellow; 
iris  greenish  gray. 

Adult  feinale. — Head,  neck  all  around,  and  back  sooty  brown;  ven- 
tral surface  below  neck  white.  Bill  light  horn  color;  a  spot  of  leaden 
bluish  on  lores;  ba>>e  of  bill,  gular  pouch,  feet,  and  tarsi  grayish  yel 
low;  iris  pale  grayish. 

Average  measurements  of  these  birds  from  Isabel  Island  are  as  fol- 
lows: S  (5  specimens),  wing 384.4;  tail  189.6;  culmen  93.6;  tarsus  45.4; 
$  (5  specimens),  wing  416.6;  tail  192.8;  culmen  96.6;  tarsus  48.8. 

Nestlings  a  few  days  old  are  covered  with  fluffy  white  down.  A  male 
bird  of  the  previous  year,  which  still  retained  the  immature  plumage, 
was  taken  at  Isabel  on  Aj^ril  23,  and  several  others  were  seen. 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS   ISLANDS.  31 

Sula  nebouxii  Milne-Edwards.     Blue  footed  Booby. 

Sula  ])iiicaior  Grayson,  Proc.  Boston  Soc,  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  302,  1871;  Lawr., 

Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  316,  1874. 
Sula  nebouxii  Milne-Edwards,  Ann.  Sci.  Nat.,  Paris  (Zool.),  6vme  s^r.,  XIII,  Art. 

4,  p.  37,  pi.  14,  1882  (Chile). 
Sula  gossi  Goss  (ex  Ridgway  MS.),  Auk,  V,  p.  241,  July,  1888  (Gulf  of  Calif.). 

Sida  7iehouxn  is  the  most  abundant  species  of  booby  occurring  on 
Isabel  and  the  Tres  Marias.  On  April  22  they  were  breeding  abun- 
dantly on  the  beaches  and  on  a  low  flat  area  that  covers  a  part  of  the 
former  island.  They  were  common  on  the  grassy  beach  at  the  landing 
and  thence  back  among  the  scrubby  trees  and  bushes  which  form  a 
scanty  growth  over  the  flat.  They  were  most  numerous  on  the  open 
beach  a  little  above  high-water  mark,  but  dozens  of  them  were  seen 
with  their  eggs  farther  back  among  the  bushes.  Like  the  preceding 
species,  they  fought  and  screamed  savagely  when  approached.  The 
males  usually  flew  away,  but  the  females  remained  to  give  battle  over 
the  nests,  which  were  mere  hollows  in  the  earth,  sand,  or  gravel.  Not 
a  single  young  one  was  seen  in  the  hundreds  of  nests  on  Isabel. 

The  sun-  was  excessively  hot  the  morning  of  our  arrival,  and  while 
the  men  were  landing  the  outfit,  ropes  were  fastened  between  the  tops 
of  some  scrubby  trees  close  to  the  beach  and  a  piece  of  canvas  spread 
for  an  awning,  under  which  the  baggage  was  placed.  An  old  booby 
had  her  eggs  in  the  sand  within  3  feet  of  the  edge  of  the  sheltered  area 
and  stood  her  ground  unflinchingly  while  the  men  were  at  work, 
keeping  a  wary  eye  on  their  movements  and  making  vicious  dabs 
whenever  a  leg  came  incautiously  within  reach.  Having  arranged 
camp,  I  went  out  exploring  for  an  hour  or  so  and  returned  with  various 
specimens,  including  the  egg  of  a  tropic  bird,  and  found  that  one  of  the 
boatmen  had  driven  off  the  booby  and  thrown  away  her  eggs.  Wish- 
ing to  test  the  bird's  discrimination,  I  placed  the  reddish-brown  egg  of 
the  tropic  bird  in  the  hollow  where  the  two  greenish- white  eggs  of  the 
booby  had  been,  and  sitting  under  the  awning  began  to  prei)are 
specimens.  In  the  course  of  half  an  hour  the  owner  of  the  despoiled 
nest  returned  and  alighted  10  or  15  steps  away  near  another  deserted 
nest,  gave  a  look  at  the  eggs  in  it,  walked  to  still  another,  looked  at  it, 
and  then  proceeded  directly  to  her  own  nest  and  stopped.  She  looked 
about  and  then  down  at  the  nest.  The  presence  of  the  single 
reddish- colored  egg  appeared  to  surprise  her;  she  looked  at  it  with 
one  eye  and  then  with  the  other  as  if  in  doubt.  An  instant  later  the 
feathers  on  her  head  and  nape  ruffled  up  and  with  a  loud  squawk  of 
rage  she  suddenly  dashed  her  beak  again  and  again  into  the  strange 
egg,  breaking  it  to  fragments  in  a  moment.  As  soon  as  the  egg  was 
demolished  she  took  wing  and  disappeared  out  to  sea.  There  was  no 
intention  to  sacrifice  the  tropic  bird's  egg  in  this  experiment,  so  the 
booby  carried  oft"  the  honors. 

About  10  o'clock  the  following  night  a  visit  was  paid  to  the  nesting- 
boobies.    The  night  was  calm,  and  taking  a  lighted  candle  I  walked 


32  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

out  a  short  distance  to  an  opening  in  the  bushes  where  there  were 
twenty  or  thirty  nests.  The  females  were  found  on  their  eggs  with  the 
males  standing  close  beside  them.  When  the  strange  visitor  appeared 
in  their  midst  the  birds  set  up  a  continuous  series  of  hoarse  cries  and, 
like  so  many  moths,  seemed  to  become  fascinated  by  the  light.  They 
started  up  on  all  sides,  and  trooping  within  the  circle  of  bright  light, 
began  to  run  around  me  in  a  ring  about  20  feet  in  diameter.  They  ran 
in  single  file  from  right  to  left  and  presented  a  most  ludicrous  sight. 
Occasionally  one  fell  on  its  breast,  whereupon  the  others  scrambled 
over  the  fallen  bird  until  it  regained  its  feet  and  rejoined  the  proces- 
sion. One  of  the  number  was  suddenly  j^ossessed  with  a  desire  to  run 
around  one  of  my  legs,  and,  although  seized  by  the  head  several  times 
and  tossed  out  among  its  companions,  persisted  in  returning  to  the 
same  place  and  continuing  its  gyrations.  The  next  morning  at  day- 
break the  birds  were  seen  standing  in  pairs  by  their  eggs  and  remained 
in  this  position  until  about  sunrise,  or  a  little  after,  when  all  of  the 
males  went  out  to  sea — usually  in  little  parties  of  two  to  five  or  six. 
They  returned  between  1  and  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  a  number 
of  them  flew  directly  to  their  mates  and  disgorged  nl^me^ous  small 
fishes  which  the  females  ate  greedily.  These  observations  seemed  to 
show  that  the  females  did  the  incubating  and  the  males  provided  the 
food.  As  the  neighboring  waters  do  not  abound  in  small  fishes,  the 
boobies  have  to  go  in  many  cases  from  10  to  30  miles  to  obtain  their 
daily  supply.  During  a  visit  to  San  Juanito  Island,  the  latter  part  of 
May,  many  blue-footed  boobies  were  found  breeding  on  sandy  beaches 
at  the  south  end  of  the  island;  many  of  the  young  were  hatched  and 
some  were  more  than  half  grown.  Like  the  young  of  the  tropic  birds, 
the  young  boobies  uttered  angry  cries  and  fought  savagely  when 
approached. 

This  species  is  found  in  Chile,  on  the  Galapagos  Islands,  and  north  to 
the  island  of  San  Pedro  Martir  in  the  Gulf  of  California.  The  type  of 
Sida  nebouxii  was  obtained  on  the  coast  of  Chile,  and  the  tyj)e  of  S. 
gossi  came  from  San  Pedro  Martir. 

The  sexes  are  alike  in  color,  but  when  standing  together  the  males 
may  be  readily  distinguished  by  their  smaller  size  and  slenderer  form. 
In  life  the  bill  is  leaden  horn  color,  with  its  base  and  the  gular  pouch 
leaden  blue;  the  feet  are  bright  blue.  The  downy  young  are  pure 
white.  Four  specimens  measure  as  follows:  S  (1  specimen),  wing,  410; 
tail,  219;  culmen,  108;  tarsus,  51.  ?  (average  of  3  specimens),  wing, 
438;  tail,  219;  culmen,  109.6;  tarsus,  56. 

Phalacrocorax  sp.     Cormorant. 

Two  or  three  cormorants  seen  at  a  distance  were  the  only  ones  noted 
during  the  trip.     None  were  seen  near  Isabel  nor  on  the  rocks  near 
San  Bias. 
Pelecanus  californicus  Ridgway.     California  Brown  Pelican. 

A  few  pairs  of  brown  pelicans  were  breeding  on  Isabel  Island  the 
last  of  April.    The  nests  were  made  of  sticks  and  placed  in  the  dense 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TEES    MARIAS    ISLAND.s.  33 

tups  of  the  scrubby  trees  growing-  on  the  rocky  inner  slopes  of  the  islaud. 
They  were  found  about  all  of  the  Tres  Marias,  but  usually  occurred  singly 
and  were  nowhere  common.  Two  or  three  were  seen  fishing  in  the 
breakers  alongshore  at  the  north  end  of  Maria  Madre. 

Fregata  aquila  (Linn.)-     Man-o'-war  Bird. 

Hundreds  of  man-o'-war  birds  were  breeding  on  Isabel  in  April,  and 
on  approaching  the  island  many  were  seen  soaring  over  the  rocky  sum- 
mit. The  first  shot  caused  hundreds  of  others  to  take  wing,  and  in  a 
few  moments  the  air  was  swarming  with  them.  They  soared  in  con- 
stantly intersecting  circles,  until  the  sky  seemed  covered  with  their 
silhouetted  outlines.  So  few  had  been  seen  alongshore  near  San  Bias 
that  it  was  an  interesting  and  unexpected  sight.  Upon  landing,  numer- 
ous large,  oval,  and  brilliantly  red  objects  were  seen  in  the  tops  of  the 
dark-green  bushes  along  the  slopes.  These  proved  to  be  the  gular 
pouches  of  old  male  man-o'-war  birds  inflated  to  the  size  of  a  man's  head, 
the  brilliant  red  color  of  the  distended  membrane  making  them  very 
conspicuous  objects.  It  appeared  to  be  a  common  custom  of  the  birds  to 
sit  quietly  on  the  top  of  a  tree  for  a  long  time  Avith  the  pouches  thus 
distended  and  evidently  serving  as  sexual  ornaments.  A  few  birds 
were  seen  circling  high  overhead  with  their  pouches  fully  inflated,  but 
as  a  general  rule,  when  soaring,  the  pouches  were  closed. 

The  nests  were  built  of  sticks  and  placed  in  the  tops  of  low  trees 
and  stout  bushes  from  near  sea  level  to  the  summit  of  the  island. 
Three  or  four  of  these  platform-like  structures  were  found  together  in 
some  of  the  larger  bushes.  Many  of  the  young  were  hatched  and,  when 
able  to  stand  alone,  would  do  their  best  with  voice  and  beak  to  resent 
our  approach.  The  young  are  covered  with  white  down  until  nearly 
half  grown. 

A  few  of  these  birds  were  also  seen  about  the  Tres  Marias,  and  are 
said  to  breed  on  San  Juanito,  but  were  not  common. 

Ardea  herodias  Linn.     Great  Blue  Heron. 

A  few  solitary  individuals  were  seen  at  various  times  during  IVIay 
along  the  beaches,  and  it  is  probable  that  a  few  pairs  may  breed  on  the 
islands.    They  were  also  noted  by  Colonel  Grayson. 

Ardea  egretta  Gmel.     American  Egret. 

The  American  egret  is  another  species  noted  by  Colonel  Grayson, 
which  we  did  not  see.  It  must  occur  merely  as  a  straggler  from  the 
mainland. 

Ardea  candidissima  Gmel.     Snowy  Heron. 

Ivecorded  by  Colonel  Grayson  as  a  straggler,  but  not  seen  by  us. 
Nycticorax  violaceus  (Linn).     Yellow-crowned  Night  Heron. 

A  dozen  or  more  night  herons  were  noted  and  a  young  bird  was  shot 
on  a  rock  close  to  Isabel  Island,  where  it  must  have  strayed  from  the 
mainland.    As  Colonel  Grayson  found  theju  on  the  islands   and  took 
13950_No.  U 3 


34  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

specimens  iu  immature  plumage,  it  is  very  probable  that  they  breed 
there  iu  small  numbers. 

Totanus  flavipes  (Gmel.).     Yellow-legs. 

A  single  specimen  was  shot  by  Prof.  C.  L.  Herrick  on  Maria  Madre 
the  middle  of  May. 
Actitis  macularia  (Linu.).     Spotted  Sandpiper. 

A  few  were  seen  along  the  shore  on  all  of  the  islands,  where  they 
probably  breed. 

Several  small  flocks  of  another  sandpiper  were  seen  along  shore  on 
the  islands;  but  although  considerable  energy  was  expended  iu  their 
pursuit  we  failed  to  secure  a  specimen. 

^gialitis  semipalmata  Bonap.     Semipalmated  Plover. 

Colonel  Grayson  took  a  single  specimen  of  this  plover.  It  was  not 
seen  by  us  and  must  occur  only  as  a  straggler. 

Haematopiis  palliatus  Teiumiuck.     American  Oyster-catcher. 

Rather  common  on  the  shores  of  the  Tres  Marias  and  Isabel,  as  well 
as  along  the  coast  of  the  mainland  near  San  Bias.  A  series  of  teu 
oyster- catchea:s  were  secured  and  have  been  compared  with  four  speci- 
mens of  Hamatopus  galapagensis,  one  of  H.  frazari,  and  a  number  of 
typical  JET.  palliatus  (from  the  Atlantic  coast  of  the  United  States  and 
the  West  Indies). 

All  of  the  birds  from  the  Tres  Marias,  Isabel  Island,  and  the  adjacent 
mainland  were  found  to  be  surprisingly  close  to  typical  imlliatus.  As 
the  Tres  Marias  are  not  far  south  of  Lower  California,  the  birds  from 
the  islands  might  naturally  be  expected  to  be  nearly  typical  repre- 
sentatives of  //.  frazari.  In  reality  about  the  only  sign  of  gradation 
toward  the  latter  form  is  the  mixed  black  and  white  across  the  lower 
border  of  the  black  neck  area.  Some  specimens  from  a  single  small 
flock  on  Maria  Cleofa  had  the  line  of  demarkation  between  the  black  and 
white  areas  on  the  breast  as  sharply  defined  as  iu  palliatus,  while  others 
had  the  mixed  black  and  white  areas,  as  in  frazari  and  (jalapagensis. 
Some  of  the  birds  have  a  white  spot  on  the  under  eyelid,  which  is 
absent  iu  others,  but  otherwise  the  color  is  the  same  as  in  tjincal  pal- 
liatus. Birds  from  the  Tres  Marias  and  the  mainland  coast  to  the 
south  have  an  average  shorter  bill  and  tarsus  than  tm^  palliatus,  and 
in  this  character  approximate /ra2;ari  and  galapagensis.  Mr.  Eidgway 
has  already  called  attention  to  the  close  general  similarity  existing 
between  the  two  latter  species.  The  series  from  the  Tres  Marias  and 
adjacent  coast  agree  with  specimens  iu  the  National  Museum  from 
various  points  along  the  Pacific  coast  of  Mexico,  Central,  and  South 
America  in  being  very  close  to  typical  palliatus,  thus  showing  pretty 
conclusively  that  this  is  the  resident  bird  along  the  coast  and  adjacent 
islands  south  of  Lower  California. 

So  far  as  can  be  judged  from  specimens  at  hand,  B.  galapagensis  is 
distinct  from  frazari,  although  the  birds  resemble  one  other  more  closely 


BIRDS    OF    THF:    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS. 


35 


than  tliey  do  representatives  of  palliatus  from  the  adjacent  mainland. 
A  series  of  specimens  from  the  southern  end  of  Lower  California  will 
probably  show  intergradation  between  palliatus  ^ud.  J razari.  The  fol- 
lowing measurements  show  the  comparative  sizes  of  birds  from  various 
localities : 


Measurements  of  Hcematopus  palliatus,  H.  frazari,  and  H.  galapaciensls. 


Name. 

Locality. 

Sex. 

Num- 
ber of 
speci- 
mens. 

Wing. 

TaU. 

Cul- 
men. 

• 
Tarsus. 

Hsematopua  palliatus.. 

Atlantic       coaat,       United 
States  and  West  Indies. 

? 

3 

260 

102.3 

90 

63 

Haematopus  palliatus. . 

'i'res  Marias  and    Isabel 
Islands. 

d 

6 

256 

100.1 

75.8 

58.1 

Hasmatopus  palliatus.. 

Trea  Marias  and  adjacent 
coast. 

? 

5 

262.2 

104 

83.8 

58.4 

Hnematopus  palliatus.. 
Hiumatopus  frazari 

? 
? 

o 

263 

97.5 

84 

61 

Coast  of  Lower  California  . . 

4 

250.2 

116.8 

74.4 

56.9 

Haematopus    galajia- 

gensis. 
Ha?matopu8   g  a  1  a  p  a- 

gousis. 

2 

253 

98 

83  5 

54  5 

3 

246  6 

101  6 

82 

57 

Columba  flavirostris  madreiisis  N'elaon.     Ties  Marias  Pigeon. 

Columha  flai-irostris  Grayson,  Proc.    Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  274,  1871; 

Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  304,  1874. 
Columha  flavirostris  madrensis  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XII,  p.  6,  1898. 

These  handsome  birds  were  rather  common  on  Maria  Madre  and 
Maria  Magdalena,  ranging  to  the  summits  of  the  islands,  and  they 
probably  live  also  on  Maria  Cleofa.  On  Maria  Madre  they  were  most 
numerous  along  the  wooded  sides  of  a  canyon  some  distance  back  from 
the  coast,  where  they  usually  perched  among  the  higher  branches  of 
the  trees  or  were  seen  tiying  about  by  twos  and  threes.  Early  in  the 
morning  a  few  could  be  found  among  the  smaller  trees  on  the  bases  of 
the  foothills  near  the  settlement,  but  later  in  the  day  they  retired  farther 
inland  to  the  more  heavily  wooded  slopes.  On  Maria  Magdiilena  they 
were  numerous  in  some  trees  near  a  group  of  deserted  houses  and  in 
old  clearings  a  short  distance  back  from  the  shore.  They  came  to  these 
trees  to  feed  ui)on  the  ripening  fruit,  but  were  rather  shy.  When  one 
becomes  startlfed  and  takes  wing  it  makes  a  loud  flapping  noise  that 
alarms  its  companions,  and  then  all  dash  swiftly  away.  They  were  less 
conliding  than  most  of  the  birds  on  the  islands,  but  were  not  so  shy  as 
their  representatives  on  the  mainland.  Wild  figs  and  the  small  fruit 
of  a  tree,  probably  a  species  of  Psidium^  or  wild  guava,  were  favorite 
articles  of  food.  Their  loud  cooing  note  is  uttered  at  short  intervals 
and  is  one  of  tne  characteristic  sounds  in  the  forests  they  frequent. 
They  are  essentially  arboreal  in  habits  and  are  rarely  seen  near  the 
ground. 


3G  NOHTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 

Zenaidura  niacroura  (Linn).     Mourning  Dove. 

A  single  mouriiiiig  dove  was  taken  on  May  5,  ou  Maria  Madre,  and  a 
few  others  w^ere  seen  on  the  ishmd  during  the  first  half  of  the  month. 
They  were  found  for  a  short  time  about  an  old  field  near  the  shore,  and, 
like  several  other  species,  were  probably  stray  migrants. 

Leptotila  fulviventris  brachyptera  (Salvadori).     Wbite-fronted  Dove. 

There  is  a  typical  specimen  of  this  bird  in  the  National  Museum  col- 
lection, which  was  taken  on  the  Tres  Marias  by  Colonel  Grayson.  It 
was  undoubtedly  a  straggler  from  the  mainland,  as  it  shows  no  approach 
toward  the  characters  distinguishing  the  resident  insular  species. 

Ijeptotila  capitalis  Nelson.     Tres  Marias  Dove. 

Leptoptila  alhifrons  Grayson,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  \i.  274, 1871  (part) ; 

Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  305, 1874  (part). 
Leptotila  capiialis  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XII,  p.  6,  1898. 

Very  common  on  Maria  Madre  and  Maria  Magdalena,  and  prob- 
ably occurs  also  on  Maria  Cleofa.  They  run  about  on  the  ground 
under  the  shade  of  the  forest  with  motions  like  those  of  a  quail.  Dur- 
ing the  morning  and  evening  hours  quiet  trails  leading  through  the 
forest  are  their  favorite  resorts.  When  walking  along  these  trails  one 
sees  them  for  a  moment,  sometimes  running  and  sometimes  on  the  wing 
close  to  the  ground,  as  they  disappear  around  the  next  bend.  ]f  one 
is  walking  slowly  the  birds  will  frequently  keep  ahead  for  some  distance, 
but  if  pressed  they  either  run  or  fly  to  one  side  into  the  sheltering 
woods.  They  have  a  loud  cooing  note,  which  is  heard  at  short  intervals 
wherever  the  birds  are  common.  During  the  hot  hours  of  the  day  they 
retire  to  the  shadiest  recesses  of  the  forest  and  usually  perch  in  some 
thick-topped  tree.  While  resting  in  these  retreats  they  have  the  pretty 
custom  of  uttering  mellow  call  notes,  as  if  in  response  to  one  another. 
During  the  breeding  season  they  are  seen  in  pairs,  keepiugclose  together, 
but  at  other  times  are  solitary.  When  forced  to  take  wing,  they  do  so 
with  a  loud  whirring  sound  and  dart  away  through  the  intricate  mazes 
of  the  dense  forest  with  wonderful  (juickness.  Their  agility  in  flying 
at  full  speed  among  the  network  of  trunks  and  branches  is  extraordinary 
and  equalled  by  few  birds  If  they  take  wing  without  being  alarmed, 
their  flight  is  almost  noiseless. 

Melopelia  leucopteia  (Linn).     White-winged  Dove. 

White-winged  doves  were  rather  common  residents'on  both  Maria 
Madre  and  i\Iaria  Magdalena,  and  a  few  were  seen  on  Maria  Cleofa. 

Colonel  Grayson  does  not  mention  having  seen  this  bird  during  any 
of  his  visits  to  the  islands.  It  seems  quite  improbable  that  so  con- 
spicuous a  si)ecies  should  have  been  present  and  overlooked,  and  I 
am  inclined  to  believe  that  it  has  become  a  resident  of  the  islands  since 
his  visits.  It  is  now  a  conspicuous  and  widely  spread  species  and  one 
of  the  two  resident  land  birds  found  by  us  that  are  not  in  Grayson's 
list.  In  habits  and  appearance  the  white- winged  doves  of  the  islands 
are  identical  with  those  on  the  mainland,  where  the  species  is  very 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS.  37 

iiumeioiis.  Two  specimens  were  taken  on  Maria  Madre,  May  7,  and 
a  single  suecimen  was  shot  on  Isabel  Island,  April  22;  tlie  latter  was 
undoubtedly  a  straggler  from  the  mainland,  since  Isabel  is  a  waterless 
island. 

Columbigallina  passerina  pallescens  (Baird).     Mexican  Ground  Dove. 

These  pretty  little  doves  were  common  on  Maria  Madre  and  Maria 
Magdalena,  but  were  most  numerous  about  old  fields  and  in  the  settle- 
ment on  the  former  island.  The  series  of  specimens  taken  on  Maria 
Madre  appears  to  be  identical  with  the  birds  of  the  adjacent  mainland; 
seven  males  from  the  islands  average  as  follows:  Wing,  87.4;  tail,  61.8; 
culmen,  11.6;  tarsus,  16.6. 
Cathartes  aura  (Linn.).     Turkey  Vulture. 

Generally  distributed,  and  very  common  about  the  settlement  on 
Maria  Madre. 

Buteo  borealis  fumosus  Nelson.     Tres  Marias  Red-tailed  Hawk. 

Buteo  horcalis  var.  moniaua  Grayson,  Proe.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  268, 1871 

(part). 
Buteo  ho7'eaUfi  var.  calurus  Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  301,  1874 

(part). 
Btdeo  horealis  fitmosiis  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washiugton,  XII,  p.  7, 1898. 

Colonel  Grayson  records  this  as  a  common  species.  We  found  a 
few  living  along  the  canyons  tliat  score  the  slopes  of  Maria  Madre. 
They  were  very  sparsely  distributed  and  only  some  twelve  or  fifteen 
individuals  were  noted;  two  or  three  were  seen  on  Maria  Magdalena 
and  none  on  Maria  Cleofa.  They  were  not  at  all  shy,  and  whenever 
found  perched  on  a  tree  were  readily  approached  within  gunshot. 
They  feed  mainly  upon  iguanas  and  rabbits,  both  of  which  are  common 
on  the  two  larger  islands.  Nothing  distinctive  was  noted  about  the 
habits  of  these  hawks.  They  are  uniform  in  color,  and  differ  more  from 
the  mainland  forms  than  does  B.  horealis  socorroensis,  although  the 
latter  is  from  an  island  much  fartlier  out  at  sea. 

The  adult  female  of  ,/MWo.s^^s•  has  some  heavy  shaft  streaks  of  dark 
brown  on  the  chest,  but  these  are  not  heavy  enough  to  form  a  well- 
defined  dark  area  as  is  often  the  case  in  calurus. 

Description  of  an  im  mature  male  ( ?)  from  Maria  Madre :  Upper  surface 
almost  uniform  blackish  brown;  tail  mainly  of  same  color,  but  crossed 
by  nine  narrow,  irregular  lighter  bands;  a  light  area  on  tlie  throat, 
where  the  feathers  have  narrow  blackish  shaft  lines  and  broad,  dull 
white  borders;  breast  and  sides  of  neck  dnll,  dark  brown,  with  dull, 
rusty  edgings  to  feathers  on  latter  area ;  middle  of  breast  paler ;  feathers 
on  lower  breast  and  flanks  blackish  brown,  with  irregular  whitish  spots; 
abdomen  and  lower  tail  coverts  dull  brownish,  jialer  tlian  flanks,  with 
pale  butty  barring;  some  feathers  of  tibia  bufty  or  heavily  barred  with 
butty,  but  mostly  like  those  of  lower  breast. 


38 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


lielow  are  averages  showing  the  relative  size  of  the  two  islaud  forms: 

Measurements  of  Buteo  borealis  fumosus  and  Buteo  b.  socorroensis. 


Name. 

Locality. 

Sex. 

Num- 
ber of 
speci- 
mens. 

Wing. 

Tail. 

Cul- 
men. 

Depth 
of  bill. 

Tarsus. 

Buteo  borealis  fumo- 
sus. 

Maria  Madre  Island . 
do 

Ad.  cT 

Ad   9 
Ad,  ,:r 
Ad.  9 

3 
1 
2 
1 

X73  3 
412 
387.5 
425 

207.3 
214 
207.5 
221 

26 
30 
25 
30 

18.5 
20 
17.5 
20 

81.3 
81 

sus. 
Buteo  borealis  socor- 
roensis. 

Socorro  Island 

do 

80 
86 

roensis. 

Falco  peregrinus  anatum  (Bonap. ).     Duck  Hawk. 

Falco  peregrinus  var.  nigriceps  Grayson,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist..  XIV,  ]).  268, 
1871. 

A  single  duck  hawk  was  taken  by  Colonel  Grayson,  who  mentions 
that  it  was  shot  while  in  close  jjursnit  of  a  sparrow  hawk.  We  did 
not  see  this  species  during  our  visit  to  the  islands. 

Paico  sparverius  Linn.     Sparrow  Hawk. 

The  sparrow  hawk  was  recorded  from  the  islands  by  Colonel  Gray- 
sou,  but  we  did  not  see  a  single  individual,  and  it  probably  occurs 
merely  as  a  straggler. 

Falco  columbarius  Linn.     Pigeon  Hawk. 

Colonel  Grayson  records  this  species  as  very  common  upon  the 
islands.  Not  a  single  individual  was  seen  by  us,  and  it  probably 
occurs  only  as  a  winter  visitant  or  stray  migrant. 

Falco  albigularis  Daudin.     Wbite-tbroated  Falcon. 

Hypotriorchis  rufigularis  Grayson,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  ]>.  269. 1871; 
Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  301, 1874. 

Colonel  Grayson  took  a  specimen  of  this  fine  little  falcon  on  the 
islands.  None  were  seen  by  us,  and  it  must,  no  doubt,  be  classed  as 
one  of  the  uumerous  accidental  visitants  from  the  mainland. 

Polyborus  cheri^w^ay  pallidus  Nelson.     Tres  Marias  Caracara. 

Polyhorus  audubonii  Grayson,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  268,  1871, 

■(part). 
Polyborus  tharus  var.  auduboni  Lawr.,  Mem.   Boston  Soc.  Nat.   Hist.,  II,  p.  308, 

1874,  (part). 
Polyborus  cheriway  pallidus  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XII,  p,  8,  1898. 

Very  abundant  about  the  settlement  on  Maria  Madre  and  ratber 
commonly  distributed  elsewhere  over  the  island.  They  were  also 
rather  common  on  the  other  islands,  including  Sau  Juanito.  The  old 
log  roads  and  dry  bottoms  of  the  canyons  on  Maria  JMadre  were 
favorite  resorts.  The  birds  were  met  in  many  unexpected  places,  and 
were  frequently  seen  perched  in  tree  tops  in  the  midst  of  the  unbroken 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS.  39 

forest.  Iguanas  were  excessively  numerous,  and  furnislied  tlie  main 
supply  of  food  for  the  caracaras ;  the  birds  were  on  the  alert,  however, 
for  anything  in  the  form  of  carriojQ  that  turned  up  along  shore  or  in 
the  forest. 

Pandion  haliaetus  carolinensis  (Gmel.)     American  Osprey. 

Several  osprey s  were  seen  along  the  shores  of  all  the  islands,  where 
tliey  ])robably  nest.  Colonel  Grayson  found  a  nest  on  a  rock  adjacent 
to  the  northern  shore  of  Maria  Madre  and  another  iu  a  large  cactus. 
Mr.  Forrer  obtained  an  immature  bird  during  his  visit  to  this  island. 

Strix  pratincola  Bonap.     American  Barn  Owl. 

Colonel  Grayson  states  that  he  heard  the  well-known  hissing  scream 
of  this  bird  ;tt  night  on  the  Tres  Marias.  We  were  told  of  the  pres- 
ence of  barn  owls  on  the  islands,  but  did  not  see  them,  and  failed  to 
learn  whether  they  occur  as  residents  or  stray  migrants. 

Speotyto  cimicularia  hypogaea  (Bonap. )      Burrowing  Owl. 

Colonel  Grayson  says  of  the  burrowing  owl,  "  A  few  individuals  of 
this  species  inhabit  the  Marias  Islands,  perhaps  wandered  from  the 
m. inland."  We  neither  saw  nor  could  learn  anything  of  them,  and 
those  seen  by  Colonel  Graysou  were  probably  winter  stragglers. 

?  Micropallas  Sp. 

The  first  evening  after  landing  on  Maria  Madre,  Mr.  Goldman  saw 
and  heard  a  little  owl  about  the  size  of  Glancidium  phakvnoides  on  an 
old  log  road  in  the  forest.  It  was  very  near,  and  when  he  had  moved 
back  far  enough  to  shoot  without  destroying  the  bird  it  became  too 
indistinct  to  see  and  so  escaped.  Its  notes  were  not  like  those  of  the 
ferruginous  owl.  This  was  the  only  one  seen  or  heard  during  our  stay. 
If  a  resident,  it  is  very  uncommon,  for  special  but  unsuccessful  efforts 
were  made  to  find  others.' 

Amazona  oratrix  Ridgway.     Double  Yellow-headed  Parrot. 

Chrysotis  levalUaniii  Grayson,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  271,  1871; 

Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  296, 1874. 
Amazona  oratrix  Ridgway,  Man.  N.  Am.  Birds,  p.  594, 1887. 

The  yellow-headed  parrot  is  a  common  resident  and  always  nests  in 
holes  high  up  iu  large  trees  iu  the  forest.  Half-grown  young  were 
found  the  middle  of  May.  The  birds  were  usually  seen  flying  about 
the  forest  in  pairs,  but  congregated  in  flocks  of  from  six  to  twenty  or 
more  at  their  feeding  places.  They  feed  upon  the  fruits  of  various 
trees,  and  during  May  the  fleshy  pods  of  Pithecolohium  dulce  formed 
their  staple  article  of  diet.  These  low  trees,  from  15  to  35  feet  high, 
were  growing  around  the  houses  of  the  settlement  on  Maria  Madre  and 
were  scattered  thence  along  the  coast,  especially  about  the  borders  of 

'During  the  visit  to  Maria  Magdalena  Island  a  larger  owl  was  seen  in  the  forest 
along  the  bottom  of  a  steep  canyon,  but  was  not  sufficiently  near  to  identify,  and 
escaped  before  it  could  be  obtained.  This  was  probably  Ciccaba  sqitamiilatn  ( Bonap. ), 
a  species  which  is  not  rare  on  the  mainland. 


40  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

old  clearings  and  in  scrubby  second  growth  on  the  lower  slopes.  A 
number  of  yellow-headed  parrots  came  down  every  day  to  feed  in  the 
trees,  even  among  the  houses,  and  did  not  i)ay  the  slightest  attention 
to  passing  people.  As  these  birds  readily  learn  to  talk,  they  tire  highly 
prized  as  pets,  and  are  sold  to  visitors,  or  sent  to  towns  on  the  main- 
laud;  the  birds  taken  while  young  being  most  highly  prized  on  account 
of  their  docility.  The  men  search  for  their  nests,  and  when  one  is 
located  tlie  hunter  strikes  the  base  of  the  tree  several  sharp  blows  with 
a  stone  or  ax,  and  then  places  his  ear  against  the  trunk  and  listens. 
He  can  tell  whether  the  young  are  old  enough  to  remove,  by  the  strength 
of  the  cries  they  utter  in  reponse  to  the  blows  on  the  tree.  Being  satis- 
lied  of  the  presence  of  his  game,  the  hunter  climbs  the  tree,  and  if 
necessary  cuts  into  the  nest  with  his  machete.  Each  brood  contains 
two  young,  which  are  carried  to  the  ground  inside  the  hunter's  shirt. 
By  means  of  a  noose  on  the  end  of  a  long  cane,  like  a  fishing  rod,  many 
old  parrots  are  captured  while  feeding.  An  old  woman  had  twenty  birds 
which  she  had  taken  in  this  manner  while  they  were  feeding  in  the 
top  of  a  small  rithecolobium  tree  by  her  door.  The  hunters  search  for 
regular  feeding  places  in  the  forest  and  wait  under  the  trees  for  the 
birds  to  come.  When  the  birds  arrive,  the  end  of  the  rod  is  slowly  and 
cautiously  pushed  up  through  the  branches,  the  noose  slipped  over  the 
bird's  head  and  drawn  about  its  neck  with  a  quick  jerk,  after  which 
the  victim  is  hauled  down  and  thrust  into  a  cage.  A  favorite  resort 
for  the  parrots  on  Maria  Madre  was  a  group  of  trees  about  half  a  mile 
from  the  settlement.  The  birds  were  very  unsuspicious,  and  one  could 
walk  up  within  UO  or  25  yards  in  full  view  and  watch  them  without 
their  paying  much  attention.  The  parrots  were  constantly  cliatteiing, 
and  the  greatest  good  comradeship  seemed  to  prevail.  Mates  kept 
close  together  and  showed  their  attachment  by  caressing  and  feeding 
one  anotlier  at  short  intervals.  The  i>roficiency  in  speaking  which  some  ■ 
of  these  birds  attain  is  remarkable.  The  daughter  of  the  customs 
inspector  <»u  Maria  Madre  had  one  wliich  afforded  much  amusement 
by  the  variety  of  its  remarks  and  their  fre(]ueiitly  absurd  appropiiate- 
uess.  Colonel  Grayson  supposed  these  birds  to  be  peculiar  to  the  Tres 
Marias,  as  he  did  not  chance  to  tind  them  on  the  mainland.  In  reality, 
they  are  widely  distributed  on  both  coasts  of  Mexico. 

After  comparing  the  series  taken  on  the  islands  with  specimens 
from  both  coasts  of  the  Mexican  mainland  certain  slight  differences 
are  noticeable,  but  are  too  poorly  defined  to  be  worthy  of  subspecific 
recognition.  The  island  birds  are  usually  apple  green  on  the  dorsal 
surface,  and  mainland  specimens  are  more  of  an  oil  green;  the  ventral 
surface  has  a  more  decided  bluish  wash ;  there  is  also  tendency  to  a 
richer  suifusion  of  orange  and  orange  red  on  the  yellow  feathers  about 
the  necks  of  old  birds. 

The  following  measurements  show  that  the  island  birds  are  a  little 
larger  than  those  of  the  mainland,  with  proportionately  smaller  bill  and 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS. 


41 


shorter  tarsus.  Averages  of  9  specimens  from  the  islands  (both  sexes) : 
Wing,  233.3;  tail,  133.6;  oulmen,  34.3;  tarsus,  24.7.  Averages  of  7 
specimens  from  both  coasts  of  the  mainland  (both  sexes) :  Wiug,  222.5; 
tail,  120.1;  culmen,  34.4;  tarsus,  24.5. 

Some  old  residents  on  Maria  Madre  reported  that  they  had  occa- 
sionally seen  stray  individuals  of  another  parrot  which  was  a  little 
smaller  than  the  yellow  head,  probably  Amnzona  finsehi,  which  is 
abundant  on  the  mainland. 

Psittaculainsularis  Ridgway.     Tres  Marias  Lovebird. 

Psiitacula  eyanopyga  Grayson,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  271,  1871; 

Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  297,  1874  (part). 
Psiitacula  iiisiilaris  Ridgway,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Museum,  X,  1887,  p.  .541  (Aug.  1888). 
Paittacula  ciianopygia  Salvador!,  Cat.  Birds  Brit.  Mus.,  XX,  p.  249,  1891  (part). 

Lovebirds,  or  'catarinas,'  as  they  are  called  by  the  Mexicans,  are 
common  on  Maria^  Madre  and  Maria  Magdalena,  and  probably  occur  on 
Maria  Cleofa,  although  none  were  seen  on  the  latter  island.  They 
were  usually  seen  in  flocks,  from  a  few  pairs  up  to  30  or  40  individuals, 
and  in  May  were  feeding  on  small,  sweet,  wild  figs,  common  on  the  lower 
slopes.  While  feeding  they  keep  up  a  constant  chattering,  which  noti- 
fies one  of  their  presence.  When  flying  over  the  top  of  the  forest  they 
keep  in  compact  flocks  and  move  steadily  forward  with  rapid  wing 
beats,  suggesting  a  flock  of  cedar  birds.  They  are  very  gentle,  affec- 
tionate little  creatures  and  quickly  become  tame  and  greatly  attached 
to  their  owners. 

Salvadori  considers  P-sittacula  insiilaris  a  synonym  of  P.  eyanopyga. 
The  series  of  eight  adults  from  the  islands  and  seven  fiom  the  main- 
land show  that  the  island  birds  can  be  readily  distinguished.  The 
two  series  show  no  signs  of  intergradation  in  color,  and  tlieir  specific 
distinctness  is  well  defined,  although  the  average  measurements  show 
but  slight  difierences  in  size. 


Description  of  Psitfacula  insularis,  ^  ad., 
Maria  Madre,  May,  1S97  : 

Checks^  lores,  forehead,  and  crown, 
back  to  line  between  orbits,  rich  green, 
decidedly  clearer  than  lu  eyanopyga,  and 
much  more  sharply  contrasted  with  sur- 
rounding colors. 

Middle  of  crown  green,  shading 
abruptly  into  dull  bluish  green,  which 
extends  thence  over  neck,  middleof  back, 
scapulars,  tertials,  and  lesser  wing 
coverts. 

Rump  patch,  axillars,  and  greater  wing 
coverts  vivid  cobalt  blue. 

Upper  tail  coverts  Ijrighter  green  than 
middle  of  back,  but  darker  than  in 
cyauopyga. 

Upper  surface  of  tail  dark  green,  darker 
than  in  cyanopgga. 


Description  of  Psittacula  eyanopyga,  $  ad., 
Tepie,  Mexico,  April,  1S97 : 

Cheeks,  lores,  and  forehead  bright 
green,  more  yellowish  than  m  insularis, 
and  shading  gradually  into  surrounding 
colors. 

Crown,  from  between  orbits,  neck,  mid- 
dle of  back,  sca]Miiars,  tertials,  .and 
lesser  wing  coverts,  dark  green  without 
bluish. 

Knmi>  patch,  axillars,  and  greater  wing 
coverts  bright  turcpioise  blue. 

Upper  tail  coverts  clearer  green  than 
back. 

Ul)per  surface  of  tail  rich  green. 


42 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


Secondaries  and  outer  vanes  of  prima- 
ries near  base,  dark  blue;  primaries  with 
outer  vanes  along  distal  half  and  at  tips 
edged  with  dark  green;  inner  Avebs  of 
primaries  brown. 

Exposed  under  surface  of  primaries 
and  secondaries  dull  blue. 

Lower  parts,  back  to  crissum,  dingy 
blue  with  a  dull  greenish  wash;  blue 
brightest  on  abdomen,  and  contrasting 
abruptly  with  green  of  crissum. 

Crissum  rich  dark  green. 


Secondaries  and  outer  vanes  of  inner 
primaries  dark  blue ;  rest  of  outer  vaues 
and  tips  of  primaries  dark  green;  inner 
webs  of  primaries  brown. 

Exposed  under  surface  of  primaries 
and  secondaries  dull  bluish  green. 

Lower  parts,  back  to  crissum,  dull 
green,  richest  on  abdomen  and  shading 
insensibly  into  color  of  crissum. 

Crissum  brighter  green. 


Description  of  rsittacula  insularis,  §  ad., 
Maria  Madre,   May,  1897. 

Entire  dorsal  surface  dingy  green ; 
brightest  on  sides  of  head,  forehead, 
rump,  and  upper  tail  coverts,  with  n  dull 
bluish  shade  on  middle  of  back  and 
wings. 

Lower  surface  dull  green,  back  to 
crissum ;  the  latter  brighter  green. 


Description  of  rsittacula  cyanopyga,  9  ad., 
from  Tepic,  Mexico,  April,  1S97. 

Dorsal  surface  dark  green ;  brightest 
on  forehead,  rump,  and  upper  tail  coverts, 
with  an  olive  shade  on  middle  of  back 
and  wings. 

Lower  surface  nearly  uniform  light 
green,  with  a  yellowish  shade;  crissum 
nearly  the  same. 


Average  measurements  of  Fsittacula  insulaiis  and  F.  cyanopyga. 


Name. 

Locality. 

Sex. 

Num- 

^^''".'^     Wing. 
speci-      '       » 

mens. 

Tiiil. 

Oul- 
men. 

Tarsus. 

ad.  d 
ad.  ? 
ad.  cT 

6        91.8 
2        ni  f; 

45.8 
46.5 
45.0 
41.5 

13.9 
13.5 
12.8 
13.1 

12.9 

do 

13 

Psittacula  cyanopyga. . 

3 
4 

90.  C 
89.2 

13  1 

do 

ad.  ? 

12.7 

Coccyzus  minor  (Gmel.)     Mangrove  Cuckoo. 

This  bird  is  rather  common  among'  the  inaugroves  and  other  trees 
bordering  the  salt  lagoons  near  San  Bias.  A  single  specimen  was 
taken  on  May  8  near  the  shore  of  Maria  Madre,  but  no  others  were 
seen,  and  it  probably  occnrs  there  only  as  a  straggler. 

Trogon  anibiguus  goldmani  Nelson.     Gohlman's  Trogon. 

Trogon  atnhiguns  Grayson  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIX,  p.  272,  1871 ;  Lawr., 

Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  290,  1874  (part). 
Trogon  ambiguits  goldmani  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XII,  p.  8,  1898. 

Goldman's  trogon  was  common  in  the  more  heavily  wooded  parts  of 
Maria  Madre  and  Maria  Magdalena,  and  occurs  no  doubt  on  the  less 
heavily  wooded  Cleofa.  On  Maria  Madre  they  were  found  from  the  coast 
up  nearly  to  the  summit  in  suitable  timber  and  especially  along  tlie  sides 
and  bottoms  of  heavily  wooded  canyons.  Their  habits  were  similar 
to  those  of  the  mainland  bird.     They  sit  quietly  for  a  time  on  a  branch 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS.  43 

and  then  tly,  with  an  undulating  motion,  to  another  tree  in  the  vicinity. 
Their  notes  are  limited  to  a  short  succession  of  unmusical  sounds, 
which  are  frequently  heard.  They  were  reported  to  nest  in  hollow 
trees.  Unlike  most  of  the  birds  of  these  islands,  the  trogous  were 
nearly  as  shy  as  their  representatives  on  the  mainland,  In  life  they 
have  light  yellow  bills  and  bright  red  eyelids. 

Ceryle  alcyon  (Linn.).     Belted  Kingfisher. 

Colonel  Grayson  records  that  during  each  of  his  visits  one  or  two 
belted  kingfishers  were  observed  sitting  on  rocks  along  the  seashore. 
None  were  seen  by  us. 

Dryobates  scalaris  graysoni  (Baird).     Grayson's  Woodpecker. 

Picus  scalaris  var.  graysoni  Baird,  Hist.  N.  Am.  Birds,  II,  pp.  515,  517, 1874;  Lawr., 
Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  294, 1874. 

This  is  the  only  woodpecker  found  on  the  Tres  Marias.  It  is  com- 
mon on  all  of  the  islands  and  generally  distributed,  except  in  the  most 
heavily  wooded  areas.  It  seems  to  prefer  second-growth  thickets  and 
other  places  where  shrubs  and  scrubby  trees  form  low  and  rather  thin 
forests,  and  was  usually  seen  hunting  for  food  along  the  trunks  of  large 
shrubs  or  small  trees.  It  was  a  common  practice  for  them  to  alight  on 
tree  trunks  near  the  ground  and  work  slowly  to  the  top,  and  after 
remaining  there  quietly  for  a  time  to  make  a  shoct  flight  to  another 
tree.  Like  its  relative  of  the  mainland,  it  is  a  very  quiet  bird,  rarely 
uttering  any  call  notes  and  making  little  noise  while  searching  for  food. 
From  its  habit  of  j)eering  into  crevices  of  the  bark  and  doing  only  a 
small  amount  of  pecking  it  is  evident  that  it  finds  most  of  its  food  on 
or  near  the  surface.  Old  nesting  sites  were  seen  in  the  trunks  of  both 
living  and  dead  trees  and  in  the  flower  stems  of  large  magueys.  The 
holes  were  usually  between  5  and  10  feet  from  the  ground.  Colonel 
Grayson  found  a  nest  about  12  feet  from  the  ground  in  the  green  flower 
stem  of  a  large  maguey  (Agave)  near  the  seashore  in  April. 

A  compari-son  of  a  series  of  these  island  woodpeckers  with  other  forms 
shows  that  the  dorsal  surface,  including  the  crest  of  the  males,  is  most 
like  typical  D.  scalaris  from  the  plains  of  Puebla.  On  the  ventral 
surface  it  may  be  distinguished  from  all  the  other  races  by  its  whiter 
color  and  scantier  and  smaller  black  markings  along  the  sides.  These 
markings  are  usually  in  the  form  of  small  rounded  spots  instead  of 
more  or  less  elongated  streaks,  as  in  the  other  races,  and  the  white 
markings  on  the  greater  and  lesser  wing  coverts  are  decidedly  larger 
and  more  conspicuous,  i).  s.  graysoni  averages  a  little  smaller  than 
D.  6'.  scalaris.  The  darker  dorsal  surface  and  unmarked  bases  of  outer 
tail  feathers  distinguish  it  from  J),  s.  bairdii.  It  has  a  shorter,  stouter 
bill  than  D.  s.  lucasanus,  with  considerably  more  barring  on  the  outer 
tail  feathers.  From  I),  s.  sinaloensis  it  is  distinguished  mainly  by  its 
larger  size,  darker  dorsal  surface,  and  paler,  less  marked  lower  sur- 


44 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


face.     The  following  averaj;es  show  the  relative  size  of  {/raysoni  and 
sinaloensis  : 

Measurements  of  Dryohates  s.  graysoni  and  Dryobates  s.  sinaloe^isis. 


Kame. 

Locality. 

Sex. 

Num- 
ber of 
speci- 
mens. 

Wing. 

Tail. 

Cnl- 
nien. 

Tarawa. 

Dryobates   scalaris 

graysoni. 
Dryobates    scalaris 

graysoni. 
Dryobates    scalaris 

sinaloensis. 

ad.  cT 
ad.  9 
ad.  cT 

6 
3 
3 

98.7 
96.6 
94.6 

59.6 

57 

53.6 

22.1 
19.5 
19.8 

IS  6 

do 

Sinaloa  and  Tepic 

17.5 
17.1 

An  adult  female  in  the  National  Museum  collection  from  Mazatlau, 
while  having  the  normal  bill  and  tarsus  of  sinaloensis,  agrees  with 
birds  from  the  Tres  Marias  in  its  long  wings  and  tail.  Its  measure- 
ments are  as  follows:  Wing,  9G;  tail,  GO;  culmen,  18.5;  tarsus,  16.5. 

Nyctidromus  albicollis  insularis  Nelson.     Trcs  Marias  Parauquc. 

Nyctidromus  alhicollis  Grayson,  Proc.  Boston  See.  Nat.  Hist.  XIV,  p.  273,  1871; 

Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  291,  1874. 
Nyctidromus  alhicollis  insularis  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington  XII,  p.  9, 1898. 

On  the  mainland  the  parauques  are  rarely  seen  while  the  sun  is 
above  the  horizon,  but  when  night  falls  they  come  out  of  the  dense 
thickets  where  they  have  passed  the  day  and  sit  in  dusty  trails  and 
other  open  places.  On  Maria  Madre  they  were  among  the  commonest 
birds  frequenting  old  log  roads  through  the  forest  and  shady  canyon 
bottoms  until  late  in  the  morning  and  coining  out  again  at  3  or  1  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon.  Of  late  years  these  plnces  have  been  so  completely 
given  over  to  solitude  that  when  a  human  being  chances  to  stray  into 
tliem  he  is  looked  upon  with  little  fear.  The  wood  folk  seem  to  con 
sider  him  harmless  and  only  a  strange  creature  of  their  own  kind. 

Parauques  were  among  the  most  confiding  birds  found  in  these  quiet 
retreats  and  permitted  a  close  approach  before  taking  wing  and  moving 
away.  In  the  early  dusk  they  were  frequently  seen  hawking  for  insects 
among  the  low  trees  Several  came  about  cainp  at  the  north  end  of 
Maria  Madre  just  after  sunset,  and  flew  very  swiftly  back  and  forth 
with  the  same  erratic  course  and  vigorous  wing  strokes  that  are  so 
characteristic  of  the  night-hawk.  In  fact,  I  mistook  one  of  these  birds 
for  a  night  hawk  until  it  was  secured.  Their  notes  remind  one  slightly 
of  the  whip-jioor-will's,  but  are  not  so  loud  and  far-reaching.  The 
regular  call  is  made  up  of  two  and  sometimes  three  syllables,  besides 
which  they  have  various  little  clucking  and  purring  notes. 

Curiously  enough  the  parauques  of  the  Tres  Marias  bear  a  much 
greater  resemblance,  in  size  and  color,  to  y.  alhicollis  merrilli  of  the 
Rio  Grande  Valley  than  to  the  ordinary  birds  of  the  adjacent  mainland. 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TRES    MAUIAS    ISLANDS.  45 

Chordeiles  acutipennis  texensis  (Lawr.)     Texas  Nighthawk. 

A  single  specimen  was  taken  May  5  on  Maria  Madre,  and  several 
others  were  seen  during  tlie  first  half  of  the  month,  after  wliich  time 
they  disappeared.  These  birds  were  probably  stray  migrants,  for  there 
was  nothing  to  indicate  that  they  were  residents. 

Amazilia  graysoni  Lawr.     Grayson's  Humming  Bird. 

Amazilia  (/rayaoni  Lawr.,  Ann.  Lye.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  VIII,  p.  404, 1867. 
Pyrrhophcrna  (/rayaoni  Grayson,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  283, 1871; 
Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  292, 1874. 

Very  common  on  the  islands.  They  were  seen  almost  everywhere 
darting  about  the  less  luxuriant  parts  of  the  forest  hunting  for  tlowers, 
and  now  and  then  stopping  on  a  twig  in  some  low  tree  top  to  rest  or 
arrange  their  plumage.  They  were  among  the  numerous  feathered 
visitors  to  the  little  flower  garden  at  the  custom-house  on  Maria  Madre 
wliere  they  were  very  confiding,  and  would  carry  on  their  search  for  food 
among  the  flowers  quite  iiidifterent  to  one's  presence.  These  hum- 
ming birds  are  very  pugnacious,  as  the  following  incident  recorded  by 
Colonel  Grayson  well  illustrates :  "  Sometimes  combats  between  them 
become  of  a  desperate  nature.  One  day  while  watching  a  number  of 
them  in  active  motion  around  some  tobacco  flowers  (of  which  they  seem 
to  be  very  fond)  two  fine  males,  after  darting  at  each  other  for  some 
time,  at  length  came  to  a  deathly  struggle,  high  above  my  head;  they 
finally  clinched  each  other,  each  having  one  of  the  mandibles  of  the 
other  in  his  mouth,  at  the  same  time  scratching  with  their  little  claws, 
and  using  their  wings  with  the  greatest  force,  and  in  this  situation, 
whirling  round  and  round,  they  fell  to  the  ground  near  my  feet.  During 
this  terrible  conflict,  in  which  liassioii  and  desperation  were  exhibited, 
I  observed  them  for  a  few  seconds  and  then  gently  i)laced  my  hat  over 
both.  Even  after  they  were  thus  captured,  and  I  held  one  iu  each 
hand,  they  evidenced  a  desire  to  continue  the  war.'' 

The  same  author  records  having  seen  these  hummers  dart  upon  and 
capture  little  flies  in  the  manner  of  a  flycatcker,  and  found  their  crops 
full  of  minute  insects.    This  I  can  corroborate  from  my  own  observations. 

U])on  comparing  a  series  of  8  si)ecimens  of  Amazilia  graysoni  with  an 
equal  iiumber  of  A.  cinnamomea  the  general  style  of  coloration  is  seen 
to  be  very  similiar,  yet  the  difterences  between  the  two  forms  are  so 
constant  it  seems  advisable  to  consider  them  specifically  distinct.  The 
dorsal  surface  of  A.  graysoni  is  a  more  dingy  green  with  less  coppery 
iridescence  than  in  cinnamomea;  the  bronze  tips  of  the  tail  feathers 
are  less  uniform,  and  the  extreme  points  sometimes  terminate  witli  a 
little  cinnamon  spot;  the  cinnamon  of  the  lower  surface  is  considerably 
darker.  There  is  also  a  well  marked  and  constant  difference  in  size — 
graysoni  being  the  larger,  as  shown  by  the  following  averages: 


46 


NORTH   AMERICAN    FAUNA 


Measurements  of  AmazUia  r/rayfiuni  and  J.  cinnamomea. 


Name. 

Locality . 

Sex. 

Num- 
ber of 
speci- 
mens. 

Wing. 

Tail. 

Cul- 
raen. 

ad.  d 
ad.   ? 

ad.  (f 
ad.   9 

4 
4 
7 
1 

68.8 
65.9 
57.9 
53 

42.6 
43.4 
36.6 
32.5 

25 

do 

25.4 
22 

do 

23 

laclie  lavyrencei  Ridgway.     Lawrence's  Humming  Bird. 

Circe  latirostris  Grayson,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  282, 1871. 
lache  lawrencei  (Berlepsch,  Ms.)  Ridgway,  Man.  N.  Am.  Birds,  p.  320, 1887. 

Like  the  preceding  species  this  is  a  commou  and  generally  distrib- 
uted bird,  and  was  found  on  all  the  islands.  Like  Grayson's  hum- 
miug  birds,  they  were  common  about  tlie  flower  garden  at  the  custom 
house  on  Maria  Madre.  Colonel  Grayson  found  its  nest  on  Maria 
Madre  and  describes  it  as  follows:  "The  elegant  little  structure  I 
found  attached  to  a  slender  twig,  and  shaded  with  its  leaves,  about 
5  feet  from  the  ground.  Tlie  situation  was  fronting  the  sea,  but  a  few 
paces  from  the  water's  edge,  where  tbe  first  beams  of  the  morning  sun 
dissolved  the  dews.  Its  form  is  cup  shaped,  and  composed  of  the  down 
of  the  silk  cotton  tree  {Eriodendron)  intermingled  with  the  down  of 
other  plants  and  spider  webs,  the  whole  exterior  neatly  studded  with 
diminutive  lichens;  it  contained  two  newly  hatched  young,  but  little 
larger  than  Hies." 

In  general  appearance  J«c7ie  lawrencei  cioselyresemhles  I.  latirostris.^ 
The  dorsal  surfaces  of  the  males  are  nearly  the  same  color,  but  the 
upper  tail  coverts  of  lairrencei  are  grayish  instead  of  green,  as  in  lati- 
rostris-, their  lower  surface  is  a  darker,  duller  green  5  the  blue-throat 
j)atch  is  nearly  obsolete  and  replaced  by  an  extension  of  the  green  of 
the  neck;  the  under-tail  coverts  are  darker  brown. 

The  females  of  lawrencei  differ  mainly  from  those  of  latirostris  in  the 
clearer,  brighter  green  of  the  dorsal  surface  and  darker  under-tail 
coverts.  As  the  difierences  between  the  two  birds  seem  to  be  fairly 
constant,"  although  not  very  striking,  it  is  perhaps  advisable  to  treat 
them  as  species  until  more  material  jiroves  the  contrary. 

The  type  of  I.  latirostris  formed  part  of  the  Bullock  collection  and 
probably  came  from  the  southern  end  of  the  table-land  near  the  Valley 
of  Mexico.     The  following  measurements  show  the  differences  in  size: 

'  lache  latirostris  undoubtedly  occurs  on  the  islands  as  a  straggler.  About  midway 
on  our  return  to  the  coast  a  hummer  passed  close  to  the  side  of  the  boat,  coming 
from  the  direction  of  San  Bias  and  heading  in  a  direct  line  for  the  islands.  As  this 
wanderer  passed  1  had  a  close  view  and  identified  it  as  /.  latirostris. 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS. 


47 


Measurements  of  laehe  laivrencei  and  I.  latirosiris. 


Name. 

Locality. 

Sex. 

Num- 
ber of 
speci- 
mens. 

Wing. 

Tail. 

Cul- 
men. 

ad.  cf 
ad.  9 
ad.  cf 
ad.  $ 

3 
4 
5 
1 

52.3 
51.2 

54.2 
52 

32.6 
29.2 
33 
33 

18.8 

do 

20  2 

Southern  table-lands,  Mexico 

do 

21.9 

23 

Platypsaris  aglaiae  insularis  (Ridg.)     Graysou's  Becard. 

Hadrosiomus  aglaiw  v:ir.  affinis  Grayson,  rroe.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  279, 

1871;  Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  289,  1874. 
Platypsaris  insularis  Ridgway,  Man.  N.  Am.  Birds,  p.  325, 1887. 

The  rose-tbroated  becard  was  iiot  commou  and  only  three  specimens 
were  taken,  all  on  Maria  Madre.  They  were  found  in  the  heavier 
forest  ou  the  slopes  well  back  from  the  coast,  and  nothing  unusual  was 
noted  in  regard  to  their  habits.  They  probably  occur  on  Maria  Mag- 
dalena  and  perhaps  on  Maria  Cleofa.  A  considerable  series  of  sj)eci- 
mens  from  various  parts  of  Mexico  shows  that  a  single  species  of  rose- 
breasted  becard  ranges  over  a  large  part  of  Mexico  and  has  developed 
four  geographical  subspecies.  The  ranges  of  these  four  forms  may  be 
defined  as  follows : 

Platypsaris  aglaiw  (Lafr.).  Eastern  Mexico  from  northern  Tamau- 
lipas  south  along  basal  slopes  of  the  Cordillera  of  Vera  Cruz  and 
Tabasco  to  arid  parts  of  Yucatan.  (Tyj)e  from  vicinity  of  Jalapa,  Vera 
Cruz.) 

Platypsaris  aglaice  sumichrasti  I^^elson.  Humid  lowlands  of  Vera 
Cruz,  and  thence  southward  in  similar  country  nearly  or  quite  to  Guate- 
mala.    (Type  from  Otatitlan,  Vera  Cruz.) 

Platypsaris  aglaice  albiventris  (Lawr.).  West  coast  of  Mexico  from 
the  Isthmus  of  Tehauntepec  to  southern  Arizona,  ranging  along  river 
valleys  into  the  interior  of  western  Mexico.  (Type  Irom  Plains  of 
Colima.) 

Platypsaris  aglaiw  insularis  (Kidg.).  Tres  Marias  Islands.  (Type 
from  Maria  Madre  Island.) 

Typical  specimens  of  insularis  are  much  darker  than  typical  examples 
of  albiventris.  Specimens  from  the  coast  lowlands  about  San  Bias  are 
intermediate  in  color.  The  island  birds,  however,  may  usually  be  dis- 
tinguished by  their  smaller  bills.  Back  from  the  coast  of  Tei^ic, 
esijecially  in  the  arid  river  canyons  at  Bolaiios  and  near  Guadalajara, 
only  typical  specimens  of  albiventris  were  found.  On  the  eastern  side 
of  Mexico  these  two  forms  are  paralleled  by  the  pale  bird  of  the  foot 
hills  and  adjacent  interior  {aglaiw)  and  the  darker  one  of  the  coast 
lowlands  [sumichrasti).  The  color  of  extreme  specimens  of  albiventris 
is  very  different  from  that  of  aglaice  and  insularis,  but  among  the  series 
from  western  Mexico,  where  albiventris  has  its  home,  are  various  inter- 
mediate stages,  some  sijecimeus  approaching  very  closely  to  both  the 


48 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


forms  just  named. .  Some  specimens  of  insularis  are  nmcli  nearer 
typical  ar/laiw  in  color  than  albiventri,s.  Females  of  msularis  are  more 
distinct  from  those  of  aglcvkc  than  the  males,  owing-  to  their  generally 
grayer  backs,  but  even  this  is  not  a  constant  character.  The  only 
(jharacter  of  insularis  that  is  fairly  constant  is  the  smaller  bill;  a  curi- 
ous development,  since  there  is  a  general  tendency  to  an  increase  iu 
size  of  bill  among  Tres  Marias  birds. 

Measurement?  of  Phitypsaris  aglaia:  and  its  races  in  Mexico. 


Tyrannus  melancholicus  couchi  (Baird.)     Couch's  Kingbird. 

On  Maria  Madre  Island  ten  or  a  dozen  of  these  birds  were  seen  and 
appeared  to  be  resident.  Two  or  three  were  noted  on  Maria  Magdalena, 
and  others  on  Maria  Cleofa,  where  they  were  most  numerous.  Tliey 
were  always  found  near  the  seashore.  The  sj)ecimens  obtained  seem 
to  be  identical  with  those  from  the  adjacent  mainland.  As  a  rule  birds 
from  northeastern  Mexico,  the  type  locality,  are  lighter  than  those  from 
western  Mexico,  but  this  difference  is  not  constant. 

Myiarchus  niexicanus  magister  Kidgway.     Arizona  Crested  Flycatcher. 

Although  resident  on  all  the  islands,  birds  from  the  Tres  Marias  are 
almost  identical  with  those  from  the  mainland,  and  nothing  distinctive 
was  noted  in  their  habits.  They  frequent  the  thinner  parts  of  the 
scrubby  forests  which  cover  most  of  the  slopes,  but  were  most  numer- 
ous within  a  mile  or  two  of  the  sea.  They  kept  among  the  low  trees, 
usually  ])erching  on  tops  of  bushes  or  on  branches  within  10  or  15  feet 
of  the  ground,  where  they  watched  for  passing  insects. 

Myiarchus  la-wrencei  olivascens  Ridgway.     Olivaceous  Flycatcher. 

This  was  much  more  abundant  than  the  preceding  species,  and  one 
of  the  commonest  and  most  generally  distributed  resident  birds  on  the 
islands.     Like  the  preceding,  it  was  most  numerous  in  the  scrubby 


1   Num- 

Name. 

Locality. 

Sex. 

ber  ot 
speci- 
mens. 

Wing. 

Tail. 

Cul- 
men. 

Tarsus. 

Platypsaris  aglaise. . . 
Platypsaris     aglaise 
sumichrasti. 

ad.  cf 

3 

94.3 

72.3 

16 

21.8 

ad.  cT 

3 

80.6 

68.3 

16.3 

22 

Platypsaiis     aglai» 

Plains  of  Colinia  and  Bolafios, 

ad.  cf 

4 

90.5 

67.5 

15.8 

21.6 

albiventris. 

Jalisco. 

Platypsaris      aglai;« 

Maria  Madre  Island 

ad.  cT 

3 

87 

66.8 

14.3 

22.1 

insularis. 

Platypsaris     aglaise, 
insularis. 

do     

ad.  ? 

3 

88 

66.6 

15 

22.3 

Intermediates      be- 

Coast near  San  IJlaa,  Tepic 

ad.  rT 

3 

89.8 

64.3 

15.3 

22.3 

tween   P.    a.    albi- 

. 

ventris  and   P.    a. 

insularis. 

BIRDS    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS. 


49 


forest  within  a  mile  or  two  of  the  seashore  and  kept  among-  the  branches 
of  trees  and  bushes  within  10  or  15  feet  of  the  ground.  Its  habits 
were  the  same  as  on  the  mainland. 

A  careful  comparison  of  series  from  the  islands  and  the  mainland 
shows  but  little  difference.  The  island  birds  are  slightly  grayer  on  the 
back,  the  bills  average  a  little  longer  and  wider,  and  the  tarsus  is  longer, 
but  these  differences  are  too  slight  to  warrant  subspecific  recognition. 
Unfortunately  the  type  of  this  subspecies  is  based  on  a  winter  specimen 
from  Santa  Eflgenia,  Oaxaca,  near  the  border  of  Chiapas.  This  leaves 
the  summer  range  of  typical  birds  in  doubt. 

Below  are  averages  of  specimens  from  the  islands  and  the  mainland: 

Measurements  of  Myiarchus  lawrencei  olivasvens. 


Name. 

Locality. 

Sex. 

Num- 
ber of 
speci- 
mens. 

Wing. 

Tail. 

Cul- 
men. 

Tarsus. 

Myiarchus      lawrencei 

olivascens. 
Myiarchus     lawrencei 

olivascens. 

Trea  Marias  Islands 

Northwest  Mexico,  southern 
Arizona. 

ad.  ? 
ad.  $ 

7 
7 

76.3 
7G.8 

74.8 
74.7 

16.8 
16.1 

19.7 
18.8 

Contopus  richardsonii  (Swains).     Western  Wood  Pewee. 

During  the  first  ten  days  of  May  these  birds  were  not  uncommon  in 
some  of  the  denser  growths  of  small  trees  along  the  lower  slopes  of  Maria 
Madre.  Kone  were  seen  on  the  other  islands  and  they  all  disapjieared 
a  little  later,  showing  that  they  were  merely  stray  migrants.  The 
single  specimen  taken  is  identical  with  others  from  the  western  United 
States. 

Empidonax  difdcilis  Baird.     Western  Flycatcher. 

These  birds  were  very  sparingly  distributed  on  the  Tres  Marias. 
They  were  seen  on  Maria  Madre  soon  after  our  arrival,  and  on  May  27 
cue  was  taken  on  Maria  Magdalena.  They  were  usually  found  in  dense 
thickets  and  along  shady  canyons.  Colonel  Grayson  records  them 
as  common,  but  they  undoubtedly  occur  only  as  winter  visitants  and 
migrants. 

Ornithion  imberbe  (Sclater).     Beardless  Flycatcher. 

Two  specimens  were  taken  and  a  few  others  seen  early  in  May  on 
Maria  Madre;  none  were  seen  later,  and  they  probably  occur  merely  as 
stragglers  during  migration.  They  move  about  like  small  vireos  in  the 
tops  of  low  trees  and  in  large  bushes,  searching  the  outer  twigs  for 
insects  and  flying  out  every  now  and  then  to  capture  one  on  the  wing. 

A  series  of  specimens  from  various  localities  on  both  coasts  and  the 
interior  of  Mexico,  the  Tres  Marias  Islands,  and  southern  Arizona  fails 
to  show  any  tangible  characters  to  distinguish  O.  imherbe  ridgicayi 
from  typical  0.  imherbe. 
13950— Ko.  U 4 


50  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 

Myiopagis  placens  (Sclater).     Golden  Crowned  Flycatclier. 

In  the  National  Museum  collection  is  a  typical  specimen  of  M. 
2)laeens,  taken  by  Colonel  (ji  ayson  in  January,  1865,  on  the  Tres  Marias 
Islands,  which  agrees  perfectly  in  size  and  color  with  the  large  dark 
birds  from  the  mountains  of  Jalisco,  on  the  adjacent  mainland.  Eight 
specimens  of  both  sexes  from  various  localities  in  Mexico  and  Central 
America  average  as  follows:  Wing,  68.2;  tail,  65.8;  culmen,  11.2; 
tarsus,  19.1. 

Myiopagis  placens  minimus  Nelson.     Little  Golden  Crowned  Flycatcher. 

Elainea  i)lace\)s  Lawr.,  Proc.   Boston  Soc.  Nat.    Hist.,  XIV,  p.  279,  1871;  Mem. 

Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  286,  1874. 
Myiopaais placens  minimus  Nelson,  Proe.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XII,  p.  9,  1898. 

Early  in  May  a  few  of  these  birds  were  seen  in  the  low  scrubby 
forest  near  the  shore  on  Maria  Madre,  but  by  the  middle  of  the  mouth 
they  had  retired  to  the  heavily  wooded  canyons  and  slopes  above  600 
or  800  feet.  They  were  common  among  the  trees  bordering  the  head  of 
a  large  canyon  in  the  middle  of  the  island,  where  a  small  spring  formed 
the  center  of  attraction  for  many  birds.  Like  their  mainland  relative, 
they  frequent  the  tree  tops,  where  they  may  be  seen  running  in  and 
out  among  the  ends  of  the  branches  and  fluttering  about  the  tips  of 
twigs  in  the  manner  of  some  warblers.  They  frequently  hop  from  twig 
to  twig,  with  their  tails  uptilted  like  gnatcatchers,  but  their  dull  garb 
is  usually  suflicient  to  identify  them.  When  high  up  in  the  tops  of  tall 
trees,  however,  their  form  and  habits  are  so  warbler  like  that  they  can 
not  be  distinguished  from  other  small  birds.  A  few  individuals  were 
seen  on  Maria  Magdalena,  but  none  on  Maria  Cleofa. 
Corvus  mexicanus  Gmelin.     Mexican  Crow. 

Two  residents  on  Maria  Madre  reported  that  at  long  intervals  they 
had  seen  stray  crows  on  the  island.  My  informants  were  familiar  with 
the  bird  on  the  mainland,  where  it  is  extremely  numerous  about  San 
Bias,  and  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  the  correctness  of  their  identifi- 
cation. 

Cissolopha  beecheyi  (Vigors).     Beechey's  Jay. 

A  specimen  of  this  bird  in  the  National  Museum  collection,  obtained 
by  Xantus,  is  labeled  "Tres  Marias  Islands,  October  15,  1859".  This 
record,  however,  is  doubtful. 

Icterus  graysoni  Cassin.     Grayson's  Oriole. 

Icterus  graysoni  Cassin,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  p.  48, 18fi7;  Mem.  Boston  Soc. 
Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  280,  1874. 
These  beautiful  birds  are  very  common  on  all  of  the  islands.  Although 
more  numerous  about  the  settlement  on  Maria  Madre  than  elsewhere, 
they  were  common  in  the  thin,  low  forest  all  about  the  lower  parts  of 
the  islands  and  were  very  unsuspicious  During  my  excursions  through 
the  woods  they  came  again  and  again  and  alighted  on  low  branches  of 
shrubs  or  trees  beside  the  old  log  roads  and  peered  at  me  with  inno- 


I 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS. 


51 


ceutly  inqiiiriDg  eyes  as  if  wondering  at  the  strange  creature  newly 
arrived  in  their  haunts,  but  evidently  quite  unconscious  of  any  feeling 
that  the  newcomer  might  be  dangerous.  Such  confidence  made  it  very 
trying  work  to  collect  many  of  these  birds. 

They  came  familiarly  about  the  houses  and  yards  at  the  settlement 
on  Maria  Madre.  A  number  of  them  made  several  visits  each  day  to 
the  verandas  and  shrubbery  about  the  custom-house,  and  added  greatly 
to  the  attractive  surroundings  by  their  bright  colors  and  frank  uncon- 
cern. They  searched  for  insects  among  the  shrubs  and  small  trees  in 
the  ijatio  or  court,  came  to  the  veranda  railing,  down  upon  the  floor, 
and  along  the  walls,  where  i>lump  spiders  furnished  many  choice  morsels. 
Several  bags  of  corn  piled  against  the  wall  on  one  side  of  the  veranda 
were  infested  with  weevils,  which  could  be  found  creeping  about  on  the 
outside  of  the  bags.  A  pair  of  orioles  was  in  the  habit  of  regularly 
visiting  the  veranda  and  soon  discovered  these  insects.  They  walked 
all  over  the  bags,  sometimes  upside  down  or  on  one  side  like  a  nuthatch, 
and  inied  into  every  spot  likely  to  contain  a  little  beetle.  They  were 
frequently  seen  also  clinging  to  the  stems  of  the  giant  cactus  ( Cereus) 
and  feeding  on  the  juicy  fruit. 

As  Colonel  Grayson  has  recorded,  the  nests  of  these  orioles  are  about 
a  foot  in  length  and  of  the  usual  purse  shape.  They  are  made  of  fibers 
of  grass  or  maguey  plants,  lined  with  silk  cotton  and  swung  near  the 
end  of  some  slender  branch  overhanging  a  clear  space,  usually  from  18 
to  35  feet  above  the  ground. 

Grayson's  oriole  is  evidently  an  offshoot  from  the  wide  ranging 
Icterus  pustulatus  of  the  adjacent  coast,  but  has  become  siitticiently 
distinct  to  rank  as  a  species.  Like  so  many  of  the  island  birds,  it  is 
larger  than  its  mainland  relative.  The  yellow  is  much  lighter  than 
on  /.  pustulatus  and  lacks  most  of  the  intense  orange  that  is  so 
conspicuous  on  many  of  the  latter  birds.  Some  adult  males  of  graysoni 
have  the  back  entirely  bright  yellow,  while  the  backs  of  others  are 
marked  with  a  few  narrow  black  shaft  streaks.  The  females  of  gray- 
soni are  more  greenish-yellow  and  have  but  faint  traces  of  the  orange 
shade  present  in  ty\)\cai  2)ustulatus. 

The  following  averages  show  the  relative  dimensions  of  the  two 
species : 

Measurements  of  Icterus  (jraysoni  and  I.  pustulatus. 


Name. 

Locality. 

Sex. 

Num- 
ber of 
speci- 
mens. 

"Wing. 

Tail. 

Cul- 
men. 

Tarsus. 

Icterus  graysoni 

ad.  d 
ad.  ? 
ad.  d 
ad.  ? 

4 

4 
4 
4 

104 
96.7 

100.2 
91.7 

89.7 
84.2 
91 
81.5 

25.4 
25.1 
21 
20.2 

26  7 

do 

26.2 

Icterus  pustulatus 

25.6 

do  

24  5 

52  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Quiscalus  macrourus  Swiiinson.     Gre.it-t.iiled  Grackle. 

Two  of  these  grackles  were  shot  the  latter  part  of  May  on  a  level 
bit  of  ground  bordering  the  shore  in  front  of  the  settlement  on  Maria 
Madre.  They  were  the  only  ones  seen  and  were  undoubtedly  strag- 
glers from  the  mainland  where  tliey  are  abundant  and  resident  near 
San  Bias. 

Astragalinus  psaltria  mexicanus  (Swainsoii).     Mexicau  Goldfinch. 

Rather  common  and  apparently  resident,  but  nothing  distinctive  was 
observed  in  their  habits.  On  Maria  Madre  they  were  usually  found  on 
the  lower  slopes  and  were  most  numerous  about  the  settlement.  Ten 
specimens  fail  to  show  any  characters  distinguishing  the  island  birds 
from  those  of  the  mainland. 

Cardinalis  cardiualis  niariae  Nelson.     Tres  Marias  Cardinal. 

Cardinalis  rirginianus  Lawr.,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  281,  1871. 
Cardinalis  vir<jinianus  var.  ignens  Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  275, 

1874. 
Cardinalis  cardinalis  maria;  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XII,  p.  10, 1898. 

Cardinals  were  very  common  on  Maria  Madre  ami  not  uncommon 
on  the  rest  of  the  group.  No  one  ever  molests  them,  and  they  were 
especially  abundant  about  the  settlement,  where  they  came  into  the 
yards  and  around  the  houses  in  the  most  familiar  way.  Several  pairs 
could  be  found  at  any  time  during  a  short  walk  in  the  scrubby  thickets 
along  the  lower  slopes  of  the  island.  While  we  were  hunting  in  the 
low  woods  it  was  a  common  occurrence  for  them  to  come  very  near,  and 
after  looking  at  the  intruders  with  mild  curiosity  for  a  short  time,  to 
move  off  through  the  bushes  in  quiet  pursuit  of  their  usual  occupations. 
At  other  times,  while  engaged  in  search  of  food  among  the  fallen  leaves 
they  would  scarcely  notice  one  as  he  walked  slowly  by  within  three  or 
four  paces. 

Piranga  ludoviciana  (Wilson).     Louisiana  Tanager. 

During  the  first  half  of  May  these  tanagers  were  not  uncommon  near 
the  settlement  on  Maria  Madre,  but  were  not  seen  on  the  other  islands. 
Those  shot  the  first  of  the  month  were  in  fair  condition,  and,  several 
pairs  being  seen,  it  was  at  first  considered  a  resident  species.  Later, 
when  others  were  secured,  it  was  noted  that  they  were  more  find 
more  emaciated,  until  those  killed  about  the  middle  of  the  month  were 
so  excessively  thin,  it  was  surprising  that  they  had  continued  to  live. 
About  this  time  the  last  ones  disajjpeared,  no  doubt  dying  from  star- 
vation. From  these  observations  it  appeared  that  the  birds  must 
have  strayed  to  the  island  during  migration,  about  the  last  of  April 
or  first  of  May,  and  were  unable  to  find  a  proper  food  supply.  At  the 
same  time  they  feared  to  start  over  the  sea  for  an  invisible  shore  and  so 
perished.  Another  member  of  the  genus,  Firanga  Mdentata  JIammea,  is 
resident  in  large  numbers  on  the  islands  and  found  an  abundant  food 
supply,  as  was  shown  by  their  being  among  the  fattest  birds  collected 
during  the  time  that  F.  ludoviciana  was  dying  of  starvation. 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS.  53 

Piranga  bidentata  flammea  (Ri(lji;way).     Tres  Marias  Taoager. 

Pyrantja  hidentala  Lawr.,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  281,  1871;  Mem. 

Bostou  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  274  (part),  1874. 
Firamja  flammea  Ridgway,  Man.  N.  Aqi.  Birds,  p.  457,  1887. 

Several  species  of  birds  were  very  much  at  liome  about  the  settle- 
ment on  Maria  Madre,  and  among  these  the  brilliant  Tres  Marias  taua- 
ger  was  one  of  the  most  numerous.  Like  Grayson's  oriole,  they  came 
daily  to  the  veranda  railing  and  investigated  the  shrubs  and  small 
trees  in  the  court  and  iiower  garden  at  the  custom-house.  These  birds 
were  common  and  generally  distributed  in  the  scrubby  forest  on  the 
lower  parts  of  Maria  Madre  and  Maria  Magdalena,  and  probably  occur 
on  Maria  Cleofa,  although  none  were  seen  there.  Their  habits  were 
very  much  like  those  of  Piranga  bidentata  on  the  mainland.  On  the 
island,  however,  these  tanagers  were  most  numerous  within  a  few  hun- 
dred feet  of  sea  level,  while  their  relatives  of  tlie  mainland  inhab- 
ited oak  forests  at  an  altitude  of  2,000  or  3,000  feet.  They  have  a 
short  warbling  song,  which  is  similar  to,  but  less  musical  than,  that  of 
the  mainland  bird.  They  were  seen  hunting  for  food  in  the  small  tree 
tops  of  the  scantier  forest  growths  rather  tlian  in  the  more  densely 
wooded  areas  and  were  very  fat. 

P.  hidentata  was  described  by  Swainson  from  a  specimen  in  the 
Bullock  collection,  taken  at  Temascaltepec,  southwest  of  tlie  Valley  of 
Mexico,  on  the  Pacific  slope  of  the  mountains.  It  was  described  as 
having  the  'head,  neck,  and  under  parts  golden'.  This  style  of  colora- 
tion is  shown  in  specimens  from  various  localities  in  Jalisco,  Sinaloa, 
and  the  Tres  Marias  Islands.  Judging  from  specimens  in  the  National 
Museum  and  from  the  results  of  recent  work,  tanagers  of  this  descrij)- 
tion  are  only  found  north  of  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  on  the  arid 
western  slope  of  Mexico,  and  are  not  common.  The  Tres  Marias 
tanager  is  closely  related  to  typical  P.  hidentata,  and  the  males  are  so 
closely  alike  in  color  that  it  requires  careful  scrutiny  to  find  distin- 
guishing characters.  In  P.  fiamniea  the  white  tips  of  the  greater 
and  lesser  wing  coverts  are  larger  and  clearer  white  than  in  P. 
hidentata,  thus  rendering  the  two  wing  bands  more  consj)icuous.  The 
white  spots  on  the  outer  rectrices  are  smaller  and  confined  to  the  inner 
webs,  except  at  the  extreme  t\^;  in  P.  hidentata  these  marks  occupy 
most  of  the  terminal  third  of  the  feathers.  In  general  color  of  the 
body  the  two  forms  are  indii^stinguishable.  The  bill  of  P.  flammea 
averages  longer  and  is  decidedly  more  swollen,  especially  toward  the 
tip;  this  difference  is  one  of  the  most  important  characters  of  the 
island  form.  The  female  of  P.  flammea  can  be  distinguished  only  by 
the  larger  bill  and  the  restriction  of  the  white  spot  on  the  outer  pair 
of  tail  feathers. 


54 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


The  following  measurements  give  the  averages  of  the  two  forms: 
Measurements  of  Piranga  bidentata  and  Piranga  b.  flammea. 


Name. 

Locality. 

Sex. 

Num- 
ber of 
speci- 
mens. 

Wing. 

Tail. 

Cul- 
men. 

Tarsus. 

Piranga  bidentata  flammea. 
Piranga  bidentata  liammea. 

Piranga  bidentata 

Piranga  bidentata 

Maria  Madre  Island  . . 
do 

Jalisco  and  Sinaloa . . . 
do 

ad.  cT 
ad.  ? 
ad.  cf 
ad.  ? 

6 
4 
3 
2 

98 
95 
98 
96 

81 

78.7 
79.3 
79 

18.1 
18.4 
17.3 
17 

23.7 
22.5 
21.1 
21.5 

Hirundo  erythrogaster  Bodd.     Barn  Swallow. 

Soon  after  our  arrival  on  Maria  Madre  a  few  swallows,  supposed  to 
be  this  species,  were  seen  by  my  assistant,  but  none  were  taken.  They 
were  undoubtedly  stray  migrants,  for  none  were  seen  afterwards. 

Vireo  flavoviridis  forreri  (Madarasz).     Forrer's  Vireo. 

Vireo  forreri  Madarasz,  Term^szetrajzi  Fiizetek,  IX,  pt.  I,  p.  85, 1885. 

Although  Forrer's  vireo  is  one  of  the  most  abundant  and  widely  dis- 
tributed species  on  the  islands,  yet  it  does  not  appear  in  Grayson's 
list.  It  was  very  common  in  the  small  trees  in  the  patio  of  the  custom- 
house and  elsewhere  about  the  settlement  on  Maria  Madre.  Like  its 
mainland  relative,  its  habits  are  very  similar  to  those  of  the  red-eyed 
vireo.  Its  favorite  range  was  in  the  smaller  growth  of  forest  along  the 
lower  slopes,  from  near  the  sea  u^)  to  an  altitude  of  600  or  700  feet,  but 
some  were  seen  up  near  the  summits  of  Maria  Madre  and  Maria 
Magdalena.  Kext  to  the  Tres  Marias  warbler,  Forrer's  vireo  was  prob- 
ably the  most  abundant  bird  on  Maria  Madre,  and  its  restless  habits 
while  tlutteiing  and  peering  about  in  search  of  food  among  the  small 
tree  tops  added  greatly  to  the  animation  of  the  forest. 

Vireo  forreri  is  evidently  only  a  geographical  race  of  Vireo  flavovi- 
ridis. It  has  the  same  color  pattern,  but  the  ashy  crown  is  paler  and 
the  dusky  supraorbital  stripe  usually  obsolescent;  the  latter  is  one  of 
the  main  characters  upon  which  forreri  was  originally  based,  but  is  not 
constant.  Some  specimens  from  the  i.slands  have  this  strii)e  as  strongly 
marked  as  dull-colored  individuals  of  flavoriridis  proper,  although  none 
have  it  so  strongly  marked  as  some  of  the  latter.  The  two  forms  are 
alike  on  the  underparts,  and  the  greater  size  of  forreri  is  the  most 
constant  and  striking  character. 

Average  measurements  of  17  adult  mates  of  Vireo  flavoviridis  forreri: 
Wing,  84.3;  tail,  59.3;  culraen,  15.1;  tai'sus,  20.1.  Averages  of  Vireo 
flavoviridis  (from  mainland  of  Mexico):  Ad.  $  (9  specimens),  wing,  79.2; 
tail,  55.1;  culmeu,  11.3;  tarsus,  18.7.  Ad.  9  (3  specimens),  wing,  7G.6; 
tail,  50.6;  culmeu,  14.1;  tarsus,  18.5. 

Vireo  hypochryseus  sordidus  Nelson.     Tres  Marias  Vireo. 

Vireo  hypochryseus  Grayson,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  281, 1871 ;  Lawr., 

Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  272, 1874. 
Vireo  hypochryseus  sordidus  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XII,  p.  10,  1898. 

A  few  of  these  vireos  were  seen  in  the  thin  forest  on  the  lower  slopes 
of  Maria  Madre,  but  were  not  cooinion.     They  were  especially  numer- 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS.  55 

ous  among  the  trees  and  tall  bushes  about  the  few  springs  and  little 
streams  near  the  summit.  A  few  were  also  seen  in  similar  places  on 
Maria  Magdalena.  Vireo  f.  forreri  occupies  the  lower  slopes,  while 
sordidus  occurs  mainly  higher  up,  the  ranges  of  the  two  birds  being 
complementary.  The  Tres  Marias  vireo  is  usually  found  at  a  medium 
height  among  the  foliage  of  thick-topped  trees,  rarely  ascending  to  the 
extreme  top.  It  was  also  often  seen  in  the  dense,  tall  undergrowth 
near  water. 

Compsothlypis  insularis"  (Lawr.).     Tres  Marias  Parula. 

Panda  insularis  Lawr.,  Auu.  Lye.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  X,  p.  4,  1871;  Grayson,  Proc. 
Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  pp.  278,  300, 1871;  Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat. 
Hist.,  II,  p.  269, 1874. 

These  pretty  little  warblers  were  the  most  abundant  of  the  land  birds 
on  the  Tres  Marias.  A  few  of  them  were  also  founo  on  Isabel  Island, 
and  the  only  Compsothlypis  taken  on  the  mainland  at  San  Bias  belongs 
to  this  species.  They  frequent  the  thin  forest  of  the  lower  slopes  on 
the  Tres  Marias,  and  dozens  of  them  were  seen  during  every  visit  to  the 
woods,  and  they  were  seen  in  smaller  numbers  on  the  higher  slopes. 
Many  also  came  familiarly  into  the  small  trees  and  shrubbery  about  the 
houses  at  the  settlement.  They  were  always  busily  at  work  in  pursuit 
of  insects  among  the  branches,  and  searched  the  bark  of  small  shrubs 
near  the  ground  as  well  as  the  branches  at  the  tops  of  large  trees. 
They  were  rather  common  in  the  scrubby  growtli  of  stunted  trees  on 
Isabel,  and  were  very  abundant  in  the  tree  tops  of  the  heavy  forest  on 
the  mainland  between  San  Bias  and  Santiago.  Their  song  is  weak  and 
lisping  and  not  at  all  musical. 

There  is  little  doubt  that  a  good  series  of  specimens  will  demonstrate 
that  Compsothlypis  pitiayumi  of  northern  South  America  is  represented 
in  Central  America  and  Mexico  by  a  number  of  geographical  races 
rather  than  by  the  closely  related  species  now  recognized — C.  inornata, 
C.  pulchra,  C.  nigrilora^  and  G.  insularis.  Even  the  imperfect  series  at 
hand  shows  signs  of  intergradation,  but  treating  C.  insularis  as  a 
species  for  the  i)resent,  its  differences  from  its  nearest  relative,  C. 
pulchra^  are  set  forth  in  the  following  notes.  C.  pulchra  was  the  only 
form  found  on  the  mainland  back  of  the  low  coast  plain,  on  the  tropical 
or  subtroi)ical  sloj)es  of  the  mountains.  This  species  was  described 
I'rom  Chihuahua,  and  appears  to  be  a  resident  of  the  lower  slopes  of 
the  Sierra  Madre,  ranging  from  Chihuahua  to  Tei)ic,  while  G.  insularis 
is  characteristic  of  the  hot  lowlands  on  the  coast  near  San  Bias  and  the 
outlying  ishmds, 

G.  insiddris  is  larger  than  C.  pulchra^  with  a  heavier  shading  of 
brown  along  the  Hanks;  the  yellow  of  the  under  parts  is  duller  and 
more  generally  suffused  with  dull  orange  brown;  the  white  spots  on 
outer  tail  feathers  are  deciderlly  larger,  and  the  bluish  of  the  dorsal 
surface  is  grayer,  in  the  small  series  examined,  difference  in  size 
seems  to  be  the  most  constant  character.  Following  are  average  meas- 
urements of  the  two  species : 


56 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


Measurements  of  Compsothlypis  insalaris  and  ('.pulchra. 


Name. 

Locality. 

Sex. 

Nnm- 

ber  of 
speci- 
mens. 

Wing. 

Tail. 

Cul- 
men. 

Tarsus. 

Compsothlypis  insularis  ... 

Maria  Madre  Island  . . 
do      

ad.  cf 
ad.  ? 

6 
4 
3 
1 

CO 

55.7 
55.6 
52 

49.3 
47.5 
42.3 

41 

10.4 
10 

9.6 

? 

19.9, 
19 

Compsotlilyi)is  pulchra 

Compsotlilypis  pulchra 

Jalisco  and  Sinaloa  . .. 
.do     

art.  d 
ad.  ? 

17 
17 

Dendroica  aestiva  rubiginosa  (Pallas).     Alaskan  Yellow  Warbler. 

Several  of  these  birds  were  taken  and  others  seen  about  the  settle- 
ment ou  Maria  Madre.  TLey  were  evidently  stray  migrants,  and  most 
of  them  left  before  the  end  of  May. 

Dendroica  aestiva  niorconii  Coale.     Western  Yellow  Warbler. 

Among  the  yellow  warblers  taken  on  Maria  Madre  during  the  first 
half  of  May  were  two  specimens  referable  to  Dendroica  astira  viorcomi. 
Like  ruhiginoso^  they  were  stray  migrants  which  had  wandered  out  of 
their  course  while  en  route  to  their  more  northern  breeding  grounds. 
They  were  found  about  weed  patches  and  shrubbery  in  the  settlement. 

Dendroica  auduboni  (Townsend).     Audubon's  Warbler. 

Two  of  these  birds  were  seen  during  the  first  half  of  May  about  the 
settlement  on  Maria  Madre,  and  May  30  a  specimen  was  taken  on 
Maria  Cleofa.  Like  the  yellow  warblers,  they  occur  merely  as  stray 
migrants  and  were  seen  only  near  the  seashore. 

Dendroica  towrnsendii  (Townsend).     Townsend's  Warbler. 

Two  or  three  of  these  warblers  were  seen  at  the  settlement  on  Maria 
Madre  between  the  8th  and  20th  of  May.  They  kept  about  the  weed 
patches  and  yards  for  several  days,  and  were  stray  migrants  like  the 
preceding  species. 

Granatellus  fraiicescae  Baird.     Tres  Marias  Chat- Warbler. 

Gratiatelhis  francescw  Bairl,  Rev.  Am.  Birds,  p.  232,  1865;  Grayson,  Proc.  Boston 
Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  278, 1871 ;  Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  270, 

1874. 

These  beautiful  birds  were  seen  only  on  Maria  Madre,  but  they  prob- 
ably occur  also  on  Maria  Magdalena,  where  the  conditions  are  equally 
favorable.  They  were  far  from  common,  and  inhabited  the  forest  on 
the  higher  slo^ies,  but  two  or  three  individuals,  evidently  wanderers, 
were  encountered  in  the  scrubby  forest  near  the  shore.  They  were 
usually  seen  on  the  ground  searching  for  food  among  low  underbrush 
and  weeds.  In  such  places  they  ran  about  among  the  thick  stems  of 
plants  and  matted  undergrowth,  springing  up  every  now  and  then  to 
a  twig  or  weed  stalk  a  foot  or  two  from  the  ground,  and  then  perhaps 
flitting  along  from  stem  to  stem  to  another  feeding  place  a  few  yards 
away.  When  thus  passing  through  the  undergrowth,  they  are  very 
conspicuous  and  attractive  objects,  owing  to  their  beautifully  contrasted 


BIRDS    OP'    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS. 


57 


black,  white,  aud  rose-colored  plumage.  Their  habit  of  carryiDg  the 
tail  up-tilted  and  more  or  less  widely  si)read  renders  them  still  more 
conspicuous.  It  is  doubtful  if  they  ascend  into  the  tops  of  trees,  as 
they  are  even  more  terrestrial  than  their  relatives  the  chats. 

The  color  pattern  of  this  species  is  much  like  that  of  G.  venustiis,  but 
the  black  collar  on  the  lower  side  of  the  ueck  in  the  males  is  nearly 
obsolete,  being  represented  only  by  a  few  black  feathers,  the  red  or 
rose  colored  area  on  the  breast  and  chest  is  paler  and  more  restricted, 
the  postocular  white  stripe  larger  and  extending  across  the  nape  as  an 
indistinct  nuchal  band,  the  bluish  of  the  dorsal  surface  grayer,  aud  the 
white  on  the  tail  more  extended.  The  females  are  browner  above  and 
paler  below.  G.  franceHCAV  is  larger  than  G.  venustus,  as  shown  by  the 
following  averages : 

Measuremevts  of  (TranateUus  francescw  and  fr.renustus. 


Name. 

Locality. 

Sex. 

Num- 
ber of 
speci- 
mens. 

Wing. 

Tail. 

Cul- 
men. 

Tarsus. 

Granatellus  francescaj 

Maria  Madre  Island  . . 
...  do 

ad.  cf 
ad.  ? 
ad.  cf 
ad.  ? 

5 
2 

1 

65.8 

63 

61.5 

58 

76.5 

74.5 
66.5 
67 

12.2 
12.2 
12 

12 

21 

21  5 

Granatellus  Yennstiis 

Guerrero  and  Oaxaca  . 
do 

19.7 
20.5 

Wilsonia  pusilla  pileolata  (Pall.),     Pileolated  Warbler. 

The  only  one  seen  was  taken  on  Maria  Cleofa  May  30.  Tt  was  in 
some  bushes  by  a  little  stream  near  the  seashore  and  was  evidently  a 
straggling  migrant. 

Minius  polyglottos  (Lian.).     Mocking  Bird. 

A  few  mocking  birds  were  seen  on  Maria  Madre,  where  they  are  prob- 
ably resident  in  small  numbers.  They  were  found  only  on  the  lower 
slopes  near  the  sea.  The  two  specimens  secured  appear  to  be  identical 
with  others  from  the  adjacent  mainland. 

Thryothorus  law^rencii  (Ridgway).     Maria  Madre  Wren. 

Thryothorus  felLc  Grajson,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.  XIV,  p.  278,1871  (part); 

Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.  II,  p.  268, 1874  (part). 
Thrijothorua  felix  fi  lawrencii  Ridgway,  Bnll.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  III,  p.  10,  Jan.,  1878. 

The  song  of  this  wren  was  one  of  the  most  constant  and  pleasing  of 
the  woodland  notes  heard  on  Maria  Madre.  The  bird  was  extremely 
abundant  everywhere  in  the  undergrowth  ranging  from  the  shore  up 
to  the  higher  slopes.  Like  its  near  relatives,  it  is  a  restless  little  crea- 
ture, constantly  climbing  and  i^eering  about  in  the  thickets.  The  male 
stoi)s  every  now  and  then  to  utter  his  song  and  then  continues  insect 
hunting.  When  in  a  musical  mood  he  takes  a  position  in  some  small 
shrub,  sometimes  on  its  summit  but  oftener  on  a  branch  at  one  side, 
aud  there  pours  out  his  song  again  aud  again  at  short  intervals.  Like 
many  other  birds  on  these  islands,  the  wren  was  vsry  familiar  and  un- 


58 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


sus]]ricious,  aud  many  came  every  day  to  the  feuces  aud  shrubbery  around 
the  bouses  at  the  settlement. 

A  series  of  Thryothorus  felix  from  the  mainland,  including  one  speci- 
men from  the  region  of  the  type  locality,  and  a  series  of  T.  laivrencii 
from  Maria  Madre,  show  sufficient  differences  to  warrant  giving  specific 
rank  to  lairrencii.  The  latter  difters  very  constantly  in  several  respects 
from  birds  of  the  mainland,  but  has  much  the  same  color  pattern.  The 
series  I'rom  San  Bias  is  nearer  lawrencii  than  is  the  specimen  from  near 
the  type  locality  of  felix,  but  there  appears  to  be  no  crossing  of  the 
gap  between  the  two. 

The  following  measurements  show  the  relative  sizes  of  the  two 
species : 

Measurements  of  Thryothorus  lawrencii  aud  T.  felix. 


Name. 

Locality. 

Sex. 

Num- 
ber of 
speci- 
mens. 

Wing. 

Tail. 

Cul- 
men. 

Tarsus. 

Thryolhorna  lawrencii 

Maria  Madre  Island . . . 
....  do  

ad.  cf 
ad.  ? 
ad.cT 

ad.? 

3 

7 
2 

3 

60 

57.1 

57.5 

54.3 

55.6 

54 

55.5 

50.6 

17.2 
16.8 
16 

U.6 

22 
21.4 

Thryothorus  felix 

Santiago,     Tepic     to 

Ometepec,  Guerrero. 

do 

21.5 
20.5 

Thryothorus  lawrencii  magdalenae  Nelson.     Magdalena  Wren. 

Tliryothorus  felix  Grayson  Proc.  Boston  Soc,  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  278,  1871  (part); 

Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  268,  1874  (part). 
Thryothorus  lawrencii  mat/dalena'  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XII,  p.  11, 

1898. 

The  habits  aud  distribution  of  this  wren  on  Maria  Magdalena  are 
the  same  as  those  of  T.  lawrencii  on  Maria  Madre.  No  one  lives  on 
Maria  Magdalena,  and  the  wrens  are  even  tamer  than  on  Maria  Madre. 
Their  confidence  was  shown  very  prettily  by  one  encountered  by  3Ir. 
Goldman  in  the  dark  bottom  of  a  narrow  rocky  canyon  overhung  with 
heavy  forest.  He  saw  the  little  fellow  busily  searching  for  food  among 
the  fallen  leaves  along  the  base  of  a  low  cliff,  and  as  the  bird  seemed 
very  fearless  he  approached  quietly  but  in  full  view,  and  succeeded 
in  closing  his  hand  over  the  tiny  creature,  which  had  continued  its 
search  without  i)aying  the  slighest  attention.  The  bird  showed  but 
little  fright,  and  its  captor,  after  holding  it  a  few  moments,  stooped 
and  gently  opened  his  hand  to  let  it  escape.  The  wren  hopped  away  a 
few  feet,  arranged  its  plumage,  aud  then  continued  feeding  with  the 
utmost  unconcern.  Mr.  Goldman  watched  it  for  a  few  minutes  aud 
again  approached  slowly.  As  before  the  bird  paid  uo  attention  until 
he  was  within  a  yard,  but  when  another  attempt  was  made  to  pick  it 
up,  hopped  away  a  few  feet  and  again  resumed  its  occupation.  This 
was  repeated  three  or  four  times  with  the  same  result,  until  finally  the 
bird  was  left  in  its  solitude. 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS.  69 

Melanotds  caerulescens  longirostris  Nelson.     Ties  Mari.is  Blue  Mockingbird. 

Melanotis  ccerulescens  Grayson  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  275,1871; 

Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  266, 1874  (part). 
Melanotis  ccerulescens  longirostris  Nelson,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XII,  p.  10 
1898. 

These  fine  songsters  are  very  common  on  the  Tres  Marias.  They  keep 
in  the  thickets  and  low  trees  and  bushes  like  a  catbird  and  were 
especially  numerous  and  familiar  about  the  settlement  on  Maria  Aladre. 
In  one  yard,  among  a  few  fruit  trees,  a  trough  was  kept  full  of  water, 
where  scores  of  blue  mockingbirds  came  daily  to  drink  and  would 
almost  allow  themselves  to  be  caught  by  liand.  Their  numbers  and 
general  distribution  make  them  among  the  most  noticeable  birds  on  the 
islands,  and  they  frequently  follow  one  with  much  curiosity.  Their  song, 
although  rich  and  varied,  was  not  so  clear  and  musical  as  that  of  their 
relatives  on  the  mainland.  The  birds  on  Maria  Madre  show  a  marked 
tendency  to  albinism,  which  usually  appears  in  the  form  of  grayish  or 
whitish  bars  on  the  wings  and  tail.  In  addition  to  the  barring  on  the 
primaries  and  secondaries,  the  alula  is  often  similarly  marked  and  some 
sj)ecimens  have  lighter  spots  on  the  tips  of  the  wing  coverts,  produc- 
ing well-defined  wing  bands.  The  markings  are  usually  symmetrical, 
but  vary  in  amount  and  intensity  with  the  individual.  In  some  they 
are  barely  distinguishable  and  in  others  very  conspicuous.  More  rarely 
the  albinism  api^ears  on  other  parts  of  the  body,  occasionally  in  asym- 
metrical areas  of  pure  white,  but  these  spots  also  are  sometimes  regu- 
lar. One  specimen  has  the  entire  under  surface  white,  except  some 
blue  feathers  along  the  flanks,  and  the  rump  is  white  mixed  with  blue. 
This  bird  has  a  striking  general  resemblance  to  the  Central  American 
Melanotis  liypoleucns.  At  least  2  or  3  per  cent  of  the  birds  on  the 
islands  are  albinistic,  and  the  constant  recurrence  of  the  same  light 
barring  on  the  wings  and  tail  seems  to  indicate  the  possible  evolution 
of  a  form  in  which  these  markings  will  be  constant. 

Myadestes  obscurus  iusularis  Stejueger.     Tres  Marias  Solitaire. 

Myiadesies  obscurus  Grayson,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.   Hist.,  XIV,  p.  277,   1871; 
Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  273, 1874. 

Myadestes  obscurus  var.  iusularis  Stejneger,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mns.,  IV,  pp.  371,  373, 
1882. 
This  is  a  common  bird  in  the  heavy  forest  about  the  heads  of  can- 
yons on  Maria  Madre  and  Maria  Magdalena.  They  v:ere  not  found 
anywhere  in  the  scrubby  growth  of  the  lower  slopes,  and  if  they  occur 
there  at  all  it  must  be  only  as  stragglers.  They  are  shy  birds,  remain- 
ing silent  when  approached,  but  when  undisturbed  flitting  through 
the  tree  tops  like  wandering  spirits  of  melody  uttering  their  sweet 
strains  from  the  mysterious  depths  of  the  forest.  Their  song  was 
heard  from  the  tops  of  tall  trees  where  the  birds  sat  amid  the  heavy 
foliage,  rarely  coming  down  to  lower  levels  except  in  the  morning  or 
evening,  or  to  drink  at  midday.  Many  were  seen  about  a  spring  near 
the  top  of  Maria  Madre  where  they  came  to  drink  at  noon. 


60 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


Although  Myadestcs  ohscurns  insnlaris  is  very  closely  related  to  occi- 
dentalis,  yet  it  may  be  distinguished  by  several  slight  but  coustant 
characters,  such  as  the  greater  extension  and  paler  shade  of  ashy  from 
the  ne(;k  over  the  forward  part  of  the  back.  The  lower  parts  also  are 
paler,  especially  on  the  throat  and  abdomen.  The  white  tips  to  the  tail 
feathers,  mentioned  by  Dr.  Stejneger  as  characteristic  of  this  form,  are 
equally  common  on  specimens  of  occidentalis. 

The  following  measurements  show  the  relative  size  of  the  two  forms: 


^feasurements  of  Mijadestes  ohscuriis  insularia  and  Mi/adesfen  o.  occidentalis. 


Name. 

Locality. 

Sex. 

Num- 
ber of 
speci- 
mens. 

Wing. 

Tail. 

Cul- 
men. 

Tarsus. 

Myadestes  obscurns  insii- 
laris. 

Myadestes  obscums  iiisu- 
laris. 

Myadestes  obsciirus  occi- 
dentalis. 

Maria  Madre  Island  . . 
do 

Jalisco  and  Sinaloa  . . . 
do 

ad.  cT 
ad.  9 
ad.  d" 
ad.  ? 

5 
3 
3 
2 

102.7 
98.6 
104 
100.5 

102.6 
95.6 
102.  3 

92 

12.2 
11.5 
12.5 

12 

22.5 

22 

22.1 

21.7 

dentalis. 

Hylocichla  ustulata  (Nuttall).     Russet-backed  Thrush. 

A  typical  specimen  of  this  si)ecies,  taken  on  the  islands  by  Colonel 
Grayson  in  the  winter  of  1865,  is  in  the  National  Museum.  In  his 
notes  Colonel  Grayson  says:  "I  found  this  little  thrush  in  the  mouth 
of  January  quite  abundant  in  the  thickest  of  the  woods  of  the  Tres 
Marias.  It  is  very  timid  and  shy,  more  so  than  any  bird  I  saw  ui^on 
the  islands ;  it  frequently  uttered  a  low,  jdaintive  whistle,  and  seemed 
solitary  in  its  habits."  We  saw  none  of  them  on  the  islands  in  May, 
and  it  is  safe  to  class  them  as  winter  visitants. 

Hylocichla  ustulata  swainsonii  (Cabaiiis).     Olive-backed  Thrush. 
Hylocichla  ustulata  alma  Oberholser,  Auk,  XV,  p.  304,  October,  1898. 

Two  specimens  of  this  thrush  were  taken  on  Marie  Madre,  one  on 
May  5,  the  other  on  May  19.  They  were  found  in  the  heavj^  forest  back 
from  the  coast,  and  evidently  occur  only  as  stray  migrants. 

Mr.  Oberholser  mentions  these  specimens  as  typical  examples  of  his 
subspecies,  which  is  considered  a  synonym  of  Hylocichla  u.  swainsonii 
by  the  American  Ornithologists'  Union. 

Menila  graysoni  Ridgway.     Tres  Marias  Roliiii. 

Turdus  Jlavirosiris  Grayson,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  27fi,  1871  (part); 

Lawr.,  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  266,  1874  (pan  j. 
Merula  flavirostris  (iraysoni  Ridgway,  Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  V,  p.  12,  1882. 

Grayson's  robin  is  one  of  the  most  abundant  and  widely  spread  resi- 
dents and  takes  the  place  of  M.  flavirostris  of  the  mainland,  which  it 
closely  resembles  in  habits  and  general  appearance.  Although  a  char- 
acteristic bird  of  the  islands,  yet  occasional  stragglers  reach  the  main- 


BIRDS    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS. 


61 


laDtl,  as  is  sliowu  by  a  perfectly  typical  specimen  (a  female  in  worn 
plumage)  taken  at  Santiago,  Territory  of  Tepic,  Jnne  L*0, 1897.  On  the 
islands  it  was  found  from  the  shore  to  the  forests  of  the  higher  slopes 
and  was  also  very  plentiful  and  familiar  about  the  settlement.  It  had 
a  variety  of  notes,  among  them  a  rich  Avarbling  song  and  a  character- 
istic clear,  mellow,  whistling  call.  While  among  the  trees,  or  during 
their  search  for  food  upon  the  ground,  these  birds  closely  resemble  the 
common  robin  in  habits  and  general  appearance.  At  the  time  of  our 
visit  a  species  of  wild  fig  was  in  fruit,  and  the  tops  of  the  trees  were 
swarming  with  these  robins,  tanagers,  orioles,  lovebirds,  and  trogons, 
all  eagerly  feeding  upon  the  figs. 

Merula  graysoiii  is  another  of  the  Tres  Marias  birds  which  are  evi- 
dently oifshoots  from  species  now  resident  on  the  adjacent  mainland, 
but  with  differences  sufficiently  pronounced  and  constant  to  warrant 
their  recognition  as  separate  species.  Merula  flavirostris,  the  main- 
land representative  of  the  Tres  Marias  robin,  is  much  more  richly 
colored  than  f/raysoni,  and  the  differences  mentioned  by  Mr.  IJidgway 
are  constant  and  well  shown  in  the  present  series.  The  following  aver- 
age measurements  show  the  relative  dimensions  of  the  two  species: 

Measuremejits  of  Merula  graysoni  and  M.  flavirostris. 


Merula  graysoni  . . . 

Merula  graysoni 

Merula  flavirostris  . 
Merula  flavirostris  . 


Locality. 


Maria  Madre  Island  . . 

do 

West  coast  Mexico  . . . 
do 


Sex. 

Num- 
ber of  • 
speci- 
mens. 

Wing. 

Tail. 

Cul- 
nien. 

ad.  cf 

4 

127 

99.7 

24.4 

ad.   $ 

5 

125.6 

98.8 

24 

ad.  cf 

i 

125 

99.7 

21 

ad.   ? 

5 

124.4 

98 

2.? 

34.5 
34.5 
32.6 
32.4 


BIEDS  ERRONEOUSLY  ATTRIBUTED  TO  THE  TRES  MARIAS. 


Among  the  birds  sent  to  the  Smithsonian  Institution  from  western 
Mexico  by  Mr.  John  Xantus  are  five  species  of  humming  birds  named 
below  which  were  not  found  on  the  Tres  Marias  either  by  Colonel  Gray- 
son or  myself,  and  which  are  not  known  even  from  the  adjacent  parts 
of  the  mainland.  These  specimens  are  now  in  the  National  Museum, 
all  labeled  "Tres  Marias,  July,  1861."  The  improbability  of  their  cap- 
ture on  the  Tres  Marias  is  very  great,  and  the  fact  that  species  from 
such  widely  separated  areas  should  be  credited  to  these  islands  during 
a  single  month  can  be  accounted  for  in  only  one  way.  Probably  Mr. 
Xantus  purchased  these  specimens  from  some  one  who  misled  him  con- 
cerning their  origin.  That  this  could  be  done  very  easily  I  know  from 
personal  experience.  Some  years  ago  I  purchased  a  small  collection  of 
birds  from  a  San  Francisco  dealer,  who  claimed  that  they  came  from 


62  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

La  Paz,  Lower  California,  but  which  proved  to  be  made  up  of  species 
found  near  Mazatlau,  Siualoa. 
Thalurauia  luciee  Lawr. 

Thahirania  liiciw  liSbwr.,  Anu.  Lye.  Nat.  HiBt.,  N.  Y.,  VII,  p.  2, 1867;  Proc.  Boston 
.Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  284, 1871 ;  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  291, 1874. 
Described  as  new  from  the  specimen  sent  in  by  Xautus,  but  proved 
to  be  Thalurania  glaucopis,  a  resident  of  southeastern  Brazil. 

Florisuga  iiiellivora  (Liun.). 

Lawr.,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  284,  1871;  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat. 
Hist.,  II,  p.  291, 1874. 

A  well-known  species  of  the  humid  tropics  from  southern  Mexico  to 
South  America.  There  is  no  authentic  record  for  it  in  western  Mexico, 
and  it  is  safe  to  say  it  has  not  been  taken  on  the  Tres  Marias. 

Uranomitra  guatemalensis  (Gould). 

Lawr.,  Proc.' Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  284,  1871;  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat. 
Hi8t.,II,  p.202, 1874. 

A  species  which  ranges  from  Guatemala  and  British  Honduras 
southward.     There  is  no  authentic  Mexican  record. 

Pstasopiiora  thalassina  (Swainaon). 

Lawr.,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  284,  1871;  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat. 
Hist.,  II,  p.  292,  1874. 

This  humming  bird  ranges  from  the  highlands  about  the  Valley  of 
Mexico  southward  into  Central  America,  but  there  appears  to  be  no 
authentic  record  for  western  Mexico. 

Chlorostilbon  insularis  Lawr. 

Chlorostilbon  insularis  Lawr.,  Anu.  Lye.  Nat.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  VII,  p.  457,  1867;  Proc. 
Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  p.  284,  1871;  Mem.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist., 

II,  p.  292,  1874. 

This  bird  was  described  by  Mr.  Lawrence  from  a  Xantus  specimen, 
but  proved  to  be  Chlorostilbon  pueherani  of  southeastern  Brazil. 

Merula  grayi  Lawr. 

Merula  grayi  Lawr.,  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV,  ]».  276,  1871;  Mem.  Bos- 
ton Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  II,  p.  266, 1874. 

Grayson's  notes  on  Merula  grayi  on  the  Tres  Marias  refer  to  pale 
S]>ecimens  of  M.  graysoni,  and  his  record  of  31.  grayi  at  the  city  of 
Tepic,  on  the  adjacent  mainland,  refers  to  M.  fristis.  Merula  tristis  is 
a  common  and  widely  spread  species  in  suitable  localities  in  western 
Mexico  and  is  the  only  Merula  sent  in  by  Grayson  from  the  city  of 
Tepic. 

Merula  grayi,  on  the  contrary,  does  not  appear  to  occur  anywhere  in 
western  Mexico  north  of  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  for  no  specimens 
were  taken  by  Grayson  nor,  during  our  own  work  at  many  localities 
between  the  Isthmus  and  Mazatlan,  has  a  single  individual  been  noted, 
and  there  appears  to  be  no  authentic  record  of  its  occurrence  there. 
This  thrush  is  a  species  of  the  humid  tropics,  ranging  along  both  coasts 
of  Central  America  north  to  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  and  thence 
northward  its  range  is  limited  to  the  humid  region  of  the  Gulf  coast 
and  adjacent  mountain  slopes  of  eastern  Mexico, 


REPTILES  OF  THE  TRES  MARIAS  AND  ISABEL  ISLANDS. 

By  Lp^onhard  Stejneger, 
Curator,  Division  of  Reptiles  and  Batrachians,  U.  S.  National  Afiiseidn. 

The  present  pai)er  is  based  upon  the  collection  made  on  the  Tres 
Marias  and  Isabel  Islands  in  April  and  May,  1897,  by  E.  W.  Nelson 
and  B.  A.  Goldman. 

The  surprising  fact  that  the  two  expeditions  which  have  collected 
systematically  in  the  Tres  Marias  brought  home  the  same  number  of 
species,  Forrer  only  collecting  one  snake,  Diplotropis  diplotropis,  which 
Nelson  did  not  collect,  and  Nelson  also  oollecting  only  one  snake  which 
Forrer  did  not  obtain,  viz.  Boa  imperator^  seems  to  indicate  that  not 
many  more  species  than  the  16  here  enumerated  are  to  be  found  in 
these  islands. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  reptile  fauna  is  an  exceedingly  poor  one 
and  very  disappointing  in  several  respects.  Thus  most  of  the  species 
are  common  on  the  opposite  mainland  and  generally  distributed  over 
tropical  Mexico  and  Central  America.  Then,  again,  it  seems  as  if  the 
species  are  practically  identical  on  all  the  islands  of  the  group.  This 
would  indicate  a  comparatively  recent  severance  of  the  islands  from 
each  other  as  well  as  from  the  opj)osite  mainland  of  Mexico. 

It  is  worthy  of  note,  perhaps,  that  there  is  absolutely  no  indication 
of  relation  to  the  Cape  Saint  Lucas  fauna  of  Lower  California.  The 
only  species  occurring  in  both  places  is  Fhyllodactylus  tuherculosus,  a 
gecko  of  wide  distribution,  the  presence  of  which  is  of  absolutely  no 
moment  in  determining  zoogeographical  relations. 

The  only  species  whch  seems  to  be  peculiar  to  the  islands  is  Cnemi- 
dophorus  mariarum.  As  will  be  explained  more  fully  under  the  head 
of  this  species,  I  have  never  seen  a  specimen  from  the  mainland,  and 
those  which  have  been  recorded  from  there  I  regard  as  wrongly  identi- 
fied. However,  the  herpetology  of  the  regions  in  question  is  too  little 
explored  in  detail  to  incline  one  to  be  dogmatic  on  a  point  like  this, 
but  I  may  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  swift  which  occurs  on  the 
little  Isabel  Island,  about  halfway  between  the  Tres  Marias  and  the 
mainland,  is  most  certainly  the  same  form  which  inhabits  the  latter, 
viz,  Gnemidophorus  gularis  mexicanuSj  imd  not  C.  mariarum,  to  which 
it  bears  only  a  superficial  resemblance.  The  species  collected  on  Isabel 
Island  are  referred  to  in  the  following  i)aper  without  any  number  pre- 
ceding the  specific  names.  Mr.  Nelson  has  contributed  field  notes  on 
some  of  the  species,  and  these  notes  are  given  in  brackets  with  his 
initials  at  the  end  of  the  jjaragraph  on  the  species  to  which  they  refer. 

63 


64 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


TESTUDINATA. 

[The  tortoise-shell  turtle  frequents  the  sea  about  the  Tres  Marias, 
approaching-  the  shores  to  mate  and  deposit  eggs  in  May  and  June 
eacli  year.  At  the  same  time  the  large  green  sea  turtle  abounds  along 
these  shores,  where  they  congregate  for  the  same  purpose. — E.  W.  N.] 

Kiiiosternon  integrum  Lecontu. 

I  have  no  hesitation  in  endorsing  Boulenger's  view  (t)at.  Chel.  Brit. 
Mus.,  p.  4L')  that  the  Tres  Marias  mud  turtles  are  K.  integrnm  and  not  A". 
hirtipes,  as  held  by  Giinther  (Biol.  Oentr.-Am.,  Kept,,  j).  15,  pis.  xii-xiv). 
They  have  the  broader  bridge  and  broader  plastron  of  the  former  and 
agree  with  undoubted  specimens  from  the  mainland.  The  island  speci- 
mens, of  which  there  are  four  adults  and  one  young,  do  not  differ  from 
those  from  Colima,  Guanajuato,  Cuernavaca  (Morelos),  Acaponeta 
(Tepic),  Guadalajara  (Jalisco),  Presidio,  and  Mazatlan  (Sinaloa),  from 
all  of  which  localities  I  have  examined  specimens.  K.  hirtipe.s  I  believe 
to  be  confined  to  the  eastern  side  of  Mexico. 

List  of  specimens  of  Kinosttrnon  inteffruin. 


U.  S.  Na- 
tional 
Museum 
number. 

Collect- 
ors' num- 
ber. 

Locality. 

Date. 

24606 

712 
713 
714 
715 
716 

May  15,1897 
May  15,1897 
May  15,1897 
May  15,1897 
May   15,1897 

24607 

do 

24608 

do 

24609 

do 

24610 

do 

LORICATA. 

Crocodylus  americanus  Laiir. 

ISTo  specimens  were  secured,  but  Mr.  Nelson  assures  me  that  the 
crocodile  occurs  on  Maria  Magdalena  Island.  There  can  be  but  little 
doubt  that  it  is  the  present  species  which  is  distributed  all  along  the 
coast  of  Central  America,  Mexico,  the  West  Indies,  and  southern 
Morida. 

[The  unmistakable  furrow  in  the  mud  where  a  crocodile  had  hauled 
up  on  the  border  of  a  brackish  lagoon  on  the  eastern  side  of  Maria  Mag- 
dalena, the  sight  of  a  small  head  in  the  water,  and  the  testimony  of 
the  people  on  Maria  Madre  established  the  fact  of  their  occurrence. 
They  appeared  to  be  limited  to  Maria  Magdalena. — E.  W.  X.J 

SQUAMATA. 

SAURI. 
Phyllodactylus  tuberculosus  Wiegm. 

This  species  is  distributed  over  Mexico  and  Central  America,  and 
has  also  been  collected  in  the  Cape  Saint  Lucas  region  of  Lower  Call- 


REPTILES    OF    THE    TKES    MARIAS    ISLANDS. 


65 


foruia,  the  specimeus  from  the  latter  locality  haviug  been  described  by 
Cope  as  Phyllodactylus  xanti. 

List  uf  specimens  of  rhi/lludactiilus  iiihircalonus. 


IT.  S.  Xa- 

tioual 
Mu.seuiii 
number. 


Collect- 
ors' IIUIU- 

ber. 


Locality. 


Date. 


24611 
24612 
24613 


669 
'686 

700 


Maria  Madre  Island May  21, 1897 

do May   28, 1897 

.Maria  Cleofa  Islaud May  30, 1897 


'  No.  686  was  taken  iu  an  old  house. 

Auolis  nebulosus  Wicgm. 

All  the  specimeus  from  the  three  islands  are  normally  colored  and 
alike,  except  No.  092,  which  has  a  wide  whitish  dorsal  band  originating 
on  the  occiput  and  extending  down  the  upper  surface  of  the  tail.  It  is 
edged  with  dusky,  and  a  narrow  broken  line  of  the  same  dusky  color 
in  the  white  band  near  the  edge  on  each  side  extends  from  neck  to 
rump.  This  specimen  is  small  and  without  gular  pouch;  but  No.  691, 
from  the  same  island,  which  equals  it  in  these  respects,  is  colored  like 
the  larger  specimens.  Both  specimens  a])pear  to  be  females,  having  no 
enlarged  postanal  scales. 

This  species  is  widely  distributed  over  Mexico,  and  has  been  collected 
in  the  Tres  Marias  Islands  not  only  by  Forrer  but  also  by  Capt.  William 
Lund,  specimens  from  the  latter  being  in  the  museum  of  the  California 
Academy  of  Sciences  iu  San  Francisco  (Van  Denburgh,  I'roc.  Phila. 
Acad.,  1897,  p.  4G0). 

List  of  specimens  of  Anolis  nehulosus. 


IT.  S.  Xa- 

tioiial 
Museum 
uuinber. 

Collect- 
ors' num- 
ber. 

Locality. 

Date. 

24614 

036 

041 

1083 

'684 

'685 

688 

090 

091 

692 

May  3,  1897 
May  4, 1897 
May  28,1897 
Mav  28, 1897 

24615 

do 

24610 

24617 

...  do 

24618 

do                  

Mav   28, 1897 

24619 

do 

May  28,1897 
May  29,1897 
Mav  29, 1897 

24620 

24621 

do        

24022 

.   ...do    

May  29,1897 

'  No.s.  683-685  wore  found  living  in  au  olil  liouse. 

Ctenosaura  teres  (Harlan).     Black  Iguaua. 

The  material  at  hand  is  very  unsatisfacitory  inasmuch  as  all  the 
full-grown  specimens  are  of  the  same  sex  and  iu  rather  poor  state  of 
preservation,  while  the  younger  specimens   afford   no  characters  for 
13950— No.  U 5 


66 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


satisfactorily  separating  tbe  various  forms  which  naturally  group 
themselves  around  Ctcnosaura  teres.  They  are  therefore  left  under 
that  general  name  for  the  present,  the  writer  hoping  some  day  to  be 
able  to  review  the  whole  genus.  The  chief  difficulty  now  lies  in  the 
lack  of  typical  specimens  of  C.  teres  from  Tampico  and  from  the  east- 
ern coast  of  Mexico  generally,  and  until  a  series  of  full-grown  speci- 
mens of  both  sexes  is  obtained  from  tliat  region  it  will  be  futile  to 
attempt  to  straighten  out  the  nomenclature  of  these  lizards.  As  far  as 
I  can  make  out  from  my  defective  material  the  Tres  Marias  and  Isabel 
specimens  differ  sufficiently  from  specimens  from  Oolima  and  Tehuan- 
tepec  to  warrant  their  subspeciflc  recognition,  but  whether  identical 
with  the  Mazatlan  form  or  not  I  am  not  able  to  say.  There  are  certainly 
several  pretty  well  defined  races  of  this  species;  but  more  adult  speci- 
mens and  a  direct  comparison  with  the  types  of  many  of  the  old  names 
in  various  foreign  museums  will  be  necessary  before  the  intricate  ques- 
tions involved  can  be  settled. 

[The  females  were  burrowing  in  the  gravel  in  dry  washes  and  flats 
on  the  islands  the  last  half  of  May.  The  burrows  were  from  2  to  3 
or  4  feet  deep,  and  after  the  eggs  had  been  deposited  at  the  lower 
end,  the  female  scraped  in  loose  gravel  until  the  hole  was  filled,  and 
frequently  raised  a  little  mound  over  the  entrance. — E.  W.  oST.] 


TJ.  S.  Na- 
tional 
Museum 
nmulier. 

Collect- 
ors' num- 
ber. 

Loealitj-. 

Date. 

24623 

655 
656 
659 
660 
■       662 
(bis) 662 
676 
693 
630 
631 
632 

May  14,1897 
May   14,1897 
May  15,1897 
May   15,1897 
May   15,1897 
May   17,1897 
May  24,1897 
May  29,1897 
Apr.  23,1897 
Apr.  23,1897 
Apr.  23,1897 

24624 

do     

24625 

do 

24626 

do 

24627 

do 

24628 

do 

24629 

do 

24630 
24631 
24632 

Maria  Cleof:.  Island 

Isabel  Island 

do                                  .                                                   

24633 

..do 

Uta  lateralis  Boukmi^er. 

Mr.  i^elson  remarks  that  this  species  lives  on  stones  and  driftwood 
near  the  border  of  the  woods  along  the  sea  beaches. 

Uta  lateralis  was  based  by  Bouleuger  in  1883  upon  specimens  from 
the  Tres  Marias  and  from  Presidio,  near  Mazatlan,  collected  by  Forrer, 
and  specimens  from  both  localities  are  designated  as  'types'  in  the 
'  Catalogue  of  Lizards  in  the  British  Museum.' 


REPTILES    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS. 


67 


V.  S.  Na- 
tional 
Museum 
number. 

Collect- 
ors'num- 
ber. 

Locality. 

Date. 

24034 

635 
642 
643 
653 
670 
671 
672 
673 
674 
675 
678 

Maria  Madro  Island 

May     3, 1897 
May     4, 1897 
May     7,1897 
May   13,1897 
May  21,1897 
May   21,1897 
May  21,1897 
May   21,1897 
May  21,  1897 
May   21,1897 
May  25,1897 
May  25,1897 

24635 

do 

24636 

do 

24637 

do 

24638 

do 

24639 

do 

24640 

do 

24641 

do 

24642 

do 

24643 

do 

24644 

do 

24645              679 

do 

Sceloporus  boulengeri  Stejneger. 
N.  Am.  Fauna  No.  7,  1893,  p.  180,  pi.  I,  figs.  5a-c. 

This  species  appears  to  be  smaller  than  iS.  clarMi,  of  wbicb  it  is  the 
southern  representative.  A  full-grown  mal^  (No.  634e)  measures  only 
72mni  from  snout  to  vent. 

Van  Denburgh's  belief  that  iS.  boulengeri  "is  the  same  form  as  Cope's 
8.  oligoporus^^  (Proc.  Phila.  Acad.,  1897,  p.  463)  is  not  well  founded.  The 
latter  is  easily  distinguished  by  having  only  2  to  3  femoral  pores,  besides 
other  differences.     It  is  probably  identical  with  S.  horridus. 


U.  S.  Na- 
tional 
Museum 
number. 

Collect- 
ors' num- 
ber. 

Locality. 

Sex. 

Number 
of  pores. 

Date. 

24646 

634 
634  a 
634  & 
634  c 
634  d 
634  e 

d  ad.... 
?  jun... 
d"  adol.. 
?  ad.... 

? 

d  ad.... 

8 
9 
7 
9 
9 
9 

Apr.  23,1897 
Apr.  23,1897 
Apr.  23,1897 
Apr.  23,1897 
Apr.  23,1897 
Apr.  23,1897 

24647 

do 

24648 

do 

24649 

do 

24650 

do 

24C51 

do 

Cnemidophorus  mariarum  Giinther. 

Cnemidopliorus  mariarum  Giinther  Biol.  Cunt. -Am.,  Kept.  p.  28,  pi.  XX,  April,  1885; 
Boulenger,  Cat.  Lizards,  Brit.  Mus.,  p.  368,  1885. 

The  swifts  from  the  Tres  Marias  are  essentially  alike.  Those  from 
Maria  Madre  are  the  largest  and  possibly  also  most  distinctly  marked; 
those  from  the  small  detached  rock  oft'  the  west  side  of  Maria  Cleofa 
as  well  as  the  one  from  the  main  island  of  that  name  are  somewhat 
smaller.  According  to  Mr.  Nelson's  observation  those  from  the  detached 
islet,  which  is  a  bare  rock,  the  nesting  place  of  numerous  sea  birds, 
appeared  to  him  paler  when  alive  than  those  on  the  other  islands,  but 
now,  in  alcohol,  the  difterence,  if  any,  is  very  slight. 

This  species,  which  was  originally  described  by  Giinther  from  speci- 
mens collected  by  Forrer  on  the  Tres  Marias  seems  to  be  confined  to 
this  group  of  islands.     If  so^  it  is  the  only  species  of  reptile  hitherto 


68 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


collected  which  is  peculiar  to  these  islands.  The  species  has  been 
recorded  from  the  inaiuland(by  Van  Deiiburgh,  Proc.  Phila.  Acad.,  1897, 
p.  4G3,  who  identifies  "a  large  number  of  lizards  from  Mazatlan,  Sau 
Bias,  and  Tepic"  with  Giiuther's  species),  but  I  am  satisfied  that  these 
records  are  based  n[)on  specimens  of  C.  gularis  mexicanus  (Peters) 
which  superficially  very  much  resemble  the  island  species.  The  mis- 
identification  is  probably  due  to  the  fact  that  Cope,  in  his  monograph 
of  the  genus,  overlooked  the  different  keeling  of  the  caudal  scales 
which  is  the  essential  character  of  this  species. 

List  of  /specimens  of  Cnemidophorus  marianivi. 


U.  S.  Na- 
tional 

Museum 
number. 

CoUect- 
ors'  num- 
ber. 

24652 

637 

24653 

638 

24654 

639 

24655 

640 

24656 

644 

24657 

645 

24658 

646 

24659 

647 

24660 

687 

24661 

701 

24662 

702 

24663 

703 

24664 

704 

24665 

705 

24666 

706 

Locality. 


Date. 


Maria  Madre  Island. 
do 


-do. 
.do. 
.do. 
.do. 
.do. 
-do. 


rock) . 


Maria  Magdalena  Island 

Maria  Cleofa  Island  (outlyin 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Maria  Cleofa  Island  (main  island) 


May 

3, 1897 

May 

3, 1897 

May 

4, 1897 

May 

4, 1897 

May 

7, 1897 

May 

7, 1897 

May 

7, 1897 

May 

7, 189T 

May 

28, 1897 

May 

30, 1897 

May 

30, 1897 

May 

30, 1897 

May 

30, 1897 

May 

30, 1897 

May 

31, 1897 

Cnemidophorus  gularis  mexicanus  (Peters). 

The  Isabel  Island  swifts  are  identical  with  the  mainland  form,  two 
specimens  of  which  were  brought  from  San  Bias.  They  are  quite  dis- 
tinct from  the  species  on  the  Tres  Marias,  which  is  well  characterized 
by  the  smaller  femorals  and  the  parallel  caudals.  It  is  strange  that 
Cope,  having  had  the  latter  character  clearly  pointed  out  by  Boulenger, 
should  have  referred  G.  mariarum  to  G.  gularis  as  a  subspecies. 

List  of  apedmens  of  Cnemidophorus  gularis  mexicanus. 


U.  S.  Na- 
tional 
Mu.seum 
number. 


Collect- 
ors' num- 
ber. 


Locality. 


Date. 


24607 
24068 
24669 
24670 
24671 


633 

633a 

6336 

633c 

633d 


Isabel  Island  . 

do 

do 

do 

do 


April  23,1897 
April  23,1897 
April  23,1897 
April  23, 1897 
April  23,1897 


REPTILES    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS. 
SERPENTES. 


69 


Boa  imperator  Daudin. 

This  is  the  first  record  of  this  species  from  the  Tres  Marias.  The 
species  is  generally  distributed  through  southern  Mexico  and  Central 
America. 

Scale  rows  73. 

List  of  specimens  of  Boa  imperator. 


V.  S.  Na- 
tional 
Museum 
number. 

Collect- 
ors' num- 
ber. 

Locality. 

Date. 

24672 

648 

Maria  Madre  Island 

May   12,1897 

Oxybelis  acuminatus  (Wietl). 

A  coiuiuou   species  occurring   all  through  tropical   America  from 
Guaymas,  Mexico,  south. 

List  of  specimens  of  Oxyhelis  acuminatus. 


U.  S.  Na- 
tional 
Museum 
number. 

Collect- 
ors' num- 
ber. 

Locality. 

Date. 

24673 

677 

May  25,1897 

Diplotropis  diplotropis  (Giinther). 

This  species  seems  to  be  confined  to  western  Mexico.  It  was  not 
collected  by  Mr.  Nelson,  but  there  are  two  specimens  in  the  British 
Museum  collected  by  Forrer  on  the  Tres  Marias  {Leptophis  diplotropis 
Boulenger,  Cat.  Snakes  Brit.  Mus.,  II,  p.  110). 

Drymobius  boddaerti  (Seetzen). 

A  common  species  distributed  over  tropical  America. 

In  No.  681  the  fourth  labials  on  both  sides  are  divided  horizontally, 
so  as  to  suggest  a  subpreocular.  This  is  an  adult  male,  and  is  uni- 
formly colored  above,  without  any  markings.  The  adolescent  specimens 
are  uniform  above,  with  a  few  scales  tipped  with  black;  the  anterior 
part  of  the  underside  has  square  blackish  spots.  The  two  young  ones 
have  above  brown,  dark-edged,  squarish  spots,  separated  by  narrow 
light-colored  interspaces.  They  are  marked  underneath  like  the  adoles- 
cent specimens. 

No.  G81,  male  ad. — Scale  rows,  17;  ventrals,  183;  anal,  h ;  caudals,  |||; 
supralabials,  9.  ■      , 


70 


NORTH    AMERICAN   FAUNA. 

List  of  specimens  of  Drymohius  hoddaerti. 


U.  S.  Na- 
tional 
Museum 
number. 


24674 
24675 
24676 
24677 
24678 
24679 


Collect- 
ors' num- 
ber. 


652  juv. 
654  ad. 
658  ad. 
661  ad. 
663  juv. 
681  ad. 


Locality. 


Maria  Madre  Island 

do 

do 

do 

do 

Maria  Magdalena  Island . 


Date. 


May  12,1897 
May  13,1897 
May  14,1897 
May  15,1897 
May  18,1897 
May  27,1897 


Bascanion  lineatum  Bocourt. 
This  species  is  apparently  confiued  to  western  Mexico. 

List  of  specimens  of  Bascanion  lineatum. 


U.  S.  Na- 
tional 
Museum 
number. 

Collect- 
ors' num- 
ber. 

Locality. 

Date. 

24680 

850 
651 
660 

May*  12, 1897 
May  12,1897 
May   16,1897 

24681 

...  do           

24682 

...  do                    

Drymarchon  corais  melanurus  (Dum.  &.  Bibr.) 

Scale  rows,  19;  veutrals,  205;  anal,  1;  caudals,  f|,  siipralabials,  8. 
Adult  male  with  the  characteristic  coloring  of  this  subspecies,  which 
seems  to  be  confined  to  Mexico  and  Central  America. 

List  of  specimens  of  Drymarchon  corais  melanurus. 


V.  S.  Na- 
tional 
Museum 
number. 

Collect- 
ors' num- 
ber. 

Locality. 

Date. 

24683 

664 

May  18,1897 

Lampropeltis  micropholis  oligozona  (Bocourt). 

Scale  rows,  23 ;  veutrals,  230;  anal,  1;  caudals,  f|;  temporals,  2  +  3. 
Adult  male.  Thirteen  annuli  on  body,  separated  by  wide,  red  inter- 
spaces, without  black  spots,  both  on  back  and  belly;  all  the  annuli 
complete,  including  that  on  neck  and  throat,  which  does  not  touch  the 
parietals;  snout  white,  with  black  on  rostral  and  anterior  nasal.  From 
Boulenger's  account  it  appears  that  Forrer's  specimens  from  the  Tres 
Marias  are  identical.     (Oat.  Snakes  Brit.  Mus.,  II,  p.  204.) 

Distributed  over  Mexico  and  Central  America. 

List  of  specimens  of  Lampropeltis  micropholis  oligozona. 


U.  S.  Na- 
tional 
Museum 
number. 

Collect- 
ors'  num- 
ber. 

Locality. 

Date. 

24684 

661 

May  16,1897 

REPTILES    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS. 


71 


Agkisti-odon  bilineatus  (Giinther). 
Scale  rows,  23 ;  veil trals,  138;  anal,  1;  caudals,  21  +  ff .     Adult  male. 
Southern  Mexico  and  Central  America  to  Nicaragua. 

List  of  specimens  of  Agkistrodon  bilineatus. 


U.  S.  Na- 
tional 
Museum 
number. 

Collect- 
ors' num- 
ber. 

Locality. 

Date. 

24685 

707 

May   15, 1J>97 

Crotalus  sp.  ? 

No  rattlesnake  was  collected  on  the  Tres  Marias  by  Foner,  nor  by 
Nelson,  but  the  latter  informs  me  that  he  was  told  of  the  occurrence  of 
a  rattler  on  Maria  Masdalena  Island. 


NOTES  ON  THE  CRUSTACEA  OF  THE  TRES  MARIAS  ISLANDS. 


By  Mary  J.  Ratiibun, 
Second  Assistant  Curator,  Dirinon  of  Marine  Invertebrates,  U.  S.  National  Museum. 

Of  the  four  species  of  Crustacea  taken  by  E.  W,  Nelson  and  E.  A. 
Goldman  on  the  Tres  Marias  Islands  in  May,  1897,  two  are  identical 
with  forms  inhabiting  Lower  California,  one  is  found  in  all  the  warm 
countries  of  the  world,  while  the  fourth,  a  fresh-water  shrimp,  is  dis- 
tributed throughout  tropical  America. 

Gecarcinus  digueti  Bouvicr. 

Gecarcinus  dif/ueli  Bonvier,  Bull.  Mna.  Hist.  Nat.,  Paris,  I,  8,  1895. 
Maria  Clcofa,  Island.     May  30.     One  large  male  (Collectors'  No.  717). 

The  type  and  only  specimen  hitherto  collected  is  from  Lower  Cali- 
fornia, and  is  in  the  Paris  Museum.  This  species  differs  from  others 
found  on  the  Pacific  coast  in  its  wider  carapace,  narrower  front,  longer 
legs,  and  in  the  form  of  the  abdomen  of  the  male. 

Measurements. 


o 

o 

CD      ' 

o 

=    1- 

•r 

3 

s 

.D 

2  o 

3 

t-) 

o 

Specimen. 

i 

3 

s-3 

a 

u 

1 

a 

a 

'3 

a 

.a 

Xi 

"3 

o 

o  3 

o 

o 

o 

.a 

o 

o 

o 

.a 

Cm 

O 

Ml 

a 

g 

.<!> 

n  o 

'd 

r3 

a 

r3 

a 

•a 

h^ 

'i 

W 

q 

M 

t-J 

^ 

iJ 

^ 

i-J 

■^ 

Hi 

^ 

Type,    cf,    Lower    Cali- 

46.3 

70 

09 
104 

25 
37.5 

9 
13 

33 
46.3 

9.7 
13.4 

16 
22.5 

8 
11.5 

•17 
21.5 

7.3 
10 

24.2 
33.5 

3.7 

cT,  Maria  Cleofa  Island.. 

5 

The  measurements  of  the  legs  are  exclusive  of  the  large  spines,  and 
the  length  given  is  that  of  the  anterior  or  superior  margin.  The  penult- 
imate segment  of  the  abdoinen  of  the  male  is  very  wide.  Length  and 
distal  width,  12  mm.;  xjroximal  width,  21.5. 

Mr.  Nelson  says  of  these  crabs : 

On  the  Tres  Marias  we  foimd  them  only  on  Maria  Cleofa,  Avhero  they  -R-ere  very 
nnnierons  above  high-vrater  mark  on  the  sandy  beaches  of  the  low  eastern  part  of  the 
island.  They  were  also  living  very  al)nndnntly  in  burrows  in  the  soft  soil  almost 
everywhere  on  the  slopes  of  Isabel  Island.     They  are  nocturnal  in  habits,  and  caused 

73 


74  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

some  annoyance  by  walking  over  us  at  night  while  we  were  camped  iu  their  haunts. 
They  began  to  como  out  of  their  burrows  as  soon  as  it  became  twilight  in  the  even- 
ing. In  both  localities  most  of  their  burrows  were  found  among  the  scrubby  bushes. 
On  Isabel  Island  they  were  often  seen  during  the  day  sitting  in  the  burrows  a  foot 
or  so  from  the  entrance,  but  scuttled  back  to  a  safe  depth  when  I  approached. 

Ocypode '  occidentalis  Stimpsou. 

Oci/poda  occidentalis  Stimpsou,  Ann.  Lye.  Nat.  Hist.  N.  Y.,  VII,  229,  1860. 
Maria  Magdaleua  Island.     May  28.     One  female  (No.  689). 
Maria  Cleofa  Island.     May  30.     One  male  (No.  699). 

This  much  neglected  species  is  distiuct,  it  seems  tome,  from  0.  huhlii 
de  Haau,  of  which  Miers  made  it  a  variety.  According  to  the  descrip- 
tion of  0.  Jcuhlii  given  by  de  Man  (Notes  Leyden  Mus.,  Ill,  250,  1881), 
who  had  the  type  before  him,  0.  occidentalis  differs  from  it  in  having  a 
narrower  carapace,  in  the  outer  orbital  angle  directed  inward  and  not 
outward,  iu  the  shorter  hand,  the  length  of  the  upper  margin  of  the 
palm  being  less  than  the  width,  and  iu  having  from  18  to  21  tubercles 
in  the  stridulating  ridge  (de  Man  gives  8  or  10  for  kuJiUi,  while  Miers 
figures  17).  The  form  of  the  abdomen  of  the  male  furnishes  excellent 
characters  for  the  determination  of  the  species  of  Ocypode.  In  0.  occi- 
dentalis the  penultimate  segment  is  much  wider  at  its  middle  than  at 
its  proximal  end. 

It  is  singular  that  this  species  is  not  mentioned  in  the  revisions  of 
the  genus  by  Kiugsley,  1880,  or  by  Ortmann,  1897. 

Dimensions  of  a  type  specimen^  U.  S.  National  Museum. — Male:  Length, 
40.5  mm.;  epibranchial  width,  48;  exorbital  width,  41;  length  of  supe- 
rior margin  of  palm,  22.8;  entire  length  of  propodus,  43.5;  greatest 
width,  24. 

^ctwr/c— Type  locality,  Cape  St.  Lucas.     Also  taken  at  Turtle  Bay 
and  San  Jose  del  Cabo,  Lower  California,  by  Mr.  A.  W.  Anthony,  in 
1896  and  1897. 
Grapsus  grapsus  (Linnjeus). 

"This  crab  was  very  abundant  on  the  rocks  along  the  water's  edge 
on  the  Tres  Marias  as  well  as  on  Isabel  Island."     (Nelson.) 

The  species  is  distributed  throughout  the  tropics. 

Bithynis  jamaicensis  (Herbst). 

Maria  Magdalena  Island.     May  27.     One  adult,  7  young  (No.  709). 
Maria  Cleofa  Island.     May  30.     One  adult,  3  young  (No.  710). 

"These  shrimps  were  very  numerous  in  a  small  stream  among  the 
hills  in  the  interior  of  Maria  Magdalena,  and  were  also  numerous  in 
streams  iiowing  through  the  hilly  parts  of  the  adjacent  mainland." 
(Nelson.) 

The  species  is  found  on  the  Pacific  slope  of  the  continent  from  Lower 
California  to  Ecuador,  and  on  the  Atlantic  slope  from  Texas  to  Rio 
de  Janeiro.  The  following  localities,  not  before  recorded,  are  repre- 
sented by  specimens  in  the  U.  S.  National  Museum:  On  the  Pacific 

Wcypode,  not  Ocypoda,  Fabricius,  Entom.  Sys.,  Suppl.,  312  and  347,  1798;  also 
Entom.  Sys.,  emend,  et  auct.,  IV,  index,  115,  1796. 


CRUSTACEA    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS.  75 

coast,  La  Paz,  Lower  California;  Rio  Presidio,  Siualoa;  Eio  de  Alica, 
Tepic;  Barranca  Ibarra,  Rio  Santiago,  Jalisco,  and  Rio  Arnieria, 
(Jolima,  Mexico;  Riode  los  Platanales  and  Quebrada  Cbavarria  Golfito 
(both  tributary  to  the  Gulf  of  Dulce),  Costa  Rica;  River  David,  Chiri- 
qui,  United  States  of  Colombia,  4,000  feet  elevation;  Guayaquil, 
Ecuador.  On  the  Atlantic  coast,  San  Antonio,  Tex. ;  Las  Moras  Creek, 
Kinney  County,  Tex. ;  Brownsville,  near  mouth  of  Rio  Grande,  Tex. ; 
Amixtlan,  and  Zacatlan,  Puebla,  Mexico;  Escondido  River,  50  miles 
from  Bluefields,  Nicaragua;  Port  Castries,  St.  Lucia,  West  Indies. 

The  west  African  form,  B.  vollenhovenli  (Herklots)  is  no  more  than 
a  subspecies  of  B.jamaicensis.  It  differs  only  in  the  slenderer  second 
pair  of  feet,  the  carpal  and  meral  joints  of  which  are  subequal.  The 
relative  lengths  of  the  rostrum  and  the  antennal  scales  and  peduncles 
agree  with  those  in  some  specimens  of  jamaicensis.  The  two  forms  are 
considered  identical  by  Dr.  Ortmann. 

According  to  Dr  Edward  Palmer,  B.  jamaicensis  is  much  eaten  at 
Colima,  and  is  offered  in  the  market  there  as  a  choice  article  of  food, 
especially  on  Fridays  and  Sundays. 


PLANTS  OF  THE  TRES  MARIAS  ISLANDS. 

By  J.  N.  Robe, 
Assistant  Curator,  Dirision  of  Plants,  U.  S.  National  MuHetimJ 

Tlie  Tres  Marias,  lyiug  about  65  miles  off  the  west  coast  of  Mexico 
ill  about  22"^  north  hititude,  are  amoug  the  last  of  the  west  coast  islands 
to  be  studied.  All  the  others  have  yielded  valuable  botanical  results, 
but  almost  nothiuj?  has  been  known  of  the  flora  of  these  islands 
except  in  a  commercial  way.  Several  botanical  expeditions  had  been 
planned  to  explore  the  islands,- but  heretofore  none  had  succeeded  in 
reaching  them.  They  are  out  of  the  line  of  traffic,  although  some  of 
the  smaller  steamers  stop  now  and  then  for  fuel,  and  small  boats 
occasionally  ply  between  the  islands  and  San  Bias.  They  are  usually 
visited  during  the  dry  season,  as  it  is  dangerous  to  attempt  the  passage 
during  summer  and  autumn. 

Mr.  I^elson  visited  the  islands  at  the  very  close  of  the  dry  season, 
when  the  vegetation  is  at  its  poorest,  and  this  accounts  for  the  small 
number  of  species  collected.  His  collection  contains  154  numbers  (i^os. 
4179  to  4333)  and  136  species,  mostly  from  Maria  Madre,  the  largest 
of  the  islands,  and  only  a  few  from  Maria  Magdalena  and  Maria 
Cleofa.  In  the  subjoined  list  the  j)lants  are  from  Maria  Madre  unless 
otherwise  stated. 

There  are  no  cultivated  plants  on  the  islands,  except  one  or  two 
grasses.  Fithecolohium  dulce,  perhaps  introduced,  is  common  and 
much  prized  for  its  delicious  fruit.  The  exportation  of  Spanish  cedar 
{Gedrcla  .sp.)  has  long  been  the  chief  source  of  income  for  the  islands, 
but  the  available  supply  of  this  timber  is  now  nearly  exhausted.  Tlie 
Hora  is  purely  tropical  and  does  not  differ  essentially  from  that  of  the 
adjacent  mainland.  Many  of  the  species  have  not  been  reported  from 
the  mainland  opposite,  but  this  is  doubtless  because  the  flora  is  not 
well  known,  since  these  species  have  been  collected  either  farther  north 
or  south.  One  hundred  and  twelve  species  are  named  below,  of  which 
11  are  new.  Many  of  them  have  a  wide  distribution  in  tropical 
America;  all  but  6,  except  the  new  si^ecies,  have  heretofore  been 
reported  from  Mexico;  24  range  northward  into  the  United  States; 
64  extend  into  Central  America;  61  into  South  America;  44  into  the 
West  Indies^  and  21  are  found  in  the  Old  World. 

'  Published  by  permission  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution. 

77 


78'  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 

The  following  report  must  be  regarded  as  a  i)reliminary  one.  The 
sijecimens  ui)on  which  it  is  based  are  simply  those  in  fruit  or  flower  at 
the  close  of  the  dry  season,  a  considerable  number  of  which  have  not 
been  determined  specifically  and  a  few  not  even  generically.  As  will 
be  seen  from  the  list  below,  mostly  trees  and  shrubs  were  collected, 
while  the  herbs,  which  spring  up  in  great  variety  during  the  rainy 
season,  are  scarcely  represented. 

The  Gamopetalte  and  Apetalai  have  been  named  by  Mr.  J.  M.  Green- 
man,  GramineoB  by  Prof.  F.  Lamson-Scribuer,  and  Filices  by  George  E. 
Davenport. 

The  following  new  species  and  varieties  are  based  on  this  collection: 

j3Sgi2)hila  jxicijica  Greenuiau.  Euphorhia  suhcccrttlea  iresmariw  Millsp. 

BeJoperone  nehoni  Greenman.  Gilibertia  insula7-is  Rose. 

Buxu8  puhescens  Greenman.  Pilocarpus  insularis  Rose. 

Cordia  insularis  Greenman.  Ternstrocmia  malthya  Rose. 

Erythrina  Janata  Rose.  Zanthoxylum  insularis  Rose. 

Euphorhia  nehoni  Millnpangli.  Zanthoxylum  nelsoni  Rose. 

ANNOTATED    LIST    OF    SPECIES. 

Cissampelos  pareira  L. 

Common  in  Mexico  and  other  tropical  countries.  May  3  to  25  (Nos. 
4233  and  4262). 

Argemone  ochroleuca  Sweet. 

Widely  distributed  throughout  Mexico.  Maria  Magdalena  Island, 
May  2G  to  28,  1897  (No.  4318). 

Capparis  cynophallophora  L. 

Found  along  the  coast  of  Mexico,  South  America,  and  the  West 
Indies.     May  3  to  25  (No.  4302). 

Capparis  breynia  L. 

Common  in  Mexico,  South  America,  and  the  West  Indies.  May  3 
to  25  (No.  4219). 

Crataeva  tapia  L.  ? 

Perhaps  this  is  the  species  which  has  been  reported  from  Acapulco 
and  Mazatlan.     May  3  to  25  (No.  4274.) 

Ternstroemia  maltbya  Rose,  sp.  nov. 

Tree  3  to  9  meters  high;  leaves  obovate,  entire,  obtuse,  glabrous, 
thickish,  not  black-punctate  beneath,  5  to  10  cm.  long;  flowers  solitary; 
peduncles  2.5  to  3.5  cm.  long  becoming  curved,  bracteate  a  short  dis- 
tance below  the  calyx;  sepals  5,  orbicular,  8  to  10  mm.  in  diameter; 
petals  united  at  base,  acute;  stamens  numerous;  fruit  (immature)  ovate, 
20  mm.  long,  two-celled;  seeds  red. 

This  species  is  in  all  i^robabilitj^  Seemau's  No.  2148,  collected  on 
the  road  from  Mazatlan  to  Dnrango  and  enumerated  in  the  Biologia 
Centrali-Americana  without  specific  name, 


PLANTS    OF    THE    TRES   MARIAS    ISLANDS.  79 

Collected  on  Maria  Madre  Island,  May,  1897,  by  T.  S.  Maltby  (No. 
105)  and  E.  W.  Nelson  (No.  4242);  by  J.  N.  Eose  near  Colorao,  Sinaloa, 
July,  1897  (No.  1675). 

Wissadula  hirsutiflora  (Presl)  Rose. 

The  type  of  tbis  species  came  from  Acapulco.  It  is  probably  com- 
mon on  the  west  coast,  although  its  distribution  and  specific  limits  are 
not  well  known.     May  3  to  25  (No.  4250). 

Abu  til  on  reventum  Watsou. 

This  species  extends  as  far  north  as  Arizona.  May  3  to  25  (No.  4203). 
Hibiscus  tUiaceus  L. 

A  common  tree  in  most  tropical  couiitries.     Maria  Magdalena  Island, 

May  26  to  28  (No.  4328a). 

Melochia  tomentosa  L. 

Common  throughout  tropical  America.     May  3  to  25  (No.  4205). 
Guazuma  ulmifolia  Laui. 

Common  throughout  tropical  America.  Maria  Magdalena  Island, 
May  26  to  28  (No.  4325). 

Heteropterys  floribunda  H.  B.  K. 
Common  in  Mexico  and  Central  America. 
Maria  Magdalena  Island,  May  26  to  28  (No.  4323). 

Guaiacum  coulteri  ?  Gray. 

Seemingly  common  on  the  west  coast  of  Mexico.  Island  specimens  do 
not  corresjiond  with  the  form  found  on  the  mainland  and  may  represent 
an  undescribed  species.     May  3  to  25  (No.  4180). 

Zanthoxylura  insularis  Rose,  sp.  nov. 

Tree  6  to  20  meters  high,  thornless;  leaves  oddly  pinnate;  leaflets 
6  to  7  pairs,  opposite,  sessile,  obovate  to  spatulate,  obtuse  or  retuse, 
2  to  3.5  cm.  long,  creuate,  with  large  pellucid  dots  between  the  teeth 
and  small  scattered  dots  over  the  surface,  glabrous;  flowers  unknown; 
fruit  small,  in  a  rather  compact  i^anicle;  pedicels  very  short;  stipe 
short  and  thick. 

Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson  on  Maria  Madre  Island.  May  3  to  25, 1897 
(No.  4278). 

Zanthoxylum  iielsoui  Rose,  sp.  nov. 

Tree  7.5  to  20  meters  high,  thornless(?);  leaves  oddly  pinnate;  leaf- 
lets  about  6  pairs,  distant,  opposite,  shortly  petioled,  5  to  11  cm.  long, 
rounded  at  base,  long-acuminate,  crenate,  glabrous  on  both  sides, 
thickly  set  with  pellucid  dots;  inflorescence  in  small  compact  panicles; 
perianth  complete;  petals  4  ( ?) ;  fruit  large  in  dense  head-like  clusters, 
not  stipitate. 

A  very  peculiar  species,  unlike  any  Mexican  one  known  to  me.  Col- 
lected by  E.  W.  Nelson  on  Maria  Madre  Island.  May  3  to  25,  1897 
(No.  4279), 


80  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 

Pilocarpus  insularis  Rose,  sj).  nov. 

Tree  3  to  6  meters  liigb,  glabrous  throughout;  leaflets  usually  in 
threes,  some  solitary  or  in  rows,  5  to  7.5  cm.  long,  retuse  at  apex,^ 
cuueate  at  base,  in  the  lateral  ones  more  or  less  oblique;  mid  vein 
prominent,  lateral  veins  indistinct  below,  not  very  prominent  above ; 
racemes  short  and  compact,  5  to  10  cm.  long;  fruiting  pedicels  hori- 
zontal, 16  mm.  long;  ovary  deeply  4  or  5-lobed  or  parted,  1  to  4  lobes 
not  maturing. 

This  species  is  near  P.  longipes  of  Mexico,  but  with  somewhat  diflereut 
leaves,  more  compact  inflorescence,  etc.  Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson  on 
Maria  Madre  Island.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (Ko.  4307). 

Amyris  sp. 

May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4237). 
Picramnia   sp. 

A  tree  4.5  to  7.5  meters  high;  flowers  said  to  be  greenish,  but  none 
with  si^ecimeus.  Much  resembling  the  South  American  species  i'.  ciUata 
Mast.,  but  without  flowers  or  fruit.  Exact  identification  is  doubtful. 
May  3  to  25  (No.  427G). 

Ochna  sp. 

May  3  to  25  (No.  4238). 
Bursera  gummifera  Jacq. 

Common  throughout  tropical  Mexico,  Central  America,  the  West 
Indies,  and  extending  into  Florida.     May  3  to  25  (No.  4227). 

Guarea  sp. 

May  3  to  25  (Nos.  4222  and  4230). 
Trichilia  spondioides  Swartz. 

Common  in  tropical  America.     May  3  to  25  (Nos.  4214  and  4309). 
Xhneuia  aniericana  L. 

Common  in  most  tropical  countries.     May  3  to  25  (No.  4224). 
Schoepfia  schreberi  Gmel. 

Seemingly  rare,  but  has  been  collected  in  Mexico  and  South  America. 
May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4271). 

Hippociatea  sp. 

Maria  Magdalena  Island,  May  20  to  28  (No.  4320).  Maria  Madre 
Island,  May  3  to  25  (No.  422G). 

Colubrina  arborea  Braudegec. 
Reported  from  Lower  California  and  the  west  coast  of  Mexico.     ^lay 

3  to  25  (No.  4213). 

Cissus  sicyoides  L. 

A  common  species  in  tropical  America.     May  3  to  25  (No.  4198). 
Serjania  mexicana  Willd. 

A  common  species  in  tropical  America.     May  3  to  25  (No.  4231). 


PLANTi>    OF    THE    TRES    MARIxVS    ISLANDS. 


81 


PauUinia  sessilifloia  Radl. 

Heretofore  only  known  from  the  type  specimens  collected  by  Dr. 
Edward  Palmer  in  the  State  of  Oolima,  Mexico.  May  3  to  25  {No. 
4310). 

Urvillea  ulmacea  H.  B.  K. 

Common  in  Mexico  and  northern  South  America.  May  3  to  25  (ISTo. 
4277). 

Cardiospermum  corindum  L. 
A  widely  distributed,  species.     Maria  Maj,'dalena  Island,  May  2G  to  28 

(No.  4328). 

Crotalaria  lupulina  ?  H.  B.  K. 

Perhaps  this  species,  which  is  common  in  Mexico,  and  extends  into 
the  United  States.    May  3  to  25  (No.  4248). 

Tephrosia  sp. 
May  3  to  25  (No.  4193). 

Desmodmm  sj). 
May  3  to  25  (No.  4287). 

Erythrina  lanata  Rose,  sp.  iiov. 

A  small  tree,  4.5  to  7.5  meters  hig^h,  with  a  trunk  10  cm.  in  diameter; 
branches  glabrous,  bearing  mostly  single  infrasti[)uhir  spines;  leaflets 
triangular,  shortly  acuminate,  5  to  10  cm.  long,  5  to  7.5  cm.  broad, 
glabrous  or  nearly  so. 


/ 


Fig.  1 Erythrina  lanata;  a, calyx;  &, banner;  c, keel;  rf,  wing;  e,  stamena; /.ovary. 

Inflorescence  unknown;  calyx  lanate  becoming  glabrate,  tubular,  10 
to  13  mm.  long,  truncate,  one-toothed;  banner  68  mm.  long,  folded, 
densely  white-lanate,  rounded  at  apex;  wings  (9  mm.  long)  and  keel 
(10  mm.  long)  included  within  the  calyx;  ovary  densely  lanate;  legume 
glabrous,  12.5  to  15  cm.  long,  strongly  constricted  between  the  seeds, 
long-stipitate,  attenuate  at  tip;  seeds  small  (for  the  genus),  nearly 
orbicular,  G  to  8  mm.  long,  bright  scarlet,  with  a  dark  spot  at  the 
micropyle. 

13950— No.  14 G 


82  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

The  type  of  this  species  is  Dr.  Edward  Palmer's  No.  120,  from 
Acapulco,  Mexico,  collected  in  1894-95.  To  this  species  I  would  refer 
specimens  collected  by  Frank  Lamb  near  Villa  Union,  State  of  Sinaloa, 
January,  1893  (No.  428),  and  flowering  specimens  by  W.  C.  Wriglit 
from  the  head  of  Mazatlan  Eiver,  January,  1889  (No.  1292),  and  also 
those  collected  by  J.  N.  Kose  at  liosario,  Sinaloa,  July  10,  1897  (No. 
1592),  and  July  22  (No.  1822).  The  latter  two  specimens  are  not  in 
flower  and  their  reference  here  is  attended  with  some  doubt.  The 
seeds  are  larger  and  the  pods  less  constricted  between  the  seeds.  Here 
also  belongs  E.  W.  Nelson's  No.  4303  from  the  Tres  Marias,  collected 
May,  1897.  I  have  tentatively  referred  to  this  species  E.  W.  Nelson's 
No.  2099,  taken  at  an  altitude  of  480  meters,  near  Santo  Domingo,  State 
of  Oaxaca,  June  18,  1895.  It  has  similar  pods,  but  is  described  as 
being  but  0  to  12  cm.  high  and  has  more  bluntish  leaflets. 

Dr.  Palmer  says  this  tree  flowers  in  January,  and  is  often  used  for 
hedge  fences.  It  differs  from  all  other  Mexican  species  which  I  have 
seen  in  its  white  lanate  banner.  Its  one-toothed  calyx  suggests  E, 
rosea,  but  in  the  latter  the  calyx  is  described  as  obli(i[uely  truncate. 

Phaseolus  sp. 
Maria  Magdaleua  Island,  May  26  to  28,  1897  (No.  4319). 

Canavalia  gladiata  DC. 

A  species  of  wide  distribution,  perhaps  throughout  tropical  America. 
May  3  to  25  (No.  4190). 

Rhynchosia  minima  DC. 

A  common  Mexican  species  extending  into  South  America  and  the 
United  States.     May  3  to  25  (No.  4200). 

Rhynchosia  precatoria  ( ?)  (H.  B.  K.)  DC. 

This  species  has  been  reported  from  Acapulco  and  Panama.     May  3 

to  25  (No.  4179). 

Lonchocarpus  sjj. 

May  3  to  25  (No.  4310). 
Ateleia  (?)  sp. 

Without  flowers  or  named  specimens  for  comparison  it  is  impossible 
to  name  this  plant  definitely.  If  it  belongs  to  the  genus  Ateleia  it  is 
perhaps  A.  pierocarpa,  the  only  species  known  from  Mexico.  A  shrub 
or  small  tree  3.5  to  10.5  meters  high.     May  3  to  25  (No.  418()). 

Cassia  emarginata  L. 

Common  in  Mexico,  South  America,  and  the  \Vest  Indies.  May  3 
to  25  (Nos.  4192  and  4297). 

Cassia  bifloia  L. 

Common  in  trojncal  America.     May  3  to  25  (Nos.  4194  and  4190). 
Cassia  atomaria  L. 

Common  in  Tropical  Mexico  and  South  America.  Maria  Magdaleua 
Island,  May  20  to  28  (No.  4321). 


PLANTS  OF  THE  TRES  MARIAS  ISLANDS.  83 

Bauhiiiia  sp. 

Apparently  belonging-  to  the  genus  Bauhinia,  but  very  unlike  any  of 
the  Mexican  species  with  which  I  am  familiar.  A  vine  G  to  9  meters 
long;  only  iu  fruit.     May  3  to  25  (No.  4300). 

Acacia  si). 

This  appears  to  be   an   undescribed  species,  of  whicli  J  collected 
specimens  on  the  mainland.    May  3  to  25  (No.  4188). 
Albizzia  occidentalis  Braudegee. 

Probably  the  above  species,  which  is  found  in  Lower  California  and 
has  been  reported  from  western  Mexico.     May  3  to  25  (No.  4252). 

Pithecolobium  dulce  Bentli. 

Common  in  tropical  Mexico  and  South  America.  Often  cultivated. 
May  3  to  25  (No.  4285). 

Pithecolobium  ligustrinum  Klotzscli. 

Common  in  tropical  Mexico  and  northern  South  America.     IMaria 
Magdalena  Island,  May  26  to  28  (No.  4314). 
Conocarpus  erectus  L. 

Common  throughout  tropical  America  extending  into  Florida  and 
reported  from  tropical  Africa.     May  3  to  25  (No.  4220). 

Psidium  sp. 

Tree  6  to  9  meters  high;  flowers  white;   called  'palo  prieto.'     This 
species  is  not  represented  in  the  National  Herbarium.     May  3  to  25 
(No.  4306). 
Casearia  corynibosa  ( ?)  H.  B.  K. 

The  Tres  Marias  specimens  should  probably  be  referred  to  this  species 
although  our  herbarium  material  seems  to  represent  more  than  one 
species.  This  form  is  common  on  the  west  coast  of  Mexico  and  Central 
America.    May  3  to  25  (Nos.  4270  aiul  4308). 

Casearia  sylvestris  Swartz. 

Widely  distributed  throughout  tropical  Mexico,  South  America,  and 
the  West  Indies.    May  3  to  25  (No.  4241). 

Casearia  sp. 
Maria  Magdalena  Island.     May  26  to  28,  1897  (No.  4326). 

Passiflora  sp. 
May  3  to  25  (No.  4249). 

Opuutia  sp.    _ 
May  3  to  25  (Nos.  4263  and  4286). 

Gilibertia  insularis  Rose,  sp.  uov. 

Tree  6  to  12  meters  high;  leaves  25  to  35  cm.  long,  including  the 
slender  petioles  (7  to  18  cm.  long),  9  to  20  cm.  broad,  entire  or  3-lobed, 
oblong,  rounded  at  base,  rounded  at  apex  or  with  a  short  acumination, 
glabrous,  3-nerved  at  base;  fruiting  inlioresceuce  a  short  dense  panicle; 


84  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

rays  2  to  3  cm.  long;  pedicels  4  to  8  mm.  long;  fruit  white,  6-lobed, 
4  nun.  liigb ;  styles  short,  connate  to  near  the  top. 

Collected  on  Maria  Madre  Island  May  3  to  25  (No,  4282). 

Portlandia  pterosperma  Watson. 

A  sj^ecies  recently  described  by  Dr.  Watson,  the  type  coming  from 
near  Guaymas,  Sonora.     May  3  to  25  (No.  4211). 

Eupatorium  sp. 

May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4225). 
Eupatorium  sp. 

May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4244). 
Eupatoriuni  coUinum  DC. 

Common  in  Mexico  and  Central  America.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No. 
4199). 

Mikauia  cordifolia  Willd. 

Keported  from  Central  and  South  America.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No. 
4299). 

Conyza  lyrata  H.  B.  K. 

lieported  from  Mexico,  Central  and  South  America.     May  3  to  25 
(Nos.  4290  and  4312). 

Baccharis  glutinosa  Pers. 

A  common  Mexican  and  Central  American  plant.     May  3  to  25, 1897 
(No.  4291). 

Pluchea  odorata  Cass.  •; 

Widely  distributed  in  Mexico  and  South  America.     May  3  to  25, 
1897  (No.  4181). 

Partheniuni  hysterophorus  L. 

Common  in  Mexico,  South  America,  and  in  the  southern  United 
States.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  42G7). 
Perityle  microglossa  Benth. 

A  common  Mexican  plant.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4266). 
Porophyllum  nummularium  DC. 

Restricted  to  Mexico.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4292). 
Trixis  frutescens  P.  Browu. 

A  common  Mexican  and  Central  American  plant.     May  3  to  25, 1897 
(Nos.  4191),  and  Maria  Cleofa  Island,  May  30,  1897  (No.  4331). 
Jacquinia  niacrocarpa  Cav. 

Species  not  represented  in  the  National  Herbarium,  but  reported 
from  Mexico,  and  Central  and  South  America.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No. 
4208). 
Goiiolobus  sp. 

Fruit  only.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4313a). 
Buddleia  verticillata  H.  B.  K. 

A  common  Mexican  species.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4183)* 


PLANTS    OF    THE    TRES    MARIAS    ISLANDS.  85 

Cordia  sonorae  Rose. 

A  recently  described,  species  from  Sonora.  May  3  to  25, 1897  (No. 
4207). 

Cordia  insularis  Greenman. 

Cordia  insularis  Greenman,  Proc.  Amer.  Acad.  33 :  483.     1898. 

The  original  description,is  as  follows :  "Shrub  3  to  5.5  m.  high ;  stems 
and  branches  glabrous,  reddish  brown,  conspicuously  dotted  with 
numerous  whitish  lenticels;  the  extreme  branchlets  covered  with  hir- 
sute pubescence;  leaves  scattered,  elliptic  ovate  or  sometimes  slightly 
obovate,  1.5  to  3  cm.  long,  1  to  1.5  cm.  broad,  narrowed  below  into  a 
short  petiole,  obtuse,  the  upper  portion  more  or  less  deeply  crenate- 
dentate,  occasionally  sharply  toothed,  entire  toward  the  base,  hispid 
above,  spreading  hirsute-pubescent  beneath,  especially  on  the  midrib 
and  veins;  inflorescence  capitulate;  heads  small  (after  the  corolla  has 
fallen,  about  5  mm.  in  diameter) ;  j)eduncles,  during  anthesis,  1  cm.  or 
less  in  length,  covered  witb  a  spreading  hirsute  pubescence;  calyx  2 
mm.  long,  5-dentate;  teetli  short,  acute;  corolla  3  mm.  long,  nearly 
cylindrical,  with  short  recurved  lobes,  externally  glabrous,  pubescent 
inside  along  the  line  of  the  filaments,  stamens  included;  style  a  little 
exserted.  Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson  on  Maria  Madre  Island  of  the 
Tres  Marias  group  of  islands.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4296)." 

Tournefortia  Candida  Walp. 

Not  previously  in  herbarium.  May  3  to  25,  1897  (Nos.  4217  and 
4229). 

Tournefortia  cymosa  L. 
I  have  only  seen  specimens  from  Guatemala.     May  3  to  25,  1897 

(No.  4189). 

Tournefortia  velutina  H.  B.  K. 

Eeported  from  the  west  coast  of  Mexico  and  Guatemala.  May  3  to 
25,  1897  (No.  4209). 

Heliotropium  indicum  L. 

Common  in  Mexico  and  most  tropical  countries.  May  3  to  25, 1897 
(No.  4253). 

Heliotropium  curassavicum  L. 

Common  in  Mexico  and  South  America  as  well  as  in  the  Old  World. 
Keported  in  the  United  States  as  far  north  as  Oregon  and  Virginia. 
May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4313). 

Ipomoea  bona-nox  L. 
A  common  tropical  plant  extending  into  Florida.     May  3  to  25, 1897 

(No.  42G9). 

Ipomoea  peduncularis  Bertol. 

Common  in  Mexico  and  Central  America.  May  3  to  25, 1897  (No, 
4235). 


86  T^ORTH    AMERICAN   FAUNA. 

Jacqiiemontia  violacea  ( "boiay. 

Eeported  from  Mexico,  Central  and  South  America,  and  the  West 
Indies.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4251). 

Solanum  uigrum  L. 

A  widely  distributed  species.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  42(m). 
Solanum  lanceaefolmni  Jacq. 

A  common  tropical  plant.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4240). 
Solamim  callicarpaefoliuni  Kiiutli  A:  Bouchd. 

Common  in  south  Mexico  and  northern  South  America.  Maria 
Magdalena  Island,  May  26  to  28,  1897  (No.  4322). 

Solanum  torvum  Swartz. 

Common  in  Mexico  and  Central  America.  May  3  to  25,  1897  (No. 
4185). 

Solanum  verbascifolium  L. 

Only  reported  hitherto  from  one  station  in  southern  Mexico.  May 
3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4216). 

Physalis  pubescens  L. 

A  common  tropical  plant.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4255). 
Bassovia  donnell-smithii  Coulter. 

A  recently  described  South  American  and  Cuatemalan  species.  May 
3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4232). 

Datura  discolor  Bernb. 

Reported  from  Mexico  and  West  Indies.  May  3  to  25,  1897  (No. 
4197). 

Nicotiana  trigonophylla  Dnn. 

Common  in  IMexico.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4212). 
Russelia  sarmentosa  Jacq. 

A  common  Mexican  and  Central  American  siiecies.     (May  3  to  25, 

1897  (No.  4289). 

Capraria  biflora  L. 

A  widely  distributed  plant,  extending  into  Florida.  May  3  to  25, 
1897  (No.  4195). 

Bignonia  aequinoctialis  L.     (li.  sarmen1o»a  Bertol. ) 

Recently  collected  at  Acapulco  by  Dr.  Edward  Palmer.  It  is  com- 
mon in  Central  and  South  America.  May  3  to  25, 1897  (No.  4301),  and 
Maria  Magdalena  Island,  May  26  to  28  (No.  4324). 

Beloperone  nelsoni  Greenman. 

Beloperone  nehoni  Greenman,  Proc.  Amer.  Acad.  33 :  488.     1898. 

"  It  is  nearest  B.  comosa  Nees,  in  DC.  Prodr.  11 :  416,  but  differs  very 
markedly  in  the  size  of  the  flower  and  the  character  of  the  lower  lip." — 
Greenman  in  litt.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4246). 

The  original  description  is  as  follows:  "Erect;  stems  branching,  sub- 


PLANTS    OF    TITE    TREft    MARIAS    ISLANDS.  87 

terete,  covered  with  a  spreading  or  slightly  retlexed  grayish  pu- 
bescence; leaves  ovate-lanceolate  or  obloug'-lanceolate,  5  to  10  cm.  long, 
2  to  4  cm.  broad,  obtuse  at  the  apex,  entire,  narrowed  below  into  a 
slender  i)etiole,  densely  lineolate  above,  pubescent  on  either  surface, 
especially  on  the  veins,  later  becoming  glabrous;  petioles  about  -5  cm. 
in  length;  inflorescence  terminatin.;  the  stem  and  branches  in  rather 
close  bracteate  spikes;  bracts  oblong  or  obovate;  bracteoles  linear, 
nearly  1  em.  long,  exceeding  the  calyx ;  calyx  about  5  mm.  long,  deeply 
5-parted;  divisions  nearly  equal,  lanceolate,  acute,  ciliate;  corolla  2  to 
2..")  cm.  long;  tube  exceeding  the  limb;  upper  lip  shortly  2-lobed,  the 
lower  more  deeply  3  lobed,  rather  broad,  somewhat  plaited  in  the 
throat;  capsule  10  to  12  mm.  long,  pubescent.  Collected  by  E,  W.  I^el- 
son  on  Maria  Madre  Island  of  the  Tres  Marias  grou])  of  islands,  3-25 
May,  1897  (Xo.  424G). 

"A  species  closely  resembling  B.  comosa  Nees,  but  with  a  much 
shorter  corolla,  and  broader  lower  lip.  The  leaves  are  also  somewhat 
larger,  longer-petioled,  and  much  less  pubescent.  It  may  be  that  fur- 
ther material  will  prove  tliis  to  be  a  variety  of  B.  comosa  Nees,  but  as 
the  material  at  hand  shows  no  sign  of  intergradation,  it  seems  best  for 
the  present  at  least  to  regard  Mr.  Nelson's  plant  as  a  distinct  species." 

Lantana  horrida  H.  B.  K. 

IJeported  from  Ijoth  northern  and  southern  Mexico.  Ma.>-  3  to  25, 
1897  (No.  4187). 

Citharexylum  affinis  D.  Don. 

This  is  a  rare  Mexican  species  which  has  been  "compared  witli  the 
Prodromus  specimen  at  Geneva  by  C3.  De  Candolle'' — J.  M.  (r.  May  3 
to  25,  1897  (No.  4311). 

.fflgiphila  pacifica  Greenman. 
^l^giphila pacifica  Greenman,  Pioc.  Amer.  Acad.  3.3:485.  1898. 

The  original  description  is  as  follows :  "  Shrub  2.5  to  7  m.  high ;  stems 
and  branches  terete,  covered  with  a  grayish  brown  bark  and  dotted 
here  and  therewith  lenticels,  glabrous;  branchlets  terete,  somewhat 
compressed  at  the  nodes,  fulvous-pubescent;  leaves  opposite,  oblong- 
ovate,  5  to  15  cm.  long,  3.5  to  7.5  cm.  broad,  more  or  less  acuminate, 
entire,  rounded  or  rather  abruptly  narrowed  at  the  slightly  unequal 
base,  glabrous,  or  at  least  glabrate  above,  with  scattered,  tawny,  sub- 
appressed  hairs  beneath,  especially  upon  the  midrib  and  veins;  petioles- 
less  than  1  cm.  in  length;  inflorescence  terminating  the  stems  and 
branches  in  rather  close  paniculate  cymes;  peduncles,  x>edicels,  the 
subulate  bracts  and  calyx  covered  by  a  fulvous  suba])pressed  ijubes- 
cence;  calyx  about  4  mm.  long,  4-lobed;  lobes  broader  than  long, 
submucronate,  greenish;  corolla  tubular,  10  to  12  mm.  long,  glabrous; 
tube  somewhat  ampliated  above;  lobes  oblong-elliptic,  about  4  mm. 
long,  obtuse;  stamensequal  or  rarely  unequal,  exserted;  filaments  pubes- 
cent below,  glabrous  above;  drupe  yellow,  obovoid,  8  to  10  mm.  long,  G 


88  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

to  8  mm.  in  diameter,  one-lialf  or  luore  exserted  from  the  persistent 
coriaceous  subcrenately  lobed,  cup-sLaped  calyx.— Collected  by  E.  W. 
Nelson  on  Maria  Madre  Island  of  the  Tres  Marias  group  of  islands, 
3-25  May,  1897,  No.  4245  (in  flower)  and  No.  4254  (in  fruit)." 

Hyptis  albida  H.  B.  K. 

Several  times  reported  from  Mexico.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4223). 

Salvia  aliena  Greene. 
A  Mexican  species.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4247). 

Stachys  coccinea  Jacq. 

Common  in  Mexico  and  Central  America,  extending  into  Texas  and 
Arizona.    May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  42G5). 
Iresine  interrupta  Bentb. 

Reported  from  western  and  central  Mexico.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No. 
4234). 
Phytolacca  octandra  L. 

May  3  to  25, 1897  (No.  4293). 
Stegnosperma  halimifolia  Beutli. 

Common  along  the  west  coast  of  Mexico.    May  3  to  25, 1897  (No.  4184). 

Batis  maritima  L. 

Extending  from  Florida  and  California  to  Brazil  and  the  West  Indies 
and  also  reported  from  the  Sandwich  Islands.  Magdalena  Island,  May 
20  to  28,  1897  (No.  4327). 

Coccoloba  leptostachya  Benth. 

This  species  has  not  been  heretofore  found  in  Mexico,  but  has  been 
reported  from  Central  America  and  South  America.  Maria  Magdalena 
Island,  May  26  to  28,  1897  (No.  4315). 

Antigonon  leptopus  Hook.  &  Am. 

A  very  common  vine  on  the  west  coast  of  Mexico.     May  3  to  25, 1897 
(No.  4204). 
Aristolochia  pardina  Ducli. 

A  little-known  i^lant  collected  at  Colima  many  years  ago  by  Ghies- 
brecht,  and  recently  at  the  same  place  by  Dr.  Edward  Palmer.  May 
3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4304). 

Piper  aduncum  L. 

Reported  from  Mexico,  Central  and  South  America,  and  the  West 
Indies.    May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4283). 

Euphorbia  sp. 

May  3  to  25, 1897  (No.  42G8). 

Euphorbia  subcaerulea  tresmariae  Millspangh,  var.  nov. 

"In  the  characters  present  in  the  specimens  collected,  this  agrees  well 
with  U.suhcacruleaHoh. and  Greenm. (Pringle  No.  G265,  Oaxaca),  except 
in  the  hairy  involucre  more  regularly  toothed  involucral  lobes,  and  in 


PLANTS    OF    THE    TliES    MARIAS    ISLANDS. 


89 


buviuf?  the  styles  bifurcate,  to  the  middle  only,  and  flat  spreading  with 
no  tendency  to  reflexion  or  peltation  as  in  the  other  species.  The 
fruits  may  prove  this  to  be  a  distinct  species.  May  3  to  25,  1897  (Xos. 
4298  and  4202)."— Mill spaugh  MSS. 


Euphorbia  sp. 

Specimens  are  indeterminable  from  lack  of  characters. 
1897  (No.  4215). 

Euphorbia  nelsoni  Millspaugh. 

Eitphorhia  velsoni  Millspaugh,  Bot.  Gaz.26:2fi8.  1898. 
May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4294,  not  4284,  as  published). 


May  3  to  25, 


Fig.  2.—Eupliorl/ia  nelsoni. 

The  original  description  is  as  follows:  "  Fruticosa,  glabra,  longe  et 
corymbosa  ramosa,  ramis  teretis,  iuternodiis  longis,  cortex  maculatis, 
maculic  oblongis  roseus.  Foliis  iuferioris  fasciculatis,  petioliis  longis 
filamentosis,  pagina  tenuis  ovato-cuneatis,  obtusis,  apiculatis,  foliis 
floralibus  oppositis,  orbiculatis  petiolis  limbum  sequantis.  Involucriis 
terminalibus  corymbosis,  pedunculatis,  campauulatis  glabris,  lobis  latis 
truncatis  irregulariter  G-8  fimbriatis,  glandulis  5,  transversis  oblongis 
integris,  appendicibus  minutis  vel  nullus.  Stylis  longis  revoluto-cir- 
cinalis.  Capsuhe  luridjc  profunde  tri-sulcatoe,  semine  sub-globosis 
pallide-fuscis,  scrobiculatis,  linea  media  nigra  geminatis,  rugjc  anasto- 
mosantis  tuberculatis  2  mm.  long,  1.9  mm.  lat." 

Several  Euphorbias  were  collected  on  the  islands  in  too  imperfect 
condition  to  determine,  and  it  has  been  thought  advisable  to  reproduce 
the  cut^  of  the  present  species  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  future  study 
of  the  iiora. 

'  Through  the  kindness  of  the  editors  of  the  Botanical  Gazette  I  am  permitted  to 
use  this  illustration. 


90  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

The  main  figure  shows  a  cluster  of  leaves.  To  the  right  is  a  flower 
cluster  and  to  the  left  a  dissected  flower  with  end  and  side  views  of  the 
seed. 

Garcia  nutans  Rohr. 

Found  in  Mexico  and  South  America.  May  '^  to  25,  1807  (No.  422S). 
Croton  ciliato-glandulosus  Ort. 

May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4218). 
Acalypha  sp. 

May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4200). 
Celtis  monoica  Ilenisley. 

May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  423G). 

Buxus  pubescens  Greenman. 

Jlnxus  piiheseenn  Greenman,  Proc.  Anier.  Acad.  .S3 :  481.  1898. 

The  original  description  is  as  follows:  "  Shrub  or  small  tree,  4.5  to 
8  m.  high;  stems  and  branches  covered  with  a  grayish  bark;  the 
branchlets  and  younger  shoots  provided  with  a  soft,  spreading  pubes- 
cence; leaves  opposite  or  occasionally  subalteruate,  sessile  or  nearly  so, 
rhombic-ovate  to  oblong-ovate,  2  to  5  cm.  long,  1.5  to  nearly  3  cm. 
broad,  3-nerved,  obtuse  or  acntish,  mucronate,  cuneate  at  the  base, 
entire,  ciliate,  soft-pubescent  beneath,  more  sparingly  pubescent  and 
glabrate  above,  showing  the  reticulate  venation  on  the  upper  surface; 
inflorescence  of  axillary  short-pedunculate  much  contracted  subrace- 
mose  pubescent  clusters;  staminate  flowers  pedicellate;  pedicels  3  mm. 
long,  about  twice  exceeding  the  ovate  acute  bracts;  calyx  deeply  4- 
parted;  divisions  ovate,  acute,  2  mm.  long,  the  inner  divisions  slightly 
broader  than  the  outer  ones;  the  rudimentary  pistil  somewhat  quatre- 
foil  or  X-shaped;  fertile  flowers  about  5  mm.  long,  single,  sessile, 
terminating  the  inflorescence;  ovary  glabrous ;  fruit  not  seen. — Col- 
lected on  Maria  Madre  Island  by  E.  W.  Nelson,  3-25  May,  1897, 
No.  4221. 

"A  species  apparently  endemic  in  the  Tres  Marias  Islands,  and  most 
nearly  related  to  the  West  Indian  B.  j)ulcliclla  Baill." 

Ficus  radulina  Watson. 

A  recent  species  of  Dr.  Watson's  from  northern  Mexico.  May  3  to 
25,  1897  (No.  42G1). 

Picus  fasciculata  Watson. 

Only  known  from  western  Mexico.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4288). 
Ficus  sp. 

May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4182). 
Myriocarpa  longipes  Liebra. 

Found  in  Mexico  and  Central  America.  May  3  to  25, 1897  (No.  4275). 
Agave  sp. 

Six  meters  higli,  leaves  9  to  18  dm.  long;  marginal  teeth  small,  dis- 
tant; end  spine  short,  stout,  i)ungent;  capsules  oblong,  large,  7  cm. 
long. 


PLANTS  OF  THE  TRES  MARIAS  ISLANDS.  91 

This  species  belongs  to  the  subgenus  Eiigave  and  the  Rigidae  group 
of  ]Mr.  Baker's  revision.  It  is  near  A.  vivqjara,  and  perhaps  not  dis- 
tinct. Mr.  iS"elson's  plant  does  not  seem  to  differ  from  specimens  col- 
lected by  me  on  the  mainland.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4204). 

Cyperus  ligularis  L. 

Eeported  from  Mexico,  Central  and  South  America,  and  West  Indies, 
as  well  as  Africa  and  Australia.     Maria  Cleofa  Inland,  May  30,  1897 
(No.  4330). 
Cyperus  incompletus  Link. 

Eeported  from  Mexico  and  Brazil.     May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4259). 

Panicum  brevifolium  L. 

May  3  to  25  (No.  4257). 
Eleusine  indica  Gaertn. 

May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4305). 
Dactyloctenium  aegyptiacum  Willd. 

May  3  to  25,  1897  (Nos.  4295  and  4256);  Maria  Magdalena  Island, 
May  2G  to  28  (No.  4317). 

Arundo  donax  L. 

Maria  Cleofa  Island,  May  30  (No.  4332). 
Zamia  loddigesii  ( ?)  Miq. 

Reported  from  Mexico.     Maria  Cleofa  Island,  May  30, 1897  (No.  4329). 

Pteiis  longifolia  L. 

Maria  Madre  Island,  May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4201). 
Aspidium  trifoliatum  Swartz. 

Maria  Madre  Island,  May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4280). 
Aspidium  patens  Swartz. 

A  widely  distributed  species.     Maria  Magdalena  Island,  May  20  and 
28,  1897  (No.  4316).  . 
Adiantum  concinuuni  H.  B.  K. 

Maria  Madre  Island,  May  3  to  25,  1397  (No.  4273). 
Adiantum  tenerum  Swartz. 

Maria  Madre  Island,  May  3  to  25,  1897  (No.  4281). 
Gymnogramme  calomelanos  Kaiilr. 

A  widely  distributed  species.  Maria  Cleofa  Island,  May  30,  1897 
(No.  4333). 


PARTIAL  BIBLIOGRAPHY  OF  THE  TRES  MARIAS  ISLANDS. 

By  E.  W.  Nelson. 

1703.  Dampiek,  William.  A  New  Voyage  round  the  World,  5th  cd.,  I,  pp.  26b-264. 
Notes  the  presence  of  seals  abont  the  Tres  Marias.  These  notes  are  quoted 
l)y  Allen  and  Alston. 

1865.  Baird,  Spencer  F.     <^Revievv  of  American   Birds,  p.   232.      Description  of 

Granatcllun  fra7icesca'. 

1866.  Allen,  Harrison.     Notes  on  the  T'esjKT<(7J0Hirfa' of  Tropical  America.    <^Proc. 

Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.  1866,  p.  285.     Description  of  Bhoijirssa  parvida. 

1867.  Cassin,  John.     A  third  study  of  the  Icteridie.     <^Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila. 

1867,  p.  48.     Description  of  Icterus  fjraysoni. 
1867.  Lawrence,  George   N.     Descriptions  of  Six  New  Species  of  Birds  of  the 

Families  Hirmidinlda',  Forniicarichv,  Ti/rannidw,  and  Trovhilidw.     <^Ann.  Lye. 

Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  VIII,  pp.  404-405.     Description  o{  Amazilia  graysoni. 
1871.  Grayson,  Andrew  Jackson.     On  the  Physical  Geography  and  Natural  His- 

torj'  of  the  Islands  of  the  Tres  Marias  and  Socorro  off  the  Western  Coast  of 

Mexico.    Edited  by  Geo.  N.  Lawi'euce.     <Proc.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XIV, 

pp.  261-302.     In  addition  to  Grayson's  notes,  Lawrence  gives  a  few  remarks 

on  certain  birds  said  to  have  been  taken  on  the  Tres  Marias  by  Xantus  and 

describes  Pyrrhophana  graysoni  {^Amazilia  graysoni)  and  Sterna  fuliginosa 

crissalis  (ex  Baird  MSS.). 
1871.  Lawrence,  George  N.     Descriptions  of  New  Species  of  Birds  from  Mexico, 

Central  America,  and  South  America,  with  a  note  on  liallus  longirostris. 

<Ann.  Lye.  Nat.  Hist.  N,  Y.,  X,  pp.  1-21.     Description  of  Parula  insularis 

{=^CompsotMypis  insularis). 
1874.  Baird,  Spencer  F.      <[History  of   North  American  Birds,  II,  pp.  515,    516. 

Description  of  Dryobates  svalaris  graysoni. 
1874.  Lawrence,  George  N.     Birds  of  Western  and  Northwestern  Mexico.    <Mcm. 

Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.  II,  pp.  265-319.     Contains  extracts  from  Grayson's  untes 

on  various  species  of  birds  of  the  Tres  Marias. 

1876.  Wallace,  Alfred  Russell.     Geographical  Distribution  of  Animals,  II,  pp. 

59-60.     Summary  of  the  fauna  of  the  Tres  Marias,  comprising  52  species  of 
birds,  3  mammals,  and  several  species  of  snakes  and  lizards. 

1877.  Allen,  Joel  Asapii.     <Mou.  N.  Am.  Rodentia,  347-348.     Description  of  Lepns 

graysoni. 
1877-79.  Grayson,  Andrew  Jackson.  Historia  Natural  de  las  Islas  de  las  Tres 
Marias  y  Socorro.  <LaNaturalezaIV,  pp.  159,  203,  and  252.  A  Spanish 
translation,  by  Senor  Don  Aniceto  Moreno,  of  Colonel  Grayson's  pai»er 
originally  published  in  the  Annals  of  the  Lyceum  of  Natural  History, 
New  York,  X,  1871. 

1878.  Ridgway,  Robert.     Description  of  a  New  Wren  from  the  Tres  Marias  Islands. 

<Bull.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  III,  p.  10.    TItryothorus  felix  lawrencii  {=  T.  lawrencii). 
1879-82.  Alston,  Edward  R.     <Biologia  Ceutrali-Americana.      Mammalia.     1879- 
1882.     Notes  on  Veaperttgo  parvulus  {=:Bliogecsa  parvula),  p.  21,  Lepus  gray- 
soni, p.  177,  and  a  seal,  p.  210,  on  the  Tres  Marias. 

93 


94  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

1879-98.  Salvin,  Osbert,  and  Godman,  F.  DuCane.     <^Bi()logia  Centrali-Americana' 
Aves  I  aud  II,  1879-1898.     Coiitain.s  notes  on  various  species  of  birds  of 
till'  Tres  Marias,  based  on  the  work  of  Grayson  aud  Forrer. 
1880.  Allex,  Joel  Asaph.    History  of  North  American  Pinnipeds,  1880,  p.  290.    Misc. 

publication  No.  12,  U.  S.  Geol.  aud  Geog.  Survey  Terr.    Quotation  of  Dauijiier's 

notes  on  seals  about  the  Tres  Marias. 
1882.  Riugway,  Robert.     Description  of  Several  New  Races  of  American  Birds. 

<;Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  V,  p.  12,  1882.     Description  of  Merula  flavirostris 

graysoni. 
1882.  Ste.jneger,  Leonhard.     Description  of  TviTo  New  Races  of  Myadestes  ohncarm 

Lafr.     <Proc.  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  IV,  p.  373,  1882.     Description  of  Myadestes 

obscurus  insularis. 
1882.  Thomas,  Oldfield.      Biologia  Ceutrali-Americaua,  Mammalia,  Supplement, 

1882.     Notes  on  various  species  of  mammals  found   on   the   Tres   Marias: 

VespertKjo  parindn>i,  \\.  203;  Atalapha  noreburaceusiti,  p.  205;    Vespertilio  niyri- 

t'«HS,  p.  206;  Macrotus  waterhoiisii,  p.  207;  Charonycteris  mexivaiia  l=^(llosi>o- 

phaija  miitica^,  p.  207;  I'rocyon  cancrivoriis,  p.  208;  Lepiis  (/raysoni,  p.  211. 
1885.  Madauasz,   Julius   von.      Oinithologiai   Kozlem6nyek   A  Magyar  Nemzeti 

Muzeum  Gylijtemeuyebol.    <^  Term^szetrajzi  Fiizetek,  IX,  p.  74,  Feb.  20, 1885. 

Description  of  Vireo  forreri. 
1887.  RiDGWAY,  Robert.     <^  Manual  of  North  American  Birds,  1887.     Descriptions 

of  laclie  lawrencei  (ex  Berlepsch  MS.),  p.  320;  Platypsaris  insularis,  p.  325; 

Pirawja  Jlaminea,  p.  457. 
1887.  RiDGWAY,  Robert.      A  Review  of  the  Genus  Fsittacula  of  Brisson.     <[Proc. 

U.  S.  Nat.  Museum,  X,  541,  1887.     Description  of  Psif taenia  insulai'is. 
1891.  Bryant,  Walter  E.     Andrew  Jackson  Grayson.     <^  Zoe,  II,  pp.  34-68,  1891. 

A  short  account  of  Grayson's  life,  with  extracts  from  his  journals  on  the 

habits  of  certain  birds  of  the  Tres  Marias. 
1898.  Evermann,  Barton  Warren.     Notes  on  Fishes  Collected  by  E.  W.  Nelson  on 

the  Tres  Marias  Islands  and  in  Siualoa  and  Jalisco,  Mexico.     <^  Proc.  Biol. 

Soc,  Washington,  XII,  pp.  1-3,  1898.     Records  Agonostomus  nasuftts  Giinth. 

on  Maria  Magdalena  and  Maria  Cleofa. 
1898.  Merriam,  C.  Hart.     Mammals  of  Tres  Marias  Islands  ott"  Western  Mexico. 

<Proc.   Biol.    Soc.   Washington,    XII,    pp.    13-19,   1898.      Descriptions  of 

Marmosa    insularis,   Ory^omys  nelsoni,  Peromyscus  madrcnsis,  Procyon    loior 

insularis,  Glossophaga  mutica,  with   notes    on    other    species   of   mammals 

occurring  on  the  islands. 
1898.  Nelson,  Edward  William.     Descriptions  of  New  Birds  from  the  Tres  Marias 

Islands,  Western  Mexico.     <Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Washington,  XII,  pp.  5-11, 1898. 

Descriptions  of  the  following  new  species  and  subspecies:  Columha  ftariros- 

tris  tnadrensis,  Leptotila  capitalis,  Butco  borealla  fumosus,  Polyborus  cheriiniy 

pallidas,   Trogon  antbignus    goldmani,   Nyctidromus    albicollis  insularis,  Myio- 

pagis  placens  minimus,  Cardinalis  cardinalis  maria',  Vireo  hypochryseus  sordidus, 

Melanotis  cwrulescens  longirostris,  Thr'yothorus  lawrencii  magdalenw. 
1898.  Greenman,  Jesse  M.     Diagnoses  of  New  and  Critical  Mexican  Phanerogams. 

<Proc.  Am.  Acad.  Arts  and  Sci.,  XXXIII,  No.  25,  pp.  471-489,  June,  1898. 

-^Descriptions  of  Jigiphila  pacifica,  Beloperone  nelsoni,  Buxua  pubescens,  and 

Cordia  insularis. 
1898.  MiLLSPAUGH,  Charles  F.     Notes  and  New  Species  of  the  Genus  Euphorbi.'). 

<^Botanical  Gazette,  XXVI,  pp.  265-270,  Oct.,  1898.    Descriptions  of  Eupliurbia 

nelsoni  and  Eupltorbia  subcccrulea  tresmariw. 


I]^DEX. 


[Names  of  now  species  in  black-facii  type.] 


Abutilon  reventum,  79. 
Acacia,  S''. 
Acalyiiha,  90. 
Actilis  iiiacularia,  34. 
A<liaiituiii  tcnernm,  91. 
32f:ialiti3  Sfiiiiiiahnata,  34. 
j:>liphila  pacitica,  13, 78, 87-88. 
Agave,  9,  12,  90-91. 
Agkistrodon  biliiieatus,  71. 
Ajr<iiii>stuiiius  uasutus,  11. 
Albi/.zia  oicitlentalis.  83. 
Amazilia  ciiiuanioiuea,  45-46. 

gray.soni,  12,  22, 45,  40. 
Amazoiia  finschi,  41. 

oratrix,  39-41. 
Aniyris,  80. 
Auoli.s  iieVmlo.sus,  65. 
Auous  stolidiis,  26. 

stoliduM  lidgwayi, 26-27. 
Antigoiiou  lc])t(i]>us,  88. 
Aretuccplialus  towiiiiendi,  18. 
ArdL-a  laiididissima, 33. 

egret  t  a,  33. 

liei'odiaa,  33. 
Argeinono  oeliroleuca,  78. 
Avistolochia  ])ardina,  88. 
Anindo  donax,  91. 
A.'iliidimii  patens,  91. 

trit'oliatnm,  91. 
Astragalinu.s  psaltria  mexicauus,  52. 
Ateleia,  82. 
Awaous,  11. 
Baccbaris  glntinosa,  84. 
Bascanion  lineatuni,  70. 
Bassovia  ddnnell-siuitbii,  86. 
Bat,  Big-ea,red,  18. 

^laximilian's  Black,  15, 18. 

Mexican  Ked,  19. 
Bati.s  maritima,  88. 
Banliinia.  83. 
Beloperone  como.sa,  86,  87. 

nelsoni,  13,  78, 86-87. 
Biguonia  a'quinoctialis,  86. 

saruiento.sa,  86. 
Bitbynisjaniaiceusis,  74-75. 

vollenliiivenii,  75. 
Boa  lni])erati»r,  63,  69. 
Booby,  I?]u(-t'ooted,  31-32. 

J?rewster'.s,  29,30. 

AVebsters,  29. 
Bracbyrlianipus  breviro.stris,  23. 

bypoleucus,  23. 
Budd'leia  verticillata,  84. 
Biirseia  gunimifera,  80. 
Buteo  ))()rea!i3  ealurus,  37. 

boiealis  fnniosns,  12,  37-38. 

bmealis  nioutana,  37. 

borealis  socorroeusis,  37-38. 
r.uxus  ]puliescens,  13,  78,  90. 
Caiiiix'iiliiliis,  23. 
Caiiavalia  gladiata,  82. 
Cajiparis  bieynia,  78. 

cyiiapliallopbora,  78. 
Capj-aria  IdHoia,  86. 
Caracara,  Trea  Marias,  38-39. 
Cardinalia  cardinalis  mariw,  12,  22,  52. 

virginiaiius,  52. 

virgininnus  igneus,  52. 
Cardin;d,  Tres  Marias,  52. 
Caidiosperuium  coriudum,  81, 


Ca.searia,  83. 

corymbosa,  83. 

.sylvestris,  83. 
Cassia,  12. 

atoinaria,  82. 

bitlora,  82. 

emarginata,  82. 
Catbartes  aura,  37. 
Celtis  monoica,  90. 
Cereiia,  12,51. 
Cerylo  alcyon,  43. 
Chloriistili)on  insularis,  62. 

puclicraiii,  62. 
Cba'ionycteris  niexicana,  19. 
Chordeiles  actijieunis  texensis,  45. 
Cbrysotis  levaillantii,  39. 
Ciccaba  squamulata,  39. 
Circe  latirostris,  46. 
Cissampelos  pareira,  78. 
Cissolopba,  23. 

beecheyi,  50. 
Cissus  sicyoides,  80. 
Citharexylum  atiinis,  87. 
Cnemidophorus  gularis  mexicanns,  63,  68. 

niariarum,  12,  03,  67-68. 
Coccololia  leptoslachya,  88. 
Coccyzus  minor,  42. 
Colubriua  arborea,  80. 
Columba  llavirostris,  35. 

flavirostris  madrensis,  12,  22,  35. 
Columbigallina  passerina  pallescens,  37. 
Compsotblypis  inornata,  55. 

iusnlaris,  11, 12,  22,  55-56. 

nigrilora,  55. 

pitiayumi,  55. 

pnlcbra,  55,  56. 
Conocarpus  erectus,  83. 
Coutopiis  ricbardsoni,  49. 
Conurns,  23. 
Conyza  lyrata,  84. 
Coriiia  insularis,  13,  78, 85. 

sonorie,  85. 
Cormorant,  32. 
Corvu.s  niexicanus,  50. 
Craticva  tapia,  78. 
Crocodile,  11. 

Crocodylus  americanus,  64. 
Crotalus,  71. 
Crotolaria  lupuliua,  81. 
Crotou  ciliato-glandulosus,  90. 
Crow,  Mexican,  50. 
Ctenosaura  teres,  65-66. 
Cuckoo,  Mangrove,  42. 
Cyanos])iza,  23. 
Cypenis  iucompletus,  91. 

lig(ilaris,91. 
Dactylocteniuni  »gyi)tiacum,  91. 
Datura  discolor,  86. 
Dendroica  a-stiva  rubiginosa,  56. 

a'stiva  morcomi,  56. 

anduboni,  56. 

townsendii,  56. 
Desmodium,  81. 
Diplotrojiis  diplotroi)is,  63,  69. 
Bove,  Mexican  Ground,  37. 

Mourning,  36. 

Tres  Marias,  36. 

Wbite  fronted,  36. 

Wbitewinged,  36-37. 
Drymarclion  corals  melauurus,  70 


9G 


INDEX. 


Dryniobiiis  hoddji'rti,  69-70. 
Dryobates  scalaris,  43. 
"  scalaris  bairdi,  43. 
scalaris  graysoni,  12,  2"i,  43-44. 
scalari.s  lucasauiis,  43. 
scalaris  sinaloensis,  43-44. 
Egret,  American,  33. 
Elaiuea  placena,  ^0. 
Eleunine  jntlica,  91. 
Enipidonax  ditticilis,  49. 
Erythrina  lanata,  13,  78,  81 
Eiipatoriiiin,  84. 
coUinuni,  84. 
Euphorbia,  12,88.8!). 
nelsoni,  13,  78,  89-90. 
subcoerulea  t^e.>^ma^iEB,  13,  78, 88-80. 
Falco  albigiilaris,  38. 
coliiiuljaiius,  38. 
peregrinus  anatuni,  38. 
peregrinus  iiigi'iceps,  38. 
sparvcrius,  38. 
Falcon,  A\"hite-tliroated,  38. 
f  icus  fasciculata,  90. 

radulina,  90. 
Elorisuga  niellivora,  62. 
Flycatcber,  Arizona  Crested,  48. 
Beardless,  49. 
Golden  Crowned,  50. 
Little  Golden  Crowned,  50. 
Olivaceous.  48-49. 
Western,  49. 
Eregata  aquila,  33. 
Garcia  nutans,  90. 
Gecarcinus  diguetl,  73-74. 
Gilibertia  in.sularis,  13,  78,  83-84. 
Glandina  turria,  11. 
Glossopliaga  niutica,  11, 18-19. 
Glossophaga,  Tres  Marias,  18-19. 
Goldtin<li,  Mexican,  52. 
Gouolobus,  84. 
Crackle,  Great-tailed,  52. 
Granatellus  francescas  12,  22,  56-57. 

venustus,  57. 
Grapsus  grap.sus,  74. 
Guaiacuui  coulteri,  79. 
Guarea,  80. 

Guazuma  iilniifolia,  79. 
Gull,  American  herring,  23. 

Heermann'.s,  23-24. 
Gymnogrammo  calouielanos,  91. 
Hadrostomus  aglaia-  attiuis,  47. 
Hiematopus  frazari  34-35. 
galapagensis,  34-35. 
palliatus,  34-35. 
Haliplana  fiiliginosa  crissalis,  24. 
Hawk.  Duck,  38. 
Pigeon,  38. 
Sparrow,  38. 

Tres  Marias  Ked-tailed,  37,  38. 
Heliotriipluni  curas.savicum,  85. 

indicum,  85. 
Heron,  Great  Blue,  33. 
Snowy,  33. 

YeHow-crowned  Night,  33,  34. 
Hetei'oiitciys  tloribunda,  79. 
Hibiscus  tiliaceus,  79. 
Hippocratia,  80. 
Hiruudo  ei-ythrogastor,  54. 
Humming  IJird,  Grayson's,  45, 46. 

Lawrence's,  40.  47. 
Hyloclchla  ustul.ata,  60. 
ustulata  alma;,  60. 
ustulata  swain.soni,  60. 
Hypotriorchis  rufigularis,  38. 
Hyptis  albida,  88. 
laclie  latirostris,  46,  47. 
lawrencei,  12, 22, 46. 
Icterus  graysoni,  12, 22,  50-51. 

pustulatus,  51. 
Iguana,  Black,  65,  66. 
Ipomcea,  12. 

bona-nox,  85. 
jieduncularis,  85. 
Iresine  interrupta,  88. 
Jacquemontia  violacea,  86. 
Jacquiuia  macrocarpa,  84. 
Jay,  Beechey's,  50. 
Kingbird,  Couch's,  48. 
Kiuglisher,  Belted,  43. 


Kinostornon  integrum,  64. 

LaiiirlluNis,  11. 

Laiiiproiicltis  micropholis  oligozona,  70. 

Lautana  liurrida,  87. 

Larus  argentatus  smithsonianus,  23. 

heermanni,  23-24. 
Lasiurus  borealis  niexicana,  15, 19. 
Leptopbis  <li]>liitropis,  69. 
LeptotilaiiU)ifn.ns,36. 
capitalis,  I'J,  22,  36. 
fulviventris  brachyptera,  36. 
Lepus  graysoni,  11, 16-17. 
Lonchocar])us,  82. 
Lovebird,  Tres  Marias,  41-42. 
Man-o'war  bird,  33. 
Marraosa  insularia,  11, 15-16. 
Melanerpes,  23. 
Melanotis  cairulescens,  59. 

Cicrulescens  longirostris,  12, 22, 59. 
hypoleucus,  59. 
Melochia  tomentosa,  79. 
Melopelia  leucoptera,  22,  36-37. 
Merula  llavirostria,  60, 61. 
grayi,  62. 

graysoni,  12,  22,  60-62. 
tristis,  62. 
Micropallas,  39. 
Mikania  cordifolia,  84. 
Mimus  polyglottos,  57. 
Mockingbird,  57. 
Momotus,  23. 
Mouse,  Tres  Marias,  16. 
Murrelet,  Short-billed,  23. 
Mus  rattus,  10. 
Myadestes  obscurus,  59. 

obscurus  inaularis,  12,  22, 59-60. 
obscurus  occidentalis,  60. 
Myiarchus  lawrencei  olivascens,  48-49. 

mexicanus  magiater,  48. 
Myioi)agis  placens,  50. 

placena  minimus,  12, 22,  50. 
Myiozetetes,  23. 
Myotis  nigricans,  15, 18. 
Myriocarpa  longipes,  90. 
Nicotiana  trigonophylla,  86. 
Nighthawk,  Texas,  45. 
Nycticorax  vicdaceus,  33-34. 
Nyctidromus  albicollia,  44. 

albicollis  insnlaris,  12, 22, 44. 
albicollis  merrilli,  44. 
Oceanodroma  melania,  28. 
Ochna,  80. 
Ocypodo,  74. 
Ocypode  kuhlii,  74. 
'  occidentalis,  74. 
Opeas  subula,  11. 

Opossum,  Tres  Marias  Pigmy,  11, 15-16. 
Opuntia,  12, 83. 
Oriole,  Grayson's,  50. 
Ornitliion  iraberbe,  22, 49. 
iniberbe  ridgwayi,  49. 
Orthalicus  undatus,  11. 

undatus  melauocheilus,  11. 
Oryzomya  nelsoni,  11, 16. 
Osprey,  39. 

Otopterus  mexicanus,  18. 
Owl,  Barn,  39. 

Burrowing,  39. 
Oxybelis  acuminatus,  69. 
Oyster-catcher,  American,  34-35. 
Piindion  halia^tus  carolineusia,  39. 
Panicum  brevifolium,91. 
Parauque,  Tres  Marias,  44. 
Parrot,  Double  yellow-bead,  39-41. 
Partheniuin  hysterophorus,  84. 
Parula,  insnlaris,  55. 
Tres  Marias,  55. 
Passillora,  12,  83. 
Paullinia  seasiliflora,  81. 
Pclecanus  californicus,  32-33. 
Pelican,  California  Brown,  32-33. 
Petasophora  thalassina,  62. 
Perityle  microglossa,  84. 
Peromyscus  madrensls,  11, 16. 
Petrel,' Black,  28. 
Plucthon  athereus,  28-29. 
Phalacrocorax,  32. 
Phaseolu?,  82. 
Phocicua  commuuis,  19. 


INDEX. 


97 


PhyllmLactylus  tiiberculosus,  63,  64-65. 
I'liysalia  jiubescens,  86. 
Phytolacca  octaudra,  88. 
Piaya,  23. 
Picramnia,  80. 

eiliata,  80. 
Pious  scalaria  graysoni,  43. 
Pigeon,  Tivs  Marias,  35. 
Pilocarpus  insularis,  13,  78,  feO. 
Piper  aduucuiu,  88. 
Pipilo,23. 
Pirauga  bidentata,  53,  54. 

bitlentata  flammea,  12,  22,  52,  53,  54. 

ludoviciana,  23,  52. 
Pithecolobium,  12. 

dvilce,  39,  77,  83. 

ligustrinuEi,  83. 
Platypsaris  aglaia;,  47-48. 

aglaiffi  albiventris,  47,  48. 

aglaiffi  insularis,  12,  22,47-4.'^. 

aglaiiB  sumiclirasti,  47-48. 
Plover,  Semipalmated,  34. 
Pluchea  odorata,  84. 
Polyliorns  audubonii,  38. 

audubonii  insularis,  22. 

cheriway  pallidus,  12,22,38-39. 
Polygyra  ventrosula,  11. 
Porophyllum  nuninmlariuni,  84. 
Porpoise,  Common,  10. 

Long-no.sed,  19. 
Portlaudia  pterosperma,  84. 
Procyon  lotor  insularis,  11, 17. 
Prodelphinvis  longirostris.  19.  • 
Psidiuni,35,83. 
Psittacula  cyanopyga,  41-42. 

insularis,  12,  22,  41-42. 
Pteris  longifolia,  91. 
Puffinus  cuneatus,  27-28. 

knudseni,  27. 
Pyrgisoma,  23. 
Pyrrhophiiena  graysoni,  45. 
Kaccoon,  Tres  Slarias,  17. 
Rat,  Black,  16. 

Nelson's  Rice,  16. 
Ehogeessa  parvula,  11, 18. 
Rhogeessa,  Tres  Marias,  18. 
Ehynchosia  minima,  82. 

precatoria,  82. 
Russelia  sarmeiitosa,  86. 
Quiscalus  macrourus,  52. 
Saltator.  23. 
Salvia  aliena,  88. 
Sandpiper,  Spotted,  34. 
SceloiJorus  boulengeri,  67. 

crarkii,67. 

horridiis,  67. 

olijioporus,  67. 
Schcppna  schreberi,  80. 
.Sea  Lion,  15, 17-18. 
Serjauia  mexicana,  80. 
.Shearwater,  Wedge-tailed,  27-28. 
Solanuui,  12. 

callicarpsefolium,  86. 

lauceffifolium,  86. 

nigrum.  86. 

torvum,  86. 

verbasciiolium,  86. 
Solitaire.  Tres  Marias,  59-60. 
Spanish  cedar,  7,  8,  9, 12. 
Speotyto  cunicularia  hypogiva,  39. 
Stacbj's  coccinea,  88. 
Stegnosperma  halimifolia,  88. 
Sterna  elegans,  24. 

fuligiuosa  crissalis,  24-26. 

galerieulata,  24. 

maxima,  24. 
Stris  pratincola,  39. 
Sula  ba.ssana,  29. 

brewsteri,  29-30. 

gossi,  31,32. 


Sula  nebouxii,  31-32. 

piscator,  31. 

websteri,  29. 
Swallow,  Barn,  54. 
Tanager,  Louisiana,  52. 

Tres  Marias,  52,  53. 
Tephrosia,  81. 
Tern,  Elegant,  24. 

Pacific  iSToddy,  26-27. 

Pacific  Sootv'  24-26. 

Royal.  24. 
Ternostrcemia  maltbya,  13,78. 
Thalurauia  glaucopis,  62. 

lucia-,  02. 
Thrush,  01i.ve  backed,  60. 

Russet-backed,  60. 
Thryothorus  felix,  22.  57,  58. 

lawrencii,  12,  22, 57, 58. 

lawrencii  magdalena-,  12, 22, 58. 
Tournefortia  Candida,  85. 

cymosa,  85. 

velutina,  85. 
Totanus  tlavipes,  34. 
Tres  Marias,  Blue  Mockingbird,  59. 

Caracara,  3S-39. 

Cardinal.  52. 

Cbat-AVarbler.  56-57. 

Cottontail.  16-17. 

Dove,  36. 

Glossopbaga.  18-19. 

Lovebird,  41-42. 

Mouse,  10. 

Parauque,  44. 

Parula,  55-56. 

Pigeon.  35. 

Pigmy  Opossum.  11, 15-16. 

Raccoon,  17. 

Red-tailed  Hawk,  37-38. 

Rbogeessa,  18. 

Robin,  60-61. 

Solitaire,  59-60. 

Tanager,  52. 

Vireo,  54-55. 
Trichilia  spondioides,  80. 
Trixis  frutescens.  84. 
Trogon  ambignus,  42. 

ambiguus  goldmani,  12,  22,  42-43. 
Troiron,  Goldman's,  42-43. 
Tropic  Bird,  Red-billed,  28-29. 
Turdus  flavirostris,  60. 
Turtle,  Mud,  11. 

Tyrannus  melancholicus  couclii.  22, 48. 
Uranomitra  guatemalensis,  62. 
Urvillea  ulmacea,  81. 
Uta  lateralis,  66-67. 
Vireo  flavoviridis  forreri,  12,  21, 22, 54, 55. 

hypochryseus,  54. 

hypochryseus  sordidns,  12,  22,  54-55. 
Vireo,  Forrei-'s,  54. 

Tres  Marias,  54-55. 
Vulture,  Turkey,  37. 
Warbler,  Alaskan  Yellow,  56. 

Audubon's,  56. 

Pileolated,  57. 

Townseud's,  56. 

Tres  Marias  Chat-,  56,  57. 

"Western  Yellow,  56. 
Wilsouia  pusilla  pileolata,  57. 
Wissadula  hirsutitlora,  79. 
Wood  Pewee,  Western,  49. 
Wren,  Magdalena,  58. 

Maria  Madre,  57-58. 
Ximenia  americana,  80. 
Yellow-legs,  34. 
Zalophus  californianus,  17-18. 
Zamia  loddigesii,  91. 
Zanthoxylum  insularis,  13,  78,  79. 

nelsoni,  13,  78,  79. 
Zenaidura  macroura,  36. 


139r)(>— No.  14- 


U.  S.   DEPARTMENT    OF    AGRICULTURE 
DlVISIOlN  OF  BIOLOGICAL  SURVEY 


NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA 


ISTo.    15 


[Actual  date  of  iniblication,  August  8,  1899] 


REVISION  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OE  THE  GENOS  ZAPOS 

BY 

EDWARD    A.    PREBLE 
ASSISTANT   IN   BIOLOGICAL   SURVEY 


Pifjiared  iiuder  the  direction  of 

Dr.    C.    HART     MERRIAM 
CHIEF    OF    DIVISION    OF    BIOLOGICAL    SURVEY 


-  c-^^-^sx-' 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT     PRINT  INGr     OFFICE 
1809 


':J^^  ':t"  cAvrt^^^- 


A>t^      « 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


U.  S.  Depaetment  of  Agriculture, 

Washington,  T).  C,  June  15,  1899. 
Sir  :  I  liave  the  l)onor  to  traDsmit  herewith  for  pubHcation,  as  Ko.  15 
of  ]S^orth  American  Fauna,  a  'Eevision  of  the  Jumping  Mice  of  tlie 
Genus  Zapus.'' by  Edward  A.  Preble,  assistant  in  the  Biological  Survey. 
Eespectfully, 

T.  S.  Palmer, 
Acting  Chief,  Biological  ISicrrey. 
Hon.  James  Wilson, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture. 
2 


CONTENTS. 


lutrodiictiou 5 

History  and  material 5 

Distiibutiou 6 

External  characters 7 

Habits " 

Nomenclature 9 

Generic  names ^ 

Specific  and  suLspecific  names 10 

Genus  Zapus  Cones 13 

Key  to  subgenera 13 

List  of  species  and  subspecies,  with  type  localities 13 

Subgenus  Zapus  Cones 1^ 

Key  to  species 1^ 

Xapa'o^apus  subgenus  novum 33 

Key  to  species 33 

Eozapus  subgenus  novum 37 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PLATE. 


Page. 


Plate  I.  Skulls  of  Zapus  insignis,   Z.    setchhanus,    Z.    hudsonius,   Z.  orariiis, 

Z.  irinotattis,  and  Z.  princeps -12 

TEXT  FIGURES. 

Fig.  1.  Molar  teeth  of  Zapus  h udsonius li 

2.  Molar  teeth  of  Zapus  insignis 33 

3.  Molar  teeth  of  Zapus  setcliuauus.i >" 

4.  Skull  of  Zapus  setchuaitus 38 

3 


No.  15.  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.        August,  1899. 

REVISION  OF  THE  JUllPING  MICE  OF  THE  (lENOS  ZAPllS. 

By  Edward  A.  Preble. 
INTRODUCTION. 

History  and  materiah — Tlie^Jumpiug  Mice  of  Kortli  America  early- 
attracted  the  attention  of  naturalists,  but  their  true  status  and  rela- 
tionships long  remained  in  obscurity.  The  first  reference  to  any  of  the 
species  seems  to  have  been  made  by  Thomas  Pennant,  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  last  century-,  who  mentioned  the  animal  under  the  name  of  the 
'Long-legged  Mouse  of  Hudson's  Bay.'  In  1780  Zimmermann,  basing 
his  description  on  that  of  Pennant,  and  supposing  the  animal  to  be  con- 
generic with  the  jerboas  of  the  Old  World,  named  it  Blpus  Imdmnius. 
Subsequent  authors,  recognizing  the  inapplicability  of  Dipus,  referred 
the  species  successively  to  Gerbillus,  Meriones,  and  Jaculus,  until  finally 
Dr.  Elliott  Cones,  in  1875,  after  showing  that  all  the  generic  names 
previously  used  were  untenable,  proposed  Zapus. 

Previous  to  1857  a  number  of  specific  names  were  used  for  members 
of  this  genus  (see  pp.  10-13),  but  were  applied  mainly  to  specimens  from 
the  eastern  United  States  and  Canada.  Suffice  it  to  saj^  that  Baird, 
in  1857,  and  Cones,  in  1877,  recognized  but  one  species,  having  a  range 
nearly  coincident  with  the  i)resent  geographic  distribution  of  the  genus 
in  North  America.  This  resulted  mainly  from  two  causes — poor  qual- 
ity of  existing  material  and  the  prevailing  teudenc}^  of  the  "times  to 
lump  distinct  species  having  a  superficial  resemblance  to  one  another. 
The  material  consisted  mainly  of  poorly  preserved  alcoholic  speci- 
mens, or  skins  badly  made  (in  most  cases  with  the  skulls  inside), 
and  without  satisfactory  measurements.  The  characters  distinguishing 
the  species,  therefore,  were  not  apparent  or  were  considered  as  being- 
due  merely  to  individual  variation.  In  failing  to  examine  skulls,  both 
Baird  and  Cones  referred  specimens  of  the  animal  since  described  as 

5 


6  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 

Zapiis  insi(inis  to  Z.  hudsonius,  though.  iHsii/nis  has  a  different  number  of 
teeth  and  is  now  considered  subgenerieally  distinct  from  the  hitter. 
Under  tlie  improved  methods  of  collecting  and  preserving  mammals 
now  in  vogue  large  series  of  well-prepared  specimens  have  been  brought 
together  during  the  ])ast  few  years,  and  several  new  forms  have  been 
desciibed,  mainly  from  the  west  and  northwest. 

The  following  revision  of  the  genus  Zapus  is  based  on  a  study  of  more 
than  900  specimens,  mainly  in  the  collections  of  the  Biological  Survey  of 
the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  the  V.  S.  Xational  Museum,  and 
several  x^rivate  individuals.^  To  the  custodians  and  owners  of  these 
collections  my  thanks  are  cordially  extended.  For  kind  assistance  and 
advice  my  thanks  are  also  especially  due  to  Dr.  0.  Hart  Merriam,  Dr. 
T.  S.  Palmer,  and  ]Mr.  Gerrit  S.Miller,  jr.  Through  the  courtesy  of 
Mr.  Miller  I  have  had  an  opportunity  of  examining  the  types  of  Zapus 
setchuanus  Pousargues,  temporarily  placed  in  his  hands  for  comparison, 
and  am  thus  able  to  present  a  complete  account  of  the  genus,  includ- 
ing a  description  of  this  very  interesting  Asiatic  species,  the  only  oue 
known  from  the  Old  World. 

The  Xational  Museum  collection  of  Zapus,  though  not  extensive, 
contains  many  si^ecimens  of  unusual  interest  from  widely  separated 
localities;  that  of  the  Biological  Survey  is  especially  rich  in  westeru 
specimens;  and  those  of  Miller  and  Bangs  contain  good  series  of  east- 
ern species.  These  collections,  comprising  many  large  suites  of  well- 
prepared  skins,  nearly  all  accompanied  by  perfect  skulls  and  by  meas- 
urements taken  in  the  flesh,  have  afforded  facilities  for  comparison  never 
before  enjoyed.  Much  additional  material  is  needed,  however,  before 
certain  questions  concerning  relationship  and  seasonal  variation  can 
be  satisfactorily  settled. 

Disfrihufion. — Zapus  is  a  Boreal  genus,  and,  with  the  exception  of  a 
single  species,  is  confined  to  Xortli  America.  The  exact  northern  lim- 
its of  its  range  are  not  well  known,  but  are  indicated  by  specimens 
from  Hamilton  Inlet,  Labrador;  Fort  Churchill,  on  Hudson  Bay;  Fort 
Eae,  on  Great  Slave  Lake;  and  the  Yukon  River  (probabl}'  Fort  Yukon, 
just  below  the  Arctic  Circle).  Southward  it  extends  as  far  as  Ealeigli, 
K  C;  Wheeling,  W.  Va.;  Jarksou  County,  Mo.:  Santa  Fe,  X.  Mex.; 
and  Kern  Eiver,  California.  Within  the  region  thus  roughly  outlined 
there  are  probably  no  large  areas  where  at  least  one  member  of  the 
genus  is  not  found.  In  regions  where  there  is  little  or  no  woodland  its 
distribution  is  more  or  less  local,  and  is  confined  almost  exclusively  to 
the  borders  of  streams.  Of  course,  the  arid  deserts  of  the  West  do 
not  offer  a  conoenial  environment. 


•These  specimens  are  as  follows:  Biological  Survey,  378;  U.  S.  National  Museum, 
85;  Merriam  Collection,  60;  Bangs  Collection,  132;  Miller  Coxlection,  200;  and  a  few 
from  each  of  the  following  collections,  American  3Iuseum  of  Natural  History,  New 
York;  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadelphia;  Carnegie  Museum,  Pittsburg, 
Pa.;  Field  Columbian  Museum,  Chicago;  and  the  collections  of  Samuel  N.  Rhoads 
and  Charles  F.  Batchelder. 


REVISION  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.  ( 

Aery  little  is  kiiowu  of  the  geological  history  of  Zapus,  except  that 
the  genus  dates  back  to  the  Postpliocene.  In  1871  Prof.  E.  D.  Cope 
recorded  a  mandibular  ramus  with  incisor  and  second  molar  of  a  Jumj)- 
ing  Mouse  from  the  Port  Kennedy  Bone  Cave  in  Pennsylvania.'  On 
account  of  lack  of  recent  specimens  for  direct  comparison  he  was  some- 
what in  doubt  as  to  the  specihc  identity  of  the  remains,  but  referred 
tbem  to  Jaculus  (=  Zapus)  hndsonius.' 

External  characters. — The  external  and  cranial  characters  of  Zapus 
have  been  so  exhaustively  treated  by  Baird,  Coues,  and  others  that 
a  brief  reference  to  them  here  will  be  sufficient.  The  body  is  consider- 
ably enlarged  posteriorly,  the  hind  legs  and  tail  greatl}'  developed,  the 
forelegs  rather  short,  and  the  ears  somewhat  longer  than  the  surround- 
ing fur.  All  the  sjiecies  agree  closely  in  color  and  markings.  A  broad 
dorsal  stripe  of  some  shade  of  yellowish  brown,  quite  thickly  flecked 
with  black-tipped  hairs,  is  bordered  by  a  slightly  narrower  lateral  stripe 
of  a  lighter  color  and  usually  with  less  black.  The  fur  of  the  entire 
upper  parts  is  uniform  plumbeous  at  base,  only  the  tips  of  the  hairs 
att'ecting  the  external  appearance  of  the  animal.  Between  the  darker 
color  of  the  sides  and  the  white  of  the  lower  parts  is  a  narrow  stripe 
of  clear  yellowish  orange,  unmixed  with  black,  and  with  the  base  of 
the  hairs  Avhite.  The  lower  parts  are  white,  sometimes  suffused  with 
the  color  of  the  sides,  and  one  species,  Z.  setchuanus,  from  China,  has 
a  well-defined  brown  ventral  stripe.  The  tail  is  very  long,  usually  about 
60  per  cent  of  the  total  length,  and  more  or  less  distinctly  bicolor, 
brownish  above  and  whitish  below.  It  is  thinlj"  covered  with  short 
hairs,  which  are  longer  on  the  terminal  part  and  form  a  short  pencil. 
In  two  of  the  three  subgenera  the  tail  is  consi)icuously  tipped  with 
white.  The  spring  and  early  fall  jielages  differ  noticeably,  except  in 
members  of  the  subgenus  Xapaozapui'.  the  bright  color  of  the  spring 
and  early  summer  pelage  becoming  duller  in  the  fall,  and  the  dark  dorsal 
area  partially  obliterated.  In  some  species,  however,  the  dorsal  area 
is  darker  and  more  sharply  defined  in  late  summer  and  early  fall  than 
in  spring  and  early  summer. 

The  teats  are  normally  8,  and  arranged  in  pairs  at  regular  intervals. 
The  pectoral  pair  is  situated  just  back  of  the  forelegs,  the  inguinal  pair 
far  back  at  the  base  of  the  thighs,  and  the  remaining  pairs  between. 
Sometimes  the  anterior  or  posterior  pair  remains  undeveloped. 

Habits. — In  general  but  one  species  occurs  in  a  given  locality,  but 
Zapus  Imdsonins,  wLich  has  the  widest  range  of  all,  seems  to  be  always 
present  throughout  the  range  of  the  subgenus  Xapa'ozapus,  the  members 
of  which  are  almost  invariably  found  in  deep  woods  near  streams.  All 
the  other  species  delight  in  meadows,  shrubby  fields,  and  thickets  along 

'  Preliminary  report  on  the  Vortebrata  discovered  in  the  Port  Kennedy  Bone  Cave 
<Proc.  Am.  Philos.  Soc,  XII,  p.  ^Q.  1871. 

Vertebrate  Eemains  from  Port  Kennedy  Bone  Deposit  <Joiirn.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci. 
Phila.,  2d  ser.,  XI,  p.  200,  1^99. 

■^Spelled  huiUonianus  by  Zittel,  Haudbiich  der  PaLeoutohjgie,  IV,  p.  527,  1893. 


8  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 

the  edges  of  woods,  and  show  a  marked  preference  for  moist  locations.- 
During'  the  summer  Jumping  Mice  are  often  seen  in  meadows  and  fiekls, 
and  are  more  readih'  detected  during  the  haying  season  than  at  other 
times,  when  they  are  driven  from  their  hiding  places  while  the  grass  is 
being  cut.  When  disturbed  tliey  move  oft'  by  a  series  of  frog  like  leaps, 
and  often  remain  motionless  after  a  jump  or  two,  especially  when 
frightened  from  a  nest.  In  leaping  they  are  greatly  assisted  by  their 
long  tails,  which  aid  in  preserving  their  balance  as  in  the  case  of  otber 
animals  similarly  endowed.  If,  by  any  accident,  a  portion  of  the  tail  is 
lost,  the  power  of  balancing  is  greatly  impaired,  and  the  animal,  if 
startled,  seems  unable  to  pursue  a  direct  course  because  of  failure  to 
land  properly  on  its  feet.  Some  of  the  earlier  writers  ascribe  to  the 
animal  the  power  of  leaping  4  or  5  yards.  Such  statements  are  probably 
exaggerated,- but  it  is  certain  that  Zapus  does  possess  remarkable  leap- 
ing powers,  and  when  disturbed  will  jump  0  or  8  feet,  and  under  some 
circumstances  perhaps  much  farther.  In  their  chosen  haunts  these 
mice  do  not  follow  beaten  paths  or  runways  like  many  small  mammals, 
notably  meadow  mice,  b*ut  seem  to  wander  rather  indiscriminately, 
availing  themselves  to  some  extent  of  natural  pathways  or  open  places. 

The  birth  of  the  young  (five  or  six  in  number)  which  occurs  in  a  nest, 
ordinarily  underground  but  sometimes  placed  in  a  hollow  tree,  usually 
takes  place  in  May  or  June.  Sometimes,  however,  it  occurs  as  late  as 
September;  from  which  it  seems  probable  that  a  second  litter  is  raised, 
or  that  the  breeding  season  continues  throughout  the  summer.  Three 
specimens  obtained  by  my  brother  at  Wilmington,  Mass.,  September  25, 
1897,  which  with  their  parents  were  turned  up  by  a  plow,  were  so  young 
that  the  posterior  upper  molars  had  just  appeared. 

During  the  latter  part  of  summer  Zapus  makes  a  globular  nest  of 
grass  about  4  inches  in  diameter,  with  a  small  entrance  at  the  side. 
All  that  I  have  seen  were  on  the  ground  in  meadows  among  thick  grass 
or  small  bushes.  One  that  I  examined  was  made  entirely  of  the  straight 
narrow  leaves  of  grass,  and  was  a  very  beautiful  little  home;  but  though 
seemingly  compact,  it  was  so  frail  that  it  was  impossible  to  preserve  it. 
These  nests  are  usually  occupied  by  two  individuals,  presumably  a  pair, 
and  seem  to  be  used  only  at  the  close  of  the  breeding  season. 

The  hibernation  of  Zapus  has  been  frequently  noticed  and  several 
interesting  articles  have  appeared  mainly  on  this  habit.'  All  the  species, 
so  far  as  known,  hibernate  during  winter,  though  in  one,  at  least,  hiberna- 
tion is  not  always  complete — that  is,  individuals  may  awake  and  come 
out  during  warm  intervals,  after  the  manner  of  the  common  skunk.  Dr. 
Merriam  mentions  having  seen  Jumping  Mice  abroad  in  northern  Kew 
York  on  several  occasions  during  the  unusually  mild  winter  of  1881-82. 
Messrs.  H.  H.  and  C.  S.  Brimley  report  that  they  have  no  positive  evi- 
dence of  the  hibernation  of  Zapus  hudsonius  amerieanus  at  Ealeigh, 
N.  C,  although  they  add  that  the  animal  is  too  rare  to  enable  them  to 

'Davies,  Traus.  Liun.  Soc.  London,  IV,  p.  155,  1798;  Barton,  Trans.  Am.  Pliilos. 
Soc,  VI,  p.  143, 1804 :  Tenney,  Am.  Nat.,  VI,  p.  330, 1872. 


REVISION  OF  THE  JUMPTXG  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.  9 

find  out  much  about  it.  Hiberuation  varies  with  the  locality,  but  usu- 
ally begins  about  the  time  of  the  first  heavy  frosts  and  lasts  until 
spring.  The  fall  pelage  is  usually  assumed  and  the  animals  become 
ex(>eedingly  fat  before  entering  winter  quarters.  Although  they  often 
lay  up  stores  of  food  in  nests  or  burrows  during  summer,  it  is  not  known 
that  they  use  this  food  during  winter.  The  animals  are  generally  found 
singly  (sometimes  in  pairs)  in  nests  in  holes  at  a  depth  varying  from 
a  few  inches  to  2  or  3  feet  below  the  surface.  They  lie  rolled  up  like 
a  ball  with  the  feet  close  together  and  tail  curled  about  them.  If 
removed  from  the  nest  and  subjected  to  a  moderate  degree  of  heat  they 
revive  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours  move  about  freely,  but  gen- 
erally resume  their  lethargic  state  if  again  exposed  to  cold.  The  pulse 
and  respiration  are  very  slow. 

Hibernation  sometimes  takes  place  in  a  nest  above  ground.  Dr. 
A,  K.  Fisher  tells  me  that  some  years  ago  a  Zajms  was  brought  to  him 
at  Lake  George,  Xew  York,  which  some  men  at  work  in  the  woods  had 
found  hibernating  in  sm  elaborate  nest  of  grass  and  moss,  exposed  by 
moving  a  log.  This  nest  was  destroyed,  but  when  the  animal  was 
given  material  it  constructed  another,  in  which  it  resumed  its  inter- 
rupted sleep.  It  ^as  occasionally  awakened,  and  observations  were 
taken  on  its  weight,  respiration,  and  heart  beats,  after  which  it  would 
relapse  into  its  state  of  lethargy. 

NOMENCLATUEE. 

Five  generic  and  30  specific  and  subspecific  names  have  been  applied 
to  various  forms  of  Jumping-  Mice  now  included  in  the  genus  Zapus. 
In  order  to  discuss  the  ditferent  species  and  subspecies  intelligently  it 
becomes  necessary  to  separately  consider  each  of  these  names,  which 
may  be  taken  up  alphabetically. 

GENEKIC   NAMES. 

Dipus  Zimmermann,  Geog,  Geschichte  des  Menschen  u.  vierfiissigen 
Thiere,  II,  p.  358.  1780.  The  original  description  of  the  genus  Dipus 
included  six  species:  D.  jaciiJiis,  D.  sagitta,  Yerhua  capensis  {  =  Mus 
cafer),  I),  longipes,  D.  tamaricinus  and  I),  hudsonius.  The  name  was 
subsequently  restricted  to  the  Old  World  jerboas. 

Gerbillus  -Desmarest,  Nou v.  Diet.  d'Hist.  is^at.,  XXIY.  p.  222. 1804.  A 
genus  of  Old  World  rodents  allied  to  Meriones.  Four  nominal  species 
of  American  Jumping  Mice  were  referred  to  this  genus  by  IJafinesque 
in  'Precis  des  Decouv.  somiologiques  '  (p.  II,  1814),  and  Am.  Monthlj' 
Magazine  (III,  p.  440,  Oct..  1818). 

Meriones  Illiger,  Prod.  Syst.  Mamm.  et  Avium,  p.  82, 1811.  The  name 
was  originally  proposed  by  Illiger  for  a  group  including  Dipus  tamari- 
cinvs  and  D.  meridianns.  Cuvier  apparently  proposed  it  independently, 
twelve  years  later,  for  the  American  Jumping  Mouse  (Dents  des  Mamm,, 
pp.  187, 250, 1823j. 


10  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Jaculus  Erxleben,  Syst.  Xat.,  p.  404,  1777.  A  geims  of  Old  World 
jerboas.  The  name  was  first  used  for  jSfortli  American  species  by 
Wagler  (Nat.  Syst.  Ampbibien,  p.  23,  1830). 

Zapus  Coues,  Bull.  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.  Terr.,  I,  2d  ser.,  No.  5,  p.  253, 
1875.  The  first  tenable  generic  name  based  on  a  North  American 
Jumping  Mouse. 

SPECIFIC   AND   SUBSPECIFIC   NAMES. 

Acadicus  (Meriones)  Dawson,  Edinburgh  New  Philos.  Journ.,  new 
series,  III,  p.  2, 1856.  Dawson,  after  unmistakably  referring  the  animal 
since  described  as  Zapus  insignis  to  the  Meriones  lahradorms  of  Richard- 
son's Fauna  Boreali- Aniericana  (i.  e.,  Z.  hndsonins),  goes  on  to  describe 
Z.  hudsonius  from  Nova  Scotia,  calling  it  provisionally  Meriones  acadicus. 

Alascensis  (Zapus)  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XI,  p.  223,  July 
15,  1897.  Dr.  0.  Hart  Merriam  has  described  a  subspecies  of  Z.  hud- 
sonius under  this  name,  from  specimens  collected  at  Yakutat  Bay, 
Alaska. 

AUeni  (Zapus)  Elliot,  Field  Columbian  Mus.,  Pub.  27,  Zool.  Ser.,  I, 
No.  10,  pp.  212-213,  March,  1898.  Under  this  name  Mr.  D.  G.  Elliot 
described  the  form  of  Zapus  inhabiting  the  Sierra  Nevada  in  California. 

Americanus  (Dipus)  Bartosi,  Trans.  Am.  Philos.  Soc,  IV,  No.  XII, 
p.  115,  1799.  Under  this  name  Benjamin  Smith  Barton  described 
specimens  from  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia,  Pa.  Later  (ibid,  VI, 
1804)  he  discussed  the  habit  of  hibernation  and  presented  a  figure  of 
the  animal.  Mr.  C.  F.  Batchelder  has  recently  revived  americanns  for 
the  form  of  Z.  hudsonius  inhabiting  the  Upper  Austral  zone  in  the 
Eastern  States.     (Proc.  New  Eug.  Zool.  Club,  I,  p.  6, 1899.) 

Brachynrus  (Gerbillus)  '  Rafiuesque.'  A  name  referred  to  by  Fischer 
(Syu.  Mamm.,  p.  340, 1820)  without  reference,  and  included  in  the  sj^n- 
onomy  of  Zapus  by  Cones  (Mon.  N.  Am.  Rodentia,  p.  4G8, 1877).  I  have 
been  unable  to  find  the  original  reference,  but  the  inapplicability  of  the 
name  is  self-evident. 

Canadensis  (Dipus)  Davies,  Trans.  Linn.  Soc.  London,  IV,  p.  157, 
1798.  Maj.  Gen.  Thomas  Davies  described  specimens  which  he  had 
procured  in  the  vicinity  of  Quebec,  Canada.  He  undoubtedly  referred 
to  an  animal  of  the  hudsonius  type,  and  as  specimens  from  that  region 
do  not  deserve  separation  fiom  the  typical  form,  the  name  becomes  a 
synonym  of  hudsonius. 

Daviesii  (Gerbillus)  Rafinesque,  'Precis  des  Decouv.  somiologiques, 
p.  14,  1814.'  Rafinesque  is  said  to  have  renamed  Dijjus  canadensis  after 
its  describer. 

Hardyi  (Zapus)  Batchelder,  Proc.  New.  Eng.  Zool.  Club,  I,  p.  5, 
February  8,  1899.  Mr.  C.  F.  Batchelder  has  recently  applied  this  name 
to  specimens  from  Mount  Desert  Island,  Maine.  From  a  careful  study 
of  the  material  at  present  accessible,  I  can  find  no  characters  of  impor- 
ta.Qce  to  separate  this  form  irom  hudsonius  as  here  restricted. 


REVISIOX  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.         11 

Hudsonius  (Dipus)  Ziinmerinanu,  Geog.  Gescliiclite  des  Meuscheii  n. 
vierfiissigen  Thiere,  II,  p.  3o>>^  1780.  This  is  tbe  first  specific  name  pro- 
posed for  any  species  of  Jiiinpiug  Mouse  iu  America,  and  imdouMedly 
refers  to  the  common  eastern  species  which  has  so  long  borne  the  name. 
It  is  tlie  only  species  thus  far  known  to  occur  about  Hudson  Bay — the 
locality  of  Pennant's  'long-legged  mouse,'  to  which  Zimmermanu 
referred, 

Imperator  (Zapus)  Elliot,  Field  Columbian  Mus.,  Pub.  30,  Zool,  Ser.,  I, 
No.  11,  p.  228,  February  1, 1893.  Mr.  1).  G.  Elliot  has  recently  described 
a  Zapus  from  the  Olympic  Mountains  of  Washington,  but  specimens 
from  that  region  not  being  considered  separable  from  typical  Z.  trinofa- 
tiis,  the  name  becomes  a  synonym. 

Iiisignis  (Zapus)  Miller,  Am.  Naturalist,  XXV,  p.  472,  August,  1891. 
Mr.  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr.,  described  the  species  erroneously  referred  to 
.1/.  Uihradorius  {Z.  hudsonius)  by  Dawson,  from  specimens  collected  on 
the  Pestigouche  River,  New  Brunswick. 

Labradorius  (Dipus)  Kerr,  Animal  Kingdom,  p.  27G,  1792.  Based  on 
the  'Labradore  Jerboid  Rat'  of  Pennant's  History  of  Quadrupeds,  1781. 
Kerr  says,  "  Inhabits  Hudson's  Bay  and  Labradore.  This  species  was 
sent  over  from  Hudson's  Bay  by  31r.  Graham."  Although  Labrador  is 
mentioned  in  the  habitat  of  the  species,  the  specimen  came  from  Hud- 
son Bay,  and  consequently  the  name  shouhl  be  restricted  to  the  animal 
from  that  region,  thus  becoming  a  synonym  o?  hudsonius. 

Ladas  (Zapus)  Bangs,  Proc.  New  Eng.  Zool.  Club,  I,  p.  10,  February 
28,  1899.  Under  this  name  Mr.  Outram  Bangs  has  described,  as  a 
subsi^ecies,  the  form  of  hudsonius  inhabiting  the  Labrador  Peninsula. 

Leonurus  (Gerbillus)  Rafinesfjue,  Am.  Monthly  Mag.,  HI,  p.  446,  Octo- 
ber, 1818.  From  the  description — "body  fallow,  ears  very  long,  white 
inside,  tail  as  long  as  body,  black  with  a  fallow  tuft  at  end,  length  G 
inches,  body  3" — the  animal  is  plainly  not  referable  to  Zapus. 

Longipes  (Mus)  Zimmermaun,  in  Pennant's  Arkt.  Zool.  I,  p.  131, 1787.* 
Zimmermanu  erroneously  identified  a  Jumping  Mouse  in  spirits,  sent 
from  Hudson  Bay  by  Mr.  Graham,  as  Mr(s  longipes  of  Pallas,  an  animal 
from  the  deserts  about  the  Caspian  Sea. 

Macrourus  (Gerbillus)  'Rafinesque,'  a  name  referred  to  by  Fischer  (Syn. 
Mamm.,  p.  340,  1829),  without  reference,  and  included  in  the  synonomy 
of  Zapus  by  Dr.  Coues  (Mon.  N.  Am.  llodentia,  p.  408,  1877).  I  have 
been  unable  to  find  the  original  reference. 

Megalops  (Gerbillus)  Rafinesque,  Am.  Monthly  Mag.,  Ill,  p.  446,  Octo- 
ber, 1818.  This  animal  he  describes  as  follows:  "Body  gray,  belly 
white."  *  *  *  "Total  length  5  inches,  body  only  2.  From  the 
barrens  of  Kentucky,"  This  can  not  apply  to  any  species  of  Jumping 
Mouse. 

Mellivorus  (Dipus)  Barton,  Trans.  Am.  Philos.  Soc,  VI,  p.  143,  1804. 

*Fi(le  Coues,  Mon.  N.  Am.  Eodeiitia,  p.  407,  1877.  I  have  not  seen  this  edition  of 
Pennant. 


12  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

This  name  occurs  incidentally  iu  the  text,  being  applied  to  a  supposed 
new  species,  with  remarks  on  its  reputed  habit  of  passing  the  winter  in 
beehives  and  living  on  the  honey. 

Microcephalus  (Meriones)  Harlan,  Proc.  Zool.  Soc.  Loudon,  p.  1,  1839. 
Under  this  name  Dr.  Harlan  described  specimens  from  the  vicinity  of 
Philadelphia,  Pa.  The  name,  being  antedated  by  anierieamis  Barton, 
becomes  a  synonym. 

Montanus  (Zapus)  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XI,  p.  104,  April 
20,  1897.  Br.  C.  Hart  Merriam  described  the  form  inhabiting  the  Cas- 
cade Range  in  Oregon,  under  the  name  Zapus  trhiofatKS  montanus,  but 
the  characters  seem  to  warrant  its  recognition  as  a  full  species. 

Nemoralis  (Meriones)  Geoft'roy  St.  Hilaire,  Diet.  Classique  d'Hist.  I^at., 
VII,  p.  323,  Fev.,  1825.  Under  this  name  Geoft'roy  published  a  careful 
description  of  two  specimens  (without  locality),  iu  the  Museum  d'His- 
toire  ISTaturelle  of  Paris,  which  were  figured  by  F.  Ouvier  and  served  as 
the  basis  of  Cuvier's  genus  Meriones.  There  is  nothing  iu  the  descrip- 
tion of  ncmoralis  that  gives  any  clue  to  the  specific  identity  of  the  animal. 

Niger  (Gerbillus)  Eafinesque,  Am.  Monthly  Mag.,  IV,  p.  100,  December, 
1818.  A  nomennudum  used  by  Eafinesque  in  an  article  entitled  'General 
Account  of  the  Discoveries  made  in  the  Zoology  of  the  Western  States.' 

Pacificus  (Zapus)  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XI,  p.  104,  April 
25,  1897.  Under  this  name  Dr.  C.  Hart  Merriam  described  a  form 
represented  in  the  Biological  Survey  collection  by  specimens  collected 
in  upper  Rogue  River  Valley,  Oregon. 

Princeps  (Zapus)  Allen.,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  V,  pp.  71-73,  April 
28,  1893.  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen  described  under  this  name  a  large  species 
from  Florida,  La  Plata  Couuty,  Colo.,  which  proves  to  be  a  very  dis- 
tinct form  inhabiting  the  Rocky  Mountain  region  of  the  United  States. 

Saltator  (Zapus)  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Xat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  XII,  p.  3, 
March  4,  1899.  Dr.  J.  A.  Alleu  has  recently  described  under  this  name 
a  well-marked  form  inhabiting  northern  British  Columbia  and  the 
adjacent  region. 

Setchuanus  (Zapus)  Pousargues,  Ann.  Sci.  Nat.,  8e  ser.,  I,  Xo.  4,  p.  220, 
Avril,  1896.  The  only  name  based  on  the  single  Old  World  species  of 
Zapus. 

Soricinus  (Gerbillus)  Rafinesque,  'Precis  des  D;'Couv.  somiologiques 
p.  14,  1814.'     I  have  not  seen  the  original  reference. 

Sylvaticus  (Gerbillus)  Rafinesque,  Am.  Monthly  Mag.,  Ill,  p.  354,  Sep- 
tember, 1818.  A  nomen  nudum  used  by  Rafinesque  in  a  letter  addressed 
to  "Samuel  L.  Mitchill,  president,  and  the  other  members  of  the 
Lyceum  of  Xatural  History,  *  *  *  dated  at  Louisville,  Falls  of 
Ohio,  20  July,  1818.'' 

Tenellus  (Zapus)  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XI,  p.  103,  April  26, 
1897.  Under  this  name  Dr.  C.  Hart  Merriam  has  described  a  form 
from  Kamloops,  British  Columbia. 

Trinotatus  (Zapus)  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Xat.  Sci.,  Phila.,  1849,  p.  421 
(January  15, 1895).     Under  this  name  IMr.  S.  X.  Rhoads  described,  from 


REVISION  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.         13 

specimens  taken  on  Lulu  Island,  near  the  mouth  of  Fraser  River,  a 
well  marked  form  inhabiting-  the  Pacific  coast  region  from  Fraser 
Kiver,  British  Columbia,  to  Humboldt  Bay,  Calif. 

Genus  ZAPUS  Coues. 

Dipus  Ziminermauti,  Oeog.  Geschithte  d.  Meiischeu  n.  vierfiissigen  Thiere,  II,  ji.  358, 

1780. 
Gerbillus  Eafiuesqiie,  'Precis  des  Decouv.  somiologiques,  p.  14, 1814'.     (Not  Gerbillus 

Desmarest,  1804.) 
Meriones  F.  Cuvier,  Dents  des  Maairu.,  pp.  187,  256, 1823.     (Not  Meriones  lUiger,  1811.) 
Jacnlus  Wagler,  Nat.  Syst.  Amphibien,  p.  23,  1830.     (Not  Jacuhis  Erxlebeu,  1777.) 
Zapns  Coues,  Bull.  U.  S.  Gaol.  Surv.  Terr.,  I,  2d  ser.,  No.  5,  p.  2.53,  1875. 

Characters. — Skull  not  massive;  braiu  case  rather  high  and  rounded; 
antorbital  foramen  large  and  oval;  zygomata  not  widely  spreading, 
broadly  expanded  anteriorly  where  the  malar  extends  upward  to  the 
lachrymal.  Teeth  16  or  18  (upper  premolar  i^reseut  or  wanting); 
enamel  much  folded ;  upper  incisors  compressed,  much  curved,  deeply 
salcate,  and  deeji  orange. 

Body  enlarged  posteriorly;  hind  legs  and  tail  greatly  developed,  the 
latter  much  exceeding  length  of  head  and  body.  Tail  slender,  uni- 
formly tapering.  Toes  of  hind  foot  five,  each  with  separate  metatarsal. 
Upper  parts  ochraceous;  median  dorsal  band  dark.  Under  parts 
white  (often  suffused  with  ochraceous) ;  one  species  with  brown  ventral 
stripe. 

KEY  TO  THE  SUBGENERA  OP  ZAPUS. 

Premolar  present: 

Enamel  folds  closely  crowded;  tail  not  tipped  with  white;   ears  rather  Jong; 

lower  parts  white  or  ochraceous Zapus 

Enamel  folds  not  crowded;  tail  tipped  with  white;   ears  rather  short;  lower 

parts  white  with  brown  ventral  stripe Eo-apus 

Premolar  absent : 

Enamel  folds  closely  crowded ;  tail  tipped  with  white;  ears  rather  long;  lower 
parts  white   Napwozapus 

LIST    OK    SPECIES   AND    SUBSPECIES,    WITH   TYPE    LOCALITIES. 

Subgenus  Zapus. 

Zapus  alascensis.  Yakutat,  Alaska. 

aUeni.  Pyramid  Peak,  Lake  Tahoe,  California. 

americanus.  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania. 

campestris  nob.  Bear  Lodge  Mountains,  Wyoming. 

hudsonius.  Huds(m  Bay.      * 

laclas.  Kigoulette,  Hamilton  Inlet,  Labrador. 

major  nob.  Warner  Mountains,  Oregon. 

minor  nob.  Wingard,  Saskatchewan. 

monfanus.  Crater  Lake,  Mount  Mazama,  Oregon. 

ncvadcnsis  nob.  Euby  Mountains,  Nevada. 

orarins  nob.  Point  Reyes,  California. 

oregonus  nob.  Elgin,  Oregon. 

pacificus.  Prospect,  Rogue  River  Valley,  Oregon. 

princeps.  Florida,  La  Plata  County,  Colorado. 

saltator.  Telegraph  Creek,  Northwest  Territory. 

tenellus.  Kamloops,  British  Columbia. 

trinotatus.  Lulu  Island  (mouth  Fraser  River),  British  Columbia. 


14  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 

.   Siibgeuus  Xcqjwocapita. 

(tbietorum  uob.  Peninsula  Harbor,  Ontario. 

insignis.  Restigouche  River,  New  Brunswick. 

roanensia  uob.  Magnetic  City,  Roan  Mountain,  North  Carolina. 

Subgenus  Eozapus. 
setchnaniis.  Ta-tsien-lou,  Szecbuen,  China. 


Subgenus  ZAPUS    Coues. 

Tyjye  Zapiis  hitd.soiihts  (Zimmermanu),  from  Hudson  Bay. 

Subgeneric  characters. — Teeth :   i.  j^^,  ^j.  J^^,  m.  ^~l  =  18.     Upper  pre- 
molar very  small,  nearly  cylindrical ;  anterior  upper  molar  large,  broadly 
oval;  m  2  similar,  but  noticeably  smaller;  m  3  con- 
^l^^^l^^^j©    siderably    smaller    and    nearly    circular.      Lower 
^"'^^^^^^^"^       molars  similar  in  shape  and  relative  size  (fig.  1). 
/^^)^^^\f^^^h,     Enamel  folds  closely  crowded.     Interorbital  con- 
^'^^^^'^^mimj^^^^'ii^^^^i^^     strictiou  or  medium  width;   irontal  region  moder- 
FiG.  1— Molar  teeth  of    atcly   swollcu;    brain   case  rather   high;    rostrum 
zapus  hud807iius  from    gieuder  and  somewhat  attenuated. 

Tower,  Minnesota  (No.  ... 

72695,  u.  s.  xat.  Mus.)        Uppei  parts  as  in  entire  genus;  lower  jjarts  white, 
X  6-  sometimes  suffused  with  color  of  sides;  tail  more  or 

less  distinctly  bicolor,  normally  without  white  tip. 

KEY  TO  SPECIKS  OF  THE  SUBGENUS  ZAPUS. 

Lower  parts  mucb  suffused  with  color  of  sides orariiis. 

Lower  parts  not  much  suffused  with  color  of  sides. 
Size,  large;  hind  foot  usually  more  than  32  mm. 
Ears  never  conspicuously  bordered  with  whitish. 

Larger;  pencil  of  tail  never  normally  white;  lower  parts  often  suffused  with 

ochraceous trinotatns. 

Smaller;   pencil   of  tail  usually   white;   lower  parts  never  suffused  with 

ochraceous alhni. 

Ears  usually  conspicuously  bordered  with  whitish. 

Sides  light  ochraceous  buff nevadensis. 

Sides  not  light  ochraceous  buff. 

Skull  narrow;  incisive  foramina  very  large mtUuior. 

Skull  broad;  incisive  foramina  not  very  large. 

Hind  foot  about  35  mm major. 

Hind  foot  about  32  to  34  mm. 

Incisive  foramina  broad  posteriorly oregonus. 

Incisive  foramina  narrow  posteriorly prbiceps. 

Size  medium  or  small;  hind  foot  usually  below  32  mm. 

Size  medium;  hind  foot  30  to  32  mm. ;  total  length  of  adults  more  than  215 
mm. 
Skull  rather  heavy  ;  brain  case  broad;  incisive  foramina  rather  large. 

Dorsal  area  not  very  distinct patlficua. 

Dorsal  area  distinct. 

Rostrum  considerably  deflected minor. 

Rostrum  not  much  deflected montanus. 


REVISION  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.         15 

Skull  rather  light:  lirain  case  uarrt)W  ;  incisive  I'nrauiiiia  small. 
Coloratiou  dark  and  dull. 

Larger;  basilar  length  of  skull  usually  more  than  18  mm. 

alasceiisis. 
Smaller;  basilar  length  of  skull  usually  under  17.5  mm.  .ieneUns. 
Coloration  not  dark  and  dull. 

Dorsal  area  very  much  flecked  with  color  of  sides;  fall  pelage 

with  dorsal  area  nearly  black campestris. 

Dorsal  area  not  much  flecked  Avith  color  of  sides;  fall  pelage 
with  dorsal  area  not  very  dark. 
Larger;   hind  foot  about  32  mm.;   tail  usually  more  than 

140  mm ladas. 

Smaller;  hind  foot  usually  30  or  31  mm. ;  tail  usually  below 

135  mm hudsonins. 

Size  small;   bind  foot  usually  below  30  mm.;    total  length  of  adults  usually 
under  215  mm americanus. 

ZAPUS  HUDSONIUS  (Zimmcrmaun).     Hudson  Bay  Jumping  Mouse. 
(PI.  I,  fi^s.  3,  3a.) 

1780.  Dipus  hudsonins  Zimmermann,  Geog.  Geschichte  d.  Menscheu  u.  vierfiissigen 

Thiere,  II,  p  358. 
1792.  Dipus  lahradorius  Kerr,  Animal  Kingdom,   i>.  276   (liased  on  the  "  Labradore 

Jerboid  Eat  of  Pennant ' ). ' 
1798.  Dipus  canadensis  Davies,  Trans.  Linn.  Soc.  London,  IV,  ji.  157. 
1822.  Gerhillus  canadensis  Desmarest,  Mammalogie,  II,  p.  321. 
1825.  Gerbillus  luhradorius  Harlan,  Fauna  Am.,  p.  157  (in  part). 

1829.  Meriones  iahradorius  Richardson,  Fauna  Boreali-Americaua,  I,  p.  141.     (Not  M. 
lahradurius  Dawson,  1856.) 

1830.  Jacnius  americanus  AVagler,  Nat.  Syst.  Amphibieu,  p.  23. 

1839.  Meriones  microccphalns  Harlan,  Proc.  Zool.  Sec.  London,  1839,  p.  1. 
1843.  Jaculus  luhradorius  AVaguer,  Suppl.  Schrebcr's  Saugthiere,  III,  p.  294. 

1856.  Meriones  acadicus  Dawson,  Edinburgh  New  Philos.  Journ.,  new  ser..  Ill,  p.  2. 

1857.  Jaculus  hndsonius  Baird,  Mamm.  N.  Am.,  p.  430  (in  jiart). 

1875.  Zapus  liuusonius  Cones,  Bull.  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.  Terr.,  2d  Ser.,  No.  5,  p.  253;  Mou.  N. 

Am.  Rodentia,  p.  467, 1877  (in  part),  and  recent  authors  (in  part). 
1899.  Zapus  hudsonins  canadensis  Batchelder,  Proc.  New  Eug.  Zool.  Club,  I,  p.  4. 
1899.  Zapus  hudsonins  hardiji  Batchelder,  Proc.  New  Eng.  Zool.  Club,  I,  p.  5.     (Mount 

Desert  Island,  Maine.) 

Type  locality. — Hudson  Bay. 

Geographic  distribution. — As  restricted  iu  the  present  i^aper,  tliis  spe- 
cies is  found  from  the  soutberu  shores  of  Hudsou  Bay  south  to  Xew 
Jersey,  and  in  the  mountains  to  Xorth  Carolina,  west  to  Iowa  and  Mis- 
souri, and  northwest  to  Alaska.  It  intergrades  Avith  Z.  americanus  in 
the  upper  i)art  of  the  Carolinian  zone  in  the  Eastern  States;  with  cam- 
pestris along  the  edge  of  the  Great  Plains,  and  probably  with  alascensis 
somewhere  iu  northern  British  America. 

General  characters. — Size  medium,  smaller  than  Z.  insignis,  Z.  trinoia- 
tus,  or  Z.  princeps.  Skull  less  massive,  with  small  molars  and  incisive 
foramina. 

'  "Inhabits  Hudson's  Bay  and  Labradore.  This  species  was  sent  over  from  Hud- 
son's Bay  by  Mr.  Graham." — Kerr. 


16  NORTH    AMERICAN    PWUNA. 

Color. — Summer  pelage :  Fur  of  entire  upper  parts  i)lumbeous  at  base, 
with  tips  of  hairs  ranging-  from  yellowish  fawn  to  rather  dark  oehra- 
ceous,  rather  thickly  flecked  with  black-tipped  hairs;  broad  dorsal 
sti'ipe  reaching- from  upper  part  of  face  to  base  of  tail  much  darker  than 
remainder  of  upper  parts,  the  black-tipped  hairs  predominating;  tail 
rather  sharply  bicolor,  grayish  brown  above  and  whitish  beneath ;  lower 
parts  white,  sometimes  suffused  with  color  of  sides;  feet  white.  Fall 
pelage:  Ochraceous  of  sides  duller  and  more  yellowish,  encroaching 
more  on  the  dark  dorsal  area,  which  is  sometimes  almost  obliteiated. 
Young  of  the  year  with  more  ochraceous  in  fall  pelage  than  the  adults, 
and  a  greater  tendency  to  fulvous  wash  on  lower  parts. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  rather  lightly  built,  with  rather  narrow 
brain  case,  small  incisive  foramina,  and  small  molars;  zygomata  not 
widely  spreading;  rostrum  not  appreciably  deflected. 

Measurements. — Two  specimens  from  James  Bay,  Canada,  measured 
from  alcohol,  average:  Total  length,  209;  tail  vertebra^,  124;  hind  foot, 
30.5.  Eleven  from  Tower,  Minn.,  average:  Total  length,  218;  tail  ver- 
tebne,  133 ;  hind  foot,  30.2.  Thirty-four  adults  from  Keene  Valley,  Essex 
County,  N.Y.,  average:^  Total  length,  21G.G;  tail  vertebrae,  129.25;  hind 
foot,  31.25.  Skull:  An  adult  skull  from  James  Bay  measures:  Basilar 
length,  18.5;  zygomatic  breadth,  11;  mastoid  breadth,  10;  interorbital 
constriction,  4.2;  incisor  to  posti)alatal  notch,  8.5;  foramen  magnum  to 
postpalatal  notch,  8;  fronto-palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  6.5. 
An  adult  ?  from  Ossipee,  N.  H.,  measures:  Basilar  length,  18.8;  zygo- 
matic breadth,  11. G;  mastoid  breadth,  10;  interorbital  constriction,  4,3; 
incisor  to  postiialatal  notch,  S.6-  foramen  magnum  to  postpalatal  notch, 
8.2;  fronto-palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  G.2. 

General  remarJiS. — Zapus  hudsonius^  the  type  of  the  genus,  was  until 
recently  the  only  well  established  species.  The  foregoing  list  of 
synonyms  indicates  that  it  attracted  the  attention  of  many  naturalists 
during  the  early  part  of  the  century,  all  the  names  jDublished  previous 
to  1856  referring  almost  exclusively  to  it.  Jaculus  hudsonius  of  Baird 
[=  Zapus  hudsonius  Coues)  is  a  composite  species  including  nearly  a 
dozen  forms  now  recognized  as  distinct.  The  distribution  of  hud- 
sonius, including  its  four  well-marked  subspecies,  is  by  far  the  most 
extensive  in  the  genus,  few  North  American  rodents  ecpialing  it  in 
this  respect. 

The  only  specimens  of  Zapus  from  Hudson  Bay  at  present  available 
are  four  alcoholic  examples,  in  rather  poor  condition,  from  James  Bay, 
and  a  part  of  a  skin  from  Fort  Churchill,  Northwest  Territory.  This 
skin  has  evidently  been  in  alcohol,  and  hence  its  color  can  not  be 
depended  upon.  I  have  removed  several  skulls  from  the  James  Bay 
specimens,  including  one  perfect  adult.  Since  this  skull  agrees  essen- 
tially with  skulls  from  Tower,  Minn.,  from  which  place  the  Biological 
Survey  has  a  large  series,  these  specimens  have  been  assumed  to  be 

'  Fide  Batclielder. 


REVISION  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.         17 

fairly  typical  and  have  been  used  for  comparison  in  most  instances.  It 
is  qnite  possible,  liowever,  that  a  series  of  skins  from  Hndson  Bay 
would  measure  slightly  more  than  the  ^Minnesota  specimens,  and  would 
perhaps  differ  in  color.  While  this  material,  taken  in  connection  with 
what  is  available  from  the  type  locality  is  sufficient  for  comparison  with 
the  subspecies  here  recognized,  it  will  not  permit  the  recognition  of 
other  nominal  forms  which  may  eventually  prove  to  be  well  founded, 
A  skull  from  Saint  Catharines,  Ontario,  however,  which  may  be  con- 
sidered a  topotype  of  canadensis,  is  identical  in  appearance  with  one 
from  James  Bay. 
Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  319,  from  the  following  localities : 

Northwest  Territory:  James  Bay,  4;  Fort  Churchill,  1;  Fort  Eae,  1;  Fort 
Ke.solutioD,  1. 

Ontario:  Xepigon,  7;  North  Bay,  6;  Mount  Forest,  3;  Michipicoten,  1 ;  Saint 
Catharines,  6. 

Ne'w  Brunswick:  Oak  Bay,  30. 

Nova  Scotia:  Halifax,  6;  James  River,  2;  Digby,  4. 

Maine:  Walker  Pond,  4;  Mount  Desert  Island,  4. 

New  Hampshire :  Ossipee,  1 ;  Fabyans,  1. 

Vermont:  Brandon,  1;  Mount  Mansfield,  1;  St,  Johnsbury,  2. 

Massachusetts:  War  eh  am,  70;  North  Truro,  6;  Middleboro,  2;  Wilmington, 
3;  Lunenburg,  2;  Belmont,  2;  Ipswich,  1;  Concord,  4;  Lexington,  1; 
Dightou,  1;  AVellesley,  1;  Barnstal)]e  Neck,  5. 

Connecticut:  East  Hartford,  1  (not  typical) ;  Wetherstield,  2  (not  typical). 

New  York:  Peterboro,  39;  Catskills,  8;  Elizabethtown,  2;  Waterville,  1; 
Patten  Mills,  1;  Locust  Grove,  7;  Lake  George,  5. 

New  Jersey :  Lake  Hopatcong,  5. 

Pennsylvania:  Leasuresville,  3. 

Maryland:  Cumberland,  1;  Finzel,  Garrett  County  (6  miles  north  of  Frost- 
burg),  1. 

West  Virginia :  Wheeling,  1. 

North  Carolina:  Roan  Mountain,  1 ;  Magnetic  City,  1. 

Ohio :  Portland  Station,  1. 

Indiana  :  Terre  Haute,  1. 

Wisconsin :  Racine,  1. 

Michigan :  Seney,  1. 

Minnesota:  Lac  qui  Parle,  1;  Elk  River,  25;  Tovrer,  26. 

ZAPUS  HUDSONIUS  LAD  AS  Bangs.     Labrador  Jumping  Mouse, 
Zapus  hudsonius  ladas  Bangs,  Proc.  New  Eug.  Zool.  Club,  I,  p.  10,  Feb.  28, 1899. 

Type  locality. — Rigoulette,  Hamilton  Inlet,  Labrador. 

Geographic  distribution. — Eastern  Quebec  north  to  Hamilton  Inlet, 
Labrador;  limits  of  range  unknown. 

General  characters. — Larger  than  typical  Zapus  hudsonius  with  longer 
tail  and  hind  foot;  coloration  darker;  differing  also  in  cranial  char- 
acters. 

•  Color. — Summer  pelage:  Sides  rather  dark,  bright  ochraceous  buff", 
model ately  lined  with  blackish-tipped  hairs;  dorsal  area  usually  less 
distinct  than  in  typical  hudsonius,  much  flecked  with  ochraceous. 
Lower  parts  white,  usually  more  or  less  suffused  with  color  of  sides. 
22095— is^o.  15 2 


18  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Tail  quite  sliarply  bicolored,  dusky  above  and  wbitisli  beueatb;  ears 
usually  edged  witb  ocbraceous  (wliitisli  iu  liudsonius).  Feet  wbite. 
Fallpclaf/e:  Dorsal  area  usually  eveu  less  distinct  tban  iu  summer,  with 
tbe  general  tinge  of  entire  upper  parts  yellowisb  instead  of  ocbraceous. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  longer  tban  tbat  of  typical  hudsoniiis; 
zygomata  considerably  longer;  zygomatic  breadtb  about  tbe  same  as 
in  largest  skulls  of  hudsonius;  interorbital  constriction  sligbtly  wider; 
brain  case  bigber  and  averaging  sligbtly  longer;  rostrum  and  nasals 
longer;  bulbie  considerably  larger;  molar  series  averaging  sligbtly 
longer. 

Measurements. — Type  iso.  41G9  9  ad.j  collection  of  E.  A.  and  O. 
Bangs:  Total  lengtb,  238;  tail  vertebne,  153;  bind  foot,  32.  Average 
o{  five  adults  from  Black  Bay,  Labrador:  Total  lengtb,  228;  tail  verte- 
brie,  142;  hind  foot,  32.  ^SkMU :  Average  of  four  adults  from  Black 
Bay,  Labrador :  Basilar  lengtb,  18.8;  zygomatic  breadtb,  11.4;  mastoid 
breadtb,  10,2;  interorbital  constriction,  4.5;  incisor  to  postpalatal 
notch,  8.9;  foramen  magnum  to  postpalatal  notch,  8.5;  fronto-palatal 
depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  G.3. 

General  remarks. — Zapus  li.  ladas  is  a  fairly  well-marked  subspecies 
represented  by  23  specimens  in  tbe  collection  of  E,  A.  and  O.  Bangs, 
and  5  in  tbe  Biological  Survey  collection.  Tbe  best  characters  separat- 
ing this  form  from  typical  hndso7iins,  as  here  restricted,  are  tbe  longer 
tail,  larger  hind  foot,  and  longer  skull,  with  larger  audital  bulla'. 
Tbis  latter  character  is  very  evident,  eveu  in  young  skulls. 

Spechnens  examined. — Total  number,  28,  from  the  following  localities: 

Labrador:  Hamilton  Inlet  (type  locality),  3;  Black  Bay,  20. 
Quebec:  Godbout,  5. 

ZAPUS  HUDSONIUS  ALASCENSIS  Merriam.     Alaska  Jumping  Mouse. 
Zapns  hudsonius  alascensis  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  "Wash.,  XI,  p.  223,  1897. 

Type  locality. — Yakutat,  Alaska. 

Geographic  distribution. — Yakutat  Bay,  north  to  Y^ukon  Eiver;  limits 
of  range  unknown. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  Zapns  hudsonius,  hut  slightly  larger 
and  darker. 

Color. — Sides  dull,  dark  ocbraceous,  with  many  black-tipped  bairs; 
dorsal  area  quite  distinct,  but  tbickly  flecked  witb  brownish;  beueatb 
pure  wbite;  tail  rather  sharply  bicolor. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  similar  to  tbat  of  typical  hudsonius,  but 
slightly  longer  and  narrower;  zygomata  less  bowed  outward  and 
slightly  longer;  brain  case  narrower;  molar  series  longer;  crown  of 
last  lower  molar  longer. 

Measurements. — Average  of  four  specimens  from  type  locality:  Total 
lengtb,  218;  tail  vertebra',  132;  bind  foot,  31.5.  Skull:  Average  of 
two  adults  from  type  locality:  Basilar  lengtb,  18.2;  zygomatic  breadth, 


REVISION  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.         19 

10.7;  mastoid  breadth,  10.2;  iuterorbital  constriction,  4.2;  incisor  to 
])OStpalatal  notch,  8.5;  foramen  magnum  ,to  postpalatal  notch,  8; 
frouto-palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  C.2. 

General  remarks. — Zapus  h.  alascensis  is  a  fairly  Tvell-marked  subspe- 
cies based  on  four  specimens  collected  at  Yakutat  Bay,  Alaska.  Four 
additional  specimens  in  the  National  Museum  from  Alaska  have  been 
examined,  but  are  in  such  poor  condition  as  to  furnish  no  additional 
characters.  This  form  undoubtedly  iutergrades  with  true  hudsonius 
somewhere  in  northern  British  America. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  8,  from  the  following  localities: 

Alaska:  Nusliagak,  2;  Yakutat  Bay,  4;  Yukon  River,  2. 

ZAPUS  HUDSONIUS  AMERICANUS  (Barton).     Carolinian  Jumping  Mouse. 

Dipiis  ameriraniis  Barton,  Trans.  Am.  Philos.  Soc,  IV,  No.  XII,  p.  115, 1799. 
Zapus  hudsonius  americanus  Batchelder,  Proc.  New  Eug.  Zool.  Club,  I,  p.  6, 1899. 

Type  locality. — Philadeli)hia,  Pa. 

Geographic  distribution. — From  vicinity  of  Ealeigh,  N.  C,  north 
through  Upper  Austral  zone  along  coastal  i)laiu  to  southern  Connec- 
ticut and  lower  Hudson  Valley,  intergrading  in  upper  edge  of  its  range 
with  Z.  hudsonius. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  Zap  us  hudsonius,  but  smaller;  dorsal 
area  less  distinct;  skull  and  teeth  smaller. 

Color. — Description  of  specimens  in  summer  pelage  from  Ealeigh, 
N.  C. :  Entire  upper  parts  deep  dull  ochraceous,  the  dorsal  area  very 
indistinct  and  but  slightly  mixed  with  black-tipped  hairs;  sides  of  head 
much  lighter  than  remainder  of  upper  parts;  ears  very  dark,  nearly 
black;  under  parts  whitish,  suffused  with  ochraceous.  In  the  fall  the 
dorsal  area  is  indistinct  and  very  thickly  flecked  with  j'ellowish-tipped 
hairs;  sides  dull  yellowish. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  considerably  smaller  than  in  Z.  hudsonius., 
with  zygomata  more  arched  and  brain  case  shorter;  incisive  foramina 
shorter  and  relatively  broader;  interorbitiil  breadth  about  the  same; 
rostrum  relatively  deeper  and  shorter;  molar  series  shorter. 

Measurements. — Average  of  7  adults  from  Ealeigh,  N.  C:  Total 
length,  191.3;  tail  vertebrie,  115.4;  hind  foot,  28.3.i  Two  Trom  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  average:  Total  length,  198.5;  tail  vertebrfe,  117.5;  hind 
foot,  28.  Skull:  Average  of  two  from  Ealeigh,  IST.  0.:  Basilar  length, 
17;  zygomatic  breadth,  10.3;  mastoid  breadth,  9.2;  iuterorbital  con- 
striction, 3.9;  incisor  to  postpalatal  notch,  8,2;  foramen  magnum  to 
postpalatal  notch,  7.5;  fron to-palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  6. 

General  remarks. — It  is  unfortunate  that  the  name  americanus  must 
be  adopted  for  this  subspecies,  since  it  was  based  on  specimens  clearly 
intermediate  between  the  extremes  of  this  form  and  true  hudsonius. 

'  Fide  Batchelder. 


20  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  uumber,  54:,  from  the  followiug  localities: 

New  York  :  Long  Islaml,  3 ;  Montauk  Point,  8;  Raynor  Beach,  1;  Roslyn,  3; 
Sing  Sing  (not  typical),  1. 

New  Jersey  :  Chatham,  1;  Englewood,  1;  Mount  Holly,  2;  'New  Jersey',  1; 
Phillipsburg,  1. 

Pennsylvania  :  Chester  County,  1 ;  Culver  Lake,  2;  Delaware  County,  2;  Mar- 
pie  (Delaware  County),  1;  Schuylkill,!;  Tinicum  (Delaware  County),  1; 
Upper  Darby,  1. 

Maryland:  Kensington,  1;  Laurel,  4;  Prince  George  County,  5;  Sandy 
Spring,  1. 

District  of  Columbia  :  Washington,  2. 

Virginia:  Accotink,  1;  Falls  Church,  1. 

North  Carolina  :  Raleigh,  7;  Weaverville,  1. 

ZAPUS  HUDSONIUS  CAMPESTRIS  subsp.  uov.      Prairie  Jumping  Mouse. 

Type  from  Bear  Lodge  Mountains,  Wyoming,  No.  65872,  $  ad.,  U.  S.  Nat.  Museum, 
Biological  Survey  Coll.  Collected  June  12,  1894,  by  B.  H.  Dutcher.  Original 
No.  600. 

Geographic  distribution. — Great  Plains  from  Manitoba  southward  to 
Nebraska  and  westward  to  Colorado  and  Wyoming. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  Z.  hudsonius,  but  slightly  larger  and 
brighter  in  color;  differing  also  in  cranial  characters. 

Color. — Summer  pelage:  Sides  bright  ochraceous-buflf,  similar  to 
brightest  specimensof //Mrfsow/?fs  from  Eastern  States,  moderately  lined 
with  black-tipped  hairs;  dorsal  area  distinct,  strongly  suffused  with 
color  of  sides;  tail  yellowish  white  below,  dark  grayish  above.  Fall 
pelage:  Sides  dull  yellowish  instead  of  ochraceous;  dorsal  area  nearly 
black,  very  slightly  flecked  with  yellowish-tipped  hairs;  dorsal  surface 
of  tail  much  darker  than  in  summer;  ears  darker,  conspicuously 
bordered  with  whitish. 

Crania  I  characters. — Skull  slightly  larger  than  in  Z.  hudsonius.  Skulls 
from  the  type  locality,  compared  with  those  of  Z.  hudsonius  from  Tower, 
Minn.,  agree  in  interorbital  breadth;  brain  case  about  as  wide  but 
higher;  incisive  foramina  slightly  larger;  process  on  lower  border  of 
maxillary  portion  of  zygoma  more  pronounced;  viewed  in  profile,  the 
cranium  is  more  evenly  curved. 

Measurements. — Average  of  4  adults  from  type  locality :  Total  length, 
222;  tail  vertebric,  135;  hind  foot,  30.5.  ShuU:  Average  of  4  adult 
skulls  from  type  locality :  Basilar  length,  18.7;  zygomatic  breadth,  11.4; 
mastoid  breadth,  10.4;  interorbital  constriction,  4.2;  incisor  to  post- 
palatal  notch,  8.9;  foramen  magnum  to  postpalatal  notch,  7.9;  fron to- 
palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  6.3. 

General  remarls. — The  present  well-marked  form  replaces  Z.  hudsonius 
over  the  northern  and  more  elevated  portions  of  the  plains  west  of 
Minnesota  and  Iowa  to  the  base  of  the  Eocky  Mountains.  The  char- 
acters of  this  form  remain  remarkably  constant  throughout  its  known 
range.     While  no  good  intergrades  have  been  examined,  it  doubtless 


REVISION  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.        21 

does  iutergrade  with  true  hudsonius  iu  western  Minuesota.     The  dif- 
erence  between  summer  and  early  fall  pelage  is  very  great,  apparently 
greater  than  in  any  other  species. 
Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  35,  from  the  following  localities: 

Manitoba:  Carberry,  2;  Portage  la  Prairie,  1;  Red  River  settlement,  4;  Sel- 
kirk settlement,  1. 

North  Dakota  :  Devils  Lake,  1 ;  Fort  Sisseton,  1 ;  Fori  Wadsworth,  1 ;  Pem- 
bina, 2. 

Montana  :  Little  Big  Horn  River,  1. 

South  Dakota  :  Cnster,  4. 

Wyoming:  Bear  Lodge  Menu  tains  (type  locality),  6;  Cheyenne,  1;  Devils 
Tower,  1 ;  Sherman,  1 ;  Sundance,  1 

Nebraska  :  Columbus,  1. 

Colorado :  Loveland,  5. 

Missouri  :  Jackson  County,  1. 

ZAPUS  TENELLUS  Merriara.     Kamloops  Jumping  Mouse. 

Zainis  leneUiis  Merriani,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XI,  p.  103,  April  26, 1897. 

Type  locality. — Kamloops,  British  Columbia. 

Geographic  distrihution. — Known  only  from  vicinity  of  type  locality. 

General  characters. — Size  rather  small;  ears  rather  large;  coloration 
dark. 

Color. — Early  faU  pelage :  Somewhat  similar  to  Zap  us  hudsonius  in 
corresponding  pelage  but  much  darker;  sides  olive  yellowish,  heavily 
intermixed  with  black-tipped  hairs;  dorsal  area  somewhat  as  in  hud- 
sonius, but  not  well  defined,  contrasting  less  with  sides;  tail  sharply 
bicolor,  darker  above  and  at  tip  than  in  hudsonius ;  nose,  ears,  and 
outer  sides  of  thigh  and  forearm  dusky,  much  darker  than  in  hudsonius; 
fore  and  hind  feet  soiled  whitish. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  similar  to  that  of  Zapus  hudsonius,  but 
less  swollen  in  frontal  region;  border  of  ascending  portion  of  jugal 
straigliter;  cranium  more  arched. 

Measurements. — Average  of  four  specimens  from  type  locality:  Total 
length,  208;  tail  vertebrt^,  128;  hind  foot,  30..J.  Skull:  Average  of  3 
skulls  from  type  locality :  Basilar  leugtb,  1G.5;  zygomatic  breadth,  10.6; 
mastoid  breadth,  9.0;  interorbital  constriction,  4.2;  incisor  to  post- 
palatal  notch,  7.0;  foramen  magnum  to  postpalatal  notch,  6.9;  fronto- 
palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  5.7. 

General  remarks. — Zapus  tenellus  is  a  well-marked  form  requiring 
comparison  only  with  Z.  hudsonius  and  its  subspecies  alascensis.  In 
color  it  resembles  alascensis,  but  in  cranial  characters  it  departs  from 
hudso7iius  iu  anothev  direction.  There  is  a  possibility  that  it  may  be 
found  to  intergrade  with  one  of  them  to  the  northward,  but  until  such 
intergradation  is  proved,  it  seems  best  to  allow  it  full  specific  rank. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  7,  from  the  following  localities: 

British  Columbia  :  Ducks,  2 ;  Kamloops,  5. 


22  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

ZAPUS  TRINCEPS  Allen.     Rocky  Mountain  Jumping  Mouse. 

(PI.  I,  figs.  6,  60.)  - 

Zapus  princeps  .J.  A.  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  V,  p.  71,  April  28,  1893. 

Type  locality. — Florida,  La  Plata  County,  Colo. 

Geographic  distribution. — Rocky  Mouutaiu  region  from  northern  New 
Mexico  northward  to  Henry  House,  Alberta. 

General  characters. — Size  large;  skull  broad  and  heavy,  much  as  in 
Z.  hndsonius,  but  much  larger. 

Color. — Slimmer  pelage:  "Above  with  the  middle  of  the  dorsal  region 
pale  yellowish  brown,  i^rofusely  inixi  d  with  blackish,  so  that  sometimes 
the  blackish  color,  sometimes  the  pale  yellowish  brown,  predominates; 
sides  of  the  body,  forming  a  baud  on  either  side  about  equal  to  the 
dark  dorsal  area,  yellowish  brown,  slightly  mixed  with  blackish,  except 
over  a  narrow  lateral  line,  adjoining  the  white  of  lower  parts,  which  is 
a  clear,  strong  yellowish  brown ;  lower  ])iiTts  white  to  the  base  of  the 
hairs,  varjdug  in  some  specimens  to  strong  ochraceous;  tail  indistinctly 
bicolor — grayish  white  below  and  pale  brown  above,  and  very  thinly 
haired;  hind  feet  grayish  white  above  like  the  lower  surface  of  the 
tail;  ears  narrowly  edged  with  yellowish  white."'  In  fall  pelage  stdnlts 
have  the  dorsal  area  with  more  black  and  sides  more  yellowish  than  in 
summer;  under  i^arts  pure  white;  immature  in  same  pelage  similar, 
but  with  dorsal  area  more  suffused  with  yellowish;  under  parts  some 
what  suffused  with  color  of  sides. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  large  and  heavy,  with  rather  heavy  denti- 
tion. In  some  specimens  the  premolar  is  very  small,  occasionally  being 
flattened  against  the  adjacent  tooth  and  scarcely  functional.  Imma- 
ture skull  short  and  broad,  with  large  brain  case.  The  incisive  foramina 
in  this  and  closely  related  species  much  larger  than  in  those  more  nearly 
lelnted  to  Z.  hudsonius. 

Measurements. — Average  of  7  specimens  from  Fort  Garland,  Colo. : 
Total  length,  245;  tail  vertebra^,  147;  hind  foot,  32.  Average  of  4  from 
La  Barge  Creek,  Wyo. :  Total  length,  239;  tail  vertebrae,  150;  hind 
foot,  32.  Average  of  6  from  St.  Mary  Lake,  Mont. :  Total  length,  232; 
tail  vertebrae,  139;  hind  foot,  32.  Slull:  Average  of  2  adult  skulls 
from  Fort  Garland,  Colo. :  Basilar  length,  20.7 ;  zygomatic  breadth,  12.5 ; 
mastoid  breadth,  11;  interorbital  constriction,  4  5;  incisor  to  post- 
palatal  notch,  9.8;  foramen  magnum  to  postpalatal  notch,  8.8;  fronto- 
palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  0.0.  One  irom  Preuss  Moun- 
tains, Idaho:  Basilar  length,  20.5;  zygomatic  breadth,  13.2;  mastoid 
breadth,  11;  interorbital  constriction,  4.8;  incisor  to  postpalatal  notch, 
9.8;  foramen  magnum  to  postpalatal  notch,  8.8;  frontopalatal  depth 
at  middle  of  molar  series,  0.5. 

General  remarls. — Zapus  princeps  is  one  of  the  largest  species  of 
the  genus  and  has  the  widest  range  of  any  except  Z.  hudsonius.  It 
is  mostly  confined  to  mountains,  though  northward  its  range  extends 


'From  original  description  in  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  V,  p.  71, 189.3. 


REVIH.ION  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.         23 

over  the  plaius  of  Assiniboia  and  Saskatchewan,  where  it  grades  into 
the  form  here  described  as  subspecies  minor. 
Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  101,  from  the  following  localities: 

Alberta:   Crow  Nest  Pass  (Rocky   Monntaius  near  forty-ninth  parallel),    1; 

Henry  House,  2;  15  miles  south  of  Henry  House,  3. 
British  Columbia:  Field,  3;  Glaeier,  1. 
Montana:   Bear  Pan'  Mountains,   6;    Big  Snowy   Mountains,   12;    Blackfoot 

Agency,  2;  Fort  Ellis,  1;   Paola,  1;  Pryor  Mountains,  1;  St.  ^larys  Lake, 

13;  Suuiniit,  5;  Upper  Stillwater  Lake,  2. 
Idaho:  Preuss  Mountains,  8;  Salmon  River  ]\Iountaius,  5. 
Wyoming:  Clark  Fork,  1;  La  Barge  Creek,  11;  Yellowstone  Lake,  1. 
Colorado:  Co(  hetope  Pass,  1;  Florida  (type  locality),  5;  Fort  Garland,  10; 

Gold  Hill,  2;  Rocky  Mountains  (39-),  1. 
Nevr  Mexico:  Camp  Burgwyn,  2;  Santa  Fe,  1. 

ZAPUS  PRINCEPS  MINOR  subsp.  nov.,    Saskatchewan  Jumping  Mouse. 

Tij2)e  from  Wingard,  near  Carlton  House,  Saskatchewan,  No.  73673,  9  ad.,  U.  S.  Nat. 
Museum,  Biological  Survey  Coll.  Collected  July  2.3,  1895,  hy  J.  Alden  Loring. 
Original  No.  3123. 

Geograpliie  distribution. — Plains  of  Saskatchewan;  limits  of  range 
unknown. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  Zapiis  princeps,  but  smaller  and  difter- 
iug  in  color  and  cranial  characters. 

Color. — Summer  pelage:  Similar  to  Z.2)rinceps,  but  dorsal  area  darker; 
lower  iiarts  suffused  with  salmon.  Fall  pelage  with  dorsal  area  thickly 
tiecked  with  yellowish  and  sides  yellowish  olive;  lower  parts  much  as 
in  summer. 

Cranial  characters. — Skulls  of  the  present  form  from  Osier  and  AVin- 
gard,  Saskatchewan,  compared  witU  those  of  Z.  prinreps  from  Colorado, 
differ  as  follows:  Smaller;  rostrum  shorter  and  more  deflected;  nasals 
much  narrower  anteriorly ;  brain  case  relatively  higher;  interpterygoid 
fossa  shallower. 

^[easurements. — Average  of  10  specimens  from  Osier,  Saskatchewan: 
Total  length,  219;  tail  vertebra^,  131;  hind  foot,  29.0.  Average  of  2 
from  tyi)e  locality:  Total  length,  220;  tail  vertebni^,  131,5;  hind  foot, 
28.  Skull:  Average  of  3  skulls  from  Osier,  Saskatchewan:  Basilar 
length,  18.7;  zygomatic  breadth,  J 2.2;  mastoid  breadth,  10.7;  interor- 
bital  constriction,  4.1;  incisor  to  postpalatal  notch,  9;  foramen  mag- 
num to  postpalatal  notch,  8.3;  fronto-palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar 
series,  C.7. 

General  remarks. — Z.  minor  is  a  well-marked  subspecies  requiring 
comparison  only  with  Z.  princeps.  It  is  evidently  the  northern  plains 
representative  of  that  species,  probably  intergrading  with  it  in  Assini- 
boia and  eastern  Alberta  near  the  United  States  boundary  and  along 
the  eastern  base  of  the  Canadian  Rockies.  Lack  of  specimens  from 
this  region  makes  it  impossible  to  conclusively  sel;tle  this  point. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number, 21,  from  the  following  localities: 

Saskatchewan:  Osier,  15;  Wingard  (type  locality),  3. 
Assiniboia:  Indian  Head,  3. 


24  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 

ZAPUS  PRINCEPS  OREGONUS  snbsp.  iiov.     Blue  Mountaius  Juiiipiu<v  Mouse. 

Type  from  Elgin,  Blue  Mountaius,  Oregon.  No.  78156,  i  ad.,  U.  S.  Nat.  Museum, 
Biological  Survey  Coll.  Collected  May  29, 1896.  by  Edward  A.  Preble.  Original 
No.  959. 

Geographic  distribution. — Blue  Mountains  of  Oregon. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  Zapus  2Jrinc€ps,  but  differing  in  color 
and  in  cranial  cliaracters. 

Color. — Early  summer  pelage :  Very  similar  to  Z.princeps^  but  slightly 
lighter  on  sides,  especially  anteriorly;  dorsal  area  and  head  more  finely 
tiecked  with  color  of  sides,  the  head  especially  presenting  a  grayish 
appearance ;  beneath  j)ure  white ;  whitish  edging  of  ears  very  indistinct. 

Cranial  characters. — Compared  with  Z.  princeps  from  Colorado,  the 
skull  of  the  present  form  differs  as  follows:  Brain  case  more  rounded, 
especially  shorter  and  more  rounded  behind;  zygomata  shorter;  inci- 
sive foramina  larger  and  very  much  broader  behind;  audital  bulhe 
slightly  smaller. 

Meastirements. — Type:  Total  length,  250;  tail  vertebrae,  154;  hind 
foot,  33.  Average  of  3  adults  from  Strawberry  Butte,  Oregon:  Total 
length,  243;  tail  vertebra^  140;  hind  foot,  32.  Slcull:  Average  of  3 
adult  skulls  from  type  locality :  Basilar  length,  20,1 ;  zygomatic  breadth, 
12.9;  mastoid  breadth,  11;  interorbital  constriction,  4.4;  incisor  to  post- 
palatal  notch,  0.7;  foramen  magnum  to  postpalatal  notch,  8.5;  fronto- 
palatal  dei)th  at  middle  of  molar  series,  0.5. 

General  remarks. — The  present  form  seems  to  replace  Z.  princeps 
throughout  the  Blue  Mountains  region  of  northeastern  Oregon.  Speci- 
mens from  this  region  agree  very  constantly  with  each  other  and  differ 
from  typical  Z.  princeps  as  above  indicated.  It  is  much  larger  than  and 
not  at  all  closely  related  to  Z.  montanus,  its  relative  on  the  west.  A 
specimen  from  Mountain  City,  Nev..  in  the  Brunneau  Mountains,  though 
differing  in  many  details,  is  doubtfully  referred  to  this  form.  Exter- 
nally it  differs  considerably  from  Z.  oregoniis  and  agrees  with  Z.  neva- 
decisis,  from  the  Euby  Mountains,  Nev.,  though  the  skull  shows  that  it 
is  not  closely  related  to  that  form.  The  skull  of  the  Mountain  City 
specimen  also  differs  somewhat  from  that  of  typical  Z.  oregouus,  and  addi- 
tional material  will  doubtless  show  it  to  represent  a  form  which  merits 
separation. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  9,  from  the  following  localities: 

Oregon:   Elgin,  3;  Harney  (10  miles  north),  2;  Strawberry  Butte,  3. 
Nevada:  ^Mountain  City  (not  typical),  1. 

ZAPUS  MAJOR  sp.  nov.     Warner  Mountain  Jumping  Mouse. 

I'Hjje  from  Warner  Mountains,  Oregon.  No.  79983,  9  ad.,  U.  S.  Nat.  Museum,  Biolog- 
ical Survey  Coll.  Ceik-cted  August  4,  1896,  by  C.  Hart  Merriam  and  Vernon 
Bailey.     Original  No.  5720. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  the  type  locality. 
General  characters. — Similar  externally  to  Zapus  princeps^  but  larger; 
skull  closelj"  resembling  that  of  Z.  trinotatus. 


REVISION  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.         25 

Color. — Type  in  summer  pelage:  Sides  ocbraceous-buff,  moderately 
lined  with  black-tipped  hairs;  back  slightly  darker,  thickly  flecked 
with  black;  tail  not  sharply  bicolored;  beneath,  dull  white;  feet  soiled 
white. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  massive;  brain  case  high  and  broad; 
zygomata  rather  short;  palate  broad  and  long;  interpterygoid  fossa 
broad  and  shallow,  with  bordering  edge  of  palate  much  excavated. 
IMaxillary  portion  of  zygomata  heavy  and  nearly  jierpendicular  to  main 
axis  of  skull;  incisive  foramina  large  and  elliptical.  The  skull  of  Z. 
major  difiers  from  those  of  Z.  trinotatus  taken  near  type  locality  and  from 
northern  Washington,  as  follows:  Rostrum  larger  and  nasals  broader; 
brain  case  higher;  ascending  portion  of  jugal  steeper. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  255;  tail  vertebrie,  155;  hind 
foot,  35.  ISlxuU  (type):  Basilar  length,  20.4;  zygomatic  breadth,  13; 
mastoid  breadth,  11.2;  iuterorbital  constriction,  4.7;  incisor  to  post- 
palatal  notch,  10;  foramen  magnum  to  postpalatal  notch,  8.0;  fronto- 
palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  0.5. 

General  remarls. — The  ])resent  form  is  based  on  a  single  adult  speci- 
men from  the  Warner  Mountains,  in  southern  Oregon.  The  skull  bears 
some  resemblance,  especially  in  the  form  of  the  brain  ease,  to  those  ot 
Z.  trinotatus  and  its  subspecies  all  en  i.  It  is  apparently  shut  off  by 
natural  barriers  from  all  of  the  forms  surrounding  it,  with  the  possible 
exception  of  Z.  montamis,  and  has  no  close  afiinities  with  them.  From 
Z.  montamis  it  differs  to  such  an  extent  that  intergradation  is  out  of  the 
question. 

Specimens  examined. — The  type. 

ZAPUS  NEVADEXSIS  sp.  uov.     Nevada  Jumping  Mouse. 

Type  fvom  Ruby  Mountains,  Nevada,  No.  94185,  9a<^I-,  U- S- Nat.  Museum,  Biological 
Survey  Coll.     Collected  Juue21,  18!)8,  by  Vernon  Bailey.     Original  No.  6581. 

Geo(iraphic  distribution. — Known  only  from  type  locality. 

General  characters. — Size  rather  large;  color  light;  molar  series  long 
and  rather  nariow. 

Color. — Dorsal  area  about  as  in  Z.  princeps^  pale  yellowish-brown, 
profusely  mixed  with  black-tipped  hairs;  sides  light  ochraceous-buff, 
becoming  almost  white  on  cheeks,  moderately  lined  with  black-tipped 
hairs,  the  basal  i)ortion  of  fur  cinereous,  noticeably  lighter  in  color  than 
ill  Z.  princeps,  with  a  few  white  hairs  intermixed;  beneath,  pure  white. 

Cranial  characters. — The  skull  of  the  type  and  only  known  specimen 
is  large,  but  rather  lightly  built.  Compared  with  skulls  of  Z.  princeps 
from  Colorado  it  is  smaller  and  flatter;  brain  case  shorter  and  more 
rounded;  incisive  foramina  small  and  elliptical;  bulla?  smaller;  molars 
rather  narrow,  but  molar  series  long;  zygomata  short  and  not  broadly 
spreading.  Compared  with  skulls  of  Z.  trinotatus  allcni  fioni  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  Calif.,  it  differs  as  follows:  Smaller,  but  with  molar  series 
longer;  incisive  foramina  smaller  and  narrower  posteriorly ;  zygomata 


2G  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

shorter  and  less  spreading;  brain  case  flatter;  rostrum  shorter.  Com- 
pared with  the  skull  of  the  specimen  from  Mountain  City,  Nev.,  doubt- 
fully referred  to  Z.  oregomts,  the  type  differs  as  follows :  Slightly  smaller 
and  younger;  zygomata  shorter  and  zygomatic  breadth  slightly  less; 
shape  of  brain  case  not  strikingly  different;  molar  series  decidedly 
longer;  incisive  foramina  very  much  smaller  and  narrower  posteriorly; 
postpalatal  notch  indenting  palate  farther,  nearly  to  middle  of  posterior 
molars;  bullaj  slightly  smaller.  Mandible  slighter,  but  lower  molar 
series  longer. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  242;  tail  vertebr.T,  150;  hind 
foot,  33,  Skull  (type):  Basilar  length,  19.4;  zygomatic  breadth,  12; 
mastoid  breadth,  11;  interorbital  constriction, 4.6;  incisor  to  postpalatal 
notch,  9.5;  foramen  magnum  to  postpalatal  notch,  8;  fronto-palatal 
depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  C. 

General  remarks. — The  present  form  is  based  on  a  single  adult  speci- 
men collected  in  the  Ruby  Mountains  in  east-central  ;N"evada.  It  does 
not  seem  to  be  closely  related  to  any  of  the  forms  whose  ranges  partially 
surround  its  habitat.  While  it  is  probably  most  nearly  related  to  Z. 
princeps,  it  seems  to  differ  enough  to  warrant  specific  separation. 

8x)eclmens  examined. — The  type. 

ZAPUS  TRINOTATUS  Rhoads.     Northwest  Jumping  Mouse. 

(PI.  I,  tigs.  5,  5a.) 

Zapus  Irinotatus  Rhoads,  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.  Phila.,  1894,  p.  421,  Jau.  15, 1895. 

Zapus  imperator  Elliot,  Field  ColuiubiaD  Mus.,  Pub.  30,  Zool.  Ser.,  I,  No.  11,  -p.  228, 

Feb.  1,  1899;  ibid.  No.  13,  pp.  260-261,  1  fig.  in  text,  March,  1899.     (Type  from 

Sieg's  ranch,  Elwah  River,  Clallam  County,  Wash.) 

Type  locality, — Lulu  Island,  mouth  of  Fraser  Eiver,  British  Columbia. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coast  region  of  southern  British  Columbia, 
Washington  (including  Cascades),  Oregon  (west  of  western  base  of 
Cascades),  and  northern  California,  south  to  fJumboldt  Bay. 

General  characters. — Size  large;  color  bright;  skull  large  and  broad. 

Color. — Summer  pelage:  Sides  dark  ochraceous-buff,  rather  heavily 
lined  with  black-tipped  hairs;  dorsal  area  very  distinct,  moderately 
flecked  with  color  of  sides;  beneath  white,  frequently  suffused  or 
blotched  with  fulvous,  especially  in  young;  outer  surface  of  forearm 
and  legs  dusky;  tail  quite  strongly  bicolored,  in  dried  skins  dusky 
brown  above  and  yellowish-white  below.  In  early  fall  pelage  the  sides 
are  dull  yellowish  instead  of  ochraceous;  dorsal  area  duller  than  in 
summer,  much  more  thickly  flecked  with  yellowish  hairs.  In  immature 
individuals  the  dorsal  area  is  especially  indistinct. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  large  and  rather  heavily  built,  about  the 
size  of  that  of  Z.  xninceps.  Brain  case  broader  and  more  globular; 
zygomatic  breadth  greater;  palate  shorter;  molars  more  lightly  built 
than  in  that  species. 


REVISION  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.         27 

Measurements. — Average  of  4  adults  from  !N"eali  Bay,  Wash.:  Total 
length,  248;  tail  vertebrie,  153;  hind  foot,  33.5.  Four  specimens  from 
Lake  Washington,  Wash.,  average:  Total  length,  240;  tail  vertebme, 
147.5;  hind  foot,  34.2.  Ten  specimens  from  Lake  Cnshman,  Wash., 
average:  Total  length,  239.5;  tail  vertebrti^,  144.5;  hind  foot,  32.5. 
Sl'vU :  Six  adult  skulls  from  five  localities  in  Washington,  average: 
Basilar  length,  20.2;  zygomatic  breadth,  13;  mastoid  breadth,  10.9; 
interorbital  constriction,  4.3;  incisor  to  postpalatal  notch,  9,0;  foramen 
magnum  to  postpalatal  notch,  8.8;  fronto-iDalatal  depth  at  middle  of 
molar  series,  6.7. 

General  remarls. — Zapus  trinotatKs  is  one  of  the  largest,  and  in  early 
summer  pelage  one  of  the  most  showy  species  in  the  genus.  In  the 
absence  of  specimens  from  the  exact  type  locality,  sx^ecimens  from  Port 
Moody,  British  Columbia,  a  few  miles  distant  on  the  mainland,  are 
assumed  to  be  typical.'  The  species  is  remarkably  constant  in  char- 
acters throughout  its  range,  examples  from  near  the  type  locality  not 
differing  much  from  specimens  from  Yaquina  Bay,  Oregon.  In  the 
Sierra  Kevada  of  California  this  species  is  replaced  by  the  closely 
related  subspecies  aJleni.  In  a  recent  paper  entitled  '  Preliminary 
descriptions  of  ]S^ew  Eodents  from  the  Olympic  Mountains,'  Mr.  D.  G. 
Elliot  has  described  the  Zapus  from  that  region  under  the  name  Zapus 
imperator,  but  in  making  his  comparisons  he  ignores  Z.  trinotatns,  con- 
trasting imperator  only  witli  Z.  prineeps.  Through  the  courtesy  of  the 
author  I  have  been  able  to  examine  the  type  and  a  topotype  of  imper- 
afor.  They  do  not  differ  sufiSciently  from  Z.  trinotatns^  from  the  con- 
tiguous coast  region  and  from  the  type  locality,  to  admit  of  even  sub- 
specific  separation. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  99,  from  the  following  localities: 

British  Columbia:  Lulu   Islaud   (type  locality),  2;  Mount  Baker  Eange,  4; 

Mouut  Lebmau,  1 ;  Port  Moody,  3 ;  Sumas,  3. 
California:  Crescent  City,  1;  Mad  River  (Carsou"s  Carap),  1. 
Oregon:  Astoria,!;  Beaverton,  3;  Elk  Head,!;  Gieudale,  1;  Lincoln  County, 

1;  Marshfield,  1;  Salem,  1;  Yaquina  Bay,  9. 
Washington:  Cascade  River  (head),  2;  Easton,  3;  Granville,  1;  Fort  Steila- 

coom,   1;    Kichelos  Lake,   1;    Lake  Cusbniau,  15;    Lake  Washington,  •!; 

Lapush,  2;  Mount  Rainier,  12;  Mount  St.  Helens,  3;  Neah  Bay,  5;  Nis- 

qually  River,  4;  Olympic  Mountains  (head  Elwah  River),  2-;  Olympic 

Mountains  (head  Soleduc  River),  2;  Pacific  County,  5;  Puget  Sound,  3; 

'Washington,'  1. 

ZAPUS  TRINOTATUS  ALLENI  Elliot.     Allen's  .lumping  Mouse. 

faptis  alleiii  PLlliot,  Field  Columbian  Mus.,  Pub.  27,  Zool.  Ser.,  I,  No.  10,  pp.  212-213, 
-March,  1898. 

Type  locality. — Pyramid  Peak,  Lake  Tahoe,  California. 
Oeof/raphic  distribution. — Mount  Shasta  and  southward  in  the  Sierra 
Nevada  to  Mammoth  and  North  Fork  of  Kern  Eiver,  California. 

'  Since  the  above  was  written  the  type  and  a  topotype  have  been  examined  and 
found  to  agree  with  the  specimens  from  Port  Moody. 
''Type  and  topotype  of  Zcqjus  imptrator. 


2H  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

General  characters. — Similar  to  Z.  irinotatun;  differing  slightly  in 
external  and  cranial  characters. 

Color. — Early  summer  pelage:  Sides  rather  pale  ocbraceous-buff, 
only  moderately  lined  with  black-tij^ped  hairs;  dark  dorsal  area  well 
defined,  rather  lighter  than  in  Z.  trinotatus;  under  parts  pure  white; 
never  marked  with  fulvous,  except  that  rarely  young  specimens  are 
slightly  sutiused  with  this  color  beneath;  tail  in  dried  skins  rather 
light  grayish-brown  above  and  yellowish- white  below;  tail  lighter 
toward  tip,  the  pencil  often  white.  Compared  with  Z.  trinotatus,  adults 
of  this  species  have  dorsal  area  less  flecked  with  color  of  sides  and  fewer 
black-tipped  hairs  on  sides.  Upper  surface  of  tail,  ears,  head,  and 
outer  surface  of  thighs  lighter  than  in  Z.  trinotatus.  Immature  indi- 
viduals in  late  summer  pelage  have  dorsal  area  very  indistinct  and 
much  mixed  with  ochraceous.  Fall pehu/e :  An  adult  taken  at  Cassel, 
Calif.,  August  29  (very  fat  and  doubtless  about  to  hibernate),  is  in  a 
l^elage  quite  similar  to  that  worn  in  earh'  summer,  but  the  sides  are 
lighter  ochraceous,  especially  anteriorly,  and  the  dorsal  area  is  more 
thickly  flecked  with  color  of  sides.  Z.  alleni  apparently  does  not  assume 
the  dull  yellowish  fall  pelage  of  Z.  trinotatus. 

Cranial  characters. — Skulls  similar  to  those  of  Z.  trinotatus,  but 
smaller,  with  much  smaller  bulla'.  From  that  of  Z.  montanus  of  the 
Cascade  Eange  the  skull  of  the  present  species  differs  so  much  as  not  to 
require  comparison. 

Measurements. — Eight  adults  from  Emerald  Bay,  Lake  Tahoe,  aver- 
age: Total  length,  234.6;  tail  vertebn^,  143.6;  hind  foot,  32.5.  Two 
adults  from  Mount  Shasta,  Calif.,  average:  Total  length,  249.5;  tail 
vertebrre,  152.5;  hind  foot, -32.5.  Sl'ull :  Eight  skulls  from  Emerald 
Bay,  Lake  Tahoe,  average:  Basilar  length,  19.7;  zygomatic  breadth, 
12.6;  mastoid  breadth,  10.5;  interorbital  constriction,  4.5;  incisor  to 
postpalatal  notch,  9.3;  foramen  magnum  to  postpalatal  notch,  8.2; 
fronto-palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  6.~i. 

General  remarlcs. — Zapus  t.  alleni  is  a  fairly  well-marked  subspecies 
occupying  the  Sierra  Nevada  of  California,  from  Mount  Shasta  south 
to  the  region  about  the  head  of  the  North  Fork  of  Kern  River.  It  is 
a  very  beautiful  species  and  differs  from  all  others  of  this  subgenus  in 
often  having  the  pencil,  and  occasionally  more  of  the  tail,  white. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  61,  from  the  following  localities: 

California:  Big  Trees,  1;  Cassel,  1;  East  Fork  Kaweah  River,  2;  Emerald 
r)ay,  Lake  Tahoe,  19;  Keru  River  (North  Fork — 'Keru  Lakes'),  1;  Lassen 
Peak,  14;  Mammoth,!;  Mount  Shasta,  20;  Summit,  1;  Upper  Bear  Creek.  1. 

ZAPUS  MONTANUS  (Merriam).     Mountain  Jumping  Mouse. 
Zapus  Irinotatus  montanus  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XI,  p.  104,  April  26, 1897. 

Type  locality. — Crater  Lake,  Mount  Mazama,  Oregon. 
Geographic  distribution. — Cascade  Eange  in  Oregon. 
General  characters. — Smaller  and  duller  in  color  than  Z.  trinotatus^ 
also  differing  in  cranial  characters. 


REVISION  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.         29 

Color.— t<ummer  pelage  Sides  rather  dark,  oebraceous-buff,  heavily 
lined  with  black-tipped  hairs;  dorsal  area  quite  sharply  defined,  griz- 
zled dusky  and  yellowish;  outer  side  of  legs  dusky  to  heel;  tail  sharply 
bicolor,  dark  gray  above  aud  whitish  beneath ;  fore  and  hind  feet  soiled 
white ;  immature,  suffused  beneath  with  yellowish.  Fall  pelage :  Dorsal 
area  darker  than  in  summer,  thickly  flecked  with  light  yellowish,  pre- 
seuting-  a  pepper-and  salt  appearance;  sides  yellowish-olive,  heavily 
lined  with  black-tipped  hairs. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  smaller  than  those  of  Z.  trlnotatus  and 
Z, princeps  oregonus  and  much  narrower  throughout;  incisive  foramina 
much  narrower  posteriorly;  bulUe  smaller. 

Measurements.^-Eight  specimens  from  tyj)e  locality  average:  Total 
length,  228;  tail  vertebrae,  135;  hind  foot,  31.  SJcull:  Three  skulls 
from  type  locality  average:  Basilar  length,  19.5;  zygomatic  breadth, 
12.1;  mastoid  breadth,  10.1;  interorbital  constriction,  4.5;  incisor  to 
postpalatal  notch,  9;  foramen  magnum  to  postpalatal  notch,  8.3; 
fronto-i)alatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  C.l. 

General  remarks. — Zapus  montanus  is  a  very  well-marked  form  inhabit- 
ing the  entire  Cascade  Range  in  Oregon.  It  is  apparently  totally  dis- 
tinct from  all  of  the  species  whose  ranges  surround  its  habitat.  The 
type  series  was  taken  in  August,  1896,  near  Crater  Lake  at  the  head 
of  a  tributary  of  Anna  Creek,  on  Mount  Mazama,  Oregon.  The  species 
was  quite  abundant  in  the  meadows  and  the  shrubbery  of  the  wet  hill- 
sides, and  nearly  a  dozen  were  taken  within  a  few  days.  Several  of 
their  summer  nests  were  found.  A  week  or  two  later  other  specimens 
were  taken  in  the  same  valley  a  few  miles  below.  These  had  begun  to 
assume  the  fall  pelage,  being  slightly  more  olivaceous. 

Two  specimens  taken  September  9,  at  Fort  Klamath,  at  the  base  of 
the  mountains,  had  assumed  the  complete  fall  pelage.  They  were 
excessively  fat,  and  were  doubtless  nearly  ready  to  hibernate. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  16,  from  the  following  localities: 

Oregon:  Crater  Lake  (type  locality),  9;  Diamond  Lake,  1;  Fort  Klamath,  2; 
Mount  Mazama  (Anna  Creek),  2;  Mount  Hood,  2. 

ZAPUS  ORARIUS  sp.  nov.     Coast  Jumping  Mouse. 

(PI.  I,  figs  4,  4a). 

Type  from  Point  Reyes,  Calif.,  No.  250,  ^  ad.,  collection  of  E.  A.  and  O.  Bangs.     Col- 
lected May  14,  1893,  by  Charles  A.  Allen.     Original  No.  618. 

Geographic  distribution. — Coast  of  California  from  Point  Reyes  north 
to  Mad  River,  Humboldt  County;  limits  of  range  unknown. 

General  characters. — Size,  medium;  dorsal  area  and  lower  parts 
strongly  suffused  with  cttlor  of  sides.  Skull  rather  small  and  peculiar 
in  shape. 

Color. —  Type  in  rather  loorn  spring  pelage:  Sides  of  body  and  head 
rather  dark  ochraceous,  moderately  lined  with  black-tipped  hairs; 
dorsal  area  not  sharply  defined  and  strongly  suffused  with  color  of 


30  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

sides.  White  of  lower  parts  so  strongly  suttased  with  ochraceous 
that  the  white  is  almost  obsolete,  appearing  only  on  lower  parts  of 
forelegs  and  between  thighs;  hind  legs  ochraceous  all  around;  sides  of 
throat  deeper  ochraceous  than  remainder  of  lower  parts;  feet  yellowish 
white;  tail  yellowish-white  below  and  grayish  above.  A  specimen 
from  Point  Eeyes,  in  the  collection  of  Dr.  G.  Hart  Merriam,  about  one- 
fourth  grown,  "  has  the  upper  parts  almost  uniform  deep  ochraceous 
yellow,  with  only  the  faintest  trace  of  the  dorsal  area." 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  rather  small;  rostrum  short  and  consider- 
ably deflected;  nasals  very  narrow  anteriorly;  greatest  zygomatic 
breadth  on  plane  of  middle  molars;  zygomata  rather  light,  the  maxil- 
lary portion  meeting  nearly  at  right  angles  to  main  axis  of  skull;  pro- 
cess on  lower  border  of  maxillary  arm  of  zygoma  very  pronounced  and 
nearer  antorbital  foramen  than  in  any  other  species.  Brain  case  high 
and  rather  globular  in  shape;  interorbital  constriction  narrow;  inter- 
pterygoid  fossa  narrow  and  shallow;  incisive  foramina  rather  small 
and  evenly  elliptical  in  shape;  audital  bulhe  small  and  rather  near 
together;  upper  incisors  slender  and  more  projecting  than  usual;  man- 
dibular symphysis  short. 

Measurements. — The  type  measures:  Total  length,  220;  tail  vertebrte, 
127;  hind  foot  (dry),  30.  Sl'uU  [ty\)e):  Basilar  length,  19;  zygomatic 
breadth,  12;  mastoid  breadth,  10.6;  interorbital  constriction,  1;  incisor 
to  postpalatal  notch,  8.5;  foramen  magnum  to  jjostpalatal  notch,  7.1); 
fronto-palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  0.2. 

General  remarls. — Zapus  orarins  appears  to  be  a  very  well-marked 
species  requiring  close  comparison  with  no  other  known  form.  The 
type  has  the  lower  parts  more  intensely  suffused  with  the  color  of  the 
sides  than  any  other  specimen  of  the  genus  that  I  have  seen.  A  speci- 
men from  Mad  Kiver,  Humboldt  County,  resembles  the  type  very  closely, 
and  another  from  Eureka,  without  a  skull,  undoubtedly  belongs  to  this 
species.  The  latter  is  suffused  beneath  with  ochraceous,  though  to  a 
lesser  extent  than  the  type.  The  skull  of  the  type  bears  a  slight  resem- 
blance in  some  respects  to  that  of  Z.  imcijicus^  but  the  differences  are 
so  great  that  unless  the  type  specimen  is  abnormal  orarins  can  not  be 
considered  closely  related  to  pacijicus.  Much  additional  material  is 
needed  to  clear  up  satisfactorily  the  relationships  of  these  and  other 
forms  from  this  region. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  4,  from  the  following  localities: 

California:  Eureka,  1;  Mad  River  (Carson's  Camp),  1;   Point  Reyes  (type 
locality),  2. 

ZAPUS  PACIFICUS  Merriam.     Pacific  Jumpinj;-  Mouse. 

« 
Zapus pacijicus  Merriam,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  XI,  p.  104,  April  26,  1837. 

Type  locality. — Prospect,  Rogue  River  Valley,  Oregon. 
Geographic  distribution. — Interior  valleys  of   southwestern  Oregon 
and  northwestern  California;  limits  of  range  unknown. 


REVISIOX  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.         31 

Color. — "  Dorsal  area  not  sharply  defined,  but  so  strongly  suffused  with 
yellowish  that  the  yellow  predominates  over  the  black;  sides  buffy- 
yellow,  moderately  lined  with  black  hairs;  inner  side  of  legs  only 
slightly  darkened;  tail  sliarply  bicolor;  grayish  above,  white  beneath; 
fore  and.  hind,  feet  soiled  white."  '  A  topotype,  younger  than  the  type 
from  which  the  above  description  was  taken,  "has  the  dorsal  area  even 
less  distinct,  the  entire  upper  parts  being  ochraceous  yellow." 

Cranial  characters. — Compared  with  that  of  Z.  montanns  (its  nearest 
relative  geographically)  the  skull  oi  Z.  pacificusi^  smaller;  the  rostrum 
and  nasals  shorter;  audital  bulla'  smaller;  basi-occipital  broader  between 
bullae;  inter  pterygoid  fossa  shorter;  u[)per  molar  series  more  divaricat- 
ing posteriorly. 

Measurements. — The  type  measures:  Total  length,  225;  tail  vertebrjie, 
14:1;  hind  foot,  31.  SJcull :  Basilar  length,  17.5;  zygomatic  breadth, 
12;  mastoid,  breadth,  10;  interorbital  constriction,  4.5;  incisor  to  post- 
palatal  notch,  8.4;  foramen  magnum  to  postpalatal  notch,  7.2;  fronto- 
palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  0. 

General  remarlxs. — Owing  to  the  small  number  of  specimens  available 
from  the  immediate  region,  it  is  imi^ossible  to  discuss  satisfactorily  the 
true  relationship  of  Zajms pacijicus  to  the  surrounding  species.  The  type 
and  a  topotype  taken  at  the  same  time  are  in  a  i^eculiar  washed-out, 
almost  albinistic,  i»elage,  and  may  possibly  be  abnormal,  esijecially  as 
the  locality  is  well  within  the  humid,  heavily  foj-ested  area,  where  most 
of  the  animals  are  darker  in  color  than  their  congeners  to  the  eastward. 
The  species,  however,  has  fairly  well  marked  skull  characters  and  is 
undoubtedly  a  good  form.  An  immature  specimen  from  Siskiyou,  Oreg., 
taken  September  28,  doubtless  referable  to  this  form,  has  dorsal  area 
more  distinct;  sides  brighter  ochraceous  and  with  more  black  hairs; 
upper  surface  of  tail  darker  and  fur  of  upper  parts  darker  at  base  than 
specimens  from  the  type  locality.  Another,  from  Little  Shasta,  Calif., 
taken  September  20,  also  provisionally  referred  to  this  form,  resembles 
the  Siskiyou  specimen,  but  has  dorsal  area  finely  flecked  with  yellowish 
instead  of  ochraceous. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number, 4, from  the  following  localities: 

Oregon:  Prospect,    Rogue  River  Valley   (tyjie  locality),  2;  Siskiyou,  1  (not 

typical). 
California:   Little  Shasta,  1  (not  typical). 

ZAPUS  SALTATOR  Allen.     Stickeeu  Jumping  Mouse. 
Zapus  saltator  Allen,  Bull.  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  XII,  p.  3,  Mar.  4, 1899. 

Type  locality. — Telegraph  Creek,  Northwest  Territory,  Canada. 

Geographic  distribution. — Telegraph  Creek  south  to  mouth  of  Skeena 
Kiver  and  Tschimshian  Peninsula;  limits  of  range  unknown. 

General  characters. — Similar  in  early  fall  pelage  to  Z.  trinotatus,  but 
smaller  and  differing  in  cranial  characters. 


'  From  original  description. 


32  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

Color. — Fall  pelade:  Sides  yellowish,  moderately  lined  with  black- 
tipped  hairs;  dorsal  area  well-defined,  rather  dark,  and  thickly  flecked 
with  yellowish ;  ears  like  back,  narrowly  edged  with  yellowish ;  beneath, 
pure  white;  tail  dusky  above  and  gray  beneath.  Compared  with  Z. 
trinotatiis  in  corresponding  pelage,  the  back  is  slightly  darker,  the  tail 
darker  above,  and  gray,  instead  of  yellowish- white  beneath. 

Cranial  characters. — Compared  vfith  Z.  trinotatus,  the  skull  of  Z.  sal- 
<rt<o>- differs  as  follows:  Brain  case  narrower;  zygomatic  breadth  con- 
siderably less;  nasals  broader  i^osteriorly.  Compared  with  skulls  of 
Z.  prince]) s  from  Field  and  Glacier,  British  Columbia,  and  Heniy  House, 
Alberta,  the  skull  of  Z.  saltator  has  the  rostrum  longer;  palate  from 
incisive  foramina  to  postpalatal  notch  shorter;  and  molars,  especially 
last  upper,  smaller.  All  of  the  skulls  of  Z.  saltator  examined  agree 
very  well  among  themselves,  and  all  have  the  incisive  foramina  very 
large  and  broad  posteriorly.  The  zygomatic  exj)ansion  is  sniaJl  and 
the  brain  case  high  and  narrow. 

Measurements. — An  adult  from  Port  Simpson,  British  Columbia, 
measures:  Total  length,  245;  tail  vertebrne,  145;  hind  foot,  32.  Average 
of  five  young  adults  from  same  locality:  Total  length,  234;  tail  verte- 
brae, 151;  hind  foot,  32.  Skull:  An  adult  skull  from  Port  Simjisou, 
British  Columbia,  measures:  Basilar  length,  20;  zygomatic  breadth, 
11.8;  mastoid  breadth,  10.5;  interorbital  constriction,  4.5;  incisor  to 
postpalatal  notch,  9.4;  foramen  magnum  to  postpalatal  notch,  8;  fronto- 
palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  6.4. 

General  remarks. — Zapus  saltator  is  a  well-marked  form,  differing  con- 
siderably from  its  relatives  to  the  southward.  With  Z.  hudsonius  alas- 
eeiisis,  which  probably  meets  it  on  the  north,  it  re(iuires  no  comparison, 
the  immensely  larger  incisive  foramina  and  larger  molars  of  the  pres- 
ent species  distinguishing  the  two  forms  at  a  glance.  A  small  series 
of  Z.  saltator,  which  forms  the  basis  of  the  present  description,  was 
taken  by  the  writer  at  Port  Simj^son,  British  Columbia,  in  August, 
1897.  Some  of  these  were  taken  in  a  grassy  thicket  near  the  edge 
of  the  forest,  a  few  feet  above  high-water  mark,  and  the  remainder  in 
a  garden  in  the  village.  Z.  saltator  may  be  found  to  mtergrade  with 
either  Z.  trinotatus  or  Z.  princeps  (it  seems  nearer  the  latter),  but  until 
its  true  relationship  is  proved  it  seems  best  to  allow  it  full  specific  rank. 
The  tail  is  longer  and  the  hind  foot  shorter,  relatively,  than  in  Z.  trino- 
tatus. Through  the  kindness  of  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen,  J  have  been  enabled 
to  examine  the  type  of  Z.  saltator.  The  skull  of  the  type  being  imper- 
fect, the  cranial  characters  given  above  are  taken  from  Port  Simpson 
specimens. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  8,  from  the  following  localities: 

Northwest  Territory:  Telegrapli  Creek,  1  (the  type). 

British  Columbia:  luverness  (mouth  of  Skeena  River),  1 ;  Port  Simpson,  6. 


REVISION  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.         33 

NAP^^OZAPUS^  subgenus  novum. 

Tjiije  Zapus  iiisigtils  Miller,  from  Restigouche  River,  New  Brunswick. 

Suhgeneric  characters. — Teeth:  i.\'^,  p.^^^,  m.^-=16.  Skull  stouter 
than  in  other  subgenera;  interorbital  constriction 
greater;  frontal  region  more  swollen ;  middle  molars 
equaling  first  in  size.  Enamel  pattern  of  molars 
not  essentially  different  from  Zapus,  but  sulcus  ou 
inner  side  of  upper  molars  deeper  and  persisting 
longer  in  the  wearing  tooth  (fig.  2).  General  color  ^^^  ^  _,^^,^^  ^^^^^  ^^  ^„. 
pattern  as  usual  in  the  genus,  bat  tail  tipped  with    ims  (Napoeozapus)  insig- 

,  ..  nis     (topotype),     from 

"  " ' '-*'•  Restigouche  River,  N.  B. 

CNo.  2333,  coll.  E.  A.  aud 
O.  Bangs)  X  6. 

KEY   TO    SPECIES    OF    THE    SUBGENUS   XAP.EOZAPUS. 

Hind  foot  less  than  33  mm. ;  interorbital  constriction  usually  more  than  4.5  mm. 
Larger  and  lighter  in  color;  hind  foot  usually  more  than  30  mm. ;  skull  broader 

and  stouter insi(iii is. 

Smaller  and  darker;  hind  foot  about  30  mm.  or  less;  skull  rather  slender. 

roanensis. 

Hind  foot  about  33  mm. ;  interorbitiil  constriction  narrow,  usually  less  than  4.5  mm. ; 

size  large ahietorum. 

ZAPUS  (NAP.^OZAPUS)  INSIGNIS  Miller.     Woodland  Jumping  Mouse. 

(PI.  I,  figs  1,1a.) 

1856.  Meriones  labradorius  Dawson,  Edinburgh  New  Philos.  Journ.,  new  ser.,  Ill,  p.  2. 

1857.  Jacitlus  hiidsonius  Baird,  Mamm.  N.  Am.,  p.  430  (in  part — specimen  from  Nova 
Scotia). 

1877.  Zapus  Inidsonius  Coues,  Mon.  N.  Am.  Rodentia,  p.  467  (in  parf). 
1891.  Zapus  insignis  Miller,  Am.  Naturalist,  XXV,  p.  472,  August,  1891. 

Tyj)e  locality. — Eestigouche  River,  New  Brunswick, 

Geographic  (listribution. — Canadian  Zone  in  eastern  Canada  and  south 
to  western  Maryland, 

General  characters. — Size  rather  large,  larger  than  Zapus  hudsoniiis^ 
with  longer  ears  and  paler,  more  fulvous  coloration.  Tail  tipped  with 
white. 

Color. — "Adult  male  No.  if f f?  collection  of  G-,  S,  Miller,  jr.,  Peterboro, 
N.  Y.,  August  22, 1892;  length,  250;  tail  vertebrfie,  154;  hind  foot,  31,6; 
ear  from  notch,  18,6.  Tij)  of  tail  for  23  mm.,  dorsum  of  ruanus  and  pes, 
and  entire  ventral  surface  pure  white  to  base  of  hairs.  Sides  buft'-yellow, 
tinged  with  clay  color,  except  on  cheeks,  fore  neck,  and  a  narrow  line 
bordering  white  of  belly,  where  the  yellow  is  noticeably  purer;  the  fur 
plumbeous-gray  at  base  and  a  trifie  sprinkled  with  black,  bristly  hairs. 
These  black  hairs  predominate  on  the  back,  where  they  form  a  sharply 

^  Xapo'ozajyus :  7^a7r azo?,  belonging  to  a  wooded  vale  or  dell;  -\- Zapus.     This  name 
was  suggested  to  me  by  Mr.  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr. 
22095— No.  15 3 


34  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

defined  dorsal  stripe  slightly  mixed  with  the  color  of  the  sides,  broad- 
est just  back  of  the  shoulders,  tapering  gradually  to  base  of  tail,  and 
becoming  indistinct  on  the  head  after  passing  between  the  ears.  Ears 
externally  concolor  with  back,  internally  bufl'-yellow;  muzzle  grayish- 
browu;  whiskers  mixed  brownish  and  whitish,  the  longest  hairs  reach- 
ing beyond  shoulders;  tail  thinly  haired,  so  that  the  aunulation  shows 
distinctly,  sharply  bicolor,  dark  brown,  except  ventrally  and  at  tip."' 
There  is  very  little  seasonal  variation  in  this  species,  and  the  white  of 
lower  parts  is  never  suffused  with  the  color  of  sides. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  rather  broad  aud  stout;  frontal  region 
much  swollen;  brain  case  broad  and  rather  flat;  interorbital  constric- 
tion broad  as  compared  with  that  of  all  other  species  of  the  genus. 

Measurements. — Nine  specimens  from  Nova  Scotia  average:  Total 
length,  238;  tail  vertebra?,  146.7;  hind  foot,  31.1.  Sixteen  from  Peter- 
boro,  N.  Y.,  average:  Total  length,  236;  tail  vertebme,  147;  hiiul  foot, 
30.25.  One  from  Pocono  Mountain,  Pennsylvania:  Total  length,  224; 
tail  vertebme,  140;  hind  foot,  31.  Two  from  Lake  Hopatcong,  New 
Jersey,  average:  Total  length,  231;  tail  vertebme,  140;  hind  foot,  31.5. 
Sl'ull:  Two  skulls  from  type  locality  average:  Basilar  length,  18.7; 
zygomatic  breadth,  12.3;  mastoid  breadth,  10.2;  interorbital  constric- 
tion, 4.9;  incisor  to  postpalatal  notch,  8.8;  foramen  magnum  to  post- 
palatal  notch,  7.8;  fronto-palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  6. 
Four  skulls  from  New  York  average:  Basilar  length,  19.6;  zygomatic 
breadth, 12.9;  mastoid  breadth,  10.8;  interorbital  constriction, 5;  incisor 
to  postpalatal  notch,  9;  foramen  magnum  to  postpalatal  notch,  S.6; 
fronto-palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  6.1. 

General  remarks. — Apparently  the  first  published  record  which  refers 
unmistakably  to  this  species  is  that  of  Prof.  J.  W.  Dawson,  who,  in 
1856,  in  the  Edinburgh  New  Philosophical  Journal,  called  attention  to 
the  fact  that  two  distinct  species  of  Jumping  Mice  inhabited  Nova 
Scotia.  The  present  species  he  wrongly  referred  to  Meriones  labradorius 
(=  Zapus  hudsonius),  and  described  true  Z.  liudsonius  as  a  new  species, 
calling  it,  provisionally,  Meriones  acadiciis.  In  the  National  Museum 
are  two  specimens  of  Zapus  deposited  by  Dawson ;  though  mounted,  they 
are  in  good  condition  for  examination  and  are  plainly  referable  respec- 
tively to  Z.  insignis  and  Z.  hudsonius.  Both  Baird  and  Coues  examined 
them,  or  at  least  similar  specimens  received  from  Dawson,  but  did  not 
consider  the  two  animals  specifically  distinct.  Zapus  hudsonius  also 
occurs  throughout  the  range  of  the  present  species,  but  the  two  prefer 
different  situations — Z.  hudsonius,  shrubby  fields  and  meadows,  and  Z. 
insignis,  deep  woods  near  streams. 

This  species  presents  remarkably  little  variation  throughout  its  range. 
Si^ecimens  from  central  Pennsylvania,  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  S.  N. 
Khoads,  are  practically  indistinguishable  from  examples  taken  near 
the  type  locality.    Three  specimens  from  Lake  Hopatcong,  N.  J.,  have 

1  G.  S.  Miller,  jr.,  Proc.  Biol.  Soc.  Wash.,  YIII,  p.  2, 1893. 


REVISION  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.         35 

sligbtly  smaller  skulls  than  usual,  but  are  otherwise  perfectly  typical. 
I  have  also  examined  two  specimens  from  western  Pennsylvania,  col- 
lected by  Mr,  W.  E.  Clyde  Todd,  and  have  myself  collected  a  speci- 
men in  the  mountains  at  Finzel,  in  Garrett  County,  Md.  jSToue  of 
these  show  any  approach  to  Z.  insignis  roanensis  from  Eoan  Mountain, 
North  Carolina.  Mr.  S.  X.  Ehoads  writes  me  that  he  has  also  taken 
the  species  at  Summit,  Cambria  County,  Pa. 
Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  107,  from  the  following  localities: 

Ne'w  BrunsAwick :  Restigoucbe  Eiver  (type  locality),  3. 

Nova  Scotia:  Halifax,  3;  James  River,  4. 

Ontario :  North  Bay,  6. 

New  Hampshire:  Antrim,  1;  Chocorua,  8;  Dublin,  3;  Fabyaus,  l;  Fraiico- 

nin,  4;  Profile  Lake,  10. 
Vermont :  Mount  Mausfielcl,  4. 
Massachusetts :  Mount  Greylock,  1. 
New  York:  Cascacleville,  4;  Catskills,  4;  Elizabetbtown,  10;  Glenville,  I; 

Lake  George,  1 ;  Peterboro,  30. 
New  Jersey:  Lake  Hopatcoug,  3. 
Pennsylvania:  Cherry  Sjiring,  Potter  County,  1;  Eaglesmere,  2;  Kingston, 

Westmoreland  County,  1;  Mount  Pocono,  1. 
Maryland:  Finzel,  Garrett  County  (6  miles  north  of  Frostburg),  1. 

ZAPUS    (NAP.EOZAPUS)    INSIGNIS   ROANENSIS   subsp.  nov.     Roan   Mountain 

Jumping  Mouse. 

Type  from  Magnetic  City,  foot  of  Roan  Mountain,  North  Carolina,  No.  66283,  $  ad., 
U.  S.  Nat.  Museum,  Biological  Survey  Coll.  Collected  May  22,  1894,  by  A.  G. 
Wetherby. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  from  Roan  Mountain,  North 
Carolina. 

General  characters. — Smaller  and  darker  than  typical  Z.  insignis,  with 
smaller,  narrower  skull. 

Color. — Sides  bright  tawny  ochraceous ;  entire  upi^er  iiarts,  including 
ears,  considerably  darker  than  in  typical  Z.  insignis.  Beneath,  pure 
white;  amount  of  white  on  tail  averaging  less  than  in  Z.  insignis. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  similar  to  that  of  Z.  insignis,  but  smaller 
and  more  slender  throughout;  mandible  much  more  slender,  especially 
in  region  of  molars;  interorbital  constriction  very  slightly  less;  frontal 
region  much  less  swollen;  brain  case  narrower;  fronto  palatal  depth 
about  the  same. 

Measurements. — Sixteen  sj^ecimens  from  Eoan  Mountain  average: 
Total  leugth,  220;  tail  vertebne,  131 ;  hind  foot  (dry),  29.5.  Sl^uU:  Six 
adult  skulls  from  Eoan  Mountain  average:  Basilar  length,  18.8;  zygo- 
matic breadth,  11.7;  mastoid  breadth,  10.1;  interorbital  constriction, 
4.7;  incisor  to  postpalatal  notch,  8.8;  foramen  magnum  to  postpalatal 
notch,  8;  fronto  palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  6.2. 

General  remarl^s. — The  collection  of  the  Biological  Survey  contains 
24  specimens  of  this  form,  collected  from  May  to  September.  As  in 
typical  Z.  insignis.  there  is  very  little  seasonal  variation.  A  young 
individual,  about  one-third  grown,  collected  at  the  type  locality  Sep- 
tember 11,  1892,  by  Dr.  C.  Hart  INIerriam,  resembles  adults  in  color, 


36  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

except  that  the  dorsal  area  is  very  iDdistinct  aud  the  nose  is  white. 
Several  of  the  type  series,  including  this  young  one,  have  the  white 
on  the  tip  of  tail  reduced  to  the  merest  trace.  While  the  material 
examined  from  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  shows  no  indication  of 
iutergradation  existing  between  typical  Z.  insigjiis  aud  the  present 
form,  I  have  thought  best  to  give  it  a  trinomial  name  in  the  belief 
that  iutergradation  does  exist. 

Sx^ecimens  examined. — Total  number,  24,  all  from  Roan  Mountain, 
North  Carolina. 

ZAPUS  (NAPiEOZAPUS)  IXSIGNIS  ABIETORUM  subsp.uov. 
Northern  Woodland  Jumping  Mouse. 

Type  from  Peninsula  Harbor,  north  shore  of  Lake  Superior,  Ontario,  No.  4268,  J  ad., 
collection  qf  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr.     Collected  Sept.  27, 1896,  by  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr. 

Geograpliic  distribution, — Probably  throughout  Hudsonian  zone  in 
eastern  Canada;  limits  of  range  unknown. 

General  characters. — Larger  than  typical  Z.  insignis,  with  shorter 
ears  aud  peculiar  skull. 

Color. — Ai)parently  not  distinguishable  from  Z.  insignis. 

Cranial  characters. — Compared  with  typical  Z.  insignis  the  skull  of 
the  type  has  molar  series  longer  and  heavier;  interorbital  constriction 
narrower  than  in  any  S[)ecimen  of  insignis  examined;  ventral  border  of 
l^terygoids  nearly  on  plane  of  palate;  maxillary  process  of  zygomata 
shorter  and  zygomata  much  less  curved  than  in  typical  insignis; 
mandible  much  heavier. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  leugth,  1*55;  tail  vertebne,  160;  hind 
foot,  33;  ear  from  meatus,  16.6.  An  adult  male  from  Godbout,  Quebec, 
measures:  Total  leugth,  250;  tail  vertebne,  IGO;  hind  foot,  32.5.  iSJcull 
(type):  Basilar  leugth,  19.1;  i^ygomatic  breadth,  12.2;  mastoid  breadth, 
10.5;  interorbital  constriction,  1.3;  incisor  to  postpalatal  notch,  9.6; 
foramen  maguum  to  postpalatal  notch,  8.4;  fronto-palatal  depth  at 
middle  of  molar  series,  6. 

General  remarlcs. — This  form  is  based  mainly  on  a  single  specimen, 
collected  at  Peninsula  Harbor,  Ontario,  on  the  north  shore  of  Lake 
Suj^erior,  in  the  Hudsonian  zone,  by  Gerrit  S.  Miller,  jr.  Mr.  Miller 
recorded  this  specimen '  and  described  its  peculiarities  in  some  detail. 
A  specimen  in  the  Bangs  collectiou,  from  Lake  Edward,  Quebec,  ami 
two  from  Godbout,  Quebec,  in  Dr.  Merriam's  collection,  while  not  per- 
fectly tyjtic'al,  agree  with  the  type  in  large  size,  narrow  interorbital 
coust'riction,  and  in  other  peculiarities.  This  makes  it  probable  that 
this  form  .will  be  found  to  occur  throughout  the  Hudsonian  zone,  in 
eastern  Canada.  The  specimen  of  Z.  insignis,  recently  recorded  from 
Labrador  by  Mr.  Outram  Bangs, ^  which  he  thinks  is  not  typical,  may 

'  Notes  on  the  Mammals  of  Ontario  <;Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat.  Hist ,  XXVIII,  No.  I, 
p.  10,  April,  1897. 

"Am.  Naturalist,  XXXII,  No.  379,  p.  193,  July,  1898. 


REVISION  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.         37 

belong  to  this  form.  The  type  of  abietonim  is  slightly  larger  than  the 
largest  specimens  examined  of  the  typical  form,  while  the  ear  is  slightly 
shorter  than  usnal. 

Specimens  examined. — Total  number,  4,  from  the  following  localities: 

Ontario:  Peuinsula  Harbor,  1  (type). 
Quebec:  Godbout,  2;  Lake  Edward,  1. 

EOZAPUS^  subgenus  novum. 

Type  Zaptis  setchuanus  Pousargues,  from  Szechuen,  Chiua. 

Suhgeneric  characters. — Teeth:  i.  |,  j;.  l^l,  m.  ^  =  18.  Skull  similar 
to  those  of  the  subgenera  Zapiis  and  Xa2)a'o.zapKS,  but  differing  as  fol- 
lows: Skull  relatively  broader,  shorter,  and  lower;  nasals  broad,  dis- 
tinctly forked  posteriorly;  antorbital  foramina  rather  large;  incisive 
foramina  medium;  posterior  palatine  foramina  mid- 
way between  incisive  foramina  and  postpalatal 
notch,  the  latter  barely  reaching  posterior  plane 
of  molars.  Rostrum  relatively  shorter  and  broader; 
zygomata  relatively  shorter,  Mith  jugal  portion 
almost  perfectly  straight,  frontal  region  less  swol-na.  3.— Molar  teeth  of 
len.     Enamel  pattern  of  molars  somewhat  similar,    ^^*""  (fozapm}  setch- 

^  >      uamts   (cotype),    troui 

but  enamel  folds  not  closely  crowded;   last  lower    xa-tsien-iou.Szeciiuen, 
molar  relatively  larger  (fig.  3).     Color  pattern  differ-    ^'i'°='-   ^  ^• 
iug  from  that  of  other  subgenera  in  having  i\  brown  ventral  stripe;  tail 
tipped  with  white,  as  in  Napceozapus. 

ZAPUS  (EOZAPUS)  SETCHUANUS  Pousargues.     Szechuen  Jumping  Mouse. 

(PI.  I,  tigs.  2,  2a.) 

Zapus  setchuanus  Pousargues,  Anu.  Sci.  Nat.,  S"  ser.,  I,  No.  4,  p.  220,  Avril,  1896;  Bull. 
Mus.  d'llist.  Nat.,  Paris,  II,  p.  13,  figs.  1-3,  1896. 

Type  locality. — Ta-tsien-lou,  Szechuen,  China. 

Geographic  distribution. — Known  only  fiom  the  type  localit3\ 

General  characters. — Differing  from  all  other  known  members  of  the 
genus  in  having  a  ventral  stripe  of  brown. 

Color. —  Upper  parts  dark,  talwny  ochraceous;  dorsal  area  sharply 
defined  and  very  thickly  tiecked  with  black-tipped  hairs,  the  sides  mod- 
erately lined  with  same.  Pattern  of  color  above  as  iu  the  American 
species.  Beneath  white,  suffused  with  ochraceous,  the  white  nearly 
obsolete  on  fore  breast;  a  brownish  stripe  about  5  mm.  wide  extends 
the  entire  length  of  breast  and  belly;  feet,  chin,  and  lips  white;  tail 
strongly  bicolored;  brownish  above  and  whitish  beneath,  with  about 
15  mm.  of  the  tip  pure  white;  ears  dusky.  » 

Cranial  characters. — Compared  with  Z.  hi(dsonii(s  the  skull  of  setchu- 
«n?<s  differs  as  follows:    In terorbital  constriction  relatively  narrower; 

'Eozapus:  i)d}<i,  dawn,  /.  £.  eastern;  -\-Zapus. 


38 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


Tig.  4.— Skull  of  Zapu& 
(Eozapus)  setchuanus  (co- 
type)  from  Ta-tsien-lou, 
Szechuen,  China.     X  IJ. 


frontal  region  less  swollen;  rostrum  shorter  and  less  attenuated;  zygo- 
uiata  shorter,  tlie  maxillary  portion  more  nearly  iierpendicular  to  main 
axis  of  skull,  tlie  jugal  portion  heavier  and  nearly  straight;  palate 
longer,  the  postpalatal  notch  not  quite  reaching 
posterior  plane  of  molars  (in  American  S])ecies 
commonly  exceeding  that  point) ;  nasals  prolonged 
farther  posteriorly  and  forking  (in  American  spe- 
cies generally  irregularly  truncated) ;  bulla?  larger; 
the  coronoid  process  of  mandible  not  ascending 
so  high,  but  longer,  broader,  and  straighter,  and 
the  coronoid  notch  deeper  and  less  rounded  than 
in  Z.  hudsoniu.s  (fig.  4). 
Measurements. — The  following  measurements  from  Pousargues  will 
serve  for  comparison  with  other  species :  '  Vieux,'  head  and  body,  100; 
tail,  120;  foot,  31;  '  adulte,'  head  and  body,  80;  tail,  103;  foot,  30; 
'semiadulte,'  head  and  body,  70;  tail,  95;  foot,  28.  Skull  No.  2:^ 
Zygomatic  breadth,  ll.G;  interorbital  constriction,  3.G;  incisor  to  post- 
palatal  notch,  8.5;  fronto-palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar  series,  5.5. 
No.  3:  Zygomatic  breadth,  11.5;  interorbital  constriction,  3.8;  incisor 
to  postpalatal  notch,  8.2;  fronto-palatal  depth  at  middle  of  molar 
series,  5.G. 

General  remarks. — This  very  interesting  species  was  described  from 
three  skins  in  alcohol  accompanied  by  imperfect  skulls.  Its  describer, 
M.  1].  De  Pousargues,  discusses  its  color  and  other  peculiarities  in  con- 
siderable detail,  and  presents  a  table  showing  the  measurements  of  tlie 
three  specimens,  together  with  the  corresponding  measurements  of  a 
specimen  of  Z.  hudsonius,  taken  from  Coues.  These  measurements  of 
hudsonius  (head  and  body,  85;  tail,  135;  foot,  27),  if  all  from  one  indi- 
vidual, must  have  been  taken  from  a  distorted  specimen  and  do  not 
give  a  fair  idea  of  the  proportions,  the  foot  measurement,  27  mm., 
being  evidently  too  small  for  an  animal  with  the  tail  measuring  135. 
On  this  account  the  proportional  differences  between  setclmanus  and  hud- 
sonius are  exaggerated.  Through  the  courtesy  af  Mr.  Gerrit  S.  Miller, 
jr.,  I  have  been  able  to  examine  two  of  these  skins  and  the  skulls,  gen- 
erously loaned  to  him  by  M.  Pousargues.  The  color  of  these  skins  is 
apparently  not  much  changed  by  the  action  of  alcohol.  The  brown 
ventral  stripe  and  comparatively  short,  hairy  tail  with  its  white  tip, 
constitute  the  most  striking  peculiarities.  The  hind  foot  is  about  the 
same  size  as  in  hudsonius;  the  ear  shorter  and  broader  than  in  the 
American  species.^     As  already  stated,  the  skulls  are  all  imperfect. 

^  These  numbers  are  provisional,  and  owing  to  the  imperfect  condition  of  the  skulls 
only  these  measurements  cbuld  be  taken. 

-  The  following  table  will  serve  to  show  the  approximate  ratio  of  width  to  height 
of  ear  in  Zaptis  insUivis,  Z.  hudbomus,  and  Z.  seickuanus  (alcoholic  specimens) : 


Z.  insignis. 
Two  specimens. 

Z.  hudsonius. 
Two  specimens. 

Z.  setchuanus. 
Two  specimens. 

Male. 

Female. 

Male. 

Female. 

Larger. 

Smaller. 

Height  of  ear  from  uotcli 

15.5 

15.5 
9 

14 
9 

14 
9 

12.5 
10 

11 

Greatest  width  of  ear 

9 

REVISION  OF  THE  JUMPING  MICE  OF  THE  GENUS  ZAPUS.         39 

The  largest  is  so  badly  crushed  as  to  be  almost  worthless,  aud  the  two 
smaller  ones  lack  the  occipital  portion  of  the  cranium  and  the  posterior 
parts  of  the  mandibles,  the  shape  of  the  angular  process,  therefore, 
being  unknown.  This  species  has  the  small  upper  premolar  as  in  the 
subgenus  Zapus,  that  tooth  being  larger  than  in  Z.  hudsonius.  The  last 
lower  molar  is  also  proportionately  larger.  All  the  molars  differ  from 
those  of  any  American  species  in  having  the  enamel  folds  not  closely 
crowded,  the  resulting  wide  and  deep  sulci  giving  the  teeth  a  very 
different  appearance,  though  the  general  pattern  of  enamel  folding  is 
perhaps  not  essentially  different.  The  incisors  are  lighter  in  color 
than  in  the  American  species. 

Specimens  examined. — Two  skins  and  •  three  skulls,  from  the  type 
locality. 


I.:^DEX. 


[New  naniea  in  blaokface  type;   synoiiyniM  in  italics.] 


Dipui.  9, 13. 

americaniis,  10, 19. 

canadensis,  10, 15. 

hudionius,  11, 15. 

labradorius.  11, 15. 

mcllivorus,  11-12. 
Eozapii!!)  (.subgenus),  37. 
Qerhillm,  9, 13. 

brachyurus,  10. 

canadensis,  15. 

daviesii,  10. 

lahradoriiift,  1.3. 

leomtrus,  11. 

macrourtts,  11. 

megalops.  11. 

niger,  12. 

soriciniis,  12. 

(■■ylvaticxi.s,  12. 
Jaculun,  10,  13. 

aiaericanvx,  15. 

hudsonius,  15,  33. 

labradorius,  15. 
ileriones,  9, 13. 

acadicxcs,  10,  I.t. 

labradorius,  15,33. 

microceplialus,  12, 15. 

ncmoralis,  12. 
J/i(«  lonrjipc.s.  11. 
IVa|ia>ozapus  (subgeuu.s),  33. 

key  to  species,  33. 
Zapus,  10, 13, 14. 

distribution, 6-7. 

22095— No.  15- 


Zapus — Continued — 

habits,  7-9. 

historj",  5-6. 

key  to  species,  14-15. 

key  to  subgenera,  13. 

list  of  species,  13-14. 
Zapus  alleni,  10,  27. 

hudsonius,  15-17,  33. 

hudsonius  alasceu.sis,  10, 18-19. 

hudsonius  ainerieanus,  10,  19-20. 

hudsonius  CHin|»estri.s,  20-21. 

hudsonius  caiiadensin,  15. 

hudsonius  hardi/i,  10, 15. 

hudsonius  ladas,  11, 17-18. 

imperator,  11,  26. 

insignis,  11,  33. 

iiisigiii!!!  abictoi'iiiiB,  36-37. 

iiisigiti.<<  roaiieiiMiH,  35-36. 

major,  24-25. 

moutanus,  12,28-29. 

■icvadeiisis,  25-20. 

orariiiss,  29-30. 

paciflcus,  12,  30-31. 

priuceps,  12,  22-23. 

priiicrps  minor,  23. 

princep!<  orrg;onus,  24. 

saltator,  12,  31-32. 

setchuanus,  12,  37-39. 

teuelhis,  12,  21. 

trinotatus,  12-13,  26-27. 

trinotatus  alleni,  27-28. 


41 


PLATE  I. 

fOne  and  one-half  times  natural  size.) 

Fig.  1.  Zapus  (Xainrozaj^ns)  insiinii-s  Miller  (Type).     Restigoitclie  River,  New  Bruns- 
wick. 

(Type  Is  J,  Miller  collection.) 

2.  Zapus  {Eozapus)  setchuaniis  Pousargue-s   (Cotype).      Ta-tsien-lou,  Szechueu, 

China. 

3.  Zapus  {Zapus)  hudsonius  (Zimmermann).     James  Bay,  Canada. 

(No.  60588,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mas.) 

4.  Zapus  {Zapus)  orarius  Preble  (Type).     Point  Reyes,  Calif. 

(No.  250,  Collection  E.  A.  &  0.  Bangs.) 

5.  Zapus  {Zapus)  irinotatus  Rlioads.     I'ort  Moody,  British  Columbia. 

(No.  66928,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.) 

6.  Zapus  {Zapus)  princeps  Allen  (Topotype).     Florida,  La  Plata  County,  Colo. 

(No.  4139,  Am.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist.) 

42 

o 


North  Amencan  Fauna  No.  15 


Plate 


Skulls  of  Zapus. 


1.  Zapus  insignis. 

2.  Z.  setckuanus. 


■i.  Z.  Iindsonius. 
4.  Z.  orarius. 


5.  Z.  trinotatiis. 
(J.  Z.  princeps. 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT   OF   AGRICULTURE 

DIVISION  OF  BIOLOGICAL  SURVEY 


NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA 


:no.  16 


[Actual  date  of  i»ublicatioii,  October  28,  1899] 


RESULTS  OF  A  BIOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  MOUNT  SHASTA 
CALIFORNIA 

BY 

C.    HART     MERRIAM 
CHIEF  OF   DIVISION   OF  BIOLOGICAL   SUKVEY 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT  PKINTING  OFFICE 
189  9 

<1_ 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


TJ.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 

Division  of  Biological  Survey, 

Washington,  D.  0.,  May  19,  1899. 
Sir:  I  liave  the  lionor  to  transmit  herewith  for  publication,  as  Xorth 
American  Fauna  No.  IG,  a  report  on  the  results  of  a  Biological  Survey 
of  Mount  Shasta,  California,  made  during  the  summer  of  1898. 
Eespectfully, 

C.  Hart  MerriaMj 
Chief,  Biological  Survey. 
Hon.  James  Wilson, 

Secretary  of  Agriculture. 


CONTENTS. 


Pagb. 

Introduction 9 

Itinerury 10 

Persouuel 15 

Previous  pul)lications 15 

New  species 16 

General  features 17 

Effects  of  scanty  moisture 19 

Glacial  basins —  , 20 

Canyons 21 

Streams 23 

Rock  slopes 25 

Avalauches 26 

Timbcrliue 27 

Forests  of  Shasta 30 

The  yellow  pine  belt 30 

The  Shasta  fir  belt 36 

The  Avhite-bark  pine  belt 39 

Forest  iires 46 

Eiiects  of  Inirus  in  changing  zone  positions 47 

Slope  exposure 47 

Ert'ects  of  steep  slopes 51 

Basin  slopes 52 

Life  zones  of  Shasta 52 

Upper  Sonoran  zone 53 

Transition  zone 54 

Canadian  zone 61 

Hudsonian  zone 64 

Alpine  zone 67 

The  Boreal  fauna  and  flora  of  Shasta  contrasted  with  corresponding- faunas  and 

floras  of  the  Sierra  and  the  Cascades 69 

Efficiency  of  Klamath  Gap  as  a  barrier  to  Boreal  species  compared  with  that 

of  Pitt  River  and  Feather  River  gaps  collectively 83 

Sources  of  the  Boreal  faunas  of  Shasta  and  of  the  Sierra  and  the  Cascades  ...  85 

Mammals  of  Shasta 87 

Birds  of  Shasta  and  vicinity - 109 

Notes  on  the  distribution  of  Shasta  plants 135 

5 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PLATES.  Facing 

page. 

Plate  I.  Mount  Shasta  from  the  west Frontispiece. 

II.  Shasta  from  northwest,  showing  great  snowbank  in  head  of  Diller 

Canyon 18 

III.  Southeast   slope  of   Shasta,  showing  canyons  of   Mud   Creek  and 

Clear  Creek.     (Kindness  of  J.  S.  Diller) 22 

IV.  Tongue  of  dwarf  white-bark  pines  at  extreme  upper  limit  of  tim- 

berline.     (Kindness  of  J.  S.  Diller). 28 

V.  Pine  forest  at  west  base  of  Shasta,  showing  yellow  and  sugar  pines. 

(Kindness  of  J.  S.  Diller) 30 

TEXT  FIGURES. 

rage. 

Fig.    1.  Wagon  Camp 10 

2.  Shasta  from  east  brink  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon 11 

3.  Shasta  from  Inconstance  Creek,  near  timberliue  on  north  side 12 

4.  Shastina  from  north,  showing  great  bank  of  snow  which  feeds  Shas- 

tina  streams 13 

5.  Alpine  hemlocks,  Squaw  Creek  Camp 13 

6.  Heather  meadow  on  Squaw  Creek 14 

7.  Pumice  sand  strewn  with  gray  volcanic  shale.     Young  hemlocks  in 

foreground ;  white-bark  jiines  in  distance 18 

8.  Heather  meadow  bordering  Squaw  Creek.     Shasta  peak  in  distance 

covered  with  fresh  snow,  September  22,  1898 19 

9.  Glacial  meadow  at  head  of  Squaw  Creek 21 

10.  Heather  meadow  on  upper  Squaw  Creek,  showing  concentration  of 

vegetation  near  stream 23 

11.  Miniature  cascade  on  upper  Squaw  Creek,  frequented  by  water  shrews 

and  ouzels 24 

12.  Characteristic  rock  slope  on  north  side  of  Shastina 25 

13.  Track  of  avalanche  invading  forest  of  Shasta  firs  on  Cold  Creek,  east 

side  of  Shasta 27 

14.  High  timberliue  ridge,  showing  eft'ects  of  slope  exposure.     (Photo- 

graphed by  John  H.  Sage) 29 

15.  Manzanita  chai)arral  on  south  slope  of  Shasta 31 

16.  Cones  of  ponderosa  and  Jeffrey  pines 32 

17.  Knobcone  pine  on  Panther  Creek 33 

18.  Incense  cedar  on  south  slope  below  Wagou  Camp 35 

19.  Cone  scales  of  Jhies  shastensis  and  Abies  concolor  lowiana 37 

20.  White-bark  pine 38 

21.  Dwarf  white-bark  pines  on  a  high  ridge 39 

22.  Pumice   plain    north    side  of  Shasta,    showing    timberliue   mats   of 

white-bark  pines 40 

7 


O  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

I 'age. 

Fig.  23.  A  large  prostrate  tree  of  white-bark  pine,  a  little  below  timberliue  .  41 

24.  Black  alpiae  hemlocks  near  Squaw  Creek 42 

25.  Group  of  alpiue  hemlocks  near  Deer  Canyon 43 

26.  Trunk  of  alpine  hemlock,  showing  thickening  and  curvature  of  base.  44 

27.  Group  of  alpiue  hemlocks 45 

28.  Diagram  showing  average  hourly  march  of  temperature 48  , 

29.  Dwarf  jjines  ending  abruptly  along  cold  east  sule  of  ridge .50  i 

30.  Diagram  of  Shasta  showing  relations  of  life  zones 52 

31.  Winter  earth  plugs  of  pocket  gopher 96 

32.  Mound  made  by  pocket  gopher,     (Photographed  by  W.  H.  Osgood).  96 

33.  Rock  cony.     (Photograplied  by  F.  Stephens) 99 

34.  Miuk.     (Drawn  by  Ernest  S.  Thompson) 105 

35.  Marten.     (Drawn  by  Ernest  S.  Thompson) . 106 

36.  Red-tail.     (Drawn  by  J.  L.  Ridgway) 112 

37.  Sparrow  hawk,     (Drawn  by  J.  L.  Ridgway) 113 

38.  Arctic  three-toed  woodpecker.     (Drawu  by  L.  A.  Fuertes) 115 

39.  Clark  crow.     (Drawu  by  L.  A.  Fuertes) 120 

40.  Clark  crow.     (Photographed  by  Walter  K.  Fisher) 121 

41.  Western  evening  grosbeak.     (Drawn  by  L.  A.  Fuertes) 122 

42.  White-crowued  sparrow.     (Drawn  by  L.  A.  Fuertes) 125 

43.  Audubon  warbler.     (Drawn  by  L.  A.  Fuertes) 129 

44.  White  hellebore.     (Photographed  l)y  Walter  K.  Fisher) 14C 

45.  Manzanita  chaparial 151 

46.  Monument  on  summit  of  Shasta.     (Photographed  by  W.  H.  Osgood.  16i 


No.  16.  NORTH  AMEEIOAN  FAUNA.         October,  1899. 


RESULTS  OF  A  BIOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  MOUNT  SHASTA, 
NORTHERN  CALIFORNIA. 


By  C.  Hart  Merriam. 


INTRODUCTION. 

At  the  close  of  tlie  field  season  of  1897  the  Biological  Survey  had 
nearly  completed  a  recounoissance  of  Washinotou  and  Oregon,  and  in 
previous  years  had  carried  its  operations  over  extensive  tracts  in  south- 
ern, middle,  and  northeastern  California,  so  that  v\'ith  the  exception  of 
a  rather  large  area  in  northern  California  fully  two-thirds  of  the  Pacific 
States  had  been  covered.  In  1898,  therefore,  the  nnworked  part  of 
northern  California,  reaching  from  the  Madeline  Plains  on  the  east  to 
the  Pacific  Ocean  on  the  west,  and  from  the  Oregon  boundary  on  the 
north  to  Lassen  Butte  and  adjacent  parts  of  the  Sierra  on  the  south, 
came  to  be  the  principal  field  of  onr  investigations.  In  this  area  Mount 
Shasta  occujjies  a  nearly  central  position. 

All  high  mountains,  particularly  those  that  stand  alone,  are  likely  to 
throw  light  on  the  problems  of  geographic  distribution  and  are  worthy 
of  careful  study.  Shasta,  not  only  because  of  its  great  altitude,  but 
even  more  because  of  its  intermediate  position  between  the  Sierrai  and 
the  Cascades,  promised  an  instructive  lesson,  and  was  therefore  chosen 
as  a  base  station  for  part  of  the  field  work  of  1898, 

From  work  previously  done  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  of  California  and 
the  Cascade  Kange  of  Oregon  it  was  known  that  many  species  of  ani- 
mals and  plants  are  common  to  both  ranges,  and  many  restricted  lo 
one  or  the  other.  Shasta,  lying  between  tbe  two,  was  expected  to  share 
the  common  features  of  both,  and  in  addition  alford  the  northernmost 
limit  of  Sierra  species,  the  southernmost  limit  of  Cascade  species,  or 
an  overlapping  of  both,  so  that  its  fauna  and  fiora,  other  things  being 
equal,  should  be  richer  than  either.  l>ut  Shasta  proved  very  much 
drier  than  either  the  Sierra  or  the  Cascades,  and  consequently  many 
species  common  to  the  two  ranges  were  absent,  and  the  total  number 
was  less  than  was  exi)ected.  Nevertheless,  the  mountain  shares  a  large 
21753— No.  16 2  9 


10 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  16. 


percentage  of  the  common  species  and  is,  as  expected,  a  stepping  stone 
on  wbich  restricted  Sierra  and  Cascade  species  overlap.  But  the  rep- 
resentatives of  the  two  ranges  are  not  equally  apportioned.  The  most 
evident  gap  is  on  the  north,  Shasta  sharing  many  more  species  in  com- 
mon with  the  Sierra  than  with  the  Cascades.  Indeed,  the  resemblance 
to  the  northern  Sierra  is  so  exceedingly  close,  particularly  in  the  mam- 
mal fauna,  that  from  the  standpoint  of  geographic  distribution  Shasta 
conld  without  violence  be  classed  as  part  of  the  Sierra.  This  is  the 
more  surprising  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  geographical  gaj)  between' 
Shasta  and  the  Cascades  is  only  half  as  broad  as  that  between  Shasta 
and  the  Sierra.  This  subject  is  discussed  in  detail  in  the  chapters 
entitled  'The  Boreal  fauna  and  flora  of  Shasta  contrasted  with  corres- 
ponding faunas  and  floras  of  the  Sierra  and  the  Cascades;'  'Efhciency 
of  Klamath  Gap  as  a  barrier  to  Boreal  species  compared  with  that  of 
Pitt  River  and  Feather  River  gaps  collectively,' and  'Sources  of  the 
Boreal  faunas  of  Shasta  and  of  the  Sierra  and  the  Cascades.' 

ITINERARY. 

Leaving  the  railroad  at  Sissou,  at  the  west  base  of  Shasta,  we  estab- 
lished the  first  camp  July  15, 1898,  at  a  point  known  as  Wagon  Camp, 


riG.  1. — Wagon  Camp. 


on  the  south  slope  of  the  mountain,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  o 
Panther  Creek,  at  an  altitude  of  5,700  feet  (tig.  1).     Wagon  Camp  issitu 


OCT.,  1899.] 


ITINERARY. 


11 


ated  in  a  descending  tongue  of  Shasta  rtrs  between  ascending  tongues 
of  manzanita  cliaparral,  just  above  the  uppermost  grove  of  ponderosa 
pines,  on  the  boundary  between  the  (Canadian  and  Transition  zones. 
It  is  abundantly  supplied  with  water  from  several  small  springs,  from 
which  tiny  streamlets  run  short  distances  before  disappearing  in  the 
thirsty  soil.  Some  of  these  springs  unite  to  form  a  snmll  marsh,  in 
which  flourish  a  number  of  plants  not  found  elsewhere  on  the  mountain. 
It  is  naturally  a  favorite  spot  for  birds,  and  more  sj^ecies  were  seen 
here  than  elsewhere.  Wagon  Camp  was  occupied  continuously  by  one 
or  more  members  of  the  party  from  July  15  to  August  1,  and  at  brief 
intervals  thereafter  until  October  3. 

A  few  days  after  reaching  the  mountain  I  set  out  on  a  trip  around 
the  peak  in  order  to  become  familiar  with  the  general  features  of  the 
region  and  lay  plans  for  the  season's  work.  On  this  trip  I  was  accom- 
panied by  Vernon  Bailey,  my  most  experienced  field  assistant,  and  by  a 


Fig.  2. — Shasta  from  east  brink  of  Mud  Creek  Canyou. 

voluntary  assistant,  Lyman  L.  Merriam.  We  took  saddle  horses  and 
a  pack  animal,  which  were  of  material  aid,  although  we  had  much  dif- 
ficulty in  getting  them  across  some  of  the  deep  canyons  and  over  the 
indescribably  rough  lava  on  the  west  side  of  the  mountain. 

Leaving  Wagon  Oamp  on  the  morning  of  July  22,  we  ascended  Pan- 
ther Creek  to  its  source,  turned  easterly  through  'The  [South]  Gate,' 
north  of  Gray  and  Red  buttes,  crossed  Squaw  Creek  near  its  head,  and 
kept  on  among  the  timberline  white-bark  pines  to  the  rim  of  Mud 
Creek  Canyon  (pi.  iii),  which  we  followed  down  into  the  Shasta  firs. 
The  first  night  was  spent  in  the  bottom  of  this  canyon  at  an  altitude 
of  5,600  feet — some  distance  below  the  lower  fall.  The  second  day  we 
climbed  the  steep  east  bank  of  the  canyon,  here  1,000  feet  deep  (fig.  2), 
crossed  Cold  Creek  and  Ash  Creek  Canyon  below  timberline,  and  reached 


12 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  16. 


Brewer  Creek  Canyon  in  tlie  upper  part  of  the  wbite-bark  pines.  Find- 
ing absolutely  no  grass  or  other  feed  for  the  animals  here,  we  crossed 
the  canyon  lower  down  (a  little  below  the  forks)  and  continued  on 
over  rough  lava  ridges  in  the  upper  edge  of  the  forest  until  dark, 
when  we  camped  on  Inconstance  Creek  (fig.  3).    The  third  day  we  pushed 


'r^:< 


I'lO.  3. — Shasta  from  Inconstance  Creek,  near  tiiuberline  on  north  side. 

on  around  the  north  end  of  the  mountain,  keeping  a  little  below  the 
great  glaciers,  and  in  the  main  near  timberline.  We  climbed  over  a 
number  of  lava  ridges,  availed  ourselves  of  a  natural  passageway 
('North  Gate')  at  the  upper  end  of  a  pair  of  conspicuous  lava  buttes, 
traversed  a  curious  pumice  plain  covered  with  timberline  mats  of 
prostrate  white-bark  pines  (fig.  22),  crossed  the  fearful  canyons  of  Whit- 
ney and  Bolam  creeks,  aud  finally  reached  Shastina,  where,  after  a  very 
severe  day,  we  camped  on  some  small  streams  of  snow  water  on  the 
north  side  (fig.  4).  The  fourth  morning  we  climbed  the  rough  slide  rock 
of  Shastina  to  an  altitude  of  10,000  feet,  in  order  to  get  around  a  high 
impassable  lava  ridge,  and  then,  after  encircling  a  great  amphitheater  ' 
of  rough  slide  rock,  descended  by  some  immense  masses  of  perpetual 
snow  to  the  white-bark  pines,  in  which  we  continued  to  the  great  can- 
yon on  the  west  side  of  Shastina  (pi.  ii),  which  I  named  Diller  Canyon, 
in  honor  of  J.  S.  Diller  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  in  recognition  of 
his  admirable  researches  on  the  geology  of  Shasta.  After  crossing 
Diller  Canyon  we  kept  in  the  upper  part  of  the  Shasta  fir  forest  all  the 
■way  to  Panther  Creek,  which  we  followed  down  to  Wagon  Camp.    This 


on-.,  1899. 


ITINERARY. 


13 


was  the  most  trying  day  of  all — sixteen  miles  of  continual  climbing, 
removing  blocks  of  lava,  and  building  trail.     Our  animals  suffered 


Fig.  4.— Sliastiiia 


'I  til,  showing  great  bank  of  snfiw  which  feeds  Shastiiia  streams. 


severely,  and  one  of  them  gave  out  entirely.     However,  the  mountain 
was  completely  encircled  after  four  long  days,  and  the  desired  informa- 


FlG.  5. — Alpine  hemlocks,  Squaw  Creek  Camp. 


tion  "was  obtained.     In  the  main  we  kept  near  tiiuberline,  climbing  over 
the  bare  rock  slopes  above,  or  descending  into  the  dark  forest  below, 


14 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  16. 


as  occasion  required.     And  since  all  the  canj^ons  of  Shasta  radiate  from 
the  summit,  all  were  crossed  on  this  trip. 

A  base  camp  was  next  established  in  a  grove  of  black  alpine  hem- 
locks near  the  head  of  the  west  branch  of  Squaw  Creek,  close  to  and 
just  east  of  the  upper  end  of  lied  Butte.  Here  one  or  more  of  tlie  party 
remained  continuously  from  August  1  till  September  24.  All  things 
considered,  this  is  probably  the  best  camping  ground  on  Shasta,  though 
I  am  not  aware  that  it  had  been  used  before  our  visit.  It  is  close  by 
the  three  upper  'meadows'  on  Squaw  Creek  and  within  reach  of  the 
best  feed  for  horses  found  on  the  mountain,  with  the  possible  exception 


Fig.  6. — Heather  meadow  ou  Squaw  Creek. 

of  a  small  area  near  Cold  Creek,  and  it  is  by  far  the  most  conven- 
ient base  from  which  to  work  the  timberline  region  of  tire  southern 
slopes. 

Temporary  camps  were  established  at  the  head  of  Panther  Creek,  in 
Mud  Creek  Canyon  at  the  mouth  of  Clear  Creek,  in  Ash  Creek  Can- 
yon a  little  below  timberline,  and  high  up  between  Mud  Creek  Canyon 
and  the  head  of  Clear  Creek,  from  which  point  the  main  peak  was  twice 
ascended.  At  the  base  of  the  mountain,  work  was  done  at  Sisson  on 
the  west  side,  in  Squaw  Creek  and  McCloud  valleys  on  the  south,  and 
in  Shasta  and  Little  Shasta  valleys  on  the  north,  and  finally  a  trip  was 
made  completely  around  the  mountain,  mainly  within  the  belt  of  yel- 
low pines  Avhich  clotlies  its  lower  slopes. 


OCT.,  1899.1  PREVIOUS    PUBLICATIONS.  15 

PERSONNEL. 

Ill  the  iield  work  on  wliicli  the  present  report  is  based,  I  was  aided 
by  Vernon  Bailey,  chief  held  naturalist  of  the  Biological  Survey,  and 
my  assistants,  Wilfred  II.  Osgood,  Walter  K.  Fisher,  and  Eichard  T, 
Fisher.  Vernon  Bailey  had  charge  of  the  work  at  the  Shasta  base  camps 
and  on  a  trip  around  the  base  of  the  mountain;  Walter  K.Fisher 
had  charge  of  the  work  in  Mud  Creek  and  Ash  Creek  canyons  and 
near  timberline  east  of  Mud  Creek,  and  afterwards  took  a  party  to  Fall 
River  Lake  and  Lassen  Butte;  W.  H.  Osgood  had  charge  of  the  work 
on  Lassen  after  Walter  Fisher's  departure,  and  also  visited  Squaw 
Creek  and  Shasta  and  Little  Shasta  valleys;  E.  T.  Fisher  spent  the 
season  working  from  the  various  camps  on  Shasta  and  at  Sisson,  and 
accomi^anied  Osgood  on  the  trip  to  Little  Shasta  Valley.' 

Our  camps  on  Shasta  were  visited  by  Henry  Gannett,  chief  geo- 
grapher of  the  V.  S.  Geological  Survey;  John  H.  Sage,  of  Connecticut, 
secretary  of  the  American  Ornithologists'  Union ;  and  two  or  three 
others,  all  of  whom  rendered  important  assistance. 

In  addition  to  the  work  on  and  near  Shasta  covered  by  the  present 
report,  field  work  was  done  in  various  directions.  Three  cross  sec- 
tions of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  north  of  latitude  39"^,  were  made  by  Bailey, 
Osgood,  and  myself;  Bailey  and  Walter  Fisher  ran  a  line  from  Black 
Eock  Desert,  Nevada,  to  Shasta,  by  way  of  Madeline  Plains;  Bailey 
and  I,  accompanied  by  Henry  Gannett,  carried  the  work  across  the 
wild  and  little  known  mountains  from  Shasta  to  the  ocean,  which 
we  reached  at  Humboldt  Bay;  and  later  in  the  season  much  work  was 
done  farther  south,  chiefly  in  the  inner  and  outer  Coast  Eanges. 

PREA'IOrS    PUBLICATIONS. 

Only  two  publications  have  been  found  relating  to  the  zoology  and 
botany  of  the  Shasta  region.  The  first  is  a  report  by  Charles  H.  Town- 
send,  of  the  U.  S.  Fish  Commission,  who,  fifteen  years  before  our  visit, 
was  stationed  at  Baird,  a  fish  hatchery  on  McCloud  Eiver.  While 
thereMr.Townsend  visited  Berryvale  (now  Sisson  Tavern)  and  accom- 
panied Major  Gilbert  Thompson,  who  was  in  charge  of  a  triangulation 
party  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  in  his  field  work  on  Shasta.  The 
results  of  Mr.  Townsend's  work  are  contained  in  an  important  report 
entitled  'Field  Xotes  on  the  Mammals,  Birds,  and  Eeptiles  of  Northern 
•  California,'  published  in  the  fall  of  1887.^  In  addition  to  the  records  in 
this  report,  Mr.  Townsend  has  kindly  placed  his  manuscript  catalogue 
at  my  disposal,  and  has  in  several  instances  given  me  important  sup- 

'  While  this  report  Ava.«  passing  through  the  press  (July,  1899),  I  sent  "Walter  K. 
Fisher  to  Mount  Shasta  and  Shasta  A'alley  to  obtain  supplemental  inforniatiou,  some 
of  which  is  incorporated  in  the  mammal,  l)ird,  and  plant  rejiorts  at  the  end. — C.  H.  M. 

-Proc.  U.  S.  National  Museum,  X,  pp.  1.59-241,  Nov.,  1887. 


16 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  16. 


plementaiy  iiiforniatiou  respectiug  the  exact  localities  at  wliieli  speci- 
mens were  collected,  all  of  which  is  duly  credited  in  the  body  of  the 
present  report. 

The  second  publication  referred  to  is  a  brief  i)aper  by  Miss  Alice 
Eastwood  on  'The  Alpine  Flora  of  Mount  Shasta,"  containing  the 
results  of  a  hasty  trip  to  the  summit  made  in  August,  1S93. 

So  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  ascertain,  this  is  the  first  and  only  pub- 
lication relating  directly  to  Shasta  plants,  although  a  number  of  species 
collected  there  during  a  brief  visit  by  Prof.  Wm.  H.  Brewer  in  the 
early  sixties  are  mentioned  in  the  Botany  of  California  (by  Brewer  and 
Watson,  1876-1880). 

NEW    SPECIES. 

In  working  up  the  collections  it  was  found  that  several  of  the  plants 
and  mammals  belonged  to  undescribed  species.  Some  of  the  new 
plants  have  been  described  by  Prof.  E.  L.  Greene;^  others  remain 
unnamed.  The  new  mammals  are  here  described.  Tlie  new  species 
are: 

Plants.  Mammals. 


Agoseris  monticola. 
Aruica  merriami. 
Campanula  wilkiusiaua. 
Pbacelia  frigida. 
Pyrola  pallida. 


Lepns  klamathensis. 
Lyux  fasciatus  pallesceus. 
Neurotricbiis  gibbsi  major. 
Procyon  psora  pacitica. 
Reitliiodontomys  klamathensis. 
Sorex  shastensis. 
Thomoiiiys  mouticola  piuetorum. 
Urocyon  californicua  townsendi. 


>  Erythea,  IV,  No.  9,  pp.  136-142,  Sept.,  1896. 
-Pittonia,  IV,  pp.  36-10,  March  17, 1899. 


GENERAL  FEATURES  OF  SHASTA. 

The  snowy  peak  of  Shasta,  the  pride  of  California,  is  one  of  the 
highest  and  most  accessible  of  the  snow-clad  glacier-bearing  moun- 
tains of  the  United  States.  It  is  an  old  volcano,  14,450  feet  in  alti- 
tude, and  is  completely  cut  otf  from  neighboring  mountains — from 
Lassen  Peak,  at  the  north  end  of  the  Sierra  proper,  by  the  valleys  of 
the  McCloud  and  Pitt  riv^ers;  from  the  south  end  of  the  Cascade  Eange 
in  Oregon  by  a  broad  lava  i)]ateau  and  the  valley  of  Klamath  River. 
The  breadth  of  the  gap  on  the  north  is  diminished  by  a  cluster  of  low 
volcanic  mountains  known  as  the  Goose  Nest  Group. 

Shasta  is  the  best-known  landmark  in  California.  Seen  from  the 
north,  south,  and  east  it  appears  as  a  single  cone  pushing  its  lofty 
crown  upward  six  or  seven  thousand  feet  above  apparent  timberline. 
Seen  from  the  west  and  southwest  its  summit  is  elongated  and  looks  more 
like  the  crest  of  a  ridge  (frontispiece).  This  appearance  is  due  in  part 
to  a  large  secondary  volcano,  Shastina,  which  rises  from  the  northwest 
shoulder  of  the  mountain,  and  in  part  to  a  long  ridge  which  pushes  out  to 
the  south.  This  west  side,  the  one  seen  by  tourists  in  traveling  over  the 
Shasta  route  from  San  Francisco  to  Portland,  is  in  many  respects  the 
least  interesting.  From  its  exiiosure  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  afternoon 
sun  it  is  the  hottest  slope,  and  consequently  the  one  on  which  timber 
reaches  highest  and  on  which  the  ice  and  snow  are  most  reduced. 

Like  most  isolated  mountains,  Shasta  is  seen  to  best  advantage  from 
a  distance.  The  most  imposing  view  to  my  mind  is  from  the  northeast, 
the  region  of  the  Modoc  lava  beds,  from  which  the  peak  looms  up  in  all 
its  icy  grandeur — a  single  massive  cone  buried  from  toj)  almost  to  bot- 
tom in  continuous  glaciers,  below  which  it  is  encircled  by  a  dark  belt 
of  coniferous  forest.  It  is  also  very  imposing  as  seen  from  the  distant 
Trinity  Mountains. 

The  north  and  east  sides  of  the  peak  are  completely,  and  the  south  side 
partly  covered  by  glaciers,  but  not  a  glacier  is  to  be  found  on  the  west, 
where  the  large  masses  of  white  seen  froni  Sisson  are  banks  of  snow, 
more  or  less  permanent.  The  only  glacier  visible  from  the  railroad  is 
Whitney  Glacier,  which  occupies  the  notch  between  Shasta  and  Shas- 
tina, and  may  be  seen  from  points  north  of  Edgewood.  The  higher 
slopes,  between  the  lower  edge  of  the  ice  and  snow  and  the  upper  edge 
of  the  forest,  are  steep  and  rocky.  In  the  main  they  consist  of  radi- 
ating ridges  alternating  with  glacial  basins  and  precipitous  canyons. 
As  a  rule  the  surface  is  light  pumice  and  pumice  sand  thickly  strewn 
with  fragments  of  gray  volcanic  rock,  interrupted  here  and  there  by 
masses  and  cliffs  of  darker  lava,  often  reddish  brown  in  color. 

2175.3— No.  10 3  17 


II 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  16. 


The  south  and  east  sides,  except  the  deep  canyons  of  Mud,  Ash,  and 
Brewer  creeks,  are  fair  traveling-  for  mountain  horses.  The  north  side, 
below  the  great  glaciers,  is  interrupted  by  exceedingly  rough  lava 
ridges  and  the  terrible  canyons  of  Bolam  and  Whitney  creeks.  The 
west  side,  though  scored  by  only  a  single  notable  canyon — Diller  Can- 
yon (pi.  II) — is  by  far  the  most  difticult.  After  crossing  the  tremendous 
sloi^es  of  steej)  and  sharj)  slide  rock,  very  dangerous  for  horses,  on  the 
northwest  side  of  Shastina,  and  surmounting  the  two  principal  lava 
ridges  west  of  Shastina  Creek,  the  way  to  Diller  Canyon  is  comparatively 
easy.  But  between  Diller  Canyon  and  Casca<le  Gulch,  a  mile  or  so  north 
of  Horse  Camp,  and  extending  from  timberline  downward  several  thou- 
sand feet,  is  a  chaos  of  lava  the  like  of  which  I  have  never  seen.  It 
suggests  the  worst  parts  of  the  Snake  Eiver  and  Modoc  lava  beds 
turned  up  on  end — basins,  ridges,  and  tumultuous  piles  without  order 
or  direction,  without  beginning  or  ending — dry  basins  that  empty 
nowhere,  drier  ridges  that  lead  nowhere,  until  one  is  worn  out  with 
thirst  and  efforts  to  escape.  The  whole  is  hidden  in  a  dark  forest  of 
Shasta  firs  whose  hardy  trunks  force  themselves  out  between  the  lava 
blocks  in  ways  that  almost  surpass  belief.  Finally  all  this  stops  as 
suddenly  as  it  began,  and  one  emerges  from  the  dark  inferno  to  slake 
his  thirst  in  the  refreshing  pools  of  Cascade  Gulch — known  only  to  the 
deer — and,  with  a  sense  of  infinite  relief,  reenters  the  area  of  pumice 

sand  and  gray  shale 
whicli  stretches  away 
to  the  southeast  and 
thence  onward  around 
three-quarters  of  the 
mountain. 

The  timbered  valley 
at  the  west  base  of 
Shasta  falls  away  both 
to  the  south  and  to  the 
north.  On  the  south 
it  drains  immediately 
into  the  Sacramento 
Kiver;  on  the  north 
into  the  Shasta  Eiver, 
which  traverses  Shasta 
Valley  and  empties 
into    Klamath    River. 


'  /fl^^  ^^^^^^^^^hP 

r.'&?»»''?.*-~."fc  }    '^ 

Fig.  7.- rmiiice   sand   sticwji  witli  gray  volcauic  shale.     Yonug       gli-ista      VallCV     IS     ail 
In-nilijcks  in  foregroimd:  white-bark  pines  in  distance.  <  ^    i  .,  x 

open  plain  northwest 
of  the  mountain;  it  is  lowest  at  the  north,  and  its  northwestern  cor- 
ner ends  in  a  pocket  or  basin  containing  the  mining  town  of  Yreka, 
which  is  doubtless  the  hottest  part  of  northern  California  west  of  the 
axis  of  the  Sierra-Cascade  system. 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  16. 


Plate  II. 


OCT.,  1899.] 


EFFECTS    OF    SCANTY    MOISTURE. 


19 


EFFECTS    OF    SCANTY   MOISTURE. 

The  flora  of  Shasta,  contrasted  with  that  of  moister  mountains  imme- 
diately north  and  immediately  south,  is  poor  in  species  and  individuals; 
and  the  same  is  true  in  less  degree  of  the  fauna.  At  least  nineteen 
characteristic  genera  and  numerous  additional  species  of  jilants  com- 
mon to  the  Sierra  and  the  Cascades,  are  unknown  (p.  80) ;  and  to  these 
must  be  added  the  distinctive  species  of  each  range  which  fsiil  to  reach 
Shasta.  The  luxuriant  mountain  meadows  and  flower  beds  that  form 
such  conspicuous  features  of  the  timberline  region  in  the  Cascades,  the 
Olympics,  the  High  Sierra,  and  the  Eocky  Mountains  are  wholly 
absent,  and  the  only  areas  that  in  any  way  resemble  them  are  the 


Fio.  8.— Heather  meadow  bordering  Squaw  Creek.    Shasta  peak  in  distance  covered  with  fresli  snow, 

September  22, 1898. 

insignificant  patches  of  mountain  heather  and  accompanying  plants 
that  carpet  the  moist  bottoms  of  the  glacier  basins  and  form  narrow 
beds  along  the  tiny  streams,  where  they  are  concentrated  by  the  local 
distribution  of  soil  moisture.  The  only  real  soil  above  timberline  is 
restricted  to  the  borders  of  the  streamlets,  where  the  decomposing 
heather  has  left  a  shallow  covering.  Everywhere  else  are  pumice, 
broken  lava,  and  barren  clifts. 

The  summer  rainfall  amounts  to  little  or  nothing,  and  when  rains 
occur  they  sink  and  vanish  in  the  thirsty  pumice  sand.  The  streams 
from  melting  snows  are  exceedingly  small,  averaging  hardly  more  than 
a  foot  or  two  in  width,  and  most  of  them  disappear  before  reaching  the 
base  of  the  unmntain.     The  turbid  streams  from  the  glaciers  are  larger, 


20  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

but  tliey  have  cut  for  tliemselves  deep  gorges  where  they  run  their 
rapiil  courses  ],()00  feet  below  the  surface,  aud  cousequently  are  use- 
less for  i)urposes  of  geueral  irrigation.  They  exert  a  local  influence,  it 
is  true,  since  far  down  in  the  damp  bottoms  of  the  canyons  and  along 
their  cool  eastei^ly  lower  slopes  a  number  of  moisture-loving  plants  occur 
that  are  not  found  elsewhere  except  about  the  few  and  widely  scattered 
springs  in  the  forest — serving  by  contrast  to  accentuate  the  general 
aridity.  Even  the  black  alpine  hemlock,  which  in  the  Cascades  forms 
so  attractive  a  feature  of  the  upper  slopes,  is  of  local  occurrence  on 
Shasta,  where  its  distribution  is  interesting  as  furnishing  an  index  to 
soil  moisture.  It  is  associated  with  the  white-bark  pine  {rinm  albi- 
mulis),  which  requires  less  moisture  and  is  the  dominant  timberliue 
tree.  In  our  circuit  of  the  peak  we  found  the  range  of  the  white-bark 
pine  practically  continuous;  that  of  the  alpine  hemlock  discontinuous 
and  greatly  restricted.  As  a  rule  the  hemlock  is  confined  to  narrow 
strips  along  the  streams  and  gulches,  or  to  tongues  along  the  cool  east 
sides  of  buttes  and  ridges,  where  the  soil,  sheltered  from  the  hot  after- 
noon sun,  is  able  to  retain  more  moisture  than  elsewhere.  Below  the 
alpine  hemlocks  and  occupying  the  middle  belt  of  the  mountain  is  a 
magnilicent  forest  of  Shasta  firs;  but  the  humbler  vegetation  of  this 
belt  is  scanty  and  irregular. 

From  what  has  been  said  it  is  obvious  that  excessive  dryness  pre- 
vents nuiny  of  the  characteristic  zone  species  from  filling  their  appro- 
priate belts,  restricting  them  to  scattered  spots,  where,  as  in  the  desert, 
succulent  vegetation  is  concentrated  about  springs  and  streams.  Hence 
Shasta  is  a  poor  place  to  study  the  broad  general  facts  of  zone  distri- 
bution, but,  as  shown  later,  an  admirable  place  to  study  detailed  effects 
of  slope  exposure  and  humidity. 

GLACIAL   35ASINS. 

As  in  most  parts  of  the  Sierra  and  many  parts  of  the  Cascades,  gla- 
cial basins  are  conspicuous  on  the  higher  slopes  of  the  mountain.  They 
occupy  the  deep  depressions  between  the  radiating  ridges,  and  their 
terminal  moraines  are  usually  clearly  defined.  In  some  of  the  valleys, 
as  along  the  upper  part  of  Squaw  Creek,  two  or  three  such  moraines 
may  be  found  at  intervals,  marking  successive  stages  in  the  retreat  of 
the  glacier.  The  glacial  basins  usually  contain  small  streams,  at  least 
during  spring  and  early  summer,  and  they  receive  additional  moisture 
from  the  melting  snows,  which  linger  long  in  the  shadows  of  the  ridges. 
This  moisture  permits  the  growth  of  a  more  abundant  vegetation  than 
occurs  elsewhere  on  Shasta,  save  only  along  the  streams.  The  bottoms 
of  the  basins  therefore  are  usually  carpeted  with  red  heather  {Bryanthus 
or  Phyllodoce  cmpetriformis)  and  a  variety  of  small  plants,  the  majority 
of  which  are  inconspicuous  except  when  in  flower.  Among  the  most 
noticeable  of  these,  each  contributing  its  mite  to  the  general  verdure 
of  the  heather  beds,  are  the  dwarf  huckleberries,  white  alpine  anteu- 


OCT.,  1899. 


CANYONS. 


21 


narias,  sileiies  and  ligusticuins,  yellow  monkey  flowers,  violets  and 
hieraciimis,  blue  veronicas  and  asters,  cream-colored  feathery  lutkeas 
and  parnassias,  pink  epilobiums,  red  alpine  laurels,  and  scarlet  painted 
cups.'     True  grasses  are  scarce,  but  grass-like  carices  abound. 

The  mammals  inhabiting  the  heather  meadows  are  the  rare  alpine 
phenacomys  ( Fhenacoinyn  orophiius),  the  white-footed  mouse  {J'eromi/scxs 
(jambeli)^  the  long-tail  mountain  vole  {Microtus  mordcw),  and  the  Sierra 
pocket  gopher  {Tlioiuomi/s  monticola).  The  gophers  throw  up  their 
characteristic  mounds  about  the  edges  of  the  heather  beds  but  are 
commoner  on  the  adjacent  pumice  slopes. 


1"IQ  9. — Glacial  meadow  at  head  of  Squaw  Creek. 


CANYONS. 

All  the  canyons  of  Shasta  radiate  from  the  ice-covered  summit  and 
take  remarkably  straight  courses  down  the  steep  sides  of  the  moun- 
tain.   Most  of  them  are  iirofound  gorges  cut  by  swift-flowing  glacial 

^  The  plants  of  the  glacial  basins  in  the  timberline  region  vary  somewhat  with  the 
raoi.stnre  of  the  soil.  The  commonest  species  in  moist  spots  and  along  the  borders 
of  the  streamlets  are:  Arnica  merrkimi,  CastiUeja  miiiiata,  EpUohinm  claratum,  Jliera- 
ciinii  (jracile,  Hypericum  anafjalloides,  MimuJus  implcrus  (growing  in  the  water),  Mimu- 
hm  primnJoides,  Mitella  pentandra,  Parnaasia  califorynca,  Veronica  citsicki.  The  com- 
monest species  in  the  drier  parts  of  the  heather  beds  are  :  Antennaria  meilin,  CastiJleJa 
tniniaia,  Hicracium  (jracile,  luiJmia  i/lanca  microphyJlu,  Lufkea  pcclinata,  Lit/iisiicnin 
grnyx,  PlnjUodoce  empetriformis,  Sibhaldia  procumhens,  Silenc  f/rayi,  Vaccinium  casjii- 
tosum,  J'iola  jnirpurea. 


22  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.16. 

streams.  They  average  about  a  tbousaiid  feet  in  depth,  aud  tlieir 
slopes  are  as  steep  as  permitted  by  the  unstable  material  through 
which  they  are  cut — usually  pumice,  gravel,  and  fragments  of  lava. 
Owing  to  the  fact  tliat  all  of  the  great  glaciers  are  on  the  north,  east, 
or  southeast  sides  of  the  mountain,  the  canyons  made  by  their  rivers 
are  necessarily  on  these  sides  also.  The  only  one  of  any  size  which 
does  not  come  from  a  glacier  is  Diller  Canyon,  on  the  west  side  of 
Shastina. 

In  most,  if  not  all,  cases  the  bottoms  of  the  canyons  in  their  upper' 
courses  are  bridged  for  long  distances  by  masses  of  ice  and  snow — the 
dumps  of  avalanches.  Below  these  snow  bridges  are  vast  accumula- 
tions of  loose  stones,  which  in  several  instances,  as  in  Brewer,  Bolam, 
and  Whitney  canyons,  are  piled  up  in  a  curious  manner.  During 
periods  of  high  water  the  rocks  that  fall  in  are  carried  down  by  the 
torrent  and  deposited  on  each  side  in  banks  several  feet  high,  so  that 
the  traveler  on  reaching  the  bottom  has  to  climb  up  over  a  ridge  of 
loose  stones  and  down  again  before  coming  to  the  stream.  These  lat- 
eral ridges  form  miuiature  canyons  in  the  bottoms  of  the  big  ones. 
Most  of  the  canyons  have  falls  several  hundred  feet  high  in  their  upper 
courses,  and  some  have  other  falls  farther  down.  Rotable  falls  are 
found  high  up  in  the  canyons  of  jMud  Creek,  Ash  Creek,  Bolam  Creek, 
and  Whitney  Creek.  While  difilicult  of  access,  they  are  well  worth  the 
efibrt  of  a  visit. 

Mud  Creek  Canyon  (pi.  in),  the  only  one  likely  to  be  seen  by  the 
ordinary  visitor  to  Shasta,  is  not  easy  to  cross  except  near  the  mouth 
of  Clear  Creek,  which  comes  into  it  from  the  east.  Its  east  bank  is  a 
precipitous  single  slope  about  1,000  feet  in  height.  Its  west  bank, 
except  above  timberline,  is  broken  by  a  forest- covered  terrace  or  bench, 
and  both  descents  are  likewise  steep,  though  less  difficult  than  the  oppo- 
site side.  The  canyon  of  Ash  Creek  is  better  timbered  and  a  little  less 
precipitous  than  that  of  Mud  Creek.  The  canyons  of  Bolam  and  Whit- 
ney creeks,  like  that  of  the  upper  part  of  Mud  Creek,  are  terrific  naked 
chasms,  very  deep  and  so  steep  that  in  most  places  the  loose  material 
of  their  sides  will  not  sustain  the  weight  of  a  man — much  less  that  of  a 
horse — and  when  disturbed  dashes  in  avalanches  to  the  bottom. 

Diller  Canyon  is  peculiar  (pi.  ii).  It  is  a  tremendous  gash  on  the  west 
side  of  the  otherwise  symmetrical  cone  of  Shastina,  which  it  cleaves 
from  top  to  bottom  before  taking  its  practically  straight  westerly 
course  down  the  rest  of  the  mountain.  It  is  the  only  canyon  on  Shas- 
tina, the  only  notable  one  on  the  west  side  of  Shasta,  and  the  only  oue 
anywhere  on  the  mountain  that  does  not  emanate  from  a  glacier.  Its 
stream  comes  from  enormous  banks  of  perpetual  snow. 

While  the  upper  parts  of  the  canyons  are  exceedingly  steep  and 
barren,  and  practically  devoid  of  vegetation,  the  middle  and  lower 
parts  are  invaded  by  the  trees  of  the  adjacent  sloi)es,  and  in  marshy 
and  springy  spots  contain  patches  of  willows,  alders,  and  a  multitude 


North  American  Fauna,  No.  16. 


Plate  III. 


W 
o 

c 

H 

w 
> 

(/) 

b 
tn 

o 

-   > 


5  o 

-  o 


OCT  .  1899.] 


STREAMS. 


23 


of  smaller  plants.  These  places,  in  Mud  Creek  and  Ash  Creek  canyons, 
are  the  homes  of  the  mountain  showt'l  or  sewellel  {Aplodontia  niajor)^  a 
curious  bob-tailed  rodent  resembling-  a  large  muskrat,  which  lives  in  a 
labyrinth  of  subterranean  passages  in  wet  ground,  and  cuts  and  drags 
to  its  burrows  bundles  of  coarse  plants  on  which  it  feeds.  Weasels 
[Putorius  arizonenshs)  are  usually  found  in  the  aplodontia  colonies 
and  it  is  safe  to  assume  that  their  presence  there  is  the  most  serious 
factor  in  the  life  of  the  rightful  owners  of  the  land. 


STREAMS. 


The  streams  that  come  from  glaciers  are  rapid,  turbid,  and  muddy, 
and  have  cut  deep  V-shaped  canyons  down  the  steep  slopes  of  the 
mountain.     Those  that  come  from  melting  snow  are  clear  as  crystal 


Flo.  10.— Heatlier  meadow  on  unper  Squaw  Creek,  sbowini;  lomentration  of  vej:etation  near  stream. 

and  usually  flow  on  the  surface  or  in  shallow  channels  hardly  more 
than  a  foot  or  two  in  depth.  They  are  smaller  and  less  constant  than 
those  from  the  glaciers,  and  in  times  of  high  water  carry  so  much 
gravel  and  pumice  that  they  often  block  their  own  shallow  channels 
and  overflow,  cutting  new  courses  near  the  old  ones.  During  the  fluc- 
tuations incident  to  the  irregular  melting  of  snow  they  often  reopen  the 
older  channels  and  at  the  same  time  retain  the  new,  so  that  on  the 
higher  slopes  it  is  not  unusual  for  a  mountain  rivulet  to  occupy  several 
beds  at  the  same  time.  These  are  commonly  separated  by  intervals  of 
a  few  feet  or  a  few  rods,  and  the  spaces  between  are  often  covered  with 
patches  of  red  heather,  dotted  with  flowering  plants  of  many  kinds. 


24 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  16. 


Tlie  bauks  of  the  more  permanent  streamlets  are  so  well  supplied 
with  moisture  that  the  heather  and  other  plants,  often  mixed  with 
alpine  mosses,^  form  a  sod  which,  growing  thicker  each  year,  gradually 
comes  to  overhang  and  finally  bridge  the  swiftly  running  water.  Even 
away  from  these  sod  bridges,  which  for  long  distances  completely  hide 
the  water,  the  space  between  the  constantly  protruding  banks  is  so 
narrow  that  only  the  middle  part  of  the  stream  can  be  seen. 

The  icy  rivulets  abound  in  cascades,  miniature  waterfalls,  and  crys- 
tal pools,  bordered  by  overhanging  banks  of  moss,  heather,  and  dwarf 
alpine  laurel,  and  adorned  by  the  waving  heads  of  the  scarlet  painted 


•^TV, 


r'^; 


rf^<r 


Fig.  11.— Miuiature  caaciule  on  upper  Sciuaw  Creek,  trequented  by  w.iter  shrews  and  ouzels. 

cups  and  cream-colored  parnassias.  They  are  ideal  homes  for  the  water 
ouzel  {Cinclus  mexicanus),  the  large  water  shrew  {Xeosorex  navk/ator), 
and  the  mountain  vole  {Microtus  mordax).  The  latter  animal  is  par- 
ticularly abundant,  and  its  dark  burrows,  almost  hidden  among  the 
plants,  may  be  found  opening  out  on  the  vertical  overhanging  banks 
only  a  few  inches  above  the  water,  so  that  whenever  the  occupants 
come  out  they  may  ])luuge  in  the  icy  stream  before  ])roceeding  on  their 
journey.  Minks  occur  lower  down  along  the  streams,  and  still  lower, 
otters. 


iThe  prevailing  moss  on  the  banks  of  the  alpine  streams  is  Anhicomninm  androgy- 
num. 


OCT..  1899.] 


ROCK    SLOPES, 


25 


EOCK    SLOPES. 

The  whole  upper  part  of  the  mountain  between  the  glaciers  and  snow 
banks  above  and  the  forest  belt  below  consists  of  bare  rocky  sloi^es, 
broken  at  intervals  by  precipitous  cliffs  and  small  heather  meadows. 
The  slopes  are  largely  pumice  sand,  strewn  and  mixed  witli  fragments  of 
gray  volcanic  rock,  among  which  the  individual  i^lants  are  so  scattered 
as  to  disappear  in  the  general  view.^  White-footed  mice  {Pcromyscus 
(jamheli)  are  common  on  these  slopes,  feeding  on  seeds  of  Polygonum 
neicherryi  and  other  timberline  i)lants.  Pocket  gophers  [Thomomys 
monticoJa)  occur  here  and  there  and  throw  up  their  characteristic  mounds 
in  the  pumice  sand  between  the  rocks.     They  subsist  on  the  tough  roots 


Fig.  12. — C'liaiacteristii'  roi-k  slope  on  north  siilc  of  Sba.-^tiiiii. 

of  alpine  plants,  and  were  observed  at  intervals  up  to  an  altitude 
of  9,000  feet.  The  pika  or  rock  cony  (Ochotona  scMsUceps)  inhabits 
steep  rock  slides  at  distant  points  around  the  j^eak,  and  lays  up  stores 
of  plants  for  winter  use.     Another  mammal  inhabiting  the  rock  slides 

'The  commonest  plants  of  the  bare  stony  pnmice  slopes  are:  Afjoaeria  monticola, 
Antennaria  media,  Jrabis  platijsperma,  Cha'nactis  )ierad()isis,  Chrysothamnus  hloomeri, 
Cymopterus  tcrehinthhuis,  Eriogonum  pohjpodum,  E.  pyroht folium,  Erigeron  compositus 
irifidus,  Hulsea  larseui,  If.  nana,  Luikea  pectinata,  Lupinua  '  ornatus,'  L.  lyalli,  I'ent- 
siemon  menziesi,  J'hlox  douylasi  diffusa,  Polygonum  newherryi,  P.  shaslense,  Saxifraga 
tolmiei,  Senecio  canus,  Silene  grayi,  S.  suksdorfi,  Spraguea  umhellata,  Strepianthua 
orhieulatus,  and  Viola  purpurea.  Besides  these,  several  ferns  occur  very  sparingly 
on  the  rock  slojies.  These  are  Dryopterls  aculcata  scopulina,  Cy>itopteris  fragilia, 
Clieilanthes  gracillima,  and  Phegoptcris  alpentvis. 
21753— No.  16 4 


20  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAINA.  fmie. 

and  cliffs,  but  for  some  unaccountable  reason  even  rarer  than  the  cony, 
is  the  bushy-tailed  wood  rat  or  pack  rat  (Net>t(>)iia  dnerea),  which,  if 
my  memory  serves  me  correctly,  is  less  connaoii  on  Shasta  than  on  any 
other  mountain  I  have  visited  in  the  West.  The  mountain  chipmunk 
(Eutamias  scnex)  and  golden  ground  squirrel  {GaUoKperinopMliis  chryso- 
deini.s)  inhabit  the  tongues  of  ])iues  on  the  ridges,  and  not  infrequently 
live  in  burrows  among  the  bare  rocks.  Marmots,  it  is  safe  to  assert,  are 
altogether  absent.  We  completely  encircled  the  peak  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  timberliue,  and  examined  innumerable  ledges  and  rock  slides, 
such  as  on  other  mountains  are  inhabited  by  marmots,  but  without  tind- 
ing  so  much  as  a  track  or  sign  or  even  a  bleached  bone  to  indicate  that 
any  member  of  the  genus  ArciomyH  had  ever  inhabited  Shasta.  In 
former  days  the  bighorn  [Oris  canadensis)  was  commo)i  here,  but  now 
the  occasional  fragment  of  a  skull  or  the  scattered  parts  of  a  skeleton 
are  all  that  remain.  In  fall  the  old  bucks  of  the  Columbia  black-tail  deer 
wander  up  on  the  higher  ridges.  Here  and  there,  particularly  in  the 
shelter  of  the  prostrate  white-bark  pines,  tracks  and  dung  of  rabbits 
were  seen,  but  in  spite  of  all  our  efforts  no  member  of  the  party  succeeded 
in  liuding  a  rabbit  on  the  mountain.  The  species  is  probably  the  Sierra 
rabbit  [Lepus  llam((t]iensis),  though  from  the  large  size  of  some  of  the 
dung  pellets  I  was  inclined  to  suspect  the  i)reseuce  of  Lepus  campestris. 

AVALANCHES. 

During  the  loosening  of  the  S7iow  in  spring,  avalanches  must  be  very 
common  on  the  higher  vslopes,  and  it  is  probable  that  they  exert  a 
controlling  influence  in  determining  the  timber  areas  above  the  limit  ol 
continuous  forest.  iS^othing  forces  itself  on  the  observation  more  firmly 
than  the  peculiar  way  in  which  the  white-bark  pines  are  restricted  to 
the  long  radiating  ridges  where  they  form  narrow  tongues,  sei^arated 
by  broad  intervals  of  steep  slopes  and  basin- shaped  valleys.  While  it 
might  be  hazardous  to  assume  that  the  absence  of  trees  from  these 
extensive  slopes  and  basins  is  due  mainly  to  avalanches,  the  fact 
remains  that  the  tracts  they  occupy  along  the  tops  and  upper  slopes 
of  the  ridges  are  entirely  out  of  reach  of  these  resistless  engines  ol 
destruction. 

Now  and  then,  however,  an  avalanche,  taking  an  unusual  course, 
reaches  the  outskirts  of  one  of  these  tongues  of  alpine  pines  and 
snatches  up  and  carries  below  all  that  lie  within  its  path.  This  h 
evident  from  the  weathered  trunks  and  roots  often  found  at  the  bot 
toms  of  slopes  where  trees  have  never  grown. 

The  most  conspicuous  path  of  a  recent  avalanche  observed  is  on  CoU 
Creek,  between  the  deep  canyons  of  Mud  and  Ash  creeks  (tig.  13).  Hen 
an  avalanche  of  unusual  size  must  have  shot  down  the  higher  slope.- 
until  it  reached  the  upper  edge  of  the  continuous  forest  of  Shasta  firs 
where,  instead  of  stopping,  it  cut  a  broad  swath  through  the  hug( 
trees,  tearing  them  up  by  the  roots  or  snapping  them  off'  and  carrying 


OCT.,  1899.] 


TIMBERLINE. 


27 


them  oil  over  an  almost  level  tract  with  such  resistless  force  that  the 
i'ew  now  left  standing  are  deeply  scarred  at  a  height  of  10  to  15  feet 
above  the  ground,  showing  where  they  were  struck  by  other  trees  in 
passing  over  the  deep  snow.  Hundreds  of  huge  trunks  75  to  100  feet 
long  and  3  or  -4  feet  in  diameter  arc  strewn  in  desolate  confusion  over 
the  broad  area  that  marks  the  jjlace  where  this  terrific  avalanche 
slowed  up  and  finally  stopped.  The  accompanying  illustration  shows 
a  part  of  this  area,  and  also  the  gate  cut  by  the  avalanche  when  it 
struck  the  upper  edge  of  the  forest. 


Fli.i.  i:3.— Trai-k  of  avalauclie  iiivadiu^,  loie.-^l  i>l'  Slia^ta  liis  on  Cold  Creek,  east  side  of  Shasta. 


TIMBERLINE. 

Timberliiie  is  the  upper  or  boreal  limit  of  tree  growth,  as  determined 
by  temperature.  It  varies  somewhat  according  to  the  particular  species 
of  tree,  for  even  Hudsonian  species  differ  in  the  degree  of  cold  they 
are  able  to  endure.  Thus  in  the  northern  Cascades  where  the  alpine 
hemlock  and  alpine  fir  are  the  dominant  tiraberline  trees,  the  tir  pushes 
up  to  higher  altitudes  than  the  hemlock.  So  on  Shasta,  where  the 
alpine  tir  is  replaced  by  the  white-bark  pine,  the  latter  is  the  true  tim- 
berliiie tree  and  always  attains  higher  elevations  than  the  hemlock. 

Theoretically,  nothing  is  easier  than  tracing  timberline  on  a  moun- 
tain whose  upi)er  slopes  are  bare  or  dotted  with  alpine  flowers  and 
whose  middle  slopes  snpport  a  continuous  forest.  Yet  on  Shasta,  and 
on  most  high  mountains,  it  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  tix  the  boundary 
of  timberline  or  indicate  its  exact  position  on  a  map.     Of  course,  it  is 


28  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

possible  to  follow  tbe  uppermost  trees  wherever  tliey  may  lead,  but  a 
map  showin<^-  such  a  route  would  resemble  a  saw  from  which  alternate 
teeth  had  been  removed,  the  remaining  teeth  indicating  the  way  the 
dwarf  trees  push  up  on  the  summits  of  ridges,  the  broad  spaces 
between  the  teeth,  the  treeless  gaps,  usually  the  intervening  valleys 
or  basins.  Trees  always  occur  at  some  point  in  the  bottoms  of  these 
valleys,  and  usually  extend  completely  across  them,  but  at  an  altitude 
a  thousand  feet  or  more  lower  than  that  reached  on  the  ridges,  and 
there  is  a  material  difference  in  the  trees  themselves.  If  of  the  same 
species,  those  in  the  valleys  are  much  larger  and  taller;  if  of  other 
species,  as  is  frequently  the  case,  they  belong  to  the  upper  part  of  the 
belt  below — the  middle  forest  belt.  On  Shasta,  the  trees  that  push  up 
highest  on  the  ridges  are  always  the  dwarf  white-bark  pines,  while 
as  a  rule  those  that  bridge  the  intervening  valleys  below  are  full- 
grown  alpine  hemlocks  or  Shasta  firs,  the  upper  limit  of  which  must 
not  be  mistaken  for  timberline.  The  difficulty  lies  in  determining 
what  ought  to  be  considered  true  timberline,  and  the  reason  why 
in  the  absence  of  obvious  barriers  the  white-bark  pines  do  not  fill  more 
than  a  third  or  a  fourth  of  the  belt  to  which  they  properly  belong. 
If  a  mountain  could  be  found  whose  upper  slopes  form  a  true  cone 
instead  of  a  series  of  alternating  ridges  and  valleys,  so  that  suc- 
cessive transverse  sections  would  be  circular  in  outline,  instead  of 
irregularly  scalloped,  it  is  probable  that  timberline  would  form  almost 
a  true  circle  around  the  peak,  rising  a  little  on  the  southwest  and 
dipping  down  a  little  on  the  northeast.  But  in  the  absence  of  such 
ideal  conditions,  actual  visible  timberline  is  usually  confined  to  the  bor- 
ders of  the  tongues  of  dwarf  trees  that  occupy  the  summits  of  the  radi- 
ating ridges  (pi.  iv).  The  explanation  of  the  absence  of  trees  from  the 
intervening  valleys  is  not  always  easily  found;  still,  if  the  valleys  are 
studied  with  reference  to  the  details  of  their  several  slope  exi^osures 
and  other  local  conditions,  the  position  of  the  hypothetical  timberline, 
in  most  cases,  will  be  obvious.  Let  us  take,  for  instance,  one  of  the 
numerous  glacial  basins  on  the  south  side  of  Shasta,  bordered  on  each 
side  by  lofty  ridges  which  are  capped  by  tongues  of  white-bark  pines. 
The  bottom  of  the  valley,  whenever  its  axial  slope  is  steep  enough  to 
be  regularly  swept  by  avalanches,  can  not,  of  course,  contain  trees.  The 
broad  basin  slope  of  the  ridge  on  the  west  faces  east  and  is  in  its  own 
shadow  in  the  afternoon;  as  a  consequence  it  is  too  cold  for  trees,  but 
is  well  sprinkled  with  alpine  plants.  Its  summit  is  covered  with  dwarf 
white-bark  i^ines,  which  come  up  from  the  other  side  and  end  abruptly 
along  its  eastern  crest.  The  cold  eastern  slope  is,  in  its  zone  position, 
actually  above  timberline,  although  the  tongue  of  dwarf  trees  along 
its  crest  may  stretch  up  a  thousand  feet  above  the  lowest  alpine 
plants. 

On  the  opposite  or  eastern  side  of  the  basin  the  slope  faces  west  or 
southwest,  and  receives  the  warm  rays  of  the  afternoon  sun.     The 


North  American  Fauna  No.  16. 


Plate  IV. 


OCT.,  1899.1 


TIMBERLINE. 


29 


result  is  tliat  this  slope,  unless  too  steep  or  otherwise  uusuited  to  tree 
growth,  or  within  the  track  of  avalanches,  is  commonly  covered  with 
white-bark  pines.  As  a  rule  the  timbered  area  on  these  westerly  slopes 
takes  the  form  of  a  broadening  tongue,  beginning-  at  the  highest  alti- 
tude attained  by  trees  on  the  crest  of  the  ridge  and  increasing  in  width 
at  lower  altitudes  until  the  l)ottom  of  the  valley  is  reached  and  skirted, 
and  the  limit  of  avalanche  movement  jjassed,  when  the  trees  again 
strike  out  boldly.  The  pines  in  the  basins  are  much  larger  and  more 
erect  than  those  on  the  summits  of  the  ridges;  they  decrease  in  size 
with  increase  in  elevation.  The  long  oblique  line  which  on  the  west 
side  of  each  ridge  marks  the  lower  limit  of  tree  growth  commonly 


'^i4% 


'0ff\ 


V 


.Ji 


Fig.  14.— lli-h  tiiuljL'rluiu  iiil,i;e,  .-^liuwiii.u  t-lRcts  of  slope  exi)osure.     The  (lurk  [lati'lics  on  the  left 
(west)  siJe  of  the  riilge  are  dwarf  w)iite-hark  piues.     (Photographed  by  John  H.  Sage.) 

marks  also  the  upper  limit  of  the  area  in  shadow  during  the  late 
afternoon.  In  local  spots  other  factors  may  account  for  the  absence  of 
trees.  Thus,  they  are  always  absent  from  the  avalanche-swept  bot- 
toms of  the  valleys,  and  from  ground  kept  wet  by  springs  or  melting 
snow.  Studied  with  these  facts  in  view,  comparatively  few  treeless 
areas  will  be  found  which  can  not  be  explained,  and  the  position  of 
true  timberline  may  be  fixed  with  some  degree  of  certainty.  This  is 
really  a  very  important  matter  inasmuch  as  it  affects  the  zone  position 
of  a  great  many  species. 

It  is  necessary  to   remember  that  the  reason  trees  are  absent  from 
the  cold  east  and  northeast  slopes  of  the  ridges  whose  summits  are 


30  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [N...16. 

covered  with  dwarf  trees  is  that  these  slopes  are  iu  their  zone  position 
truly  alpine  and  above  timberline,  as  alrea<ly  ex])lained. 

Nothing  is  easier  than  to  refer  to  the  wrong  zone  species  found  in  the 
treeless  basins  between  the  pine-covered  ridges.  But  when  it  is  under- 
stood that  parts  of  each  basin,  regardless  of  tlie  distance  below  the 
highest  tongue  of  timber,  are  unquestionably  above  timberline  (and  con- 
sequently Alpine)  and  that  other  parts,  regardless  of  the  distance  above 
the  nearest  trees  in  the  basin,  are  unquestionably  well  beloir  timberline 
(and  consequently  ffiKlsonian),  mistakes  of  this  kind  will  be  less 
frequent. 

THE  FORESTS  OF  SHASTA. 

Shasta  rises  from  a  forested  region  (pi.  v),  and  the  mountain  itself  is 
continuously  forest-covered  up  to  an  altitude  of  7,500  or  8,000  feet.  The 
trees  of  the  lower  slopes  are  those  of  the  surrounding  region,  but  those 
of  the  middle  and  upper  slopes  belong  to  such  widely  different  species 
that  it  is  necessary  to  divide  the  mountain  forest  into  three  belts,  which, 
from  their  most  distinctive  trees,  may  be  designated  (1)  the  lower  or 
yellow-pine  belt;  (2)  the  middle  or  Shasta  tir  belt,  and  (3)  the  upper  or 
white-bark  i)ine  belt.  It  is  interesting  to  observe  that  these  forest 
divisions,  as  shown  later,  coincide  with  the  tliree  Life  zones — the 
Transition,  Canadian,  and  Hudsonian. 

(1)  The  Low^er  Belt  or  Belt  of  Yellow  or  Ponderosa  Pines  (T'dihs  ponderoxa) 

The  most  abundant  and  characteristic  tree  of  the  lower  slopes  and 
surrounding  region  is  the  yellow  or  ponderosa  pine,  which  forms  a  con- 
tinuous open  forest  up  to  an  altitude,  on  the  south  and  west  sides,  of 
about  5,500  feet.  The  only  material  gap  in  the  i)ine  belt  of  the  moun- 
tain i^roper  is  a  strip  about  8  miles  iu  length  on  the  cold  northeast 
quadrant,  which  is  occupied  by  lodge-pole  pines  belonging  to  the  zone 
above  (Canadian  zone). 

On  the  south  and  west  the  open  pine  forest  of  the  basal  slopes  is 
interrujited  by  extensive  parks,  which  from  a  distance  appear  to  be 
meadows  of  waving  grass.  A  nearer  view  shows  this  to  be  an  illusion, 
the  broad  fields  of  green  being  in  reality  impenetrable  thickets  of 
chaparral — a  chaparral  of  unyielding  manzanita  and  buck  brush 
(.Aretostaphijlos  paiula  and  Ce<inothns  velKtuiiis,  see  tig.  15). 

Northwest  of  Shasta  the  yellow  pine  forest  is  interrupted  by  the  open 
plain  of  Shasta  Valley,  which  on  the  southwest  ends  abruptly  at  the 
town  of  Edgewood.  North,  northeast,  and  east  of  Shasta  the  ponder- 
osa pine  forest  continues  with  unimportant  interruptions  to  Devils 
Garden,  (loose  Lake,  and  the  Madeline  Plains;  on  the  south  it  is  prac- 
tically continuous  to  the  base  of  Lassen  Butte,  and  thence  along  the 
flanks  of  the  Sierra  for  350  miles ;  on  the  southwest  it  follows  the  canj^on 
of  the  Sacramento  River  to  a  little  below  Delta,  where,  in  the  bottom 
of  the  canyon  and  on  its  warmer  slopes,  the  curious  digger  i)ines  ot 
the  Upper  Sonorau  zone  mix  with  and  soon  replace  the  ponderosa  pines 


Motth  American  Fauna  No.  16. 


Plate  V. 


Pine  Forest  at  west  base  of  Shasta 
Showing  yellow  and  sugar  pines. 


OCT.,  1899. 


YELLOW    PINE    BELT, 


31 


of  the  Transition  zone.  On  the  cooler  and  liigher  canyon  slopes  and 
adjacent  foothills  the  ponderosa  pines  continue  to  tlie  border  of  the 
Sacramento  Valley.  West  of  Shasta  they  cover  all  but  the  highest 
elevations  of  the  Scott  IMountaius,  completely  surround  Scott  Valley, 
and  reach  up  a  considerable  distance  over  the  east  arm  of  the  Salmon 
Mountains,  where,  mixed  as  usual  with  Douglas  firs,  incense  cedars, 
and  sugar  pines,  they  fill  the  Transition  zone.  Still  farther  west  they 
occur  in  greater  or  less  abundance  in  the  valleys  of  Russian  Creek, 
North  and  South  forks  of  Salmon  River,  Trinity  River,  and  Klanuxth 
Eiver,  and  at  appropriate  altitudes  on  the  west  arm  of  Salmon  ]\ruun- 
tains,  Trinity  Mountains,  and  the  mountains  between  Iloopa  Valley 
and  Redwood  Creek.     Hence  the  Shasta  forest  of  ponderosa  pines  is 


Flu.  15. — Mau/.anitii  chapaiTal  ou  .south  -slope  of  Slia.sia. 

directly  continuous — either  broadly  or  by  narrow  and  tortuous  tongues — • 
with  corresponding'  forests  of  southern  Oregon,  northeastern  Califor- 
nia, northwestern  California,  and  the  flanks  of  the  Sierra. 

The  ponderosa  pines  of  the  Siiasta  i)lateau  and  adjacent  region  are 
peculiar — peculiar  in  the  extent  of  their  variability — and  deserve  care- 
ful study.  Not  only  do  the  cones  of  adjacent  trees  ])resent  an  unusual 
degree  of  variation  in  size  and  com[)actness  (particularly  noticeable  in 
Scott  Valley),  but  the  cones  of  trees  subjected  to  apparently  slight 
differences  of  temperature,  moisture,  and  soil  present  certain  average 
differences  that  are  quite  surprising.  Moreover,  on  higher  parts  of 
the  Scott  Mountains,  and  also  along  their  cool  east  base,  fairly  tyi)ical 
Piniifi  jejf'reiii  grows  within  a  short  distance  of  pondero.sd.     Whether  or 


32  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16, 

not  tbe  two  actually  intergrade,  while  an  interesting  question,  is  of 
little  consequence  conq)ared  with  the  fact  that  here,  as  in  the  Sierra, 
the  two  trees  occupy  adjoining  but  distinct  belts — pondcrosa  the  warmer 
and  normally  the  lower;  Jeffrey!  the  colder  and  normally  the  higher.  It 
sometimes  hai)pens,  however,  as  in  places  along  the  cold  east  base  of 
the  Scott  Mountains,  where  local  conditions  produce  abnormal  tempera- 
tures, that  a  strip  of  Jeffrey  pine  is  sandwiched  in  between  two  areas 
of  ponderosa  pine.  In  this  instance  the  low  temperature  comes  in  part 
from  the  cooling  effects  of  cold  streams,  and  in  part  from  the  afternoon  i 
shadows  of  the  mountains. 

The  ponderosa  forest  is  nowhere  pure  over  any  large  area,  but  is 
sprinkled  in  varying  proportion  with  sugar  pines,  incense  cedars, 
Douglas  tirs,  and  white  firs,  and  at  lower  altitudes  with  black  oaks. 
The  stately  sugar  pines  are  so  valuable  for  lumber  that  the  best  have 
been  already  cut,  but  enough  remain  to  show  that  the  sj^ecies  Avas 

formerly  common  in  most 
parts  of  the  ponderosa  for- 
est. The  incense  cedars 
also  are  scattered  over  the 
whole  region,  but  the  Doug- 
las and  white  firs  require 
more  moisture  and  conse- 
(juently  are  less  evenly  dis- 
tributed. They  are  most 
abun<lant  on  the  borders 
of  streams,  in  cool  canyons, 
and  along  the  well- watered 
east  base  of  Mount  Eddy  and  the  Scott  Mountains,  where  they  become 
the  dominant  trees,  the  ponderosa  j)ines  being  comparatively  scarce. 
On  drier  and  warmer  soil,  away  from  the  cooling  inlluence  of  the  Scott 
Mountains,  the  ponderosa  i>ines  rapidly  increase,  and  in  the  area 
between  Black  Butte,  Shasta  Valley,  and  the  mountain,  although 
sprinkled  with  incense  cedars  and  black  oaks,  they  form  the  purest 
l^onderosa  forest  of  the  region. 

Another  conifer  of  the  yellow-pine  belt  is  the  knobcone  pine  [Pinxs 
attenuata),  a  narrow  interrupted  tongue  of  which  i)ushes  up  Panther 
Creek.  The  deciduous  trees  of  this  belt  are  the  black  oak  {Quercus 
calif 0 mica),  Oregon  maple  [Acer  macrophylluni),  tree  alder  {Ahuis 
temiifolia),  and  Oregon  dogwood  [Cornus  nuttalli).  The  maple  and 
dogwood  are  restricted  to  the  lowest  levels  and  do  not  occur  in  very 
dry  places;  the  alders  are  confined  to  the  neighborhood  of  water:  the 
oak  ranges  more  widely  over  the  lower  half  of  the  pine  belt  and  thrives 
on  dry  as  well  as  on  moderately  moist  soils. 

The  conifers  will  be  considered  as  individual  species. 
SuciAR  Pine  {Finns  lamhertiana). — The  sugar  pine  is  the  largest, 
handsomest,  and   noblest   of  our   western  pines,  and  its   wood  is  so 


Fid.  16. — Cones  of  poiulerosa  and  Jett'rey  pines. 


OCT.,  1899.] 


YELLOW    PINE    BELT. 


33 


valuable  for  lumber  tliat,  except  iu  iuaccessible  places,  the  best  trees 
have  been  cut.  The  liuge  trunks,  often  G  or  7  feet  in  diameter,  rise  as 
straight  symmetrical  pillars  to  a  lieight  of  150  or  200  feet,  and  are  cov- 
ered with  fine  beautiful  bark.  The  long  and  graceful  branches  are 
usually  confined  to  the  upper  parts  of  the  trees,  and  the  cones  they 
carry  are  the  longest  known,  frequently  attaining  a  length  of  a  foot  and 
a  half  and  sometimes  of  2  feet.  They  are  very  light,  however,  and 
when  falling  are  by  no  means 
so  dangerous  to  the  passer 
below  as  the  shorter  and 
more  massive  cones  of  the 
digger  pines. 

Around  the  base  of  Shasta 
the  sugar  pines  reach  from  a 
point  on  the  northwest  slope 
about  4i  miles  southeast  of 
Edgewood,  near  the  south 
end  of  Shasta  Valley,  south- 
erly and  westerly  all  the  way 
around  to  Ash  Creek,  where 
they  cease  at  an  altitude  of 
about  5,000  feet.  They  are 
fairly  common  in  McCloud 
Valley  and  at  Sisson,  whence 
they  extend  south  along  the 
Sacramento  Canyon  to  'The 
Loop.'  They  are  at  present 
more  abundant  iu  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Black  Butte  than 
elsewhere  about  the  moun- 
tain. In  the  Shasta  region 
they  are  not  so  large  as  on 
the  west  slope  of  the  Sierra 
iu  central  California;  still 
the  stump  of  a  sugar  pine  measured  by  me  in  McCloud  Valley  was  7 
feet  7  inches  in  diameter  G  feet  above  the  ground. 

Knoboone  Pine  [Pinus  attenuafa,  fig.  17). — The  knobcone  pine  is 
a  tree  of  erratic  distribution.  On  Shasta  it  is  confined  to  the  lower 
slopes  on  the  south  side,  from  Panther  Creek  easterly  to  a  point 
between  the  branches  of  Mud  Creek,  where  it  ranges  irregularly  from 
an  altitude  of  3,800  up  to  5,G00  feet.  The  latter  limit  is  attained  in  a 
gully  a  little  east  of  Wagon  Camp,  in  a  continuation  of  the  Panther 
Creek  strip.  Lower  down  on  Panther  Creek,  where  the  original  forest 
of  ponderosaand  sugar  pines  has  been  removed  by  the  combined  work 
of  lumbermen  and  forest  fires,  and  the  slopes  are  now  covered  by 
an  impenetrable  jungle  of  manzanita,  this  singular  pine  remains,  com- 
21753— Xo.  16 5 


Fig.  17. — Knobcone  pine  on  Panther  Creek. 


34  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

monly  growing-  in  narrow  lines.  The  trees  are  rarely  more  than  50 
feet  in  height,  and  mo.st  of  them  are  mnch  smaller.  They  bear  a  mar- 
velous load  of  slender  curved  cones,  which  on  the  limbs  grow  close 
together  in  whorls  or  rows,  and  on  the  trunks  are  scattered  or  grow  in 
circles.  They  remain  on  the  trees  for  many  years,  as  in  the  case  of 
few  other  species,  and  their  large  size,  extraordinary  numbers,  and 
peculiar  arrangement  give  tlie  tree  a  singular  and  unusual  appearance. 
Vernon  Bailey  has  given  me  the  following  note  on  some  knobcone 
pines  examined  by  him  on  Panther  Creek,  September  27,  1898 : 

The  trees  were  loaded  with  coues,  in  whorls  of  three  to  seven  around  the  hranches, 
and  down  the  trnnks  to  10  or  12  feet  from  the  ground.  Some  of  the  cones  must  have 
been  20  or  30  years  ohl,  and  perhaps  much  older.  I  cut  off  a  lot  of  the  old  lower 
cones  to  see  if  the  seeds  were  good,  and  put  them  on  a  bowlder  and  cracked  them 
with  a  few  hard  blows  of  the  as.  All  of  them  were  full  of  worm  dust,  with  only 
now  and  then  an  undiscovered  seed  or  a  fat  white  worm.  Cones  of  medium  age  (5 
or  6  years  back  from  the  end  of  the  branch)  were  invariably  occupied  by  worms  and 
worm  dust,  and  usually  contained  few  good  seeds.  Coues  only  1  or  2  years  old 
were  rarely  wormy.  A  great  many  of  the  old  cones  had  been  dug  into  by  wood- 
peckers, either  for  seeds  or,  more  likely,  for  the  fat  white  grubs  that  live  on  the 
seeds.  The  cones  are  too  hard  to  be  broken  or  split  ajiart  by  the  woodpeckers,  and 
are  opened  by  a  smooth  hole  drilled  into  the  middle,  or  sometimes  to  the  opposite 
wall.  Usually  the  opening  is  long  and  narrow.  Sometimes  the  whole  inside  of  the 
cone  has  been  drilled  out,  leaving  only  the  shell ;  sometimes  a  small  round  hole  has 
been  drilled  just  through  the  outer  shell. 

White  Fir  {Abies  concolor  lon-iana.) — The  white  fir  ranges  from 
Sisson,  at  the  bottom  of  the  west  slope  of  Shasta,  up  to  the  lower  edge  of 
the  Shasta  fir  belt,  which  it  slightly  overlaps.  At  Wagon  Camp  (fig.  1, 
alt.  5,700  feet)  both  species  are  common.  The  Avhite  flr  requires  more 
moisture  than  the  other  conifers  of  the  lower  timber  belt,  and  con- 
sequently its  distribution  is  discontinuous.  It  is  most  abundant  aloug 
the  well-watered  eastern  base  of  Mount  Eddy,  north  of  Sisson.  The 
highest  elevation  at  which  it  was  observed  is  a  warm  ridge  on  the 
east  side  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon,  between  the  mouths  of  Mud  and  Clear 
creeks,  where,  with  a  number  of  other  Transition  zone  species,  it  occurs 
at  an  altitude  of  6,7U0  to  7,000  feet.  This  is  1,000  feet  above  its  usual 
limit,  and  its  presence  here  is  due  to  the  angle  and  steepness  of  the 
slope,  as  explained  elsewhere  (p.  49). 

Ahies  lou-iana  is  easily  distinguished  from  A.  shastensis  and  A.  mag- 
nijica  by  the  bark,  which  is  very  thick  and  deeply  furrowed,  so  that  it 
resembles  that  of  Douglas  spruce  [Pseudotsnga  mueronata)  much  more 
closely  than  that  of  the  other  Ahies  of  the  region.  The  cone  scales  are 
broad  and  rather  short,  and  the  bract  is  short  and  tricuspidate  (fig.  19). 

Douglas  Fir  or  Spruce  {Pseudotsuga  mueronata). — Douglas  fir  is 
scattered  irregularly  through  the  ponderosa  pine  forest.  Like  the  white 
fir,  it  prefers  a  moister  soil  than  suits  the  jjonderosa  pines,  and  there- 
fore thrives  best  in  the  gulches  and  near  the  streams.  Thus  along  the 
cool  well-watered  east  base  of  Scott  Mountains  the  forest  consists  maiuly 
of  Douglas  and  white  firs,  with  scattered  incense  cedars  and  sugar 


OCT.,  1899.] 


YELLOW    PINE    BELT„ 


35 


and  ponderosa  pines,  while  on  the  drier  ground  a  little  farther  east 
the  pines  increase  and  the  tirs  decrease  or  disapj)ear.  Most  of  the 
larger  trees  on  the  south  and  west  slojies  have  been  cut  for  lumber.  A 
stump  near  McCloud  Sawmill  measures,  at  6  feet  above  the  ground,  8 
feet  in  diameter. 

Incense  Cf.dar  {Libocedrus  decurrens)^ — The  incense  cedar  occurs 
in  greater  or  less  abundance  in  all  parts  of  the  ponderosa  forest,  on 
both  dry  and  wet  ground,  and  from  the  bottom  of  the  valley  at  Sisson 


Fio.  18. — liiceuse  cedar  ou  south  slope  below  Wagou  Camp. 

up  to  the  edge  of  the  Shasta  firs  at  Wagon  Camp.  But  it  is  common- 
est near  the  cool  east  base  of  the  Scott  Mountains.  In  moist  places 
the  trees  often  grow  in  groups,  but  in  the  dry  forest  they  are  usually 
scattered  at  intervals  among  the  pines.  Ou  Shasta  the  bark  of  the 
cedars  is  generally  smooth  and  free  from  scales,  except  ou  the  very 
youngest  trees.  In  the  more  humid  area  between  Scott  Mountains  and 
the  coast  the  scaly  bark  persists  for  many  years,  so  that  the  trunks  of 
middle-aged  trees  look  very  different  from  those  of  corresponding  size 
m  the  dry  interior. 


36  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 


[NO.  16. 


(2)  The  Middle  Belt  or  Belt  of  Shasta  Firs  {.Ihirs  shastensis). 

Above  tlie  forest  of  poiiderosa  pines,  and  therefore  not  connected 
with  similar  forests  elsewhere,  a  belt  of  Shasta  firs  averaging  2  or  3 
miles  in  breadth  and  2,000  feet  in  vertical  range  completely  encircles 
the  mountain.  It  is  the  distinctive  forest  of  Shasta — a  forest  of  tall 
stately  trees,  dark,  somber,  and  free  from  underbrush,  thragh  here  and 
there  beds  of  the  low  mountain  manzanita  {Arctostaphylos  nevadensin) 
aftbrd  a  pleasing  relief  from  the  uniform  dark  brown  of  the  surface 
carpet — usually  a  shallow  layer  of  fir  needles  mixed  with  decayed  cones 
and  wood.  The  massive  trunks,  which  on  the  steep  slopes  are  often 
swollen  jnst  above  the  ground  to  give  greater  strength  to  resist  the 
pressure  of  snow,  average  from  4  to  C  feet  in  thickness  and  some  attain 
a  diameter  of  7  or  8  feet.  Above  the  level  of  winter  snow  their  northern 
sides  are  usually  covered  with  the  handsome  bushy  yellow  lichen, 
Evernia  vtilpina,  which  also  clothes  many  of  the  branches;  and  in  the 
denser  parts  of  the  forest  the  trees  are  draped  with  pendant  masses  of 
the  long  black-beard  lichen,  Alectorla  fremonti.  The  forest  almost 
everywhere  consists  of  large  mature  trees,  and  is  free  from  evidences  of 
fire;  but  in  one  place,  between  Mud  Creek  Canyon  and  Cold  Creek,  a 
considerable  area,  evidently  an  old  burn,  is  covered  with  young  trees 
averaging  perhaps  20  feet  in  height. 

As  a  rule,  the  Shasta  firs  stop  abruptly  where  the  white-bark  pines 
begin,  and  trees  at  their  upper  normal  limit  are  of  full  size.  But  now 
and  then  on  the  steep  and  relatively  warm  southwesterly  slopes  of 
the  ridges,  dwarf  Shasta  firs  occur.  The  highest  point  at  which  such 
were  observed  was  at  an  altitude  of  8,000  feet  on  the  east  rim  of  Mud 
Creek  Canyon,  where  a  few  stunted  trees  3  or  4  feet  in  height  were  found 
mixed  with  white-bark  pines.  On  a  similar  warm  slope  west  of  Squaw 
Creek  a  scattered  line  of  these  trees  was  noted  at  an  altitude  of  8,100 
to  8,300  feet.  Here  the  largest  were  20  feet  in  height.  Their  bark  dif 
fered  materially  from  that  of  trees  lower  down,  being  i)ale  grayish 
instead  of  dark  brown,  and  thin,  smooth,  and  full  of  blisters,  instead  of 
thick  and  deeply  furrowed.  These  fir  trees  were  mistaken  for  another 
species  until  1  had  the  good  fortune  to  find  a  few  bearing  cones,  which, 
on  August  1,  were  two-thirds  or  three-fourths  grown.  To  my  surprise, 
they  had  long  exserted  bracts  which,  as  in  the  young  cones,  stood 
straight  out  horizontally.  Very  young  cones  (2  to  3^  inches  long)  always 
appear  to  consist  of  bracts  alone,  the  scales  being  hidden  inside.  On 
breaking  open  the  cones  the  tiny  scales  are  seen  encircling  the  axis; 
they  are  less  than  half  the  size  of  the  bracts  and  occupy  the  inner  half 
of  the  diameter  or  section  of  the  cone. 

The  normal  bark  of  the  Shasta  fir  resembles  that  of  the  alpine  hem- 
lock. It  is  rather  regularly  furrowed  vertically,  and  the  plates  between 
the  furrows  are  cracked  horizontally,  so  that  it  suggests  that  of  the 
ponderosa  pine,  though  the  plates  are  smaller  and  less  red.  Along  the 
lower  edge  of  the  Shasta  fir  belt  the  bark  is  darker  and  the  cracks 
and  furrows  are  narrower. 


OCT.,  1899.] 


SHASTA    FIR    BELT. 


37 


The  upper  edge  of  tlie  Shasta  fir  belt  meets  the  alpine  hemlocks  and 
white  bark  pines  of  the  belt  above;  the  lower  edge  the  pouderosa  pines, 
incense  cedars,  Douglas  spruce,  and  white  firs  of  the  belt  below. 
The  firs  are  easily  distinguished  by  bark,  branches,  and  cones.  The 
Shasta  fir  has  very  dark  and  relatively  thin  bark,  regularly  furrowed 
so  as  to  form  'plates'  like  those  of  the  pouderosa  pines,  only  smaller, 
narrower,  and  transversely  cracked.  The  branches  are  irregular,  droop 
at  first  (from  the  weight  of  Avinter  snow),  and  then  curve  upward,  and 
the  branchlets  are  small  and  terete,  and  stand  out  with  mathematical 
precision ;  the  cones  are  huge,  and  their  green,  tongue-like,  single-xwinted 
bracts  protrude  far  beyond  the  scales,  as  in  the  noble  fir  of  the  north- 
ern Cascades.  In  young  cones  the  bracts 
stand  out  straight;  in  old  cones  they  are 
strongly  deflexed.  The  white  fir  [Abies 
lou'iana)  has  much  thicker  and  grayer 
hark,  deeply  furrowed  at  base  and  not 
forming  regular  scales  or  plates;  the 
branches  are  more  regular  and  more  nearly 
horizontal,  the  branchlets  flatter,  more 
spreading,  and  lacking  the  mathematical 
lines  of  the  Shasta  fir ;  the  cones  ar^}  more 
slender,  and  the  tricuspidate  bracts  are 
short,  reaching  less  than  half-way  across 
the  scale.  The  cone-scale  differences 
are  shown  in  the  accompanying  diagrams. 
(See  fig.  19. )  The  year  1898  was  an '  off  year ' 
for  cones,  but  plenty  of  old  scales  were 
found  on  the  ground,  and  broken  cones 
were  discovered  in  holes  in  logs,  where 
they  had  been  carried  by  pine  squirrels. 

The  Shasta  fir  forest  is  mainly  pure, 
but  in  places,  particularly  on  the  east 
and  northeast  sides  of  the  mountain,  silver  pines  are  scattered  through 
it,  and  in  one  place  along  its  lower  border  (between  Ash  and  Incon- 
stance  creeks)  the  firs  are  replaced  by  lodge-pole  pines,  the  only  ones 
on  the  mountain. 

Whether  or  not  Abies  magnijica  occurs  on  Shasta  is  a  question  on 
which  we  can  throw  no  light.  I  do  not  know  how  to  tell  magnifica 
from  shastensis  except  by  the  cones,  and  the  trees  did  not  bear  cones  the 
year  of  our  visit.^  Still,  we  found  great  numbers  of  old  cones  tucked 
away  by  the  scpiirrels  in  decayed  logs,  and  disconnected  scales  under 
most  of  the  trees  where  search  was  made,  and  among  all  these  failed  to 
find  a  single  bract  which  was  not  strongly  exserted.    And  yet  Miss 

'  While  this  paper  was  passing  through  the  press  (July,  1899),  Walter  K.  Fisher 
revisited  Shasta.  He  found  the  firs  heavily  laden  with  cones,  and  althougli  thou- 
sands of  trees  were  examined  he  failed  to  find  a  single  cone  without  the  exserted 
bracts. 


Fig.  19. — Cone  scales  of  (a)  Ahies  shas- 
temis  and  (b)  Abies  cnncolorlowiana. 


38 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAINA. 


[NO.  16. 


Alice  Eastwood  showed  me,  in  the  herbarium  of  tho  California  Acad- 
emy of  Sciences,  a  cone,  said  to  have  come  from  Wagon  Camp,  iu  which 
tlie  bracts,  except  a  few  at  the  base,  are  not  exserted. 

Silver  Pine  or  Mountain  White  Pine  {PinuH  monticola). — Silver 
pines  occur  here  and  there  on  Shasta,  scattered  among  the  Shasta  firs. 
They  were  found  in  greatest  abundance  on  a  pumice  slope  south  of 
Brewer  Creek  Canyon,  where  they  are  the  dominant  trees  up  to  an 
altitude  of  7,200  feet,  and  where  the  ground  was  strewn  with  cones  of 
the  previous  year — cones  in  which  the  scales  are  strongly  reliexed. 


V. 


l'"iG.  20. — Wliitebark  piue  {Finns  albicaulis). 

In  this  area,  along  Brewer  Creek,  they  meet  and  slightly  overlap  the 
alpine  hemlocks  and  white-bark  pines  of  the  zone  above.  They  are 
common  also  on  the  steep  lava  ridges  on  the  north  side  of  Shasta,  par- 
ticularly in  the  neighborhood  of  Inconstance  Creek  and  in  Mud  Creek 
Canyon,  especially  on  the  west  side  of  the  ridge  between  Mud  and 
Clear  creeks.  A  few  trees  occur  near  the  top  of  Bed  Cone,  east  of 
Wagon  Camp. 

Lodge-Pole  Pine  {Pinus  murrayana). — The  lodge-pole  pine  was 
not  found  on  Shasta  except  on  the  northeast  quadrant,  where  Ver- 


OCT.,  1899.] 


WHITE-RARK    PINE    BELT. 


39 


non  Bailey,  in  following  the  wagon  road  around  tlie  mountain,  passed 
through  a  belt  of  it  about  8  miles  in  length.  It  begins  3  miles 
northeast  of  Ash  Creek  at  an  altitude  of  about  5,400  feet  and  reaches 
northerly  to  about  3  miles  northwest  of  Incon  stance  Creek,  where 
it  ends  abruptly  at  an  altitude  of  o,(»00  feet.  Here  it  is  the  dominant 
tree,  and  in  half  of  it  the  only  tree.  This  area  is  covered  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  afternoon  by  the  shadow  of  the  mountain,  and  conse- 
quently is  colder  than  places  of  equal  altitude  farther  north  or  south. 
The  soil  is  sandy  and  barren  and  the  trees  are  of  small  size. 

(3)  The  Upper  Belt  or  Belt  of  White-Bark  Pines  (Pinus  alUcaulis). 

Still  above  the  forest  of  Shasta  firs,  braving  its  way  upward  over  the 
bare  rocky  ridp-^s  into  the  very  teeth  of  the  domain  of  perpetual  snow, 
is  another  timber  belt — an  c  pen  belt  of  straggling,  irregular  trees,  whose 


Fig.  21.— Dwarf  wliite-bark  pines  on  a  high  ridge. 

whitened,  twisted  trunks  with  tlieir  storm-beaten  heads  of  green  are 
among  the  most  weirdly  picturesque  objects  on  the  mountain  (fig.  20). 
The  tree  is  the  timberline  white-bark  pine,  which,  wherever  found, 
pushes  its  way  over  steep  and  barren  slopes  to  the  extreme  upper  limit 
of  tree  growth. 

At  the  lower  part  of  its  range  it  forms  an  almost  continuous  though 
narrow  belt  around  the  mountain,  and  often  attains  a  height  of  30  or  40 
feet  and  a  diameter  of  2  feet.  In  the  higher  parts  of  its  range  it  soon 
becomes  restricted  to  the  ridges,  leaving  the  intervening  basins  and 
gulches  bare,  and  as  it  climbs  higher  and  higher  becomes  more  and 
more  reduced  in  size  and  undergoes  material  changes  of  form  and  posi- 
tion. At  certain  altitudes  the  slanting  trunks,  only  4  or  5  feet  in 
height,  serve  as  pillars  to  support  the  flattened  tops  which  form  a 
canopy  of  intertwined  and  matted  branches  (fig.  21). 


40 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  16. 


These  dwarf  groves  ofter  attractive  shelters  from  wind  and  storm, 
and  we  usually  camped  among  them  when  working  the  upper  sloi)e8. 

The  tree  is  one  of  exceptional  hardihood,  and  as  it  pushes  on  still 
farther  into  the  realm  of  cold  the  trunks  become  completely  prostrate 
and  the  branches  hug  the  ground,  forming  among  the  rocks  dense  mats 
which  sometimes  rise  a  foot  or  two  above  the  general  level,  but  at  their 
upper  limit  usually  occupy  depressions,  or,  if  growing  in  the  lee  of  a 
bowlder,  crouch  behind  it  and  continue  its  surface  level  to  the  adjacent 
slope,  as  if  trimmed  to  lit.  Indeed,  one  is  amazed  at  the  way  these 
uppermost  pines  avoid  exposure  by  flattening  themselves  into  the  hol- 
lows, as  if  afraid  to  lift  a  finger  above  the  general  level.  Their  life  is  a 
perpetual  straggle — not  against  competing  plants,  but  against  a  hostile 
environment.  In  summer  they  are  buffeted  by  the  winds  and  pelted  by 
sand  and  gravel;  in  spring  they  are  swept  and  torn  by  the  resistless 
avalanches,  and  in  winter  they  arc  deeply  buried  under  heavy  banks  of 
snow.  The  prostrate  trunks  in  young  and  middle-aged  healthy  trees 
are  completely  concealed,  often  half  covered  by  stones  and  pumice  sand, 
and  hidden  by  the  density  of  their  own  branches  and  foliage;  but  in  very 
old  trees,  and  those  injured  by  passing  avalanches  or  laid  bare  by  the 
washing  away  of  protecting  rocks  during  violent  storms,  the  trunks  are 
partly  exposed  and  their  extraordinary  features  may  be  easily  examined. 
As  a  rule  they  are  not  only  naked,  but  the  strongly  twisted  wood, 
gnarled,  contorted,  and,  ironlike  in  firmness,  has  been  eaten  into  by 
the  sand  blast  till  the  knots  and  hardest  parts  stand  out  in  prominent 
ridges. 

A  little  below  timberline  on  the  north  side  of  Shasta,  between  I^orth 
Gate  and  Shastina,  is  an  extensive  gently  sloping  pumice  plain,  strewn 
with  fragments  of  gray  shaly  lava,  and  thickly  sj)otted  with  rather 


Fig.  22.— Pumice  plain  north  side  of  Shasta,  showing  timberline  mats  of  white-bark  pines. 

large  mats  of  pines,  averaging  2  to  4  feet  in  height,  which  give  a  most 
curious  aspect  to  the  region  (fig.  22).    This  area,  which  is  about  a  mile 


OCT.,  1899.] 


WHITE-BARK    PINE    BELT. 


41 


and  a  half  across  (horizontally),  must  contain  thousands  of  acres  of  the 
dwarf,  flattened  pines.  Along  its  lower  edge,  singularly  enough,  trees 
of  the  same  species  suddenly  staiul  upright  and  grow  to  large  size, 
forming  a  rather  solid  forest,  perhaps  30  feet  in  height,  with  an  abrupt 
front  facing  the  dwarf  pines  above.  The  suddenness  of  the  transition 
is  unusual  and  difficult  to  explain. 

The  forest  just  mentioned  is  probably  the  largest  continuous  area  of 
Pinus  (dbicaulis  on  Shasta.  Situated  a  little  below  timberline,  it 
stretches,  a^jparently  without  interrui^tion,  from  North  Gate  Buttes 
to  Diller  Canyon,  a  distance  of  fully  5  miles,  thus  encircling  the  north- 
west quadrant  of  the  mountain,  including  Shastina. 

Perhaps  the  most  attractive  grove  of  white-bark  pines  on  Shasta  is 
one  that  fills  an  open  gulch  or  glade  on  the  east  side  of  i^orth  Gate 
Bnttes.  Here,  in  the  lower  i:>art  of  their  belt,  the  trees  are  large  and 
uncommonly  symmetrical,  and  the  gray  pumice  soil  is  covered  with 
silvery  lupines.  In  ascending  the  gulch  the  pines  gradually  decrease 
in  size  until  at  'The  Gate'  (alt.  8,500  feet)  they  are  dwarfed  and  their 
tops  are  broadly  flattened. 

The  normal  altitudinal  limits  of  the  white-bark  pines  on  Shasta  are 
hard  to  fix.  On  the  south  and  southwest  sides  the  trees  descend  in 
places  to  7,500  feet  and  range  thence  upward  on  the  hottest  ridges  to 
an  extreme  limit  of  0,800  feet.  But  this  extreme  altitude  is  attained  at 
two  jjoints  only — on  the  long  ridge  above  'The  [South]  Gate '  (near  Bed 
Butte)  and  on  a  ridge  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  of  Mud  Creek 
Canyon.     On  the  west  rim  of  the  canyon  the  pines  stop  at  9,500  feet 


Fig.  23. — A  lari;<-  jimstratf  tree  of  wl!itf-l)ark  i)iiie.  a  little  below  tiiiiljerline. 

and  on  the  ridge  on  the  east  side  at  8,600.     Probably  9,300  to  9,500 
would  be  a  fair  average  for  their  upper  limit  on  the  warmer  southerly 
slopes. 
On  the  cold  northeast  slope,  just  south  of  Brewer  Creek,  they  descend 
21753— No.  16 6 


42 


NORTH    AMEKICAN    FAUNA. 


on  a  barren  pumice  slope  to  7,000  feet,  where,  si)ariugly  mixed  with 
alpine  hemlocks,  they  meet  the  upper  limit  of  Shasta  firs  and  silver 
pines. 

Black  Alpine  Hemlock  {T.siiga  vwriensiana'^ ). — But  the  white- 
bark  pine,  although  the  dominant  and  most  widely  distributed  tree  of 
the  upper  timber  belt,  is  not  the  only  tree,  for  in  places  it  is  mixed 
with  or  replaced  by  the  black  alpine  hemlock.  Shasta  is  a  very  dry 
mountiiin,  and  yet  the  white-bark  pine  thrives  on  its  driest  slopes  and 
grows  among  the  bare,  naked  blocks  of  lava  where  tree  life  seems 
imj)ossible.  The  hemlock  requires  more  moisture,  and  therefore  is  at  a 
decided  disadvantage.  It  never  reaches  as  high  as  Finns  aJhieauUs 
and  attains  its  best  development  along  the  lower  border  of  the  Hud- 


FlG.  24.  — ISlaik  alpine  hemlocks  near  Squaw  Creek. 


sonian  zone,  where  it  occurs  in  disconnected  sheltered  localities — 
usually  iu  canyons  or  on  the  shady  east  or  northeast  sides  of  buttes  or 
ridges,  where  there  is  more  moisture  than  on  the  exposed  slopes.  Since 
these  shady  easterly  slopes  are  always  cold,  the  hemlocks  that  occupy 

'This  is  the  sjiecies  heretofore  commonly  l^nowu  as  Tsuga pattoni  or  Tsuga  patto- 
niana.  It  has  heeu  recently  discovered  that  the  name  Tsuga  meriensiana,  commonly 
applied  to  the  Pacific  lowland  hemlock,  was  lirst  given  to  the  present  alpine  species, 
necessitating  a  most  nnhappy  change  of  name.  Fortunately,  however,  the  common 
English  names  of  the  two  and  their  Avidely  different  zone  ranges — one  restricted  t" 
the  low  Transition  belt  near  the  coast,  the  other  to  the  high  Hudsonian  zone  on  the 
loftiest  mountains — may  prevent  the  confusion  that  otherwise  would  result  from  the 
change  of  name. 


OCT.,  1899.] 


WHITE-BARK    PINE    BELT, 


43 


ttem  (leseeiid  in  tongues  considerably  below  tlie  usual  lower  limit  of 
the  belt  to  whioli  tbey  belong.  The  most  extreme  case  of  tlie  kind 
observed  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  series  of  hills  and  ridges  known  on 
the  map  as  'Gray  Butte,'  where  a  gulch,  sheltered  from  the  warm  after- 
noon sun  and  moistened  by  seepage  from  melting  snows,  carries  the 
hemlocks  to  a  lower  altitude  than  they  reach  elsewhere.  On  suitable 
slopes  they  usually  begin  about  7,200  or  7,300  feet  and  range  up  to 
jvbout  8,000  feet.  The  highest  altitude  at  which  they  were  observed  is 
8,700  feet,  a  little  east  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon,  where  a  few  stunted  trees 
were  found  among  the  white-bark  pines.  Their  extreme  upper  limit  is 
thus  a  thousand  feet  lower  than  that  of  the  white- bark  pines.    This  is 


Fig.  25. — Group  of  alpine,  hemlocks  near  Deer  Canyon. 

due,  in  part  at  least,  to  the  character  of  the  upper  slopes,  where  no 
trees  can  grow  except  on  the  ridges — as  explained  under  the  head  of 
Timberline  (pp.  27-30) — and  here  the  ridges  are  too  exposed  and  too 
dry  for  hemlocks. 

On  Shasta  the  alpine  hemlock  does  not  grow  in  such  luxuriance 
or  attain  such  dimensions  as  in  the  Cascade  Eange.  The  average 
height  of  mature  trees  seems  to  be  80  or  100  feet;  the  average  diameter 
a  little  less  than  3  feet.  Trunks  4  and  5  feet  through  are  by  no  means 
rare  and  the  one  shown  in  the  accompanying  i^hotograph  (fig.  26)  meas- 
ured C  feet.  It  is  a  characteristic  habit  of  hemlocks  on  sloping  ground 
to  grow  in  clusters,  3  to  7  springing  from  a  common  base.  In  this  way, 
when  young,  they  are  better  able  to  withstand  the  pressure  of  the  snow. 


44 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  IC. 


Those  that  grow  singly  usually  supi)ort  tlieniselves  by  having  the 
trunks  strongly  curved  downward  just  above  the  ground,  as  shown  in 
fig.  20. 

The  alpine  hendock  is  one  of  the  most  ])icturesque  and  attractive 
trees  of  our  western  mountains.  Its  beauty  is  due  in  part  to  the  hand- 
some trunks  and  irregular  drooping  branches,  but  mainly  to  the  dense 
and  peculiarly  tufted  foliage  which  falls  in  graceful  masses  in  such 
manner  as  to  conceal  the  branches  and  upper  parts  of  the  trunks.  The 
twigs  or  ultimate  branchlets  curve  upward  and  the  needles  stand  out 
on  all  sides  and  point  outward — away  from  the  body  of  the  tree — i)ro- 
ducing  a  tufted  appearance  very  unlike  that  of  other  conifers.    This 


Fig  liG.— Trunk  of  alpinr  henilock,  .sliowiiig  tliiikrniiig  and  curvature  of  hase. 


effect  is  heightened  during  the  latter  part  of  summer  by  the  light  green 
tips  of  the  new  growth. 

The  hemlock  forest  is  dark,  somber,  and  silent,  and  its  drooping 
branches  are  draped  with  the  dangling  beards  of  the  black-beard 
lichen  [Alectoria  fremonii).  The  only  color  that  breaks  the  otherwise 
uniform  darkness  is  the  bright  yellow  lichen  [Evernia  vulpina)  which 
covers  the  north  or  northwest  sides  of  the  trunks  and  upper  sides  of 
the  branches— a  conspicuous  feature  and  one  seemingly  out  of  harmony 
with  the  general  tone  of  the  forest.  In  all  these  respects  the  hemlock 
forest  accentuates  the  features  of  the  Shasta  fir  forest  of  the  belt  below, 
with  which  it  is  directly  continuous.  The  tree  trunks  and  bark  also 
resemble  those  of  the  Shasta  firs.     The  bark  is  in  long  scales  which,  as 


OCT.,  1899. 


WHITE-BARK    PINE    BELT. 


45 


the  trees  grow,  thicken  into  irregular  jtlates  transversely  broken  at 
intervals  of  S  to  12  inches. 

In  the  growing  tree  the  branches  die  from  below  upward  in  a  curious 
way.  First  a  subdivision  of  a  low  branch  dies  and  the  tips  curl  down- 
ward and  inward,  drawing  together  until  they  form  a  close  curl  or 
tail  which  can  be  set  on  tire  by  a  single  match.  Dozens  of  these  curls 
can  be  seen  on  most  of  the  young  trees,  and  also  on  the  lowermost 
remaining  branches  of  the  middle-sized  and  some  of  the  old  ones.  This 
process  of  dying  and  curling  continues  until  all  the  lower  branches  are 
dead.  Meanwhile,  the  curl-tails  gradually  drop  off  and  litter  the 
ground,  leaving  the  bare  dead  branches  hanging  down  at  a  sharp  angle. 
These  dead  branches  hug  the  trunks  closer  than  the  living  ones  and 
cling  on  until  the  bark  comes  off,  when    they  form  an  armature  of 


Fig.  27. — Group  of  alpine  hemlocks. 

unsightly  bleached  and  brittle  sticks  poiuting  downward  around  the 
trunk.  These  in  time  break  off,  too,  so  that  as  the  tree  grows  into 
maturity  the  handsome  trunk  finally  becomes  clear  and  clean. 

The  alpine  hemlocks  are  prolific  bearers  and  the  ground  is  always 
•  strewn  with  their  cast-off  cones,  which  average  about  2^  inches  in 
length,  and  have  a  dark  streak  down  the  middle  of  each  scale.  When 
young  the  cones  are  conical,  when  old  and  the  scales  become  fully 
retlexed  they  are  slender,  subcylindrical  and  only  three-fourths  of  an 
inch  in  diameter.  Year  after  year  the  cones  fall  to  the  ground  in 
such  prodigious  numbers  that  they  form  a  very  important  part  in 
the  layer  of  felting  that  covers  the  surface  in  the  hemlock  forests — 
a  loose  dark  felting  composed  of  disintegrating  needles,  twigs,  and  cone 
scales  pressed  firmly  together  by  the  weight  of  the  snow  iu  winter,  and 


46  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.16. 

only  rarely  dotted  by  living  i)l;ints.  In  moist  spots,  particularly  along 
the  borders  of  the  tiny  sparkling  streams,  the  red  heather  [Phyllodoce 
empetriformis)  forms  little  beds  aiid  the  delicate  feathery  Lutkea  peeti- 
nata  spreads  a  faint  veil  of  green  over  the  dark  soil.  In  the  drier 
parts  of  the  forest  hardly  a  plant  is  seen  save  now  and  then  a  solitary 
clump  of  prince's  pine  [ChimapMla  menziesl)  or  painted  wintergreeii 
[Pyrola  picia). 

Late  in  September  the  hemlocks  molt  and  the  wind  brings  down  show- 
ers of  needles  that  falling  on  the  tent  at  night  sound  like  rain.  Their 
color  has  now  changed  from  green  to  golden  brown  and  they  sprinkle 
the  black  floor  of  the  forest  so  thickly  as  to  change  its  appearance. 

FOREST  FIRES. 

During  the  past  ten  years  the  country  about  Shasta,  particularly  on 
the  west  aiid  south,  has  been  repeatedly  devastated  by  forest  fires. 
Here,  as  elsewhere,  lumbermen  and  fires  have  destroyed  the  greater 
part  of  the  timber  on  the  lower  slopes  and  adjacent  plain,  which  are 
now  covered  by  a  dense  chai)arral  of  manzanita  and  buckbrush,  dotted 
with  scattered  pines.  Fortunately,  the  fires  have  not  as  yet  spread 
upward  far  enough  to  do  much  damage  to  the  Shasta  firs  of  the  middle 
timber  belt.  Whether  the  character  of  these  trees  and  the  freedom  of 
the  ground  beneath  from  combustible  material  will  prevent  the  spread 
of  fire  remains  to  be  seen.  Thus  far  the  greatest  harm  has  been  done 
in  the  forests  of  ponderosa  and  sugar  pines,  where  lumbering  opera- 
tions are  being  carried  on  with  painful  vigor. 

While  we  were  on  the  mountain,  from  the  middle  of  July  until  the 
end  of  September,  one  or  more  fires,  the  result  of  vandalism  or  neglect, 
were  raging  continuously  on  the  south  and  west  sloj)es,  and  two  of  them 
did  irreparable  injury.  One  began  near  some  woodcutters'  shanties,  3 
or  4  miles  below  Wagon  Camp,  on  the  road  to  Sisson;  the  other  and 
more  destructive  originated  in  the  area  covered  by  the  lumbering  opera 
tions  from  McCloud  Mill  and  pushed  swiftly  up  the  Panther  Creek 
slope,  consuming  the  greater  part  of  the  only  area  of  Pinus  attemiata 
on  Shasta  and  burning  great  tongues  into  the  handsome  fir  forest  on 
both  sides  of  Wagon  Camp,  which  it  closely  and  almost  comj^letely 
surrounded. 

The  fire  that  lasted  longest  in  the  summer  of  1898  did  the  least  harm. 
It  consumed  a  worthless  tract  of  manzanita  chaparral  between  Black 
Butte  and  the  mountain,  and  gave  off  a  surprisingly  enormous  quantity 
of  smoke,  hiding  the  country  to  the  west  for  a  full  month.  During  its 
continuance  the  entire  mountain  was  often  enveloped  in  smoke  and 
when  the  wind  was  northwest,  as  it  was  a  great  deal  of  the  time, 
showers  of  burned  leaves  fell  daily  at  our  camps.  On  August  2,  when  we 
were  at  work  on  the  rocky  slopes  above  the  head  of  Squaw  Creek  at  an 
altitude  of  9,500  feet,  charred  leaves  fell  so  abundantly  that  we  caught 
many  in  our  hands.     Great  clouds  of  smoke  rolled  up  between  us  and 


OCT.,  18911.]  SLOPE    EXPOSURE.  47 

tbe  sun,  which  became  deep  red  like  the  full  uioon  and  then  disappeared. 
At  5  o'clock  the  smoke  began  to  settle  back,  as  it  always  did  when  the 
chill  of  the  evening  came  on,  and  the  sun  reappeared,  to  set  as  usual 
behind  the  dark  outlines  of  the  distant  mountains. 

Fires  ou  the  south,  in  the  valley  of  the  McCloud,  cut  off  the  view  in 
that  direction,  and  it  was  only  at  rare  intervals,  and  usually  at  sun- 
set, that  we  were  able  to  see  the  snowy  crown  of  Lassen  Butte  00 
miles  away.  Even  Castle  Crags,  almost  at  our  feet,  were  rarely  visible. 
This  experience  is  frequent  in  the  west;  and  of  the  hundreds  of  persons 
who  visit  the  Pacific  slope  every  summer  to  see  the  mountains,  few  see 
more  than  the  immediate  foreground  and  a  haze  of  smoke  which  even 
the  strongest  glass  is  unable  to  penetrate. 

Along  the  railroad  between  the  head  of  Sacramento  Canyon  and 
Shasta  Valley  one  traverses  desolate  tracts  which  a  few  years  ago  were 
covered  by  a  noble  forest  of  ponderosa  and  sugar  pines. 

EFFECTS    OF    BURNS   IN    CHAN(rING   ZONE    POSITIONS. 

A  burn  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Shasta  fir  forest  a  little  above 
Wagon  Camp  affords  an  excellent  illustration  of  the  way  fires  some- 
tnnes  change  the  zone  relations  of  particular  areas.  The  area  in  ques- 
tion was  well  within  the  Canadian  zone  before  the  fire,  which  occurred 
only  a  few  years  ago.  Since  the  fire.  Transition  zone  species  have  crept 
up  the  ridge,  and  now  Ceanothvs  velufinus,  Arctostaphylos  j>atula,  Hot- 
l-elia pseud occqnta ta ,  Apoci/n n m  p7( m il ion ,  Gayophyt nm  ramosi.ssim  um, and 
others  are  common.  The  manzanita  and  buck-brush  are  young  and 
small  but  are  spreading,  so  that  in  a  few  years  the  ridge,  whi(;h  has  a 
warm  southerly  slope,  will  be  mainly  Transition.  But  in  the  mean- 
time a  new  growth  of  Shasta  firs  has  started,  and  in  ten  or  twenty 
years  is  likely  to  overtop  and  drown  out  the  Transition  zone  species, 
enabling  the  Canadian  zone  to  reclaim  the  burn. 

Such  cases  of  alternation  of  zones  resulting  from  the  clearing  of 
forest  land  are  not  uncommon,  particularly  when  deforestation  is 
caused  or  accompanied  by  fire.  But  on  steei)er  sloi)es,  especially  rock 
slopes,  if  the  vegetable  layer  is  burned  oft",  the  (lower)  zone  wliich 
creeps  up  to  replace  the  (higher)  one  destroyed  becomes  permanent  or 
nearly  so. 

It  may  be  laid  down  as  a  general  rule  that  the  destruction  of  forests, 
by  admitting  the  sun  and  wind,  lessens  the  moisture  in  the  soil  and 
increases  the  temperature,  thus  inviting  animals  and  plants  to  come  in 
from  adjacent  warmer  areas.  Deforestation  of  an  area  therefore  tends 
to  lower  its  zone  position. 

SLOPE    EXPOSURE. 

By  slope  exposure  is  meant  the  inclination  of  the  earth's  surface  at 
a  particular  point  with  reference  to  the  angle  at  which  it  receives  the 
sun's  rays.     The  amount  of  heat,  were  it  not  for  the  retarding  effect  of 


48 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  16. 


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-Diagram  .showing  average  hourly  march 
of  temperature. 


the  atmosphere,  would  be  greatest  at  noon,  when  the  sun's  position 
with  reference  to  the  earth  is  most  nearly  vertical.  But,  as  everyone 
knows,  the  atmosphere  becomes  heated  slowly  and  does  not  attain  its 
highest  temperature  until  the  middle  or  latter  part  of  the  afternoon, 
the  hour  varying  with  the  locality.  Hence  slopes  that  face  the  sun 
most  nearly  at  a  right  angle  at  the  time  of  day  when  the  atmosphere 
is  hottest  are  naturally  the  hottest  slo])es — those  that  carry  the  zones 
highest;  while  conversely,  slopes  that  face  the  opposite  direction  are 
naturally  the  coldest  slopes — those  that  depress  the  life  zones  lowest. 
At  Portland,  Oregon  (about  275  miles  north  of  Shasta),  the  hottest 
part  of  the  day  in  summer  is  a  little  after  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
at  which  time  the  sun  is  nearly  due  west.  Consequently  the  hottest 
uncomplicated  slopes  are  those  that  face  west  or  a  little  south  of  west. 
The  accompanying  diagram  shows  the  actual  mean  hourly  march  of 
atmospheric  temperature  at  Portland,  Oregon,  for  June,  July,  and 
August : 


The  influence  of  sloj^e  exposure  on  the  faunas  and  floras  of  moun- 
tainous regions  is  profound.  Measured  by  a  scale  of  altitudes,  it 
amounts  on  ordinary  slopes  to  nearly  a  thousand  feet,  and  on  steep 
slopes  is  still  more  marked.  Thus  on  mountains  it  is  usual  for  plants 
and  animals  of  i)articular  species  to  occur  on  warm  southwesterly 
slopes  at  elevations  800  to  1,000  feet  higher  than  on  cool  northeasterly 
slopes.  Similarly  on  north  and  south  ridges,  the  faunas  and  floras  of 
the  warm  west  slopes  often  belong  to  lower  zones  than  those  of  equal 
elevations  on  the  cool  east  slopes. 

Shasta  aftbrds  innumerable  examples  of  the  eftects  of  slope  exposure, 
both  simifle  and  complicated  by  canyons. 

An  excellent  illustration  of  the  latter  is  to  be  found  in  Mud  Creek 


OCT.,  1899.]  SLOPE    EXPOSURE.  49 

Canyon,  aear  the  mouth  of  Clear  Creek  (see  pL  iii).  The  altitude  of 
the  bottom  of  the  canyon  at  this  point  is  6,700  feet,  which  would  nat- 
urally place  it  in  the  middle  of  the  Canadian  zone.  The  steep  west 
side  of  the  narrow  ridge  between  the  two  creeks  receives  the  afternoon 
sun  at  nearly  a  right  angle,  and  is  in  consequence  an  unusually  warm 
slope  for  the  altitude.  The  result  is  that  seeds  of  plants  carried  upward 
by  winds  and  birds  from  the  Transition  zone,  more  than  1,000  feet 
below,  have  here  found  a  favorable  resting  place  and  have  grown  into 
a  colony  of  Transition  zone  species,  among  which  are  Abies  concolor 
loiciana,  Arctostaphylos  patula,  Kunzia  trideutafa,  Amelanchier  alnifoUa, 
Kiibus  parvifloru.Sj  Sorhus  namhueifolia,  Sytnplioricarpos  pilosus^  Rihes 
viscosissiniuin,  E.  (unictum,  Samhucus  melanocarpa,  Apocynum  pumilum^ 
Spira'a  douglasi,  Yaccimmn  {arhuscula ?),  Lupinus  elmeri,  Eriogomim 
marifoliiimy  Gilia  agf/regata,  Pteris  aquiluia  lanuginosa,  and  the  large 
Transition  zone  form  of  Castilleja  miniata.  Just  across  the  canyon, 
and  in  one  place  less  than  100  feet  from  the  lower  edge  of  this  isolated 
Transition  colony  and  at  a  lower  level,  are  species  belonging  to  the 
Hudsouian  zone — such  as  Pentstemon  neicherryi  and  Pulsatilla  oeciden- 
talis.  Thus,  growing  close  together  on  opposite  slopes  of  the  same 
canyon,  are  species  characteristic  of  zones  both  above  and  below  the 
one  to  which  the  altitude  i)roi)erly  belongs.  This  case  is  by  no  means 
peculiar  and  is  a  good  illustration  of  the  simpler  effects  of  slope  exposure 
commonly  shown  in  mountain  canyons. 

Another  class  of  cases  is  found  on  the  buttes  and  hills.  A  mile 
and  a  half  northeast  of  Wagon  Camj)  is  ;i  conspicuous  red  cinder  cone 
about  1,000  feet  in  height,  known  as  Ked  Cone.  In  zone  position  it  is 
Well  within  the  lower  part  of  the  Canadian  belt  where  it  is  surrounded 
by  the  forest  of  Shasta  lirs,  scattered  trees  of  which  push  up  on  the 
basal  sloi)es  and  on  the  south  side  reach  the  toj).  Just  below  the  sum- 
mit are  a  few  silver  pines  belonging  to  the  same  zone.  The  warm  south- 
west slope  brings  up  irom  the  Transition  zone  below  thickets  of  man- 
zanita,  a  few  incense  cedars,  and  several  humbler  plants.  The  cold 
northeast  slope,  although  reaching  an  altitude  of  only  about  0,800  feet, 
which  would  place  it  in  the  middle  of  the  Canadian  zone,  is  cold  enough 
to  bring  down  from  the  Hudsouian  zone  several  characteristic  plants, 
such  as  Polygonum  neu-berryi,  Cymoptcrus  terehinthinus,  Cycladenia 
humilis,  Eriogonum  polypodum,  and  Viola  purpurea. 

On  the  south  side  of  Shasta  an  interrupted  ridge  or  series  of  buttes, 
known  collectively  as  '  Gray  Butte,'  reaches  up  the  mountain  side  from 
Ked  Cone,  east  of  Wagon  Camp,  northward  to  the  gap  known  as  'The 
Gate.'  In  a  gulch  or  canyon  on  the  east  side  of  this  butte  the  black 
alpine  hemlock  descends  more  than  1,000  feet  below  its  usual  lower 
limit.  The  reason  is  obvious.  The  row  of  buttes  cuts  off  the  warm 
afternoon  sun,  and  seepage  from  melting  snows  keeps  the  soil  moister 
than  in  more  exposed  places,  so  that  the  gulch  meets  the  two  require- 
ments of  the  alpine  hemlock — a  moist  soil  and  a  cold  atmosi)here.  For 
its  entire  length  this  long  tongue  of  hemlock  is  flanked  by  Shasta  firs 
21753— No.  10 7 


50 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  16. 


from  the  zone  below,  so  that  the  usual  zone  relations  are  chanj>ed, 
parallel  strips  of  Canadian  and  Hudsouian  running  up  and  down  the 
mountain — instead  of  encircling  it  in  the  usual  liorizontal  belts.  Along 
Squaw  Creek  another  tongue  of  iilpine  hemlock  descends  to  the  liead 
of  the  main  fall,  at  an  altitude  of  about  7,25()  feet,  and  is  simihirly 
sandwiched  between  ascending  tongues  of  Shasta  firs. 

Between  'The  [South]  Gate'  and  the  grove  of  alpine  hemlocks  on 
upper  Squaw  Creek  is  a  prominent  mass  of  lava  700  or  800  feet  high, 
known  as  'Eed  Butte.-  It  is  about  2,000  feet  below  the  altitude  of 
extreme  timberline  and  its  summit  is  covered  with  trees;  nevertheless 
its  precipitous  northeast  side  is  so  cold  that  its  zone  i^osition  is  well 
above  timberline,  as  shown  by  the  presence  there  of  such  distinctively 
alpine  plants  as  Oxyria  digyna  and  Saxifraga  tohniei.     In  this  case  the 


Fiii.  'M. — i)\\  all  jjiiR's  oiidiiig  abruptly  along  cold  east  .sido  uf  ridge. 

effect  of  a  very  cold  mass  of  rock  is  added  to  that  of  the  coldest  slope, 
and  the  result  is  a  lowering  of  alpine  zone  species  2,000  feet  below  their 
normal  elevation  on  the  hottest  southwest  slopes. 

The  high  north  and  south  ridges  afford  i^erhaps  the  simplest  example 
of  the  direct  influence  of  slope  exposure.  The  warm  west  sides  of  these 
ridges  usually  bear  trees  in  proportion  to  the  availability  of  their  slopes, 
while  the  cold  east  sides  remain  naked  and  alpine  (see  tig.  14).  The  way 
the  dwarf  pines  stop  along  the  east  crest  of  the  ridges  is  shown  in  the 
accompanying  figure  (fig.  20). 

Finally,  the  glaciers  of  Shasta  afford  impressive  evidence  of  the 
effects  of  slope  exposure.  ^ly  party  did  not  take  the  altitudes  of  the 
glaciers,  but  according  to  the  Shasta  map  sheet  of  the  U.  S.  Geological 
Survey  those  on  the  cold  east  and  northeast  slopes  descend  below 
9,000  feet,  and  one  of  them,  at  the  head  oi"  Ash  Creek,  below  8,r)00  feet, 
while  the  only  one  having  a  south  exposure  (at  the  head  of  Mud 
Creek)  stops  at  11,000  feet,'  and  there  are  no  glaciers  at  all  on  the  west 

'  There  is  another  glacier  on  the  south  side,  tributary  to  Mud  Creek,  which 
descends  lower  than  the  one  marked  on  the  map  as  'Konwakiton  glacier,Mnit  it 
is  coni])letely  hidden  by  a  high  ridge  and  is  not  exposed  to  the  late  afternoon  sun. 


o<T.,  1890.]  EFFECTS    OF    STEEP    SLOPES.  51 

side.  Hence  if  the  altitudes  to  which  glaciers  descend  on  the  various 
slopes  be  accepted  as  indicating  the  course  of  a  sinuous  line  of  equal 
temperature,  it  follows  that  the  difference  in  temperature  dependent  on 
the  angle  and  conditions  of  slope  exposure,  as  measured  by  the  glaciers, 
is  e(iuivaleiit  to  a  difference  of  upward  of  2,000  feet  in  altitude.  But 
this  is  doubtless  excessive  and  due  in  part  to  local  influences. 

EFFECTS  OF  STEEP  SLOPES. 

Steep  slopes,  particulaily  those  that  face  the  southwest  and  west, 
exaggerate  the  effects  of  slope  exposure.  Those  that  ftice  the  hot  after- 
noon sun  at  nearly  a  right  angle  receive  the  greatest  quantity  of  heat, 
but  this  alone  is  not  sufficient  to  account  for  the  very  extraordinary 
degree  to  which  the  fauna  and  flora  are  sometimes  affected.  When  it  is 
remembered  that  the  hottest  ordinary  slopes  carry  up  the  zones  only 
800  to  1,000  feet,  one  is  startled  to  find  that  on  some  favorable  steep 
slopes  they  are  pushed  up  more  than  2,000  teet  above  their  normal 
limits.  The  explanation  did  not  occur  to  me  until,  in  discussing  the 
matter  with  the  geologist,  G.  K.  Gilbert,  he  suggested  the  diurnal  ascend- 
ing current  as  the  missing  factor. 

It  is  well  liUown  that  in  ordinary  calm  weather  the  air  currents  on 
mountain  sides  and  in  deep  canj-ons  ascend  by  day  and  descend  by 
night.  The  ascending  currents  are  warm,  the  descending  currents  cold. 
The  night  current,  being  in  the  main  free  from  local  influences  that 
affect  its  temperature,  must  exert  an  essentially  equal  effect  on  all  sides 
of  a  mountain;  but  the  temperature  of  the  ascending  day  current,  being 
constantly  exposed  to  and  in  fact  created  by  the  influence  of  the  sun, 
must  vary  enormously  on  different  slopes.  The  activity  and  effective- 
ness of  this  current  increases  with  the  steepness  of  the  slope  and  the 
directness  of  its  exposure  to  the  afternoon  sun.  Hence  the  hottest 
normal  slopes — those  that  face  the  sun  at  nearly  a  right  angle  during 
the  hottest  part  of  the  day — are  rendered  still  more  potent  by  increased 
steepness,  the  direct  exposure  to  the  sun  keeping  up  the  supply  of  heat 
while  the  steepness  of  the  slope  accelerates  the  rate  of  movement  of  the 
diurnal  ascending  current,  carrying  the  heated  air  upward  a  very  great 
distance  before  it  has  time  to  be  cooled  by  the  general  temperature  of 
the  stratum  it  penetrates.  Thus  it  is  that  species  characteristic  of  the 
Transition  zone  on  Shasta — species  which  on  normal  southwesterly 
slopes  attain  their  upper  limits  at  an  altitude  of  5,500  to  5,700  feet — are 
in  favorable  places  enabled  to  live  at  elevations  of  7,900  and  even  8,000 
feet,  considerably  more  than  2,000  feet  above  their  normal  upper  limits. 

The  steep  slopes  of  Diller  Canyon  furnish  instructive  illustrations  of 
the  effects  of  these  ascending  hot-air  currents.  Here,  on  the  hot  stony 
pumice  slopes,  such  distinctive  Transition  zone  species  as  Arctostaphylos 
patula,  Kunzia  tridentata,  Ceanothus  velutinus,  and  Chrysothamnus-occi- 
dentaUs  flourish  among  the  Shasta  flrs  and  white-bark  pines  at  an  alti- 
tude of  nearly  8,000  feet  in  the  belt  where  the  Canadian  and  Hudsonian 
zones  overlap,  and  more  than  2,000  feet  above  the  extreme  upper  limit 
of  their  normal  distribution  on  uncomplicated  hot  southwesterly  slopes. 


52 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  16. 


J5AS1N   SLOPES. 

Many  of  the  glacial  basius  of  the  timberline  region  are  broad  U-shaped 
depressions  with  gently  sloping  bottoms,  ending  abruptly  in  terminal 
moraines,  below  which  they  may  or  may  not  continue  on  to  other 
moraines.  Tbey  were  excavated  by  glaciers  at  a  period  when  the  ice 
cap  of  Shasta  was  much  larger  and  more  complete  than  at  present. 
The  upper  ends  of  most  of  these  valleys  abut  against  the  steep  upper 
slopes  of  the  peak,  and  are  bordered  on  both  sides  by  lofty  ridges,  so 
that  they  are  walled  in  on  three  sides  and  thus  converted  into  basins. 
Such  basins,  when  they  face  the  southwest,  appear  to  promote  the 
reflection  of  heat  and  retard  the  escape  of  hot  air,  so  that  they  some- 
times become  hot  pockets  characterized  by  species  belonging  to  the  zone 
below. 

LIFE   ZONES   OF  SHASTA. 

Shasta  stands  on  a  Transition  zone  plane,  with  a  dilute  tongue  of 
Upper  Sonoran  approaching  its  northern  base  by  way  of  Klamath  and 
Shasta  valleys.  Its  forested  slopes  rise  quickly  through  the  Boreal 
zones  to  timberline,  above  which  its  ice-clad  summit  towers  to  a  height 
of  5,000  feet.  The  life  zones  of  Shasta,  therefore,  beginning  with  the 
Upper  Sonoran  element  of  Shasta  Valley,  are — 

Upper  Sonoran  Hudsonian 

Transition  Arctic-Alpine. 

Canadian 

In  a  generalized  diagrammatic  north  and  south  section  of  the  moun- 
tain the  relations  of  these  zones  may  be  shown  somewhat  as  fellows: 


VaVaV/^Va'^aVa 


V  A 


Fig.  30.— Diagram  of  Sliaata  showing  relations  of  life  zones. 

The  altitudes  of  zone  boundaries  here  given  are  intended  to  repre 
sent  their  average  or  mean  elevation  on  normal  southerly  slopes.  The 
aridity  of  the  mountain  as  a  whole,  with  consequent  scattered  or 
'spotty'  instead  of 'continuous'  distribution  of  most  of  its  zone  species, 
complicated  by  the  influences  of  hot  and  cold  slopes,  springs,  and  air 
currents,  elsewhere  discussed,  which  frequently  carry  species  1,000  feet 
or  more  above  or  below  their  normal  limits,  makes  it  almost  impossible 


OCT.,  1899]  UPPER    SOXORAN    ZONE.  53 

to  fix  with  certainty  the  normal  zone  altitudes.  Hence  those  here  given 
must  be  regarded  as  approximate  only.  The  average  width  of  the  belt 
of  overlapping  of  adjoining  zones  appears  to  be  about  800  feet;  so  that 
the  normal  vertical  distribution  of  the  distinctive  species  of  each  zone 
overreaches  in  both  directions  the  altitudes  given  by  about  400  feet. 

The  zone  positions  accorded  the  various  species  are  based  on  per- 
sonal field  experience,  and  in  the  great  majority  of  cases  are  believed  to 
be  correct;  in  a  few  instances,  however,  the  evidence  is  inconclusive — 
hence  the  zone  lists  must  be  regarded  as  provisional  and  subject  to 
correction.  Species  recently  exterminated  or  driven  away,  as  the  moun- 
tain sheep,  elk,  and  grizzly  bear,  are  included  in  the  tables. 

UPPER    SONORAN    ZONE. 

The  Upi^er  Sonorau  element  in  the  region  about  Shasta  is  dilute  and 
is  limited  to  Shasta  Valley  at  the  north  base  of  the  mountain,  which  it 
reaches  by  way  of  the  Klamath  country  on  the  north  and  northeast. 
It  has  no  connection  whatever  with  the  Upper  Sonorau  of  the  Sacra- 
mento Valley  on  the  south,  which  ends  near  the  point  where  Pitt  Eiver 
joins  the  Sacramento,  about  50  miles  below  Shasta. 

Shasta  Valley  is  an  arid  plain  about  ii5  miles  in  length  by  10  or  12  in 
breadth,  studded  with  small  volcanic  buttes  and  lava  flows.  It  varies 
in  altitude  from  a  little  less  than  4,000  to  about  2,700  feet,  and  is  lowest 
at  the  north,  where  the  Shasta  Eiver,  by  which  it  is  traversed,  flows 
into  the  Klamath  Eiver.  Shasta  Kiver  is  in  places  bordered  by  decid- 
uous trees,  mainly  Poj)uIhs  U'ichocarpa,  Betiila  occidcnfali.s,  and  Alnus 
rhomhifolia.  The  valley  is  sparsely  covered  with  rabbit  brush  of  sev- 
eral species,  mainly  Chrysothnmnus  occidentalis  and  C.  viscidiflorus,  and 
in  some  places,  chiefly  on  the  east  and  south,  by  the  true  sagebrush 
[Artemisia  tridentaia).  The  southeastern  part  contains  an  open  forest 
of  junipers  {Juniperns  occidentalis),  which  meets  the  pine  forest  of  the 
basal  slopes  of  the  mountain.  The  western  part  is  an  open  plain  very 
scantily  dotted  with  rabbit  brush  and  a  few  small  and  mainly  incon- 
spicuous plants,  among  which  were  observed:  Mentzelia  hvincaulis, 
Xanthium  strnmarium,  Heliotropium  curassavicum,  Verbena  bracteosa, 
Datura  meteloides,  barcohatus  rermiculatus  and  Nicotiana  sp.  f  Along 
the  western  border  of  the  valley,  near  the  Scott  Mountains,  several 
characteristic  shrubs  occur,  among  which  are  Ceanothus  cxneatus,  Arcto- 
staphyJos  [viscida?),  Cercocarpus  parrifolitis,  Eriodictyo7ighitinosum,  and 
Garrya  fremon  ti. ' 

The  zone  position  of  this  region  is  further  indicated  by  the  presence 
of  such  birds  as  the  chat  {Icteria  virens  lonyicauda),  bush-tit  {Psaltri- 
pariis  minimus  californiciis),  California  towhee  [Pipilo  fuscus  crissaUs), 
California  jay  {Aphelocoma  caiifornica),  aud  California  valley  quail 
{Lophortyx  californicus  vallicola).  Formerly  antelope  were  common 
here,  but  now  they  are  rarely  seen.  The  most  abundant  mammals  are 
jack  rabbits   {Lepus    californicus),  sagebrush    cottontails    [Lepus    nut 

'  Garrya  fremonti  is  both  Upper  Sonorau  and  Transition. 


54  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAINA.  [m.u.\ 

talli),  kangaroo  rats  {IHpodomys  californicns),  i)ocket  mice  {Perof/mttlim 
parvus  f),  ^YOO^[Tixts  {Neoioma  fuscipes),  coyotes  {Canin  ochropus),  and 
raccoons  {Procyon  psora  pacifica). 

So  little  work  was  done  in  Shasta  Valley  that  the  species  mentioned 
are  of  course  only  a  fraction  of  those  present. 

MAMMALS    OF    I'PPEU    SONOKAN    ZONE    (IN    SHASTA    VALLEY). 

liestrictcd  to  Vjrper  Sonoran. 

Lepus  calilornicus.  Perognatbus  (parvus'!'). 

Lepus  uuttalli.  Peroiiiyscns  trnei. 

MicTotus  califoinicus.  Eeitbrodontoiuys  klamp^thensis. 

Oomtnon  to  V'j}per  Sonoran  und  Transition. 

Antilocapra  americana.  Procyon  psora  pacifica. 

Canis  ocLropus.  Scapanns  califovnicns. 

Dipodomj's  califoruicus.  Speriiiophilns  douglasi. 

IMeplaitis  occidental  is.  Si)ilogale  latifrons. 

Myotis  evotis.  Taxidea  taxus. 

Neotoma  fnscipes.  Vespertilio  fuscus. 

Peromyscus  gambeli.  ?Zapu8  pacificus. 

BIKDS   OF    TTPPER    SONORAN   ZONE    (IN    SHASTA    VALLEY). 
Restricted  to  V-pper  Sonoran. 
C'atberpes  luexicanus  pimitubxtus.  Lanius  liidovicianus  excnbitorides. 

Chondestes  grammacus  strigatus.  Otocoris  alpestris  merrilli. 

Clyanocepbaliis  cyauocepbalus.'  Pipilo  fnscns  crissalis. 

P"'alco  mexicanus.  Psaltripanis  minimus  calil'ornicns. 

Coninion  to  Upper  Sonoran  and  Transition. 

Apbelocoma  califoruica.  Melanerpes  formicivorus  bairdi. 

Astragaliuns  psaltria.  Phabi'uoptilus  uuttalli. 

Piutco  swaiusoni.  Pipilo  maculatns  megalonyx. 

Calypto  auna.  Scolecopbagus  cyanocepbalus. 

Carpodacus  mexicanus  obscurus.  S^jeotyto  cuuicularia  bypoga^a. 

Catbartes  aura.  Spizella  socialis  arizonae. 

( "bondestes  grammacus  strigatus.  Sturnella  magna  neglecta. 

Cbordeiles  virginiauus.  Tbryomanes  bewicki  spilnrus. 

Cyanospiza  ama-ua.  Troglodytes  acdon  parkmaui. 

Dendroica  a'Stiva.  Tyranuus  verticalis. 

Geothlypis  tricbas  occidentalis.  Vireo  gilvus  swainsoni. 

Icteria  virens  longicauda.  Zeuaidura  macroura. 
Lopbortyx  calitbrnicus  vallicola. 

TRANSITION    ZONE. 

Exceptinu'  Shasta  Valley,  the  Transition  zone  covers  the  whole  coun- 
try about  Shasta  and  pushes  up  over  the  basal  slopes  to  an  altitude  of 
5,000  or  0,000  feet.  To  the  northeast  and  east  it  reaches  and  extends 
beyond  the  Klamath  country  and  Goose  Lake  in  Oregon,  and  the 
^Madeline  Plains  in  extreme  northeastern  California,  interrupted  only 
by  narrow  tongues  of  Upper  Sonoran  in  the  ui)per  Pitt  liiver  Valley, 
and  by  small  islands  of  Canadian  on  the  highest  mountain  summits. 

'  Tbe  pifion  jay  visits  the  juniper  forests  in  Shasta  Valley  in  fall  to  feed  on  the 
juniper  berries,  but  whether  or  not  it  breeds  there  is  not  known. 


OCT.,  1899.1  TRANSITION    ZONE.  55 

To  the  south  the  Transition  zone  tills  the  McCloud  and  Pitt  River  val- 
leys, embraces  the  canyon  of  the  Sacramento,  aud  stretches  onward 
along  the  flanks  of  the  Sierra  all  the  way  to  southern  California.  To 
the  west  it  overspreads  the  wild  mountain  region  l)etween  Shasta  and 
the  Pacitic  Ocean,  changing  gradually  from  Arid  Transition  to  Humid 
Transition,  and  surrounding  the  Upper  Sonoran  bottoms  of  Scott  and 
Hoopa  valleys,  and  the  Boreal  summits  of  Salmon,  Trinity,  and  Siski- 
you mountains.  It  covers  the  lower  slopes  and  eastern  ])art  of  the 
Siskiyous,  and  passes  around  the  southern  ends  of  the  Salmon  and 
Trinity  mountains  continuously  to  the  sea. 

On  the  lianks  of  Shasta  the  Transition  zone  forms  a  broad  continuous 
belt  covering  the  basal  slopes  on  the  northwest,  west,  and  south,  but 
interrupted  on  the  cold  east  and  northeast  sides  by  the  Boreal,  which 
here  pushes  down  to  the  actual  base  of  the  mountain,  crowding  the 
Transition  out  to  the  east  around  a  group  of  low  volcanic  hills. 

On  the  southwest  and  west  it  pushes  up  on  ordinary  slopes  to 
5,500  or  6,000  feet,  rising  on  steep  pumice  canyon  slopes  a  couple  of 
thousand  feet  higher,  and  everywhere  embracing  tongues  of  Canadian 
which  descend  along  the  cold  streams  and  on  the  cold  easterly  slopes 
of  ridges. 

On  Shasta  the  study  of  the  Transition  zone  is  complicated  by  strong 
local  ditierences  of  soil-moisture  and  humidity — differences  that  exert 
a  profound  effect  on  the  distribution  of  plants,  and  to  a  less  degree  on 
that  of  animals  also.  It  has  been  shown  elsewhere  (Life  Zones  and  Cioj) 
Zones  of  the  United  States,  p.  28,  September.  1898)  that  in  some  places 
the  Arid  Transition  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  Great  Basin  passes 
gradually  into  the  Tlumid  Transition  of  the  Pacific  coast.  On  Shasta 
similar  changes  occur  in  such  small  compass  that  they  may  be  studied  to 
excellent  advantage.  Thus,  near  the  south  end  of  Shasta  Valley  the 
dominant  types  of  vegetation  are  Pinus  ponderosa^  (^uerviis  californica^ 
Artemisia  tridentata,  Kunzia  tridentata^  Arctostaphylos  pafiila,  Chryso- 
thamnuH  oceidentalis,  Rhus  trilohata,  (hirri/a  freinonti,  and  Pruiius  snb- 
cordata,  all  characteristic  Arid  Transition  species.  On  moister  soils 
near  by,  particularly  in  shady  canyons,  the  dominant  types  are  Pseu- 
dotsit(/((  mucronata,  Abies  coneoJor  lowicDut,  Acer glah rum,  Cornus  'mdtaUi^ 
Riihus  parviflorus  {=nKUam(s  Auct.)  Spirwa  douglasr  and  other  Humid 
Transition  species. 

In  this  connection  it  is  important  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  extreme 
bottom  of  the  west  slope  of  Shasta,  between  the  Sacramento  River  and 
Shasta  Valley  (elevation  about  3,400  feet),  is  decidedly  cooler  and  more 
boreal  than  tlie  middle  part  of  the  slope  J, 000  or  2,000  feet  higher. 
The  reason  is  twofold:  The  bottom  ])art  of  the  west  slo])e,  from  the 
head  of  the  Sacramento  Canyon  northward,  lies  close  to  the  east  base  of 
Mount  Eddy  and  the  Scott  Mountains,  by  which  it  is  shielded  from  the 
late  afternoon  sun,  and  consequently  receives  less  heat  than  higher 
parts  of  the  same  slope.  Furthermore,  it  is  well  watered,  an<l  the  rapid 
evaporation   caused   by  the  dry  atmosphere  tends  to  lower  the  tern- 


56  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

peratiire  still  more.  Higher  parts  of  tbe  same  slope  are  not  only  very 
much  drier,  but  are  exposed  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  afternoon  sun, 
which,  owing  to  the  increasing  steepness,  strike  the  ground  more  nearly 
at  a  right  angle  than  at  lower  elevations,  the  result  being  a  material 
increase  in  the  amount  of  heat  received.  It  is  obvious,  therefore,  that 
on  tbe  southwest  and  west  slopes  the  middle  part  of  the  Transition 
zone  is  the  hottest  and  driest,  the  part  in  which  low  Transition  or  even 
Upper  Sonoran  species  are  most  apt  to  be  found,  while  the  up^jer  and 
lower  parts  are  coolest  and  dampest,  the  parts  most  likely  to  be  invaded 
by  Canadian  zone  species.  Hence  it  is  not  surprising  that  Douglas  and 
white  lirs,  willows,  alders,  elder,  snowberry,  red  spinea,  osier,  and  thim- 
bleberry  flourish  at  the  top  and  bottom  of  the  Transition  slope,  but  are 
absent  from  the  middle  part.  At  the  extreme  foot  of  the  slope,  along 
the  cool  streams  near  Sisson  Tavern,  two  normally  boreal  plants  occur 
which  were  not  found  at  all  in  the  boreal  belts  on  the  mountain.  These 
are  Limuva  borealis  and  Pachi/stima  myrsinites.  With  them  is  associ- 
ated the  mountain  chinquapin  {CasUtnopsis  sempervirens).  There  is 
something  peculiar  about  the  distribution  of  rachystima.  It  is  abund- 
ant in  the  neighborhood  of  Sisson  Tavern  and  occurs  here  and  there, 
apparently  on  dry  soil,  up  to  an  altitude  of  4,700  feet,  but  not  above. 
Since  all  three  of  these  species  are  boreal,  it  is  possible  that  the  forms 
here  referred  to  are  Transition  zone  subspecies. 

MAMMALS    OF    TKANSITION    ZONE. 

(1)   Species  known  to  occur  in  the  Transition  zone  of  Shasta. 

Autilocapra  ameiicana.  Odocoileua  columbianus. 

Bassariscus  astutus  raptor.  Perognathus  nioUipilosua. 

Callospermopbihis  cbrysodeirns.  Peromyscus  boyli. 

Cauis  oehropus.  Peromyscus  gambeli. 

Castor  cauadensis.'  Procyon  psora  pacifica. 

Cervus  occidentalis.  Scapanns  cnlifornicus. 

Dipodoiuys  calilViruicus.  Sciuropterus  (klamatbensis?). 

Eretbizon  epixantbus.  Scinnis  albolimbatus. 

E'ltaniias  auid-nus.  Sciurus  fossor. 

Eutauiias  senex.  Sorex  montt'reyensis. 

Felis  oregouensis.  Sorex  vagrans  amd'uus. 

Lxitra  budsonica.  Sperniopbilus  dougbisi. 

LutreoLa  vison.  Spilogalc  latifrous. 

Lynx  fasciatus  pallesoens.  Taxidea  taxus. 

Mepbitis  occidentalis.  Tbomomys  monticobi  piuetorum. 

Microtns  montanus.  Urocyon  califomicus  towuseudi. 

Microtus  mordax.'  Ursns  americanus. 

Myotis  evotis.  Ursus  borribilis. 

Myotis  hu'ifngns  longicrus.  Vespertilio  fuscns. 

Neotoma  cinerea.  Vulpes  macronrus.- 

Neotonia  fuscipes.  Zapus  paciticus. 

Neurotricbns  gil)bsi  major. 

'  Restricted  to  cold  streams  whicb  tboiigb  traversing  tbe  Transition  zone  afford 
Boreal  temperatures. 

-  Probably  does  not  breed  below  Canadian. 


OCT.,  1899.] 


TRANSITION    ZONE. 


67 


MAMMALS  oi"  TRAN.siTiON  ZONE — Continued. 


{'2')  Restricted  to  Transition  ~ove. 


Bassariscus  astntiTS  raptor. 
Lynx  fasciatus  palU-sceus. 
fMepliitis  occideutalis. 


fMicrotns  luontanns. 

tSciurus  I'ossor. 

I'rocyon  californions  townscndi. 


(3)   Common  to  Tra7isition  and  Upper  Sonoran  zones 
[See  p.  54.] 
(4)   Common  to  Transition  and  Canadian  zones. 


Callo.«!permophilns  chrysodeiriia. 

Cervus  occidentalis. 

Eretliizon  epixaiitlius. 

Entainias  amcpniis. 

Eutamias  senex. 

Felis  oregonensis. 

Lutra  hudsonica. 

Lutreola  vison  energiimenos. 

Mierotus  mordax. 

Myotis  lucifugns  longicrus. 

Neotoma  ciuerea. 

Neurotriclius  gibbsi  major. 

Odocoileus  columbiauus. 


Peroguathns  mollipilosus. 

Peromysfus  Itoyli. 

Peromyscus  gambeli. 

Scapanus  califoruicus. 

Sciuroiiterus  alpinus  klauiathensis? 

Scinrus  an>olinibatn.s. 

Sorex  moutereyensis. 

Sorex  vagrans  amo'iius. 

Taxidea  taxns. 

Ursus  americauus, 

Ursns  borribilis. 

Vulpes  macrourus.' 


BIRDS    OF    TRANSITION    ZONK. 


(1)  Species  known  to  occur  in  Transition  zone  of  Shasta, 


Aphelocoma  californica. 
A(juila  chrysai'tos. 
Astragaliuns  psaltria. 
Astragalinus  tristis  salicauians. 
Bubo  virginianus. 
Biitco  borealis  calurus. 
Buteo  swuinsoni. 
C'alypte  anua. 

Carpodacus  uiexicanns  obscurus. 
Catbartes  aura. 

Ceophla'us  pileatus  abieticola. 
Certhia  fannliaris  occidentalis. 
Chiptura  vauxi. 

Choudfstes  grammacus  strigatus. 
Chordeiles  virginianus. 
Circus  budsonius. 
Colaptes  cafer. 
'  Contopus  borealis. 
Contopus  ricbardsoni. 
Cyanocitta  stelleri. 
Cyauospiza  amn-na. 
Dendragapns  obscurus  fuliginosus. 
Deudroica  a-stiva. 
Dendroica  auduboni. 
Dryobates  pubescens  gairdneri. 
Dryobates  villosus  hyloscopns. 


Empidonax  difflcilis. 
Enipidonax  bammondi. 
Empidonax  wrigbti. 
Falco  sparvorius. 
Geotblypis  tolmiei. 
Geotblypis  trichas  occidentalis. 
Glancidium  gnoma  califoruicuni. 
Helminthopliila  celata  lutt'scens. 
Helmintbopbila  rubricapilla  gutturalis. 
Hirundo  erythrogastra. 
Hylocichla  aonalascbka-  audul)oui. 
Icteria  virens  longicauda. 
Lopbortyx  californicus  vallicola. 
Melanerpes  formicivorus  bairdi. 
Melanerpes  torquatus. 
Melospiza  lincolni. 
Melospiza  melodia  moutana. 
Merula  migratoria  propinqua. 
Oreortyx  pictus  plumiferus. 
Oreospiza  cblornra. 
Passerella  iliaca  megarbyncba. 
Petrocbelidon  lunifrons. 
Pbala-noptilus  uuttalli. 
Pipilo  maculatus  megalonyx. 
Piranga  ludoviciaua. 
Scolecophagus  cyanocepbalus. 


'  Supposed  to  breed  in  Canadian  and  wander  over  Transition. 
21753— No.  16 8 


58 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


fxo.  16. 


BIRDS  OF  TRANSITION  zoNK--continne(l. 
{!)  Species  known  to  occur  in  Transition  zone  of  Shasta — Continued. 


Selasphorns  rufus. 

Sialia  mexicana  ofcidentalis. 

Sitta  carolinensis  acnleata. 

Sitta  pygmaja. 

Speotyto  cnnicnlaria  hypoga-a, 

Spliyrapicns  rnhcr. 

Spizella  sociali.s  arizona". 

Stellula  calliope. 

Stnrnella  magna  neglecta. 

TacliYciueta.  bicolor. 


Tachycineta  thalassina. 
Thryomaues  bewicki  spilnrus. 
Troglodytes  ai'dou  parkinani. 
Tyrannus  verticalis. 
Vireo  gilvus  swaiiisoui. 
Vireo  solitariiis  cassiiii. 
fWilsouia  pnsilla  pileolata. 
Xenopicns  albolarvatus. 
Zam(dodia  nielanocephala. 
Zenaidura.  macroura. 


(2)  llestricted  to  Transition  zone. 


fChjetura  vauxi. 
Contopus  ricb-ardsoui. 
Dryol)ates  piibescciis  gairdneri. 
Glaucidiuin  gnoiiia  caliloruicnui. 
^Melant'ippis  tonpiatu.s. 
Oreospiza  chlornra. 


Passerella  iliaca  megarhyncha. 
Sialia  mexicana  oci-identalis.  ' 
Sitta  pygma'a. 
Sphyrapicus  ruber. 
Vii"eo  solitari'is  cassini. 
Zamelodia  melanocepbala. ' 


(3)   Common  to  Transition  and  Upper  Sonoran  zones. 

[See  p.  54.] 

(4)   Common  to  Transition  and  Canadian  zones. 


Aqnila  cbrysai'tos. 
Bubo  virginianus. 
Butco  borealis  calurns. 
Ceophlceus  pileatus  abieticola. 
Certhia  familiaris  occidentalis. 
Chordeiles  Anrginianus. 
Colaptes  cafer. 
Contopus  borealis. 
Cyauocitta  stelleri. 
Dendragapus  obscurus  fuliginosus. 
Dendroica  auduboui. 
Dryobates  villosus  byloscopus. 
Empidonax  difficilis. 
Enipidonax  bammoudi. 
Empidonax  wrighti. 


Falco  spar\crius. 

Geotblypis  tolmiei. 

Helmintbopbila  celata  lutescens. 

Helmiutbophila  rubricapilla  guttnralis. 

Hylocicbla  aonalascbka'  auduboui. 

Melospiza  lincolni. 

Merula  migratoria  propinqua. 

Oreortys  pictus  plumiferus. 

Piranga  ludoviciana. 

Selaspborus  rufus. 

Sitta  carolinensis  acnleata. 

Stellula  calliope. 

Wilsonia  pnsilla  pileolata. 

Xenoi)icu8  albolarvatus. 


PLANTS    OF    TRANSITION   ZONE. 


(1)  Species  Inown  to  occur  in  the  Transition  zone  of  Shasta. 


Abies  concolor  lowiaua. 
Acer  circinatum. 
Acer  glabrnin. 
Acer  macrophyllum. 
Acbillea  lanulosa. 
Ahius  tenuifolia. 
Amelanchier  alnilolia. 
Anapbalis  margaritacea. 


Antenuaria  geyeri. 
Apocynum  pnmilum. 
Aquilegia  truncata. 
Arctostapbylos  patnla. 
Artemisia  ludoviciana. 
Artemisia  tridentata. 
Asarum  bartwegi. 
Botula  occidentalis. 


Probably  common  to  Transition  and  Upper  Sonoran. 


OCT.,  1899.] 


TRANSITION    ZONE. 


51) 


PLANTS    OF    TRANSITION    ZONE — COUtiuUcd. 

(1)  Species  k7iotin)  to  occur  in  Transition  zone  of  Shasta — Contiimctl. 


Carnm  gairdneri. 

Castanopsis  sempervirens. 

Ceanotlius  cordulatiis. 

Ceauotlius  iutegerrimvis. 

Ceanotlius  (Cerastes)  prostratus. 

Ceanothus  velutinus. 

Cerasus  dcmissa. 

Cerasiis  emarginata. 

Cerasus  glandulosa. 

Ceieocarpiis  ledifolius. 

CtTcocarpns  parvifolius. 

Cliaiiia'Siiracha  uana. 

Cliimapbila  menziesi. 

Cbimaphila  umbellata. 

Cbrysamphora  californica. 

Cbrysotbamuiis  bloomeri  angustatns. 

CbrysotbaiuDiis  occidentalis. 

Coiuus  iiiittalli. 

Coriuis  pubescens. 

(.  orylus  rostrata  californica, 

Crataegus  riviilaris. 

Cryptauthe  geminata. 

Epilobiuni  brevistylum. 

Eiiilobium  oregoneuse. 

Eiiilobiuiii  spicatuin. 

Eriogonniii  marifolium. 

Eriogonum  uudiim. 

Eupatdrium  occidentale. 

Fragarta  bracteata. 

Fragaria.  cbiloensis. 

Fraxinus  oregaua. 

Fritillaria  atropnriuirea. 

Gayopbytum  raniosis.siuuim. 

Gilia  aggregata. 

Gilia  (Colloniia)  granditlora. 

Hastiiigsia  alba. 

Heleniastriim  rivulare. 

Heracleum  lanatum. 

Hieraciiim  albiflorum  (large  form). 

Hieracium  cynoglossoides  nudicaule. 

Hieracium  greeuei. 

Horkelia  pseudocapitata. 

Jnniperns  occidentalis. 

Kuuzia  trideutata. 

Lajipula  nervosa. 

Liboceilrus  deciirrens. 

Lilium  wasbingtoniauum. 

Liniuca  borealis. 

Limini  lewisi. 


Lotus  americauus. 

Lupiuus  elnieri. 

Lupiuus  minimus. 

Macb;i'rantbera  sbastensis  (large  form) 

Mimulus  moniliformis. 

Mimulus  tilingi. 

Osmorrbiza  nuda. 

Pacbystima  myrsinites. 

Fieonia  browni. 

Pentstemou  confertus  (form  not  typical). 

Pbai'elia  magelbmica. 

Finns  attenuata. 

Pinus  lambertiaua. 

Finns  ponderosa. 

Polygala  cornnta. 

Populus  tricbocarpa. 

Potentilla  glandulosa  (large  form). 

Frunns  subcordata. 

Pseudotsuga  mncronata. 

Ptiloria  lactuciua. 

Fyrola  picta. 

Fyrola  secunda. 

Quercus  californica. 

Rbamnns  californica  (or  rubra). 

Rbus  trilobata. 

Ribes  amictum. 

Ribes  cereum. 

Ribes  klamatbense. 

Ribes  viscosissimum. 

Rosa  californica. 

Rosa  gyninocar})a. 

Rubus  parvitlorus. 

Rubus  vitifolius. 

Salix  lasiandra. 

Salix  uuttalli. 

Salix  sitcbensis. 

Sanrbucus  melanocarpa. 

Sisyrincbium  bellum. 

Smilax  californica. 

Solidago  elongata. 

Sorbns  sambucifolia. 

Spira'a  douglasi. 

Stacbys  ingrata. 

.Sympboricarpos  pilosus. 

Symi)boricarpos  racemosus. 

Tritclia  ixioides. 

Vaccinium  arbuscula. 

Vagnera  stellata. 


60 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  16. 


PLANTS  OF  TRANSITION  ZONK — continued. 


(2)  (S^)ec('es  restricted  to  Tra)iiiHlun  zone. 


Abies  concolor  lowiana. 

Acer  circinatuni. 

Acer  glabnim." 

Acer  niacrophylluni. 

Achillea  lannlosa. 

Aluns  tennifolia. 

Amelancbier  alnifolia.* 

Anapbalis  niargavitacea. 

Autenuaria  geyeri. 

Apocynuni  pumilum. 

Aquilegia  truncata. 

Arctostapbylos  jjatula. 

Artemisia  Indoviciaua  (form). 

Asarnni  Iiartwcgi. 

Ceanotbus  cordulatus. 

Ceanotbns  integerrimus. 

Ceanotbns  (Cerastes)  prostratus. 

Ceanotbns  velutinus. 

Cerasns  deuiissa. 

Cerastis  emarginata. 

Cerasns  glandnlosa. 

Cercocarpus  ledifolins. 

Cbrysampbcra  calilornica. 

Cbrysotbamnns  bloomeri  augustatns. 

Cornus  nnttalli. 

Coruns  pubescens.* 

Corylns  rostrata  ealifornica. 

Cratii'gns  rivularis.* 

Cryptantbe  geminata. 

Fragaria  bracteata. 

Fragaria  cbiloensis. 

Fritillaria  atropnrpnrea. 

Gayopbytnni  ramosissimnm. 

Gilia  fCollomia)  granditiora. 

HaHtingsia  alba. 


Hieracium  albitlornm  Harge  form). 

Hieraciuni  cynoglossoides  nudicaule. 

Hieracium  greenei. 

Horkelia  psendocapitata. 

Lapjiula  nervosa. 

Liboccdrus  decurrens. 

Lilium  wasbiugtonianum. 

Linna-a  borealis.* ' 

Linum  lewisi. 

Lotus  aniericanus. 

Lnpiuns  minimus. 

Osmorrhiza  nuda. 

Facbystima  myrsinites.* 

Pu'onia  browui. 

Pinus  attenuata. 

Finns  lambertiana. 

Finns  ponderosa. 

Folygala  coruuta. 

Fseudotsuga  mucronata. 

Quercus  californicii. 

Rhamnns  californiia  (or  rubra). 

Ribes  klamatbense. 

Ribes  viscosissimum. 

Rosa  californica. 

Ro.sa  gymnocarpa. 

Rnbus  parviflurns.* 

Rnbns  vitifolins. 

Salix  lasiandra. 

Sambncus  melanocarpa. 

Sisyriucbinm  bellnui. 

Smilax  californica. 

Solidago  elongiita. 

Sympboricarpos  pilosus. 

Sympboricarpos  racemosus. 


In  otber  mountains  the  species  marked  with  an  asterisk  (*)  are  believed  to  occur 
in  the  Canadian  zone  as  well  as  the  Transition. 

(3)  Species  common  to  Transition  and  rppev  Sonoran  zones. 


Alnus  rboml>itolia. 
Artemisia  tridentata. 
Betula  occidentalis. 
Cercocarpus  parvifolius. 
Cbrysotbamnns  occidentalis. 
Eriogouum  nudum. 


Fraxinns  oregana. 
Juniperns  occidentalis. 
Kunzia  tridentata. 
?  Popnlns  trichocarpa. 
Prunus  subcordata. 
Rhus  trilobata. 


^Linnaa  horeaUs  is  ordinarily  a  Boreal  plant,  but  it  was  not  found  in  the  Boreal 
belt  of  Shasta,  though  common  in  places  at  Sisson.  Tlie  Sisson  form  has  been 
separated  as  var.  longijioru,  and  may  be  worthy  of  recoguition  as  a  Transition  zone 
subspecies. 


OCT.,  1899.] 


CANADIAN    ZONE. 


Gl 


PLANTS  OF  TUANSiTiON  /ONE — Continued. 

(4)  Sjtecieii  common  to  Transition  and  Canadian  zones. 
(Or  growinj;  ou  boundary  between.) 


Canim  gairdneri. 

Castanopsis  sempeivirens. 

Castilleja  rainiata. 

Chareiit'saracha  nana. 

Chimapliila  uienziesi. 

Cliimapbila  umbellata. 

Epilobimn  brevistylum. 

Epilobiniu  oregouense. 

Epilobium  spicatum. 

Eriogonum  niarifolium. 

Eupatorium  occidentale. 

Gilia  aggregata. 

Heleniastrnm  rivulare. 

Heracleum  lanatum. 

Lupin u.s  elmeri. 

Macbicrantbera  shastensis  (large  form). 

Mimulus  moniliformis. 


Mimulus  tilingi, 

Pentstemou  confertns  (form  not  typical). 

Phacelia  magellauica. 

Poteutilla  glandulosa  (large  form). 

Ptiloria  lactucina. 

Pyrola  picta. 

Pyrola  secuuda. 

Kibes  amictum. 

Ribes  cereum. 

Salix  nuttalli. 

Salix  8itchen.si8. 

Sorbus  samlnicifolia. 

SpiriPa  douglasi. 

Stacbys  ingrata. 

Tritelia  ixioides. 

Vaccinium  arbnscula. 

Yasnera  stellata. 


CANADIAN    ZONE. 

The  Canadian  zone  on  Sliasta  forms  a  broad  forest  belt,  usually  sev- 
eral miles  in  width  and  about  2,000  feet  in  vertical  depth,  which  com 
pletely  encircles  the  mountain.     On  southwesterly  slopes  it  begins  at 
an  altitude  of  about  5,000  to  5,500  feet  and  pushes  up  to  7,500  to  7,800 
feet. 

Excepting"  an  area  of  lodge-pole  pines  {Pinus  murrayana)  on  the 
northeast  base  of  the  mountain,  the  Canadian  zone  is  everywhere 
marked  by  a  continuous  forest  of  stately  trees,  consisting  of  Shasta  lirs 
{Abies  shasttmsis),  mixed  in  places  with  silver  pines  {Pimts  monticola). 
It  is  a  dark,  somber  forest,  growing  on  a  blackish  soil,  with  very  little 
noticeable  vegetation  except  scattered  patches  of  dwarf  nianzanita  in 
the  dry  woods,  and  lines  of  more  succulent  plants  at  widely  distant 
intervals  along  the  borders  of  streams. 

MAMMALS    OP    CANADIAN    ZONK. 

(1)  Species  known  to  occur  in  Canadian  -one  on  Shasta. 


Aplodontia  major. 

Callospermophilus  obrysodeirus. 

Canis  lestes. 

Cervus  occidentalis. 

Eretbizon  epixantbus. 

Eiltamias  amoenus. 

Eutamias  senex. 

Evotomys  mazama. 

Felis  otegonensis. 

Lepus  klamatbcnsis. 

Lutra  hudsonica. 


Lutreola  visou  energumenos. 
Microtus  mordax. 
Mustela  caurina. 
Mnstela  ijcunanti. 
Myotis  lucifugus  longicrus. 
Myotis  yumanensis  saturatua. 
Neotoma  cinerea. 
Neurotricbus  gibbsi  major. 
Odocoileus  columbianus. 
Perognatbua  mollipilosus. 
Peromyscus  boyli. 


62  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 

MAMAIALS    OF    CANADIAN    ZONE COUtinUcd. 

(1)  S2)ecie>^  kuoirn  to  occur  in  Canadian  zone  on  Shasta — Contiuued. 


[no.  16.    I 


Peromyscus  gambeli. 
Putorius  arizoneusis. 
Scapauns  califoinicus. 
Sciuroptcrus  alpinus  ]<laujathensis?. 
Sciurus  albolimltatns. 
Sorex  luontereyeiisis. 
Sores  (Neosorex)  navigator. 
Sorex  shasteusis. 

(2)  Species  restricted  to  Canadian  cone 


Sorex  vagraus  anid'nus. 
Taxidea  taxus. 
Tliomomys  montieola. 
Ursus  americauus. 
Ursns  horribilis. 
Vulpes  macrourus. 
Zapus  triiiotatus  alleni. 


Aplodontia  major. 

?  Sorex  (Neosorex)  navigator. 


Sorex  shastensis. 
Zapus  trinotatns  alleni. 


(3)  S2)ecies  common  to  Canadian  and  Transition  zones. 

[See  p.  57.] 

(4)  tSjye.cies  common  to  Canadian  and  Hndsonian  zones. 


Callospermophiliis  clirysodeirus. 
Cams  lestes. 
Eretbizon  epixautbus. 
Eutamias  amd'uus. 
Eutaruias  seuex. 
Evotomys  mazama. 
Lepus  klamatbensis. 
Microtus  mordax. 
Mustehi  caurina. 
Mustela  pennauti. 


Myotis  yumaneusis  satnratus. 
Neotoma  ciiierea. 
Odocoileus  cohimbianus. 
Perognatbus  luollipilosus. 
Peromyscus  gambeli. 
Putorius  arizonensis. 
Sorex  vagraus  amcrous. 
Tbomomys  montieola. 
Vulpes  macrourus. 


BIRDS    OF    C.\NADIAN   ZONE. 

(1)  Species  Iniown  to  occur  in  Canadian  zone  on  Shasta. 


Accipiter  atricapillus  striatulus. 

Accipiter  velox. 

Aquila  cbrysai'tos. 

Bubo  virginianus. 

Buteo  borealis  calurus. 

Carpodacus  cassini. 

Ceopblo'iis  pileatus  abieiicola. 

Certhia  familiaris  occidental  is. 

Cbordeiles  virginianus. 

Cinclus  mexicanns. 

Coccotbraustes  vespertinns  montanus. 

Colaptes  cafer. 

Contopus  borealis. 

Cyanocitta  stelleri. 

Dendragapus  obscurus  fuliginosus. 

Deiulroica  auduboni. 

Deudroica  occidentalis. 

Dryobates  villosus  bylosco])us. 

Empidonax  difficilis. 

Empidonax  bammondi. 

Empidonax  wrigbti. 

Falco  sparvcrius. 

Geothlypis  tolmiei. 


Heiminthopbila  celata  lutesceus. 

Helmintbopbila  rubricapilla  gutturalis. 

Hylocichla  aonalaschka^  auduboni. 

Junco  hyemalis  tburberi. 

Loxia  curvirostra  bendirei. 

Melospiza  lincolni. 

Mernla  migratoria  propinqua. 

Myadestes  tovrnsend:. 

Oreoi'tyx  pictus  plnmiierus. 

Parns  gambeli. 

Perisoreus  obscurus, 

Picoides  arcticus. 

Piranga  ludoviciana. 

Regulus  calendula. 

Regulus  satrapa  olivaceus. 

Selaspboriis  rnfiis. 

Sitta  canadensis. 

Sitta  carolineusis  aculeata. 

Spbyrapicus  thyroideus. 

Spinas  pinus. 

Stellula  calliope. 

Wilsouia  pusilla  ]iileolata. 

Xenopicus  albolarvatus. 


i     OCT..  1899.] 


CANADIAN    ZONE. 


63 


BIRDS  OF  c.\NAi>iAX  /.( )Ni':— Continued. 
(2)   Species  restricted  to  Canadian  zone. 


Loxia  cnrvirostra  bendirci. 
Melospiza  lincolni. 


Picoidea  iircticus. 


(3)  Species  common  to  Canadian  and  Iranhiition  zonen. 

[See  p.  58.] 

(4)  Species  common  to  Canadian  and  Hudsonian  zones. 


Accipiter  atricapilliis  striatulus. 

Accipiter  velox. 

Aquila  chrysai'tos. 

Carpodacus  cnssini. 

Cinclus  mexicanus. 

Coccothrauste.s  vesi)ertinns  montanns. 

Dendragapus  obscurns  fnliginosus. 

Dendroica  auduboni. 

Dendroica  occidentalis. 

Falco  sparverius. 

J  unco  liyemalis  thvirlieri. 


?  Loxia  cnrvirostra  bendirei. 
Myadestes  towuseudi. 
Parus  gambeli. 
Perisoreus  obscurus. 
Regulus  calendula. 
Regulus  satrapa  olivaceus. 
Selasphorus  rnfus. 
Sitta  canadensis. 
Sphyrapicu.s  thyroideus. 
Spin  us  pinus. 
Stellula  calliope. 


PLANTS    OF    CANADIAN    ZONE. 


(1)  Species  known  to  occur  in  Canadian  zone  on  Sltasta. 


Abies  shastensis. 

Aconitum  columbiamun. 

Allium  validum. 

Alnus  sinuata. 

Arctostaphylos  nevadensis. 

Arnica  longifolia. 

Campanula  wilkinsiana. 

Carnm  gairdneri. 

Castanopsis  sempervirens. 

Castilleja  miniata. 

Chamaesaracba  nana. 

Cbiniapblla  menziesi. 

Chimapbila  umbellata. 

Chrysotbaninus  bloonieri, 

Corallorbiza  bigelovi. 

fCrepis  intermedia. 

Cymopteris  terebintbinus;  Marge  form). 

Delphinium  sonnei. 

Drosera  rotundifolia. 

Epilobium  brevistylum. 

Epilobium  oregonense. 

Epilobium  spicutum. 

Erigeron  inornatus. 

Eriogonum  niarifohum. 

Eupatorium  occidentale. 

Gentiana  simplex. 

Gilia  aggregata. 

Habenaria  leucostacbys. 

Habenaiia  unalascbeosis. 

Heleniastruui  rivulare. 


Pleracleum  lanatum. 

Holodiscus  discolor  (large  form). 

Hypericum  anagalloides. 

Ligusticum  grayi. 

Lilium  parvum. 

Lupinus  elmeri. 

Madia  bolanderi. 

Macb;eranthera  shastensis  (large  form). 

Mimulus  moniliformis. 

Minuilus  primuloides. 

Mimulus  tilingi. 

Monardella  odoratissinia. 

Peutsfcenion  confertus  (lorm  not  typical). 

Pentstemou  deustus. 

Pentstemon  gracilentus. 

Phacelia  magellanica. 

Phlox  douglasi  diffusa. 

Pinus  monticola. 

Pinus  murrayana. 

Potentilla  glandulosa  (large  form). 

Ptilor.a  lactucina. 

Pyrola  pallida. 

Pyrola  picta. 

Pyrola  secunda. 

Ribes  amictum. 

Ribes  cereum. 

Salix  uuttalli. 

Salix  sitchensis. 

Senecio  trigonophyllus. 

Sorbus  sambucifolia. 


64 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  16. 


PLANTS  OF  CANADIAN  ZONE — Continued. 
(1)  Species  known   to  occur  in  Canadian  zone  on  Sliasta — Continued. 


Spirppa  douglasi. 
Spraj^uea  uuibellata. 
Stachys  ingrata. 
Stellaria  crispa. 
Tofieldia  occidentalis. 


Tritelia  isioides. 
Vaccinitim  occidentale. 
Yagnera  stellata. 
Veratrum  californicuni. 
Viola  blanda. 

(2)  Species  restricted  to  Canadian  zone. 


Abies  shastensis. 
Acouitum  columbiauum. 
Allium  validum. 
Alnus  siuuata. 
Arnica  longifolia. 
fCorallorbiza  bigelovi. 
Delphinium  sonuei. 
Drosera  rotundifolia. 
Erigeron  iuornatus. 
Gentiana  simples. 
Habeuaria  leucostachys. 
Habeuaria  unalascbensis. 


Lilium  parvum. 
Madia  bolauderi. 
Peutstemon  deustus. 
Peutstemoii  gracilentus. 
Pinua  monticola. 
Pinus  niurrayana. 
Pyrola  pallida. 
Seuecio  trigonophyllus. 
TofielJia  occidentalis. 
Yaccinium  occidentale. 
Yiola  blanda. 


(3)  Species  common  to  Canadian  and  Transition  zones. 
[Seep.  61.] 

(4)  Species  common  to  Canadian  and  Hudsonian  zones. 


Arctostaphylos  nevadensis. 
Campanula  wilkiusiana. 
Castanopsis  sempervirens. 
Castilleja  miniata. 
Cbrysothamnns  bloomeii. 
Holodiscus  discolor. 
Hypericum  anagalloides. 


Ligusticum  grayi. 
Mimulus  primuloides. 
Monardella  odoratissima. 
Phlox  douglasi  diffusa. 
Ribes  cereum. 
Spraguea  uuibellata. 
Stellaria  crispa. 


HU13SONIAN   ZONE. 


The  Hudsonian  zone  is  the  highest  of  the  timber  belts.  Its  sinuous 
upper  border  rises  ou  the  high  ridges  to  Inclose  the  narrow  tongues  of 
dwarf  prostrate  trees  that  push  uj)  on  the  warmest  southwesterly  expo- 
sures to  an  extreme  altitude  of  9,800  feet,  but  between  the  ridges  it 
dips  down  a  thousand  feet  or  more,  and  is  difticult  to  fix  with  precision. 
The  lower  border  slightly  overla^js  the  upper  limit  of  Shasta  firs.  Two 
species  of  trees,  and  only  two,  grow  in  this  zone — the  black  alpine  hem- 
lock {Tsuga  mertensiana)  and  the  white-bark  pine  {rinus  alhicaulis). 
The  hemlock  is  restricted  to  local  spots,  while  the  white-bark  pine  forms 
a  practically  continuous  belt,  as  already  explained  (see  p.  42).  Ou 
warm  southwesterly  slopes  the  Hudsonian  reaches  from  7,500  or  7,800 
up  to  9,500,  or  in  extreme  cases  to  9,800  feet. 


OCT.,  1899.] 


HUDSONIAN    ZONE. 


65 


MAMMALS    OK    HUD.SONiAN    ZONE. 


(1)  Species  known  to  occur  in  Uudsonian  zone  of  Shustn. 


Callospenuopbilus  chrysodeirus. 

Cauis  lestes. 

Erethizon  epixanthns. 

Eutamias  amtenus. 

Eutamias  eenex. 

Evotomys  raazama. 

Lepiis  klamatbensis. 

Microtus  mordax. 

Mustela  canriiia. 

Mustela  pennanti. 

Myotis  ynmanensis  saturatns. 

Neotoma  cinerea. 


Ochotona  schisticeps. 
Odocoileus  colnmbianus. 
Ovis  canadensis. 
Perognathus  mollipilosus. 
Peromyscua  ganibeli. 
Pheuacomys  orophihis. 
Putorius  arizonensis. 
?  Sorex  vagrans  amceuus.' 
?  Sorex  (Xeosorex)  navigator. 
Thomomys  mouticola. 
Vnlpes  macronrus. 
?  Zapns  trinotatus  alleni.' 


(2)  Species  restricted  to  Hiidsonion  zone. 

Ochotona  schisticeps. 

(3)  Species  common  to  Hiidsonian  and  Canadian  zones. 

[Seep.  62.] 

(4)  Species  common  to  Hndsonian  and  Alpine  zones. 


Canis  le.stes.- 
Microtus  mordax. 
Ovis  canadensis. 
Perorayscns  gambeli. 


Phenacomys  orophilus. 
Thomomys  monticola. 
Vulpes  macrourus.  - 


BIRDS    i^V    HUD.SONIAN    ZONE. 


(1)  Species  knonn  to  occur  in  Hndsonian  zone  on  Shasta. 

(Species  queried  are  not  positively  known  to  breed  in  the  Hudsonian,  tliough  frequently  .seen  in  this 

belt  in  Jnly  .and  August.) 


Accipiter  atricapilhis  striatuhis. 

Accipiter  velox. 

Aquila  chrysii-tos. 

Carpodacns  cassini. 

fCerthia  familiaris  occidentalis. 

Cinclns  mexicanus. 

?Coccothraii3tes  vespertinus  inontanus. 

Dendragapus  obscurus  fuligiiiosus. 

fDendroica  andnboni. 

Dcndroica  occidentalis. 

Falco  sparverins. 

Jiinco  hyemalis  tburberi. 

?Loxia  curvirostra  bendirei. 

Myadestes  townsendi. 


Nucifraga  colnmbiaua. 
Parus  gambeli. 
Perisoreus  obscurus. 
Eegulus  calendula. 
Regulns  satrapa  olivaceus. 
Salpinctes  obsoletus. 
Selasphorus  rufus. 
Sialia  arctica. 
Sitta  canadensis. 
?Sitta  carolinensis  aculeata. 
Sphyrapifus  thyroidens. 
Spinus  pinus. 
Stellula  calliope. 
Zouotrichia  leucophrys. 


(2)  Species  restricted  to  Hudsonian  zone. 
Nucifraga  Columbiana.  Zonotrichia  leucophrys. 


'  These  three  species  occur  along  the  lower  edge  of  the  Hudsonian  zone,  but  were 
not  obtained  in  its  upper  part,  and  it  is  not  certain  whether  or  not  they  should  be 
included. 

-Does  not  breed  above  Hudsonian. 

21753— :N^o.  16 9 


66 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  16. 


Biups  OK  HUDsoNiAN  /ONE — Continued. 

(3)  Species  common  to  Hudnonian  and  Canadian  zones. 

[See  p.  63.] 

(4)   Species  common  to  Hndsonian  and  Alpine  zones. 

Salpiuctes  obsoletus.'  Sialia  arctica. 

Stellula  calliojie. 

PLANTS    OF    HUDSONIAN    ZONK. 

(1)   Species  known  to  occur  in  Hudsonian  zone  on  Shasta. 


Agoberis  mouticola. 

Allinni  sp. ? 

Antennaria  media. 
Arabis  platyspeiiiia. 
Arctostaphylos  nevadensis. 
Arnica  merriami. 
Arnica  viscosa. 
Campanula  wilkinsiana. 
Carex  breweri. 
Castanopsis  semijervirens. 
Castilleja  affinis. 
Castilleja  miuiata  (small  form). 
Cbeirantlins  perennis. 
Cbrysotbamnus  bloomeri. 

Crepis  intermedin. 
Cycladeiiia  Immilis. 

Cyniopterus  terebintbinns. 
Epilobiuni  tdavatum. 

Epilobinni  obcordatum. 

Epilobiuni  pringleanum. 

Erigerou  armeri:i'folium. 

Eriogonuni  polypodum. 

Eriogonum  pyrolafolinm. 

Hieracium  albitlorum  (alpine  form). 

Hieracium  gracile. 

Hieracium  borridum. 

Holodiscus  discolor. 

Hypericum  anagalloides. 

Juncus  parryi. 

Juniperus  niina. 

Kalmia  glauca  microphylla. 

Ligusticum  grayi. 

Lupinus  albil'rons. 

Lupinus  'ornatns.' 


Lntkea  pectiuata. 
Macb;erantbera  sbastensis. 
Miuiulus  implexus. 
Mimnlus  ])rimuloides. 
jVIitella  pentandra. 
Mouardella  odoratissima. 
Oreastrum  alpiginum. 
Oreobroma  triphylla. 
Ortbocarpus  pilosns. 
Parnassia  californica. 
Pentstemon  glaber  vitahensis. 
Pentstemon  menziesi. 
Pentstemon  newberryi. 
Pblox  douglasi  diffusa. 
Pbyllodoce  empetriformis. 
Piuus  albicaulis. 
Polygonum  newberryi. 
Polygonum  sbastense. 
Potentilla  flabelli folia. 
Potentilla  ])8euilorupestris. 
Pulsatilla  occidentalis. 
Kibes  cereum. 
Saxifraga  bryopbora. 
Scutellaria  nana. 
Sibbaldia  procumb«ns. 
Silene  grayi. 
Sitanion  cinereum. 
Spraguea  umbellata. 
Stellaria  crispa. 
Streptanthns  orbiculatus. 
Tsuga  mertensiana. 
Vaccluium  ca^spitosum. 
Veronica  cusicki. 
Viola  purpurea. 


(2)  Species  restricted  to  Hndsonian  zone. 


Allium  sp. ? 

Arnica  merriami. 
Arnica  viscosa. 
?Castilleja  affinis. 


Castilleja  miniata  (small  form). 
Cycladeuia  humilis. 
Epilobiuni  clavatum. 
Epilobium  obcordatum. 


1  On  Shasta  the  rock  wren  is  restricted  closely  to  the  Alpine  and  Hudsonian  zones, 
but  in  other  places  it  occurs  much  lower  down,  and  was  recently  found  in  Sbasta 
Valley  by  AV.  K.  Fisber. 


OCT.,  189'.).] 


ALPINE    ZONE. 


67 


PLANTS    OF    UUDSONIAX    ZOXK  —  COUtiuTied. 

(2)   Sjtecies  restricted  to   Hndsouian  zone — Continued. 

Pentstemon  "laber  utiiheiisis. 


Ei)ilo1jinai  priugleanum. 

Holodisciis  discolor  (typical  form) 

Jnniperns  nana. 

K;dinia  glauca  niicrophylla. 

Miniiilus  implexus. 

Mittdla  peutandra 

Oreobronia  triphylla. 

Ortliocarpiis  pilosiis. 

Paniassia  califoniica. 


Pentstemon  newberryi. 
Phyllodoce  enijietrifbriius. 
Pinus  albicaulis. 
Poteutilla  flabellifolia. 
Potentilla  psendornpestris  ? 
Scutt  llaria  nana. 
Tsnga  niertensiana. 
Vaccininm  cjTjspitosuin. 


(3)   Species  common  to  Hudsonian  and  Canadian  zones. 
[See  p.  lU.] 

(4)   Species  common  to  Hudsonian  and  Alpin<-  zones. 


Agosciis  nionticola. 
Aiiteunaria  media. 
Arabis  platyspermu. 
Carex  breweri. 
Clieirautbus  perenni.s. 
Clirysothamnns  bloomcri. 
Cymopterus  terebinthinus. 
Erigeron  armeria' folium. 
Eriogounm  polypodum. 
Eriogonura  pyrola-folium. 
Kieracium  albitloruiii  (al])inc  form). 
Hieracium  gracile. 
Hieracium  horridnm. 
Juncns  parry  i. 
Ligusticnm  grayi. 
Lu;Mnu8  'oruatus.' 

ALPINE    ZONK 


Lutkea  pectinata. 
Macbarauthera  sbasteusis. 
Oreastrum  alpiginum. 
Pentstemon  menziesi. 
Plilox  douglasi  difii'usa. 
Polygonum  newberryi. 
Polygonum  sbasteuse. 
Pulsatilla  occidentalis. 
Sibbaldia  procumbens. 
Silene  grayi. 
Sitaniou  cinereum. 
S]iraguea  nmliellata. 
St  rep  taut  bus  orbiculatus. 
Veronica  cusicki. 
^'ioIa  ])urpnrea. 


Tbe  Alpine  zone  occui)ies  the  irregular  belt  of  pumice  and  lava 
between  timberline  and  the  upper  limit  of  plant  growth.  On  the 
warmer  southwesterly  slopes  its  lower  limit  may  be  found  at  9,500  to 
9,800  feet,  but  on  ordinary  slopes  it  is  considerably  lower.  The  great 
majority  of  its  species  stop  at  or  below  an  altitude  of  11,000  feet,  but 
on  the  relatively  warm  southwesterly  slopes  Huhea  nana  was  found  at 
11,1)00  feet,  and  two  species.  Draba  brnceri  and  Pnlemonlion  pnlchelliimy 
as  high  as  13,000  feet — the  extreme  limit  of  plant  growth  on  iShasta. 

MAiMMALS    OF    ALPINF.    ZONK. 

(1)   Species  knouin  to  occur  in  Alpine  zone  on  Shasta. 


Canis  lestes.' 
Microtus  mordax. 
Ovis  canadensis. 
Peromysciis  gambeli. 


Pbenacomys  oropbilus. 
Tbomorays  nionticola. 
Vulp<'.s  macrourus.' 

(2)   Species  restricted  to  Alpine  zone. 
None. 


'  The  coyote  and  fox  range  up  into  the  Alpine  zone,  but  do  not  breed  above  the 
Hudsonian  and  possibly  not  above  the  Canadian. 


68 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


MAMMALS  Of  ALPINE  ZONE — contimied. 

(3)  Species  common  to  Alpine  and  Hudsonian  zonts. 
[See  p.  65.  J 

BIRDS    OF   ALPINE    ZONE. 

(1)  Species  known  to  occur  in  Alpine  zone  on  Shasta. 
Anthus  pensilvanicus.  Salpinctes  obsoletus. 


Leucosticte  tepbrocotis. 
Nucifraga  coluiubiana. 


Authiis  pensilvanicus. 


Sialia  arctica. 
Stellula  calliope. 

(2)  Sjyecies  restricted  to  Alpine  zone. 

Leucosticte  tepbrocotis. 


(3)  Species  common  to  A  Ipine  and  Hudsonian  zones. 
[See  p.  66.] 

PLANTS    OF    AI.PINE    ZONE. 

(1)  S2)ecies  known  to  occur  in  Alpine  zone  on  Shasta. 
Lupinus  'ornatiis.' 


Acbillea  borealis. 

Agoseris  luonticola. 

Anteunaria  media. 

Arabis  platysperma. 

Bikukulla  imitlora. 

Cardainiiie  liellidifolia  pacbypbylla 

Carex  breweri. 

Cbitnactis  iievadeusis. 

Cbeirantbus  pcreunis. 

Cbrysotbarunus  bloomeri. 

CymopteriLs  terebintbinus. 

Draba  breweri. 

Erigerou  armeri;clbliniu. 

Erigeron  compositns  trifidns. 

EriogouuDi  polypoduiii. 

Eriogomim  pyrobi- folium. 

Hieraciiini  albiliorum  (alpine  form), 

Hieracium  gracilc 

Hieracium  borridum. 

Hulst-a  larseni. 

Hulsea  nana. 

Jnncus  parryi. 

Ligustioum  grayi. 

Lupinus  lyalli. 


Lutkea  pectiuata. 
Macba^rantbera  sbastensis. 
Oreastrum  alpiginum. 
Oxyria  digyua. 
Pentstemon  menziesi. 
Phacelia  frigida. 
Pblox  douglasi  diti'usa. 
Polemonium  iiulcbellum. 
Polygonum  uewberryi. 
Polygonum  sbastcuse. 
Pulsatilla  occidentalis. 
Sagina  saginoides. 
Saxifraga  tolmiei. 
Senecio  canus. 
Sibbaldia  procumbens. 
Silene  grayi. 
Silene  suksdorti. 
Sitanion  cinereuni. 
Spraguea  nmbellata. 
Streptantbus  orbiculatus. 
Veronica  cusicki. 
Viola  purpurea. 


(2)  Species  restricted  to  Alpine  zone. 


Acbillea  l)orealis. 

Bikukulla  unitli)ra. 

Cardamiue  liellidifolia  pacbypbylla. 

C'ba'nactis  uevadensis. 

Draba  breweri. 

Erigeron  compositus  tritidu«. 

Hnlsea  larseni. 

Hulsea  nana. 


Lupinus  lyalli. 
Oxyria  digyna. 
Pbacelia  frigida. 
Polemonium  pnlcbellum. 
Sagina  saginoides. 
Saxifraga  tolmiei. 
Senecio  canus. 
Silene  suksdorti. 


(3)   Species  common  to  Alpine  and  Hudsonian  zones. 
[See  p.  67.  ] 


THE  BOREAL  FAUNA  AND  FLORA  OF  SHASTA  CONTRASTED 
"WITH  CORRESPONDING  FAUNAS  AND  FLORAS  OF  THE  SIERRA 
AND  THE  CASCADES. 

In  considering  tbe  relations  of  the  boreal  faunas  and  floras  of  Shasta 
to  those  of  other  parts  of  the  Sierra-Cascade  system  it  is  necessary  at 
the  outset  to  have  a  clear  conception  not  only  of  the  extent  of  the 
range  as  a  whole,  but  also  of  the  number  and  magnitude  of  the  breaks 
or  gaps  in  the  continuity  of  its  boreal  fauna  and  flora.  The  Cascade 
Range  enters  the  State  of  Washington  from  British  Columbia  in  lati- 
tude 49^^  and  pushes  ..outhward  completely  across  "Washington  and 
Oregon;  its  continuation,  the  Sierra  Nevada,  traverses  California 
for  a  distance  of  500  miles,  ending  a  little  south  of  Mount  Whitney,  in 
about  latitude  36°.  The  Cascade-Sierra  system,  therefore,  extends  over 
13  degrees  of  latitude,  and  has  a  total  length  of  fully  1,000  miles.  For  the 
whole  of  this  distance  it  rises  abruptly  from  a  low  region,  whose  faunas 
and  floras  are  in  the  southern  part  Sonoran,  in  the  northern  part  Tran- 
sition. The  field  work  of  the  Biological  Survey  has  shown  that  the 
narrow  boreal  band  which  occupies  the  higher  parts  of  the  range  is  not 
continuous,  but  is  interrupted  by  four  important  gaps,  through  which 
Transition  zone  species  pass  freely  in  broad  belts  from  one  side  to  the 
other.     These  gaps,  begining  at  the  north,  are: 

(1)  The  Gohonbia  Gap,ov  gorge  of  the  Columbia  River,  on  the  bound- 
ary between  Washington  and  Oregon,  where  the  breadth  of  the  Tran- 
sition zone  seems  to  be  less  than  50  miles.^ 

(2)  The  Klamath  Gap,  on  the  boundary  between  Oregon  and  Califor- 
nia, extending  from  a  little  south  of  Mount  Pitt  in  Oregon  to  Mount 
Shasta  in  California,  a  distance  of  about  50  miles.  This  interval  is 
iuterrui)ted  by  one  or  two  detached  groups  of  low  mountains  on  the 
California  side,  and  by  long  ridges  on  both  sides,  whose  summits  are 
inhabited  by  boreal  species,  materially  decreasing  the  actual  breadth 
of  the  gap. 

(3)  The  Pitt  Biver  Gap,  between  Mounts  Shasta  and  Lassen  in  north- 
ern California.  The  breadth  of  the  Transition  zone  here  is  about  00 
miles. 

'Although  not  bearing  on  the  fauna  of  Shasta,  it  is  interesting  to  note,  in  connec- 
tion tt-ith  the  effects  of  the  Columbia  River  Gap,  tliat  a  number  of  species  charac- 
teristic of  the  northern  Cascades,  in  the  State  of  Washington,  do  not  occur  in  the 
southern  Cascades,  iu  Oregon.  Among  the  mammals  the  most  notable  species  of 
this  kind  are  Arctomys  caVujains,  CallospcnnophUiis  xatitratus,  Krotomys  gajiperl  .latii- 
rati(8,  Oreamnos  montanns,  Feromysciis  oreas,  Pntorins  ivashingtoni,  Zapus  trinoiatus. 

69 


70  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

(4)  The  Feather  River  or  Quincy  Gap,  between  Mount  Lassen  and  the 
high  ridg^e  northwest  of  Honey  Lake — the  northern  end  of  the  Sierra 
proper.  This  gap  is  the  shallowest,  narrowest,  most  irregular,  and 
least  effective  of  all,  and  is  the  only  one  which  has  not  been  cut  deeply 
and  com])letely  through  the  range  by  a  large  river.  The  Boreal  zones 
of  the  two  sides,  at  the  points  where  they  come  nearest  together,  which 
is  southeast  of  the  southeastern  extension  of  the  boreal  plateau  on 
which  Lasseu  stands,  are  not  separated,  apparently,  by  more  than  15 
miles.  The  distance  between  the  Hndsoiiian  elements  ap[)ears  to  be 
several  times  greater.     This  region  needs  further  exi)loration. 

Fully  half  of  the  boreal  species  of  Shasta  are  common  to  both  the 
Sierra  Nevada  and  the  Cascade  IJange,  and  some  of  them  extend  over 
the  entire  length  of  the  Sierra-Cascade  system,  inhabiting  the  princi- 
pal boreal  summits  all  the  way  from  British  Columbia  to  ]Mount  Whit- 
ney: others  are  restricted  to  particular  parts  of  the  mountains,  and 
each  of  the  lour  gaps  mentioned  forms  a  barrier  beyond  which  certain 
species  do  not  pass.  Therefore,  in  contrasting  the  boreal  faunas  and 
floras  of  Shasta  with  corresponding  faunas  and  floras  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  and  Cascade  Range  it  is  necessary  to  fix  definite  limits  to  the 
terms  employed.  The  term  'Sierra,'  as  used  in  the  table  headings  and 
following  discussion,  is  restricted  to  the  lofty  range  extending  from 
Mount  Whitney  northward  a  little  beyond  Honey  Lake;  the  'Cas- 
cades,' to  the  Cascades  of  Oregon.  In  other  words,  the  term  '  Sierra'  is 
restricted  so  as  not  to  include  Shasta  or  Lassen;'  the  term  'Cascades' 
so  as  not  to  include  the  Cascatlcs  of  Washington. 

The  paucity  of  animal  and  jjlant  life  on  Shasta,  contrasted  with  that 
of  the  Sierra  and  Cascades,  has  been  already  noted  and  is  clearly 
shown  in  the  following  tables.  The  explanation,  briefly  stated,  is  that 
Shasta,  on  account  of  its  aridity  and  relatively  small  area,  is  incapable 
of  supporting  so  rich  a  fauna  and  flora  as  either  of  the  extensive  ranges 
between  which  it  is  situated.  It  is  not  assumed  that  all  of  the  boreal 
species  inhabiting  Shasta  were  discovered  by  us,  but  in  the  case  of  the 
Canadian  and  Hudsonian  mammals  and  birds,  and  the  Hudsonian  and 
Alpine  plants  it  is  believed  that  the  number  which  escaped  detection 
is  too  small  to  materially  alter  the  results  here  given. ^ 

In  grouping  the  species  for  study  it  seems  most  logical  to  arrange 
the  mammals,  birds,  and  plants  in  two  principal  categories:  {a)  Boreal 

'  The  flora  and  fauna  of  Lassen  are  not  known  in  sufficient  detail  to  admit  of  com- 
plete comparisons  in  either  direction;  hence  this  mountain  is  omitted  from  consid- 
eration in  tbe  accompanying  tables.  At  the  same  time  it  should  lie  stated  that 
Lassen  is  clearly  a  part  of  the  Sierra,  so  far  as  its  fauna  is  concerned. 

'-'The  accompanying  percentages  and  lists  of  species  are  provisional  and  snbject 
to  revision.  They  are  based  on  present  information  and  will,  of  course,  be  corrected 
and  supplemented  by  future  field  work.  They  are  sufficiently  near  the  truth,  how- 
ever, to  demonstrate  certain  facts  and  warrant  certain  deductions  and  generaliza- 
tions of  very  great  interest  in  connection  with  the  origin  of  the  l)oreal  faunas  and 
floras  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  Cascade  Range. 


OCT.,  1890]        BOREAL  SPECIES  OF  SHASTA  AND  SIERRA-CASCADES.         71 

species  that  occur  on  Shasta,  with  reference  to  their  occurrence  in  the 
Sierra  or  Cascades  or  both;  and  (/>)  Boreal  species  that  occur  on  the 
Sierra  or  the  Cascades  or  both,  but  which,  so  far  as  known,  are  absent 
from  Shasta. 

BOREAL  SPECIES  OF  SHASTA  CONSIDERED  WITH  REFERENCE 
TO  THEIR  PRESENCE  OR  ABSENCE  IN  THE  SIERRA  AND  THE 
CASCADES. 

The  boreal  mammals,  birds,  and  plants  of  Shasta  have  been  grouped 
in  four  categories  •  (1)  species  common  to  Shasta  and  the  Sierra-Cas- 
cade system  as  a  whole:  (2)  species  common  to  Shasta  and  the  Sierra, 
but  not  known  from  the  Cascades;  (3)  species  common  to  Shasta  and 
the  Cascades  but  not  known  from  the  Sierra,  and  (4)  Shasta  species  not 
known  from  either  the  Sierra  or  the  Cascades. 

Thirty-six  distinctively  Boreal  mammals  are  known  from  Shasta, 
including  the  boreal  species  which  range  down  into  or  through  the 
Transition  zone.  Of  these,  20  are  common  to  the  Sierra  on  the  south 
and  the  Cascades  on  the  north,  7  are  common  to  Shasta  and  the  Sierra 
but  are  not  known  from  the  Cascades,  1  is  common  to  Shasta  and  the 
Cascades  but  is  not  known  from  the  Sierra,  and  2  are  peculiar  to 
Shasta. 

Of  the  3G  distinctively  Boreal  mammals  of  Shasta,  17  are  believed  to 
be  exclusively  boreal.  Of  these,  12  are  common  to  the  Sierra  and  the 
Cascades,  4  are  common  to  Shasta  and  the  Sierra  but  are  not  known 
from  the  Cascades,  1  is  peculiar  to  Shasta,  but  not  one  is  common  to 
Shasta  and  the  Cascades  which  does  not  occur  also  in  the  Sierra. 

Forty-seven  distinctively  Boreal  birds  are  known  from  Shasta,  includ- 
ing tlie  boreal  species  which  range  down  into  or  through  the  Transition 
zone.  Of  these,  41  aie  common  to  the  Sierra  and  the  Cascades,  4  are 
common  to  Shasta  and  the  Sierra  but  are  not  known  from  the  Cas- 
cades, and  2  are  common  to  Shasta  and  the  Cascades  but  are  not  known 
from  the  Sierra. 

Of  the  47  distinctively  Boreal  birds  of  Shasta,  22  are  believed  to  be 
exclusively  boreal.  Of  these,  18  are  common  to  the  Sierra  and  the  Cas- 
cades, 2  are  common  to  Shasta  and  the  Sierra  but  are  not  known  from 
the  Cascades,  find  2  are  common  to  Shasta  and  the  Cascades  but  are 
not  known  from  the  Sierra. 

One  hundred  and  twelve  distinctively  Boreal  plants  are  known  from 
Shasta,  including  the  boreal  species  which  range  down  into  or  through 
the  Transition  zone.  Of  these  55  are  common  to  the  Sierra  and  the  Cas- 
cades; 31  are  common  to  Shasta  and  the  Sierra  but  are  not  known 
from  the  Cascades;  10  are  common  to  Shasta  and  the  Cascades  but 
are  nol.  known  from  the  Sierra,  and  8  occur  on  Shasta  which  are  not 
known  from  either  the  Sierra  or  the  Cascades. 

Of  the  112  distinctively  Boreal  plants  of  Shasta,  101  are  believed  to 
be  exclusively  boreal.  Of  these,  47  are  common  to  the  Sierra  and  the 
Cascades;  28  are  common  to  Shasta  and  the  Sierra  but  are  not  known 


72  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 


[no.  16. 


from  the  Cascades;  15  are  common  to  Shasta  and  the  Cascades  but 
are  not  known  from  the  Sierra;  and  8  are  restricted  to  Shasta. 

Three  mammals,  5  birds,  and  OS  plants  are  believed  to  be  restricted 
to  the  Hadsonian  and  Alpine  zones.  Of  these,  2  mammals,  3  birds, 
and  30  plants  are  common  to  the  Sierra  and  the  Cascades;  one  mam- 
mal, 1  bird,  and  18  plants  are  common  to  Shasta  and  the  Sierra  but 
are  not  known  from  the  Cascades;  and  no  mammal,  1  bird,  and  12 
plants  are  common  to  Shasta  and  the  Cascades,  but  are  not  known 
from  the  Sierra.  Five  Hudsonian-Alpine  plants  from  Shasta  are  not 
known  from  either  the  Sierra  or  the  Cascades. 

These  comparisons  show: 

(1)  That  of  the  boreal  species  known  from  Shasta,  including  those 
which  range  down  into  the  Transition  zone,  87  percent  of  the  birds, 
72  percent  of  the  mammals,  and  only  50  percent  of  the  i)lants  are 
common  to  the  Sierra  and  the  Cascades. 

(2)  That  of  the  exclusively  boreal  species  known  from  Shasta,  85  per- 
cent of  the  birds,  70  percent  of  the  mammals,  and  4G  jiercent  of  the 
lilants  are  common  to  the  Sierra  and  the  Cascades, 

(3)  That  of  the  exclusively  Iludsonian  and  Alpine  species  known 
from  Shasta,  GO  percent  of  the  birds,  07  percent  of  the  mammals,  and 
44  percent  of  the  plants  are  common  to  the  Sierra  and  the  Cascades. 

(4)  That  in  each  instance,  as  w^ould  be  expected,  the  percentage  of 
species  common  to  the  two  ranges  is  greater  in  the  case  of  those  rang- 
ing down  into  the  Transition  zone  than  in  those  restricted  to  the  Boreal, 
for  the  obvious  reason  that  geograiihically  the  Boreal  belt  is  broken  by 
broad  gaps,  while  the  Transition  zone  is  practically  continuous. 

(5)  That  of  the  birds,  mammals,  and  plants  of  Shasta,  birds  have  by 
far  the  largest  jtercentage  of  species  common  to  the  Sierra  and  the 
Cascades,  mammals  next,  and  plants  least  of  all.  This  corresponds 
with  the  relative  powers  of  dispersion  possessed  by  these  groups. 

Arranged  primarily  by  groups  instead  of  zone  limits,  it  appears  that 
the  percentages  of  Shasta  birds  common  to  the  Sierra  and  the  Cascades 
are  as  follows:  Of  boreal  species,  including  those  which  range  down 
into  the  Transition  zone,  87  percent;  of  species  restricted  to  the  Boreal 
zones,  85  x^ercent;  of  species  restricted  to  the  Hudsonian  and  Alpine 
zones,  GO  percent. 

The  percentages  of  Shasta  mammals  common  to  the  Sierra  and  the 
Cascades  are:  Of  boreal  species,  including  those  which  range  down  into 
the  Transition  zone,  72  percent;  of  species  restricted  to  the  Boreal 
zones,  70  percent;  of  species  restricted  to  the  Hudsonian  and  Alpine 
zones,  G7  percent.' 

The  percentages  of  Shasta  plants  common  to  the  Sierra  and  the  Cas- 
cades are:  Of  boreal  species,  including  those  which  range  down  into 
the  Transition  zone,  49  percent;  of  species  restricted  to  the  Boreal 

'  The  nmnber  of  Hudsonian-Alpine  species  is  too  small  to  give  this  percentage 
much  value. 


OCT.,  1899.]       BOREAL  SPECIES  OP  SHASTA  AND  SIERRA-CASCADES. 


73 


zones,  46  percent;  of  species  restricted  to  the  Hudsouian  and  Alpine 
zones,  44  percent. 

For  evidence  of  another  kind — that  based  on  the  absence  from  Shasta 
of  species  which  occur  in  tlie  Sierra  or  the  Cascades  or  both — see  pages 
79-82. 

Following  are  the  tables  on  which  the  foregoing  generalizations  are 
based : 


(1)  BOREAL  SPECIES  COMMON   TO   SHASTA   AND   THE    SIERRA-CASCADE 

SYSTEM. 

(Species  followed  by  the  letter  T  range  down  into  or  through  the  Tran.sition  zone.) 


(a)    MAMM.*LS. 


Callospermophilns  clirysodeirus  T. 

Canis  lestes. 

Erethizou  epixanthiis  T.  ? 

Eutamias  auKt'iius  T. 

Eiitaniias  seuex  T. 

Evotomys  mazama.' 

Felis  oregonensis  T. 

LepiiM  klaiiKitheiisis  T.? 

Lutreola  visou  energuuienos  T. 

Microtus  mordax  T. 

Mnstela  canriua. 

Mustela  pennanti. 

Myotis  lucifugiiB  lougicrus  T. 


Myotis  yumanensis  saturatiis. 
Neotoma  cinerea  T. 
Nenrotrichus  gibbsi  major  T. 
Ochotona  schisticeps. 
Odoeoileus  colunibiaiiiis  T. 
Peromysciis  ganibcli  T. 
Phenacomys  oropbilus. 
Piitorius  arizouensis. 
Sorex;  vagrans  amo'mis  T. 
Sorex  (Neosorex)  navigator. 
Taxidea  taxns  T. 
Ursiis  aniericanns  T. 
Vnlpes  macrourus  T. 


(b)    BIRDS 


Accipitcr  atriciipillns  striatnlns. 
Accipiter  velox. 
Aquila  chrysai'tos  T. 
Carpodacus  cassini. 
Ceophlcvns  pileatus  abieticohi  T. 
Certbia  familiaris  occidentalis  T. 
Cincliis  mexicaniis  T.  ? 
Coccotbraustcs  A'espertinns  niontauns. 
Colaptes  cafer  T. 
Contopus  borealis  T. 
Dendragapus  obsciirus  fnliglnosns  T. 
Dendroica  aitduboui  T. 
Dendroica  occidentalis. 
Drj'obates  villosus  bj'loscopus  T. 
Euii)idonax  difficilis  T. 
Eiiipidoiiax  liaminoudi  T. 
Eitipidonax  wrigliti  T. 
Geotblypis  tolmiei  T. 
Helmintbopbibi  celata  Intescens  T. 
Helmiiitbopbila      rubricapilla      gnttiir- 
alis  T. 


Hylocicbla  aonalascbka'  audtiboiii  T. 

Mclospiza  lincolni  T. 

Mernla  uiigratoria  iiropiiKjua  T. 

Myadestes  townsendi. 

Nucifraga  columbiaua. 

Oreortyx  pictns  plnniiferns  T. 

Parus  gambeli. 

Picoides  arcticns. 

Piranga  ludoviciana  T. 

Regnlus  calendula. 

Regains  satrapa  olivaceus. 

Salpinctes  obsoletns  T. 

Selaspborus  rufus  T. 

Sidlia  arctica. 

Sitta  canadensis. 

Sitta  carolinensis  aculeata  T. 

Spbyrapicus  tbyroideus. 

Spinas  pinus. 

Stellula  calliope  T. 

AVilsonia  pusiila  pileolata  T.  ? 

Zouotricbia  lencopbrys. 


'  ICvotomys  mazama,  a  common  Cascade  species,  was  obtained  by  us  on  Shasta  and 
Lassen,  and  doubtless  occurs  in  the  Sierra,  farther  south. 

21753— No.  16 10 


74 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  10.      i 


(o)    PLANT.< 


Achillea  boroalis. 

Aconitmn  «'<>lumbianuni. 

Allium  validuni. 

Alnu.s  sinuata. 

Aiitenuaria  media. 

Aral  lis  platyspcrma. 

Arctostaphylos  ne^  adensis. 

Bikiikulla  imillora. 

C'ardamiue  bellidifolia  pacbyjiLylla. 

Cares  breweri. 

Castanopsis  sempervirens  T. 

Chimapbila  meuziesi  T. 

Cbimaphila  nmbellata  T. 

Chrysothamnus  Idoomeri. 

Cymopterus  terebinthinus. 

Drosera  rotundifolia. 

Epilobinm  obcordatiim. 

Epilobiiim  pringleaiium. 

Eriogoiium  pyrolypfoliivm. 

Gentiana  simplex. 

Habeuaria  leucostacbys. 

Habeuaria  iinalaschensis. 

Heracleum  lanatum  T. 

Holodiseus  discolor. 

Hypeiicnm  auagalloides. 

JuiK'us  parryi. 

Jnnipenis  nana. 

Kalmia  glaiica  miciopbylla. 


Mimiiliis  ]>riiniiloides. 
Mitclla  ])entandra. 
Oreoliroma  tripliylla. 
Orthocaipus  ])ilosus. 
Oxyria  digyna. 
Peutstemon  newbeiryl. 
Phlox  douglasi  diffusa. 
Pimis  albicanlis. 
Piuiis  moDticola. 
Finns  miirrayaua. 
I'olemoiiiiim  pulchellum. 
Polygomim  shastense. 
Potentilla  llabellifolia. 
Pulsatilla  occidentalis. 
Pyrola  picta  T. 
Pyrola  secunda  T. 
Ribes  cereum  T. 
Sagina  sagiuoidcs. 
Salix  nuttalli  T. 
>Salix  sitchensis  T. 
Saxifraga  tolmiei. 
Sil)baldia  procuinbens. 
Sorbus  sambucifolia  T. 
Spraguea  umbellata. 
Tsnga  merteiisiana. 
Viola  blanda. 
Viola  purpurea. 


(2)    BOREAL    SPECIES     COMMON     TO    SHASTA    AND     THE 
NOT  KNOWN  FROM  THE  CASCADES. 


SIERRA    BUT 


(a)  MAMMALS. 

Aplodoiitia  major  (represented  in  Cascades  by  A.  major  rainieri). 
Ovis  canadensis  (not  known  or  represented  in  Cascades). 
Peromyscus  boyli  T.  (not  known  or  represented  in  Cascades). 
Sciurus  albolimbatus  T.  (represented  in  Cascades  by  S.  cascadensis). 
Sorex  niontereyensis  T.  (not  known  i'rom  any  point  north  of  Shasta). 
Thomomys  monticola  (represented  in  Cascades  by  T.  mazama). 
Za^jus  trinotatus  aiieni  (represented  in  Cascades  by  Z.  montanus). 

(h)   HIKDS. 

Cyanocitta  stelleri  frontalis  T.  (represented  in  Cascades  by  C.  stelleri).' 
.Tunco  hyemalis  thurberi  (rejireseuted  in  Cascades  by  J.  h.  connectens). 
Leucosticte  tephrocotis-  (represented  in  Cascades  by  L.  t.  littoralis). 
Loxia  curvirostra  bendirei  (represented  in  Cascades  by  L.  c.  minor). 

'The  Shasta  jay  is  intermediate  between  stelleri  and  frontalis. 

-The  mention  of  Leucosticte  tephrocotis  in  this  and  subsequent  lists  involves  an 
assumption.  L.  tephrocotis  is  known  to  be  the  breeding  rosy  finch  of  the  High  Sierra; 
L.  t.  littoralis  that  of  Mount  Rainier  in  the  Cascades  of  Washington.  A  rosy 
finch  was  found,  but  not  secured,  on  Shasta.  It  is  reforred  provisionally  to  iephro- 
co/i.'<  rather  than  littoralis,  because  the  great  majority  of  Shasta  species  which  are 
not  common  to  both  ranges  are  Sierra  and  not  Cascade  forms. 


OCT..  1809.] 


BOR15AL    SPECIES    RESTRICTED    TO    SHASTA. 


75 


BOREAL  SPECIES  OF  SHASTA  AND  SIERRA— Continiu-d. 


(f)    I'LANTS. 


Agoseris  monticola. 

Arnica  meniaiiii. 

Castilleja  affinis. 

Castilleja  miniata  (alpine  form). 

Chif  uactis  nevadensis. 

Cheirauthus  pereniiis. 

Corallorliiza  bigdovi. 

Crepis  intermedia. 

Cycladeuiii  hnmilis. 

Delpliiuinm  sonnei. 

Dr.iba  breweri. 

Erlgeron  armeri;efolium. 

Erigeroii  compositns  trifidiis. 

Erigeron  iiiornatus. 

Erlogonum  polypodnni. 


Hieracium  albitlonim  (alpiue  form). 

Hieracium  horridum. 

Hulsea  larseni. 

Madia  bolaaderi. 

Parnassia  californica. 

PentstemoD  gracileutus. 

Ribes  aniictiim  T. 

Saxilraga  bryophora. 

Senecio  cauiis. 

Senecio  trigonophyllns. 

Stellana  crisjia. 

Streptanthus  orbiculatus. 

Vaccininm  ra'spitosuni. 

Vaguera  wtellata  T. 

Veratrum  californi<uui  T. 


(3)  HOREAL  SPECIES  COMMON  TO  SHASTA  AND  THE  CASCADES  P. IT 
NOT  KNOWN  FROM  THE  SIERRA. 

(a)    MAMMALS. 

Cer^■Ils  occidentalis  T. 


Aiitlms  ])eu8ilvanicu3. 


Abies  shastensis. 
Epilobiiim  clavatum. 
Hieracii'ui  gracile. 
Hulsea  nana. 
Ligusticum  grayi. 
Ln])inu8  lyalli. 
Lnpinns  'ornatus.' 
Lutkea  pectiuata. 
MacbaTauthera  ebasteusis. 


(b)    BIKDS. 

Perisorens  obscurus. 

(C)  PLANTS. 

<  (reastrum  alpiginum. 
Pentstemon  mcnziesi. 
Pliyllodoce  empetriformis. 
Polygonum  uewberryi. 
Silene  suksdorfi. 
Tofieldia  occidentalis. 
Vaccininm  arbnscula  T. 
Veronica  cnsicki. 


(4)  BOREAL 


SHASTA  SPECIES   NOT  KNOWN   FROM   EITHER  THE   SIERRA 
OR  THE  CASCADES. 


Perognathns  mollipilosur  T. 


Arnica  longif<dia. 
Arnica  viscosa.  ' 
Campanula  wilkinsiana. 
Mimulus  implexns. 


(a)    MAMMALS. 

Sorex  shastensis. 

(b)    HIRDS. 

[None] 

(C)    I'LAXTS. 

Pentstemon  glaber  ntahensis. 
Pbacelia  frigida.  ' 
Scutellaria  nana. 
Silene  grayi. ' 


So  far  as  known  restricted  to  Shasta. 


76 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  16. 


(5)  EXCLUSIVELY  BOREAL  SPECIES  OF  SHASTA. 

(a)    MAMMALS. 


Aplodontia  major. 

Cauis  lestes. 

Evotomys  luazama. 

f  Lepns  klamatbensis. 

Microtus  mordax. 

Mustela  cauriua. 

Mustela  peuuanti. 

Myotis  yiimaueusis  saturatus. 

Ochotoua  schisticeps. 


Ovis  canadensis. 
Pheuacomys  oiophilns. 
Putorius  arizonensis. 
Sorex  (Xeosorex)  navigator. 
Sorex  shasten.sis. 
Thonioiuys  mouticola. 
Vnlpes  macroiirus. 
Zapua  tiinotatus  alleui. 


(6)    BIRDS. 


Accipiter  atricapillu.s  striatulus. 

Anthus  ])ensilvanicii8. 

Carpodacus  cassini. 

Cinclus  niexicanus. 

Coccothranstes  vespertinus  luontanus. 

Deudroica  occideutalis. 

Juuco  byenialis  thurbeii. 

Lencosticte  tejibrocotis. 

Loxia  curvirostra  bendirei. 

Myadestes  towuseudi. 

Nucifraara  Columbiana. 


Parus  gambeli. 
Perisoreus  obscurus. 
Picoides  arcticus. 
Reguliis  calendula. 
Kegulus  satrapa  olivaceus. 
Sialia  arctica. 
Sitta  canadensis. 
Spbyrapicus  tbyroideus. 
Spinus  pinus. 
Wilsouia  pusilla  pileolata. 
Zonotricbia  leueoiibrys. 


(c)  PLANTS. 


Abies  sbastensis. 
Acbillea  borealis. 
Aconituni  columbianum. 
Agoseris  mouticola. 
Allium  validum. 

Allium  sp. ? 

Aluus  sinuata. 

Antennaria  media. 

Arabis  platysperma. 

Arctostapbylos  uevadensis. 

Arnica  longifolia. 

Arnica  merriami. 

Arnica  viscosa. 

Bikukulla  uniHora, 

Campanula  wilkinsiana. 

Cardamine  bellidifolia  pacbyphylla. 

Carex  breweri. 

Castilleja  miniata  (alpine  form). 

Chii'uactis  nevadensis. 

Cbeirantbus  pereunis. 

Chrysotbamnus  bloomeri. 

Corallorbiza  bigelovi. 

Crepis  intermedia. 

Cycladeuia  bumilis. 

Cymopterus  tercbintbinus. 

Delpbinium  sonnei. 

Draba  breweri. 

Drosera  rotuudifolia. 

Epilobium  clavatum. 


Epilobium  obcordatum. 

Epilobium  pringleanum. 

Erigeron  armeria'folium. 

Erigeron  compositus  tritidns. 

Erigeron  inornatus. 

Eriogonum  polypodum. 

Eriogonum  ])yrolie folium. 

Gentiana  simplex. 

Habenaria  leucostacliys. 

Habenaria  unalascbcnsis. 

Hieracium  albitlorum  (aljiine  form). 

Hieracium  graeile. 

Hieracium  horridum. 

Holodiscus  discolor. 

Hulsoa  larseni. 

Hulsea  nana. 

Hypericum  anagalloides. 

Juncus  parryi. 

Juniperus  nana. 

Kalmia  glauca  micropbylla, 

Ligusticnm  grayi. 

Lupinus  albifrons. 

Lupinns  lyalli. 

Lupinus  'oruatus.' 

Lutl<ea  pectinata. 

Macbii'vantbera  sbastensis. 

Madia  bolanderi. 

Mimuliis  implexus. 

Miiiiulns  primuloides. 


OCT.,  1809.]    EXCLUSIVELY  HUDSONIAN- ALPINE  SPECIES  OF  SHASTA.      77 


EXOLUSIVELY  BOEEAL  species  of  SHASTA— Coiitiuiied. 


(c)  PLANTS — continued. 


Mitella  pentandra. 
Mouardella  odoratissima. 
Oreastrum  alpiginuni. 
Oreobroma  triphylla. 
Orthocaipus  pilosus. 
Oxyria  digyna. 
Parnassia  caliloruita. 
Pentstemon  denstns. 
Peiitsteuion  glaber  utahensis. 
Pentstemon  gracilentns. 
Pentstemon  menziesi. 
Pentstemon  newberryi. 
Pliacelia  frigida. 
Phlox  donglasi  diffusa. 
Phyllodoce  enipetriformis. 
Pinus  albicaulis. 
Pinus  monticola. 
Piniis  murrayana. 
Polemonium  pulclielhini. 
Polygonum  newberryi. 
Polygonum  sbastense. 
Potentilla  flabellifolia. 


Potentilla  pseudorupestris. 
Pulsatilla  occidentalis. 
Sagina  saginoides. 
Saxifraga  bryopbora. 
Saxifraga  tolmit-i. 
Senecio  cauus. 
Senecio  trigonopbyllus. 
Sibbaldia  procumbens. 
Silene  grayi. 
Silene  suksdoiti. 
Sitauion  ciuereum. 
Spraguea  umbcllata. 
Stellaria  crispa. 
Streptantlius  orbiculatus. 
Tofieldia  occidentalis. 
Tsuga  niertensiana. 
Vaccinium  ca'spitosuui. 
Vaccinium  occidentale. 
Veronica  cusickl. 
Viola  blanda. 
Viola  purpurea. 


(6)  EXCLUSIVELY  HUDSONIAN-ALPINE  SPECIES  OF  SHASTA. 

MAMMALS. 

Pbenacouiys  orophilus. 


Ochotona  scbisticeps 
Ovis  canadensis. 


Anthus  pensilvanicus. 
Leucosticte  tcpbrocotis. 
Nucifraga  Columbiana. 


Sialia  arctica. 
Zonotrichia  leucophrys. 


Achillea  borealis. 

Agoseris  monticola. 

Antennaria  media. 

Arabi.s  platysperma. 

Arnica  merriami. 

Arnica  viscosa. 

Bikukulla  unillora. 

Cardamine  bellidifolia  pachyphylla. 

Carex  breweri. 

Cha'uactis  uevadensis. 

Cheiranthus  perennis. 

Chrysothamnus  bloomeri. 

Cycladenia  bumilis. 

Cymopterus  terebinthinus. 

Draba  breweri. 

Epilobium  clavatum. 

Epilobium  obcordatum. 

Epilobium  pringleanum. 

Erigerou  armcria^folium. 

Erigeron  compositus  tritidus. 


Eriogonum  polypodum. 

Eriogonum  pyrohe folium. 

Hieracium  albillorum  (alpine  form). 

Hieracium  gracile. 

Hieracium  horridum. 

Holodiscus  discolor  (alpine  form). 

Hulsea  larseni. 

Hulsea  nana. 

Juncusparryi. 

Juniperus  nana. 

Kalmia  glauca  microphylla. 

Lupinus  albifrons. 

Lupinus  lyalli. 

Lupinus  '  ornatus.' 

Lutkea  pectinata. 

Macha-ranthera  shastensis. 

Miniulus  implexus. 

Mitella  pentandra. 

Oreastrum  alpiginum. 

Oreobroma  triphylla. 


78 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


I  NO.  16. 


EXCLUSITELY  HUD.sOX  I  AX-ALPINE  SPECIES  OF  SHASTA— Continued. 


PLANTS — continued. 


Orthocarpus  iiilosus. 
Oxyria  digyna. 
Parnassia  califoruica. 
Pentstemou  glaber  utaheusis. 
Pentstemon  menziesi. 
Pentstemon  uewberrvi. 
Phacelia  frigida. 
Phyllodoce  empetrifonuis. 
Pinus  albicaulis. 
Polemoniuni  pulcbellum. 
Polygonum  newberryi. 
Polygonum  sbastense. 
Potentilla  llabellifolia. 
Potent  ilia  pseudorupestris. 


Pulsatilla  occideutalib. 
Sagiua  saginoides. 
Saxifraga  lnyopbora. 
Saxifraga  tolmiei. 
Scnecio  canus. 
Sibbaldia  procuinhens. 
Silene  grayi. 
Silene  suksdorti. 
Sitauion  cinereum. 
Streptantbus  orbiculatTig 
Tsuga  mertensiana. 
Aaccinium  ciespitosum. 
A'eronica  cusicki. 
Yiola  purpurea. 


(7)    EXCLUSIVELY    HUDSOXIAN-ALPINE    SPECIES    COMMON    TO    SHASTA 
AND  THE  SIERRA-CASCADE  SYSTEM. 


Ochotona  scbisticeps. 


Nucilraga  columbiana. 
Sialia  arctica. 


mam:\ials. 

Phenacomys  orophilus. 

BIRD.S. 

Zonotricbia  leucopbrys. 


PLAX1> 


Acbillea  borealis. 

Autennaria  media. 

Arabis  platysperma. 

Bikukulla  uuillora. 

Cardamine  bellidifolia  paehyjthylla. 

Carex  lireweri. 

Chrysotbamnus  bloomeri. 

Cymopterus  terebintbinu«. 

Epilobium  obcordatum. 

Epilobium  pringleanum. 

Eriogonum  pyrolieiolium. 

Holodiscusdiscolor(ty;.icala!piu<'  form) 

Juncus  parry i. 

Juniperns  nana. 

Kalmia  glauia  micropbylla 


Mitrilla  jjentandra, 
(Jreobroma  triplijlla. 
Orthocarpu.s  pilosus. 
Oxyria  digyna. 
Pentstemon  newberryi. 
Pinus  albicaulis. 
Polemonium  pulcbellum. 
Polygonum  sbastense. 
Potentilla  llabellifolia. 
Pulsatilla  occideutalis. 
Sagina  saginoides. 
Saxifraga  tolmiei. 
Sibl)aldia  procumbens. 
Tsuga  mertensiana. 
Viola  pinpurea. 


(8)   EXCLUSIVELY    HUbSONIAN-ALPINE    SPECIES    COMMON    TO    SHASTA 
AND  THE  SIERRA  BUT  NOT  KNOWN  FROxM  THE  CASCADES. 

MAMMALS. 

( )vi8  canadensis. 


BIRDS. 

Lencosticte  tephrocotis. 

PLANTS. 

Cycladenia  bumilis. 
Draba  breweri. 
Erigeron  armeriiBfolium, 
Erigeron  compositus  trifidus. 


Agoseris  monticola. 
Arnica  merriami. 
Chaenactis  nevadensis. 
Cbeirantbus  perennis. 


OCT.,  1899.]      SIERRA-CASCADE  SPECIES  NOT  KNOWN  FROM  SHASTA.       79 

HUDSONIAX-ALPINE  SPECIES  OF  SHASTA  AND  SIERRA— Continued. 
PLANTS — continued. 

Eriogonum  polypodnra.  Saxifraga  bryophora. 

Hieracium  albiflorntn  (alpine  form).  Seiiecio  canus. 

Hieracinni  horridum.  Streptantlms  orbiculatns. 

Hulsea  larseni.  Vacciniuni  cie8i)itosuni. 
Parnassia  californica. 

(9)   EXCLUSIVELY    HUDSONIAX-ALPINE    SPECIES    COMMON    TO    SHASTA 
AND  THE  CASCADES  BUT  NOT  KNOWN  FROM  THE  SIERRA. 

MAM.MALS. 

Xone. 

lURDS. 

Anthns  jiensilvanicus. 


Epilobinm  clavatura.  Oreastruni  alpiginnm. 

Hieracium  gracile.  Pentstemon  nienziesi. 

Hulsea  nana.  Phyllodoce  empetriformis. 

Lupinus  lyalli.  Polygonum  newberryi. 

Lupinus  'ornatus.'  Silene  suksdorti. 

Lutkea  pectinata.  Veronica  cnsicki. 
Mach^ranthera  shastensis. 

BOREAL  SPECIES  OF  THE  SIERRA-CASCADES  NOT  KNOWN  FROM 

SHASTA. 

Turning  to  another  phase  of  the  subject,  the  absentees,  or  boreal 
species  of  the  Sierra  and  Cascades  which  are  not  known  from  Shasta, 
an  equally  instructive  lesson  may  be  learned. 

The  boreal  species  that  occur  in  the  Sierra  or  Cascades,  or  both,  but 
which  are  not  known  from  Shasta,  have  been  grouped  in  three  cate- 
gories: (1)  species  common  to  the  Sierra-Cascades  but  not  known  from 
Shasta;  (2)  Sierra  sjiecies  not  known  from  Shasta  or  the  Cascades; 
and  (3)  Cascade  species  not  known  from  Shasta  or  the  Sierra.' 

(1)  Boreal  species  common  to  the  Sierra  and  the  Cascades 

BUT  NOT  KNOWN  FROM  ShASTA. 

Only  three  boreal  mammals  are  known  to  occur  in  both  the  Sierra 
and  the  Cascades  which  have  not  been  found  on  Suasta.  These  are 
the  Sierra  marmot  {Arctomys  Jlaviventer),  the  wolverine  {Gulo  luscus), 
and  the  silver-haired  bat  [Laslonyeteris  noctivagans).  The  marmot, 
it  maybe  stated  with  confidence,  is  really  absent;  the  wolverine  has 
been  killed  in  the  near  vicinity  and  probably  occurs  on  Shasta;  the 
bat  is  a  local  species  common  in  the  mountains  west  of  Shasta,  easily 
overlooked  and  most  likely  to  occur.     Hence  there  is  every  reason  to 


'  In  the  accompanying  tables  and  discussion  the  boreal  species  are  treated  col- 
lectively, no  account  being  taken  of  the  important  distinctions  between  the  Alpine, 
Hudsonian,  and  Canadian  species.  This  course  has  been  rendered  necessary  by  the 
absence  of  discriminative  zone  lists  of  Cascade-Sierra  species. 


80  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.ig. 

believe  that  the  Sierra  marmot  is  really  the  only  mammal  common  to 
the  Sierra  and  the  Cascades  which  does  not  occur  on  Shasta. 

Two  boreal  birds  believ-ed  to  be  common  to  the  Sierra-Cascade 
system  (the  western  winter  wren,  Anorthura  hiemalis  imcifica^  and  the 
Townsend  warbler,  Dendrolca  townsendi)  have  not  yet  been  discovered 
on  Shasta,  but  are  liable  to  be  found  there  at  any  time. 

With  plants  the  case  is  (j[uite  different,  for  at  least  19  well-known 
genera,  and  a  considerable  number  of  si^ecies  of  other  genera,  not 
known  from  Shasta  are  common  to  the  Sierra  and  the  Cascades. 

(a)    MAMMALS. 

Arctomys  llaviveuter.  Gulo  lusciis.  Lasionycteris  iioctivagans. 

(b)    BIRDS. 

Anorthura  bieinalis  pacitica.  Dendroica  towiiseudi. 

(c)    PLANTS. 

Genera  nof  Jiuowii  from  Shasta. 

Arenaria.  Iris.  Ranunculus. 

Cassiope.  Ivesia.  Smelowskia. 

Clayton  ia.  Listera.  Streptopus. 

Clintouia.  Mertensia.  Thalictruni. 

Erytbroniuiu.  Pedicularis.  Xerophylliini. 

Geuni.  Primula. 

Hencbera.  Raillardella. 

Ad(1ifio)iaI  specieb  not  Lnoirn  from  Shasta. 

Arnica  chamissonis.  Lonicera  involucrata. 

Campanula  scouleri.  Polygonum  bistortoides. 

Crepis  nana.  Populus  tremuloides. 

Erigerou  salsugiuosiis.  Salix  barclayi. 

Gentiaua  uewberryi.  Saxifraga  nivalis. 

.Tuncus  ortliophyllns.  Saxifraga  punctata. 
T.onicera  conjugalis. 

(2)  Boreal   Sierra   species   not   known  from  Shasta  or  the 

Cascades. 

Eight  mammals,  1  bird,  3  coniferous  trees,  several  shrubs,  and  a  num- 
ber of  small  plants  are  known  from  the  High  Sierra  which  do  not  occur 
on  Shasta  or  the  Cascades;  the  majority  of  them  are  restricted  to  tlie 
southern  part  of  the  Sierra,  not  reaching  as  far  north  as  the  mountains 
about  Lake  Tahoe,  and  consequently  need  not  be  considered  here. 
Only  three  of  the  Sierra  mammals  {Spermopliilns  beldingi,  Euiamias 
speciosus  frater^  and  Sorex  obsciirns)  which  range  north  to  the  south 
end  of  Feather  River  Ga])  fail  to  reach  Shasta,  and  two  if  not  all  three 
of  these  are  known  to  cross  this  gap  and  occur  on  Lassen,  showing 
that  the  Feather  River  Gap  of  itself  is  of  very  little  significance.  The 
details  of  plant  distribution  in  these  mountains  are  not  sufficiently 
known  to  admit  of  safe  generalizations. 


OCT.,  1899.] 


BOREAL    CASCADE    SPECIES. 


81 


BOREAL  SIERRA  SPECIES— Continued. 

(a)  MAMMALS. 


Eutamias  alpiuus.^ 
Eutamias  speciosus.' 
Eutaniia.s  speciosus  callipeiilns.' 
Eutamias  speciosus  frater. 

Pinicola  euucleator  californica. 


Abies  magnifica. 
Arenaria  compacta. 
Arenaria  congesta. 
Artemisia  rothiocki. 
Chrysopsis  breweri. 
Draba  lemmoni. 
Eulophus  parisbi. 
Hulaea  algida. 
?  Leiluiii  glaudulosum. 
Leucotboe  davisi;t. 
Lycbnis  californica. 
Montia  fontana. 


Microtus  dutcberi.' 
Sorex  obscurus. 
Spermopbilus  beldingi. 
Tbomomys  alj)inu8. ' 


{b)  BIRDS. 


(C)  I'LANTS. 


Oreobroma  uevadensis. 
Oreobroma  pygnuea. 
Pbyllodoce  breweri. 
Pinus  balfouriana. 
Piuus  flexilis. 
Primula  suffrutescena. 
Queicus  vaccinifolia. 
Raillardella  scaposa. 
Ranunculus  oxynotus. 
Silene  bernardina. 
Silene  californica. 


(3)  Boreal  Cascade  species  not  known  from  Shasta  or  the 

Sierra. 

Eleven  mammals,  2  birds,  3  Hr  trees,  and  a  number  of  shrubs  aud 
other  plants  which  inhabit  the  Cascade  Range  in  Oregon  are  not  known 
to  occur  on  Shasta  or  in  the  Sierra  Nevada.  One  of  the  mammals 
[JEutamias  townsendi)  does  not  reach  as  far  south  as  the  southern  end 
of  the  Cascades,  and  two  others  {Aplodontia  major  rainieri  and  Sciurus 
c«S(?f«^/rjw/.s)  are  only  subspecifically  separable  from  corresponding  forms 
in  the  Sierra.  The  remaining  eight  are  independent  specific  types  not 
represented  on  Shasta  or  in  the  Sierra,  and  all  of  them  i)ush  south  to 
the  extreme  southern  end  of  the  Cascades  immediately  across  Klamath 
Gap  from  Shasta. 

(a)  MAMMALS. 


Aplodontia  major  rainieri. 

Eutamias  townsendi. 

Lyux  canadensis. 

Microtus  (Arvicola)  arvicoloides. 

Microtus  (Chilotus)  bairdi. 

Putorius  cicognani  streatori. 

Hylocicbla  ustulata. 


Scapanus  alpinns. 
Sciurus  douglasi  cascadensis. 
Sorex  (Atophyrax)  bendirei. 
Tbomomys  mazama. 
Zapus  montanus. 

(b)  BIRDS. 

Leucosticte  tephrocotis  littoralis.^ 


'  Tbese  mammals  are  restricted  to  the  southern  part  of  the  Sierra  and  none  of  them 
come  as  far  north  as  the  mountains  about  Lake  Tahoe, 

-Leucosticte  tephrocotis  liltoralis  breeds  in  the  Cascades  of  Washington  but  is  not 
actually  known  from  the  Cascades  of  Oregon.  It  is  likely  to  be  found  among  the 
glaciers  of  Mount  Hood  and  The  Sisters  when  the  birds  of  these  mountains  are 
studied. 

21753— No.  IG 11 


82 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  16. 


(c)    PLANTS. 


Abies  amabilis. 
Abies  lasiocarpa. 
Abies  nobilis. 
Gaultheria  myrsinites. 
Menzicsia  ferrngiuea. 
Rbododemlrou  albitJonim. 
Ribes  erythrocarpum. 


Ribes  laciistre. 
Rubus  lasiococcuB. 
Sileiie  acaulis. 
Sorbus  occideutalis. 
Spiriua  arbnscula. 
Vacciuiura  micropbyllum. 
Valeriana  sittheusis. 


EFFICIENCY  OF  KLAMATH  GAP  AS  A  BARRIER  TO  BOREAL 
SPECIES  COMPARED  ■WITH  THAT  OF  PITT  RIVER  AND  FEATHER 
RIVER  GAPS  COLLECTIVELY. 

In  view  of  the  iianowueiss  of  Klamatli  Gap,  a  break  of  less  than  50 
miles,  separating-  the  boreal  fanna  of  Shasta  from  that  of  the  Cascades, 
compared  with  the  breadth  of  the  coinbiiied  Pitt  Kiver  and  Feather 
River  gaps,  abont  100  miles,  separating  Shasta  from  the  boreal  fauna 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada  northwest  of  Honey  Lake,  one  might  expect  Shasta 
to  share  more  species  with  the  Cascades  than  with  the  Sierra.  The  con- 
trary is  true.  The  Feather  Eiver  Gap,  as  elsewhere  explained  (p.  70),  is 
ineffective  compared  with  the  others;  the  branches  of  Feather  River  do 
not  cut  completely  through  the  mountains,  and  the  gap  is  merely  a  low 
part  of  the  range,  with  the  Honey  Lake  ridge  and  small  boreal-capped 
peaks  i)rqjecting  here  and  there  as  stepping  stones  between  the  main 
Sierra  and  Mount  Lassen.  Pitt  River  Gap  is  deeper,  cutting  completely 
through  the  range  between  Lassen  and  Shasta,  forming  a  boreal  break 
about  00  miles  in  width,  and  there  is  no  apparent  reason  why  it  should 
not  be  as  effective  a  barrier  as  Klamath  Gap,  although  from  the  stand- 
point of  zone  distribution  it  does  not  cut  so  low  and  therefore  has  a 
slightly  cooler  summer  climate,  in  consequence  of  which  it  is  less  effect- 
ive. But  this  difference  is  insufficient  to  explain  the  really  great  dis- 
parity in  potency  of  the  two,  for  in  checking  the  extension  of  boreal 
si)ecies  Klamath  Gap  has  proved  far  more  effective. 

Passing  over  the  species  common  to  Shasta  and  the  Sierra-Cascade 
system  as  a  whole  (see  p.  73),  only  three  of  the  ten  distinctively  Sierra 
mammals  which  reach  the  northern  end  of  the  Sierra  fail  to  reach 
Shasta,  and  two  if  not  all  of  these  bridge  the  Feather  River  Gap  and 
reach  Mount  Lassen,  which  is  separated  from  Shasta  by  only  the  Pitt 
River  Gap.  On  the  other  hand,  not  one  of  the  ten  distinctively  Cascade 
mammals  which  occur  at  the  extreme  south  end  of  the  Cascade  Range 
has  been  able  to  cross  the  narrow  Klamath  Gap  to  Shasta. 

If  the  number  of  distinctive  mammals  of  the  Sierra-Cascade  system 
be  reduced  by  subtracting  those  which  are  represented  in  the  two 
ranges  by  closely  related  forms  '  8  distinctive  specific  types  will  remain 

'Close  discrimination  of  species  and  subspecies  is  necessary  in  laying  off  the 
minor  subdivisions  of  faunas;  and  it  is  interesting  from  the  zoological  standpoint 
to  know  which  and  how  many  of  tlie  specific  types  common  to  a  given  area  have 
undergone  enough  change  in  parts  of  that  area  to  warrant  separate  recognition  by 
name,  but  from  the  standpoint  of  the  distribution  of  specitic  types  such  details  are 
of  little  value. 

83 


84  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

for  the  southern  Cascades  aud  7  for  the  northern  Sierra.  Of  these 
distinctive  specific  types  only  3  of  tlie  7  Sierra  species  fail  to  reach 
Shasta,  while  all  of  the  8  Cascade  species  fail. 

The  significance  of  these  facts  appears  when  the  Boreal  faunas  of 
the  mountains  north  and  south  of  Klamath  Gap  are  studied  with  ref- 
erence to  their  geographic  sources  of  origin,  as  pointed  out  iu  the  next 
chapter. 


SOURCES    OF    THE   BOREAL    FAUNAS    OP    SHASTA    AND    OF   THE 
SIERRA  AND  THE  CASCADES. 

The  boreal  auiinals  aud  plauts  of  the  Sierra-Cascade  system  as  a 
whole  are  not  yet  well  enough  known  to  admit  of  positive  statements 
as  to  the  number  of  species  or  the  details  of  their  distribution.  Hence 
a  complete  study  of  their  distribution  with  reference  to  the  geographic 
source  of  origin  of  the  various  specific  types  is  Jiot  possible.  Never- 
theless, enough  has  been  learned  to  point  to  some  very  interesting 
conclusions. 

It  has  been  already  shown  that  the  boreal  fauna  and  fiora  of  Shasta 
form  a  part  of  the  fauna  and  tlora  of  the  Sierra-Cascade  system;  that 
70  percent  of  the  exclusively  boreal  mammals  of  Shasta  are  common 
to  both  ranges;  and  that  of  the  remainder,  80  percent  are  common  to 
the  Sierra.  It  is  obvious  therefore  that,  so  far  as  mammals  are  con- 
cerned, Shasta  may  be  considered  a  part  of  the  Sierra  (see  p.  71). 

Fifty-eight  boreal '  species  of  mammals  are  known  from  the  Sierra 
and  the  Cascades.  Of  these,  31  (54  percent)  are  common  to  both  ranges, 
11  (19  percent)  are  restricted  to  the  Sierra,  and  16  (28  percent)  to  the 
Cascades. 

Of  the  58  boreal  species  of  mammals  known  to  inhabit  the  Sierra- 
Cascade  system  not  a  single  genus  or  subgenus  is  peculiar,  though  the 
genera  Aplo(lont'«(  and  Neuroirlchns  and  the  subgenus  Atophi/ra.r  are 
restricted  to  the  northwest  coast  region.  With  species  the  case  is  very 
different,  for  23  of  the  58  species  (40  percent)  are  peculiar  to  the 
Sierra-Cascades;  but  even  of  these  only  10  differ  sufticiently  from  near 
relatives  elsewhere  to  be  considered  distinct  specific  types.  Of  the  58 
species  whose  relationships  are  so  obvious  that  there  can  be  no  doubt 
as  to  their  afiinities  and  origin,  5  (9  percent)  come  from  mountains 
farther  north  (in  British  Columbia,  some  ranging  into  southeastern 
Alaska),  8  (14  jierceut)  are  of  general  transcontinental  boreal  distri- 
bution, 16  (28  percent)  are  characteristic  of  the  humid  west  or  north- 
west coast  region,  19  (33  percent)  are  identical  with  or  closely  related 
to  species  living  in  the  Eocky  Mountains,  and  10  (17  percent)  are  dis- 
tinctive superspecific  types  restricted  to  the  Sierra-Cascade  system. 

If,  instead  of  treating  the  Sierra-Cascade  species  collectively,  we 
group  them  with  reference  to  the  particular  part  of  the  mountains  they 
inhabit,  putting  the  Cascade  species  (those  north  of  Klamath  (lap)  in 


'Our  collections  from  the  Cascades  have  not  yet  been  worked  up,  aud  it  is  proba- 
ble that  several  species  will  be  added  to  this  number. 

85 


86  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [xo.ie. 

one  category,  and  the  Siena  species  (those  south  of  Klamath  Gap)  in 
another,  some  additional  facts  are  brought  out  which  emphasize  the 
widely  different  sources  of  origin  of  the  distinctively  Cascade  species 
on  the  one  hand,  and  the  distinctively  Sierra  species  on  the  other. 
Of  the  distinctively  Cascade  S})ecies,  25  ])ercent  are  derived  from 
mountains  farther  north,  12  percent  are  local  types,  12  percent  belong 
to  transcontinental  boreal  types,  and  25  percent  to  northwest-coast 
types.  Of  the  distinctively  Sierra  species,  50  percent  are  specially 
developed  local  types,  and  50  percent  belong  to  types  common  to  the 
Sierra  and  the  southern  Rocky  Mountains. 

These  facts  point  not  only  to  the  great  antiquity  and  effectiveness  of 
the  Klamath  Gap,  but  also  to  a  former  east  and  west  continuity  of 
range  of  Boreal  species  between  the  Rocky  Mountains  of  Utah  and 
Colorado  and  the  Sierra  Nevada  of  California,  a  distance  of  at  least 
500  miles. 


MAMMALS  OF  SHASTA. 

Sorex  shastensis  sp.  iiov.     Shasta  Shrew. 

Type  from  Wagon  Camp,  Mount  Shasta  (alt.  5,700  ft.  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Cana- 
dian zone).  No.  95450,  U.  8.  Nat.  Mna.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.  Collected  Sept. 
26, 1898,  by  W.  H.  Osgood.     Grig.  No.  317. 

Characters. — Size  small;  decidedly  smaller  than  8.  vagrans ;  tail 
rather  short;  ears  small,  but  couspicuous.  Third  uiiicuspid  smaller 
than  fourth.     Skull  and  teeth  peculiar. 

Color. — Type  specimen,  in  change  from  summer  to  winter  pelage: 
Head  and  sides  of  neck  to  slioulders  dull  fulvous  brown ;  rest  of  upper 
parts  dark  steel  gray;  underparts  ashy  brown;  tail  sharply  bicolor, 
dusky  above,  bufiy  below,  becoming  dusky  toward  tip. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  small,  decidedly  smaller  than  in  vagrans 
and  as  small  as  in  calif ornicus ;  brain  case  moderately  high — not  at  all 
flattened  as  in  californicns ;  rostrum  rather  small  (about  as  in  californi- 
eus);  constriction  swollen.  Tooth  row,  as  a  whole,  somewhat  shorter 
than  in  californicns ;  unicuspids  decidedly  narrower,  particularly  the 
first  and  second;  molariform  series  much  as  in  californicus,  but  slightly 
smaller;  large  premolar  very  broad  posteriorly. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  90;  tail  vertebrse,  35;  hind 
foot,  12. 

Remarlis. — This  new  species  is  based  on  a  single  specimen  caught  by 
W.  H.  Osgood  in  a  trap  set  in  a  springy  place  among  the  Shasta  iirs, 
immediately  above  Wagon  Camp.  In  the  same  trap,  and  in  the  iden- 
tical spot,  he  caught  also  specimens  of  Neosorex  navigator  and  Neuro- 
trichus  gibbsi  major.  Several  specimens  of  Sorex  vagraiis  amoenus  were 
caught  near  by,  but  no  others  of  this  species. 

Sorex  shastensis  is  a  small  shrew  of  uncertain  aflflnities.  In  several 
respects  it  resembles  S.  californicus,  but  differs  from  this  species  mark- 
edly in  color,  and  still  more  in  the  form  of  the  cranium  and  narrow- 
ness of  the  uuicuspidate  teeth. 

.Sorex  vagrans  amoenus  Merriam.     Sierra  Shrew. 

Twenty-two  specimens  of  this  small  shrew  were  collected  on  Shasta 
and  about  its  base.  Two  were  caught  among  the  tules  at  Big  Spring, 
in  Shasta  Valley,  on  the  north  side  of  the  mountain;  two  at  Warm- 
castle  Soda  Springs,  in  Squaw  Creek  Valley,  on  the  south  side;  and 
nineteen  in  the  Canadian  zone  and  lower  part  of  the  Iludsonian  from 
Wagon  Camp  up  to  upper  Squaw  Creek,  Mud  Creek,  and  Ash  Creek. 
Most  of  them  were  trapped  under  logs  in  damp  places. 

87 


88  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  tNO.lC 

Sorex  montereyensis  Merriam.     Monterey  Shrew. 

Six  specimens  of  tliis  large  long-tail  shrew  were  secured — one  at  the 
lower  edge  of  the  Hudsouiau  zone,  near  ^lud  Creek;  four  in  the  Can- 
adian /one,  in  Mud  Creek  Canyon;  and  one  in  the  Transition  zone,  in 
Squaw  Creek  Valley,  near  Warmcastle  Soda  Springs. 

Sorex  (Neosorex)  navigator  Baird.     White-bellied  Water-shrew. 

Apparently  rather  scarce,  as  a  large  amount  of  trapping  resulted  in 
the  capture  of  only  four  specimens.  These  were  obtained  at  as  many 
localities,  namely,  the  head  of  Panther  Creek,  upper  Squaw  Creek, 
upjjer  Ash  Creek  Canyon,  and  Wagon  Camp,  all  in  the  Canadian  zone. 

Neurotrichus  gibbsi  major  subsp.  nov.     Large  Shrewraole. 

Type  from  Carberry  Ranch,  Shasta  County,  Calif,  (alt.  4,100  ft.,  between  Mts,  Shasta 
and  Lassen).  No.  65321,  c?  ad.,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mas.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.  Collected 
May  18,  1894,  by  C.  P.  Streator.     Orig.  No.  3789. 

Characters. — Similar  to  X  <jihh,si,  but  decidedly  larger;  hind  feet 
larger;  forefeet  much  broader  and  longer;  tail  much  longer;  under 
parts  darker;  skull  larger  and  broader;  fifth  upper  lateral  tooth  (the 
'large  premolar')  decidedly  .smaller  than  in  X.  {/ibhsi,  and  possessing  a 
distinct  anterior  cusp  on  the  cingulum,  which  is  absent  in  gihhsi;  fifth 
lower  lateral  tooth  (the  'large  premolar')  decidedly  larger  than  in  gibbsi. 

Measurements. — Average  of  3  specimens  from  type  locality:  Total 
length,  120;  tail  vertebrie,  4();  hind  foot,  17.  Average  of  4  specimens 
from  Mount  Shasta:  Total  length,  113;  tail  vertebrte,  11;  hind  foot, 
16.2. 

Remarks. — Four  specimens  of  this  new  form  of  Gibbs  shrewmole 
were  collected  by  our  party  on  Shasta — all  in  the  Canadian  zone. 
Three  were  caught  in  Mud  Creek  canyon  near  the  mouth  of  Clear 
Creek  by  Walter  K.  Fisher  and  W.  H.  Osgood,  and  one  was  taken  at 
Wagon  Camp  by  Osgood.  In  May,  1894,  my  assistant,  Clark  P.  Streator, 
obtained  3  specimens  (the  type  and  cotypes)  at  Carberry  Ranch,  on  the 
south  side  of  Pitt  liiver,  between  Mounts  Shasta  and  Lassen.  Carberry 
Ranch  is  in  the  upper  part  of  the  Transition  zone.  The  Canadian 
zone  specimens  from  Shasta  are  not  quite  so  large,  but  agree  in  other 
characters. 

Scapanus  califomicus  (Ayres).     California  Mole. 

Vernon  Bailey  found  a  dead  mole  of  this  species,  October  3,  in  the 
road  between  Wagon  Camp  and  Sisson  at  an  altitude  of  4,500  feet. 
He  reported  mole  ridges  as  common  in  places  a  little  below  Wagon 
Camp,  and  also  in  sandy  soil  in  the  Murray  pine  belt  east  of  the  moun- 
tain; W.  H.  Osgood  saw  mole  ridges  in  Shasta  Valley. 

Myotis  evotis  (H.  Allen.)     Big-eared  Bat. 

At  Sisson,  September  5,  R.  T.  Fisher  obtained  a  specimen  from  a 
small  boy,  who  caught  it  in  a  kitchen.  The  species  doubtless  occurs 
in  Shasta  Valley  also. 


OCT.,  1899.]  MAMMALS.  89 

Myotis  lucifugus  longicrus  (True), 

At  Wagon  Camp,  July  17,  Walter  K.  Fisher  shot  one  of  these  bats. 
Small  bats  were  abundant  here,  but  kept  so  much  in  the  forest  that 
they  were  hard  to  shoot. 

Myotis  californicus  (And.  c^  Bach.),     California  Bat. 

A  single  specimen  of  this  species,  collected  on  Mount  Shasta  by  C.  H. 
Towusend,  is  recorded  by  Miller  in  North  American  Fauna,  Ko.  13, 
page  71,  October,  1S97. 

Myotis  yumanensis  saturatus  ]Miller. 

Common  among-  the  alpine  hemlocks  at  Squaw  Creek  Camp,  where 
they  were  seen  every  night,  darting*  in  and  out  of  the  flickering  light 
of  the  camp  fire.  Here  I  shot  one  the  evening  of  August  o,  and  four 
the  evening  of  August  9.  Late  in  July  and  early  in  August  small  bats, 
probably  the  same  species,  were  seen  nearly  every  evening  at  the  tem- 
porary camps  on  or  near  upper  Mud  Creek.  The  species  is  interesting 
as  the  only  bat  secured  in  the  Hudsonian  z(me. 

Vespertilio  fuscus  Beauvois.     Large  Brown  Bat. 

Common  at  Wagon  Camp,  where  Vernon  Bailey  shot  one  July  17, 
and  I  shot  three  the  evening  of  July  38.  Many  more  could  have  been 
killed  if  desired.  In  1883  C.  II.  Townsend  obtained  it  at  Sheep  Rock. 
The  species  is  one  of  the  commonest  in  the  foothills  and  valleys,  and  is 
easily  recognized  on  the  wing  by  its  large  size  and  its  character  of  flight. 

[Arctomys  flaviventer  (And.  &  Bach.).     Mountain  Marmot. 

It  may  be  asserted  with  confidence  that  no  marmots  of  any  kind  live 
on  Shasta.  Our  collectors  were  at  work  on  the  mountain  from  July  15 
until  October  without  seeing  a  single  individual.  Moreover,  when 
Vernon  Bailey  and  I  made  our  trip  completely  around  the  peak  the 
latter  part  of  July  we  kept  near  timberline  all  the  way  and  made  a 
special  search  for  marmots,  but  were  unable  to  find  a  trace  of  their 
presence.] 

Spermophilus  douglasi  (Richardson).     Oregon  Ground  Squirrel. 

Common  at  Sisson  and  in  McCloud  and  Shasta  valleys,  whence  it 
ranges  up  through  the  manzanita  chaparral  of  the  basal  slopes  nearly 
to  Wagon  Camp.  At  Sisson  R.  T.  Fisher  collected  eight  during  the 
first  half  of  September,  and  says  of  them :  "One  of  the  few  really  plen- 
tiful mammals  at  Sisson.  Hardly  an  acre  in  the  valley  is  free  from 
their  burrows.  Lender  the  barns  and  houses,  in  the  fields,  along  the 
hot  slopes  east  and  west  of  the  town,  and  even  in  the  woods,  one  con- 
stantly sees  them.  At  the  time  I  write  of,  September  1-15,  they  seemed 
to  be  feeding  chiefl}^  on  acorns  and  chinquapins — acorns  in  the  valley, 
chinquapins  on  the  western  slopes.  In  behavior  they  were  wild  and 
sneaking;  at  all  times  diflQcult  to  approach.  None  appeared  to  have 
hibernated." 

21753— No.  16 12 


90  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

At  Big  Spring,  in  Shasta  Valley,  where  they  abound,  W.  H.  Osgood 
saw  several  climb  up  on  a  beam  and  enter  an  opening  in  a  granary. 

Callospermophilus  chrysodeirus  Merriani,  Golden-mantled  Ground 
Squirrel. 

One  of  the  most  abundant  and  conspicuous  mammals  of  the  moun- 
tain, where  they  were  seen  daily  from  the  manzanita  belt  up  to  timber- 
line,  and  where  52  specimens  were  collected.  At  Sisson  they  are  rare, 
but  2,000  feet  higher  are  fairly  common,  as  they  are  also  in  Squaw  Creek 
Yalley  at  the  south  base  of  the  mountain.  In  the  fir  forest  they  make 
their  homes  under  logs  or  about  the  roots  of  trees,  but  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  timberline  live  in  burrows  under  the  rocks,  often  in  slide  rock, 
associated  with  small  colonies  of  conies.  At  low  altitudes  they  are 
usually  unwary  and  maybe  easily  killed  with  the  'auxiliary'  barrel, 
but  in  the  neighborhood  of  timberline  they  are  so  exceedingly  shy  it 
is  difficult  to  approach  within  gunshot.  At  our  camp  among  the  alpine 
hemlocks  on  upper  Squaw  Creek  they  first  kept  at  long  range,  but  find- 
ing us  harmless  gradually  overcame  their  fear,  and  finally,  toward 
the  end  of  the  season,  came  to  be  one  of  the  most  persistent  of  camp 
robbers,  stealing  bread  and  other  eatables.  At  the  same  time  they 
never  came  freely  and  boldly  as  did  their  associates,  the  chipmunks, 
but  always  stole  in  silently  and  if  possible  kej^t  out  of  sight. 

This  species  goes  into  winter  quarters  much  later  than  its  relatives  in 
the  Rocky  Mountain  region.  On  Shasta  it  was  seen  daily  near  timber- 
line  until  after  the  middle  of  September  and  a  few  were  noticed  on 
warm  days  as  late  as  September  24,  but  all  those  secured  during  the 
latter  part  of  the  month  were  young  of  the  year.  Between  Wagon 
Camp  and  Sisson  they  were  seen  as  late  as  September  26. 

Eutamias  amcenus  (Allen).     Klamath  Chipmunk. 

Abundant  in  the  chaparral  of  the  lower  slopes  and  thence  up  through 
the  forest  to  timberline.  Fifty-three  specimens  were  obtained  at  vari- 
ous points  on  the  mountain.  At  Wagon  Camp  they  were  common 
and  were  seen  picking  unripe  serviceberries  the  latter  part  of  July. 
At  the  south  base  of  the  mountain  one  was  killed  as  low  down  as 
Warmcastle  Soda  Springs  in  Squaw  Creek  Yalley.  In  the  forest  they 
live  mostly  about  logs  and  stumps  and  are  quite  fearless,  but  along 
the  upper  edge  of  timber,  where  they  live  among  the  bare  rocks,  they 
are  tnuch  more  wary. 

Eutamias  senex  (Allen).     Allen  Chipmunk. 

Abundant  in  the  Shasta  fir  belt  and  ranging  down  to  Sisson  and 
Warmcastle  Soda  Springs  at  the  base  of  the  mountain  and  up  to  the 
upper  limit  of  continuous  timber,  though  perhaps  not  to  extreme  tim- 
berline.    Sixty-eight  specimens  were  secured. 

At  Wagon  Camp  they  were  common  and  were  usually  associated  with 
their  small  cousin,  U.  ama-iius.    They  are  more  arboreal  than  the  other 


OCT.,  1899.]  MAMMALS.  91 

chipmunks  and  we  often  saw  them  in  the  trees  40  or  50  feet  above  the 
ground,  moving-  about  in  the  branches  or  chasing  one  another  around 
the  great  trunks  of  the  hemk)cks  and  firs.  At  our  camp  in  the  alpine 
hemlocks  on  Squaw  Creek  they  were  the  most  abundant  and  most  fear- 
less of  the  diurnal  mammals.  Here  they  were  constantly  associated 
with  the  less  abundaut  golden-mantled  ground  sqiiirrelii  {Call ospermo- 
philus  chrysodeirus),  compared  with  which  they  are  bolder,  more  active, 
more  graceful,  and  more  interesting. 

In  camp  they  made  frequent  visits  to  the  mess  box,  which  they 
clearly  regarded  as  public  property,  approaching  it  boldly  and  without 
suspicion  and  showing  no  concern  at  our  presence — in  marked  contrast 
to  the  golden-mantled  ground  squirrels,  which  approached  silently, 
stealthily,  and  by  a  circuitous  route,  in  constant  fear  of  detection.  If 
disturbed  while  stuffing  their  cheek  pouches  with  bits  of  bread,  pan- 
cake, or  other  eatables,  each  chipmunk  usually  seized  a  large  piece  in 
its  mouth  and  scampered  off,  returning  as  soon  as  we  withdrew.  In 
fact,  they  made  themselves  perfectly  at  home  in  camp,  and  evidently 
ranked  us  with  other  harmless  inhabitants  of  the  forest.  They  climbed 
up  the  sides  of  our  tent  and  over  towels  hung  to  dry  on  branches,  as  if 
such  things  had  always  been  a  part  of  their  environment.  It  should  be 
added,  however,  that  the  most  familiar  animals  were  always  the  young 
of  the  year,  which  probably  had  no  recollection  of  the  time  l)efore  our 
arrival. 

Along  the  upper  border  of  the  timber,  where  the  ground  is  more 
open  and  is  covered  with  gray  rocks  and  pumice  instead  of  the  dark  felt- 
ing of  hemlock  and  fir  needles  and  cones,  the  chipmunks  are  far  more 
alert  and  wary. 

After  the  middle  of  Se^jtember  the  adults  were  rarely  seen,  and  after 
the  20th  the  young  came  out  only  during  the  warmest  part  of  the  day. 

At  Sisson,  II.  T.  Fisher  found  these  chipmunks  more  abundant  than 
any  other  mammal.  They  were  common  in  the  woods,  in  the  chapar- 
ral, on  the  hillsides,  and  in  the  bottom  of  the  valley.  At  the  time  of 
his  visit — from  the  end  of  August  to  the  middle  of  September — they 
were  in  the  molt  and  very  ragged. 

Sciurns  albolimbatus  Allen.     Sierra  Pine  Squirrel. 

[  =  8.  calif ornicus  Allen,  preoccupied.] 

Common  in  the  Canadian  zone  forest  of  Shasta  firs,  and  in  the  Transi- 
tion forest  of  mixed  pine  and  Douglas  spruce.  Among  the  Shasta  firs 
they  were  seen  on  all  sides  of  the  mountain  and  came  up  as  high  as  the 
lower  edge  of  the  alpine  hemlocks.  Among  the  pines  and  Douglas  firs 
they  were  seen  as  low  as  Bear  Butte,  near  Squaw  Creek  Valley,  and 
were  common  at  Sisson  and  thence  northward  along  the  base  of  the 
Scott  Mountains.  Like  other  pine  squirrels  they  lay  up  stores  of  cones 
for  winter  use.  At  low  elevations  they  rival  the  large  gray  tree  squirrels 
in  collecting  the  seeds  of  the  huge  cones  of  the  sugar  pines.    At  higher 


92  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.16. 

elevaiioiis  tbey  seem  to  feed  largely  ou  the  uiucb  smaller  seeds  of  the 
Shasta  iirs,  the  cones  of  which  they  collect  iu  large  uumbers.  These 
cones  are  gathered  iu  heaps  at  the  bases  of  trees,  where  the  squirrels 
live,  and  are  also  stored  iu  decayed  logs,  where  they  are  stuffed  into 
all  available  openings.  As  1898,  the  year  of  our  visit,  was  an  '  oft"  year' 
for  cones,  we  were  forced,  in  order  to  obtain  specimens,  to  take  advan- 
tage of  the  stores  made  by  these  squirrels  the  previous  year.  Iu 
them  we  found  innumerable  cones,  more  or  less  perfect  and  with  the 
seeds  still  untouched,  of  both  Abies  shastensi.s  and  A.  loiriana. 

Sciurus  fossor  Peale.     Oregon  (Tray  Squirrel:  Large  Tree  Squirrel. 

Fairly  common  in  the  pine  forest  covering*  the  southern  and  western 
basal  slopes  of  Shasta.  At  ditt'erent  times  during  the  summer  these 
large  squirrels  were  seen  in  Squaw  Creek  Valley  and  between  Sisson 
and  Edgewobd.  On  July  13  Vernon  Bailey  found  them  common  near 
Bear  Creek,  between  Fall  Eiver  Valley  and  Shasta,  where  the  sugar 
pines  begin.  They  were  then  cutting  oft'  the  scales  and  eating  the  green 
seeds  of  the  half-grown  cones  of  sugar  pines. 

Sciuropterus  alpinus  klamathensis  Merriam.     Klamath  Flying  Squirrel. 

The  only  tlying  s(juirrel  seen  by  our  party  was  observed  by  me  in 
August  on  a  cedar  stub  near  a  small  stream  a  couple  ol  miles  below 
Wagon  Camp,  but  was  not  secured.  There  is  therefore  some  uncertainty 
as  to  the  species.  At  Sisson  1  was  informed  that  a  boy  had  a  pair  alive 
in  a  cage,  but  he  left  town  with  them  before  they  could  be  examined. 

Castor  canadensis  Kuhl.     Beaver. 

Probably  not  now  living  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Shasta,  although 
in  1883,  according  to  C.  H.  Townsend,  "a  number  of  them  occui)ied 
unmolested  a  dam,  which  they  had  constructed  in  a  corner  of  a  meadow 
belonging  to  Mr.  J.  H.  Sisson.'"  They  were  formerly  common  in  Shasta 
Eiver,  where  Walter  K.  Fisher  was  recently  told  a  few  were  seen  in 
the  winter  of  1898-99. 

Aplodontia  major  Merriam.     Aplodontia:  Sewellel. 

In  making  the  circuit  of  Shasta  the  latter  part  of  July,  Vernon 
Bailey  an<l  1  discovered  a  colony  of  aplodontias  in  some  rank  vegeta- 
tion covering  a  springy  place  in  Ash  Creek  Canyon,  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  Canadian  zone.  A  little  later  W.  K.  and  R.  T.  Fisher  were  sent 
there  and  obtained  two  specimens.  About  the  same  time  they  and 
W.  H.  Osgood  caught  eight  in  Mud  Creek  Canyon  near  the  mouth  of 
Clear  Creek,  at  an  altitude  of  nearly  7,000  feet. 

Aplodontias  live  in  wet  or  damp  places  usually  overgrown  with  rank 
vegetation,  and  preferably  in  springy,  sloping  ground  where  some  of 
their  innumerable  burrows  and  sunken  runways  are  kept  wet  by  tlie 
cold  trickling  water.  As  is  well  known,  they  cut  various  plants,  com 
monly  rank  or  woody  kinds,  which  they  gather  and  carry  iu  bundles 
to  their  burrows,  or  to  places  near  by,  where  they  spread  them  out  to  dry. 


OCT.,  1S99.]  MAMMAT.S.  93 

In  Ash  Creek  Canyou  Walter  Fisher  found  their  cuttings  to  consist 
chietiy  of  ferns  and  willows— the  latter  carried  from  a  loug-  distance. 
In  Mud  Creek  Canyon  the  cuttings  consisted  chietiy,  according-  to 
W.  H.  Osgood,  of  thiinble-berry  bushes,  mountain  asli,  and  brake 
ferns — tiie  latter  predominating,  and  in  one  place  forming  a  pile  as  big 
as  a  bushel  basket.  The  animals  commonly  live  in  colonies,  but  Osgood 
concluded  that  in  Mud  Creek  Canyon  only  one  individual,  or  at  mosr, 
ft  pair,  lived  in  one  place,  '-though  several  may  be  distributed  among 
the  branches  of  a  stream." 

Mus  museulus  Linn.     House  blouse. 

Abundant  at  Sisson,  and  running  wild  like  the  native  s])ecies.  R. 
T.  Fisher  reported  them  as  constantly  getting  into  his  traps,  partic- 
ularly in  the  weeds  and  sedges  in  wet  places  along  the  banks  of  Cold 
Creek,  where  he  caught  a  dozen  or  more. 

Reithrodontomys  klamathensis  sp.  nov. 

Tiipf  from  Big  Spring  ('May ten").  Shasta  Valley,  Calif.  No.  !:iri444,  ^  ad.,  U.  S. 
Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.  Collected  Sept.  18,  1898,  hy  W.  H.  Osgood. 
Orig.  No.  281. 

Characters. — Si/e  medium;  ears  and  hind  feet  large;  tail  long,  only 
slightly  shorter  than  in  longicauda;  color  giayish  or  brownish  gray, 
decidedly  paler  than  lowjicauda. 

Color. — Summer  pelage:  Upperparts  pale  grayish  brown,  washed 
with  bufty  on  sides;  underparts  white,  tail  bicolor,  dusky  above, 
whitish  below. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  rather  large;  braiucase  and  rostrum  rel- 
atively broad;  audita!  bulhe  small.  The  skull  as  a  whole  agrees  better 
with  that  of  niet/aJotis  than  with  that  of  lougicaiida,  particularly  in  the 
length  of  ]>alate  and  breadth  of  braiucase;  but  the  rostium  is  broader 
and  the  audital  bulhe  are  smaller  than  in  either. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  149;  tail  vertebra',  71;  hind  foot, 
19.  Average  of  2  adults  from  type  locality:  Total  length,  144;  tail 
vertebr;Te,  66;  hind  foot,  18.5. 

Remarks. — Both  in  color  and  cranial  characters  ReitJirodontomi/s 
lJ((mathensis  resembles  the  pale  grayish  R.  megalotis  of  the  desert 
region  of  the  southern  part  of  the  Great  Basin  much  more  closely  than 
it  does  the  dark  brownish  R.  longicauda  of  California  west  of  the 
Sierra. 

This  new  harvest  monse  is  common  in  wet  places  in  Shasta  and  Lit- 
tle Shasta  valleys,  where  four  specimens  were  obtained  by  W.  H. 
Osgood  and  11.  T.  Fisher.  They  were  caught  in  little  runways  in  wet 
grass  near  tules.  The  species  doubtless  reached  Shasta  Valley  by  way 
of  the  open  Klamath  country.  During  onr  explorations  in  eastern 
Oregon  in  1896,  numerous  specimens  of  the  same  species  were  caught 
by  my  assistants,  E.  A.  Preble  and  Cleveland  Allen,  in  the  tule  marshes 
bordering  the  streams  connecting  Malheur  and  Harney  lakes. 


94  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA. 


[no.  16. 


Peromyscus  gambeli  (Baird).     Common  White-footed  Mouse. 

Common  on  all,  or  nearly  all,  parts  of  the  mountain  from  Sisson  up 
to  and  possibly  a  little  above  extreme  timberline.  One  hundred  speci- 
mens were  collected. 

In  choosing  their  homes  these  mice  are  easily  suited,  for  they  seem 
equally  contented  among  the  dense  vegetation  in  damp  parts  of  the 
bottoms  of  canyons  and  among  the  bare  lava  rocks  and  pumice  soil  ot 
the  driest  timberline  slopes.  Some  were  caught  also  in  the  heather 
meadows  bordering  the  little  streams  in  the  Hudsonian  zone.  At 
Sisson  E.  T.  Fisher  found  them  rather  rare  except  in  damp  woods 
along  Cold  Creek,  where  he  caught  a  number  under  roots  and  stumps 
close  to  the  water. 

Peromyscus  boyli  (Baird). 

Exceedingly  rare,  or  else  of  such  peculiar  habits  that  it  escaped 
observation.  Only  a  single  specimen  was  obtained  on  Shasta.  It  was 
caught  at  the  extreme  upper  limit  of  the  Canadian  zone  (alt.  7,800  feet) 
on  Squaw  Creek,  August  9,  by  Walter  K.  Fisher.  Others  were  secured 
at  Fall  River  Lake,  in  the  Transition  zone,  southeast  of  the  base  of  the 
mountain. 

Peromyscus  truei  (Shf.).     Big-eared  Mouse. 

Collected  in  Little  Shasta  Valley  by  Walter  K.  Fisher,  who  found  it 
living  among  bushes  of  Ceanothus  cuneatus. 

Weotoma  fuscipes  Baird.     Round-tail  Wood  Rat. 

Not  found  on  Shasta,  but  common  in  some  of  the  low  valleys  at  its 
base.  Their  characteristic  stick  houses  were  seen  in  the  juniper  forest 
at  the  southern  end  of  Shasta  Valley,  in  the  chaparral  near  Gazelle, 
and  in  several  places  in  the  Scott  Mountains  (Bailey).  In  Little  Shasta 
Valley  one  was  collected  September  19  (Osgood). 

Neotoma  cinerea  Ord.    Bushy-tail  Wood  Rat. 

Rather  scarce.  Only  four  specimens  were  obtained — two  in  Mud 
Creek  Canyon  near  the  mouth  of  Clear  Creek,  and  two  high  up  on 
Squaw  Creek  (alt.  8,800  feet).  Of  those  caught  in  Mud  Creek  Canyon, 
one  was  trapped  at  the  end  of  an  old  log,  the  other  at  the  entrance  to 
an  aplodontia  burrow.  Shasta  abounds  in  the  kinds  of  ledges  and 
cliff's  usually  inhabited  by  this  species,  but,  except  at  rare  intervals,  no 
traces  of  the  animals  were  found- 

Microtus  californicus  (Peale).     California  Vole. 

Not  obtained  by  us  except  in  Shasta  Valley,  where  six  specimens 
were  secured  in  September  by  W.  H.  Osgood  and  R.  T.  Fisher.  Their 
runways  were  found  in  very  wet  places  in  the  tules  at  Big  Spring,  in 
Shasta  Valley,  and  along  Little  Shasta  Creek.  Walter  K.  Fisher 
secured  specimens  along  Shasta  River,  northeast  of  Edgewood. 


OCT,  1899.]  MAMMALS.  95 

Micro tus  montanus  (Peale). 

Not  obtained  on  Shasta,  but  collected  at  Fall  River  Lake  in  August 
by  W.  K.  Fisher.  In  August,  1883,  seveu  specimens  were  collected  iu 
the  grassy  meadows  at  Sissou  Tavern  by  C.  H.  Townsend. 

Microtus  mordax  (Merriam).     Mountain  Vole. 

Common  iu  suitable  moist  places  througliout  the  Canadian  and  Hud- 
sonian  zones,  particularly  iu  the  lieather  meadows  a  little  below  timber- 
line,  where,  thoug:h  chief!}'  nocturnal,  they  were  sometimes  seen  in  the 
daytime.  Their  burrows  abound  in  the  heather  beds,  especially  along 
the  overhanging  banks  of  streams,  and  are  so  large  tlmt  some  of  them 
were  at  first  mistaken  for  those  of  Microtus  ariHcoloides,  a  species  which 
does  not  occur  on  Shasta.  They  were  not  found  in  the  dry  forest. 
Seventy- four  specimens  were  collected,  of  which  only  six  were  obtained 
at  Wagon  Camp,  i^ear  Sisson  Tavern  R.  T.  Fisher  caught  fifteen  along 
"the  wet  and  bushy  banks  of  a  long  ditch."  They  probably  reach 
Sisson  not  from  Shasta,  but  from  Mount  Eddy,  in  the  Scott  ^Mountains, 
near  the  foot  of  which  Sisson  Tavern  is  situated.  Still,  it  is  possible 
that  the  two  colonies  are  connected  along  some  of  the  few  cold  streams 
that  traverse  the  Transition  zone  slopes  of  Shasta. 

Evotomys  mazama  Merriam.     Mountain  Evotomys. 

Fairly  common  in  moist  places  in  the  Shasta  fir  forests  of  the  Cana- 
dian zone,  where  nineteen  specimens  were  obtained.  Ten  were  col- 
lected in  Mud  Creek  Canyon  near  the  mouth  of  Clear  Creek  (altitude 
6,700  feet);  seveu  along  Squaw  Creek  from  6,700  up  to  7,700  feet;  one 
at  the  head  of  Panther  Creek  at  7,700  feet,  and  one  at  Wagon  Camp  at 
5,700  feet.  They  were  usually  caught  in  traps  set  under  logs  iu  damp 
or  wet  places. 

Phenacomys  orophilus  Merriam.     Lemming-Mouse. 

Rare  and  local,  judging  from  the  results  of  our  trapping.  Only  three 
specimens  were  obtained — all  in  the  heather  meadows  along  the  upper 
part  of  Squaw  Creek,  where  they  were  caught  August  7, 10,  and  12  by 
Walter  K.  Fisher. 

Thomomys  monticola  Allen.     Sierra  Pocket  Gopher. 

Abundant  throughout  the  boreal  slopes  of  the  mountain,  from  the  lower 
part  of  the  Canadian  zone  to  above  timberliue.  Iu  the  dark  forests  of 
Shasta  firs  their  mounds  were  seen  wherever  there  was  enough  small 
vegetation  to  furnish  food,  and  were  commonest  along  the  streams  and 
about  the  edges  of  marshy  j)laces,  where  plant  life  is  abundant  and  luxu- 
riant. Above  the  line  of  continuous  timber  their  mounds  were  noticed 
on  many  of  the  i^umice  sloj^es  between  the  altitudes  of  8,000  and  0,000 
feet.  Above  the  head  of  Squaw  Creek  a  small  colony  was  found  at  an 
altitude  of  8,300  feet,  and  another  between  8,900  and  9,000  feet.  On 
the  east  side  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon  they  were  seen  at  8,800  feet,  and  on 
the  west  side  at  8,900  feet.      On  our  trip  around  the  mouutain  near 


96 


NORTH    .UrERICAN    FAUNA, 


[no.  16. 


tiinberline,  the  latter  part  of  July,  their  mounds  were  found  in  almost 
every  ])la(e  where  the  >soil  was  deep  euough  for  the  animals  to  work; 


Fic.  31. — Wiiitir  earth  pltiys  of  pocket  gopher. 


Fig.  :!2. — Momul  iiiiule  by  pocket  gopher.     (Photogiaplitd  b.v  "W.  H.  Osgood,) 

and  on  the  north  side  they  were  abundant  nearly  up  to  timberliue,  both 
on  the  main  peak  and  on  Shastina. 


OCT.,  1899.]  MAMMALS.  97 

At  Wagon  Camp,  and  thence  eastward  to  Panther  Creek,  the  whole 
country  is  honeycombed  with  their  subterranean  jiassages.  While  we 
were  at  Wagon  Camp  they  were  unmitigated  pests,  throwing  up  little 
mounds  of  fresh  earth  in  our  midst  every  day  and  keeping  the  ground 
disturbed  the  whole  time,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  walk  in  any 
direction  outside  of  the  marsh  without  stirring  up  a  cloud  of  dust.  I 
shot  several  in  camp  in  the  daytime,  as  they  poked  their  heads  out  of 
their  burrows,  pushing  little  loads  of  dirt  before  them.  They  throw 
out  the  earth  so  rapidly  that  it  is  difficult  to  observe  the  process  accu- 
rately. One  appeared  to  empty  it  from  his  pouches,  but  I  shot  him  in 
the  act  and  found  his  j^ouches  free  from  dirt  and  full  of  cut  pieces  of 
roots. 

On  the  higher  slopes  the  winter  earth  plugs — the  cylinders  of  earth 
mixed  with  heather  which  in  winter  are  pushed  up  into  the  snow  from 
the  underground  passages — remain  on  the  ground  all  summer,  a  strik- 
ing evidence  of  the  absence  of  rains,  for  a  single  hard  shower  would 
disintegrate  and  wash  them  away.  They  usually  take  the  form  of 
irregular  serpentine  ridges ;  but  on  Squaw  Creek  one  was  found  which 
formed  a  complete  oval  ring  with  radiating  cylinders.  A  photograph 
of  this  one,  taken  August  1,  1898,  is  here  reproduced.     (See  fig.  31.) 

Thomomys  monticola  pinetorum  subsp.  nov.     Pine- woods  Gopher. 

Type  from  Sisson,  Siskiyou  County,  Calif.   No.  95152,  ^  ad.,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological 
Survey  Coll.     Collected  Sept.  4,  1898,  by  R.  T.  Fisher.     Orig.  No.  173. 

Characters. — Similar  in  general  to  T.  monticola,  but  slightly  smaller; 
skull  shorter  and  broader;  color  very  much  paler. 

Color. — Upperparts  pale  fulvous,  almost  orange  fulvous  (in  striking 
contrast  to  the  much  darker  colors  of  moiiticola  and  mazama)',  nose 
dusky;  sides  of  head  in  one  pelage  plumbeous  or  slaty  faintly  washed 
with  buffy;  in  other  pelage  strongly  washed  with  ochraceous. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull,  contrasted  with  that  of  monticola,  short 
and  broad,  with  zygomata  much  more  widely  spreading. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  210;  tail  vertebrte,  70;  hind 
foot,  28. 

Remarhs. — Common  at  Sisson  and  thence  up  to  Wagon  Camp,  grading 
gradually  into  T.  monticola. 

Dipodomys  californicus  Merriam.     Kangaroo  Rat. 

Common  in  the  manzanita  chaparral  on  the  south  side  of  Shasta 
from  Squaw  Creek  Valley,  near  McCloud  Mill,  up  along  the  road  to 
Wagon  Camp,  as  far  at  least  as  an  altitude  of  4,800  feet,  where  their 
unmistakable  tracks  abounded  in  the  dusty  soil.  In  Shasta  Valley 
they  are  exceedingly  abundant  and  destructive  to  grain,  according  to 
complaints  of  the  ranchmen.  Here  W.  H.  Osgood  found  their  little 
trails  winding  about  through  the  sage  brush  in  all  directions,  and  saw 
fresh  tracks  in  the  road  every  morning. 
21753— No.  10 13 


98  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

Perognathus  mollipilosus  Coues.     Mountain  I'ocket-Mouse. 

Common  in  tlie  mauzanita  chaparral,  a  little  below  Wagou  Camp, 
where  four  were  caught  in  July  by  E.  T.  Fisher.  But  the  most  extra- 
ordinary locality  at  which  the  species  was  found — and  for  that  matter 
the  most  remarkable  and  abnormal  place  in  which  any  sj^ecies  of  the 
family  has  ever  been  found — is  a  subalpine  pumice  basiu  near  timber- 
line  at  the  head  of  Panther  Creek,  where  Walter  K.  Fisher  discovered 
it  and  caught  two  the  night  of  July  18.  Later,  six  more  were  secured 
at  the  same  place. 

In  Shasta  Valley  Vernon  Bailey  and  W.  H.  Osgood  found  abundant 
signs  of  some  species  of  PerognafhuSj  but  did  not  obtain  specimens. 
The  species  is  probably  P.  ^arr?/.s,  which  is  common  in  the  adjacent 
Klamath  Basin. 

Erethizon  epixanthus  Brandt.     Porcupine. 

Apparently  common,  and  yet  not  a  specimen  was  obtained.  Their 
characteristic  guawings  on  the  trunks  of  small  trees  were  seen  at 
many  ])oints  around  the  mountain,  usually  in  the  Hudsonian  or  upper 
part  of  the  Canadian  zone.  They  were  common  among  the  dwarf 
timberline  white-bark  pines  on  the  north  sides  of  both  Shasta  and 
Shastina;  and  in  a  small  forest  of  young  Shasta  firs  between  Mud 
Creek  Canyon  and  Cold  Creek.  Xear  timberline  we  several  times 
found  small  trees  whose  tops  had  been  gnawed  in  winter  when  they 
protruded  above  the  snow.  In  a  single  instance  fresh  tracks  were 
seen  in  the  trail  between  Wagon  Camj)  and  Squaw  Creek  Camp  ^by 
Vernon  Bailey).  And  on  August  I  our  fsivorite  mule  came  into  camp 
with  porcupine  quills  in  his  nose.  C.  II.  Townsend  found  porcupines 
in  surprising  abundance  in  Lassen  County,  south  of  Shasta,  in  1883 
and  1881,  and  gives  an  interesting  account  of  their  habits. 

Zapus  trinotatus  alleni  Elliot.     Sierra  Jerboa. 

Fairly  common  in  damp  places  on  and  near  the  mountain.  Twenty 
specimens  were  collected — fifteen  in  the  Canadian  zone  in  Mud  Creek 
Canyon  near  the  mouth  of  Clear  Creek  (alt.  0,700  feet),  two  near  the 
uj^per  part  of  Mud  Creek  (alt.  7,900  feet),  and  three  at  Wagon  Camp. 

One  of  the  most  attractive  spots  near  Wagon  Camp  is  a  grove  of 
ponderosa  pines  in  which  the  ground  is  carpeted  with  strawberries 
and  scarlet  painted  cups,  mixed  with  ferns  and  scattered  clumps  of 
serviceberries.  The  soil,  while  not  wet,  receives  enough  moisture 
from  the  little  streams  that  sink  into  the  ground  a  few  rods  above  to 
enable  these  plants  to  grow  in  such  profusion  that  they  form  a  con- 
tinuous meadow — 'Castilleja  meadow'  we  called  it,  from  the  abundance 
of  painted  cujis.  Here  the  jerboas  abound.  We  saw  several  in  the 
daytime,  leaping  about  like  frogs  in  the  dense  vegetation,  and  caught 
one  or  two  in  our  hands. 

In  Mud  Creek  Canyon,  W.  H.  Osgood  informs  me,  they  were  also 
frequently  seen  in  the  daytime,  in  wet  places  under  the  white  hellebore 
( Veratrum  caUfornicum). 


OCT.,  1899. 


MAMMALS. 


99 


Zapus  pacificus  Merriam.     Valley  Jerboa. 

Only  two  specimens  of  tbis  little-known  species  were  secured  and 
one  of  these  was  destroyed  in  the  trap.  They  were  caught  in  thickets 
on  the  banks  of  Little  Shasta  Creek  September  20  by  R.  T.  Fisher. 

Ochotona  schisticeps  (Merriam).     Cony;  Pika. 

Eelatively  rare  and  confined  to  small  and  widely  separated  colonies. 
During-  our  circuit  of  the  mountain,  made  near  timberline  the  latter 
part  of  July,  we  saw  what  we  took  to  be  signs  of  conies  among  rocks 
east  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon,  but  finding  no  more  believed  we  had  been 
mistaken,  until  the  evening  of  July  24,  when  we  camped  on  some  rivu- 
lets of  snow  water  on  the  north  side  of  Shastina.  Here  we  found  a 
small  scattered  colony  reaching  up  in  the  slide  rock  from  about  8,000 
to  nearly  10,000  feet,  and  a  specimen  was  secured  by  Vernon  Bailej'. 
The  next  day  we  found  signs  in  Cascade  Gulch  a  mile  or  two  northwest 
of  Horse  Camp.  Later, 
when  camjDcd  in  the  al- 
pine hemlocks  ou  the 
small  west  branches  of 
Squaw  Creek,  we  found 
a  colony  in  the  slide 
rock  close  by.  Conies 
were  afterwards  found 
on  both  sides  of  Red 
Butte  and  on  the  east 
side  of  Gray  Butte,  and 
Osgood  heard  one  near 
the  head  of  Mud  Creek 
Canyon.  In  all,  14 speci- 
mens were  collected. 

This  species  differs  in 
habits  and  voice  from 
those  of  the  Rocky  Moui  i  - 
tains;  it  is  less  noisy  and  less  often  heard  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  for 
which  reason  it  is  more  apt  to  escape  detection,  and  its  common  note, 
instead  of  the  usual  'bleat,'  is  a  loud  shrill  e/i'  e/«,'  or  eh''  eW  eh\  It 
seems  to  be  most  active  in  the  late  afternoon  and  on  moonlight  even- 
ings, and  its  voice  is  heard  at  all  hours  of  the  night. 

On  most  mountains  where  conies  live,  their  well  known  accumula- 
tions of  plants  of  various  kinds,  cut  and  piled  on  the  rocks  to  dry,  are 
conspicuous  objects.  But  on  Shasta,  where  I  often  saw  the  animals 
carrying  freshly  cut  plants  to  their  dens  in  the  slide  rock,  I  failed  to 
find  a  single  'haystack.'  In  one  place  a  few  fresh  stems  of  Polygonum 
neicherryi,  with  its  large  broad  leaves,  were  seen,  and  in  another  a  large 
accumulation  of  old  brown  leaves  of  the  same  species  mixed  with  a  larger 
quantity  of  Phyllodoce  empetri/ormis — apparently  left  over  from  the 
previous  year.     But  the  only  real  'haystack'  found  on  the  mountain  by 


Fig.  33. — Rock  cony  (Ochotona  nchiaticeps) — Photograplied  by 
r.  Steplieus. 


100  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA,  [no.  16. 

any  of  tlie  joarty  was  discovered  on  tbe  east  side  of  Gray  Butte  Septem- 
ber 25  by  Veruon  Bailey.  It  contained  Upilobinm  sincatum,  Holodiacus 
discolor  J  Monardella  odoratissima,  Hieracium  horridum,  Geanothus  velii- 
tinni^,  and  two  species  of  grass.  The  bulk  of  the  material  was  Epilo- 
hium  and  jllonardclla. 

On  the  west  slope  of  Goose  Nest  Mountain,  just  east  of  Little  Shasta 
Valley,  Walter  K.  Fisher  found  conies  common  in  an  area  of  slide  rock 
which  extends  in  a  practically  unbroken  stretch  from  the  top  to  the 
bottom  of  the  mountain.     I  have  jiot  seen  the  specimens. 

Lepus  nuttalli  Bachman.     Sagebrush  Cottontail. 

Several  seen  and  two  secured  by  W.  H.  Osgood  in  the  sagebrusli  in 
Shasta  and  Little  Shasta  valleys,  near  the  north  base  of  the  mountain. 

Lepus  klamathensis  sp.  nov.     Klamath  Eabbit. 

Tt/jjc  from  Fort  Klamath,  Oregon.    No.  92248,  9  acL,  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Purvey 
Coll.     Collected  Jan.  2.5, 1898,  by  B.  L.  Cunningham.     Orig.  No.  86. 

Characters. — Similar  to  L.  colunihiensis  Rhoads,  but  color  fulvous 
instead  of  yellowish,  with  a  distinct  white  stripe  on  hind  foot;  skull 
characters  distinctive. 

Color. — Summer  pelaf/e:  Upperparts  grizzled  fulvous  and  black,  the 
fulvous  rather  pale  and  dull,  but  not  at  all  yellowish  as  in  columhiensis; 
head,  face,  and  pectoral  collar  dull  fulvous;  chin,  throat,  and  belly 
white;  a  white  stripe,  sometimes  irregular,  extending  along  full  length 
of  upper  surface  of  hind  foot,  on  inner  side,  and  usually  including  toes. 
Winter  pelage:  Either  snow  white  all  over,  or  like  summer  pelage 
but  with  black  hairs  much  more  plentiful. 

Cranial  characters. — Skull  similar  to  that  of  columhiensis  but  some- 
,what  smaller  and  narrower;  interorbital  breadth  at  anterior  notch  less; 
bullic  decidedly  smaller  (smallest  of  the  americanus-bairdi-icashiugtoni 
group);  outer  face  of  jugal  very  deeply  grooved  anteriorly,  and  with 
upper  ridge  reaching  anteriorly  beyond  end  of  groove. 

Measurements. — Type:  Total  length,  432;  tail  vertebriP,  28 ;  hind  foot, 
127.  Average  of  3  specimens  from  type  locality:  Total  length,  410; 
tail  vertebrae,  39;  hind  foot,  126. 

Bemarl's. — Lepus  llamathensis  is  a  member  of  the  americanns-hairdi- 
irashinf/toni  group.  In  color  it  is  intermediate  between  the  yellowish 
columhiensis  and  the  dark  fulvous  irashingtoni.  In  cranial  characters 
it  agrees  best  with  columhiensis^  particularly  in  the  great  length  of  the 
postorbital  processes,  but  in  the  small  bulltB  and  peculiar  form  of  the 
jugal  it  differs  from  all  known  members  of  the  group. 

This  rabbit  is  common  in  the  alder  thickets  in  marshy  places  and 
along  streams  near  Fort  Klamath,  Oregon,  from  which  place  the  late 
Major  Chas.  E.  Bendire  sent  me  several  specimens  in  the  winter  of 
1883-84;  and  from  which  we  have  recently  obtained  additional  spec- 
imens from  B.  L.  Cunningham. 


OCT.,  1899.]  MAMMALS.  101 

A  carious  feature  about  Lepus  Jdamathensis  is  the  fact  that  it  some- 
times does,  aud  sometimes  does  not,  turn  white  iu  winter.  In  the 
Biological  Survey  collection  we  have  brown  specimens  killed  late  in 
January  aud  white  ones  killed  early  in  April. 

This  species  was  not  obtained  on  Shasta,  but  rabbit  dung,  supposed 
to  belong  to  it,  was  found  in  many  places,  particularly  under  the  dwarf 
Pinus  albicauUs  on  the  timberline  ridges.  Rabbit  signs  aud  tracks 
were  seen  also  in  the  manzanita  chaparral,  but  as  no  specimens  were 
secured  the  species  is  a  matter  of  conjecture. 

Lepus  californicus  Gray.     California  Jack  Rabbit. 

Occurs  in  Shasta  Valley  at  the  north  base  of  the  mountain.  Several 
were  seen  and  one  was  killed  near  Edgewood  September  30  by  W.  H. 
Osgood. 

Odocoileus  columbianus  (Richardson).     Columbia  Black-tail  Deer. 

Abundant  on  Shasta  and  throughout  the  surrounding  region.  Even 
at  Wagon  Camp,  which  probably  is  visited  by  more  hunting  parties 
than  any  other  part  of  the  mountain,  deer  were  numerous,  and  their 
well-beaten  trails  were  in  constant  use  during  our  stay.  At  first  the 
animals  were  commonest  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Shasta  fir  forest, 
where  for  a  long  time  they  were  not  driven  away  even  by  the  frequent 
shooting  of  our  bird  collectors.  When  we  had  been  at  Wagon  Camp  a 
week  they  were  still  common  within  an  eighth  of  a  mile.  Later,  how- 
ever, they  became  less  numerous  in  the  open  forest  and  more  abundant 
in  the  dense  chaparral  of  manzanita  aud  buck-brush  a  little  lower 
down.  They  were  common  also  on  Red  Butte,  and  along  all  of  the 
streams  and  canyons  on  the  west,  south,  and  southeast  sides  of  the 
mountain.  On  the  west  side,  where  water  is  scarce,  numbers  used 
to  visit  the  pools  in  Cascade  Gulch,  northwest  of  Horse  Camp.  In  Mud 
Creek  Canyon  their  trails  were  so  abundant  as  to  form  almost  a  mesh- 
work.  When  we  visited  this  canyon  first,  July  22,  Vernon  Bailey  saw 
eight  deer;  and  several  of  us,  resting  on  the  west  rim  of  the  canyon, 
watched  a  doe  and  fawn  on  one  of  the  trails  on  the  opposite  side. 
They  were  so  plentiful  in  a  canyon  about  a  mile  east  of  Squaw  Creek 
that  I  named  the  place  Deer  Canyon.  Several  times  during  the  season 
does  with  spotted  fawns  were  seen  in  the  Shasta  fir  forest.  A  yearling 
'spike-buck'  killed  on  Squaw  Creek  by  Vernon  Bailey  August  7  wasiu 
the  velvet,  aud  his  worn  summer  coat  was  scant  and  faded.  Another 
'spike-buck,'  killed  in  the  mountains  west  of  Scott  Valley  September 
15,  was  in  the  fresh  gray  winter  coat,  with  only  a  few  red  hairs  of  the 
summer  coat  left. 

In  September  the  old  bucks,  which  had  not  been  observed  earlier, 
climbed  the  mountain  and  began  to  appear  on  the  higher  ridges,  where 
they  travel  extensively  in  the  timberline  tongues  of  dwarf  white-bark 
pines.  On  September  18  I  followed  the  tracks  of  two  large  bucks  along 
the  upper  part  of  Panther  Creek  and  found  where  they  had  bedded 


102  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

close  togetlier  under  a  low  Shasta  tir  on  a  steep  sloi:>e,  from  which  they 
could  overlook  the  country  below. 

O.  H.  Townsend,  in  his  notes  on  the  mammals  of  northern  California, 
gives  an  interesting  account  of  this  deer. 

Odocoileus  hemionus  (Rafinesque).     Mule  Deer. 

In  the  region  east  of  Shasta,  where  the  Columbia  black-tail  is  the 
prevailing  species,  C.  H.  Townsend  occasionally  found  the  mule  deer. 
"  But  in  Lassen  County,  a  hundred  miles  farther  south,  the  reverse  was 
found  to  be  the  case,"  and  he  saw  nothing  of  the  Columbia  black-tail. 
This  was  in  1883  and  1884.  The  mule  deer  was  not  observed  on  Shasta 
by  our  party,  although  the  tracks  of  an  immense  buck,  seen  by  me 
early  in  August  on  the  rim  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon,  may  have  been  made 
by  it.  Sherman  Powell,  in  a  recent  article  in  Forest  and  Stream  (April 
27, 1899),  states  that  mule  deer  are  plentifnl  a  little  east  of  Shasta  "  on 
and  around  Glass  Mountain,  and  also  on  the  northeast  slopes  of  Black 
Fox  Mountain." 

Cervus  occidentalis  Ham.  Smith.     Elk. 

One  of  our  party,  E.  T.  Fisher,  was  informed  by  George  B.  Mitchell, 
county  surveyor  of  Siskiyou  County,  that  elk  were  shot  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Sisson  as  late  as  the  early  seventies.  They  were  formerly 
abundant  on  and  about  Shasta,  particularly  in  Squaw  Creek  Valley 
and  Elk  Flat,  and  used  to  range  along  the  Scott  Mountains,  and  thence 
westerly  to  the  coast,  where  a  few  still  exist. 

Antilocapra  americana  Ord.     Prong-horn  Antelope. 

Antelope,  we  were  told,  still  inhabit  the  open  pine  forest  east  and 
northeast  of  Shasta.  Formerly  they  were  common  in  Shasta  Valley  and 
ranged  west  into  the  foothills  of  the  Scott  and  Siskiyou  mountains. 

The  following  information  regarding  their  distribution  was  obtained 
by  Walter  K.  Fisher:  In  winter  they  ranged  in  the  country  between  the 
Edgewood  divide  and  the  foothills  of  the  Siskiyou  mountains  north  of 
Hornbrook,  extending  into  the  low  valleys  west  of  Shasta  Eiver.  They 
were  most  plentiful  in  the  region  between  Little  Shasta  and  Gazelle. 
Mr.  Masgrave,  one  of  the  tirst  settlers  in  Little  Shasta  Valley,  is 
authority  for  the  statement  that  formerly  they  frequently  herded  with 
his  cattle.  In  Scarface  Valley,  west  of  Gazelle,  he  once  saw  a  large 
herd  which  contained  not  less  than  two  thousand  animals. 

In  summer  the  antelope  ranged  extensively  through  Goose  Nest 
Mountain  and  wooded  valleys  in  Butte  Creek  region,  as  well  as  in  Shasta 
Valley,  Big  Valley,  Fall  River  Valley,  and  about  Tule  Lake,  Klamath 
Falls,  and  Goose  Lake.  At  present  only  a  small  herd  remains.  They 
stay  in  the  remoter  valleys  east  of  the  mountains  and  rarely  come  to 
Shasta  Valley.  In  the  summer  of  1898  three  were  seen  on  the  road 
between  Little  Shasta  post-office  and  Butte  Creek. 


OCT.,  ]899.] 


MAMMALS.  103 


Ovis  canadensis  Sliaw.     Bighorn;  Moautaiu  Slieep. 

The  bighorn  no  longer  inhabits  Shasta,  but  its  bleaching  bones  still 
remain.  In  early  days,  and  as  late  as  the  seventies,  many  were  killed 
here  by  J.  H.  Sisson,  of  Sisson  Tavern.  Sheep  Rock,  at  the  northeast 
base  of  the  mountain,  was  one  of  their  favorite  and  latest  resorts,  but 
probably  was  not  nsed  during  the  breeding  season.  In  1SG8  George 
B.  Mitchell  saw  a  band  of  twenty  near  the  head  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon. 
In  1883  C.  H.  Townsend  found  numbers  of  their  horns  and  bones  scat- 
tered about  everywhere  on  Sheep  Eock,  and  saw  the  complete  skeleton 
of  a  bighorn  at  the  foot  of  Mud  Creek  glacier,  high  np  on  Shasta.  An 
old  skull  was  found  on  Red  Butte  by  Vernon  Bailey  during  our  stay. 

Canis  lestes  Merriam.     Mountain  Coyote. 

Common  high  up  on  the  mountain,  frequenting  the  pumice  slopes 
above  timberline,  where  their  tracks  were  often  seen.  Coyotes  were 
especially  common  east  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon,  where  R.  T.  Fisher 
saw  two  early  in  August.  As  no  specimens  were  secured,  the  species  is 
uncertain,  but  since  C.  lestes  is  the  animal  inhabiting  the  Sierra  farther 
south  and  (in  a  somewhat  less  typical  form)  the  Klamath  country  farther 
north,  it  is  assumed  to  be  the  mountain  coyote  of  Shasta. 

Canis  ochropus  Esch.     Yalley  Coyote. 

Common  in  Shasta  valley  and  also  at  Sisson.  R.  T.  Fisher  heard  them 
nearly  every  night  during  his  stay  at  Sisson,  from  the  end  of  August 
until  the  middle  of  September;  and  about  the  end  of  September  Ver- 
non Bailey  and  W.  H.  Osgood  heard  them  howl  at  night  in  the  south 
end  of  Shasta  valley.  A  little  farther  north,  in  the  flat  valley  near 
Montague,  I  saw  a  highly  colored  one  at  close  quarters  in  the  day  time 
August  31.  In  July,  1899,  Walter  K.  Fisher  secured  one  in  Shasta 
Valley. 

Vulpes  macrourus  Baird.     Mountain  Red  Fox. 

Common  on  the  upper  slopes  above  timberline,  Avhere  fresh  tracks 
were  seen  nearly  every  day ;  but  the  animals  were  very  wary  and  refused 
to  enter  our  traps. 

Urocyon  californicus  townsendi  subsj).  nov.     Townsend  Gray  Fox. 

Type  from  Baird,  Shasta  County,  Calif.    No.  14130,  U.  S.  Nat.  Museuiu.      Collected 
November  11, 1893,  by  C.  H.  Townsend.     Orig.  No.  49. 

Characters. — Similar  to  IT.  californicus  Mearns,  but  ears  decidedly 
smaller;  fulvous  tints  everywhere  darker  and  richer;  rostrum  broader; 
zygomata  broader  anteriorly;  carnassial  teeth  above  and  below,  larger 
and  thicker.  The  color  of  the  upperparts  and  tail  is  grizzled  gray  and 
black,  as  in  californicus,  but  the  fulvous  of  the  ears,  legs,  and  under- 
parts  is  very  much  darker  and  somewhat  more  extensive.  The  sides  of 
neck  and  posterior  part  of  throat  are  rufous,  in  sharj)  contrast  with  the 
restricted  white  of  the  chin  and  anterior  part  of  throat;  the  ears  are 


104  NORTH  AMEKICAN  FAUNA.  [no.16. 

dark  grizzled  fulvous;  the  white  stripe  on  the  hind  foot  of  cali/or ulcus 
has  disappeared  and  is  represented  by  a  pale  streak. 

Bemarls. — Gray  foxes  are  abundant  in  tlie  Transition  zone  about 
the  base  of  Shasta,  and  although  no  specimens  were  secured  by  our 
party  a  number  were  obtained  by  0.  II.  Townsend  in  1883  along  the 
McCloud  Eiver. 

Felis  oregonensis  Rafinesque.     Oregon  Puma;  Mountain  Lion. 

Rather  rare,  but  formerly  common  on  Shasta.  In  July  Bailey  saw 
fresh  tracks  among  the  Shasta  firs  a  little  below  Red  Butte.  C.  H. 
Townsend  obtained  seven  specimens  in  Shasta  County  in  1883  and 
1884,  several  of  which  were  killed  near  the  fish  hatchery  on  the  McCloud. 
He  states:  "It  is  i)ractica]ly  impossible  to  raise  colts  in  the  Shasta 
County  hills  on  account  of  these  pests.  They  destroy  many  hogs  and 
young  cattle  also,  but  do  not  present  so  serious  an  impediment  to  the 
keeping  of  these  animals  as  in  the  case  of  horses.  Mr.  J.  B.  Campbell, 
who  trapped  two  panthers  for  me  in  1883,  told  me  that  he  had  actually 
never  seen  more  than  two  or  three  of  the  numerous  colts  born  on  his 
stock  range,  as  they  had  been  killed  and  devoured  by  i)anthers  soon 
after  birth." 

Ljmx  fasciatus  pallescens  subsp.  nov.     Wild-cat. 

Ty])e  from  sontli  base  of  Mount  Adams,  near  Trout  Lake,  Washington.  No.  76585,  <? 
ad.j  U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.  Collected  January  10,  1895,  by 
D.  N.  Kaegi.     Orig.  No.  23. 

Characters. — Similar  to  L.  fasciatus,  but  slightly  smaller  and  every- 
where very  much  paler,  ^particularly  the  head  and  face  f  basal  black 
ear  i)atch  (in  winter  pelage)  indistinct  or  absent;  gray  ear  patch  larger; 
general  color  hoary  gray,  contrasted  with  the  dark  rich  rufous  of 
fasciatus.  Skull  like  that  of  fasciatus,  but  slightly  smaller;  carnassial 
teeth  and  second  upper  molar  less  swollen. 

Remarlcs. — Specimens  from  the  region  about  Shasta  (Klamath  country 
on  the  north  and  Pitt  and  McCloud  rivers  on  the  south)  differ  slightly 
from  Trout  Lake  specimens;  they  show  less  tendency  to  spotting  and 
have  slightly  larger  carnassial  teeth  and  audital  bulla'. 

This  wild-cat  is  fairly  common  in  the  chaparral  of  the  basal  slopes 
of  Shasta.  One  was  seen  a  little  below  Wagon  Camp,  and  tracks  were 
several  times  noted  by  Yernon  Bailey  in  the  trail  a  little  above  Wagon 
Camp.  Tracks  were  seen  also  in  Shasta  Valley  by  W.  H.  Osgood.  In 
1883-81  C.  H.  Townsend  trapped  many  wild-cats  along  McCloud  River 
and  the  lower  part  of  Squaw  Creek,  where  they  were  "apparently  as 
numerous  as  [gray]  foxes,  and  as  easily  secured."  Most  of  these  belong 
to  the  present  species,  but  one  belongs  to  the  following: 

Lynx  californicus  (Mcarns).     California  Wild-cat. 

A  specimen  which  I  provisionally  refer  to  this  species  was  obtained 
by  C.  H.  Townsend  at  Baird,  on  McCloud  River,  in  1883.  It  is  a 
much  smaller  animal  than  L.  fasciatus  paUescens  and  has  conspicu- 
ously smaller  teeth. 


OCT.,  1899.1 


MAMMALS. 


105 


Gulo  luscus  (Liim.).     Wolverine. 

We  liave  no  positive  record  of  the  wolverine  from  Shasta,  hut  it  is 
known  to  occur  on  both  the  Cascades  and  tlie  Sierra,  and  one  was  killed 
near  Carberry  Eanch,  between  Mounts  Shasta  and  Lassen,  about  the 
year  1893  (reported  by  C.  P.  Streator). 

Wolverines  are  notorious  wanderers  and  it  is  most  i^robable  that  they 
occur  on  Shasta  at  intervals,  even  if  they  do  not  x>ernianently  live 
there — which  is  by  no  means  certain. 
Taxidea  taxus  (Schreber).     Badger. 

Very  rare  on  Shasta.  In  the  trail  between  Wagon  Camp  and  Squaw 
Creek  Camp  fresh  tracks  were  seen  August  4,  by  Yernon  Bailey,  and 
in  Shasta  Valley,  at  the  north  base  of  the  mountain,  badger  holes  were 
reported  by  W.  H.  Osgood,  who  also  found  a  dead  badger  in  the  road 
a  few  miles  east  of  McCloud  Sawmill. 
Mephitis  occidentalis  Baird.     Large  Skunk. 

Common  in  the  low  country  around  Shasta.  On  'Horse  Trail,'  lead- 
ing up  the  mountain  from  Sisson,  Bailey  saw  their  tracks  as  high  as 
an  altitude  of  6,500  feet.  At  Sisson  they  are  particularly  abundant  in 
the  wet  meadows  and  thickets,  where  in  September  B.  T.  Fisher  caught 
two  along  Cold  Creek.  In  Shasta  Valley  they  are  also  common  and 
several  were  caught  by  W.  K.  Osgood  and  E.  T.  Fisher. 
Spilogale  latifrons  Merriam.     liittle  Spotted  Skunk. 

l^Tot  obtained  by  us,  but  known  to  occur  in  the  general  neighborhood 
of  Shasta,  both  north  and  south  of  the  mountain.  In  March,  1SS4, 
C.  H.  Townsend  caught  one  on  McCloud  Kiver,  about  midway  between 
the  mouth  of  this  stream  and  Mount  Shasta. 


Fig.  34.— Mink.     (Drawn  by  Ernest  S.  Thompson.) 

Lutreola  vison  energumenos  (Bangs).     Pacific  Mink. 

Common  along  the  streams  at  Sisson,  where  R.  T.Fisher  caught  two, 
one  on  Cold  Creek,  the  other  ou  the  upper  Sacramento  River. 
21753— No.  1(5 11 


106 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[no.  16. 


Mustela  caurina  Merriam.     Pacific  ]\raitcii. 

Common  in  parts  of  the  dense  forests  of  Shasta,  i)articnlarly  on  the 
east  side,  where  many  are  caught  every  winter  by  trappers.  We  did 
not  succeed  in  obtaining-  a  specimen,  although  a  line  of  'meat  trails' 
was  kept  out  fully  a  month.  Still,  fresh  tracks  were  seen  iu  the  mud 
along  Sijuaw  Creek  a  short  distance  below  camp  by  Vernon  Bailey. 


Fig.  35. — Marten.    (Drawn  by  Ei uest  b,  iliompson.) 

Mustela  pennanti  Erxleben.     Fisher. 

Said  to  occur  in  the  dense  forest  on  the  east  side  of  Shasta,  whence 
skins  are  brought  to  Sisson  for  sale  nearly  every  winter.  C.  H.  Town- 
send  obtained  two  ou  McCloud  Eiver,  about  halfway  between  the 
mouth  of  the  river  and  JNIount  Shasta,  in  February,  1884. 

Lutra  hudsonica  Lacepede.     Otter. 

Occurs  along  the  upper  Sacramento  and  McCloud  rivers;  not  noted 
by  our  j^arty. 

Putorius  arizonensis  Mearns.     ^Mountain  Weasel. 

Api^arently  not  common.  Early  in  August  three  were  caught  in 
Mud  Creek  Canyon,  near  the  mouth  of  Clear  Creek,  in  traps  set  in 
Aplodoniia  runways.  It  is  quite  possible  that  another  species,  P. 
xantlioijenyx  oyc<jonMs^  inhabits  the  low  country  about  the  base  of  the 
mountain. 

Bassariscus  astutus  raptor  (Baird).     Cacomistle;  liing-tail  Cat. 

Kot  observed  by  us,  but  doubtless  occurs  about  the  basal  slopes  of 
Shasta,  as  it  has  been  captured  both  north  and  south  of  the  mountain. 


OCT.,  1899.1  MAMMALS.  107 

In  February,  1884,  C.  H.  Townsend  caught  oue  on  McCloud  Iliver, 
about  halfway  between  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  Mount  Shasta;  he 
also  mentions  a  Pitt  River  miner  who  had  a  pair  alive ;  and  C.  P.  Streator 
reports  it  from  old  Fort  Crook  and  Carberry  Ranch.  In  September, 
189G,  one  of  our  collectors,  E.  A.  Preble,  caught  one  in  upper  Rogue 
River  Valley,  near  Prospect,  Oregon. 

Procyon  psora  pacifica  subsp.  nov.     Pacific  Raccoon. 

Type  from  Kechelus  Lake,  Cascade  Moiautaiu.s,  Washiuston.     No.  93137,  aiL,  U.  S. 
Nat.  Mus.,  Biological  Survey  Coll.     Collected  Jan.  15, 1898,  by  C.  Hansen. 

Characters. — Coloration  dark;  ground  color  dark  gray  instead  of 
buffy;  tail  rings  continuous  (not  interrui)ted  along  median  line  below); 
last  premolar,  first  molar,  and  audital  bulla*  larger  than  m  psora. 

Color. — Upperparts  dark  gray  everywhere  profusely  mixed  with 
and  obscured  by  black  hairs;  underparts  sootyidumbeous  sparingly 
sprinkled  with  long  buffy  whitish  hairs;  sooty  collar  under  throat  con- 
tinuous and  much  darker  than  in  psora  ;  black  rings  on  tail  continuous ; 
pale  rings,  particularly  the  last  one,  obscured  above  by  black  hairs. 

Measurements. — Type  (from  dry  skin):  Total  length,  940;  tail  verte- 
bra^, 310;  hind  foot,  115. 

Remarls. — This  new  raccoon  is  most  typical  in  the  northwest  coast 
region,  particularly  about  Puget  Sound  and  along  the  basal  slopes  of 
the  northern  Cascades.  Specimens  from  Pitt  River  and  Little  Shasta 
Valley  are  much  nesbrer  2)acijica.  than  2)sora. 

Raccoons  do  not  occur  on  the  higher  slopes  of  Shasta,  but  are  common 
about  its  base.  In  Little  Shasta  Valley  W.  H.  Osgood  and  R.  T.  Fisher 
found  them  particularly  abundant  about  the  middle  of  September,  and 
caught  several  in  traps  set  under  j>rune  trees.  The  animals  were  caus- 
ing much  annoyance  to  the  fruit-raisers  by  nightly  visits  to  the 
orchards. 

Ursus  americanus  Pallas.     Black  Bear. 

Abundant.  When  we  reached  Shasta  the  middle  of  July,  black 
bears  were  exceedingly  common  throughout  the  Shasta  fir  forest.  On 
July  17,  in  going  from  Wagon  Camp  to  timberline,  we  saw  fresh  tracks 
of  a  dozen  along  Panther  Creek,  and  on  the  way  down,  three  hours 
later,  saw  where  four  had  crossed  our  trail  after  we  had  gone  up.  Their 
well-worn  trails  abounded  along  Panther  Creek  and  were  traversed 
daily  until  about  the  end  of  July,  when,  after  our  collectors  had  been 
shooting  for  nearly  two  weeks,  the  bears  became  alarmed  and  moved 
down  into  the  numzanita  chaparral  below  the  Shasta  firs,  Avhere  they 
remained  the  rest  of  the  season. 

Ilrsus  horribilis  Ord.     Grizzly  or  Grisly  Bear. 

Formerly  abundant  in  the  Shasta  region;  now  exceedingly  rare  or 
al)sent.  W.  H.  Osgood  was  told  when  in  Shasta  Valley  that  a  few 
years  ago  a  huge  grizzly  known  as  'Old  Clubfoot,' which  had  been  shot 
at  repeatedly,  was  killed  near  (ioose  Nest  Mountain,  just  north  of 
Shasta. 


BIRDS  OF  SHASTA  AND  VICINITY. 

(All  dates  except  where  the  year  is  stated  are  for  th.e  year  1808.) 

1.  Podilymbus  podiceps.     Pied-billed  (Irebe;  Hell  Diver. 

Several  seen  in  the  pond  at  Big  Spring,  in  Shasta  Valley,  September 
17,  by  W.  H.  Osgood.  C.  H.  Townsend  obtained  it  "  on  ponds  near  the 
base  of  Mount  Shasta  in  summer"  in  1883  or  1884. 

2.  Anas  boschas.     Mallard. 

W.  H.  Osgood  shot  a  mallard  in  Lower  Squaw  Creek,  near  Warm- 
castle  Soda  Springs,  September  13,  and  found  the  species  common  at 
Big  Spring,  in  Shasta  Valley,  September  17.  In  1883  O.  H.  Townsend 
"found  mallards  August  1,  at  the  base  of  Mount  Shasta,  in  certain  wet 
meadows  where,  in  all  probability,  they  had  nests." 

3.  ftuerquedula  cyanoptera.     Cinnamon  Teal. 

The  commonest  duck  on  the  small  ponds  and  streams  in  Shasta  Val- 
ley September  17-20  (Osgood). 

4.  Spatula  clypeata.     Shoveller. 

Several  seen  in  Shasta  Valley  September  17  by  W.  H.  Osgood. 

5.  Dafila  acuta.     Pintail. 

A  flock  of  six  seen  in  Shasta  Valley  September  18  by  W.  H.  Osgood. 

6.  Branta  canadensis.     Canada  Goose. 

Three  seen  at  Big  Spring,  in  Shasta  Valley,  September  18  (Osgood). 

7.  Ardea  herodias.     Great  Blue  Heron. 

Seen  at  Sisson  July  13  by  W.  H.  Osgood,  and  repeatedly  observed 
during  the  first  half  of  September  by  R.  T.  Fisher;  several  seen  in 
Shasta  Valley  September  17-20  by  W.  H.  Osgood;  common  along 
Shasta  River  (W.  K.  Fisher). 

8.  Porzana  Carolina.     Sora  Rail. 

One  seen  in  Shasta  Valley  September  18  by  W.  H.  Osgood. 

9.  Fulica  americana.     Coot;  Mud  Hen. 

One  seen  among  the  numerous  ducks  in  the  pond  at  Big  Spring,  in 
Shasta  Valley,  September  18  (Osgood). 

10.  Gallinago  delicata.     Wilson  Snipe. 

In  Shasta  Valley  one  was  seen  by  W.  H.  Osgood  September  18;  and 
I  saw  one  at  Edgewood  August  2,  1899.  On  a  small  tributary  of 
MeCloud  River,  flowing  from  the  east  base  of  Mount  Shasta,  one  was 
shot  by  C.  H.  Townsend  July  25,  1883. 

109 


110  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

11 .  Ereunetes  occidentalis  ( ?)     Western  Sandpiper. 

A  Hock  of  small  sandpipers  snpi)osed  to  be  this  species  was  seen  by 
W.  H,  Osgood  in  Shasta  A'alley  September  19. 

12.  Totanus  flavipes.     Yellow-legs. 

A  wader  believed  to  be  this  species  was  heard  in  Shasta  Yalley  Sep- 
tember ID  by  E  T.  Fisher. 

13.  Helodromas  solitarius  cinnamomeus.     Western  Solitary  Sandpiper. 
I^ot  observed  by  us,  but  in  1883  a  male  was  seen  at  Sisson  on  August 

3  by  C.  H.  Towusend. 

14.  Actitis  macularia.     Spotted  Sandpiper. 

C.  H.  Towusend  secured  a  spotted  sandpiper  at  Sisson  August  2, 
1883.  Late  in  July,  1899,  Walter  K.  Fisher  found  it  rather  common  on 
Shasta  River. 

15.  JEgialitis  vocifera.     Killdeer. 

Common  at  Sisson,  where  from  July  to  early  September  a  small  flock 
was  always  crying  and  feeding  in  the  meadows  between  the  town  and 
Sisson  Tavern.  Abundant  and  noisy  in  Shasta  Valley  September 
17-20  (W.  H.  Osgood). 

16.  Oreortyx  pictus  plumifems.     Plumed  Mountain  Quail. 

Fairly  common,  but  not  often  seen,  in  the  Shasta  fir  belt  and  the 
manzanita  chaparral  along  its  lower  edge.  Two  or  three  broods  were 
found  near  Wagon  Camp  the  latter  part  of  July,  when  the  young  were 
hardly  a  third  grown.  Several  were  seen  and  killed  high  up  on  Mud 
Creek  Canyon  August  8  by  R.  T.  Fisher  and  W".  H.  Osgood,  who  also 
saw  several  flocks  in  Shasta  Valley  September  17-20.  At  Sisson,  the 
first  half  of  September,  R.  T.  Fisher  found  many  small  flocks  in  the  dry 
woods  and  chai)arral  west  of  the  village. 

17.  Lophortyx  californicus  vallicola.     California  Valley  Quail. 

Not  found  on  the  mountain,  but  common  in  Little  Shasta  A'alley, 
where  W.  H.  Osgood  secured  a  specimen  September  19.  In  August, 
1883,  C.  H.  Towusend  saw  theui  "in  considerable  numbers  at  the  base 
of  Mount  Shasta,"  near  Sisson. 

18.  Dendragapus  obscurus  fuliginosus.     Sooty  Grouse. 

Fairly  common  in  the  Shasta  fir  forest,  and  less  so  at  higher  alti- 
tudes. At  Wagon  Camp,  during  the  last  half  of  July,  we  often  saw  a 
hen  grouse  with  half  a  dozen  young;  and  in  a  rocky  place  among  the 
alpine  hemlocks  near  Stjuaw  Creek,  in  September,  we  several  times 
ran  across  a  small  flock,  all  full  grown,  feeding  among  patches  of  mouu 
tain  chinquapin  and  the  dwarf  mountain  manzanita  {Arctostajyhi/Ios 
nevadensis).  Berries  of  the  latter  formed  the  principal  contents  of  the 
crop  of  one  killed  by  Vernon  Bailey  August  21.  Mixed  with  these 
berries  were  seed  capsules  of  Fentstemon  (/racilenfxs  and  a  few  large 


OCT.,  1899.]  BIRDS.  Ill 

ants.  Usually  tlie  grouse  Avere  found  singly  or  in  bunches  of  two  or 
three  in  the  forest.  When  disturbed  they  generally  flew  up  into  the 
tall  Shasta  firs,  where,  instead  of  remaining  motionless  like  many 
grouse,  they  walked  about  among  the  branches,  stepping  deliberately 
from  limb  to  limb,  but  keeping  on  the  opposite  side  from  the  enemy,  so 
that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  see  them. 

The  old  males  were  sometimes  found  high  up  on  the  lava  ridges 
among  dwarf  i*/w?r9  albie((idi>t^  1,000  feet  or  more  above  the  continuous 
forest.  When  flushed  they  usually  spread  their  wings  and  soared  down 
the  steep  mountain  side  until  lost  from  sight  in  the  forest  below.  The 
'hooting'  or  'booming'  of  the  old  males,  so  often  heard  in  the  northern 
Cascades,  was  not  heard  by  any  of  our  part}^  on  Shasta. 

19.  Zenaidura  macroura.     Mourning  Dove. 

Fairly  common  at  Sisson.  In  Shasta  Valley  W.  H.  Osgood  found 
them  abundant  September  17-20. 

[The  band-tail  pigeon  {Columha  fasciata)  was  not  observed  in  the 
region  by  my  party,  but  in  the  fall  and  winter  of  18S3  C.  H.  Townsend 
found  it  abundant  in  the  foothills  of  the  lower  jNIcCloud  River,  "gather- 
ing in  the  i^ine  trees  on  the  higher  ridges  in  immense  flocks."] 

20.  Cathartes  aura.     Turkey  Vulture. 

One  or  two  seen  at  Wagon  Camp  and  between  Wagon  Camp  and 
Sisson  in  July;  one  seen  by  Walter  K.  Fisher  at  timberline,  east  of 
Mud  Creek  Canyon,  about  the  end  of  July.  At  Sisson  and  in  Shasta 
Valley  they  were  more  common. 

21.  Circus  hudsonius.     Marsh  Hawk. 

Seen  at  Sisson  the  middle  of  July  (F.  A.  M.)  and  end  of  August 
(C.  H.  M.).     Seen  in  Shasta  Valley  September  17-20  (W.  11.  Osgood). 

22.  Accipiter  velox.     Sharp-shinned  Hawk. 

Rather  rare.  One  shot  near  Squaw  Creek  Camp  August  10  l)y  Ver- 
non Bailey;  one  seen  on  Mud  Creek  in  August,  and  several  in  Shasta 
Valley  by  W.  H.  Osgood  September  17-20.  C.  H.  Townsend  shot  one 
at  timberline  on  Shasta  September  7,  1S83. 

23.  Accipiter  cooperi.     Cooper  Hawk. 

Rather  rare.  One  killed  above  timberline  (alt.  9,400  feet)  above  the 
head  of  Squaw  Creek  August  21  by  R.  T.  Fisher,  In  September  1883, 
C.  H.  Townsend  shot  one  near  timberline  on  Shasta. 

24.  Accipiter  atricapillns  striatulus.     Western  Goshawlc, 

One  visited  our  camp  at  Squaw  Creek  August  28.  It  was  shot  at 
but  not  secured.  July  28,  1883,  C.  H.  Townsend  shot  two  young  gos- 
hawks near  timberline  on  Shasta. 


112 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  16. 


25.  Buteo  borealis  calurus.     Western  Eed-tail. 

Rather  common.  Seen  from  time  to  time  at  Wagon  Camp  in  July 
and  early  August,  frequently  at  Squaw  Creek  Camp  in  August  and 
Sei^tember,  and  several  times  above  timberline.  One  was  seen  flying 
over  the  summit  of  Shasta  July  31  by  W.  H.  Osgood  and  R.  T.  Fisher. 
Common  during  fall  migration  in  Shasta  A'alley,  where  Osgood  saw 
many  September  17-20,  and  I  saw  several  September  29 — chiefly  about 
the  narrow  meadows  bordering  Shasta  River.  At  Sisson  Miss  Florence 
A.  Merriam  saw  them  September  3. 


Fig.  36.— Ked-tail  (Buteo  borealis).    Drawn  by  J.  L.  Kidgway. 

26.  Buteo  swainsoni.     Swainson  Hawk. 

Rare.  July  28  I  saw  a  nearly  black  Swainson  hawk  near  an  aban- 
doned sawmill  (alt.  4,800  feet)  on  the  road  from  Wagon  (amp  to 
McOloud  Mill.  In  July,  1899,  Walter  K.  Fisher  saw  one  in  Shasta 
Valley. 

27.  Aquila  chrysaetos.     Golden  Eagle, 

Rather  rare,  but  seen  from  time  to  time  flying  over  the  mountain, 
usually  at  high  altitudes.  C.  H.  Townsend  shot  one  near  Sheep  Rock, 
at  the  nortli  base  of  Shasta,  August  21,  1883. 

28.  Haliaeetus  leucocephalus.     Bald  Eagle. 

In  speaking  of  the  bald  eagle,  C.  H.  Townsend  states  that  when  he 
had  climbed  to  the  extreme  peak  of  Shasta  (alt.  14,140  feet),  on  July  27, 


OCT.,  1>!!)9.] 


BIRDS. 


113 


1883,  ''an  eagle  caiiie  up  thiougli  the  fog-  tliat  had  gathered  imme- 
diately below  us  and  shared  with  ns  our  rooky  pinnacle  above  the 
clouds." 

29.  Falco  mexicanus.     ]*rairie  Falcon. 

Several  seen  and  one  shot  in  the  south  end  of  Shasta  Valley,  at  the 
north  base  of  the  mountain,  September  30,  by  W.  H.  Osgood,  who 
thinks  it  probable  that  they  breed  on  the  cliffs  at  Sheej)  Rock. 

30.  Falco  columbarius  suckleyi.     Black  Merlin. 

At  Wagon  Camp,  August  8,  John  H.  Sage  and  I  saw  a  small  dark 
falcon,  supposed  to  be  Suckley's  merlin,  fly  into  a  Shasta  fir,  but  we 
were  unable  to  shoot  it. 

31.  Falco  sparverius.     Sparrow  Hawk. 

Common  at  timberline  throughout  the  summer.  TTsually  seen  in  the 
heather  patches  and  among  the  white  bark  pines,  where  they  were 


Fig.  37. — Sparrow  Hawk  {Fulro  spari^erius). — Ilrawn  by  .J.  L.  Ridgway. 

feeding  on  grasshoppers.  Several  were  killed  near  timberline,  east  of 
Mud  Creek  Canyon,  the  latter  j^art  of  July  and  early  August,  and  one 
was  recorded  as  high  as  13,000  feet  by  Walter  K.  Fisher.  On  the  west 
side  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon  two  were  killed  August  11  at  an  altitude  of 
10,000  feet  by  Vernon  Bailey.  Their  stomachs  were  distended  Avith 
21753— Ko.  IG 15 


114  NORTH    AMP:RICAN    fauna.  (no.  16. 

grasshoppers.  At  the  north  base  of  the  iiiountaiu  one  was  seen  by  me 
on  the  narrow  meadows  bordering-  Shasta  River  in  Sliasta  Valley  Sep- 
tember 29,  and  several  were  observed  farther  north  in  the  valley  Sep- 
tember 17-20  by  W.  H.  Osgood  and  E.  T.  Fisher,  At  Sisson  they  were 
seen  July  15  by  Miss  Florence  A.  ^lerriam. 

32.  Bubo  virginianus.     Great  Horned  Owl. 

Rare.  Feathers  were  found  at  two  or  three  places  on  the  mountain, 
and  at  Sisson  birds  were  heard  hooting. 

33.  Speotyto  cunicularia  hypogaea.     Burrowing  Owl. 

Not  observed  by  us,  but  reported  by  C.  H.  Townsend  as  common  ''on 
the  sage-covered  districts  north  of  Mount  Shasta,"  about  15  miles  from 
the  mountain. 

34.  Glaucidium  gnoma  californicum.     California  Pigmy  Owl. 

0.  H.  Townsend  obtained  two  specimens  of  the  pigmy  owl  August  7, 
1883,  at  the  big  spring,  a  mile  or  two  north  of  Sisson  Meadows. 

35.  Megascops  asio  bendirei  ( ?).     California  Screech  Owl. 

A  screech  owl  was  heard  at  Wagon  Camp  at  different  times  during 
the  season,  particularly  the  latter  part  of  September,  but  as  no  speci- 
men was  secured  there  is  some  doubt  as  to  the  subspecies. 

36.  Coccyzus  americanus  occidentalis.     California  Cuckoo. 

One  shot  and  others  seen  in  July,  1S99,  by  Walter  K.  Fisher,  among 
the  alders  and  birches  on  Shasta  River  east  of  Edgewood. 

37.  Ceryle  alcyon.     Kingfisher. 

A  common  resident  in  the  neighborhood  of  Sisson,  where  it  was  seen 
repeatedly  along  Cold  Creek,  at  tlie  fish  hatchery,  and  along  the  upper 
Sacramento ;  seen  also  along  Shasta  River  north  of  Sisson. 

38.  Dryobates  villosus  hyloscopus.     Cabanis  Hairy  Woodpecker. 
Rather  rare.     Two  or  three  were  seen  near  Wagon  Camp  in  July; 

two  were  collected  where  the  Hudsonian  and  Canadian  zones  meet, 
near  S<|uaw  Creek  Camp,  in  August  (August  9  and  17);  one  was  seen 
there  Sej)tember  1,  and  two  were  shot  in  the  Transition  zone  in  Sep- 
tember (one  in  Squaw  Creek  Valley  September  13,  the  other  at  Sisson 
September  30).  At  Sisson  R.  T.  Fisher  saw  three  or  four,  during  the 
first  half  of  September,  in  the  big  firs  west  of  Sisson  Tavern. 

39.  Dryobates  pubescens  gairdneri.     Gairduer  Woodpecker. 
Obtained  at  Sisson  by  C.  H.  Townsend  August  3,  1883. 

40.  Xenopicus  albolarvatus.     White-headed  Woodpecker. 

A  common  breeder  in  the  upper  i^art  of  the  pine  belt,  and  also  among 
the  Shasta  and  white  firs  near  Wagon  Camp,  where  several  specimens 
were  collected,  and  where  a  nest-containing  noisy  young  was  found  the 
latter  part  of  July.     The   nest  was  in  a    stub    in  a    burn,  with  the 


OCT.,  issiy. 


BIRDS. 


115 


entrance  about  G  feet  from  the  ground.  At  Sissou  tlie  white-headed 
woodpecker  was  seen,  the  middle  of  July,  by  Miss  Merriani,  and  early 
in  September  by  R.  T.  Fisher.  In  the  pine  woods  bordering  the  south 
end  of  Shasta  Valley  I  saw  half  a  dozen  September  29. 

41.  Picoides  arcticus.     Arctic  Three-toed  Woodpecker. 

Kare,  but  evidently  breeding  in  the  Shasta  fir  forest  of  the  Canadian 
zone,  where  a  male  was  shot  near  Wagon  Camp  by  John  H.  Sage  July 


Fig.  38.— Arctic  Three-toed  AVoodpecker  (Picoiil 


—  I>ru\vii  hy  L.  A.  Fuertes. 


20.  Another  was  shot  by  Vernon  Bailey  July  30  in  the  gap  between 
Red  Cone  and  the  lower  end  of  Gray  Butte,  where  a  third  individual 
was  seen. 

42.  Sphyrapicus  ruber.     Red-breasted  Sapsucker. 

Fairly  common  at  Wagon  Camp,  where  specimens  were  collected  in 
July  by  John  H.  Sage  and  Vernon  Bailey.  One  was  shot  in  Mud 
Creek  Canyon  about  the  end  of  July  by  II.  T.  Fisher,  and  one  was  seen 
at  Sisson  July  15  by  Miss  Merriam.  September  IS,  one  was  seen  in 
the  brush  along  Little  Shasta  Creek  by  W.  H.  Osgood.  In  1883  C.  H. 
Townsend  found  the  si)ecies  "in  midsummer  iu  limited  numbers  on  the 
heavily  pine-timbered  slopes  of  Mounts  Shasta  and  Lassen.'' 


116  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA,  [no.  16. 

43.  Sphyrapicus  thyroideus.    Williamson  Sapsucker. 

A  uiale  was  killed  August  4  by  R.  T.  Fisher  at  tiraberline  on  the 
east  side  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon.  This  was  the  only  specimen  collected, 
though  others  were  seen  near  the  same  place.  August  25,  1883,  C.  H. 
Townsend  secured  one  at  timberline  on  Shasta. 

44.  Ceophloeus  pileatus  abieticola.     Pileated  Woodfiecker. 

Fairly  common  about  Wagon  Camp,  where  their  loud  hammering 
and  unmistakable  cries  were  often  lieard.  Several  times  in  July  one 
visited  a  tree  on  the  edge  of  camj),  and  one  was  heard  there  the  day 
we  left,  September  25.  Sei)teniber  16,  W.  H.  Osgood  and  li.  T.  Fisher 
saw  three  between  Sisson  and  Edgewood. 

45.  Melanerpes  formicivorus  bairdi.     California  Woodpecker. 

Seen  from  time  to  time  among  the  oaks  at  Sisson,  where  one  was  shot 
by  R.  T.  Fisher  early  in  September. 

46.  Melan'^rpes  torquatus.     Lewis  Woodpecker. 

Common  at  Sisson  and  in  Squaw  Creek  Valley  near  McCloud  Mill. 
July  25  Miss  Merriam  saw  one  at  Wagon  Camp;  August  2  W.  H. 
Osgood  killed  one  and  saw  others  high  up  on  Mud  Creek  Canyon; 
August  3  I  saw  a  small  flock  in  the  Shasta  fir  forest  between  Mud  and 
Squaw  creeks;  August  10  Walter  K,  Fisher  shot  one  near  Squaw  Creek; 
and  September  17-20  W.  H.  Osgood  saw  several  in  Shasta  Valley. 

47.  Colaptes  cafer.     Red  shafted  Flicker. 

Fairly  common  on  the  mountain;  seen  or  heard  nearly  every  day, 
during  the  latter  half  of  July  and  early  August,  near  Wagon  Cam[). 
July  28  several  were  seen  on  the  lower  slope  between  Wagon  Camp  and 
McCloud  Mill;  late  in  July  and  early  in  August  several  were  seen  high 
up  on  Squaw  and  Mud  creeks;  August  16  one  was  killed  by  R.  T. 
Fisher  at  S(]uaw  Creek  Camp;  and  during  migration,  the  latter  half  of 
Sei>lember,  a  few  were  seen  nearly  every  day  a  little  below  timberline 
near  Squaw  and  Panther  creeks.  At  the  time  of  our  visits  to  the 
juniper  forest  in  Shasta  Valley,  September  19  and  2i),  flickers  were 
common  and  were  probably  feeding  on  the  Juniper  berries.  At  Sisson, 
Florence  A.  Merriam  found  them  common,  the  middle  of  July,  and 
R.  T.  Fisher,  the  first  half  of  September. 

48.  Phalaenoptilus  nuttalli.     Poor-will. 

The  unmistakable  note  of  the  poor- will  was  heard  in  July  at  Wagon 
Camp,  where  the  species  doubtless  breeds.  One  of  the  birds  was  seen 
on  Lower  Squaw  Creek  near  VVarmcastle  Soda  Springs  August  13  by 
W.  H.  Osgood.  Others  were  heard  near  Edgewood  by  Walter  K. 
Fisher. 

49.  Chordeiles  virginianus.     Nighthawk. 

Often  seen  flying  at  Wagon  Camp,  on  the  lower  edge  of  the  Shasta 
fir  forest,  the  latter  part  of  July.  Several  flocks  were  seen  at  Sisson, 
the  first  half  of  September,  by  R.  T.  Fisher. 


OCT.,  1899.]  BIRDS.  117 

50.  Chaetura  vauxi  (?).     Vaux  Swift. 

A  couple  of  miles  below  Wagon  Camp  a  small  black  swift  was  seen 
by  Vernon  Bailey  about  July  1*4.  At  Sisson  numbers  of  swifts  were 
seen  September  1  and  September  10  by  E.  T.  Fisher,  and  on  Septem- 
ber 3  by  Florence  A.  Merriam,  but  they  flew  too  high  to  be  shot. 

51.  Aeronautes  melanoleucus.     White-throated  Swift. 

Several  were  seen  high  up  on  ^lud  Creek  Canyon  early  in  August 
by  W.  H.  Osgood. 

52.  Calypte  anna.     Anna  Hummingbird. 

Apparently  breeding  at  Wagon  Camp,  where  one  was  shot  Julj^  22 
by  John  H.  Sage.     Breeds  on  the  lower  McCloud  lliver  (Townsend). 

53.  Selasphorus  rufus.     Rufous  Hummingbird. 

The  commonest  hummingbird  of  Shasta,  breeding,  apparently,  from 
the  lower  edge  of  the  Shasta  firs  to  timberliue,  though  it  is  possible 
that  those  seen  at  high  altitudes  had  moved  up  to  feed  from  the  painted 
cups  in  the  heather  meadows  after  the  breeding  season  was  over.  At 
Wagon  Camp,  where  they  were  abundant  in  July  and  early  August, 
they  seemed  to  feed  chiefly  from  the  scarlet  painted  cup  [CasUUeja 
mimata). 

54.  Stellula  calliope.     Calliope  Hummingbird. 

Nearly  as  abundant  as  SehisphovKs  rnfus,  and  the  commoner  of  the 
two  at  high  altitudes.  In  early  August  both  species  were  constantly 
hovering  over  the  superb  flowers  of  the  scarlet  paint  brush  {GastUleJa 
mlnlata)  in  the  heather  meadows  near  timberliue.  They  were  seen  also 
visiting  the  large  yellow  blossoms  of  MimulHs  implexus,  which  singular 
species  forms  mucilaginous  beds  in  the  little  streams  at  and  below  tim- 
berline.  Walter  K.  and  R.  T.  Fisher  found  them  abundant  in  Ash 
Creek  Canyon  about  the  first  of  August,  particularly  among  the  painted 
cups  and  delphiniums. 

[Trochilufi  ale.vandrl  is  recorded  by  C.  H.  Townsend  as  breeding  along 
the  lower  McCloud,  but  was  not  obtained  by  us.  In  this  connection 
it  should  be  remembered  that  we  did  not  collect  hummingbirds  in  the 
low  country,  either  at  Sisson  or  in  Scjuaw  Creek  Valley,  j 

55.  Tyrannus  verticalis.     Arkansas  Kingbird. 

At  Gazelle,  on  the  west  side  of  Shasta  Valley,  Vernon  Bailey  saw 
three  on  telegrai)h  wires  October  31.  C.  H.  Townsend  records  the 
species  as  breeding  on  the  lower  McCloud  River.  In  July,  1899,  Wal- 
ter K.  Fisher  found  this  kingbird  common  in  Shasta  and  Little  Shasta 
valleys. 

50.  Sayornis  saya.     Say  Phoebe. 

One  was  seen  about  an  old  windmill  in  Shasta  Valley  September  19 
by  W.  H.  Osgood. 


118  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [No.ir,. 

57.  Contopus  borealis.     Olive-sided  Flycatcher. 

Coiniuon  at  Wagon  Camp,  where  several  pairs  reared  families  early 
in  the  seasou,  aud  where,  on  July  22,  Miss  Merriam  saw  a  parent  l)ird 
feeding  young  in  the  nest,  whicli  was  in  a  fir  tree  30  to  40  feet  from  the 
ground.  In  July  the  species  was  also  seen  at  Sisson,  and  in  Mud 
Creek  Canyon  near  the  mouth  of  Clear  Creek,  on  the  north  side  of  the 
mountain. 

58.  Contopus  richardsoni.     Western  Wood  Pewee. 

A  fairly  common  breeder  at  Sisson,  where  Florence  A.  Merriam  saw 
old  birds  feeding  young  in  the  nest  (in  a  fir  tree)  July  15. 

59.  Empidonax  difficilis.     Western  Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher. 

On  'July  29  I  shot  one  in  a  thicket  of  cherry  bushes  {CerasKs  emar- 
ginata)  on  the  boundary  between  the  Canadian  and  Transition  zones,  a 
little  west  of  Wagon  Camp,  where  it  was  doubtless  breeding. 

60.  Empidonax  hammondi.     Hammond  Flycatcher. 

A  common  breeder  near  Wagon  Camj),  in  the  lower  edge  of  the 
Shasta  firs,  where  several  were  collected  late  in  July.  Near  Squaw 
Creek  Camp,  at  the  upper  edge  of  the  Shasta  firs,  one  was  shot  August 
21,  and  in  Mud  Creek  Canyon  at  the  mouth  of  Clear  Creek,  one  was 
shot  August  7. 

01.  Empidonax  wrighti.     Wright  Flycatcher. 

One  was  shot  at  AVagon  Camp  July  24  by  John  H.  Sage. 

02.  Otocoris  alpestris  merrilli.     Dusky  Horned  Lark. 

Common  in  places  in  Shasta  Valley,  particularly  about  Montague, 
where  a  number  were  secured  by  Walter  K.  Fisher.  This  is  doubtless 
the  form  reported  by  C.  H.  Townsend,  under  the  name  ruhea,  as 
found  ''in  limited  numbers  on  the  sage-covered  districts  north  of  Mount 
Shasta  in  midsummer."  The  locality  referred  to,  he  tells  me,  is  in 
Shasta  Valley,  about  15  miles  from  the  mountain. 

63.  Pica  pica  hudsonica.     Magpie. 

One  was  seen  tlying  over  the  east  side  of  Shasta  Valley,  near  Sheep 
Rock,  September  29  by  Vernon  Bailey  and  W.  H.  Osgood. 

64.  Cyanocitta  stelleri.     Steller  Jay. 

The  form  of  Steller  jay  of  the  Shasta  region  is  intermediate  between 
true  stelleri  and  the  Sierra  subspecies, //v>/*/rtZ/'A;. 

It  is  one  of  the  commonest,  noisiest,  and  best-known  birds  of  the 
region.  Early  in  the  season  it  was  rarely  seen  above  the  lower  part  of 
the  Canadian  zone,  and  was  most  numerous  in  the  Transition;  but  on 
August  2  one  came  all  the  way  up  to  Squaw  Creek  Camp,  in  the  alpine 
hemlocks,  and  a  few  days  later  a  small  flock  was  encountered,  scream- 
ing, in  Mud  Creek  Canyon  at  the  mouth  of  Clear  Creek.  The  latter 
half  of  September  they  were  common  at  high  altitudes  and  paid  daily 
visits  to  our  camp  on  upper  Squaw  Creek.  At  Sisson,  apparently,  they 
are  always  common. 


OCT.,  ] 899.1  BIRDS.  119 

65.  Aphelocoma  californica.     California  'lay. 

Fairly  commou  at  Sisson,  and  more  abundant  in  the  lower  country 
farther  north.  Seen  by  Vernon  Bailey  near  Ciazelle  August  31,  by 
W.  H.  Osgood  among  the  junipers  in  Shasta  Valley  Sej^tember  17  to 
20,  and  by  me  in  the  undergrowth  along  the  edge  of  the  open  pine 
and  oak  forest  bordering  tlie  south  end  of  Shasta  Valley,  where  it 
was  fairly  common,  September  -J9. 

66.  Perisoreus  obscurus.     Oregon  Jay. 

Unaccountably  rare  on  Shasta  during  our  stay.  On  August  6,  when 
in  a  deiise  part  of  the  forest  east  of  the  lower  end  of  Gray  Butte,  I  saw 
a  flock  of  Steller  jays,  and  with  them  several  birds  I  took  to  be  Oregon 
jays  in  the  dark  plumage  of  the  young.  August  20  Vernon  Bailey  shot 
one  on  Horse  Cami)  Trail  at  an  altitude  of  6,600  feet,  and  two  days  later 
saw  ten  in  the  fir  forest  between  Squaw  Creek  and  Mud  Creek  Canyon. 
September  28,  on  his  way  around  the  mountain,  he  saw  three  above  the 
point  where  the  wagon  road  crosses  Ash  Creek,  at  an  altitude  of  about 
5,000  feet,  by  far  the  lowest  point  at  which  the  species  was  seen.  On 
July  29,  IS99,  Walter  K.  Fisher  saw  about  15  Oregon  jays  on  Horse 
Camp  trail. 

In  188.'>  C.  H.  Townsend  saw  four  small  flocks  (July  30  to  September  7) 
in  the  heavily  timbered  forests  of  Mount  Shasta. 

67.  CorvTis  americanus.     Crow, 

A  few  seen  at  Sisson.  In  July,  1889,  Walter  K.  Fisher  found  them 
common  in  Shasta  Valley. 

68.  Nucifraga  columbiana.     Clark  Crow;  Nutcracker. 

Clark  crows  are  among  the  most  common,  most  characteristic,  and 
most  interesting  birds  of  the  higher  slopes  of  Shasta.  In  summer  they 
are  closely  restricted  to  the  Hudsonian  zone  and  adjacent  rocky  slopes 
immediately  above  timberline,  but  in  fall  they  wander  far  and  wide  in 
search  of  food  and  are  liable  to  be  seen  almost  anywhere.  Two  or 
three,  api^arently  young  of  the  year,  visited  Wagon  Camp,  at  the  lower 
edge  of  the  Shasta  firs,  as  early  as  August  8;  and  in  September  it  was 
not  unusual  to  see  small  flocks  or  single  individuals  iiying  over  the 
chaparral  belt  between  Wagon  Camp  and  Sisson. 

The  usual  food  of  the  Clark  crow — the  large  nut-like  seeds  of  Pin  us 
albicaulis — having  failed  in  1898,  the  birds  were  feeding  mainly  on 
insects.  The  stomachs  of  specimens  killed  at  extreme  timberline  con- 
tained in  some  cases  grasshoppers  only,  in  others  chiefly  beetles  (Cole- 
optera) ;  of  those  killed  lower  down,  in  the  alpine  hemlocks  and  Shasta 
firs,  chiefly  small  hairless  greenish  caterpillars.  They  sometimes  flew 
uj)  to  masses  of  yellow  lichen,  where  they  seemed  to  be  picking  out 
something  to  eat.  On  upper  Squaw  Creek,  August  30,  two  were  seen 
eating  blueberries  (F.  A.  M.).  During  hot  afternoons  the  latter  part 
of  July  they  were  often  seen  soaring  and  performing  aerial  antics  above 
the  forest,  and  also  chasing  insects  in  the  air,  launching  out  from  the 
tree  tojis  after  them  like  flycatchers.     As  a  rule,  they  are  silent  when 


120 


NOKTH    AMERICAX    FAUNA. 


[no.  16. 


feeding  and  noisy  when  flying  about  the  wliite  bark  pines.  When  on 
the  ground  they  are  very  deliberate,  and  their  broad  heads  and  general 
form  suggest  gulls,  particularly  when  the  birds  are  moving  away  from 
the  observer. 

AVhen  searching  for  insects  in  the  young  hemlocks  they  souietimes 
began  at  the  bottom  and  worked  up,  sometimes  at  the  top  and  worked 
down.  One  day  in  early  August  a  young-of-the-year,  showing  the  true 
nutcracker  spots  on  the  breast,  spent  some  time  in  camp,  feeding  in  a 
small  tree  in  our  midst  without  showing  the  least  annoyance  at  our 
presence.  He  began  at  the  top  aiul  worked  slowly  downward,  drop- 
ping from  branch  to  branch  and  ])eering  searchingly  over  the  foliage 
and  into  the  tufts  of  hemlock  needles,  often  lianging  almost  bottom 


Fig.  39. — Clark  Crow  (Xi(ci/ra[ia  cohiwbmna).     Drawn  by  L.  A.  Fueites. 

side  up  to  pick  off  the  small  green  caterpillars  which  infested  both  the 
hemlocks  and  the  Shasta  firs.  We  could  plainly  see  him  grasp  the  lit- 
tle caterpillars  crosswise  and  give  a  big  gulp  in  swallowing  them,  as  if 
bolting  something  several  times  as  large.  He  went  over  a  branch  at  a 
time,  examining  the  whole  of  it  carefully  before  moving  to  the  one 
below,  and  sometimes  went  out  so  far  toward  the  tip  that  the  slender 
branch  bent  down  with  his  weight.  Another  bird  reversed  this  order 
of  procedure,  and  after  finally  reaching  the  toji  of  the  tree  gave  a 
jump,  aided  by  a  slight  flap  of  the  wings,  and  perched  on  the  very  top- 
most sprig,  when,  gaining  his  balance,  he  opened  his  bill  and  uttered 
a  little  cry  of  exultation. 

Clark  crows  were  almost  daily  visitors  to  our  camp  among  the  alpine 
hemlocks  on  upper  Squaw  Creek  until  near  the  end  of  August,  when 


OCT.,  1899.1 


BIRDS. 


121 


.  4U. — Clark  Urow  (Nucifraya  columbiana) 
(Photograpbed  by  Walter  K.  Fisher.) 


they  moved  up  to  tiraberline  to  feed  on  the  large  wingless  grasshoppers 
then  abundant  along  the  upper  edge  of  the  tongues  of  dwarf  white- 
bark  pines  and  on  the  lava-strewn  pumice  slopes  at  still  higher  eleva- 
tions. Some  were  seen  along  the  edge  of  the  snow  at  an  altitude  of 
11,000  feet,  where  dragon-flies,  grasshoppers,  and  other  insects  were 
common. 

Clark  crow  is  a  little  larger  than  a  blue  jay,  and  his  colors  are  put 
on  in  blocks.  The  body  is  gray;  the  wings  and  tail  are  black  and  wliite, 
in  conspicuous  contrast.  Still,  singular  as  it  may  seem,  this  colora- 
tion is  both  directive  and  protective. 
When  in  motion  the  bird  is  most  con 
spicuous,  the  black  and  wliite  i)atches 
flashing  with  great  effect;  but  when 
quietly  feeding  on  the  ground  among 
the  gray  lava  rocks  of  the  higher 
slopes  it  is  not  easily  seen,  the  gray 
of  the  body  resembling  the  gray 
rocks,  the  black  markings  the  dark 
shadows.  The  coloration,  however, 
is  doubtless  most  protective  at  night 
when  the  bird  is  at  roost  in  the  trees 
and  exposed  to  its  worst  enemies, 
presumably  owls  and  martens.  Con- 
trasts of  gray  or  white  with  black  are  among  the  most  effective  of 
disappearing  colors  at  night — the  black  resembling  patches  of  night 
shadow,  the  gray  the  interspaces. 

The  true  home  of  the  Clark  crow  is  among  the  white-bark  i)ines  of 
the  rocky  wind-swept  ridges  not  far  from  the  region  of  perpetual  snow. 
Here,  from  the  thaws  of  early  spring  till  the  storms  of  approaching 
winter,  not  a  day  passes  without  his  presence.  He  is  a  bold,  powerful 
bird,  a  lit  tenant  for  such  a  home,  where  his  loud  cry  wakes  the  echoes 
of  glacier  cliffs  a  thousand  times  oftener  than  it  reaches  a  human  ear. 

69.  Cyanocephalus  cyanocephalus.     Piiion  Jay. 

Not  an  inhabitant  of  Shasta,  but  occurs  in  migration  about  its  base, 
and  may  breed  in  the  junipers  in  Shasta  Valley. 

September  28,  Vernon  Bailey  saw  six  in  the  chaparral  and  yellow 
pines  at  an  altitude  of  J,000  feet  on  the  wagon  road  between  Elk  Creek 
and  Ash  Creek,  and  the  next  day  found  a  few  near  Sheei)  Kock.  At 
Fort  Crook,  a  little  southeast  of  Shasta,  a  number  were  collected  some 
years  ago  by  Captain  Feiluer. 

70.  Xanthocephalus  xanthocephalus.     Yellow-headed  Blackbird. 

Not  observed  by  us,  but  in  1883  C.  H.  Townsend  often  saw  it  "among 
the  flocks  of  Brewer  blackbirds  that  fre(j[ueiited  the  timothy  meadows 
of  Berryvale,  at  the  western  base  of  Mount  Shasta,  3,500  feet  altitude." 
Berryvale  is  the  old  name  for  the  meadows  near  Sisson  Tavern. 
21753— No.  IG ]  G 


122 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  16. 


71.  Agelaius  phoeniceus.     lied-winged  Blackbird. 

Common  in  Shasta  Valley  September  17  to  20  (Osgood).  C.  H.  Town- 
send  gives  it  as  "an  abundant  summer  resident  of  the  cultivated  coun- 
try north  of  Mount  Shasta." 

72.  Sturnella  magna  neglecta.     Western  Meadowlark. 

Common  in  the  meadowland  at  Sisson  and  Edgewood,  and  in  the 
narrow  meadows  bordering  Shasta  IJiver,  in  Shasta  Valley.  At  Wagon 
Camp  I  saw  one  in  a  grassy  opening  August  13,  and  a  few  days  earlier 
Walter  K.  Fisher  saw  one  in  a  similar  place  a  little  higher  on  the 
mountain.  In  the  Sisson  Meadows  ('Strawberry  Valley'),  during  the 
first  half  of  September,  It.  T.  Fisher  found  meadowlarks  "gathered  in 
flocks  of  as  many  as  a  hundred  birds." 

73.  Icterus  bullocki.     Bullock  Oriole. 

Common  along  streams  in  Shasta  and  Little  Shasta  valleys  (W.  K. 
Fisher).  Vernon  Bailey  tells  me  that  at  Ager,  in  the  north  end  of 
Shasta  Valley,  some  silver  j)oplars  in  a  door  yard  are  literally  full  of 
nests  of  this  oriole,  and  that  when  he  examined  them  June  20, 1899,  the 
new  nests  contained  young  orioles  and  the  old  nests  young  house 
finches  {Carpodacus  m.  ob.scurus). 

74.  Scolecophagus  cyanocephalus.     Brewer  Blackbird. 

Fairly  common  at  Sisson  and  in  Shasta  Valley,  but  not  observed  on 
the  mountain  except  in  one  instance,  when  several  were  seen  at  extreme 

timberline  on  the  east  side  of 
Mud  Creek  Canyon  August 
24  by  Vernon  Bailey  and 
Florence  A.  Merriam. 
75.  Coccothraustes  vespertinus 
montanus.  Western 

Evening  Grosbeak. 
One  of  the  commonest  and 
most  characteristic  birds  of 
the  Shasta  fir  belt  (Canadian 
zone),  and  much  less  common 
in  the  alpine  hemlocks  (Hud- 
sonian  zone).  At  Wagon 
Camp,  near  the  lower  border 
of  the  Canadian  zone,  small 
flocks  were  seen  or  heard 
daily  whenever  the  camp  was 
occupied,  from  the  time  of  our 
arrival,  the  middle  of  July, 
until  our  departure,  Septem- 
ber 25.  At  Squaw  Creek 
Camp,iutheHudsonian  zone, 
they  were  much  less  common,  but  still  by  no  means  rare,  and  during 
early  August  their  distinctive  call,  a  short  whistle,  was  heard  every  day. 


Fig.    41. —  Western    Eveuinj:    Grosbeak     {Cuccotlnaustes 
vespertinus  montanus.)    Drawn  by  L.  A.  Fuertes. 


OCT.,  1899.1  BIRDS.  123 

In  September  they  were  rarely  observed  on  upper  Squaw  Creek,  but 
September  18  a  flock  was  seen  near  the  head  of  Panther  Creek.  They 
were  common  in  INIud  Creek  Canyon  about  the  end  of  July  and  begin- 
ning of  August.  On  September  29  I  visited  the  juniper  forest  in  Shasta 
Valley,  and  was  surprised  to  find  there  dozens  of  evening  grosbeaks, 
and  still  larger  numbers  of  Townsend  solitaires,  feeding  on  the  fat  berries 
of  the  junipers  {Juniperus  oecidentaJis).  At  Sisson  in  September  R.  T, 
Fisher  found  flocks  flying  restlessly  over  the  valley. 

When  in  the  molt  the  extraordinary  color  combinations  of  the  males 
surpass  even  those  of  the  crossbills. 

76.  Carpodaciis  cassini.     Cassin  Purple  Finch. 

A  common  summer  resident  in  the  Canadian  and  lludsouian  zones. 
Specimens  were  collected  in  July  and  August  at  various  points  from 
Wagon  Camp,  in  the  lower  edge  of  the  Shasta  flrs,  to  timberline,  at 
the  upper  limit  o{  Pinits  alhicauUs;  and  during  our  circuit  of  the  moun- 
tain near  timberline  July  22  to  25  the  species  was  heard  or  seen  every 
day.  At  our  camp  in  the  alpine  hendocks  on  upper  Squaw  Creek,  it 
was  common  and  tame,  and  in  early  August  usually  began  singing 
about  daylight.  On  August  5  I  saw  one  singing  in  a  small  white-bark 
pine  on  a  ridge  east  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon  at  an  altitude  of  8,800  feet, 
far  above  continuous  timberline.  A  flock,  probably  migrating,  was  ob- 
served at  the  head  of  Panther  Creek  September  18. 

77.  Carpodacus  mexicanus  obscurus  (McCall).     House  Finch. 
[=  Carpodacus  m.  frontalis  Auct].' 

Common  at  Sissou  and  in  Shasta  Valley,  but  not  seen  on  the  moun- 
tain, where  it  is  replaced  by  the  preceding  species.  At  Ager  Vernon 
Bailey  found  it  breeding  abundantly  in  old  nests  of  Bullock  orioles. 

78.  Loxia  curvirostra  bendirei  Eidgway.     Sierra  Eed  Crossbill. 

Red  crossbills  are  common  on  Shasta.  Small  flocks  were  heard 
nearly  every  day  throughout  the  season  and  were  fre(|uently  seen  to 
light  in  the  tops  of  the  high  flrs,  both  at  Wagon  Camp  and  Squaw 
Creek  Camp,  but  they  never  came  into  camp  to  feed,  and  were  rarely 
seen  near  by.  One  was  killed  at  Sisson  September  12  by  R.  T.  Fisher, 
who  found  the  species  common  there  at  that  time,  feeding  in  the  tall 
pines  and  also  on  tlie  garden  sunflowers.  Several  killed  by  us  near 
timberline  lodged  in  the  dense  foliage  of  the  alpine  hendocks.  C.  H. 
Townsend  obtained  three  specimens  on  Shasta.  The  crossbill  of  Shasta 
is  intermediate  between  the  northern  subspecies  minor  and  the  southern 
subspecies  stricldandi.  It  is  the  same  as  the  Fort  Klamath  form  named 
by  Ridgway  as  subsi)ecies  bendirei;  and  specimens  collected  near 
Mount  Whitney  in  the  southern  High  Sierra  by  the  Death  Valley 
expedition,  though  jjublished  as  Strickland i,'^  are  practically  indistin- 

I  For  change  of  name  see  Obeiholser,  Auk,  XVI,  p.  186,  April,  18i>9. 
-North  Am.  Fauna,  No.  7,  p.  81,  1893. 


124  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

guisliable.  It  is  customary  amoug"  ornithologists  to  name  recognizable 
intergrad.es  wliicli  have  definite  and  clearly  defined  breeding  ranges. 
On  this  basis  bendirei  seems  entitled  to  stand,  since  it  occupies  the 
isolated  crest  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  of  California  from  the  southern  end 
north  to  Shasta,  and  pushes  on  a  short  distance  into  southern  Oregon 
(to  Fort  Klamath,  its  type  locality).  At  Diamond  Lake,  in  the  south- 
ern Cascades,  only  a  few  miles  north  of  Fort  Klamath,  subspecies  minor 
occurs.  The  Diamond  Lake  specimen '  was  shot  by  my  assistant,  E. 
A.  Preble,  August  13,  1806,  and  is  an  adult  male.  Owing  to  the  late 
date  and  to  the  well-known  erratic  habits  of  crossbills,  this  bird  may 
have  been  a  wanderer  from  farther  north.  Hence  the  actual  northern 
breeding  limit  of  bendirei  and  the  southern  breeding  limit  of  minor 
remain  to  be  established. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  two  of  the  specimens  obtained  by  C.  H. 
Townsend  on  Lassen,  between  Shasta  and  the  High  Sierra,  are  as  large 
and  have  as  large  bills  as  stricldandi.  They  were  killed  in  summer  and 
may  have  been  stragglers  from  some  of  the  mountains  to  the  southeast. 

79.  Leucosticte  tephrocotis  (?).     Gray-crowned  Leucosticte. 

At  an  altitude  of  10,000  to  11,000  feet,  on  the  south  side  of  Shasta 
Peak,  ^'ernon  Bailey  saw  half  a  dozen  leucostictes  August  17,  and 
again  the  next  day.  They  were  feeding  among  the  rocks  and  on  the 
glacier  which  occupies  the  deep  cross  gulch  just  below  Konwokitan 
glacier.  He  tells  me  they  ilew  down  into  the  crevasses  just  as  we  had 
seen  them  do  on  Mount  Kainier  the  previous  year.  Since  none  were 
collected  there  may  be  some  doubt  as  to  the  species.  The  Sierra  bird 
is  ieplirocotis ;  the  Eainier  form  Hitorulis. 

80.  Astragalinus  tristis  salicamans.     Willow  Goldfinch. 

Xo  specimens  obtained,  but  I  am  sure  I  saw  the  species  at  Sisson  in 
July  and  August  with  .1 .  pHultria.  Walter  K.  Fisher  reports  it  as  com- 
mon in  Little  Shasta  Valley. 

81.  Astragalinus  psaltria.     Arkansas  Goldfinch. 

Common  at  Sisson  and  in  Shasta  Valley;  breeds  at  Sisson. 

82.  Spinus  pinus.     Pine  Siskin. 

Fairly  common  throughout  the  Shasta  fir  forest,  and  rargiug  thence 
upward  into  the  alpine  hemlocks  and  white-bark  pines.  Seen  or  heard 
at  frequent  intervals  from  the  time  of  our  arrival,  the  middle  of  July, 
until  late  in  September. 

83.  Ammodramus  sandwichensis  alaudinus.    Western  Savanna  Sparrow. 
In  Shasta  Valley  W.  H.  Osgood  found  this  species  common  Septem- 
ber 17  to  20,  and  just  below  timberline  on  Panther  Creek  I  saw  several 
September  18. 

'This  specimen,  an  adult  male,  agrees  with  specimens  of  minor  from  Wraugel, 
Alaska,  and  Neali  Bay  and  Lapush,  Wasliiugton. 


OCT.,  1899.] 


BIRDS. 


125 


84.  Chondestes  grammacus  strigatus.     Western  Lark  Sparrow. 

Not  obvserved  ou  the  mountain,  but  seen  at  Edge  wood  August  31, 
and  in  the  bushes  borilering  the  narrow  meadows  on  Shasta  Kiver,  in 
the  southwestern  part  of  Shasta  Valley,  September  29.  Ten  days  ear- 
lier W.  H.  Osgood  reported  them  as  common  a  little  farther  north  in 
Shasta  Valley.  At  Sisson  B,.  T.  Fisher  saw  two  flocks  the  first  half  of 
September.  In  August,  1883,  C.  H.  Townseud  found  the  species  abun- 
dant "on  the  high-lying  plains  northward  of  Mount  Shasta."  In  July, 
1899,  Walter  K.  Fisher  reported  it  as  the  commonest  bird  in  Shasta 
Valley. 

85.  Zonotrichia  leucophrys.     White-crowned  Sparrow. 

Probably  breeds  near  timberline  in  the  Hudsonian  zone,  where,  near 
the  head  of  Mud  Creek,  one 
was  shot  August  4  by  W.  H. 
Osgood.  About  the  middle  of 
September  numbers  were  seen 
just  below  timberline  ou  Pan- 
ther C  r  e  e  k — doubtless  mi- 
grants— and  a  little  later  they 
were  common  in  the  bushes 
from  Wagon  Camp  to  Sisson 
and  along  Shasta  River  in 
Shasta  Valley. 

86.  Spizella  socialis  arizonse. 
Western  Chipping  Spar- 
row. 

As  tlie  chipping  sparrow  is 
not  an  inhabitant  of  dense  I'or- 
ests  it  was  not  seen  in  the 
Shasta  fir  belt;  but  in  the  open- 
ings along  the  lower  edge  of 
this  belt  it  breeds,  and  was 
feediugyoungat  Wagon  Camp 
in  July.  After  the  breeding  season  it  was  seen  from  time  to  time  near 
timberline.     It  is  a  common  breeder  at  Sisson  and  in  Shasta  Valley. 

87.  Junco  hyemalis  thurberi.     Sierra  Junco. 

Common  from  timberline  down  to  the  lower  edge  of  the  Shasta  firs. 
The  commonest  'ground  bird'  of  the  forest.  Several  nests  with  eggs  or 
young  were  found  near  Wagon  Camp  the  latter  part  of  July. 

88.  Melospiza  melodia  montana.     Mountain  Song  Sparrow. 

Song  sparrows  supposed  to  be  this  subspecies  were  found  breeding 
at  Wagon  Camp  and  Sisson  the  middle  of  July.  Others  were  seen  in 
the  tules  at  Big  Spring,  in  Shasta  Valley,  September  17  to  20  by  W.  H. 
Osgood.  One  was  secured  at  Edgewood  July  19,  1899,  by  Walter  K. 
Fisher,  who  states  that  it  was  the  only  one  seen  during  his  stay. 


-White-crowned    Sparrow    (Zonotrichia 
phrys).     Drawn  by  L.  A.  Fuertes. 


126  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [no.16. 

89.  Melospiza  lincolni.     Lincoln  Sparrow. 

Breeds  alonji'  the  edfje  of  the  forest  at  Wagou  Camp,  where  I  shot 
cue  at  the  spring  July  1^*0.  Another  was  obtained  by  11.  T.  Fisher  on 
Squaw  Creek  (alt.  about  0,700  feet)  August  17.  Others  were  seen 
among  the  alders  in  Mud  and  Ash  Creek  canyons  about  the  end  of  July 
by  Walter  K.  Fisher.  At  Sisson,  the  first  half  of  September,  II.  T. 
Fisher  found  the  species  fairly  common,  and  shot  one  among  the  alders 
bordering  Cold  Creek.  W.  H.  Osgood  reported  it  as  common  in  Shasta 
Valley  September  17  to  20. 

90.  Passerella  iliaca  unalaschcensis.     Townsend  Sparrow, 

Common  during  nugration  (September)  throughout  the  chaparral  of 
the  lower  slopes  from  Sisson  up  to  Wagon  Camp.  At  Wagon  Camp 
one  was  shot  by  W.  H.  Osgood  September  22.  Common  also  late  in 
September  in  bushes  in  the  more  open  parts  of  the  forest  along  the  east 
base  of  Scott  Mountains  from  Sisson  north  to  Edgewood,  and  in  the 
bushes  bordering  Shasta  Eiver  in  the  southern  part  of  Shasta  Valley. 

Passerellas  supposed  to  be  this  species  were  seen  repeatedly  at 
Sisson,  the  tirst  half  of  September,  by  R.  T.  Fisher. 

91.  Passerella  iliaca  megarhyncha.     Thick-billed  Sparrow. 

Breeds  near  Wagon  Camp,  apparently  in  the  chaparral,  where  Jolin 
H.  Sage  shot  one  July  20  and  another  July  22.  At  Sisson  W,  II. 
Osgood  and  Miss  Merriam  saw  this  species  July  13  and  15.  In  the 
summer  of  1883  C.  H.  Townsend  found  it  a  common  breeder  in  the 
chaparral  tracts  of  Shasta. 

92.  Pipilo  maculatus  megalonyx.     Spurred  Towhee. 

Common  in  the  undergrowth  along  the  edges  of  openings  in  the  i)on- 
derosa  pine  forest  from  Sisson  to  Shasta  Valley.  One  was  shot  at 
Upton  September  15  by  R.  T,  Fisher.  C.  H.  Townsend  found  it  breed- 
ing commonly  on  the  lower  slopes  of  Shasta  in  1883. 

93.  Pipilo  fuscus  crissalis.     California  Towhee. 

Several  seen  in  the  chaparral  near  Gazelle  August  31  by  Vernon 
Bailey,  and  near  Edgewood  by  Walter  K.  Fisher. 

94.  Oreospiza  chlorura.     Green-tailed  Towhee. 

Apparently  a  fairly  common  breeder  on  the  lower  slopes  of  Shasta, 
where  in  the  chaparral  near  Wagon  Camp  several  were  seen  and  one 
was  killed  the  latter  part  of  July  and  early  in  August,  and  one  was 
found  feeding  full-grown  young  July  28.  At  Sisson  Miss  Merriam 
found  them  the  middle  of  July.  The  last  one  noted  by  me  was  seen 
in  the  manzanita  at  an  altitude  of  4,900  feet,  on  the  road  from  Wagon 
Camp  to  Sisson,  August  20. 

95.  Zamelodia  melanocephala.     Black-headed  Grosbeak. 

Seen  at  Sisson  by  W.  H.  Osgood  July  13.  At  the  McCloud  River 
fish  hatchery  C.  H.  Townsend  found  it  a  common  breeder  in  1S83. 


OCT.,  1899.]  BIRDS.  127 

IKi.  Cyanospiza   amoena.     Lazuli  Buuting-. 

Common  at  Sissoii  (where  it  was  seen  feeding  young  July  15  by 
Miss  Merriam),  and  ranging  thence  up  through  the  chaparral  of  the 
Transition  zone  all  the  way  to  Wagon  Camp^  where  a  nest  was  found 
and  the  parent  secured  July  17  by  W.  H.  Osgood,  who  obtained 
another  in  Mud  Creek  Canyon  August  3. 

97.  Piranga  ludoviciana.     Mountain  Tanager. 

One  of  the  commonest,  as  well  as  handsomest,  birds  of  the  Shasta 
lir  forest.  At  Wagon  Camp,  at  the  lower  edge  of  the  Canadian  zone, 
these  tanagers  were  seen  every  day  from  the  middle  of  July  until 
August  10,  when  that  camp  was  temporarily  abandoned.  They  were 
very  tame,  and  spent  much  time  in  camp,  drinking  from  our  little  spring 
and  peering  at  us  from  the  lower  branches  of  the  firs.  On  July  21  I 
saw  several  picking  caterpillars  from  the  leaves  of  tlie  buck  brush 
{Ceanothus  velHiinuH)  in  an  opening  in  the  firs.  Walter  K.  Fisher 
states  that  one;  sang  continuously  at  his  camp  in  Mud  Creek  Canyon 
at  the  mouth  of  Clear  Creek  about  the  end  of  July.  At  Sisson  this 
tanager  was  seen  July  15  by  Miss  Merriam. 

98.  Progne  subis  hesperia.     Western  Martin. 

Not  observed  by  us,  but  recorded  by  C.  H.  Townsend,  who,  in  1883, 
noticed  a  few  "about  some  buildings  at  the  west  base  of  Mount  Shasta 
in  midsummer."  One  seen  about  G  miles  northwest  of  Edgewood  by 
Walter  K.  Fisher. 

99.  Petrochelidon  lunifrons.     Clifif  Swallow. 

Common  at  Sisson,  where  it  was  noted  by  Miss  Merriam  the  middle 
of  July,  and  by  E.  T.  Fisher  the  first  half  of  September.  Abundant  in 
Shasta  Valley  (W.  K.  Fisher). 

100.  Hirundo  erythrogastra.     Barn  Swallow. 

Common  at  Sisson,  and  seen  in  Shasta  Valley  September  17  to  20  by 
W.  H.  Osgood.     Common  in  Shasta  A' alley  in  July  (W.  K.  Fisher). 

101.  Tachycineta  thalassina.     Violet-green  Swallow. 

Common  at  Sisson,  and  seen  once  or  twice  tlying  over  the  chaparral, 
nearly  up  to  Wagon  Camp. 

102.  Tachycineta  bicolor.     Tree  Swallow:  White-bellied  Swallow. 
Swallows  believed  to  be  this  species  were  seen  several  times  between 

Wagon  Camp  and  Sisson,  and  C.  H.  Townsend  records  them  as  abun- 
dant breeders  on  the  lower  McCloud. 

103.  Stelgidopteryx  serripennis.     Rough-winged  Swallow. 

Walter  K.  Fisher  saw  some  swallows  at  Edgewood  in  July,  1899, 
which  he  believed  to  be  this  species. 


128  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

104.  Lanius  ludovicianus  excubitorides.     White-riiniped  Shrike. 

One  seeu  at  Gazelle,  on  the  west  side  of  Shasta  Valley,  August  31, 
by  Vernon  Bailey,  and  one  in  Shasta  Valley  September  18  by  W.  H. 
Osgood.     Rather  common  in  Shasta  Valley  in  July,  181)9  (W.  K.  Fisher). 

105.  Vireo  solitarius  cassini.     Cassin  Vireo. 

Fairly  common  along  the  lower  border  of  the  Shasta  fir  forest  at 
Wagon  Camp,  where  two  or  three  were  obtained  the  latter  part  of  July, 
and  where  a  nest  containing  one  egg  and  one  young  was  found  by  John 
H.  Sage  July  M.  The  nest  was  in  a  clump  of  buck-brush  [Ceanothiis 
velut'inus)  ouly  3  feet  above  the  ground,  in  open  chaparral,  near  the  edge 
of  the  Shasta  fir  woods. 

106.  Vireo  gilvus  swainsoni.     Western  Warbling  Vireo. 

Recorded  by  C.  H.  Townsend  as  "found  at  rare  intervals  in  midsum- 
mer about  the  base  of  Shasta."  A  vireo  heard  by  us  several  times  at 
Sisson  was  probably  this  species.  Walter  K.  Fisher  found  it  at  Edge- 
wood,  among  the  bushes  along  Shasta  River,  where  he  secured  a 
sijecimen  July  19,  1899. 

107.  HelminthopMla  rubricapilla  gutturalis.     Calaveras  Warbler. 

Common  in  the  chaparral  at  Wagon  Camp,  where  several  specimens 
were  collected  the  last  half  of  July.  Later  the  species  was  seen  with 
other  warblers  in  the  trees  higher  \\\)  on  the  mountain. 

108.  Helminthophila  celata  lutescens,     Lutescent  Warbler. 

Fairly  common  and  apparently  breeding  at  Wagon  Camp,  in  the 
lower  edge  of  the  Shasta  firs,  where  two  were  collected  July  20.  One 
was  shot  in  the  alpine  hemlocks  on  Squaw  Creek  August  6  by  Vernon 
Bailey. 

109.  Dendroica  sestiva.     Yellow  Warbler. 

Seen  at  Sisson,  the  middle  of  July,  by  Miss  Merriam.  The  only  one 
seen  on  the  mountain  was  shot  in  the  chaparral  near  the  edge  of  the  fir 
forest  at  Wagon  Camp  July  29  by  John  H.  Sage.  Common  in  bushes 
along  Shasta  River  in  Shasta  Valley  (W.  K.  Fisher). 

110.  Dendroica  auduboni.     Audubon  Warbler. 

Abundant  throughout  the  forest  region  of  Shasta,  from  timberline 
down  to  the  lower  edge  of  the  Canadian  zone.  At  Wagon  Camp  Miss 
INIerriam  saw  them  feeding  fullgrown  young  July  18  and  August  1.  In 
August  and  September  they  were  seen  daily  at  our  camp  in  the  alpine 
hemlocks,  often  in  mixed  flocks  of  chickadees  and  other  birds.  When 
we  left  Wagon  Camp,  September  25,  they  were  still  common  there. 


BIRDS. 


129 


August  9  and  10,  spotted  young  were  collected,  one  with  the  brown 
sides  coming  in  and  one  with  the  yellow  just  beginning  to  show.    At 


Fig.  43.— Audubon  Warbler  (Dendi-oica  aiiduboni).     Drawn  by  L.  A.  Fuertes. 

Sisson,  Miss  Merriam  saw  them  the  middle  of  July,  and  R.  T.  Fisher 
found  them  common  the  first  half  of  September. 

111.  Dendroica  occidentalis.     Hermit  Warbler. 

FBjirly  common  in  the  Hudsonian  and  upper  part  of  the  Canadian 
forest  during  August  (collected  at  Sfiuaw  Creek  Camp  at  intervals  from 
August  3  to  August  28)5  i^ot  seen  in  July. 

112.  Geothlypis  tolmiei.     Macgillivray  Warbler. 

Seen  at  Sisson  and  Wagon  Camp  about  the  middle  of  July,  and  again 
at  the  latter  locality  August  1  and  August  3.  One  was  shot  in  Mud 
Creek  Canyon  at  an  altitude  of  G,7(>0  feet  by  W.  H.  Osgood  August  7. 
In  July  and  August,  1883,  C.  H.  Townsend  found  it  not  uncommon  on 
the  mountain. 

113.  Geothlypis  trichas  occidentalis.     Western  Yellow-throat. 

At  Big  Spriug,  in  Shasta  Valley,  W.  H.  Osgood  found  this  warbler 
common  in  the  tules  September  17  to  20;  and  August  G,  1883,  C.  H. 
Townsend  secured  an  immature  specimen  at  the  base  of  Mount  Shasta. 
21753— No.  10 17 


130  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

114.  Icteria  virens  longicauda.     Long-tailed  Chat. 

Fairly  comnion  at  Sisson,  and  common  in  the  lower  country  farther 
north — at  Gazelle  and  on  toward  Yreka.  Common  along  Shasta  River 
in  Shasta  Valley  (W.  K.  Fisher). 

115.  Wilsonia  pusilla  pileolata.     Pileolated  Warbler. 

Common  in  Mud  Creek  Canyon  the  latter  part  of  July  and  early 
August;  seen  at  Sisson  July  13  by  W.  H.  Osgood,  and  at  Wagon  Camp 
August  3  by  Miss  Merriam;  several  seen  at  Squaw  Creek  in  flocks  of 
chickadees  and  warblers  during  August  and  September;  seen  in  wild 
cherry  bushes  at  Wagon  Camp  September  25.  In  the  summer  of  1883 
C.  H.  Townsend  found  it  rather  common  on  Shasta. 

116.  Anthus  pensilvanicus.     Pipit;  Titlark. 

In  a  barren  rocky  basin  above  timberline,  near  the  head  of  Panther 
Creek,  on  July  17  I  heard  titlarks  and  saw  Arctic  bluebirds.  At  the 
same  place  two  months  later  (September  18)  titlarks  were  common. 
In  Shasta  Valley  September  17  to  120  W.  H.  Osgood  saw  flocks  along 
the  road. 

117.  Cinclus  mexicanus.     Dijiper ;  Water  Ouzel. 

Common  on  the  upper  jiart  of  Squaw  Creek  as  far  as  the  timber 
extends,  and  sometimes  seen  above  timberline.  Seen  also  on  Panther 
Creek,  near  its  head,  and  on  Mud  and  Ash  creeks.  On  Squaw  Creek 
we  often  watched  the  ouzels  feeding  among  the  cascades  and  clear 
cold  pools  between  the  upper  heather  meadow  and  the  main  fall.  One 
afternoon  just  before  dark  (I'l  o'clock)  I  was  sur[)rised  to  see  an  ouzel 
fly  up  into  the  dead  top  of  a  tree,  light  on  a  branch,  and  climb  up 
several  feet  on  the  trunk  with  his  short  tail  hanging  straight  down, 
after  the  manner  of  a  woodpecker. 

118.  Salpinctes  obsoletus.     Rock  Wren. 

Rather  rare  on  Shasta  and  confined  apparently  to  the  bare  rocky 
slopes  near  and  above  timberline,  August  2,  at  an  altitude  of  8,000 
feet,  on  one  of  the  ridges  above  the  head  of  Squiiw  Creek,  I  found  a 
pair — the  first  noted  on  the  mountain.  August  11,  on  the  west  rim  of 
Mud  Creek  Canyon,  I  first  heard  them  at  9,000  feet,  and  Vernon  Bailey 
followed  them  up  and  shot  one  at  9,800  feet.  A  week  later  he  saw  one 
at  an  altitude  of  10,400  feet.  August  27,  Miss  Merriam  saw  one  in 
'The  Gate,'  between  the  heads  of  Panther  Creek  and  Squaw  Creek.  In 
1883  C.  H.  Townsend  found  them  common  above  timberline  on  Shasta, 
and  observed  them  also  on  Sheep  Rock.  In  July,  1899,  Walter  K. 
Fisher  found  them  among  lava  ledges  in  Shasta  Valley. 

119.  Catherpes  mexicanus  punctulatus.     Canyon  Wren. 

Not  observed  by  us,  but  recorded  by  Townsend,  who  in  1883  saw 
one — doubtless  a  straggler — above  timberline  on  Shasta,  and  others  at 
Sheep  Rock,  at  the  northeast  base  of  the  mountain,  where  he  heard 
the  bird's  wonderful  song  and  was  deeply  impressed  by  it. 


OCT.,  1809.]  BIRDS.  131 

120.  Thryomanes  bewicki  spilurus.     Vigors  Wren. 

Seen  at  Sisson,  bnt  not  on  the  mountain.  Kecorded  by  C.  H.  Town- 
send  from  "the  base  of  Shasta." 

121.  Troglodytes  aedon  parkmani.     Parkman  Wren. 

Rare  on  tlie  mountain.  One  collected  near  Squaw  Creek  Camp  (alt. 
G,750  feet)  August  18  by  R.  T.  Fisher,  and  one  in  Mud  Creek  Canyon 
(alt.  6,780  feet)  August  9  by  W.  H.  Osgood.  More  common  at  Sisson, 
where  it  was  observed  by  Miss  Merriam  the  middle  of  July.  C.  H. 
Townseiid  records  it  as  abundant  in  midsummer  "  among  the  piled-up 
logs  of  a  certain  clearing  in  the  forest  at  the  base  of  Mount  Shasta." 
The  bird  seems  to  be  intermediate  between  parlinanl  and  aztecus. 

122.  Cistothorus  palustris  paludicola.     Tule  Wren. 

At  Big  Spring,  in  Shasta  Valley,  W.  II,  Osgood  found  these  wrens 
common  September  17  to  20. 

[The  western  winter  wren  {Anorthura  hiemalis  imcific<<)  was  not 
observed  by  us,  but  was  found  byC.  H.  Townseud  in  the  mossy  canyons 
of  the  lower  McCloud.  It  doubtless  occurs  in  the  upper  canyon  of  the 
Sacramento  near  Sisson,  and  quite  possibly  in  other  suitable  places 
about  the  mountain.] 

123.  Certhia  familiaris  occidentalis.     Western  Brown  Creeper. 

Not  common,  but  seen  now  and  then  in  the  alpine  hemlocks  on  Squaw 
Creek  and  in  the  Shasta  firs,  lower  down.  The  earliest  record  is  July 
24  (J.  H.  S.);  the  latest.  September  15  (C.  H.  M.).  At  Wagon  Camp 
John  H.  Sage  shot  one  and  saw  another  July  27;  and  Miss  Merriam 
saw  one  in  the  same  place  August  1,  one  at  Sijuaw  Creek  August  30, 
and  two  at  Sisson  September  3. 

124.  Sitta  carolinensis  aculeata.     Slender-billed  Nuthatch. 

Not  common  on  the  mountain,  and  only  moderately  so  at  Sisson.  A 
few  were  seen  at  Squaw  Creek  Canq)  from  time  to  time  in  August,  once 
or  twice  in  the  mixed  flocks  of  chickadees  and  warblers. 

125.  Sitta  canadensis.     Red-breasted  Nuthatch. 

Common  from  the  lower  edge  of  the  Shasta  fir  belt  up  to  timberline; 
and  from  the  time  of  our  arrival,  the  middle  of  July,  until  our  depart- 
ure, the  latter  part  of  September.  In  September  it  was  often  seen  in 
mixed  flocks  with  m<mntain  chickadees  and  Audubon  warblers. 

120.  Sitta  pygmaea.     Pigmy  Nuthatch. 

In  the  ponderosa  pines  near  Sisson,  W.  H.  Osgood  saw  pigmy  nut- 
hatches July  13,  and  I  saw  a  small  flock  September  30.  At  the  south- 
west end  of  Shasta  Valley,  not  far  from  Edgewood,  Osgood  saw  several 
in  the  pines  September  20. 


132  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  Ino.16. 

127.  Parus  gambeli.     Mountain  Chickadee. 

Common  and  widely  distributed.  In  the  firs  at  Wagon  Camp  they 
were  among  the  commonest  birds,  and  at  higher  altitudes  were  seen  or 
heard  nearly  evoy  day.  Early  on  the  morning  of  July  24,  after  camp- 
ing for  the  night  in  the  shelter  of  a  narrow  fringe  of  dwarf  white-bark 
pines  at  timberline,  on  one  of  the  desolate  torrent-swept  beds  of  Incon- 
stance  Creek,  high  up  on  the  north  side  of  Shasta,  we  were  saluted  by 
a  small  tiock  of  these  cheerful  little  birds.  In  September  they  helped 
form  the  mixed  tlocks,  along  with  Audubon  and  other  warblers,  Canada 
nuthatches,  and  other  small  fry  so  often  seen  among  the  Shasta  firs  and 
alpine  hemlocks.  At  Sisson  Miss  Merriam  saw  them  about  the  mid- 
dle of  July;  they  were  common  there  in  September,  and  were  noted  in 
Shasta  Valley  by  W.  H.  Osgood  September  17  to  20. 

128.  Parus  rufescens.     Chestnut- backed  Chickadee. 

Not  observed  by  us,  but  recorded  by  C.  H,  Townseud,  who  "  obtained 
a  single  individual  at  the  western  base  of  Mount  Shasta  on  July  14, 

1883." 

129.  Psaltriparus  minimus  californicus.     California  Bush-Tit. 
Common  along  Little  Shasta  Creek  Sei)tember  18  (VV.  H.  Osgood). 

Seen  in  the  chaparral  west  of  Gazelle,  on  the  west  side  of  Shasta  Val- 
ley, August  31  (Vernon  Bailey).  Townsend  found  it  a  common  breeder 
near  the  fish  hatchery  on  the  Lower  McCIoud  River. 

130.  Regulus  satrapa  olivaceus.     Western  Golden-crowned  Kinglet. 
Both  kinglets  are  common  on  Shasta  and  doubtless  breed  in  the 

Shasta  firs  of  the  Canadian  zone.  The  golden-crown  was  often  seen 
and  heard  at  Wagon  Cam]),  where  it  was  collected  July  18.  It  was 
also  common  just  within  the  lower  edge  of  the  fir  forest  in  Mud  Creek 
Canyon  July  23,  and  a  couple  of  miles  higher  up  about  the  end  of  the 
month.     O.  H.  Townsend  obtained  specimens  at  timberline  in  July,  1883. 

131.  Regulus  calendula.     Ruby- crowned  Kinglet. 

The  ruby-crown  was  frequently  heard  by  various  members  of  the 
expedition,  and  at  different  altitudes,  from  Wagon  Camp  in  the  lower 
edge  of  the  Shasta  firs,  to  timberline,  where  one  was  collected  by  W.  H. 
Osgood  August  4.  In  1883  C.  H.  Townsend  obtained  two  specimens, 
one  at  timberline  August  15,  the  other  at  an  elevation  of  about  (!,0()0 
feet  September  2. 

132.  Myadestes  townsendi.     Townsend  Solitaire. 

Not  an  uncommon  breeder  on  the  higher  slopes  of  Shasta,  where  I 
saw  SIX  during  our  stay.  The  lowest  of  these  was  at  Wagon  Camp,  in 
the  lower  edge  of  (he  Shasta  firs,  where  one  drank  at  our  spring  July  31. 
The  others  were  in  the  Hudsonian  zone,  and  most  of  them  in  the  alpine 
hemlocks  at  or  near  our  camp  on  Squaw  Creek,  Just  below  timberline. 


OCT.,  1899.  J  BIRDS.  133 

Tbey  were  usually  seen  in  early  evening  when  they  came  to  drink  from 
the  little  streams  in  the  forest,  and  were  always  silent  and  rather  shy. 
Late  in  July  and  early  in  August  they  were  seen  with  arctic  bluebirds 
by  Walter  K.  Fisher  at  and  below  timberline  near  Mud  Creek  Canyon. 
They  probably  winter  in  the  junipers  in  Shasta  Valley,  where  W.  H. 
Osgood  saw  them  September  17  to  20,  and  where  I  saw  dozens  feeding 
on  the  juniper  berries  and  singing  freely  September  139.  Late  in  July, 
1883,  C.  H.  Townsend  found  one  of  these  birds  "frozen  in  the  snow  and 
ice  which  filled  the  crater  of  the  extinct  volcano  of  Shasta." 

133.  Hylocichla  aonalaschkae  auduboni.     Dwarf  Hermit  Thrush, 
Evidently  breeds  in  the  dark  Shasta  fir  forest  of  the  mountain  and 

in  the  damj)  forest  of  white  and  Douglas  firs  near  Sisson  Tavern,  where 
Miss  Merriam  heard  them  in  full  song  the  middle  of  July.  At  Wagon 
Camp  W.  H.  Osgood  shot  one  July  17;  and  near  Squaw  Creek  Camp 
I  shot  another  September  '20.  C.  H.  Townsend  records  it  from  the 
southern  slope  of  Shasta  under  date  of  July  25. 

134.  Merula  migratoria  propinqua.     Western  Robin. 

Kobins  were  fairly  common  at  Wagon  Camp,  where  we  heard  their 
evening  song  the  day  of  our  arrival,  July  15,  and  where  they  were  seen 
carrying  food  to  young  July  26  (F.  A.  M.).  Higher  up  they  were  seen 
from  time  to  time,  but  were  not  common.  Along  the  upper  part  of 
Mud  Creek  Canyon  Walter  K.  Fisher  found  them  "fairly  common  but 
erratic"  the  latter  part  of  July  and  tirst  few  days  of  August.  At  Squaw 
Creek  Camp,  in  the  alpine  hemlocks,  we  saw  a  flock  on  the  morning 
of  August  12,  and  others  September  15.  Just  below  timberline  on 
Panther  Creek  a  few  were  seen  migrating  September  18.  In  Shasta 
Valley  they  were  common  among  the  junipers  September  20.  At  Sis- 
son  they  are  common  breeders,  and  a  few  were  seen  whenever  any  of 
our  party  were  there,  from  July  14  until  the  end  of  September.  A  nest 
containing  three  eggs  was  found  July  13  by  W.  H.  Osgood. 

135.  Sialia  mexicana  occidentalis.     Western  Bluebird. 

A  common  breeder  at  Sisson,  where  families,  including  lately  fledged 
yonng,  haunted  the  fences  the  first  half  of  September  (R.  T.  Fisher). 
In  Shasta  Valley  W.  H.  Osgood  found  them  common  September  17  to 
20,  and  a  few  small  flocks  were  seen  by  me  among  the  junipers  Septem- 
ber 29.  At  Sisson  the  species  was  common  the  latter  part  of  Septem- 
ber. In  1883  a  nest  containing  nearly  grown  young  was  found  by  C. 
H.  Townsend  in  a  post  hole  in  the  ground  at  Sisson  Tavern  late  in 
July. 

13(5.  Sialia  arctica.     Mountain  Bluebird;  Arctic  Bluebird. 

A  common  breeder  on  the  higher  slopes  of  Shasta,  where  they  were 
constantly  seen  in  July  and  early  August,  but  rarely  afterwards.  On 
our  first  visit  to  timberline,  July  17,  they  were  very  abundant  on  the 


134  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

bare  rocks  above  timberline  near  the  head  of  Pauther  Greek,  and  a 
week  later  were  seen  on  the  rim  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon.  On  the  rocky 
slopes  at  and  above  timberline  on  the  east  side  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon 
early  in  August  they  were  the  most  characteristic  birds  ( W.  K.  Fisher) ; 
and  they  were  seen  near  the  same  place  August  18  (V.  Bailey).  Sep- 
tember 20  a  small  flock  visited  our  camp  on  upper  Squaw  Creek. 

In  July,  1883,  C.  H.  Townseud  found  the  species  abundant  at  timber- 
line,  where  full  fledged  young  accompanied  their  parents. 


NOTES    ON    THE    DISTRIBUTION    OF    SHASTA  PLANTS. 

The  study  of  the  geographic  distribution  of  animals  and  [)hints  in  the 
Sierra-Cascades  can  not  be  completed  until  authentic  lists  of  species 
are  brought  together  from  several  important  localities  from  which  at 
present  no  data  are  available.  The  need  of  such  lists,  with  detailed 
altitudes  and  zone  positions,  is  particularly  urgent  in  the  case  of 
detached  mountains,  as  Shasta  and  Lassen,  which  are  separated  from 
each  other  and  from  the  continuous  ranges  on  either  side  by  gaps 
low  enough  to  be  broadly  filled  by  Transition  zone  species.  The  Boreal 
species  of  these  mountains,  being  thus  completely  cut  off  from  the 
nearest  corresponding  colonies,  form  islands  in  the  long  Boreal  chain 
that  stretches  southward  from  British  Columbia  to  southern  California. 

The  present  imperfect  list  of  the  plants  of  Mount  Shasta  is  offered 
as  an  humble  contribution  toward  the  needed  material.  It  is  based 
almost  wholly  on  my  own  personal  observations  and  is  known  to  be 
far  from  complete.  More  pressing  work  along  other  lines  made  it 
impracticable  to  give  nuich  time  to  plants,  and  the  date  of  arrival  at 
the  mountain  (the  nnddle  of  July)  was  so  late  that  many  of  the  early 
flowering  species  had  disappeared.  The  Boreal  species,  owing  to  their 
greater  importance,  have  received  most  attention ;  the  Transition  zone 
species  least.  In  the  case  of  Alpine  and  Hudsonian  species  it  is  believed 
that  few  remain  to  be  added. 

I  am  indebted  to  Miss  Lewanna  Wilkins  for  collecting  and  pressing 
most  of  the  plants  preserved  during  the  first  six  weeks  of  our  stay  on 
the  mountain;  and  to  John  H.  Sage  for  the  use  of  a  collection  made 
by  him  during  the  same  period.  The  plants  obtained  subsequent  to 
August  8  were  collected  by  Vernon  Bailey  and  myself 

Although  two  seasons'  field  work  in  the  Cascade  Bauge  had  given 
me  a  certain  acquaintance  with  the  more  conspicuous  jDlants  common 
to  these  mountains  and  Mount  Shasta,  I  was  still  much  handicapped 
in  the  determination  of  the  species,  and  not  being  a  botanist  myself 
was  obliged  to  appeal  to  professional  botanists  for  assistance.  I  am 
indebted  most  of  all  to  Miss  Alice  Eastwood,  curator  of  the  herba- 
rium of  the  California  Academy  of  Sciences,  whose  courtesy  and 
promptness  in  identifying  plants,  sent  her  from  time  to  time  while  I 
was  still  in  the  field,  were  of  the  utmost  assistance.  I  am  also  particu- 
larly indebted  to  Prof.  E.  L.  (ireene,  of  the  Catholic  University  at 
Washington,  who  has  taken  the  trouble  to  examine  a  large  number  of 
species,  and  to  describe  several  which  proved  to  be  new.     Other  bota- 

135 


136  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  i6. 

nists  who  kindly  determiued  special  species  or  special  genera  are  Mrs. 
N.  L.  I5ritton,  Mr.  Frederick  V.  Coville,  Prof.  W.  U.  Dudley,  Mr.  M.  L. 
Fernald,  Mr.  John  B.  Leiberg,  Mr.  C.  L.  Pollard,  Dr.  B.  L.  Robinson, 
Dr.  J.  IS^.  Rose,  Prof.  P.  A.  Rydberg,  Mr.  J.  K.  Small,  and  Prof.  Wil- 
liam Trelease.  In  order  to  properly  place  the  credit  for  this  assistance, 
the  botanist  responsible  for  the  identification  is  in  each  instance  men- 
tioned.    Where  no  one  is  named  I  am  personally  responsible. 

A  few  mosses  and  ferns  were  found  in  the  timberline  region  of 
Shasta.  The  mosses,  kindly  determined  by  Mrs.  Britton,  are  Har- 
pidium  (?  t'xamiulafum  Gumb.),  Aulacomnium  andro//i/nitm  Sell.,  and  a 
species  of  PhilonoUs.  They  are  contined  rather  closely  to  the  borders 
of  the  alpine  streams,  where  the  Aulacomnium  forms  compact  mats  of 
a  yellowish  color. 

The  ferns  have  been  determined  by  Mr.  William  R.  Mason  through 
the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Frederick  V.  Coville,  curator  of  the  National  Her- 
barium. The  species  which  grow  sparingly  "u  the  heather  meadows  and 
under  the  edges  of  rocks  near  timberline  are :  Dryoptcris  aculeata  scopn- 
Una  (Eaton),  Cystopteris  fragiUs  (L.)  Bernh.,  Cheilanthes  gracilUma 
D.  C.  Eaton,  Cryptogramme  acrosUchoides  R.  Br.,  and  Fliegopteris  alpe^i- 
tris  (Iloppe)  Mett.  Much  lower  down,  along  the  boundary  between 
the  Canadian  and  Transition  zones.  Tier  is  aquilina  lanuginosa,  (Bory) 
Hooker,  and  Asplenium  filixf(emina  (L.)  Bernh.  occur.  The  brake 
{Pteris)  is  very  abundant  on  the  pumice  sand  at  AVagon  Camp  and 
Sisson  and  wherever  there  is  sufficient  moisture  in  the  soil  in  spring 
and  early  summer.  The  black-beard  lichen  {Alecioriafremonti)  and  the 
handsome  yellow  tree  lichen  [Erernia  vulpina)  abound  in  the  dark  forest 
of  Shasta  firs. 

In  the  chapter  on  'Life  Zones'  the  more  distinctive  species  have 
been  groui)ed  according  to  their  vertical  distribution  (see  pp.  52-68),  but 
for  convenience  in  finding  the  notes  relating  to  particular  species, 
tliey  are  here  arranged  in  systematic  order.  In  the  case  of  certain 
plants  found  by  us  only  on  the  borderland  between  adjacent  zones,  the 
zone  position  is  in  doubt  and  nuist  be  determined  by  future  study. 

The  most  important  kinds  of  plants  from  the  standpoint  of  geo- 
graphic distribution  are  naturally  those  that  remain  longest  in  a  par- 
ticular spot.  Hence,  as  pointed  out  by  Coville,'  trees,  shrubs,  and 
perennials  are  the  kinds  most  useful  in  determining  zone  boundaries. 
For  this  reason  little  attention  is  here  given  to  annuals. 

Pinus  monticola  Douglas.     Silver  Pine;  Mountain  White  Pine. 

Common  in  places,  chiefly  in  the  upper  half  of  the  Canadian  zone, 
but  local  and  by  no  means  generally  distributed.  Wherever  it  occurs 
it  is  mixed  with  Shasta  firs,  and  in  places  it  reaches  up  high  enough  to 
overlap  the  lower  edge  of  the  black  alpine  hemlocks  and  white-bark 
timberline  pines.     (See  ]>.  3.S.) 


Botany  of  Death  Valley  Expedition,  pp.  17-18,  1893. 


OCT.,  1899.]  PLANTS.  137 

Pinus  lambertiana  Douglas.     Sugar  Pine. 

Fairly  common  in  most  parts  of  the  Transition  zone  forest  of  ])onderosa 
pines,  and  occurring  here  and  there  in  the  iiiiniense  areas  of  chaparral 
that  cover  the  lower  sh)pes  on  the  south  and  west  sides  of  the  mountain. 
(See  pp.  32-3:5.) 

Pinus  albicaulis  Engelmann.     White-bark  Pine. 

The  timberline  tree  of  Shasta,  which  it  encircles  at  altitudes  ranging, 
according  to  slope,  from  about  7,0))Q  up  to  8,000  feet,  and  i)ushing  up 
on  the  warmest  ridges  to  an  extreme  elevation  of  9,800  feet.  In  its 
distribution  therefore  it  tills  the  Hudsonian  zone  except  in  places 
uusuited  to  tree  growth.  The  only  tree  competing  witli  it  on  Shasta 
is  the  black  alpine  hemlock,  which,  requiring  more  moisture,  is  at  a 
disadvantage  and  is  confined  to  special  localities,  as  exj)lained  in  full 
under  that  species.     (See  pp.  39-42.) 

Pinus  ponderosa  Laws.     Pomlerosa  or  Yellow  Pine. 

The  most  abundant  and  characteristic  tree  of  the  lower  slopes  and 
basal  i)lane  of  Shasta,  where,  tilling  the  Transition  zone,  it  forms  a  con- 
tinuous o[)eii  forest  of  wide  extent.     (See  pp.  30-32.) 

Pinus  murrayana  Balf.iur.     Lodge-pole  Pine. 

Confined  to  the  northeast  quadrant  of  Shasta,  where  it  occupies  the 
lower  part  of  the  Canadian  zone.     (See  pp.  38-39.) 

Pinus  attenuata  Lemmon.     Knobcone  Pine. 

Common  in  a  limited  area  in  the  Transition  zone  on  the  south  side  of 
Shasta,  where  it  is  confined  to  the  lower  slopes  (from  about  4,000  to 
5,000  feet  altitude)  from  Panther  Creek  easterly  to  between  the 
branches  of  Mud  Creek.     (See  pp.  33-34.) 

Tsuga  mertensiana  (Bong.)  Carr.'     Black  Alpine  Hemlock. 

A  characteristic  tree  of  the  Hudsonian  zone,  where,  however,  it  is 
not  generally  distributed  for  the  reason  that  the  upper  slopes  of  Shasta 
are  in  most  places  too  dry  for  it.  It  occurs  in  the  same  belt  with  Pinus 
albicaulis,  but  does  not  reach  so  high,  and,  requiring  more  moisture,  is 
confined  to  disconnected  localities,  usually  in  canyons  and  gulches  or 
along  the  shady  sides  of  buttes  or  ridges.     (See  pp.  42-40.) 

Pseudotsuga  mucronata  (Raf.).     Sudw.  Douglas  Fir  or  Spruce. 

Common,  scattered  through  the,  less  arid  parts  of  the  forest  of  pon 
derosa  pines  which  clothes  the  lower  Transition  zone  slopes  of  Shasta 
and  extends  away  in  all  directions  (see  p.  32).  A  subspecies  pendula 
(Engelm.)  Sud worth,  with  "branches,  at  least  the  lower  ones,  very 
slender  and  long-pendent,"  has  been  descinbed  from  Sisson  (Bot.  Calif, 
II,  483,  1880;  Sud  worth.  Check  List  Forest  Trees  of  U.  S.,  24,  1898), 
and  is  common  thence  westerly  to  the  coast.     (See  pp.  34-35). 

'  For  change  of  name  from  Tsitgajxitloni  to  T.  inertinsiana,  see  footnote  p.  42. 
21753— No.  16 18 


138  NORTH  AMKRICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

Abies  shastensis  Leiiunoii.     Shasta  Fir. 

The  dominaut  tree  of  the  Canadian  zone,  covering  the  middle  slojjes 
and  completely  encircling  the  mountain  in  a  solid  belt  about  2,000  feet 
in  vertical  breadth.  Its  upper  border  overlaps  the  lower  edge  of  the 
Hudsonian ;  its  lower  border,  the  up]>er  edge  of  the  Transition.  Along 
Panther  and  Squaw  creeks,  on  tlie  south  slope,  it  ranges  from  about 
0,500  up  to  7,500  feet,  and  on  steep  southwesterly  slopes  considerably 
higher.     (See  pp.  36-38.) 

Abies  concolor  lowiana  (Murray)  Lemmon.     White  Fir. 

The  common  and  only  true  iir  of  the  basal  slopes  of  Shasta,  where 
it  occurs  in  moist  places  from  the  altitude  of  Wagon  Camp  (5,700  feet) 
down  to  the  very  bottom  of  Sissou  Valley  at  the  base  of  Mount  Eddy 
(alt.  3,400  feet).  It  thus  fills  the  Transition  zone,  except  in  places  that 
are  too  dry  for  it.     (See  p.  34.) 

Libocedrus  decurrens  Torrey.     Incense  Cedar. 

Common  throughout  the  Transition  zone  forest  of  ponderosa  pines, 
except  in  the  dryest  places.     (See  p.  35.) 

Chamaecyparis  lawsoniana  (Murray)  Parlat.     Lawson  Cypress. 

Attributed  to  "the  Shasta  Mountains^'  (Bot.  Calif ,  II,  p.  115,  1880), 
but  not  found  by  us.' 

Juniperus  nana  Willd.     Dwarf  Aljjine  Juni])er. 

Fairly  common  in  i)laces  close  to  timberline,  usually  associated  with 
Pinns  aJbicaulu  in  the  upper  i)art  of  the  Hudsonian  zone.  On  Shasta 
it  usually  grows  in  small  patches  less  than  a  foot  high  and,  as  a  rule, 
only  a  few  feet  in  diameterj  in  the  Olympics,  on  Mount  Eainier,  and  on 
numerous  other  mountains  it  forms  much  larger  patches.  Between 
Mud  Creek  Canyon  and  the  high  ridges  above  Squaw  Creek,  it  pushes 
up  to  extreme  timberline  at  9,800  feet,  along  with  Pinus  alhicaulis. 
On  the  north  side  of  Shasta  and  Shastina  it  was  found  in  crevices 
among  the  sharp  lava  rocks  at  altitudes  varying  from  8,.'>00  to  9,000 
feet,  and  was  common  on  the  curious  (ilhicauli.s  plain  stretching  west- 
erly from  'North  Gate'  to  Bolam  Creek. 

Juniperus  occidentalis  Hooker.     Western  rluniper. 

Abundant  in  the  south  end  of  Shasta  Valley,  where  it  forms  a  forest 
many  miles  in  extent.  Scattered  trees  begin  4  or  4i  miles  easterly  from 
Edgewood,  and  become  more  and  m(jre  plentiful  to  the  north  until,  at 
a  distance  of  about  5  miles  south  from  Big  Spring,  they  suddenly 
become  abundant  and  cover  the  whole  country  east  of  the  main  mass 
of  lava  buttes,  forming  a  continuous  Juniper  forest  which  fills  the  south- 
ern r)art  of  Shasta  Valley  and  r-eaches  northward,  I  am  told,  into  Little 


'Another  cypress  attributed  to  Shasta  but  not  seen  by  us  is  Cupressus  macnabiana 
Murr.,  " originally  reported  by  Jeffrey  from  Mount  Shasta  at  5,000  feet  altitude" 
(Bot.  Calif.,  II,  p.  Ill,  1880).  In  both  iustauces,  i)robably,  the  term  'Shasta'  was  used 
in  a  rather  loose  sense,  as  foveriug  adjacent  niouutaius  uot  then  named. 


OCT.,  1899.J  PLANTS.  139 

Shasta  Valley.  When  visited  about  the  end  of  September,  the  trees 
were  full  of  their  large  berries,  and  many  birds,  including  evening- 
grosbeaks  and  Townsend  solitaires,  were  there  in  numbers  feeding 
on  them.  The  zone  position  of  this  tree,  which  appears  to  be  the 
type  form,  is  high  Upper  Sonoran  and  low  Transition.  The  boreal 
form  common  in  the  Sierra,  but  not  found  on  Shasta,  should  be 
diiferent. 

Sitanion  cinereum  J.  G.  Smith.     Alpine  Grass. 

The  common  grass  of  the  glacial  meadows,  but  nowhere  sufficiently 
abundant  to  form  anything  like  a  sod.  It  is  closely  related  to  S.  ely- 
moidcs  llaf.,  from  which  it  has  been  recently  separated  by  Mr.  Jared  G. 
Smith. 

Carex  breweri  Boott.     Alpine  Carex. 

Common  in  the  glacial  meadows  and  scattered  sparingly  over  the 
moist  slopes.     (Identified  by  F.  V.  Coville.) 

Juncus  parryi  Eugelm.     Parry  Juiicus. 

Common  in  the  heather  patches  and  other  moist  places  from  slightly 
below  timber] ine  up  through  the  Alpine  zone.  Xoted  by  Vernon  Bailey 
as  high  as  11,300  feet.     (Identified  by  F.  V.  Coville.) 

Allium  validum  Watson.     Large  Wild  Onion. 

Abundant  in  the  Canadian  zone  along  the  streams  of  the  Shasta  fir 
belt,  and  often  growing  in  the  lowei-  heather  beds  along  the  lower 
border  of  the  Hudsoniau  zone.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Allmm  sp.  — ! 

A  very  small  species  is  common  in  the  glacial  meadows  at  the  head 
of  Squaw  Creek,  but  matures  so  early  that  we  were  uiuible  to  obtain 
anything  but  the  bulbs. 

Calochortus  nudus  Watson. 

Fairly  common  along  the  lower  edge  of  the  Canadian  zone  neap 
Wagon  Camp,  flowering  late  in  July.  (Identified  by  Miss  Eastwood 
and  Professor  Greene.) 

Calochortus  maweanus  Leichtlin. 

Not  rare  at  Wagon  Camp,  but  not  seen  elsewhere.     An  elegant  little 
species  with  white  hair}'  flowers.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 
Fritillaria  atropurpurea  Nutt. 

Common  in  the  chaparral  of  the  Transition   zone  basal  slopes  from 
Sisson  up  to  Wagon  Camp.     (Identified  by  Miss  Eastwood.) 
Hastingsia  alba  (Durand)  Wats. 

Common  near  Wagon  Camp,  where  its  long  and  slender  cylindrical 
spikes  were  in  flower  the  latter  ])art  of  July.     (Identified  by  Miss  East- 
wood and  Professor  Greene.) 
Lilium  parvum  Kellogg.     Tiger  Lily. 

Common  in  marshy  places  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Shasta  fir  belt, 
^particularly  at  Wagon  Camp,  where  it  was  flowering  abundantly  about 


14(1 


NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA. 


[NO.  16. 


the  middle  of  July,  and  was  still  in  fruit  sis  late  as  tlie  end  of  September. 
(Identified  by  Miss  Eastwood.) 

Lilium  washingtonianum  Kellogg.     Washington  Lily. 

This  superb  lily,  with  large  white  and  very  fragrant  flowers,  is  com- 
mon in  the  manzanita  in  the  upper  part  of  the  Transition  zone,  and 
occurs  sparingly  at  lower  altitudes.  At  Sisson  it  was  in  fruit  the  end 
of  September.  The  flowers  had  passed  their  prime  by  the  middle  of 
July,  but  occasional  i>lants  were  found  in  blossom  as  late  as  the  end 
of  the  month. 

Tofieldia  occidentalis  Watson. 

Common  near  the  bottom  of  the  Canadian  zone  at  Wagon  Camp. 
(Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Tritelia  ixioides  (Ait.)  Greene  {-^Brodkva). 

Common  at  Wagon  Camp  on  the  border  between  the  Canadian  and 
Transition  zones,  where  its  yellow  star  flowers  were  in  bloom  the  latter 
half  of  July.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Vagnera  stellata  (Linn.)  Morong. 

Common  at  Wagon  Camp,  particularly  in  open  grassy  places  along 
the  edges  of  the  fir  forest,  where  it  was  flowering  abundantly  when 
we  reached  the  mountain,  the  middle  of  July.     Plants  still  holding 

their  fruit  were  ob- 
served when  we  left 
Wagon  Camj),  Septem- 
ber 25. 

Veratrum  californicum 
Dnrand.  White 
Hellebore. 
Abundant  at  numer- 
ous localities  a  long 
the  streams  and  in 
marshy  spots  in  the 
Canadian  and  upper 
part  of  the  Transition 
zones.  Particularly 
common  at  Wagon 
Camp,  and  also  on 
Squaw  Creek  Just 
above  the  middle 
meadow. 


Fig.  44.— White  Hellebore  (Veratrum  californicum). 
Photographed  by  W.  K.  Fisher. 


Smilax  californica  Gray.     California  Smilax. 

Occurs  in  places  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Transition  zone  along  Shasta 
River  between  Edgewood  and  Sisson,  but  nearer  Sisson.  Not  observed 
elsewhere. 


OCT..  1899.]  PLANTS.  141 

Sisyrinchium  bellum  Watson.     Blue-eyed  Grass. 

Fairly  conuuon  in  the  Transition  zone  near  Wagon  Camp. 
Corallorhiza  bigelovi  Watson. 

Xot  uncommon  in  the  woods  near  Wagon  Camp.     (Identifled  by  Pro- 
fessor Greene.) 
Habenaria  leucostachys  (Lindl.)  Watson. 

Common  in  the  marsh  at  Wagon  Camp.  (Identiued  by  Professor 
Greene.) 

Habenaria  unalaschensis  Watson. 

A  boreal  species,  fairly   common  in  the  marsh   near  Wagon  Camp, 
growing  with  the  last.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 
Populus  tricbocarpa  T.  .S:  G.     Western  Balsam  Poplar. 

Common  in  the  upper  Sacramento  Canyon  near  Sisson,  and  less  so 
along  Shasta  River  at  the  south  end  of  Shasta  Valley. 
Salix  lasiandra  Bentham.     Black  Willow. 

Abundant  in  cool  moist  jdaces  about  Sisson.  (Identified  by  Miss 
Eastwood.) 

Salix  nuttalli  Sargent.     Xuttall  Willow. 

Common  in  moist  places  in  canyons  of  the  Canadian  zone  and  near 
Wagon  Camp.     (Identified  by  F.  V.  Coville.) 
Salix  sitchensis  Sanson.     Sitka  Willow. 

Common  in  canyons  in  the  Canadian  zone.  Found  in  Mud  Creek 
Canyon  near  the  mouth  of  Clear  Creek.  (Identified  by  F.  Y.  Coville.) 
Alnus  rhombifolia  Xutt.     White  Tree  Alder. 

Observed  only  on  Shasta  River  in  the  southern  part  of  Shasta 
Valley,  where  its  zone  position  appears  to  be  Upper  Sonoran,  Shasta 
Valley  is  one  belt  lower  than  the  rest  of  the  region  about  Shasta  and 
contains  a  dilute  tongue  of  Upper  Sonoran  species  that  come  in  from 
the  north  by  way  of  Klamath  River  Valley. 
Alnus  sinuata  (Regel)  Rydb.     Alder. 

Common  in  moist  i>laces  in  the  canyons  of  the  Canadian  zone.     In 
Mud  Creek  Canyon  noted   as  high   as  6,700  feet.     Found   also   near 
Wagon  Camp.     (Identified  by  F.  V.  Coville.) 
Alnus  tenuifolia  Xutt.     Paperleaf  Alder. 

[  =  A.  incana    var.   rirescens  Wats]. 

A  Transition  zone  species  common  along  streams  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Sisson  Tavern  and  along  the  east  base  of  Scott  jMountains, 
(Identified  by  P.  V.  Coville.) 
Betula  occidentalis  Hooker.     Birch. 

Fairly   common    along  Shasta  River    at   the    south   end  of  Shasta 
Valley.     Not  observed  elsewhere. 
Corylus  rostrata  californica  A.  DC. 

Fairly  common  in  the  Transition  zone  in  Squaw  Creek  Valley  near 
McCloud  Mill,  and  probably  elsewhere  at  the  base  of  the  mor.ntain. 


142  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  lo. 

Castanopsis  sempervirens  (Kellogg)  Dudley.     Sierra  Chinquapin. 

The  distribution  of  the  mountain  chin<iuapin  on  Shasta  is  discon- 
tinuous. It  is  possible  that  two  forms  exist,  one  apparently  restricted 
to  the  manzanita  chaparral  of  the  Transition  zone  from  Sisson  up  to 
the  lower  edge  of  the  Shasta  fir  Delt;  the  other  to  the  scattered 
stretches  of  Pinus  albicanlis  of  the  Hudsonian  zone,  where  it  reaches 
timberline  on  the  rocky  slopes  and  ridges. 

Prof.  William  K.  Dudley,  of  Stanford  University,  California,  has,  at 
my  request,  kindly  looked  up  the  proper  name  for  the  boreal  Sierra 
chinquai)in,  which  he  linds  to  be  senipervirens  of  Kellogg.'  The  type 
locality  of  semperrirens  is  the  west  slope  of  the  Sierra  near  Marii>osa. 
I  have  found  the  species  abundant  on  a  ridge  near  a  stage  station 
called  Chinquapin,  between  Mariposa  and  the  Yosemite,  where  it 
occurs  with  Pimis  Jeffrey i,  P.  lambertiana^  Abies  in agnifica,  Pseudotsuga 
mucronafa,  and  Prumis  emarginaia  at  and  above  an  altitude  of  6,200 
feet.  The  locality,  therefore,  is  along  the  overlapping  borderland 
between  the  Transition  and  Canadian  zones. 

Professor  Dudley  tells  nie  that  the  '  var.  minor''  Bentham  is  the  small 
southern  coast  range  form  of  the  true  coast  chinquapin,  Castanopsis 
chrysophyJla,  and  that  the  type  locality  is  the  Santa  Cruz  Mountains. 
C.  chrysophylla  is  a  handsome  tree  75  to  125  feet  in  height,  with  large 
leaves,  ending  in  long,  slender  attenuate  points;  C.  sempervirens  is  a 
bush  with  small  and  relatively  bluntly  rounded  leaves.  I  found  both 
species  common  on  the  Trinity  Mountains :  G.  chrysophylla  on  the  sunny 
lower  slopes  in  the  Transition  zone;  C.  sempervirens  on  the  cold  summit 
in  the  lower  edge  of  the  Canadian  zone,  where  it  is  ^associated  with 
Arctostaphylos  nevadensis,  Cerasus  emarginata,  Ceanothus  velutinus,  the 
dwarf  mountain  form  of  Quercus  chrysolepis,  and  the  very  distinct  Q. 
vaccinifolia.- 


'  Proc.  Calif.  Acad.  Sci.,  I,  p.  75,  1855  (reprint). 

2  Quercus  vaccinifolia  Kellogg  is  another  excellent  species,  usually  confounded 
with  the  dwarf  mountain  form  of  Q.  chrysolepis,  with  which  it  has  nothing  to  do. 
Their  zone  relations  are  much  the  same  as  those  of  the  two  species  of  Castanoijsis,  for 
Q.  raccinifoJia  occurs  along  the  lower  edge  of  the  Boreal,  and  ranges  up  through  the 
Canadian  zone,  always  in  rocky  places,  while  <J.  clirysolepis  belongs  to  the  Transition 
zone.  Their  rauges  join  where  these  zones  meet,  anil  I  have  found  both  growing 
side  by  side  ou  the  Trinity  Mountains,  and  also  on  the  Sierra.  Quercus  clirysolepis 
is  a  Transition  zone  tree  which  at  the  upper  limit  of  its  range  is  always  dwarfed 
and  often  reduced  to  a  shrub;  but  irrespective  of  size  it  always  retains  its  charac- 
teristic leaves  and  acorn  cups.  (^>uercus  vaccinifolia  is  always  a  small  bush — rarely 
much  over  a  meter  in  height — and,  whether  in  f/'uit  or  not,  is  distinguishable  at  a 
glance  by  tlie  character  of  its  leaves  and  cups.  The  leaves  are  smaller,  narrower, 
thinner,  and  blunter  (commonly  narrowly  oval  with  an  obtuse  point  instead  of 
sharply  lanceolate)  and  lack  the  yellow  totoentum  underneath;  furthermore,  their 
margins,  although  somewhat  thickened,  are  not  distinctly  revolute.  The  acorn  cups 
are  smaller  and  thinner,  and  lack  the  beautiful  yellow  'turban'  so  characteristic  of 
clirysolepis ;  the  acorns  average  shorter  nuA  thicker  and  the  basal  scar  is  smaller.  The 
branchlets  are  much  more  slender,  and  glabrous  or  nearly  so,  instead  of  tomentose. 


OCT..  1899.]  PLANTS.  143 

It  is  remarkable  that  a  shrub  of  such  wide  distribution,  and  one  dif- 
fering-so  conspicuously  from  the  tree  chinquapin  [Castiinop.sis  chryso- 
phi/Ua),  should  so  lon^  escape  recognition  as  a  distinct  species. 

ftuercus  californica  (Torr.)  Cooper.     Bla(;k  Oak. 

[=Q.  helloggi  Newb.] 

The  only  oak  of  Shasta,  where  it  is  confined  to  the  basal  slopes  of 
the  Transition  zone,  reaching  up  on  the  south  and  west  sides  to  an 
altitude  of  4,500  feet.  It  is  fairly  common  in  McCloud  Valley,  more 
common  at  Sisson,  and  increases  in  abundance  to  the  northward. 
Between  Black  Butte  and  Edgewood  it  is  mixed  with  iwnderosa  pines 
and  is  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  trees.  It  does  not  attain  such  large 
size  in  tliis  region  as  nearer  the  coast  and  farther  south  in  the   Sierra. 

IQuercus  garrijana  was  not  found  immediately  about  Shasta,  and 
Quercns  icislizeni,  which  pushes  up  the  canyon  of  the  Sacramento  along 
distance,  does  not  fairly  enter  the  region.] 

Asarum  hartwegi  Watson.     Wild  Ginger. 

Occurs  here  and  there  throughout  the  Transition  zone,  but  is  com- 
monest in  dam  J)  places  on  the  lower  slopes.  It  does  not  reach  quite  up 
to  Wagon  Camp,  but  in  a  warm  lava  basin  on  the  west  side  of  the 
mountain  was  found  at  an  altitude  a  little  higher  than  Wagon  Camp. 

Eriogonum  marifolium  T.  &  G.     Yellow  Eriogonum. 

Common  at  Wagon  Cami?  and  other  points  along  the  lower  edge  ol 
the  Canadian  zone  and  in  the  upper  part  of  the  Transition.  The  species 
seems  to  belong  to  the  Transition  rather  than  the  Canadian  zone,  and 
Shasta  is  its  type  locality.     (Identified  by  J.  K.  Small.) 

Eriogonum  polypodum  Small.     Small-leaf  Ali)ine  Eriogonum. 

The  commonest  and  most  widely  distributed  Eriogonum  of  the  higher 
slopes,  where  it  ranges  from  the  lower  edge  of  the  Hudsonian  zone  up  to 
and  far  above  timberline.  The  highest  altitude  at  which  it  was  obtained 
is  10,000  feet.  Its  leaves  are  small  and  densely  covered  with  a  white 
woolly  or  hairy  material,  and  its  tortuous  j)rostrate  branches  are  so 
intertwined  as  to  form  little  mats  several  inches  in  diameter  on  the  stony 
pumice  slopes;  these  whitish  mats  are  vastly  more  comi)act  and  dense 
above  timberline  than  below.  The  roots  are  strong  but  rather  slender, 
and,  like  those  of  many  other  plants  that  live  on  the  barren,  wind-swept 
pumice  slopes,  are  of  extreme  length.  The  main  root  usually  slopes 
obliquely  for  80  or  90  millimeters,  and  then  divides  into  four  or  five 
slender  rootlets  900  to  1,000  millimeters  in  length.  The  whitish  tomen- 
tose  leaves  rarely  rise  more  than  25  or  30  millimeters  above  the  ground; 
the  fruit  stems  100  to  150  millimeters. 

This  plant  and  Polygonum  shastenae^kxe  probably  tlie  most  abundant, 
conspicuous,  and  widespread  plants  of  the  Hudsonian  and  Alpine 
zones.     They  thrive  in  very  dry  soils  and  theretbre  are  not  confined 


144  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

to  the  moist  basins  and  strips  borderinj.^'  the  streams,  as  are  Phyl- 
lodoce,  Lntlea,  and  n)aiiy  others.     (Ideutitied  by  J.  K.  ymall.) 

Eriogonum  pyrolsefolium  Hooker.     Larg^e-leaf  Alpine  Eriogonum. 

Abundant  on  the  pumice  slopes  of  the  Hudsonian  and  Arctic-Aljiine 
zones,  where  it  is  associated  with  the  foregoing'  species  and  with  Poly 
gonum  shasteu.se,  1\  neivberryi,  Pentstenwn  <larl(honi,  and  others.  It  is 
easily  recognized  by  its  large  roundish  deep-green  leaves,  in  striking 
contrast  to  the  much  smaller  whitish-tomentose  leaves  of  its  congener 
and  i\ss,oc\'dte,  Erigonum  polf/poduDi.  Both  species  are  common  all  the 
way  around  the  mountain.  The  present  species  {pyroIa'foUum)  is  rarely 
found  above  an  altitude  of  9,500  feet,  but  on  a  warm  slope  east  of  Mud 
Creek  Canyon  Vernon  Bailey  found  it  as  high  as  10,000  feet.  It  flow- 
ered the  second  time  above  the  head  of  Squaw  Creek  the  latter  part  of 
September  and  was  then  in  flower  and  fruit  simultaneously.  Its  root 
is  large,  thick,  tapering,  and  moderately  strong;  it  subdivides  into 
about  half  a  dozen  rootlets  which  penetrate  so  deeply  into  the  soil 
that  it  is  difficult  to  obtain  specimens  without  breaking  them.  The 
longest  root  measured  was  750  millimeters  to  the  broken  end.  The 
leaves  reach  about  30  millimeters  above  the  ground;  the  fruit  stems 
70  millimeters.  The  old  imbricating  leaf  stems  remain  attached  for 
several  years  and  form  a  series  of  scales  around  the  upper  part  of 
the  perennial  rootstalk. 

Eriogonum  nudum  Dougl.     Xaked-stem  Eriogonum. 

Common  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Transition  zone,  i)articularly  about 
Sisson,  where  it  was  flowering  plentifully  as  late  as  the  end  of  Sep- 
tember. It  is  easily  recognized  by  its  tall,  green  naked  stems,  which 
rise  from  a  bunch  of  large  tomentose  leaves. 

Oxyria  digyna  (Linn.)     Alpine  Sorrel. 

One  of  the  characteristic  alpine  species,  growing  in  cold  spots  among 
the  rocks  at  high  altitudes  on  all  sides  of  the  mountain;  found  by 
Vernon  Bailey  as  high  as  11,200  feet.  On  the  north  side  of  Shastina 
we  collected  it  at  8,900  feet,  and  on  the  northeast  side  of  Red  Butte  as 
low  as  7,000  feet.  This  is  the  lowest  station  at  which  it  was  found,  and 
since  Pinus  alhicavUs  occurs  above  Red  Butte  the  locality  might  be 
mistaken  to  be  below  timberline,  but  the  sorrel  grows  only  among  the 
rocks  on  the  cold  northeast  sloj^es,  where  there  are  no  trees  and  where 
the  temperature  is  truly  alpine. 

Polygonum  shastense  Brewer.     Shasta  Polygonum. 

One  of  the  commonest  and  most  characteristic  plants  of  the  stony 
pumice  slopes  of  the  Hudsonian  and  Ali)ine  zones.  A  singular  and 
attractive  plant,  particularly  in  September,  Avhen  it  is  heavily  laden  with 
white  and  red  flowers  and  fruit.  As  a  rule  the  flowers  are  whitish,  turn- 
ing red  as  the  fruit  begins  to  develop.  No  two  plants  could  well  be  more 
different  in  general  ai)pearauce  than  this  species  and  its  congener  and 


OCT.,  1899.]  PLANTS.  145 

associate  Polyqamnn  newberryi,  and  few  species  bear  a  closer  resem- 
blance than  P.  shastense  and  its  geographically  remote  relative  P.  paro- 
nyclila.  The  resemblance  is  not  only  most  striking,  but  is  exceedingly 
interesting  from  the  standpoint  of  geographic  distribution.  Poli/gonum 
shastense  lives  at  high  altitudes  in  the  High  Sierra  and  Cascade  Range, 
while  P.  paronychia  inhabits  the  outer  sea  beach  in  northern  California 
and  Oregon,  where  it  is  bathed  in  the  chilly  fogs  of  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
The  root  of  Polygonum  shastense  is  of  moderate  size  and  slopes  very 
obliquely  into  the  soil.  It  divides  into  half  a  dozen  long  slender  rootlets, 
which  penetrate  to  a  depth  of  550  millimeters  or  more.  One  specimen 
examined  divided  into  three  main  roots  of  rather  large  size,  which 
tapered  very  gradually  and  reached  a  length  of  750  millimeters.  The 
branches  are  prostrate  and  usually  form  loosely  intertwined  mats  300 
to  500  millimeters  in  diameter,  rising  in  some  cases  40  to  50  millimeters 
above  the  surface,  but  usually  flattened  on  the  ground. 

Polygonum  newberryi  Small.     Broad  leaf  Polygonum. 

Abundant  from  the  lower  edge  of  the  Hudsonian  zone  up  to  a  little 
above  timberline,  where  its  big  green  leaves  are  very  conspicuous  on 
the  i)ale  pumice  soil  and  among  the  broken  fragments  of  gray  lava  rock. 
About  the  middle  of  September  the  leaves  turn  red — often  a  deep 
handsome  red — and  begin  to  fall,  so  that  by  the  end  of  the  month  the 
plant  has  practically  disappeared.  Its  buckwheat-like  fruit  is  a  favorite 
food  of  the  mice  inhabiting  the  higher  slopes. 

Oreobroma  triphylla  (Wats.)  Howell.     Dwarf  Alpine  Spring  Beauty. 

This  tiny  inconspicuous  plant  was  found  near  timberline  north  and 
northwest  of  Red  Butte.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Spraguea  umbellata  Torr.     Pussy-paws. 

Abundant  on  the  pumice  slopes  of  the  Hudsonian  zone,  beyond  which 
it  pushes  both  upward  and  downward  on  suitable  soils.  The  highest 
altitude  at  which  it  was  noted  is  9,400  feet  on  the  east  side  of  Mud 
Creek  Canyon,  but  it  was  rarely  seen  above  9,000  feet.  On  the  other 
hand,  a  form  of  it  descends  in  suitable  spots  to  the  lower  edge  of  the 
Canadian  zone  near  Wagon  Camp  (altitude  5,600  feet),  and  to  the  same 
altitude  in  the  lower  part  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon. 

Stellaria  crispa  C.  &,  S. 

Collected  by  Vernon  Bailey  and  Miss  Wilkins  in  Mud  Creek  Canyon 
near  the  junction  of  Clear  Creek.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Sagina  saginoides  (L.)  Brit. 

Occurs  above  timberline;  collected  by  Miss  Wilkins. 
Silene  grayi  Watson.     Hudsonian  Catch  fly. 

Common  in  stony  places  and  along  streams  below  timberline  in  the 
Hudsonian  zone.     Found  both   in  the  stony  pumice  soil  and   in  the 
heather  beds.     (Identified  by  Miss  Eastwood  and  Dr.  B.  L.  Robinson.) 
21753— No.  10 19 


146  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

Silene  suksdorfi  Robinson.'     Alpine  Catclitiy. 

An  alpine  species  coninion  in  scattered  tufts,  which  form  small  com- 
pact mats  under  the  edges  of  rocks,  well  above  timberline.  Often 
mixed  with  Erigeroii  conipositus.     (Identitied  by  Dr.  B.  L.  Robinson.) 

Aconitum  columbianum  Nutt.     Monkshood. 

Common  in  a  marshy  place  in  the  Shasta  fir  forest  at  Wagon  Camp, 
where  its  tall  wands  of  handsome  blue  tlowers  were  conspicuous  in  July 
and  its  fruit  in  September. 

Aquilegia  truncata  Fisch.  &  Mey.     Red  Columbine. 

Common  near  Wagon  Camp,  in  the  upper  part  of  the  Transition 
zone.     (Identitied  by  Professor  Creene.) 

Delphinium  sonnei  Greene.     Larkspur. 

Common  in  moist  spots  in  the  Shasta  fir  forest  near  Wagon  Camp, 
and  also  in  the  canyon  of  Ash  Creek.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Pseonia  browni  Dougl.     Wild  Pa'ony. 

Occurs  sparingly  in  the  u[)per  part  of  the  i)onderosa  pine  forest 
(Transition  zone),  particularly  in  the  neighborhood  of  Wagon  Camp. 

Pulsatilla  occidentalis  Watson. 

Common  in  places  on  the  higher  slopes  (Hudsonian  zone),  particu- 
larly where  the  snow  lies  late.  It  blooms  as  the  snow  recedes,  leaving 
a  handsome  globular  head  of  feathery  plumes  which  waves  in  the 
breeze  long  after  the  season  of  flowering. 

Bikukulla  uniflora  ( Kellogg)  Howell. 

Reported  by  Miss  Eastwood  from  above  tindterline  on  Horse  Camp 
Trail;  not  fouiul  by  us. 

Arabis  platysperraa  Gray.     Flat- pod  Arabis. 

The  commonest  and  most  widely  distributed  crucifer  of  the  higher 
slopes  of  Shasta,  where  it  occurs  on  stony  slopes  and  along  the  edges  of 
the  heather  beds  from  the  lower  edge  of  the  Hudsonian  zone  upward 
on  warm  slopes  to  10,200  feet.  Its  extreme  vertical  range  appears  to  be 
about  3,000  feet.     (Identified  by  Miss  Eastwood.) 

Cardamine  bellidifolia  pachyphylla  Coville. 

This  small  alpine  crucifer,  with  white  flowers  and  rather  broad  dark 
green  leaves,  is  nowhere  abundant,  but  was  observed  here  and  there 
above  timberline,  both  on  the  main  peak  of  Shasta  and  on  Shastina. 
(Identified  by  F.  V.  Coville.) 

Cheiranthus  perennis  (Coville)  Greene.     [  =  Erysimum,  asperum  2)erenne 
Coville.] 
Yernon  Bailey  and  I  found  this  coarse  yellow-flowered  crucifer  at 
timberline  on  the  north  slope  of  Shastina  July  124,  but  did  not  observe 
it  elsewhere.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

i  Botanical  Gazette,  vol.  16,  p.  44,  pi.  6,  1891. 


OCT,  1899.]  PLANTS.  147 

Draba  breweri  Wats.     Sierra  Alpine  Draba. 

Collected  east  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon  at  an  altitude  of  13,000  feet  by- 
Miss  Wilkin  s;  not  observed  elsewhere.  This  Draba  av.d  rolemonium 
pulchelhim  are  the  only  plants  found  at  so  great  an  elevation.  (Identi- 
fied by  F.  Y.  Coville.)' 

Streptanthus  orbiculatus  Greene. 

A  Hudsonian  species  common  on  pumice  soil  in  stony  places  at  and 
below  timberline  all  the  way  around  the  mountain.  The  plant  is  easily 
recognized  by  its  long  curved  slender  pods  and  its  rather  large  domed 
leaves.  The  length  of  the  large  tapering  root  only  slightly  exceeds  the 
height  of  the  plant.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Chrysamphora  californica  (Torr.)  Greene.  California  Pitcher  Plant. 
[^=l)arHngtoma  Auct.) 
This  interesting  pitcher  plant  is  exceedingly  local  in  distribution. 
Mr.  Elmer  Aj)plegate  tells  me  tliat  it  is  conunou  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  Sacramento  Canyon,  a  short  distance  from  Sisson  Tavern.  It  has 
been  reported  as  occurring  in  the  'marshes'  of  Shasta,  but  we  did  not 
find  it  on  the  mountain,  nor  did  we  find  any  marshy  areas  more  than  a 
few  rods  in  extent. 

Drosera  rotundifolia  Linn.     Sundew. 

Collected  by  Miss  Wilkins  in  the  springy  bog  just  above  Wagon 
Camp  in  the  Canadian  zone.     Not  observed  elsewhere. 

Mitella  pentandra  Hook. 

Common  in  the  heather  patches  along  the  overhanging  banks  of 
streams  in  the  Hudsonian  zone.  Abundant  at  Squaw  Creek  Camp. 
(Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Parnassia  californica  (Gray)  Greene.     Grass-of-Parnassus. 

This  elegant  flower  is  common  along  the  water  courses  of  the  Hud- 
sonian zone,  usually  growing  along  the  overhanging  banks  of  the  tiny 
rivulets.  It  blossoms  late,  and  a  few  plants  were  still  in  flower  when 
snow  fell,  the  last  week  in  September. 

Saxifraga  bryophora  Gray. 

Re])orted  by  ^Nliss  Eastwood  from  the  timberline  region  on  Horse 
Camp  Trail;  not  found  by  us. 

Saxifraga  tolmiei'  T.  &  G.     Alpine  Eock  Saxifrage. 

Common  above  timberline,  where  it  usually  forms  small  dense  mats 
in  moist  places  among  rocks.  On  Inconstance  Creek,  on  the  north  side 
of  Shasta,  it  was  found  as  low  as  7,600  feet.  On  the  south  slope  it 
ranges  up  to  11,000  feet,  or  possibly  higher.  On  the  cold  northeast 
side  of  Eed  Butte  it  occurs  among  the  rocks  with  Oxyria  digyna.  (See 
p.  50.) 

'  The  spelling  tolmcei  should  be  regarded  as  an  oIin  ions  typographical  error. 


148  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA,  [no.  16. 

Peltiphyllum  peltatum  (Torr.)  Engler.     Giant  Water  Saxifrage. 

One  of  the  most  cons])icuous  i>lants  in  the  bottom  of  the  Sacramento 
Canyon,  where  its  clusters  of  huge  incised  roundish  leaves  along  the 
water's  edge  suggest  the  devil's  club.  It  ranges  along  the  Sacramento 
Kiver  from  Just  below  Sisson  nearly  to  the  Sacramento  Valley. 

Ribes  amictum  Greene. 

Occurs  at  Wagon  Camp,  along  Squaw  Creek,  and  in  the  bottom  of  Mud 
Creek  Canyon  at  an  altitude  of  6,700  feet.  (Identified  by  Professor 
Greene.) 

Ribes  cereum  Dougi. 

Found  near  timberlitie  near  the  head  of  Panther  Creek,  and  also 
much  lower  down. 

Ribes  viscosissimum  Pursh. 

Common  near  Wagon  Camp  and  observed  at  other  points  within  the 
Transition  zone,  particularly  along  Squaw  Creek. 

Ribes  klamathense  Coville. 

Occurs  in  cool  moist  places  in  the  Transition  zone  at  Sisson.  (Iden- 
tified by  F.  V.  Coville.) 

Cercocarpus  ledifolius  Nutt.     Mountain  Mahogany. 

Common  on  Sheep  Rock  and  thence  to  the  southeastern  corner  of 
Shasta  Valley  (V.  Bailey),  and  on  warm,  dry  slopes  of  the  Scott 
Mountains,  where  C.  jyarvifolius  also  occurs. 

Fragaria  bracteata  Heller.     Small  Strawberry. 

Common  on  the  lower  slopes.  Just  below  Wagon  Camp  strawberries 
and  i)ainted  cups  are  so  abundant  as  to  form  an  almost  continuous  car- 
pet under  the  uppermost  grove  of  ponderosa  pines.  (Identified  pro- 
visionally by  P.  A.  Eydberg.) 

Fragaria  chile  5nsis  Duchesne.     Large  Strawberry. 

Occurs  with  the  last  a  little  below  Wagon  Camp,  but  is  much  com- 
moner lower  down,  particularly  near  Sisson.  Sisson  Tavern  was 
formerly  called  'Berryvale'  and  is  located  in  'Strawberry'  Valley. 
Both  names  were  derived  from  the  abundance  of  this  wild  fruit  there 
in  early  days.     (Identified  provisionally  by  P.  A.  Eydberg.) 

Holodiscus  discolor  (Pursh)  Maxim.     Alpine  Spirtea. 

Common  on  rocks  at  and  a  little  below  timberline,  usually  associated 
with  Finus  albicauUs.  It  is  a  small,  fragrant  bush,  usually  less  than  a 
foot  in  height,  and  always  grows  among  rocks  at  high  altitudes.  In 
the  Iludsonian  zone  it  was  found  all  the  way  around  the  mountain,  and 
was  in  blossom  from  about  July  L*0  until  September.  A  larger  form, 
which  the  botanists  do  not  appear  to  have  named,  occurs  lower  down, 
in  the  Canadian  zone.  It  has  larger,  broader,  and  thinner  leaves  and 
should  be  separated. 


OCT.,  1899.]  PLANTS.  149 

Spiraea  douglasi  Hook.     Red  Spira?a. 

Common  in  moist  places  in  the  Canadiau  and  Transition  zones,  but 
most  abundant  in  the  latter.  It  is  common  at  Sisson,  at  the  west  base 
of  the  mountain,  and  in  Squaw  Creek  Valley  on  the  south  side,  and 
thence  upward,  in  suitable  moist  spots,  to  Wagon  Camp  at  5,700  feet, 
along  Squaw  Creek  at  6,000  feet,  and  in  Mud  Creek  Canyon  as  high 
as  6,700  feet. 

Horkelia  pseudocapitata  Rydberg. 

Abundant  in  the  Transition  zone  near  Wagon  Camp,  particularly 
about  the  upper  limit  of  Pinus ponder osa.    (Identified  by  P.  A.  Rydberg.) 

Kunzia  tridentata  (Pursh.)  Spreng. 

Irregularly  distributed  in  the  Transition  zone;  commonest  in  the 
manzauita  chaparral  of  the  lower  slopes.  On  the  north  side  of  the 
mountain  it  is  exceedingly  abundant,  and  in  the  open  pine  forest  bor- 
dering the  south  end  of  Shasta  Valley  attains  unusually  large  size. 
On  the  west  side,  north  of  Sisson,  it  occurs  si^aringly  on  most  of  the 
warmer  and  drier  knolls,  and  more  i)lentifully  between  Black  Butte 
and  Shasta  Valley.  It  is  almost  always  associated  with  Arctostapltylos 
patula,  with  which  it  ascends  some  of  the  warmar  slopes  to  points  far 
above  the  npper  limit  of  its  usual  distribution.  Tlius  it  was  found  on 
a  southwest  slope  in  Mud  Creek  Canyon  between  the  altitudes  of  6,700 
and  7,400  feet;  on  similar  slopes  near  Horse  Trail  and  in  Diller  Canyon 
as  high  as  7,800  to  7,900  feet,  and  on  a  warm  ijumice  ridge  north  of 
Shastina  at  7,500  feet.'  In  Squaw  Creek  Valley,  near  McCloud  Mill,  a 
form  occurs  which  has  exceedingly  narrow  leaves. 

Lutkea  pectinata  (Hook.)  Kuntze. 

Abundant  in  the  Hudsonian  zone,  chiefly  in  the  neighborhood  of 
timberline,  where  it  is  common  along  the  little  streams  in  the  upper 
edge  of  the  forest,  and  in  the  glacial  basins  which  are  wet  from  melting- 
snows  in  the  early  part  of  the  season,  but  may  be  dry  at  the  time  the 
plant  blossoms.  In  damp  spots,  particularly  along  the  borders  of  cool 
springs,  the  individual  plants  often  stand  so  near  together  as  to  form 
extensive  beds. 

Potentilla  flabellifolia  Hook. 

Occurs  here  and  there,  a  little  below  timberline,  in  the  Hudsonian 
zone.     (Identifled  by  Miss  Eastwood  and  P.  A.  Rydberg.) 

Potentilla  pseudorupestris  Rydberg.     Dwarf  Alpine  Potentilla. 

A  dwarf  Alpine  or  high  Hudsonian  Potentilla  of  the  (/landulosaty])e, 
collected  on  the  north  side  of  Shastina  at  an  altitude  of  about  8,800 
feet,  is  x)i'ovisionally  referred  to  this  species  by  Mr.  Rydberg. 

'  For  an  explanation  of  this  .seemingly  abnormal  range,  see  p.  49. 


150  NORTH    AMERICAN    FAUNA.  [xo.l6. 

Potentilla  glandulosa  Liiidl.     Large  Yellow  Potentilla. 

A  large  Potentilla  from  the  Transition  zone,  near  Wagon  Cara]),  is 
identified  by  Mr.  Ilydberg  as  P.  glandulosa. 

Rosa  californica  C.  &  S.     California  Kose. 

Abundant  in  moist  places  in  the  Transition  zone  near  Sisson  Tavern 
and  along  the  east  base  of  Mount  Eddy. 

Rosa  gymnocarpa  Nutt.     Wild  Hose. 

Common  in  places  in  the  Transition  zone,  particularly  a  little  below 
Wagon  Camp. 

Rubus  parviflorus  Nutt.  [  =  R.  nutJcanus  Auct.  1  Western  Thimbleberry. 
Common  in  cool  moist  places  in  McCloud  Valley  and  at  Sisson,  and 
thence  up  through  the  Transition  zone  to  an  altitude  of  5,200  feet  on 
the  road  to  Wagon  Camp,  and  G,0()0  feet  along  Squaw  Creek  and  in 
Mud  Creek  Canyon.  Most  of  the  Transition  slopes  of  Shasta  are  too 
dry  for  the  thimbleberry. 

Rubus  vitifolius  C.  &  S.     Blackberry. 

Common  in  cool  moist  places  in  the  Transition  zone  near  Sisson  and 
along  the  east  base  of  the  Scott  Mountains. 

Sibbaldia  procumbens  Linn.     Alpine  Sibbaldia. 

Common  in  the  Hudsonian   zone  near  timberline,   particularly  in 
springy  places  and  in  the  heather   beds.     Usually  occurs  in   small 
patches  below  extreme  timberline. 
Amelanchier  alnifolia  >utt.     Serviceberry. 

Abundant  in  moderately  moist  parts  of  the  Transition  zone.  On  the 
west  and  southwest  sides  of  the  mountain  it  reaches  from  Sisson  to 
Wagon  Camp.  On  a  warm  southwest  slope  on  the  steep  ridge  between 
Mud  Creek  Canyon  and  Clear  Creek  it  occurs,  with  several  other 
Transition  zone  species,  at  the  unusual  altitude  of  about  7,000  fpet. 
(See  p.  49.) 

Crataegus  rivularis  Kutt.     Black  Haw. 

Common  in  the  Transition  zone  about  the  west  base  of  Shasta,  par- 
ticularly along  streams  at  the  east  base  of  Mount  Eddy,  from  the  head 
of  the  Sacramento  northward,  usually  in  cool  moist  soil.  Common  near 
Sisson  Tavern. 

Sorbus  sambucifolia  (C.  &  S.).     Mountain  Ash. 

Rather  scarce  and  confined  chietly  to  the  relatively  moist  Transition 
zone  sloi)es  of  the  canyons.  In  Mud  Creek  Canyon  it  was  found  along 
the  bottom  from  5,000  feet  to  0,700  feet.  Along  Squaw  Creek  it  was 
found  at  about  5,500  feet. 

Cerasus  demissa  (Nutt.).     Western  Chokecherry. 

Common  in  places  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Transition  zone.  Observed 
on  the  south  slope  above  jNlcCloud  Mill,  mainly  in  the  gulches;  also  ia 
the  neighborhood  of  Sisson,  and  near  the  south  end  of  Shasta  Valley. 


OCT.,  1899]  PLANTS.  151 

Cerasus  emarginata  Doagl.     Bush  Cherry;  Bitter  Ked  Cherry. 

xVbuiuhiut  ill  phices  in  the  chaparral  of  tlie  Transition  zone.  In 
Sacramento  Canyon,  south  of  Shasta,  it  begins  at  'The  Loop,"  and 
ranges  up  to  tlie  lower  edge  of  the  Canadian  zone.  It  is  profusely 
abundant  at  Wagon  Cami),  where  it  is  a  straggling  bush  a  little  higher 
than  a  man's  head,  and  usually  grows  in  thickets.  It  ascends  Mud 
Creek  Canyon  to  an  altitude  of  o,(i()0  or  5,700  feet. 

Cerasus  glandulosa  Kellogg. 

A  sai^ling  or  small  tree  having  large  broad  leaves;  collected  by  me 
a  short  distance  south  of  Sisson  Tavern.  (Identified  by  Professor 
Greene.) 

Prunus  subcordata  Benth.     Wild  Plum. 

Common  in  places  along  the  southern  and  western  borders  of  Shasta 
Valley,  usually  in  the  edge  of  the  open  Pinus  ponderosa  forest  and 
often  growing  with  Rhus  and  Kunzia.  We  found  it  also  near  Etna, 
on  the  west  side  of  Scott  Valley. 

Cercis  occidentalis  Torr.     Eed-bud. 

lieported  from  Mount  Shasta  in  the  Botany  of  Califorina,  but  not 
found  by  us  except  in  the  Sacramento  Canyon,  where  it  is  common. 

Lotus  americanus  (Nutt.)  Bisch.     [=  Hosackia  americana.] 

Common  in  the  Transition  zone  at  Wagon  Camp,  and  thence  along 
the  road  to  Sisson,  growing  chiefly  in  open  places  in  the  chaparral. 

Lupinus  elmeri  Greene  [=  Ij.  «lbicai(lis  si/lvestris  Auct.] 

Common  in  plactr-s  througliout  the  ui)per  i)art  of  the  Transition  zone, 
and  ranging  into  the  Canadian.  Common  at  Wagon  Camp  and  a  little 
above.  Found  also  in  Mud  Creek  ( 'anyon  at  mouth  of  Clear  Creek. 
(Identitied  by  J.  B.  Leiberg.) 

Lupinus  'ornatus'  Auct.  [not  of  Douglas.]     Silvery  Lupine. 

This  beautiful  species  is  common  in  spots  near  and  a  little  below 
tiniberline,  sometimes  covering  extensive  areas,  but  not  uniformly  dis- 
tributed. Where  it  occurs  it  is  usually  sufficiently  abundant  to  give 
the  mountain  side  the  effect  of  a  distinct  silvery  covering.  It  always 
grows  on  stony  or  pumice  slopes  and  usually  among  or  near  white  bark 
pines,  although  in  a  few  instances  it  was  found  outside  of  the  pine 
areas.  It  is  common  near  the  head  of  Squaw  Creek  and  on  both  sides 
of  Mud  Creek  Canyon.  On  the  east  side  of  this  canyon  it  is  particu- 
larly abundant  just  above  the  trees,  and  stops  abruptly  at  an  altitude 
of  8,200  to  8,100  feet,  to  be  replaced  by  the  dwarf  Alpine  L.  hjalli.  On 
the  north  side  of  Shasta  it  is  common  in  an   open  forest  of  white-bark 


'In  this  and  subsequent  references  to  'The  Loop'  the  statement  means  that  in 
goiny  north  along  the  railroad  track  we  first  saw  the  i)lant  at  *  The  Loop.'  The 
species  may  occur  farther  south  in  the  canyon  on  suitable  slopes  above  the  level  of 
the  railroad. 


152  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.ig. 

pines  in  a  shallow  gulch  at  the  east  base  of  the  lava  buttes  just  below 
'North  Gate.'  The  upper  limit  of  the  silvery  lu[)ine  usually  coincides 
with  the  lower  limit  of  the  dwarf  lupine  [L.  h/alli),  which  species  gen- 
erally i^ushes  from  this  point  upward  through  the  Alpine  zone. 

The  root  of  the  silvery  lupine  is  slender  and  tough,  and  soon  divides 
into  two  or  three  very  long  wire-like  rootlets  which  run  a  rather  shallow 
course  in  the  sand.  Some  of  them  measure  750  millimeters.  The  plant 
at  timberline  averages  about  00  millimeters  in  height. 

Mr.  Lei  berg  tells  me  that  this  species,  although  commonly  referred 
to  '•ornatus\  is  not  or  nut  us  of  Douglas.  It  has  also  been  called  L. 
argenteus  decumhens  Watson. 

Lupinus  albifrons  Benth. 

Collected  near  Horse  Camp  August  20  by  Vernon  Bailey  and  Miss 
Wilkins.     (Identified  by  J.  B.  Leiberg.) 

Lupinus  lyalli  Gray.     Dwarf  Alpine  Lupine. 

Abundant  and  widely  distributed  over  the  higher  rocky  pumice 
slopes  from  timberline  or  a  little  above  up  to  an  altitude  of  slightly 
more  than  10,000  feet.     (Identified  by  J.  B.  Leiberg.) 

Lupinus  minimus  Dougl.     Dwarf  Lowland  Lupine. 

Common  in  the  Transition  zone  at  Sisson.  (Identified  by  J.  B.  Lei- 
berg.) 

Vicia  americana  Muhl. 

Bather  common  at  and  below  Wagon  Camp,  and  still  in  fiower  when 
we  left,  September  25. 

Linum  lewisi  Pursh.     Wild  Hemp. 

Abundant  at  Wagon  Camp,  where  its  delicate  blue  llowers  were  con- 
spicuous in  July,  and  its  large  subglobular  seed  capsules  in  September. 

Polygala  cornuta  Kellogg. 

Occurs  plentifully  in  the  dry  pine  woods  of  the  Transition  zone  near 
Sisson  Tavern,  but  was  not  observed  on  the  mountain  proper.  (Iden- 
tified by  Miss  Eastwood.) 

Rhus  trilobata  Nutt. 

In  going  north  from  Sisson  we  first  observed  this  species  a  mile  or 
two  south  of  Edgewood,  to  the  north  and  east  of  which  it  became  more 
and  more  common.  Its  zone  position  here  is  along  the  borderland 
between  the  Transition  and  Upijer  Sonoran  zones. 

Pachystima  myrsinites  Raf.     Oregon  Boxwood. 

Common  in  the  Transition  zone  at  the  west  base  of  Shasta,  from  Sis- 
son up  to  an  altitude  of  about  4,700  feet,  usually  in  manzanita  chapar- 
ral. Its  absence  from  the  higher  slopes  within  the  proper  zone  limits 
of  the  species  is  probably  due  to  heat  and  dryness,  as  explained  else- 
where (p.  5(1),  but  it  is  possible  that  the  Sisson  plant  is  a  Transition 
zone  subspecies  of  the  true  Boreal  P.  myrsinites. 


OCT.,  1809]  PLANTS.  153 

Acer  macrophy Hum  Pursh.     Oregon  Maple;  Big-leaf  Maple. 

The  tree  maple  is  rare  in  the  region  about  Shasta,  where  it  was 
observed  only  in  moist  places  in  tlie  lower  part  of  the  Transition  zone 
near  Sisson  and  in  the  upper  part  of  the  Sacramento  Canyon. 

Acer  glabrum  Torr.     Bush  Maple. 

Fairly  common  in  McOloud  Valley  and  in  moist  places  along  streams 
and  canyons  in  the  Transition  zone.  In  Mud  Creek  Canyon  it  was 
found  up  to  an  altitude  a  little  above  5,600  feet,  and  along  Squaw  Creek 
to  nearly  6,000  feet. 

Acer  circinatum  Pursh.     Vine  Maple. 

This  characteristic  west-coast  species,  with  nearly  circular  7 -point 
leaves,  occurs  sparingly  in  moist  places  near  Sisson  Tavern,  but  is  not 
common.  It  is  one  of  the  most  distinctive  plants  of  the  humid  Pacific 
coast  division  of  the  Transition  zone. 

Ceanothus  cordulatus  Kellogg.     Snow  Bush. 

Common  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Transition  zone  on  the  southern 
and  western  basal  slopes  of  Shasta.  In  the  upper  part  of  Sacramento 
Canyon  it  first  occurs  at  'The  Loop,'  whence  it  is  abundant  northerly 
to  within  a  mile  or  two  of  Edgewood.  At  Sisson  and  in  Squaw  Creek 
and  McCloud  valleys  it  is  very  abundant,  but  for  some  reason  not 
apparent  it  does  not  reach  on  Shasta  its  usual  upper  limit,  and  was 
not  observed  anywhere  above  4,900  feet.  Possibly  it  is  choked  out  by 
the  other  chaparral,  which  is  made  up  mainly  of  manzanita  {Arcto- 
staphylos patula)  and  buck-brush  [Ceanothus  velutinus). 

Ceanothus  cuneatus  Xutt.     Wedge-leaf  Ceanothus. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  characteristic  shrubs  of  tlie  Upper  Sonoran 
zone  in  California,  where  it  is  generally  associated  with  the  curious 
digger  pines.  The  region  about  Shasta  is  too  high  for  it.  It  occurs, 
however,  in  the  lower  valleys,  both  north  and  south  of  Sisson.  On  the 
north  it  reaches  from  Yreka  to  a  little  beyond  Edgewood,  appearing  a 
mile  or  two  south  of  the  latter  point  on  the  road  to  Sisson,  and  about 
4  miles  southwest  of  it  on  a  road  farther  west.  Skipping  the  broad 
Transition  belt  between  Edgewood  and  the  Sacramento,  it  occurs  next 
at  Delta,  in  the  Sacramento  Canyon,  and  ranges  thence  southerly.  Its 
upper  border  meets  the  lower  border  of  another  species,  C.  cordulatus, 
which  is  common  at  Sisson,  as  well  as  on  the  southern  and  western 
basal  slopes  of  Shasta. 

Ceanothus  velutinus  Dougl.     Buck-brush. 

Profusely  abundant  on  all  the  manzanita-covered  slopes  of  Shasta, 

from  the  lower  part  of  the  Canadian  zone  down  nearly  to  the  lower 

edge  of  the  Transition.     Mixed  with  Arctostaphylos  patula  in  nearly 

equal  proportion  it  forms  the  dominant  chaparral  of  the  mountain. 

21753— No.  16 20 


154  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

Tongues  of  it  push  up  on  warm  southerly  slopes  to  about  6,600  feet' 
altitude,  aud  it  descends  on  the  west  slope  to  about  4,200  feet  (half  a 
mile  east  of  Sisson),  and  on  the  south  slope  to  3,600  feet  (near  McCloud 
Mill).  Along  the  east  base  of  Mount  Eddy,  where  it  is  sheltered  from 
the  afternoon  sun,  it  appears  about  2  miles  north  of  Sisson  (altitude 
3,700  feet),  and  continues  northerly  for  many  miles. 

Ceanothus  integerrimus  H.  &  A.     California  Lilac. 

Common  in  parts  of  the  Transition  zone,  notably  in  Squaw  Creek 
Valley  near  McCloud  Mill,  and  in  the  upper  Sacramento  Valley  a  little 
below  Sisson,  but  very  scarce  or  absent  on  the  slopes  of  Shasta  proper. 
Like  G.  cordulatus  it  seems  to  be  kept  out  by  some  unknown  cause, 
possibly  choked  out  by  other  species.     Perhaps  the  soil  is  too  dry  for  it. 

Ceanothus  (Cerastes)  prostratus  Benth.     Squaw  Carpet. 

In  following  the  Sacramento  Canyon  northward,  Sc^uaw  Carpet  was 
first  seen  at  the  '  The  Loop,'  a  few  miles  south  of  Sisson,  whence  it 
occurs  in  greater  or  less  abundance  throughout  the  ponderosa  ])ine 
forest  and  manzanita  chaparral  to  the  lower  slopes  of  Shasta,  where  on 
the  southwest  side  it  reaches  up  to  5,200  feet. 

Rhamnus  californica  Esch.     (This  form  may  be  B.  rubra  Greene.) 

Scarce  and  confined  to  low  altitudes  in  the  Transition  zone.  Found 
by  Vernon  Bailey  in  Squaw  Creek  Valley  below  4,000  teet.  Specimen 
lost. 

Hypericum  anagalloides  C.  &  S.     Dwarf  Hypericum. 

Common  in  spots  in  wet  places  in  the  Hudsonian  and  Canadian  zones. 
It  was  most  common  in  the  second  meadow  on  Squaw  Creek,  aud  by 
no  means  rare  near  Wagon  Camp,  and  was  in  flower  in  late  July  aud 
throughout  August. 

Viola  blanda  Willd.     White  Violet. 

Collected  by  Miss  Wilkins  in  the  middle  meadow  on  Squaw  Creek, 
at  an  altitude  of  7,500  feet.     Not  observed  elsewhere. 

Viola  purpurea  Kellogg.     Alpine  Yellow  Violet. 

Common  on  dry  rocky  slopes  on  pumice  soil  from  some  distance 
below  timberline  upward,  on  warm  southerly  exposures,  to  9,300  feet. 
When  we  reached  the  mountain,  the  middle  of  July,  its  yellow  flowers 
were  conspicuous,  although  even  at  that  time  the  species  had  nearly 
passed  flowering.  Its  fruit  and  dark  green  leaves  remained  as  late  as 
the  latter  part  of  September,  sharply  outlined  against  the  whitish 
stones  and  pumice  of  the  bleak  and  barren  upper  slopes,  where  a  violet 
seemed  singularly  out  of  place.  (Ideutilied  by  Miss  Eastwood  and 
Professor  Greene.) 

'  For  its  extreme  upper  limit,  on  hot  canyon  slopes,  see  remarks  under  Arctoata- 
pht/loa  patula,  p.  158. 


OCT.,  1899.]  PLANTS.  155 

Mentzelia  laevicaulis  (Dougl.)  T.  &  G. 

Rather  common  in  Shasta  Valley,  but  not  found  elsewhere  about  the 
mountain.  This  species  seems  to  belong  to  the  Upper  Sonoran  zone, 
and  therefore  has  no  place  in  the  flora  of  Mount  Shasta. 

Epilobium  spicatum  Lamarck.     Willow  Herb ;  Fire- weed. 

Abundant  in  places,  chiefly  on  old  burns  in  the  Canadian  and  Tran- 
sition zones.  At  Wagon  Camp  it  did  not  begin  to  flower  until  near  the 
middle  of  August;  at  Sisson  it  was  still  in  flower  in  places  as  late  as 
the  middle  of  September. 

Epilobium  brevistylum  Barbey. 

Collected  at  Wagon  Camp,  where  it  is  tolerably  common  in  moist 
places;  the  largest  species  next  to  spicatum.  (Identified  by  Professor 
Trelease.) 

Epilobium  oregonense  Hausskn. 

Common  at  Wagon  Camp.  A  large  form  occurring  also  at  Wagon 
Camp  Professor  Trelease  considers  as  probably  E.  glaberrinium  Barbey. 

?  Epilobium  hornemanni  Eeichenb. 

Some  poor  specimens,  with  exceedingly  long  seed  capsules,  collected 
by  me  a  little  below  timberliue  about  the  end  of  the  season,  are  doubt- 
fully referred  to  this  species  by  Professor  Trelease. 

Epilobium  clavatum  Trelease. 

Abundant  in  the  heather  meadows  and  along  the  edges  of  the  cool 
streams  of  the  Hudsonian  zone  at  and  a  little  below  timberline. 
(Identified  by  Professor  Trelease.) 

Epilobium  pringleanum  Hausskn. 

A  tiny  alpine  species,  rarely  as  tall  as  one's  thumb,  occurring  here 
and  there  on  the  borders  of  the  highest  streamlets  above  timberline. 
(Identified  by  Professor  Trelease.) 

Epilobium  obcordatum  Gray.     Rose  Epilobium. 

Local — common  near  timberline  on  the  steep  west  side  (east  slope)  of 
Mud  Creek  Canyon.  A  remarkable  plant,  strikingly  unlike  the  others 
of  its  genus.  It  has  a  woody  base  and  is  really  a  dwarf  bush.  Its 
large  red  flowers  are  showy  and  very  handsome.  (Identified  by  Miss 
Eastwood  and  Professor  Trelease.) 

Gayophytum  ramosissimum  T.  «&  G. 

Abundant  throughout  the  Transition  zone,  where  it  was  equally  com- 
mon at  Sisson  and  at  Wagon  Camp  and  was  in  flower  as  late  as  the  end 
of  September.     (Identified  by  Miss  Eastwood.) 

Carum  gairdneri  (Hook.  &  Arn.)  Gray. 

Rather  common  in  damp  soil  at  Wagon  Camp  where  the  Canadian 
and  Transition  zones  meet.     (Identified  by  Dr.  J.  N.  Rose.) 


156  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

Cymopterus  terebinthinus  T.  &  G. 

Commou  iu  the  neighborhood  of  timberline,  usually  in  stony  places 
on  dry  j^umice  slopes;  found  also  on  top  of  lied  Cone,  a  little  east  of 
Wagon  Cami).  This  species  has  a  large  and  woody  root  and  a  remark- 
ably rank  and  lasting  odor.  Its  zone  position  is  Hudsonian;  a  larger 
unrecognized  form  occurs  in  the  Canadian  zone.  (Identified  by  Miss 
Eastwood  and  Dr.  Rose.) 

Ligusticum  grayi  Coulter  &  Rose. 

Common  throughout  the  Hudsonian  zone,  i)articularly  a  little  below 
timberline,  where  it  occurs  most  abundantly  iu  the  beds  of  heather 
along  the  little  streams.  In  places  it  pushes  down  into  the  Canadian 
zone.     (Identified  by  Miss  Eastwood  and  Dr.  Rose.) 

Heracleum  lanatum  Michx.     Cow  Parsnii*. 

Occurs  in  damp  places  in  the  Canadian  zone.  In  Mud  Creek  Canyon 
near  the  mouth  of  Clear  Creek  it  was  found  as  high  as  6,700  feet. 
(Identified  by  Dr.  Rose.) 

Osmorrhiza  nuda  Torr. 

Found  sparingly  at  Wagon  Camp  and  at  Sisson. 
Cornus  nuttalli  Audubon.     Oregon  Dogwood. 

Rather  common  in  moist  places  in  the  lower  half  of  the  Transition 
zone.  It  occurs  in  Squaw  Creek  Valley  near  McCloud  Mill,  and  is 
common  along  the  streams  near  Sisson  Tavern;  on  the  road  from 
Wagon  Camp  to  Sisson  it  was  seen  up  to  an  altitude  of  4,500  feet. 

Cornus  pubescens  Kutt. 

Common  in  cool  damp  soil  near  Sisson  and  along  the  upj)er  Sacra- 
mento. 

ChimapMla  umbellata  (L.)  ISTutt. 

Occurs  here  and  there  throughout  the  drier  parts  of  the  forest,  but 
is  less  common  than  Ghimaphila  menziesi. 

Chimaphila  menziesi  Spreng. 

Fairly  common  throughout  the  Shasta  fir  forest,  and  also  in  the 
mixed  forest  of  pines  and  firs  from  the  upper  Sacramento  Canyon 
northward  (Canadian  and  Transition). 

Pyrola  picta  Smith. 

Occurs  here  and  there  throughout  the  forest  of  Shasta  firs,  where 
its  ornamental  light-marbled  leaves  are  pleasingly  conspicuous  against 
the  dark  soil. 

Pyrola  pallida  Greene. ' 

Found  sparingly  on  the  dry  summit  of  Red  Cone,  about  a  mile  east 
of  Wagon  Camj).     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

1  Pittonia,  IV,  p.  39,  March  17,  1899. 


PLANTS. 


157 


Pyrola  secunda  Liiui. 

Decidedly  less  couiniou  than  P.  picta,  but  like  it  found  in  the  Shasta 
fir  forest. 

Pterospora  andromedae  i^utt.     Pinedrops 

Found  in  the  dry  woods  along  the  border  between  the  Canadian  and 
Transition  zones.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Pleuricospora  fimbriolata  Gray. 

Collected  at  Wagon  Camp  by  Miss  Wilkins.     (Identified  by  F.  V. 

Coville.) 

Sarcodes  sanguinea  Torr.     Snow  Plant. 

This  handsome  plant  is  rei)orted  as  common  on  the  forested  slopes  of 
Shasta  at  the  time  of  melting  snow  in  spring.  It  jjrobably  occurs  in 
both  the  Canadian  and  Transition  zones. 

Arctostaphylos  nevadensis  Gray.     Dwarf  Mountain  Manzanita. 

Common  in  the  Canadian  and  Hudsonian  zones,  growing  in  extensive 
beds  a  foot  or  less  in  height.  On  the  high  ridges,  among  the  timber- 
line  Pmus  alhicaulis,  these  beds  of  green  cover  the  pale  gray  lava 
rocks,  and  in  the  dark  forests  of  Shasta  fir  they  form  the  only  con- 
spicuous surface  vegetation. 

Arctostaphylos  patula  Greene.     Green  Manzanita. 

The  most  abundant  and  troublesome  chaparral  of  Shasta.  It  is  a 
characteristic  Transition  zone  species  and  covers  the  lower  slopes  all 
the  way  around  the  mountain  except  a  belt  about  10  miles  wide  on  the 


Maii/.aiiita  chaparral. 


northeast  base,  reaching  from  Ash  Creek  to  about  3  miles  northwest  of 
Inconstance  Creek,  which  is  too  cold  for  it  and  is  occupied  by  Canadian 
zone  species.  On  the  north,  west,  and  south  it  covers  practically  the 
whole  of  a  broad  belt  several  miles  in  width,  reaching  from  base  level 


158  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

to  the  lower  edge  of  the  Canadian  zone  and  formerly  occupied  in  the 
main  by  a  forest  of  ponderosa  pines,  some  of  which  still  remain  scattered 
over  it.  Except  at  its  extreme  lower  limit,  it  is  usually  mixed  with 
buck-brush  {CeanotJms  velutinus). 

Seen  from  a  distance,  the  extensive  areas  of  manzanita  on  the  lower 
slopes  of  Shasta  are  very  deceptive.  They  look  like  meadows  of  green 
grass,  but  to  cross  them  is  in  most  cases  impossible,  owing  to  the  den- 
sity of  the  growth  and  rigidity  of  the  branches.  For  this  reason  they 
form  secure  retreats  for  black  bears,  deer,  wild-cats  and  other  animals. 

At  two  places  on  the  west  side  of  the  mountain  Arctostaphylos patula 
reaches  the  extraordinary  altitude  of  7,800  to  7,900  feet.  One  of  these 
is  on  the  north  side  of  Diller  Canyon,  the  other  on  the  north  side  of 
Horse  Camp  Trail.  Both  stations  are  on  long  and  steep  southwest 
pumice  slopes  which  receive  the  hot  rays  of  the  afternoon  sun  almost 
at  a  right  angle,  carrying  up  numerous  Transition  zone  si)ecies  nearly 
2,000  feet  above  their  normal  limit.  (See  p.  51.)  From  the  southwest 
base  of  Shasta  the  green  manzanita  reaches  down  the  canyon  of  the 
Sacramento  Kiver  to  'The  Loop.' 

Phyllodoce  empetriformis  (Gray),     lied  Heather. 

\=Bryant}ms  empetriformis  Auct.] 

Abundant  along  the  cold  streams  of  the  Hudsonian  zone  and  in  the 
bottoms  of  the  glacial  basins  that  are  kept  moist  by  melting  snows; 
commonest  between  the  altitudes  of  7,500  and  8,500  feet,  and  not  seen 
above  9,100  feet.  This  is  the  only  'heather'  found  on  Shasta.  It 
usually  forms  extensive  beds  or  carpets  in  which  numerous  other 
plants  find  a  congenial  home.  These  beds  are  practically  the  only 
flower  gardens  on  the  mountain,  and  the  only  areas  where  small  plants 
are  plentiful  enough  to  give  the  effect  of  continuous  green;  hence  they 
are  commonly  spoken  of  as  'heather  meadows.' 

Kalmia  glauca  microphylla  Hook.     Alpine  Laurel. 

Abundant  in  most  of  the  heather  meadows  just  below  timberline, 
particularly  along  Squaw  Creek.  In  general  size  and  aspect  the  alpine 
laurel  resembles  the  red  heather  so  closely  that  at  a  little  distance  it  is 
difficult  to  tell  them  apart. 

Vaccinium  caespitosum  Mich.     Dwarf  Alpine  Blueberry. 

Abundant  on  the  higher  slopes  within  the  Hudsonian  zone,  reaching 
a  little  above  timberline.  Common  here  and  there  in  the  stony 
pumice  flats  and  basins,  but  commonest  near  the  streams,  where  it  is 
scattered  through  the  heather  and  forms  beds  of  its  own  along  the 
outer  edges  of  the  heather  beds.  Its  leaves  turn  dark  red  or  garnet  dur- 
ing the  latter  half  of  September,  contrasting  handsomely  with  the  dark 
green  of  the  heather.  In  the  neighboihood  of  timberline  the  dwarf 
blueberry  is  rarely  more  than  three  or  four  inches  in  height.  It  was  in 
full  bloom  the  middle  of  July. 


OCT.,  1899.]  PLANTS.  159 

The  form  here  referred  to  is  the  dwarf  High  Sierra  one,  given  under 
ca'spitosum  by  Coville,  in  liis  'Botany  of  the  Death  Valley  Expedition' 
(p.  145,  1893). 

Vaccinium  arbuscula  (Gray)  |  =  Yaccinium  ccespitosum  var.  arb}iscnla 
Gray]. 
Common  in  moist  places  in  the  Transition  zone  from  Wagon  Camp 
down  to  Warmcastle  Soda  Springs  at  the  south  base  of  the  mountain. 
This  species  seems  to  be  distinct  from  the  dwarf  boreal  V.  vwspitosum. 
It  averages  about  2  feet  (60  centimeters)  in  height  and  has  red  branches 
and  decidedly  larger  and  thicker  leaves  than  the  alpine  ca'spitosum. 
Whether  or  not  the  latter  is  the  typical  form  is  anotlier  question.  The 
zone  position  of  V.  arbuscula  is  probably  Canadian  and  Transition. 

Vaccinium  occidentale  Gray.     Blueberry. 

Common  in  the  Canadian  zone  in  some  of  the  canyons,  and  in  the 
marsh  at  Wagon  Camp,  where  it  fruited  early. 

Fraxinus  oregana  Nutt.     Oregon  Ash. 

Occurs  sparingly  in  the  upper  Sacramento  Canyon,  but  was  not 
observed  about  the  actual  base  of  the  mountain. 

Gentiana  simplex  Gray.     Blue  Gentian. 

Common  in  the  Canadian  zone  swamp  at  Wagon  Camj)  the  first  half 
of  August.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Apocynum  pumilum  (Gray)  Greene. 

Common  in  suitable  places  throughout  the  Transition  zone,  from 
which  it  pushes  up  a  short  distance  into  the  lower  edge  of  the  Cana- 
dian. With  other  Transition  zone  species  it  was  found  on  a  warm 
slope  in  Mud  Creek  Canyon  at  6,700  feet.  (Identified  by  Professor 
Greene.) 

Cycladenia  humilis  Benth. 

Common  in  places  in  the  Hudsonian  zone,  l>ut  very  local.  It  occurs 
plentifully  on  the  top  of  Eed  Cone,  a  short  distance  northeast  of  Wagon 
Camp,  at  an  elevation  of  about  6,600  feet;  on  a  red  lapilli  hill  which 
forms  a  part  of  Eed  Butte,  just  east  of  '  The  [South]  Gate,' and  on  both 
sides  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon  a  little  below  true  timberline.  The  highest 
altitude  at  which  it  was  observed  was  8,700  feet  on  a  southwesterly  slope 
on  the  west  side  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon.  Cycladenia  JtumiUs  is  a  curious 
and  rather  striking  plant.  It  usually  has  four  large  entire  leaves,  sug- 
gesting those  of  Pohigonum  neicherryi,  and  bears  a  pair  of  conspicuous 
red  tubular  flowers  followed  by  two  curious  seed  pods,  which  are  very 
long  and  lie  side  by  side,  one  above  the  other,  like  the  barrels  of  a  Win- 
chester rifle.     (Identified  by  Miss  Eastwood.) 

Gilia  aggregata    (Pursh)  Spreng. 

Common  throughout  the  ponderosa  pine  forests  of  the  Transition  zone 
and  sometimes  seen  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Shasta  fir  forest,  where  its 


160  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

liandsome  scarlet  flowers  are  ^'ery  attractive.  On  warm  southwest 
slopes  near  Panther  Creek  it  was  found  as  high  as  6,600  feet,  and 
between  Mud  and  Clear  creeks  as  high  as  6,700  feet,  but  these  are 
abnormal  altitudes  due  to  unusually  warm  exposures  and  soil. 

CoUomia  grandiflora  Dougl. 

Common  in  the  upper  part  of  the  Transition  zone  a  little  below  Wagon 
Camp,  where  it  was  flowering  abundantly  the  last  half  of  July. 

Phlox  doug-lasi  diffusa  (Benth.)  Gray.     Alpine  Phlox. 

A  common,  widely  distributed,  and  conspicuous  plant  of  the  higher 
slopes  within  the  Hudsonian  zone,  sometimes  straggling  down  into  the 
Canadian  zone.  It  occurs  in  scattered  tufts  on  the  dry  rocky  slopes 
and  ridges,  usually  on  i)umice  soil,  and  is  commonest  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  timberline.  It  blossoms  early,  and  flowers  were  rarely  seen 
as  late  as  the  latter  part  of  July.  After  flowering  the  whole  plant 
withers  and  is  disintegrated  by  the  wind,  so  that  little  more  than  the 
woody  base  remains. 

Polemonium  pulchellum  Bunge. 

A  characteristic  but  not  abundant  Alpine  species,  occurring  here 
and  there  among  rocks  far  above  timberline.  On  the  north  side  of 
Shastina  it  was  in  full  bloom  July  24  at  an  altitude  of  8,900  feet.  On 
the  south  side  of  Shasta,  above  Squaw  Creek,  and  on  both  sides  of 
Mud  Creek  Canyon,  it  was  not  found  below  9,500  feet,  whence  it  ranges 
up  to  13,000  feet.  This  species  and  Draba  hreiceri  were  both  observed 
at  13,000  feet,  and  are  the  highest  plants  found  on  Shasta.  (Identified 
by  Professor  Greene.) 

Phacelia  frigida  Greene.'     Dwarf  Alpine  Phacelia. 

This  new  species,  which  Professor  Greene  has  kindly  described  at 
my  request  from  specimens  collected  by  us  above  the  head  of  Squaw 
Creek,  is  common  and  widely  distributed  on  the  higher  and  more  bar- 
ren rocky  slopes,  beginning  above  timberline  and  reaching,  on  south- 
erly slopes,  as  high  at  least  as  10,200  feet.  The  lowest  altitude  at 
which  it  was  f<mnd  is  8,700  feet,  on  a  cold  slope. 

Phacelia  magellanica  (Lam.)  Coville. 

A  i)lant  which,  in  the  present  unsatisfactory  state  of  the  group,  it 
seems  necessary  to  refer  here,  is  abundant  on  the  lower  slopes,  par- 
ticularly in  the  Transition  zone,  where  it  was  in  flower  throughout  the 
summer  and  as  late  as  the  end  of  September. 

Cryptanthe  geminata  Greene. 

Rather  common  in  the  Transition  zone  below  Wagon  Camp.  (Identi- 
fied by  Professor  Greene.) 

'  Pittoiiia,  IV,  pp.  39-40,  March  17, 1899. 


OCT.,  1899.]  PLANTS.  161 

Lappula  nervosa  (Kellogg)  Greene. 

Abundant  in  the  oj)ening.s  near  and  a  little  below  Wagon  Camp, 
where  it  is  the  most  troublesome  'stick-tight'  of  the  region,  filling  the 
forelocks  and  manes  of  the  horses  and  binding  them  together  in  a 
dense  mat. 

Monardella  odoratissima  Benth. 

Abundant  in  the  Canadian  zone  and  much  less  common  in  the 
Hudsonian.  Abundant  in  the  chaparral  at  Wagon  Camp  and  found 
in  several  places  on  warm  sunny  slopes  as  high  as  7,800  or  7,900  feet, 
and  in  one  place  near  the  head  of  Squaw  Creek  at  8,300  feet.  In  the 
latter  locality  only  a  few  bunches  occur  among  the  rocks  and  no  others 
were  observed  for  a  long  distance  below. 

Scutellaria  nana  Gray.     Dwarf  Skullcap. 

This  interesting  little  yellow-flowered  skullcap  was  found  at  one 
place  only — the  north  sloi)e  of  Shastina,  at  an  altitude  of  8,800  feet, 
where  it  was  flowering  July  24.  If  this  alpine  plant  is  the  same  as  the 
type  of  S.  nana,  which  came  from  the  hot  desert  region  near  Pyramid 
Lake,  Nevada,  its  occurrence  at  tiinberline  on  Shasta  must  be  acci- 
dental.    (Identified  by  F.  Y.  Coville.) 

Stachys  ingrata  Greene. 

Abundant  in  moist  soil  at  Wagon  Camp,  on  the  border  between  the 
Canadian  and  Transition  zones.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Chamaesaracha  nana  Gray. 

This  solauaceous  plant,  which  has  la  ge  white  flowers  and  looks  like 
a  dwarf  potato,  is  common  in  an  old  burn  near  Wagon  Camp,  where 
the  Canadian  and  Transition  zones  overlap.  (Identified  bj^  Miss  East- 
wood.) 

Castilleja  miniata  Dougl.     Scarlet  Painted  Cup. 

Common  and  conspicuous.  A  large  form,  probably  the  type  form — 
since  the  type  came  from  the  Blue  Mountains  of  Oregon — is  common  in 
moist  places  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Canadian  zone  and  upper  part  of 
the  Transition.  It  was  flowering  abundantly  in  the  uppermost  grove  of 
ponderosa  pines  at  Wagon  Cami)  the  latter  half  of  July.  A  smaller 
form,  apparently  unnamed,  abounds  in  the  heather  beds  of  the  Hud- 
sonian zone  near  and  a  little  below  timberline,  where  it  was  flowering 
profusely  the  first  half  of  August. 

The  scarlet  painted  cup  is  one  of  the  handsomest  flowers  of  the  moun- 
tain. Where  the  plants  are  abundant  on  the  dark  heather  the  effect 
of  the  bright  green  corolla  tubes  protruding  in  slender  spindles  from 
the  vivid  scarlet  mass  of  bracts  and  calyx  is  superb.  Early  in  August 
the  calliope  hummingbirds  were  constantly  hovering  over  these  flowers. 
(Identified  by  ^I.  L.  Fernald.) 
21753— No.  10 21 


162  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

Castilleja  affinis  Hook.  &  Arn. 

A  plaut  collected  in  the  Hudsouian  zone  near  timberliue  just  north 
of  E-ed  Butte  by  Vernon  Bailey  has  been  identified  as  this  species  by 
M.  L.  Feruald.  Since  the  type  locality  of  affinis  is  the  low  coast  strip 
near  San  Francisco  or  Monterey,  the  typical  form  would  hardly  be 
expected  to  occur  in  the  high  timberline  region  of  Shasta. 

Orthocarpus  pilosus  Watson. 

Common  in  places  near  timberline,  particularly  near  'The  [South] 
Gate,'  between  the  heads  of  Panther  Creek  and  Squaw  Creek.  (Iden- 
tified by  M.  L.  Fern  aid.) 

Mimulus  implexus  Greene. 

Abundant  in  wet  places  throughout  the  Hudsonian  zone,  reaching 
its  greatest  perfection  in  the  neighborhood  of  timberline.  In  the  shal- 
low rapids  of  some  of  the  mountain  rivulets  it  grows  in  such  profusion 
that  its  leaves  form  extensive  mucilaginous  jjatcheSj  which  completely 
fill  the  beds  of  the  streams.  Its  large  and  showy  yellow  flowers  were 
in  blossom  from  the  latter  part  of  July  until  the  end  of  September. 
(Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Mimulus  moniliformis  Greene. 

Two  forms  of  large  yellow  Mimulus  grow  in  the  marsh  at  Wagon 
Camp,  in  the  lower  edge  of  the  Canadian  zone.  (Identified  by  Professor 
Greene.) 

Mimulus  tilingi  (Regel.)  Greene. 

Common  in  the  marsh  at  Wagon  Camp.  (Identified  by  Professor 
Greene.) 

Mimulus  primuloides  Benth. 

Common  in  patches  in  marshy  places  and  along  streams  in  the  Cana- 
dian and  Hudsonian  zones,  but  much  more  common  in  the  Canadian 
than  in  the  Hudsonian.  It  was  abundant  at  Wagon  Camp  and  also  in 
some  of  the  heather  meadows  along  Squaw  Creek  and  other  streams. 
(Identified  by  Miss  Eastwood  and  Professor  Greene.) 

Pentstemon  menziesi  Hook. 

One  of  the  most  characteristic  and  widely  distributed  plants  of  the 
higher  slopes,  where  it  is  common  among  the  bare  rocks  all  the  way 
around  the  mountain.  It  is  common  in  the  Hudsouian  zone  in  the 
neighborhood  of  timberline,  but  much  more  abundant  in  the  Alpine, 
and  was  found  by  Vernon  Bailey  as  high  as  10,200  feet.  This  species 
is  easily  distinguished  from  the  other  Alpine  species  of  the  region  by 
its  smooth  entire  leaves  and  relatively  small  bluish  or  violet  blue  flow- 
ers, which  become  pink  or  reddish  with  age.  (Identified  by  Professor 
Greene.)  The  plant  is  by  no  means  typical,  but  seems  to  be  interme- 
diate between  menziesi  and  davidsoni.     It  may  be  a  distinct  species. 


OCT.,  1899.]  PLANTS.  1 63 

Pentstemon  newberryi  Gray. 

Coimnou  in  places  in  the  Hudsoniau  zone  and  possibly  in  the  upper 
part  of  tbe  Canadian;  inucli  less  generally  distributed  than  P.  menzlesi 
and  usually  occurring-  at  lower  altitudes.  On  tbe  north  side  of  Shastina 
it  was  flowering,  the  latter  part  of  July,  at  an  elevation  of  7,600  feet, 
and  at  the  same  time  on  the  cold  east  slope  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon  as 
low  down  as  5,600  feet.  Its  flowers  are  much  larger  than  those  of 
P.  menziesi  and  red  instead  of  bluish;  its  leaves  are  longer,  and  are 
serrate  instead  of  entire. 

Pentstemon  glaber  utahensis  Watson. 

Abundant  just  below  tiraberline  on  the  curious  Pimis  alhicanlis  plain 
between  North  (late  and  Bolam  Creek,  on  the  north  side  of  Shasta, 
where  it  was  flowering  plentifully  July  24.  It  was  not  seen  elsewhere 
on  the  mountain.  Its  blue-purple  flowers  are  even  larger  than  those 
of  P.  newberryi  and  are  very  showy  and  handsome.  (Ideutitied  by 
Professor  Greene.) 

Pentstemon  deustus  (Dough).     Yellow  Pentstemon. 

Common  in  the  rough  black  lava  beds  in  the  Shasta  hr  forest  north 
of  Cascade  Gulch,  on  the  west  side  of  the  mountain,  at  an  altitude  of 
about  7,500  feet,  but  not  seen  elsewhere.  This  species  is  a  dwarf  bush 
5  or  6  inches  high,  with  yellow  flowers  and  strongly  serrate  leaves. 
(Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Pentstemon  gracilentus  Gray. 

Abundant  in  places  in  the  Shasta  fir  forest,  particularly  between  the 
canyons  of  Mud  and  Ash  creeks,  in  the  Canadian  zone.  (Identified  by 
Miss  Eastwood  and  Professor  Greene.) 

Pentstemon  confertus  Dougl.     (Not  typical.) 

Common  near  Wagon  Camp.  (Identified  by  Miss  Eastwood  and 
Professor  Greene.) 

Veronica  cusicki  Gray. 

Common  just  below  timberline,  particularly  along  the  little  streams 
where  it  grows  in  the  grass  and  heather  on  the  overhanging  banks.  It 
was  flowering  abundantly  from  the  time  of  our  arrival,  the  middle  of 
July,  until  about  the  middle  of  August.  (Identified  by  Miss  Eastwood 
and  Professor  Greene.) 

Boschniakia  strobilacea  Gray. 

Collected  at  Wagon  Camp  by  Miss  Wilkins.  (Identified  by  Profes- 
sor Greene.) 

Lmnsea  borealis  Linn.     Twin  Bell-flower. 

Fairly  common  along  one  of  the  streams  half  a  mile  north  of  Sisson 
Tavern,  but  not  noticed  elsewhere.  This  form  was  described  by  Torrey 
as  variety  longijlora. 


164  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAINA.  [no.  16. 

Sambucus  melanocarpa  (rray.     Blackberry  Elder. 

Common  in  moist  parts  of  the  Transition  zone,  particularly  in  the 
canyons.     (Identified  by  Profes.sor  (Ireene.) 

Symphoricarpos  racemosus  Mich.     Snowberry. 

Common  about  Sisson  Tavern  and  in  cool  moist  places  along  the 
base  of  Mount  Eddy. 

Symphoricarpos  pilosus  Greene.     Mountain  Snowberry. 

Abundant  in  the  upper  part  of  the  Transition  zone,  particularly 
at  Wagon  Camj)  and  along  Squaw  Creek.  (Identified  by  Professor 
Greene.) 

Campanula  wilkinsiana  Greene.'     Shasta  Bluebell. 

This  new  bluebell,  recently  described  by  Professor  Greene  from  speci- 
mens collected  by  us  on  the  upper  part  of  Squaw  Creek,  is  common  in 
the  lower  heather  meadows,  and  less  so  in  the  marshy  place  at  Wagon 
Camp.  It  is  singular  that  the  only  Campanula  found  on  Shasta  should 
be  new,  the  usual  Sierra  and  Cascade  species  being  absent.  The  pres- 
ent si)ecies,  which  is  named  after  Miss  Lewanna  Wilkins,  averages  4  to 
5  inches  in  height  and  has  a  rather  small  flower.  Its  zone  position  is 
Hudsonian  and  Canadian. 

Achillea  lanulosa  Nutt. 

Common  in  the  Transition  zone  at  and  below  Wagon  Camp.  (Identi- 
fied by  O.  L.  Pollard.) 

Achillea  borealis  Bong.     Dwarf  Alpine  Yarrow. 

Occurs  in  places  on  the  stony  pumice  slopes  above  timberline.  Be- 
tween the  heads  of  Mud  and  Squaw  creeks  Vernon  Bailey  found  it  at 
an  altitude  of  9,000  feet.     (Identified  by  C.  L.  Pollard.) 

Anaphalis  margaritacea  (L.)  B.  &  H. 

Common  in  dry  open  jjlaces  in  the  chaparral  from  Sisson  to  Wagon 
Camp.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Antennaria  geyeri  Gray.     Geyer  Everlasting. 

A  large  specimen  of  this  handsome  everlasting  was  collected  by  Ver- 
non Bailey  in  the  Transition  zone  just  below  Wagoh  Camj)  September 
25.  The  species  was  not  noted  elsewhere.  (Identified  by  Miss  East- 
wood and  Professor  Greene.) 

Antennaria  media  Greene  [  =  A.  alpina  Auct.].     Alpine  Everlasting. 

Common  in  open  parts  of  the  Hudsonian  zone  in  the  neighborhood 
of  timberline  on  most  parts  of  Shasta  and  on  Shastina.  On  ordinary 
slopes  it  ranges  from  an  altitude  below  8,000  feet  up  to  about  9,000. 
(Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

'  Pittonia,  IV,  pp.  38-39,  March  17,  1899. 


OCT.,  1899.]  PLANTS.  165 

Arnica  merriami  Greene,' 

Common  in  the  heather  meadows  and  along  the  edges  of  streams  in 
most  parts  of  the  Hadsoniau  zone.  This  new  species  has  just  been 
described  by  Professor  Greene  from  specimens  collected  by  us  on  the 
moist  banks  of  the  small  west  arm  of  Upper  Sijuaw  Creek,  under  the 
alpine  hemlocks,  where  it  is  very  common. 

Arnica  longifolia  D.  C.  Eaton. 

Common  in  moist  places  in  the  Canadian  zone,  chiefly  on  the  banks 
of  streams.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Arnica  viscosa  Gray. 

This  singular  species,  wliich  differs  strikingly  in  appearance  and 
habit  from  most  members  of  its  genus,  grows  in  dense  patches,  usually 
2  or  3  feet  in  diameter,  among  the  bare  lava  rocks  on  steej)  slopes  near 
timberline.  On  the  south  side  of  Shasta  it  was  fairly  common  and 
flowering  abundantly  in  August.     (Identified  by  Miss  Eastwood.) 

Artemisia  tridentata  Nutt.     True  Sagebrush. 

Sagebrush  is  unknown  in  the  region  about  Shasta  except  in  Shasta 
Valley,  which  it  invades  and  overspreads  from  the  Klamath  country 
on  the  north.  It  reaches  the  extreme  south  end  of  Shasta  Valley  and 
penetrates  a  short  distance  into  the  bordering  forest  of  ponderosa  pines, 
where  it  mixes  with  Kunzia  tridentata.  Pushing  southeasterly  over 
Shasta  Valley  it  reaches  the  gap  at  Sheep  Rock.  Its  zone  position  is 
Upper  Sonoran  and  Transition. 

Artemisia  ludoviciana  2vutt. 

A  form,  ot  Artemisia  Judoviciana  is  common  in  places  just  below  Wagon 
Camp,  along  the  upper  edge  of  the  Transition  zone.  When  the  species 
and  subspecies  now  lumped  under  the  above  name  are  ])roperly  defined, 
several  useful  zone  phints  may  be  added  to  their  appropriate  lists. 

Machaeranthera  shastensis  Gray.    Shasta  Alpine  Aster. 

[^=  Aster  sliastensis  Auct.]. 

A  dwarf  alpine  species  abounding  on  the  bare  rocky  x)umice  slopes 
in  the  neighborhood  of  timberline,  and  common  also  on  the  borders  of 
the  heather  beds  in  the  glacial  meadows.  This  is  the  type  form.  A 
related  but  unnamed  form,  usually  a  foot  and  a  half  or  more  in  height, 
is  common  and  widely  distributed  on  the  lower  slopes,  chiefly  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  Transition  and  lower  part  of  the  Canadian  zones. 

Oreastrimi  alpiginum  (Gray)  Greene. 

Common  in  the  neighborhood  of  timberline,  particularly  in  moist 
places.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

'  Pittonia,  IV,  p.  3(5,  :\rarch  17,  1899. 


1G6  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  |N'Mf!. 

Chsenactis  nevadensis  (Kellogg)  Gray.     Alpine  Cbienactis. 

This  curiovis  composite,  with  whitish  tubular  flowers,  much  divided 
sticky  leaves,  and  a  smell  like  that  of  alcoholic  s])ecimeus,  occurs  here 
and  there  in  the  pumice  sand  and  among  the  broken  lava  shale  above 
timberline.  It  was  first  seen  in  flower  on  the  north  side  of  Shastina 
July  24  (alt.  9,000  feet),  and  early  in  August  was  flowering  plentifully 
on  the  south  slope  of  Shasta  above  the  head  of  Squaw  Creek  (alt. 
9,300  feet).     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Chrysothamnus  bloomeri  (Gray)  Greene. 

One  of  the  commonest  and  most  widely  distributed  idants  of  the 
higher  slopes,  where  it  occupies  pumice  soils  from  the  bottom  of  the 
Hudsonian  zone  up  to  several  hundred  feet  above  timberline.  It  was 
rarely  found  above  an  altitude  of  9,000  feet. 

This  i^lant  is  very  long  lived,  and  although  the  part  above  ground 
is  relatively  small  it  springs  from  a  large  woody  base  resembling  that  of 
the  true  sagebrush.  The  root  is  enormous.  The  main  taproot  (some- 
times double)  usually  sinks  so  deeply  into  the  soil  that  I  was  unable 
to  dig  one  up  without  breaking  off  the  terminal  point.  In  mature 
plants  the  main  root  measures  about  200  millimeters  in  circumference 
where  it  enters  the  ground,  and  is  500  to  600  millimeters  in  length.  It 
gives  off  numerous  small  and  slender  rootlets  some  of  which  exceed 
600  millimeters  in  length.  The  height  of  the  plant  above  ground 
rarely  exceeds  150  millimeters. 

Chrysothamnus  bloomeri  angustatus  (Gray)  Greene. 

Common  at  Wagon  Camp  and  in  various  parts  of  the  Transition  zone, 
usually  scattered  through  the  manzauita  chaparral.  Vernon  Bailey 
collected  it  at  Sheep  Rock.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Chrysothamnus  occidentalis  Greene.     Rabbit  Brush. 

Fairly  common  in  open  spots  on  the  lower  slopes  throughout  the 
Transition  zone,  where  it  is  mixed  with  Kunzia  tridentata,  Arctostaphy- 
Jos  patula,  and  Ceanothus  velutinus.  This  large  white-stemmed  spe- 
cies occurs  sparingly  in  dry  soil  at  Sisson,  and  thence  to  Edgewood 
and  Shasta  Valley,  in  the  upper  edge  of  the  Upper  Sonoran  zone,  where 
it  is  common  among  the  sagebrush.  It  was  obtained  at  Sheep  Rock 
by  Vernon  Bailey.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Chrysothamnus  viscidiflorus  Nutt. 

Common  in  the  upper  part  of  the  Upper  Sonoran  zone  in  Shasta 
Valley.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Erigeron  armeriaefolium  Turcz. 

Rather  common  near  timberline.  Specimens  were  collected  above 
Squaw  Creek,  near  the  head  of  Mud  Creek  Canyon,  and  on  the  north 
slope  of  Shastina.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 


OCT.,  1899.]  PLANTS.  1()7 

Erigeron  compositus  trifidus  Hook. 

Common  on  tlie  slopes  of  broken  shale  and  pnmice  above  tinibeiiine, 
where  it  often  grows  in  mats  of  Silene  suhsdorji  close  nnder  the  edges 
of  rocks.  On  the  south  side  of  Shasta  it  was  not  observed  lower  than 
9,200  feet,  but  on  the  cold  north  slope  of  Shastina  it  was  found  as  low 
as  8,900  feet.  Its  yellow  flowers  are  rather  conspicuous,  and  were 
noted  from  the  latter  part  of  July  until  late  in  August.  (Identified  by 
Professor  Greene.) 

Erigeron  inornatus  Gray. 

This  tall  and  much-branched  Erigeron  was  found  in  Mud  Creek 
Canyon  and  along  Squaw  Creek,  a  little  below  the  fall,  at  an  altitude  of 
6,800  feet.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Eupatorium  occidentale  Hook. 

Collected  by  Vernon  Bailey  and  Miss  Wilkins  on  Horse  Camp  Trail 
on  the  boundary  between  the  Transition  and  Canadian  zones.  (Identi- 
fied by  Professor  Cireene.) 

Heleniastrum  rivulare  Greene. 

Common  on  damp  ground  at  Wagon  Camp,  on  the  boundary  between 
the  Canadian  and  Transition  zones.     (Identified  by  Miss  Eastwood.) 

Hulsea  nana  Gray. 

A  common  and  cliaracteristic  i^lant  of  the  barren  alpine  slopes  above 
timberllne,  where  its  showy  yellow  heads  are  conspicuous  among  the 
bare  rocks.  Its  leaves  are  sticky,  crinkled,  and  relatively  smooth.  It 
was  found  on  most  of  the  high  ridges  above  timberline  all  the  way 
around  the  mountain,  and  was  obtained  on  the  north  side  of  Shastina 
at  an  altitude  of  9,000  feet.  Its  highest  limit  on  the  southwest  side,  as 
observed  by  Vernon  Bailey,  is  11,300  feet.  (Identified  by  Miss  East- 
wood and  Professor  Greene.) 

Hulsea  larseni  Gray. 

Common  on  the  pumice  slopes  above  timberline,  growing  with  H. 
nana,  from  which  it  may  be  easily  distinguished  by  the  leaves,  which 
are  covered  with  a  dense  whitish  pubes(ience.  (Identified  by  Professor 
Greene.) 

Madia  "bolanderi  Gray. 

Very  common  in  the  marsh  at  Wagon  Camp,  where  it  was  in  blossom 
all  summer.  Common  also  along  some  of  the  streams  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  Transition  zone,  where  the  low  temperature  resulting  from 
the  water  carries  narrow  tongues  of  Canadian  zone  species  down  to  alti- 
tudes below  their  normal  limits.     (Identified  by  Miss  Eastwood.) 

Senecio  trigonophyllus  Greene. 

Common  along  Panther  Creek  in  the  Shasta  fir  belt.  (Identified  by 
Miss  Eastwood  and  Professor  Greene.) 


168  NORTH  AMERICAN  FAUNA.  [no.  16. 

Senecio  canus  Hook. 

Common  on  the  rock-strewn  ]mmice  slopes  above  timberline.  (Identi- 
tied  by  Miss  Eastwood  and  Professor  Greene.) 

Solidago  elongata  ]!^utt. 

Abundant  in  open  grassy  places  at  Wagon  Camp,  where  it  was  in 
flower  in  August  and  September.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Agoseris  monticola  Greene.^     Alpine  Dandelion. 

Abundant  in  the  neighborhood  of  timberline  on  the  stony  slopes  and 
basins,  where  its  yellow  dandelion-like  flowers  were  conspicuous  from 
the  end  of  July  until  the  middle  of  September.  On  warm  southerly 
slopes  it  was  observed  as  high  as  9,750  feet.  Its  wavy  leaves  are  some- 
times entire,  sometimes  indented  or  cut.  This  species  has  just  been 
described  by  Professor  Greene  from  specimens  collected  by  us  at  tim- 
berline on  Shasta. 

Crepis  intermedia  Gray. 

Collected  by  Miss  Wilkins  in  Mud  Creek  Canyon  near  the  mouth  of 
Clear  Creek,  where  its  zone  position  is  either  Hudsonian  or  Canadian. 
(Identified  by  F.  V.  Coville.) 

Hieracium  albiflorum  Hook. 

Common  in  places  along  the  upper  part  of  the  Transition  zone.  Col- 
lected at  Wagon  Camp,  on  Squaw  Creek,  and  on  a  warm  slope  in  Mud 
Creek  Canyon  near  the  mouth  of  Clear  Creek.  (Identified  by  Miss 
Eastwood  and  Professor  Greene.)  A  dwarf  alpine  form,  apparently  not 
yet  named,  occurs  above  timberline  and  is  fairly  common  above  the 
head  of  Squaw  Creek,  growing  with  H.  horridirm. 

Hieracium  cynoglossoides  nudicaule  Gray. 

Very  common  in  the  Transition  zone  Just  below  Wagon  Camp. 
(Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

Hieracium  horridum  Fries. 

Common  in  places  on  the  higher  slopes  at  and  above  timberline, 
forming  small  and  densely  hairy  tufts  among  the  rocks.  The  plant, 
particularly  when  young,  is  completely  covered  by  a  very  dense  growth 
of  stifl"  silky  white  hairs  which  give  it  a  woolly  appearance. 

Hieracium  gracile  Hook. 

Common  in  the  heather  beds  just  below  timberline,  where  its  conspicu- 
ous yellow  flowers  were  in  blossom  the  eat  ly  part  of  August.  (Identified 
by  Miss  Eastwood  and  Professor  Greene.) 

Hieracium  greenei  Gray. 

Fairly  common  just  below  Wagon  Camp  in  the  Transition  zone.  The 
type  locality  of  this  species  is  in  the  Scott  Mountains  a  little  west  of 
Shasta.     (Identified  by  Professor  Greene.) 

1  Pittonia,  IV,  p.  37,  March  17, 1899. 


OCT.,  1899.] 


PLANTS. 


169 


Ptiloria  lactucina  (Gray)  Greene.     {=StepJianonieria  lactucina  Anct.) 

This  curious  composite,  with  milky  Juice  and  conspicuous  pinkish 
flowers,  suddenly  appeared  on  burns  near  Wagon  Camp  the  latter  part 
of  August.  It  was  not  observed  elsewhere.  (Identified  by  Miss  East- 
wood and  Professor  Greene.) 


Fig.  46.— Monument  on  summit  of  Sbasta.     (Photogiapbed  by  W.  H.  Osgood.) 


21753— No.  1() 22 


I  N  D  K  X . 


[Names  of  new  species  in  black-face  type.    For  zone  position  of  species,  see  alphabetical  lists, 

pages  54 — 79.] 


Abies  amabilis,  82. 

concolor  lowiana.  34,  37, 138. 

lasiocarpa,  82. 

niagniflca,  37,  81. 

nobilis,  82. 

shastensis,  36-38,  138. 
Accipiter  atricapillus  striatuhis,  111. 

cooperi,  111. 

velox,  111. 
Acer  circinatum,  153. 

glabruni,  153. 

macrophyllum,  153. 
Achillea  borealis,  164. 

lanulosa,  164. 
AcGxiitnm  columbianuni.  146. 
Actitis  niacularia,  110. 
.Slgialitis  vocifera,  110. 
Aeronautes  melanoleucus,  117. 
Agelains  phrenicens,  122. 
Agoseris  nionticola,  16, 168. 
Alder,  141. 

])aperleaf,  141. 

white  tree,  141. 
Alectoria  fremonti,  136. 
Allium  sp.  ?,  139. 
Allium  validum,  139. 
Aluus  incana  var.  virescens,  141. 

rhombifolia,  141. 

sinuata,  141. 

tenuifolia,  141. 
Amelanchier  alnifolia,  150. 
Ammodramus  sandwichensis  alaudinus,  124. 
Anaphalis  margaritacea,  164. 
Anas  bcscbas,  109. 
Anorthura  hiemalis  pacificus,  80, 131. 
Antelope,  prong-horn,  102. 
Antennaria  alpina,  164. 

geyeri,  164. 

media,  164. 
Anthus  pensilvanicus,  130. 
Antilocapra  americana,  102. 
Aphelocoma  californica,  119. 
Aplodontia,  92-93. 
Aplodontia  major,  92-93. 

major  raiuieri,  74,  81. 
Apocynum  pumilum,  159. 
Aqnila  chryaaetoa,  112. 
Aquilegia  truncata,  146. 
Arabia,  flat-pod,  146. 
Arabia  platysperma,  146. 


Arctomys  caligatus.  69. 

flaviventer.  79,  80,  89. 
Arctostaphyloa  neyadensis,  157. 

patula,  30, 157-158. 

viscida,  53. 
Ardea  herodias,  109. 
Arenaria,  80. 
Arenaria  compacta,  81. 

jjongesta,  81. 
Arnica  chamissonia,  80. 

longit'olia,  165. 

merriami,  16, 165. 

vi.scosa,  165. 
Artemisia  Indoviciana,  165. 

rothrocki,  81. 

trideutata,  165. 
Asarum  hartwegi,  143. 
Aah.  mountain,  150. 

Oregon,  159. 
Aspleniura  tilixtVemina.  136. 
Aster,  Shasta  alpine,  165. 
Aster  shastensis,  165. 
Astragalinus  psaltria.  124. 

tristis  salicamans,  124. 
Aulaconininm  audrogynum,  136. 
Avalanches,  26-27. 

Badger,  105. 

Basin  alopea,  52. 

Basaariscus  astutus  rajitor,  106-107. 

Bat,  big-eared,  88. 

California,  89. 

large  brown,  89. 
Bear,  black,  107. 

grizzly,  107. 
Beaver,  92. 

Belltiower,  twin,  163. 
Betula  occidentaiis,  141. 
Bighorn,  103. 
Bikukulla  unirtora  146. 
Birch,  141. 
Blackberry,  150. 
Blackbird,  Brewer,  122. 

red-winged,  122. 

yellow-headed,  121. 
Bluebell,  Shasta,  164. 
Blueberry,  159. 

dwarf  alpine,  158-159. 
Bluebird,  arctic,  133-134. 

mountain,  133-134. 


171 


172 


INDEX. 


Bluebird,  western,  133. 

Boreal    fauna    of    Shasta    and     Sierra-Cascades, 

sources  of,  85-86. 
Boreal  species : 

common  to  Shasta  and  Sierra-Cascades,  73-74. 
conmion  to  Shasta  and  Sierra,  not  known  from 

Cascades,  74-75. 
common  to  Shasta  and  Cascades,  not  known 

Irom  Sierra,  75. 
of   Shasta,   not   known   from   Sierra  or   Cas- 
cades, 75. 
exclusively,  of  Shasta,  76-77. 
Hudsonian-Alpine,  of  Shasta,  77-78. 
Hudsonian-Alpiue    common    to    Shasta    and 

Sierra-Cascades,  78. 
Hudsoniau- Alpine    common    to    Shasta    and 

Sierra,  not  known  from  Cascades,  78-79. 
Hudsonian-Ali)ine    common    to    Shasta    and 

Cascades,  not  known  from  Sierra,  79. 
common  to  Sierra  and  Cascades,  not  known 

from  Shasta,  79-82. 
of  Sierra,  not  known  from  Shasta  or  Cascades, 

80-81. 
of  Cascades,  not  known  from  Shasta  or  Sierra, 
81-82. 
Boschniakia  strobilacea,  163. 
Boxwood,  Oregon,  1.52. 
Branta  canadensis,  109. 
Brodiasa,  140. 

Bryanthu.T  empetriformis,  158. 
Bubo  Virginian  us,  114. 
Buck-brush,  153-154. 
Bunting,  lazuli,  127. 
Burns,  efi'ects  of,  47. 
Bush-tit,  California,  132. 
Buteo  borealis  calurus,  1 12. 
swainsoni,  112. 

Cacomistle,  106-107. 
Callospermophilus  chrysodeirus,  90. 

saturatus,  69. 
Calochortus  maweanus,  139. 

nudus,  139. 
Calypte  anna,  117. 
Campanula  scouleri,  80. 

wilkinsiana,  16, 164. 
Canis  lestes,  103. 

ochropufe,  103. 
Canyons,  21-23. 

Ash  creek,  22,  23. 

Bolam,  22. 

Brewer,  22. 

Diller,  22. 

Mud  creek,  22,  23. 

Whitney,  22. 

Cardamine  bellidifolia  pachyphylla,  146. 
Carex,  alpine,  i:>9. 
Care.x;  breweri,  139. 
Carpodacus  cassini,  123. 

mexicanus  frontalis,  123. 

mexieanus  obscurus,  123. 
Carum  gairdneri,  155. 
Cassiope,  80. 
Castanopsis  chrysophylla,  142. 

chrysophylla  var.  minor,  142. 

sempervirens,  142-143. 


Castilleja  atfinis,  162. 

miuiata,  161. 
Castor  canadensis,  92. 
Cat,  California  wild,  104. 

ring-tail,  106-107. 

wild,  104. 
Catchfly,  Alpine,  146. 

Hudsonian,  145. 
Cathartes  aura.  111. 
Catherpes  mexicanus  punctnlatus,  130. 
Ceaiiothus,  wedge-leaf,  153. 
Ceanothiis  eordulatus,  153. 

cuneatus,  153. 

integerrimus,  154. 

(Cerastes)  prostratus,  1.54. 

velutinus,  30, 153-154. 
Cedar,  incense,  35, 138. 
Ceoi)hloBus  pileatus  abieticola,  116. 
Cerasus  demissa,  150. 

emarginata,  151. 

glandulosa,  151. 
Cercis  occidentalis,  151. 
Cercocarpus  ledifolius,  148. 

parvifolius,  53. 
Certhia  familiaris  occidentalis,  131. 
Cervus  occidentalis,  102. 
Ceryle  alcyor,  114. 
Chfenactis,  alpine,  166. 
Chainactis  nevadensis,  166. 
Chwtura  vauxi,  117. 
Chamsecyparis  lawsoniana,  138. 
Chama'saracha  nana,  161. 
Chat,  long-tailed,  130. 
Cheilanthes  gracillima,  136. 
Cheiranthus  perennis,  146. 
Cherry,  bitter  red,  151. 

bush,  151. 
Chickadee,  chestnut-backed,  132. 

mountain,  132. 
Chimaphila  menziesi,  156. 

umbellata,  156. 
Chinquapin,  Sierra,  142-143. 
Chipmunk,  Allen,  90-91. 

Klamath,  90. 
Chokecherry,  western,  150. 
Chondestes  grammacus  strigatus,  125. 
Chordeiles  virginianus,  116. 
Chrysamphora  californica,  147. 
Chrysopsis  breweri,  81. 
Chrysothamnus  bloomeri,  166. 

bloomeri  angustatus,  166. 

occidentalis,  53, 166. 

visciditiorus,  53, 166. 
Cinclus  mexicanus,  130. 
Circus  hudsonius.  111. 
Cistothorus  palustris  paludicola,  131. 
Claytouia,  80. 
Clintouia,  80. 

Coccothraustes  vespertinus  montanus,  122-123. 
Coccyzus  americanus  occidentalis,  114. 
Colaptes  cafer,  116. 
Collomia  granditiora,  160. 
Columba  fasciata,  111. 
Columbia  Gap,  69. 
Columbine,  red,  146. 
Contopus  bore  tlis,  118. 
richardsoni,  118. 


JNUEX. 


173 


Cony,  <.in-100. 

Codt,  109. 

Corallorhiza  bigelovi,  141. 

Comua  nattalli,  156. 

pubescens,  1.56. 
Corviis  aiuericanus,  119. 
Corylus  rostrata  californica,  141. 
Cow  parsnip,  156. 
Coyote,  mountain,  103. 

valley,  103. 
Crataegus  rivularis,  150. 
Creeper,  western  brown,  131. 
Crepis  intermedia,  168. 

nana,  80. 
Crossbill,  Sierra  red,  12;S-124. 
Crow,  119. 

Clark,  110-121. 
Cryptanthe  geminata,  160. 
Cryjitogramme  acroaticboides,  136. 
Cuckoo,  California,  114. 
Cupressus  niacnabiana,  138. 
Cyanocepbalus  cyanocepbalus,  121. 
Cyanocitta  stelieri,  118. 

stelleri  frontalis,  74. 
Cyano.spiza  amcena,  127. 
Cycladenia  bumilis,  159. 
Cymopteris  terebintbinus,  156. 
Cypress,  Lawson,  138. 
Cystopteris  fragilis,  136. 

Dafila  acuta,  109. 

Dandelion,  alpine,  168. 

Darlingtonia,  147. 

Datura  meteloides,  53. 

Deer,  Columbia  black-tail,  101-102. 

mule,  102. 
Delpbinium  sonnei,  146. 
Dendragapus  obscurus  fuliginosus,  1 10-111. 
Dendroica  a'stiva,  128. 

auduboni,  128-129. 

occidentalis,  129. 

townsendi,  80. 
Diller  Cauyon,  12. 
Dipodomys  californicus,  97. 
Dipper,  130. 
Dogwood,  Oregon,  156. 
Dove,  mourning,  111. 
Draba,  Sierra  alpine,  147. 
Draba  breweri,  147. 

lemmoni,  81. 
Drcsera  rotundifolia,  147. 
Dryobates  pubescens  gairdneri,  114. 

villosus  byloscopus,  114. 
Dryoi)teris  aculeata  scopuliua,  136. 
Duck,  cinnamon  teal,  109. 

mallard,  109. 

pintail,  109. 

sboveller,  109. 
Eagle,  bald,  112-113. 

golden,  112. 
Elder,  blackberry,  164. 
Elk,  102. 
Empidonax  difficilis,  118. 

bammondi,  118. 

wrigbti,  118. 
Epilobium,  rose,  155. 
Epilobium  brevLstylum,  155. 


Epilobium  clavatum,  1 

glaberrimum,  155. 

bornemanni,  155. 

obcordatum,  155. 

oregonense,  155. 

pringleanum,  155. 

spicatum,  155. 
Eretbizon  epixantbus,  98. 
Ereunetes  occidentalis.  110. 
Erigeron  armeri.e folium,  166. 

compositus  trifidus,  167. 

inornatus,  167. 

salsuginosus,  80. 
Eriodictyon  glutinosuni,  53. 
Eriogonum  large-leaf  alpiiie,  144 

naked  stem,  144. 

small-leaf  alpine,  143-144. 

yellow,  143. 
Eriogonum  niarifolium,  143. 

nudum,  144. 

polypodum,  143-141. 

pyrobvfolium,  144. 
Erysimum  asperum  ]>erenne,  146. 
Erythronium,  80. 
Eulopbus  pari.sbi,  81. 
Eupatorium  occidentale,  167. 
Eutamias  alpinus,  81. 

amcenus,  90. 

senex,  90-91 . 

speciosus,  81. 

speciosus  callipeplus,  81 

speciosus  frater,  81. 

townsendi,  81. 
Everlasting,  alpine,  164. 

Geyer,  164. 
Evernia  vulpina,  130. 
Evotomys,  mountain,  95. 
Evotomys  gapperi  saturatus.  69. 

mazama,  95. 

Falco  columbarius  -suckleyi,  113. 

mexicanus,  113. 

sparveriu.s,  113-114. 
Falcon,  prairie,  113. 
Eeatber  River  or  Quincy  (iap,  70 
Felis  oregoneusis,  104. 
Fincb,  Cassin  purple,  123. 

bouse,  123. 
Fir,  Douglas,  34-35, 137. 

Shasta,  36-39, 138. 

white,  34,  37, 138. 
Fire-weed,  155. 
Fisher,  106. 

Flicker,  red-sbafted,  116. 
Flycatcher,  Hamnioml,  118. 

olive-sided,  118. 

western  yellow-bellied,  118. 

Wright,  118. 
Forest  fires,  46-47. 
Forests,  30-40. 

Shasta  fir  belt,  36-39. 

white-bark  pine  belt,  39-46. 

yellow-pine  belt,  30-35. 
Fox,  mountain  red,  103. 

Townseud  gray,  103-104. 
Fragaria  bracteata,  148. 

chiloensis,  148. 


174 


INDEX. 


Fraxiiiiis  oregana,  159. 
Fritillaria  atropnri)Ui  ea,  i;!9. 
Fulica  araericana,  109. 

Gallinago  delicata,  109. 
Garrya  fremonti,  53. 
Gaultheria  myrsinites,  82. 
Gayophytiim  raniosissimuiu,  155. 
Gentian,  blue,  159. 
Gentiana  newberryi,  80. 

simplex,  159. 
Geothlypis  tolmiei,  129. 

triclias  occidentalia,  129. 
Geum,  80. 

Gilia  aggregata,  159-ltiu. 
Ginger,  wild,  143. 
Glacial  basins,  20-21. 
Glaucidium  gnoiiia  caliloruicuiu,  114. 
Goldfincb,  Arkansas,  124. 

willow,  124. 
Goose,  Canada,  109. 
Goplier,  pine- woods,  97. 

Sierra  pocket,  95-97. 
Gosbawk,  western,  111. 
Grass,  alpine,  139. 

blue-eyed,  141. 
Grass-ol-Parnassus,  147. 
Grebe,  pied-billed,  109. 
Grosbeak,  black  beaded,  126. 

western  evening,  122-123. 
Grouse,  sooty,  110-111. 
Gulo  luscus,  79,  80, 105. 

Habenaria  leucostacbys,  141. 

unalascbensis,  141. 
Halia'etu.s  leucocepbalus,  112-113. 
Harpidium  exannulatum,  130. 
Hastingsia  alba,  139. 
Haw,  black,  150, 
Hawk,  Cooper,  111. 

uiarsb,  111. 

sbarp-sliiuned.  111. 

sparrow,  113-114. 

Swainson,  112. 

western  I'ed-tail,  112. 
Heather,  red,  158. 
Heleniaatriini  rivulai'e,  107. 
Heliotropium  currassavicum,  53. 
Hell-diver,  109. 
Hellebore,  white,  140. 
Helininthopbila  celata  lutescens.  128. 

rubricapilla  gutturalis,  128. 
Helodromas  solitarius  <',innainoiiieiis,  110. 
Hemlock,  black  alpine,  42-46,  137. 
Hemp,  wild,  152. 
Heracleum  lanatum,  156. 
Heron,  great  blue,  109. 
Heucbera,  80. 
Hieraeium  alhitlorum,  168. 

cynoglossoides  nudicaule,  168. 

gracile,  168. 

greenei,  168. 

horridum,  168. 
Hirundo  erytbrogastra,  127. 
Holodiscus  discolor,  148. 
Horkelia  pseudocapitata,  149. 
Hosackia  americana,  151. 


Hnlsea  algida,  81. 

larseni,  167. 

nana,  167. 
Hummingbird,  Anna,  117. 

calliope,  117. 

rufous,  117. 
Hylocichla  aonalaschkie  auduboui,  133. 

ustulata,  81. 
Hypericum,  dwarf,  154. 
Hypericum  anagalloides,  154. 

Icteria  virens  longicauda,  130. 
Icterus  bullocki,  122. 
Iris,  80. 

Itinerary,  10-14. 
Ivesia,  80. 

Jay,  California,  119. 

Oregon,  119. 

piuon,  121. 

Steller,  118. 
Jerboa,  Sierra,  98. 

valley,  99. 
Junco,  Sierra,  125. 
Junco  hyemalis  connectens,  74. 

hyemalis  thurberi   125. 
Juncus,  Parry,  139. 
Juncus  orthophyllus,  80. 

parryi,  139. 
Juniper,  dwarf  alpine,  138. 

western,  .53, 138-139. 
Juniperus  nana,  138. 

occidentalia,  138-139. 

Ealmia  glauca  micro])hylla,  1.58. 

Killdeer,  110. 

Kingbird,  117. 

Kingfisher,  114. 

Kinglet,  ruby-crowned,  132. 

western  golden-crowned,  132. 
Klamath  Gap,  69. 

efficiency  of,  as  barrier  to  boreal  8pecie.s,  83-84. 
Kunzia  tridentata,  149. 

Lauius  ludovicianus  excubitorides,  128. 

Lappula  nervosa,  161. 

Lark,  dusky  horned,  118. 

Larkspur,  146. 

La.sionycteris  noctivagan.s,  79,  80. 

Laurel,  alpine,  158. 

Ledum  glandulosum,  81. 

Lepus  californicus,  101. 

klaiiiatlieiisis,  16, 100-101. 

nuttalli,  100. 
Leucosticte,  gray-crowned,  124. 
Leucosticte  tephrocotis,  124. 

tephrocotis  littoralis.  74,  81. 
Leucotho'J  davisia>,  81. 
Libocedrus  decurrens,  35, 138. 
Life  zones,  52-68. 

Alpine,  67-68. 

Canadian,  61-64. 

Hudson  ian,  64-67. 

Transition,  54-61. 

Upper  Sonoran,  53-64. 
Ligusticum  grayi,  156. 
Lilac,  California,  154. 


INDEX. 


175 


Liliuin  i)arvnTn,  139-140. 

waslnngtoLiianimi,  140. 
Lily,  tiger,  130-140. 

Washington,  140. 
Linnaea  boreali.s.  16:!. 

borealis  var.  longirtora,  60, 163. 
Linum  lewisi,  152. 
Lion,  mountain,  104. 
Listera,  80. 
Lonicera  conjugali.s,  80. 

involucrata,  80. 
Lopliortjx  californicus  vallicola,  110. 
Lotus  aniericanus,  151. 
Loxia  ciirvirostra  bendirei,  123-124. 

ciirviro.stra  minor,  74. 
Lupine,  dwarf  alpine,  152. 

dwarf  lowland,  152. 

silvery,  151-152. 
Lupinus  albicaulis  sylvestris,  151. 

albifrons,  152. 

argenteus  decumbena,  152. 

elnieri,  151. 

lyalli,  152. 

minimus,  152. 

ornatus,  151-152. 
Lutkea  pectinata,  149. 
Lutra  hudsonica,  106. 
Lutreolavisou  cnergumenos,  105. 
Lychnis  californica,  81. 
Lynx  californicus,  104. 

canadensis,  81. 

fasciatus  pallescens,  10,  104. 

Machaeranthera  shastensis,  165. 

Madia  bolanderi,  167. 

Magpie,  118. 

Mahogany,  mountain,  148. 

Mallard,  109. 

Manzanita,  dwarf  mountain,  157. 

green,  157-158. 
Maple,  big-leaf,  153. 

bush,  153. 

Oregon,  153. 

vine,  153. 
Marmot,  mountain,  89. 
Marten,  Pacific,  106. 
Martin,  western,  127. 
Meadowlark.  western,  122. 
Megascops  asio  bendirei,  114. 
Melanerpes  formicivorus  V)airdi,  116. 

torquatus,  116. 
Melospiza  lincolni,  126. 

melodia  montana,  125. 
Mentzelia  Isevicaulis,  53, 155. 
Menziesia  ferruginea,  82. 
Mephitis  occidentalis,  105. 
Merlin,  black,  113. 
Mertensia,  80. 

Merula  migratoria  propinqua,  133. 
Microtus  (Arvicola)  arvicoloides,  81. 

(Chilotus)  bairdi,  81. 

californicus,  94. 

dutcheri,81. 

montanus,  95. 

mordax,95 
Mimulus  implexus,  162. 

moniliformis,  162. 


Mimulus  priniuloides,  162. 

tiling!,  162. 
Mink,  Pacific,  105. 
Mitella  pentaudra,  147. 
Moisture,  ett'ects  of  scanty,  19-20. 
Mole,  California,  88. 
Monardella  odoratissima,  161. 
Monkshood,  146. 
Montia  fontana,  81. 
Mouse,  big-eared,  94. 

common  white-footed,  94. 

house,  93. 

lemming,  95. 

mountain  pocket,  98. 
Mud  hen,  109. 
Mus  musculus,  93. 
Mustela  cauriua,  106. 

pennanti,  106. 
Myadestes  townsendi,  132-133. 
Myotis  californicus,  89. 

evotis,  88. 

lucifugus  longicrus,  89. 

yumaneusis  saturatus,  89. 

Neotoma  cinerea,  94. 

fitscipes,  94. 
Neurotridius  gibbsi  major,  16,88 
New  species,  16. 
Nicotiana  sp.  ?,  53. 
Kighthawk,  116. 
Nucifraga  columbiana,  119-12!. 
Nutcracker  119-121. 
Nuthatch,  pigmy,  131. 

red-breasted, 131. 

slender-billed,  131. 

Oak,  black,  143. 

Ochotona  schisticeps,  99-100 

Odocoileus  columbianus,  101-102. 

hemionus,  102. 
Onion,  large  wild,  139. 
Oreamnos  montanus,  69. 
Oreastrum  alpiginum,  16.'). 
Oreobroma  nevaden.sis,  81. 

pygmaea,  81. 

triphylla,  145. 
Oreortyx  pictus  plumiferus,  110. 
Oreospiza  chlorura,  126. 
Oriole,  Bullock,  122. 
Orthocarpus  pilosiis,  102. 
Osmorrhiza  nuda,  156. 
Otocoris  alpestris  nierrilli,  118. 
Otter,  106. 
Ouzel,  water,  130. 
Ovis  canadensis,  103. 
Owl,  burrowing,  114. 

California  pigmy,  114. 

California  screech,  114. 

great  horned,  114. 
Oxyria  digyna,  144. 

Pachystima  myrsinites,  152. 
PiEonia  browni,  146. 
Pivony,  wild,  146. 
Painted  cup,  scarlet,  161. 
Parnassia  californica.  147. 
Parus  gambeli,  132. 


176 


INDEX. 


Paiu.s  lufe.seens,  132. 

Passcrella  iliaca  megarliynclia,  126 

iliaca  uuala.seliensis,  126. 
Pedicularis.  80. 
Peltipliylliim  peltatuni,  148. 
Pentstemou,  yellow,  16.3. 

conlertus,  1G3. 

(laviilsoni,  162. 

deu.stus,  163. 

glaber  utahensis,  163 

gracilentus,  163. 

inenziesi,  162. 

newberryi,  163. 
Perisoreiis  obsciirus,  119. 
Pcrogiiatlms  moUipilosiis,  98. 

parvus,  98. 
Peroiiiy.scu8  boyli,  94. 

oieas,  69. 

gambeli,  94. 

truei,  94. 
Personnel,  15. 

Petrocbelidon  lunitVons,  127. 
Pewee,  western  wood,  118. 
Phacelia,  dwarf  alpine,  160. 
Pliacelia  frigida,  10, 160. 

magellanica,  160. 
Pbahenoptilus  nuttalli.  116. 
Phegopteris  alpestn's,  136. 
PLenacomjs  oiophiliis,  95. 
Philonotis,  136. 
Phlox,  alpine,  160. 
Phlox  douglasi  diffu.sa.  160. 
Phcebe,  Say,  117. 
Phyllodoce  breweri,  81. 

etnpetriformis,  158 
Pica  pica  hndsonica,  118. 
Picoides  arcticus,  115. 
Pika,  99-100. 
Pigeon,  band-tail,  111. 
Pine,  Jeffrey,  31-32. 

knobeone,  33-34,  137. 

lodge-pole,  38-39,  137. 

nioiintain,  white,  38, 136. 

ponderosa,  30-32, 137. 

silver,  38, 136. 

sugar,  32-33, 137. 

white-bark,  39-42,  137. 

yellow,  30-32, 137. 
Pinodrops,  157. 

Pinicola  enucleator  calif'ornica,  81. 
Pintail,  109. 
Finns  albicaulis,  39-42, 137. 

attenuata,  33-34, 137. 

balfouriana,  81. 

flexilis,  81. 

jeffreyi,  31-32. 

lambertiaua,  32-33,  137. 

monticola,  38, 136. 

murrayana,  38-39,137. 

ponderosa,  30-32,  137. 
Pipilo  fuscuscrissaiis,  126. 

maculatus  niegalonyx,  126. 
Pipit,  130. 

Piranga  ludoviciana,  127. 
Pitcher  plant,  California,  147. 
Pitt  River  Gap,  69. 
Pleurieospora  fimbriolata,  157. 


Plum,  white,  151. 
Podilymbus  podicei)s,  109. 
Polemouium  pulcLelluni,  1(10. 
Polygala  cornuta.  1.'2 
Polygonum,  broad  leaf  145. 

Shasta,  144-145. 
Polygonum  bistortoides,  80. 

newberrji,  145. 

paronychia,  145 

shastense,  143, 144-14.">. 
Poor  will.  116. 

Poplar,  western  balsam.  141. 
Populus  treniuloides,  80. 

trichocarpa,  141. 
Porcu])ine,  98. 
Porzana  Carolina,  109. 
Potentilla,  dwarf  alpine,  149. 

large  yellow,  150. 
Potentilla  flabellifoliii,  149. 

glandulosa,  149, 150. 

pseudorupestria,  149. 
Primula,  80. 

Primula  suttrutescens,  81. 
Procyoii  psora  piioificn,  16, 107. 
Progne  subis  hesperia,  127. 
Prongliorn  antelope,  102. 
Prunus  subcordata,  151. 
Psaltriijarus  minimus  californicua,  132. 
Pseudotsuga  mucronata,  34-35, 137. 
Pteris  a(iuiliua  lanuginosa,  136. 
Pterospora  andromedae,  157. 
Ptilorialactucina,  169. 
Pulsatilla  occidenfalis,  146. 
Puma,  Oregon,  104. 
Pussj-paws,  145. 
Putorius  arizonensis,  106. 

cicognani  streatori,  81. 

Masliingtoni,  69. 
Pyrola  pallida,  16, 156. 

jiicta,  156. 

secunda,  1.56. 

Quail,  California  valley,  110. 

plumed  mountain,  110. 
Quercus  californica,  143. 

chrysolepis,  142. 

garryana,  143. 

kelloggi,  143. 

vaccinii'olia,  81, 142. 

wislizeni,  143. 
Querquedula  cyanojitei'a,  109. 
Quincy  Gap,  70. 

Rabbit,  California  jack,  101. 

Klamath,  100-lUl. 

sagebrush  cottontail,  100. 
Rabbit  brush,  53, 166. 
Raccoon,  Pacific,  107. 
Rail,  sora,  109. 
Raillardella,  80, 
Raillardella  scaposa,  81. 
Ranunculus,  80. 

oxynotus,  81. 
Rat,  bushy-tail  wood,  94. 

kangaroo,  97. 

round-tail  wood,  94. 


INDEX. 


177 


Red-bud,  151. 
Regulus  calendula,  132. 

satrapa  olivaceus,  132. 
Ueitlirodoiitonijs  klainathensis,  16,93 
Rharamis  californica,  154. 

rubra,  1.54. 
Rbododendron  albitiorum,  82. 
Rhus  trilobata,  152. 
Ribes  amictum,  148. 

cereiim,  148. 

erytbrocarinim,  82. 

klamathense,  148. 

lacustre,  82. 

viscosis-slnnim,  148. 
Robin,  western,  133. 
Rock  slopes,  25-26. 
Rose,  California,  150. 

wild,  150. 
Rosa  californica,  150 

gymnocarpa,  150. 
Rubus  lasiococcus,  82. 

nutkanus,  150. 

parviflorus,  150. 

vitifolius,  150. 

Sagebrush,  true,  53, 165. 
Sagina  saginoides,  145. 
Salix  barclayi,  80. 

lasiandra,  141. 

nuttalli,  141. 

sitchensis,  141. 
Salpinctes  obsoletus,  130. 
Sambucus  nielanocarpa,  164. 
Sandpiper,  spotted,  IK). 

western,  110. 

western  solitary,  110. 
Sapsucker,  redbreasted,  115. 

Williamson,  116. 
Sarcodes  sau;:uiue.i,  157. 
Saxifrage,  alpine  rock,  147. 

giant  water,  148. 
Saxifraga  bryophora,  147. 

nivalis,  80. 

l)unctata,  80. 

tolmiei,  147. 
Sayornis  saya,  117. 
Scapanus  alpinus,  81. 

californicus,  88. 
Sciuropterus  alpinus  klamatliensis,  92 
Sciurus  alboliuibatus,  91-92. 

californicus,  91. 

douglasi  cascadenais,  81 . 

fossor,  92. 
Scolecophagus  cyanocephalus,  122. 
Scutellaria  nana,  161. 
Selasphorus  rufus,  117. 
Senecio  canus,  168. 

trigonophyllus,  167. 
Serviceberry,  150. 
Sewellel,  92-93. 
Shasta,  avalanches,  26,  27. 

basin  slopes,  52. 

birds,  1U9-134. 

canyons,  21-22. 

eflects  of  burns,  47. 

eflects  of  scanty  moisture,  19-20. 

forest  tires,  46-47. 

21753— No.  ir> 23 


Shasta,  forests,  110-46. 

general  features,  17-18. 

glacial  basins,  20-21. 

life  zones,  52-68. 

mammals,  87-108. 

plants,  135-169. 

rock  slopes,  25-26. 

streams,  23-24. 
Sheep,  mountain,  103. 
Shoveller,  109. 
Shrew,  Monterey,  88. 

Shasta.  87. 

Sierra,  87. 

white-bellied  water-,  88. 
Shrewmole,  large,  88. 
Shrike,  white-rumped,  128. 
Sialia  arctica,  133-134. 

mexicana  occidentalis,  133. 
Sibbaldia,  alpine,  150. 
Sibbaldia  procumbens,  150. 
Silene  acaulis,  82. 

bernardina,  81. 

californica,  81 

grayi,  145. 

suksdorti,  140. 
Siskin,  pine,  124. 
Sisyrinchium  belluni,  141. 
Sitanion  cinereum,  139. 
Sitta  canadensis,  131. 

caroliuensis  aculeata,  131. 

pygmaea,  131. 
Skullcap,  dwarf,  161. 
Skunk,  large,  105. 

little  spotted,  105. 
Slope  exposure,  47-51. 
Slopes,  basin,  52. 

efl'ectof  steej),  51. 
Smelowskia,  80. 
Smilax,  California,  140. 
Smilax  californica,  140. 
Snipe,  AVilson,  109. 
Snowberry,  164. 

mountain,  10 ;. 
Snow  bush,  153. 
Snow  plant,  157. 
Solidago  elongata,  168. 
Solitaire,  Townsend,  132-133. 
Sorbus  occidentalis,  82. 

sambucifolia,  150. 
Sorex  (Atophyrax)  bendirei,8l. 

moutereyensis,  88. 

(Xeosorex)  navigator,  88. 

obscurus,  81. 

shastensis,  16,87. 

vagrans  amcenua,  87. 
Sorrel,  alpine,  144. 
Sparrow,  Lincoln,  126. 

mountain  song,  125. 

thick-billed,  126. 

Townsend,  126. 

western  chipping,  125. 

western  lark,  125. 

western  savanna,  124. 

white-crowned,  125. 
Spatula  cljpeata,  109. 
Speotyto  cunicularia  hypogiea,  114. 
Spermophilus  beldingi,  81. 


178 


INDEX. 


Speiuiophilus  douglasi,  89-90. 
Sphyrapicus  ruber,  115. 

tbjToideus,  116. 
Spilogale  lat  ifrons,  105. 
Spinus  piuiis,  124. 
Spirii'ii,  alpine,  148. 

red, 149. 
Spira-a  arbuscula,  82. 

douglasi,  149. 
Spizella  socialis  arizon.T?,  125. 
Spraguea  umbellata,  145. 
Spring  beauty,  dwarf  alpine,  145. 
Spruce,  Douglas,  137. 
Squaw  carpet,  154. 
Squirrel,  golden-mantled  ground,  90. 
Klaniatb  flying,  92. 
large  tree,  92. 
Oregon  gray,  92. 
Oregon  ground,  89-90. 
Sierra  pine,  91-92. 
Stachys  ingrata,  161. 
Stelgidopteryx  serripennis,  127. 
Stellaria  crispa,  145. 
Stellula  calliope,  117. 
Stephanomeria  lactucina,  169. 
Strawberry,  large,  148. 

small,  148. 
Streams,  23-24. 

Streptanthus  orbiculatus,  147. 
Streptopus,  80. 

Sturnella  magna  neglecta,  122. 
Sundew,  147. 
Swallow,  barn,  127. 
oliti;  127. 

rougb-winged,  127. 
tree,  127. 
violet-green,  127. 
Wliite-bellied,  127. 
Swift,  Vans,  117. 

wbite-tbroated,  117. 
Symphoricarpos  pilosus,  164. 
racemosus,  164. 

Tacbyciueta  bicolor,  127. 

tbalassina,  127. 
Tanager,  mountain,  127. 
Taxideataxus,  105. 
Teal,  cinnamon,  109. 
Thalictrum,  80. 
Tbimbleberry,  western,  150. 
Thomomya  alpiuus,  81. 

mazama,  74,  81. 

monticola,  95-97. 

iiionticola  pinetoriim,  16, 97. 
Thrusb,  dwarf  hermit,  133. 
Thryomanes  bewicki  spilunis,  131. 
Timberline,  27-30. 
Titlark,  130. 

Tofieldia  occidentalis,  140. 
Tetanus  flavipes,  110. 
Towbee,  California,  126. 

green-tailed,  126. 

spurred,  126. 
Trocbilus  alexandri,  117. 
Troglodytes  aedon  parkmaui,  131. 
Tritelia  ixioides,  140. 
Tsuga  merteusiana,  42-46, 137. 


Tsuga  i)attoni,  42. 
pattoniaua,  42. 
Tyrannus  verticalis,  117. 

Urocyou  callforiiicus  toiviiseiidi,  16, 103-104. 
Ursus  americauus,  107. 
horribilis,  107. 

Vaccinium  arbuscula,  159. 

Cfespitosum,  158-159. 

microphyllum,  82. 

occidentale,  159. 
Vagnera  stellata,  140. 
Valeriana  sitcbensis,  82. 
Veratruni  californicum,  140. 
Verbena  bracteosa,  53. 
Veronica  cusicki,  163. 
Vespertilio  fuscus,  89. 
Vicia  americana,  152. 

Viola  blanda,  154 . 

purpurea,  154. 
Violet,  alpine  yellow,  154. 

white,  154. 
Vireo,  Cassin,  128. 

western  warbling,  128. 
Vireo  gilvus  swainsoni.  128. 

solitarius  cassini,  128. 
Vole,  California,  94. 

mountain,  95. 
Vulpcs  macrourus,  103. 
Vulture,  turkey.  111. 

"Warbler,  Audubon,  128-129. 

Calaveras,  128. 

liermit,  129. 

lutescent,  128. 

Macgillivray,  129. 

pileolated,  130. 

western  yellow-throat,  129. 

yellow,  128. 
Weasel,  mountain,  106. 

Willow,  black,  141. 

Nuttall,  141. 

Sitkii,  141. 
Willow  herb,  155. 
Wilsoni.i  pusilla  pileolata,  130. 
Wolverine,  105. 
Woodpecker,  arctic  three-toed,  115. 

Cabanis  hairy,  114. 

California,  116. 

Gairdner,  114. 

Lewis,  116. 

pileated,  116. 

white-headed,  114-115. 
Wren,  canyon,  130. 

Parkman,  131. 

rock,  130. 

tiile,  131. 

Vigors,  131. 

Western  winter,  131. 

Xanthium  strumarium,  53. 
Xantbocepbalus  xanthocepbalns,  121. 
Xeuopicus  albolarvatus,  114-115. 
Xerophyllum,  80. 


INDEX 


179 


Yarrow,  dwarf  alpine,  164. 
Tellowlegs,  110. 

Zamelodia  nielanocephala,  126. 
Zapus  niontanus,  74. 81 . 

paciflcus,  99. 

trinotatus,  69. 

trinotatus  alleni,  98. 


Zeuaidura  macroiira.  111. 
Zones.  Life,  52-68. 

Alpine,  67-68. 

Canadian.  61-64. 

Hud.sonian,  64-  67. 

Tran.sition.  .54-61. 

Upper  Senoran,  .53—54. 
Zonofricliia  leucopliry.s,  125. 


c 


B.P.L 

NOV. lb    ifcjyo 


ii